《An Angel’s Road to Hell》 A very brief and probably incomplete character summary Immortals Cassandra - Lucifer: MC -read the book :)- Ahri - Aurora: Cassandra¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She betrayed Lucifer in their previous life and is sworn to protecting him in this one Amazeroth: the lord of mirrors, ruler of fate. One of the strongest immortals who has taken an interest in Lucifer¡¯s life, even though his goals aren¡¯t yet clear Michael: self proclaimed leader of the immortals and the one who tried to kill Lucifer Mephisto: the youngest demon who followed Lucifer through his reincarnation and tries to mentor him Lilith: a demoness who has lost faith in their race and is willing to support Lucifer, this time around Sarai: an angel and old friend of Aurora¡¯s Delilah: a corrupted demoness. Cleansed by Cassandra and reduced to her core Hora: the angel of time, a staunch supporter of Michael Ezekiel: an angel and supporter of Michael, the lord of winter Ma¡¯kal: the angel of strength and a supporter of Michael Thanatos: the angel of death and a supporter of Michael Gabriel: not yet properly introduce, coming soon, though¡­ somewhat soon :) Metathron: deceased, killed by Lucifer Odin: the angel of forbidden arts, a loner who¡¯s struggling with the new order Aphrodite: the angel of love and a friend of Odin¡¯s Chaleb: a demonic knight and ally of Lucifer, even though he was killed by him Kitsune Mordred: Cassandra¡¯s older brother, manipulated by Amon to facilitate his attack on Boseiju Arthur: Cassandra¡¯s oldest brother, the rightful king of the Moon Albert: deceased, Cassandra¡¯s father Helena: Cassandra¡¯s mother, turned into a nigh transcendent, nine tailed fox Reia: Cassandra¡¯s illegitimate sister, sired by her father Greta: Cassandra¡¯a first mentor, raised by Lucifer and Aurora. Deceased. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Archibald: a young survivor of the fall of Boseiju. One of Reia¡¯s closest friends Estrella: Archy¡¯s younger sister with an uncanny knack for scrying magic Sylvia: Arthur¡¯s wife. A calloused woman who prioritises her responsibilities above everything else. Emilia: Ahri¡¯s younger sister. Not properly introduce, just yet. The Mask: an exiled kitsune who swore revenge against his people. Killed by Cassandra when he took her family hostage Aaron, Balthasar, Corvin, Diane, Evelyn: Cassandra¡¯s knights, forced into her service by Arthur Dwarfs Xorlosh: Exiled nobleman and known for his regicide. The axe of Angram Etosh: Xorlosh¡¯s kin; warrior Atosh: Xorlosh¡¯s kin; warrior Brombolosh: Xorlosh¡¯s kin, exquisite blacksmith Krak: quartermaster Golamosh: old master of runes Dorotea: kidnapped, probably deceased, Etosh¡¯s fianc¨¦e Fey Erya: an ancient fey, freed from Shafeer¡¯s horde. One of Cassandra¡¯s closest friends Morgan: Erya¡¯s granddaughter. Exiled from the Silent Glade for conversing with an elf and turned into a human Auguros: an ancient spirit, sworn to protect Gaya herself, followed Morgan into exile Lancelot: Erya¡¯s eldest son and one of the three rulers of her former home Gawain: Erya¡¯s second eldest son and the second ruler of the Silent Glade Guinevere: Erya¡¯s youngest daughter and the last ruler of the Silent Glade Dragons Viyara: a Hybrid dragoness with a draconic and elven body and soul. One of Cassandra¡¯s closest friends, she even carries a spark of her power Ignus: Ancient golden dragon, Viyara¡¯s grandfather Shafeer: Viyara¡¯s father. Deceased Galathon: Shafeer¡¯s nemesis. Deceased Elves Lyra: an ancient princess, sealed and forgotten ages ago until Cassandra freed her Aspera: Astra¡¯s sister. The both of them left their home to flee from their father, who had shackled their souls together to forge a more powerful warrior. A survivor of Boseiju¡¯s fall Astra: Aspera¡¯s sister Zara Dawnheart: the last survivor of a powerful, ancient family. Supposed to marry the prince, she stumble over an ancient tome and summoned Cassandra, pleading for help. Vampires Layla: Alassara¡¯s daughter and the reason why Cassandra stands with the vampires Aurelia: a former servant of Sarai, a powerful vampire, close to true immortality Alassara: the leader of Free Land¡¯s vampires Tharos: deceased, one of Alassara¡¯s lieutenants Silas: deceased, one of Alassara¡¯s lieutenants Captain Dawn: Alassara¡¯s brother. The two of them were at war until Cassandra killed him Humans Amon: the emperor. A menacing, ancient sorcerer, who holds Amazeroth¡¯s contract Serena Emilia Brightblaze: two sisters who represent a faction of Free Land. Associated with the Immortal Sun Captain Nightshade: a Captain of Free Land. Associated with the Broken Wheel Liz: a former whore, who worked for Madame Sinis and was gifted to Cassandra as a present Will: a former mercenary of Free Land Vanya: a former mercenary of Free Land Pete: a former human pirate, saved by Cassandra Madame Sinis: owner of the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, an old woman, close to death Zuma: a zoologist who tinkers with power and gene transfers between species Clovis: the leader of the pirates who surrendered to Cassandra after the explosion of Shafeer¡¯s horde Captain Asra: a filthy rich merchant and a Captain of Free Land Lorian: mercenary of Free Land. The only one who wasn¡¯t willing to join the fight against Amon Other Fenrir: a black shadow wolf and Odin¡¯s companion The Swarm: artificially created race to facilitate the birth of new immortals. It¡¯s not certain, if it worked Cetus: a planet eater and prey for immortals Star whale: deceased, a friend of Lucifer¡¯s, whose death facilitated the war in heaven and hell Boseiju: burned, the ancient tree and former home of the kitsune Gaya: the Sprit of the planet The Broken Wheel: a fractal of Gaya, bound to the mortal beliefs of death and silence The Immortal Sun: a fractal of Gaya, bound to the mortal beliefs of the sun and fire Barzuk: an orc, one of Shafeer¡¯s servants. Died saving Viyara and the others from Galathon Shassa: an ancient spider, Amon¡¯s first teacher. She¡¯s currently imprisoned in a gem The wisps: a living manifestation of Cassandra¡¯s power. They are Helena¡¯s beating heart. 1. Of angels, demons and a little bit of treachery (prologue) Void Star Zeta Lightning cleaved the sky while a monstrous thunderclap blew away the last wisps of smoke, rising from a bloody battlefield. The light of three different void-moons could finally penetrate the atmosphere, shining onto the flailing bodies of combatants, locked in an unending dance until that last forceful strike blew them apart, like leaves in the wind. Afterwards an eerie silence claimed the remnants of two mighty armies. They faced each other over a destroyed plane littered with bodies, limbs and deep, crystallised craters, proof of otherworldly magics that had reigned there, up until a moment ago. In the no man¨As land, smack down in the middle of this butchered battlefield, one remained standing. One remained upright, albeit without his second eye and missing his right arm. Raven-black hair covered an unworldly beautiful face with high cheekbones and one remaining eye that shone like the moon. Deep gashes split his cheeks, his large canines poking through the wounds around his mouth. Most remarkable were the threads of energy, spilling from his back. 20 metre long torrents of bluish silver energy slithered through the air, cutting wind, sound and light while they passed through. Slight distortions could be seen around the edges of each energy-band. Silver blood spilled out of his stump and from the myriad of wounds he had sustained. But still a faint smile tugged on the corners of his mouth and the force emanating from his gaze never faded. Clothed in the tattered remains of a sublime, white robe, he remained standing through sheer willpower and the help of his trusted spear, which he now used as a crutch. To his right, all of the remaining 326 demons, that had managed to retain a corporal form, were still and unmoving like a cliff of black obsidian in the night, even the light of the void wouldn¡¯t touch them. To his left the angelic army looked like an island of order and brilliance in the middle of a chaotic, storm-plagued sea. Two opposites that¡¯d tear reality apart, if they came too close. Small sparks started to appear between the two fronts, getting bigger and more numerous as time dragged on. The silence was broken by heavy footsteps. Two figures emerged from the depth of the demon army, their counterparts gliding to the fore of the heavenly host. Four pairs of eyes roamed across the destruction, finally settling on the wounded figure in the middle. ¡°Mephisto, Lilith¡± a majestic figure of at least 3 meters, clad in white plate-amor with a white cloak covering its face, acknowledged the two beings that stood only a few steps away by now in a deep baritone. On his side a gorgeous female, with curves to die for, a face that had driven monks to insanity and red wavy hair with azure eyes gave a tiny nod. Behind her back four wings of fire, a larger pair right above a smaller one, burned the air, a metallic smell slowly setting over the scene. She wore a skin-tight mail-shirt and skirt, each ring fashioned from a pure, heavenly ruby. ¡°My lady Aurora, my lord Michael, have you come to end this farce, so unbecoming of higher bein¡­¡± a massive warrior of 2.5 meters, wearing black chainmail and a crown of horns upon his head, armed with a 3 metre long black trident with ruby tips, tried to say but his speech was cut short by wheezing laughter: ¡°Higher beings?¡­cough¡­ More like needle-dicked butt fu..¡± The wounded soldier in the middle interrupted but a moving shadow, that engulfed his face and torso briefly, cut him off. On his side another beauty stepped from the flickering darkness, carefully remaining out of reach of his energy-wings. She was the stark contrast to lady Aurora. She was petite with a deathly pallor, contrasted by her black hair and obsidian eyes. Her black attire made it hard for the eye to follow her form, which seemed to slip in and out of the shadows that clung to her body and to the horns on her head. The only speck of colour came from the silver blood, splashed all over her right arm, dripping down to earth from the raptured larynx she slowly squeezed to a pulp. Before the first drop could reach the soil, she murmured: ¡°You have talked quite enough Lucifer. Yours is only to listen and await judgement.¡± And with that, Lucifer finally toppled over, his remaining hand clutched to the hole in his neck. All that could be heard from him was the wheezing sound when his lungs tried to press vital gases through his mutilated windpipe. ¡°That is quite correct. And you won¨At be needing this, anymore.¡± Michael replied and grabbed the silver spear Lucifer had dropped. With an nearly imperceptible flick of his wrist, Michael threw the spear into the air and unfolded his steel-grey wings. With a quick spin, he tried to cut the spear into three pieces, but his lightning-quick movement was brought to a halt by a silver-blue torrent of energy that snaked around his wings and clamped them shut. Where the energy touched the metal of Michael¨As wings, a low hissing sound erupted and within moments, the steely feathers started to glow and deform around the edges. ¡°Enough!¡± Aurora¡¯s quiet whisper was accompanied by a slicing sound as her katana seemingly materialised in her hand and bore down on Lucifer¡¯s back, piercing him right between his wing bases and nailing him to the ground. On a mental command the katana burst into bright-red flames that cauterised the wound but stopped every form of regeneration. Finally Lucifer¨As wings dropped to the ground, crackling on the burned soil. The smell of sulphur and smouldering earth became overwhelming. ¡°Thank you, milady. The bastard is¡­was too strong¡± Michael, still composed but somewhat shaken from the current of energy that had raced through his wings, folded them back under his cloak and broke the spear over his knee. An explosion like a nuclear bomb followed directly after, showering everyone in debris. The closest four were pushed back several meters despite their powers. Of the spear nothing remained but ash and a silver emblem, cracked down the middle. It depicted a winged, humanoid creature, bowing down in front of a tree. On each branch of the tree a cultured life form could be seen while abstract animal faces made up the trunk and the fruits consisted of stylised planets. With a little imagination one might have been earth. Hurt as he was, Lucifer couldn¡¯t protect himself and took the brunt of the explosion. Of his back not much remained, except a burning hole with a katana stuck through and the small patches of skin and muscle, that had been protected by his wings. White lumps of bone rose from the red mass that was left of sculpted muscles and porcelain skin. The rest was flayed away by the broken shards of his spear. Defiantly he struggled to at least lift his head off the ground and look those fuckers in the eye, but¡­there was nothing left but pain and exhaustion. Maybe it was time to finally get some rest? Let some other bimbo try to fix this broken multiverse. He had tried. And he had failed¡­obviously. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be spilling his last blood on some god-forsaken hunk of rock in the middle of nowhere. Literally, as the void was the definition of nowhere. Still, he wasn¡¯t very keen on finding out how those four intended to end an eternal existence. If he had had anything left to bet he would¡¯ve put it all on pain. Probably a lot of it. That was something he definitely didn¡¯t want to experience. Desperately he reached into the depth of his core, his inner reservoir of energy and purpose, to trigger one last transformation, but alas the seals drawn with his own blood held fast, they quivered but remained in place. Having spent his last strength on this final act of defiance, his one good eye rolled up into his head and he finally lost consciousness. ¡°Did he just try to transform? In the void space?!¡± The dark knight Mephisto shouted as he climbed back up on his feet. ¡°There is not enough external energy, he would have exploded, his core eroded to nothingness! By the seven eyes, we would have been blown to smithereens!¡± ¡°Calm down, he can support his form here, but he would probably have incinerated quite a lot of us and burned OUR cores to ashes, if he had managed to transform. He is not called the eater of immortals for nothing. Thank the heavenly throne that our seals held for as long as they did. ¡°Aurora replied, calm and collected. Even that last explosion in direct proximity hadn¡¯t dishevelled her. ¡°We can worry about ifs and whens as soon as this ¡­abomination is gone. I¡¯m so done with this whole forsaken campaign¡± Michael spat. ¡°First he pushes the transcendent forces into an open war neither side wants and than he fucking tries to seal us in the void!¡° He blushed slightly, embarrassed by his verbal tirade. Unfolding and folding his wings to calm himself down, he continued: ¡°It¡¯s time to put an end to all of this. We, or rather lady Minerva, found a way to kill him off for good. And it will only require the sacrifice of one planet full of mortals.¡± ¡°Hmm, I do admit that I would love to tie him to a rack and dig into him until I understood all the little parts that make this one tick. But a swift cut is much more advisable, considering the last 200 years. Can we service you in any way, oh mighty lord of angels?¡± Lilith purred with her sultry voice, gliding over to Michael. She caressed his chest-plate with her long fingers and looked up to him with a light colour showing on her cheeks for the first time. Aurora immediately hissed and Michael threw Lilith off, barking in rage: ¡°How dare you touch me, filthy succubus! To sully me with your hands and gaze! This armistice doesn¡¯t make us friends and should we meet again after today, rest assured, your head will roll!¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lilith kept her balance with a graceful step and sneered: ¡±I would like to see you try, bigot!¡± Shadows condensed in her hands until she held two daggers, black as the night. But before the situation could escalate even further, Mephisto took a step forward: ¡°Stay your fiery tempers and sheath your weapons. We hate one another but we have a common enemy right now. So I repeat the question: Lord Michael, do you need any help to dispose of this beast?¡± With a stiff bow Michael relented: ¡°My apologies. The seal on the void is broken, his core is suppressed and his consciousness fled. You held up your end and lost the seven knights of hell while we only lost Gabriel, Metathron and the fallen one.¡± He spat at the unconscious Lucifer. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for us to uphold ours. Go back to hell and rest assured for the next 77 years no heavenly angel will interfere with hell¡¯s plans. Enough time to feed seven mortals with the knights¡¯ cores.¡± He pointed at seven dark halos visible in Mephisto¡¯s aura. ¡°Now go and leave the rest to us.¡± And with that, Michael shouldered the unconscious Lucifer and turned his back on the two demons. Aurora exchanged one last glance with Lilith before she too turned around. Neither of them saw Mephisto pick up the charred and cracked emblem. ¡°My liege, you realise that the demons do profit immensely from this outcome? While they could collect the cores of the fallen knights and have the time to nurture them, Lucifer destroyed Gabriel¡¯s and Metathron¡¯s cores completely, crippled Ariel and Zuzuma permanently and we lost our strongest member on top of it all. Or do you think you can scrap Lucifer¡¯s core clean and make a good little soldier out of him?¡± Aurora couldn¡¯t banish the sarcasm from her words. ¡°You forget yourself. Be glad there is no one around, otherwise there could be only one answer to your insolence. We are still at war, girl.¡± Michael replied collectedly. With his adversary over his shoulder, whose blood formed a warm and velvety river down his back, he was looking forward to Lucifer¡¯s imminent demise. A pity he wasn¡¯t conscious, but maybe an angelic healer could rectify that. The destruction of the core was supposed to be excruciatingly painful and it wouldn¡¯t do for him to miss it. All in all Michael was in a great mood, probably the best in several millennia. A little haughty lieutenant couldn¡¯t sour his spirits. ¡°But to answer your questions: I¡¯ll scrap Ariel and Zuzuma and reincarnate them anew. While we were talking to those cretins, Azrael burned his core to curse the knights. Good luck keeping those abominations from killing every demon in sight, once they awaken. And with only Lucifer, Azrael, Metathron and Gabriel lost, we still come out ahead, even if you assume that Lucifer was the strongest of us all.¡± Michael couldn¡¯t prevent a small smile from forming while he spoke. Aurora¡¯s gaze on the other hand became icier with every word she heard: You intent to scrap Ariel and Zuzi and you killed Azrael off for good?! Az would never have willingly sacrificed his life to curse anyone. Maybe to lift a curse but never cast it. May the eternal wyrm eat your core! Who knew? Is that what we¡¯ve become? Is that what I fought for, what I bled for? What I killed for?While her thoughts raced, her eyes travelled to the half-dead angel on Michael¡¯s back. Maybe you didn¡¯t lie to me after all? Above the burning void chasm 327 angels hovered above a burning scar in the all encompassing void while one hung like a lifeless doll on the shoulders of another. This place was one of a kind, where the flames of the living multiverse poured into the abyssal night of the infinite void. Energies crashed through reality with burning desire and purpose, only to bleed into the void and run dry, for nothing could satisfy its eternal hunger. Here, the whole of existence could be felt, stuck in an eternal cycle of light and darkness. Like an Ouroboros, the darkness slowly swallowed the fires, coming out of the chasm, while pure, undiluted energies clashed with the impenetrable gloom to fill the nothingness and devour the deepest shadows. It was the centre of the multiverse where every ounce of energy, every gran of purpose, ended. And yet life originated from here as well. Where energy and purpose met, refined by the fringes of eternity, a new soul was borne. Like an unending stream of the most beautiful crystals, they floated out of the suffocating darkness and back into the light of existence. It was the most fulfilling sight in the whole multiverse. It was also the place the angels had picked to kill off one of their own. The heavenly host remained above the chasm and started singing. Spherical sounds added to the transcendent sight and a choir of 325 voices started to form and guide the flows of energy, sealing every newborn soul in a transparent veil of power. Only Michael didn¡¯t join in. He flew ever closer to the chasm, Lucifer, still unconscious, as no healer could overcome his immunity to magic, slung over his shoulder. If Michael hadn¡¯t been so full of glee, he might have heard another register missing from the sublime music. ¡°Well, well little brother, and here we are. You on my back, bleeding like a pig and me, lugging your useless ass all over existence. But this is the last time, trust me on that¡± He chuckled. ¡°Nearly there¡­ just a little closer¡­No clue if you can hear me, but this seriously is a sight to behold. If it just wasn¡¯t so egregiously dangerous¡­But you will find out all about that in a moment. You know, I¡¯m gonna kill your body and throw you into the chasm. Your energy will be pulled out by the void forces and sucked into existence through the gap. But without a soul, the weight of the whole multiverse, rushing through that barrier, will crush your core and because of our seals you won¡¯t be able to cling to a newborn. At least until you can break them, but as you are unconscious, that seems rather unlikely. All that remains is the great finale, when your shredded and compressed energy materialises on some unfortunate world. I hope you suffer just as much as Gabriel when you burned him with those forsaken wings of yours. Enjoy your last trip, eater of immortals!¡± With those words Michael cast off his burden and Lucifer tumbled downwards, pulled towards the scar. With one last outburst of energy, Michael sped after him and beheaded his brother with the flick of a wing. A happy smile spread across his face as he turned around to watch the heavenly choir protect the newborn souls from any possible interference. Now the only obstacle to his plans was finally gone. Now he could begin. The multiverse would change and it would be by his design. But¡­there was a flicker of energy, speeding past him and he heard a telepathic whisper: ¡°I never said anything about not meddling in heavenly affairs. You little fool, if you think you can manipulate us so easily, you will be proven wrong. Remember your promise, this is hell¡¯s affair and YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE!¡± The heavenly shield cracked. A dark comet rushed past Michael, flew through the energies that poured out of Lucifer¡¯s body and collected them in a cage, powered by four dark spheres, four of the cores of the knights. All that remained in space was a drifting, dried up head and a mutilated husk of a torso. Mephisto¡¯s break-neck flight continued, for it was him in an ethereal form who crashed the heavenly execution. Without much decorum, he burned the remaining three cores, as well as his own, to encapsulate the cage in transcendent energies and fire it at the stream of souls. The result was breath-taking, even by the standards of immortals. If the only demon with a backbone had to go out, he would make sure it would happen with a Big Bang. The current of creation exploded in colours of the entire spectrum, shooting energy beams with the strength of several super novas into the void. Directly afterwards a shockwave, consisting of pure energy, travelled outwards, pushing back even the outpour from the chasm. The heavenly host was blown away and scattered through the void. All that remained was a broken cage and a nearly empty patch in the river of souls. Only one speck remained untouched, shining brightly, like the moon, encircled in bluish silver threads of energy. Slowly it drifted towards the chasm and passed, unwitnessed, into the realm of existence. 60 minutes earlier Void Star Zeta Aurora sealed her feelings behind a composed mask. That was something she had become really good at during the last 200 years. Ever since the war against the demons had begun and even more so after they had uncovered the truth and started hunting for Lucifer. Right now her insides were even more in turmoil than usual. Michael had carelessly admitted to planning on erasing two unique and amazing personalities, solely for the sake of regaining soldiers in fighting trim. Worse, the way he simply had stated it as fact made it obvious that a large part of the angels even supported him. He didn¡¯t expect any resistance and would do as he pleased, no matter the desires of his wounded siblings. Aurora knew them, they would never have wanted to lose themselves for the sake of power or combat prowess. Furthermore she was pretty confident that he had forced Azrael into some kind of self sacrifice, but she couldn¡¯t be sure there. And before she dared to act, she had to be. So Aurora had hid her emotions for the time being and didn¡¯t insist on accompanying Michael when he went to scrap Ariel and Zuzuma clean to reincarnate them with a new soul. Each angel and demon consisted of two parts: a soul, that contained emotions and their personality, and a core, that held the angels transcendent energy, purpose and true form. It also contained memories on a superficial level, but they could be scrapped clean. If a clean core was bound to a newborn soul, all injuries, even ones to the core itself, could be reset. They healed with the development of the new host. If memories were retained, the core remained in a fixed state and couldn¡¯t recover any mutilations, even with a new beginning. The core was said to be indestructible, except if the angel itself decide to blow it up for energy, but as the cases of Gabriel and Metathron had clearly shown, it wasn¡¯t. Only really close to it. Consequentially, a body and the soul bound to it could die, but the essence remained, practically forever. Aurora was sure she couldn¡¯t stop Michael from scrapping the wounded angels, as he openly told the heavenly host about his intentions. Some seemed uneasy and anxious but the majority accepted the importance of keeping the fighting numbers up. There were only 330 angels left after all. Well, 329, soon enough. So she stood aside and allowed Michael and his closest adviser, Ezekiel, to cross over to the two wounded angels, undisturbed. Ariel and Zuzuma were clearly in pain but the burns on their cores would keep them unconscious until they scarred over. It would never happen, though. Those two personalities would never wake up again. Michael would make sure of it. But instead of flying away on her fiery wings as fast as possible, Aurora stayed close and hid herself behind a cliff of void-glass. After conjuring a dome of transcendent energy, to conceal herself from everything in creation, she used the path of Ariel¡¯s and Zuzuma¡¯s cores to the river of souls to plunge her astral projection deep into the current. She was looking for the last remnants of Azrael¡¯s existence, which should be decomposing close to the river¡¯s source, on the fringes of the void. After a moment, which felt like an eternity, while raw cosmic energies tormented her spirit, she finally caught the scent of a personality she knew. She had found the last parts of Azrael and with it some of his memories¡­. 30 seconds later Aurora used most of her power to force a telepathic link onto Mephisto: ¡°I have a story to tell. Well, actually, it¡¯s the story of a dead angel and one that might die soon. And if that happens, we¡¯ll be lost. So you better listen really carefully¡­..¡± 2. Of homes, families and a little bit of history (prologue) Gaya Gaya was located close to a universe¡¯s core. The core was the place where the energies of creation spilled over into the void chasm and breathed life into an otherwise dark and static place. The closer a planet was located to a universe¡¯s core, the more abundant life could exist. The immense influx of power allowed diverse species to flourish. Gaya was an old planet. Her face had changed quite a bit over the course of several billions of years. Right then she featured two continents, split by an endless sea that was inhabited by gargantuan monsters of the depths, growing to several kilometres in length. The seas were always in turmoil, be it from the clashes of gargantuan sea-dragons under the surface or from the mating dances of enormous whales that were large enough to swallow an island whole. The waters had an alluring shine to them, oscillating between emerald green, azure blue and pitch black at the deepest points, but wherever one would watch the waves, iridescent light would shine through the surface. The larger of the two continents was quite stable. It sported an ancient human empire, organised in a strict caste system that resulted in a magocracy. The emperor stood at the pinnacle, ruling over billions of lives, always eager to spread his sphere of influence. His empire included a myriad of races, dwarfs, elves, kitsume, humans, naiads¡­ the list went on. But recently he didn¡¯t spent too much time governing his empire and holding the leash on his subservients. No, he was consumed by the prophecy of an aged seer, one she spit out while his torture master carved her beating heart out of her chest: ¡®Heed my words, puppet king, far across the ocean, far away from your control and atrocities a new power will rise. And so the angels help me, you will not be able to crush it. Your demise is as inevitable as my death¡­¡± She died afterwards, her last energy spent. The emperor couldn¡¯t glean anything else from her, as her soul sped to the chasm before he could force her back. And thus the second continent became the centre of his obsession. Long since drunken sailors had boastfully claimed to have crossed the sea and returned home. Usually those stories were ignored, no one could sail across the ocean after all. But what if those stories had been true? Was there a path across the endless waves? What really lay across the fog of time and space? If it were more than myths and legends, the emperor swore he would find them and subjugate them to his will. Far across the waves, huge pillars of an unknown greyish stone rose from the depth. They broke the surface of the sea and continued to rise, high into the sky. They were perfectly straight without a nook or cranny on their sides but had a multitude of forms. The smallest one rose about 2 km above the surface with a diameter of 15 km while the largest one climbed 4 km into the sky and was several hundred kilometres across. Their forms were varied but always symmetrical. If looked on from above, one would see circles, stars, triangles and rectangles, even the form of an acorn could be made out. The same shape never occurred twice and the distance between pillars varied greatly. The sea in between the pillars was always frothing and waves of hundreds of meters crashed into the unyielding grey stone. It has always been like this, since aeons ago a great cataclysm destroyed the second continent, catapulting the mana-heart, the foundation of a once mighty nation, deep into the seas. Only the roots of mountains, that were rich in mana infused materials, survived the catastrophe. Luckily the second continent had been chock full of them. The last living remnants of the empire of the moon, those that had been able to flee to the mountaintops, had to start anew. They couldn¡¯t climb down nor could they have crossed the thundering seas to reach the next pillar. And thus, over time, a multitude of kingdoms and cultures came to be. Most of them consisted of one race, as families and friends stuck together during the cataclysm. Their descendants were the ones who now lived their lives on the pillars in the middle of the sea. Trade and cultural exchange only happened later, after elves, inhabiting a pillar to the far north, were able to mine a special ore that could only be found there. This ore was getting lighter if exposed to heat, carrying several times its own weight into the sky. If it was cooled down, its weight would gradually increase until not even angels or demons could have moved it even an inch. Or so the saying went, nobody had actually ever seen an angel nor a demon, for that matter, let alone have them try to move a cooled down patch of sky-ore. The hardships of the cataclysm were forgotten by all but just a few and only a handful of beings were still around that remembered the splendour of the empire of the moon and the devastation, famines and unending struggles that followed its fall. On one pillar, close to the centre of the formation, a tribe of fox people, or rather kitsune as they called themselves, had managed to fertilise their mountain using an ingenious form of rune-magic that turned dead rock into verdant earth. In the beginning the tribe consisted of five families and their closest friends. They toiled on the barren mountain and used all their resources to carve out a living from bare rock. All they had in the beginning were a few cherry-seeds, a tree revered by the kitsune for its beauty and life-giving fruits, and the seeds the wind carried over from other pillars. Time passed and the kitsune fought through the early hardships. The tribe developed fast and after centuries the erstwhile barren mountain couldn¡¯t be recognised anymore. Lush green fields stretched from the cliffs towards the centre, only broken by five azure rivers that flowed from the centre of the island to its edge. The centre resembled a giant garden full of cherry-trees, the oldest one was right in the middle and reached a height of over 500 meters. It would have taken quite some time to circle its trunk on foot. It was named Boseiju. From the roots of the tree, the rivers that gave live to the island flowed in a steady stream. On closer inspection, five palaces, nestled onto the largest branches, directly above the source of each river, could be seen. Each palace was unique, but they all seemingly grew from the branches, resembling a living part of Boseiju. On a branch higher up the tree a small port with seven moored sky-ships could be seen. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Further towards the edge of the island, the trees were not as tall but every one sported at least one house, hidden in the crown of the tree or nestled around its base. Where the garden ended, luminous runes were carved into the soil, revitalising the earth around and the rivers that flowed over them. To the south and to the east, verdant fields bordered the garden, suppling the community with greens and pasture for their cattle. To the east and to the north a glittering forest of green, blue, red, silver and gold leaves rustled in the wind. The whole island was teeming with life. Exotic birds added colour and sound while magical herbs and plants supplied an intoxicating smell all over the island that change in accordance with the time of day. The forest was filled to the brink with animals and magical creatures, under the full moon even the pearly-white hide of a family of unicorns could be seen, the foals chasing around after small fire drakes that lived in the cracks of the cliffs. Ever since 200 years ago the first elven sky-ship had risen into the sky, other culture creating races moved to the kingdom of the five families. A small enclave of elves occupied a large cherry-tree close to the forest. Some dwarfs had dug a mine close to the cliffs and had created the first dwelling beneath the earth. They even broke through the cliff-wall and added a small hangar for air-ships, which came and went quite regularly, as the kingdom of the five families was the only place where mithril could be mined. A nigh indestructible metal and magical conductor that resemble silver with a blue hew. And as there was a profit to be made, some adventuring humans could always be found lurking around the island. Never-the-less it still remained the kingdom of the kitsune. While they were as good as extinct everywhere else, here they made up most of the population. They resembled immensely beautiful humans with porcelain skin, maybe a tad shorter and built more lightly, with fur-covered fox ears sticking out of their hair. The Colour of the fur could range from midnight black to a glistening white. From their lower backs a number of fox-tails sprouted. There could be any number of tails, from one to nine. In kitsune culture the number of tails was foremost a sign of beauty. All kitsune were born with one tail and additional ones would only develop if the kitsune in question understood an integral part of their purpose, or destiny as the humans would call it. As such additional tails were a sign that one understood one¡¯s place in the world and therefore a small part of the world itself. Because most kitsune were simply stunningly beautiful, wisdom and beauty were often used interchangeably in their culture. The serene atmosphere on the island was interrupted by a scream, issuing from one of the palaces on Boseiju. A scream as old as life itself. A scream that heralded the birth of a new member of the kingdom of the five families. In a spacious room within the moon palace, named after the silvery moon-stones that were used to decorate parts of the fa?ade, a silvery kitsune with four tails laid on a silken bed. The room was lit by a chandelier that hung from a deep blue ceiling. The full-moon watched through several huge windows and touched everything in the room with its silvery beams of light. Around the bed three people were anxiously watching while the woman on it continued to scream and wriggle in labour. A large male with raven-black fur gently grabbed her hand while stroking her head with two of his six tails: ¡°Nearly there Helena, just hold on a little longer¡­¡± An old and wizened kitsune with copper-coloured fur interspersed with grey patches and a medical bag clutched in his left hand added: ¡°Remember milady, the harder the labour the more promising the child!¡± ¡®Ohh will you just shut up already? This is hard enough as it is without your hollow words of reassurance¡­¡± Helena had a good reason to be troubled. She had been in labour for the past 12 hours and if the child wouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t arrive within the next, they would have to resort to magic to prevent serious harm to the mother and baby. Interference during birth was considered an ill omen by all kitsune. ¡°My love, all will be well and even if we have to use magic, our child will grow up splendidly. Don¡¯t worry yourself with a troublesome future that will never come to pass¡± the black kitsune, Albert, whispered into Helena¡¯s ear while he continued to gently stroke her hair. She looked up at him and when their eyes met, a small spark travelled from the depth of Albert¡¯s azure eyes towards his wife. When it reached Helena, she managed to relax, at least somewhat. And finally, with the next tremendous wave of pain, a small head with black hair and silvery ears could be seen. Some seconds later the old kitsune reached down and could, at long last, present the royal couple with their daughter. A tiny kitsune with raven-black hair and silver fur rested peacefully in the arms of her mother. She seemed serene and calm, having cried for the last twenty minutes. She had only stopped to drink a little and had gone back to crying directly afterwards. Now she was finally asleep. ¡°Oh my lord, she is beautiful. The most precious thing I have ever seen!¡± Albert couldn¡¯t get enough of his daughter and hovered closely by his wife. The doctor and the future maid of their little girl had been complimented out of the room as soon as he had assured Albert that his wife and daughter were fine, only exhausted. He lovingly caressed his wife¡¯s ears while studying the form of the new woman in his life. She was perfect. Small silvery ears adorned a black-haired head. Her facial features were still somewhat chubby but he could already make out her high cheekbones, chiselled nose, pouty mouth and large eyes. Her face promised to be remembered in legends and songs, if she grew up just a little. When she was still awake, her eyes had shone like the moon and even emitted a tiny bit of silvery-blue light. Her gaze had been hypnotising, not only for the freshly minted dad, but the maid and Dr. Hofffox had also been entranced for several seconds when they first gazed upon the newly born princess. For Albert, the most amazing thing was on her back. Two tails, glittering like molten silver were closely entwined with the one he used to hug his family. The little princess was born with two tails. Something that should not have been possible. How could an infant know anything about the world and its place in it? But the miracles didn¡¯t stop there. Above her tails, directly on her shoulder blades, two birthmarks could be seen. They resembled finely chiselled wings, but instead of feathers, intricate flowing forms filled them. The closer he looked the more details he could make out, the symmetries seemed to continue on and on until they were so small that his sharp fox eyes couldn¡¯t follow them. Even when he used magic, he could only decipher more details but still couldn¡¯t follow the pattern to its end. The most amazing thing however was the colour. Instead of a light change to her skin tone, the birthmarks were made of something that resembled silvery-blue light, flowing beneath his daughter¡¯s skin. ¡°You are right. She is perfect. And she is ours!¡± Helena whispered. Her husband pulled her and the little girl close with one of his tails and smiled brightly at his family. And there, in the no man¡¯s land, smack down in the middle of two loving parents, a tiny but honest smile formed on the sleeping princess¡¯ face. 3. Of awakenings, nuisances and a little bit of magic Cassandra Pendragon 2 years later Moon palace I woke up. For the first time since I had seen the light at the end of a dark tunnel I came to, fully aware of myself and my surroundings. I breathed the sweet smelling night air and could identify thyme, cherry-blossoms and sage on the wind. I looked around the room, bathed in moonlight and could see even the smallest detail. I was in a crib. Wait a moment¡­ I was in a crib? That shouldn¡¯t be right. I should have been somewhere else, doing¡­.something¡­important? I couldn¡¯t remember and unfortunately couldn¡¯t even concentrate as a thunderstorm started right next to me and chased away the last remnants of my memories. I tried to scoot away but only managed to flop onto my stomach unceremoniously and got entangled in my two tails. Tails?! Panicked I looked around until my gaze settled on a canopy bed with two figures on top. One of them was the source of that mighty thunderclap, repeating the impressive feat with every snore he took. A face and a name, Albert, surfaced sluggishly from the depth of my memory. If that was Albert the person lying next to him should have been Helena, my mother. I had parents? That didn¡¯t seem right. I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it but the idea of having parents felt¡­strange. Nevertheless seeing them only a few meters away instantly calmed me down. No clue how that worked. The next second I was asleep again despite the raging thunder. A seriously powerful curse must have taken hold of me. When I woke up again, I realised what had happened. I had fallen asleep promptly after I had seen my parents and assured myself that they were still with me. So much for dark magic taking hold of me. I arrived at that conclusion as soon as I opened my eyes. The canopy bed was empty now and I felt threatened, threatened and alone. So I did the only sensible thing that came to mind: I started wailing like a banshee. Seconds later one of the two doors to the room burst open and Helena, or rather mother, came sprinting into the room. Her bushy tails stood straight up and an eerie green haze surrounded her hands. She was snarling, exposing her fangs. All in all it wasn¡¯t an image one could call calming or soothing. I rather had the feeling that a vengeful deity just stormed my room, ready to dish out judgement. Needless to say I shut up immediately and looked at her with quivering lips and wide eyes. ¡°Honey, are you alright?! I heard your scream, are you hurt, did something happen?¡± With three large steps she crossed over to my crib, picked me up and looked me over. Her tails formed a soft and fluffy cocoon around me and my heart rate settled down immediately. When she started talking I realised that I couldn¡¯t understand the language. As I mulled her words over, trying to figure out the meaning, concepts of language genesis, phonetical formations and other integral parts of communication flooded my mind. I couldn¡¯t understand every word but I could guess the gist of what she had said. Putting that knowledge to good use I tried to reassure her that I wasn¡¯t hurt and all was fine now that she was here: ¡°Gahhh!¡± Okay that had gone differently in my mind. Obviously I wouldn¡¯t be winning any eloquence awards in the near future. So, instead of answering I hugged her tightly and buried my face in her tails. I felt her relax immediately and the greenish light vanished. Message delivered! ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m here, everything will be fine. Ohh, you calmed down. Wanna meet dada for the big day? Come on my little princess, let¡¯s get you ready.¡± And with that I experienced my first torture session. Not only was I being clad in a frilly dress with ribbons in my hair, oh no, the real horror happened even before that: I was wearing diapers. And they were necessary, any one could tell from the smell that weft up after my mother pulled them down. But this wasn¡¯t the end of it. While mother was cleaning and changing me I snuck the first glance at my exposed body. Despite the lumps of fur on my backside, that felt strangely alien, especially if I touched something by accident as they were unbelievably sensitive, I had the distinct impression that I was missing something. My gaze roamed up and down, I even tried to look at my back, without much success I might add, but I just couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­ Wings, wasn¡¯t I supposed to have wings? What a strange thought but it felt right. Somehow I was missing an integral part of my body. As I followed this train of thought I felt a distinct pressure right above my shoulder blades but nothing exciting happened. While my mother busied herself with dressing me up and quietly singing a lullaby I continued with my introspection. A small body, two arms, two legs, a head, two tails and no wings. I just couldn¡¯t get over that: Did someone exchange my wings for tails during the last¡­ wait, how old am I? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So I tried to focus on my memories and my thoughts, sifting through my brain to make some sort of sense out of the situation. When mum, I had remembered that she wanted me to address -not happening anytime soon- her as ¡°mum¡±, was finished packing me in shiny cloths and adding an absurd amount of embellishments to my hair I had gained a loose idea about myself. Seemingly I had been born two years ago. My name is Cassandra Pendragon. Hi there. Judging from the amount of servants and maids I could remember it was a safe bet to say that I was born to some kind of aristocratic family. My memories were clear and complete, covering the whole two years. But they were jumbled. I realised that I didn¡¯t have a concept of time or order up until last night, so it was a real pain in the ass to make any sense of what I remembered. The gist of it: I had two loving parents but while my mum was around nearly all the time, my father spent most of his day working. He had some form of administrative job, at least as far as I could tell from the few conversations that took place around me and that didn¡¯t evolve solely around myself. More on that later. I had two brothers, the older one had already moved out and started his own family. I hadn¡¯t seen him too often. The other one was still living with us and was a formidable and ambitious warrior with a nasty streak to his temper. My brothers were 56 and 34 respectively, named Arthur and Mordred. I should add that our race, the kitsune, was nigh immortal unless killed or succumbing to an illness. A natural death only occurred if the kitsune in question had fulfilled its purpose in life and was ready to move on. My personal maid, Ahri, was usually around me at all times. She even slept in the same room. Right then she was on a two-day trip to visit her family that lived on the outskirts of the garden. She was an accomplished spell-weaver and doted on me enough that I was fairly certain she would teach me anything I wished to know about magic. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t have a concept of magic right until a few hours ago and, as I had so eloquently demonstrated earlier, I wouldn¡¯t be asking questions any time soon. As i thought about her and the few tricks she had shown to me, mainly to keep me distracted while we had been waiting for lunch, information had flooded my brain again. This time it was enough to elicit a small squeak from me. My mum had stopped dressing me to make sure she hadn¡¯t hurt me but soon resumed her fiddling with the ribbons¡­ Magic was more or less the ability to manipulate energy. As such there were a myriad of forms how magic could be practiced. Some were born with an innate ability to manipulate some kind of energy, some bargained for it with other beings, some used aids like books, runes, a talisman or science, some sacrificed for it, others could collect and save it up for later use¡­. The list went on. To at least somewhat categorise different magic practitioners it was common to refer to the form of energy they used. Normal energy was all around us and the less refined but most accessible form that one could use. It was contained within elements like air or water and could also be extracted from matter or harvested from explosions. Life energy was, as the name implies, only created by living beings. It was much more potent but also had some serious draw backs. Namely one had to either harvest it from others or burn one¡¯s own which was equal to losing a part of your lifetime. And if you couldn¡¯t control your spells, you would burn out to a husk, no matter where the initial energy came from. Soul energy was the most potent form of energy available. Every soul emitted a nigh infinite amount of energy. Using one¡¯s own soul energy, the souls of others as well as one¡¯s own could be manipulated, resulting in a near infinite supply of energy. Unfortunately a single mistake could burn or erase your soul and it was pretty difficult, not to mention painful, to cast even the smallest spells. As such the practitioners of soul magic were extremely rare. And finally there was transcendent energy used by true angels and demons. But as no one had ever seen an angel nor a demon that form of energy could as well be a myth. I didn¡¯t know why back then, but I was absolutely sure that transcendent energy existed. Back on track: every kitsune was born with an innate ability to manipulate and gather normal energy. Affinities for life and soul magic were as common with kitsune as with all the other races, which is to say as common as diamonds in a pigsty. The only one I knew was our trusted physician who assisted my mum during labour and regularly checked my state of health. He had an affinity for life magic. Those were the people I had met regularly enough for them to leave an impression I could associate with their faces. Let¡¯s get to the amazing epiphanies about myself: there were none. I realised that not everything about me was normal. For one, I was fairly certain that most infants don¡¯t suddenly wake up with a clear understanding of their environment and the analytical faculties to assess their situation. I also highly doubted that most people had an influx of information as soon as they thought about a concept. It sort of felt like the knowledge was already there, only waiting for me to ask. On top of that, most conversations between my parents during my first year of life revolved around my second tail, what it could mean, my eyes, which supposedly shone like the moon (Hard to tell from the inside) and two birthmarks on my back that resembled abstract wings, drawn with bluish-silver lines. So that was where I parked my wings! Unfortunately I was as clueless as everyone else how those things came to be and what they could mean. One of my first thoughts was a form of reincarnation but that wouldn¡¯t explain the complete absence of anything other than abstract knowledge and a faint memory of wings. Nor would it explain the distinct add-ons to my body. Maybe I had been cursed? Whatever the reason, I was a kitsune now and had all the time in the world to figure this out. But first I had to get rid of those damn diapers and my complete lack of control over my movements. Being a toddler sucked! 4. Of seers, brothers and a little bit of conflict Cassandra Pendragon After mum had finished playing dress up doll with me, she gave me a critical once-over: ¡°Oh my, Cassy, I swear you are getting cuter by the day! You look just like a little angel¡­¡± Right, how come I feel like a clown who is suffocating under frilly satin? I swear those ribbons made my head twice as heavy. Well at least I could enjoy mum brushing my tails. That felt nice. While she finished with the brush, my mum kept on chattering: ¡°Today is your second birthday, all your relatives will come by. Some of them you haven¡¯t even met yet. Are you excited my little darling?¡± Oh, I had pretty much forgotten about the birthday thingy. I vaguely remembered my parents and brothers singing while Ahri cut and served cake, but that was pretty much it for my first birthday. If my assumption that I had been born into aristocracy was correct, shouldn¡¯t there be a presentation of the new heiress of sorts? My confusion didn¡¯t last long: ¡°Before the festivities we will have to present you to the court though. It¡¯s an old tradition to wait until the second birthday but what can you do?¡± Child mortality was still an issue, I supposed, so it would be prudent to wait until the second birthday before getting everyone¡¯s hopes up. Well, at least it didn¡¯t look like I had to be dressed up like this every day. At least I hoped so. ¡°We¡¯ll just get that over with and afterwards we¡¯ll have the whole day to ourselves. Arthur and his family are coming, as well as your grandparents. It¡¯s gonna be a beautiful day, just you wait!¡± I tried to mumble: Don¡¯t jinx it! But all I could get out was another: ¡°Gahh!¡± Well, what could possibly go wrong? Three hours later, of which I couldn¡¯t spent a single one napping, the last of a seemingly endless procession of people stood before my parents and me, bowing down from the waist and mumbling something about honour, privilege and good health. I didn¡¯t listen very closely. First of all, I was pretty cranky. A good three hours is a long time for a toddler, especially if the toddler in question is constantly trying to prevent another diaper accident. That was my first hurdle in mastering my body. No more would I be subjugated by the whims of nature! Also, after I had listened to the first three nobles, I realised that they all pretty much had said the same. ¡°An honour to meet you, princess¡­blah blah blah¡­.would you grant me the privilege of introducing my son, daughter, the dog of my second niece twice removed¡­blah blah blah¡­we wish your highness good health and a bright future¡­¡± All in all it was an amazingly dull affaire, but at least I could confirm my parents¡¯ standing. I had been born into one of the five royal families that ruled this land. From what I gathered, I had to only endure the litany of this last bootlicker¡­ ahem, I wanted to say gentleman, and then I would meet the others. Royal families that is, not bootlickers. When Viscount Singha, a dull grey kitsune with a voice that matched his fur, finally finished with his sermon and left the throne room, where I resides in a gilded crib, just beside my parents¡¯ thrones, I could hear a fanfare from the outside. Our palace had been built in an U-shape, with kitchens, stables, an armoury and soldiers quarters to the left, a servant wing to the right with the royal wing behind. The throne and ball room took up pretty much the whole ground floor. Both wore lavishly decorated, with moon-stones along the walls and ceiling. The first floor sported a library, a small meditation chamber, a private banquet hall and a smallish kitchen. The chambers of my family filled the top floor. We even had a dungeon and a treasury down in the basement. The courtyard was full of flowers and a huge fountain burbled in the middle. From somewhere around there I heard a sonorous voice: ¡°It¡¯s an honour to announce his royal majesty, King Peter Furglow and his queen Amelia!¡± A loud bang proceeded the low screeching sound with which the main portal opened. And in came¡­ the most boring looking coupled I had ever seen, they resembled dusty librarians. Admittedly I didn¡¯t have that much to compare them to, at least not yet, but they simply oozed boredom, just looking at them made me feel sleepy. Wait a minute! I was sleepy, admittedly, but the grown-ups also started yawning as soon as the couple walked in. After some seconds the eyes of every one in the room glazed over. Some even started drooling. No that I had much experience, but that sure as hell wasn¡¯t normal. I felt a slight pressure on my mind, but was fine otherwise. Should I try to wake everyone? Probably a good idea and as I had shown before, while I couldn¡¯tarticulate properly, I could scream just fine. I gathered my breath and¡­.BANG! One of the two soldiers positioned to both sides of the entrance dropped his halberd. The resulting crash could have woken the dead but nobody moved. Ok, message received. Screaming wouldn¡¯t help much. Should I pretend to be under as well? Probably for the best, as I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do, especially since the edges of my crib resembled the Great Wall of China, at least from my point of view. Huh, what¡¯s a China? No matter now, just put a vacant expression on your face. That shouldn¡¯t be too hard, as it had been the only expression I had been capable of up until last night. Alright, show time! Peter Furglow 10 minutes earlier As I was walking over Boseiju¡¯s branches, the one thing I had been dreading ever since that fateful encounter 7 months ago happened. The small golden spirit anchor in the form of a crown on my neck burned like a miniature sun and everything went black. I was nowhere, wisps of grey nothingness covered my surroundings. They formed abstract shapes and silhouettes fleetingly before dispersing. There was no sound, no light, only wiggling threats of nothingness that prevented any form of orientation. Right in front of me a gargantuan throne, formed of burning and screaming bodies, towered over the scene. ¡°It¡¯s time. My vassal shall meet you shortly. He will deliver my seal. Pour energy into it to put everyone close into a trance and mark the new born. Be gone!¡± An imposing figure made of shadows with a smouldering crown on its head commanded. The fires within its throne raged and swallowed me whole. It felt like my soul was burning. Just before I hoped death would finally end this travesty my life had become, I opened my eyes and barely prevented a skin-tight encounter between my nose and the branch I was walking on, clinging to my wife for support. I was sweating profusely and my wife cast me an anxious glance. In a quiet whisper, so that neither our herald nor the two accompanying soldiers could hear us, she inquired: ¡±Did it finally happen? The mark on your neck shone for a second before you tripped. It summoned you, didn¡¯t it? What do we have to do?¡± ¡°Nothing much. We only have to betray some of our closest friends and mark their daughter with the seal of a sociopathic maniac from across the world. Oh right, its vassal will deliver the seal, so someone else is already under its control. Damn¡­ curse my flea-ridden curiosity!¡± Tears stung in the corner of my eyes as I looked at Amelia and glanced at her neck. Where her collar had slipped slightly while supporting my sorry ass, a tiny red crown could be seen. It glowed in an ominous colour, nearly alike to the smouldering crown on that devil¡¯s head. Great fox, I loved her so much. And was likely going to pull her down with me. 7 months earlier As the most accomplished far-seers in the kingdom of the five families, the family of Furglow, my family, was tasked to scout out our surroundings and explore the world on the astral plane. We were supposed to spot any danger to the kingdom, hone our skills and make sure our bloodline strengthened over time. For compensation we retained our status a a royal family, all privileges associated with it and a generous stipend. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. My marriage to Amelia had been arranged when she had turned 7 years of age. During the testing all kitsune underwent at that age, her talent for clairvoyance and astral-travels had been detected as well as her latent ability to manipulate soul energy. She was simply a perfect fit. And for me she was simply perfect. I thanked my lucky star every morning that I was allowed to wake up beside the most brilliant and beautiful creature under the moon. We spent most of our days on the astral plane, looking for lost secrets and hidden wonders. A golden-red shimmering trail leading far west had caught my attention. Amelia had had a bad feeling about exploring so far out, but I had convinced her with promises of unseen artefacts and new astral places full of unique sights. And so we had sent out our spirits further than ever before until, far across the seas, a dark force had caught us with inevitable strength and pulled us to the burning throne. And that was the first time we had met him. A presence, far stronger than mine and Amelia¡¯s combined had invaded our spirits and rendered us helpless. After excruciatingly sifting through our memories it had bound Amelia with a soul seal that would ignite on its command and forced a communication mark onto me. It had made clear its intention to use the seal if prompted with a reason and then sent us back to wait for further instructions. They never came and I never found out who left the trail we had followed. Until today. 7 months later As we neared the Pendragon¡¯s palace, a pitch-black kitsune with two tails approached us. He had been hidden in a leave-covered alcove just off the side of the main branch. His fur lacked the lustre and shine of his father¡¯s and looked more like matted steel. His grey eyes resembled storm-clouds and a huge two-handed sword black as the night was slung over his back. I had only met him briefly and sporadically before, but that sword definitely belonged to Mordred, youngest son of the Pendragons. His short hair and collarless shirt revealed his neck. I fervently searched for a crown of any colour or shape, but ¡­ maybe the mark was somewhere else? No, those signs needed the energy from the central meridians to power up. May the Great Fox have mercy! ¡°Ah, Peter, wondrous seer of the Five. And the charming Amelia, what a coincidence!¡± His voice was deep and full, but there was an edge to it, like a blade hidden in the dark. ¡°Are you by any chance on your way to my little sister¡¯s presentation?¡± He stopped at arm¡¯s reach. I could see a cruel smirk hiding in the corner¡¯s of his mouth. ¡°Lord Mordred, it¡¯s our honour to greet the newest heiress of the Pendragons and the daughter of good friends! We wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world.¡± ¡°Why so formal, Peter? You were at my presentation as well and we have known one another ever since. And didn¡¯t we recently grow even closer?¡± With those words he took the final step towards me, his hand extended. After we had shaken, I felt a small stone cylinder on my palm. ¡°Anyway, I am fairly certain it¡¯s gonna be ¡­ rememberable. Enjoy your day dear Peter. Amelia, your servant!¡± I could only clench my teeth and force a smile on my lips. ¡°Thank you, Lord Mordred. May the Great Fox reward your kindness tenfold!¡± I saw a spark of anger ignite deep in his eyes but he only bowed to my wife and disappeared along a side branch. Full of bitterness and regret I continued on my way. The second son had betrayed his family. I of course knew that he always envied Arthur¡¯s position and the birth of his sister with two tails. But I had never expected him to stoop so low and sell out his own blood! That¡¯s sacrilege! I poured nearly every ounce of energy from my body into the seal. The effect was subtle but impressive. Everyone present except for me and my wife, who were protect by the marks on our necks, immediately lost their focus. Vacant faces were all around, one soldier even dropped his weapon. No one reacted. Drenched in sweat I nodded to my wife and approached the crib. The toddler within looked apathetic. A little drool flowed out of the corner of her mouth. I was glad her eyes were hidden behind half-close lids, the weak silvery glow coming from underneath was eerie enough. I quickly crossed over to the child and pulled out the cylinder. It was a stone steal with an intricately designed gold seal at the bottom. I touched her forehead lightly with the seal. An ominous glow was emitted from the steal and the seal melted into the toddler¡¯s forehead. Her eyes shot open and silvery light flowed through the room. Cassandra Pendragon I followed the dusty librarian¡¯s approach through half closed eyes. I even drooled a little for good measure. As he got closer, I realised my predicament. What ever he had in mind, I most likely couldn¡¯t stop him. So should I just continue to play along? What if he seriously harmed me or even took me away? That wasn¡¯t an option. But what could I even do? There was no way to even think about fighting and I couldn¡¯t cast a single spell. I had a profound theoretical foundation but no clue if, how and what kind of energy I could manipulate. I became scared. My heart sped up and when he stood before me and I felt something cold touch my forehead, I panicked and opened my eyes. The royal traitor touched a glowing cylindrical stone to my head and a foreign presence flooded my mind. My panic subsided instantly and was replaced by pure and undiluted anger. A fire burned with in me and turned the tendrils of the invader into ash. Relishing in the power cursing through my veins, I lost all restraints, succumbing to my wrath. Every trace of this entity had to go, had to burn! I¡¯d burn them to oblivion, erase their souls, feed on their energy. I couldn¡¯t think, I couldn¡¯t see. I was a bonfire, igniting everything I came in touch with. They wanted to subjugate me? Me?! Fine, let¡¯s dance! I would immolate their bodies, tear the walls of their spirits down and burn their souls to a cinder! Nothing would remain. I sent a spark through the connection the seal tried to form with my mind. I could feel the spark racing westwards, carrying a promise of doom and destruction. Returning from my inner world I could see the room bathed in silvery blue light. The fires of heaven raged within 20 meters around me and burned everyone with ill intent towards my family. The not so boring librarian turned to dust immediately. Nothing remained but a pile of ash on the floor. Through the silvery haze I could see his soul trying to escape but the fires were faster, stronger. It got caught and was consumed. The fires burned brighter. His wife screamed, panic, sorrow, disbelief and hysteria made her voice collapse. A small smile formed on my face. I spread my arms and the fires engulfed her. Her scream died out with a dry rasp as her cloth and her hair ignited like straw. Her eyes liquefied, oozing out of the sockets. Her skin turn red, than black and than to ash within milliseconds. She was still alive and I smiled. This was retribution. Absolute retribution. Inhumane and cruel and ¡­ wrong. My soul screamed in agony, trying to pull back the fires to stomp out the anger. To gain a resemblance of sanity. I fought the most important battle of my life. One I couldn¡¯t lose or I¡¯d be lost. The blue torrents of energy returned to me. I bled for every centimetre, literally as blood was dripping from my eyes, nose and ears, but I didn¡¯t give up, didn¡¯t give an inch. My progress was agonisingly slow and I nearly lost consciousness. But I didn¡¯t give up. My throat ruptured from my screams, i broke my wrist when I hit my crib while trashing around. But I didn¡¯t give up. My soul felt full to the brim with burning gasoline and darkness encroached on my vision from all sides. My frantic gaze settled on my parents, still happily asleep and miraculously unharmed and I didn¡¯t give up. With one last Herculean pull the final ember returned to me. Fire raced through my body, ravishing everything in its path. I felt like this was the end, killed by my own power. At least I only took two people with me. And to be honest, the dude at least kind of deserved it. Maybe not the burned soul part. I looked at my parents one last time and managed to smile. They didn¡¯t need to know how much I suffered right then. The fires within burned ever brighter, gaining momentum, raging towards my back, getting so hot they felt like icy crystals, until they broke out of my skin, right above my shoulder blades. 20 meter long torrents of bluish-silver energy roamed around me and through the destruction. I could feel them, like massless extensions of my senses. But they didn¡¯t burn anymore, instead, everyone they touched shook their heads and started to wake up. My gaze roamed around the butchered throne room, resting on what was left of the Furglows. A pile of ash and a charred corpse, burned beyond recognition. I threw up and darkness came. Below the imperial palace A burned and smouldering thing stumbled from a golden throne. Below the throne, connected via cables and magical tethers, hundreds of hollowed out husks gradually turned into dust. The thing slowly recovered its muscles and skin until it resembled a man with a haughty expression and fiery red eyes. On his head were the remnants of a molten crown. Across his chest, directly over his heart, a deep and cauterised wound remained, glowing faintly in a silver hue. ¡°Hmm, soul damage¡­despite all the sacrifices¡­Interesting.¡± He turned towards one of the many golems positioned around the throne. Artificial eyes focused on him. ¡°Get me 333 mages to repair my soul and two further batches to power the throne for my next excursion. I need to contact Mordred and Amazeroth. Mordred was right. We found it.¡± ¡°Recruiting so many mages will take time. Enough are stored to repair your soul, my liege, but we need time to get the rest.¡± A robotic voice replied. With a wave of his hand the man brushed the golem off: ¡°She is only 2. We have all the time in the world.¡± The man walked back to the throne and settled down. 30 minutes later horrendous screams and red lightning filled the chamber. 5. Of healing, powers and a little bit of future plans Cassandra Pendragon. There were many colourful words to describe pain. Agonising, overwhelming, terrifying, scarring, blinding¡­. They were all just measly shadows of what I experienced after waking up. A smith hammering on your brain felt like a mild headache compared to what I had to endure. I couldn¡¯t think, I couldn¡¯t move, I couldn¡¯t even hear or see. The only things present were the pain in my head, a slithering feeling of molten fire on my back and the weird tingling of a third tail. After suffering for what felt like an eternity, the pain became somewhat bearable. I, at least, could concentrate on something despite my martyrdom. I wasn''t alone, low murmurs of a conversation reached my ears. I tried to open my eyes which turned out to be a really bad idea. Light seared my retinas and I immediately retched up coagulated clumps of blood and bile. That shut everyone up quite effectively. I couldn¡¯t see, but I had heard my dad and dr. Hofffox talking and my mum was close by, holding my head while I vomited like there was no tomorrow. The musky fragrance of my brothers tickled my nose and I could smell Ahri¡¯s flowery scent. When I concentrated on her I could hear quiet sniffles. After I heroically banished everything from my stomach, I slowly sat up and tried to orientate my self without opening my eyes. Moving my small hands around I touched a fluffy tail and directly clung to it. My mum hugged me tightly from behind: ¡°Oh Cassy, you¡¯re awake. Does it still hurt very much? Dr. Hofffox says you¡¯ll be alright. Don¡¯t fret, everything¡¯s fine, you¡¯re safe! Don¡¯t cry, baby, please don¡¯t cry! I¡¯m here, everyone is here. Come on, Cassy, look at me.¡± I felt her gentle fingers brush the tears off my face, I slowly faced her and tried to open my eyes. My vision was blurry and my headache spiked once again but I managed. I saw my mom¡¯s anguished face but a small smile sprang to her lips as soon as my gaze met hers. Behind her, a starry sky shimmered through a high window. We weren¡¯t in our room. This looked like an infirmary, probably the same one i had been born in. A heavy hand landed on my head and I heard my dad rasp: ¡°I¡¯m so glad you are okay!¡± He tousled my hair and joined our embrace. While I slowly regained my bearings everybody present made sure that I was alive and hadn¡¯t lost any integral body parts. They all insisted on touching my newly-sprouted tail but everyone¡¯s hands stayed well away from my upper back. That is, everyone¡¯s but Mordred¡¯s. He swiftly brushed over my shoulder blades while patting my back. I even felt a small twinge but didn¡¯t think too much about it. When they were done feeling me up, Dr.Hofffox ushered them out: ¡°She¡¯s fine but needs rest. You can visit her again tomorrow, but now she needs sleep.¡± My mum stayed with me and while the last tail swept out of the door she pulled me close again and started singing quietly. I didn¡¯t know the lullaby, but her low voice and warm embrace carried me to sleep within moments. ¡°You saw the destruction wrought in the throne room. No child can do that! She can¡¯t even talk yet¡­ Have you lost your mind?!¡± It¡¯s a general misconception that leads parents to believe their child couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t follow an argument just because it was held in a low voice. Especially if the child in question has fox ears¡­. I woke up hungry. That had to be a good sign. At first I thought my hunger had woken me, but after a second I focused on my parents¡¯ voices. They were talking quietly but to me it felt like they were speaking normally right beside my ear. ¡°We all lost consciousness when the Furglows entered. And when we woke up, they had been miraculously killed, the room was in shambles and our daughter¡¯s back was glowing. Glowing, Helena! And even Dr.Hofffox can¡¯t feel her life force anymore. Look me in the eye and tell me that you seriously believe that those things are not connected!¡± ¡°We checked Albert, we checked the room and her, thrice! She didn¡¯t use any form of energy, unless you¡¯re implying our two-year old is a soul master?! Thought not. So what, the Furglows used an artefact and ended up killing themselves. Not the first time something like that happened.¡± ¡°And her back?! It¡¯s still glowing and those lines look alive. I swear I even saw them retracting into her when I woke up. By the Great Fox! She is our daughter, we can¡¯t protect her if we don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Please, just let me take her to the testing. She¡¯ll have to go anyway once she turns 7. We can make sure that there is ¡­ nothing wrong with her.¡± I felt the temperature in the room dropping as my mum replied icily: ¡°nothing wrong with her?! She nearly died and you want to check if she is some kind of freak? Get out, now!¡± ¡°Helena, I didn¡¯t mean¡­.¡± ¡°Out! Get out!¡± I heard the quiet shuffling of feet and the even quieter but determined voice of my father from the door: ¡°I will take her, whether you like it or not. It¡¯s my responsibility as one of the five rulers.¡± My mum¡¯s response was nearly indiscernible over the closing door but the cold in her voice made my fur tingle: ¡°If you shun your responsibility as a father to act like a king, you won¡¯t be a father for much longer.¡± Good fucking times¡­ Over the next two days I made a full recovery. My headache subsided after another good night¡¯s sleep. My mum stayed with me all the time. After the first night, my maid pushed two camp beds into the room, one for my mum and one for herself. Ahri was a slender kitsune with white fur and four tails. She was extremely pretty, even by kitsune standards, with large, almond shaped eyes that shone in a deep green, like an emerald or a forest pond under the midday sun. She wore a wide kimono, black silk with green embroidery. I knew she had two long knives buried in her arm sleeves and her charming smile hid one of the most capable spell slingers I knew. Seriously, how did she end up as a maid? While I rested on my sickbed, the two of them talked like old friends: ¡°Seriously, Ahri, you never noticed anything strange when she was younger? I don¡¯t know, strange glowing lines on her back during the night or maybe an energy fluctuation in her presence?¡± ¡°Helena, you spent as much time with her as me. Probably even more. Now tell me honestly, did you think your daughter would be anything other then exceptionally pretty when she would be all grown up¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°No¡± my mother mumbled. ¡°I never felt any energy react to her. I was afraid she would be one of the first kitsune born without a gift. But this? I read some of the old records over the last two nights. I couldn¡¯t find anything that would explain even a part of this mess. Awakening to a power is not unheard of, but it shouldn¡¯t be that destructive nor does it explain how she could resist the Furglows¡¯ spell.¡± ¡°Hmm, there is this legend¡­ when I was exiled and had to flee the north, I travelled on a sky ship that belonged to an eccentric dwarf, you might even call him stir-crazy. Anyway, he was big on everything concerning meta-physics and the origin of our world. One of his favourite topics were creation-myths. He was pretty sure that there was a reason why every myth held a core of good and evil, fighting for control. He thought those myths were all based on the same war, repeated endlessly in the stories of different cultures. The war of the beginning. Angels against demons. Good vs. Evil. My mum chuckled: ¡°are you trying to tell me that you think my little girl is some kind of devil? Please don¡¯t, I got enough of that from her father.¡± ¡°You misunderstand, demons always appear with horns and angels¡­ they have wings formed of the very essence of this world. But that¡¯s not the point. What I want to say is: this doesn¡¯t have to be a bad thing. She might not be an angel, but she is something special. Just let her go to the testing. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t fail. So are you. You know her as well.¡± Her words seemed to ease my mum¡¯s mind and they soon talked about the newest court-gossip. I didn¡¯t listen. Ahri¡¯s story sparked a train of memories¡­ I flew high above the clouds, the stars just out of reach and the land below turning dark with the setting sun. To my right, the love of my life flew on fiery wings. My left hand held my trusted spear. We were on a pretty old world, magic and science had been developed for centuries and most problems of young civilisations caused by limited resources had been eliminated. Magical science had reached its peak, bringing fortune and power. Unfortunately power has a tendency to corrupt individuals and societies alike. So instead of peacefully advancing their knowledge, they had started to conquer other planets and kill off entire species. When they had managed to kill and harvest one of the few star-whales left in existence, a race revered by the angels for their wisdom and kindness, the heavens had to intervene. That was why me and my partner were winging towards their capital, shrouded from mundane and magical eyes alike. Righteous anger burned in my heart and I felt ready to dish out fiery retribution. A black mesa loomed in the distance. With a thought I pushed energy from my wings into my eyes. The world lit up in a myriad of colours. Aurora glowed in the brightest gold where as the mountain before us shone in blues, reds and yellows. A greenish bubble protected it from all sides. With another thought I wrapped my wings tightly around Aurora and cut a hole through space. Materialising behind the green bubble we waited for an alarm that never came. Taking a deep breath, I released Aurora but held her tight with my arms. Looking deep into her eyes I whispered: ¡°May the father protect you.¡± Our lips touched a she shimmered out of my field of vision. Her camouflage on me would break soon, there was no time to lose. I tightened my left hand around the heft of my spear and unfurled my wings. Those puny mortals had no idea what was coming¡­ With a loud crack I snapped the neck of the last guard. At least the last ones had bones I could break. The soldiers before all were some form of amorphous jelly, babbling about how they were ¡°made for this¡± while I burned their bodies to ash. My wings conducted enough force for me to float above the ground and not care about the electrical currents raging through the floor and walls. Someone must have activated the defence mechanisms. The remains of my last victims evaporated and the tunnel walls around me started to glow faintly red. I continued deeper into the mesa. After around 200 meters the tunnel ended in front of a massive black gate. Hmm, etherium¡­ spared no expenses, huh? With a push two blue-silver energy currents sank into the door and after a second molten metal oozed to the ground. After 5 seconds passed the deformed gate broke out of its hinges and slammed to the floor. I stepped through and finally found my prey. In a circular chamber, deep within the mesa, I was faced with over 50 impressive automatons and a humanoid creature clad in a massive exoskeleton. Greenish light flowed between an implanted core in his chest and a crown on his head. Magical tethers connected the crown with every automaton and a multitude more just vanished into the walls and ceiling. As soon as the door dropped he ordered: ¡°Fire!¡± I closed my wings before me instantaneously. Magical beams exploded and projectiles melted as soon as they touched the curtain of energy in front of me. Unfortunately inertia carried the molten lumps of metal further and they splattered across my torso. Damn, that was painful! Using a fraction of energy from my core I closed my wounds, and took a step forward into the hailstorm of beams and bullets. No point in being subtle I guess. Pushing out with everything I had I formed a glowing bluish-silver sphere around me. It expanded slowly swallowing projectiles and magic alike. Like an avalanche it kept on going, leaving behind burned air and the sizzling of molten metal. When it touched the first automaton its circuits were fried and the magic binding its spirit to its casing evaporated. All that remained was a lifeless husk that toppled over and was swallowed by my sphere. After the first automaton went down, an energy pulse from the crown reached the rest. 10 formed a protective barrier in front of their lord and the rest started to glow ominously. Oh oh¡­ With a loud bang they detonated. Energy and magic couldn¡¯t harm me, but the shockwave and debris was enough to skin my face and chest. I dropped to my knees, nearly passing out from the pain. I needed time to heal, but heavy footsteps in front of me made me realise that I wouldn¡¯t get it. No matter, blinded, wounded and seriously pissed I wrapped his exoskeleton in energy to ignite his body, soul and spirit. In hindsight that was a mistake. As soon as my transcendent energy touched his armour, hidden runes all over him and all around the room lit up. My energy was siphoned off, I became a glorified battery! Fine, let¡¯s dance! I released torrents of power on a far wider scale than before. Burning columns of silvery fire raced out of me and targeted the runes. When mortal ingenuity and heavenly might collided there was only one way it could go. The explosion was impressive, if I do say so myself. Picking myself out of the rubble, I gingerly touched my face. I was badly wounded but I would heal. That was more than I could say for the bastard in his ruined armour. He was still breathing but that would change soon. I didn¡¯t even have to encourage him anymore. He was knocking on the gates of infinity all by himself. Two ruptured lungs, a few open fractures and a metal sliver in your stomach can do that to you. I slowly limped over to watch his final moments. That was the killer of one of my friends. I should feel elated or maybe fulfilled but I felt more empty than ever before. Dropping to one knee I lifted the helm-like crown from his head. The pale face of a young woman stared back at me. That wasn¡¯t the face of a scrupulous person who killed star-whales for gains. Her eyes were¡­innocent. After several billions of years you become quite good at judging those things. ¡°What happened?¡± I rasped. My vocal cords were still regenerating. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have asked that sooner? Before you killed my friends and me, for example?¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t¡­I was told¡­¡± I could only stammer. She was right. ¡°What do you even want, what did we ever do to you?!¡± ¡°You killed a star-wha¡­¡± A choking laughter cut me short. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s rich. Fine, let me tell you who killed that whale. And now I even know why¡­¡± She talked until her heart gave out. By the end, I was holding her in my arms and apologised over and over again to her cooling body. Why couldn¡¯t I heal others for the life of me? What had I become? The instrument of a power-hungry and blind psychopath? There was only one angel who could answer my questions. And by god, Michael, I hoped for your sake your answers would be satisfying. When I came to, mum and Ahri were still chatting. Someone had brought tea, I could smell peppermint. My heart was racing and cold sweat covered my brow. Who am I? My heart sped up even more, who was Aurora? I didn¡¯t know but I felt a longing, deep down. I had to find her. And to do that, I had to find out more about myself. Was I an angel? What had happened to me? Who was Michael? I needed answers. And to get them, I needed this bloody useless body to move! 6. Of testings, paths and a little bit of destiny Cassandra Pendragon 5 days later A small procession passed through a hidden gate in Boseiju¡¯s trunk. My father carried me delicately in his arms. Behind us, my mother, Ahri and the two personal guards of my father followed along. When we passed through the gate and left the moon-lit, starry night, a new world awaited. We entered a winding tunnel, leading downwards in gentle swoops. The walls consisted of wood, glowing lightly with translucent sap that flowed within. The air was warm and moist. It smelled of earth, cherries and age. My eyes pierced the gloom and I could make out a myriad of tiny insects, shuffling away from the giant intruders who invaded their kingdom. My skin tingled from the sheer amount of energy present. Our path through that living realm continued on. We had traveled for a good 10 minutes, descending deeper beneath Boseiju¡¯s roots, when I could make out the faint gurgling of water, sloshing somewhere in front of us. After a final turn, the walls of the tunnel receded and we found ourselves in a huge cavern, directly beneath Boseiju¡¯s trunk. My gaze roamed over two gargantuan roots, branching out to support the ceiling. Stalagmites and stalactites grew towards one another, emitting a faint greenish light. From the tips of the roots, droplets of translucent water dripped into two deep ponds directly underneath. From the ponds, two small streams flowed into the darkness, vanishing deep inside the cave. The musical drip drip drip of water breaking the ponds¡¯ surface filled the air. Between the two ponds a small altar had been erected. It resembled a living branch with a flat top. Just enough space to place a child upon. A haggard form, hidden underneath a long, bark-blue cloak waited for us. I couldn¡¯t see its face but from its size, its hunched stature and the bulges on its lower back I thought it might have been an old kitsune. ¡°I knew you would come before the allotted time, third king of the lands above.¡± A low voice greeted us. It gave of the feeling of scraping nails and dusty tombs. It put me on edge and my tails stiffened. An inaudible growl escaped my mouth. ¡°Wise one, many things have happened since the last testing. My daughter¡­¡± ¡°I know what transpired a few days ago. I felt the energies squirm and bent, even down here. It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t wait another five years. Place her on the altar and don¡¯t return until I call for you.¡± My father, I was still in his arms, took a deep breath and started to move forwards, but with a couple of fast steps my mum overtook him, facing the old hag. ¡°Ancient one, I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Helena. I cannot say what the testing will reveal, but I know your daughter will endure. She might be too young, but I can feel that you will carry her back to the world of the living within the hour.¡± The whispered reassurance soothed my mum. Me on the other hand, not so much. If I understood that relict correctly, there was a good chance to die during the testing. And what was that part about being too young? Was this whole thing rated? Parents be advised, consumption may lead to a change of character, revealed super-power or spontaneous combustion¡­ It seemed like I didn¡¯t have much of a choice either way, splendid. Mother shuffled out of the way and my father placed me on the altar. They all left me alone afterwards - well, I say alone, but there was still the old crone looming over me. All I could do was stare after my family with hurt and teary eyes. Lucky me, because I spotted a gleaming streak of movement dropping out of the tunnel and vanishing into the shadows splattered all around the cavern before anyone else could notice. I wasn¡¯t sure, but I thought I saw light reflecting off of four white tails before darkness swallowed them. Thank god for over-protective maids. When the sound of footsteps had faded away, the creepy granny moved. She approached and stroked my tails and back with long, spindly fingers. Her hands were cold but surprisingly I didn¡¯t feel revolted. Turning around to look at her more closely, I saw that she had removed her hood. An elderly face that still showed signs of her former beauty was adorned by hair turned grey with the wheel of time. She was blind, huge cataracts marred her eyes and the skin around them was scarred and puffy. Someone had done that to her. She sniffed the air and her ears twitched slightly. I could swear she turned her head minimally towards where I suspected Ahri had hidden, but she showed no reaction. Astonishingly, that destroyed face made her look¡­kind and wise. Like a gnarled tree, deformed through time but still upright and strong. I felt safe as she focused back on me, her ears turning to the front. A small smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. ¡°My, my, what have we here.¡± She inhaled deeply. ¡°What a funny smell. Like your mother but there is more. Something like¡­Hmm¡­ it makes me think of light¡­ and stars¡­. we will see, won¡¯t we?¡± She took a step backwards and brought her hands together over her head in a wide arc. I could feel electricity build up in the air, the glow in the waters intensified and the smell of ozone permeated the cavern. More and more drops of water rushed along the roots and filled the ponds. The forming waterfalls glistened in all the colours of the rainbow. When the witch, she obviously was one, brought her hands down, the water mirrored her movements forming a perfectly circular arc behind her. I could see through, but while I was watching, torrents of golden green energy burst forth from the water and filled the arc. The light was so intense, I had to close my eyes for a moment. Blinking away my tears, I saw a smooth surface, lightly shimmering in green and gold, filling the empty space. It was reflective, like a polished mirror, but I couldn¡¯t see myself, there was only darkness. My blind companion shuffled over and looked into the mirror over my shoulder. Her reflection I could see. But it wasn¡¯t the demolished version of before, she was young and whole. Her hair was golden and her eyes green, pretty close to Ahri¡¯s colour. She had indeed been beautiful. Behind her, 3 ethereal version of herself stared back at us. All of them were naked, but crackling energies played around their curves, clothing them in blue, green and golden light respectively. Every image was crystal clear, except for the red one, it was hazy and sort of distorted. Even the red energies seemed spent and close to dying out. I supposed they represented her astral or energetically body, her life force and her soul. While her control over energy and the power of her soul hadn¡¯t vaned, her life force was nearly spent. Was she old enough to die a natural death as a kitsune? That couldn¡¯t be right. Maybe the images showed her fortitude in the respective realms of energy? Could she be a witch and a soul-master? Unlikely but possible. Unfortunately my train of thought got rudely interrupted by a pinprick to my thumb: ¡°Hmm¡­.the spell can¡¯t take hold¡­.never mind¡­.just need a tiny bit of blood and¡­¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She flicked the drop of blood she had drawn from my thumb into the mirror. It sizzled in silver and blue for a second and the energies in the water took on the same hue. Her reflections disappeared and another figure emerged from the silvery depths. I couldn¡¯t make out its features, they were blurred like the reflection on a rippling lake but it extended its right arm as if it wanted to touch me. I moved as if in a trance, raising my own hand, nearing the surface of the mirror. As soon as I touched the curtain of energy I felt a spark travel up my arm and I fell forward, right through the reflection. I was in a mirror world, for want of a better world. There was only silvery nothingness around, filled with thousands of mirrors, they sprawled away into the distance and I could see no end to their ranks. I didn¡¯t feel, hear or smell a thing I could only see mirrors over mirrors. On instinct I tried to take a step forward and, hallelujah, it worked. Sort of. On close inspection I was a formless silvery wraith, I didn¡¯t walk as much as I drifted forward. Goddamn, what had that old hag done to me? As I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do, I glided to a mirror and peered into its depth. A stunningly beautiful kitsune with for tails, silvery fur and raven-black hair looked back at me. Her eyes shone like the full-moon and I felt captivated by that gaze. Wait a second! That was me, quite a bit older and fully grown, but that was still me. A version of myself with a small moon-stone tiara on her brow and dressed elegantly, like a queen. Behind her I could see the blurry outline of 3 more kitsune, one grown and two small children. Was that my future family? The one I was going to have when I became queen? I tried to take a peek at the face of my possible future husband but it remained a blur. The more I focused, the more distorted it became until suddenly a pair of azure eyes flashed in the mirror and it burst into red flames. Nothing remained but smouldering shards of glass. I felt quite unconcerned because I recognised the eyes immediately. I hadn¡¯t remembered them until 5 days ago, but I wouldn¡¯t forget them for the rest of my life. I wouldn¡¯t marry a kitsune. Hell, if I couldn¡¯t find Aurora I probably wouldn¡¯t marry at all. That might sound quite crazy, because I only had one memory left of her, but that was enough. I knew how I felt, even if I couldn¡¯t remember all the reasons why. My inspection of the next mirrors went by quickly. I had realised what I was looking for. A future where I could see those azure eyes again and hear her voice outside of half-forgotten dreams. I became faster and faster, moving deeper into the mirror-maze. Reflections of wealth, power, tranquility or fame couldn¡¯t tempt me, I flew through that maze. A small part of my mind realised the danger, especially for younger children. It was easy to indulge in dreams of a glorious future and lose sight of the things that really matter. Without Aurora I was pretty sure I would have become lost and wandered between the mirrors for all eternity. I wasn¡¯t sure if my decisions in here had any real impact or if I could even leave through one of the mirrors, but I wasn¡¯t going to risk it. I would search for her, even if it meant I¡¯d stay here forever. I was also decently sure that that was the ¡°testing¡±. Getting your priorities straight and deciding what¡¯s really important to you. After what seemed like ages I found myself in front of what I had been looking for. I didn¡¯t look at my reflection but at the person besides me. She was tall, taller than me in any case. She had wavy red hair, flowing down to her waist. Her almond eyes reflected the light like sapphires and her fiery wings gave her appearance something regal. Her delicate features, with high cheekbones and a cute button nose were drawn into a smile. She smiled at me! Without checking my reflection or even pausing for just one moment i touched the mirror and light flooded my mind. I felt something inside, a part of me that had always been there, but that I hadn¡¯t embraced fully yet. No that¡¯s not right. I wasn¡¯t able to. My soul wasn¡¯t mature enough yet to support that aspect of myself. If it came forth, it would hurt. It would tax my being with memories and power I couldn¡¯t sustain yet. That was probably the reason why I had bled so much during the fight against the Furglows. And why I had those flashbacks along with an amazing amount of knowledge. They would kill me if I didn¡¯t receive them nicely parcelled and spoon-fed step by step. I understood that my core was bound to my soul and that it¡¯s energies were directed into the tattoo on my back so not to interfere with my natural development. I even knew what a core was. I was an angel after all. But, my wings would only unfurl if I opened my soul to my core completely and that was a terrible idea. Just thinking about that headache brought it back. Seems like I was not gonna fly anywhere. For now. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t get to reminisce much further as sight slowly returned to me. I was in¡­ fucking space. Dark nothingness was all around me, interspersed with tiny dots of light. Each might have been a lonely star or a thriving system full of live. I had a hint of vague memories of blue or red suns, swirling nebulas, lively planets and oppressive black-holes. Before me, a path made of light lead towards a cluster of stars. Like a beautiful mosaic they formed a female figure, her slender curves hidden by a heavy shoulder-guard and a long cloak. She was clad in silver plate armour, engraved with stylised moons. Her hooded face was nigh invisible but for the silvery sheen of her glowing eyes. Behind her back 9 sleek silver tails fanned out, mirrored by a halo of blue-silver energy currents, clinging to her upper back and flowing off into space. She seemed to meditate, her head bowed slightly with a silvery spear held loosely across her folded legs. I wanted to get closer, to glide forward but I realised I was back in my tiny body. Well, no time like the present to advance on my way to a perfectly mastered body. I gathered my strength, visualised the movement and¡­ flopped helplessly about. Surprisingly I couldn¡¯t convince my 2 years old body that I knew how to walk. I tried though, repeatedly. Accepting defeat graciously I uttered my first coherent words: ¡°Goddamn!¡± Hmm, my exercise over the last five days had worked. I had much finer control over my voice-box now. Anyway, if I can¡¯t walk there¡­Hmm¡­this should be all in my head, though, so I can¡¯t ¡°walk¡± anyhow. If I can¡¯t get there it don¡¯t have to get there. Maybe it¡¯s some kind of riddle? I scrutinised the cluster of stars closely. They formed a perfect sculpture but despite their symmetrical positioning, continues brightness and different colour nothing came to mind. So the clue should be in the image they formed. I got here by choosing a future. Maybe this is the path leading there? Is the light the path I have to follow to achieve my goal? If so, is that meditating warrior what I have to become to meet Aurora again? The Star-formed creature looked up, her hood vanishing in a shower of sparks. Two large eyes, glowing like two full moons, framed by raven-black hair focused on me. Her sublime features were lightened by a proud smile. She nodded, once, and my mind turned slowly dark. My last thought before drifting into dreams of stars and azure eyes was: if I grow up into that, I won¡¯t ever complain. I¡¯m sorry, but there is a good reason for a little vanity, won¡¯t you agree? When I woke up, Ahri was out in the open and she and the old crone - I should really get to know her name somehow - were busy staring at me with wide eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± I managed to croak. Yay me! ¡°You were gl¡­. Wait, you can talk? Cassy, since when can you talk?!¡± Ahri scooped me up and scrutinised my every inch. She even smelled me. ¡°Calm down, Ahri, let her breath. I think I can answer most of your questions.¡± The old hag turned towards me: ¡°And my name is Greta, your highness.¡± She even managed a small curtesy. Taking time to wrap my tongue around every syllable I answered: ¡°It¡¯s an honour to meet you, wise one. Please, could you explain what happened? I am curious as well.¡± Hallelujah, I could talk! Greta cackle: ¡°My what an eloquent little princess you are. If I hadn¡¯t seen a shadow of your visions I would even be impressed. But to answer your question, you journeyed towards your inner core, the centre of your being. You had a glimpse of your soul and what it contains, what it could be. You are older than you look, little princess, older than even me. And yet your soul is newly born, malleable and growing. It¡¯s a dangerous state you are in, from what I can see you nearly lost yourself 5 days ago. If your soul hadn¡¯t been strong enough, you would have burned yourself and everyone around. You need to grow fast and you need to grow strong. Otherwise you might die an untimely and fiery death.¡± During Greta¡¯s little monologue, Ahri¡¯s grip on me had tightened gradually until I had trouble breathing. I wheezed: ¡°Could you¡­help me? Please?¡± Greta smiled. A cold shiver ran down my spine and along my tails. That might have been a mistake. 7. Of fears, intentions and a little bit of hope Mordred Pendragon I watched silently while my parents carried Cassandra towards Boseiju. The calm night air smelled of cherries and herbs. Moon and starlight painted the world in soft, silvery colours. I heard the rustling of leaves as a raven took off from one of the upper branches of the mighty tree. This was my home, the place I cherished the most. But yet¡­ it wasn¡¯t supposed to be mine. Not now, not ever. At least if things remained the way they were. Born as the younger son, I had lived my whole life in Arthur¡¯s shadow, always the second, always just a step behind. Everything I accomplished, he had already done. My prowess with the sword? Easily eclipsed by his lightning-fast daggers and perfect foot-work. My dreams of grand, new architecture and social reforms? Blunted by concise and practical arguments and a reliable vision of the future. Even my first love, lost to my oh-so-perfect brother. Did I mention that they already had been blessed with two kids? I had even been forced to take on the role of godfather for two brats, that should actually have been my own. Talk about degradation¡­.. But I had managed. I wasn¡¯t naive, I had always known that life wasn¡¯t all sunshine and rainbows, so I had bit my tongue and tried to live a full life. Be the change you want to see in others and that whole shebang. And it had worked, at least to some degree. I had focused on my own development, relishing the fact that my second tail sprouted sooner than my brother¡¯s had. I had delved deep into philosophy, magic and martial arts, hoping to find a purpose in foreign teachings. Mother had been a huge help, always supportive and understanding of my plight. I wouldn¡¯t say that I had been completely happy but rather¡­ content. And then, she had been born. A beautiful little kitsune, born with magic in her veins and two tails on her back. I freely admit that I had been charmed as well as everyone else when I first had laid my eyes on her. I hadn¡¯t even particularly disliked her, at first, but that soon had changed. The more time everybody had spent fawning over that little vixen, the more I had realised that she had taken away all the little things I had previously conquered for myself. Every talk about magic or philosophy soon had revolved solely around her: ¡°Interesting spell, Mordred, but have you seen the changes in colour to your sister¡¯s birthmark? What could they mean?¡­. What do you mean development can only happen after you become self-aware? Your sister has been born with two tails after all¡­.¡± It had been infuriating and to top it all off, my mother had spent nearly every single waking-hour with her newborn princess. I had been shoved aside, left and forgotten. I had needed to leave, at least for some time, to find my own purpose, my own goals, not marred by someone else¡¯s dreams and ambitions. If they all didn¡¯t want me, I would carve my own way. The strong always stand alone. So, only a few weeks after my little sister had been brought to this world, I commandeered, well¡­stole, an airship from the mooring and set off into a brave new world. It had been hard. People are cruel and selfish and I had learned first hand that my family maybe hadn¡¯t been that bad after all. I had been forced to accept the harsh truth: the strong ruled and the weak were eaten. Slavery and theft, murder and rape had been present, people praying on people. Only fear of someone more powerful had been able to enforce any form of civilisation. I had been disillusioned. I also had become painfully aware that the meaning of live hadn¡¯t been lying around somewhere, waiting to be picked up by the first disillusioned moron tumbling along. I had realised that it was up to me to forge my own goals. Meaning would come if I pursued them, no matter the cost. Ethics and morals didn¡¯t add much to the equation for me, if you wanted to achieve your dreams you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford them. The world had been a brilliant teacher and I had learned that lesson well. Long story short, I had travelled around the isles for months and had been ready to return home and start anew, albeit I hadn¡¯t gone far, from a philosophical point of view. I still hadn¡¯t decided on what I or who I wanted to become. During one of the last longer patches of nothingness in between islands, I had been caught in a storm that blew from the east. The sky had darkened, the winds had picked up and I had already been able to make out the tortured screeches of my rigging. There had been no place to land and let the fury of nature pass. I had only been able to sit it out. Drenched to the bones, I had secured every moving part on my vessel and tucked in for a long night. The winds had tossed my ship around and I hadn¡¯t been able to even guess where this blasted storm would take me. When the cacophony of noises had finally died down, I had been greeted by a dulled world, suffocating in thick swaths of fog, hiding my own hands from my sight. Even the slapping sounds of ropes and low crackling of the fire used to heat the eleven-ore had been smothered. I had felt truly lost. Panicked I had tried to find anything in the fog that could have helped me discern my location. After minutes a looming shadow just to my right had caught my attention. Land! Maybe I would have been able to touch down, repair the most essential parts and get back home when the sun came out? Desperately I had quenched the fire, losing altitude quickly. The lower I had dropped, the more silhouettes had appeared from the grey world. I had been nearing a barren plain with hundreds and hundreds of skeletons littering the dark stone. In the middle, a black arch, shimmering like obsidian, rose 13 meters into the sky. I had tried to land without reducing someone¡¯s remains to dust but that had been impossible. I had come down close to the arch, pulverising the remains of two humanoid figures, locked in eternal embrace until my clumsiness had put an end to their resting place. Carefully I had looked around and prepared to disembark. Nothing had caught my attention, the only thing around had been corpses, veiled in grey fog. No sounds had reached my ears, but a faint smell of bone dust and ozone had tickled my nose. I had taken my first steps towards the arch, when a faint glow had highlighted the dark gate. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Like the fingers of doom, energies had crept along the black stone, touching, connecting, building. A portal had formed, maybe through coincidence, maybe I had triggered a long forgotten trap, in its midst a dark shadow with a crown on its brow, seated on a burning throne, had gestured domineeringly. From the tips of its fingers red lines of energy had crashed into the portal, forcing it open. I hadn¡¯t been able to see its face, but I immediately had felt it¡¯s focus settling on me. I had been driven to my knees, a foreign entity had tried to take control of my mind. I had fought valiantly, clinging to my sanity like a drowning man to a plank of wood. But it hadn¡¯t mattered. My defences had been swept away and all that I was had been laid bare. And I had rejoice for I had finally found a teacher who could guide me, give me purpose. He had had much to teach and I had been willing to listen. The core of his lessons: It doesn¡¯t matter how you do it, to lead a fulfilled life, you need to reach for the stars. And burn everything that stands in your way. A sad smile formed on my face as I remembered those lessons, so long ago. Fate was a fickle beast, but I thanked her for that meeting. I would still be wandering aimlessly through my life, a passenger on a train to nowhere, if the emperor hadn¡¯t shown me the way forwards. He was from a far away land, somewhere over the seas. By fate or chance he had become interested in our continent. After weeks of research, one of his magi-scientists had been able to form a connection with an old artefact on the most western island of our little world. It couldn¡¯t sustain enough energy to form a portal, but with huge amounts of energy, the emperor could squeeze his mind through and even place a small glyph that would alert him as soon as someone touched foot near it. And then he waited until a storm blew me right into his clutches. As if preordained, teacher and disciple had met through the winds of fate. And now I was contemplating to betray him. I turned away from the window through which I had watched my family enter Boseiju. I quickly crossed through the library, descended a flight of stairs and left the royal wing. The enchantments against clairvoyance in the walls were simply too strong, I had to get outside. Our palace was located on one of the five main-branches, facing Boseiju¡¯s trunk. Behind the palace, the branch continued on but no one was permitted residence behind one of the royal abodes. I could freely move towards the greenery and hide myself in a cozy alcove of cherry blossoms and glow worms. I marked the bark in front of me with a series of runes the emperor had taught me. Using a drop of blood I activated the array. It pulled energy from the life force it was applied to, to facilitate long range communication. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to cover the kind of distance needed, but to Boseiju¡¯s vitality so much was just a drop of water in the ocean. With a sizzling sound and the coppery smell of blood, the runes started spinning, faster and faster, until they formed a mirror-like disc. I put my hand to it: ¡°Master, my family left for the testing. If Lord Amazeroth is right, the ritual will reveal my sister¡¯s origins. If they know, it will complicate our plans.¡± ¡°Mordred¡±, I heard his voice in my mind, as though he was standing right besides me, he chuckled softly, ¡°that is what we are hoping for. We can¡¯t get to her as long as she is surrounded by faithful servants and a whole castle of soldiers. If they know what she is, they will sooner or later send her to one of the kingdoms where any knowledge about the primordial races might have survived. My bet, from you descriptions, would be on the elves or dwarfs. They are both long-lived and survived the cataclysm in fairly large numbers. You have to accompany her on that journey and lead her to me. As long as you stay in everyone¡¯s good graces, there should be nothing to worry about. Let her grow up a little, let her powers blossom, the harvest will be all the sweeter. We will only be in trouble if she finds a teacher and stays in your kingdom for the foreseeable future. In that case you have to somehow make her leave. Wether for good or just on a trip doesn¡¯t really matter, as long as we get her to my island. I can use her transcendent energies to open the portal for good. I will get her and you will get my armies. That will be your first step towards the throne. As long as your siblings live, you will never reign, middle-son.¡± ¡°Yes, master. I will make sure to gain my family¡¯s trust and Cassandra¡¯s affection. Sooner or later I will lead her to the island.¡± ¡°Keep me informed.¡± The connection severed with a slight pop. The runes slowed down and died out, leaving behind a circular and burned patch of withered bark and a distinct, burnt smell. I drew my knife and scraped away any signs of my magic, even adding some embellishments to the bark-free wood, making it look like a carving exercise. I didn¡¯t walk back to the palace immediately. My family would probably be gone for at least another hour and even if I was missed, I could easily explain why I wasn¡¯t around. I was a loner after all. Instead I leaned back into the soft leaves and fragrant blossoms and mulled over the last couple of days. The emperor had guessed my sister¡¯s identity from my memories, so I hadn¡¯t been terribly surprised when I had watched her annihilate the Furglows. I had followed the scene, hidden behind a statue on the second floor. But I hadn¡¯t been prepared for what had happened. The sheer amount of power little Cassandra had emitted was frightening. I had felt small and insignificant, like an ant in front of an army. Silvery blue flames had consumed everything and I had been sure to die an inglorious death, hidden and unrecognised even during my final moments. But then that little girl had scream and stemmed the flood. Bleeding and crying she had fought for our lives, fought against herself. She had saved us all and nobody had been the wiser. That was it. That was the thing I had been looking for for so long. Not the fleeting promise of an empty throne, uttered by a degenerate ruler from a far away land, nor the simple magic tricks that he would teach me. No, I wanted real power, power beyond morality, maybe even beyond mortality. I wanted to make other people feel how I had felt in front of that little monster. Only then would I be able to reach for the stars, to truly live the life I dreamed about. Unchallenged and free. I would compete for the price, I would try to gain Cassandra¡¯s powers for myself or die trying. And the emperor be damned, I would use him, just like he had intended to use me. As soon as I had made my decision, a tingly feeling spread down my spine and into my lower back. I knew that rush, that sense of wholeness and understanding, as my third tail slowly sprouted. It was as if the universe itself wanted to congratulate me for finally growing a spine and fighting for what was mine. Slowly I got up, brushing off crushed cherry blossoms. Their sweet smell still lingered around me for another second, but a cold breeze from the west carried it away. Turning towards the palace, an honest smile spread my lips for the first time in ages. I was looking towards the future, wether dark or bright, I had a goal and a plan to get there. First, I had to get Cassandra on my side and then¡­ 8. Of birthdays, presents and a little bit of friendship Cassandra Pendragon Nearly 5 years later My stomach ached, sweat dripped into my eyes and I was pretty sure I could smell the tips of my hair burning. Wheezing I laid on the ground, huffing for air after that last burning discus had missed me by no more than an inch. It hadn¡¯tmissed my hair though. The lower third of my black plate was smouldering. Huh, how I loved the smell of burnt hair in the morning. For a blind woman Greta¡¯s aim was astonishingly good. It was still fairly decent for a person with eyesight and that was more than enough to put a 7-year old through her paces. We were currently in her cave, the place Greta had picked to torture ¡­ train me 5 times a week. As usual, I spent most of the time running away from or dodging one thing or another. My ¡°teacher¡± had realised pretty fast that most forms of energy wouldn¡¯t touch me, so instead of hurling fireballs, she threw stuff. Heavy, burning stuff. I had to question her methods, but the results were amazing. From a chubby toddler I had developed into a sleek, tall and lithe child. I still retained my large baby-eyes but all in all I had grown up quite a lot. With my face hidden, I might even be taken for a quite short teenage kitsune. And I had learned to move. The hard way. I was pretty sure most ballerinas didn¡¯t possess the amount of control over their bodies that I had gained while dodging stones, hammers, discuses and, on bad days, even arrows. All in the name of strengthening my body to prepare it for my spiritual training. Which hadn¡¯t even begun yet! The only times Greta would actually talk to me were, when I collapsed under her gentle guidance. After nearly getting decapitated by a burning discuss for example. ¡°You held out longer than I expected, princess. Your body is nearly strong enough. Do you remember why this part of your development is so important?¡± ¡°Because everything, body, astral body, life force, soul and in my case the core are connected. If one is weak the others won¡¯t grow. Because the body is the foundation through which every form of energy flows, I have to prepare mine for the energies from my core, otherwise I¡¯m going to break down again as soon as i try to channel my power.¡± I finally managed to stop panting and prob myself up on my elbows. ¡°Well said. Usually you would have advanced to energy manipulation and the strengthening of the astral body already. Unfortunately your whole being is flooded with transcendent energies and they would taint any exercise or spell you attempted, even if you used only mundane energies to work with. You won¡¯t be able to use magic until your body has fully matured. Unless you risk to lose control and burn out. And then my whole work over the last 5 years would go down the drain.¡± I already knew that, Greta had repeated the same sermon over and over again while I recuperated from her ¡°light exercises¡±, necessary to prepare my body for the influx of transcendent energies, which was sure to come. That didn¡¯t stop her from continuing though. While listening half-heartedly I wondered for the thousandth time where she had gotten her information from. She had been able to determine what I was within weeks of becoming my mentor. One day I had descended into her cave, Ahri in tow, and she had started talking about angels, transcendent energies and how I was lucky that my core had bound to a kitsune. Supposedly my tails were a perfect indicator of how far I had come in forming a functioning symbiosis of my being and my transcendent heritage. If I managed to reach nine tails, it would be safe to embrace my core fully and utilise my powers.I had been born with two, because I had already known who I was, I had simply lacked the brain-function to form coherent thoughts. That changed when I had turned two. As soon as my brain had been able to ¡°think¡± parts of my identity had come rushing back, bringing along some memories I could access if prompted with the right stimulus. It wasn¡¯t like I had a fully formed personality yet, my soul was still developing after all, but there were some things I couldn¡¯t change. As I had learned over the past five years, I detested injustice, especially if someone abused their power, I was hot-blooded and compassionate, to a degree that bordered on naivety. I had caused quite the ruckus some two years ago when, during a court session I had been forced to attend due to my formal education, I had tried to impale a petitioner with a ceremonial sabre. That asshole had tried to use his connections to weasel out of an engagement, the poor girl, pale and pregnant, standing to the side, shivering at the prospect of becoming a single mum in a medieval society. And my father had intended to let it slide. I had understood the reason, the bastard had been a wealthy merchant who had brought in a ton of taxes. He had technically still been the citizen of another kingdom, along with the girl, even though they had settled near our dwarven mine for good. It hadn¡¯t been worth it to anger a potentially influential family for the sake of one foreign girl. I had understood. But when my father had stood to accept the formal annulment, the girl, Eva, had looked up with tears of fear and desperation running down her cheeks. Our eyes had met. What would you have done? I had chosen the most ridiculous course of action possible. Instead of talking to my dad privately or maybe even critiquing the decision publicly I had grabbed the ceremonial sword stuck to his side and, full of fiery retribution, made a swing for the protruding belly of the merchant. Well, I had still been a 5 year old girl, albeit an infuriated one, I had lost my balance, that sabre had been heavy, and had tumbled down the stairs and into my intended victim. Luckily no one had been hurt and I had managed to convince my mum to hire Eva and provide a place for her and her soon to be born child. All I had had to do was formally apologise to the esteemed merchant¡­ Oh, I was also in love, at least I thought so. My third tale had sprouted after remembering her, after all. It wasn¡¯t the hormonal fling kind of thing - I was 7 - nor did everything remind me of her. I only had that one memory of her but whatever I did, azure eyes and fiery wings would flutter through my mind sooner or later, making my heart beat faster and sparking a single name my thoughts would turn to: Aurora. Like right now¡­ ¡°¡­ you have to strengthen your body through normal exercise. You can¡¯t be sure, when your next epiphany will strike, so you have to be prepared. From what I gathered, the fourth tail indicates that your soul and life force have matured enough to sustain your wings. If your body isn¡¯t equally resilient though, you will wither away under the strain.¡± That was new. I probably should have listened more closely. ¡°Could you please repeat the last part, I was¡­distracted?¡± She gave me a slick smile as if she knew exactly what or rather whom I had been thinking about. ¡°With us mere mortals¡±, I guessed her sarcasm was my punishment for making her repeat herself, ¡°there is a difference, whether we use mundane energy - mana -, life force or soul energy. Our abilities to control each respective form are distinct from one another and can be trained separately. For you, that isn¡¯t the case. All the energy within you is transcendent and even reservoirs of different forms you use become tainted by it. Your astral body, life force and soul are closely intertwined with your core and it continuously pumps threads of transcendent force into them. Every action you take that is not solely powered by your biology will channel transcendent force through your body. You still remember how that felt, don¡¯t you?¡± She grabbed her trusty staff, a long branch of Boseiju that was used to hammer her points into her students, well student. ¡°Or do you need me to give you a little reminder of that headache?¡± I desperately shook my head. I was pretty confident, that she wouldn¡¯t actually hit me without a reason, but I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°No need, besides the pain I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t forget the Furglows¡¯ remains anytime soon.¡± That had been the right thing to say. Greta relaxed visibly. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Well then, even if your soul is mature enough, and it wasn¡¯t the last time, your body still has to withstand the pressure. So chop chop, off you pop, if you want to fly you¡¯ll first have to learn how to run. We still have another hour until you need to be back at the palace.¡± Grumbling I got back to my feet while Greta prepared another round of projectiles. I closed my eyes, exhaled slowly and lowered my centre of gravity. Opening my eyes again I gave Greta a slight nod. The first missile sped towards me within an instant. I could see the blurry outline of a burning discus, the flames dancing madly in the wind. Here we go again. I took a half-step forwards into the path of the discuss. When I could feel its heat on my face, i pirouetted on my left foot, swirling out of the way. After I finished half a revolution, I jumped as high as i could, somersaulting over the second projectile. The third one came at me close behind while I was still in the air. Without another choice I rammed my tails into the ground to stop my momentum. I immediately dropped back on the floor but the burning and strained sensation from the tips of my tails made me botch the landing. I lost my balance and toppled over. Move, goddamn it! I tried to flip myself over and get on my feet but with the force of a small meteor a blunted edge crashed into my side, rupturing my skin and tossing me on my back. One rip gone, I thought. I clenched my teeth in anticipation, the pain was sure to come. When the first waves hit I squirmed. That had been a mistake. I coughed up blood and tendrils of agony burrowed deeply into my side. A coppery smell invaded my nostrils, strengthening my nausea. I rolled up into a ball and tried to keep my breakfast down. It felt like aeons until Greta¡¯s gnarly hand lightly touched my bloody side and the pain slowly subsided. When the ringing in my ears finally stopped I could hear Ahri, who had probably come to pick me up, berating Greta. Served her right. ¡°¡­ birthday! You can¡¯t hurt her like this, that¡¯s not training, that¡¯s just plain punishment!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault she¡¯s so slow! 2 hours ago she easily dodged twice as many projectiles.¡± ¡°She is tired, you moron!¡± Ahri¡¯s hands started to get hazy with white energy. ¡°Wanna find out how you feel after running around for 2 hours?!¡± Seemed like I wasn¡¯t the only hot-blooded one around here. But the old crone would mop the floor with my maid. No nice way of putting it. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Ahri, I¡¯m fine. Look¡±, I stood up and curtsied elegantly. ¡°I can move and even do all the formal things. Don¡¯t worry, Greta didn¡¯t really hurt me.¡± That was a plain lie. ¡°She patched me up already.¡± I declared while turning my large puppy-dog eyes on her. ¡°I don¡¯t even have any bruises left so I can wear that ¡­ beautiful light dress.¡± No idea why, but she loved to see me in a summery dress with an open back. I didn¡¯t like the thing and especially the stares I received while wearing it. But if it made her calm down, I would even attend my birthday party in a nighty. They both turned towards me and the light on Ahri¡¯s palm died out. She scoffed at Greta and quickly gave me a once-over, patting me down gently. ¡°Are you really okay? By the great fox, you were coughing up blood. I¡¯ll take you to Dr. Hofffox.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Greta interjected before I could even utter a single word. ¡°Her wounds were only superficial and she¡¯s perfectly fine now. Many would pay an arm and a leg to get me to treat them, after all.¡± Ahri didn¡¯t turn around, still focused on me, and only clicked her tongue. I gave her a reassuring smile and she finally relented: ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ll stay during the next training.¡± Greta smiled: ¡°What an excellent idea.¡± I bet the old fury had enough projectiles for two students. After I had brushed of the dirt and cut off the burnt part of my hair, I resemble a civilised individual once again. I only dreaded to explain to my mum how I had lost a third of my glowing locks. Before Ahri could take me back to the surface though, Greta pulled me aside: ¡°I haven¡¯t congratulated you yet. So happy birthday. It seriously has been an honour but mostly fun to teach you. I am looking forward to one day meet the woman you will become.¡± I was touched. I had never received a sincere compliment before. ¡°I have two presents for you. Please don¡¯t open them until you are alone tonight.¡± From somewhere within her cloak she pulled a thick, reddish envelope and a small wooden box with intricate runic designs engraved on the top. My skin prickled softly when I touched them. Her gifts in hand and her words still ringing in my ears I bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you, my friend.¡± Our ascent through Boseiju¡¯s roots took us about 10 minutes, walking through shadows broken only by glowing green veins of sap sloshing behind the tunnel walls. The musky scent of earth played around my nose and my feet clanked on hard wood, polished by age and uncountable feet that had dragged families to and from the testing. Ahri was brooding silently, probably still furious about the little incident before. I didn¡¯t mind, my thoughts revolved around the upcoming festivities. To be completely honest, I wasn¡¯t particularly looking forward to them. After my family had picked me up from Greta¡¯s for the first time I had made good use of my new-found speech and set some things straight. I had explained how I had awoken to memories, not of this body, and what had happened to the Furglows. At first they hadn¡¯t believed me and then they had thought something had gone wrong with the testing. It had taken several trips and talks with Greta interrupted by shouting and once even tears, before they had accepted that yes, i was their daughter and yes, i was also something else, something old. The first few weeks had been challenging. Funnily enough Mordred, my second brother, had been the one to intervene on my behalf and talk my family into accepting who, or rather what I was. After I had told my story, he had directly picked me up, hugged me and ruffled my hair. His deep voice had said: ¡°So what? Doesn¡¯t change a thing now, does it?¡± He had believed me and he hadn¡¯t cared. I had been impressed, to say the least. Well, judging from the tears that had rolled down my face, I had been something slightly more than ¡°impressed¡±. During the following weeks me and Mordred had grown pretty close. He and Ahri had been the only ones who hadn¡¯t treated me differently. My mum had tried but I had caught her ever so often watching me, deep in thought, and there had been a distance between us every time we had interacted. It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that I had spent most of my time with my brother and maid. We had talked for hours and they had shown me around our home, sometimes even around neighbouring parts of Boseiju. They had helped me with walking, reading and writing and I had told them about my flashbacks and the names that haunted my mind: Aurora and Michael. Come to think of it, they mostly had listened to me or helped me. I still didn¡¯t know much about their past. The rest of my family had slowly come around and things had gone back to normal, in a way. The relationship with my father had always been strained ever since and surprisingly, the merchant-incident hadn¡¯t helped either. Even now he was still weary around me and I didn¡¯t feel at ease either. We interacted cordially but only superficially. Never the less, once my parents had gotten a grasp on the situation, they had decided that it was time to formally start my education. I had gotten a personal tutor for languages, geography, history, etiquette and arts, additionally I had had to meet Greta five times a week to learn about my heritage and powers. To top it all off, I had been required to attend court once a week, getting a grasp on politics and formal behaviour. Thankfully, trying to stab one of his petitioners had put a stop to those hours of boredom, at least for now. The main purpose had been achieved anyway, I was known as the beautiful, eccentric and gifted but mana-less third child of the palace of the moon. And therefore, my birthday had been a real nuisance for the last two years. 9. Of promises, parties and a little bit of trouble Cassandra Pendragon When we had exited the hidden gate underneath Boseiju¡¯s roots, a warm afternoon sun greeted us, warming my face. Its loving caress coaxed a myriad of smells from the flowers near Boseiju¡¯s trunk and encouraged the birds to frolic in the sky. I stood still for a moment, relishing in the tantalising impressions. My gaze roamed over the garden, nourished by the five rivers. Huge cherry trees dominated the scene, some adorned with tiny houses, some the largest pillars of bigger estates, nestled around their base. The paths were hidden within the landscape, following natural occurring formations. Horses and carts weren¡¯t allowed within the garden. Small ponds and fountains teeming with fish, insects and birds were all around like sprinkles on a cake, adding to the magical atmosphere. Only the nobility, descendants of the friends of the first five families, were allowed to live here. It was never crowded, but I couldn¡¯t spot anyone around. Turning around I craned my neck to look up through Boseiju¡¯s greenery but I could only make out rustling leaves and mighty branches. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± Ahri chuckled softly: ¡°You really don¡¯t know? It¡¯s your seventh birthday, you would usually be undergoing the testing right now. While you have been playing around in the mud, every family that¡¯s worth a copper has arrived. They want to formally welcome you to society. You are an eligible bachelorette now, after all.¡± Shit, she was right. I had forgotten about that. It was an archaic tradition anyways without any real purpose, but it had carried over from a time when children had been married young. I couldn¡¯t do much about it but still whined: ¡°Oh, right. I think I forgot my ¡­ stuff down in the cave. I¡¯ll just turn around and¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, you won¡¯t.¡± Snaking one arm around my shoulder and one tail around my thigh she effectively leashed me to her. ¡°I promised your mum I¡¯ll get you back with time to spare. And since you were delirious from pain when I got down, I don¡¯t have the time to run after you now.¡± It seemed like she still hadn¡¯t forgotten about that part, I should better play along. ¡°Fine, but only for you¡­And only if you promise do defend me tonight, whatever happens.¡± ¡°Why, do you intent to prepare another round of merchant-kebab?¡± I had to laugh at that. ¡°No, but you never know. And if I got you by my side, you will make sure I don¡¯t have to enrich the buffet!¡± ¡°Fine, I promise, but then you also have to do as i tell you, for once. First order of business when we get back: you¡¯ll take a bath and put on the dress your mum has picked out. No questions asked.¡± Outmanoeuvred by a fox girl ¡­: ¡°Alright¡­¡± Arm in arm we turned around to climb the long stairs, winding around Boseiju¡¯s trunk in gentle arches. Around 100 meters above the ground, the five main-branches spread out, like the rose of a compass, one heading north, one east, one west, one south and one towards where the ancient capital of the kitsune before the cataclysm had been. Between the branches, strong planks of ironwood formed platforms around Boseiju where a small contingent of soldiers was stationed around the clock. The Endless Stairs emerged on the largest deck, an atrium for the whole floor. Every plank was highly polished and the gateways to narrow bridges and lofty pathways leading to the five main-branches were intricately carved. Each depicted the emblem and history of the respective royal family residing on the branch behind. The Endless Stairs continued on to Boseiju¡¯s crown where our small sky-ship port would be found, but we turned towards the gateway inlaid with moon stones and headed for the main-branch behind, greeting the kitsune guards stationed on adjourning platforms. I quite enjoyed the short trip through the greenery with only birds and bees around. But all too soon we emerged on the wide main-branch, a highly polished road carved into its middle. After about 30 meters, a wide wall, I¡¯d call it Japanese in design, covered in runes encircled the branch. It even enveloped the underside, looking like a ruff. A gate split the wall where it met the road. Four guards stood in front and I knew another eight were hidden in the guardroom within the wall. They bowed deeply when we approached and knocked three times on a small door, carved into the right wing of the gate. Before we even got close, the door had opened, controlled by a simple pulley system that was connected to the guardroom. With a friendly smile for the guards, Ahri rushed through and shepherded me along the way to our palace. The side branches on my left and right had been converted into small shrines and temples or meditative gardens, sometimes with a small pond in the middle, filled with rainwater. The main-branch led directly into our courtyard, where my mum had already been waiting, a scowl slowly appearing on her otherwise warm and friendly face. ¡°What happened to your hair? It¡¯s gone, a part of your plate is gone. You look like a scarecrow!¡± She turned to Ahri: ¡°By the great fox, what has she done now?¡± Behind my mum¡¯s back I smirked at Ahri and mouthed the words: ¡°defend me¡±. She turned slightly pale but replied smoothly: ¡°It¡¯s not her fault. Greta has used a special form of soul technique that coaxed a minuscule part of Cassie¡¯s energies into the air. There wasn¡¯t any danger. Unfortunately¡­ it also ignited, a little. You know Greta, she doesn¡¯t see minor inconveniences like burnt hair as dangerous.¡± Nice, if she had told mum about the burning madness, called lessons, mum would have gone on a tirade and confronted Greta. Which would in turn have resulted in more projectiles the next time I would be down there. ¡°Huh, I seriously should have a talk with the old girl. She¡¯s taking the safety of my child far too lightly. At least you got her here early enough. We have plenty of time, to get you in a presentable state, young lady.¡±, my mum said while turning towards me with an evil glint in her eyes. Behind her I could see the silhouettes of people rushing around with dresses and ribbons. One guy even held a pair of scissors. 20 minutes later I was soaking leisurely in a tub suitable for a medium-sized horse while Ahri and my mum were busy braiding my hair. The sorry tips I had unceremoniously cut off had been straightened and oiled. I morosely peaked through the silken bathroom window at the foot of the tub. Behind our palace, the branch continued on for another 50 meters or so before fanning out. I could see and hear the source of my distress. Behind the palace, all over the side-branches, along the main-branch and further away in the canopy all shapes and colours of kitsune were milling about. Ahri hadn¡¯t lied, it seriously looked like every family and their trusted pets were down there. And I had to make nice with every single one, the whole night long, reason enough to be pouting. I had gotten somewhat used to it, as my birthdays had been social events for the last two years, but the sheer amount of guests was daunting, even without considering their social status. Unfortunately my mum and Ahri were quite impervious to my mood and chatted happily about the plans for the evening. ¡°After the reception we¡¯ll have a formal dance for the high nobility. Cassy, do remember to chose someone to dance with beforehand, yes? Your father wanted me to tell you that he¡¯d love for you to dance with one of the sun¡¯s family¡¯s princes.¡± Besides us, the palace of the moon, the remaining families were named after the sun, the wind, the earth and the sea. The sun and moon represented fortitude and magic in kitsune lore. The first and third house were responsible for our military forces and guards and the runes nourishing our island respectively. The palace of the wind, the second house, was tasked with everything outside our borders. The Furglows had been part of that family, our relations had been strained ever since. The families of earth and sea were responsible for our agriculture and trade, rounding out the quintet. Additionally, every family was sovereign on the slice of the island that was below their respective branches of Boseiju. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. I didn¡¯t mind dancing with one of the sun¡¯s heirs, they were older than me and well toned, they partook in military drills after all, so I nodded absently. Maybe one had azure eyes and could sprout fiery wings? Hey, a girl can dream¡­ ¡°Great, afterwards you will have to open the buffet. It¡¯s you celebration after all. Don¡¯t forget it¡¯s tradition to let everyone see you take the first bite, to show it¡¯s not poisoned, so don¡¯t cover your face like you usually do. Most will approach you during the meal, be approachable and friendly but don¡¯t commit to anything if neither I nor your father are around. And don¡¯t drink! The servants will hand you a glass for the toasts, but I expect you to only nip it!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, anything else ma¡¯am?¡± I mumble under my breath. Out loud I said: ¡°Of course, who needs alcohol to get through such a treat?¡± My mouth was a tad bit faster than my brain. ¡°Young lady, clamp down on the sarcasm, or I¡¯ll promise everyone that asks a dance with my beautiful daughter tonight.¡± That was simply mean. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­. Can¡¯t we do something normal for once? Like take a sky-ship to the next island, just you, dad, Mordred, Ahri and me? I know we can¡¯t, but I don¡¯t have to be happy about it now, do I?¡± After I had finished, my mum embraced me from behind, gently stroking my cheek. ¡°I promise, honey, we will. One day we will. Just¡­after Arthur left¡­.¡± She choked out. After my second birthday, my father¡¯s attitude towards his sons had changed. He had included them far less in the court¡¯s business and had leaned more heavily on advisers and his wife. Partly to compensate for his unease with and subsequent lack of trust in me, I supposed. Mordred hadn¡¯t cared, focusing more on me and his magical studies. Arthur¡­had cared. He had been the golden boy and had sacrificed blood, sweat and tears for this kingdom. He hadn¡¯t been able to sit idly by and let others decide the future of his kingdom. Things had stewed for a while and gradually gotten worse until, after a nasty fight over some shady humans who were willing to pay for permanent residence rights, Arthur had taken his family and closest friends to settle somewhere else. He had said goodbye to Mordred, mum and me and had handed us each an amulet which we could use to contact him. It had been a tearful night and I felt somewhat responsible, even though indirectly. So, after I had heard the voice of my mum falter, I turned around in the tub and hugged her tightly, leaving huge watermarks on her clothes. ¡°Mum, it¡¯s fine. I know you and dad are really busy. I don¡¯t know why I said that.¡± I made a real effort to brighten up, ¡°If you think about it, it¡¯s pretty amazing that all these people still want to celebrate with me. It¡¯ll be a marvellous day and I won¡¯t embarrass you at all, I promise. I know how important our standing is. Especially with, you know, Arthur gone.¡± ¡°Sometimes you really are an angel.¡± She sniffed. ¡°Thank you.¡± I didn¡¯t like my getup, but I had to admit it looked impressive. I was clad in a dark-blue dress which contrasted nicely with my fur and eyes and complemented my hair, which had been elaborately plated and embellished with silver ribbons. My dress had an open back, all the way down to my tails. It would have been indecent if I didn¡¯t already possess three bushy appendages to block the view. I wore sandals, the silvery satin straps continued up my legs to vanish under the frill of my dress. My mum had given me a tiara and a necklace, both wrought from mithril and moon stones with an accompanying bangle. Together with my tails, delicate features and lightly glowing eyes I looked etherial and beautiful. The sea of guests parted before me as I glided along and judging from the whistles and appreciative glances, they shared my view on the matter. I had been announced before and now had to reach a dais, placed where Boseiju¡¯s main-branch was fanning out. On the dais, my parents were seated on silver thrones with a smaller one for Mordred besides and the smallest one for me, placed in front of and slightly below them. For now, all I had to do was reach the dais without stumbling or accidentally brushing someone with my tails. The first one would be embarrassing, the second one would be worse. A kitsune¡¯s tail was highly sensitive and as such, touching someone¡¯s tail or getting touched by one was a rather intimate gesture. In this setting it would probably be equal to an invitation to dance, overlaid with innuendo. Something I could seriously do without right then. Focusing on my steps I slowly pranced forward in the way my etiquette teacher, Mrs.Giselle, had spent so much time teaching me. All eyes followed my movements while I gradually reached the dais and knelt down before my parents and brother in their state-attire. ¡°King Albert, Queen Helena, it¡¯s a pleasure to ascend into our society and fully and faithfully serve the people of the kingdom of the five families. May a have your blessing as the princess of the third house and as your daughter?¡± Both my parents rose steadily and each touched one of my cheeks. ¡°Be welcomed, child of the moon. May your service be happy and fruitful¡±, they said in unison before they helped me to my feet. ¡°And happy birthday!¡± As soon as I was upright, we hugged and the silently watching crowed erupted in cheers. So far, so good. The following hours saw me sitting on my throne, my family behind me and a throng of people in front of the dais. Every family approached one by one to congratulate and welcome me as a newly minted member of society, starting with the other royals. I put my best foot forward and didn¡¯t even forget to give the younger prince of the sun family a cherry blossom, a sign of my favour and an invitation to have the first dance with me. The head of his older brother was big enough as it was. The reception proceeded smoothly and I didn¡¯t blunder, at least as far as I was aware. From time to time I sought Ahri¡¯s eyes, she hadn¡¯t been allowed to remain on the dais but had remained close enough to reassure me with a glance ever so often. After a good 3 hours, the sun was slowly setting and painted the world in reds and golds. The fragrances of angel-trumpets and white lilies slowly rose into the air and finally, the last noble family stood before me, reiterating the same hollow good-wishes and slimy compliments as the others before them: ¡°Let us congratulate your Highness heartily. It¡¯s an honour to have a beauty such as her Highness gracing politics and society from now on. We hope to express our wishes for your Highness¡¯s good health, and the chance to speak some more after the dance.¡± I thanked and rewarded them with a sincere smile. I was glad this was the last group as my cheeks started to cramp. ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯m looking forward to spent some less pressured times with you and your family.¡± That had to be enough. I nodded at them encouragingly and they took the hint, bowing deeply and returning to the crowd. I slowly stood, flexing rigid muscles: ¡°it has been my great pleasure to meet you all personally. Thanks for coming and sharing this evening with me. During our scrumptious feast we will have the time to continue our chats, but this is a celebration, first let¡¯s dance!¡± I moved stately over the empty dais, bowing before a blushing kitsune in his teens, with golden fur, one tail and reddish eyes. ¡°Would you honour me with this dance, Lord Helios?¡± Seemingly from thin air the spherical sound of harps and violins rolled over the branch. While we slowly waltzed over the dais, I had taken the lead, and other dancers gradually joined us, Helios adamantly tried to impress me. First with his exploits during military drills and now with his illustrious family history. Unfortunately, for the boy, I had had to study our kingdom¡¯s history immaculately and could only smile at the monstrous embellishments he added to some of the stories. ¡°And when my great-great grandfather had slain the last invader, he approached the bound leader, freed him and faced him in an honest duel. With his last strength he beheaded the beast, blowing its head straight off, which tumbled through the air and vanished down a rabbit hole. My family had saved our beautiful kingdom once again and in the process had invented golf¡­¡± I wondered swiftly if he actually believed in his version of the story. From what I knew, his relative had defend the kingdom, but from an invasion of nearly starved humans, without magic and rusted weapons. He hadn¡¯t slain them but rather fed them and had sent them on their way with some healing herbs and rations for a few days¡­and I had read the book he had stolen the golf-story from. Before I could decide if I wanted to confront him or not, a stir in the crowd below the dais caught my attention. A scholarly kitsune, finely dressed with a sabre tugged to his side, staggered drunkenly towards the dais. I had seen him before, I thought he was a low-ranking member of the house of wind. Edward, no. Edmund. He had trouble putting one foot in front of the other and nearly stumbled over his two tails, but he purposefully headed for the dais, more accurately he headed for me. I stopped my dance and faced the drunkard, moving slightly in front of Helios. Judging from their expressions, most guests were torn between amusement, disgust and the need to not be associated with whatever was going to happen. I saw guards closing in from the sides, but they were much too slow, their progress hampered by the crowd and Eddie could reach the dais and scamper on unmolested. With heavy movements he took off his glove and threw it at my feet. His speech slurred and slow he declared: ¡°Princess Cassandra, for the murder of my great-aunt Amelia and my great-uncle Peter I formally demand satisfaction. I challenge you!¡± 10. Of duels, wings and a little bit of smiles Cassandra Pendragon Could he do that? Judging from the frozen expressions all around, he probably could. Oh oh¡­ What should I do? I wasn¡¯t trained in any form of combat yet, let alone fencing or what ever the hell I was supposed to be doing. I didn¡¯t even have a weapon for crying out loud! If I had anything on me I might have been able to finish this whole thing before it started and sort out the mess afterwards. Or was it some form of magical duel? That would have been even worse, I couldn¡¯t channel any energies yet. Slightly panicked I looked around, searching for help. My parents were frozen mid-step, which would have been hilarious under different circumstances, and simply stared at Eddie, completely baffled. Mordred, who had been dancing with a pretty kitsune from the water palace seemed shocked but was already moving closer, trying to reach me. I heard the buzzing of the crowd: ¡°Murdered¡­.thought it was an accident¡­.never properly investigated¡­.protecting their child¡­.¡± and realised that the longer I stood motionless, the worse it would seem. I had to do something. I stooped to pick up the glove but before my reaching fingers got close, a feminine hand had already snatched it away. Looking up I stared into Ahri¡¯s eyes. Her lips formed the words: ¡°Whatever happens¡±, before she turned around and answered Eddie: ¡°As her sworn servant and lifelong friend I demand the right to fight in Her Highness¡¯s stead as her champion. Pick your weapon, Edmund of the wind palace!¡± I had frozen completely and before I could react or intervene in anyway, I heard a deep, vibrating voice. It came from the tree we all stood on, rumbling along its branches, shaking loose leafs and blossoms: ¡°The royal challenge has been issued. The spirits bless the trial.¡± As soon as the voice subsided, two runes formed on Ahri¡¯s and Edmund¡¯s forehead respectively. They resembled a tree where the canopy mirrored the roots perfectly. They shone in an iridescent greenish light, eliciting gawks from the audience and an inaudible groan from me. I had remembered the passages about duels in my history books and consequentially understood what the royal challenge was. An archaic remnant of a time when martial prowess had been deemed the most important virtue of a ruler. Each royal family was allowed to formally challenge another. The reasons could be varied, from slights to revenge to a perceived inability to rule, but if two legitimate representatives of the royal families agreed to a duel, old magic, woven into Boseiju himself would make sure the challenge proceeded according to the ancient laws. Magic my forefathers had invoked, magic that now separated me from one of the only friends I had. All I could do was watch, as light poured out of Boseiju and formed a large, sparkling sphere around the contestants. Nobody could reach them anymore and my heart missed a beat when they slowly faced each other and bowed from the waist. While they slid into combat positions, one question haunted my mind: How? How was this possible? Only a person of the same status could be challenged, but I was a princess and Eddie had admitted that he wasn¡¯t in direct succession to the throne. How could the magic activate? White clashed on grey and sparks drove the two agile figures apart. Their silhouettes became blurry while they flashed around the cage, drawing close and separating again like waves on a beach. The warm sensation of blood, running down my palm from where I had dug my nails into my skin forced me to unclench my fists. The fight looked impressive but in reality it was pretty one-sided. Edmund was intoxicated and even sober he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with Ahri¡¯s lightning-quick, white rapier. He was bleeding from dozens of shallow cuts and each step sprinkled blood onto the beams of light that kept the combatants locked together. A sizzling noise and the smell of burnt flesh weft up from the cage. Every noble of the kingdom watched Ahri slowly but methodically slice Edmund to pieces. I still couldn¡¯t shake my queasiness, maybe because I didn¡¯t understand how it had come to this, maybe I couldn¡¯t imagine someone committing assisted suicide because he couldn¡¯t hold his liquor. While I was fretting over the situation, Edmund yelled and darted forward, bringing his heavy sabre down over his shoulder. Ahri¡¯s form seemed to vanish as she took a daring step forward into his swing. Pirouetting around the blade of his weapon, she narrowly missed the edge and slid into position behind him. With a quick thrust she severed his tendons mid swing and Eddie collapsed onto his stomach. The following silence was deafening and made their short exchange easy to understand. Even the wind had died down, waiting for the final blow to fall. It was a duel to the death, the sphere wouldn¡¯t vanish as long as they both breathed. ¡°This is the end. May your soul find peace and another place on the wheel.¡± ¡°End? No, this isn¡¯t the end. It¡¯s merely the final act but not the finale yet!¡± Pain and numbness slurred his speech but his eyes suddenly lit up with a shimmer of insanity. He plunged his left hand into his robe and pulled out a cruelly twisted obsidian dagger. Ahri reacted immediately and tried to sink her blade into his heart but he beat her to the punch. With a mad scream, Edmund drove his dagger deep into his chest. His eyes immediately rolled up into his head, his veins blackened and froth dripped from his mouth. With an inhuman scream dark energy exploded from his body and I could see, no, feel a foreign presence invade his body. Ahri was sent flying but could catch herself before she crashed into a wall. She landed wearily, as far away from the monstrosity as possible. Eddie¡¯s face was contorted and deformed, resembling an abstract silhouette, covered in mirrored glass. He had grown to at least 2.5 metres. Instead of hands, clumped claws, blood dripping along from his ruptured skin, were clutched tightly to his chest. His tails had transformed into fleshy appendages, adorned with a huge stinger each. His skin had taken on a deathly pale hue and smouldering black runes started to appear all over him. My fear skyrocketed when I recognised the demon tongue: ¡°Vessel of Amazeroth, bound in life, bound in death, burn your soul in the master¡¯s mirror. Give your immortal spirit to his power and channel the might of the mirror king. Until you are burned to ashes, his domain shall be yours to command. The stage is set and the great puppeteer awaits his due.¡± I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, but the gist was clear, considering what had happened 30 seconds ago. Edmund had sacrificed his soul to channel part of a demon¡¯s power. Blood started dripping down my palms again, leaving silvery marks on the wood. Ahri was as good as dead because of me! What should I do? What could I do? With a sickening crunch, Amazeroth¡¯s shadow pulled the dagger from his chest. Not a single drop of blood spilled forth, only a black hole remained on the left side of his chest. The cuts and bruises all over his body had disappeared with his transformation and he slowly stood up and flexed his limbs. ¡°Ahh, freedom and the smell of blood and carnage.¡± His gaze roamed over the cage made of light, along Boseiju¡¯s branch towards the palace and over the crowd gawking at the spectacle. ¡°You should run¡±, was all he said before his eyes finally settled on Ahri. ¡°And you will die.¡± The dagger in his hand transformed into a black lance with a mirrored tip. Without another sound he turned into a streak of reflective light, vanishing from view. The next moment a huge sound wave battered us onlookers back and I saw Ahri through squinted eyes. Miraculously she had somehow managed to parry the blow but the force alone had pushed her down on one knee. ¡°Not bad¡± the shadow sneered. With a fluid movement he dropped his weapon, kneed her on the nose, spun around and kicked her back while she was toppling over. Blood gushing from her destroyed face, Ahri tumbled helplessly through the air, heading straight for one of the translucent barriers. Her rapier skittered off in the opposite direction. ¡°Oh no, not yet. You still have so much left to give.¡± What had once been Edmund of the wind palace stormed after my injured friend and plunged his claws deep into her stomach, stopping her momentum and hammering her to the ground. With a wet, rasping cough she tried to move and get up on her knees but a cruel slap nearly broke her neck and threw her back down. The shadow took a deliberate step forward, placing his foot on the wound in her stomach. He bore down with all his weight and a bloodcurdling scream ripped from Ahri¡¯s throat. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. When he had hit her for the first time, I had passed from fear to anger. When he had started to mutilate her, my anger had been replaced by helplessness, tears streaking down my face unhindered. I was too far away, cut off. I couldn¡¯t reach her, couldn¡¯t help her. She was going to die alone while I stood only a handful of meters away, utterly useless. And then she screamed, a terrible, high pitched roar that contained the pain of a whole world. It dragged on and on, burrowing deep into my soul, brushing away my self doubt and panic. It ignited a spark of pure, fiery wrath deep within me. Someone I cherished was in danger and I would save her or die trying. It was as simple as that. I didn¡¯t want to hide behind my tears anymore. I wouldn¡¯t be ruled by my fears and let others suffer for it. No more! I wanted to fight for others the way Ahri was fighting for me. That was the kind of person I wanted to be. While everyone was starting to panic and rush away from the mad demon in the cage, I calmed down, relaxed my cramping muscles and moved forward. I felt a quick stab of pain from my lower back and in between my shoulder blades, but I didn¡¯t care. With a though I was in front of the translucent barrier. A tiny speck of light that separated me from my friend. No more. I unfurled my wings, instinctively knowing how to use them, tugged at space and was inside the cage without so much as displacing air along my passage. I inhaled deeply, savouring the smell of blood and battle that permeated the air within the cage. The fires within burned brighter. In front of me, a measly shadow of a demon was squeezing the life out of one of the bravest persons I knew. No more. Ahri Arete I had made my peace with how my life was going to end. Sure, I had a few regrets¡­ Never telling Cassy about my home and how much she reminded me of my little sister. Never having had the courage to write a letter to little Emilia, telling her how much I missed her. Never coming clean about my past, using a friendly, elderly kitsune-couple to cover it up. Things I always had thought I¡¯d have the time to rectify later, when it¡¯d be more convenient. Later, a dangerous thing. While my rips cracked and my blood gushed out of me, while my scream ripped my throat apart and the pain slowly drove me into oblivion I regretted all those things I had wanted to do later. My darkening gaze searched for Cassy, if I couldn¡¯t have Emilia with me, I wanted her face to be the last thing I would see. I found her immediately, she was much closer than I had expected. Somehow she was inside the light barrier, standing behind the abomination that was killing me. But it wasn¡¯t the child I had watched and sheltered. Her heritage had come to the fore. Hard, cold eyes, shining like a winter-moon stared daggers into the demon¡¯s back. Her usually playful features were drawn into an icy mask, promising retribution, nothing cute or childish remained in her demeanour. Behind her back, four tails, slightly glowing in the evening light, swirled through the air. All around her, torrents of silvery blue energy filled the air, twirling and dancing they roamed around behind her back. Wherever they touched the barrier, it vanished with a slight sizzling sound. Before my lids became to heavy and darkness finally claimed me, those burning eyes had locked on mine and I had seen her mouth the words: ¡°Whatever happens.¡± Cassandra Pendragon When Ahri¡¯s eyes had clouded over and her head had dropped back on the ground, something inside me cracked. I knew the feeling, I had felt it before when I had been two years old. Every fibre of my being was screaming for retribution, punishment for those who deserved it. Let them burn! Let them taste their twisted desires and choke on their perverted needs! Energy was coiling through my core, trying to escape my grasp. But I wasn¡¯t two anymore, I knew I wasn¡¯t ready, and my control didn¡¯t waver. I sealed the stormy sea of power deep within, I didn¡¯t need it. I could fly! 33 torrents of energy streamed from my back, aligned in a neat V, the point just above my highest tail. I could feel each and every one of them in an underwater sort of way. I also felt the burning connection to my core, channeling energies into my wings. I felt the possibility, no, the need to flood my wings with energy, release some of the pent up fire within me, but I knew I shouldn¡¯t. My soul would succumb to the raging flames and everything that made me me would be gone. But I was fairly confident that I didn¡¯t need to anyhow to squash this bug. Without a sound I slung 7 tentacles around the foot he used to press the life out of Ahri and heaved. I couldn¡¯t throw him around the arena like he had tossed Ahri around but I pulled him off of her and made him spin on the spot. An angry snarl contorted his reflective features and smoke rose from the runes I had touched on his leg. They seemed to be smouldering, blue and silver flames eating at the edges and turning the runes into a dull, worn-out black, like ash. His right leg, were I had grabbed him, couldn¡¯t support his weight and I heard him exhale sharply while he tried to put some weight on it. I could hurt him, that I also seemed to damage the connection to his demonic lord was just a bonus. I smiled serenely at the towering but already limping figure in front of me. ¡°You were right. The end is now!¡± I unfurled my wings to the fullest, filling the arena with dancing lights and slowly took off of the ground. My smile deepened wickedly when I had risen to his eye level: ¡°let¡¯s see how much you have got to give.¡± He charged me head on. I was faster, could burn the magic powering him and was able to slide through space, but the first clash showed me how much weaker I actually was. I formed a curtain of energy in front of me to block his advance. He trampled through, blowing my wings away like feathers on the wind, and crashed into me, arms reaching. He intended to envelop me in a deadly embrace, using brute force to break my body. I could feel my wings scattering, brushed away on impact, but I also saw small sparks igniting on the runes I had touched. His hair was gone and deep marks showed where his skin had touched the torrents of energy. I tried to change places, getting out of the way, but I couldn¡¯t ¡°feel¡± the space around my wings, let alone cut a path through it. Before I could come up with another idea, his arms went around my neck and his shoulder slammed into my chest. I was hurled to the ground, my breath rushed from my lungs and all I could see was a parched, distorted face directly in front of my nose and a sizzling energy cage behind. The taste of blood filled my mouth and I could feel a rib puncturing my left lung. His weight settling on top of me intensified the pain, elevating it to excruciating levels. My smile didn¡¯t waver. This would make his demise all the sweeter. Before his grip could tighten, I slid my wings through the lock around my neck and around his arms, shrouding them in a silvery-blue halo. I didn¡¯t try to pry his arms apart, nor did I try to throw him off of me. No, I simply held tight and gazed into his mirrored eyes, waiting for a spark of emotion to appear, a hint of despair. His hands tightened, severing the blood flow to my brain. I couldn¡¯t remain conscious for long, but still I smiled at him. I felt my neck creak under the pressure and another rib break under his weight. But still I smiled. His knee slammed into my thigh, dislocating the joint and nearly severing my tendons. But still I smiled into his mirrored face. And then, when my larynx raptured from his overwhelming grip, I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. Within a moment it grew into disbelieve and finally changed to despair. His fingers lost their strength and he tumbled backwards. Where his arms should have been, two raging infernos of bluish-silvery flames distorted the air. All over his body embers of the same colour broke out of his runes, turning them into rivers of blue and silver light. He struggled to remain upright but the flames forced him to his knees. I couldn¡¯t get up either, my body was torn and shredded and I couldn¡¯t feel my right leg, but still I smiled at him while the fires of heaven consumed his soul. Before the flames finally reached his eyes, I could have sworn I had seen a proud smile tug at the corners of his charring mouth. With my last strength, I rolled around until my reaching fingers got hold of a dirty white tail. I pulled myself closer until I could reach Ahri¡¯s legs and started searching for a pulse frantically. She was alive, her heart beat lightly but steadily and her stomach wound, painful as it was, wouldn¡¯t kill her right now. My gaze flickered to the emblem on her forehand and I could barely see the last traces of it vanishing into thin air. She would live and she was whole. I didn¡¯t resist the darkness any longer. But before my senses fled I could hear Boseiju¡¯s leafy voice: ¡°the trial has been violated¡­¡± 11. Of recoveries, consequences and a little bit of law Cassandra Pendragon A warm touch and the smell of herbs dragged my consciousness back from the deepest pits of my mind. My eyes flew open and I was halfway out of bed before my mom managed to push me back down. I struggled for a second before the rational part of my mind kicked in and the last ghosts of my dreams returned to the past. Falling back on my pillow, I took a few deep breaths and focused on my surroundings. I was back in my room and the afternoon sun shone in through the windows. The colourful collection of herbs and tinctures on my nightstand as well as the harrowed look in and dark circles under my mother¡¯s eyes reminded me of my condition when I had lost consciousness. But I felt fine. There was a lingering stiffness in my leg but otherwise I felt healthy and hungry or rather famished. I probably had slept longer than a day. When my thoughts returned to the fight, I tried to get out of bed once again. ¡°Where is Ahri¡± I croaked. ¡°Is she alright?¡± ¡°Calm down! Get back on the bed! Ahri is alive and didn¡¯t sustain any lasting damage. By the Great Fox, it won¡¯t do her or you any good if you go running around the palace to look for her. She is still unconscious, but Greta is sure she¡¯ll make a full recovery. Right now you should be worrying about yourself. How do you feel? Do your remember what happened?¡± I did but I wasn¡¯t keen on explaining why I had charged into the cage and interrupted a sacred trial. I couldn¡¯t imagine my family being happy about me valuing the life of a single kitsune higher than our oldest traditions, especially one that was safeguarded by Boseiju himself. For me, that showed plainly how decadent our society had become, but I wasn¡¯t interested in arguing the finer points of royal responsibilities right then. ¡°I¡­. vaguely. I remember Edmund¡¯s transformation and how he relished in Ahri¡¯s pain. I¡­ I was angry and nobody was helping. Then¡­ I wanted to help her, so I started moving. I remember unfurling my wings but everything after that is hazy. What did happen?¡± ¡°You saved your friend and nearly gave me a heart attack. Somehow you got into the cage and confronted that ¡­ abomination before he could kill her. Do you remember the fight?¡± ¡°No, just ¡­ pain and that I somehow felt ¡­ invincible? I couldn¡¯t tell you what actually happened.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better this way. You won, in the end, but¡­ it¡¯s not important. Your safe and sound, that¡¯s all that matters right now. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Hungry.¡± My mom chuckled: ¡°now that¡¯s a good sign and something I can definitely help you with. Gimme a minute. And please, don¡¯t get up again. Even if you feel fine, Greta will have my ears if I let you up before she has the chance to look at you properly.¡± She stood up and left the room but turned around in the doorway: ¡°when I¡¯m back, we have to talk. What you did¡­ this won¡¯t just blow over.¡± Right, saving a life probably meant nothing compared to violating the rules of a trial that had been set up by people who had died while Boseiju had still been a seedling. And the stupid tree had even said it out loud. Good fucking times¡­ While my mom was gone, I made myself comfortable and peeked under my blanket. No scars, no bruises and no fractures. I had been stuffed into a clean nighty and four tails wiggled in front of my eyes. I could also feel my wings, retracted into my back, thrumming with energy. It felt¡­right. Like I had had an inch that I hadn¡¯t even known was there, but that was finally gone. I had missed a part of myself that had now returned. I felt whole for the first time. A content smile spread over my face and I unfurled my wings, touching the medicine on my sideboard, caressing my pillows and opening the window. I could use each torrent of energy separately and while I couldn¡¯t pour energy into them to enhance their strength, they were still unbelievably dexterous and agile. For a moment I simply enjoyed the sensations of my body. But my bliss didn¡¯t last long as the door opened five minutes later to reveal my mom, Greta right behind her. After her gruff: ¡°So, you¡¯re finally awake,¡± she prodded, poked and pinched me until my skin was red and I felt like I had gone through another round with Eddie. She even moved my leg up and down and made sure all the joints were working properly. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t feel like thanking her: ¡°ouch, are you done now? I¡¯m pretty sure tugging on my tails doesn¡¯t hold any diagnostic value¡±, you old hag, I added silently. ¡°And how would you know? Despite my best efforts you still remain ignorant of even the most basic healing techniques.¡± I wonder why¡­ maybe because your best efforts always contain a considerable amount of things flying at me? I didn¡¯t say that out loud though. No point in having even more things come flying at me. ¡°So kindly shut it and let me do my work.¡± After she had pinched my cheeks and checked my wings, I finally understood what was going on: she had been worrying and was just a little touchy-feely at the moment. I couldn¡¯t suppress a grin, she just didn¡¯t have it in her to tell me how glad she was that I was fine and unharmed. I didn¡¯t complain anymore and just let her do as she pleased. After 5 minutes she had felt me up enough to pronounce me ¡°restored¡± and started mixing a draught form the different tinctures in my nightstand. I could identify thyme, valerian roots and lime blossoms. There was also a faint earthly smell I couldn¡¯t place. As she passed the vibrant yellow potion to my mother she told her: ¡°this will make her sleep. She should be completely healthy by the morrow.¡± She turned her blind eyes in my direction and added: ¡°drink it before you turn in. It should suppress any dreams that might bother you. Don¡¯t try to remember anything tonight, just sleep and recover. Anything else can wait till the morning.¡± As she spoke the last words, she turned back to my mother who gave her a tiny nod. Greta left us alone afterwards but I could see her wipe a single tear from her withered eyes before she closed the door. Mom and me stared after her in silence for a few seconds. ¡°So¡­ how bad is it? And what aren¡¯t you supposed to tell me until morning?¡± ¡°Cassy¡­you heard her. Sleep and recover. We¡¯ll talk about everything once you wake up.¡± ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not how it works. I¡¯m not only a child. If you don¡¯t tell me, my imagination will run wild and I won¡¯t be able to sleep anyway. And don¡¯t even think about slipping me that potion¡± I added when I saw her gaze cling to the little bottle in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna eat until you spill the beans. Am I in trouble or did something happen to Ahri?¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°No, Ahri is fine, like I said. I¡¯m honestly surprised that you thought I¡¯d lie to you about something like that. And I know that you¡¯re not only my little princess. You made that abundantly clear when you burned a demon to ashes. But for the largest part you still are and I want to protect you. Although I¡¯m not sure I can in this case.¡± She exhaled slowly and sat down on the bed. Her tails curled around me, her fingers brushed my hair and for a second I felt like a little girl again, clinging to her mother for comfort. ¡°I ordered some warm soup from the kitchen. Let me collect my thoughts and just hold you until the food arrives. I¡¯ll tell you everything once you have eaten. I promise.¡± I only nodded. That sounded serious. I expected some trouble because I had broken the rules, but honestly, how bad could it be? Nothing actually had gone wrong, nobody had been hurt. I wasn¡¯t the one who had channeled a friggin demon for god¡¯s sake! I was at a loss for a reply so I just snuggled closer to her and tried to relax into her embrace. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew was a timid knock on the door accompanied by a tantalising smell: chicken-soup. My mom got up and opened the door. I heard her exchange a few words with the servant on the other side but I didn¡¯t listen. The aroma of a thick broth was much too distracting. A second later my mom carried the most beautiful thing into the room that I had ever seen: a large tray with a huge bowl and some slices of freshly baked bread. My mouth started to water and I forgot about everything else when the first savoury spoon slid down my throat. Heaven, this was heaven. 5 slices of bread, some butter and a bowl of chicken-soup later I was again able to communicating without grunting or moaning. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did you want some? When I smelled the food¡­ I was really hungry, sorry again.¡± I said slightly bashful. Mom seemed amused: ¡°No, that¡¯s alright. Are you full? Should I order some more?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat anything anymore but thanks a lot. It was amazing. So¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± She sighed: ¡°not to be distracted, huh? Fine. You said you remembered unfurling your wings and moving towards the trial area, yes?¡± I nodded. ¡°You somehow got into the cage and, well, killed Edmund before he could finish off your maid.¡± I flinched slightly at that. Ahri was much more than a maid by now. ¡°You were injured, quite seriously, and lost consciousness quickly after. Mordred and me tried to get to you, but the crowed pushed us back. The trial was finished but before the cage could vanished, Boseiju marked you as an oath breaker. Do you know what that means?¡± I nodded again. An oath breaker was someone who had committed a crime against our most sacred laws, namely the ones ingrained in our home, Boseiju himself. Usually Boseiju took care of oath breakers, swiftly and violently. ¡°But I¡¯m not burned, am I? Or am I marked?¡± With a slight panic I looked around for a mirror. Besides burning traitors with his life force, Boseiju could also brand one¡¯s soul with a mark, labelling the person a traitor to the true home of the kitsune. It would usually show up as the same emblem Ahri and Edmund had had on their foreheads during the trial. ¡°No, neither happened. You¡¯re fine, really. But¡­ well, everyone is pretty sure that Boseiju tried to burn you. You were engulfed in his energies when the trial ended. It didn¡¯t stop until we heard a cracking sound a few seconds later and Boseiju¡¯s withered crown crashed through the canopy.¡± Oh shit. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure what happened next. I somehow got through to your side but you were bleeding all over and Ahri lay dying only a few meters away. Before I could do anything we were surrounded by the people of the second palace clamouring on about you being a threat to Boseiju and whatnot. I thought they were going to try to rip you apart right there¡­¡± ¡°But Edmund, the demon, his transformation, doesn¡¯t that matter?¡± I interrupted her. It felt like I was about to lose my home. She stroked my cheek gently: ¡°Oh honey, you got to understand, this tree is the most important thing for the kitsune. It¡¯s our home and our history. If they think you violated its laws and even destroyed part of it, it won¡¯t matter why you did it. I¡¯m sorry, I should have stopped you or helped you or¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t continue as tears stated to drip down her face and her voice choked off. I hugged her tightly: ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m still alive. We can figure everything else out. They don¡¯t want to kill me still, do they?¡± After a few moments of sobbing into my shoulder she calmed down enough to answer: ¡°No. Before anything could happen Greta appeared out of nowhere. She blew away the kitsune surrounding us and made it quite clear what would happen to anyone who dared to get close to you again. She can be one scary fox if she wants to. Anyways, she picked you and Ahri up with magic, brought you back to the palace and treated your wounds. She has been staying with us ever since, probably to make sure you would both be fine when you woke up.¡± Probably also to make sure that no over-zealous tree-lover could permanently prevent me from waking up again. ¡°Your father has been in closed council with the other kings for the last two days. The¡­ the other families want to exile you as a branded traitor. I¡¯m so sorry. But for all that it¡¯s worth I think you did the right thing. I¡¯m damn proud of you, my little angel.¡± She even managed a watery smile while she said that. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t bring myself to smile back. A branded traitor? What did that mean? I would have to leave, that was for sure, but would they literally try to brand me or even worse, cut off my tails as they did in the past? That wasn¡¯t going to happen. I didn¡¯t need an airship to fly anymore. But I didn¡¯t want to leave my home. I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, I saved someone for crying out loud! ¡°But¡­ but I¡¯m a royal, they can¡¯t exile me just like that, can they? They would need the consent of every family!¡± My mom gazed at me with deep, empty eyes: ¡°they¡­they argue that you aren¡¯t kitsune, so you can¡¯t be royalty.¡± Bollocks. It took me a while to digest the news. Apparently my father was arguing my case based on Boseiju¡¯s recognition of my status. Even if the tree had tried to kill me, it had recognised a royal trial, accepting my status as a princess of the moon palace. I still wasn¡¯t clear on how Edmund had been able to challenge me, but that had to wait. After staring out of the window for quite a while, the view combined with the smell of cherry blossoms always calmed me down, I turned back to my mom who had busied herself with preparing Greta¡¯s potion. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to bed immediately. I¡¯d like to visit Ahri, she¡¯s in her room, isn¡¯t she? Would you maybe like to come along? You could tell me about how the royals intent to discredit Boseiju on the way.¡± She seemed ready to argue but thought better of it and only nodded. She put down the cup and brought me a fresh robe I could put on over my nighty. I took her offered arm and we slowly walked towards the door. ¡°They argue that Boseiju recognised you before your treason. Him trying to burn you afterwards makes it null and void. They say you only survived because you aren¡¯t one of us and should be treated as a foreigner who damaged Boseiju.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that mean they¡¯d want to kill me outright?¡± I panted. My stamina was still severely lacking. Hopefully I didn¡¯t have to make a run for it. ¡°They would, if they had any laws to go by. Nobody has survived Boseiju¡¯s judgment before without a mark. You should either be dead or labeled a traitor already. Those should be the only options, consequentially they intent to make you an exile in Boseiju¡¯s name. According to them it should already have happened.¡± I realised I could supplement my walking with tiny impulses from my wings so I didn¡¯t need a break halfway across the corridor. ¡°Honestly, mom, how does is it look right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not allowed in the chambers, only the kings can enter after all.¡± She gave me a side-way glance: ¡°But from what your father told me during meals it¡¯s¡­not going too well. The second family is adamant and seems to have the support of every other family except the first¡­¡± ¡°And because they are debating about an interpretation of Boseiju¡¯s words and actions, not about exiling another royal, they don¡¯t need everyone¡¯s consent. 3 in 5 would be enough.¡± I finished for her gloomily. What a marvellous birthday it had been. 12. Of presents, letters and a little bit of suspicion Cassandra Pendragon Ahri was still unconscious but seeing her breath regularly took a weight of my mind. Mom and me didn¡¯t talk much after we returned to my room. She insisted on spending the night and I took my potion willingly. A dreamless sleep claimed me soon after. I woke up late and refreshed, the sun was already shining through the window and my mother had left. She had ordered a hearty breakfast however and my share was still there, so I tucked in. Bread, sausages and lichee-juice, delicious as they were, couldn¡¯t chase away my sour mood, which had returned as soon as I remembered the past days. I couldn¡¯t do much to influence the kings¡¯ decision so I focused on what had actually happened. How had Edmund been able to issue a challenge to a princess? Boseiju should never have accepted the duel, unless Edmund had somehow become a legitimate heir to the second throne. But that should have been a social event, not many people ascended into the royal families after all. The second family must have kept it quiet which begged the question: why? Why would you keep someone¡¯s ascension under wraps? It was bound to come out sooner or later anyways and none had the right to interfere anyhow, even if they had a problem with the prospective heir. It made no sense¡­ unless they didn¡¯t expect him to be around long enough to be recognised or they didn¡¯t want to be associated with whatever he was going to do. If that was true, it stood to reason that the second palace had somehow known about or even been involved in what had happened. Hmm, considering that mom had told me about how they were pushing for me to be exiled, it made an uncomfortable amount of sense. While I devoured the last crumbs of bread, I thought about how I could get to the bottom of the affair. Right then, all I had was speculation. I needed something tangible or I would only dig myself a deeper grave, running around firing accusations at another royal family while I myself was on trial. Well, asking them was out of the question. Maybe I could talk to some servants? Nah, they would recognise me immediately. Sending Ahri was simply impossible, she was still unconscious and pretty well known after all. Maybe I should sneak in? Have a quick look around the palace and see if I could find something? It should be possible, I could fly to their branch and maybe get in through a window. Right, surely I would remain unseen, flying around Boseiju on gleaming energy-wings inconspicuous like a four winged dragon. Hmm¡­ I needed help. Unfortunately the list of people I trusted was short, really short: Ahri, Mom, Mordred, Greta and my father, on his better days. Ahri was out and I couldn¡¯t imagine Greta being of much use in this particular situation. Which left me with my family. My parents would go ballistic if they knew that I was pondering on breaking and entering the second palace while that particular family advocated my exile. They¡¯d tell me to wait until I was cleared. The risks were much higher than the possible rewards. I didn¡¯t agree. If I was right, they would either dabble in demonic summonings or at the very least tolerate the practice. I had to know what was going on, the personal benefits were just a bonus. I could only turn to Mordred, which didn¡¯t seem like a terrible idea. He was well educated, had a grasp on most forms of magic and had travelled the world for months while I had been a toddler. Maybe he knew a handy spell or had an idea what I could do. To have a plan rekindled my energies and I changed quickly into black leather pants with holes for my tails and a red shirt which I had cut open on the back along the lines of my wing bases. When I turned towards the mirror and my gaze fell on the red envelope and the wooden box I had placed on my desk before leaving for the reception. Well, I was alone now and Mordred wouldn¡¯t run away¡­ I picked up the letter first. A faint smell of roses and something else I didn¡¯t recognise but found extremely pleasing tickled my nose when I broke the seal. I felt a spark of transcendent energy and a few moments later tears started to form and drip down my cheeks, landing on the letter with silent splashes. My dearest, It pains me that I can¡¯t even call you by your name, but I don¡¯t know who you will become. I have started this letter over and over again, I am not sure what I can tell you and I¡¯m even more uncertain if I should tell you anything at all. But you deserve to know: You were right and I was wrong and I deeply regret everything that has happened. If I could start over again, I would remain by your side until the very end. But I can¡¯t. Some things we can only regret but never change but I will do what I can to make amends. Whoever you are, know that you have done more for this world and for me than anyone could have possibly imagined. You did your part, enjoy your life, you deserve it. And know, that whatever you do, wherever you are, there will always be someone, just behind the horizon, who loves you and believes in you. Now and forever yours, Aurora P.S.: no matter what Mephisto tells you, don¡¯t come looking for me. I will endure and, one day, I will find you. Believe in me the same way I believe in you. Before I could finish the last word, a stream of memories claimed me and plunged me into the past. I hovered in empty space, close to a neutron star that would swallow up my energy signature. I was nervous and paid no attention to the beautiful displays of light and mass all around me. He was late. My tension rose and I used my wings to cut a path to the star¡¯s core. Should something go wrong I¡¯d be out of there in a heartbeat. I didn¡¯t think anything but me could survive in the divine furnace burning at the heart of the star I had connected to, making it the perfect hiding place. I tasted the energies around me, but I was still alone. Where was Michael? My mind returned to the fortress and the little girl I had met two days ago. Her story still rang in my ears. Supposedly an angel had killed the star-whale close to their home world. Before they had been able to get there the angel had disappeared, but from the description of his wings, the long range sensors had picked up on traces of every metal in existence within, i guessed it had been Michael. The same Michael who had sent me to their home world to annihilate their leadership in the name of the dead star whale, my friend for more years than I cared to remember. But why? It made no sense, I had been sure to catch on to him as soon as I talked to anyone within. Sure, I had killed a few hundreds of them beforehand, but that shouldn¡¯t be worth the effort and more importantly my wrath. Michael had had to know that I would come for him, brother or not. I was missing something. So before I jumped on any land mines I wanted to confront him alone. Find the missing puzzle piece, yada yada yada¡­ in truth I just wanted a chance to beat him up without anyone watching, in case he didn¡¯t have a really good explanation. And there I was, waiting in the corona of a neutron star for an angel that seemed likely to never appear. Which told me more than I needed to know. I prepared for the short shift to the next gate, but¡­ If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Lucifer, have you been successful? Has Airu been avenged?¡± Behind and above me, just short of the influence of the star below us, three angel hovered in the pitch black void. Ezekiel¡¯s wings were nearly indiscernible from the darkness behind. He hovered to Michael¡¯s right. On his left,Ma¡¯kal struck an imposing figure, over 3 meters tall with a halo of reddish lightning behind his back. I felt a familiar squirming deep inside my gut. My temper rose and I felt the flames of wrath licking at my insides. ¡°It seems like I have failed in that regard. Or, tell me brother, have I not? Did you not bring those two idiots along because you know very well how completely I failed? How blind I was?¡± Michael grinned humourlessly: ¡°I did, but there are three of them.¡± Without further hesitation I phased through the cut I had made in the fabric of space and materialised about 3000 km away in the middle of nowhere. Only fine dust and sparkling chunks of cooled-down metal remained where a god¡¯s damn neutron star should have been. Before my surprise could fade, cold settled over me and I felt time slow down. I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know what was there. Hora, the angel of time had caught me in a temporal distortion. Time crawled by while the universe around me sped up to a blur. Faintly I felt her mind calling to the others, but I was isolated, caught in my own personal time stream. But not for long. I unfurled my wings and fed them energy from my core. I felt a slight resistance but after a moment 33 torrents of bluish silver light ripped through the distortion and catapulted me back to reality. Unfortunately it seemed like I hadn¡¯t been fast enough. Everyone had already arrived at the party. When the hazy curtain of temporal force around me had burned away, I was engulfed by darkness and Ma¡¯kal¡¯s strong arms caught my neck an a wrestling grip while his wings curled around mine to prevent them from moving. I could feel Michael in front of me and even saw a slight glimmer when he raised his wings to cleave me in two. Not today, brother! Energies, even transcendent energies, couldn¡¯t touch me and my wings carried the same immunity. They could burn through any form of magic, no matter the source. It was finally time to share that fact with my family. With a gentle caress I set Ma¡¯kal¡¯s wings ablaze and slammed the back of my head straight into his face with all the force I could muster. He was much stronger than me and his grip prevented me from getting much momentum, but I was still rewarded with a satisfying crunch when his nose turned into a pulp. Simultaneously his wings turned into ash and I could feel a timid whimper from behind before his grip broke lose. I immediately ducked and the razor-sharp edge of Michael¡¯s wing passed over my back, taking a huge patch of skin with it. Michael couldn¡¯t stop his swing and with a wet, crunching noise, I couldn¡¯t hear but feel all the more clearly,his wing burrowed into the flailing Ma¡¯kal. The whimper turned into a suppressed scream. I grinned. I knew I hadn¡¯t bought much time. Ezekiel and Hora probably held a barrier around us, preventing me from phasing out, while Michael and Ma¡¯kal tried to finish me off. I needed a little time to find and crack the barrier. Time I wouldn¡¯t have. With my eyes closed, I could feel Michael already sliding back into a defensive position and Ma¡¯kal¡¯s body beginning to regenerate. His wings wouldn¡¯t grow back unless he was scrapped, but he was still a formidable fighter and much stronger than me physically. A fact I was made painfully aware of when his knee crunched into my back. His body wasn¡¯t beginning to regenerate, it had regenerated in a heartbeat! I felt a vertebrae break under the pressure and all feeling left my lower body. My legs dangled uselessly below me and I had an enraged angel on my back who started pummelling the sides of my head mercilessly.Michael was rushing back in again, roaring like an elephant and fully willing to hurt his ally in his attempt to incapacitate me. Desperation slowly took a hold of me, quenching the fire that burned inside. I needed time, time to find the barrier or the angels holding it and get through. Time I was slowly running out of. I had an idea. If Hora was adding to the barrier, she probably would also slow down time within so she and Ezekiel could react much faster to whatever I¡¯d do. If I could leave the time field, Michael and Ma¡¯kal should slow down from my point of view and I should have a few moments before Hora could drop her barrier. All I needed was a distraction so Hora wouldn¡¯t directly catch on to me. When Michael¡¯s wing descended towards my neck, I pumped 32 of my wings full of energy and tried to catch Michael¡¯s strike. From the last one I withdrew every ounce of power I could until it was merely shimmering lightly. Then it went slithering trough space, slowly wiggling into the time distortion around us. I couldn¡¯tstop a full powered blow from my brother, and unfortunately I couldn¡¯t burn his wings either. As far as I knew they were indestructible. I only managed to throw off his aim and his wing cleaved deeply into my right side, cutting flesh, breaking bones and rupturing a lung. I coughed up blood. My regeneration wasn¡¯t even close to Ma¡¯kal¡¯s who had lost his left arm in Michael¡¯s attack. We both sprawled in front of him and I felt my blood gushing into space much faster than I could recreate it. I would lose consciousness quite soon. Every movement took a toll on me, but I still held fast to his wing buried in my side and looked him in the eye. ¡°If I am to die today, at least tell me why. Why did you kill Airu and blamed some puny mortals for it?¡± He caught my chin with his right hand and his voice thundered through my mind: ¡°Because of her! I knew you two would never separate unless you thought you had to keep her in the dark. So that¡¯s what I did, I created a situation where you weren¡¯t sure what was going on and left her behind to protect her.¡± ¡°You love her?¡± ¡°You poor imbecile! Love Aurora? You¡¯re the sentimental one. I only wanted to separate you from your only ally. You don¡¯t have that many after all, Lucifer.¡± I was seriously puzzled. I had friends! It could also have been the lack of oxygen in my brain though. ¡°But why? I didn¡¯t have any reason to come after you Michael! Why would you want to kill me?¡± ¡°Because soon I would have given you a really good one and just between us, I don¡¯t fancy my chances in a fight against you. Call it preemptive selfdefense. And now it¡¯s ti¡­¡± I had found a coil of energy that fed the temporal distortion and poured everything I had into my wing connected to it. My wing lit up and I could feel it slicing through the enchantment and I phased out right after it. Michael¡¯s last words didn¡¯t reach my ears as I turned into blue and silver sparks and vanished¡­ I came to and wasn¡¯t able to tell who I was for a second. Still caught in the dream, I pinched one of my tails. My emotions were in turmoil, Cassandra was still feeling overwhelmed by Aurora¡¯s letter while Lucifer¡¯s wrath, disappointment and lust for vengeance flooded my veins. I was caught somewhere between crying, snarling and yelling, luckily I was alone. It took me several minutes to calm down enough to start processing what had happened. It seemed like I was a princess with a deadly enemy in one of the other royal families. I was also an angel who probably died in a blood feud with his brother Michael and who was star crossed lovers with Aurora, an angel that hadn¡¯t trusted me and now tried to make amends, probably for siding with Michael. Oh, and she didn¡¯t want me to go looking for her. Fat chance! Whoever Mephisto was, he didn¡¯t have to tell me anything, I would go looking for her all by my lonesome if need be. If nothing else, she could at least tell me whatever the fuck happened in my past. 13. Of mistakes, crucibles and a little bit of change Mordred Pendragon Writhing around in pain, needle-like shards of ice and glass cut my skin to the bone. One question haunted my mind: how could it have come to this? Everything had been fine, great in fact. I had concealed my growing desires from the emperor and even devised a way to extract Cassandra¡¯s core and bind it to my own soul. All I had needed was a spark of transcendent energy to power the ritual. I hadn¡¯t been able to extract any from Casandra herself, all my spells had failed to connect to her. I had come to know that Greta was able to heal and influence her with her blood as a focus, but I had had no clue how that worked. Maybe it had been a soul-technique I wasn¡¯t aware of? I had needed another source and the only one I had known of was the demon consorting with the emperor, the lord of mirrors, Amazeroth. So I had devised a way to get my hand on a tiny spark of his energy. I had tried to manipulate the infernal duo and had fed them with an ingenious idea. Using the already established connections from when Peter Furglow and his wife had been under their control, we had slowly started to infiltrate the second palace and brand the upper echelons with sigils. Unfortunately we couldn¡¯t bind my family directly as it was more than probable that Greta would have been able to feel the mark on their souls and she was in regular contact with my kin. So we had picked the second family, the grudge they held against Cassandra for the death of their patriarch had made them very susceptible to our idea. I had told the emperor that we would use an old law to force Cassandra into a duel with one of our puppets, who would channel a part of Amazeroth during the fight and thus the demon would have access to her while nobody could interfere. What I had ¡°forgotten¡± to mention was that I had learned quite a lot about my little sister and her maid and there was no way in hell Ahri would let her fight. I also had gathered that Cassandra was easily triggered if people close to her were in danger. I had expected Ahri to answer the challenge, get badly hurt and for Cassandra to intervene and blow Amazeroth¡¯s vessel to smithereens. Worst case scenario: Cassandra wouldn¡¯t have been able to overcome the barrier around the trial grounds, Ahri would have died and Amazeroth would be left with a useless corpse. If Cassandra was able to enter the cage, I had been decently sure she would have been able to deal with anything Amazeroth could dish out trough a vessel. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I hadn¡¯t wanted Ahri to die, I had come to enjoy her company as well as Cassandra¡¯s. But to fight for something meant to sacrifice something. If that had to be my sister or her maid, so it would be. Things had gone smoothly, maybe I had been a little surprised by how much damage Amazeroth had been able to inflict on my little sister, until the very end. Cassandra had burned the soul and severed Amazeroth anchor. His energies had been freed and tried to return to his body. And that had been where I intervened. Using a cleverly designed enchantment I had placed on my sword, I had siphoned off some of Boseiju¡¯s power to cage a small part of the escaping essence. And everything had gone to shit. I had seriously miscalculated and forgotten to include Boseiju and the rules of the stupid trial. The goddamn tree had tried to judge my sister for interference and channeled all his life force into a burn-spell. Unfortunately that had made my ongoing enchantments powerless and the essence I had caught had been able to break free. Only a moment later, my mind had been yanked from my body and I had found myself in the current situation. My mind, and from the degree of agony I was suffering probably also my soul, was caught in a world full of ice and glass. Every surface was reflective, every edge sharp and deadly. Cold permeated the air and nothing moved, frozen solid and held in place. Even though I knew it was all in my head, it felt real. I couldn¡¯t move, but all my sense worked just fine. The cold invaded my nose and froze the very breath in my lungs. My eyes slowly gazed over with icy crystals and my skin felt like it was covered in acid. My muscles started cramping and every twitch I made drove razor sharp shards deeper into my body. I had promised myself I¡¯d fight for what was mine but it seemed my road had come to an end. But I wouldn¡¯t die whimpering on the ground! My access to any form of energy had been cut when I had been forced out of my body but if they had taken my soul along, maybe I could channel some of its powers through my mind. I would probably burn some memories along the way but that was a price I didn¡¯t mind at the moment. I stilled my body and welcomed the pain, if my conjecture had been accurate and this was indeed a torment of the mind and soul, I should be able to follow the tendrils of agony deep down towards mine. At first I only felt lost and my mind scramble under the onslaught. For a second I lost my sense of self and nearly drowned in despair and cold sorrow. I struggled and fought but all my darkest moments were dragged to the fore. I relived my sense of loss and inferiority when my sister had been born, I rewatched me learning the lessons about trust, cruelty and deceit I endured during my travels. And I remembered all the moments of self-doubt I had suffered through while I had spent time with Ahri and Cassandra: Was this really my path, stealing from my own to gather more power, hurting people how cared about me, whom I cared about? No, I made a choice. My path to greatness would go through whatever or whomever was in my way. People were tools and couldn¡¯t be trusted. But, was this a world I wanted to live in? Wouldn¡¯t I reach the end of my path and realise I had sacrificed everything that had made it worth? I was cast back into those vicious cycles and my psyche couldn¡¯t differentiate anymore between what was happening and what memories were used to torture me. While my body slowly iced over, my mind and soul were torn to shreds, squashed between every dark emotion I had ever been forced to live through. I felt them all, saw them in the mirrors, heard them in my mind. I was a failure, too weak to accept my lot in life and ready to cast away all decency for a shot a greatness. I had to fail, I was the villain, this frozen tomb was my rightful lot. Whatever magic ran through this cursed place prevented me from forming even a shred of courage, a hint of pride. All I had were my darkest fears and they slowly devoured my will to live, to fight. My mind was filled with images of my family sneering at me, ignoring me, my parents who had always preferred their firstborn and then their little princess, Arthur who had always been so superior, so perfect. And my little sister, who had¡­ and I came up short. The magic around me stuttered as I remembered all those afternoons I had spent with my little sister and Ahri, but instead of guilt and self loathing at what I planned, I remembered teaching Cassy how to read, running after her with Ahri and simply enjoying a bright day with two friends. I remembered them laughing at a stupid joke I had made and the feeling of warmth that had spread through my body. That feeling was my salvation, I felt it again, coursing through my mind and I felt its source. Something deep down, something I had only ever been able to manipulate or channel through my body but never felt the way I did now. I found my soul, nestled deep within my mind and its power flooded through me, counteracting the cold and rekindling my fighting spirit. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I unfurled from my fetal position and slowly stood up, ignoring the frozen cuts and frostbites all over me. I felt memories burning bit by bit, consumed as fuel for my soul as I lacked a body and life force. Slowly details about people I cared about became blurry and ultimately vanished into nothingness. The good and the bad, all was used as fuel for my soul, but I got to my feet with a gleaming spark of hope in my eyes. The world around me hadn¡¯t changed, but I could concentrate and take it in completely for the first time. Unfortunately there wasn¡¯t much to see. The mirrors and reflective shards of ice in my immediate proximity, reflecting my distorted visage, continued on to the horizon, a frozen hell haunted by the images of its weary prisoner. I had some experience with mind and soul magic, so I could guess what had happened. As soon as I had lost control of Amazeroth¡¯s energy, it had returned to its master and he had found out what I had tried to do. Following the path of his energies back to me, he had hijacked every part that had come into contact with it, namely my mind and soul which I had used to guide Boseiju¡¯s energies into my enchantments. The demon had dropped those parts into a small pocket dimension, one of his own design where he was in complete control. To leave I would have to break it, or rather the laws that governed it. The other option would be to kill its creator, which sounded really tempting but in here it was probably impossible. I also expected him to appear at any second, now that I was not on the verge of death anymore. Amazeroth had probably been paying close attention to me, relishing in my suffering and now that his entertainment was back on his feet, he would dish out punishment in the good old fashioned way. At least that was what I would do. ¡°You misunderstand, this has never been entertainment, nor punishment. This is a lesson.¡± One of my faces had spoken. It was frozen in a silent scream, a burning village behind. I remembered the scene, marauders had attacked while I stayed there during my travels and I had buried one of the first people I would call a friend. Another one, me when I had been beaten by Arthur in the first fighting competition I had ever partaken in, continued: ¡°a lessons you need to learn. You are twisted. A broken little man with ambitions far surpassing his talents. You are not on your way to greatness.¡± A third one, my face when I found out that Arthur was going to marry my first love, finished: ¡°you are on your way to become a tool.¡± ¡°Or did you really think a being as old as the emperor wouldn¡¯t plan for the possibility you might betray him when you are ready to sacrifice your own flesh and blood for a glimpse of borrowed power and as revenge for perceived injustices? You are not as special as you make yourself out to be, Mordred Pendragon.¡± A figured emerged between the mirrors, it¡¯s form flowed together from all of the reflections. A gaunt silhouette, a little taller than me and clad in a white cloak slowly approached me. Runes covered the cloak and its hands were hidden within long sleeves. The cloak was closed in front, but instead of buttons, polished disks of bronze held it together. They were highly reflective but I couldn¡¯t see myself, but instead, dark shadows and swirling lights danced within, prior victims of the lord of mirrors. Its face was hidden beneath its hood, but I knew I would find a polished mask underneath. As the legend went, one glance at your reflection on the mask would forever imprison you inside. I came face to face with Amazeroth, lord of mirrors, master of forbidden knowledge and 113th demon in existence. ¡°But I can change that.¡± He stood before me, and even though he didn¡¯t tower over me, I felt insignificant, the same way I had felt when Cassy had killed the Furglows. While I thought about it, that memory burned away into oblivion. I didn¡¯t have time to play around. I was still breathing so he probably wanted something. Fighting wasn¡¯t a real option but maybe I could bargain. ¡°Lord of mirrors, I can¡¯t survive long in your domain, I¡¯m burning through my memories to even talk to you. So please tell me, what do you offer and how do I pay?¡± ¡°I want your complete and utter trust. I want you to allow me to change a part of your soul and your mind without resisting me and I want a binding oath that you will do everything in your power to prevent any form of attack on me. In exchange I¡¯m going to tell you why and provide you with a speck of transcendent energy to do with as you please. I will also release you from this place and convince the emperor that you have perished during your failed ritual. If you don¡¯t agree I¡¯ll turn your soul into ice and imprison your mind in these mirrors here.¡± There really wasn¡¯t much of a choice. With as much of a bow as I could manage with my aching joints I said: ¡°I humbly accept your terms, great Amazeroth.¡± When I looked back up, he had removed his hood and I stared into the reflection of my panicked eyes. I could barely cling to the hilt of my sword, still stuck in Boseiju¡¯s bark. My enchantments had held, despite the lack of life force. A small speck of transcendent energy flowed through the black diamond set into the middle of the cross guard. I was slightly dizzy, I had even lost consciousness for a second when my prize had traveled through my enchantments and the strain had become too much. But it had been worth it! I had caught a speck of Amazeroth! With this, I could finally close the portal to the empire and put that threat to rest. I had come across the portal on a deserted island far to the west. I had been on my way back home. I had left to come to terms with my new role as a middle child, born between a brilliant and self-sacrificing older brother and a gifted and beautiful younger sister. I hadn¡¯t been very successful, quite the contrary, the cruelty of people had left me deeply scarred, until I came across a heavily damaged airship in the middle of nowhere in between islands. The helm had been blown off and I had thought everyone aboard dead, but I had checked nevertheless and had stumbled across an elderly human, dehydrated and injured. Over the next few days I had nursed him back to health and he had rewarded me with stories of his long, colourful live. I had learned a lot, but the most important lesson was simple: meaning in live doesn¡¯t come from fighting. It comes from our care and appreciation of who we are and who we want to be. He had used the example of a good friend I had found during my travels and lost in an arbitrary raid: meaning had come from the time I had spent with him and from the way he had changed my point of view. I had come closer to the person I wanted to be while I had been around him. I had been wrong in focusing on my loss, people can be arrogant, cruel and greedy, bad things happen. No matter who we are we won¡¯t be able to prevent it. Living is dealing with pain and meaning comes from going on and becoming a better person despite everything that can happen. At the time I hadn¡¯t fully appreciated what he had told me. But a few days later, after I had left him at a human kingdom, I had understood what he meant. I had been blown off course and had been forced to land on an island covered in bones. In the middle a giant dark portal had loomed. As I had set foot on the island, a trap had activated and I had made the acquaintance of the emperor. A monster, wearing a human mask, that ruled a continent far to the west. He had cracked my mind open like a nut and had feasted on my memories. Through our connection I had gotten a glimpse at the atrocities he had committed in his country and the depths of depravity he had resorted to to stay in power. He had been the incarnation of everything that was wrong with the world and this abomination had become interested in my family after watching my memories. He had played on my insecurities and tried to win me over. I hadn¡¯t been able to do anything but play along at that moment, but as soon as I had returned, I had started to devise a plan. I would use the emperor¡¯s own scheme to get the power I needed to close the portal for good. And now that I had gotten it, I needed help. Cassy¡¯s help. 14. Of presents, demons and a little bit of choice Cassandra Pendragon Still reeling from the memory and the feelings that had come along with it I promised myself that I would stop reacting to all the shit that happened around me and and finally grip my life by the tails. I was done waiting around for anyone, be it angels, demons or just some megalomaniacal ass to come along and force me into a conflict I had to start on the back foot. No, in the future I would be the one with the plan. I was going to unearth whatever was going on within the second palace, I was going to find Aurora and if I got the chance I would kick Michael¡¯s backside along the way. But first, I had a wooden box to open. I got up and lifted the trinket up from my desk. Is was maybe 10 centimetres in diameter and height, formed like a cylinder with evenly polished wooden sides and an intricately carved top. On closer inspection, the forms and figured formed runes, entangled and inlaid with one another. I couldn¡¯t recognise a single symbol, but I felt pretty sure that it was some kind of spell or seal. It smelled old, really old, like a dusty crypt that hadn¡¯t been open for ages. A small shiver ran down my spine and my tails shook lightly. Considering what kind of punch the letter had packed, I was anxious about simply popping the lid. I stalled for time and shuffled over to the window. Judging from the height of the sun, I hadn¡¯t been out for long, the shadows hadn¡¯t moved and the fragrances in the air still consisted mostly of cherry-blossoms and roses, rosemary and lilac would join them later in the day. From my room I had an unobstructed view over the gardens, a part of the forest and the blue sky behind, only marred by the stream of smoke, rising out of the cliff wall where I knew the dwarven mine was located. I spotted three airships, slowly approaching our island, no flags graced their hulls and I couldn¡¯t see any other form of insignia. Probably traders, wealthy ones from the looks of it. The garden was rather lively, many kitsune were milling about close to Boseiju. At his roots, a conglomerate of different spell-casters was assembled. They slowly fed a continuous stream of greenish light into the mighty tree and even from up here I could feel the regenerative power of their spell and hear the low chants with which they channeled their magic. My skin prickled and I inhaled deeply, shaking lose the last remnants of Michael¡¯s betrayal that still wandered through my thoughts like ghosts. With a gentle hop I jumped onto the windowsill and curled up in the sunlight. I was still small enough to comfortably fit even though I couldn¡¯t fold all of my tails onto the sill anymore. I held the box into the light and scrutinised it even more closely, searching for a symbol I might recognise, a familiar pattern or any form of hint at what would happen if I opened it. After 5 minutes I was sufficiently frustrated to cast caution to the wind. I justified my recklessness with the promise I had made myself earlier, taking life by its tails and what not, but truthfully I just didn¡¯t have much patience. I wasn¡¯t a complete idiot though. I unfurled my wings, they fitted snugly through the holes I had cut into my shirt, and used them to carefully remove the lid. As soon as the first torrent of energy made contact with the wood, the runes started to lighten up. They had been carved into the lid, one row over another and now they started to glow in a fiendish mixture of red and black energies. The runes that had been carved at first shimmered in a vibrant red, it somehow reminded me of hellfire, even though I hadn¡¯t been to hell yet, at least not with this body. The runes which had been applied later on had a darker sheen to them, the last and 13th row was pitch black, seemingly swallowing the light from all around. Now I could discern each symbol but I still couldn¡¯t understand their meaning. It wasn¡¯t the demon tongue, which I had expected it to be after the ominous light-show on display, but it was old, I could tell that much. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect it to benevolent either. As soon as the first spark of energy had turned the box into a lava lamp, I had retracted my wings and placed the creepy thing as far away from me as possible. I even thought about stuffing it into the cupboard or caging it with my wings but before I could come to a decision, the lid turned clockwise once, and with a slight hissing sound the glow vanished and the runes became the tangled mess they had been, once again. I held my breath and waited, taut like a spring and ready to either attack, defend or jump out of the window, depending on what happened. After 30 seconds had passed I was pretty sure nothing was gonna happen. The box just laid there innocently with a slight gap between the lid and the walls of the cylinder. I thought I could see a faint light emitted from within, but I wasn¡¯t sure. Tentatively I touched the box again with one of my wings and, when it still remained inanimate, popped off the lidded. Slowly I moved closer and peered inside. On a cushion of black velvet I could see a silvery emblem. It was about as large as the cylinder, nestling snugly into the satin-covered walls. It was slightly less than 10 centimetres in diameter and maybe one centimetre thick, with a crack down the middle. Red energy filled the gap and spilled over onto the finely crafted scene around. It depicted a winged figure, bowing down in front of a large tree. On each branch of the tree, a cultured life form could be seen, while abstract animal faces made up the trunk. The fruits seemed strange as well, round globules with maps drawn on them. I couldn¡¯t place it, but I was sure I had seen the silvery disk before. I felt some form of recognition, like a favourite book from childhood, forgotten over time, and without conscious thought I picked it up. Energy rushed from my core through my veins and into the emblem. At first I was worried my body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the strain, but the emblem attracted every ounce of power it pulled from my core and prevented it from causing havoc. I still dropped to my knees, I was losing so much in so little time that it still felt like my veins were on fire. Slightly dizzy I tried to sever the connection but the flow of energy made it impossible to pull back. My vertigo kept getting worse and the only thing preventing me from falling face down on the floor was my hand, still glued to the emblem which seemed rooted in place. Slowly silvery blue light flooded every nook and cranny on the disk, closing the crack and pushing against the red energy. It was a fascinating sight, unfortunately I couldn¡¯t appreciate it fully, I was starting to panic as I watched more and more of my energy gush into the emblem. Slowly the red colour faded and when the last speck had disappeared a blinding explosion of light forced me to close my eyes. Simultaneously I felt the connection snap. When I had blinked away my tears, the disk was again whole, no trace of the damage was left. The raging energies had subsided and looking at it now I could have sworn it was just a large decorative silver coin. I got back to my feet and listened for a second. Maybe someone had noticed the light-show. When everything remained quiet I used a another shirt to pick up the disk. On closer inspection I saw a circle carved into the emblem, right above the tree. At first I thought it was a stylised sun, but after a second I recognised facial features. What I had taken for rays of light were actually horns, 13 of them which formed a crown on a aristocratic face.A handsome man with a goaty, strong jawline and narrow nose smiled mischievously down at the bowing figure. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. From deep within a name drifted into my conscious thoughts: ¡°Mephisto?¡± I mumbled. His gazed turned directly towards me and a faint red light entered his eyes. Then he winked at me. Silvery energy poured from the rim of the coin into the horns around Mephisto¡¯s face. With a crack, the smell of ozone and a slight distortion of air, a ghostly figure materialised about a meter away from me. He was huge, around 2.5 meters tall which made him tower over me by more than a meter. His features where the same but now I could see the gold-brown colour of his skin and the gleaming red, pupil-less eyes, slightly hidden under his dark-brown hair. His horns formed a crown on his head and the regal appearance was completed by a stately white robe with golden embroideries and black bits on top. His right hand held a staff with a carved unicorn on top. Golden runes highlighted the dark wood and rubies formed the unicorns eyes. His silhouette was slightly hazy but his presence felt very real, maybe a bit muted. I didn¡¯t believe he was the real deal but it felt close, very close. I watched him wearily while hundreds of questions bombarded my mind. What had just happened? Was I about to be attacked? Did I summon him? Were we friends? Did Aurora know about the emblem? Did he know how I had died?¡­. My racing thoughts sputtered to a halt when a booming laughter, deep and chortling, erupted from his mouth and he had to grab onto my desk for support. I could only stare. ¡°Haaahh¡­The mighty Lucifer¡­. Haha¡­ delighted to meet you again. I must say you are indeed stunning hihihi¡­¡± Did he have a couple of loose screws or was I missing something? ¡°Ahem, likewise, I guess? Are you¡­ all right?¡± I gestured delicately at his hunched over form. ¡°Ah, never better. Forgive this old, poor fool, but seeing you like this¡­ hahahah¡± and he started all over again. It took him nearly a minute to stop giggling like a school girl -I should know- and compose himself enough for conversation. At this point I was more annoyed than scared or impressed. ¡°Are you finished? Do you maybe need a handkerchief?¡± I asked sarcastically. I even pointed towards a stack of neatly folded cloths. He took one glance at the flowery motives and broke down, laughing like a maniac. I was pissed and grabbed a cushion from the bed to throw at him. It passed cleanly through his middle but he sobered up fast after that. ¡°I am terribly sorry, but you have to consider my perspective. I was fully ready to face the wrath of the devourer of immortals or at least some angelic bimbo who had cracked my seals. But instead I see a tiny fox-girl, gorgeous as all heavens but a far cry from intimidating let alone scary. Man, I told my legion stories about you to get them to listen to orders and now they¡¯d want to eat you alive. And just thinking about Aurora¡¯s face when she meets you for the first time¡­¡± He started chuckling again. I didn¡¯t know if I should be insulted, amused or flattered. Considering he might be off the rocker and was at least part of a demon I chose amused. ¡°I see your point. But just imagined what I was before, coupled with a pretty smile.¡± I sashayed over to my bed and gracefully sat down, folding my tails around me. I gave him my most dazzling smile, I had even practiced that one for etiquette classes. I saw a shiver run down his spine. It was my time to chortle happily. ¡°Could we now move on? I am quite aware that I appear just like a pretty little girl right now, but I don¡¯t mind, much. Usually it¡¯s advantageous, I can get away with anything.¡± I thought about the kings negotiating my exile and added: ¡°Almost anything. If you don¡¯t mind I¡¯d like to ask some questions, for example: who are you?¡± His demeanour changed. He took a seat on the windowsill I had vacated and focused on me with his glaring red eyes and I reflexively drew my tails closer to myself. Hmm, maybe I should have kept him laughing¡­ ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind, but there are some things we need to discuss beforehand.¡± he paused and massaged his temples. ¡°Firstly, I am here voluntarily and intent to help you in any way I can. I burned my core to get here after all. But my help still comes with a few conditions. I am dead, for want of a better word, and all you see here is an imprint, brought to live through your energy. I am a genie in a bottle if you so will, and I want out. I need a body and you will help me get it. Secondly, I intent to teach you and you will accept when and if I share information, especially about your past. Thirdly you will tell no one about me. Do you have a problem with any of my conditions?¡± I didn¡¯t mind the second two, I had nothing to lose there, and I could seriously use someone with information about angels, demons, my past¡­. But the first one was problematic. I wouldn¡¯t mind helping him create a body or take over a dead one, but somehow I felt like that wasn¡¯t what he had in mind. I didn¡¯t trust him and I didn¡¯t intent to walk in blindly. ¡°I do, but there is even a bigger one. How can either of us trust in what the other says?¡± He waved his hand impatiently. ¡°I may not have access to transcendent energy right now, but my soul and life force is still intact. I will set up a binding contract for insurance.¡± Crap, that wasn¡¯t what I had wanted to hear. I was a complete novice in any form of magic and that sounded complicated. I¡¯d need to trust him that the contract really did what he claimed. I couldn¡¯t bank on my immunities either, I would probably have to sign in blood and if Greta could fashion a focus from it, Mephisto would be able to do so with his hands tied behind his back. But I couldn¡¯t imagine any form of contract magic to sustain fraud. But that was just it. Just because I couldn¡¯t imagine it, didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t happen. It was a damn risk. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase then. What¡¯s in it for me? You said you¡¯d teach me, what does that mean? I want to know more about the body you intent to use before I agree to your conditions. You sound like you have already picked one. I also want to know how the contract works.¡± He smiled slightly. ¡°You¡¯re not a complete bonehead, that¡¯s good. The contract will explicitly bind our souls and life force to the conditions mentioned within. Trickery is impossible unless you forget to read or misunderstand a part of it. To violate the contract you would have to tear your life force and soul apart. As far as I know, no one had ever had the courage to even try. The body I intent to use is a summoned lesser demon. I¡¯ll explain the details when we get to that point but to ease your mind: it¡¯s an elemental creature without a mind or soul. Their race has been created artificially. Now, what¡¯s in it for you? I¡¯m the 333. demon in existence, I retained my knowledge, astral body, life force and soul. I know the secrets of the multiverse and I know why you rebelled, yes you were the one who started all of this, why you failed and what happened afterwards. I know where Aurora is and I even know how to get you there when the time is ripe. I know how transcendent beings develop and what I can safely tell you and what I can¡¯t. I can make sure you survive your own growth and don¡¯t fall prey to other immortals. In short I am your best chance to survive the next 20 years and I burned my core in the hope you wouldn¡¯t be too damn stubborn to throw it away. Oh, and I know how to regrow your spear from the emblem.¡± He remained perfectly calm throughout his little speech, but I felt his voice tremble slightly towards the end. I was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t lied and, reading between the lines, he needed me. He had burned his core and I guessed he wanted my energies to start growing a new one in an elemental. I didn¡¯t remember it, but I felt fairly certain my guess was accurate. I might not trust him, but I trusted in self-preservation. We needed one another and that was a solid foundation. It was the first choice I made towards a future filled with angels and demons, again, and I nodded, once. 15. Of apologies, enemies and a little bit of alliances Cassandra Pendragon Before I could start asking questions, a knock on my door interrupted us: ¡°Cassy, are you there? Come on, we need to talk.¡± Slightly panicked I looked at Mephisto but he only grinned and disappeared back into the emblem. I quickly strode over to the window and pocketed the small disk. The letter and box I hid on my bed, underneath the cushion I had used to shut Mephisto up and answered: ¡°Come in.¡± Mordred opened the door, bringing with him the smell of weapon-oil, sweat and something else I didn¡¯t recognise. I hadn¡¯t seen him since my birthday and he seemed on edge. Dark circles marred his stormy eyes and they looked dull, tired. He convulsively held on to the heft of his sword and I could see traces of dust and dirt on his black cloths. His gaze quickly travelled through my room. There wasn¡¯t much to see, a small desk, a rather large cupboard and a ginormous bed with lots of pillows. I had a chandelier hanging from my ceiling and a floor-deep window took up most of the southern wall. His face turned into a smile when he saw me standing in front of the bed. ¡°You¡¯re up!¡± He quickly closed the distance and hugged me tightly, even his three tails curl around me. Usually he wasn¡¯t that affectionate but I wouldn¡¯t complain. I held onto and some of the built up tension slowly evaporated. He probably hadn¡¯t heard a thing. ¡°I¡¯m up and I¡¯m fine, what did you expect? I¡¯m not your usual seven year old after all.¡± He chuckled quietly. ¡°No. No you are not. But that wasn¡¯t your run of the mill fighter either. And to be honest you scared the crap out of us. You went head to toe with a friggin demon, excuse me for being a tad worried.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a demon, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversion. It was just a shade, a vessel filled with some demonic power.¡± ¡°Well, that makes it perfectly harmless than, I¡¯m sure! You should have told us before so we could have just gone on with the party and ignored your blood splattering all around.¡± ¡°Since when have you become sarcastic? Where is my always-so-stern brother and what have you done to him?¡± I asked, taking a step back to look him in the eyes. He didn¡¯t react quite like I had anticipated. A faint blush rose in his cheeks and he couldn¡¯t meet my gaze. ¡°Hum, I¡­ well, the thing is¡­¡± I didn¡¯t interrupt his stammering and just watched him closely. Something was seriously bothering him and it wasn¡¯t just me getting hurt. That happened, not that gravely usually, but being taught by Greta had some minor setbacks. Also, I loved to sneak off into the forest if I had the chance and when I would get back, I usually looked bad enough to scare off little children. An injury he would have laughed off after he was sure that I would be fine. This was something else. ¡°You¡­, would you mind going for a walk? Are you up to it yet?¡± ¡°Sure, but am I even allowed to leave the palace? I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s going on, but from what mother told me, I guess it wouldn¡¯t be the best idea to just leave.¡± ¡°We can stay on the palace-grounds, I wouldn¡¯t take you past the wall anyway. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, we can go to the small meditation grove, you know the one with the overgrown statue.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll write a note. Gimme a sec.¡± I shooed him out of the room, I wanted to take the emblem with me and hide the letter. Afterwards I wrote a note to mom, put on shoes and quickly brushed my hair. 20 seconds later I stepped out into the corridor and motioned for Mordred to follow me. I wanted to check on Ahri once again. Her room was just across the hall and I could smell Greta¡¯s scent, overlaid with herbs and alcohol, when I got close to the door. I knocked once and heard Greta shuffling to the door. After a short wait she opened and sniffed the air. I got a quick glance inside. Ahri¡¯s room was pretty similar to mine. Her bed was smaller and her cupboard larger. I could also see part of her weapon collection mounted on a wall. I could see her form on the bed and it seemed like she was sleeping peacefully. Two empty bottles stood on her nightstand and a bowl with water and floating herbs was beside. ¡°Ah. Little princess. I was about to check on you. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Much better, thanks to your care. From what I heard I owe you more than usual. You kept me alive and healed my body.¡± I bowed deeply ¡°Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Get up. You don¡¯t have to bow to me. It was nothing. I couldn¡¯t let anything happen to the first kitsune who visits me on a regular basis in the last 50 years now, can I?¡± I was surprised to say the least. ¡°There was someone besides me who would visit you? Who? What happened? Did you accidentally kill him?¡± I was about to straighten when she smacked my head. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. If you have your sorry excuse for a sense of humour back, you should be mostly recovered.¡± She groped around -blindly- for a second, one of her hands came to rest on my forehead and one on my abdomen. ¡°Headaches? Dizziness? Any problems with your energy?¡± I knew she asked rhetorically as warmth was spreading from her hands. I could see the small golden locket around her neck glowing slightly. Some time ago she had enchanted a drop of my blood to function as a permanent focus so she wouldn¡¯t have to find ways around my immunity to magic all the time. After a couple of seconds the glow faded and she stepped back. ¡°You seem healthy enough, I would advise against any taxing activities in the next few days though. And refrain from using any energy before I tell you. Better yet, try to restrict yourself to eating and sleeping for some time.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that, but I¡¯ll be careful. Anyways, how is Ahri doing?¡± ¡°Same as you, except she completely drained her astral power. She should wake up later today, maybe tomorrow morning.¡± When my face creased she added: ¡°don¡¯t fret, it¡¯s normal. You never experienced it but she¡¯ll be fine as soon as her astral body regenerates. Give her a couple of hours. You can start worrying if she doesn¡¯t come by by tomorrow.¡± I would visit her family the first chance I got. They deserved to know how she was. ¡°Thanks, will you stay at the palace?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for the night, why you want me to cuddle with you?¡± I had to smile. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re not my type. But could you tell me if something changes around here?¡± ¡°And what would you do about it? Never mind, I¡¯ll tell you¡­ and do come by again later, we missed out on two of our lessons, after all. There are some things we should talk about.¡± Her head turned in Mordred¡¯s direction and back towards where I had hidden the emblem in my shirt. I guessed she didn¡¯t want to talk in front of him. If I interpreted her gesture correctly, I could wholeheartedly agree. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°I will. And thanks again.¡± I gave her another small bow, don¡¯t ask me how she could see the movement, but probably the same way she could throw discusses at me, and turned around. The door clicked quietly behind me. Mordred had hung back but I could see a glint of curiosity in his eyes and also¡­ guilt? ¡°What was that all about?¡± He asked. ¡°Me making sure the gal who risked her life for me is fine?¡± ¡°No, not that part¡­ never mind. Shall we get going?¡± I nodded and together we took thestairways down. We passed through the atrium of the first floor which was decorated with moonstones, grey silk and paintings of stars and moons. I heard rustling form the kitchen and could smell the delicious scent of lunch. Eva had become our cook ever since we took her in and now her little son, Adam, was helping out from time to time. We didn¡¯t have many servants in the royal wing. Ahri, my mom¡¯s personal maid, Clara, two manservants for Mordred and my father, two guards and now Eva and Adam. I was tempted to say hi, but Mordred purposefully strode towards the staircase to the ground floor, which was decorated with small busts of my ancestors. Only the dead ones were depicted, and only the ones in the direct line, excluding spouses and their ancestors. My grandfather¡¯s visage was the newest one. His wife, my grandmother on my father¡¯s side had left long before I had been born but from what I gathered all clairvoyance magic suggested she was still alive. My mom¡¯s parents had left with Arthur. There were seven busts in total and every time I took the stairs I felt like our esteemed monarchs were sternly judging my every move. I bet the artist had taken extra money for the effect, it was quite intimidating especially if you stood on the bottom and looked up towards the first floor. We didn¡¯t leave through the main gates, but through a small door under the stairs which led us directly onto the branch behind the palace. The deck had been removed as well as the sorry remains of Boseiju¡¯s crown. I could see a group a kitsune in the canopy, repairing a small part of the damage to the tree. We didn¡¯t head in their direction though but turned left and took a small side branch with a meditation grove where it fanned out. A small pond with a statute of Ao, god of wisdom and knowledge in kitsune lore were the only artificial things. The floor consisted of the fanned out branch, its growth had been manipulated with magic to form a living basis for weeds and herbs. Ao¡¯s statute resembled a scholarly small kitsune with nine tails and golden fur and was placed in the middle of the living platform. Midnight roses grew all over the edifice. From the tip of its tails, a constant stream of water nourished the plants around. We took a seat on opposite sides of the grove and enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere for a minute. ¡°I am sorry.¡± He said after a while. I thought he was referring to the challenge and that he hadn¡¯t intervened. ¡°There¡¯s no need. You couldn¡¯t have done a thing. And even if you did, we would only have to members of our family on trial now,¡± I answered with a crooked smile. ¡°Nothing desirable in that outcome.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­ well it¡¯s about the challenge but not what you think. It¡¯s¡­ I¡­ It¡¯s my fault. This whole flea-ridden situation is my fault. I¡­ I used you and I¡¯m sorry, terribly sorry.¡± I was taken aback for a second, that would at least explain his behaviour. But¡­ ¡°What do you mean? You didn¡¯t challenge me, did you? And you didn¡¯t channel a demon to kill off my friend. How¡¯s any of that your fault?¡± He flinched and I could smell his tension. He was really on edge. What had he done?! ¡°No, but I instigated the challenge. Let me explain¡­¡± The next 30 minutes I listened quietly with more and more anxiety and at the end of his story my mouth hung open. I couldn¡¯t believe it. My brother had spun a fantastic tail about his travels and an ancient evil form across the world he had supposedly met somewhere on a deserted island far to the west. This ¡°emperor¡±, he claimed, was depraved beyond reason and had become interested in me after he had read my brother¡¯s memories. He had marked Mordred¡¯s soul to ensure his loyalty and sent him back. The debacle with Edmund Furglow had been Mordred¡¯s attempt at rebellion. And this was where the whole story had gotten convoluted. Well, even more convoluted than before. Mordred had claimed the emperor was in cahoots with a demon, Amazeroth. That made sense, considering what I had read on Eddie¡¯s skin. So my brilliant brother had decided to steal some of ¡® Amazeroth¡¯s power to firstly save his soul from the emperor and secondly cut off the emperor¡¯s connection to our little coroner of the world for good. He hadn¡¯t been able to confide in anyone up until then, fear for his soul had paralysed him. So he had used the emperor¡¯s own design to get his hands on me, to siphon off a small part of Amazeroth. I was ready to call him a liar right then and there but he simply removed his hand form the hilt of his sword and turned it towards me. Where the blackened blade and ebony handle met, a large black diamond glittered on the cross guard. In its depth a small spark glimmered. I didn¡¯t have to look closer, I could feel what it was. I had even smelled it before I had known it was there. There, right before me, was a small speck of a demon¡¯s core. I didn¡¯t touch it, I could feel the power resonating within the crystal. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be impressed, pissed or plainly frightened. Why did you tell me? To lighten your conscience?¡± ¡°I would have left you in the dark if I had a choice. It¡¯s my mess and I want to fix it, but I need your help. Will you help me, despite what has happened?¡± I hesitated, longer than I wanted to admit. ¡°No, I will help you because of what has happened. If I leave you to your own devices you have proven without a doubt that you mess up, royally. I don¡¯t know if Ahri or me can survive another one of your plans.¡± I added with a wry smile. ¡°Seriously, just like that?¡± ¡°Sure. And thank you. You might disagree but I feel pretty honoured that you would go to such length to keep me save, even if the outcome was ¡­ suboptimal. I think you did well. Much better than I would have done. There is just one thing, why didn¡¯t you ask me for a part of my core before? You do know what I am, don¡¯t you?¡± He nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t. I never knew when I was under surveillance or what the emperor would gain from scanning my soul. My only chance was to distract him and get rid of the mark, all in one go. I am lucky that I know a spell to hide my thoughts, unfortunately that doesn¡¯t work for memories. It¡¯s much harder to change or hide things you remember and actually lived through than random thoughts fluttering through your mind. I didn¡¯t see any other way¡­ I am sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be, the more you talk the more I realise how well you actually managed. Just¡­ next time, leave my friends out of it if you can.¡± He smiled slightly. ¡°If I can, I will.¡± ¡°Good enough. So, what¡¯s happening now?¡± He hesitated slightly before continuing: ¡°right know, I am hidden from the emperor¡¯s direct view but he still has some influence within the second palace. Ok, to be honest, he has massive influence inside the second palace. I need to cleanse it, but I don¡¯t know how and then I have to close a gate which is older than our records. All the while I have to stop or outmanoeuvre an ancient wizard and his demon who are likely orchestrating your exile as well as pursuing a dozen other plans I¡¯m not aware of. So what¡¯s happening now is me asking if you would help me. And don¡¯t answer so fast. I need you Cassy, I need your power and I need your judgement. You are the only one I know who might have any clue about the demon and who might be able to use Amazeroth¡¯s energy to close the portal. I used it briefly to cut the mark off of my soul, but it nearly killed me. I can¡¯t channel enough to manipulate anything on the scale of the gate. It¡¯s going to become unbelievably dangerous. So I ask again: Will you help me, knowing what we are up against?¡± ¡°Thanks for the compliments, but I don¡¯t know, of how much use I can actually be, but I think I know someone. He might be able to shed some light on what¡¯s going on.¡± 16. Of even more presents, children and a little slice of life Cassandra Pendragon ¡°We should talk to our parents first though. Now it should be fine, shouldn¡¯t it? They need to know what you told me. Father is dealing with the trial right now, we can use that to at least get everyone within the second family cured. I suppose you can replicate the feat you used on yourself? We can kill two birds with one stone, cut the emperor off of his pawns, which you delivered to him, I might add,¡± I gave him a sideways glance, ¡°and get me exonerated. I¡¯m not very keen on leaving my home to tell you the truth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯m not looking forward to telling father. Most of what happened here is arguably my fault, he¡¯ll probably put me on the chopping block to have a scapegoat.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t, you did as well as could be hoped for, after all. But we should talk to mom first anyways. She¡¯ll know what we should do. I don¡¯t even know what everybody¡¯s attitude is towards our family at the moment. For all I know we, or rather I, am still public enemy number one for damaging Boseiju. They probably haven¡¯t even investigated Edmund and the demon yet. Does the emperor know what you did?¡± ¡°No, he shouldn¡¯t. He must have felt the seal wither away and I¡¯m pretty sure Amazeroth felt a part of him didn¡¯t return after you killed Edmund, but they shouldn¡¯t know what I did, exactly. But it¡¯s a safe bet to assume they know something is going on.¡± ¡°Well, no time to lose than. Mom should be having lunch with father right about now. She¡¯ll probably check on me afterwards. I¡¯ll head back and talk to her and then I¡¯ll find you. I think it¡¯s best we don¡¯t just steamroll her with your exploits. Also I¡¯m much cuter than you and she has a soft-spot for me.¡± I added with a smile. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be in the training grounds. Find me there.¡± I mainly wanted to get him out of my tails. I don¡¯t want to sound paranoid, but I wasn¡¯t going to buy this whole thing on faith. I had a tall, mysterious and rather strange demon stuck in my pocketafter all. It was time for him to pay some rent. Mordred and I split up near the palace, but after a few steps he turned around: ¡°I almost forgot. Happy birthday,Cassandra!¡± He threw me a small, glittering token. It was a gold coin with hammer and anvil on one side and a large X on the other. Around the X, a scroll, a pocket watch, a top-hat and a monocle had been carved into the metal. The whole thing looked more like a work of art than actual currency. ¡°Take it to the dwarven mine, ask for Xorlosch. He¡¯ll take you to his workshop. Pick whatever catches your fancy.¡± I was stunned. I knew how excruciatingly expensive dwarven workmanship was. Mordred must have paid an arm and a leg to get the token, or he was way better connected than I originally thought. ¡°Thank you. This really means a lot to me.¡± I said with a small bow. ¡°Better than another dress or book?¡± He said with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Much, especially considering what you just told me.¡± That made him frown, but I hadn¡¯t been able to resist. It was partially his fault after all. If he hadn¡¯t gone on his stupid trip to find himself¡­ Well that wasn¡¯t entirely fair. I hugged him tightly and murmured: ¡°thanks, really.¡± I went back inside while he continued on towards the barracks and the training ground behind, he was going to blow off some steam. I had never trained there, my suffering had always been confined to Greta¡¯s cozy cave. When I entered through the same door we had left, the low blue and silvery light reflected by the moon stones eased my nerves somewhat, but I still felt anxious. Either I was at the middle of a conspiracy, spanning all around the world or my brother was seriously off the rocker and I probably was at the middle of a conspiracy within my own family. Both options validated a little nervousness, wouldn¡¯t you agree? On my way back I took the time to sneak into the kitchen. Eva was preparing desert while Adam was annihilating any left-overs. The delicious smell made my mouth water and I nearly joined the kid. Unfortunately I had a tad more self-control, so I just stood in the door and breathed in deeply. Vanilla, almonds and strawberries. Hmm, maybe I could get hold of a portion? The kitchen was a large room, stuffed with ingredients, tools and barrels. Two cooking pits were available, but only one was in use. The smoke left through two chimneys, simultaneously warming the bath-room above. And sometimes filling it with the smell of burnt food¡­ Adam spotted me first and with a little squeal he started crawling towards me, his mouth covered in cream, strawberry juice and a little specks of dough. I hunched down and opened my arms, not caring about the damage he would do to my cloths. When Eva turned around, we were already cuddling. Normally I didn¡¯t like toddlers, heck, even children my own age were usually a nuisance. Don¡¯t get me wrong, they were cute, in small doses, but after a while they just became exhausting. I didn¡¯t have the time to regularly play with other kids and couldn¡¯t relate to most topics they were interested in. It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that the only people I would have called friends were grown ups. So the occasions where I had been forced to spend time with other noble children, on social occasion or during festivities, it had soon become a chore. I had tried to be friendly, interested and open minded but watching my peers dance around one another with their socially choreographed, awkward routines was amusing at best and disgusting at worst. I had nearly lost my cool when I had been forced to watch a 9 year old boy stutter clumsily through a formal engagement request. The girl in question had been equally mortified but they had both persisted with the charade to fulfil some unspoken demand of their families. Standing close by I had been on the edge of interfering when I had caught the gaze of Ahri across the crowd. She had shook her head, it hadn¡¯t been my place to say anything and I had managed to control my temper. But it had made clear that children were as much political capital as grown ups, except without any say in matters. That had been a more extreme example, but the gist held true: socialising as nobility was as much a political game with children as it was with adults. I didn¡¯t want to get involved in politics at any rate so I had always been standing at the side lines during official occasions. I did my part and played hostess during my birthday or accompanied my parents if the occasion demanded it, but I never invested much into the people I met there. I always saw them as masks, their true self and own ambitions hidden behind a layer of taught political awareness and familial duties. Children could sometimes escape the societal chains but then they would spent their time gossiping, fawning over good looking knights or gorgeous princesses which didn¡¯t suit me either. I couldn¡¯t imaging me being honest about my feelings not causing a scandal. I mean I loved a girl I had never met and who belonged to a race everybody thought was imaginary. Well after what had happened with Eddie at least that cat should be out of the bag. My parents had never made it public who I was, but I guess my identity couldn¡¯t be kept under wraps now. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. At least Adam and Eva didn¡¯t seem any different and I focused on the squirming, warm package in my arms. Maybe if I could spend time with more commoners¡¯ children I wouldn¡¯t mind them so much. Adam was a delight, always smiling with his white teeth, only the incisors still missed, and always on the look out for the next adventure or rather mischief. I quite enjoyed his company and even though I didn¡¯t have too much free time on my hands, I tried to spend at least a few minutes every day with him and his mother. Eva was a darling. She was friendly, generous and had a contagious laughter which regularly lit up any conversation. It didn¡¯t hurt either that she always had some tasty snacks close by. She and her son had become a second family to me, of sorts. They made me feel more like the child I should be than even my mom could. It was my retreat from all the craziness that was going on in my life. ¡°Cassy, how are you? I peaked into your room when you were still sleeping but I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re up! I had to watch your whole ordeal! What happened?¡± I hadn¡¯t even been able to take a breath during the time she needed to bombard me with questions. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I knew you were there, I ate your soup after all and I don¡¯t really know what happened. I just wanted to protect my friend. I haven¡¯t had much of a chance to find out what happened after, yet. Thanks for worrying, I have to admit though, I have had better birthdays before.¡± I tickled Adam while I said that and got up with him still in my arms. His mother rushed in as well and buried me and her son I a group hug. It seemed like I hadn¡¯t gotten over what had happened yet, as a small tear leaked out of my eye and ran down my cheek. I simply enjoyed their companionship for a second before I had to return to more pressing matters. ¡°Thanks, I needed that,¡± I mumbled into Eva¡¯s neck. She wasn¡¯t much taller than me, maybe 15 to 20 centimetres, which made her quite short for a human. ¡°You didn¡¯t happen to hear anything? Maybe among the servants? What¡¯s everybody saying?¡± She moved away a little and took Adam out of my arms who had felt the mood swing and started sniffling. She gave me a glance I couldn¡¯t comprehend: ¡°I didn¡¯t hear much, most people outside avoid the topic when I¡¯m near, they know how close we are. From what I could overhear in the market, it¡¯s hard to tell though. Most commoners who heard the story think of you as some kind of hero and the same holds true for the younger and minor nobility. Some don¡¯t even know about Boseiju¡¯s laws so they don¡¯t really know what all the fuss is about.¡± She coughed slightly. ¡°But¡­ from what my friends tell me, so take it with a grain of salt, most kitsune within the garden are livid. I couldn¡¯t check, but they say you withered and destroyed Boseiju¡¯s crown which is sacrilege. Some, those who had been closest to your fight I think, say you were justified in what you did, considering what dark magic Edward used. But most treasure Boseiju¡¯s laws above all else. And¡­ there is a persistent rumour that you aren¡¯t really kitsune and don¡¯t belong to one of the families¡­¡± She trailed off there, watching me timidly as if she had been the one to sprout the rumour personally. Despite the circumstances I had to laugh. It was just adorable, especially if I imagined the scene from the outside, a grown mother with her child, coyly talking to a child a quarter her age. ¡°I already guessed that much. I couldn¡¯t talk to father yet, but mom told me something along those lines. Well, I can¡¯t change a thing now anyway so I refuse to believe they will stand on an old, outdated law. Do they even know what I fought?¡± Oh, damn. Hadn¡¯t I just told her that I didn¡¯t know what was going on? ¡®Huh, no one is sure, but everyone is speculating. There are the wildest fantasies going around, from a botched up spell to some form of transmutation ritual.¡± She inhaled briefly and her eyes dropped to mine with a curious glance: ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°No¡­Yes, but I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea to talk about it right now. My father should know as well, but if he hasn¡¯t told anyone, I don¡¯t think I should. I¡¯ll meet him for dinner tonight, maybe I could join you and Adam afterwards for a cup of hot chocolate before bed? If it¡¯s alright with my parents I could tell you what I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. You never know, maybe I can even help out. At the very least I can provide a hug and chocolate marshmallows.¡± ¡°You should never underestimate those,¡± I chuckled ¡°you have been a huge help already. It¡¯s nice to know I have someone to talk to. Thanks again.¡± I hugged her once more and tussled Adam¡¯s hair: ¡°you too, little one.¡± ¡°Before you run off now, wait a minute. Nobody had the chance to congratulate you and I still have your present.¡± She didn¡¯t give me a chance to reply and hustled off into a store room, her son placed on her hip. When she returned she had a small box in her hand, made of silver and polished to a sheen. ¡°Happy birthday! Here, that¡¯s something I took from my dear husband before he threw us on the streets. He never found out I had taken it and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it useful. Maybe you shouldn¡¯t place it on your hand if you want to visit the merchants regularly.¡± I was curious now and opened the lid quickly. Within, on a bed of red velvet, a crystalline steal covered in runes shimmered faintly. As soon as the box was open, I could feel the tingle of mana and my fur stood on edge. I knew what that was and they were really expansive. Before my eyes laid a dimensional stamp. It was magic wrought with mana, or mundane energy, but of the most complex variety. The runes on the bottom could be stamped onto any living being, triggering the enchantment within the crystal. The crystal would crumple to fuel the enchantment and form a sealed off pocket dimension. The runes functioned as a portal, allowing the marked individual to freely access the pocket dimension to store or retrieve items. As far as I knew, only a couple of mages were capable of producing these stamps and they were horrendously expensive. The price could vary, depending on the size of the dimension and additional features, like a slower flow of time within for example, but even the cheapest ones were worth a small fortune. And judging from the density of mana within the crystal, this wasn¡¯t a cheap version. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this. You should keep it or sell it if you don¡¯t want to use it. Don¡¯t just give it away, this should be worth enough that you and your son don¡¯t have to worry about money ever again. I don¡¯t want to take that away from you.¡± She laughed happily. ¡°Oh Cassy, because of you I don¡¯t have to worry about the future much anyways. I found a home, a place to work, to live and to watch my son grow up, peacefully and free from all obligations to a corrupt merchant family. That¡¯s worth much more to me than any trinket and it¡¯s all thanks to you. I wanted to give the stamp to you from the beginning, but it somehow never seemed appropriate. Your seventh birthday was the perfect opportunity and you directly proved to me that you could use a way to keep some hidden items on yourself. Please, just take it, say thank you and visit us tonight.¡± I was speechless for a second but finally managed to stammer with a small bow: ¡°thank you, yet again¡± With one last embrace I took my leave and headed towards my room. I would need Greta¡¯s help to apply the stamp, otherwise it would just fizzle out when I¡¯d try to apply it. Or maybe Mephisto could help me. We had a long talk ahead anyways so it would be a good opportunity to weasel some use out of him. When I had reached my room, I first checked if mum had picked up my note. It was gone so I suspected I¡¯d be uninterrupted for the next few hours. I locked my door and set down on my bed. The emblem seemed the same when I took it out but I swore I could see a slight smirk on the face above the tree. With a sigh I said: ¡°Mephisto!¡± 17. Of contracts, developments and a little bit of merchants Cassandra Pendragon The emblem lit up once again and with a crackling of power Mephisto materialised in my room: ¡°So, where were we? Right, we were just about to lay the foundation of our glorious partnership.¡± Seriously, what was it with people¡¯s sarcastic tendencies today? Well, two could play that game: ¡°Oh mighty and venerated lord of the transcendent planes, this poor princess humbly requests your aid and guidance and is ready to formalise our agreement.¡± I would have even bowed if I had been standing. He blinked. ¡°At least you¡¯re not afraid to trade verbal blows. From all I heard that¡¯s more than I expected.¡± From what he had heard? Did he run a news agency on the side? And I was no coward. At least I thought so. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you kept tabs on me. How¡¯s that even possible?¡± He smirked. ¡°Have you never wondered how Greta just so happened to know a thing or two about angels? Or that she knew how to construct a focus out of your blood? Or that she knew that you had to prepare your body for your development? Or that she just so happened to give me to you when you could finally use your wings? If you¡¯re really that dense, I will retreat to the emblem rather than waste my time with a walking corpse. I am sure the next outcast immortal will come along sooner or later. I don¡¯t mind waiting a few aeons.¡± That stung. ¡°I¡¯m not dense. Of course I wondered but I always thought it was part of her charm as a smelly old hermit who had mastered all kinds of magic. Frankly, I would have been more surprised if the ancient witch beneath Boseiju¡¯s roots didn¡¯t know a thing or two about the more esoteric aspects of lore. Maybe you fell slightly out of touch, stuck in a coin for I don¡¯t know how long, but around here a little secret is no reason to start a ruckus.¡± ¡°A little secret? You really are an idiot. I expected you to have no real idea about your heritage, but that¡¯s just insulting. We have a long way to go but I guess we also have the time.¡± He paused shortly and gave me a haughty look.¡°Despite your lack of imagination and proper respect towards your elders, I¡¯m still willing to share my knowledge. Now, before I address your woeful ignorance, I¡¯d like to draw up the contract so we both know what we are getting into. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± I was taken aback slightly, I hadn¡¯t expected to get to this point so quickly. A soul contract sounded pretty binding and I still didn¡¯t trust the scholarly figure. Admittedly his demeanour just now had slightly eased my suspicions but even if all he had said was true he would still be a demon. I would have to make sure the contract wouldn¡¯t contain any hidden obligations I didn¡¯t want to live with. ¡°What do you propose?¡± ¡°Glad you should ask,¡± and with a flourishing gestures he pulled a reddish parchment from thin air. It shimmered slightly in a golden hue, I could see runes covering the front side. I couldn¡¯t read them per se, but somehow the meaning was clear. I felt it resonate within my soul, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to hide anything within the contract. Every rune, every paragraph spilled its contents over into the souls named within. For the most part it was pretty straight forward, naming me and Mephisto as the parties to whom the contract belonged. My name was written as Cassandra Pendragon, formerly known as Lucifer while he was Mephisto, lord of lies and 333. Demon in existence. It seemed like I hadn¡¯t earned a title yet. The obligations were also pretty clear. Mephisto would teach me to the best of his abilities and support me in any way he could without endangering his existence or mine. In exchange I would help him obtain a lesser demon and grow a core within it. We haggled a bit over an addendum, I wanted to add ¡°without risk to herself¡± but that was too restrictive for him. In the end we settled on the same wording we used before with a little add-on. The final piece looked something like this: Cassandra Pendragon, formerly known as Lucifer and Mephisto, lord of lies and 333. demon in existence agree to the following contract voluntarily, without and form of duress and without malicious intentions towards each other. Mephisto pledges to teach Cassandra in any way and disclose any information that doesn¡¯t pose a danger to their existence. He further agrees to help her in any endeavour that fulfils the same condition. In exchange Cassandra will aid him in his quest to retrieve a lesser demon and grow a demon¡¯s core within to the best of her abilities. Only the risk of permanent damage to her existence or vessel constitutes a valid reason to abandon the quest. In addition Cassandra pledges to never mention Mephisto¡¯s existence from here on out to any receptive soul, mortal or immortal without his explicit agreement. I was satisfied with the outcome, even though the limitations he had placed on teaching and sharing information could be interpreted rather loosely. But in any case, if he should start brushing me off due to some vague possible threat in the future, I was going to do the same to him and his little ¡°I want to be a demon again¡±-quest. Overall I thought it was fair. We both signed, me with blood and him with a strange vicious substance he somehow turned a part of his soul into and the contract dispersed into golden light that settled into our bodies. I could feel it settling around my soul, like a blanket. When I realised I could still feel it I tried to wiggle one of my furled wings around the magic, but I couldn¡¯t control it freely within my body. To get to the contract I would have to cut myself open. Nothing I wanted to try in the immediate future but should the need arise, I thought I had found a way to get rid of it. Well, if I had a seriously powerful healer besides me who could keep me conscious and prevent me from dying of blood loss. When the last sparkles were gone, Mephisto turned a chair around to face the bed and dropped onto it. His cloths changed from his scholarly robe to something I¡¯d call a nighty. Quite plush and in dark colours but nothing one would wear outside of bed. I¡¯d quite like to get one for myself. ¡°We can as well get comfortable for now. You already told me you have questions and there are some things I¡¯m also sufficiently curious about. Now how about we play a little game: quid pro quo. I¡¯ll answer a question and then you¡¯ll answer one of mine. That seems like a good start.¡± ¡°What are your limitations in comparison to a real demon?¡± He hadn¡¯t been expecting my question, I could tell from the slight blush that rose to his cheeks, but he replied smoothly: Stolen story; please report. ¡°First of all I don¡¯t have a transcendent core. I am pretty much a mortal with the memories, astral body, life force and soul of a fully fledged demon. So while I can¡¯t channel or produce transcendent energies to any notable degree, I¡¯m still a bad-ass master of magical arts and probably more than a match to anyone we will encounter in the near future. But¡±, he slumped even further into his chair while he continued, ¡°like i said before, I¡¯m mostly a genie in a bottle. Due to¡­circumstances I¡¯m not willing to talk about right now I decided to join you when you were reborn and I had to burn my core to bind the rest of me to your emblem. A very clever enchantment allowed me to retain a seed of my soul, life force and astral body. When you touched the disk, you inadvertently triggered the second part of the enchantment and filled the seeds with transcendent energies, regrowing them to what I am now. Before I was only a disembodied spirit, i could communicate in dreams with someone close to the emblem but that was it. Now, I can use my restored energies but I¡¯m still bound to the transcendent energies flowing through the emblem and powering my seeds. I can only manifest or influence anything that¡¯s close by, say within a radius of one meter or so, and if the emblem is destroyed¡­ we¡¯ll let¡¯s just say at least the fireworks would be amazing.¡± He breathed slowly and sat back up. ¡°Now, I believe I have answered your question to the best of my ability so it¡¯s my turn. How do you feel about Aurora?¡± It was my turn to blush. I was tempted to lie, I wasn¡¯t bound to disclose information by the contract after all and that was damn personal. But I had a hunch he would already know the answer. This question might as well be a test to see if I was willing to tell the truth, plus I actually didn¡¯t mind admitting my feelings. I wasn¡¯t used to it and felt slightly embarrassed but I wasn¡¯t really uncomfortable. With some hesitation I replied: ¡°I don¡¯t really know but I guess you could say I love her. She¡¯s more often on my mind than not and when you mentioned that you know where she is and how to get there I was ready to drop everything and just rush off. I still am if you are willing. It¡¯s strange, I don¡¯t have any real memories of her, but I have this feeling of emptiness and loss every time I think about her and I feel happy if I imagine meeting someone I have never seen before. It¡¯s like I love an idea that¡¯s anchored deep within and I feel like I have to somehow make it real. If I get lost late at night it¡¯s even close to an obsession.¡± I hadn¡¯t broken eye contact during my little monologue so I didn¡¯t miss the short flash of pity that streaked over his features. Did he pity me, Aurora or everybody in between? Maybe I should ask? Nah, that wouldn¡¯t be worth it. ¡°How is my development going to proceed?¡± ¡°Every immortal who starts from scratch has to go through nine different phases until he is fully functional. First, you have to realise that an immortal is, for the most part, nothing more than a form of parasitic energy that invades a host. It¡¯s not malevolent but it merges with the hosts astral body, life force and soul, the connection can only be severed through the death of the host. That energy is what we refer to as core and is the only truly immortal part of you. Now, while your body may die and your current soul might pass on, your core will always remain and carry on a part of all that it has been. If it binds to a new host, it will slowly merge with it, in step with the natural development of the host. During the first stage she will just be a normal toddler. When the brain is sufficiently developed, memories will start to emerge bit by bit, signalling that the core has bonded to the host. The next step will bring forth a first surge of transcendent energy, signifying the growing compatibility and reservoirs of the host. The fourth evolution will sprout the major characteristics of the core, wings for angels, horns for demons, and bring them under the host active control. That¡¯s where you are at.¡± He lifted his hands and massaged his temples. ¡°Afterwards, it¡¯s all about the different forms of energy. Your astral body will awaken next, allowing you to channel transcendent energies within yourself and through your wings. You can think of it as a body-magic only period. You¡¯ll gain the ability to use mana outside of yourself with your next evolution. The seventh and eighth transformation will allow you access to your life force and soul. You have to keep in mind that even though you are using the same energies as mortals, your spells will always contain a certain amount of transcendent energies, making them exponentially more powerful. And that¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen in the end, you will gain the power to control your transcendent energy without the crutch of mana, life or soul based spells.¡± He dropped his hands and his eyes focused on me with a stern expression. ¡°Each stage occurs naturally, when body, astral body, life force, soul and core are sufficiently developed and integrated to sustain the next step. But they can also be triggered artificially through stimuli like trauma or memories and occur before every part of you is ready. That¡¯s dangerous and sometimes deadly. You felt a small part of the backlash back when you faced the Furglows. The goal is to prevent that from happening ever again. That¡¯s also the main reason why I¡¯m not going to share everything with you. Remembering too much of your old life could trigger another transformation and you sure as hell wouldn¡¯t survive that mere days after your last one.¡± Leaning back in his chair he asked: ¡°Do you want to become a queen sometime in the future?¡± That question I understood. If I had been in his shoes I¡¯d also have liked to know what I just signed on for. ¡°Again, I don¡¯t really know. I have some pretty good ideas about who I am and what I want but I don¡¯t have the experience to decide which way I¡¯d like to go. Probably not though, I lack the deviousness and patience to be an effective politician, as well as the ambition I suppose. If I think about it I¡¯m also pretty sure that I will have to leave my home sooner or later, I¡¯ve got an angel to find after all, so it won¡¯t be a matter of concern for a long time anyway. Until then you hopefully have your body back. I wouldn¡¯t want to explain to anyone why my most trusted adviser is a coin, even though a shiny one. What do you know about Amazeroth?¡± He nearly fell of his chair and spluttered: ¡°How do you know that name? Has he contacted you?¡± ¡°No, but he seems to be the lap dog of a foul wizard from across the globe with whom my brother had a decently savage disagreement. That were two additional questions. So could you please answer my first one?¡± He blinked at me, stymied but collected himself after a moment. I watched him closely and he seemed nervous. ¡°Fine, but you have to tell me exactly what you mean with savage disagreement and how Amazeroth connects into it. Amazeroth, 113. demon in existence and lord of mirrors and master of forbidden knowledge. The only immortal that I know of who has never lost a single vessel. His existence stretches on, unbrokenly, for aeons. He is the spider in the web of fate, the shadow in a mirror, always there, never recognised. Let me tell you a story, maybe that will make it a little clearer.¡± He closed his eyes for a moment and when he continued his voice had taken on a deep, resonating timbre. ¡°Long ago, the servant of a wealthy merchant headed into town on an errand his master had tasked him with. There, on the market square, he saw a tall, haggard figure, wearing a dark cloak with a hood over its face. That struck the servant as odd for they lived near a desert and it was hot. So he slowly approached the looming figure to peek under its hood. When he was close enough to count the wrinkles in its cloak, the figure turned around, lifted its hood of its face and greeted the servant with a small bow. The servant became white as a parchment and rushed off into the distance, because underneath the hood he had seen the bony visage and empty eye-sockets of death himself. Death was confused and stared after the servant. He had been surprised to see him there, even though they were going to have an appointment later that day in Samarra.¡± He paused for a second. ¡°Now I ask you, who do you think Amazeroth was in the story?¡± I was puzzled. From my point of view that story had been about the inevitability of death, or destiny if you preferred a wider interpretation. There was no one in there whom I would associate with control or manipulation. Nobody instigated the scene, I thought. Wait a minute¡­ ¡°Was he the merchant?¡± Mephisto smiled. 18. Of motives, maids and a little bit of mentorship Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Quite astute. Yes, he was the merchant.¡± Mephisto seemed mildly impressed. ¡°Did you also understand what I wanted to tell you?¡± ¡°I think so. He is the master of forbidden knowledge. Or should I rather say, things that can¡¯t be known? Death already had an appointment with the servant but the servant wouldn¡¯t have been there if he hadn¡¯t met death in the market beforehand. I¡¯m just wondering why the merchant sent him there. Didn¡¯t he also just play a role in fate¡¯s design? I mean, if the servant¡¯s meeting with death in Samarra has been preordained, wouldn¡¯t that make the merchant a facilitator of destiny and not the one who controlled it?¡± ¡°You are correct. Except the story isn¡¯t about the servant. It¡¯s about fate and what he can do with it. You see, Amazeroth was also the one who made the appointment in Samarra. That he was already part of the story makes his accomplishment all the more impressive. Now, this is a fairy tale but one that has been repeated in a million different versions throughout time. Even death can¡¯t contend with someone who can read fate. And that¡¯s what he does. He can use his transcendent energies to pierce the veil to the future and sometimes even influence it, at least to a certain degree. He is the one who makes premonitions and destiny more than an esoteric concept. Through his meddling he can create fixed points in the future that will happen, no matter what anyone does, because for him they already have happened and he knows why. He is maybe not the most powerful demon in existence, but he sure as hell is the most dangerous one. One you can¡¯t afford to make an enemy out of. At least not yet.¡± He stopped there for a moment and continued in a much lower voice, almost as if he was talking to himself: ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered if those wings of yours will someday allow you to pierce the veil as well.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. Mephisto made Amazeroth out to be neigh omniscient. That would mean everyone who came into his sphere of influence would be dancing to his tune. From what Mordred had told me, I had expected him to be bound to the emperor. For me it had sounded like an ancient wizard had found a way to bind a demon to do his bidding. Naive and sooner or later going to result in the destruction of the wizard in question but possible none the less. Considering what Mephisto had told me, I couldn¡¯t believe in that fiction anymore. Amazeroth was probably pursuing his own design and the emperor was just a pawn. But what was his goal? I could understand the emperor¡¯s motivation, in a round about sort of way. Basically he was trying to gather more power, a motive I didn¡¯t agree with but could accept as inherently tied to social creatures. Ultimately we all strive to influence our world and power is the easiest means to achieve the change we desire. But Amazeroth had transcendent power and he sure as hell didn¡¯t need dominance over a mortal empire. Why should he even be here? No to sound conceited, but right then I could only imagine that he was interested in me as well. I didn¡¯t think our planet would hold a secret that could attract the interest of an immortal, but then again, I could be wrong. I just didn¡¯t have enough information. ¡°Great,¡± I huffed, ¡°what am I supposed to do now? Pray that his intentions are benevolent? Didn¡¯t you basically just tell me it¡¯s time to roll on my back and wait for the inevitable?¡± He got up and smacked the back of my head. ¡°Never that. But first I need you tell me in detail how you came into contact with him and what exactly happened in the last few days. The last time I visited Greta in her dreams was before your birthday and I can only guess from your measly insinuations what might have happened.¡± He sat back down on his chair and I didn¡¯t hesitate to start talking. I went back further as I didn¡¯t know what Greta had already told him about my encounter with the Furglows. I didn¡¯t leave out a thing, I even added my suspicions and guesses to everything that had happened. He listened silently but when I had finally finished his first question took me by surprise: ¡°you said your maid¡¯s last name is Arete? Could you spell it out for me?¡± ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you are asking about?¡± He nodded. ¡°Fine, A R E T E. What does she have to do with anything?¡± With a grin he replied: ¡°oh, nothing much, it only means Amazeroth has finally found the lost bloodline and it explains why he is here.¡± He shushed me with a gesture when I tried to interrupt. I couldn¡¯t believe it! ¡°Hold your tongue and let me explain. The name Arete isn¡¯t a given name per se. It¡¯s an ancient word that means perfection or rather striving for perfection. It¡¯s a name or rather a purpose inherently bound to one blood line.¡± He collected himself for a second and continued in his story-teller voice: ¡°at the dawn of live, us immortal were already there. We watched and sometimes we interfered, thinking we could do better than evolution. Mostly it resulted in disaster, we didn¡¯t understand the laws nor the science that governs live and our creations usually led short and violent existences. There were exceptions, nine to be precise. Some of us meddled with the deepest laws of the multiverse, not changing bodies, the life force or even souls but rather forging a purpose, a reason to exist for nine creatures. They became powerful, growing ever closer to transcendence within their respective purpose. It was¡­ troubling and glorious to watch the evolution of neigh perfect incarnations of abstract principles.¡± I could see him live through the memories, his face portrayed more emotions than it had ever before. ¡°To cut a long story short, in the end they went to war, they couldn¡¯t coexist, bound as they were to a single idea. It was awe inspiring and terrible, but we didn¡¯t intervene, it was their fight. After a clash that tore planets apart destroyed stars, only two remained standing, even their children and followers had perished. In a final struggle, the incarnation of justice slew ambition but succumbed to his wounds directly after. Silence finally returned.¡± Mephisto got up from his chair and tried to cross the room towards the window. After a step his body started to fade and he sat back down with a sigh. ¡°Most of us came to honour the end of an era. There would be no rebirth for the fallen, we had changed them too much, when they had died, they were gone. It was then that we realised we could only entomb eight corpses. The line of Arete was missing from the battlefields, their matriarch¡¯s body nowhere to be found. They had disappeared and until now, I have never heard that name again.¡± I wanted to give him a minute, after all I knew very well how taxing it was to access those kinds of memories. And, honestly, I was shocked by what he had told me. But before I could open my mouth he continued: ¡°Before you argue, it can¡¯t be a coincidence. Remember, the concept is tied to the family through inherent laws of the cosmos. Ideas matter, no one would even have the idea to name something other Arete. There can¡¯t be another family named Arete but the descendants of the matriarch, not now, not ever. Moreover, I don¡¯t know who created the incarnation of Arete. Some immortals bragged about their accomplishment but most kept it a secret. I won¡¯t tell you what you did during that time, enough happened back then to trigger more memories and those could lead Amazeroth knows where.¡± So I really wouldn¡¯t be getting any information about my past any time soon. Pity. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how and why your maid is what she is, but we, or rather you, should make it a priority to find out. Then you can maybe get to the bottom of this whole ordeal.¡± That was quite a lot to take in. I got up from the bed and sat down on the windowsill. I stared outside for a moment and tried to relax but it didn¡¯t work. It was getting late and I would have go to dinner in about an hour. I still had to think about what I would tell my parents. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left, I¡¯ll need to leave for dinner, soon. Important and scary as it is, it¡¯s an advantage for now. I need to find out what the emperor and Amazeroth want and probably try to stop it. To get there I see three possibilities. If the second palace is connected with them, there is bound to be some information somewhere. I need to get in there and have a look around. Afterwards, I need to fight my exile and use the trial to convince the other royals of what has happened. This way we can alert everyone and simultaneously eradicate the emperor¡¯s influence. And now I can also convince Ahri to tell me her full story. This should also get me somewhere. Did I forget something?¡± ¡°It depends on how calloused you are but you do realise that your plan will at the very least probably kill off the entire second family and that¡¯s the best case scenario. More likely your walking directly into a trap. Didn¡¯t you listen to my story? It¡¯s the lord of mirrors you are dealing with! All your information is based on the testimony of your brother, who admitted to carrying a piece of Amazeroth around with him. What makes you think he didn¡¯t lie to you, or that he even is still himself?¡± Oh wow, I was too young for this shit. A headache started forming beneath my temple. ¡°I trust Mordred and it wouldn¡¯t matter either way. I still have to get into the palace and I have to take you with me in case I find something I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll just have to be extra careful and I won¡¯t tell anyone about what I intent to do. Hmm, if she is better by then, maybe Ahri. But you are right, after Mordred¡¯s stunt the second palace is probably constantly under some form of magical surveillance. If the emperor sees his plan failing, he¡¯ll kill off everyone marked at the very least.¡± Now that I was aware of the possibility, I wasn¡¯t going to allow that to happen under any circumstances but I didn¡¯t want to argue about priorities with Mephisto, so I didn¡¯t voice it out loud. ¡°Is there a possibility to ward off his magic, at least temporarily?¡± ¡°Depends on the amount and type of energy at his disposal. From what you told me, if it¡¯s accurate, mind you, he is using sacrifices to power his spells. That means he has as much mana, life force and soul energy as he can press out of his victims. Usually I¡¯d say there¡¯s no way to best that unless you use the same measures. Keep in mind that shielding uses more energy than an attack of the same strength. But¡­ you have yourself and Boseiju. If you were able to use at least your mana, you might ward him off. But you can¡¯t so the only option would be if I tried to create an enchantment, similar to the one on your emblem, to channel some of your energies into a ward. I¡¯m not going to do that. I worked ages on an enchantment to channel transcendent energies into a growing spell and I still wasn¡¯t completely sure I¡¯d get everything and you¡¯d survive. I had intended to power it myself after all. I won¡¯t even try to create a new one for wards.¡±He stared at me urgently: ¡°That leaves you with Boseiju. If you access his energies through a rune or a spell, the tree should have enough life force to combat the sacrifices for a while. Honestly though, don¡¯t expect it to survive, the soul energy will swiftly wear it down to dust. I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯d like that outcome, not to mention the other kitsune. Hell, I don¡¯t even know if the magic keeping your island alive would survive.¡± I tried to massage my headache away. It didn¡¯t work. ¡°Seems like a tomorrow problem, if I¡¯m honest. Firstly I have to get Ahri to talk and then break into the second palace without anyone realising. Or vice versa, depending on when she wakes up. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Unfortunately I would. I still think it likely that you¡¯ll fall into a trap or just return empty handed but it should be worth the risk if your talk with your maid doesn¡¯t yield results. Talk to her first, though. It won¡¯t matter if you have to wait another day and maybe you can find a better way.¡± It made sense, even though it rhymed, so I nodded. With a glance towards the sinking sun I said: ¡°Before I leave I have two more questions: how did you end up with Greta and with a letter from Aurora? And can you help me apply a dimensional stamp?¡± ¡°It was part of the enchantment I used to follow you. The emblem along with the letter, Aurora gave it to me, but that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to tell you, appeared within the highest density of energy in your proximity. To my eternal regret it was right in the cave of the old bat underneath Boseiju¡¯s roots. I¡¯m not going to go into details but trust me, you have been seeing her kind and gentle side.¡± He wrung his hands. ¡°She can be quite the demon, that one.¡± That made me smile. At least I wasn¡¯t the only one who had had some shitty days under the earth. He sputtered: ¡°That¡¯s not funny in the least! I hoped for some understanding as you had to share a small part of my plight.¡± I was laughing openly now: ¡°that¡¯s just it. Imagining Greta¡¯s tender care and stubbornness in a dream world seems frightening. I¡¯m just glad I didn¡¯t have the honour yet.¡± ¡°Well, who knows what the future holds,¡± he mumbled darkly, ¡°but to answer your second question, of course I can help you. We can even do it now, it shouldn¡¯t take longer than a couple of minutes. We won¡¯t prepare a permanent focus from your blood, a temporary connection will do. It¡¯s unwise to have too many about, anyway.¡± I was all for it, the sooner I could hide away some useful items, the better I¡¯d feel. And since I was about to leave for dinner, where we usually had delicious pastry as desert, the timing couldn¡¯t have been better. ¡°Thanks, that¡¯d be perfect! What do I have to do?¡± I hopped down from the sill and approached him. ¡°Not much, actually. I¡¯ll draw the additional runes with your blood onto the steal and then you use it. Simple as that. It doesn¡¯t make much sense to try and teach you how to do it yourself. You¡¯re lacking too many basic skills and too much knowledge.¡± He gave me a sinister grin and his nighty turned into his scholarly robe. ¡°You just have to trust the friendly old demon in your room.¡± I quoted dryly: ¡°without malicious intent... that ship has sailed, my intimidating friend. Don¡¯t worry, I still think you are scary.¡± I added with a smirk while I patted his back. He harrumphed and asked me to draw some blood into a bowl. I didn¡¯t have a syringe, which he commented with ¡°amateurish¡±, so I simply pricked my thump with a hairpin and squeezed out some blood. Mephisto conjured a reddish threat of energy from thin air which coagulated into a long and spindly feather with a tiny tip. He used it to scoop up some of the liquid to add tiny runes all over the steal. The whole process took about five minutes and I could hear him mutter appreciatively the whole time: ¡°delicately executed¡­ oh, infinite matrices for time dilation, impressive¡­ hmm, warding sigils?¡­ ah, the designation cluster¡­ and now I only need¡­¡± with a flourish he added a last rune on the bottom. ¡°All done, you can use it whenever you want. I¡¯d advise a little caution though. During the binding some minuscule amount of your mana might get coaxed out and because it contains your transcendent energy it might hurt. A lot. Maybe you should wait and apply it before you turn in tonight?¡± He was undoubtedly right, but I wasn¡¯t going to have to look forward to some serious pain for the whole evening, better to get it over with as fast as possible. 19. Of parents, priorities and a little bit of danger Cassandra Pendragon I ignored his advice and pressed the steal on my inner arm, close to the joint. With a hiss and the smell of ozone, the crystalline body turned into specks of light which exploded outwards and then fell back towards the centre, vanishing from sight. I felt a burning sensation on my skin and two stylised wings appeared. They consisted of several small runes, artfully intertwined to form the wings. The runes probably took on a shape, meaningful to the owner. I expect a wave of pain and clenched my teeth but I was fine. I did feel a stinging sensation, I had been branded after all, but I didn¡¯t crumble under an influx of energy. The runes must have been perfect to prevent even the smallest spill-over. ¡°You¡¯re stubborn and lucky, not the worst combination,¡± Mephisto remarked dryly. ¡°I sincerely hope your luck doesn¡¯t run out before we can get myself a body.¡± I grinned: ¡°nothing wagered, nothing gained. Don¡¯t be such a rain cloud, it didn¡¯t hurt, well not much. Now, let¡¯s see what this thing can do.¡± The runes had connected my astral body to the pocket dimension and I could feel it, like an extension of my mind. It didn¡¯t feel like an extra body part it was more like I could imaginarily step into another room. My conscious mind would then connect to the dimension and I could use it to my heart¡¯s content. There was only one problem: ¡°I can access it, but how do I put things inside?¡± ¡°There are two possibilities. One, the most common one, you can simply push a little of your mana into the object you want to place into the dimension or retrieve from it. Then you simply connect to your dimension or realty, depending on where you want the object to go and it will follow. You have to control mana outside of your body, so it¡¯s going to be quite some time before you can do things this way. The second option is a little tricky but also has some advantages. You have to mark everything you want to place inside your stamp with two runes, one to connect the item to your stamp and one to fuel the displacement. You¡¯ll have to use a blood rune for the second one, otherwise you¡¯ll have the same problem as before because you won¡¯t be able to power up the runes. The retrieval should be easy enough as you just have to concentrate on the item within your dimension and pop out. The item will follow.¡± I wanted to interrupt with a question but he held up a hand to silence me. ¡°Luckily both runes belong to the most basic set and I think you should be able to learn them without much difficulty. You¡¯re family is charged with maintaining the runes around here, is it not? It might still take you sometime though. If your pervious incarnation was skilled with runes, it would be a lot faster. But I can¡¯t answer that until we see how fast you can learn different sets. For now, if you want to use your dimension, I¡¯ll assume you had no expertise, we will plan for a day or two until you can apply those runes safely. If you want, we will start tomorrow. I see the advantage of a dimensional space, especially if you want to enter the second palace unseen and like I said, a little lost time shouldn¡¯t matter too much.¡± I quite agreed with him. I¡¯d work out how to use this thing as fast as possible and then I¡¯d go on shopping spree to stuff it full of anything I could need. And food. Speaking of which, I expected the dinner bell to ring soon and I still wanted to talk to Greta, if only briefly. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯d love to start as soon as possible. Maybe tomorrow morning? But I have to run now. Anything left unsaid that can¡¯t wait for the morrow?¡± He had already turned into vapour and stardust but I could still hear his voice: ¡°stay alert. From all you know, the emperor has already set in motion a responses to the debacle during your birthday. You don¡¯t know who to trust and who might be your enemy.¡± Gee, thanks. That totally helped at ton and didn¡¯t make me feel overly paranoid and powerless at all. I stuffed the coin into my back pocket and changed into something more formal. I knew my father really liked to see me in a dress so I did him the favour. Since I also intended to get their help, I put on a rather childish necklace my father had bought me some years back. With a last glance in the mirror I left my room and headed for Ahri¡¯s. Before I reached the door, Greta had already opened it and stepped into the corridor. She greeted me with: ¡°she¡¯s sleeping.¡± After a quick sniff down the corridor to make sure we were alone she continued: ¡°I assume you have questions?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me that you had access to a friggin real-life demon?¡± I didn¡¯t raise my voice but I was seriously pissed, my tails held high. Last time I had been preoccupied with Ahri¡¯s health and my first little chat with Mephisto, but now I was more than irritated if I thought about how long she had been teaching me without ever mentioning that a relic of my past was in her possession. She could have told me years ago, god damn it! Maybe I could even have prevented this whole affaire with Mephisto¡¯s help. She sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the wrong question. You could already have guessed that I didn¡¯t tell you because he asked me not to. The question is, do you trust his judgement and intentions? I did and I still do, otherwise I would never have given you the disk.¡± My tails drooped, she was right, I had no business being angry with her. If anything I should be grateful, she stuck with me, taught me and handled a demon in her dreams without complaining. I still felt angry, but that was probably directed at the circumstances and not her. Never the less I still mumbled after a short pause: ¡°you could have told me.¡± I didn¡¯t want to give her a chance to respond so I quickly added: ¡°Ahri still asleep? Any changes?¡± She let it go and answered: ¡°she is still asleep, nothing has changed. Come back tomorrow if that¡¯s all you wanted to know.¡± That brought me up short. I fidgeted a little before I could answer: ¡°First of all thank you, I should have started with that. Thank you for everything you did, I know it¡¯s not a matter of course to try and teach an angel with nothing but a demonic dream figure as help. And I¡¯m sorry I sounded so accusing. I know you have my best interest at heart.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from adding: ¡°maybe not my corporal integrity, but surely my best interests.¡± She scoffed: ¡°you¡¯re damn right. And a bloody nose and some bruised knees haven¡¯t impaired anyone yet. Don¡¯t be such a princess.¡± The irony didn¡¯t escape me but I thought better of it and didn¡¯t say anything. I rather though that the conversation wasn¡¯t going to get any better and deployed one of my most effective tactics to put an end to the topic. I hugged her tightly and whispered: ¡°I love you, too¡± into her ear. Might sound cheesy, but it seriously worked, most of the time. And it did now. She had to smile but covered it with a cough: ¡°that¡¯s quite all right. Now run along, you don¡¯t want to be late for dinner. Come by tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll stay with Ahri for the night.¡± She caught one of my tails while I was still hugging her and gave it a gentle tug. With a squeal I jumped back and wagged my finger at her. Who was supposed to be the grown up again? The dinner bell rang. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Dinner for our family was usually served in the private banquet hall on the first floor. It was a medium-sized room with huge windows on one side that reached the floor. They were made from finely carved Sapphire and gave the interior a bluish tint. The ceiling was hung with silk in rich red and yellow colours with a huge chandelier made of gold in the middle. It was a welcomed reprieve from the glittering moonstone, mithril and silver ornaments through most of the royal wing. Together with the bluish light, the room had a cozy, violet atmosphere. Paintings of landscapes and animals decorated the dark wooden walls. The floor was made from the same aged oak. A huge table, easily large enough for 15 people dominated the scene. It was made from cherry wood and delicately carved, depicting Boseiju on the flat and normal cherry trees on the legs. They were quiet short, we didn¡¯t use chair as they got in the way of our tails more often than not, but rather large pillows, covered in red silk. The main door, opposite the window front, led to the atrium and a smaller one in one of the side walls connected with the kitchen. On the other side, a massive fireplace with a chiselled mantlepiece of white marble provide warmth against the chill of the evening. We were only three tonight, mom, father and myself, so dinner hadn¡¯t been as elaborate as I had had before. It had been the first time my father had seen me after I woke up so the first few minutes had been filled with the usual how are you, are you still hurt conversation until dinner had been served. A light pigeon-soup with honeyed bread had been followed by roasted duck with potatoes. The meal had been expertly prepared and the succulent meat nearly melted in my mouth. I could faintly taste thyme, peppers and mint. My parents had a strict ¡°no business¡± policy during meals, so I had to restrict myself to small talk until desert. With sweet pastries, different fruits and coffee I would be better prepared for whatever was going to happen anyways. I still tried to get my parents into a good mood, so I snuck some compliments into the conversation, but that didn¡¯t get me very far. Both of them were preoccupied and seemed rather tense. I guessed my trial wasn¡¯t going too well. When Eva rolled a serving trolley into the room to clean off the duck to replace it with desert and a bottle of wine for my parents I thought it time to get the ball rolling. When they were both nipping their glasses and Eva had left, I broke the silence: ¡°Uhh¡­ so I guess we have some things to talk about. I have a story to tell that might answer some of the questions you undoubtedly have. But please do me a favour and try to listen until the end. I¡¯ll answer all your questions afterwards, but first hear me out. So here it goes¡­ I guess I should start some time ago. Do you remember when Mordred took off and stole an airship? Well, his travels might have been a bit more chaotic than we originally thought¡­¡± I told them about the emperor and Amazeroth, even though I did leave out the details I now knew about the demon, and how Mordred had gotten caught on the island. I told them about the Furglows and how it had been the first attempt to capture me. I relayed how Mordred had struggled to break the soul seal and how he finally had tried to gather some of Amazeroth essence to break it and used the second palace and me to achieve his goal. I explained what had happened during my birthday and how the second palace was still closely tied to the infernal duo. I didn¡¯t say anything about Ahri¡¯s family though. While I had been talking, both my parents¡¯ faces had slowly transformed from disbelieve into anger and finally confusion. After I had finished, a pressing silence descended upon us until my father asked: ¡°why isn¡¯t your brother here, than? It seems like a lot of this mess hinges on the choices he made.¡± I took a deep breath before I answered calmly: ¡°Because, at the moment at least, this isn¡¯t about him, he was just a tool. It¡¯s about me, my trial,¡± I searched for his gaze and held it, ¡°and what the third king of the five families is going to do about the trouble an angel and her enemies have caused in his kingdom.¡± My mom gasped when I said that and tried to intervene but my father silenced her with a gesture. He had slapped me for the first time ever. ¡°How dare you,¡± he roared, ¡°how dare you say that? A tool? An angel and the third king?! By the great fox,¡± his gazed traveled to my mom, ¡°I am first and foremost your father and you are my daughter. I freely admit that it has been difficult, and most of it is my doing, but have I ever treated you like you are not part of my family? When have I ever given you a reason to see not only me but all of us as strangers? Go get your brother, we¡¯ll find a solution together when you are back.¡± I held my stinging cheek but had to suppress a smile at the same time. ¡°On my way.¡± When I closed the door behind me, I could hear my mom say: ¡°Oh Albert, thank y¡­¡± the rest cut off when I turned the corner but I could guess what she was going to say. As I rushed through the palace, it took my utmost self restraint not to skip and dance. It had worked much better than I had expected, well, I hadn¡¯t seen the slap coming. My dad was a great guy, he had his heart in the right place but his responsibilities as king, father, husband, keeper of the runes etc. tore him in a million different direction. He had needed a small reminder what mattered. Mordred and me needed the help of our parents, simple as that. If I could make my dad see it that way, he would move heaven and earth for us, of that I had been certain, especially if I took into consideration Arthur¡¯s departure and the guilt my dad still undoubtedly harboured. So I had made him feel like me and him had already moved past that same point and he had promptly reacted. Now all that was left to do was to conceive an actual plan on how to get the second family freed and everyone informed without major casualties. Peace of cake I thought to myself while I happily hummed a tune and exited the palace. I turned right towards the soldiers quarters and closed my eyes for a second. Night lilies, lavender and leather tickled my nose and I could still hear the faint clanging from the practice grounds. If someone was training I would bet my brother was also still around. Quickly I reentered the royal wing, crossed it and left from the back. I ran around the palace to get to the training grounds, which were located behind the barracks. A side branch stuck out from the main branch directly behind the soldier¡¯s quarters. The branch formed a wooden walkway, about 3 meters deep and 5 meters long. Behind the walkway an open square of about 50 on 50 meters with enough room to train with bows and arrows could be seen. The side branch fanned out underneath and grew along the edges, providing a natural railing. Behind the square the branch continued on but hadn¡¯t been altered. Moon stones, engraved with illumination runes, were placed along the edges and in intervals throughout the square, providing enough light to practice during the night. I could see a group of three kitsune fighting in the middle of the square. I recognised Mordred¡¯s gargantuan sword immediately. He was sparring with two of our royal guards, Henry and Robert. They were fighting with their traditional weapons, an adapted form of halberd. But Mordred gave them a run for their money, even two on one. I was rather impressed by his display of swordsmanship until he misstepped and the blunt side of Henry¡¯s halberd threw him to the ground with an audible thud. All three were breathing heavily and Robert helped Mordred back on his feet. When I approached their little arena and passed nearby the closest moon stones they turned around. Mordred smiled at me and the guards started to bow. Then I saw Mordred¡¯s smile abruptly freeze on his face and he drew back his weapon, ready to throw it at me. 20. Of shadows, fights and a little bit of despair Cassandra Pendragon I didn¡¯t freeze, nor did I hesitate. I dropped on all fours and kicked off with my legs as hard as I could. I felt a displacement of air and heard a ¡°swish¡± from where my head had been. I shotforward directly towards my brother and our guards. The guards were still frozen in their half-bow and Mordred was empty handed. While I was tumbling forwards I unfurled my wings. I had never tried to fly before, but there was no time like the present to learn something new. 20-meter long currents of energy raced through the still night air behind me and I managed to right myself in midair, gaining some height. While I hovered about 4 meters above the platform several things happened simultaneously. My brother had thrown his sword, that had been the swishing sound I had heard. At first glance I thought he had gone completely off the rocker and attacked me out of the blue but when I took a closer look I realised that his sword had nailed a squirming shadow, roughly humanoid in shape with three tails attached to its back, to the platform. Where his sword pierced the flowing darkness, a faint reddish light appeared and I could smell sulphur and ozone. From my vantage point I saw two blurred figures emerge behind Mordred and the guards, one gliding towards my weapon less brother and the other moving towards Henry and Robert. The bell within our palace started ringing and I saw a second shadow disappear from where I had been standing not two seconds ago. I couldn¡¯t smell or hear them and when they didn¡¯t move, I couldn¡¯t see them either. Without further thought I pushed myself through the air, closer towards Mordred and the guards. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins while I fought to remain airborne, simultaneously reaching with more and more of my wings to ensnare the two creeping shadows. I felt their essence burn wherever I could touch them, so I tried to overwhelm them quickly and then look for the third one. But I didn¡¯t need to, it found me first. While I locked its brethren in a web of energy it jumped me from behind. No idea how it had gotten up in the air without making a sound but I felt a surprisingly light weight crash into my back, followed by an agonisingly cold pain between my shoulder blades and the smell of blood and sulphur. I lost control of my wings and dropped to the ground. Surprisingly enough I still felt my legs and managed to control my landing. With a roll I got back up on my feet. I could still feel my wings, but the connection felt distorted, fuzzy, and I couldn¡¯t move them deliberately anymore. Where I had come down, a quivering mass of black with holes and gashes burned through, slowly dissolved into nothingness. To get on my back it had probably been forced to dive through my wings and hadn¡¯t been able to dodge them all. Served it right, I felt blood trickle down my back and the cold slowly spread. I could feel numbness radiating out from where it had struck and the connection to my wings got weaker and weaker. During my crash-landing the other two shadows had been able to free themselves, worse for wear with gashes and tears all over them, and had reached their targets, going to work. One gripped Robert, who had just straightened and was swinging his halberd around, from behind. With a wet crunch and a popping noise it tore off his head and launched it towards Henry. The body continued his swing with the halberd but toppled over after a second. The sudden movement had made Henry turn around and he was blinded by the bloody fountain gushing from his partner¡¯s neck. The head hit him square in the face, I could see his neck bending backwards, the blood from his broken nose and the blood from the missile splattered all over his face, blinding him effectively. He collapsed on his back and the fiend rushed forwards, eager to finish the job. The other one had missed its first attack. As soon as Mordred had thrown his sword, he had wheeled around, maybe he had felt a movement, maybe his instincts had saved him, whatever the reason, he had been able to face his opponent and narrowly dodge the reaching mass of darkness. He tried to jump back and disengage but the shadow followed his every move. I could see now that they were all vaguely kitsune in shape, with a varying number of tails. Dread settled over me when I remembered one of Greta¡¯s lessons: ¡°Yes, a soul can live on without a vessel, but that existence is a punishment. Vile arts allow the practitioner to pull the soul from a living, breathing body and turn it into a mindless servant, bound to the caster¡¯s will. Those perversions of life keep on existing until they fulfil the purpose their creator has charged them with or until they are destroyed for good, which is not an easy task. They are nigh immortal and can only be hurt by soul energy or an immense amount of life force. They can disrupt the natural flow of energy within everything they touch and use the energies of their victims to regenerate. Luckily, as far as I know, the ritual to create the ¡°shadows of death¡± has been lost ages ago and this plague hasn¡¯t descended on our continent in hundreds of years.¡± My heart skipped a beat as I realised what must have happened. The emperor had turned a part of the second family into shadows and tasked them with an attack on my family. Judging from the alarm bell I heard, there were probably more than just the four who made my life miserable at the moment. I didn¡¯t have the time to panic though, I needed to act. Mordred¡¯s weapon and the spark of transcendent energy within would finish the one pinned to the platform off, but it¡¯d take time. My other attacker had already been reduced to dust which left me with two opponents. I couldn¡¯t control my wings but I could still swing them like whips. Grabbing a bunch of energy torrents in each hand, I made a decision. I didn¡¯t think I could save Henry, he was already on the ground and the shadow loomed over him, ready to strike. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t my brother, so even if I could see a way to protect him, I wouldn¡¯t. I struck out with the living bands of light in my hands and tried to hit the one going after Mordred. The numbness in my back made my movements clumsy and clipped, not to mention that I had never used whips before. The one saving grace was the sheer amount of energy torrents I had at my disposal. Of my 33 wings only 3 found their target but they immediately curled around the shadow, cutting through its essence and filling the night with the smell of sulphur and ozone. I threw myself backwards to drag it along, but my back gave out and I crumbled to the ground, all I had managed was a light tuck that threw it off balance. That had been enough though, barely. Mordred had gained a little space and pulled an iridescent red dagger from his clothes, which he immediately threw at the writhing shadow. Meanwhile Henry¡¯s attacker bore down on him, covering his face and torso in squirming darkness. I heard a blood curdling scream which abruptly cut off. When the shadow moved away, all that was left of Henry was a pair of legs and a slowly rotting mass of flesh and bones. Golden and red trails of energy shot out from the corpse and flowed into the remnant of a kitsune I might have known personally before. Its wounds were closing and when the smell of rotten flesh finally reached me, it was as good as new. Bile rose in my throat and I had to fight against an overwhelming urge to simply run away. I knew it was stupid but I had to close my eyes for a moment to suppress my emotions. Not necessarily the most healthy course of action, but it sure beats losing control in a fight and dying. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. When I opened my eyes again I saw Mordred¡¯s dagger flying through the air, a crimson trail behind it. It¡¯s mark was only a few feet away and I was sure he was going to hit. At the last moment I could feel the shadow¡¯s form quiver against my wings as it tried to collapse into the surrounding darkness. I wasn¡¯t going to have any of it and pulled with all the strength I had left. Like razor wires my wings cut through his from and kept it corporal. The dagger hit and with an eerie wail the shadow vanished, sucked into the dagger. My wings slopped uselessly to the ground. The last assailant had followed the exchange while he devoured Henry¡¯s essence and disappeared into the night. For a moment the stench of decay, the ringing alarm bell and our heavy breathing were the only disturbances of a star-lit night. I tried to get back on my feet, but my legs were just as numb as my wings had been before. The cold was spreading and I could feel it getting closer and closer to my heart. I didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen if it got there. I reached for my back pocket and already cried: ¡°Mephisto¡± while I still fumbled to get the coin out. My world turned red in a haze of torment. I could feel the chains, the contract with Mephisto had put around my soul, tighten and start to suffocate the very essence of my being. Crap, I hadn¡¯t gotten permission to disclose his existence to Mordred. With every passing moment the pressure mounted and I could feel the first cracks forming on my soul. If I had still been in control of all my faculties, I would have tried to cut the damn chains out of me then and there, but I couldn¡¯t move my wings, not even a little. My world turned dark and i felt like I was buried under a mountain without space to breath or think. It was worse than every injury I had sustained previously, the pain from my soul being torn to shreds cut me off from everything else. I screamed in agony, everything that was left was the faint hope that I couldn¡¯t survive this for long. Just about when I felt my consciousness waver and soothing oblivion beckon, I heard an agitated shout and felt a light touch on my shoulder: ¡°it¡¯s fine, demons be damned! I give her permission, you hear! She can tell whomever she wants, just stop!¡± And with that, the pain vanished, leaving behind a soothing cold and numbness. With a grown I opened my eyes just in time to grab Mephisto¡¯s hand on my shoulder and pull him to the ground besides me. While everyone had been focused on me for a second, the last shadow had materialised close to his squirming companion, nailed to the platform. It had pulled out the blade and directly turned around to attack. My now freed assailant dematerialised and appeared above Robert¡¯s corpse. Without a sound it pulled the same energies out of the body the other one had used to regenerate from its burns and the gaping hole in its chest closed while Robert turned into rotting goo. I managed to drag Mephisto out of harms way, but the humongous sword still bit into his shoulder on the way down. Sparks erupted from the wound, as if the strike had hit glowing iron, and the transcendent speck of energy in the cross guard lit up in a malevolent purple light. Mephisto cried out on his way down, and I could see his figure starting to flicker when he hit the floor with a heavy thud. Master of magics my ass! I still felt disorientated and slightly dizzy, my thoughts wandered and I couldn¡¯t help but feel curious what task those poor souls had been set on. They had attacked the guards and Mephisto as well, after all. I was dragged back to reality by a roar. My idiot brother had decided to tackle the shadow who swung the huge sword around like it was a twig, and rammed into it with a war cry, driving it away from the tangled mess of limbs that were me and Mephisto and knocking the sword out of its hand. I struggled to get up, but my legs wouldn¡¯t obey me properly and the weight of my demonic mentor on my chest didn¡¯t make it any easier. He wasn¡¯t heavy and not even corporal the whole time, but he still pinned me down for good. Up close I could see purple light dance under his skin and gravitate towards his head and centre. If I didn¡¯t want to witness the final death of a demon, I would have to do something, quickly. My eyes feverishly roamed over the training grounds but the sight wasn¡¯t helpful. Mordred and one shadow were locked in hand to hand combat, but I could tell the difference in strength immediately. Each blow of the creature made my brother tremble like a leave in the wind while his punches simply glanced off his opponent. The only thing keeping him alive was his agility. The other one had finished absorbing Robert¡¯s energy and silently turned towards Mephisto and me. His hands elongated into claws, which reflected the silvery light and looked deadly sharp like black diamond as it stormed towards us. With a yell I reached for Mordred¡¯s sword on the ground and just barely got my fingers around the hilt. It was much too heavy for me to swing, let alone that I laid prone on the ground, but I managed to slam the cross guard against one of Mephisto¡¯s horns, crushing the gem in the middle. With a small explosion of glass-like shards that tore into my side and blew the sword from my grip, a whirlwind of purple energy formed and dispersed within a moment. The energy within Mephisto was gone with it, most likely returned to its true owner but I couldn¡¯t care less at the moment. I just hoped that Mephisto could somehow save our tails. As the claws cut through the night, aimed for Mephisto¡¯s head, I could feel his weight settle steadily onto me, the flickering had stopped. Without missing a beat he rolled off of me and clapped his hands together with a guttural exclamation in the demon tongue: ¡°Barrier!¡± Around us a translucent dome of golden energy rose into the air and the charging shadow slammed straight into it without a moment to spare. The impact sent ripples all over our refuge but it remained in place and with a bang the shadow was thrown backwards, his front smouldering and starting to slowly disintegrate. Mephisto didn¡¯t give it any time to recover and pointed his outstretched hand at the fiend. A spear of reddish light shot from his fingers, passing harmlessly through the barrier. It slammed into the shadow¡¯s head and ignited its body. I hadn¡¯t heard one of them make a sound before, but as it started to burn, I could hear a high-pitched shriek that made me grind my teeth and cover my ears. Like a human torch the walking mass of red and golden flames tumbled backwards a few steps before it dropped and vanished into sparks of gold and red light. I was about to congratulate myself wholeheartedly when I heard a muffled scream from behind. While I turned around sluggishly Mephisto had already jumped into action. With a wave of his hand he conjured a flaming band of golden light that flew towards the last attacker. When I had finally flipped myself over I saw the shadow completely wrapped in Mephisto¡¯s magic, smoke was rising from its body and it gradually dwindled away until nothing remained but a band of golden light, hovering before my brother¡¯s form on the ground. Mordred had finally been too slow and the shadow had managed to land a blow on his right leg. The bone had shattered and he had collapsed in front of his attacker just a step out of my reach. But before his assailant could finish the job, Mephisto¡¯s spell had put an end to his ambitions for good. Silence returned to the training grounds, only broken by the painful gasps of my brother and me. After a second I managed to mumble: ¡°I¡¯m¡­pant¡­ sorry, but I¡­need help. I think¡­I have been poisoned.¡± 21. Of cures, ignored advice and a little bit of song Cassandra Pendragon The smell of decay wafted over the training grounds, blood spatters, seemingly black in the light of the illumination runes, and Roberts¡¯s head defaced the shining wood of the platform. My eyes were stuck on the decomposing remains of our guards while they slowly turned into a tangled mass of liquified flesh and rotting bones. The cold was still spreading and I couldn¡¯t move my legs anymore, my heartbeat had slowed down to a bare whisper and the smell made me dizzy. Fear grabbed me and turned into panic as I could feel less and less of my body. I could only move my head a little but I was still bound by the sight before me, my eyes glued to the disgusting aftermath of the fight. By all that¡¯s holy, I didn¡¯t want my last impressions to be the gruesome display before me, but than again, probably no one who had fallen in battle did. Through sheer willpower I made my body move, slightly, and turned towards my brother. His anxious face loomed over me and blood dripped from a nasty cut on his face. I tried to smile, but the ominous red glow, coming from the garden behind and below him, reflected on a low hanging cloud, wiped it off my face before it could even form. The garden stood in flames and over the still ringing alarm bell I could now hear the crackling of burning wood and smell ash on the wind. My home was burning and I couldn¡¯t do a single thing about it. Mordred whipped around and followed my line of sight, maybe expecting another attack, but he froze immediately when he saw what had caught my attention. With a snarl he rushed towards the railing and looked down. His features became illuminated in the glow from below and his eyes reflected dancing flames. A single tear rolled down his face. ¡°Bastards,¡± he cursed, ¡°what have you done?!¡± Mephisto didn¡¯t seem to care much about what was happening. He carefully turned me over while mumbling to himself: ¡°now, what have we got here¡­ huh¡­ a cursed poison, strengthened threw sacrifice. Uhh..nasty business¡­¡± my concentration wavered and a ringing sound started to fill my ears. Dense fog encroached on me and I couldn¡¯t feel my heartbeat anymore. A sharp slap brought my attention back to the looming demon above me and my vision cleared a little. ¡°Listen, I can extract the poison but it¡¯s already deep within you, close to your heart. It¡¯ll probably take most of my energy to keep you alive throughout the process. I don¡¯t think I can sustain this form afterwards for a while. Without a real body or my core my energies regenerate at an abyssal rate. You¡¯ll be on your own for the time being. I know you probably won¡¯t listen, but you should get off this island. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening exactly, but it¡¯s a safe bet that whatever the emperor has planned is well on its way. You won¡¯t be able to stop it. Flee, save yourself and maybe we can return later to sort this mess out. But if you charge in now, you won¡¯t survive.¡± He inhaled deeply and gently put one hand over my heart and the second one on my head, both were smeared with my blood, flowing freely from my side. ¡°Here it goes. This won¡¯t be pleasant.¡± He was right. My vision turned dark as my body became a battlefield. I couldn¡¯t even scream, but I could feel Mephisto¡¯s energy enter and chase along my veins flooding my body within seconds. All over I felt him encounter specks of something alien that clung to the smallest parts of me and was continuously growing. Wherever he found one, his energy formed a bubble around it and tore it straight out. It was a bloody mess, tissue and small parts of my bones were also encapsulated and ripped away along with the poison. I couldn¡¯t describe the feeling. The most apt metaphor would be having a million meat hooks sink into you and enduring them being torn out once again, flesh and blood still sticking to the blades. It wasn¡¯t as all-encompassing as the weight I had felt when I had broken the contract, but the pain was sharper and there was no escape. I didn¡¯t lose consciousness and had to suffer through the whole process time and again while mental blades pierced my body and tore away every last piece of infected flesh. Damn, my life sucked. I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed, to me it felt like a million years, until the storm of energy ravaging my body slowly became weaker and weaker. But still there were particles left within me, I could feel them clinging to my organs and actively dodging Mephisto¡¯s search. I became terrified that even after the ordeal, Mephisto wouldn¡¯t be able to extract everything and I would still succumb to whatever that shadow had used to poison me with. A final surge of power rushed through me, stronger than before and tainted with a foreign life force, I felt it burn through my veins and along my nerves, incinerating every last speck of poison along the way. Within a heartbeat the pain vanished and blessed silence reigned within me. The cold was gone, the torment over and all that was left was a tingling feeling all over my body, my nerves still firing from everything I had been through. With a groan I opened my eyes and coughed. I spat out a mouthful of blood, I had bitten through my tongue during the procedure and took a deep breath. The air was laced with ash, smoke and a hint of rotten and burning flesh but I had never before tasted anything sweeter. My strength rushed back and even though I still felt groggy a small smile spread on my lips. I had survived! Unfortunately my elation was short lived. The first thing I registered was the rather bright night, illuminated in red with wisps of smoke curling over the platform. The temperature had increased and I could hear the deafening crackle of burning cherry trees. I could feel a shudder run through the branch we were on and Boseiju himself seemed to quiver in fear. Directly besides me, Mephisto¡¯s home, the once pristine emblem, lay charred on the ground, the metal blackened and Mephisto¡¯s face blurry and distorted, I could only recognise it because I knew what it was supposed to be. Mordred was kneeling besides me, his face sweaty. I could smell fear and grief emanating off of him. I laid in a puddle of blood, my clothes completely soaked and I could see small bits of flesh and bone drifting over the surface. When I had opened my eyes a small yelp escape my brother and he smothered me in a hug, drenching himself in my blood on the ground but he didn¡¯t seem to care: ¡°By the great fox, I thought you were dead! How are you feeling? Can you stand up?¡± Despite everything I felt better, it was good to be loved. Pushing him off of me I replied: ¡°I have been better, but I will survive. Could you give me a hand?¡± He scrambled to his feet and extended his hand. I pulled myself up and a light vertigo hit me but it passed quickly enough. I wasn¡¯t injured anymore, as far as I could tell, my white skin was flawless and I didn¡¯t see a scar or a mark, even though a good part of my blood and body was scattered around us, adding another grizzle feature to the training grounds. Leaning heavily on my brother¡¯s supporting arm, I scooped down and retrieved the emblem, storing it in my back pocket again. When I had straightened again I tugged on his hand and moved slowly towards the railing. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Help me, I need to see what¡¯s happening.¡± Wordlessly Mordred escorted me to the edge of the platform so I could peer down. Below me a hellish field of fire and dancing shadows sprawled to the horizon. Most trees in the garden had caught fire and it was only a matter of time before every last one of them would light up and burn to ashes. The protective runes on the ground and within the bark of the trees were dull and lifeless, not a single spark of energy contained within them. Kitsune of all ages ran around panicked, their voice unable to carry over the raging fire that consumed their home. I could see shadowy figures dancing through the flames, hunting for the kitsune. Whenever they got close to one, they didn¡¯t simply kill it like they had with Robert and Henry but forced it to the ground and smothered it with their bodies. When they moved on, the kitsune was gone, not a trace left of their victim. I couldn¡¯t tell how many shadows were down there exactly but I didn¡¯t think that many members of the second palace were still in control of their souls. That wasn¡¯t a political game, an abduction or a plot against my family. That was an all out assault on our home! Home¡­ my home! I hastily drew away from the railing and focused on the palace. The alarm bell was still ringing but I didn¡¯t see flames erupting or heard the sound of battle. Maybe there was still time to¡­ a burning torrent of greenish energy erupted somewhere from the second floor, blowing through the wall and continuing on into the night for hundreds of meters. Rubble was blown away and scattered through the night, the shockwave tussled my hair, I had to lean heavily on my brother to not fall over. I was stunned for a moment, but than I rushed off as fast as my strained body would allow. Mom, Ahri, Greta, Dad, Eva, Adam! Even if it was going to kill me, I wouldn¡¯t flee while those I loved were in mortal peril. I half expected and maybe even hoped a little that Mordred would stop me. Truth be told I was terrified of facing one of these shadows again, but I wouldn¡¯t let fear rule me, never again! He didn¡¯t though. With a growl he overtook me easily and sprinted towards the soldier¡¯s barracks. Thinking of which, where were they? Shouldn¡¯t they have reacted to the bugle by now? It made no sense, unless¡­ they were already dead or incapacitated. With a curse I changed direction and rushed off around the palace edge and towards the royal wing. Clenching my teeth I unfurled my wings and shot into the night air, heading directly for the still glowing hole in the wall. I didn¡¯t have any experience flying, but I could use my wings instinctively and going in a straight line wasn¡¯t tremendously difficult. Faintly I could hear Mordred exclaim: ¡°Cassy, don¡¯t, you can¡¯t¡­¡± but the wind blew away the rest of his sentence. I didn¡¯t care much either way. I hadn¡¯t cared for Mephisto¡¯s warning and I didn¡¯t care for my brother¡¯s. Not to say that I thought they were wrong, it simply didn¡¯t matter to me. Silently I soared through the night. When I was no more than a couple of meters away from the passage and slightly above it, I stretched my wings behind me and slammed through the hole, feet first. I came in way too fast and only got a slurry impression of my surroundings before I crashed with bone shattering force into something squishy and movable. And move it did. I had entered Ahri¡¯s room at a break neck pace. I got a quick glimpse of her in a white nighty, her rapier dancing in her hand. I couldn¡¯t see what she was fighting but I had a rather shadowy idea. Her room was a mess, torn apart by a swift but obviously violent struggle, the nightstand was in shambles and the blast that had blown through the wall had incinerated everything in a straight line, originating in the centre of the room. There Greta was laying on her back, deathly pale and unmoving, her eyes bleary and unfocused. A shadow with three tail-stumps and a blown away arm was crouching above her, ready to tuck into his meal. Until my full weight slammed into him and my inertia catapulted us both into the wall. Lucky for me, it didn¡¯t have time to react and cushioned my impact. I didn¡¯t break all the bones in my body but it felt like it. My knees crumbled under the force and my torso smashed into the shadow while my head collided with the wall. A ringing noise filled my ears and my eyes swam out of focus for a second while I slid down. Before I could get my bearings, the smell of sulphur and ozone assaulted my nose. When my Vision had cleared, I saw the last dark sparks of the shadow turn into nothingness. My wings had trailed behind me like banners and sprawled all over us when we had crashed. The surprised shadow had become entangled and its already damaged form had instantly disintegrated, well better lucky than skilled I¡¯d say. I shook my head and used my tails for balance to scramble to my feet. My wings soared back into the air and slithered through the room, reaching for Ahri¡¯s opponent. My grand entrance had made Ahri flinch and misstep, her guard wide open while she scrambled for balance. As a saving grace her assailant had been closer to the centre of the room and had been caught in my mad manoeuvre. He had had to jump to the side but still a silvery blue torrent of energy had raked across its right arm and torso and even severed one of its dark tails which had turned into motes of shadow immediately. Before I could reach for it with my shaken mind, its form dispersed. I thought it unlikely that it would return before it had the chance to replenish its energies from another victim. The adrenaline rush subsided and I slumped back down, my whole body shaking, my energy spent. But there was no rest for the wicked. With a cry of: ¡°Cassy!¡± Ahri rushed over, dropped to her knees and pulled me into a tight embrace. My already bruised ribs protested loudly enough that I half expected her to ask where the noise was coming from. But I smiled never the less, the faint smell of pine trees and sweat that rose from her calmed my nerves. I patted her head awkwardly and croak: ¡°I¡¯m fine. Could you check on Greta? I don¡¯t know if I can move just yet¡­¡± From where I was, Greta¡¯s colour was even worse and I could barely see her chest move. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she used too much of her soul energy and is suffering from backlash. She¡¯ll be fine soon enough.¡± A little quieter she added: ¡°she saved my life.¡± Despite her words she got back up and scooted over to Greta, checking her pulse and lifting up an eyelid to peek underneath. With a groan she lifted her up in a princess carry and gently lowered her onto the bed. ¡°There, that¡¯s better. She really is alright. Satisfied?¡± I nodded and struggled back to my feet. I felt a little dizzy but all in all much better than I had expected. I was mainly concerned with the rest of my family, my imagination running wild and I was anxious to look for them. ¡°Are you hurt? Can you still fight?¡± I asked with barely a tremor in my voice. ¡°I can, but I can¡¯t hurt these flea-ridden things. My blades just pass through them. I guess they aren¡¯t corporal and can only be hurt with higher energies¡± She was right. ¡°What about you? You look like death. What happened to you?¡± ¡°Same as you. I met a bunch of rather deadly and pissed off shadows. Have you seen anyone else?¡± ¡°No, I woke up barely 5 minutes ago when Greta screamed. I didn¡¯t see a thing at first until she conjured some kind of strange light that drove them into the open. She kept them occupied while I scrambled for a weapon. The amount of spells she used was insane. When she finally collapsed, I thought it was over until you came flying through the wall. Thank you by the way. For saving my life, twice now.¡± She hugged me again and I was relatively sure I felt her suppress a sob as she clung to me. Or maybe it was mine. ¡°Always,¡± I whispered into her neck, ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯d¡­¡± Before I could finish my sentence, a resonating drum beat made Boseiju tremble and from far away deep, gravelly voices joined together in a war chant that made me almost feel sorry for the shadows: Hammer, axe, drum and chain We will see the magics slain Crossbow, powder, plate and song We will hunt what¡¯s dark and wrong Fight the dragon, kill the witch Throw them in the darkest ditch End their lives, kill them all Dwarfs unite, make¡¯ em fall! 22. Of dwarfs, traitors and a little bit of death Xorlosh Mcmine Buraahrumm! It was good to be alive, a song on me lips, me brothers beside me and the love of me life, BigBertha tightly in me fist. March, dwarfs of the mines, March! To slaughter and glory! ¡°Matey, Hit the drum, it¡¯s time to dance!¡± Etosh, me little brother, pummelled the black drum, made of dragon hide, strapped to his front and all of us 121 dwarfs formed a neat square just outside the garden. 121 bodies clad in steel and mithril, each about 1.4 meters tall and weighing at 150 kgs, hit their weapons together and the pure noise of metal hitting metal resounded around me. The drafts from the fires in front tussled black, red and brown beards and together we stepped forward, shaking the earth while our song rose to the heavens. Ahh, and I had already been afraid to die of boredom. I had come here for the mithril and because I might or might not have hit on the wrong gal back home. But these fox-eared tree lovers and their oh so civilised culture had driven me up the walls within months. I mean, seriously, who apologises when they get hit in the face by a mug of ale? It was damn near impossible to start a decent bar fight on this island. So all me ¡®n me lads could do was cool our heels and become the best gods damned rune smiths outside the dwarven kingdom. Until the sweet smell of fire and the music of battle had woken me not 5 minutes ago. And here we were, ready to crush some skulls. Which skulls to crush we¡¯d figure out along the way. We crossed the border to the garden, 11 dwarfs wide and 11 dwarfs deep and immediately the runes along the shaft of BigBertha lit up. She was a beauty of 24.3 kgs, all hardened oak and gleaming mithril. The basic design was taken from a double-armed crossbow but I had added another pair of throwing arms to double the penetration force. Each part, except the shaft, had been forged and crested with runes, even the two strings were made from multiple twisted mithril threads, each thread adorned with minuscule marks, granting durability and strength. The body of me crossbow was crafted from the core wood of a 1000 years oak and I had personally etched a myriad of runes into it. They could detect most forms of magic around me and right now they showed mainly soul energy with strong binding enchantments. A big, fat, happy smiled formed on me face and I shouted: ¡°Lads, we¡¯re in for a treat! Some nasty soul hocus-pocus is all around. Smash everything that looks creepy and if you¡¯re unsure break some bones. If it screams, get off! Stay in formation until we know how many there are. Ranged combatants to the second line, shields and pikes to the front, axes to the sides. Let¡¯s roll!¡± I dropped back while Atosh and Brombolosh, me cousins on me mother¡¯s side, twice removed, stepped up to seal the line. A pike was sandwiched in between two shields in the front and like an avalanche of shimmering steal we forged on. I slid a massive steel rod into the grove on BigBertha¡¯s back. With a flick of me wrist I cut me self on the tip of the bolt and placed me bleeding finger on a rune, inlaid with diamonds, sapphires and gold. The rune lit up with white fire that travelled along the shaft and filled the bolt to the brim. There¡¯d be not much left but rubble where this baby was going to hit. Me eyes roamed through the smoke and fiery mayhem all around, searching for me first target. There! Shadows were hustling through the flame lit night, chasing after the kitsune. Shadows? Not for long. ¡°Go for everything without colour. Shadows are around again. Imbued weapons only!¡± I shouted while me first missile sped through the night. With the sound of a hummingbird it covered about 50 meters in the blink of an eye and slammed dead centre into a shadow lurking in the canopy of a burning tree. Me shot threw it right out of the tree, a fist sized hole in its chest. It turned into wisps of smoke that dispersed into nothingness on the way down. Me bolt continued on into the night and I lost track of it. Xorlosh 1, rest 0. It was gonna be a great night! ¡°Break formation, squads of three, 2 shields on one attacker. Etosh, you¡¯re with me squad. Rally to the drum when it sounds. I¡¯m gonna crack a cask of mother¡¯s ale tonight for every dead shadow! Dwarfs, disperse! Make ¡®em remember who purged this fucking ritual from the lands!¡± ¡°Aye!!¡± Like a well oiled machine our formation broke into smaller parts. Me brethren moved into the chaos with bloodlust in their eyes and destruction in their hearts. Foul soul sorcery near a dwarven colony? The last mistake anyone could make! Atosh and Brombolosh flanked me while Etosh stayed a step behind. I headed towards the big tree in the centre, I expected some serious entertainment there. The situation seemed pretty straight forward. Some bozo had sacrificed a shit ton of sentients to mass-produce mindless zombies and launch an attack on this kingdom. So I¡¯d meander to the palaces and crash any shadowy party I¡¯d come across on the way. It had been far too long since I had taken me lady out for a night of fun. We had some catching up to do. Unfortunately the next shadow dropped from a roof and appeared close enough for Atosh and Brombolosh to get their hairy paws on it before I could get me trusted Bertha ready. They didn¡¯t even bother with any fancy movements, sunk their mithril gloved fists into its figure and tore it apart with the sound of ripping cloth. I liked it. Maybe a tad messy but beautifully brutal. I didn¡¯t have to grieve me loss for long though as the pi?ata had only been a distraction. Two of its colleagues thought it wise to step out behind me and Etosh and smash into us with all they had. Did you hear the story about the dwarf who got thrown to the ground by someone crashing into him? Neither did I. With a light thud like raindrops they bounced off of us and stumbled back. I had finished reloading and charging BigBertha¡¯s runes. I loved shooting fish in a barrel. The head in front of me exploded and Bertha¡¯s greetings continued on to smash through a burning door with a shower of sparks. Etosh¡¯s assailant was less lucky. With a maniacal giggle Etosh jumped after it while blood red runes on his drum started glowing. With a swooshing noise the drum turned into a shadowy hole and Etosh slammed it straight over the poor shadow. The drum lit up with red light for a moment and returned to its normal appearance. We had made our first prisoner. No need to be careful from now on, one was good enough! From somewhere to my right I could hear the crisp sound of two shields being clashed together. We had suffered our first casualty, an attacker. The two remaining shields would join other squads and continue the hunt but I was disappointed. These were measly constructs of magic, paper warriors without emotions, hearts and stubbornness. They couldn¡¯t even use spells for crying out loud. Had I been too soft on the lads? Another clang tore me from me musing. We had lost a shield. What the fuck? The shadows shouldn¡¯t even be able to pierce our runic armour. What was going on? ¡°Etosh, hit it! Regroup!¡± When the first of three consecutive drum beats rolled through the garden and blew away the smoke obscuring me sight I got a glimpse of the problem. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Humans, gods damned humans were stalking through the inferno, finishing off every kitsune the shadows had missed. They were clad in matte black steel with a broken wheel painted in red on their chests. The fucking merchants who had bought residency rights a few years ago? I had only taken notice back then because the decision had made the crown prince of the third palace leave. Seemed like the kiddo had been right. The rotten traitors were cleaning up behind the shadows. While their damned slaves kept the kitsune disorientated and prevented organised resistance, killing guards and every capable warrior they could find, the humans finished off the rest. I could even see one with an array of slave collars. Wherever they dragged children from burning houses they¡¯d collar ¡®em and sent ¡®em away, I didn¡¯t know where. Crap, I would never have broken formation against enemies of flesh and blood. I turned me eyes towards the palaces but the thick branches blocked me view. I couldn¡¯t get up there at the moment anyways so they should be fine. I couldn¡¯t worry about stuff I couldn¡¯t change. ¡°Etosh, keep the drumbeat rolling, we have to rally the locals. Use the rhythm of their military drills.¡± I started shouting: ¡°rally to me dwarfs of the mines! Heed my voice foxes of the trees! To me!!! Gather free peoples of the five kingdoms, defend your home! Fight the shadow, kill the witch!¡± The first reply was muffled but as more and more voice joined in, the crackling fire was overcome and more than just dwarven voices answered: ¡°Throw ¡®em in the deepest ditch!¡± The dwarven squads were the first to reach us even though they still attacked every shadow and low life human they came across on the way. I was kinda proud of me lads. While everyone streamed towards our location, Brombolosh used his shield to lift me up so I could scramble onto a rooftop. I liked me self a straight line of sight. I had 48 bolts left and swore I¡¯d shoot at least half before I had to jump back down. No need for fancy runes, I was gonna split human skulls! And there was the first. He was completely oblivious, reaching for a downed, elderly kitsune when his head turned into red mush. The bolt travelled on and smashed the knee of one ugly bastard behind, throwing him to the ground. As I imagined his lovely screams, I thought to me self that I still had me touch. But there were more than enough to go. Me lady hadn¡¯t had her fill yet. It was time to use some of me surprises. I could t use mineral poison, the fox tribe didn¡¯t share our immunities, but I had me cousin brew up something special for occasions like that. A nasty little concoction that hung in the air for hours, like coal dust. It would attach to any active aura, meaning a sentient in the process of using energy, and suffocate the target. A nuisance for warriors, a gods damned pain in the ass for sorcerers and straight up deadly for beings like shadows. Let¡¯s even the battlefield a little, shall we? I attached a black, hollow marble to a bolt and prepped me love. I had three marbles, each could cover a decent amount of space in black goo if it exploded on the ground. But I had me self a different idea. With a deft pull I unhooked the second pair of throwing arms and turned them below the shaft. I could shoot two bolts simultaneously now and I adjusted the angel so that the two projectiles would collide after 50 meters or so. I loaded two marble- bolts and shot them straight up into the air. With a high pitched ping and the homey smell of volcanic ash, a dark cloud formed 50 meters up in the sky. Air currents from the burning tress below slammed into it and dispersed it farther and farther over the garden. It was like blowing iron dust over magnets. Me lovely brew would reach over most of the town and hone in on all the shadows hidden through out. Time to shoot some more traitors. 96 seconds and 16 bolts later I scrambled back down from the roof. I couldn¡¯t belief it, I had missed, twice! But 18 dead with 16 shots was still all right and I had most of me explosives left, mind you. Me lads were back and assembled, we had lost 8 up until now and 7 were seriously injured. A bunch of foxes were also along, some smeared with black goo. Huh, should have cancelled your spells, mates. It was time to clean house. ¡°Hollowed square, foxes and ranged in the middle, fire at will. No active magic! Defensive stand on the edges, we circle the big tree. Move!¡± Me lads were fast as ever but it took our new interns several seconds to understand what I wanted and a couple more to get to the middle. Two lines of dwarfs protected a square at the centre were the ranged combatants and foxes aimed their weapons or cared for the wounded. ¡°Inner line, activate guard runes, protect the middle. Outer line check every house on the way. Forwards!¡± Etosh¡¯s beat changed to the quick rhythm of our war chant and we marched. We marched and we sang. We cut through everything in our way like a scythe through grass. Shadows were squashed, humans were killed and we even quenched some of the fires we came across. Each dwelling was searched and the number of fox people in our midst kept growing. The rune formations on the armour of me lads were active and formed a protective bubble over our formation. If anything wanted to get through it would have to break the line. Me worries were limited. The shadows fought and the humans fled. Couldn¡¯t say I was surprised. We shot everyone in the back who was stupid enough to be seen, but I didn¡¯t break the formation again. Let ¡®em flee, I hadn¡¯t forgotten about the children or me dead comrades. We¡¯d find ¡®em again. Soon. Real soon. It was ungrateful work and more often than not everything we could salvage were corpses. It was a real piece of work to keep me lads from running after the traitors but I didn¡¯t want to lose any more friends tonight. But I did send off three fast runners back to the mine. If the humans meant to leave they would have to have an air ship around somewhere. I wanted it marked. We killed 28 shadows and 11 humans and saved 78 kitsune while we slowly pushed through the garden. Two more dwarfs succumbed to their wounds and we lost another 9 and 14 kitsune when one of the fox people suddenly exploded. Literally, one moment he was fine and the next he detonated with enough force to blow a dwarf-deep crater into the ground. Gods damned magic. Only the most spineless, useless piece of living trash would use a living bomb! When we cornered one of the humans a few minutes later, he experienced our displeasure. I wanted him alive, but that didn¡¯t mean in one piece. Me lads argued that all he needed was a mouth and the stuff necessary to use it. I agreed and we stripped him of his superfluous parts within a few minutes. When his wailing became to much, the boys also shoved a gag into his mouth and tied him up nicely for transport. It took us the better part of an hour to clear the garden. I set 60 of me lads to cover the entrances and 10 to guard the injured and turned towards the huge tree in the middle with the rest. Let¡¯s have a look how the royals fared, shall we? I scrutinised the branches from below but I still couldn¡¯t see much. At least nothing was on fire as far as I could tell. We headed towards the stairs a frightened boy had pointed out. When we were halfway there, I heard a scream from above and a round projectile sped towards us from the canopy. ¡°Shields!¡± I thundered. We took cover and a second later a loud gong vibrated through the air. I didn¡¯t sound like metal though, rather somewhat squishy. ¡°Chief, I think it¡¯s stuck to me shield,¡± Atosh said and then shook his head in disgust as blood interspersed with bone and a greyish fleshy substance dripped from his shield overhead onto his hair. ¡°Lower it.¡± Squashed on top of his shield was a deformed head, cracked open and nearly unrecognisable. The crumbled golden diadem adorned with rubies, pressed deeply into his forehead along with his long, golden hair were dead giveaways though. We were starring at the former first king and ruler of the first palace, Lord Sol. 23. Of repetitions, limits and a little bit of silver lining Cassandra Pendragon 1 hour earlier We hurried over to the hole in the wall and peered down. Smoke, flames and Boseiju¡¯s branches obscured our view but I could still discern a formation of dwarves enter the garden. It was an impressive sight, fire reflected on their armour and their voices carried over the cacophony all around. I couldn¡¯t make out any details but I felt much better when I saw a streak of white light erupt from the second row and annihilate a shadow perched on a branch above. Unlikely knights but the shining armour part they had down to a T. Maybe we had a chance now? I could collect everyone I cared about and fly them down to the dwarfs. Before I had thought we would have to fight our way to the airships above and, if we would have been able to get there, flee the island. But now, maybe we could stay. If one or two of us remained behind and rallied the remaining royals and their guards we might even be able to coordinate with the dwarfs and clear the garden and palaces before the sun would rise. First I had to make sure my loved ones were safe though. I closed my eyes for a second. My body still felt shaky and I had a nasty bump on my head were I had hit the wall. The stamina of my 7-year old self was nearly depleted and I didn¡¯t have more than one good fight left in me. Despair froze the edges of my mind as I thought about my family but I wouldn¡¯t succumb. They were still alive, they had to be! And I still had work to do before I could allow myself to break down. First, I needed a safe place to stow Greta until she recovered, but I didn¡¯t know what safe from body-less assassins meant. Could they walk through walls? Or materialise in every shadow? I wouldn¡¯t risk it. I opened my eyes and headed for the door: ¡°Ahri, can you carry Greta? It shouldn¡¯t be too far either way. Stay close, whatever happens, we stay together. Drop her if need be.¡± I hated myself at that moment but if we were going to be attacked and had to flee, we couldn¡¯t carry her along. I was sure I couldn¡¯t lift the weight of two people, heck, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I could fly with Ahri clinging to me and I wouldn¡¯t leave Greta here. The shadow from before could return at any moment. Ahri gave me a strange look, uncertainty mixed with guilt. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡­I will create a strong enough protection to keep the shadows out temporarily if you can give me two minutes. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m really good with defensive rituals.¡± A ritual was just a fancy name given to the process of manipulating energy when several ingredients to boost the strength were included. I would have asked her where she came to have the knowledge, but I could guess. And hat wasn¡¯t the time for an intimate talk about her family. ¡°Great, hurry, I¡¯ll have a look around outside.¡± The silence was getting to me. I strained my ears but everything seemed quiet, even the alarm had stopped. Before I left the room I used my wings to form a lattice of criss crossing lines around my body, not much use against a weapon but I¡¯d bet the shadows would think twice about touching me now. I could still untangle one wing or another to strike out so I felt much better prepare as I strode through the door. I could hear Ahri¡¯s soft mumbling from behind, interrupted twice when she burned sage and myrrh, the intensive aroma weft into the corridor and drowned out the smell of ash and fire. I couldn¡¯t see a thing out of the ordinary so I quickly darted into my room, changed into clean trousers with a black shirt and pocketed the emblem again. Aurora¡¯s letter, the coin Mordred had given me and an old plush toy my mom had gotten me for my third birthday joined it. I wasn¡¯t sure how many of the things I didn¡¯t carry with me would survive the night. I hurried back to Ahri and Greta, but on the way I finally heard a noise. From the courtyard below I could hear a scream, and the thud thud thud of running feet. I stumbled to a halt and peered out of a high window. Icy fear raced along my spine and I flung myself through the glass and outside into the night air without a moment¡¯s hesitation. In a shower of shards and iridescent light I descended onto the scene below. My parents were running from the royal wing towards the soldier¡¯s barracks, a smothering tide of darkness close behind. My mom pressed Adam close to her chest while my father whipped around from time to time to cast a spell into the oncoming wall of shadows. There had to be at least 10 of them and they were gaining on my parents, fast. As soon as I had smashed the window, I could hear muffled fighting sounds from within the barracks. Mordred had probably found some help. The servant¡¯s wing was dark and silent but as I sailed through the night I could smell the thick scent of blood drifting through the air. My heart clenched, I feared that everyone who wasn¡¯t up and fighting by now would never rise again. Gravity took hold and I needed more and more of my wings to control my fall. I aimed for the space in between my parents and the oncoming tide of shadows and abandoned my makeshift armour completely. Every wing I didn¡¯t need to change directions I struck out with. I couldn¡¯t see very well as I flashed over the shadows, let alone aim, but I felt confident that if I couldn¡¯t hurt them, I would at the very least stop their momentum and gain my parents some time. I was only partly right. I did break the charge but I also hit quite a few. My wings couldn¡¯t burn through their essence fast enough and I got stuck. With a yelp I was thrown towards the ground, like a stone on a string. My back felt like it had been split apart but my momentum had been enough to tore my wings loose. With a grunt I pushed as hard as I could with every torrent of energy I had available and barely managed to righten myself. I hadn¡¯t gained enough hight though and tumbled head first into my running parents. We went down in a tangled mess of arm, legs and tails. I felt battered and bruised right about everywhere but I hadn¡¯t hit the ground with full force. I had been the one to crush into them, so they were both beneath me. Please, let Adam be alright! I could move my limbs and lost no time to scramble back to my feet and form a cage of energy around us. I knew from experience that a physically strong opponent could force his way through, but I liked my chances against these shadows. They were in no condition to attack us anyways. I had eviscerated 4 of them directly and two more had suffered deep gashes along their torsos. They seemed on the verge of collapse, the edges blurred and flickering in and out of the visible spectrum on the spot. The remaining 5 needle a moment to orientate themselves but then they didn¡¯t hesitate and dispersed into the surrounding darkness. I was about to turn around and check on the others when I saw a formless, black string of smoke glide through the holes in my net. Once through it solidified into the shadow of a huge kitsune with 2 tails. That had probably been Jerome, a sparring partner and acquaintance of my Brother¡¯s before the emperor had stolen his soul. Bastard! While I sent two torrents of energy out to finish the downed assailants, I lost no time to bring several of my wings together as fast as I possibly could to burn the goddamn monstrosity in front of me. My back protested and I could feel already stressed muscles and ligaments tear but I was fast enough. With a hiss and flash of silvery light the shadow dispersed into nothingness, before it could move and the smell of ozone was all that was left. My elation was short lived however, as I saw the slithering movement of its 4 companions closing in on us. Every time I tried to move a wing a burning sensation shot along my back and the appendage only quivered. The unsteady cage around us dropped to the ground and the shadows reformed and charged. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. My knees trembled and nearly faltered. I felt helpless and didn¡¯t know what to do, my stamina was spent and I was seriously hurt. Again. Damn it all to hell and back, I might as well try to hit one manually. Again. I fumbled for a bunch of energy torrents but before I could bend my aching back a dark-blue bolt of energy followed my father¡¯s command and shot by my left side smashing into the closest shadow. It was lifted off its feet and carried along. Spell and shadow crashed into a wall and the ball of energy grew, swallowing the shadow and turning into a matte black colour. It didn¡¯t reflect the light but seemed to swallow it, a perfect prison. Simultaneously a white flash of light charged down from the same window I had smashed previously and slammed into the remaining three, incinerating one on the spot and blowing the other two away. They tumbled through the air until two white rays of lightning pierced their forms and reduced them to ash that drifted away into the night. I gave in and collapsed to my knees, my eyes glued to Ahri¡¯s glowing form, erect and steady despite the impact. Radiant white runes covered her cheeks, her wrists and her ankles. She had ripped away the lower part of her shirt and a turning, black spiral covered her navel. Energy coursed through the formation and pulsed through her body. Her eyes were solemn and her palms still shimmered with white light where the lightning had originated. ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled. She turned to me and her eyes roamed over my body, lingering on my hunched posture and unmoving wings. She gave me a wary grin: ¡°You gave me more than two minutes.¡± We were interrupted when my mom threw her arms around me from behind and pressed me into her chest. ¡°By the great fox, Cassy, Ahri! Thank you so much. You saved us! But¡­ but how did you get back into the palace? And where is your brother?¡± I could feel Adams small body tucked in somewhere behind me. He squirmed but didn¡¯t cry. He was probably spelled into a trance. ¡°Helena, let the girl breath, she can¡¯t even stand,¡± my father injected. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Mordred should be behind you, somewhere in the barracks. I¡¯d head towards the battle noise. Go, run and help him! There can¡¯t be too many shadows left. Leave mom and Adam with me, we¡¯ll catch up in a minute.¡± I couldn¡¯t make my body move but somehow we had to help Mordred. It would be better if I stayed back while Ahri and my dad rushed ahead. I half expected my father to overrule me but with a nod he dashed towards the dark entrance behind him, blue magic at his fingertips. Ahri hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant to leave me behind in my condition. I was really glad she cared for me so much, but that wasn¡¯t the time, I still had mom and Mordred was fighting at the moment. ¡°Just go, I¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± I added while I pushed on her thighs: ¡°I won¡¯t die before we had a chance to chat. You won¡¯t get out of it this easily.¡± That made her smile for real and she sprinted after my father, runes ablaze. With the starry sky above and whirls of smoke clinging to her figure I thought she looked beautiful like a goddess and maybe just as powerful. If only she had fiery wings and crystal blue eyes¡­ With an effort I pulled myself back to reality. My mom still clung to my back. I squirmed lightly to get her to ease off and I managed to get enough room to turn around on my knees. She looked dreadful, her hair in disarray with gashes and burn marks all over her dress. She had a nasty cut on her right arm but seemed unharmed otherwise. Adam was tightly pressed to her side, one of her tails supporting him from below. He was dozing peacefully, snot running down his nose and into the fur on my mother¡¯s tail while he snored. I placed my hand lightly on his head and kissed my mother on the cheek. ¡°I am glad you are alright. Is Eva¡­¡± I mumbled into her ear but I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence, my voice choked off. Her eyes were full of sorrow and regret but remained dry while she nodded. ¡°They came, minutes after you had left. One second we were talking and the next the protective enchantments around the room lit up. Your father and I jumped to our feet while his guards charged into the room. 2 of these¡­ things appeared and Albert pushed me to the kitchen while the guards distracted them. One was already there and he had¡­ he had torn her to shreds!¡± Her voice caught for a moment but when she continued it was steady again: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to hurt them, so I bound it with my strongest spell. But wherever my magic touched the thing it dissolved. I had bought us some time though, so we grabbed Adam and ran for the barracks. A squadron of guards was fighting multiple of these monsters in the throne room. I wanted to help but your father pulled me back and we got out through a window.¡± She took a deep breath and finished: ¡°One of them saw us and they were after us before the last guard dropped. A couple more came form the servant¡¯s wing and the rest you know.¡± A tear trickled down my cheek but I didn¡¯t have time to grieve for Eva and the dead. Neither did my mom. That would come later. ¡°Mordred and I were attacked on the training grounds but we pulled through. Henry and Robert didn¡¯t. When we got back to the palace, Greta had blown off part of the wall while defending Ahri. I left my brother and headed there directly. Greta is fine but unconscious, she used too much soul energy and is suffering from backlash. Ahri did cast some form of protection over her before she followed me into the courtyard.¡± I took a moment to sort through what had happened and continued: ¡°These things are shadows, animated soul energy if you so will. They are hard to kill but I think the only ones left in our palace should be in the barracks. I can stand again, but I can¡¯t fight. What about you?¡± ¡°I can still fight but my magic can¡¯t compete with soul based creatures. We will stay outside and wait for our family. Warn them if we see more shadows around. Between your father, brother, Ahri and how ever many guards are still alive, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll manage. Turn around, let me see your back.¡± I didn¡¯t protest. She was right, I wasn¡¯t any help to anyone at the moment and Ahri and my dad had proven that they were more than capable to deal with a few shadows. I turned my back to her and concentrated on the distant sounds, reaching me from across the courtyard. It wasn¡¯t the usual battle noise of steel on steel but rather muffled grunts and the rumbling of spells. While my mother examined my back the noises suddenly culminated in a resounding thunder clap that shook the walls and set the windows ringing. White light interspersed with blue specks flooded through the ground floor of the barracks and blew out the windows. We were thrown to the ground and struggled to not fall onto Adam. When my ears stopped ringing, the barracks were ablaze and six figures strode towards us, out of the flaming inferno. 24. Of schemes, guilt and a little bit of resolution Cassandra Pendragon Ahri, my brother, father and three soldiers headed straight for us. Ahri¡¯s runes were spent and had lost their glow. Heir hair was singed on one side and she held her right arm close to her body but managed a small smile when our eyes met. My brother was mess, bruises and shallow cuts covered his arms and he favoured his left leg heavily. The tip of one of his tails was missing and his left eye was swollen shut. He leaned heavily on his sword but still supported one of the guards who had blood running from his hairline and a vacant expression on his face as he shuffled along. My father and the other two soldiers brought up the rear. They were in much better shape, a few superficial cuts were all I could see. With a serious effort and a stab of pain I tucked my wings back in and rushed forwards to meet them as fast as my tired body would allow but was overtaken by my mom after a few steps. ¡°Mordred, Albert!¡± Adam was left snoozing on the ground. She clung to her son like her life depended on it and curled her tails around her husband, which elicited and painful groan from the one and a happy smile from the other. I wanted to give them a moment and hugged Ahri tightly. I expected the guards to be a little uncomfortable with their royal family abandoning all decorum but a life and death threat reorganised one¡¯s priorities rather quickly. They smiled at the reunion and the third one, Jules I think, was still staring off into the distance, contemplating the mysteries of the universe hidden behind his own name. Both eluded him for the time being. I breathed in Ahri¡¯s scent and whispered: ¡°Thanks for going after them. That was your spell at the end, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Her ear twitched against my cheek and she nodded slightly. ¡°Your father helped a lot. Cassy, we really need to talk. I feel like much of what is happening is my fault. I should have¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I interrupted her, ¡°its not. We really have much to talk about but let¡¯s get out of the courtyard for now. There is more than enough blame to go around but none of it is yours. I already know a little about you, Mrs. Arete, and your past isn¡¯t the reason this is happening.¡± She flinched and pulled back, a haunted look in her eyes but there was also a gleam of hope when she realised I meant it. She embraced me swiftly again and headed for Jules who had been left alone in his stupor when my mom had forced Mordred into a hug. I turned towards my brother who was still being smothered in maternal love. ¡°Good to see you again, but I must say you lost weight wince last we met.¡± My mom whacked me with one of her tails but Mordred only smiled wearily: ¡°You should see the other guy. And I heard the more adventurous ladies like their men a little rough around the edges. Who knows, maybe I can find myself a daring bride now.¡± If he could still crack a lame joke, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. And admittedly the tail stump went rather well with his dark physique. I joined the group hug: ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Thanks for bringing him back, dad.¡± I kissed them both on their cheeks, which I could barely reach when I stood on my toes. My back protested but I managed. We enjoyed each other¡¯s presence for a moment until my father finally said: ¡°I didn¡¯t see anymore shadows, I think the palace is clear. Has anyone any idea what¡¯s going on outside? I heard drums¡­¡± hadn¡¯t they heard the song? I thought it had been a dead giveaway. ¡°The dwarven colony entered the garden a few minutes ago. I think they are fighting against the shadows down there. I don¡¯t know about the other families but it stands to reason they are under attack as well. I think I recognised some of the shadows. They belonged to the second family, once.¡± I answered and my mom added thoughtfully: ¡°so did I. I didn¡¯t realise it until you just said so, but one of the figures who attacked us looked just like Mineve. Didn¡¯t she, Albert? You know, the charming scholar who helped you with the trade agreement some years back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and the other one resembled one of their royal guards. I can¡¯t remember the name, but I¡¯ve seen him often enough to recognise his shape. By the great fox, everyone in the second palace must have been turned to get so many of these monstrosities. We have to go to the armoury, we need potions and weapons.¡± My father said. His eyes travelled over our small group and he continued: ¡°We can be¡­¡± the drum from below cut him short as three beats, louder than before, drowned out everything else. I could feel a tremor travel through the branch we stood on with every mighty clap. Silence followed and we stared at each other. The drum started again, this time beating a rhythm I knew very well, it was ¡°John Fox¡¯s body, that¡¯s our marching song.¡± One of the guards, Jonathan I thought, exclaimed. He turned red: ¡°Begging their highnesses¡¯s pardon.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right. But why would they use it?¡± My father looked thoughtful. ¡°Are they trying to rally our people as well? We need to know what¡¯s going on.¡± The other soldier, I didn¡¯tknown his name, replied: ¡°Your Majesty, the observation orbs were stowed in the barracks. I can¡¯t imagine that they survived. But there should be spare ones in the armoury. Jonathan and I can go and collect them along with everything else that looks useful, like you mentioned before.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to split up again. There could still be more of these things around. We¡¯ll go together.¡± ¡°Greta is still unconscious on the second floor, I need to get her.¡± I added, ¡°Until my back is somewhat restored I¡¯m not much help anyways. I¡¯d have to go with Ahri, she hid Greta under an enchantment she has to undo. We could meet back here in 10 minutes.¡± My dad was on the verge of arguing and I understood. I wasn¡¯t keen on splitting up either, but I needed some timeto clear my mind and I wanted to talk to Ahri alone. We would also be wasting less time and I felt like time would be of the essence if we wanted to somehow save our home. His thoughts were going in the same direction and he nodded begrudgingly. ¡°Stay safe, we¡¯ll meet back here in 10 minutes. Take your mother and Adam with you. Jules will be alright on his own for a few minutes. He can¡¯t move fast anyway. No, that¡¯s not up for discussion. Don¡¯t be late.¡± So much for a private chat. My farther took off with his guards, Mordred striding along. The short break had done wonders for his leg and he barely limped anymore. I picked up Adam, if anyone had to carry him it should be me, seeing as I couldn¡¯t fight at the moment, and winced from the stab of pain. I wished I was able to heal my body. If I ever had the chance I¡¯d become the greatest healer there was. Pain sucked. Seriously, how could you use magic destructively when you could also learn to mend, repair or grow. I wasn¡¯t naive, if the last days had taught me anything it was that I would have to learn how to fight, the sooner the better. If you couldn¡¯t protect your hide it would be worthless with or without healing powers. But whenever I had the opportunity I¡¯d learn as much about healing as I possible could. If I had listened to some of Greta¡¯s more boring lectures, I might have already known a thing or two. By all the gods, I hoped she was okay. As I was thinking about her, the mutilated shadow she had nearly killed came to mind. Where had it gone? I hoped it had replenished its energies and had joined the hunt for my parents. Than it would be among the slain in the courtyard but I couldn¡¯t be sure. One more thing to worry about. As if the mess we were in wasn¡¯t big enough. A veritable army of enslaved souls had attacked our family and the garden, presumably the other palaces as well. But why? I had always thought the emperor wanted to capture me. I had expected some form of kidnapping attempt sooner or later but sacrificing all of his minions to form an army and attack us? An army made of incorporeal shadows that suffered from a single touch of my wings, mind you. It made no sense, unless¡­ what? Why would he put all of his eggs in one basket while he still had the trial going and the second family under his control? All fake confidence aside, I had been pretty sure that he¡¯d easily get the kings to exile me. He could have even started branding members of the other families while the trial was ongoing, slowly taking over every palace¡­ Huh, could that be it? Had he gained enough influence that he could take over completely if my family was gone? It made sense, in a way. He would sacrifice the second family to gain his army, staging a coupe d¡¯etat separately within every palace, killing everyone who wasn¡¯t bound to him. He¡¯d kill off our house completely and the attack on the garden would give him the opportunity to swoop in with his newly gained subordinates and save the day. He would be in complete control, all he needed was scapegoat to pin the attack on. He could even be sufficiently sure that I would survive, considering the nature of his shadows. Why had I been poisoned back in the training grounds, than? Had it been a non lethal poison, or something else? Damn, I hadn¡¯t asked Mephisto when I had had the chance. Unless¡­ I was the scapegoat! He wanted me alive and officially sentenced. Then he would do as he pleased. By the great fox, if I was right, the last free members of the other royal families would be killed right about now. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The emperor had to make sure we weren¡¯t in any shape to challenge his claims. As soon as their job was done, every shadow employed within the other palaces would hunt us down. If I was right, we would have to run. We had to get down to the garden and tell the dwarfs and remaining kitsune what was happening. Together we might be able to stem the tide. The question was, how much time did we have? Should we already be on the way? When last I had waited, we had payed dearly. But we had to collect Greta anyway and regroup with the others. We also needed medicine and weapons. There was nothing to do but hurry up. My musings were interrupted when my mom pulled me into a sideways hug and said: ¡°Your walking much better already. I think you ruptured a few ligaments in your back, but you¡¯ll be fine with a potion. Now, after what you told us over dinner and what has happened, I¡¯m wondering if you know more than you already shared. Is there something else you would like to tell me?¡± Her voice was steady but her tone was slightly higher than usual. We had passed through the courtyard and had crossed the throne room to reach the stairs. The ground floor was a nightmare of a battlefield. Limbs, bodies and weapons were scattered all around. I couldn¡¯t even tell to how many soldiers they had belonged to. Some remains were rotten beyond recognition and a sea of blood, clearly showing the footsteps we had just made, slowly spread over the floor. I had had to cover my face, the smell of decay, excrements and blood was just too much. With the scent still present and the images burned into my mind her question hit me like a hammer. Was it my fault? Should I have shared everything, including my speculations and what Mephisto had told me? Could I have prevented this if I hadn¡¯t been to proud to ask for help? Or to moronic to even realise I had needed it fast? I pressed my eyes shut for a moment but still a single tear slid down my cheek. No, I had been unconscious for the better part of the last days and a few hours would hardly have made a difference. Maybe. I would wallow in self pity later. I brushed over my moist fave and shoved down the lump of guilt hanging in my throat. ¡°Yes, but let¡¯s wait for the others. They all have to hear it and we shouldn¡¯t linger. I think it¡¯s even worse than it appears but I¡¯m only guessing.¡± Mom brushed through my hair and answered: ¡°oh honey, I didn¡¯t imply that any of this is your fault. We¡¯ll get through this, we¡¯ll find a way.¡± The last part was directed more towards herself than me, but I still shared the sentiment. Her arm still around my shoulders we climbed the last steps to the second floor. Everything seemed unchanged and quiet and we hurried to Ahri¡¯s room. The door was open but the sight behind charged my body with adrenaline once again. The room was dimly lit, Ahri had left a glow stone on the bed besides Greta. The bed was surrounded by a circle of runes, each glowing in a faint golden light. A sphere rose up from them, encapsulating the bed in a shimmering cage of magic. A shadow with a missing tail and a deep gash along its right side flitted across the chaos of our last fight. It searched madly for a weak spot in the runes, slamming its fists into them or turning into smoke to slither through between them. It was repelled every time with a hiss of magic and the smell of ozone. A large part of its substance had already been burned but the runes were gradually turning dimmer, even as we watched. I wanted to unfurl my wings to at least have a weapon but my back felt like it was about to burst into flames as I tried to bring them forth. With a yelp I tumbled backwards, Adam tightly pressed to my side, and my mother and Ahri rushed past me and into the room. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it,¡± my mother cried and a yellow light interspersed with pink streaks formed in her hands. With a clap it shot towards the shadow and dispersed all over its figure. Wherever her light met its darkness a violent hissing noise erupted and the light began to flicker and vanish. But the shadow was occupied for the time being, time Ahri used really well. She practically flew into the room and plucked a plain steel rapier from the wall. Whirling around she thrust the rapier through the runic barrier with a commanding shout: ¡°Transformate!¡± The cage disappeared instantly and the runes lit up brightly on the floor before they, too, disappeared. The next instant golden light erupted from Ahri¡¯s rapier and the runes reappeared along the edge and on the guard. The weapon looked light crystallised lightning and illuminated the whole room for a second as Ahri charged forwards. Like Zeus on the Titans she descended on the shadow and pierced its form where the heart should have been. With a shout she jumped back, her rapier still stuck in the shadow. From the hole in its chest cracks started to form all over its figure. Golden light crawled from the rapier and shone through the cracks. It slowly crept over the shadow. The rapier dimmed as more and more light penetrated the dark figure. I could smell ozone and its edges started to blur, eroded by the bright light. It shuddered and twitched once before, with an explosion of golden sparks, it vanished for good. The rapier dropped to the ground, the blade melted at the edges and the hilt charred and deformed. My mom whistled through her teeth: ¡°You have to teach me that trick sometime. Well done!¡± Ahri nodded gratefully: ¡°it would never have worked without your binding spell. Thanks a lot!¡± I had to laugh quietly when I heard their exchange. At least these two weren¡¯t as useless as me at the moment. I needed a healing potion as fast as possible. Without my wings I was clearly a burden. Something I would have to rectify as soon as possible. Fighting and healing, the next few years would be tightly packed. At least I couldn¡¯t learn spells yet. ¡°You¡¯re both brilliant. But could we check on Greta?¡± Ahri turned around towards Greta¡¯s bed and said: ¡°This makes us even, old hag.¡± A gnarly voice, like old trees creaking in the wind replied: ¡°not even close, youngster.¡± 25. Of duties, plans and a little bit of trickery Cassandra Pendragon We all rushed to Greta¡¯s side and bombarded her with questions: ¡°you¡¯re awake, how can you be awake? Do you know what happened? Can you move?¡­¡± ¡°Calm yourselves. I¡¯m fine for the most part but still drained. Are we still in danger?¡± She croaked. Before anyone could answer I replied: ¡°Yes, we are. We should get moving. Can you walk?¡± ¡°With a little help I should be fine. Why the rush? What¡¯s going on? All seems quiet.¡± ¡°My husband and two soldiers are waiting for us in the courtyard. Let¡¯s get there first before we start talking.¡± My mother interrupted. ¡°We should hurry.¡± Greta didn¡¯t insist but rose slowly to her feet. Ahri, who had picked two more blades from the wall while we had been talking, had to keep her steady but she could move. We didn¡¯t waste any more time and headed to the courtyard. The others were back already. Mordred and my father were clad in mithril from head to toe. Mordred carried his longsword and my father had his sceptre in hand. All three of the guards, Jules had been given a healing potion, wore steel plate and had mithril shields and halberds in their hands. I didn¡¯t see any additional equipment, but it was probably stashed away in my father¡¯s dimensional stamp. A short explanation about artefacts, runes and alchemy might be in order. Materials could be imbued with different forms of energy. In short, the right substance could be enchanted to do anything a sentient could do, sometimes even more. Several practitioners could work together to create a single artefact, for example, or the enchantments could be strengthened through other means, like sacrifices or energy sources. The power of an artefact was mainly limited by the ingenuity of the creator. The purpose of alchemy was transformation. Practitioners extracted the energetic essence, mostly of plants and used them to create something new. A healing potion, for example, could be produced with mana essences, life essences or soul essences resulting in three different grades of purity. The plants and substances to extract the essences from became increasingly more difficult to find and the rituals of transformation became ever more complex and difficult. A mana based healing potion would stimulate the natural healing process and supply as much energy as was contained in it. It couldn¡¯t regrow limbs or cure poisons but almost any injury would disappear in a matter of seconds. And they were expensive. A life based potion would heal the very life essence itself, it would basically reset the body to a healthy version, short of death there was nothing it couldn¡¯t cure. We had one of those in the armoury. I had never heard about what a soul potion could do, or even what ingredients could hold soul energy but I imagined it to be rather spectacular. Runes were something else entirely. They reflected the mastery over a concept, be a light, fire, water or something more esoteric like sharpness. The more knowledge the creator had, the closer the runes could mirror the concept. They were basically formations used to channel energy into specific patterns and the more detailed the formations were, the more far reaching the effects could be. The protection Ahri had created for example had channeled mana into a cage around Greta and the shadow had been forced to deplete the stored energy before it could overcome the runic barrier. If Ahri had been there to supplement them with energy continuously, she should have been able to hold the barrier indefinitely. Hmm¡­ I should remember that. Anyway, I didn¡¯t know exactly what my dad had stored away in his stamp but I knew we had some interesting artefacts and a view bottles of healing potions down in the armoury. Usually potions wouldn¡¯t effect me, their energy couldn¡¯t circulate through my body, but Greta had told me early on that I could mix a drop of my blood into them. It would act as a catalyst and allow the potion to work. Unfortunately that meant every alchemical poison that came into contact with my blood would work just as well. I had received a painful reminder of that fact not half an hour ago. We gathered around my dad and he quickly scrutinised everyone of us. ¡°We have 10 healing potions left. Cassy, Greta you should each take one.¡± He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. Two vials filled with an emerald potion appeared in his hand. He handed one to each of us and continued: ¡°We have enough weapons and armour for all of us but I don¡¯t know if any of you can use them. For the observation orbs and other artefacts I need a quiet place and some time to activate them. We could try to barricade in the dungeon or the armoury and activate the orbs before we make any decisions.¡± I cleared my throat: ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t think we can. I have an idea what might be happening¡­¡± I had already mixed my potion with a drop of blood and downed the concoction. I could feel the muscles and ligaments in my back regenerate as I started talking. I quickly reiterated Mordred¡¯s story, what I knew about shadows and the emperor and continued: ¡°the only reason I can see, why the emperor would risk an attack, is if he expects he will be able to replenish his forces. I think he has used the last days to brand members of the other families and is taking over the palaces right now. When he¡¯s done, the remaining shadows will descend on us like foxes on a rabbit.¡± Silence was the only answer I received. Everybody was looking at me and I could see despair creep into their eyes. We were only nine, if I was correct how were we supposed to get out alive, let alone protect our home? My father was the first to find his voice again: ¡°We won¡¯t know if you are right until we can either communicate with one of the palace or get the observation orbs to work. As far as I can tell our options didn¡¯t change. We can either try to reach the dwarfs in the garden or we stay and barricade down. We could also try to go on the offensive, but I¡¯m not sure what the nine of us (he didn¡¯t include Adam for obvious reasons) could do. We had over 50 guards in our palace and these three are the only ones left. I can¡¯t imagine how we could even start fighting against another, probably even larger, horde of shadows.¡± ¡°If we decide to leave, we would have to sneak down the stairs or I would have to carry you all down one by one. I don¡¯t think the stairs are unguarded, the emperor wouldn¡¯t have such a lapse of judgement. If I were to carry you down, I would bet the shadows will be onto us before I touched down in the garden for the first time. We would also lose our foothold on Boseiju and either have to abandon our home or fight our way back up the stairs against everything he decides to throw our way.¡± I paused briefly. ¡°There is another option, though. We could split up. Fortify a place to activate the artefacts, try to reach the dwarfs and sneak into the other palaces, all at the same time. If some of us get caught, the others would still have a chance to succeed. We could gather our forces in the garden and still have people on Boseiju who can relay information or simply keep the emperor occupied while we try to take back our home.¡± Nobody liked what I had had to say, but they didn¡¯t contradict me either. We all knew that, most likely, not all of us would make it through the night and this way we would at least not go down together in a blaze of useless glory. ¡°If we do this I want you, your brother and Adam down in the garden with the dwarfs. I won¡¯t even contemplate it otherwise!¡± This time my mom had been the first to speak up. I understood where she was coming from, but that didn¡¯t mean I agreed. I had already expected to be sent down, I could fly after all and my abilities were rather narrow. I could use my wings to a devastating degree against enchantments and magical beings but I couldn¡¯t use spells or even fight properly. Up here I could only be of some help in guarding the artefacts and whoever was operating them, but even then I would be at a loss if I were to come face to face with normal soldiers, let alone accomplished spell slingers. They would put me six feet under with an indirect spell like a flying rock or a guided weapon before I would even see them coming. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Mordred was another matter. He could cast spells, was a formidable warrior in his own right and the only one who had met the emperor personally. Sending him away was just dumb. Before I could voice my opinion though, Greta had already answered for me: ¡°I think Cassandra is right but I also agree with Helena, for the most part. Cassy and Adam should leave but I don¡¯t think Mordred should tack along. If it¡¯s just the two of them, she can take off right here and now and be with the dwarfs before anyone is the wiser. With Mordred it would make for two trips and we sorely need him here. He is the best fighter we have and his magical knowledge and spell casting abilities rival my own. Don¡¯t let your worries make a fool out of you, Helena.¡± My mother had already opened her mouth to voice just how much she cared about Greta¡¯s opinion when my dad placed a hand on her upper arm and whispered into her ear: ¡°You know she is right. But also think about what would happen if you were to send Mordred away. He is a fighter and the prince of this kingdom. He would be on the frontlines when they were to retake the stairs to Boseiju, whatever we say or do beforehand.¡± He turned to me and added: ¡°but you won¡¯t. I want your promise that you will stay away from fights as well as you possibly can. Should it look like we are about to lose, you will take everyone that¡¯s willing to listen with you and abandoned this island. There is an airship close to the dwarven mines. When push comes to shove, you will take it. Have I made myself clear?¡± ¡°Do you really expect me to turn tails on everyone I care about? Forget it, I will fly down but you don¡¯t have a chance to make me abandon all of you and my home!¡± I meant it, I didn¡¯t want to survive alone and without a home, let alone the guilt I¡¯d be carrying around with me for the rest of my life. If we were to fail, I¡¯d fight to the very end alongside everyone else. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a question!¡± My father thundered. ¡°I¡¯m ordering you as your father and your king to get to the dwarfs and abandon us if it should become necessary.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯m not going to obey.¡± That shocked him enough for me to continue: ¡°my personal feelings aside, I can¡¯t abandon our people. Didn¡¯t you always preach that being a royal was mainly a duty, not a privilege? I¡¯m more than ready to do anything that will bolster our chances but I¡¯m not going to run. It wouldn¡¯t be right and I¡¯m not going to do it.¡± He opened his mouth once, twice but couldn¡¯t muster a response. I hoped it was because he thought I was right and not because he was too indignant for words. Greta¡¯s soft chuckle cut through the heavy silence: ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should congratulate you on bringing her up the right way or if I should pity you for all the fights you sure are going to have with her. But she¡¯s right. You can¡¯t make her leave and I don¡¯t think you even should. Even if you ignore her heritage, she¡¯s more than just your daughter, she¡¯s a princess. You shouldn¡¯t make her shirk her responsibilities.¡± Both my parents fixes her with a share that should have killed her by all rights. Greta simply shrugged and added: ¡°just ask yourselves: would you leave your home, especially if it¡¯s on the brink of destruction?¡± Mordred nodded silently. Unexpectedly Jules, the guard who had been hit on the head, interfered as well: ¡°begging your highness¡¯s pardon, I didn¡¯t understand everything that has been said but from what I did understand and could witness in the last half hour, the princess has earned the right to fight, if she so wishes. I know it¡¯s not my place to speak up, but I thought someone who isn¡¯t closely related or a guardian to her should. Pardon my impudence, your highness.¡± My father seemed ready to explode but my mom calmed him down with a gentle touch: ¡°Albert, they are correct. I don¡¯t like it any more than you do, but we don¡¯t have the right, let alone the means to send her away.¡± She turned to me and added: ¡°but should we come out of this alive, I expect you to remember what you said. Being a royal is mainly a duty and you will start to take it seriously. We¡¯ll talk about the future tomorrow, but if you want to be treated like an adult, you should better behave like one.¡± Fighting, healing and now politics¡­ dying tonight didn¡¯t seem so bad all of a sudden. Well not really, but I couldn¡¯t imagine that I would enjoy the changes to my life if we pulled through. Never the less I answered: ¡°Fair enough. Just promise me you¡¯ll be around to make sure I don¡¯t forget.¡± Her expression softened and she stared into my eyes for a long time before she answered: ¡°I promise, whatever happens this won¡¯t be the last time we see each other.¡± I had to fight to keep my tears back but I still rushed in and embraced my mom tightly. After a second I pulled my dad and brother into the hug as well and whispered: ¡°thanks, stay safe. All of you.¡± I pulled back, unsure if I would ever be able to let them go if I remained in their warmth for longer. I tuned to Greta and Ahri and asked: ¡°would you come with me for a moment? There is something I want to give to you.¡± ¡°More secrets?¡± My father inquired suspiciously. ¡°Not really, it¡¯s about a spell Greta used. It¡¯s no good at the moment but maybe they can make it work before you encounter any more enemies.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie, per se, but it wasn¡¯t the truth either. My dad stared at me for a moment longer but finally nodded his okay. Greta and Ahri joined me and we walked a good distance, I knew how good kitsune hearing could be. When we were about 20 meters away, I turned around and intended to start talking, but my voice caught. It really hit me then that this might as well be the last time I could ever speak to them. There was so much I wanted to say, but nothing of it had anything to do with the present. No, I would see them again, I¡¯d make sure of it. I would go find the dwarfs, but I wasn¡¯t going to stay with them. I would wing my way back as soon as I had delivered my message. And I had a way to make sure I would find them again. Inhaling deeply I said: ¡°there is much I want to tell you but I¡¯ll keep it quick. You both are just as precious to me as my family and I expect you to take care of one another. I want to see you again come sunrise. There is also this,¡± I fumbled with my pockets for a second and produced the tarnished emblem. ¡°Greta knows what it is. You can tell Ahri later but right know you need to know that he has depleted his stores of energy. All of them. If you can find a way to replenish them, he should be able to help.¡± I tossed the coin to my mentor and continued: ¡°all you have to do is call his name.¡± Before they had a chance to reply I hugged Greta and gave Ahri a kiss on the cheek. Ahri¡¯s eyes were moist and I thought even Greta¡¯s stern features softened a little. Before either of them could say anything I turned around and strode back to the group. I felt a little bad but I wasn¡¯t going to tell them that I could feel my energy in the emblem even from a great distance. They would probably have guessed what I intended to do and never taken the disk. And how was I supposed to find them than? The logistics from this point on were straight forward and it took less than 5 minutes until we left the courtyard for good. I¡¯d take Adam into the canopy and hide around our palace for as long as possible. If an army of shadows was to arrive, I¡¯d fly off towards the dwarfs. If nobody came after an hour, I¡¯d contact my dad. He had given me a crystal that was connected to another, central one he¡¯d keep on him the whole time. There were plenty of crystals but they all connected to this one centre-piece. My father would be in contact with each of us, but we couldn¡¯t reach one another. He and his three soldiers would use a passage on the underside of our branch to reach Boseiju¡¯s trunk. There was a hidden grove where they would try to activate the artefacts. My mom, Ahri, Mordred and Greta were going to follow along but they¡¯d continue on and climb over Boseiju to reach the first palace. The first family were friends of ours and if we could find allies anywhere, it would be there, plus it was the closest. I didn¡¯t unfurl my wings yet in case the light show would attract attention and stormed along the branch on foot, Adam in my arms. I picked a side branch close to the palace and followed it until I had left the artificially changed part and could hide behind leafs and blossoms. The scene was disturbing. I had the smell of cherry blossoms in my nose and the fragrance evoked feelings of security and peace. The palace looked serene and quiet under the star light, the atrocities committed within hidden under a beautiful facade. Only the sounds of fire and battle coming from below disturbed the picture. When my gaze roamed downwards I could see destruction, chaos, mayhem. The Garden was still aflame but to me it seemed like the dwarfs were slowly advancing, rescuing kitsune and putting out fires. I wasn¡¯t sure though, smoke and fire obscured my view. There wasn¡¯t much to be done either way. I¡¯d wait as I had promised. The night ticked on. 26. Of duties, plans and a little bit of trickery (2) Cassandra Pendragon It turned out that waiting wasn¡¯t the best thing I could have done. My imagination ran wild and the longer I waited the worse it became. I worried about my family, my friends, if my conjecture had been correct. I knew it was pointless, second guessing was never helpful, but I couldn¡¯t make myself stop. Pictures of my loved ones slain, rotten or branded and bound to the emperor haunted my mind. My gaze roamed over the fires below and I wondered how many had died. Would our home survive, even if we did? So much had changed in so little time. I couldn¡¯t remember who had said it but a quote I had read came to mind: there is only one thing I know about war: one side loses, one side wins and nothing remains the same. The flames of hatred and greed, once ignited, change the world we walk on. As I watched a large cherry tree collapse, its trunk and roots burned and charred, and send a shower of sparks into the air, I felt the meaning. Whatever was going to happen tonight, our kingdom would change. We would either be gone or we would have lost our innocence, death and destruction warping our peaceful and rather naive society. I stroked Adam¡¯s head, feeling his warmth and soft strands of hair. What was he going to say when he woke up without his mother? Would he be okay? He surely wouldn¡¯t but maybe he would be able to heal. Grieve welled up inside me and my vision swam for a moment. It just wasn¡¯t fair. There was no point in rushing down that rabbit hole, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from raging against the injustice of it all. Why did we all have to suffer because of one depraved, old man who clung to life longer than he should have? Was it fate, coincidence or something else? So many things had had to come together, the Arete family on this planet and Amazeroth who had tagged along after them, the rebirth of an angel and finally my brother who had had to be the one to stumble upon the portal. It could have been anyone, a trader or explorer would have even been much more likely, but no, it had had to be him. Like the guiding hands of the Nornir a storm had set the stage and blown together all the pieces for this tragedy. If Mordred hadn¡¯t crashed, nothing would have happened. It wasn¡¯t his fault, but I still felt resentful, especially since guilt gnawed at me as well. If I hadn¡¯t been here, the emperor would never have invested so much to gain control of our kingdom. Maybe I should just leave when all this was over? Crap, that sure as hell wasn¡¯t something I wanted to contemplate, ever, but especially not now. With an effort I broke out of the vicious circle that had taken hold of my mind and focused back on reality. More time had passed than I thought, the noises from the garden had calmed down and the stars above me had changed their positions. I scrutinised the palace and the dark branch behind, leading towards Boseiju¡¯s trunk. At first, everything seemed quiet, but after a moment I could discern shadowy figures moving along the branch. They were completely silent, the only sign of their presence was the absence of light where it should normally have illuminated the branch. I couldn¡¯t count their numbers, I didn¡¯t see enough details, but from the size and amount of patches of blackness that roved along the branch, I estimated them to be much more numerous than the ones who had attacked us in the first place. It was time. I hung around for a little longer, my intention was to wait until the shadows had either entered the palace or were on the grounds. Then I would use the crystal and glide down to the dwarfs. Anxiously I peered through the canopy, I wanted to make sure I wasn¡¯t going to fly directly into a swarm of shadows. Fires were still raging through the garden, but I couldn¡¯t see any more fights. The dwarfs had separated, some staying with the wounded, some guarding the entrances and some heading directly for the stairs to Boseiju. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I sent a thought into the crystal: ¡®they are coming. I¡¯m off,¡¯ and unfurled my wings. I could feel them flutter behind me and for a moment I was tempted to pass over the shadows and wreak as much havoc as I possibly could. I would have done if I had been alone. But I had to protect Adam, I wasn¡¯t going to risk his life to satisfy my anger. I pulled him closer and leapt backwards, away from the branch. Gravity tore at my body and we tumbled downwards through clouds of ash and smoke. Tears obscured my sight and the lower we fell, the more the temperature rose. The air was thick and heavy, smelling of burned wood with a hint of charred flesh. I had to fight the urge to vomit and pressed Adam more tightly into my chest. When we dropped out of the lowest branches, I pushed against the air currents and took control of our fall. I swerved to the right and headed for the troupe of dwarfs that was moving towards the stairs. As I passed under the branch of the first family, my instincts kicked in and I barrel rolled to the right, narrowly dodging a round projectile that came flying down from the first palace. I couldn¡¯t make out what it was but it sped past me and smashed into the hastily raised shields of the dwarfs below. I could hear the sound of the impact, followed by their raised voices but the wind blew away their words before I could decipher them. When I was less than 20 meters above them, I used all of my wings to break our momentum. We still tumbled through the air for another 10 meters before I managed to slow our descent enough to land safely. With a thud I came down in front of the tallest dwarf, judging by the way the others had turned towards him as soon as they had spotted me, I thought he was the leader. He was around 145 cm tall, with a width that rivalled his height. With armour I¡¯d put him at over 100 kgs. He had long, auburn hair and an impressive moustache of the same colour. He didn¡¯t wear a helmet but the rest of his body was hidden below a layer of plated mithril, smeared with soot. The Metal was covered in runes which shimmered slightly. He held a massive crossbow in his hands, the bolt pointed at my heart unwaveringly. ¡°Oi, lads, look out, the birds are flying low tonight! And what kind of bird would drop down on me and me boys? Wings, pretty face, glowing eyes, delicate body and four tails to boot. You wouldn¡¯t happen to be the third palace¡¯s princess, would you, lass?¡± His eyes roamed over my features and I could see him smile but he never dropped his aim. I hadn¡¯t had much contact with the dwarfs until now, but I knew their leader was named Xorlosh and supposedly he was a hot head who had been forced to leave his home because he had tried and succeeded to charm the daughter of a major noble in the dwarven kingdom. But this was probably not the best time to bring up that tidbit of information. I bowed as graciously as I could with a toddler in my arms and said: This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°My name is Cassandra Pendragon, first daughter and third child of the palace of the moon. In the name of every kitsune on this island, thank you. Thank you for everything you and your people have done. But I¡¯m afraid I have to ask for even more. The palaces above are on the brink of annihilation and we need help if we want to see the sun rise again.¡± My gaze roamed around the garden and over the bodies, laid out near the edge. Some were short and squat and I added: ¡°I know I have no right to ask anything of you, especially after all you have already sacrificed, but we need you direly. Will you help us?¡± ¡°What a stilted speech. You gotta work on your people skills, lass.¡± He lowered his crossbow. ¡°But don¡¯t you fret, me ¡®n the lads never quit before a job is done. Why don¡¯t you tell me what has happened and why heads are being thrown me way?¡± I was slightly confused until Xorlosh gestured and one of his comrades handed the projectile that I had narrowly dodged to the front. It was Helios¡¯ head, mutilated beyond recognition except for his flowing locks and the diadem, smashed into his skull. I had to close my eyes for a moment as nausea welled up again but I managed. With a deep breath I started talking. I disclosed everything I knew, except for Amazeroth¡¯s involvement and my demonic mentor. It didn¡¯t change a thing and I didn¡¯t want it to be public knowledge that I walked around with a demon in my pocket. After I had finished, Xorlosh grinned widely: ¡°did you hear that lads? It¡¯s not only a fucking soul slaver but an ancient one from a different country and an emperor, too! Tonight we have a chance to write history!¡± The dwarfs clashed their weapons against their shields and the pure sound resonated through the garden. Were they crazy? Before I had a chance to think about a reply he continued: ¡°there are ¡®couple o¡¯ things you should know and tell your father. I don¡¯t know how, but the baddy got ¡®em human merchants on his side. They have been givin¡¯ me and the boys a run for our money but I reckon we got ¡®em all. One ¡®s over there with the injured, nicely packed and trimmed. We can have a talk with him later on. But there¡¯s something else you gotta know. ¡®Em merchants have been out for prisoners. They took quite a lot of children with ¡®em before the lads could run ¡®em off. Don¡¯t panic, I stuck three of me boys to ¡®em, they will know where they are headed, but for now we have to wrap this party up. Can you contact your da? Would be nice to know what¡¯s going on up there.¡± That children had been kidnapped had had me reeling, but Xorlosh was right. If we were still around tomorrow, we would get them back. For now, we had to make sure we would have the chance. I nodded but instead of using the crystal I handed it over to Xorlosh. ¡°Maybe it would be for the best if the two of you talked directly for a moment. I¡¯ll use the time to check on the injured and maybe estimate how many we have lost.¡± A dwarf behind Xorlosh with a massive black drum strapped to his front raised his hand like a school boy and said with a slight blush: ¡°if I may, your highness, we lost 19 dwarfs and counted 246 dead kitsune. 64 fox people are still alive over there and the merchants took at least 27 children. All the shadows down here have been returned to their maker and we slew 97 of these bastard merchants, the rest have fled before our wrath.¡± I nearly broke down then and there. 246 dead, 27 missing and the demons only knew how many corpses waited for me back up on Boseiju. Our home had been burned, our people had been culled cruelly to a degree that even if everything went perfectly from now on, I still wasn¡¯t sure if we would be able to rebuild with so few of us left. My only hope was that the emperor would want new servants after he had sacrificed his old ones. It stood to reason that a large number of royal kitsune were branded and not dead. As my gaze returned to Helios¡¯ severed head, I realised what a feeble kind of hope I was clinging to. I wanted to cry, to scream or to hurt somebody, nothing of which would do me any good right now so I bottled my emotions once again. I was really starting to dread the first time I would have to sleep after tonight. Never the less I answered steadily and calmly: ¡°Once again thank you for your steadfast support. Your dead will never be forgotten. I don¡¯t know what tomorrow will bring, but I am grateful we have you all by our side.¡± I bowed again and added: ¡°the dwarfs of the mines have proven that their worth and valour far surpasses even the boldest legends.¡± I turned to Xorlosh: ¡°please, contact my father, tell him what happened down here. I¡¯ll talk to my people. The ones who are still able will want to fight and I have to care for the others.¡± He took a step towards me and a heavy hand landed on my shoulder: ¡°lass, let it out. Take a walk and cry all you want, bring down some of these burning trees if you feel like it. And when you talk to your people, don¡¯t ever let them know how hurt you are. They need you, whole and hearty, not the stooped girl I see before me now. That¡¯s the burden of leadership, while others give up, you laugh and joke until the very end so that your people may cling to hope far longer than it would be reasonable. You did well until now, get your head on straight before you fuck up.¡± Huh, maybe he wasn¡¯t crazy but rather wise. Funny how close these two things were from time to time. I nodded, turned away without a further word and headed for a burned out part of the garden. When I was alone and far enough away from everyone else, I let lose. I lashed out with my wings while tears started running down my face. I broke charred wood and smashed the blackened earth. I cried and screamed, I saw the faces of everyone whose death I had been forced to witness in the flames and trees, I heard the ripping sound again with which Robert¡¯s head had been torn from his body, my imagination made me live through the battle in our throne room where so many of our guards had breathed their last. And through it all I saw a blurry face, I imagined it with a crown formed of skulls on its head, laughing at me, mocking my inability to protect what I cared for. I hurled myself at the emperor and smashed everything to dust wherever his visage would appear. I raged against him and against a cruel fate until I slowly felt the turmoil within me subside, replaced by a deadly calmness. I had been there before, it wasn¡¯t the first time I had seemingly been down and beaten, of this I was as sure as I could be. And it wouldn¡¯t be the last time, hell, I was an angel! I would rip the emperor to shreds and make him rue the day when he decided to tangle with my family! If he so desperately wished to meet me, I would happily oblige. I was going to eradicate even the last trace of his presence from my home, I would save the children and then I would go looking for him. And when I found him, I wasn¡¯t going to bother with elaborate plans. I would burn his soul into oblivion, the same way he had tried to burn the garden. His deeds wouldn¡¯t go unpunished, of that I¡¯d make sure. All around me the trees had been reduced to splinters, the earth had been torn open and the fires were out. I didn¡¯t know exactly what I had done, but I felt better. I even managed a teary smile while I cleaned off my sweaty, soot covered face. I straightened my shoulders, took a deep breath and headed for the remaining kitsune. I had people to take care of and an ancient tree to take by storm. 27. Of duties, plans and a little bit of trickery (3) Cassandra Pendragon I thought about what Xorlosh had said as I picked up Adam from where I had left him and walked over to the fox people, my people. I had to give them hope and reassure them that we were going to be okay. I plastered a smile on my face, rubbed my eyes one last time and strode on purposefully. They greeted me respectfully, even the wounded ones were trying to get up. I shook hands, hugged children and tried to encourage the down hearted, which were nearly all of them. I answered question and tried to project an air of confidence. ¡°Yes, the garden is safe, every intruder down here has been killed. No, I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s happening on Boseiju, but we¡¯re working on a way to get back and reclaim our home. Yes, the palaces have been attacked as well, but I can¡¯t say for sure how each family fared. No, whatever happens we¡¯ll not leave the missing children to fight for themselves¡­¡± on and on the bombardment of questions continued and I took the time to talk to everyone, albeit shortly. I wanted to assess how many of them were still capable of fighting and willing to do so. From the start I excluded the ones with families and the ones who were related to one of the missing children. The former had different responsibilities and I would need the latter later on. If anybody was going to help me mount a rescue mission it would be them. After 20 minutes I had a pretty accurate impression of the survivors. They were shaken to the bones, but more than ready to dish out a little payback. Of the 64 kitsune I was prepared to take 21 back up the tree. The others were either too badly injured, unfortunately my father hadn¡¯t handed me any healing potions, or had children of their own. Of the 21 each and every one was an apt fighter and, being of the fox tribe, could cast a wide array of spells. Together with the 102 dwarfs clad in their runic armour I felt like I had an impressive force assembled around me. Before I headed back to the dwarfs, I asked my volunteers to get ready swiftly. I expected us to move quickly, depending on what my father had told Xorlosh. I strode back, leaving Adam behind, past burned trees and crumbled houses. Xorlosh was discussing something rather heatedly with two other dwarfs. I couldn¡¯t understand their guttural tongue perfectly, I had never learned dwarvish after all, but my knowledge of languages should allow me get a round about idea what was being said. Unfortunately they abruptly fell silent as soon as they saw me approach. That felt kind of strange. What could they possibly want to keep from me? A spike of panic raced through me as I thought on it. Had something happened to my family? Or was the situation up on Boseiju unsalvageable? These were the only explanations I could come up with on the spot and they made me dread whatever Xorlosh had to tell me. Confidence, I scolded myself and kept on walking. ¡°Ahh, lass, how¡¯s everyone doing? They okay? And more importantly, are you?¡± Xorlosh greeted me as soon as I was near enough to communicate without shouting. ¡°They are angry, hurt, desperate and burning for revenge. It¡¯s quite the same for me, but I was able to get my head back in order. Thank you for that. Now, what¡¯s going on? Did you talk to my father?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. But it¡¯s not sunshine and roses up there. Me ¡®n the boys have just been discussing what your da told us. He¡¯s got ¡®em observation orbs up and running. He couldn¡¯t get a peek inside the second palace but he got some information on the others and it¡¯s not looking good. You know that your ma, brother and a bunch of friend of yours tried to sneak into the palace of the sun, right?¡± I nodded, anxious what he was going to say next. It must have shown on my face because he hastily replied: ¡°Nothing happened to ¡®em, as far as I know, but they didn¡¯t find a single soul alive within. There were bodies and no shortage of ¡®em, mind you, but no one living was left. From what your da told me, there weren¡¯t nearly enough corpses for the whole family, servants and guards. They have been taken somewhere else, he reckons.¡± He paused briefly to scratch his nose and continued: ¡°from your da¡¯s scrying he gathered that it¡¯s pretty much the same for the other palaces. The kings and everybody who put up resistance has been executed and the rest disappeared without a trace. I reckon they¡¯ve been taken to the second palace, it¡¯s the only one we can¡¯t peek into after all. Right now, our little group of spies is trying to get inside, maybe they can find out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°What about the shadows who attacked our palace? Where are they?¡± ¡°Oh, right, they are roaming all over the branches, looking for survivors. The stairs have been sealed by a strange magic and a small contingent of 15 shadows is guarding the exit. It¡¯ll be one helluva a dance to force our way through.¡± ¡°So, basically we have no idea what the emperor is doing but we do know he barricaded the way up. Doesn¡¯t that mean he needs time for whatever he is planning?¡± ¡°Nah, he might also have placed the seal and guards there to stop anyone from escaping. We can¡¯t be sure why he blocked the stairs. The only thing I¡¯m pretty confident in is, that whatever he¡¯s doing is gonna take place inside the second palace. Your da and I talked for a bit and we decided to give your ma 30 more minutes to contact your da before we storm the stairs.¡± He looked sheepish as he said that and threw me glance under his eyebrows. ¡°I also promised your da that I wouldn¡¯t take you along. You¡¯re to remain here and look after the wounded. Sorry lass, but I gave my word.¡± He gestured to the two dwarfs with whom he had been arguing and continued: ¡°Atosh and Brombolosh will keep ya company so you don¡¯t get any fancy ideas.¡± So that had been what they had argued about. No matter, I didn¡¯t intent to take the stairs anyways. He was quite surprised when I answered: ¡°it seems like you have it all figured out. You don¡¯t need me anymore, do you?¡± He was suspicious and answered slowly: ¡°nah, not really. Why ¡®re you asking, though?¡± I threw him my most dazzling smile and replied: ¡°no reason.¡± The wind blew his hair and beard back as I unfurled my wings and soared into the night. What Xorlosh had told me had only strengthened my conviction to help in any way I could and caring for the injured wasn¡¯t the best way to use my talents. I flew through the acrid air and closed my eyes. My attention was turned inwards, I was searching for a speck of myself somewhere above. At first I was blind and feared that I would crash into a branch on my way up. But after a moment something changed. My wings transmitted impressions of everything they touched, air currents, particles of ash and flying leafs. Piece by piece my surroundings came into focus. It wasn¡¯t like I could see with my eyes closed, it was more like a close ranged sonar, slowly generating a map in my mind. The details were amazing, I could tell how many leafs tumbled through the air currents beside me, how the pressure changed around me and I could even feel the starlight touching my wings. When I had closed my eyes, my other senses had started working together much more seamlessly, it wasn¡¯t only my touch but also my hearing and sense of smell that provided me with information. I could decipher the different fragrances of elements around me, from burned wood to charred flesh and, quite subdued, cherry blossoms, and pinpoint the precise origin of creaking of wood, rustling leafs and the loud cursing of dwarfs, well, one dwarf was cursing and two were whistling through their teeth. The world around me became clearer than it had ever been, unfortunately my range was severely limited. Where my wings ended, everything turned dark. I could still hear and smell as well as before, but I couldn¡¯t turn the information into a complete image. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I mused shortly on the usefulness of my new vision in combat before something else caught my attention. Far beyond my reach I ¡°saw¡± a speck of light. It was high above me and slightly to the right, exactly where the second palace should be. I didn¡¯t receive any information from the tiny dot, but I felt it quite clearly and I could target it easily enough. I adjusted my course and opened my eyes. My ascent had taken me 50 meters into the air but I was still quite far away from the lowest branches of Boseiju. The information I received from my other sense was limited as long as I used my eyes. I guessed that my brain wasn¡¯t able to produce an image of my surroundings as long as I could see them directly, too much attention had to be diverted to interpret the visual signals I received. I knew where the coin was, now I had to get there, preferably without triggering an alarm, being shot from the sky or living through any other nasty surprise. My best bet would be to stick close to Boseiju¡¯s trunk, directly beneath the branch where the second palace had been built. I thought the underside was most likely unguarded. While it was true that some constructions stretched on even below the branches, I didn¡¯t expect the emperor to care much about those buildings. Usually they were just walls or small walkways, connecting to Boseiju¡¯s trunk and, additionally, they were mostly kept a secret to provide a safe passage for the royal families. Much good they had done in this capacity. But I shouldn¡¯t complain, my father was probably holed up in one of these passages under our palace right now, working his artefacts. Silently I soared higher, sticking to Boseiju¡¯s trunk. With a slight adjustment I glided to the right until I could see the huge branch of the second family loom right above me. The underside seemed untouched, white and red blossoms broke through the green of leafs and all I could see was the wall, close to the trunk, which encircled the entire branch. There were no walkways or other structures I could make out. I couldn¡¯t see any movement or light source below the branch either, but that didn¡¯t mean much. Shadows could easily be hiding in the canopy or along the wall. There wasn¡¯t much I could do about them though and I was set on reaching my friends. With all my might I pushed against the air around me and shot upwards, the wind of my passage ruffled my hair and made my eyes water. Luckily my form of flight didn¡¯t produce any sound except for my body whistling through the air. Within seconds the stars disappeared as I entered the shadow of the branch. A moment later one of my wingtips touched the first leafs. It was time to try something else. I knew I could move through space, I had seen it in a memory and I had already done so when I had teleported into the trial cage to save Ahri. I could remember the feeling, how my wings had cut through space and my body had followed on its own accord, passing along the tunnel my wings and created. I tried to recreate the sensation, that particular twist and shove that would let me cut more than just air, but I couldn¡¯t get it right before I passed into the lowest branches underneath the palace. With a rustling of leaves and a soft thud I nestled myself into a green nest of leafs and blossoms. I closed my eyes again and focused on the small speck of light. It was considerably closer and it was moving, slowly. From where I judged the palace to be, I thought they were still on the outside, but really close to it. Maybe 50 meters above me and 100 to my left which would put them in the closest side branch just besides the palace. From where I was I could maybe hide myself from everyone on the branch and still reach them, flying underneath the side branches and using the canopy as cover. Thought and done I soared into the night again, meticulously avoiding every spot where starlight came through the leafs. Ash and smoke made my life much easier for the first time tonight and I didn¡¯t hear any alarms as I quickly approached their side branch from below. I shuddered and nearly drifted off course when a huge drop of a nasty liquid splashed against my head. Reflexively I wiped my hand through my hair and it came away black in the near darkness, but the smell was unique. Blood had dripped down from the platform and it wasn¡¯t the only droplet. Like a swarm of flies, large, black drops fell towards the earth. Wherever they hit a branch a fine mist, shimmering silver where starlight would touch it, sprayed into the air. What had happened up there? I didn¡¯t care much for the vicious fluid that slowly soaked my shirt and sped right through. I was below a wooden platform, very similar to our training grounds. With a last burst of speed, I reached the edge with my wings and used my 20 meters of reach to slow down. I hung close to one of the supports, a strong branch rising up from below the platform just to my right. Carefully I pulled myself up, centimetre for centimetre, until I could peek over the ledge. I had to bite my tongue, literally, as I stared into a pair of glassy, dead eyes. A kitsune, I had seen him around during social events but never talked to him, was sprawled on the ground lifelessly. He laid on his stomach and seemed unharmed but from the amount of blood that seeped into the ground around him, his front must have been ravaged. Grizzly tattoos covered his head. He wasn¡¯t the only one. The lifeblood of over 20 kitsune seeped into the wood. They had been thrown on the ground unceremoniously, their corpses clumped together in stacks of five. Every centimetre of their skin had been inked with runes in stunning detail. I didn¡¯t recognise them but they left me with a rotten, slimy feeling just from looking at them. The chest area of the ones I could see was a gaping, bloody hole with bits of bone sticking out. It looked very much like something had clawed its way outside. The smell was horrific and together with the scene before me and the blood on my skin I had to bite a hole through my tongue to stop myself from screaming. The pain helped, quite a lot. I forced myself to take in as much as I could and focus on the details, the form of the runes, the clothes the dead were wearing and if I recognise another face. I did, several of them, but if I remembered correctly they would all be servants or guards I had seen around Boseiju on one occasion or the other. None of the royals were present as far as I could tell. When I couldn¡¯t look into their empty eyes anymore I closed mine and concentrated on the emblem. It was further up the side branch, in the canopy. I lowered myself back down and shimmied along the ledge until I reached the end of the platform. My wings curled around the branch and I continued on, away from the palace. After a couple of meters I heard hushed voices talking in the canopy and pulled myself up and towards them. I clung to the branch, still hidden behind a thicket of leaves and decided to eavesdrop for a moment. I could hear Greta talking softly: ¡°They conjured the shadows from those poor bastards, no doubt about it. But there aren¡¯t nearly enough bodies for all the shadows you guys have talked about. Something is not right. Do you remember the horde that trampled along the branch not 20 minutes ago? They alone were more than the twenty over there. If your husband is right and the dwarfs are about to attack I say we wait for them. I have no intention of running into a death trap and that¡¯s what this palace has become. If we had Cassandra with us, maybe she could get through the enchantments and runes around the walls or destroy them straight up. But I don¡¯t see a way without her.¡± 28. Of preparations, capabilities and a little bit of feelings Cassandra Pendragon Before anyone of the others had a chance to reply, I pushed my head through the leafs and said: ¡°you¡¯re in luck than. Hi, I decided to drop by and see if you need a hand.¡± They stared at me for a moment, stunned into silence. My mom was the first to find her voice and she pressed out: ¡°What are you doing here? You¡¯re supposed to be down in the garden! By the great fox, how did you even find us? And why are you soaked in blood?¡± Mordred didn¡¯t seem surprised but threw me a resigned smile as if he had expected me all along. Greta even smirked and asked me: ¡°what took you so long?¡± Ahri was obviously dismayed, her brows were drawn together and she fixated on me with a disappointed expression. My mother was on the edge of a mental breakdown as she looked from one to the other and mouthed: ¡°you knew?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± my brother answered, ¡°but I thought she wouldn¡¯t do as she was told.¡± With a chuckle he added: ¡°she even sort of announced it. It¡¯s good to see you Cassy. How¡¯s everything down in the garden?¡± I ignored my mom¡¯s scandalised expression and replied: ¡°not great. I don¡¯t know what father already told you, but we lost too many. The merchants Arthur wanted to kick out are in cahoots with our attackers and kidnapped several children. The dwarfs cleaned house though and the garden is safe for the moment. It¡¯s the palaces we have to worry about now. What about up here? I had to fly through a shower of blood to reach you¡­¡± I turned to Greta: ¡°did you manage to replenish the energies in the coin?¡± I was interrupted rudely when my mom slapped me. ¡°That¡¯s for ignoring you father and me!¡± She pulled me into a tight embrace directly afterwards, ignoring the condition of my clothes: ¡°and that¡¯s for never giving up. Thank you for returning, you were right, we need you.¡± I was stunned for a second but then I returned the hug wholeheartedly. Her fluffy ears tickled my cheek and I breathed in her scent. For a moment I truly believed everything would turn out just fine. When we parted she smiled at me and squeezed my shoulders before she stepped back. Ahri took her place and said: ¡°could we talk for a moment? It won¡¯t take long and we probably won¡¯t have another chance until all of this is over.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a reply and moved a few meters along the branch. I shrugged and followed her, curious what this was about. Was she seriously angry that I hadn¡¯t stayed down in the garden like a good girl to leave all the heavy lifting to others? I couldn¡¯t believe she knew me so little, but it seemed like I was spot on: ¡°Why did you come here?¡± She asked without preamble. ¡°You know why. I already told you, I will neither abandon you, nor my family and surely not my home. This is my fight, just as much as it is yours. Maybe even more so because nothing of this mess would have happened if I hadn¡¯t been around. Do you really not understand why I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°I do understand, but I don¡¯t care. You shouldn¡¯t be here! By the great fox, you realise that whoever goes into that palace most likely won¡¯t come out again, don¡¯t you? Cassy, I was fully prepared to die here tonight along with the others as long as you were safe! Don¡¯t you get it? Every death, every burned tree would be for naught if they get their paws on you! They¡¯ll have won! What were you thinking?!¡± She was close to tears and her body trembled slightly. I had never seen her this distraught before. I was missing something. I stepped closer to her and placedmy hand lightly on her cheek. ¡°Ahri, what¡¯s wrong? What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± She closed her eyes for a moment before she stammered: ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s not ... Please, couldn¡¯t you just fly down again? For me?¡± That caught me off guard. There was practically nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for her and she knew it. Asking me sincerely to turn tails and run was maybe the only way to get me down into the garden again. I blinked, torn between anger, impatience and a little bit of happiness that she cared for me enough to put everything else on the back burner. Was she¡­ nah, I was still a child, she couldn¡¯t have fallen for me, could she? Should I ask? Probably not, unless I was prepared to fulfil her request, which I wasn¡¯t. Maybe¡­ ¡°I could, but you have to tell me why. And it better be for a good reason, none of this ¡®you¡¯re more important than the others¡¯ baloney. Convince me and I¡¯ll do as you asked.¡± She stared at me unblinking for a long time until she finally answered: ¡°I can¡¯t. If you¡¯re dead set on joining us I won¡¯t try to dissuade you anymore. Just¡­ please be careful. I can¡¯t even imagine losing you. Will you at least promise to not run in alone?¡± ¡°How about that: we stick together until the end. You can make sure I don¡¯t do anything stupid and I can watch your back.¡± I smiled at her and, hesitantly, she reciprocated the gesture. On impulse I kissed her cheek. Before I returned to the others I could see her dreamily touch the spot my lips had brushed over. After a second her soft footsteps followed behind me. I could see that Mordred and my mom were burning with questions and Greta was downright smirking but no one said anything when we joined the group again. Just as well, I didn¡¯t understand half of what had just happened myself. I cleared my throat immediately, I wasn¡¯t too keen on one of those heavy silences, and said: ¡°I overheard Greta¡¯s last few sentences. What kind of enchantments and runes were you talking about before I interrupted your cozy get-together? And where is Mephisto?¡± I had added the last part deliberately. He had given me permission when the contract had nearly killed me. There was no way for me to know if it had been intentional or an accident, but I guessed it hadn¡¯t been on purpose, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to put the clause into the contract in the first place. I didn¡¯t know what had prompted it, but right then and there I had decided to never keep anymore secrets from the people present, at least not if I could help it. Greta stiffened and made to move towards me, she probably expected me to topple over in pain after uttering the name. Mom was confused while Mordred was nowhere to be seen. I could hear the faint murmur of his voice a view meters away but I couldn¡¯t discern the words. ¡°Who¡¯s Mephisto?¡± Mom asked with a blank stare. ¡°My demonic mentor. He lives in a coin Greta has given me for my birthday. He has a nasty sense of humour, is a walking trove of knowledge and unfortunately had to spent most of his energy to save my life when the shadows first attacked. Now he can¡¯t materialise but I hoped Greta would be able to fix that, that¡¯s why I gave her the coin back in the courtyard.¡± And to keep taps on them, I added silently. Some small secrets were alright, weren¡¯t they? ¡°So, where is he?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I can¡¯t help,¡± Greta answered. ¡°It would kill me twice over to replenish his life force enough to take on a body and several times that of soul energy. I don¡¯t even know if Boseiju¡¯s energies would be enough, even if I was prepared to tap into them. Sorry kiddo, unless you find a nearly bottom less well of energy, we¡¯re on our own. But how can you talk about him so freely? I already wondered back in the courtyard, didn¡¯t he make sure that you won¡¯t spread the knowledge of his existence?¡± Mom¡¯s mouth hung open by now forming words soundlessly but she didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°He did, but then I was attacked on the training grounds¡­¡± I spoke fast and quietly and told the complete story this time. When I finished, mom didn¡¯t bother to commentate but I knew this wasn¡¯t the end of it. Our first conversation under different circumstances wouldn¡¯t be enjoyable. ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t help at all,¡± Greta said when I was done. ¡°I hoped for something useful, but we¡¯ll have to make do. Now, it¡¯s pretty obvious that the real threat is somewhere within the palace in front of us, yes?¡± Nobody contradicted her. ¡°With Cassandra¡¯s help we have a chance of making it. To answer your question from before, the enchantments and runes on the walls have been strengthened. That alone wouldn¡¯t be too problematic even though I¡¯d need some time to break through. The nasty part is quite ingeniously hidden within the defensive mechanisms. Once you get inside, concealed soul runes activate and lock the palace down. There¡¯s no escape from what I can tell. Each rune has been strengthened with a sacrifice, I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how many had to die to power up such an array, but surely more than the few poor souls sprawled over there.¡± She pinched the bridge of her nose and continued: ¡°with your wings you might be able to cut a way through. If you are all willing to risk it, we¡¯ll have to spit up. I should go with Cassandra and deactivate the defensive mechanism. They¡¯ll know somebody is coming but they won¡¯t know who or how many. We¡¯ll have a look around inside and see what we can do. As soon as we are discovered, Cassandra, you will fly away. You should be able to carry me along and I¡¯m quite certain you can simply smash right through the soul runes, they shouldn¡¯t affect you at all. You three should head towards the stairs and help the dwarfs break through the barricade. Maybe you can bring down the enchantments so the dwarfs can pass them.¡± Her plan seemed solid, I couldn¡¯t possible carry more than one of them and Greta was the obvious choice with all her experience and the arsenal of spells she could cast, but¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go with Cassy. You can deactivate the formation from the outside and we¡¯ll sneak through.¡± Ahri spoke up. ¡°I can analyse whatever we are going to find just as well and I can also protect Cassandra, maybe even better than you could. On the other hand there is no one more suited to crush the enchantments on the stairs than you. It won¡¯t take you too long and you can rush right back here with 100 angry dwarfs in tow. If we are lucky, we will have our home back in an hour.¡± I thought that to be a little optimistic. Never the less, even though I highly doubted she wanted to come along for these reasons, she was right. It would indeed be better to let Greta assault the stairs and make sure the dwarfs would get through as fast as possible. ¡°I agree,¡± I stated firmly. ¡°So do I,¡± my brother said from behind. ¡°There¡¯s something else you should know. Arthur is on his way back, he¡¯ll be here in 4 days with 12 ships and over 200 warriors.¡± That was the best new I had heard in a long time but it didn¡¯t change much for the present. It turned out that my brother always carried the token Arthur had given him around and he had used the last few moments to activate it and have a little chat. I didn¡¯t even remember where I had stashed mine. Old grievances hadn¡¯t mattered in the face of our plight and Arthur had promised to come as soon as he could, bringing along provisions as well as soldiers. He had managed to establish a prospering kitsune colony some islands over and they had enough resources to help us out a lot. If we could get through the night, it appeared more and more likely that we¡¯d be able to pull through. Dwarfs and Arthur¡¯s aid would make sure of it. ¡°Alright,¡± it was Greta who pulled us back to our current situation, ¡°that¡¯s all great, but we still have to make sure he finds more than rubble when he arrives. Helena, you should contact your husband and tell him what your daughter and her maid intent to do. Ask him when the dwarfs are in position, we should get going as soon as possible.¡± Mom nodded and her forehead wrinkled in concentration while she focused on the crystal connected to my father. After a couple of seconds she opened her eyes again and turned to me. ¡°He¡¯s not happy but agrees that you two are the best choice to get inside. He doesn¡¯t want to wait and find out what they are doing behind these walls the hard way.¡± She faced Greta and continued: ¡°He got most of the artefacts running, they won¡¯t be of much use against the palace, but they should make it far easier to breach the stairs. I can contact him again as soon as we are in position, he can protect us from afar while we try to crack the enchantments.¡± ¡°Than let¡¯s get going, I¡¯ve never been a friend of dragging things out. Come on Ahri, we¡¯ll give them a moment¡± Greta replied and shuffled along the branch towards the palace with Ahri close behind. An awkward silence followed their departure but Mordred soon broke it: ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s it. Good luck Cassy, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± He hugged me swiftly and strode after the other two. Mom and I stood there for a moment without saying a word. I could still smell the blood from the platform some meters away and from my cloths. The heated wind had dried them up by now but they still stunk, cracked blots of blood mixing with ash and crushed leafs. I wanted to reassure her that we¡¯d all be fine, that we¡¯d get through the night and rebuild what we had lost, but I somehow couldn¡¯t get myself to say the words. It had been easy before when I had talked to strangers but I couldn¡¯t make myself look into her eyes and tell her something I didn¡¯t believe in myself. Luckily I didn¡¯t have to. She pulled me close once again and said: ¡°Go, stay safe and please come back to me. Everything else can wait. I love you, Cassandra Pendragon, may the ancestors guide your way.¡± I choked up completely, all I could do was not sob into her hair. I squeezed her tightly and nodded. ¡°Love you to, mom¡± was all I could get out. Before I lost my self control completely I stepped back and turned towards the palace. From where I stood the branch continued on for a couple of meters before it widened into the wooden platform with the dead kitsune. A short walkway connected the platform to the main branch, similar to the training grounds back at our palace. Following the main branch to the right, a carved street ran for about 20 meters straight until it vanished under the wall of the palace. In contrast to our home, the second palace had an additional wall that circled the palace grounds. It had two gates, one facing Boseiju and one on the opposite side, towards the outbuildings on the side branches. That was the one we had to get through. Behind the wall, a verdant and meticulously cared for garden stretched all the way to the palace itself. The palace resemble a squat tower with 5 floors. 30 on 30 meters at the base, the tower tapered, the layout of the highest floor condensing to maybe 20 on 20 meters. The building was dark, I could exert my eyes as much as I wanted to, I didn¡¯t see any movements or the reflection of light within the dark windows or on the grounds. If I hadn¡¯t know better I¡¯d have thought it was a ruin, a well cared for and pristine one, but lifeless and long ago abandoned never the less. But that could as well have been my imagination because I suspected that none of the rightful owners were still alive inside. Then the wind changed directions and blew over the tower towards us. The scent of blood, thicker than even on the platform behind me, assaulted my nose. I thought I could hear faint cries and whimpers, carried along through the night. Whatever the emperor had planned, he wasn¡¯t finished. The torture still continued. With her creaking voice Greta summed up what we all thought: ¡°we should get moving!¡± 29. Of the past, the present and a little bit of symbiosis (1) Ahri Arete About 7 years ago It was my twelfth birthday! Finally I¡¯d be a full member of our family. Tonight, grandma would take me to the crystal cave where all the memories of our past had been stored and I would come to know our purpose and what part I would be allowed to play. It was one of our secrets, the Arete family was old, very old. We had migrated to this planet ages ago, the why and how weren¡¯t common knowledge and I was curious to finally come to know the reasons. I had grown up in a small family of four, I had a little sister, Emilia and two amazing parents, Mathilda and Eugene. We were all rather slender kitsune with fluffy tails and brown eyes. My grandmother was really old with five tails, she even had some strands of grey in her white fur, a trait we all shared. The white fur, not the grey strands. We lived in a small colony consisting of seven families, 34 kitsune all in all. Our home was a verdant island somewhere in the north of the archipelago with harsh winters and mild and soothing summers. The island was huge, several hundred kilometres across and we shared it with a colony of human miners and some elves who hadn¡¯t established a town but rather roamed freely all over the place. We didn¡¯t maintain close contact to either but from time to time we would trade with the humans or welcome an elf who wandered closely to our home. The island was mostly covered in dense forest, pine trees, oaks and firs dominated the landscape. It was a mountainous place with several summits reaching way past the tree line, their icy heights covered in snow all year long. Bears, wolves, elks and deer were the true rulers of this region. Our home was located in a valley near the southern cliffs of the island. Surrounding a central oak which had stood there for longer than anyone could remember, a cluster of trees had been turned into an airy village, the buildings nestled on the branches and into the trunks. My people spent most of their time striving for perfection in one art or the other. We had great scholars, warriors and hunters but also artists, storytellers and mages. To me, there couldn¡¯t be a more perfect spot in the world and I was really looking forward to become a fully fledged part of our community. All that was left was my first hunt, an old tradition that signalled the end of childhood and the beginning of the adult life. I would have to hunt down a wolf, the uncrowned king of our little world, alone, to prove I was ready to take on the responsibilities of providing for and sheltering the younger members of our community. So, the sun found me, cowering in a snowy tree in the middle of winter, some kilometres away from our village, intently focused on an old wolf who had been left behind by his pack. He was emaciated but still carried himself with a predatory grace. His every breath left a white cloud of vapour in the air. Nature was cruel, if you couldn¡¯t keep up you would be ousted to not burden the group. I felt pity for the old animal, one of the reasons I had picked him, a quick death would be preferable to the slow starvation fate had in store for him otherwise. My hand tightened around my weapon, a long and slim blade my father had given to me for my 7th birthday. It was a long dagger, a sword even to my small stature and I had always carried it around with me. I was fascinated with every kind of sharp weapon, but daggers and blades were by far my favourite. I prepared myself to lunge from the branch I was perched on and drive my blade into his neck, it would be a clean end, unexpected and painless. My muscles tightened and I could feel a bead of sweat run down my forehead. The silent forest bore witness as I took aim and propelled myself down from my seat. Like a bird of prey I dove towards my target. Something went wrong, I couldn¡¯t say if the wolf had sensed my movement or if I had made a sound when I had kicked off the branch but when I flew through the air, his body tensed and he looked up, directly into my eyes. A snarl formed on its face and it wheeled to the right, narrowly dodging my strike. I slammed into the cold earth and I could feel my bones creak and groan under the impact. My blade had burrowed itself deeply into the ground and the hilt had slammed into my middle with a crushing force.It I couldn¡¯t give my body any time to recuperated, I had to move or I would be the prey and I was sure the wolf wouldn¡¯t botch his attack. With a groan I rolled around and tried to free my blade to defend myself. It was stuck. No matter how hard I pulled and wiggled, my dagger remained motionless as if it had pierced stone rather than cold earth. With a growl the wolf charged, taking advantage of my prone position. My instinct kicked in and I abandoned the blade to roll out of the way. I couldn¡¯t possible fight a grown wolf, even it it was an old one, without a weapon and the advantage of an ambush. I had to run! Before I could get up though, claws raked along my back and pain spread along my nerves like liquid fire. I screamed and scrambled to get back on my feet. The wolf¡¯s charge had missed me by a few centimetres but his claws had left deep gashes on my skin when it had tumbled past. The wolf slid along the ground for a few meters before it regained its balance, turned around and fixated me with a stare that turned my blood into ice. Disregarding the pain I got up and ran for the nearest tree. I had to climb, maybe I could wait for help in the canopy. I could hear the soft footfalls of the wolf close behind and from the rhythm I was sure it was running at full speed towards me. When I heard the louder crunch with which it jumped off the ground to crash into my back I rolled to the side. A shadow sailed past me and hit the tree with a sickening noise. Unfortunately I hadn¡¯t been able to dodge completely and another deep cut appeared on my arm, bleeding freely and sending waves of pain and numbness through my side. The wolf was shaken as well, it had crashed into the tree I had been aiming for and was struggling to get back on its feet. This was my chance, I had to move, now. It took everything I had left in me but I managed to take the last few steps and hurl myself up onto a branch despite the searing agony that every movement sent through my body. I managed to climb up another few meters before I collapsed onto a wide branch. My beaten body was shivering in the cold and the warm flow of blood soaked through my clothes, robbing me of the much needed protection against the deadly temperatures. I wanted to cry out for help but I couldn¡¯t muster the strength. When the adrenaline slowly faded, I could feel my body shutting down. My vision turned dark and the sounds and smells of the forest slithered farther and farther away from me. A peaceful warmth claimed me and chased away the pain. I closed my eyes, only for a moment, but instead of blackness, a fuzzy, gentle light welcomed me. There was no sensation, no sounds, only the light all around me. I felt secure and sheltered as I drifted along, my worries all but forgotten. ¡°Hello Ahri, you¡¯re not looking too good, are you?¡± A soft voice pulled me out of my stupor. I was still in the same place but I could see a blurry figure close to me, now. It was tall and slender, human in appearance except for two pairs of wings on its back. They were huge, at least as large as the figure itself and the only part of it I could discern clearly, they were made of flames, a fiery red glow that shone warmly. I wasn¡¯t surprised or alarmed, in my current state of mind I would blindly accept things as they were, I didn¡¯t care too much, but a sliver of curiosity still remained: ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± I asked. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Now, that¡¯s a long story. One I¡¯m going to tell you eventually but at the moment it doesn¡¯t matter. Do you know what¡¯s happening to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dying, aren¡¯t I? Are you a hallucination?¡± She laughed at me, her voice made it clear she was female, it was silky and low like a the colours of a sunset on the ocean. But it wasn¡¯t in a condescending fashion, rather like I would laugh at Emilia when she said something childish. ¡°Yes you are, for now, but I¡¯m not a figment of your imagination. I¡¯m quite real, watch.¡± She took a step forward and her hand caressed my cheek, the touch soft and light but yet more real than everything else I had experienced in this place. When our skin made contact, a ripple ran along her form, dispersing the shadows that clung to her figure. She was beautiful, more so than anyone else I had ever seen. Azure eyes dominated a regal face with perfectly aligned features. Wavy red hair dropped down her back, gently flowing along her perfect curves and in between her four fiery wings. ¡°What are you?¡± Was all I managed to stammer. She laughed again. ¡°I¡¯m an angel, one of the few real immortals. And I¡¯m here to offer you a choice.¡± Her expression turned serious as she continued: ¡°I know it¡¯s not really fair but we don¡¯t have much time, so listen closely. Here is what¡¯s going on. You are lying on a branch in the forest, severely wounded and hypothermic. You¡¯re family is already on the way, looking for you, but they won¡¯t reach you before your heart will stop. I can save you, but it will come at a price.¡± Her eyes left mine and her gaze grew distant before she resumed: ¡°to cut a long story short, I can bind myself to one of the members of your family, if they are close to death, fuse our two existences if you so will. Let¡¯s leave my reasons out of it for a minute but for you it¡¯d mean a new life. You will survive, your wounds will vanish but you¡¯ll become someone else. My desires, my mistakes, my past, all of it will become a part of you and you will have to deal with every ugly thing that comes with it. I can tell you right now that facing a wolf would soon seem like a nice vacation.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say but she didn¡¯t expect a reply anyways: ¡°I¡­ I made a grave mistake and I¡¯m trying everything I can to make it right.¡± A tear, gleaming like a crystal, ran down her face. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, my redemption will become yours, you¡¯ll have to take over for me and live a life full of hardships and trials, protecting someone you have never met before. Most¡­most would prefer a clean rebirth, for their soul to continue on into a new life. If you accept my offer, that path will be closed to you for good, you won¡¯t be entirely mortal anymore, your soul won¡¯t be reborn ever again. But not everything is all doom and gloom, you might live for ever, you can spend more time with your family and your going to meet the most infuriating person in the multiverse and tag along on his adventures.¡± She smiled again while she said that. ¡°Trust me, that alone is worth a lot.¡± Her eyes focused back on me before she stated: ¡°your time is running out. You have to make a decision, Ahri Arete. Do you want to die in the cold or do you want to face an uncertain future full of enemies and dangers you don¡¯t yet know?¡± Silence reigned between us while she waited for my reply. A part of me still believed she was a hallucination, brought about by blood loss and my freezing brain but it didn¡¯t matter much either way. If she wasn¡¯t real, I¡¯d die no matter what I said and if she was¡­ well, than I had two more questions: ¡°I want to know why, if what you¡¯re saying is true, why can¡¯t you just do everything on your own? And I want to know, why me? Shouldn¡¯t there be others who could help you much better than a child who failed in her first hunt?¡± ¡°The second question is easily answered: you¡¯re the first of the Arete family to enter the realm between life and death since I decided to start anew and you might very well be the last one before it¡¯s too late. The answer to your first question is a little more complicated. I¡¯m bound by oaths I can¡¯t break. I have to change, become someone else, to do what I think needs to be done. Remember the person I said you¡¯d meet eventually? I think he¡¯s our only chance to preserve our freedom and he needs help, protection and someone to lo¡­ to rely upon. He¡¯s trying to change the multiverse and this time I¡¯m going to make sure he will succeed, with your help if you want to.¡± ¡°Who is he? Why is he so important?¡± ¡°He is¡­ was the love of my life, another angel who died and was reborn on this planet not too long ago. I can¡¯t tell you more than this, my oaths prevent me from speaking freely, but know that he died so you and other mortals can live their lives in freedom. He¡¯ll probably go down the same road once again and I want you, or rather us, to be by his side this time around.¡± Honestly, it didn¡¯t sound too bad. Sharing an existence with an angel, protecting another one and saving the world? Even if my life wasn¡¯t hinging on my decision I would be tempted to say yes and I really didn¡¯t want to die. I wanted to live, to see the world, fall in love and experience all the ups and downs along the way. The longer I thought about it, the less of a question it became. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll help you. What do I need to do?¡± ¡°Close your eyes, it¡¯ll be over in a moment. Just one more thing, you won¡¯t remember me for quite some time, not until you¡¯re ready and experience something undeniably related to what I just told you. The only thing you will remember¡­ well, you¡¯ll see.¡± I did as I was told and closed my eyes. I could feel her approaching me and then warmth all around. I thought she had enveloped me in her wings. It didn¡¯t hurt but I felt the fire on my skin, slowly seeping through. Now it hurt. Heat swallowed me and my world turned into raging flames. I could feel them burning within, becoming a part of me and filling me to the brink. I screamed and just when I thought I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, everything turned dark. I came to in the middle of a still smoking clearing. Everything around had been ravaged by flames, even the corpse of the wolf I had hunted had turned into a smouldering pile of coal. What had happened? I remembered dropping down onto the wolf, ready to kill it but then¡­ I couldn¡¯t say. My hand was curled around my dagger, deeply stuck into the earth and blood covered my torn clothes but I wasn¡¯t wounded. No, I felt great, better than ever before, full of energy and vitality. Had I hit my head? I tried to reconstruct what had happened but I came up blank. Well, not entirely, a picture was stuck in my mind. A small kitsune, freshly born but with two tails on its back and glowing silver eyes reached for me. There was nothing else, but I knew she was important to me. Much more so than I could say with words. A nearly irresistible urge to protect her flowed through me. I knew she was somewhere to the south, probably in the kitsune kingdom of the five families. I had to go there, I had to make sure she was alright and I had to know who she was and what she was doing in my dreams. It never occurred to me that she could be a fantasy. I knew she was as real as my little sister who had wished me good luck this morning and I knew she needed me, even more so than little Emilia. ¡°Ahri, Ahri where are you? Can you here me?¡± Shouts brought me back to reality, my family was looking for me. I must have been unconscious for quite some time, the sun was already sinking low behind the trees. They were probably sick with worry. ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m fine! Just follow the scent of burning wood, you can¡¯t be far away!¡± I got up and retrieved my dagger with a little effort. I broke two fangs out of the charred wolf, a trophy that would allow me to be initiated into our community and turned towards the voices I had heard. After a minute, my father, mother and two friends of the family came sprinting towards me, anxiety plain on their faces. I rushed forward to meet them and was immediately pulled into a family hug while they already started questioning me. ¡°What happened? Why are you covered in blood? Did you burn down the clearing on purpose? I didn¡¯t know you could control fire! When did that happen? By the great fox, did you sprout a second tail?¡± I just relaxed into the embrace, I couldn¡¯t answer their questions, I didn¡¯t even know that I had gotten a second tail. Maybe grandmother would be able to shed some light on what had happened. 30. Of the past, the present and a little bit of symbiosis (2) Ahri Arete I enjoyed the warmth for a while before I pulled back to answer their questions, as well as I could. I didn¡¯t get far though, as soon as my parents saw my face up close they seemed taken back: ¡°Ahri, what happened to your eyes? They are green!¡± My mother took my face into her hands. ¡°Wow, they are beautiful. That must have been one amazing hunt.¡± So, there I stood in the middle of a burned part of the forest, dagger and fang in hand, my clothes torn and dirty and apparently my eyes had changed colour. By the great fox, what was going on? ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t remember much, I hid myself in a tree and waited for the wolf¡±, I pointed to the remains, charred and burned as they were, ¡°to pass close by on its way to the river. I jumped it but then¡­ I just can¡¯t say, the next thing I knew was when I woke up over there and heard you shouting my name.¡± I pointed to the spot where I had regained consciousness and my father and his friend, Wilbert, strode over to investigate. My other and Anna, Wilbert¡¯s wife were more interested in me, my second tail and my changed eye colour. I was bursting with curiosity myself but I simply had no clue what it could mean. We talked for a bit before the others joined us again, they hadn¡¯t found much, but the place where my dagger had been buried in the earth and they became quite sure the flames that had ravaged the forest had originated form the very same spot. The fire had consumed every other trace. Since nothing seemed amiss and I was apparently fine except for the change to my eyes, the adults soon stopped their search and congratulated me wholeheartedly on my second tale. It felt somehow shallow because I couldn¡¯t remember how I had gotten it, but I still relished in their approval. ¡°We should head back to the village¡±, my father said after a while, ¡°I think I remember stories about physical changes during the first hunt, you know, the kind Nana always tells around the campfire at night. You have to visit her anyways, Ahri, you successfully completed your task after all.¡± He smiled a little when he surveyed the destruction around, ¡°even though not in the most conventional fashion. Can you walk, little one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling great, honestly. More shaken than anything else.¡± To prove it I jumped up and down for a moment before I turned towards our home. ¡°Shall we? I¡¯m itching to know if Nana can shed some light on what I did.¡± Our small procession reached our valley quickly, no animal was stupid enough to challenge four adult kitsune. The forest around us grew thicker and the snow in the treetops became thinner the nearer we came. The magic imbued into our homes, especially the great oak at the centre, provided for us. The cold and dark winter forest slowly changed until it resembled a lush, green glen in early spring. No blossoms covered the ground but birds and little animals still scattered around the underbrush despite the season. The trees remained in full colour all year long and small ponds and tiny creeks, their surfaces steaming in the crisp air, made me feel like I was walking through an enchanted world. Which wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. When we passed the last trees, a verdant valley sprawled before us. A river ran through, watering the trees in the middle. They were set in a circle around the oak, which rose into the sky with its impressive height of over 100 meters. The trees around it were a mixture of pine and fir, each one carrying a house on its large branches. It was long past midday and the valley was bustling with subdued activity. My initiation called for a feast and most of our community were busy preparing food and beverages, setting tables and chairs or finishing one piece of artwork or the other, all of which would be presented during tonight¡¯s ceremony. The kitsune went about their tasks anxiously but that changed as soon as we exited the forest. They had, of course, heard that my parents and their closest friends had gone looking for me when I hadn¡¯t returned after 4 hours and everybody was worried something might have happened to me. While we walked towards the oak, grandmother, as the matriarch of our clan, lived in a treehouse hidden in the canopy, the other kitsune dropped whatever they were doing and greeted me exuberantly, my little sister Emilia was the first to reach us and threw her hands around me in an impressively fierce hug for someone so small. ¡°Ahri, I was so worried! Where have you been? Wow you changed your eye colour, can I do that, too? And you have a second tail?! When did that happen?¡± I had to reiterate the story, twice, until every last one present had heard enough to satisfy their curiosity. Wilbert and Anna left us soon after to join their own children and the rest went back to preparing the feast. Our family headed for the oak but before we reached its gnarled roots, grandmother already came towards us, apparently alarmed by the hustle our arrival had instigated. She struck an imposing figure, her five tails fanning out behind her as she walked and the grey highlights in her fur reflected the light, making it look like she wore bands of molten silver. As was custom my family stayed back while I approached her and lowered my head: ¡°Matriarch, I have returned and fulfilled my task. I bring you the fangs of a forest wolf which I slew with my own hands. Please accept this token as a sign of my commitment to our clan.¡± I offered the fangs to her on my outstretched palms, but she didn¡¯t take them. Instead she pulled me into her embrace and whispered into my ear: ¡°I am glad to see you again kiddo, I have been worried sick when you didn¡¯t return in time.¡± She released me, took the fangs and said to all of us: ¡° I can see your hunt was eventful, but you succeeded none the less. I accept your gift. Welcome to your new life, Ahri Arete. Join me now, there is much to talk about.¡± At first I had been surprised she hadn¡¯t commented on my second tail or my eyes, but when she turned around and headed back towards the oak I felt certain I had seen a shimmer of moisture in her eyes and her mouth had been drawn into a tight line. Something wasn¡¯t right but I imagined I¡¯d hear all about it in a moment. I waved my family off, they were staring after Nana with incredulous faces, they hadn¡¯t missed her reaction either. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later. I should better hurry and find out why she¡¯s so upset.¡± I rushed after her into the shadows below the oak. Steps circled the trunk and we soon found ourselves far above the trees. The view was stunning. To the south the island soon dropped away and my gaze could wander to the endless horizon. To the north the forest sprawled as far as I could see, slowly rising along the mountain ridges and dropping into deep crevices. To the east I could faintly see smoke coming form the distant mine, the dark clouds above the only sign I could discern. To the west, the river that ran through our village fed into a lake, steely blue under the winter sky. We reached the top of the trunk and came to a small, flat space where the branches fanned off into the crown. A sleek, two story structure of wood and clay laid in the shadows beneath rustling leafs. A faint wisp of smoke curled from the chimney and I could smell different herbs that had been burned in the fire. Out of breath and sweating I hurried after Nana who had taken the steep ascent in stride. She reached the door and placed her hand on an intricately designed enchantment, carved into the middle. Two concentric circles were aligned around a set of stars and rectangles, each drawn in a different colour with gems adorning the points. Soundlessly the signs lit up and the door opened inwards. Without missing a beat Nana strode through and I followed into her realm of herbs, crystals and dreams. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The ground floor of her hut consisted of a single room, rectangular with huge windows on two sides. In front of the third wall a huge fire place with cushions around it provided warmth and a steady stream of fragrant smoke that curled up into the chimney. Every spare centimetre was crammed with cupboards, chests and small tables covered in scrolls, herbs and shimmering crystals. I could smell rosemary, thyme and something earthy, my eyes began to water and I became slightly lightheaded, breathing in he thick air. Besides the fireplace a ladder led up to the first floor. I had never been up there but I thought I¡¯d find a small bedroom, a bathroom, a library and a studio if I snooped around. With a heavy sigh Nana pushed herself into a huge cushion close to the fire. I closed the door and joined her, sitting down opposite from her. Silence stretched between us while she scrutinised me. I started to feel uncomfortable and squirmed a little. Her stare became warm and full of compassion which made the situation even worse. ¡°Little one, can you tell me what happened? Leave nothing out, even the smallest detail is important.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate, glad that I didn¡¯t have to endure the silence any longer and told her what she wanted to know. I spoke about the old wolf and how I had decided to ambush it on the way to the river. How I had snuck into a tree and waited and how I couldn¡¯t remember anything of the fight. I described the aftermath, the burned trees and the charred corpse and how I had been found by my parents. I ended with: ¡°There is something else, I didn¡¯t tell anyone about it yet, not even my parents. My memory isn¡¯t completely blank, there is an image, clear as day. If I close my eyes I¡¯ll see a small kitsune, a babe even, but she is different. She has glowing silver eyes, they don¡¯t reflect the light, they shimmer from within and two silvery tails. I can see her face as clearly as I see you in front of me now. She¡¯s beautiful, with raven black hair and large ears, covered in silver fur. I¡­ I feel like I know her but yet I don¡¯t. I can¡¯t say who she is, only that she is important to me and that I have to find her. Find and protect her. I don¡¯t even now from what or whom,¡± I finished with a self-reprimandingchuckle. She was silent for a moment and than fumbled an ancient looking pendant from the depth of her robes. It was a carved ruby, exquisitely formed into a double set of wings. Wordlessly she gestured for me to hold it and as soon as it touched my hand the ruby started to glow in a flickering light. Nana¡¯s response, when it finally came, wiped the lingering mirth off my face faster than a punch to the kidneys: ¡°Oh kiddo, I¡¯m so sorry, you have been touched.¡± She looked upon me kindly but I could see a spark of grief dancing in the depth of her gaze. ¡°I always thought I¡¯d go to my grave having told this story to no one but my successor, but alas, the Nornir say different. Listen closely little one, for what happened to you is the highest honour any one of us could receive. But,¡± she reached for me and put her hand on my shoulder: ¡°it comes at a price. And now it¡¯s time for me to tell you the biggest secret of the Arete family.¡± I would have thought she was joking if I hadn¡¯t known her better. What was she on about? She retraced her hand and entwined it with the other in front of her stomach, her typical story teller pose. ¡°Long, Long ago, before the sun and the moon and the stars there was only darkness. But from the darkness rose light and life, as this is the natural state of the universe: chaos and creation in all its glory. In the beginning life was free and unbound, ever changing it filled the cosmos and brought meaning to an otherwise empty place. But than they came, gods, older than life, maybe even older than chaos itself, they saw what the universe had created and they became envious for the one thing they couldn¡¯t do was breath life into existence. Their envy made them petty and from pettiness came the urge to meddle, to change, to impose their will onto the newborn beings. They tempered with different species, gruesome abominations and broken shells were their only reward until they dug deeper. ¡®Life comes from the universe itself so the universe is what we must change¡¯ they reasoned. And thus they started to bend and change the inner most laws that govern our existence. Failure was guaranteed and they left a sea of corpses in their wake but still they persisted and after aeons, success came to nine of them. 9 progenitors, who were anchored in the very essence of the universe, opened their eyes. Each one represented a different aspect of the mortal realm, from greed to valour but they couldn¡¯t coexist. A terrible war, the first war, broke out and ravaged the universe. Every single one of the nine clans perished, but the youngest. Created with the strive for perfection in mind, we, the Arete family, didn¡¯t participate. War, our ancestors said, is an expression of inferiority, fearing one¡¯s own ideals wouldn¡¯t stand up to comparison and vanish over time in peaceful coexistence. They tried to flee but wherever they turned, soon the drums of battle and the banners of the 8 other armies would overtake them. In the end they were tired and lost, prepared to finally make a stand and die alongside their ill guided cousins. And that was when she found them, the lady Aurora came to our ancestors and offered salvation. ¡®I¡¯ll take you from this place, I¡¯ll see to it that you will spread across the cosmos and that you can live out your dreams. But as always kindness comes at a price. I want your word, your very binding oath, that when the time comes and I shall call upon one of your clan, you will surrender them willingly. They will no longer be yours but mine, bound to whatever task I might see fit to charge them with. They will no longer be part of your family but exiles, bound to my will by your oath until I should release them.¡± With a flash of pain in my lower back images flooded my mind and I toppled over. I saw a blurry figure, 4 fiery wings behind her and I heard a silky voice: ¡°you¡¯re not mine but me, always remember that!¡± Numb and withdrawn I sat near the prow of a trader¡¯s airship, staring onto the ocean far below. I saw the back of a giant whale pierce the surface and return to the depth without a trace. I had lost my home, my family, everything I knew but I wouldn¡¯t cry. I felt detached from all that had happened, only my continuously growing desire to head south towards someone I had never met before was left. Who was that little fox I had seen? A toddler, similar to Emilia but with glowing silvery eyes which reminded me so much of¡­ I couldn¡¯t say. I was sure I knew her better than everyone else but it felt like I had only met her in my dreams, the recollections hazy and scattered, all I knew was that I had to reach her, to protect her, that was my task, the role I had to play. For whatever reason, she felt more important to me than even my little sister Emilia. With a sigh I pulled out my dagger and stared into the unfamiliar green eyes of my reflection and the three tails wagging behind me. Whom had I become? 7 years later After Cassy had come to my rescue during the trial, I passed out. But it wasn¡¯t a peaceful darkness that awaited me but a myriad of fractured memories that assaulted my senses and threw me into a whirlwind of disconnected scenes, emotions and guilt. For the first time in seven years I remembered what had happened before my initiation. I remembered the wolf and my death and also the ghostly figure that had visited me. I remembered her¡­ my name: Aurora. And I relived parts of my former life. 31. Of the past, the present and a little bit of symbiosis (3) Ahri Arete I felt like a twig, rushed along a powerful current, darkness all around. From time to time bubbles of light crossed my vision, I could see blurry images within, sometimes moving sometimes static, but never clear enough to glean their meaning. I was lost in a torrent of memories that drowned me, there were simply too many and I couldn¡¯t process, couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. I tried to fight, to cling on to the things that were the most important to me, the faces of all the people I held dear, my fondest memories of home, the smell of pines and cherries and the taste of the sun but it wasn¡¯t enough. My foundations, the very core of my being was slowly eroded and I became part of the current, aimlessly drifting along, a clear reflection of everything around me. I thought I was gone, reduced to another tiny speck of memories, insignificant in comparison to everything around me. With a last defiant exertion of will I tried to focus on the two people who had been the most important to me. I tried to recall Emilia¡¯s face and Cassy¡¯s, if anything of me should remain, I wanted it to be the impressions they left me with, their laughter and their companionship. I pictured them side by side, their similarities and their differences and what they meant to me. At first I thought I wouldn¡¯t even be able to hang on to them but the more I tried the clearer the image became in my mind until I suddenly wasn¡¯t alone anymore. Two young kitsune stood by my side, both grinning mischievously. They reached for me, their hands only a few centimetres away, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to move. Even though I didn¡¯t see it anymore, I still felt like I was dragged along a violent river, each part of my body crushed under forces much too strong to tame or fight against. ¡°Help me.¡± I whispered and they did what I could not. They grabbed both my hands, pulled me upright and just like that the pressure vanished. I could breath freely once again, I was shaken to the bone but I was still me, tears of joy streamed from my eyes. I wanted to thank them, tell them what they had done for me but when my vision cleared I was alone again. Although the scenery hadn¡¯t changed and I still rushed through a dark tunnel filled with scenes from another¡¯s life they didn¡¯t suffocate me anymore and I was able to discern the different episodes. It was like a series of pictures on the wall but every time I focused on one, I wouldn¡¯t see the image but rather remember how I had painted it and relive the emotions that had driven me to take up the brush. My mind calmed and for the first time I realised that everything around was a conglomerate of these pictures and wherever they blurred together darkness obscured the details. The current I had felt was the result of me drifting towards the few clear images, passing by innumerable distorted scenes, overloaded with so much information, emotion and memories I had lost myself within. Now I could clearly make out three different specks of light, beckoning me to listen, to live through them once again. I had no idea how I could get out of this dreamworld so I followed along, allowing the stream of images to guide me to the memories it wanted me to see. To my surprise, I didn¡¯t move but as soon as I ceased my struggle, the world around me lit up and it felt like I was falling through a long chute until I resettled in a body I knew not to be mine. I opened my eyes, or rather Aurora¡¯s eyes, and gazed upon a scene of utter destruction. I knew this place. What had used to be green fields, verdant forests and sparkling rivers had been reduced to ash and craters. Barren stone and broken earth were the only things left of marvellous cities and sky-high towers. Not even weeds managed to grow where once animal and sentient life had flourished. Tears came to my eyes and I dropped down on my knees. I had had friends here, places I had loved to visit. By all that¡¯s holy, Ezekiel hadn¡¯t exaggerated, the devastation was absolute. I recalled the outpour of transcendent energy I had felt not long ago and the seismic waves it had sent through the cosmos. I had been perplexed and had expected a conflict with the demons to occur somewhere in the far reaches of the cosmos but I hadn¡¯t been prepared for a dead planet I would have liked to call home when I had tracked it to its source. I knew the dominant species had experimented with strange technologies and dangerous magics, but that was to be expected of a star faring civilisation. I would never have imagined them to kill of their home within the few short centuries I hadn¡¯t visited. How was this possible? How could they even gather transcendent energies? It shouldn¡¯t be possible. Did I leave something behind on one of my previous visits? I felt a displacement of air behind me and heard a deep soothing voice: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so terribly sorry.¡± Lucifer had appeared behind me but I didn¡¯t have the strength to get up and turn around. ¡°What for? You always told me it¡¯s dangerous to get too close to mortals and now I finally understand why.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lesson I never wished for you to learn. Everything ends but we endure, it¡¯s a cruel twist of fate that the ones who roam the cosmos forever have to watch it burn over and over again.¡± ¡°Stop being cryptic. Say what you have to say.¡± ¡°Fine, whatever you think, this isn¡¯t your fault. Civilisations rise, I have witnessed it more often than you, but they inevitably fall. Once their technology, their magic, their power, whatever you want to call it crosses the threshold they always self destruct.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to make me feel better? I had friends here, Lucifer.¡± ¡°So did I, Aurora, so did I. You might not have noticed but I visited this planet at least as often as you. It was here we first kissed after all, I freely admit that I might have been a little sentimental in the beginning, but they really were a decent people.¡± His hand landed on my shoulder lightly but I could feel his warmth and also a part of his grief. Despite his rationalisations he was just as shaken as me. I snuggled into his hand and asked quietly: ¡°what do we do now?¡± ¡°The same thing as always, we carry on and remember. We honour them with the stories we tell our next friends and we value their ideas and ideals for as long as we can. Nothing truly dies, Aurora, it simply¡­ changes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, look around you! Does that look like anything that¡¯s capable of change to you?¡± He dropped down beside me and slung his arm around my shoulder. I hadn¡¯t realised I was shivering. At first I wanted to pull away but he wouldn¡¯t let me, so I sunk into the embrace. ¡°Yes, it does. Life is much more than just an arbitrary arrangement of atoms that functions in a certain way. It has purpose, meaning and a legacy. Do you think your time here hasn¡¯t changed you, or me for that matter? So long as we remember they won¡¯t be gone. By all that¡¯s holy, even if we should forget, our actions will always be influenced by everything we have learned and seen here. The only reason you suffer my touch right now, or if I may be so bold, even crave it, is this lost civilisation. Their actions formed us, they made us who we are. As long as you stay true to yourself, they aren¡¯t gone.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. We had had this discussion before, trying to answer why we exist, what life is and if there is a true god. It had always struck me as a nice sentiment that everything is immortal in its on way as long as it had changed something. But it did nothing to quench my tears as I sat in a grey wasteland where colourful birds and a little town should have been. But than again, maybe my pain was what kept them alive, at least for now. I recoiled when I imagined what would happen if I had to restart, would they disappear for good, would my next incarnation forget this scene? I shuddered. ¡°How can you say that? You know that we, of all the races, make for the worst guardians. We have to restart all over again when we die, everything we lived through, suffered through and loved will be gone¡­¡± my voice cut off when he leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against mine, the silvery glow from his eyes had intensified. ¡°Do you remember what I told you on this very planet?¡± ¡°You said you would always love me, but it won¡¯t be you when you die, will it?¡± I leaned away. ¡°Look at me,¡± he lifted my head with a light touch and the fire in his eyes burned brighter than I had ever seen before. When next he spoke, his words were laced with energy, his wings had unfurled and we sat in the middle of an iridescent cocoon, air currents entwined our hair, raven black and red. ¡°We will remember, this I promise.¡± I could feel the magic in his words and I believed him. My vision turned into a kaleidoscope of colours and when next they formed coherent pictures, the scene had changed. I felt different, my body clad in armour but I wasn¡¯t looking for a fight. A heavy weight pressed down on me and my shoulders slouched, I was terrified of what was to come but yet I couldn¡¯t run, I had to be here. My gaze roamed over 331 angels, who stood on top the highest tower in the silver city. The home of angels was a marvel without equal. Built from celestial silver it glowed from within, sleek spires, high towers and colourful gardens illuminating the darkness of the void all around. We waited. Waited for a declaration of war we dreaded would come. Only Lucifer and Michael were missing, one caught by demons and the other on his way to retrieve his lost brother. I was afraid all he would bring back were memories. I had to repress a sob when I thought about my love, who might be on his way to a new incarnation right now. Not knowing nearly killed me. When finally the golden glyphs, set into two spires that adorned the tower, lit up and I saw a lonely figure with metal wings step through the portal I couldn¡¯t hold my tears in any longer. So he was truly gone. The demons had broken the pact and killed an angel, my angel. Grief and desperation filled me to the brink but when I couldn¡¯t take it any more I remembered his promise. I would find him again, find his new soul and body and if he didn¡¯t lie to me we would be together again. But for now I had to make sure his death wouldn¡¯t go unpunished, someone would pay. Michael looked the worse for wear, half healed gashes covered his arms and legs and I could see the last traces of a deep wound on his chest, but his voice remained strong and unwavering when he addressed us: ¡°Brothers, Sisters, I have returned, but empty handed. Lucifer,¡± his voice caught on the name, ¡° Lucifer is gone, but¡­¡± I didn¡¯t follow anymore as a faint trickle of energy deep within my mind alerted me to a quiet voice ¡®No, I¡¯m not. And we need to talk. Find me near the chasm, two turns of the city from now.¡¯ My world vanished in a whirlwind of colours again. ¡°Did you lose your mind?!¡± I screamed, anger, hot as a sun, the only thing within me at that moment. ¡°You want to kill them all? No, Lucifer, never, I will never help you slay another angel. You should have known better than to even ask!¡± ¡°Damn it all to the demons, Aurora, didn¡¯t you listen?! What do you want me to do? Talk to him? I already tried, thank you very much. My scars haven¡¯t even healed yet! If you don¡¯t want to see another promising culture crash and burn, if you want any resemblance of freedom in this damned place, he and all his minions have got to go for good!¡± Madness, utter madness. Michael had been right when he had warned me directly after his return. That wasn¡¯t the Lucifer I knew, in front of me stood nothing but a dark and twisted shadow of the angel I had loved. That wasn¡¯t his soul staring at me through eyes as bright as a full moon, all I could see was anger and corrupted determination. I faced a stone cold killer. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re the one who is wrong and has to start anew?¡± I asked quietly, the anger gone, replaced with resignation. He stilled immediately and the light in his eyes dimmed. ¡°If that¡¯s your wish¡­¡± with a blue and silvery flare of energy he was gone and I started to weep bloody tears with no one but the endless chasm of souls as my witness. The myriad of colours dancing into reality slowly took me in and the world melted away into a soothing darkness. ¡°Hello Ahri, long time no see. You look good, if I may say so myself.¡± I opened my eyes and they were mine. I was back in my old body, fluffy tails and ears and all. I sat on one of the benches of my favourite meditation glade in the palace of the moon. Water dripped from Boseiju¡¯s leafs into a pond and opposite I could see Aurora who had a slight smile on her face while she studied me closely. ¡°You have become quite the beauty.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Even though it might sound vain.¡± The emotions I had experienced for the last hours had left me empty and still, like the pond in front of me. I couldn¡¯t share in her mirth but I wasn¡¯t angry either. She had warned me when first we had met after all. ¡°How can you be here?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, I am, witch is to say, you are, dreaming, not reliving memories from ages past. And there is no better way to meet one¡¯s own subconsciousness than lucid dreaming. I am the part of you that remembers all her life, I have lived it after all. Trust me on this though, you shouldn¡¯t be in a rush to get there.¡± ¡°Than why did you show me these memories? They aren¡¯t of much help, it¡¯s nice to know who Cassy was previously but honestly, this only creates more trouble. At least I don¡¯t have to wonder anymore why she is becoming more important to me by the day. We don¡¯t really have a choice, do we?¡± Aurora flinched and she seemed a little embarrassed but answered straight away: ¡°You didn¡¯t sprout your wings yet, the influence of our past memories and desires is still very small. I¡¯m sorry, hon, but that¡¯s all you. Our past might have nudged you in her direction, it definitely set you on the way south, but that tingling in your stomach is all on you¡­ and her.¡± That made me feel much better, I wasn¡¯t a big fan of arranged marriages. But she hadn¡¯t answered my question, only my suspicions. ¡°Why these memories? Can¡¯t you tell me what happened? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m your subconsciousness, remember? There are rules governing the development of angels and I have shown you everything your mind and soul can cope with right now. We can revisit this topic once you can fly on your own.¡± ¡°Than why are you here? What do I want to tell me?¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a good question. I want to make sure you take the right thing away from this. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Why haven¡¯t you ever contact your parents or you sister for example?¡± That caught me off guard and I stammered a little: ¡°I...I didn¡¯t know what I could tell them, how I could make them understand. It was much easier to simply run away in the night and leave the explanations to Nana and then it never seemed like the right time.¡± ¡°True, but you have regretted it dearly, not two days ago when you though you were about to die. So what¡¯s the real reason?¡± ¡°I am afraid they would hate me. I left them to follow someone else, I had never met before, after all. Especially Emilia, how could she not?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re feeling guilty? Or is it angry? At me perhaps?¡± ¡°You know already! Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t, what you saw just now and what I¡¯m asking is closely related. Nothing is what it seems, there are always multiple layers of truth, of emotions, of¡­¡± A shudder ran through the glade and I could feel Boseiju tremble. I woke up when Greta screamed, I couldn¡¯t see much, disoriented as I was, but I felt two dark presences close by and when the first spell left Greta¡¯s mouth I realised how much trouble we actually were in. 32. Of rituals, zombies and a little kiss Cassandra Pendragon Ahri and me stood side by side close to the wall. Greta was a little in front of us, her eyes closed, swirling swaths of energy coursed through the air around her. Specks of green, golden and red light illuminated the night and my fur stood on edge as the air became saturated with power. With a commanding gesture Greta threw her hand out and the light coalesced into a steady stream which she hurled against the wall. There was no sound, only a magnificent display of colours when her spell crushed into the enchantments. For a moment the night turned into day as every sigil on the wall lit up and crumbled away under the onslaught of Greta¡¯s magic. As quickly as it had begun it came to an end, the glyphs still glowed, but not because of their own power. They had been utterly destroyed, the stone had been melted and lava glimmered in the night. Greta breathed heavily and turned to us: ¡°go, may all the ancestors guide you!¡± We sprinted forwards and as soon as we reached the shadow beneath the wall we jumped up and climbed the last few meters. It was the first time I was truly grateful for Greta¡¯s arduous training. Quiet like a whisper we scaled the top and dropped down on the other side, immediately heading for the cover of a huge tree close to the perimeter. We had arrived in the garden surrounding the palace, I had never been here before. Exotic plants and beautiful flowers sprawled along neatly laid out paths. Several fountains added the music of running water to the scene and the starlight from above made everything shine in a silvery hue. The sweet fragrances and soothing sounds almost covered the stench of blood and the low moans still coming from within the tower. We pressed our backs to a tree, dropped into a crouch and waited. Surely someone would be along to investigate what had happened to the defences. I used the minute of quiet to study the wall behind us more closely. From inside I could now see the ugly soul runes beneath the burned sigils. They shimmered in a sickening yellow colour and even from a distance I felt nauseated, but that could also be the result of my knowledge that sentient sacrifices had been used to power up the runes. I thought I could hear the screams of the bound souls but that surely had to be my imagination. With a shudder I turned away and focused on the palace, expecting to see a wave of shadows pouring out into the night at any moment. But nothing happened. Except for the eerie sounds from within and the running of water everything remained quiet. ¡°Where are they? Shouldn¡¯t someone have come running by now?¡± Ahri whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe they are all engaged in whatever is happening over there. Let¡¯s wait another minute and continue on.¡± I didn¡¯t really believe in my own words, shadows were nearly mindless, only filled with the will of their creator. They couldn¡¯t assist in whatever ritual the emperor was conducting, so why hadn¡¯t they moved? The only explanation that came to mind was that they had been destroyed, their essence captured and repurposed to channel energy into another dark ceremony. Unfortunately I had no clue what it could be, but if I was right, the effects would be devastating, judging from the amount of sacrifices and time that had gone into it. I reached for Ahri¡¯s hand and squeezed it tightly. I was really glad she was with me, her presence staved off my fear and allowed me to think clearly. After a minute had passed and nothing had changed, we carefully snuck through the garden towards the tower. The nearer we got the more prominent the smell of blood became and the clearer I could discern different voices crying out in pain. I was sure by now that the sounds issued form the top floor, the rest of the tower remained silent like a grave. When we were less than 10 meters away from the foundations, I grabbed Ahri¡¯s hand again and whispered into her ear: ¡°We could either try to get in on the ground floor and make our way towards the top or we could climb the outside and peek in directly. The others will assault the stairs any moment now, that should provide us with a handy diversion, we have to use it.¡± Her breath tickled my cheek when she replied: ¡°I don¡¯t like this at all, Cassy. It feels like a trap. No guards, no attacking shadows, everything in our way has been a nuisance at the most. I think we are supposed to enter the tower and only the great fox knows what will happen once we cross the threshold. Is there a chance for you to wait outside while I risk a peek?¡± ¡°None at all. If it¡¯s a trap we¡¯ll face it together. I think we should¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish my sentence because the low moans and stifled cries suddenly stopped, replaced by a heart wrenching wail that pierced the silence and made us freeze for a moment. Red and purple light flowed through the windows on the top floor and illuminated the night. I was blinded for a second and when my vision returned our surroundings had changed. Red and purple sparks danced over every living thing, us included. In the hellish light I could see Ahri sinking to her knees, her face drawn into an ugly snarl while the sparks sank slowly through her skin. The plants withered away but didn¡¯t die, instead they turned into grotesque aberrations of their original form, grey and sick but with long appendages and poisonous thorns all over. From where I stood I could see the largest swarm of sparks cling to Boseiju, attacking the trunk and swarming down towards the roots. The branch we stood on trembled and I thought I could hear the great tree cry out in pain. The sparks around my body flared brightly for a second and winked out of existence without a trace. I didn¡¯t hesitate, Ahri was my first priority. I unfurled my wings and covered her in a mesh of glowing energy, burning off the remaining sparks. I couldn¡¯t do much about the ones that had already entered her body but I hoped she would be able to cope on her own, I had been fast enough to get most of the malicious energy. When I retracted my wings and looked around I couldn¡¯t suppress a curse. Ahri had crumbled to the ground and laid there twitching, but she still looked like herself, maybe a little pale. The plants all around swayed without any form of wind and slowly inched towards us, their tentacles groping in the dark. The branch below shuddered more violently and with a resounding boom the main gate to the palace in front of me flew open. In neat rows the kidnapped royals, their guards and servants as well as the remaining members of the second palace marched towards me. They looked like their old selves except for their eyes. They shone in the same light which had attacked us a moment prior and a complex array of runes and glyphs sprawled over their faces. Fuck, I had to make a decision. I could either grab Ahri and get out of here as fast as my wings would carry me with my tails between my legs or I could try to fly up to the top floor and maybe find a way to put an end to our troubles. I wouldn¡¯t abandon my friend, whatever the cost, so all I could do was flee. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I dropped on one knee and slung my arms around her lithe body. Her furry ears tickled my nose as I straightened and pushed off the ground with everything I had. Slowly, much too slowly I rose into the air. Her weight pulled me down while the horde of zombies, I didn¡¯t actually know what they were but zombie seemed appropriate, got closer by the second. I wouldn¡¯t make it. With a defiant cry I overexerted all my muscles and managed to gain another meter. It wasn¡¯t enough. When they had seen me take flight, the first row of zombies had broken into a run and the fastest one, a tall and muscular kitsune with three tails I didn¡¯t recognise, jumped straight into the air. His fingers closed around my ankle like a bear trap and the additional weight proved too much for my slim frame. I couldn¡¯t keep us afloat and we tumbled back to the ground, our blind passenger buried beneath Ahri and me. The horde rushed forwards and the last thing I saw before bodies started to pile on top of us was Ahri¡¯s face, her eyes wide open and shimmering in an all too familiar shade of azure. Ahri Arete When the sparks had hit me, pain had exploded in my mind. I could feel a foreign will invading my own, grasping for control. It felt like my brain was scrubbed with a steel brush, each nerve was on fire and I couldn¡¯t move my body. Fortunately the invading force soon diminished massively but that first attack had already stripped me bare of any defences I might have tried to put up. I could feel the slow change within me, how I was corralled into a small corner of my mind and how my consciousness slowly dispersed into nothingness. I would have been terrified if I still had had the capacity to feel fear. Apathy crept through my being and, shameful as it was, I couldn¡¯t struggle any longer. But it wasn¡¯t the end. Like a wildfire, a rush of fiery energy swept through me, drove away the apathy and reduced the invading will to ash. I could feel it burning through my body but it didn¡¯t hurt, it felt revitalising, like a warm summer rain. The strain had been too much, though, and I drifted slowly into unconsciousness, the last thing I heard before darkness swallowed me was Aurora¡¯s voice: ¡°when you wake up, whatever you do, don¡¯t use your magic until we have had a chance to talk.¡± Cassandra Pendragon They didn¡¯t want to kill me, no weapons had been drawn and even the slight punches that rained down on me were aimed far away from any vital organs. But I couldn¡¯t move beneath the mountain of walking corpses and the lack of air made me dizzy. I didn¡¯t see a way out, claustrophobia and the suffocating feeling ignited my panic. I struggled and squirmed, I lashed out with my wings and tried to burn the hellish runes. And even though I could feel one or two of the zombies crumble to dust under the torrents of energy, the mass on top of me didn¡¯t become any less crushing. I was trapped and I could already feel my body shutting down. I pressed Ahri closer to my middle, trying to shield her with my body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I whispered. I didn¡¯t only address her, even though I hadn¡¯t been able to protect her, but also all of the others who had relied on me and were fighting just now. I hadn¡¯t been able to do a single useful thing and now I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to stand by their side ever again. I could feel Ahri shudder, probably from a well place punch and I made a decision. If I was going to be captured or killed, I would go down on my own terms. They said it was better to burn out than fade away anyways so I stretched my wings out as far as I could and prepared to pour as much energy into them as my core contained, the backlash on my body and soul be damned. At least Ahri would survive and the horde of zombies would be gone. I closed my eyes but before I had a chance to do anything, Ahri¡¯s arms circled around me and I heard her voice in my ear, but somehow it sounded different, silky, more familiar: ¡°don¡¯t open your eyes, my love.¡± What the¡­ I couldn¡¯t finish my thought because a wave of heat and energy poured out of the girl who cradled me in her arms. I could hear the crackling sound of burning flesh and the nauseating smell of cooked meat entered my nostrils. The pressure disappeared and I could feel flakes of ash slowly drifting down and covering my body. When I felt something warm and soft brush against my lips I opened my eyes again. Ahri¡¯s face covered most of my view, her eyes closed and her arms still around me. I might have started to wonder what she was doing or what had happened if it wasn¡¯t for the tips of four fiery wings I could glimpse behind her head. Holy mother! It clicked, I wasn¡¯t the only angel on this planet. Seriously, what were the odds? Two angels and two demons on one planet¡­ but that could wait. My first impulse was to draw back but it quickly was carried away by a flood of emotions I hadn¡¯t expected. I felt warmth rush through my body, every ache disappeared and a tingling sensation rose in my stomach. I felt safe, angry, happy, relieved and worried, all at the same time and I did the only sensible thing: I froze completely. Ahri¡­Aurora? must have felt me going rigid because she pulled back and opened her eyes. They were still green but this close I could see an azure shimmer in their depths and a red sparkle in her fur. She smiled. ¡°Surprise.¡± I was dumbfounded and then I had to laugh. I laughed at the absurdity of it all and because I simply didn¡¯t know what else I could possibly do. It had just been too much. I could see her smile disappear as a frown formed on her face but before she could say anything I leaned forward and our lips met again. She had stolen my first kiss, I at least wanted a memory where I wasn¡¯t acting like a dead tree. A breathless minute later I couldn¡¯t ignore our precarious situation any longer, even though I hadgiven it my best effort, and slowly drew back. But my wings remained intertwined with hers. ¡°There is so much I want to ask but I guess my questions have to wait. Except for one: can you help?¡± When I glanced around I added: ¡°Well, more than you already did?¡± Around us a perfect circle had been burned into the ground, the earth had crystallised into glass. Of the zombies nothing remained but vicious ash, a good part of it clung to our hair and tails. The plants and trees within the garden had been burned away their remains still smouldering on the ground. The tower in front of us had survived, but the walls had been blackened and the windows had shattered. Flames licked around the openings and I could see runes carved into the walls, now reduced to so much as molten slag. Ahri drew in a shaky breath and answered: ¡°Unfortunately I used up all the energy I had saved and I can¡¯t yet draw in more from my core, it would kill me. I can¡¯t even use magic anymore, my core is active and you would know the repercussions if I tried.¡± Damn it all to the demons and back! 33. Of rituals, diversions and a little bit of portents Cassandra Pendragon I had no clue what kept me going. The last few hours had been a constant struggle, topped off with a little despair and garnished with shavings of hope and happiness right now. I felt completely overburdened and I was thirsting for a chance to digest what was going on. But I couldn¡¯t afford it, not right now anyways. Whatever the red and purple light had been, I was willing to bet anything you¡¯d like that I¡¯d come to regret its existence. Ahri and me were safe for the moment but Boseiju was still shuddering, I didn¡¯t even want to picture what had happened around the stairs and we still had no clue what the highest floor of the tower contained. To top it all off, my companion couldn¡¯t use magic anymore, she was pretty much stuck at the same stage of development I was at. I didn¡¯t want to belittle our prowess, but we were miles away from where we had started and galaxies from a two-kitsune army. Maybe I could just fall asleep and everything would be solved once I woke up¡­ I scrambled to my feet and offered her a hand. ¡°Ahri¡­Aurora, wow, I don¡¯t even know what to call you¡­¡± ¡°Ahri is fine, you know how it works.¡± ¡°Honestly, I have no clue. But it can wait. What should we do now? I want to look for the others and make sure they¡¯re still alive after the spell. But this is also our best chance to snoop around the second palace and I¡¯m worried about Boseiju. The roots are its heart, someone should pay Greta¡¯s cavern a visit as well, see if we can help.¡± ¡°No offence, but I¡¯ve always been the better fighter. I¡¯ll go check out the stairs, you take a look around here and head for the cavern afterward, my blast should have obliterated any dark creature that still lurked about. You won¡¯t fall prey to a spell or enchantment that might have been left behind and should be able to break the curse on Boseiju, if it can be done at all.¡± That sounded convincing, but I really hated the idea of being on my own, I wanted to stay with her and I wanted to make sure my family was okay: ¡°What about you and the others? You might need me.¡± She saw right through me. I thought she had found a compliment somewhere in there because she answered with a small smile: ¡°Right now I have access to most of my memories, you don¡¯t. There isn¡¯t much you can do to help them that I can¡¯t, but judging from the amount of energy that was poured into Boseiju, I suspect your wings are the only things that can make a dent into the magic.¡± She hugged me tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them safe for you and rush to your side as fast as I can. Promise.¡± Damn it! I felt like I had to be everywhere at the same time. Somehow I feared it would all go to shit if I wasn¡¯t around, despite my less than perfect contributions in the past. I couldn¡¯t bear the idea of one of them dying just because I wasn¡¯t around. It was utter bullshit, if what Ahri had said was true, she wouldn¡¯t need me, not at all. Basically it came down to whether or not I trusted her. And despite the revelations of the last moments, or maybe because of them, I did, more so than any other person in existence. Than why couldn¡¯t I let it go? Heavens, I was torn but I had to say something. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll see you soon, my l¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t get the words out, my voice broke. I fought against the tears for a moment but then I allowed them to flow freely and threw myself against her. She whispered into my ear: ¡°my love¡± and with a gentle push she broke the embrace. Her wings flared bright as the sun, hot winds blew back my hair and like a burning star she ascended into the night. It was the most wondrous sight I had ever had the luck to behold and for a moment I thought it had all been worth it. While Ahri became smaller but no less bright I felt a memory tickle the far reaches of my consciousness. I didn¡¯t have the time, I had a job to do. I turned away from a companion I had thought lost and focused on the tower. Flames and light still spilled from the ground floor. Further up Ahri¡¯s blast had annihilated the glyphs and runes carved into the walls. The windows were gone but the building hadn¡¯t caught fire. The top floor was untouched. Reflective windows threw back the uncaring light of stars and the orange glow from below made it impossible to get a glimpse of what was beyond. A sharp line cut across the tower where the enchantments had become to powerful for Ahri to overcome. While everything below was blackened and partly molten the top floor look just the same it had a couple of minutes ago. I had no interest in examining every nook and cranny of the tower and the mutilated bodies I was sure to find. I intended to go directly for the summit, skipping the atrocities piled on my way. With a thought I rose into the air, much slower than Ahri had, and headed for a huge window directly above me. The rooms on the lower floors I passed by were empty but showed signs of the devastating blast and a fierce struggle. I could see broken swords and halberds, a dented helm and black blood spatters between smashed furniture and shredded canvases. The floor below the top was something else entirely. The window I passed led into a large room, it had probably been the bedchamber of one the royals before. The furniture had been removed and a huge tridecagram had been carved into the floor. The lines had been filled with a silvery metal, probably mithril and at each point of the formation a smaller pentagram had been drawn with blood. Within each pentagram a mutilated kitsune was nailed to the floor, the wounds and cuts over their bodies formed signs I couldn¡¯t decipher. There wasn¡¯t much left of their faces, the eyes had been taken, the ears cut, the noses broken and the mouths sewn shut but the horrendous contortions of their corpses showed the agony they had been in before they had died. Bile rose in my throat and I nearly lost control of my flight. Why? Why would anyone do such a thing? I had to a avert my eyes but I couldn¡¯t forget the image burned into my mind. Oh, he would pay. However long it might take, however far I might have to go, I¡¯d make sure no one else would have to go through what we had to endure. This wasn¡¯t about revenge or even justice anymore, he was a monster and he had to be slain or all his future deeds would stain my hands as well. A being capable of causing so much suffering had to be stopped. I felt another memory sluggishly rising from the depths but I suppressed it again. I had to be careful, if past experiences were anything to go by, the memories were closely linked to my next evolution and Mephisto had told me I wouldn¡¯t survive another one so soon. I had to calm down. I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath but I was assaulted by the gruesome scene immediately. Blood pooled into a puddle on the floor, the stench of excrements and violence was present again and the empty eye sockets stared at me accusingly. My eyes fluttered open and I focused on my racing heart. Calm down, damn it! With all my will power I pushed the lump of emotions as far down as I could and focused on the looming window above me. Hopefully I would find a guard or two who were left behind. Or maybe even his ugliness himself, that would be a treat! If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I took great care that my wings weren¡¯t visible from within and peeked over the sill through half closed eyes so their glow wouldn¡¯t alert anyone to my presence. I couldn¡¯t see a damned thing! The enchantments had survived and still protected everything within, blocking my view and probably also stopping all kinds of energy. I wasn¡¯t entirely surprised and had already thought about what I would do when it came down to breaking into a sealed space. My previous failures at teleportation were, I guessed, caused by my inability to perceive space and interact directly with it. The perception I had used to find the emblem might circumvent the problem. I stretched out my wings as far as I could and wormed my way into the room. I felt a tiny prick and a small resistance when I encountered the barrier but it didn¡¯t pose a problem. Additionally my torrents of energy were small enough to not trigger any alarms or cause visible damage to the protections. I closed my eyes and slowly the room in front of me lit up, at least half of it, I didn¡¯t have the reach for more. I had been prepared for more atrocities, maybe a flaming throne or a towering golem. There was none of that. The room appeared mostly untouched and largely unchanged. It was a mixture of a laboratory and a meditation chamber. The walls were covered in bookshelves, countless volumes arranged in neat little rows. I couldn¡¯t see colours, nor could I read through this form of vision but I expected spell tomes, recipes and magical treaties to make up most of the contents. Towards the centre, the floor was inlaid with intricate formations of glyphs and runes, some forming calling circles I recognised, some provided elemental functions and others could be used for divination. In the middle I perceived half of a huge tridecagram, one of its corners directly above the one full of sacrifices and a floor below. The mithril strands that made up its lines had been overloaded and still hummed with an overabundance of energy the molten metal slowly cooled down as the energy dispersed. A stone portal stood at the centre, grey granite filled with flickering energy. I didn¡¯t hesitate. I focused on my connection to the spot next to the portal, willing myself to travel there, to be there and my vision disappeared. It felt like I was part of a river, rushing through space. I experienced each of my wings as a gateway, allowing me to dive through and reach for the space beyond. With a mental twist I flowed along the glowing current and materialised inside the room. No sound, no light had been projected only a quiet displacement of air heralded my arrival. My eyes flew open and I ducked, expecting a trap to trigger the moment I had arrived, but everything remained quiet, even the sounds from outside were cut off. The second half of the room mirrored the one I had seen perfectly but my focus clung to the stone arch in front of me. It was covered in black symbols and this close I could feel the remnants of massive amounts of soul energy that had passed through, not too long ago. But that was all that was left, the traces of great magics, but like with the tridecagram the magic was gone now, most of it consumed during the last casting. It was getting better and better. The portal was probably the one Mordred had stumbled upon, a physical connection to the emperor. Somehow they had brought it here and sent massive amounts of energy through. Did he come here in person? And if so, where had he gone? I slung my wings around the portal, I didn¡¯t intend to destroy it so I didn¡¯t push down on the enchantments I felt but I tried to understand as much as I could. It took me a couple of minutes full of frustration until I found something. The sheer amount of energy that had been channeled through had contained enough souls to imprint some memories onto the arch. With my wings I was able to interact with the tiny motes of individuality, still stubbornly clinging to existence. I had to hurry, soon they would fade to nothingness. I closed my eyes again and allowed my perception to switch back to silvery forms and radiating light. Where ever the tip of one of my wings touched one of the memories, I felt a soft tug and images rose before my mind¡¯s eye. They were blurry and disconnected but it was enough to reconstruct the last chapter of a sad tale. During the night after my birthday, disaster had struck. It had already been strange when the youngest prince, John, had petitioned for the right to designate a major-domos for himself, granting the person in question the right to represent the prince in all aspects. Usually the privilege was used to organise a royal¡¯s everyday life, but it wasn¡¯t limited to mundane affairs. When the appointed major-domos first act had been to issue a challenge and nearly kill the princess of another family a crisis meeting had been called at the first opportunity, including each member of the royal family as well as the highest ranking soldiers and political advisers. They had retreated to the library and sealed their fate. The room had been prepared in advance and poison had quickly overwhelmed everybody present. When they woke up, ugly marks had been branded to the base of their necks and their wills had no longer been their own. And thus they had prepared the bloodiest night in kitsune history. While everyone else had been busy with my trial and the additional strife the controlled second king had caused two rituals had been prepared in the second palace. The first would create an army of shadows form the souls of some kitsune to wreak havoc all over Boseiju and the garden. To add to the chaos, the humans, who had already proven to be of dubious morales, had been paid off with gold and promises of further riches. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t gather any information on why they had kidnapped our children and had hauled them off the island. The second ritual was ingenious in design and cruel in nature. The shadows had gathered as many sacrifices as they had been able to get their hands on, even their own essence had been channeled to feed the magic¡¯s unbound hunger. The effect was twofold: the energy I had seen previously would cling to any life force and soul it encountered and feed off of it, channeling the largest part back into the ritual itself. The afflicted beings would turn into a form of¡­ well, zombie, without a soul and driven mad by hunger for life. I suspected the glyphs I had seen on the ones downstairs had been there to make sure they wouldn¡¯t run amok and to keep them on a tight leash. The amount of energy contained in the ritual had risen further and further but I couldn¡¯t see the climax, the second stage remained a mystery. The last soul had been consumed before it had gotten that far. The final memory showed the very room I was in, flooded with light. Manifestations of energy in the form of blue lightning strikes, dancing flames and small gusts of air distorted my vision. Each point of the now brightly shining tridecagram channeled immense amounts of power from below. Before my world turned into darkness as the soul dissipated I could see the ghostly manifestation of a large cherry tree appear in the centre, the energies twisted around it and slowly invaded Boseiju¡¯s mirror image. I opened my eyes again as the strongest tremor up until now traveled along the mighty branch the tower was built upon. I could hear the creaking of old wood, even through the palace¡¯s enchantments. White blossoms and leafs filled the air behind the window as the ancient tree shook and trembled down to its roots. A wailing sound pierced the barriers around me and I thought it carried a myriad of different voices, crying out in pain, with it. I was in the wrong place, I had to get to Greta¡¯s cavern. Now. 34. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (1) Cassandra Pendragon I abandoned all attempts at secrecy, slammed a bunch of my wings through the enchantments on one of the windows and followed it up with a heavy book I threw right after. Without the support of the crumbled magic the tome smashed right through and with the clear sound of breaking crystal and a shower of sparkling shards I flung myself through the hole and into the night. Within the tower I had been protected from the raging elements outside but now I had to withstand the full fury of a storm. Winds, smelling of decay and rotten cherries pummelled my body and drove me off course, blossoms and leafs obscured my vision and I could feel small twigs and stones graze my skin. The noise was terrific and I couldn¡¯t hear a thing except for the eerie howling of the wind, laced with distorted voices. Without the protection of the tower I could feel them attacking my mind, whittling away at my sanity but I shrugged it off. Dangerous as it might be, I didn¡¯t fear the magic, I was mostly occupied with not smashing head first into a wall. A small part of my mind worried how the other had fared, first bombarded with a life stealing curse and now surrounded by an unnatural storm that attacked their minds. I wanted to use the communication crystal but I feared I¡¯d drop it as soon as I fumbled it out of my clothes and I didn¡¯t expect my dad to have time for a little chat anyways. I¡¯d find out sound enough either way. I couldn¡¯t fly, the storm was much too strong, all I managed was a controlled fall all the while the debris, flung through the air, battered my body. Once I touched down, it became a little better, the winds didn¡¯t have as much power close to the ground. My injuries were superficial, some light cuts and bruises but nothing major. I gritted my teeth and sprinted towards Boseiju¡¯s trunk. My plan was to reach the stairs on foot, collect Ahri, Greta and Mordred and somehow reach Boseiju¡¯s roots as fast as possible. I knew perfectly well that it most likely wouldn¡¯t play out like that, but I simply couldn¡¯t come up with a better idea on the spot and I had to know if my friends and family were still alive and in control of their own minds. Ahri¡¯s blast had destroyed the soul runes on the inner walls and I ran through the burned garden and left the palace grounds without a problem. Once outside, the storm¡¯s fury grew even more and a bone chilling cold settled over me. My breath turned into white vapour, the clouds blown away as soon as they left my mouth. Rime started to cover my fur and the tips of my hair, it clung to the buildings and made the road slippery, but still nothing blocked my path. I had to use my wings for stability to maintain my speed and even managed to a accelerate further, splitting the air before me and pushing against the ground. While I raced along the branch, I realised the ever present flickering glow of the last hours from the fires in the garden had finally vanished, either there was nothing left to burn of the storm had blown out the flames. I really hoped it was the latter. As I neared the outer wall which separated the branch from Boseiju¡¯s trunk I encountered the first group of turned kitsune. 12 of them, probably those that had been in charge of guarding the entrance lumbered about close to the gate. They didn¡¯t seem coordinated, their movements were sluggish and without purpose but that changed as soon as I closed the distance to about 50 meters. Like puppets on a string, their heads shot up and they turned to face me. Hunger shone from their eyes in red and purple colours, strong enough that I could see it, even from the distance. Their weapons were left untouched but they charged never the less with a blood freezing, animalistic howl that cured me of all lingering ideas they might still be saved, of ¡°them¡± there was nothing left. I faced soulless abominations, bound to life through a vile curse. I had three options. I could try to push through, trusting in my agility, speed and wings to somehow get me past them. I could try to challenge the storm again to hold my course and fly straight over the wall and towards the trunk or I could jump off the branch. As insane as it might sound, I thought it¡¯d be my best shot. Whatever the reason, the storm formed a whirlwind around Boseiju, blowing clockwise all around the tree. I had no chance of fighting against it, the short experience outside the tower had made that plenty clear, but maybe I could use it. If I managed to ride the air currents, they would take me directly to the stairs, all I had to do was drop down on one of the platforms around it once I was close enough. And not get blown into a branch or collide with something heavier then me on the way. Compared to fighting 12 adult kitsune or trying to overpower the whirlwind, I thought it was slightly less insane but I couldn¡¯t say that I was thrilled. Spouting colourful curses in the demonic language that rolled off my tongue far easier than any other attempt before I veered to the left, turned around and allowed the winds to catch my wings from the front. My back groaned and I was catapulted backwards and up. I shot like a stone from a sling through the air and out over the garden. It seemed like I had made a tiny mistake. Forget fighting it, I couldn¡¯t even control my direction or hight, I was a leaf on a river, subjected to its whims without mercy. For as long as I kept my wings extend I would follow the airstreams wherever they were headed. Blossoms, leafs and chunks of dirt tumbled all around me and restricted my vision. I closed my eyes after the first painful collisions made them water so much I couldn¡¯t see a thing anyway. It helped, a little. My secondary vision was blurred as well, my wings were blown hither and to and I moved much too fast for my brain to generate clear images, but at least I wasn¡¯t blinded anymore. The only silver lining was that the winds had carried me upwards and I was now at least 15 meters higher than the stairs. My altitude would allow for some leeway when I had to fall the last distance. Speaking of which, much faster than I had imagined, the platforms and extension built around the stairs came into view. At least I thought so, I couldn¡¯t be sure because all I could see were fuzzy outlines and blurry silhouettes. I prayed to whomever would listen, angled my body as precisely as I could in the direction where I judged the largest platform to be and retracted my wings. I lost nearly all of my air resistance in an instant but the force of the elements combined with my speed was enough to send me on a steep trajectory to where I had wanted to go. Unfortunately I lost my second vision the moment my wings vanished and I had to rely on my eyes again while I shot threw the air with a speed that was decidedly outside of a kitsune¡¯s eye¡¯s comfort zone. Damn it, I had no clue how I could possibly slow down. I hadn¡¯t thought this through, if I unfurled my wings again I would be blown away in an instant, if I didn¡¯t, I would most likely become a speck of blood and gore somewhere on the unforgiving wood. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I¡¯d wait for the last possible moment and use my wings. Hopefully I would manage to somehow tumble onto a platform before the storm would take me away again. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to try, though. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. My eyes were still massively impaired but here is how I interpreted what I saw: a solid square of dwarfs occupied the space around the stairs but they were under heavy pressure. From the sides, through every gateway leading to the palaces, waves and waves of kitsune threw themselves against their bulwark. From below even more attacked the dwarfs and nibbled at their rear guard. Only a small part of the kitsune, those with glyphs on their bodies I imagined, used weapons, the rest fell upon the dwarfs with teeth and nail. They didn¡¯t try to secure the stairs, they wanted to annihilate every thing that drew breath in their vicinity. Once they managed to drag a dwarf out of formation through sheer viciousness, clever spells or because the tremors that still ran along Boseiju had thrown him off balance, they would swarm the unlucky fellow and bite and tear at every exposed piece of skin they could reach, like ants attacking a carcass. The cries of the unfortunate victims reached me even through the howling winds. The dwarfs on the other hand defended themselves with a cold fervour, never breaking formation and always ready to fill in the gaps the enraged kitsune had torn open in their ranks. Their efforts weren¡¯t in vain and I thought I saw more and more corpses with tails tumble down into the abyss. But for every fallen zombie a new one took its place and each dead dwarf thinned out their reserves more and more. I could see Ahri in the middle of the fray, her wings a fiery beacon for her friends and impeding doom for her enemies. I had no idea how she could remain upright in the storm but the winds didn¡¯t seem to bother her. Every time she moved a zombie burst into flames. Her whole body and the wood at her feet were black with ash, but she didn¡¯t slow down, apparently ready to hold the position all by her lonesome if she had to. Luckily she didn¡¯t, to her left my brother swung his sword faster than I could follow and the trails of blood that carved rivers of red into the mountains of ash all around proved his effectiveness. He didn¡¯t bother to kill, he sliced a tendon there, opened an artery here and only moved when the incapacitated bodies started to get into his way. On Ahri¡¯s other side Greta proved that she had indeed been going easy on me. Her soul flame had manifested and had sealed her in a burning armour of gold. Wherever she would point, a stream of hungry flames would follow. They would cling to every soulless kitsune they touched and turn them into a walking torches, spreading the fire further along the ranks. Unfortunately the raging storm would soon consume the flames but the survivors thought twice before closing in on Greta again. A step behind them, my mother wove spell after spell, either defending the ones in front of her or attacking the enemies at range with blatant disregard for whom they might have once been. I couldn¡¯t spot my father and had to quell a dart of panic when I realised he wasn¡¯t with them. I couldn¡¯t spare more time anyway, I was close to a platform and I had to act. With a thought my wings pierced the air and I turned into a flying light show that drew the attention of nearly everyone below me. As if on command, the cursed kitsune that weren¡¯t actively fighting someone snarled and threw spells and wads of energy my way. I had to smile, their attacks might give me a chance to actually make it. With my wings I could interact with energy in any way I desired, I could touch it, pierce it, burn it, choke it and push against it. Maybe I could anchor myself in their spells, break my momentum and land on the platform without a single broken bone. At first I felt elated, I slammed one of my wings into each spell I could reach and managed to slow down considerably while the wads of energy sped off into the night. A second later my elation died away while I had to focus on a game of whack-a-mole. Many more than 33 attacks had been flung my way and I had to retract my wings from the ones I had already steered off course to deflect the next one. Once again I was thankful for the countless hours I had spent in Greta¡¯s cavern, dodging things and judging their speed and direction. I was fast enough to brave the wave of spells and get through unscathed, well, almost. A couple of shots took me right in the stomach and while the spells didn¡¯t activate, it still felt like I had been hit with a stone, thrown at full force. My muscles seized for a moment and I was really glad my stomach was already empty. I had to pay dearly for my lapse of concentration, though, as another badge of projectiles hit my side and nearly propelled me around. But then I was through and I had slowed down sufficiently to fully see what was before me and to take control of my fall without tearing my back apart. I anchored half of my wings to the edges of the platform. For a moment the full fury of the storm tried to wrestle away my hold and fling me off again but I clung on and managed to steer myself away from the horde of bloodthirsty zombies and towards the battalion of dwarfs. I could now see that the dwarfs had cleared the area around the stairs. Decayed wood and burned patches showed where the enchanted seals had been broken. The platforms along the paths to the different palaces where flooded with enslaved kitsune, their glowing, hungry eyes blurred together into a sea of red and purple specks in the darkness and made me feel like a rabbit in front of a wolf pack. Shivers ran down my spine but honestly, I was long past the point where I had still given a damn. The kitsune tried to push their way through the five gateways and onto the main platform but the dwarfs held tight while my friends defended one of the gates all by their lonesome. From below some 30 kitsune still fought to climb up the stairs but they were stuck between a rock and a hard place because another formation of dwarfs, at least 30 strong, came up right behind them. They were slowly ground to dust between the dwarfs at the top of the stairs and the ones pushing them into their brethren¡¯s waiting axes. This close I could feel the beat of the black drum reverberating in my bones, each clap accompanied by a volley of bolts that culled the kitsune mercilessly. My wings tethered me to one of the platforms the kitsune were gathered on but I used my remaining momentum to swing around and head directly for the middle of the dwarven battalion. My wings were to short to bridge the gap between the platforms so I let go at the highest point, retracted my wings and tumbled downwards into a thicket of mithril weapons and armour with a lot of pointy ends sticking up. Luckily the dwarfs weren¡¯t easily fazed and reacted quickly. They scattered and left a clear place for me to crash onto which I proceeded to do most stunningly. I came down faster than I had thought so I didn¡¯t have the time to use my wings again. I tucked my arms and legs close to my body and tried to roll off the momentum but the scant 2 meters they had cleared weren¡¯t enough by far to come to a halt. Like a living canon ball I covered the remaining distance in a heartbeat and slammed into a silvery mountain. It might also have been the back of a dwarf but the effect was pretty much the same. I stopped abruptly and all my kinetic energy went into deforming bones and ligaments. Unfortunately it weren¡¯t those of the dwarf. I didn¡¯t lose consciousness, but the ringing in my ears and the burning sensation from pretty much all over my body made me wish I had. It took me several moments to spit out the blood from when I had bitten my tongue during my crash landing and to persuade my sense to convey anything other than gibberish. I opened my eyes to stare into my mum¡¯s, her defeated expression and the deep lines of grieve all over her face prevented me from asking any questions. I silently got up and hugged her tightly. I tried to convey much, my love for her, my hope that we¡¯d see another sunrise despite everything, my pride that she was still up and fighting but above all my anger and my promise that I wouldn¡¯t back down, no matter what the emperor still held in store for us. 35. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (2) Cassandra Pendragon At first we stood silently on an island of quiet in the surrounding chaos. I felt my mom tense up and without any warning she started snivelling and shuddering in my arms, breaking me out of my stupor. The cacophony of sounds around us assaulted my ears again and I could feel blood dripping down my nose. My right side was burned where I had skittered over the platform and every movement resulted in an ominous crack from my thigh. At least my appearance matched my mental state. For the momentthe dwarfs and kitsune were locked in a stalemate and even though I dreaded her answered I had to know and whispered into her ear: ¡°What happened? Where is my father?¡± She went rigid and even her breath stilled. Her reaction told me everything she couldn¡¯t put into words and I felt tears stinging in my eyes. I pulled her closer until she finally took a shuddering breath and started to cry in earnest. It took every ounce of self control I had left for me to not join her but I knew I¡¯d break down completely if I allowed any emotions to surface now, something I couldn¡¯t possibly afford. I fought down my helplessness, grief, and even rage until I found a resemblance of calm. I comforted my mother as well as I could but there wasn¡¯t much to say. Our world had been burned, cursed and crushed and now we were starting to lose members of our family. How could words possibly help? Only time would allow the injuries to scar over and for us to move on. Time we wouldn¡¯t have if we didn¡¯t keep on fighting. But we had been outmanoeuvred at every turn, stumbling from one trap into the next. The emperor¡¯s plans had worked perfectly, minor hiccups aside. It was nearly over, I could feel it, our home was no more, Boseiju, our mighty protector, was slowly consumed by whatever curse had fallen upon our lands and the last free people on this island were stuck somewhere between heaven and earth, unable to do anything. Even if we were to slaughter every last one of the turned kitsune, I was convinced it would be for naught. Boseiju had been the goal form the get go and once the nearly endless supply of life force was under the emperor¡¯s control, we would have to flee or perish here and he would have his first stronghold on our continent. An outcome I wouldn¡¯t allow, whatever the cost. I caressed her hair one last time, wiped my eyes and stepped back, my hands still on her shoulders: ¡°I love you, mom and I love him, but I need to know what happened. Can you hold on for a little longer and talk to me?¡± She tried, she really did but she couldn¡¯t stop crying and her body shook like a reed in the wind. All I could do was pull her towards me again and provide a little bit of safety while she mourned her home, her previous life and her husband. A soft touch on my shoulder drew my attention away from her. Unbeknownst to us, Ahri, Greta, Mordred and Xorlosh had made their way over the platform and lingered close by, unwilling to intrude upon us. It had been Ahri who had finally taken the last few steps and had touched me gingerly. ¡°I think I can answer for her,¡± she said in a voice that barely carried over the noise of battle and the still raging storm. I focused on her and nodded while my mom was still trying to control her sobs. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back in one piece, Cassy,¡± she squeezed my shoulder before she released her grip and a left a mark of ash and blood on my shirt. Up close her cover of grime looked like an armour. ¡°As far as I can say, the curse covered the whole island and turned every living thing into a blood crazed maniac. When I returned, Greta had just finished drawing it out of your mother and brother. The dwarfs¡¯ armour provides protection enough so that they weren¡¯t affected but everyone else¡­¡± her voice trailed off. Dad, Adam! Again I had to swallow dryly to keep it together. Tomorrow I¡¯d cry for them all, but today I¡¯d make sure we wouldn¡¯t join them. Unshed tears burned in my eyes but I signalled for Ahri to continue. ¡°When the winds picked up and that smell of decay appeared, the dead also started to rise. We, that is Greta thinks, a large part of Boseiju is already corrupted and his energy is what fuels the turned ones. The only way to get rid of them is to either destroy the body completely until nothing is left or to throw them off the tree, they might survive but they won¡¯t climb up for now.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s happening in the garden? Is the entrance to Greta¡¯s cavern still there?¡± Ahri shuffled her feet before she replied: ¡°the kitsune were turned and fell upon the dwarfs who stood guard. The dwarfs can¡¯t fight an enemy they can¡¯t kill so they retreated up the stairs. The few kitsune you see between them and the rest are the one¡¯s who were resurrected along the way and couldn¡¯t fight their way through. The rest didn¡¯t follow the dwarfs and started to march towards Greta¡¯s cavern. We don¡¯t have exact numbers but most of the kitsune who lived in the garden should be down there guarding the entrance.¡± Some of the pieces finally clicked together. The emperor hadn¡¯t come through the portal, yet, but he soon would. I gestured for the others to come closer and gently extracted myself from my mom¡¯s embrace. ¡°Listen, I have an idea, but first let me tell you what I found in the second palace¡­¡± Swiftly I walked them through what I had seen and explained what the memories had revealed, especially that the curse contained two distinct parts. ¡°I think he is trying to convert Boseiju into a permanent bridge that can be crossed by people rather than energy. That¡¯s why the archway was up in the tower. I bet he used it as template for the second part of his curse when he feeds all the energy back into Boseiju.¡± While I had been talking their expressions hadn¡¯t changed much except for Greta¡¯s, a dangerous gleam had entered her eyes: ¡°you want to use the arch, don¡¯t you? If it¡¯s tied to the curse, you will be able to manipulate the enchantments on the arch and thereby change the workings of the curse.¡± I nodded and added: ¡°we¡¯ll change the destination. Let them open their bridge, we¡¯ll make sure nothing but death and destruction come across from the other side.¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± Mordred asked. ¡°Not for me alone, no, but with Greta¡¯s help it just might. I can tear down the safeguards and she can feed the changed blueprint back into the curse. It won¡¯t work if anybody realises what we are doing, though. The second part doesn¡¯t have to be activated, I think. If something¡¯s amiss, they¡¯ll just continue to pour Boseiju¡¯s energy into the turned kitsune and we¡¯ll be overrun sooner or later. We have to make sure there is a need to activate the portal. Reinforcements are most likely stationed at the other end, we have to make him think they are his best option.¡± ¡°And how do we do that?¡± Ahri inquired. ¡°That, my dear, is where I was hoping you could help. I don¡¯t know the rules for your current state, but if you really have all your memories, it should be easy enough to make him think an angel at full power is attacking the cavern, at least for a short amount of time. Backed up by a battalion of angry dwarfs that should provide for more than enough incentive, no?¡± She pursed her lips. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°I can¡¯t manipulate energy any more than you at the moment. What do you expect me to do? Burn a hole through his guards and dance around with my wings extended?¡± ¡°No, but we still have two capable spell casters,¡± I pointed at Mordred and my mom, ¡°use their energy. Guide them, they both can link their minds to yours, if you allow it, you will be able to work through them.¡± She hesitated for a moment but finally nodded her agreement: ¡°I can try, but you should know beforehand: I don¡¯t have much time left. Soon I¡¯ll lose consciousness and when I wake up, most of my memories will be sealed again. There isn¡¯t much I can do about it now, the fighting around here and the blast in the palace simply took too much out of me. I have half an hour, at best.¡± She turned to Mordred and my mom: ¡°you should also know that sharing mind space with an immortal is more than dangerous. More often than not you come back changed or not at all. I have more memories floating around my mind than the rest of this planet combined. If you lose yourselves within, you won¡¯t find your way back.¡± I appreciated her sentiment but I thought we were long past normal safety standards. My family agreed and they both shrugged. My mom had even managed to righten herself and dry off her eyes. She still had a haunted look about her, but the chance to actually do something reignited a part of her fighting spirit. You had to admire the woman. ¡°Wait a mo¡¯,¡± Xorlosh made himself heard for the first time: ¡°that sounds horrendous, not gonna lie. Aren¡¯t we all going to count the daisies from below if your plan works? I mean, the fiery lass, the boys ¡®n me divert his ugliness¡¯ attention, you change the curse and we all hide behind our smiles and natural charms when whatever monstrosity or force of nature slams through the portal and probably razes this island to the ground?¡± ¡°Our home is lost, there is no other way of looking at it.¡± Nobody contradicted me. ¡°We here and the kidnapped children are all that is left and I don¡¯t mind erasing a doomed place to guarantee we keep breathing. But I don¡¯t intent to sacrifice anyone. Greta, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but a curse on this scale will take time to manifest or change its structure. Heck, the formation took ages back at the second palace. You have to split your forces, send half of your lads back to the mine and have them prepare your ships as fast as possible. You¡¯ll charge the cavern and we¡¯ll manipulate the arch when they are close to you. As soon as the emperor initiates the second stage you turn tails and run as fast your legs will carry you. I¡¯ll fly Greta down and we¡¯ll join you on a ship. We can admire the fireworks from afar.¡± I added with a hint of gallows humour. ¡°Hmm, that still sounds insane. I like it. I¡¯ll send the lads running, unless there¡¯s something else? Good, the drummer will be along. We¡¯ll attack with the next beat. Join us when y¡¯ are ready, me fiery beauty.¡± He winked at Ahri while he strode off, already yelling commands that easily drowned out the storm. Great, now I had to deal with a pang of jealousy as well. Fortunately I had some practice in ignoring my feelings by now, so I simply shoved it down. In contrast to the emotions I had already stored down there, I had no intention of ever letting it back up. Well, not often at least. I¡¯d like to say we had the chance for one last meaningful conversation but the circumstances wouldn¡¯t allow it. The noise all around had already forced us to yell and with the continuous tremors, the smell of decay and the fighting dwarfs close by there was no way. I hugged Ahri and my family once more, all I managed to get out was a stifled: ¡°take care.¡± My mom nodded and handed me another healing potion. ¡°Here take it. It¡¯s the last one. Your father managed to pass it along, before¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t go on. She kissed my cheek and turned towards the dwarfs who were slowly changing their formation so that they would have a strong line of defence towards the rear while they climbed down the stairs again. Ahri didn¡¯t hesitated and quickly kissed the other side of my face. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, my love,¡± she whispered before she too turned away. Mordred only slapped my back. He winked and called over his shoulder: ¡°if I don¡¯t make it, you can have my sword.¡± Unbelievably he made me smile. Despite everything or maybe because of it I had to laugh at his stupid joke. ¡°Thanks, if I die, you can have my wardrobe,¡± I called after him but he only waved. Greta stepped up close and murmured, nearly inaudibly despite the close proximity: ¡°now, tell me the truth. What do you intend to do?¡± ¡°How do you¡­?¡± I stammered. ¡°Child, I¡¯m old, maybe not as old as Ahri but I¡¯m not smitten with you either. So spill it, what didn¡¯t you tell us? Your plan doesn¡¯t sound half stupid so what¡¯s wrong?¡± If she was to come along I would have to tell her everything sooner or later anyway so I answered with a sigh: ¡°There are two things: first I¡¯m not sure how we can get get to the tower. I can¡¯t fly there on my own but I hope you can help me. I guess you already made it possible for Ahri to use her wings? The storm feels much weaker on the platform than it did in the air. Your doing as well?¡± She shrugged her head impatiently: ¡°with that I can help easily. What¡¯s the other thing?¡± ¡°The arch has served its purpose and is already disconnected from the curse. Unless the emperor is a blithering idiot we won¡¯t be able to reinstate the connection. Unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless you use your wings to directly merge the arch with the curse on Boseiju. But than you would have to channel energy through your body to instigate the change, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± I nodded once. ¡°By the great fox,¡± she exclaimed, ¡°you won¡¯t survive, you know that, right?¡± ¡°Why do you think I didn¡¯t tell anyone? I know there¡¯s a good chance I won¡¯t make it. I¡¯m only telling you now because, as you so eloquently put it, you aren¡¯t smitten with me and hopefully understand that there isn¡¯t much of a choice if you don¡¯t want to risk that an ancient warlock turns this island into the first outpost of his empire. Or do you think the last dwarfs and half a handful of kitsune can stop him by force?What do you imagine would happen afterwards, if they couldn¡¯t? The islands aren¡¯t in any position to defend themselves against this kind of power. They would fall, one by one and he would rule.¡± I paused to draw breath and continued: ¡°I can feel the curse corrupting Boseiju, I can touch and manipulate it, I know it. Who knows, I may even have a chance to channel the backlash into Boseiju and come out smiling on the other side. Will you help me, I have no chance without you but I¡¯m going to try either way.¡± That wasn¡¯t exactly fair, but¡­ she didn¡¯t even argue. I wasn¡¯t sure but I thought I saw a flicker of mischief cross her face before she replied calmly: ¡°if that¡¯s your wish, I¡¯ll help you with everything I¡¯ve got. Here,¡± she gave me Mephisto¡¯s tarnished emblem, ¡°take it, maybe it¡¯ll serve as a lucky charm, at least. Cassandra, I¡¯m damn proud of you. I¡¯m usually not one to applaud stupid risks but today is a far cry from usual.¡± The cataracts on her eyes moved and I was sure she would have cried if she had been able to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I was surprised to say the least, none of what had happened was her fault. But before I could say anything she continued: ¡°I figured someone should say it. I¡¯m damned sorry for everything you and yours had to go through.¡± She hugged me. Now I was flabbergasted. I knew she could be sincere, but a hug? If I was to analyse her behaviour I would say she didn¡¯t put too much fate in my survival but I didn¡¯t want to crush my confidence completely so I stayed well away from that line of thought. ¡°Thanks,¡± I awkwardly replied. ¡°Well then,¡± suddenly she was all back to normal, ¡°I need a moment to cast some protection against the storm and we can be on our way. Watch closely, maybe you can learn something.¡± Was now the time? I couldn¡¯t do anything else so I focused on her casting but since I didn¡¯t have any experience of my own, I didn¡¯t understand much and Greta didn¡¯t bother with explanations. 20 seconds later I saw a translucent barrier envelop her, with more than enough room to spare for me. She opened her arms and gestured for me to come closer: ¡°alright, carry me to the skies, my noble steed.¡± And for the second time in as many minutes I had to smile. As soon as I entered her protection spell, the winds, the stench and most of the sounds died away and with a thought I unfurled my wings and catapulted us into the night. 36. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (3) Cassandra Pendragon The return trip went decidedly smoother which allowed me to survey the scene from above for the first time. Greta¡¯s weight slowed me down but it wasn¡¯t enough to seriously impair my speed or agility. Harsh winds circled around Boseiju and tore leafs, blossoms and smaller branches away. The air was full of debris and I knew a constant, maddening howl assaulted anyone who wasn¡¯t protected even though I couldn¡¯t hear it at that moment, thanks to Greta¡¯s shield. I saw the dwarfs and my friends slowly climb down the stairs, the kitsune from the different palaces yapping at their heels but a steadfast rearguard held them off efficiently. The large platform, from where I had taken off a couple of seconds ago, was already flooded with zombies and only the smallest patch around the stairs was still held by the dwarfs. I could see a small group of 5 in the middle who shrugged out of their armour and into a strange looking suit with several lengths of material hanging from the shoulders and thighs. Before I navigated away from the platforms and disappeared into the greenery I could see them move close to the stairs and fearlessly jump into the abyss. The fabric caught the wind and billowed out above them. From somewhere the word parachute came to mind as I watched them soar downwards gently. Somehow their contraptions allowed them to control the direction of their descent and while they were still flung left and right by the raging whirlwind, they continuously glided away from Boseiju and towards the mine. Depending on how much they were pushed off course I thought they¡¯d be back with their ships in less than 10 minutes. The more I saw of them and their gadgets the more I realised how lucky we were to have them. For a moment I wondered what marvels I would be able to get for the token Mordred had given me but the thought vanished as quickly as it had appeared. I would never be able to cover what I had lost today. The scenery below reminded me of that fact all too clearly. Boseiju was trembling far less but his colours were changing. The bark was taking on a withered and somewhat mouldy hue and huge cracks started to form all over the trunk with a faint greenish light emanating from within. Dancing shadows clung to the crevices, sometimes coalescing into figures sometimes formless and wafting. I feared they would be the now corrupted spirits who had called Boseiju their home but I couldn¡¯t be sure. I feverishly hoped that none of the gaps would form close to the stairs and my friends would be forced to find out. Rime was forming on every surface within the whirlwind and it almost looked like death was reaching into the world of the living with his long, spindly and deadly white fingers. The fires in the garden had gone out but I could still see the moving mass where the entrance to Greta¡¯s cavern should have been. It was too far away to discern details but the wave like motions made clear just how many kitsune had gathered there. It would be one hell of a fight to convince anyone that this veritable army of mindless servants was on the verge of collapsing. Ahri and the dwarfs would have to make one hell of a showing to even make the emperor consider activating the second phase prematurely. Our tampering would surely be noticed if he had the time to proceed as he planned and we¡¯d be screwed. Further away the curse hadn¡¯t had as much potency but I could still perceive changes in the land scape. The plants in the fields looked sickly and I couldn¡¯t see the usually always present swarms of midnight bees. The forest was unnaturally still, no birds fluttered through the canopy and the ground was free of animal life. I also thought the trees looked different, foreboding and somehow dangerous, like an assembly of dark spirits, gathered under the moonlight, but that could also have been my imagination. The last thing I saw before the rotting greenery of Boseiju swallowed my world was a flickering of red flames, somewhere on the stairs. The curse had turned the shimmering greens and whites of Boseiju into rotting leaves and withered blossoms. My world was filled with decay and if it hadn¡¯t been for Greta¡¯s protective magic, the stench would have overwhelmed me the second I flew into the canopy. Even though, we had a moment of quiet before I would leave the cover and headed along the main branch towards the second palace. There were a couple of things I still wanted to ask Greta: ¡°How come no one could resist the curse? I understand that it was much too powerful for most to overcome, but I can¡¯t imagine none of all the kitsune around here had the mettle to at least put up a decent fight.¡± ¡°The sacrifices weren¡¯t only there to power the curse in the first place. The souls were partly used to tailor the curse specifically to the kitsune, their souls, minds and life forces. That¡¯s one of the reasons why the dwarfs got away unscathed. That, their enchanted armours and their second to none stubbornness. Before I could protect myself and your family I changed minuscule parts of our souls so the curse wouldn¡¯t invoke correctly. Only afterwards was I able to extract and destroy it. Do you think someone else has the ability to do so? Your girlfriend might at the moment, but she doesn¡¯t strike me as the scholarly type.¡± In the middle of everything with our destination looming ahead I turned red like a beet root and stammered: ¡°That¡¯s not.. she¡¯s not¡­ never mind.¡± I inhaled deeply and tried again: ¡°do you think we can stop the second stage from invoking instead of altering it?¡± ¡°Nah, you were quite right, that ship has sailed. At the moment, the kitsune and most of Boseiju resemble nothing more than a perverted hive mind, controlled by the curse. If they don¡¯t burn, they¡¯ll slowly assimilate the whole island and turn it into a hellish place full of the cursed and undead. They are already utterly changed and won¡¯t be anything other than brainless blood suckers or disposable chunks of energy. To end their existence and burn away their life force is a mercy, really. To change the workings of the curse and raze this whole place to the ground is our best option. I don¡¯t like it any more than you do, heck, I have lived here far longer and probably value the place even higher than you, but this isn¡¯t about defence any more, we have already lost in that regard, probably the moment the first shadow attacked, if I¡¯m honest. You can¡¯t view the kitsune as friends or relatives and Boseiju as your home anymore. Right now we are attacking an enemy¡¯s base and wholesale destruction is a very admirable goal.¡± I had reached the same conclusion but you don¡¯t try to burn you home to cinders without double checking, at least I wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Than there is nothing more to say, is there?¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Not so fast, young one. There is¡­¡± her voice trailed off and she focused on the branch below as we left the greenery and passed over the outer wall. I heard her murmur a quick chant. ¡°Huh, there are guards down there. I wonder why they didn¡¯t join the others who attacked the dwarfs¡­ no matter, we should deal with them before we enter the tower. It¡¯s always best to not have enemies behind you when you do something horrendously risky. Be a darling and slow down a little, will you? We can continue our chat once the coast is clear.¡± The potion my mom had given me had restored me completely and I was itching to take my frustration out on anything stupid enough to volunteer. With a though I altered our trajectory and we approached the guards, who had prevented me from reaching the stairs on foot before, from above. A smile formed on my face, but this time I wouldn¡¯t have liked to be on the receiving end. I wanted blood and my features showed that all too clearly: ¡°I¡¯ll land, don¡¯t use any flashy spells. We don¡¯t want to attract attention. I¡¯ll keep them off of you while you work out something untraceable. Agreed?¡± I saw her nod: ¡°I have an idea. I need about 30 seconds and all of them close by. If you touch down on the wall, they¡¯ll have to crawl up first and you can easily throw them back down again. My range should be sufficient, even if they don¡¯t climb up.¡± I followed her suggestion and aimed for the part of the wall directly above the gate. Perfectly crafted and reinforced the archway provided enough room to land and as an additional advantage the kitsune wouldn¡¯t be able to climb straight up, the wall extended out over the gate and formed a strong overhang. With as much noise as a falling feather I came down and put Greta on the ground. She immediately stepped away from me and I could see her mouth working furiously while she inaudibly formed spell after spell. The guards reacted instantaneously. Like before they all moved at the same time, sniffed the air and their hungry eyes fixed on the spot where I stood with my blind companion. They threw back their heads and started to howl. While I couldn¡¯t hear them thanks to the protective bubble around us I could still see their tongues lolling out and the spittle that flew through the night. Greta¡¯s litany of spells intensified and I felt the enchantment that kept us safe disappear, the strain on her concentration had proven too much. I could now hear the cadences of bloodlust and insanity woven through their hellish wail, intensified by the whirlwind and the supernatural screams it still carried along. I had to cover my ears and clench my teeth but I still wobbled lightly before I could find my balance again. As if they had sensed my distraction the kitsune charged. The howl cut off and like one they headed straight for the gate, most dropping down on all fours to reach us even faster. For a moment I was looking forward to the cries of frustration when they would realise that they had to scale the wall to reach us but a sudden end was put to that particular illusion when the first kitsune barked a distorted command and rose into the air. Right, I had forgotten that they were capable of casting spells. How did that even work? I always thought you needed a will of your own to control any from of magic but apparently some remote influence was already enough. Maybe it had something to do with the complexity of the spell. Wow, I was exhausted, it took a serious effort to stop my mind from wandering, my previous excitement for a fight had already evaporated. Out of necessity not anticipation I crouched down low and prepared to pick the one in front out of the air with my wings. I already knew that I didn¡¯t have much strength in each one of them but when I used them all together, I had much more power then my slender built would suggest. I could only pray that it¡¯d be enough to stop an enraged adult. I lowered my centre of gravity even further and as soon as he was in range I enveloped him in a silvery cocoon of energy. The stress was immense, especially for my back, but I managed. I had to move along with the direction of his flight but I could cancel out his momentum slowly. Additionally I felt the energies coursing through his body but I couldn¡¯t discern the curse. The thing had injected itself into every cell and meridian of the poor bloke, all I could feel was the turmoil it created within his body and the connection to all the other cursed ones. The connection wasn¡¯t something tangible, more like an echo of sorts which proved the dark cavern in front of you was much larger than you had originally believed. I fought him on three fronts in my struggle to eliminate him as fast as possible. I tried to match him in pure strength and stop his flight, I burrowed my wings into his body and tried to burn what was left of his life force and I tore at his flying spell in an attempt to make him crash down. While I had only moderate success in hindering his flight, physically and magically, my attack on his life force proved highly effective. He couldn¡¯t put up any resistance and I could freely invade his body and turn his energy into consuming flames. With a thought I pierced his heart, literally and metaphorically with several wings and groped for the strands of energy connected to it. For the tiniest fracture of a moment I could feel another force entering his body and supplying him with additional life force but it fled nearly as soon as it had arrived and I was much too slow to catch it. With a wail that resembled nothing a sentient being should sound like his life force ignited into silvery flames and his body burned behind the veil of my wings. I tore them away immediately to welcome my next assailant. Even though our fight, if you wanted to call it that, had only lasted for a few seconds the other guards had come much closer. Not everyone was capable of flight, only 5 more came at me through the air but the others had already reached the foundations of the wall and were scrambling upwards with an agility that put most living kitsune to shame. But now I knew how to kill them off for good. I shot into the air and hovered 5 meters above the wall. First I focused on the airborne kitsune, they would reach me or Greta much faster and posed the bigger threat. All five of them were close enough that I could see the foul light in their eyes and could have counted the number of teeth they were flashing at me, if I had bothered to. I didn¡¯t have enough time to deal with each one separately so I changed my approach. Instead of surrounding them with energy I wanted to use my wings like spears and pierce their hearts directly while they were still flying towards me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold my wings in position once the weight of the cursed crashed onto them, but I should be able to hold on long enough to skewer their hearts. I didn¡¯t need my full range anymore so I drew my wings back a little and allowed the first meter adjacent to my back to cling to the one on the opposite site, forming a drawn together ¡°M¡± with me at the centre. Only the lowest torrent of energy, directly above my tails, didn¡¯t have another one for support so instead of attacking I used it to keep my balance. Like an upright spider I threw my wings forwards directly into their path. They were much too fast and focused on drawing blood to even try to doge. Without a sound my wings pierced their skin and went right through their bodies. I could ignite the energy within them easily enough but my appendages didn¡¯t provide much resistance and their momentum carried them forwards. I had maybe half a second to burn them before their bodies would crash into me and drag me to the ground. Once down I would be easy prey for the ones who came crawling along the wall. With a flick of my mind I bore down on the energy I felt slithering along my wings. Silvery blue fire pulsed through the meridians of the cursed and turned their bodies into ash. All except for one. I hadn¡¯t missed him entirely but I didn¡¯t hit dead centre either. My wings were stuck through his arms and one leg, he was gravely injured and his spell collapsed but he still crashed into me. It felt like I had been hit by a truck and with a shower of ashes we tumbled through the air, the one wing I had kept in reserve was far from enough to stabilise me and I was flung through the night like a bowling pin. 37. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (4) Cassandra Pendragon My head hurt and I felt dizzy while the world spun around me. Streaks of colour whirled up and down, left and right and only came to a stop when I crashed on the frozen and unforgiving ground. Specks of light danced before my eyes and the sound of the sea drowned out every other noise. Blind, deaf and disorientated I tried to move, to get back on my feet but my legs gave out and I fell back down. My breath rushed in and out of my lungs, much too fast I might add, and fear quickly evolved into panic while the seconds ticked on. I didn¡¯t know where I was or how long it¡¯d take the cursed to reach me. I could imagine vividly what would happen if they found me prone on the ground. I focused on my wings and luckily I was still able to control them, if not fluently. I closed my eyes and focused on my inner world, willing the darkness to recede and illuminate my surroundings in the shades of silver I was starting to get used to. My second sight was fuzzy but I still managed to conjure blurred images of everything within 20 meters. I had crash-landed on the far side of the wall in the middle of the road that lead towards Boseiju¡¯s trunk. The full fury of the whirlwind whipped through my hair and I could already feel the frozen wood beneath me leech away the warmth of my body. The cursed who had successfully rammed me out of the sky was close by, his legs and tails broken and intertwined, blood slowly oozed from the wounds I had stabbed through his torso. I saw him shudder and exhale before he went still, his broken form unable to cling to life any longer. The gate and the foundations of the wall were just within my reach but I couldn¡¯t see what was going on on top or if the earthbound kitsune had already succeeded in climbing up. I didn¡¯t have to wonder for long, though, as two figures dropped into my field of vision and almost immediately headed for me, crouched down on all fours in a truly animalistic display of eagerness and bloodlust. My hearing started to clear and their rasping breath and the drumbeat of rushing feet assaulted my ears. They were maybe 15 meters away and I still couldn¡¯t convince my limbs to move or quell the paralysing panic that gnawed at me. I was sitting ducks, a turtle turned onto its back but I still had control over my wings, sluggish as it might be. With all my might I pulled them back towards me, my vision winking out step after step as they dragged over the ground. Once again I was thankful for Greta¡¯s intense and sometimes dangerous forms of training. Despite my panic I managed to at least somewhat concentrate and focus on what I was doing instead of the approaching threat. I didn¡¯t have enough strength left to pierce their hearts with my wings, at least not on my own. I would have to rely on their stupidity and greed once again and hope that they would impale themselves like the ones in the air had. Unfortunately I was too slow. They were running too fast and I couldn¡¯t retract my wings quickly enough to position the tips in front of them. The distance between us was shrinking by the moment and I simply couldn¡¯t muster enough concentration to move my wings instantaneously. The cursed would bury their teeth in my body long before I would be able to scratch even their backs, never mind overtaking them. I had to try something else. Instead of pulling my wings closer I extended them as fast as possible and focused on a spot close to the wall at the very limit of my range. When the decayed stench of their bodies reached my nose and I could practically feel their teeth ripping through my skin I collapsed into a shower of silvery sparks and disappeared. From the shadow beneath the wall I watched them crash onto the spot I had vacated an instant before, their momentum carried them along and they slithered over the frozen ground away from me. I could see them with my own eyes again and a small smile started to form on my face but it was whisked away just as quickly because Greta finished her spell just that instant. Guided rays of golden fire slithered away from a spot somewhere above me and I could hear three distinct wails erupt from the top of the wall. Silence returned just as quickly and I imagined the three kitsune who had attacked Greta were nothing more than ash by now. The fire continued on and consumed the one who had crashed into me but the other two were just out of reach. Before they could be engulfed the torrents of fire became thinner, more insubstantial and finally winked out. Not even a single hair on their bodies had been singed. ¡°Two are still left,¡± I screamed as loudly as I could but it seemed more like a hoarse rasp to me. Hopefully Greta had heard me none the less -blind people have excellent hearing, don¡¯t they-, I¡¯d feel much better if I knew she was on her way. The cursed were already moving again. Without so much as a second glance for their annihilated brethren they jumped back up and flung themselves in my direction. This time around I wasn¡¯t as helpless. I had had enough time to become the master of my senses once again and even though each section of my body hurt and groaned, nothing was broken and I could move freely, more or less. It surely was enough for what I had in mind. I dropped to my knees and lowered my head. My wings shot straight up and forward like a swarm of silvery snakes. They zeroed in on their targets, soundless and deadly, crystallised light pierced the cursed and with a flash of bluish fire they turned into ash. Their outline was visible for the fracture of a second before the raging wind whipped away the last traces of their existence. Still alive! I straightened slowly, the subsiding rush of adrenaline made my knees wobbly again and I felt the cold chill of my blood and sweat drenched clothes clinging close to my frame. Without Greta¡¯s protective bubble the storm raged around me unhindered and even though I was immune to its supernatural properties the freezing temperatures made me shiver. Curse all fashion trends, if I was going to get the chance I¡¯d be wearing leather and armour from now on. I clamped my jaws tightly to stop my teeth from chattering and turned around towards the wall. Greta was already on her way down, floating orbs of silvery energy served as footsteps in the air. She appeared unscathed the only visible sign she had encountered the cursed was a streak of ash that sprawled across her front. Her ears twitched and she was on high alert, her body tense and I could see unfocused wads of energy coursing through her, ready to answer every command in an instant. Her lips moved silently while she used her magic to quickly observe her surroundings, if there had been an enemy left, I was sure he would have been torn to shreds before he even realised that an old sourpuss had launched an aerial attack. As it was she asked: ¡°Cassandra, are you all right?¡± She reached the ground, extended one claw like hand and withdrew the focus imprinted with my blood from the depths of her robe with the other. ¡°Come here, let me have a look at you.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to argue, my bones still ached and I had lost quite a bit of skin during my landing. I approached her and put my hand into hers. She murmured a complicated chant and I felt warmth flow through my body, easing my pain and revitalising my muscles. After a moment her intonation changed and her voice became deeper, more powerful. The warmth turned into heat but it didn¡¯t hurt, instead I could watch the grazes on my skin and the deeper cuts on my arms disappear, covered with fresh and smooth skin. I stopped shivering and my headache vanished. Healing powers were simply awesome. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Thanks, I feel much better now. If you could reinstate your protection spell as well and shut out that awful storm I would be even better.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s youth, so needy.¡± She grumped while already fulfilling my request. A moment later we were again safe from the storm, a translucent bubble had closed around us. ¡°That was much harder than I anticipated. My magic is severely hampered around here. It didn¡¯t even reach half as far as I expected.¡± Greta admitted. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t get worse the closer we are to the tower. At this rate I might not be able to do much at all, once we are there.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not entirely surprised. It would have been naive to assume we wouldn¡¯t find a nasty surprise here or there. It doesn¡¯t change much though, unless we encounter more guards. But from what I have seen the last time, these should have been all of them. My powers work perfectly, I think we can still pull this off.¡± ¡°About that¡­ I meant to ask you before we were so rudely interrupted. What did you mean when you said you intend to channel the backlash into Boseiju?¡± ¡°To actively change the curse I would have to touch each individual strand of woven energy it consists of or I have to use my own energy to force the change onto all of them at the same time. As I am now, I won¡¯t be able to survive the backlash that¡¯s going to occur afterwards, at least Mephisto said so. But if I¡¯m already connected to Boseiju I think it should be possible to redirect it. I don¡¯t think anything could survive that so I can hit two birds with one stone. I get away unscathed and the emperor loses Boseiju¡¯s energy the second before a portal to¡­ do you have any idea where we could link the second part of the curse to?¡± My voice trailed off. Even if everything was going to go according to plan, I had never stopped to think about where the portal could lead to. I was quite sure we would have to splice a specific destination into the curse. There were 2 different ways to connect a magical gateway to a location. One was based on unique characteristics of the location which would be included and defined within the magic and the second one used a focus, a memento to link the magic to its origin. Since the spell we were going to be dealing with was based on the enchantments on the stone arch I was sure the destination wasn¡¯t linked with a focus. The enchantments on the arch had been used as a blueprint which would be impossible if a part of their workings was tied to a physical object that couldn¡¯t have been included while preparing the curse. We would need a suitable destination and its characteristics to replace the ones from the stone arch with and I didn¡¯t have them. I had never bothered to read up on accessible ones and I couldn¡¯t generate a magical map on my own. With my new vision I might be able to, but that didn¡¯t help much at the moment. ¡°That¡¯s the least of our problems. I can link the portal to the sun or the bottom of the ocean, you would be surprised how many different sources I had to use to develop some of my more intricate spells.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, but I have to know them. I will be the one to manipulate the curse and exchange the descriptions.¡± ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll have to link our minds than, so you can use my memories to guide you. I can¡¯t teach you what you have to know in a mere moment.¡± Again I thought I saw a different expression cross her face while she talked but it vanished too fast for me to be sure. What was the old bat up to? She had had her answer ready, she hadn¡¯t had to think about it and she was suspiciously eager to link her mind to mine, even after the warning Ahri had given my family earlier. If I didn¡¯t know better I¡¯d say she already knew and only waited for me to get there as well. But why would she want a mind link so badly? If push came to shove she might even be caught in the backlash and I was convinced her mortal soul wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand even a part of the pressure. I guess this was another of those moments where you simply had to trust a person and I trusted Greta, explicitly. She wouldn¡¯t tell me what was going through her head, even if I asked, I had spent enough time with her to figure out that much but I still had a hard time to let it go. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t tell you how risky that is, especially with what we intend to do but I still have to ask: have you thought that through?¡± There was that subtle change in her expression again. ¡°More thoroughly than you can imagine. Nothing unexpected will happen to me, or you for that matter. And now enough of the yammering, we have work to do.¡± She stretched her arms wide and gestured for me to pick her up. ¡°Once again, to the skies!¡± She should have become an actress, considering all of her theatrics. We covered the remaining distance without an incident but I could see Greta¡¯s shield shrink down further and further the closer we came to the tower. Once we entered its shadow the spell winked out completely. The winds pushed me off course immediately and I had to struggle mightily to prevent a tete-a-tete with the wall. Luckily I had already expected that to happen and had planned my trajectory accordingly. I was some distance above and to the left of the window I had smashed previously. If I retracted my wings to the bare minimum I needed to keep us afloat, I should glide through the opening elegantly, the whirlwind carrying me gently on its back, at least in theory. In practice, I was thrown left and right and had all my hands full to keep approximately on course. If we were going to slip through the window or crash into the wall would depend mostly on luck now. I did everything I could to hold a straight line but unfortunately it quickly became one drawn by a toddler. Skipping and cursing I managed to bring us close enough to the window to reach through with a good portion of my wings and anchor myself inside the room. It took all my strength to haul us after them, but I managed, with only a gentle bump against the wall close to the window. Luckily I was well padded at the moment and Greta¡¯s admittedly more impressive litany of curses joined my own. We tumbled inside in a heap of energy torrents, flailing tails and arms and a veritable avalanche of bad words. For a moment I flirted with the idea of turning slightly so Greta would be below me and take the brunt of the crash but that would be stupid. She could patch me back up in a thrice but I wouldn¡¯t be able to heal as much as a bloody nose. I clenched my teeth, clamped my wayward limbs as tightly around Greta as I could and tried to land on my back. Lucky for her, I was successful. The breath got knocked from my lungs as I was sandwiched between a sturdy research table and a surprisingly heavy sack of skin and bones. My poor shoulder blade took most of the impact and I could feel it snap in two. The pain wasn¡¯t as sever as I imagined but that might have also been due to the myriad of other injuries I sustained simultaneously. I hit my head heavily on the table and stars appeared before my eyes, my left leg slammed into the hard wood of the table unbridled and it felt like my kneecap had been pulverised, my second tale had somehow become intertwined with one of Greta¡¯s arms and I felt a sharp pull followed by a dry crack as she rolled off and broke my tail. I was pretty damaged and couldn¡¯t even sustain my tirade any longer. I might have even passed out for a moment for the next thing I knew was a blessed absence of pain, my limbs were all in the right places and not sticking out at weird angles. Greta kneeled on the floor close to me, her hands pressed the focus against my forehead. Bloody sweat poured down her face and she looked like she had aged 20 years in the last seconds. She inhaled shakily and croaked with a voice that sounded more dead than alive: ¡°seems like I can still use magic. It only comes at a mightily steep price.¡± 38. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (5) Cassandra Pendragon I was taken aback by the toll she had to pay for her spell. I felt great and was glad she had healed me but I couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how a simple piece of magic could extract such a price. Still somewhat groggy I realigned my sprawling limbs and climb to my feet. I had to use the table for support but once I was up I felt pretty steady. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m okay now. But what happened to you? I¡¯ve never seen you in such a state before. Did something go wrong?¡± She wanted to reply but a dry cough drowned out her answer. She choked and swayed, all I could do was pat her back gently and keep her steady while she fought against the fit. It went on and on, long enough for me to seriously start worrying if she was going to die on me right then and there. Luckily it didn¡¯t get that far and after a minute or two the coughs subsided. Bloody traces of spit marred the corners of her mouth and she was struggling to remain upright. With a perceivable effort she wiped her face, her left arm still rested across my shoulders. In a hoarse voice she finally said: ¡°Nothing went wrong, this place suppresses most forms of energy. I had to tap into my life force to make the spell work and that¡¯s not something I¡¯m particularly good at. I burned much more than should be necessary and I can¡¯t replenish it quickly, old as I am. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not gonna keel over but I would very much like to not have to do it again.¡± She scratched her head and continued: ¡°astral and soul energies can¡¯t be manipulated in here. I don¡¯t know why, maybe it¡¯s a clever spell, a hidden set of runes or maybe it¡¯s a consequence of the curse but right now I can¡¯t do as much as I would like to. We still have a couple of minutes left before our friends stage the attack, just let me rest for a moment. You can have a closer look at the arch and maybe already form a connection with the curse and Boseiju.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to find out what blocks your access to your energies? If it¡¯s an enchantment or a set of runes I could destroy them and you would be back to normal.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the time. It could take hours of searching and in the end we might find nothing at all. No, we won¡¯t waste the precious time we have left with a fruitless endeavour. Stick to the plan. I am still able to link my mind to yours and if you give me a couple of minutes I might even be able to do more than simply provide you with information.¡± I wasn¡¯t exactly happy to leave her in a vulnerable state but she was right. I helped her sit down in one of the meditation circles and dragged a couple of cushions over from the chairs. After I had made her as comfortable as the circumstances allowed, I turned towards the arch and approached it slowly. Call me paranoid but I was expecting some form of trap and even though I wasn¡¯t afraid for myself, magic couldn¡¯t touch me after all, I feared Greta wouldn¡¯t survive whatever I might trigger. But I crossed the room without causing any explosions, falling down a trapdoor or activating any other nasty surprises. Everything seemed quiet and I couldn¡¯t hear or see anything out of the ordinary except for the howling wind and the stench of decay it carried into the room. The arch in front of me was inactive and the residual energy I had felt before had dissipated. The tridecagram in the floor had cooled as well and no traces were left of the gargantuan amounts of energy that had soared through the place not too long ago. The only hint that remained was the blackened wood along the tridecagram where the molten mithril had turned it into coal. I gingerly stepped over the intricate lines that covered the floor and approached the arch. It was a half circle, made of stone with angular runes all over it. They had been carved into the arch and time had turned the accumulated residue within black. I didn¡¯t know enough about the magic to try and decipher what the runes might be used for, but I didn¡¯t have to. All I had to do was search for similar strands of energy within the curse, Greta would tell me which ones I had to change and how they should look afterwards. I closed my eyes and my second sight turned the world into shades of silver. My wings slithered over the arch and through the window, slowly filling my vision with complex formations of energy. I had no problems creating a visual depiction of the magic within the arch. It was unmoving, rigid and it was quiet easy to recreate the runic design within my mind. Instead of a stone arch I saw a myriad of intertwined¡­ well, empty channels. It was like I was staring at a form for casting, ready to receive energy and morph it into the desired shape. I followed the pattern and tried to get a feeling for how it worked so I would be able to recognise its mirror image within the curse. Slowly I became more familiar with the design and even started to form a rudimentary understanding of its function. I could assign different effects to different parts of the pattern, I knew which part was used to anchor the spell to the arch, which part defined the destination and which parts provided protection from unauthorised tempering. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t able to connect to the curse outside. I could feel its presence and visualise its impact as malignant energy that coursed through the air but I wasn¡¯t close enough to the source to form an image of the curse in its entirety. Damn, I probably needed direct access to Boseiju since most of the curse was now concentrated within the tree. From up here I was just groping in the dark. I had memorised the pattern in front of me and didn¡¯t need the arch anymore, but I was hesitant. Did we have time to change positions again? Would Greta be able to cope with the storm outside? ¡°We have a problem. I know which parts of the curse I have to alter but I can¡¯t connect to it from up here. I need direct access to Boseiju and I can¡¯t reach its branches. I think we have to move outside again, or at least down to a lower floor so I can reach the ground with my wings. Are you up to it?¡± Greta seemed better, her breath was flowing steadily and despite the bloody traces still left on her face she looked much healthier than a minute before. But her reply was still quiet and she had to stop several times during her answer to catch her breath. ¡°Not really, I don¡¯t think I can summon the protection spell again and the storm outside is getting worse by the minute. Maybe we could descend through the tower but I highly doubt the lower floors are as welcoming as this one and we can¡¯t afford to lose too much time wandering around aimlessly. I have another idea. I know some runes of correspondence that might allow you to access Boseiju from up here if I manage to inscribe them correctly. All I need is a medium with a spiritual connection to Boseiju but I think I have everything I need right here.¡± Her hand disappeared inside her robe and after a moment she retrieved a gnarly piece of root, its polished surface showed how often she had touched it over the years. ¡°It¡¯s a lucky charm I have been carrying around ever since I took up residence below the roots.¡± She explained. ¡°Just give me a minute and we should be set.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. She extracted a slim tool from the apparently endless depths of her pockets and set to work, slowly carving arcane symbols and intertwined glyphs into the wood. There wasn¡¯t much for me to do so I remained quiet and watched her work. I knew runes were closely linked to the understanding of the practitioner and I obviously was miles away from comprehending what she was doing. I couldn¡¯t recognise a single glyph, never mind understand what she was actually trying to do. All I saw was an intricate formation slowly taking shape under her dexterous fingers. For a moment I wondered how a blind person could produce so much detail in a carving but practice makes perfect, I reasoned. It didn¡¯t take much time but I was sitting on tenterhooks and each second dragged on for a small eternity while Greta turned the piece of root into a link to Boseiju, her meticulously moving hands formed rune after rune. With each stroke I could feel the energy around us react to the symbols until, with a gong like sound, they finally established a connection to Boseiju. The piece of wood lit up with interchanging colours and rose into the air before it fell down into Greta¡¯s waiting hands. The root started to change colour and I could smell the same stench of decay rising form it that permeated the air outside. The untouched parts of its bark turned grey and a dark miasma seeped out of it. She had been successful, the curse that had infected Boseiju was now active within the root as well and I should be able to use it as a surrogate. And it wasn¡¯t a moment too soon. The air, the tower and even the branch it was built upon shuddered under an impossibly powerful drumbeat. Even the storm outside receded for a moment before it returned in full force. I knew our friends were commencing their attack right now. We were out of time, it was now or never. Greta and I locked eyes for a moment and without another word she handed me the root. It felt alien and somewhat slimy in my hand, as if I was touching something long dead but I could feel the power it was linked to. A trickle of Boseiju¡¯s might resonated within the root but it didn¡¯t feel like the warm and nourishing presence I was used to. It felt cold, dead and I thought I could perceive the presence of tortured spirits, corrupted by the curse and bound to a foreign will. In short it was a piece of a vile presence, something best destroyed and forgotten and that was what we intended to do. I threw the root into the air and caught it with 32 of my wings while I still maintained the connection to the arch with the remaining one. I closed my eyes again and waited for my second sight to show me what I needed to know. At first, all I could see was a blot of darkness where the piece of wood should have been but slowly it changed and grew into a distorted image of Boseiju. Instead of a mighty tree with an immeasurable amount of life force, a dark and twisted thing grew before my sight. Red and purple energy coursed through every part of it and a malevolent will dominated every aspect of its presence. Strands of purple and red energy warped it even further from what it had once been, even while I was watching and I had to suppress a sob as I realised that our protector, biased and unfair as he might have been from time to time, was truly and utterly gone. I focused on the corrupted thing and slowly formed images of the different aspects I could discern within the curse. Like a symphony it consisted of several parts, individually they wouldn¡¯t have much of an effect but together they could produce every atrocity we had witnessed today and even more. I quickly found the still inactive parts, dormant channels within the spell that waited for a surge of power to initiate the second phase. The pattern I had seen on the arch was there, slightly modified and linked to other aspects of the spell but still recognisable. I isolated it and concentrated solely on the inactive parts, conjuring a clear picture within my mind. It was time to get to work. ¡°I¡¯m ready. The rest is beyond my abilities, I need your help now.¡± With a sigh Greta heaved herself up and I could feel her move to a spot directly behind me. Her calloused fingers touched my temples lightly and I heard her murmur: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is the only way, you can¡¯t channel backlash through a remote connection. Don¡¯t mourn me and don¡¯t allow what happened today to change who you are.¡± I tried to whirl around, to get away from her and break our connection but I wasn¡¯t fast enough. I felt her presence seep into my mind and soul, courtesy of the focus still clutched in her hands, and with a thought she caught my consciousness in a small bubble of thought and shoved it aside. I became a prisoner within my own mind, unable to control my body or my will, I was a passenger, along for the ride but unable to change the destination. I would have liked to rage, to throw myself against the invisible barrier that kept me isolated but I couldn¡¯t even align my thoughts, never mind act. All I could do was bear witness as Greta worked her last piece of magic. At first I could feel how she wrapped every part of her being around me, her soul covered mine like a blanket, her mind gently enfolded mine in the fathomless depths of her thoughts and her life force overlaid mine like a coating. Then she took control, gently following the pathways I had learned to ignore towards my core and coaxing my wings into action. I could see how my second sight changed, how more and more details became apparent within the curse before me and how Greta used my perception to dive deeper and deeper into the entwined spells that formed it. Whatever she did, it went far beyond what I had thought possible but I didn¡¯t know how or even what she had done to achieve the effect. She peeled away layer after layer until she found what she was looking for, An inconspicuous strand of energy that defined the location the uninvoked part of the curse would lead to. It was a small thing, almost like an afterthought, added to the monstrous symphony around it but I could feel how it was tied to every fibre of the curse, duplicated countless times within in each aspect of the second stage. Greta reached for it delicately and used my wings to carefully extract it from he surrounding energy without braking the links. She held it, like a mother would her child, cautious and protective, always ready to react to any change in her surroundings. And thus we waited. We waited for the activation of the second phase, the moment the dormant channels would fill to the brim with energy harvested from the poor souls that had been infected. I felt Greta use a small part of her life force to form spell construct, similar to the one she was cradling but also different. Some small parts of the spell were changed but it was easy to overlook, like one of those puzzles with two pictures where you had to find a small variation. She held her copy close to the original and I felt how she prepared to access the energies within my core. Another drumbeat rolled through the night and I felt a shudder run along Boseiju¡¯s trunk. A wave of energy, purple and red in colour but with an ugly taste to it, suddenly flooded through the curse we were looking at and nearly broke the dormant channel with its strength. The intricately woven strands shuddered and bulged but finally contained the fury of the onslaught and it was then that Greta decided to act. In the instant before it could invoke, she used my wings to sever the connections to the original construct and inserted her replacement instead. I thought I could feel her laughing nastily before she squeezed every ounce of energy she could get her will on from my core and into my wings. Everything disappeared in a raging storm of silvery blue flames but I didn¡¯t feel any pain. Instead I was forced to watch as the layers of protection, Greta had turned herself into, burned away. During the next agonising moments I could feel her turn into stardust, layer by layer. First her life force burst into flames like gasoline, then her soul ignited and turned into motes of light. Her will, tough as nails, was the last thing to vanish into oblivion, but when the last trickle of power rushed from my core into my wings even that turned into ash. With a splutter I dropped to the ground, tears in my eyes. A heavy thud sounded behind me and I knew Greta¡¯s lifeless body had fallen to the ground. I felt alone, truly alone and an ominous crackling sound pierced the night. 39. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (6) Cassandra Pendragon I was exhausted, empty, it was a struggle to even muster the strength to turn around. Greta appeared peaceful, somehow she had come to rest in an almost natural position, her legs angled and her arms buried beneath her torso she laid on her side. My gaze traveled over the familiar shape of her face and I shuddered when I saw her eyes. Where cataract filled orbs should have been, gaping black holes, smouldering at the edges were all that remained. Her eyes had been burned away, the only visible sign of what she had been through. I scrambled to my knees and reached for her, I wanted to pick her up and get out of here as fast as possible but I was thrown back on the floor when the crackling noise outside subsided for a moment, only to return even stronger, accompanied by a rushing sound and a tremor that shook the very foundations of the tower I was in. Whatever Greta had done, it had worked and I had to hurry. I gritted my teeth and stood up when the room had stopped shaking. I still wanted to take her with me but as soon as I tried to pick up her frail body I was forced to realise that I would be lucky if I was able to fly by myself. I was weaker than I could remember, my core wasn¡¯t depleted but Greta had still used much more of my power than I had ever channeled before and even though she had taken the brunt of the backlash, I didn¡¯t get away unscathed. My muscles were shaking and it took all of my concentration to move my wings. I didn¡¯t have enough strength left to carry her with me. My tears flowed freely and I brushed her hair out of her face. I would have liked to close her eyes but the eyelids were burned away. Up this close I saw that she held two tiny things in her hand. One was the focus she had used to work her magic on me and the other was a large cherry stone. Even in my rattled condition I could feel immense energies coursing through it. I kissed her forehead lightly, gently pried open her fingers to retrieve the focus and seed and whispered: ¡°thank you. You will never be forgotten,¡± before I turned away and left her behind. With staggering steps I crossed over to the window and without a second glance I flung myself outside, I had one last obstacle to overcome before I could allow myself to break down. The scene outside had changed, dramatically. The raging storm was gone and the darkness of the night was illuminated by a bright glow from somewhere below. I could smell fire, hot enough to burn the very air and while I soared out of the window, Boseiju in its entirety started to tilt to the side. Warm winds rose up around me and they quickly picked up in speed and temperature. I was grateful for their support, I might not have been able to rise into the sky without it. The stench of decay had disappeared and the plants in the palace garden below me had turned into dead and unmoving things, the unnatural energies that had corrupted and sustained them were gone. The curse had been broken. ¡°Well done, you saved the islands.¡± I mumbled. Riding the updraft made it easy to quickly get away from the tower and the branch and I shot up and through the canopy until I hovered above Boseiju¡¯s crown. The view was breathtaking and humbling. I saw white hot fire pour out of Boseiju¡¯s roots, hot enough to singe the tips of my fur even this far away. Of the garden nothing remained but a dreamlike landscape of heat and light, shades of orange, red and white flowed together to form an alien composition of colours and movement. Boseiju¡¯s trunk rose out of the inferno, the bark blackened while flames were slowly climbing upwards. He was free of the curse but tonight would see his end. The mighty tree had already lost much of its sturdiness and it was slowly titling to the side. It was only a matter of time until he would fall, the burning trunk unable to sustain its weight. I took in as many impressions as I could, I would never forget nor forgive what had happened today. And one day I would have my revenge. With an effort I pulled my gaze away from the flowing lines and dancing lights below to search for airships I desperately hoped I would find, but all I could see was fire and flames, the air was dry and hot, carrying with it the smell of burned wood and heated stone. The crackling noise had become more intense and I couldn¡¯t hear a single thing but the accumulated explosions when superheated water blew from twigs and branches. I turned left and right, flew higher up and dropped down, closer to the dying tree but wherever I turned I couldn¡¯t find what I was looking for. Had they been too slow? Was I truly alone on top of a dying world? No, I wouldn¡¯t even imagine that possibility. I circled Boseiju¡¯s crown once more and carefully peered below every branch from different angles and finally, when I had almost finished my round I saw two dark silhouettes above the hellish landscape. They had left the shadow of Boseiju¡¯s branches where they had been hidden form my view and were slowly approaching the cliffs. Once I had discovered them, I could even see a bonfire lit on one but the flickering light and raging flames all around had prevented me from spotting it sooner. With an elated cry I folded my wings and rushed downwards. The speed of my passage made my vision blurry but the closer I got the more details stood out to me. The two ships were badly damaged, huge parts of the rigging had burned away and even parts of the hull were blackened where it had made contact with the ravenous flames. The decks were full, I could see dwarfs and I thought I spotted Mordred, clinging close to my mother. But I couldn¡¯t see Ahri¡¯s fiery wings, wherever I looked. Despite my exhaustion panic settled in. I didn¡¯t think I would be able to cope with yet another loss. I fell threw the sky, faster and faster but she wasn¡¯t there. Maybe she had lost consciousness, like she had predicted and was stowed somewhere below? I desperately hoped that would be the case. When I was about 100 meters above the ships I unfurled my wings as far as I could and slowed down. The strain was almost too much and I felt my muscles protest and my ligaments groan under the pressure, but I pulled through and touched down on the ship where I had seen my family. The dwarfs on deck had spotted me and quickly cleared an area where I could land. As soon as my feet touched the deck my knees buckled and I dropped inelegantly to the ground. So much closer to the inferno, every breath I took seemed to leech the moisture from my body and the heat was so intense I felt like I was being cooked alive. Before I managed to get my bearings a torrent of question flowed over me, so many people were talking at once that I couldn¡¯t understand a single word. Hands were gently wrapped around my arms and I was hauled back on my feet. Xorlosh had picked me up but it was my mom who threw herself into my arms and cried openly. A moment later my brother joined us and we turned into a veritable fountain, tears streaming down our faces while we clung to one another. Still I managed to croak: ¡°where¡¯s Ahri?¡± Mordred, who had a tad more self control left answered: ¡°she¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. She got us out, used up pretty much all of mother¡¯s and my energy but we made it. She collapsed as soon as we reached the ship. She¡¯s downstairs in one of the cabins. You want to see her?¡± I managed to nod through my tears and answered: ¡°join me, I don¡¯t want to let go of you right now.¡± The dwarfs stepped back respectfully and arm in arm we three made our way downstairs. We didn¡¯t talk, we only held each other to make sure we weren¡¯t alone. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Suddenly I stood before a wooden door, I hadn¡¯t even realised we had left the deck. Mordred opened it while I still clung to him and my mom tightly. I could see a small cabin behind, nothing more than a bed and a wardrobe. Upon the bed Ahri laid resting. Her wings had vanished but I couldn¡¯t see any injuries and her chest rose and fell smoothly. She was alive! Without any warnings my vision turned dark and the last thing I felt were the arms of my family tightening around my body to keep me upright. My consciousness fled and everything became black. I was sitting cross legged in a crystal cave. Hues of purple and blue shimmered along the walls while the roof was a light yellow colour. The crystals emitted a faint glow, just enough to make out the shapes of different treasures scattered all over the floor. I could see weapons and armour, golems and automatons, glowing gems and tomes of knowledge, heaps of gold and small mountains of magically infused metals. It was a hoard fit for a dragon. With a small chuckle I thought how close that came to the truth. But I wasn¡¯t here to congratulate myself on past victories. I was here because I feared I might not survive what was about to come and I had to make sure I wouldn¡¯t forget, even if I were to die. My concentration returned to the black amulet I held in my lap. It was an inconspicuous thing, a small, black pendant made of metal with a black pearl at the centre but it was maybe the single most valuable artefact I had ever gotten my hands upon. With a shudder I remembered how I had crawled through the depths of hell to retrieve this precious trinket. It was made of primordial materials and allowed the user to breach the confinements of space and time, at least once. Contrary to my own powers it wasn¡¯t something violent, the laws governing the multiverse wouldn¡¯t be broken or torn apart but rather slightly nudged to allow a brief connection to the past or the future, an undetectable one at that. With a thought one of my wings sliced through my skin and a drop of blood fell onto the black pearl. It vanished instantly and the pearl turned a silvery blue colour before it started to shimmer, a myriad of different images appeared within its depth, but they vanished too fast for me to make out any details. After a moment the nauseating cycle stopped and I could see a face, beautiful, feminine features adorned with cute fox ears surrounded silvery glowing eyes, my eyes. A smile spread across my face, I didn¡¯t mind my future aesthetics one bit and I was really glad I even had a future to look forwards to, I hadn¡¯t been sure. A name drifted to me through the pendant still clutched in my hands: Cassandra. As soon as I formed the last syllable within my mind the image moved and I thought she was looking directly at me. Everything turned into a stream of colours and light and when my vision settled again I knew something had changed. I was me, Cassandra Pendragon, and I knew how I had gotten here. I remembered falling unconscious in Ahri¡¯s room and how the memories I had suppressed earlier had claimed me that very same instant, but that seemed so very far away. Now I was a bodiless spirit, somehow manifested within the pendant I¡­ the former me was holding tightly. I could see the cave and hear his breath but I couldn¡¯t feel or smell anything and even the impressions that reached me were¡­ distorted as if they had to cross a vast distance and some of the information was lost along the way. I stared at myself unblinkingly. A handsome face, quite similar to mine stared back. Glowing silvery eyes I knew very well from every mirror I had come across during my lifetime zeroed in on mine and an honest smile spread across his features. ¡°Hello Cassandra, it¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, well, not in person but at least in spirit. My name is Lucifer and I am your past whereas you are my future. I imagine you have a lot of questions. We have some time so I will answer them to the best of my ability. But that¡¯s not the reason for this meeting. I have to tell you some things about your past, my present, and I pray I¡¯m not too late already. Will you listen to the echoes of a time long gone?¡± What a stupid question. First of all I didn¡¯t have much of a choice, I was stuck in a pendant after all, and secondly who would willingly reject information about a previous life? I probably had to deal with the consequences anyways, whether I knew what caused them or not, so I might as well be prepared. Lucifer¡¯s smile became even wider: ¡°You really are like me, I¡¯ve never seen anybody glare at me as fiercely simply because I stuck to common courtesy. But first things first, can you answer me?¡± I tried and to my surprise I could somehow project my thoughts so that my image would appear to talk, even though I didn¡¯t have a body. ¡°Yes, which leads me to my first question: what is going on? Why am I here, or rather why am I not you if I remember this scene?¡± ¡°Because I paid a hefty price in sweat and blood to make it possible. The pearl that is currently channeling your essence comes from a being that lived long before concepts like time and space brought order to the multiverse. The pearl allowed me to create a shortcut, if you so will, to link my present to my future, or your present to your past. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hold for long and you will be back to normal. There shouldn¡¯t be any consequences, at least as far as I know. I already told you the reason for all of this. There is a story I have to tell you, a story important enough that I had to make sure you would not only remember parts of it. Now, before we get lost in mysterious allusions I think it would be best if I simply told you what I have to say.¡± He took my silence as approval and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you already found out about who you are but I guess I should start from scratch. You are an angel, one of the only two races who are truly immortal, or at least hard enough to kill that it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. There are 333 angels in existence as well as 333 demons. I don¡¯t know why we exist or why we are as many as we are but since the beginning of time¡­¡± he hesitated and continued: ¡°No, even before time, we simply were. We were there to watch empires rise, universes collapse and the multiverse change. And we always stuck to a simple rule: we would fight for our ideals, even against one another, we would try to influence or change the fate of nations but we would never strive to rule. We would allow nature and the peoples to make their own decisions, their own failures and follow their own paths. Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, we would still wage war when they crossed the line but we always respected their freedom.¡± He closed his eyes for a moment and a deep sigh escaped him. ¡°At least I always thought so, but alas, I was wrong. There is a faction of angels and demons who have long since started to meddle in the affairs of mortals far more than I thought possible. Every time a nation has reached its pinnacle, approaching the threshold to true power, they swooped in and razed it to the ground without regards for anything other than protecting the status quo. They froze the multiverse in a constant ebb and tide of rising and falling empires, a stagnant world filled with fruitless struggle.¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°Well, at least up until now. If I have any say in the matter, they soon won¡¯t be able to control their own fate, much less anything else. But I don¡¯t know if I have the strength to succeed and if I die, when I die, I will need you to know why and, if you are willing, to continue my work.¡± 40. Of beginnings, ends and a little bit of change (7) Cassandra Pendragon ¡°It all began about 100 years ago,¡± he continued his explanation. ¡°An old friend of mine, Airu, a star whale, was killed. I could feel his death from afar and I simply couldn¡¯t believe it. Star whales are peaceful creatures but also powerful, they are tough and unbelievably hard to kill. I couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would even bother to try.¡± He sighed heavily and resumed his story in a much quieter voice: ¡°One of my brothers, Michael, came to me with an explanation. An advanced society that had begun to conquer space stumble across Airu by sheer chance, he said. Their curiosity and greed got the better of them, fascinated as they were with a living being larger than their biggest space ships and they tried to capture him. In the ensuing fight my friend was killed. Michael claimed that he had long since expected something like that to happen. Their society was supposed to be a twisted thing where might ruled and progress was the only thing of value. He whispered into my ear how it was time to put an end to them, Airu¡¯s death was the last straw. I trusted him and filled with anger as I was it was easy enough to persuade me to eliminate the ones responsible, the upper echelons of the offending civilisation.¡± Every time he used a word I couldn¡¯t possibly understand, like space ship, the concept emerged from my subconsciousness like an air bubble slowly rising to the surface. It reminded me of the first time I had become aware and the ideas that had flooded my mind back then. ¡°To cut a long story short, Aurora and I laid waste to the capital and in the depths of the citadel I confronted their leader. Which didn¡¯t quite go as I had expected. She was not much older than you appear now, maybe 18 or 20, and while her blood tainted the floor she told me what had really happened. It wasn¡¯t them, they had indeed found Airu but they had never laid a hand on him. It was Michael who had slain him and sent me afterwards to kill the witnesses, knowing full well I would believe whatever he was going to tell me.¡± I wanted to interrupt but with a placating gesture he continued. ¡°I know what you want to say, it makes no sense, the whole scheme was bound to fail as soon as I arrived on the planet. It was neigh impossible that I¡¯d kill everyone around without so much as a word. So the first thing I did afterwards was confront him. I didn¡¯t know what was going on so I kept everything to myself, I didn¡¯t even confide in Aurora and went to meet with Michael without anyone knowing why. Which was the worst mistake I ever made.¡± His eyes glowed brightly for a moment and he said forcefully: ¡°trust the people you care about, Cassandra, or you will be alone in the end. But I digress. Our meeting wasn¡¯t peaceful. He plainly admitted what he had done, only his intentions were vastly different. He knew me well enough to predict that I¡¯d rush to face him without telling anyone and that was largely what he wanted. I found out later that he had set me up, told the other angels that I had been taken prisoner by demons and that he was trying to free me. If he killed me then he could pin it on the demons and wage a war for retribution. A perfect opportunity to change the order of the multiverse. But he didn¡¯t succeed, I was able to flee and I spent every waking moment afterwards to dig up as much as I could about him and what he might want to achieve.¡± He closed his eyes and a single tear rolled down his cheek. ¡®I also tried to convince Aurora of what was happening, but I was too late. Michael had gotten to her first. I don¡¯t know if he managed to spell her or if he simply used honeyed words but I couldn¡¯t reach her, she wouldn¡¯t listen. I was¡­ I still am truly alone in this.¡± With a deep breath he calmed himself. ¡°Here is what I found out until now. For longer than I care to admit every civilisation that got close to or succeed in using transcendent energy has been overthrown for just one goal: to maintain a stagnant cosmos that always spins on the same spot. Without the possibility to transcend mortal boundaries the overall order of the multiverse wouldn¡¯t change, there would be mortals and immortals and to rule the one would automatically mean to rule the other. And that¡¯s what he is trying to achieve: a united immortal people under his wings.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you simply tell on him? Make his scheme known, it stands to reason nobody would willingly put chains around their necks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late. I¡­I killed two angels, two of his supporters. I didn¡¯t destroy them, only their bodies but it was enough to paint me as the villain. When I fled from Michael¡¯s ambush, gravely injured, he lost no time to enact his charade and attack the demons in the name of justice. He knew I was still alive so he prepared accordingly. When I showed my face to talk to the immortals I¡¯d consider friends he ambushed me, again. I am¡­ you are one of the strongest if not the strongest immortal there is and I didn¡¯t hesitated when I saw Michael with two other angels approach me, weapons drawn. It wasn¡¯t much of a fight but that hadn¡¯t been the purpose. He conveyed my attack to everyone and made himself out to be the victim, narrowly able to escape after his deranged brother had faked his own death, instigated a war between angels and demons and now had killed two of his own people. It was well enough executed that it even appeared as if I had tried to destroy their cores, only Michael¡¯s heroic intervention had prevented me from doing so. One of his powers is persuasion and with the ground work he had put in before hand, nobody doubted his story. To everyone else I am a raging lunatic set on destroying the immortal races.¡± ¡°Are you? Set on destroying them, I mean.¡± ¡°Yes and no. I have an idea how I might take them out of the picture for a while, let the universes develop freely for a change. But there are only a handful of angels and demons I would truly kill.¡± ¡°Whom? Whom would you kill if you had the chance?¡± ¡°Those that truly believe a stagnant world, ordered and determined, is something desirable. Those that have made trillions of lives miserable just because they came too far. Michael, Ezekiel, Ma¡¯kal and Hora on the angel¡¯s side, Amazeroth, Lilith and Delilah for the demons.¡± My emotions were subdued, the horror I had experienced in the last hours was far away and even my anger and grief were barely perceivable but when I heard him say Amazeroth¡¯s name an icy shower ran down my spine. It must have shown on my face because he said immediately: ¡°Stop. I can see that you know at least one of them. Don¡¯t tell me how or why. Sending information from the future to the past or vice versa is a tricky thing. I don¡¯t much care for the consequences but you should, you can¡¯t deal with the backlash, not yet.¡± I was seriously starting to hate the word backlash. ¡°Let me make this very clear, if you tell me anything at all that causes my actions to change, there will be a ripple effect and you will have to withstand it or perish. Your immunities may make it possible, but I highly doubt your mind is ready. Right now, for example, I am living through most of the injuries and deaths you will never have to suffer because we have this talk.¡± Alright, two things were very clear: I wasn¡¯t going to talk about my life and Lucifer was a serious psychopath. If he was truly living through every eventuality that wouldn¡¯t be thanks to his meddling, and he did so without an outward sign of the strain, I would have a long way to go before I even got close to his inner strength. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Understood. Can you at least tell me something about them?¡± ¡°Stay away from every single one for as long as you can. If you run into them anyways, it will largely depend on the stage of your development. If you have already gained access to all of your abilities you should be fine. If not and they mean you harm, you¡¯re screwed. Michael, Ezekiel, Hora, Amazeroth and Delilah are cunning schemers where as Ma¡¯kal and Lilith are more like blunt instruments. You can run from the second two, they aren¡¯t bright enough to follow you if you take a little care, but the others are cunning. Find out what they truly want and use that. That¡¯s pretty much all I can say. As for their abilities: Michael¡¯s wings are neigh indestructible, the only thing I know of we can¡¯t burn with ours. They reflect his will, indomitable and absolute. Consequentially he is a genius in matters of persuasion, manipulation and mental attacks. You don¡¯t have to worry for yourself but don¡¯t trust your allies when they have been alone with him. Hora is the angel of time, she can freeze, slow or speed it up and her wings can capture you within a pocket of time. Again something you don¡¯t need to worry about too much, just don¡¯t let her catch you off guard. Ezekiel isn¡¯t dangerous in a confrontation but he is the smartest of the bunch. He is closely tied to fate, having spent most of his existence trying to predict the future from past actions. I don¡¯t really know what he is capable of in form of abilities. Ma¡¯kal is a brute. His body is much stronger than anything else I have ever encountered and he can augment it in ways you can¡¯t imagine. Don¡¯t let him catch you or he¡¯ll squash you into a pulp. Unfortunately I don¡¯t know much about the demons and their specialities.¡± ¡°Why not? If we have been around for as long as you claim, you must have picked something up.¡± ¡°Well, most of my time was spent fighting against demons, to tell you the truth. You might have already guessed but free will is sort of my schtick and pacts, especially the tricky kind demons love to set up with transcendent energy, binding generations or whole dynasties to their will, have always been a red flag for me. Let¡¯s just say they usually stay well away from me.¡± ¡°Great, what do you want to do, or rather what do you expect me to do?¡± ¡°I intent to seal the immortals in the void. It will take them at least a couple of aeons to claw their way out if I do it right. As for what I expect of you: nothing, really. You know why you have died and why every immortal you are going to meet will treat you like an enemy. Hide, live a quiet life, apologise to Michael or take up my fight. Do whatever you want, but I am out of options and you are me so I thought you would be rather sympathetic to what I have done.¡± ¡°I am, I truly am but I just can¡¯t see how I can change anything on the scale you just described. I am 7 years old for crying out loud. How could I possibly challenge heaven and hell?¡± ¡°The same way I am going to: with little hope and a lot of trickery. But you misunderstand. What I am trying to change has gone on for longer than most galaxies exist and whatever will lead to my death is already well in the past from your point of view. You won¡¯t have to do anything right now, even if you decide to follow in my footsteps. But sooner or later you will come into contact with other immortals and I want you to know how things truly stand. Your decision, when you have to make one, will be yours.¡± He paused for a moment and continued: ¡°There is one last thing I have to tell you, afterwards you can ask me anything you like. I don¡¯t yet know how he intends to achieve his goal but I do know that Michael wants to become the uncrowned king of the immortals, well of the angels at least, I don¡¯t know his plans for the demons but if I had to guess I¡¯d wager on eradication or suppression. It¡¯s a safe bet to assume he has succeeded by the time we have this conversation.¡± ¡°That sounds terrifying, but I don¡¯t¡­ now that I think about it¡­ I don¡¯t seem to care. Nothing of what you have told me nor the loss¡­ nor my current situation faze me in anyway at the moment. How is that possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my fault, sort of. You are much closer to me, or rather your past state of mind. While you still are yourself with all your memories and experiences you feel like I do at the moment, which is to say not that much at all.¡± Poor guy. ¡°I always thought I should have a name with ice in it instead of light.¡± He mused. ¡°Who named us, or you, in that case?¡± ¡°Well, there aren¡¯t as many secularised civilisations as you would expect. If we interact with mortals openly we will usually proclaim to be servants of whatever deity they are worshipping, thus they name us angels. Someday it stuck. For the demons it¡¯s a little different. Their ability to form pacts with others has always guaranteed that they would be much more engaged in mortal affairs than us. They call themselves demon, it means ¡°original¡± in their high tongue. Most depiction you can find in legends or myth are based on one true demon or the other. Our individual names are usually given when we incarnate, like your parents named you Cassandra. Sooner or later we discover our heritage, as you already have and then it¡¯s up to us which name we chose to carry. Lucifer is our true name or rather a description of it. It means ¡°light bringer¡± in a little known language but I rather like the sound of it. And before you ask, no I¡¯m not gonna tell you why we are named light bringer. That¡¯s something you have to find out for yourself.¡± ¡°Can you at least tell me a little more about who I am? What I can do and why Michael put so much effort into neutralising you? Are you.. are we that dangerous?¡± He smiled at me: ¡°I told you before, I¡­you¡­we are maybe the strongest immortal in existence. We are immune to any form of magic, even transcendent energies. We can¡¯t be compelled, our perception can¡¯t be altered and we can kill other immortals for good. These wing on your back are much more powerful than you can imagine. Wouldn¡¯t you do anything in your power as well to eliminate the only one who could end your existence for good, especially if you knew that he despised what you are doing with every fibre of his being?¡± ¡°Than what do you mean by maybe the most powerful? I thought the abilities of angels and demons as well for that matter, were quite similar.¡± ¡°No, not really. We can all use transcendent energies and augment our magic with it, that¡¯s what makes us who we are. But the abilities we gain are different for each individual and also vary from angels to demons. Firstly, demons have the ability to form transcendent contracts, pacts if you so will. That¡¯s something angels can¡¯t do. Secondly each immortal has a unique property, ours is our immunity. Combined with our wings there isn¡¯t much we can¡¯t destroy and we aren¡¯t subjected to the abilities of others. Do you see where I am going with this?¡± I did. While there were many individual traits that made it difficult to judge the power of an immortal, the fact that none of them could touch me while my wings could slice through any form of protection made me incomparably dangerous, at least some day. ¡°The connection is failing, if there is something else, ask now.¡± ¡°What are my limits?¡± Everything started to blur and I could already feel my connection to this place weaken and waver as he replied with a smug smile: ¡°Limits? Here, judge for yourself.¡± While the room around me was dissolving into different colours and I felt my presence rush towards another place, another time, he concentrated and one of his wings shot forward. It sliced cleanly through whatever place I was stuck in and I could see a patch of the crystal cave clearly behind the gap. With a flick of his hand he threw a small ring at me before he closed the tear in time with the same wing. I felt the cold metal of the ring in my hand while I disappeared. 41. Of trauma, tails and a little bit of love Cassandra Pendragon I expected to be thrown into another memory, but I was wrong. The next thing I knew was the soft embrace of a fluffy blanket, the sounds of a moving airship and the smell of seasoned wood and hastily prepared food. I was in a small cabin, similar to the one where I had found Ahri in. The sky behind the one small window was black but I could see one star or the other blinking at me uncaringly. As soon as I opened my eyes everything I¡­ we had been through came rushing back and despair, grief and rage welled up once again. The emotions hit me like a truck after the blessed silence I had experienced during my talk with Lucifer. For a moment I was literally stunned, tears leaked out of my eyes while I laid on my cot motionless. Images of burning trees, mutilated kitsune and Greta¡¯s empty eyes rose within my mind and I couldn¡¯t shove them away. I started to cry in earnest, my body trembled with every heartfelt sob. The memories were much too strong and I even forgot where I was while I had to relive the last night from the first attack to its hellish conclusion. I might have started to scream along the way because the next thing I knew that was real was a warm body, clinging to me, whispering words of encouragement into my ear. Ahri laid on top of me, she held me tight in the middle of a ravaged cot. My wings were extended and circled around hers, our tails were entwined and I could see the red imprint of my palm on her cheek. Her eyes were full of worry while she stared down at me. The chilling air that came in through a perfectly symmetrical hole in the wall made me shiver as it touched my sweat drenched skin. My heart was pounding fast and I still felt the urge to run, to fly, to fight but it was subsiding by the second while I gazed into her eyes. I lost myself within them, like a deep forest lake they seemed to swallow my fear, my panic and I regained a modicum of self control. She whispered into my ear: ¡°are you back? Can I let go of you now without endangering the rest of the ship?¡± My voice was hoarse as I replied softly: ¡°I¡¯m back but I¡¯d very much prefer it if you wouldn¡¯t let go of me just now.¡± She smiled and settled down by my side. With a rushing noise her wings disappeared but I could still feel her arms around me and the warmth of her tails against mine. Slowly my heartbeat calmed down and I managed to take in what I had done to my cabin. The cot was in shambles, only the mattress was still intact the rest had been smashed and cut into small pieces. The walls, floor and ceiling bore deep gashes, narrow and black like someone had dragged a glowing knife along them. Of the wardrobe, I suspected had been in the corner, nothing remained but an armful of kindling. Several holes had been punched or stabbed threw the cabin, one of them showed the night sky outside, directly below the window that had miraculously escaped the destruction. The door was closed and we were alone but now that I was more aware I could here the quiet voices of people, talking outside. Judging from their timbre and echo, they maintained a respectful distance to the door. With a thought I retracted my wings as well, turned around and buried my face in the crook of her neck, the fur on her ears tickled my cheek lightly. Tears were still gushing from my eyes but I didn¡¯t even try to hold them back. I cried in Ahri¡¯s arms until a leaden silence was all that was left within me and I slipped into a dreamless sleep. When I woke up again, I found myself in the exact same position, still wrapped tightly around my¡­friend? Considering who we had been and how much history connected us the word friend seemed hardly appropriate anymore. Whatever she was to me, I felt better, much better. In her embrace I could keep the rising memories at bay and was even¡­happy? Yes, I was happy. Shaken and grief stricken, certainly, but the warm and fuzzy feeling within was definitely happiness. The smile that involuntarily tugged at the corners of my mouth when I opened my eyes and saw her face almost touching mine was also a strong indicator. While my eyes roamed over her familiar figure I felt my thoughts divert, rushing back to what had happened, my conversation with Lucifer, what might have occurred while I was unconscious and how we were supposed to go on. But I didn¡¯t intent to face my problems just yet. I was more than content to simply lie by Ahri¡¯s side and count the number of freckles I had never realised she had. I shoved the lump of unanswered questions and burning emotions back down and slowly I started to relax. I focused on her slow and steady breath, the warm and soft feeling where our bodies touched and what she truly meant to me. Finding out that your best friend is the one person you thought you were in love with can cause quiet a lot of turmoil, after all. Love or even falling in love had always been an idea to me, more than anything else. For as long as I could remember I had always lived with the conviction that there is someone out there, my damsel in distress whom I would find one day. I had never seriously thought about what I would do when I actually did find her and now she was lying on my cot. While I studied her features I came to realise how similar to Aurora she actually looked and I had to wonder how I could have been so blind as not to realise who she really was. Maybe that was the problem. Aurora had always been an abstract ideal, someone to dream about, to long for, but Ahri was real, someone I knew, I had spent time with, someone I cherished but in a totally different way. Could I even love her while I still clung to the image of Aurora I had been carrying around with me for my entire life? Usually people fell in love, the heat of the moment and nature¡¯s influence made it a whole lot easier, and after they had spent time with one another and defined their relationship, made memories and faced challenges together they would slowly come to love one another. To decide that the flaws and strong points of the other person complemented one¡¯s own and that you needed the other person to live a happy life required time. Time spent together, as a couple. I had none of that. My underlying character was that of an ageless adult who had already spent aeons with Aurora but I couldn¡¯t remember most of that time and my body was still closer to childhood than adulthood so I didn¡¯t feel much in terms of bodily desires. To top it off I wasn¡¯t even sure I truly knew the person in my arms. All I had were dreams, maybe even from another life and the last few days. I hadn¡¯t been blind, I had realised that our relationship changed after my birthday and especially during the fight for our home but how could I know that it was love I was feeling and not a mixture of finally having found someone I had been longing for for all my life and the projections and feelings from my past I thrust upon her, knowing she was Aurora? Or the simple fact that she had provided a pillar of support and strength throughout the most trying time of my life? Did it matter? She made me happy. Right here and right now. Period. Mustering all my courage I leaned forward just a little bit and kissed her lips hesitantly. Her eyes flew open and once again I lost myself in their green depth. Her smile illuminated the whole room. ¡°Hi there.¡± She whispered against my mouth. ¡°How long have you been staring at me?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Most of my memories are sealed again but I guess I retained more about our last life together than you did. You don¡¯t face trauma directly and prefer to concentrate on things that make you happy directly afterwards. And you never had the courage to simply take what you want. There were always other things to consider. I know you pretty well in your new skin, too, and that hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°Is that good or bad?¡± She was lost in thought for a moment. ¡°That you don¡¯t want to dwell on what happened to us for now is rather healthy, I¡¯d say. As for the rest¡­ it depends. Usually it¡¯s good, it makes you considerate. But I don¡¯t want you to start second guessing me or our past. It is what we make of it. Do you like me?¡± I wasn¡¯t prone to fits of childish behaviour but I had to giggle. ¡°That¡¯s the second stupidest question I have heard today.¡± She pouted: ¡°only the second?¡± I kissed her again. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s definitely number one. Of course I like you, you already knew that. But I don¡¯t really know in what form anymore. You¡¯re amazing, beautiful and have always been there for me. I always thought we were best friends but I never imagined anything else. Now I have a whole plethora of feelings bubbling inside of me when I see you. Most of it is happiness and hope but there is also a lingering anger and I know that¡¯s due to our past but I can¡¯t remember it. I¡¯m feeling like I¡¯m at the end of a road, not the beginning and I don¡¯t know how I got there. When I look at you I feel¡­lost. It¡¯s like¡­starting a story in the middle. You know that things are the way they are but you don¡¯t know why and you lack the natural connection you¡¯d otherwise have.¡± She had listened closely but the longer I spoke the more pronounced her smile became. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I meant. You¡¯re worrying too much about inconsequential details. Here, let me show you.¡± Her tails circled around me, she hugged me tightly and her silky voice breathed into my ear: ¡°it¡¯s not rocket science. If you feel better now than you did a moment ago all that stuff doesn¡¯t matter. Memories and understanding need time. Spend it with me.¡± My heart was beating faster again but this time I quite enjoyed the sensation. ¡°Since when have you become so wise?¡± A sheepish look crossed her stunning features before she replied: ¡°That¡¯s a rather long story but I had some very vivid dreams after I passed out. It¡¯s hard to say but I think I really was Aurora for a time, the few memories of my life didn¡¯t matter compared to the endless years Aurora roamed the cosmos. Most of it is gone now, but I still feel more like the person I used to be, like I dreamed her life and can¡¯t recollect the details but still feel the way I did during the dream, if that makes any sense.¡± ¡°I think I understand. You are still the same but your perspective has changed. I¡¯m just wondering, have you always liked me in the way you do now, even before you knew about our past?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure but I thought she blushed a little. ¡°I¡­ I think it would be best if I told you my story instead of answering that straight away. But before we get into that, let¡¯s get something to eat. Aren¡¯t you famished? We have been on this cot for over a day now.¡± Even though I was pretty sure she was playing for time and wanted to collect her thoughts before we continued our talk I didn¡¯t call her out. Firstly I completely understood where she was coming from, having first hand experience of how memories can change you. And secondly I wanted to look for my mom and brother before spending another day locked up in my cabin. I was quite sure her story wouldn¡¯t be told in a few minutes. Also, I indeed was famished. I didn¡¯t know how long exactly I had been out of it but now that I thought about food, my stomach was rumbling like an avalanche. And lastly I needed water, I was thirsty, true enough, but I had to clean myself thoroughly. I didn¡¯t smell, per se, maybe a little smoky, but I was still covered in ash and blood and that had to change. Preferably sooner rather than later. ¡°I¡¯d love to¡± I said while I slowly extracted myself from her embrace. That led to another surprise. Instead of four I had to wiggle five tails out from under her. I hadn¡¯t felt the transformation nor the new appendage before I saw it. I wiggled it experimentally and it moved naturally, as if it had always been there. I recalled Mephisto¡¯s explanation about the different stages of my development and a smile sprang to my lips. I could finally channel energy through my body and into my wings! Ahri had caught my movement and tugged on my new tail lightly. I blushed immediately, I wasn¡¯t really embarrassed, I just wasn¡¯t used to the feeling and it was a rather intimate gesture. She laughed at my red cheeks and said: ¡°Just as fluffy as the other ones. No need to be embarrassed.¡± That didn¡¯t help at all and I was well on my way to turn into a tomato which of course made her laugh even harder but she never removed her hand. ¡°Go on, try your wings, I know you¡¯re itching to. I¡¯ll watch.¡± I was hesitant. First of all I didn¡¯t know what would happen if I channeled energy through any part of my body and secondly I was still distracted by her dexterous fingers that kept brushing my tail. We had been closer on the cot but this felt much more deliberate. ¡°I¡­umm¡­ you¡¯re distracting me!¡± ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡± ¡°¡­not really. It actually feels quite nice. You just took me by surprise, that¡¯s all.¡± I turned around halfway so my back was facing away from her completely and unfurled my wings. With a slight rush of air silvery light filled the cabin. The first thing I realised was that I had much finer control over my wings. While the sensation had been a bit fuzzy before and I had had to concentrate to move each wing independently they now literally followed my will. I didn¡¯t have to think about a movement, it just happened, like each single step just occurs while you¡¯re running and thinking about where you want to go. My second sight had also tremendously improved. I didn¡¯t have to close my eyes anymore, the information I could gather with my wings was simply there as soon as I concentrated on an object. I could tell its density, its magical properties and even feel faint energy signatures from the people who had touched it in the past. Like fingerprints I could ¡°see¡± these signatures all around as soon as I focused hard enough. The information I could gather from living things was even more detailed. I could, for example, see the faint traces of transcendent energy that coursed through Ahri¡¯s body and mingled with her soul, mana and life force. I could see the fiery essence of her wings within her and I could see her burning core. With a little effort I even saw a little of her surface thoughts. She was staring at me intently and for a moment I glimpse my own image in her mind. It made me blush again. I knew I was pretty but I was damned sure I was neither as beautiful nor as alluring as the girl she was seeing. But I wouldn¡¯t complain. When I accidentally brushed over a wall I also realised that my perception of matter had changed. It was now nothing more than information, I knew the wall was sturdy and that it was there in my way, but I could move my wings through it just as easily as I moved them through air. There was no resistance, I didn¡¯t have to apply any force, my wings simply slithered wherever I wanted them to and cut everything in their path. And finally I felt my core. For the first time it was more than just the sensation of an ocean of energy, ready to smash its restraints and burry me under its weight. Now it felt like a part of me, friendly and tame. I could dip into it without any fear of drowning. I could channel it along my meridians, throughout my body and into my wings, directing it to my skin, my muscles or different organs. With nothing more than a thought, transcendent energy rushed from my core and into my wings. The light within the cabin changed and I felt space and time bend around my wings. 42. Of haunted visions, hidden promises and a little bit of normality Cassandra Pendragon I felt powerful. My wings burned behind me and the half lit cabin was illuminated as if under a midday sun. Every movement of my wings distorted the air and I could feel them slicing through space itself, phasing in and out of reality according to my whims. It was exhilarating. If only I had been able to access my core before. So much of what had happened could have been prevented. Uninvited memories rose up as I saw the faces of the dead before me again and smelled the burning garden and the decayed stench of the curse. From one second to the next I was reduced from an angel to a quivering mess of tears once again as the shadows of the past day held me prisoner. I couldn¡¯t escape and fell to the floor, withering in imagined pain. I was insensible to my surroundings while the fit lasted but I had to endure every moment of it wide awake. I saw the grotesque sacrifices below the ritual chamber, I had to walk among the cursed kitsune and Greta¡¯s burned out eyes appeared wherever I turned. I was completely lost until a sharp slap brought me back to reality. Once again Ahri sat on top of me, her tails slung around my middle, her wings forced mine onto the floor and her hand was still in the air, ready to descend one more time. The surge of energy had subsided and I felt empty, desperate. With tears in my eyes I stared up at her beautiful face and mumble: ¡°What¡¯s happening to me?¡± Her expression changed form worry to pity and she hugged me tightly. ¡°You¡¯re healing. A festering wound must be torn open and cleansed before it will go away. You had to live through much more suffering within a day than most people experience during their life times. It¡¯s catching up to you.¡± ¡°You were there as well. You lived through the same night. Why are you fine?¡± That might have come out a little more aggressively than I had intended but I was still reeling from the scenes that had assaulted me. ¡°The only person I really care about is still with me. Sure, I¡¯m still edgy and it¡¯ll take some time before the nightmares disappear but I didn¡¯t lose my family, nor my home. It might sound cruel but for me it was just another battle. You¡¯re not weak, Cassandra. On the contrary, that you care so much is one of your greatest strengths.¡± She had read me like an open book and I wanted to believe her, but lying here, beneath her in a mangled cabin somewhere in the sky after most of my people had died or were taken prisoner didn¡¯t make me feel strong. I felt useless, I hadn¡¯t been able to protect my home, I hadn¡¯t even been able to save Adam and now I was breaking down every few moments. The way I was now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to follow the missing kids, never mind free them. It was pathetic, I had finally gained access to my core but I felt weaker than ever before, on the verge of shattering completely, like strained glass when the first fractures appear. I felt so tired. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± I said in a subdued voice. ¡°Can you just hold me for a minute, I don¡¯t think I can get up just yet.¡± ¡°Always,¡± she whispered while her weight settled down on me more firmly. I focused on her steady breath and the warmth of her body and gradually I managed to calm down. ¡°Realistically we have just met but I already don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡± I whispered into her ear. Her reply was nearly inaudible. ¡°If it¡¯s up to me you won¡¯t ever have to answer that question.¡± That made me feel better. The psyche is a funny little thing. I had been devastate a moment ago but now I felt safe, hopeful and even a little happy. I had to suppress a snort, my mood swings were seriously getting out of hand. ¡°Than I won¡¯t. Thanks. You might be a bit curvaceous for the job but you¡¯re my knight in shining armour.¡± She giggled. ¡°You must be better if you can already deliver two compliments in one. Ready to stand up?¡± ¡°I think I could but I¡¯m not sure if want to.¡± But apparently I wasn¡¯t going to get much say in the matter. Ahri rolled off of me but still clung to my hand and pulled me on my feet. ¡°We¡¯ll get some food, talk to your family and have you cleaned. You¡¯ll feel better afterwards, promise.¡± I sighed but still let go of her. We retracted our wings and I tried to brush off the worst of the grime and return my appearance to something slightly less tousled and frayed but that was a fruitless endeavour. I thought about taking Ahri¡¯s hand but my musings were interrupted when she grabbed mine tightly and pulled me out of the room. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m hungry.¡± The door led to a narrow walkway, flameless lamps, a speciality of the dwarfs, hung from the ceiling every few steps and filled the corridor with flickering light. To my left I could see two more doors, one on each side of the aisle, before the passage turned into a flight of stairs that vanished into the entrails of the ship. We turned right and passed several more cabins before we reached another flight of stairs that presumably lead to the deck. The corridor was empty, whoever had been talking when I had first woken up was gone but I could discern the rattling snores that came from most of the cabins. The whole ship smelled of oil, seasoned wood, smoke and damp hawsers, a low creaking sound filled the air and I felt the slight changes in hight and direction whenever a particularly strong gust of wind was caught by the rigging. Old wooden boards groaned beneath our feet as we slowly ascendant the few steps that led to a wooden double door which Ahri pushed open with her free hand. My mom, Mordred and Xorlosh were already waiting for us, their faces drawn into lines of worry but they relaxed visibly as soon as we came on deck. An airship was pretty similar to most seafaring vessels with an additional two masts on the sides. The ship we were on was about 40 meters in length with two main masts on the upper deck. The slightly smaller masts on the side were connected with the main masts through a complicatedly woven rigging that allowed to change direction as well as hight. Seasoned oak was used for most parts of the ship but I could already see the glimmering of polished metal here and there, where the dwarfs had added additional fortifications to the hull. From experience I knew that the stone, which kept the whole contraption afloat, was located somewhere in the middle, connected to the rest of the ship through strong steel columns which formed the core of the vessel. These flying stones were a speciality of the elves. They became lighter when heated and would grow heavier when cooled down. A chimney rose up directly above the stone chamber to funnel away the smoke of the huge fires that were needed to regulate the temperature. We came up close to the stern, a starry sky above us and the endless sea far far below. No islands were in sight. The others had been huddled together closely in front of the cargo access, talking in low voices but our appearance put an end to their discussion. With a low cry my mom threw herself towards me and I could see a smile flash across my brother¡¯s and Xorlosh¡¯s faces before silvery hair obstructed my view. The top of her head was now directly in my line of sight. Had I grown? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Thank the great fox you are alright. I was so worried when you collapsed.¡± She snivelled into my ear. I hugged her tightly in response. ¡°I¡¯m fine, more or less. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re still with me. How are you holding up?¡± ¡°Not great but I¡¯ll manage, I still have to look after my children, don¡¯t I?¡± She extracted herself from my embrace and looked me up and down: ¡°you changed.¡± It was a statement, not a question so I only shrugged. I wasn¡¯t sure if she meant my appearance or something else but she was right either way. ¡°We all did, I suppose.¡± ¡°You should take a look in a mirror before you say that. You really are stunning, even under all that dirt. You¡¯ll break many hearts once word gets around that you¡¯re taken.¡± She said with only the slightest strain in her voice. It felt strange to have a forcefully normal conversation under the circumstance but we both tried really hard to avoid talking about our home or my dad. Another mental breakdown wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone. ¡°She¡¯s taken?¡± Mordred asked from behind insolently. Ahri smacked him on the head. ¡°Ouch, but I guess that means yes. Well, congratulations shorty, even though,¡± his eyes roamed form my head to my toes, ¡°you¡¯re not much smaller than me anymore, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been the taller one, at least intellectually. But seriously what are you all talking about? I know I got a new tail but that¡¯s it.¡± Both of them leaned to the side to study my behind while my mum said: ¡°you got a new tail? Oh, wow! Amazing, I¡¯ve never seen anyone develop as quickly,but than again, I¡¯ve never met another angel before. But honey, that¡¯s not all that has changed.¡± Her eyes roamed over the deck searchingly until she spotted an accessible polished piece of metal close to the cargo access and pulled me along. The cargo access was a giant whole in the deck with a wooden crane above to lift heavy goods. The whole was closed off at the moment with a solid wooden cover but the edges were made of polished steel and it was enough to see my reflection. I had grown. I was slightly taller than my mom now, probably close to 1.8 meters. I had also aged. I wasn¡¯t a child anymore, the face I was staring at was the one of a 20something years old kitsune. I had lost the last traces of my puppy fat and had developed curves. My face was still the same but it seemed slightly sharper, high cheek bones and a sharp jaw line contrasted nicely with the soft line of my nose. My eyes appeared a little larger but their glow had dimmed enough actually see their silvery colour. My reflection was exactly the same one I had seen in Ahri¡¯s mind. And I had thought she was infatuated enough to perceive me differently¡­ I was still lithe and slender with long legs and a slim figure but I sported some curves now. Not overly much but I was content. Even though I was usually careful with the word considering whom I called my people, I was stunningly beautiful even in comparison to other kitsune. I touched my face lightly and allowed my fingers to roam over my new body. I didn¡¯t feel any different, if I hadn¡¯t seen my reflection I wouldn¡¯t have been able to perceive anything unusual. Even my new hight didn¡¯t stick out to me unless I was close enough to someone I knew really well, like my mom. I had realised that she was shorter than me now. A groan from behind broke me out of my musings. ¡°By the great fox, your head is swollen enough, please don¡¯t become vain as well now.¡± Mordred complained. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know you can¡¯t understand how it feels to actually like what you see in a mirror.¡± I turned towards him and smiled. ¡°But your brutish charm easily makes up for it.¡± Before he had the chance to reply I crossed the distance between us and hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not dead.¡± I felt him tense up before he returned the embrace. ¡°So am I, glad that neither of us is dead, that is. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to part with my sword and you haven¡¯t even bothered to bring your wardrobe along.¡± The slight trembling of his body belied his mocking inflection, he wasn¡¯t nearly as tough as he wanted us to believe. ¡°I didn¡¯t wanna interrupt your little reunion but if you¡¯re all back to trading insults I think I can safely say me piece.¡± Xorlosh tapped my right soldier and continued: ¡°it¡¯s good to see you again, lass. I still owe you a good spanking for when you left me and the boys twiddling our beards below you, though. But I guess sticking it to his ugliness was plenty of an apology. You did well, really well. Most of me lads are still up and kicking and that¡¯s thanks to you. If you ever need a strong hand and a stronger backbone, just call for us. I won¡¯t forget what you did for me people and me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very welcome but what I did hardly merits praise or thankfulness. Without your timely intervention we would all be dead by now. It¡¯s the dwarfs who saved us even though it wasn¡¯t your fight and I won¡¯t forget it. Should I ever be able to assist you in any way, know I¡¯ll rush to your side as fast as I can.¡± A broad smile split his beard. ¡°Lass, you still have to stop talking to me like you have a stick up your arse. We went through hell and back together, stop it with the stilted speech already. But I heard you well enough.¡± He turned to my mother and bowed from the waist. ¡°You did good by her, milady. She might not be the best with words but her heart is in the right spot.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ahri, who had snuck up close to me interjected. ¡°And she¡¯s even pretty eloquent under the right circumstances.¡± She added quietly enough that only I could hear her. The smell of pine trees that rose from her skin distracted me for a moment and I missed parts of what Xorlosh was saying. ¡°¡­ in your cabin for two days. You must be famished. Come on, all of you. I still got some fine food left in me cabin and I might even be able to unearth a nice tankard of mead for each of us. It¡¯s much better to talk with a full stomach and a fragrant pipe. You can take a quick detour to the baths on the way while I pick up Aspera and Astra.¡± ¡°Baths?!¡± Ahri echoed. ¡°Well, at first you were unconscious, then you took to the next water barrel with such gusto that I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell you it¡¯s for cleaning the deck and then you disappeared in her cabin for a day. I never had the chance to show you before¡­¡± his voice trailed off when he realised smoke was coming out of Ahri¡¯s ears, literally. Huh, she was even hotter than I thought. ¡°But, but you can go with her now. It¡¯s quite comfy and the lads are all off to bed or downstairs in the stone-chamber. Come along now, I¡¯ll show you.¡± He turned around and hurried towards the double door we had exited from before. With a silent glance at each other and a smirk on our lips we followed him down below, my mom and Mordred close in tow. On the way down the stairs I quietly asked: ¡°who are Aspera and Astra?¡± To my surprise it was my mom who answered from behind me: ¡°They are the only two surviving members of the elven enclave back at h¡­ where we came from.¡± Her voice had caught on the word home and I couldn¡¯t fail to notice the strange way she ended her sentence. I stopped and turned around, quickly enough to catch her wiping her eyes. With a quick step I was by her side and drew her close. We stood there in a silent embrace for a long time, Mordred and Ahri had given us some space considerately. After a while I felt some of the tension leave my mom¡¯s body and her shaky breath became more steady. I could still feel the pent up frustration and her grief but she wasn¡¯t close to crying anymore. Sometimes you just needed someone to hold you for a moment. I carefully extracted myself from her and held her at arms length. In the flickering light of the lamps the circles under her eyes were much more pronounced and I could still smell the smoke of the fire we had fled from in her hair. Gently I pulled her close once again and whispered: ¡°Join us, a hot bath will do wonders for us all.¡± I turned to my brother who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with Ahri. ¡°Sorry, You¡¯re not invited.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Thank the great fox for that.¡± 43. Of baths, meals and a little bit of elves Cassandra Pendragon The bath was located a floor above the stone chamber. It was a medium sized, circular room, full of vapour and the scent of soap. Flame less lanterns provided light and four round washtubs filled the interior. A cleverly designed arrangement of pipes delivered warm water directly from the large furnaces below and a small stove in the corner kept the air warm. Wooden tiles covered the floor, the walls and the ceiling. They shimmered slightly, the coating that prevented them from rotting away in the moisture made their surface reflective. The ship had three levels, the stone chamber and auxiliary machines took up most of the lowest level, the bath, storage and a smithy were located in the middle and the cabins, where I had woken up, as well as a common room were directly below the deck. Xorlosh had led us to the stairs I had seen before, pointing out the door to his cabin on the way so we would be able to find it later on, and down to the second level. The stairs led on but we had entered the second floor through another wooden double door. In contrast to the living quarters, the second level didn¡¯t have a central walkway, instead a short corridor led to a circular room somewhere beneath the first mainmast. Three closed doors led to the bath, the storage and the smithy respectively. Xorlosh had shown us the entry to the bath and had promised that we¡¯d find fresh garments as soon as we were finished. He had left us afterwards with Mordred, both had been intent on sampling the aforementioned mead while they waited. We had stripped down quickly, putting our torn clothes on one side and the possessions we wanted to keep on the other. It had been a depressingly small heap. Now we were all soaking in separate tubs, slightly salted warm water and exquisite soap had done wonders for our mood. We hadn¡¯t talked much until now, we had simply relished in the calm atmosphere and the relaxing water. ¡°So, Aspera and Astra, elves. How did they¡­¡± I hesitated to finish my sentence, but then again, we couldn¡¯t avoid talking about our home forever. ¡°¡­get here? What have I missed?¡± There wasn¡¯t enough light to judge the expression on my mom¡¯s and Ahri¡¯s faces but it took them a while to answer. Surprisingly it was my mom who spoke up. ¡°When we¡­ when we fought our way to Greta¡¯s cavern and arrived in the garden, a group of elves suddenly joined us. We hadn¡¯t noticed them before but from one moment to the next, 4 of them attacked the cursed and fought their way towards us. The other members of their tribe had been either lost to the curse or had been killed by the maddened kitsune and elves. Even though it was easier for the elves to resist, it hadn¡¯t been tailored towards them after all, still most of them had succumbed. They joined forces with us and I must say, an enraged elf in battle is a sight to behold. With four more spell casters Ahri managed to channel enough energy into an illusion that covered most of the garden around Greta¡¯s cave to imitate¡­well, you. A really scary version of you. But maybe she should tell that part of the story herself.¡± ¡°Right, umm, parts of what happened are a bit blurry, I wasn¡¯t in my right mind, but as far as I know, you¡¯re the only angel the emperor knows about and I wanted to keep it that way. So I used illusions to bring some of my memories from your past to life. I added your tails to images of Lucifer and had you assault the cavern. A little magic here and there to imitate the effects of your wings on the surroundings and some cursed that got in the way and it became a rather convincing act of heavenly retribution. The emperor thought so, too. It didn¡¯t take long for him to initiate the second part, I didn¡¯t even need to have you enter the cave. As soon as you came rushing down from the sky and incinerated 10 of the cursed with your wings instantly, courtesy to the combined energies of the elves and your family, he panicked. The practitioners among us felt it the very moment the curse started to change and we fled as fast as we could. When your image disappeared, the kitsune immediately came rushing from the cave but it was too late. The second stage was already sucking them dry and they collapsed before they took more than a few steps.¡± She sighed heavily and continued quietly. ¡°We weren¡¯t fast enough, 2 of the elves and 23 dwarfs couldn¡¯t make it to the ships in time and were incinerated when a wave of fire rolled out from beneath Boseiju. The rest of us managed to climb onboard one of the two vessels...¡± I thought I heard tears in her voice when she fell silent. My mom took over for her and narrated what had happened afterwards. ¡°Ahri fell unconscious the moment she gained the deck and the dwarfs took her down below. You dropped from the sky not 2 minutes later. When you broke down we sailed away from the still burning island as fast as the winds would carry us. I wasn¡¯t in my right mind back then, to be honest I still don¡¯t know if I am now, and Xorlosh made most of the decisions afterwards. We split up, the other ship is heading towards Arthur and his people while we are following the human scum who took the children with them. The dwarfs managed to somehow tag their vessel and we have been close behind them ever since. I¡­I wasn¡¯t exactly receptive while you were unconscious so I don¡¯t know where we are headed, I suppose that¡¯s one of the things Xorlosh wants to talk about.¡± Her voice trailed off before but I heard the question in her inflection. They both wanted to know what had happened to me and Greta. I wasn¡¯t keen on reliving those moments again, but at least now I wasn¡¯t alone. Quietly I started to speak and told my story. The only part I left out was that I had intended to take the risk myself without Greta¡¯s protection. I made it seem like she had decided to use my transcendent power during our mind link and had taken me by surprise. Sometime while I was talking I had started to cry again but I pushed through, it felt good, liberating, to speak about it. Like the others were sharing in my burden and I didn¡¯t have to carry it alone anymore. The memories still consumed me, but now I felt detached, like it had happened to someone else. They still were vivid enough that I didn¡¯t hear Ahri and my mom move, but I surely felt it when they both hugged me. We all broke down then and there, even Ahri couldn¡¯t keep up her facade, but the tears were cleansing. We experienced a form of catharsis that allowed us to start accepting what had happened. The grief, guilt, pain and anger were still there, but they didn¡¯t feel all encompassing anymore. When the dam had been broken, we also started talking about our fears, the guilt we all carried and about the dead. About my father, Adam, Eva, the friends we had lost and the ones we had never met. Between sobs we told stories and little anecdotes about the departed and wallowed in memories of our home. It wasn¡¯t enough to eradicate the sense of loss but we felt more lighthearted afterwards. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The water had long been getting cold before we scrambled out of the bath. My mom opened the door and checked if someone was outside before she gestured for us to follow her. In the dim light I saw her skin had become all wrinkly but to my surprise, Ahri¡¯s and my own were still perfectly smooth. New clothes had been laid out for us in the central room and we quickly shrugged into them. They were uniform sets of black trousers and dark blue shirts woven from a soft fabric I didn¡¯t recognise. It felt smooth and cool on my skin but I was convinced it would keep me warm as well, as heavy as it felt around my shoulders. Sturdy boots completed the outfit. ¡°Wow, this feels amazing. I wonder what kind of cloth they used and where they got it from.¡± My mom was a lot more vocal about the garments than I was. ¡°We should try to get our hands on some of it, we are utterly broke at the moment and I¡¯m sure this would make for an excellent trade in the right circles.¡± Okay, maybe it wasn¡¯t the garments. That wily woman was already planning on making money. If I hadn¡¯t been stuck halfway into my shirt, I would have hugged her again. ¡°Which reminds me,¡± she continued, ¡°we have to ask if the dwarfs have anything we could maybe buy for a loan. We will free the missing kids and then we¡¯ll have quite a lot of mouths to feed. Somehow we have to gather the resources.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Ahri interjected, ¡°The other ship will soon meet Arthur and I¡¯m convinced he won¡¯t mind helping us out out one bit. I¡¯m quite sure he¡¯ll even invite us all to stay with him at his new place.¡± ¡°That would solve most of our immediate problems.¡± I said. ¡°But we still have to free the children. Do you think the dwarfs are willing to help us again? After everything they have already done?¡± My mom replied: ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. It was a matter of fact for Xorlosh to pursue the kidnappers. I bet they would even be insulted if we didn¡¯t ask them to come along.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s meet our gracious host. Right now we are mostly speculating, since we are decently dressed again, why don¡¯t we ask him directly?¡± Cheeks rosy from the bath and in a much improved mood we climbed the stairs back up and headed for the cabin Xorlosh had pointed out. My mom knocked politely and we entered after a deep ¡°come in¡± had been heard from within. The cabin was a little larger than the ones I had seen before. It filled the left side of the stern and had two windows opposite the door. A hammock was slung from two pillars on my left side, a large chest had been stowed under it. The wall to the right was covered with a wardrobe and an open shelf that contained countless maps. Some printed, some handwritten from what I could see. Under the shelf a familiar crossbow and armour leaned against the wall. A huge oaken table filled the centre of the room, large enough to easily accommodate 8 chairs. Mordred and Xorlosh were sitting at the table, a large map served as a table cloth and I saw bread, ham, bacon, salt meat, tomatoes, pickled cucumbers and a vast array of cheese evenly distributed between them. Two large mugs with a honey coloured liquid were already half empty. Mordred was chewing and Xorlosh dragged deeply on a pipe he had just lit when we had entered. The fragrant tabac reminded me of burning vanilla and old leather. Xorlosh sat at the head of the table, my brother to his left. On his right side, two tall and slim women occupied the seats closest to him. They both appeared to be in their early twenties but I knew the real age of elves wouldn¡¯t show on their faces. One had raven black hair, similar to mine and deep amethyst eyes. Her long and pointed ears split her hair which flowed over her shoulders and nearly reached the ground. She wore a light robe of forest green that was cut on the side. Sturdy boots and black leggings peak out from under it. She wore a belt with a slim, white staff and a couple of small bags attached to it. The other sported short, blonde hair and deep green eyes, not as entrancing as Ahri¡¯s, I thought to myself. She had the same build as the black haired one, lithe and willowy, but she was dressed in silvery scale armour that clung to her figure and I saw a short dagger protruding from her belt. A long spear leaned beside her chair and a black cloak flowed down her back and covered part of her armour. Minor gashes and tears marred most of their clothes and the armour had recently been polished and presumably repaired but they appeared collected and attentive. A friendly smiled formed on their faces when they saw us. ¡°Ah, ladies, take a seat. I can¡¯t offer wine or complicatedly prepared food, but what you see before you is all yours. Gimme a moment and I¡¯ll find some more mugs so we can dine properly.¡± Xorlosh had already gotten up while he spoke and shuffled over to the wardrobe while we took our seats. A moment later I heard a gurgling sound when he filled three more tankards from a small barrel he had hidden in the depth of his abode. He placed them before us, took his seat again, raised his own and said: ¡°To the ones we have lost, may they never be forgotten!¡± ¡°To the ones we have lost,¡± we echoed. For the next couple of seconds the silence was only interrupted by swallowing sounds. The elves had joined the toast with their melodic voices but they didn¡¯t drink. The mead tasted good, though, slightly spicy but still sweet enough to slither down the throat smoothly. I wasn¡¯t used to alcoholic beverages so I tried to take only small sips but I enjoyed it very much and before I knew it, half of it was gone. Warmth was spreading from my middle and I already felt slightly tipsy. Another thing I enjoyed very much. ¡°Ah, now, I¡¯m not the biggest fan of diluting the joys of a good meal with heavy talk so let¡¯s eat first before we decide how we¡¯ll proceed. But that reminds me,¡± he turned to the elves, ¡°you haven¡¯t met Cassandra yet. A quick introduction, then. Aspera, Astra, meet Cassandra, Helena¡¯s daughter and one of the few real angels if I got that right.¡± I curtsied in their direction. ¡°Cassandra, meet Aspera¡±, he pointed at the blonde elf, ¡°and Astra.¡± Both of them smiled at me sincerely but on closer inspection I saw the harsh lines of worry and grief around their mouths. ¡°They are comrades in arms and have become good friends of mine. Let¡¯s save the rest for later, tuck in and enjoy.¡± We were all famished and complied energetically. Like he had said, the food was simple but everything was fresh and of high quality. Especially the bread stuck out to me. The dough had been mixed with nuts and fruits and it went really well with some of the richer cheese. I even liked the salted meats, a dish I usually wasn¡¯t too fond of, sliced thinly and mixed with pickled cucumbers and some bread. For half an hour we were busy devouring every last crumb on the table and Mordred and Xorlosh made sure to flush every bite down with a generous gulp of mead. If I had tried to keep up I would have passed out after 5 minutes. Consequentially my brother¡¯s face was red and I thought his speech had become slightly slurry but our dwarven host was still as steady as a rock, even though he was already deep into his 4th tankard if I hadn¡¯t miscounted. A dwarven constitution was no joke. We didn¡¯t talk much aside from the necessities when sharing a meal until the last slice of bread and bits of cheese were gone. With a content sigh Xorlosh relit his pipe and white vapour started to fill the cabin before it was sucked out of the opened window. He filled our cups one more time and sat back down. ¡°Now, I think it¡¯s time to talk about what happened and what we are going to do. Maybe it¡¯d be for the best if I started with what we have done in the last two days and where we are headed.¡± 44. Of friends, pirates and a little bit of truth Cassandra Pendragon ¡°If I may,¡± Astra interrupted him, ¡°we think it more prudent to finish with the introductions beforehand. It would make any decisions much easier if we were to know our allies and their background. While we know the others we haven¡¯t had the pleasure yet to meet the young princess Cassandra.¡± ¡°Again with the stilted speech,¡± Xorlosh grumbled, quietly enough that we could choose to ignore him. ¡°Aspera and I are sisters, born on the Green Island far to the north, a good century ago,¡± Astra continued without batting an eyelid at the dwarf¡¯s theatrics. ¡°We lived in the kingdom of the five families for the last 20 years, together with a small community of elves that were never interest in the rather political lifestyle back home. Allow us to express our deep felt condolences for what you have lost, all of you. We share your grief, for we as well called the island our home and lost dear friends in the fires of war.¡± They both stood up and bowed deeply from the waist, first towards my mom and once again towards Ahri and me. ¡°For that is what happened in our opinion. A first bloody conflict, the opening move of a war that is far from its conclusion. So much destruction can only herald even more until the perpetrator breaths his last. You denied our foe his first victory but we are certain you haven¡¯t seen the last of him. We want to help. Our personal desire for vengeance aside, who, or rather whatever committed this heinous attack on Boseiju is a a scourge to all free people, a festering wound that must be cauterised.¡± Silence was her only response while we digested what she had said. It had always been apparent to me that we hadn¡¯t reached the end yet but having it spelled out before you bluntly was something else entirely. I knew that the emperor¡¯s interest, and Amazeroth¡¯s as well for that matter, would only grow after he had suffered a defeat by our hands. But I had never thought about what it actually meant for me, for all of us. We weren¡¯t only without a home but also on the run from a resourceful wizard who had already proven that the vast distance wouldn¡¯t save us from him. But aside from Ahri and Mordred none of them had much to worry about if they stayed well away from us, at least I thought so. From what my brother had told me, the emperor wasn¡¯t after influence or power, he was looking for an angel. Sure, as he had proven forcefully, he¡¯d just as well take an island or two for himself if the opportunity arose, but that wasn¡¯t what he was truly after. How would they react if I told them? Would they blame me, or maybe Mordred? It didn¡¯t matter, they deserved to know. Hesitantly I opened my mouth. ¡°I¡­ I think you¡¯re only partly right, my lady Astra. My story might take a while, so please bear with me.¡± I took one last sip of mead to flush the dryness from my mouth and began. ¡°Xorlosh has already told you that I¡¯m an angel, but there is a little more to it, probably more then he knows himself so you should listen carefully as well, my lord dwarf. First of all, but you know as much, I¡¯m not the only one in the room.¡± I gestured towards Ahri who smiled coyly. ¡°We both have a long and, at least for my part, bloody history that may impact our current predicament more then I realised. I think it¡¯ll be for the best if I start at the beginning. What I know of it, at least. You see, most of our last lives is hidden form us and I only have fragmented memories to work with. Anyway, the immortals, angels and demons, are quiet similar¡­¡± I told them what I knew about cores and their nature, how they changed the bonded soul and body and why I didn¡¯t have access to everything from my past, including my abilities. I knew it was a risk to be so forthcoming with information that could be used against Ahri and me, but like I said, they deserved it. They had bled with us, maybe even due to us, and they were still here and for the moment even willing to help. I narrated Mordred¡¯s fateful voyage, my dear brother was too intoxicated by now to contribute much, I told them about the emperor and Amazeroth and I spoke about my birthday and the conflict I had inherited from my previous life as Lucifer. Ahri grabbed my hand under the table when I talked about what had caused me to go down that road. Finally I explained what had happened during that fateful night when our home had burned. I only skipped the part about Mephisto and what he had told me about the Arete family. Those weren¡¯t my secrets to share and I didn¡¯t know the full story anyway, Ahri and I hadn¡¯t had the chance, or rather we hadn¡¯t been in the mood to have a longer conversation, yet. ¡°To sum it up, I think the emperor¡¯s main objective isn¡¯t a war against our continent, but one against me, or maybe both of us,¡± I added while I gestured in Ahri¡¯s direction. ¡°The attack on Boseiju was, in my opinion, plan B. Since the more or less inconspicuous way had failed, he tried brute force, an all out assault. The presence of a true demon by his side only underlines it. Amazeroth wouldn¡¯t be interested in worldly gains, unless he is the emperor¡¯s puppet, which I highly doubt, he has his own agenda, one that most likely involves the other immortals on the planet. Considering that Lucifer had already marked Amazeroth as an enemy, I think it¡¯s a fair bet to assume he wants my head.¡± Ahri had already known or remembered everything I had said, but the other¡¯s faces showed varying degrees of surprise and doubt I understood all too well. Strung together like this, I could hardly believe it myself. 3 immortals on one planet, 4 if you counted Mephisto, 2 of which had already been enemies beforehand, had been shuffled together through sheer coincidence. I imagined it to be a bitter to swallow, all the grief and suffering they had endured were byproducts of a different agenda. I expected the elevens and Xorlosh to question me further on Amazeroth or the emperor, maybe even curse us for the suffering we had caused, but¡­ ¡°There are different worlds?¡± Astra asked while Xorlosh emptied his tankard and said: ¡°so evil wizard and impossibly powerful demon spawn. Sounds like me mug o¡¯ ale.¡± I was flabbergasted and then I had to laugh. These amazing people didn¡¯t blame us no, they were curious and ready to help! They looked at me questioningly and after a moment I could reply through a bright smile: ¡°it¡¯s nothing. I just never imagined I¡¯d be lucky enough to meet so many astonishing personalities and maybe even call them friends. I feared the blame which could rightfully be placed at my door and that you might turn your back on me, on us. I¡¯m just more than happy to have met you all, despite the gruesome circumstances.¡± ¡°Lass, you really are alright but if you butter me up even a little bit more, I¡¯m gonna fall flat on my ass. Did you really think we¡¯d walk out on you now? We already guessed much of the motives behind the attack, we¡¯re not idiots, are we ladies? ¡°Astra and Aspera nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure it out, especially after that little stunt during your birthday. The runes on the poor bloke¡¯s body back then had been awfully similar to the magic we encounter two nights ago. From where I¡¯m standing you¡¯re the victim here, as much as the rest of us, and I¡¯ll be damned before I walk away from such a perfect opportunity to jump down the throats of some magic abusing bastards. Angel or not, I¡¯m quite confident that me lads and me can help you out.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°I agree wholeheartedly with Xorlosh. You did nothing wrong and fought valiantly where most would have crumbled.¡± Astra said. ¡°The weight of the dead doesn¡¯t rest on you shoulders, but on theirs and we will help you make them feel its dreadful power.¡± She fixed my mom, Ahri, Mordred and me one after another before she added: ¡°you conducted yourselves with true nobility and brought honour to your name. Aspera and I will always be proud to call you friends.¡± My useless brother had to burp just then, and not in the inconspicuous way. ¡°Pardon me¡±, he mumbled. I felt blood rush to my face but before I could try to think of an excuse, Xorlosh said: ¡°not bad laddie, but lemme show you how it¡¯s done.¡± Said and done. Us girls just looked at each other before Ahri broke into a fit of laughter which quickly spread to the rest of us. We laughed until tears streamed down our faces and most of the tension that we had all carried around and that had filled the room evaporated. Maybe Xorlosh had been right and I really needed to work on my people skills. From what I had seen, the first step would be another tankard of mead. It took us quite a while to calm down, even though we still had a lot to discuss. When we finally regained our composure, it was Aspera who spoke for the first time. Her voice was surprisingly deep, full of rich cadences that reminded me of strong winds in the forest. ¡°My sister speaks the truth. We are soul bonded and she has my voice as well but now I feel obliged to add: we can¡¯t change our past or know the future. It¡¯s the present we have to live in and it¡¯s in the present we must strive for perfection, knowing we are bound to fail, that the future will always be surprising, for better or for worse. Everyone of you chose to fight for others and against something evil. The thought to flee and save yourselves never crossed your mind. My bound is right, it¡¯s an honour to call you friends.¡± To be honest, the thought had crossed my mind more then once, but I had never seriously considered it. Maybe in the beginning, when I had still thought it had been an assault on the third family alone. ¡°Thank you,¡± my mom answered for us. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t mean much at the moment, but we will never forget your support, your courage and your compassion. I know I speak for every kitsune in this room when I say that we are deeply moved by your sincere words.¡± ¡°In other words,¡± Mordred interjected slowly, he had to focus on his pronunciation, ¡°you¡¯re the best that could have happened to us right now. Cheers!¡± He didn¡¯t wait for us and drank deeply. We followed suit and even the elves joined in, but with glasses of fresh water. I had read somewhere that their sensitive sense of taste and smell made it nearly impossible for them to drink alcohol. Huh, kitsune had acute senses as well and I was fine. More then fine by now, to tell the truth. Regretfully I abstained from another round and went back to sipping. I couldn¡¯t afford to become wasted now, but if I had the chance, I would try it out sooner or later. Mordred seemed to have fun. ¡°Now that we got that outta the way, we still gotta decide what we¡¯ll do now.¡± Xorlosh picked the threat back up again. ¡°As I was saying, for now the emperor isn¡¯t our biggest problem. He was sent home with a bloody nose and his tail between his legs. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see his ugliness again, but that has some time. You¡¯re still missing a bunch of kids and we gotta get ¡®em back from the human scum that took ¡®em. For now, we¡¯re following the signal of the tracking rune me lads managed to brand on their hull and were about 5 hours behind ¡®em now. I¡¯ll get to that in a minute.¡± He scratched his impressively bulbous nose and went on: ¡°The other ship is well on its way to meet your runaway son. They have a communication device with ¡®em and me lads will contact me the moment they find him. For now, we are on our way straight south. Gimme a mo¡¯.¡± He stood up and walked over to the shelf and rummaged through a couple of meals before he returned to the table with a large, hand drawn map of the complete cluster of islands. He marked our position with a knife he drove through the map and into the table. Huge blank gaps were scattered all over the map, signifying unchartered territory. We were still close to the centre, the island marked as ¡°kingdom of the five families¡± was only a little further to the north. Far to the northwest I spotted a huge formation titled ¡°the Green Island¡±, where Aspera and Astra came from. Most of the other names didn¡¯t ring any bells, I recognised only the islands we had been trading with, all of them close to where we were now. To the south, in the direction we were headed, most of the map remained blank. I could see several clusters of smaller islands, still some distance away, that were accumulatively named ¡°Pirate Islands¡±, which didn¡¯t fill me with too much confidence. Only one more island was mapped, a rather large pillar named ¡°Free Land¡±. ¡°Alright, as you can see I don¡¯t have very much to go on, most dwarfs never venture that far south, so I don¡¯t have very detailed maps. From what I know, the southern parts are the least connected, the elves are the ones who make air travel possible and their home is far away.¡± He gestured towards the Green Island. ¡°Not many of their flying stones make it this far south. Air ships are even more precious down here than they are elsewhere and Free Land has most of ¡®em under its control. From what I hear Free Land is a mostly human state without a king. It¡¯s governed by a board of captains that control most of the ships. They don¡¯t govern much, though, from what I¡¯ve heard. It¡¯s a place without many laws where you can buy almost anything for the right price.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°The neighbouring islands don¡¯t have airships of their own and are mostly exploited for resources, living beings and materials alike, slavery is supposed to be legal. Well, as you can already tell, it¡¯s one charming place. But that¡¯s about as much as I know, you can all probably guess why I don¡¯t have a lot of information about the wild south.¡± His stubby finger pointed to the Pirate Islands and he added: ¡°one more thing. These island are where everyone who could get his hands on an airship and didn¡¯t want to sail under Free Land¡¯s flag, is hauled up. As far as I know, they make a living by hijacking every vessel they can get their hands on. Free Land is continuously trying to round ¡®em up, but the Pirate Islands are full of caves and natural hideouts, some of ¡®em large enough to accommodate an entire fleet. If the pirates have a base, no one has found it yet. At the most the Free Land captains get their hands on one or two ships per year, but they never managed to catch a single pirate alive. They always prefer to thrown themselves overboard before they are captured.¡± He took another swig from his tankard. ¡°I think our friends are on their way to Free Land, to make some extra profit from their dark deeds. We probably won¡¯t catch them before they arrive, their ship is lighter and faster. Sorry for being blunt, but you fox folk bring in nice sums, especially the young girls, beauty and magic and all that. They¡¯ll be sold quickly enough once they arrive. Don¡¯t expect any help from the officials, though, like I said, slavery is perfectly legal in these parts.¡± We were all bent over the map and had listened to him attentively. For someone who claimed to know very little about our destination he was quite the treasure trove of information, but I had to admit that most of what he had told us had painted a very bleak picture. If he was right, we would not only have to get the children back, we would have to break the law to do so and even though Xorlosh had claimed that there weren¡¯t many of them and even less were enforced, I couldn¡¯t imagine that theft would be approved of. I mean, trade brings taxes, theft doesn¡¯t. Every government treats its income like a firstborn child. ¡°Fuck.¡± Once again my brother displayed his amazing drunk eloquence but I couldn¡¯t fault him. He had summed up our predicament nicely. If we weren¡¯t able to overtake the other vessel before it made landfall, we would have to either buy the kids back, and I couldn¡¯t imagine that we even had a tenth of the amount we would need, or we would have to stage a heist in the middle of a goddamn den of cutthroats. 45. Of options, changes and a little bit of happiness Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Precisely,¡± Xorlosh continued. ¡°There¡¯s also a logistics problem. While we have an artefact onboard that collects moisture from the air and provides us with enough water, food is scarce. Right now we are still sufficiently stocked for the next couple of days, but we¡¯ll run out sooner or later. Free Land is 4-6 weeks away, if the air currents hold and my map is at least somewhat accurate. We¡¯ll have to refill our supplies long before then or we¡¯ll soon have to draw straws for rations. As you can see,¡± he pointed to the blank spots between our position and Free Land, ¡°I have no clue where we might find a suitable place along the way. This means we either follow our prey closely and hope they have to replenish their stores as well somewhere along the way or we invest the time to search for ourselves. If we decide to do that, we¡¯ll have to start soon, tomorrow at the latest, I¡¯d say, otherwise we might still run out before we can restock. The thing is, if we dally too much and these needle dicked butt fuckers,¡± the insult made a shiver run down my spine, the expression someone just walked over my grave came to mind, but for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t say why, ¡°sail on, there is no way of telling how far behind we¡¯ll fall. They might easily arrive a good week earlier than us, maybe even more.¡± He finished morosely. ¡°I think I have an idea¡­¡± Ahri and Astra spoke at the same time. They stared at each other for a moment before they had to smile and Ahri gestured with her left hand for Astra to continue. The other one was still tightly wrapped around mine beneath the table. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try to be quick. I don¡¯t know how much you know about soul bounds but it basically means that Aspera and I can tap into the energy reserves of the other to strengthen our own and channel it into spells or, in Aspera¡¯s case, powerful attacks. With her help I should be able to construct a scrying ritual that should allow me to spy on them, at least once a day. It¡¯s going to take a day to prepare but I think I¡¯ll be able to tell you most of the details about their vessel and the crew by tomorrow evening. We¡¯ll know if they have sufficient provisions with them.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Ahri commented. ¡°I wanted to say that Cassandra and I should be able to fly down to the sea and bring fish or something else edible back up. It won¡¯t solve the food problem sustainably, I don¡¯t think we have the stamina to provide for all of us over an extended period of time. How many dwarfs are on board again?¡± ¡°39, including meself,¡± Xorlosh replied instantly. ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t carry enough food consistently for 44 people. That¡¯d be like, close to 100 kg of meat a day? The sea is 2-3 km beneath us, no way we can fly down there and back up with our load every day and that¡¯s without considering if we can even catch that much. But we should be able to stretch our supplies at least a couple of days longer. More than enough time to easily make your ritual work, Astra.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good idea,¡± my mom said, ¡°in theory. But aren¡¯t you overestimating yourselves? There is a good reason why nobody has successfully tried to sail the sea, even though we have been able to reach it for the last 200 years. The waves and large predators that lurk beneath make it neigh impossible to cross, never mind going for a quick fishing trip.¡± A frown crossed her face as she focused on Ahri intently, who shrugged noncommittally. ¡°I know, but I think we¡¯d be fine. The ability to fly negates most of the danger. I hope.¡± She added for my ears only but my mom¡¯s excellent hearing picked it up just fine. ¡°You hope? Ahri, I really like you, but have you lost your ruddy mind?¡± Before Ahri could reply I interjected: ¡°if push comes to shove I can teleport us out. I can¡¯t reach our ship from down there but I can easily evade a large predator or a collapsing wave. I¡¯m not saying nothing can go wrong, but the risk is manageable.¡± Ahri squeezed my hand and threw me a quick smile. Luckily my mom didn¡¯t take it personally but honestly thought about what I had said. ¡°Are you sure enough of your abilities?¡± She finally asked. ¡°Not really, but I can experiment a little before we head down for the first time, can I not? And besides, it might not even be necessary. After all, if Astra¡¯s ritual is a success, we¡¯ll know if the humans have enough provisions with them. If they don¡¯t, we¡¯ll simply follow them to wherever they intend to gather their supplies and even if they do, we can maybe get a more detailed map of the region and find a place for ourselves.¡± I turned to the elf. ¡°Can you modify the ritual to also have a peek at their maps?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to modify it. If it works as I hope, I¡¯ll have an invisible spy to control for an hour. I might even be able to cast minor spells through it. Entering the captain¡¯s cabin and going through the maps should be easy enough.¡± ¡°Then how about this,¡± Xorlosh proposed. ¡°Tomorrow you two,¡± he gestured towards the elves, ¡°try to make your ritual work while Cassandra and Ahri will try to find out if a little fishing trip is safe, meanwhile we try to stay as close to the kidnappers as possible. If the ritual works, we¡¯ll find ourselves a nice place to resupply and if it doesn¡¯t we¡¯ll immediately look for a place manually. Worst case scenario: we need a little more time and only then will we try a fishing expedition. It¡¯ll be some time anyways until we get to that point so if push comes to shove we¡¯ll be able to prepare accordingly. Are we all in agreement?¡± Everybody nodded and even my brother broke out of his drunk stupor long enough to convey his consent with an unctuous expression. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day, then. We¡¯ll have much to do tomorrow and I think we could all use a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Chairs scraped over the floor as we got up, my brother had to use a hand to steady himself against the wall. I bowed politely to everyone before I finally left the room, my mom, Mordred and Ahri in tow. We delivered him safely to his cabin where he immediately collapsed on his bed and started snoring. When he started to cuddle with his pillow I remembered that my own cabin was in splinters. Just as well, I didn¡¯t plan on sleeping alone anyways. Call me a coward but the perspective of facing my memories and consequentially nightmares alone didn¡¯t appeal to me overly much. When we were back in the corridor and had closed his cabin door quietly behind us I spoke up: ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend the night alone, can I stay with you?¡± I didn¡¯t address anyone in particular but from the series of rather funny expressions that crossed my mom¡¯s face I thought she knew that I hadn¡¯t been talking to her. I hadn¡¯t thought about it until now but she was probably picturing all forms of sinful nonsense. It wasn¡¯t a secret that Ahri and I were more than just friends, my mom had been the first to state it explicitly, after all. And now my body had matured over night, more or less. I couldn¡¯t suppress a grin as I imagined what must be going through her mind right now. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just need someone to hold me tight,¡± I tried to calm her. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment cross Ahri¡¯s face but it was gone too fast to be sure. I still felt rather good about myself. ¡°If you say so,¡± my mom said hesitantly. ¡°Sleep well, you two. Maybe we can sit down and chat tomorrow, all three of us, before you rush off to play around in the sky. From the looks of it, we are all family now, aren¡¯t we?¡± I smiled and hugged her. ¡°That we are, night mom.¡± Ahri and my mom were a little awkward when they said their good nights but they even managed a quick embrace before my mom vanished inside her cabin. Ahri¡¯s was just across the corridor and mine to its left. ¡°Give me a second, I think I lost something when I thrashed around in my bed.¡± Ahri shot me a curious glance but only shrugged and left me alone. I quickly entered my cabin and shuffled through the destruction. I was looking for Lucifer¡¯s ring. The rest of my possessions were already tugged away in my new trousers but I had probably lost the ring when I had woken up and relived the attack on Boseiju. It didn¡¯t take long until I saw the tell tale glimmer of polished metal and found what I was looking for. The ring was black like polished obsidian but was as heavy as mithril in my hand. I could see minute specks of light within its depth, dancing along patterns much to complicated for me to understand. The ring was formed like an Ouroboros, except that a dragon was eating its own tail, not a serpent. The dragon had 13 sets of wings along its body and in between them the words: ¡°post tenebras lux¡± had been carved along its spine. I didn¡¯t know the language but the letters were familiar. I knew them instinctively but I couldn¡¯t name their origin. With a sigh a pocketed the ring as well, another mystery that would have to wait. I tiptoed back through the debris and into the corridor. Ahri¡¯s door creaked quietly when I entered her cabin. She was sitting on her bed, clad in her undergarments, a flameless lantern illuminated the small space which looked exactly like mine before I had rearranged the furniture. I saw a small wardrobe, the door still open, a table with two chairs and a bed. In the flickering light I couldn¡¯t help but notice the alluring shape of the girl on it. My eyes roamed over her body, seemingly on their own accord and I realised that I really had matured. Suddenly nervous I hesitated before I crossed over to the wardrobe and quickly shrugged out of my clothes. Her laughter, a bit like wind chimes, filled the room when I awkwardly fumbled with the buttons and finally managed to remove my shirt. Red like a beet root I hurried over to her and hid under the blanket which made her laugh even more. I¡¯d have liked nothing more than to join in her mirth but I was seriously embarrassed and I didn¡¯t even know why. Well, I did, but try as I might, I couldn¡¯t get the image of her body in the flickering light of the lantern out of my head. I wondered how it would feel to trace her curves with my fingers, how soft her skin would feel to my touch and I remembered her taste from back when she had kissed me. I shivered a little even though I wasn¡¯t cold and Ahri¡¯s laughter cut off. The smell of pine trees filled my nose as her arms and tails circled around my body and drew me closer to her until my back rested comfortably against her. Her movement sparked a different train of thought as the memories from the last time she had held me came to the forth, how she had protected and supported me while I had been stuck in a waking nightmare, how her presence had calmed me and brought me back to reality. The shivering stopped and I slowly managed to relax into her embrace. A happy smile formed on my face as her warmth spread through my body and I felt my anxiety melt away. I really was in love! Not having to think about every step I took and simply trust in how I felt would make things so much easier. ¡°Now, that¡¯s better. How is my angelic princess?¡± She whispered into my ear. ¡°Happy,¡± I mumbled. It became more difficult to stay awake by the second. In her embrace I felt safe, protected¡­ loved and my body demanded rest. Since my birthday I had either had strange dreams or had fallen unconscious outright, except for last night. It had been far from enough and now I could hardly keep my eyes open anymore. ¡°That¡¯s good. Sleep, my love and don¡¯t fear your dreams. I¡¯ll be right by your side.¡± The last thing I felt before I was overcome were her soft lips against my neck. When I woke up the bluish rays of an early morning sun poked through the porthole. I could see a speck of the crimson colours of the sunrise still splattered over a dark sky but my attention quickly turned to the slow and steady breathing that tickled my cheek. With a content sigh I snuggled deeper into Ahri and tried to doze off again. I wasn¡¯t afraid of what I might see anymore, last night had done wonders for my courage. I could only remember fragments of my dreams but I knew they had been peaceful, mostly. I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth when I thought of the few instances when they had turned violent and had been on the verge of returning to the gruesome scenes from back home. Ahri¡¯s body had tightened around me and even though I hadn¡¯t woken, my dreams had changed and I had slept on undisturbed. As I shuffled through my memories, I realised that only one episode remained fathomable. I remembered a scene with my father, we had been walking through the garden, an unblemished Boseiju behind us. I couldn¡¯t recall what we had talked about precisely but I saw his face from when he had bade me goodbye before me, clear as day. He had smiled and he looked calm, serene. I knew it had been only a dream but I felt like I had found closure, like my father really had said his farewells and had wished me good luck. Some time during my introspection I had dozed off and I didn¡¯t wake again until I felt movement behind me and several light tugs on my tails.Ahri was quietly extracting herself from the mess of tails and blankets the bed had become and hurriedly put on her clothes. I didn¡¯t know what she was up to but it was tempting to simply pretend like I was still asleep and enjoy the stunning few through half closed eyelids. Unfortunately she was done much too quickly and silently left the cabin. I decided to relish in her receding warmth for as long as possible before I¡¯d get up. There was so much to do, I had to tryout my new power, hopefully without any accidents this time around, I wanted to check if I could use my core to maybe revitalise Mephisto, Ahri and I had promised my mom to sit down for a chat and we would also have to try out her plan to hunt fish down in the sea. I had to make sure my teleportation worked just fine before we flew down there. And there was also the matter of the token Mordred had given me. I didn¡¯t want to take anything else from the dwarfs, even something that had already been paid for, but if I had the chance to somehow get a dwarven made armour I¡¯d be an idiot to waste it. If Mephisto had been right, I¡¯d now be able to channel energy into my muscles which should allow me to carry heavy armour without an issue. I would have to talk to Xorlosh if it were somehow possible to cobble something together while we were in the air. My musings were interrupted when the door opened again and Ahri brought a tray laden with bread, butter, honey, eggs and tea into the room. The delicious smell made my mouth water and I couldn¡¯t stop my tails from waging. ¡°Ah, someone¡¯s awake. Good morning, Cassy. How did you sleep?¡± Her silky voice sent pleasant shivers down my spine. ¡°Good morning, love. Thanks to you I feel like a new person. It¡¯s astounding what a night in the arms of someone you cherish can do for you.¡± Her radiant smile outshone the stars and I truly felt happy for the moment. 46. Of mistakes, preliminary magic and a little bit of symbolism Cassandra Pendragon For the next half hour we managed to retreat into our own little world without any worries of what might be and had breakfast in bed. We talked about insignificant things like the armour Aspera had worn and if its style might be suitable for either of us and we laughed a lot when we imagined Xorlosh wearing it instead. Not until we had finished with the meal and were comfortably sipping on mildly spiced tea did we get around to talk about more serious topics. While I was smiling contently and snuggled deeper into the cushions, Ahri suddenly touched my arm gently and spoke in a much heavier tone than before: ¡°Now that we have a quiet moment, I¡¯d like to tell you my story and what I know about the Arete family and my past. Would you like to hear it?¡± I sat up straight. ¡°Of course. But why do you sound like you¡¯re on edge?¡± She gave me a coy smile. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough. Well, here it goes¡­¡± she spoke passionately, at first, about the small colony of kitsune far to the north and the little valley they called home. She told me about her fateful first hunt and what her grandmother had said about their origins afterwards. Most of it I already knew but I still listened closely, eager to get to know a side of her she had always kept hidden. Her voice became strained when she told me how she had left her home in search for me, without looking back and I had to keep my temper in check when she described how she had developed her fourth tail. It didn¡¯t get any better from there. Ahri Arete About 7 years ago It had been two weeks since I had left my home and headed south. The other passenger on the air ship were friendly enough but I mostly stayed to myself, occupied with thoughts of what I had left behind, where I was heading to and whom I had accepted as my charge without ever meeting her in person. I felt homesick more often than not but every time I was on the verge of disembarking and looking for a passage back home, a cute face with fluffy ears appeared before my eyes and I couldn¡¯t get myself to abandon her. My cabin was close to the bow, the chutes from the furnaces ran below and made it cozily warm but also filled it with the low rumbling of moving air. The sound and low vibrations lulled me to sleep most nights and despite my anxieties I usually didn¡¯t wake up until the sun poked in through the porthole. This night was different. When I rose from my slumber I wasn¡¯t sure what had woken me at first. Nothing seemed off and the cold light of a new moon shone through the window. Tired and disorientated I rolled around with the intention of going back to sleep. The ship was sailing through the night steadily and no alarm had been sounded. There was nothing to worry about. When my eyes closed and my consciousness drifted away I heard it again. A strangled cry followed by a quiet thud and the even quieter scraping of something heavy being dragged along the deck. I was alert in an instant and quickly headed for my clothes and dagger. Should I scream and try to wake everyone? Probably for the best, if it was a false alarm, I¡¯d apologise later. While I was shrugging into my pants I already wailed like a banshee: ¡°intruders, wake up, enemies on board!¡± After I was dressed I snatched my dagger and quietly left my cabin. The corridor outside ran along the whole length of the ship with a set of stairs on both ends that allowed access to the deck and the two floors below the passenger area. Muffled sound could already be heard form most of the cabins as the occupants groggily got up. Fuzzy ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±s and ¡°Who¡¯s attacking?¡±s could be heard but no door opened yet. Form the deck, on the other hand, I could now clearly hear the clatter of soft-soled feet and quietly issued commands my kitsune hearing allowed me to understand: ¡°seal the entrances. Use the gas. We¡¯ll wait until they are down and take the valuables and everyone worth the trouble. Throw the dead overboard.¡± I suppressed a curse and quickly headed back to my room and towards the porthole. With the back of my dagger I smashed in the reinforced glass, which tumbled down towards the raging sea like a shower of stars. Small and flexible like I was I easily pulled my body through the hole and sunk my claws into the hull. Not all kitsune were born with retractable claws, only a scarce few still retained the trait, but it was bloody useful. Together with my tails I was as agile as a monkey and scaled the ship¡¯s side effortlessly. From my new vantage point I could see a second air ship above ours with deep red sails and a black flag depicting a skull and crossed bones. Pirates! I knew they were a problem in the south, or at least I had gathered as much from the conversations of the other passengers, but I had never imagined I¡¯d meet them myself. Long ropes were dangling from their ship and they had already gained control of our deck, I counted 9 shadowy figures that moved through the darkness. Of the guards on watch I saw nothing but bloody smears on the planks. A tiny part of my brain wondered why I wasn¡¯t terrified but most of my concentration was used to calculate how I might possibly get them off of our ship. We were on board a two-masted vessel, the deck filled with cables, crates, bags and spare parts for the rigging. Close to the bow and heck two small structures sported arbalests on top and the huge doors that lead down below. The doors had been barred with planks and crates that had been pushed in front and two pirates stood guard close by. The remaining five used light signals to communicate with their vessel and guide a large crate down from above onto our deck. That was probably the machine they¡¯d use to deploy the gas. Reverberating knocks and muffled shouts started to come from behind the barricaded doors and the pirates started to shuffle their feet nervously while the carte was getting ever closer. Whatever I was going to do, I¡¯d have to do it now. I had two objectives, the most important one was to open one of the doors, preferably the one in the bow as the knocks coming from there were much stronger and even made the improvised blockade tremble. Secondly, if possible, I¡¯d have to stop the crate, preferably in a way that would distract the pirates long enough for whoever was hammering in the door to get through. As I surveyed the scene, clinging to the hull just below the railing, a small smile formed on my face. One of the pirates was already inspecting the crates and bags, in spite of the ruckus and had involuntarily moved away from his comrades. A large bow and a full quiver hung from his back. I had an insane idea. If I managed to kill him silently I¡¯d have a chance to at least get one or two shots off before the rest would notice me. If I could shoot one of the ropes the crate was anchored with and then the other I¡¯d be able to roughly control in which direction it would fall. If it crashed into the fortification in front of the door, I¡¯d be rather confident that the flimsy barricade would crumble. All I had to do was get the weapon and hit two hard shots. It still seemed more appealing than any form of open conflict against 9 grown men. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As stealthy as I could I crept along the outer railing towards the point closest to the straggler. I waited until a stiff breeze made the crate above tumble in the wind and an especially loud bang on the door made the pirates flinch. Quick as a thought and just as silent a dashed over the side and rushed towards my target. He wouldn¡¯t have the time to react and I had already positioned my dagger to enter his left side and pierce the lung and heart when I¡¯d crash into him. I didn¡¯t get that far. I didn¡¯t know if he had heard something or if it was just bad luck but when I was about three meters away from him her turned around. His face froze for an instant before a lecherous grin spread across his features and a deft movement brought a hidden blade from his sleeve to his hand. I was much too close to dodge and with his longer reach he easily brushed away my dagger and imbedded his weapon in my stomach. Pain rushed through my body as the icy thorn scraped against my lower rips and blood gushed form the wound. I gasped and stumbled into his waiting arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t waste your last hours before sepsis gets ya, my sweet,¡± he hissed into my ear. As his words got through to me and I imagined what the next hours would bring, I crumbled. For a moment I was a 12 year old again and I was scared, scared to death. But when his calloused hand grabbed the back of my neck and he called over to his friends something within me changed. A dam broke and power flooded through my veins. My fear turned to anger and then hatred and I thought I heard a silky voice whisper: ¡°so soon¡­¡±. I felt a crushing force behind the flow of energy, ready to tear me apart but it was kept at bay by an invisible barrier and instead it ignited my magic. It didn¡¯t matter much to me. My wound closed and I felt a prickly feeling on my lower back but all I cared for was the strength that flowed through my limps and the power at the tips of my fingers. With a shrug I broke the grip of my assailant, grabbed him around the hip and threw him over board. With a blood curdling scream he soared the 5 meters through the air before he vanished below the railing and his cries became more distant by the second. The other ruffians didn¡¯t hesitated and charged me, which turned out to be the last mistake they¡¯d ever make. Information on different fighting styles and offensive spells flooded my mind. I slaughtered them all. I was faster, stronger, magic streamed from my lips and my movements were perfect. 15 bloody seconds later I was alone on the deck, bathed in gore. With a snap the crate came rushing down, the straps cut and I could smell the smoke as the furnaces of the pirate vessel warmed up and they quickly gained hight, leaving their dead behind. For a moment I thought about going for one of the ropes still dangling below it, a wind disc would get me there quickly. I might manage to reach the ship and put an end to the whole crew for good, but it was risky and I couldn¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d bother us, or anyone else for that matter, any time soon. The surge of energy was already dissipating so I hurried to move some crates and open the door. A bunch of other passengers tumbled through, weapons drawn. When they saw the massacre on deck and the blood spatters on my clothes they bombarded me with questions. I couldn¡¯t answer much, I wasn¡¯t sure what had happened myself, but a rather well performed lie about a malfunctioning artefact and dumb luck got them off my case for now. I didn¡¯t think they believed me completely, but I also didn¡¯t really care. After they had grilled me, everybody busied themselves with the corpses, checking if anyone was still breathing, which no one was, the pirate ship had long since disappeared behind a cloud. I approached the body of the one I thought had been the leader and quickly went through his possessions. I also took a moment to closely scrutinise his face and the myriad of tattoos that covered his body. And there, on the back of his head, hidden under his greasy hair and within his pirate tattoos was a small mark. Inconspicuous and lifeless, now that the supporting heart wasn¡¯t beating anymore. I didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it but I also didn¡¯t know yet how much pain the small glyph, formed like a red crown, would cause me seven years later. About seven years later With a sigh I looked back up from the pillow I had been playing with. Cassy¡¯s eyes were glowing stronger than I had seen since she woke up, she emitted a faint pressure and I could smell ozone as if her wings were on the verge of materialising. But her gaze was soft and understanding, she had curled her tails around me sometime during my story and her voice was compassionate when she said: ¡°you couldn¡¯t have know. Ahri, do you hear me? You couldn¡¯t have possibly known,¡± I couldn¡¯t meet her eyes anymore and dropped my gaze back down onto the pillow. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s also not the part I¡¯m nervous to tell you about. Like I said, I dreamed when I fell unconscious after the battle for Boseiju¡­¡± I didn¡¯t need to breath but I still felt like I was suffocating. Glass cracked under my heavy boots when I shuffled uncomfortably and allowed my gaze to leave the crater I was standing in. Thick swaths of smoke and charged clouds of plasma obscured my view and hid me from the stars above. Good, I didn¡¯t want to be seen like this, a herald of destruction in the middle of her despicable harvest. Was I doing the right thing? Can you be on the right path if you don¡¯t want witnesses to your actions? With at thought my wings of fire pierced the heavy air and carried me into the sky, leaving behind nothing but the burned desolation of a thriving civilisation. When I had passed above the crater¡¯s walls I slowed down and took in the devastation all around. Until the curve of the horizon obscured my view, all I could see was ash. Ash and black lumps of glass that grew from the earth like the accusing fingers of the dead. Nothing had survived my blast, no building, no skeleton, no artefact. Heavenly judgement was swift and without compromise and distinction, it was absolute. I felt a tear trickle down my face and brushed it away energetically. It had had to be done. I had promised. But then, why did I feel like a traitor? It wasn¡¯t the first time I had taken lives on this scale, so that couldn¡¯t be it. Was it because I had done it for something they were going to do and not a deed already committed? Or was it because I knew what Lucifer would do to me if he ever found out? Damned by all the demons, I couldn¡¯t go on like this. Another surge of red fire crashed against the mutilated husk of a planet as I channeled enough energy into my wings to carry me to another place in a different universe. The Star of Glass was an anomaly. It was the only place in the multiverse that was created solely from transcendent energies and it looked the part. Orbiting the largest black hole I had ever seen was a perfect globe of dark obsidian. It was maybe 100 kms in radius and nearly indiscernible in the few rays of light that managed to escape the black hole¡¯s pull in the shadow of the fortress. There were only a handful of beings in existence who knew about this place and only three of them could reach it. It was Amazeroth¡¯s stronghold, the castle of the mirror king and the largest library in all the multiverse and a place I had hoped I¡¯d never have to visit again. With a though I turned into a red ray of fire and sped towards the fortress, the gravitational forces no more than a mild irritant. I passed through the outer walls easily, their transcendent enchantments proved as much of an obstacle to me as a wooden palisade would to a battle tank and materialised in the antechamber of the great library. Going further without an invitation would be as rude as kicking in the door. I was in an opulently decorated room, golden chandeliers with crystallised flames illuminated the chamber, emphasising the mosaics of gems along the walls with their colourful light. The ceiling was high above and showed an abstract depiction I was sure I had seen before but couldn¡¯t place. It showed a demon in front of a huge tree with different sentient races all along the branches. I thought I even saw some intricately carved animal faces within the canopy but it was too far away to make out every detail. 47. Of past mistakes, future chances and a little bit of the underlying problem Ahri Arete The room had only one door that lead into the great library. It was a thing of massive gold, etched with runes and spells but most of them were just for show. If someone got that far, a few enchantments wouldn¡¯t pose a problem. I quickly strode over and knocked, twice, on the door. A resounding boom made my ears ache and sparks of greenish energy traveled along the glyphs. I could hear retracting bolts and sliding chains and with a shudder the golden portal opened slowly. I squeezed through and found myself in a cold crystal cavern, the floor, walls and ceiling made of the same dark obsidian as the outside of the fortress. A variety of gems sprouted all over the cave, like bamboo shoots rising from the earth. They grew fast enough that I saw faint movement form the corner of my eye. They shimmered slightly and filled the cavern with dancing shadows and fleeing lights. The centre of the cave was occupied by a deep pond filled with a milky liquid that glowed ever so slightly in the semi dark. A black throne rose from the depth and on it sat the reason for my visit, the demon Amazeroth. He was a shapeshifter and appeared as an elderly human male with only a little hair left, spectacles on a crooked nose and flowing brown robes, the perfect image of the benevolent and rather distracted mentor, his favourite form. I would always wonder if it was a sick joke or if he really saw himself in that role. But what ever he appeared like I knew how highly he valued manors and etiquette so I bowed low from the hip and offered a formal greeting: ¡°my lord Amazeroth, it¡¯s an honour to once again be a guest in your sanctuary.¡± ¡°Lady Aurora, it¡¯s a pleasure to welcome you. Please, have a seat.¡± Quietly a stone chair, or rather a second throne, rose from the ground, close to the edge of the pond. It was made from the same black obsidian and even had two slits for my wings. I sat down elegantly and folded my hands into my lap. I was fidgety and didn¡¯t know where to start. It had been more of a whim mixed with intuition that had lead me here, I knew I wanted answers but I didn¡¯t even know the right questions to ask. Luckily I didn¡¯t have to untangle the jumbled strands of my thoughts. As soon as I sat down, Amazeroth took the initiative. ¡°I know why you are here, Lady of the Fires, but you seem lost, confused. Tell me, has your world turned grey?¡± The reference sent a shudder down my spine, it had been spot on. I remembered when he had first spoken these words and the promise I had made that night. Michael, Ezekiel, Ma¡¯kal, Hora and I had hunted a swarm of Ceti, immense parasites that leeched stars dry and left behind nothing but cooling slack. The ones in question had been nearing the populated parts of this galaxy and we had all been connected to one civilisation or the other in their path, so we had decided to drive them back. When we had arrived, the Ceti had already sucked the life out of the first inhabited system but to our surprise they hadn¡¯t moved on. They had been clustered around one planet, their translucent bodies covering most of its surface and while we had been watching, they had started to grow, perceivably. We hadn¡¯t hesitated. The Ceti had vanished in a storm of ravaging energies, their bodies reduced to dust and glass in a matter of seconds. A few hours later we had still been searching the planet for whatever had drawn them there, without much success. It had been the demons who had shown us the way. By pure chance had I felt the quiet arrival of three demons, close to the planet¡¯s core, far below the deep trenches the Ceti had dug into the surface. Ezekiel had transported us there in a heartbeat. We had entered a perfectly round cavern, filled with light and a faint humming sound. Instead of crushing gravitational forces and scorching heat, I had experienced weightlessness and the mild tingling of transcendent energy. I had been sure the walls had consisted solely of diamonds, patterns of energy swirling in their depths, sometimes rising to the surface, sometimes dispersing before my eyes. I hadn¡¯t been able to understand the intricately designed formations but they had appeared much more complex than anything I had seen before. The chamber had maybe been 15 meters across and on the opposite side, three demons had materialised, Amazeroth, Lilith and Delilah. Red energy had dripped from their horns as their eyes had darted from us to the shimmering object in the middle of the room, only Amazeroth had remained composed. His plain and human appearance had heavily contrasted the dark and curvy figures of his sisters. A box, consisting of blue fire that had reminded me of Lucifer¡¯s wings, had occupied the centre of the cavern and had commanded most of Amazeroth¡¯s attention. It had been a meter in every dimension and rather plain on the first glance. On the second glance I had been able to discern an ever changing line of foreign glyphs that had run along its sides and it had emitted the constant pressure of transcendent energy I had been feeling. ¡°So it¡¯s true¡­¡± Amazeroth had murmured. Before any of us had had the chance to speak, he had continued in a loud and clear voice: ¡°Spare me your already prepared threats and questions and listen, all of you. What we see before us is an abomination, a fragment of a corrupted dimension, formed to equalise dangerous meddling with the nature of reality. Let me explain, you know that our cores channel the backlash into us whenever we use transcendent energy, or any form of magic for that matter. It¡¯s not the same for mortals. For every action there has to be an equally strong reaction, but since they are too weak to withstand the pressure, it instead disperses. Now, for most magics this doesn¡¯t matter, the backlash isn¡¯t severe enough to cause any problems. If mortals manage to use transcendent energies on the other hand¡­¡± he had gestured towards the cube at that point. ¡°A part of reality is corrupted and expelled to prevent it from spreading. You know that transcendent energy simply changes reality, overwrites its code if you so will. That¡¯s the opposing force in crystallised form. Touch it at your own peril.¡± Silence had fallen over the chamber. Michael had been the first to break it: ¡°what does it do?¡± ¡°If you take it out of this cavern it¡¯ll start to spread, rewrite reality in its own twisted fashion. You could compare it to a virus.¡± ¡°Why have we never heard of this?¡± I had interjected. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Because it has never happened before,¡± Amazeroth had answered. ¡°The Eldari, the civilisation who lived here before the Ceti came were the first to ever find a means to generate transcendent energies. One of their artefacts, the mana heart, made the breakthrough possible, by allowing them to fuse their sorcerer¡¯s caste into one being which had enough power and knowledge to meddle with the building blocks of reality. Well, the Ceti put an end to their new found strength rather quickly, the corrupted dimension must have smelled like ambrosia to them, the lingering energies a heavenly buffet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Michael had made himself heard again, rather surprised. ¡°In that case I¡¯m wondering if you¡¯re willing to make a deal. It seems obvious that we can¡¯t allow it to spread and we shouldn¡¯t allow another one of these¡­ viruses to form. Would you be willing to help me prevent a repetition and to keep this one safe?¡± ¡°Reality is in flux, Michael. Trying to prevent an outcome might just as easily lead to it and fighting an inevitability is a slippery slope into a dull repetition of broken promises and shattered ideals, trying to hold together a world that has long since been gone. Not everything is black or white, the direction we chose when we roam about the murky marshes of grey is what makes us who we are. But I get carried away, you¡¯ll have to live through it for yourself. We will help¡±, he had continued without even asking his sisters. ¡°But under one condition. It has to stay a secret and I want a binding oath on that. I don¡¯t want anyone else to meddle.¡± ¡°Yes, my world has turned into shades of grey and I don¡¯t know what¡¯s right anymore. Are we protecting reality? Ever since we acted for the first time before one of the corrupted dimension formed I had this gnawing feeling that we are following a different design, crippling civilisations before they even had a chance to learn from their mistakes. Right now I¡¯m returning from a thriving world I reduced to nothingness only because their rune craft started to show a level of understanding that might allow them to control transcendent glyphs. Did you expect that to happen?¡± Amazeroth sat silently on his throne for quite a while. Fuzzy images swirled through the milky substance at his feet. ¡°Yes and no but you entirely misjudged my intentions back then and you still do now. Here is what I¡¯m willing to do. I¡¯ll answer your questions to the best of my ability but I¡¯ll seal the memory until it¡¯s the right time for you to know. I¡¯ll also hide your suspicions and your impulse to visit me. It¡¯s too soon. If you can live with that, I¡¯ll tell you why you¡¯re feeling like you¡¯re the villain.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have a nice conversation without any substance and I¡¯ll bid you farewell soon after.¡± Basically he was offering the knowledge at a point in time he deemed appropriate in exchange for¡­ my drive to look for something? I didn¡¯t even know what was bugging me I only had the impression that I was missing a crucial part of the picture, call it intuition. All I could say for certain at that point in time was that Amazeroth had a hidden agenda, reaching back at least until we had first discussed the consequences of mortals using transcendent energies. It basically came down to wether I trusted his goals or not and I definitely didn¡¯t. ¡°Thank you for your gracious offer, lord Amazeroth, but I have to decline.¡± ¡°Too bad¡±, he said, almost wistfully. Oh oh. Before the thought had fully formed, the milky liquid in the pond rose up and drenched me to the bone, much too fast for me to react. ¡°Hello Lady Arete, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, although very indirectly.¡± A soothing voice was whispering in my ear but I couldn¡¯t control my body. Somehow I knew that he wasn¡¯t talking to me, but someone else while I laid on the ground, my consciousness barely there. His energy held me in stasis and I could feel his words disappearing behind the wall he formed in my mind as soon as he spoke them. ¡°If I don¡¯t mess up royally, you¡¯ll see this memory in the far future, in a time when your name will no longer be Aurora and the chains of your oaths don¡¯t bind you anymore. If I have done my job well enough, you¡¯ll be with Lucifer and you¡¯ll both be struggling to figure out your past right now. I¡¯d like to give you a couple of pointers. First, I¡¯m not your enemy and neither am I Lucifer¡¯s. I¡¯m expecting we¡¯ll have met under antagonistic circumstances on the new planet but rest assured, I will only be following orders from a pact I¡¯ll need to break free of much more problematic obligations. It might be advisable for you to find whoever is holding my leash and put an end to them. Secondly, you were used in your past. Aurora¡¯s instinct served her well, she is indeed a weapon, wielded by a villain. Everything you just remembered, from the corrupted dimension to Aurora¡¯s last act of destruction, were the first pieces of the puzzle and it paints an ugly picture. I suspect Michael and some of the other angels and demons as well for that matter have become corrupted, or infected by the virus. I don¡¯t yet know how it was possible or who they are but I hope I¡¯ll know more once we meet in person. Which leads me to my next advice: trust no immortal besides Lucifer, not even me when we¡¯re going to meet. The main purpose of this little talk through time is to give you access to a rune that should allow you to tell who has been infected. I¡¯m going to brand it on your core as the rest of you should change, but you don¡¯t want to be around for that. I hope we can continue this conversation some time in the future, face to face.¡± His energies pushed harder on my mind and the last remnants of my consciousness fluttered away. Cassandra Pendragon Holy shit, so many questions ran through my mind while Ahri had been talking. Why would Amazeroth insist on a oath of secrecy? Why did my wings look like a corrupted dimension? Where had Amazeroth gotten his information from? Did he imply that he had bound himself to the emperor voluntarily? What obligations could possible make him take such drastic action? Had he known about Mephisto?¡­ the list went on. But when Ahri finished, her lips trembling and tears in her eyes, they all didn¡¯t matter anymore. There was only one thing I could say. With a fleeting kiss to her cheek I whispered: ¡°Thanks for telling me, but it wasn¡¯t necessary to worry, I don¡¯t care.¡± She stared at me, completely confused and I had to hide a smile. ¡°Did you understand what I just told you? I¡¯m one of the angels you have been fighting against, no, you died fighting against. I know your dreams as well Cassandra, you talk in your sleep, you already know about the crusade you started in your last life! And you don¡¯t care?¡± She was crying in earnest now and I gently took her into my arms and curled my tails more tightly around her middle. ¡°Now, of course I care but not in the way you think. To be honest I¡¯m feeling much better about my own dreams now that you have told me that story. I don¡¯t know what happened, exactly, but here is what I think: Michael and who knows who else were corrupted somewhere along the way, they were corrupted, they didn¡¯t chose that path voluntarily and ever since you have been used to further their agenda, unknowingly I might add. You tried to get out but unfortunately you stumbled form one scheme into the next. None of it is your fault and surely won¡¯t change what I think about you or how I feel.¡± To prove my words I kissed her again, firmly this time. After a moment I whispered against her lips: ¡°if you think about it, we are actually much better off. The one person who had me trembling turned out to be a friend in disguise, did he not?¡± When we separated she replied breathlessly: ¡°if we are lucky and if it isn¡¯t another one of his schemes. Cassy, you do know I love you, right?¡± ¡°For all eternity¡±, I answered quietly. 48. Of summaries, fate and a little bit of choice Cassandra Pendragon We stayed in bed a little longer, simply enjoying each other¡¯s company but we couldn¡¯t shut out the world forever, no matter how much I wished for it. Just when I had finished telling Ahri about my conversation with Lucifer my mom knocked on our door: ¡°Good morning, are you two awake? Can I come in?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I replied while I simultaneously snuggle deeper into the blankets, I hadn¡¯t gotten around to putting my clothes back on, yet. My mom rushed into the room like a whirlwind, most of her energy and spirit obviously restored. She closed the door behind her and scrutinised the bed, Ahri fully dressed on her side and me hugging the blankets closely, our tails tightly entwined. I was already preparing for one of the more embarrassing moments of my life, but my mom didn¡¯t say a word. With a slight smirk she waltzed over to the table and dragged a chair around to the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t get up, just stay comfy. Is the tea still warm, by any chance?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No matter,¡± and with a flick of her finger my mom used her magic to heat the tea pot until steam rushed from beneath the lid and the smell of oranges and herbs filled the room again. With a glance to make sure I wouldn¡¯t mind she grabbed my cup and filled it to the brim. Inhaling deeply she leaned back in her chair, her eyes half closed while she took the first sip. ¡°Ah, excellent. Now, how are you two doing? Did you sleep well?¡± While I was still trying to discern if she was baiting us Ahri leisurely replied: ¡°Much better, we did sleep through the night and with warm tea in the morning everything is much more bearable. How was your night?¡± ¡°I¡¯d lie if I said good, but I¡¯m managing. There is no point in dwelling on the past.¡± She looked at me and continued: ¡°Your father wouldn¡¯t want me to wallow in self pity as long as there is work to do, especially if my daughter already proved that life goes in. Allow me to say, I¡¯m really happy for you two and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d feel that way again for a long time. I can¡¯t help but be curious though, how long have you known each other?¡± Ahri and I stared at each other for a moment before she silently gestured for me to do the talking. Fair enough, it was my mother after all. ¡°Well, I honestly don¡¯t really know, but since the beginning of time would be a good bet.¡± My mom¡¯s face showed a series of emotions from glee and pride to fear and surprise. I could see that she wanted to ask a question but I forestalled her. ¡°I know that¡¯s not really helpful so I think I should probably start at the beginning or at least as far back as I can. I can¡¯t say how much you already know or guessed but here is what we remember of our story¡­¡± I talked for nearly an hour. I first spoke about angels and demons, their cores and how they functioned. Then I repeated what Ahri had told me about the dangers of any other races playing around with transcendent energies and described her first encounter with a piece of corrupted reality and the pact the angels and demons had made back then and that I hadn¡¯t been a part of it. I told her that Ahri and me, or Aurora and Lucifer back then, had fallen in love some time later but neither of us knew how or why, we only knew that one day Lucifer had used his magic to make sure we¡¯d be together again in subsequent reincarnations. ¡°Now, from here on out, a lot of what I¡¯m going to say is pure speculation but I think I¡¯m not far off the mark¡­¡± I explained that Michael and some of the others probably got infected somewhere along the way and had been corrupted. I didn¡¯t know what that actually meant but I thought it was close to a perversion of everything the infected immortals stood for. Michael¡¯s desire to protect had become a drive to control and dominate for the greater good. And then I recounted how I had stumbled into the whole mess. How Michael had seen me as a threat to his plans of ruling behind the scenes, how he had manipulated me through the death of Airu and how I had confronted him, alone. I spoke about my escape, that I had been resolved to get to the bottom of his scheme and that I had tried to convince Aurora to come with me, which hadn¡¯t worked out. I quickly narrated that from Lucifer¡¯s point of view back then, the whole affair was centred around the suppression of mortal ascension, he hadn¡¯t known about the corruptive effects. I told my mum that I didn¡¯t really know what had happened, but that Lucifer had died somewhere along the line, most likely killed by his siblings. ¡°After everything I¡¯ve just said, you might be wandering why Ahri is even here. It¡¯ll probably be for the best if she tells her yourself¡­¡± Ahri picked up the threat and talked about her first contact with Aurora and that her rebirth as an angel was vastly different from how it was supposed to actually work. She spoke about Aurora¡¯s regret and that she had intended to make amends, Ahri didn¡¯t know what had prompted her change of heart but she knew that Aurora had wanted to do everything in her power to protect Lucifer this time around. She had even been prepared to start anew to make sure she would be able to follow through, despite of anything she had promised in her previous life. She explained how Aurora had meddled with the incarnation, probably using Ahri¡¯s blood as a descendent of the Arete family to tweak her evolution, how she had set off for Boseiju and why she had used her powers for the first time. ¡°¡­ and then I arrived at your palace. At first I only wanted to protect Cassy, keep her safe, but the longer I was around her and the more of my previous life came back to me the more I realised that I actually was in love with her, again. During the fight a few nights ago, when Aurora used up the energy she had stored in me to ensure I could use my magic, I was even told as much. You already knew parts of my story before, Helena, but now you know why it all happened.¡± My mom was silent for a minute when she had finished, her tea long since forgotten. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start¡­ that tale¡­ unbelievable. But for me, at least, a couple of things don¡¯t add up. Would you mind if I asked some questions?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead¡±, I said. I had honestly expected some interruptions along the way but she had listened attentively the whole time. ¡°Do you know why it all ties together so neatly? I mean, Aurora had a change of heart precisely when Lucifer died and managed to just stumble across the means to be born into the same world?¡± Haltingly I replied: ¡°Umm¡­ I don¡¯t really know but I have a theory. There are two more immortals on this planet. Of Mephisto¡¯s role in this game I haven¡¯t got the foggiest idea but the other one, Amazeroth, as much as admitted that large parts of what transpired followed his design. You see¡­¡± I recounted what Ahri had told me this morning and what I had made of it. I suspected that Amazeroth had found out that some immortals had been corrupted but that he hadn¡¯t had a way to change it or dispose of them, maybe they had been too powerful or maybe Michael had already had too much influence with the uninvolved ones, I simply didn¡¯t know. So he had started to meddle, to create a scenario where there would be a chance. I didn¡¯t know for sure but I thought the pact, Aurora, Amazeroth, Michael and the others had had to forge had prevented them from taking any direct action against one another. We couldn¡¯t be sure until we would have a chance to talk to him but I thought he instigated parts of our rebirth and what had happened after to give us a chance to meet, far away from any other immortals and lingering obligations. Tears pooled in my mom¡¯s eyes and she whispered: The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°So everything we had to suffer through, every burned tree, every slain kitsune, was just an unfortunate side effect?¡± Heavens, she was right! Every drop of blood, every tear had been the result of Amazeroth¡¯s meddling and the chains that tied him to the emperor. I¡¯d free him alright, so I could put him six feet under myself. I shoved away the blankets and gently drew my mom into my arms. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She froze for a moment and panic welled up inside of me. Did she blame us? Before I could run down that rabbit hole, she sniffed into my ear and hugged me back. ¡°I know, and just for the record, this isn¡¯t on you.¡± She turned her head to look into Ahri¡¯s eyes. ¡°Neither of you. But I think I need some time alone. Get my head straight, maybe punch a few holes into a wall.¡± I didn¡¯t try to stop her as she extracted herself from me and slowly got up, her eyes still wet. She leaned forward and kissed the top of my head and after a moment of hesitation did the same with Ahri. ¡°Just for the record: you¡¯re amazing and I love you,¡± I murmured as she left the room. ¡°I think she still likes you, or rather both of us,¡± I said. Ahri smiled but it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°She does, but I¡¯m not sure if she should.¡± I blinked in surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Cassandra, we are angels and you carry a demon in you pocket. It¡¯s dangerous to be close to us, you saw it for yourself. Do you really think it¡¯s going to get better from here on?¡± I was silent for a moment but I had my answer ready, it wasn¡¯t the first time I had thought about it. ¡°Yes, yes I do. I don¡¯t believe in fate or determinism, I believe that what we do matters, every single day, we have a choice. Life is dangerous, nobody survives, probably not even us in the long run. All we can decide is what we want to do with the time we have until then and choosing to push the people we care about away to make them safe isn¡¯t one of the things I want to do. I¡¯ll fight for them and protect them but I won¡¯t ever take the choice from them to be part of my life. How would you feel if I ran away just because you can¡¯t control your magic anymore and I can channel transcendent energy now? Following your own logic I should stay as far way from you as I possibly can until you caught up.¡± Her brow had furrowed while I talked but in the end she smiled for real and kissed me. ¡°You just made it perfectly clear that I don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± It was already close to midday when we finally left Ahri¡¯s cabin hand in hand, I was even fully dressed and my pockets bulged immensely, I needed access to my dimensional stamp or an ordinary bag as soon as possible. I had a black ring on my finger, the first jewellery I had ever worn that didn¡¯t feel clunky and a tarnished silver emblem, an acorn, a dwarvish token and a focus made with my blood were stuffed down my pants. Aurora¡¯s letter and the toy I had saved from my room had been left on the table. Today was going to be busy. We wanted to check on the elves and their progress with their ritual, practise flying, hunting and teleporting together, talk to Xorlosh about weapons, armour and the possibility that we were flying into a trap and last but not least try to revive Mephisto. The scene on the corridor hadn¡¯t changed much but the smells and sounds were entirely different from the night before. Instead of rumbling snores I heard hurried steps of heavy boots all across the deck, muffled curses and exclamations in the dwarven language flowed up from the lower decks and the rigging and masts were creaking noticeably under the pressure of fully extended sails. From the smithy down below I heard the constant thumping of a hammer hitting metal. The smells of cooked food, I didn¡¯t know where they were coming from, I hadn¡¯t been to the kitchen yet, covered the earthy fragrance of an airship and the furnaces, opened to the maximum, added a smoky flavour to the mix. Occasionally a dwarf or two would come stomping down from the deck and vanish into the bowels of the ship or ascend the stairs. They all greeted us respectfully with a nod and a deep rumbling in the back of their throats which I interpreted as ¡°good day¡±, some even bowed. We smiled and moved out of the way if someone was carrying materials along the narrow passage. Leisurely we made our way to the stairs and up onto the deck. A stiff breeze and glaring sunlight greeted us as soon as we opened one side of the door. We were much higher in the sky than last night and now that I focused on it I felt my lungs working quite arduously to provide me with enough oxygen. Dwarfs were all over the place, scampering along the rigging, climbing up the masts, reorganising the supplies and tinkering with the sails. A flying ship didn¡¯t have a steering wheel, air didn¡¯t provide enough resistance to change directions that way. Instead the sails on the side were used to alter height and trajectory but this meant that the crew had to constantly adjust for a change in air pressure or the direction of the currents. At least 15 dwarfs were constantly fiddling with the ropes and movable parts. Near the stern a couple of crates had been used to form a small wall, encircling an empty space where Aspera and Astra were currently working. The planks around them were covered in glyphs, some still glowing with magic, others dull and some even crossed out or wiped away. A wide array of different plants and crystals was dispersed around them, a part already integrated into the growing ritual while the rest remained untouched. They were in the middle of changing some of the runes so we decided to not bother them and look for Xorlosh first. It wasn¡¯t hard to find him, his sonorous voice easily carrying over the ruckus. He stood close to the centre of the deck, coordinating the efforts of his ¡°lads¡±. His brother Etosh was to his right, his black drum laid on the floor behind them. A metallic pendant with a green gem, probably an emerald, in the middle tightly clutched in his hands. They looked up when we approached and a faint blush rushed to Etosh¡¯s cheeks as his eyes travelled over me. I took it as a compliment and smiled. Xorlosh, completely oblivious or simply uninterested, greeted us with a smirk. ¡°Ah, the sleeping beauties have finally risen. I was about to send one of me lads along to make sure you were still with us. Could you find the time to sleep?¡± Now it was my turn to blush but before I could deny anything, Ahri answered for us: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know? Did your imagination keep you up all night?¡± Etosh snorted and I had to laugh but Xorlosh took the accusation in stride. ¡°Of course, and I definitely wasn¡¯t the only one. But I hear you, lass, none of my business. So what can I do for you? The elves aren¡¯t ready and I wouldn¡¯t advise disturbing them. I tried and got shouted at for me troubles.¡± ¡°We wanted to talk about the supposed destination of the kidnappers and we were wondering if you could help us, or rather Cassy, out with some equipment.¡± Ahri gently squeezed my hand, I was still trying to get over the previous exchange. ¡°Right, umm, you see, when Ahri first came to our kingdom, her air ship was attacked by pirates who bore glyphs similar to the ones we have seen on Boseiju a few nights ago. You know, the red crown?¡± He nodded. ¡°We were wondering if they might have been from around here and if maybe the humans are not sailing towards Free Land but towards the Pirate Islands. Who knows, maybe it should be The Emperor¡¯s Island by now, it has been close to seven years since then. He may very well have turned them into his new airborne army on this continent by now. We should eventually be able to find some clues with Astra¡¯s ritual, but we have to look for them in any case. It would be a pity to rush towards the wrong target and cause trouble with the wrong people.¡± 49. Of revenge, armour and a little bit of freedom Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Huh, I see. Doesn¡¯t change much for now though, does it? Just something to keep in the back of our minds before we do anything rash.¡± Xorlosh scratched his beard. ¡°If they sail past Free Land we¡¯ll know for sure anyways and still can decide what to do about it, can¡¯t we?¡± I shrugged and Ahri nodded, we couldn¡¯t think of anything we might be able to do as well and we had already talked his morning. I had hoped Xorlosh would have an idea, though. ¡°Did you see their flag back then by any chance,¡± he asked. Hesitantly Ahri replied: ¡°Yeah¡­ it was black with a large white skull and crossed bones below. And the sails were dark red, all of them.¡± Xorlosh¡¯s brow furrowed and a furious fire ignited in the depth of his eyes. ¡°Really now, that changes things. First of all, well done, you did the world a favour with every single one you killed. Would you kindly tell me exactly what happened?¡± ¡°You know them?¡± I blurted out. ¡°Not me, nah, but me little brother here had a run in with ¡®em, couple of years back. Etosh, tell ¡®em about your fianc¨¦e.¡± My focus switched back to Etosh, who had grabbed his drum with white knuckles, his body was trembling slightly and the anger on Xorlosh¡¯s face was but a pale shadow of what I saw on his face. In his deep, gravelly voice he started taking but I could hear an ever so faint tremor as if the memories alone could shake him to the bone. ¡°¡®T was 5 years ago, shortly before I came to the five kingdoms. Me ¡®n me fianc¨¦e, Dorothea, wereon a trip to acquire some rare goods, golems for the most part and wanted to visit her home town, a small dwarven colony some island to the south from the capital, on the way back. Should have been smooth sailing for a couple o¡¯ days and lots of drinks and fresh boar meat once we arrived. But alas, the Nornir had different plans. Strong winds an¡¯ lil¡¯ bit o¡¯ bad luck had us land for repairs an¡¯ supplies, maybe a week away from our destination. We came down in a well known merchants port, a small island with nothing more than a huge dock for air ships, a large market, entertainment and some streets for the permanent residents. ¡®T was fun at first, solid ground under our feet and an unending supply of dwarven beer, courtesy of some ambitious merchants.¡± A deathly cold entered his voice when he continued. ¡°I quickly found new friends in our tavern, or so I thought, drinking the night away until the repairs were done. I had me lads with me, the girls, the golems I had bought a month before and a few guards remained behind on board, cherishing the first opportunity for a good night¡¯s sleep without the wind knocking us about. Should have taken ¡®em with me, but I didn¡¯t. Anyway, we made merry with a bunch of new arrivals, they claimed to have suffered a similar fate to our own, blown off course and with heavy damage to their ship they had to make repairs before they could fly on. The beer flowed freely and we got along splendidly, bonding over our shared misfortune. ¡®T wasn¡¯t until I saw the first of me lads keel over that I knew something was off. I struggled to get back on me feet but I felt weak like a newborn kitten and me limps wouldn¡¯t move when I told ¡®em to.¡± He became nearly inaudibly quiet. ¡°Long story short, we had been poisoned by our new found friends. I tried to get up, to call for help but all I received were laughs, apparently the whole establishment was in cahoots with the bunch of assholes I had called brothers not 5 minutes prior. I thought I was as good as dead and all I wanted to do was take as many of these traitors with me as I possibly could so I activated the golems I had stored on board of me ship and told ¡®em to lay waste to the whole damned tavern, another stupid mistake, should have told ¡®em to guard the ship instead. I passed out when the first steel fist smashed through the door and not a second too soon. I had been hardly pressed in me weakened state to keep these bastards off of me.¡± He sighed and brushed his beard absentmindedly. ¡°Dunno why ¡®em cowards didn¡¯t finish me off but I came to not much later, killing a dwarf with poison isn¡¯t as easy as you might think. The tavern was reduced to rubble, half of me lads were dead and the local militia had finally arrived, putting an end to the rampage of me golems. Of me ship there was no trace. I was detained until Xorlosh here came to pay for the damage me golems had done and smooth things over with the locals. It was then when we found out what had happened. When the ruckus me golems had caused had called the militia on the scene these cowards had panicked. They had fled but not without storming our nearly unguarded ship and taking it with ¡®em. One of the officials told me that the sails of their ship had been a dark red when they had scampered and as soon as they had cleared the harbour they had hoisted a black flag with a skull and crossed bones.¡± Etosh was breathing heavily when he finished, as if he had relived the fight just now. I had been force to get used to violence rather quickly and I suspected that my past allowed me to deal with the brutalities of our life much more easily than was normal but I was still shaken from his story. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how I¡¯d feel if someone was to take Ahri from me while I was unconscious only a short distance away. I¡¯d have liked to hug him, but I didn¡¯t know if the gesture would be appreciated so I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. When he looked a me I could see a film of moisture on his eyes but the tremulous smile he gave me was real. Xorlosh cleared his throat. ¡°We of course tried to go after ¡®em but everyone they left behind was dead so we couldn¡¯t make ¡®em talk and we were far too late to catch ¡®em in the air. Me lads collected as much information as they could about the pirates, that¡¯s the reason why I have those maps you¡¯ve seen yesterday and why I know a thing or two about the South, but all we found out is that the pirates have been venturing further and further north over the last years. The red-sailed ship appears from time, even close to the centre islands but until now, we weren¡¯t even close to a serious lead.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to chase after them, now?¡± Ahri asked, a tremor of fear in her silky voice but Xorlosh was seriously annoyed at the question. ¡°Lass, what do you take us for? I already said we¡¯d stick to you until you got your kids back. That¡¯s set in stone, we won¡¯t chase after revenge as long as living, breathing people need our help. Also, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a difference. From what you told us I think it more than likely that they¡¯re headed for the Pirate Islands. If the whole region is under the emperor¡¯s control I can¡¯t say but at least some of the captains are under his spell. It¡¯ll be quite the piece of work to get the children back and I think we¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities along the way to vent a little aggression on uncooperative locals. The real question is, now that we know their destination with some certainty, do we head straight for the Pirate Islands or do we contact Free Land? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be more than delighted to lend a hand with everything that spells trouble for the pirates.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±, I answered. ¡°Honestly my skin crawls even at the idea of joining forces with people the like of which you described yesterday. I mean, seriously, slavery? But depending on how much support the emperor or in this case his slave traders have among the pirates, we might not have much of a choice. Maybe we should talk to the others after Astra and Aspera are done? Who knows, they might have already found out something interesting by then.¡± ¡°We also have to hunt for supplies before we reach Free Land, don¡¯t we?¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°Depending on how much time that¡¯ll take, we could very well be forced to fly towards the Pirate Island as fast as possible if we don¡¯t want to risk the children being sold or serious harm coming to them before we reach the place.¡± ¡°We could possibly split up, leave some people on Free Land while the rest hurry on.¡± I said. ¡°But that entirely depends on when and where we can restock. Let¡¯s wait for tonight before speculating any further.¡± Xorlosh nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll get something for us to chew on and we can meet at sundown in me cabin again. I¡¯ll send one of the lads to inform your mother and brother, he¡¯s still asleep by the way and talk to the elves as soon as they are finished. Now, you ladies said you also wanted me help with equipment?¡± ¡°You see, after my changes I think I can become strong enough to easily carry heavy armour now,¡± I moved my hands down the side of my new body, ¡°and I was wondering if there is a chance you might have some spares lying around that I could use.¡± Both dwarfs looked at me, stunned into silence for a moment before they snorted uncontrollably and sent spit flying across the deck. I looked at Ahri but she only shrugged, just as confused as I was. Xorlosh regained his composure a little more quickly. ¡°Sorry lass, but that shows how little experience you have with armour or do I dare say fighting in general. Look here, we do have some spares lying around but they wouldn¡¯t fit you, not even close. We¡¯d have to change ¡®em fundamentally and I can¡¯t promise that the result would be usable. We don¡¯t have the forges here to easily modify enchanted materials. Furthermore, do you even want to wear a plate?¡± ¡°Why not? Like I said it won¡¯t bother me, I think, and I¡¯d prefer some metal around me the next time I have to fight. What¡¯s so funny about it?¡± ¡°First of, weight isn¡¯t really the problem with plate armour, it¡¯s tightly bound to your limbs and nicely balanced, the problems only start when your joints get hit and the armour deforms. Until then the armour shouldn¡¯t hinder the movements it was designed for in any way. But that¡¯s were it gets tricky. Our armour is made for walking and running, maybe climbing a ladder from time to time but mainly it¡¯s for standing in line and swinging an axe. If you intend to fly, we¡¯ll have to add more joints to ensure your flexibility. Do you know what kind of weapon you want to use with it?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ probably a spear?¡± I said much more questioningly than I would have liked. The dwarfs were on the verge of laughter again but they managed to keep it down this time. ¡°Then there is another problem, lass. To effectively wield a spear you need to maximise your freedom of movement. You need to be able to lean back completely or jump from the left to the right and that¡¯s not even considering how you need to move in the air with a spear in your hand. Long story short, while I do agree that nothing beats a well designed plate armour, we¡¯d need a new blueprint, designed for your fighting style. Brombolosh, I think you met him? Anyway he¡¯s good at the whole construction part and if he can watch you during a training bout I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to come up with something. But we still don¡¯t have the forges to use any worthwhile materials. All I can offer is something made of steel until we get somewhere with a decent magical forge. You two intended to train today, didn¡¯t you?¡± We nodded, I was slightly embarrassed, having proven my lack of experience and practical knowledge again. ¡°Then how about this, you two soar into the sky and I¡¯ll call for me cousin and he can watch you a little. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have something to say afterwards. Just gimme a minute and I¡¯ll be right back with the scoundrel.¡± He stomped off and I called after him: ¡°could you by any chance bring a spear along? I don¡¯t have anything with me.¡± He waved but didn¡¯t turn around and vanished through the door into the ship. I turned to Ahri and asked: ¡°What about you? You still have some of your blades left? I didn¡¯t see any lying around in your cabin.¡± ¡°No need to worry. I already went to the smithy this morning. I destroyed the ones I took from my room but the dwarfs promised me to have a rapier ready by midday.¡± With a glance to the sky she continued: ¡°I think I can pick it up now. Can I leave you for a minute?¡± At first I wanted to laugh her question off but when I thought about it I realised I really didn¡¯t want to leave her side, even for a minute. I could hardly say that out loud though so I waved her off. ¡°Sure, but hurry.¡± A smile flickered over her face and she gently kissed me before she followed after Xorlosh with hurried steps. After I had ogled her retreating backside for a moment I turned around to find the closer dwarfs watching me and as my eyes met theirs some even wolf whistled before they went back to their duties. A couple of minutes later Ahri stood beside me close to the stern, a good 10 meters of cleared space around us. She had two wooden sticks in her hands, approximately as long as a short sword and roughly carved like one with steel bands around the middle for additional weight. I had a wooden spear, the tip reinforced with blunt metal for balance and some additional heft. I still wasn¡¯t sure how I had gotten here, the plan had been to fly together, try out what I could do with my energy now and maybe have a look at the sea but somehow the dwarfs had quickly turned the whole thing into a training match under the pretence that Brombolosh would need to see me fight if he was to design any form of functional armour. The rules were simple: don¡¯t leave the area of cleared space on deck and don¡¯t fly higher than the masts. We looked at each other and with the sound of silk whips our wings pierced the air. Blue and red mixed for a fraction of a second before I shot off into the sky, cold wind caressed my face invigoratingly. It was exhilarating. I could feel my core supplying a steady stream of energy, my movements were fast and effortless. Without thinking about it I infused my lungs with a little bit of energy, counteracting the low supply of oxygen. I somersaulted easily around one of the crossbars supporting the rigging and searched for Ahri. To my surprise she was far below me, barely a meter above the ground, her back still arched from her initial jump. Her wings burned fiercely and while their fire crackled and danced like I was used to, her movements appeared slower than they should be. But that was nothing compared to the dwarfs. Most of them were clattered around us, enjoying the unexpected entertainment. But even though I could hear and see them move around it was like watching a video at 3/4 speed. The sounds were distorted and they appeared clumsy, like ants stuck in tree sap. I had to smile and tightened my grip on the spear in my hand. This was going to be fun. I fanned my wings out behind me and like a burning star I rushed towards my love. The air around my wings sizzled and sparked like it was about to be torn apart and I could feel my energy intuitively gathering around my organs. It infused my eyes to allow me to see despite my speed, I could feel it in my wings, strengthening them and pushing me along faster than I had thought possible, it slithered through my mind, accelerating my perception and thoughts and it slowly crept into the muscles of my right arm. The spear that had felt heavy and unnatural in my hand until now suddenly became an extension of my will. I knew how to move it through the air as to not hinder my flight, I felt the perfect trajectory to skewer my target and I knew how to position my body to concentrate my speed into a deadly strike. The howling wind in my ears, the sun above and the force of my wings behind me made me forget my worries for a moment. The sensations were overwhelming. I was powerful, unstoppable and above all, as I shot through the sky towards the person who meant the most to me, I was truly free. Hopefully I¡¯d be able to brake in time. 50. Of training, lessons and a little bit of barter Cassandra Pendragon It was a much closer call than I would have liked to admit. Honestly, it was more due to Ahri¡¯s perfect reactions than my agility that we didn¡¯t crash into one another. Unfortunately only one of us was spared any form of collision. As I approached her from above, my spear angled to the side as not to hit her by accident, I saw a small smile flutter across her face and she immediately dropped one of her wooden swords and fell back on the deck. She fanned her 4 wings out behind her and raised an arm and a sword to welcome me. I could easily evade the pointy stick, and her reaching hand. I released more energy into my wings and quickly changed directions, angling my body parallel to the deck with the intention of slinging some of my wings around her body and slamming her into the planks. She had read me like a book and my wings were intercepted by hers, resulting in an unholy mess of red fire and blue energy. Even though I was stronger and faster, with her legs firmly planted on the ground I had no chance and was pulled off balance. I was firmly tethered to her wings and as soon as my momentum pushed me further away from her, I was jerked backwards. Ahri was lifted off the ground and dragged along for quite a distance but I slammed head first into the wall of crates around us. I smashed through a massive oaken barrel before I came to a halt, blood ran from a cut on my forehead and a ringing noise filled my ears. When I opened my eyes again, my surroundings slipped in and out of focus and I had trouble orientating myself. From far away I could here the cheers of the dwarfs and Ahri¡¯s voice ring out beside my ear: ¡°you will have to do much better if you want to stand a chance, darling.¡± Gritting my teeth I sent energy to my aching head and into my sprained back. The pain disappeared immediately, my vision cleared and I could appreciate the shitty position I was in for the first time. My upper body was stuck in the remains of a barrel, the smell and taste of mead were overwhelming and I was drenched to the skin. I was more or less on my knees, my girlfriend a step behind and to my right, her swords positioned above my neck. Our wings were still hopelessly intertwined and while I thought that I might be able to either pull her to her knees or destroy her wings entirely, I knew that she wouldn¡¯t give me the time for the former and I wasn¡¯t going to try the latter. Instead I retracted my wings as soon as I had control over my limbs again and channeled energy into my arms and legs and pushed off the deck and the back wall of the barrel with everything I had. Ahri reacted immediately, bringing her swords down for a clean hit but she was just a little bit too slow. Like a bullet I shot back- and upwards, her swords brushing along the back of my head. If she had had sharp weapons I would have lost most of my hair along with quite a bit of skin. I unfurled my wings again and landed gently a couple of meters behind her, the tip of my spear now pointing directly at her. ¡°You really are the better fighter. I seriously hoped you were exaggerating.¡± ¡°Sorry, I wouldn¡¯t want to mess with you in a real fight but as long as we aren¡¯t trying to rip each other to shreds I don¡¯t think you can beat me, even with your newfound abilities.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know¡± I said and before she could answer I closed my eyes and allowed my vision to change into shades of silver. Information flooded my mind but it was selective. Most of it just laid there under the surface of my conscious perception and only the things I focused on entered my thoughts. I knew where every obstacle and every dwarf were, how they were moving and even how long it would take me to get there. A map started to from in my mind, linking every spot I could perceive together and I knew I could teleport from one to the other on a whim. Whirling around with my spear extended I simultaneously vanished and reappeared behind Ahri, my strike in full swing towards her abdomen. A stab might have been better but I was still reluctant to seriously attack her. Another stupid mistake on my part. ¡°Not bad,¡± she commented while she easily blocked my strike with her two sticks. I had no clue how she had done it, she had to have moved before I even appeared but how could she possibly had known? I couldn¡¯t think about it much longer, Ahri¡¯s knee impacted my stomach with enough force to push me back a couple of steps and drive the air from my lungs. I gasped and dropped my spear, my hands going to my middle inadvertently. ¡°But also, not nearly good enough.¡± Before I could channel energy into my hurting torso she had already crossed the distance and her swords were both heading for my head from either side. Time for a gamble. Instead of healing myself or defending I channeled energies into my legs again and pushed forward as hard as I could. I was within her guard in a heartbeat and slung my arms around her waist while I used my wings to pin hers to her side. We were locked together and I was pretty sure that she wasn¡¯t strong enough to throw me off. She didn¡¯t even try though. Instead she reversed the grip on her swords and slammed both hilts into my temples. It wasn¡¯t as painful as you might imagine but I immediately lost all strength and crumbled to the ground, dizzy and confused. My thoughts were scrambled and I couldn¡¯t muster enough concentration to blink away. Luckily I had already reinforced my brain before and my injuries healed nearly on the spot but it was still too slow to prevent Ahri¡¯s next attack. When I could think straight again, the tip of her sword was rapidly approaching my solar plexus. If I couldn¡¯t get out of the way I wouldn¡¯t get back up, the overload of the nerve cluster would send me into shock or render me unconscious in the best case scenario. As I felt the sword caress my skin, my body vanished into silvery sparks and Ahri had to take two quick steps to regain her balance. I watched her stumble from the rigging, maybe 12 meters above her head. While my injuries were washed away I was tempted to comment on her rather inelegant movements but I didn¡¯t want to give away my position. If I didn¡¯t want to keep on embarrassing myself I¡¯d have to use every advantage I could gain. For a moment I thought about channeling more energy into my wings and simply catching her like a spider would in her web, but that would defeat the purpose of the exercise. While I wasn¡¯t averse to testing out my limits, it was mainly about getting to know how I would move in combat, preferably with a weapon I thought grudgingly. Alright then, from what I had seen, my reactions and reflexes were accurate enough, thanks to Greta¡¯s lessons, and I knew how to use a spear instinctively, courtesy of my past life I presumed. The problem was I had no idea what I was actually supposed to do. Should I attack, using my speed? Should I wait for her to move and counter? By all the demons, I didn¡¯t even know how I could leverage the length of my spear, provided I would be able to retrieve it. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Well, if she couldn¡¯t see me, I would be able to get at least one hit in. Surprise was the best friend of every fighter, so I had heard. And from my own experience I could tell that being on the back foot during a battle was a serious pain in the ass. I didn¡¯t know if Ahri was able to sense my wings so I decided not to use the, and simply drop on her head from above. What could possibly go wrong? I didn¡¯t hesitate any longer, or she might regain her balance. Quite like whisper I fell from the mast, feet first, and aimed for her back. I could feel and hear my trousers sliding over coarse wood before gravity pulled me down. Ahri had heard it as well. Still swaying her head snapped up and she focused on me while I was still 10 meters away. So much for a surprise attack. With a thought I used my wings to push against the mast and the air and accelerated my fall, my tails spread out to help stabilise my trajectory. Ahri immediately abandoned her efforts to righten herself and used her remaining momentum to lunge forward. Her wings flared and she shot into the air, narrowly dodging my extended wings as I tried to grab her on the way past. I was the one in a disadvantageous position now, directly below her and struggling to slow down and change my direction. Unfortunately she didn¡¯t seem to suffer from the same lack of ideas that plagued me. Directly after her body had cleared the last of my wings, she entangled one of hers with mine and used the resulting tug to whirl around and slam into my back with her full weight. I could push enough energy into my wings to keep us both afloat but I felt the cool edge of her wooden sword against my jugular. She clung to me tightly and the smell of pine trees was nearly as distracting as the feeling of her warm body pressing against mine. With a thought I teleported us both out of the marked circle. We appeared behind the wall of crates, Ahri still behind me, her left arm around my waist while her right still held her wooden sword to my neck. She breathed into my ear: ¡°Well done. I¡¯d call it a draw.¡± She didn¡¯t release me, though. She lowered her sword but tightened her grip and pulled me into her. ¡°But don¡¯t underestimate me again.¡± I could feel her hot breath on my skin before her lips touched my neck and she bit down gently. Goosebumps erupted all over my body and she laughed softly at my reaction before she released me. I wanted to complain for a moment, she didn¡¯t have to let go that quickly but the approaching dwarfs, most of them clapping enthusiastically convinced me to hold my tongue. Xorlosh, his brother and his cousins, Atosh and Brombolosh, had joined them before we had even begun our mock fight, were the first to reach us. The rest of the dwarfs stayed respectfully back and soon went back to their duties as they realised that our conversation would take a bit longer. ¡°Amazing, it¡¯s been a few decades since I¡¯ve seen such a beautiful display. Your skills aren¡¯t too shabby either.¡± Etosh smacked his brother¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t take him seriously, you were truly spectacular. I couldn¡¯t even follow some of your movements! Excuse this old dwarf for being blunt, but while you Casandra have a stunning amount of potential, your partner was truly a sight to behold. I was wondering if the lady Ahri would mind crossing blades with me in the near future.¡± Even though I had just been beaten to a pulp if I was being honest, I was quite proud of their compliments. I didn¡¯t care if Ahri was better than me, she was mine after all. ¡°Now, since when have you learned to sweet talk like that? You¡¯re sure you¡¯re me brother?¡± Xorlosh inquired which caused Etosh to blush again. He was obviously a rather sensitive fellow. Ahri ignored him and bowed to Etosh: ¡°it would be my pleasure, master dwarf, but one fight is quite enough for me for a day. How about tomorrow?¡± Etosh nodded eagerly but before he could reply another voice joined the conversation. It was the first time I had heard Brombolosh talk. He was sturdy, even broader in the shoulders than Etosh or Xorlosh but also really short, maybe 1.3 meters. He had a deep voice, like ocean waves crashing into a large cave, it made me feel like it reverberated in my bones. ¡°Now, before you praise ¡®em to the heavens, we haven¡¯t met yet.¡± He offered his calloused hand to Ahri and me and we shook. His fingers felt like rods of steel as they closed around my hand which disappeared entirely into his grip. ¡°Me name is Brombolosh and I¡¯m unfortunately related to those two scoundrels. I watched you more closely, Cassandra, Xorlosh told me you want some plate armour?¡± ¡°Yes, as you might have seen, I¡¯m quite strong. I thought if I can still fly with it, I might as well get as much protection as possible.¡± ¡°Makes sense. From what I¡¯ve seen, you can easily pull it off, but making one that suits you is quite another matter. I don¡¯t know if you even realise how snake like some of you movements are. You remind me a little bit of that dragon we cut Etosh¡¯s drum out of, when you¡¯re in the air. It would be easier to forge an armour for your lovely friend, her actions are precise, controlled. You¡¯re fluid, always reacting, always changing and metal armour isn¡¯t necessarily the best to accommodate your style.¡± I didn¡¯t mind wearing leather overly much but after the last battle I had really been looking forward to something more durable and sturdy. It must have shown on my face because he immediately continued. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, I don¡¯t want to toot me own horn but I¡¯m a friggin genius when it comes to armour. I might have an idea what we could do, but there are a couple of things. First, making one out of steel is out of the question. I¡¯m going to have to use a shit ton of movable parts and steel would deform with the first strike that landed on a joint. Second, Atosh and I need a real forge to work with, no way we can get the needed temperatures from our cute little smithy down there. If the fiery lass to your right can help out, we might be able to solve that problem, though. Third, while I like you and all, I¡¯m not keen on giving away stuff that¡¯s not strictly necessary and from what I¡¯ve seen your going to be just fine without it. If we want to hunt a dragon I¡¯ll gladly change my mind. Fourth you¡¯re in luck, Xorlosh took quite a lot of mithril from the mine and had it stocked on the ships before we even left to fight in the garden. From me point of view, it¡¯d make for the best material you could get. Add some astralite to the mix and you¡¯re good to go. Now, if you have something to trade for Xorlosh¡¯s mithril and our hard work and if we can get the smithy to work with Ahri¡¯s flames, I think I can help you out. So, how about it?¡± I had to smile. I had been rather reluctant to use the token Mordred had given me, but Brombolosh had made it perfectly clear that this was business. So it shall be. ¡°Sure, how about this?¡± I asked as I carefully went to the spot where I had placed my belongings before we had started to bash our skulls in, or more accurately, before I had gotten my skull bashed in. A small crate was all I had needed and I quickly grabbed the golden disk with Xorlosh¡¯s insignia. The dwarfs were looking at me curiously, but when Xorlosh saw the small token on my palm his expression quickly turned to one of annoyance. ¡°Right, I almost forgot. That¡¯s what your brother wanted that favour for. Should¡¯ve known. Now lass, seems like you got me by the beard. If me memories serves, and it usually does. I¡¯ll have to get you one piece of equipment in exchange for that token. You gonna want that armour Brombolosh spoke of I take it?¡± I nodded and handed him the small piece of metal. ¡°Alright, the metal is yours and I¡¯ll pay for the work of me lads.¡± He turned towards Atosh and Brombolosh and added: ¡°but not the foreigner¡¯s fee. Don¡¯t you even dare!¡± Both smirked but waved their hands in an ¡°we would never¡± gesture. ¡°The boys will need to construct the blueprint and we¡¯ll have to take your measurements before they can get started with the forging but all in all I¡¯d say we might be finished within a week.¡± 51. Of interruptions, tattoos and a little bit teamwork Cassandra Pendragon Our small gathering quickly dispersed afterwards. ¡°Come on,¡± I said to Ahri. ¡°I smell like a tavern and you¡¯re sweaty. Let¡¯s hit the bath, I think we can skip another teleport trial, it works just fine. Maybe the elves are done by the time we come back up, they haven¡¯t even looked up from their runes during our battle.¡± The following hour was quite enjoyable. We relaxed in warm water and talked nearly the entire time, mostly about our fight. I wanted to know as much as possible about what I had done wrong and how I could improve. Unfortunately what I lacked were experience and training, both things had to be gained through exercise and time. I had quite an advantage, I could already use a weapon, but learning how to fight was apparently an entirely different cup of tea. ¡°How come you¡¯re so good at it?¡± I wanted to know. ¡°I¡¯m older than you, we might look the same age now, you might even appear a little older if I¡¯m honest, but you only had 7 years to get used to your body. Also you changed quite recently, it¡¯ll take a bit of time before everything works the way you want it to. I was trained as a little child not in body control, like you were, but in the hunt and after I arrived on Boseiju I spent nearly every minute I wasn¡¯t with you honing my skills with a blade and my magic. But I imagine that¡¯s not the answer you¡¯re looking for. You already know that Aurora meddle with my incarnation, allowing me to use magic until I burned my reservoir of energy and choosing the memories I¡¯d come to relive. I think she also meddled with my subconsciousness. When I¡¯m fighting I become a different person, quite literally I think. Nothing of what keeps my mind busy during the day matters anymore, there is barely a conscious thought, but I know things I shouldn¡¯t, movements, fighting styles, possible lines of attack¡­ you get the picture. I think it¡¯s similar to the flashes of knowledge you have, except it¡¯s too much for me to handle all at once, it would change me too much, so I can only access it in battle when my conscious mind is nearly turned off anyways. After my old self took over my body I have a modicum of control, if I focus really hard information sometimes surfaces that I shouldn¡¯t know, but only during fights can I truly take advantage. Back on deck for example, I knew what you were going to do before you moved, probably before you even thought about it. I¡­ Aurora, crossed blades with Lucifer more often than there are stars in the sky and you haven¡¯t changed that much. Honestly, you actually still fight the same way you did before your reincarnation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing, is it? I mean, I fought a war against heaven and hell, I can¡¯t have been a pushover.¡± We shared the same tub so I could easily feel her sigh. ¡°Was I?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°You definitely weren¡¯t. But that¡¯s sort of the problem, you never really learned how to fight. Do you know what my innate ability is?¡± I racked my brain for a moment but I couldn¡¯t grasp a single memory on the topic. ¡°No, not really,¡± I answered slowly. ¡°If I had to guess I¡¯d say something related to fire?¡± Her sweet laughter resonated off the wooden walls. ¡°Now that I think about it, it was a stupid question. Yes, I have a really close connection and my body is immune to pure fire. Now, can you imagine how useful that is in a conflict with transcendent beings? Not at all. Fire can be extinguished, reflected, absorbed and so on. And excluding fire from the offensive repertoire isn¡¯t a real problem for any angel or demon. Long story short, I had to learn to fight to get what I wanted. I had to wield my weapons better than others because I had to. You didn¡¯t, for the longest time. Simply ignoring any form of magic tends to give you a massive advantage. So while your skill with a spear is there, even your old body lacked instincts and experience in any real fight that wasn¡¯t a transcendent slug fest.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re basically saying I should not only stop underestimating you but also overestimating myself? I didn¡¯t bother to learn before because I was too arrogant and now I have to pay the prize?¡± ¡°That sounds much harsher than what I had in mind but basically, yes. Cassy, you¡¯re strong and fast and impervious to magic, you¡¯re already unbelievably powerful but keeping in mind the shit you run into, you shouldn¡¯t become complacent. I don¡¯t know how long it will take you to reach the next stage of development but until than you should train with your weapon and armour. Your technique is good, but you haven¡¯t got a clue what you should be doing in a life or death fight because you never ever have been in one where a weapon actually mattered.¡± ¡°Will you teach me? There is no one I¡¯d rather spend time with, maybe we could train two hours in the morning? You know, just like we did back home when I didn¡¯t have to suffer through one of Greta¡¯s lessons.¡± My voice had become quieter towards the end of my sentence. Ahri¡¯s arms were already slung around me but now she pulled me closer and whispered: ¡°how are you holding up?¡± I snuggled into her embrace. ¡°Better than I should. I was a mess but ever since last night I feel¡­ I feel like it¡¯s already been a long time. I ache and I miss everyone who is gone and if I think about my father I still weep,¡± tears naturally dropped from my eyes just then, ¡°but it¡¯s not all encompassing anymore. If I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m with you and not back on Boseiju, fighting for my life. If I talk to my mom I¡¯m not drowning in my own sorrow but I can be there for her. That night won¡¯t ever leave me, but I think the wound is scarring over and it wasn¡¯t poisoned.¡± Turning my head and pressing a light kiss on her cheek I added: ¡°you¡¯re a really good remedy.¡± I said, already much more cheerful. I couldn¡¯t be sure in the dim light, but I thought she blushed. ¡°And you¡¯re much better with compliments than you ever were before. But thanks, I¡¯m glad I can help.¡± I squirmed a little, still tightly pressed against her and this time I was sure she turned red like her wings. Huh, maybe she wasn¡¯t as self assured as she appeared. ¡°Oh, you have no idea,¡± I whispered into her ear and gently nibbled on her soft skin. ¡°Cassandra, we can¡¯t even lock the door, what are you doing?¡± She asked, a little breathlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing much, don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but¡­ if one of the dwarfs decides to take a bath or even better, your half drunk brother finally wakes up, what then?¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± I replied and gently grabbed her chin to turn her head. She didn¡¯t resist. It was admittedly a little awkward with my back against her but the warm and soft touch of her lips made my contortions worth it. I forgot everything around and for a few minutes all that mattered were her scent, her taste and the feeling of her skin against my own. I didn¡¯t know how long our kiss lasted but when we separated and our eyes met something changed. What had been memories and hope became certainty, I¡¯d never leave this girl again, whatever the cost and my core reacted. A set of runes, carved on it long before the planet we were on even existed sparked to life and the glow from my eyes suddenly painted the bath in harsh shades and dazzling light. We stared at one another as if in trance her green eyes appeared azure in the silvery light. I could see her mouth form a word as if in answer to a question but I heard her voice within my head. ¡°Yes.¡± Was all she said. With a last flash of light my vision suddenly went black. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I couldn¡¯t say if I had been seriously unconscious or simply blacked out for a second but when I opened my eyes again, I was still in the tub, Ahri breathing regularly below me. Nothing had changed at first glance but when I sat up straight, turned around and allowed my gaze to follow the curves of her body I saw a tattoo right above her heart where a moment before only perfect skin had been. It showed my wings, 16 pairs of silver blue torrents of energy streaming away to the sides and seemingly disappearing into her chest, encircling her heart. The last one at the lowest point streamed away and pointed directly to me, or more accurately to my heart which I found out as soon as I moved a little. It mirrored my actions. Following the implicated direction I saw another tattoo on my chest. It showed Ahri¡¯s wings, the larger pair again apparently disappearing through my skin, closing around my heart and the second, smaller pair pointing in her direction. Both tattoos flowed slightly in the colour of our wings. On impulse I extended my hand and traced the lines of her tattoo before I covered it with my palm. Ahri¡¯s eyes flew open and a smile played around her lips: ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that while I¡¯m asleep, in fact I¡¯d much prefer it if you¡¯d do it while I¡¯m awake.¡± A very unladylike snort erupted from me but I retracted my hand and gestured towards the tattoos. She didn¡¯t seem surprised but studied mine with great care and reflexively repeated my motions from before. I didn¡¯t comment but I had to smirk, never the less. ¡°I take it you know what those are?¡± I asked. With a nod she replied: ¡°But I¡¯m not telling.¡± She silenced me with a quick peck to the lips before I could protest. ¡°They are of your making and have much more memories attached to them for you than they have for me. Trust me, you¡¯ll remember them soon enough. Also, as far as I know, they don¡¯t do much per se, so there isn¡¯t much to tell apart from their meaning. You realised they are pointing towards one another?¡± ¡°Sure and I suspect they encircle our hearts as well which is sort of a giveaway to their meaning. But am I really supposed to accept it just like that? I mean getting a tattoo is life altering,¡± I joked. Ahri smiled but didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t pry. At least that¡¯s a memory I¡¯m looking forward to. Most secrets I have to uncover are rather bloody.¡± I added darkly. ¡°Speaking of which,¡± a blatant attempt to change the topic I assumed, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we have been in here but we should probably get back and check how far the mages have come. Right, I wanted to ask before you made my brain go all mushy, if they can¡¯t come up with a ritual, do you think we two could maybe catch the ship if we leave the others behind?¡± A good question. ¡°I think it would be possible but¡­ nobody has really thought about what it means if the emperor really has a foothold on the Pirate Islands. If he does, it should be easy enough to inform the humans we are tracking of his defeat and they might very well be expecting us. The way our wings look we can¡¯t get anywhere near them if they are on guard. Do you think we can force our way through an armed and alerted vessel? Keep in mind that they know we¡¯d be there for the children so they are going to use them as hostages as soon as the need arises.¡± She chewed her lip before answering: ¡°But isn¡¯t it still better than waiting until they reach their stronghold?¡± ¡°Not necessarily, you know, with a little bit of makeup, a change of posture and a cloak I could turn you into a 90 years old human woman without too much effort.¡± She looked at me sceptically. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get my point. If there really is something like a stronghold with multiple ships and crews, it will be much easier to sneak inside and stay hidden. I seriously hope the ritual works, otherwise we are mostly groping around in the dark and our best shot might seriously be an assault while they are still in the air but I honestly dread how it might turn out. If we find any other way of locating their destination I¡¯d much prefer not attacking directly, I¡¯m not sure how reliable the tracking spell or rune, the dwarfs use, is.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see if Astra and Aspera already solved our problem.¡± A new set of clothes had been prepared outside the baths for each of us and we quickly shrugged into them. The old ones were already gone. On our way back up I checked on my brother but he was simply hungover. Several grunts and obscene gestures convinced me of the fact. Back on deck the scene hadn¡¯t changed dramatically but the ring of crates and the broken barrel were gone and the elves had finished their work. My mom, Xorlosh, his relatives, and an old dwarf with grey hair and a bunch of wrinkles on his face I had never seen before had joined them in their working are. The ingredients and failed attempts at glyphs had been cleared away and a clean heptagram with a cluster of runes around each point was all that remained. Candles flickered in the wind, one at every section of the lines that formed the heptagram and a bowl with a crystal clear liquid was placed at the centre. The strong smell of herbs and ozone tickled my nose and I realised that the ink used to draw the sigils had been prepared from a whole variety of ingredients. A circle of delicate runes was drawn around the whole formation, shimmering in the tell tale colours of powdered crystals. At least it looked impressive. My mom must have heard us because she immediately gestured for us to come over. I concentrated on their conversation while we were heading towards the group and could hear Astra finish her sentence: ¡°¡­started, it¡¯ll last as long as the potion remains. Unfortunately we don¡¯t have enough materials to brew it again, so we only have the one chance. I¡¯d say we have about 30 minutes once the ritual is active, but we need the tracking device or it¡¯s all for naught.¡± We arrived just about when the old dwarf started to reply in a surprisingly wheezy voice. ¡°And if we find nothing or the crucial parts are warded we lose our only way of finding them. Insanity, I say, it¡¯s not worth the risk!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the fuzz all about? Did you succeed? Congratulations!¡± Ahri said when we reached them. She had been listening in as well, I was sure of it, but it was common courtesy to pretend that we didn¡¯t eavesdrop. With a tired sigh my mom answered before another bout of bickering could break out between Astra and the old dwarf: ¡°Astra needs a focus for her magic to manifest on the other vessel and not with us but the only suitable thing is the pendant the dwarfs use to track the ship. If we use it during the ritual it¡¯ll be destroyed and if we don¡¯t find all the information we need during the half hour the spell lasts, we¡¯ll have nothing.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you make a focus from your blood, or Mordred¡¯s? There aren¡¯t many kitsune still around, I don¡¯t even think that Ahri and I count in that sense, so even though you¡¯re not blood related it should be possible to get a reading from the racial relation, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± I inquired. ¡°Possibly,¡± Astra answered slowly. ¡°We would have to experiment a little but I think in theory you¡¯re right. Would you allow us to use a drop of your blood, Helena?¡± My mom shrugged, ¡°Sure,¡± and used her sharp teeth to draw a little blood from her thumb. Aspera was the one to hand over a small vial. It wasn¡¯t much but soon a few drops of a ruby liquid sloshed within. ¡°I think I can even help out if you¡¯re having trouble adjusting the ritual for a blood focus. I¡¯m quite learned in that area.¡± She added. ¡°That would be more than welcome, my own expertise is negligible and while I think we could manage, your help would reassure me immensely.¡± ¡°If you want me to, I can also have a look at your design. I¡¯m no expert but I do know a thing or two about runes and sympathetic links. Is the dwarf who crafted the tracking seal in the first place on board with us?¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°That would be me,¡± the old dwarf replied, ¡°and I¡¯ll be more than happy to help if we don¡¯t ruin the only sure way to track them somewhere down the line.¡± 52. Of stories, rituals and a little bit of punishment Cassandra Pendragon The next hour was full of bustling activity but I felt somewhat sidelined. While I had some general knowledge about all kinds of magic, the details of how it was applied and what could be done with it eluded me. So I sat back and watched the elves, Ahri, my mom and the old dwarf I still didn¡¯t know the name of work. In my attempt to get out of the way I leaned against the railing, my face turned towards the sky while the brisk wind played with my hair. The air smelled crisp and clean and not a single cloud interrupted the unending expense of blue above and below me. No birds crossed my vision, we were much too far away from any patch of land that could sustain them. The only movement came from the sea below where I could blearily see the larger waves form and disperse, sometimes broken by a spot of colour when a behemoth from the depth surfaced for air. I could see for miles and miles but even when I channeled energy into my eyes, I couldn¡¯t spot the ship we were hunting for nor any islands breaking through the monotony all around. Just when my focus was about to shift to the emblem I still carried around and the question if I should try to revive Mephisto while everyone was sort of busy a small patch of black caught my attention. It was tiny but once I spotted it I wondered how I could have missed it before, contrasting the uniform blue all around like a festering wound on healthy skin. More and more energy was sent to my eyes and slowly the dot came into focus. I saw¡­ A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and startled me enough to lose concentration. A quiet yelp escaped my lips and I reflexively unfurled my wings, slinging them around the offending arm. ¡°Now, lass, are we a wee bit on edge?¡± Xorlosh¡¯s voice was steady and his eyes twinkled when I whirled around to face him. ¡°I¡­ Sorry, you startled me,¡± I replied while I simultaneously retracted my wings. His arm wasn¡¯t worse for wear but I could smell the acidic fragrance of burned hair and where my wings had touched him faint red marks remained on his skin. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, did I hurt you?¡± ¡°Nah, just a little tickle. Been thinking of yer home?¡± ¡°No, there was¡­¡± I tried to recall what I had seen, to find the spot again but try as I might everything was blue in blue. My paranoia rose but I couldn¡¯t think of what I could possibly do, I hadn¡¯t even seen anything clearly. If the silhouette hadn¡¯t become sharper when I had pushed more energies into my eyes I wouldn¡¯t even have given the occurrence a second thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought I saw something¡­ but it¡¯s gone now. What can I do for you?¡± I said, focusing on the dwarf beside me. He, in turn, squinted his eyes and carefully searched for anything out of the ordinary but he had apparently as much success as me. ¡°Hmm, can¡¯t see a darn thing, but me eyes aren¡¯t the best for scouting, gimme something within 200 meters to shoot at and I can tell ya how many hairs are growing in its nose but for long distances¡­ guess I¡¯ll tell the lads in the crow¡¯s nest to be extra vigilant, no harm done, if it was nothing. Anyway, you can¡¯t do nothin¡¯ for me, lass. I know as much about magic as I do about painting so I thought I¡¯d use the moment when y¡¯re not glued to your lady to chat a little. It¡¯s all been about battles and strategy and the like, I barely know you and yours. Why don¡¯t we look for a quiet place and empty a tankard or two while we get to know one another? Who knows, depending on how it goes we might even get to taking your measurements.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows at me, ¡°Promises, promises. But don¡¯t think a tankard of mead will do, I¡¯m not that cheap,¡± I replied, smirking. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, come along then, I think I know the spot, we can watch the magicians do their little mumbo jumbo and we¡¯ll be outa the way.¡± He slapped my shoulder lightly and turned around, leading me to one of the masts. I hadn¡¯t seen it before but close to the point where the first ropes for the rigging sprawled away from the mast a small wooden platform encircled it. There were no ladders but I could simply fly the 2-3 meters and Xorlosh climbed up after me, much more nimble than his stocky frame would suggest. When I touched down on the seasoned wood and looked around I could oversee the whole ship from helm to stern and even the two masts at the side of the ship were clearly visible, the dwarfs, busy with adjusting the sails to changes in direction and altitude appeared even smaller from up here. With a grunt Xorlosh pulled himself over the edge and sat down heavily. From a crate fixed to the mast he produced a small barrel and two cups which he immediately started to fill. I slumped down beside him and stared into the empty sky, half heartedly searching for the spot that had attracted my attention previously. The smell of honey and herbs tickled my nose when Xorlosh shoved one of the cups into my hands. The spicy and sweet flavour of aged mead flowed over my tongue and warmth started to spread immediately from my middle. Did they add magical herbs to their brews? When he had finished his first cup Xorlosh leaned back with a satisfied sigh and eyed me through half closed lids. ¡°Never been one to dance around what¡¯s on me mind so I¡¯ll say it bluntly. I wanna know how y¡¯re holding up, you all seem awfully chipper considering what¡¯s happened.¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re coping. Ahri¡¯s doing wonders for my mental health and I suppose it¡¯s the other way around as well. My mom is strong, she¡¯ll manage and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll allow herself to grieve overly much until we get the children back. My brother¡­ well, it¡¯s been ages since I have seen him drunk so I¡¯d say he¡¯s struggling. But what about you and your boys? Thanks again for saving our asses, by the way.¡± With a snort he refilled my cup and smashed his against mine. ¡°Always, little princess. It¡¯s what we¡¯re here for innit? I really like your family, they¡¯re good people, especially for royals, but we would have done the same for almost anyone, no need to thank us.¡± ¡°If I may ask, why? Why would you naturally risk your necks in a fight that didn¡¯t concern you?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you,¡± he shot back. ¡°Probably, well, that¡¯s a lie, definitely. As far as I know that¡¯s how I ended up here. But I¡¯m just weird that way, it¡¯s in my nature. I don¡¯t think the same holds true for all of you, does it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re closer to the truth than you think. It¡¯s not in our blood as it might be for you, if I understood what you told me correctly, but it¡¯s in our¡­ culture? Believes? Identity? Probably easier if I just told ya the story.¡± He took another deep swig from his cup and leaned back against the mast. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know if any of what I¡¯m about to tell you is actually true but it might as well be, for every dwarf who¡¯s worth a grain of salt believes it to be. Back in the dark ages, before history and culture the peoples of this world were divided, constantly warring amongst themselves. We dwarfs were no different, always hailing one warlord or the other as our new saviour and king, eager to clash axes with our foes and bring justice to those who opposed us. Like I said, dark times. No records survived form back then except for some nearly eroded glyphs in the deepest mines of our home but here is what we tell our children happened.¡± He set down his cup and filled a pile he and produced from one of his pockets. When the first clouds of smoke rose into the blue sky he continued: ¡°Amidst the petty squabble and needless bloodshed a new power arose, a seed of dark magic and foul sorcery. Necromancers we called them and their dread drove us back into our mines and made us seal the entrances. We hid while the world around us fell into darkness and the veil between life and death became thinner by the day. But we didn¡¯t care, we were safe under our mountains we reasoned. Let the surface be torn asunder, let the foul magicians kill each other off, we would endure.¡± He fell silent for a moment as if collecting his thoughts. ¡°Alas, we were wrong. Doom came to our caverns and cities in the form of rats, if you can believe it. Infected rats carrying nasty curses and mutated diseases. They hadn¡¯t even been sent for us, they were just a byproduct of what was going on above. Within the first few months we lost 1\3 of our people and even more to the risen the dead unerringly turned into. We were rapidly dying out, a few years would see us extinct at that rate. Long debates ensued, whether we should return to the surface where we might have a chance to live or if we should remain cowering in the depths and while our leaders talked, our people died. We had been brought to our knees, hidden away in our underground vaults we had become shadows of what we once were, dreading to return to the land of the living and the dangers we might find there. So we chose to die ingloriously and alone in our mines. Until he came. Like a wildfire he swept threw our disheartened warriors and filled their hearts with light again. Ignoring councils and decision form the kings he gathered everyone who would listen and led them to the surface. The proud dwarfs had hidden long enough, he reasoned, it was time to make the world remember who we were and to purge the evil that had held the peoples in its clutches from living memory. The next years were a constant battle against an undying foe but step by bloody step Angrosh cleared our mountains and the adjacent planes and slowly drove the hoard back. Many others fought beside the dwarfs back then, their valour and hope ignited but our legions of steel that had swept away the undead scourge. For 13 years we battled until at last the mightiest dread lord of them all laid, beheaded, at Angrosh¡¯s feet. But we had paid for our victory dearly and our hero succumbed to his wounds soon after his last fight. Before he went to the fields of glory that surely awaited him in the afterlife he spoke one last time to us: no more, he said. Never again will we dwarfs cower when evil magic stalks the land. Never again will we stand idly by while others fight for our world. We are the protectors, the guardians of Mother Earth and we will heed her call wherever it sounds.¡± He pulled deeply on his pipe before his dark eyes found mine. ¡°You see lass, what else were we supposed to do? I don¡¯t know much about your past but from where I¡¯m standing you, of all people, can understand why we won¡¯t ever turn away again. It¡¯s just not who we are.¡± I had listened raptly, his story had been interesting and telling, I felt like I understood our hairy comrades just a little bit better now, and like he had said, I could easily sympathise. ¡°Thank you for sharing a part of your culture with me. Your a great story teller, did you know that? But now I feel like I don¡¯t only have to thank you but every dwarf I am ever going to meet, don¡¯t know how I feel about that.¡± He laughed heartily. ¡°No need, lass, no need. We are who we are, but I¡¯ll make sure to let me lads know how highly you think of us. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be delighted. I¡¯d love to continue our conversation, who doesn¡¯t like flattery especially if it comes from someone as pretty as yourself, but I think our mighty mages are done with their preparations. Better have a look before they do something stupid and blow us all to smithereens.¡± His tone was light but I could see a shadow of worry in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t too keen on magic in general, I assumed. He emptied his pipe, put away the cups and barrel and slid down the mast while I elegantly glided down. The scene below hadn¡¯t changed much, except that I could see an additional glyph around every point of the heptagram and the liquid within the bowl had turned a deep crimson. I landed next to Ahri and coiled two of my tails around her legs while I retraced my wings. She gave me a small smile and quick kiss before she turned back to the ritual. All of us were arranged outside the heptagram with the exception of Astra. She stood beside the bowl, a whitish crystal in her left and her wand in her right hand. When Xorlosh arrived a moment later she looked up. ¡°Now then, shall we give it a try? With the help of Helena, Golamosh and Ahri I managed to recalibrate the ritual to manifest next to the stolen kitsune, I hope. So that we are all clear on one thing: we don¡¯t have the materials to try again, we only have this one shot until we restock on herbs and crystals. I am going to initiate the first stage, unless there are any objections?¡± I remained quiet and since no one else spoke up, Astra channeled mana into her wand, through the crystal in her hand into the seven points of the heptagram simultaneously. Crackling with a pinkish light, energy rushed through the glyphs and imbued the purpose Astra and the others had written into them. With a sound like breaking glass the energy surged through the lines and hit the bowl in the centre. A pink flame with blood red nuances ignited and danced merrily over the liquid. Different silhouettes and images formed within the fire, blurry and flickering too fast for even my eyes to follow but after a moment the shifting scenes settled down and when I was able to make out the first details, my heart started beating much faster. We were on deck of a sleek air ship, three slim masts pierced the sky and from my point of view I could just about make out the tips of the two side masts. The nose of the ship was adorned with a towering construction that supported 3 ballistas and a contraption I hadn¡¯t seen before but that I immediately recognised, a cannon. Glowing sigils ran along the barrel and covered the wooden contraption it was mounted on. Humans, well groomed and in uniform, milled around the rigging and performed the same tasks as the dwarfs that kept us on course but their ship seemed to react much smoother to every action of the crew. The officers were all aligned neatly beside the mast in the middle, two ropes with a noose at the end hung from the crossbar above them. While we were watching, the double doors set into a wooden construction in the stern opened and a couple of soldier marched the missing kitsune on deck. They were haggard and clad in chains, runes on the metal prevented them from using magic and the skin beneath was red and infected. Their fur was dull and matted and their tails dropped to the grown. None of them had the courage left to look their captors in the eye. They were marched before the assembled officers and made to kneel with the harsh crack of a whip, cruelly wielded by one of the guards. I counted 43 kitsune, none older than 12 summers and even though I couldn¡¯t see any open wounds on their bodies it was apparent that they had suffered for longer than most of them could endure. When they were all on their knees, an old human with grey hair started to talk in an oily, somewhat creepy voice. ¡°You knew this was going to happen. Theft can¡¯t be tolerated. Two of you will hang today but it¡¯s your decision if those will be the rightfully condemned or two, randomly chosen from your group. So I ask again: who stole the water?¡± 53. Of revenge, success and a little bit of trouble Cassandra Pendragon We all watched the events unfold through the fiery images, frozen and terrified. My heartbeat thundered in my ears and sweat started to form on my brow. That wasn¡¯t what I had bargained for! The scene reminded me too much of what had happened on Boseiju, friends and family dying left and right as I was forced to watch, unable to protect those I felt responsible for. My stomach turned into a hard lump and when two of the kitsune kids clambered to their feet, ready to take the punishment for the others I just lost it. My wings unfurled, already crackling with more energy than I had ever applied. I could feel the strain on my body this time as transcendent energies rushed from my core but I didn¡¯t care, not even when I felt the skin around my wings sizzle and burn. Reaching forward I closed my eyes and grabbed the spell Astra had conjured. I was ready to tear it apart, to forcefully rip a gateway to the children through space, the consequences be damned! I heard gasps of surprise around me and I felt Ahri¡¯s tails curl around my waist but I focused single-mindedly on the silver world in front of my mind¡¯s eye and the faint connection to another place just at the tips of my wings. With a shove I sliced through the flimsy membrane that divided one place from the other and pushed, I wanted to enlarge the rapture to allow us to pass through. Within a moment I had to channel more and more energy into my wings as something pushed back, desperately trying to close the wound in space. It felt exhilarating as I realised that I had more than enough reserves to simply brush the opposing force aside, the flow of energy from my core seemingly unending. But my body couldn¡¯t take it. I felt the smaller blood vessels burst and a burning pain raked along my nerves, my body would break before I would be able to succeed. Stubbornly I clung to what I had already managed, a little tear, not much larger than the wing that had cause it and far too small for anything to wiggle through. But my wing was already on the other side! A grin formed on my face, I didn¡¯t have to physically step through anything, I could simply¡­ as my body collapsed into a shower of silvery sparks, I felt the tattoo on my chest pulse with energy and the last clear image that reached me before I sped, faster than light, along the connection my wings had formed, was a shower of bright red sparks which were tightly wrapped around my presence. Archimedes Starlight I was actually looking forward to finally put an end to my misery. The last days had been nothing but fear, darkness and mounting desperation while the last embers of hope slowly died out within me. When Greybeard, none of our captors had told us their names, invited two of us to come forward and take the blame for the stolen water I gave my little sister a nod and tried to get on my feet. Before we had been taken our parents had made me promise to look after little Estrella, but the only thing I could think of that would save us further pain and humiliation were the two nooses hanging above the officers. The journey had been more than I could take and I was sure that it wouldn¡¯t become any better after we would arrive at our destination, wherever that was. Death was an easy way out and far better than anything the humans had in store for us. I simple couldn¡¯t stomach the thought of limping back down into the dark, no food, no water, no light until we would finally arrive to experience the next atrocity. I did understand what was happening, the starvation and lack of light made us pliable and docile and this little stunt was supposed to ensure that we wouldn¡¯t trust one another. If no one came forth, they would kill at random and we would blame the ones who had caused the punishment, especially since they hadn¡¯t talked to us or shared. If water had even been stolen at all. But we couldn¡¯t have that, so it was not only cowardice that made me stand up but also a however twisted idea to give the others a better chance. And I wanted to spit in Greybeard¡¯s eyes as much as possible. Estrella was young, barely seven years old and she didn¡¯t understand fully what was going on but she trusted her brother and fought to get on her feet. The sight would have driven tears to my eyes if my exhausted body had still been able to spare liquids. I focused on Estrella¡¯s eyes and even managed to grab her hand as we were roughly shoved towards the ropes, one of the assholes even stepped on my tail. Greybeard was talking but I didn¡¯t care, it didn¡¯t concern me anymore. I concentrated on the warmth of her small hand in mine while calloused hands jammed the nooses over our necks. Estrella started to cry and I wanted to comfort her, but my dry throat couldn¡¯t produce much in the sense of words anymore. I squeezed her hand, it would be over soon. I tried to breathe in her scent, cinnamon and vanilla, but I couldn¡¯t make it out. Something else crowded out every other fragrance, ozone, thick and heavy like I had never smelled before, gathered around us. Even the crippled noses of the humans picked it up, the hands around my neck slipping when the smell hit their owner. I immediately tried to focus on my surroundings, that treacherous spark of hope igniting within my chest. The assembled officers were shuffling on their feet, nervously looking around while Greybeard barked for his mage pet to come on deck. A deafening thunder clap drowned out his words and a flash of blinding light completely disorientated me and threw me on the ground. When my vision cleared a moment later, I couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Two figures had appeared on deck, one between the chained kitsune and the officers, four wings made of fire flared out behind her and covered the cowering children, the other one directly besides me and my little sister. Torrents of silvery blue energy obscured my view, forming a barrier between my sister, me and the humans. I felt soft tails circle around my middle while I was drawn closer to the figure above us. The spark in my chest turned into a bonfire when I saw my sister, nearly completely covered with silvery tails and a melodic and feminine but crispy cold voice rang out above me: ¡°Enough!¡± I didn¡¯t see what had happened but Greybeard turned into a corpse riddled with smoking holes, silvery beams of light still piercing his body when he dropped on the deck with a look of terror on his face. ¡°You will pay for what you have done, every last one of you.¡± The voice above me had become quieter but the cold I felt when her words sounded across the ship made me feel like death incarnate had joined us and I was sure everyone aboard had understood her. It took every last ounce of courage I had left to look up into her eyes and then I had to smile for I would recognise her face everywhere, I had dreamed about it since I had seen her during her birthday not two weeks prior. Cassandra Pendragon, the princess of the third palace, had somehow become an adult since then but her silvery eyes and perfect features framed by a waterfall of raven black hair would forever be burned into my memory. The look on her beautiful face mirrored the one she had thrown at the monster that had challenged her maid in a duel before she had burned it to cinders and her wings whipped around the ship like living beings, snapping for the humans on board. No weapon was in her hand but I didn¡¯t think for a second that she would need one. The anger and fury that rolled off of her in waves made me tremble and it wasn¡¯t even directed at me. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Through a gap in the wall of tails that encircled her my sister beamed at me with the first real smile I had seen on her face since we had been abducted and I couldn¡¯t help it, I had to smile back. We weren¡¯t save, far from it, but for someone who had thought he would be dead by now I felt very much alive and giddy. I couldn¡¯t keep still and when Cassandra had moved me behind her I started to wiggle to get out of the fluffy embrace but when my eyes roamed up her legs and over her sculpted curves, fear rose once again. Her black shirt was smoking around the roots of her wings and I could see angry red lines carved deeply into the skin on her back where the cloth had burned away. It looked like she had been whipped with branding irons. I stilled immediately and involuntarily tried to extricate one of my hands form her tails to touch the wounds but she squeezed me lightly and I slumped back down, my eyes taking in the rest of the scene for the first time, so focused had I been on my princess. Chaos was putting it mildly. Dark smoke was rising from fires that were spreading along the sails and the ship tilted to the side slowly. Within an area of maybe 30 meters around us, corpses with smoking holes in them littered the deck while Cassandra¡¯s wings still slithered through the air and latched onto every human within range that was still breathing. I watched breathlessly as she caught one and my stomach threatened to spill its contents all over the planks when I saw her wings easily pierce completely through the bastard and nail him to the deck. He didn¡¯t even have a chance to scream. The more intelligent bunch of the lot had quickly gotten out of her range and we¡¯re aiming bows and crossbows at her, shooting as fast as they could. Cassandra remained stock still, eyes closed, her wings deflected and burned the projectiles that hurtled towards her and the line of my still chained friends. I was dazed, the display of light and violence around me nearly threw me into a stupor but I hung on, I wanted to know what was going on and to help if I had the slightest chance. Speaking of help, where had the one with the fiery wings gone? I frantically look around but I couldn¡¯t find her until a streak of fire blew another hole through the sails, small flames hungrily devouring more and more material along the tear, and crashed into one of the humans who had been fiddling with an extraordinarily heavy crossbow covered in ominously glowing runes. With a strangled cry he went overboard, still clutching his weapon closely to his chest where a gigantic gash showed his insides. It wasn¡¯t bleeding, the wound was black and even the bone of the ribs had turned into coal. A red streak of scorching flames continued on and when the next in line crumbled, his head falling to the right while his body tumbled to the left, I could finally discern the figure within the fire. It was another kitsune, Cassandra¡¯s maid I thought, with two sets of burning wings on her back. Her white tails slashed out behind her as she quickly darted from one to the other and used her wings to kill or maim them to the point they wouldn¡¯t pose a threat anymore. Her grace and speed were astounding and if it wasn¡¯t for my kitsune senses I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make out her silhouette behind her flaming wings. Within the blink of an eye she had incapacitated 4 humans and a fifth was already sinking to the ground, his intestines escaping his body through a cauterised wound on his abdomen. A jump and a beat of her wings brought her between two others and with a pirouette she sliced them neatly in half. Faster than I would have thought possible, each one of our captors who hadn¡¯t had the foresight to flee below deck immediately after Greybeard had been turned into a pincushion was dead or dying, over 15 bodies laid on the planks and I had no clue how many Ahri had thrown off the rigging and into the abyss, not 2 minutes after I had first smelled ozone. Silence fell, interrupted only by the creaking sounds of the still open door that lead below and the hurried footsteps behind it. The stench of excrements was overwhelming. A cheer went up, first it was just one lonely voice but soon everyone who had the strength left joined in as we celebrated the end of our tormentors. From the corner of my eye I saw Cassandra nod in Ahri¡¯s direction and while her tails uncoiled themselves from my sister and me, Ahri quickly strode towards the door and vanished into the depths of the ship. With a quick glance Cassandra made sure that my sister, who stubbornly clung to one of her tails and wouldn¡¯t let go, and me weren¡¯t hurt and turned towards the line of children, her wings fanning out behind her. My friends looked up at her with the same amazement in their eyes that I had felt when I had first seen her. Cassandra Pendragon I was hurt, not nearly as bad as I had been before but it still sucked and to make matters worse I couldn¡¯t use my energy to push my regeneration, every time I sent a trickle of my power into my back the burns became worse instead of healing. No matter, for now all I had to do was keep an eye on the kids, Ahri would take care of the rest. I wasn¡¯t sure how she had gotten here but all in all I guessed that the tattoo linked us in more ways than I had thought. I wasn¡¯t going to complain, I had no clue what I would have done if I had been alone. I couldn¡¯t have protected the children and simultaneously hunted down the humans, I would have been sitting ducks until one of them would have managed to hit me with something. Reckless, I had been reckless, but then again, I was getting used to it and I wouldn¡¯t have changed a thing even if I had known that Ahri wouldn¡¯t have been able to come along. I didn¡¯t know what that said about my intellect but I was who I was. The two kids at my feet, a boy of maybe 12 summers and a girl of no more than 7, were unhurt but the girl kept her tiny arms wrapped around one of my tails without any intention of letting go. I smiled at her and ruffled her hair, not minding her touch overly much. Her brother, I assumed, was struggling to his feet, white like a parchment but otherwise fine. My eyes travelled over the other captives, searching for injuries, while I slung more and more of my wings around the chains that kept them bound until I could pry them apart easily. I didn¡¯t want to try strengthening them, afraid of the pain I was sure I would have to suffer if I channeled energy into my wings now. When the first strangled cry from below deck reached my ears, the remains of the chain dropped onto the planks, I carefully helped the kids stand with my wings and said: ¡°I am so sorry for what you had to go through but I promise, your days as prisoners and goods are over. Whatever the future brings, I swear I¡¯ll protect you with everything in my power for as long as I breath.¡± Faint silvery light pulsed out over the children and I felt the smallest trace of my energy binding to me and to the promise I just made. Had I formed a transcendent pact? That shouldn¡¯t be possible but yet, there were the words, circling around my core, as real as the chains that still clung to my soul as a reminder of what I had promised Mephisto. ¡°Thank you,¡± a small voice came from my side and I saw the boy I had saved stiffly bow from the waist. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± His words seemed to break a dam and the others started speaking all at the same time: ¡°Thank you! Do you know what happened to our families? Thank you! Who are you? Have you seen my mother? Can we go home now? Where are we? Why did they take us? What are you?¡± Before I had time to even answer a single question an explosion rocked the ship and I could feel it fall downwards several meters before it regained its buoyancy. 54. Of slaughter, pressure and a little bit of dragons Cassandra Pendragon That couldn¡¯t be good. With a quick glance I made sure that all of the kids were still there, most of them had fallen on the ground, they were a little rattled but otherwise unhurt. The sudden lurch had shut them up, though and they were all pale as corpses, their eyes frantically roaming across the deck and towards the masts. Large parts of the sails had caught fire but I was relatively certain that they wouldn¡¯t come down, yet. Nobody else was moving, or groaning for that matter, the humans we had only wounded had died in the meantime, good riddance. I turned to the boy who still stood by my side and pried his little sister form my tail. ¡°Hey, uhh¡­ I need your help. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Archimedes, or Archy. Sure, anything.¡± I was impressed, his voice was maybe a little higher than it should be, but it wasn¡¯t trembling and he was much more composed than I had expected. ¡°I¡¯m Cassie, can you look after your sister and the others for me? I have to go see what happened and help my friend. If anyone moves or comes up the stairs or if the masts catch fire, scream as loudly as you can, all of you. I¡¯ll be by your side immediately. Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°Of course and thank you again for coming after us. I¡­ I had lost hope before you appeared.¡± I stroked his cheek gently but didn¡¯t say a word. I couldn¡¯t tell him that it was okay, to lose hope, to give up wasn¡¯t something I was able to accept but I wouldn¡¯t chastise a frightened child. Maybe I¡¯d have the chance to talk to him later. With a gentle shove I finally extricated his sister from my tails and changed my vision. The deck was again painted in silver and with a thought I appeared in the doorway, my wings slithering down and along the wood while I was forced to bend over as a wave of liquid fire raced around the roots of my wings. My heart beat like a drum, I got the message, teleportation was a little too much of a strain in my current condition. Grasping the wooden doorframe I rightened myself, brushed the sweat from my brow and concentrated on my second vision. I didn¡¯t want to risk more flames and heat, so I didn¡¯t push my wings straight through the walls or stairs. Bit by bit images flooded my mind and together with the sounds that reached my ears from two floors below and the fresh smell of blood I had a good idea of what was going on. I could only ¡°see¡± maybe a good third of the ship, it had a similar layout to the dwarven one but was much sleeker. The floor below me contained a couple of cabins in different sizes, the largest one, presumably the captain¡¯s was directly below me at the stern. The door had been kicked in and two bodies, one cleaved in half and the other with a still bleeding puncture wound in the chest stared into nothingness on the floor. Seemed like Ahri had found a blade. The corridor leading towards the bow was empty except for three more corpses, all of which had deep, burned out wounds all over them. One was even decapitated, but not a single drop of blood oozed from the blackened remains. The next level consisted of a series of cells and vaults, the ones I could reach with my wings were empty but the cells showed signs that they had been in use. I was glad that my secondary vision didn¡¯t transfer smells, otherwise I was pretty sure I¡¯d be fighting to keep my breakfast down. Imprisonment and hygiene were mutually excluding, especially if the wardens only cared for undamaged goods and not the comfort of their prisoners. At least the kids hadn¡¯t been mutilated or raped, after I had seen them in person I was sure of it. It appeared more and more plausible that the humans had been trying to sell the children as slaves, but why would they kill two, then? Using them as an example to keep the others docile seemed unlikely, the were kids after all, with magic suppressing shackles around their wrists. Maybe we could keep one of them alive, if I was lucky there would even be some form of logbook or journal in the captain¡¯s cabin. I already started moving down the stairs while the images of the lowest floor entered my mind. The stairs ended in front of an oaken door, heavily reinforced with iron. The lock had been melted, burn marks covered the floor and splashes of metal had burned dark scars into the wood. Somehow Ahri had prevented the floor from catching fire but even through the haze of silver I perceived the dark smoke that filled the corridor. The crash of metal on metal rang out clearly from behind the door and easily reached my ears while I was still hurtling down the stairs two floors above. A moment later I could see a small guardroom behind the broken door where four humans were holding their own against Ahri while two of them bled out on the floor. Their blood made the ground slippery and with the help of her wings Ahri managed to slowly push the remaining four back. Her feet seldomly touched the ground while she appeared to dance before them in a beautiful display of fire and steel, her wings and her new rapier blurred through the air, interwoven in a deadly display of skill. Behind her opponents a second door, made completely from iron or maybe even steel probably led to the stone chamber. Maybe the merchants had even stored their most valuable possessions in there and converted the whole thing into a fortress within the ship, the separated guard room and two reinforced doors along the way pointed in that direction at least. While the images became clearer by the second, I saw a small hatch on the door open and before I had time to react, a bolt, glowing with a sickly green light that even retained its colour in the silvery shades of my second vision, shot towards Ahri. Without hesitation I pushed every wing I had in the room into its path, desperately trying to get a grip on it or at least change its trajectory. I managed neither but through sheer luck one of my wings slithered around Ahri and towards the bolt and got in between the two. The tip crashed into my wing with more force than I could have imagined. It didn¡¯t pierce but pushed me back and slammed into my love with enough power to knock down a small dragon. The enchantments on the bolt activated but fizzled out immediately against the pulsing torrent of energy, still in its way. Ahri was thrown backwards but in the moment of impact managed one stroke with her wings to get a little speed and dampen the crushing force.Before she crashed into the wall on the other side, warmth flooded through the tattoo on my chest and I heard a fluttering thought: ¡°run, they are trying to blow up the stone chamber!¡± I couldn¡¯t hear it but the vibration caused by her collision with the seasoned wood were transferred through my wings with enough force that I could imagine the sickening crunch well enough. Ahri¡¯s wings disappeared and she dropped to the ground like a puppet that had gotten its strings cut, blood ran down her forehead and trickled from her right ear. Cold raced along my spine and fear gnawed at my stomach. Run, she had said, but I feared that wouldn¡¯t be fast enough. Bracing myself for the pain that was to come I turned into silvery sparks midway down the first flight of stairs and disappeared. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The only reason I survived was a well time explosion form behind the steel door and the resulting drop of the ship that threw every guard in the room off balance. As soon as I arrived it felt like 33 branding irons were pressed into my back, carving a channel of pure agony from each of my wings to my spine. My vision turned black for a moment and I couldn¡¯t suppress a groan as the pain forced me to my knees. The humans whirled around immediately, they were well trained, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold Ahri off for even a second, and tried to finish me while I was kneeling, my wings flailing around uselessly. Two jumped forwards, sabres extended towards my chest and neck while the other two threw themselves at Ahri. But just then a loud pop made the steel door ring and the ship dropped another couple of meters. The coordinated attack of the soldiers became a hazardous stumble and of the four only one managed to land a glancing hit. Unfortunately his sabre still bit into my shoulder rather deeply and I felt my left arm go numb. The body is a funny little thing, usually only the most recent injury registers with the brain, crowding out the messenger substances for the others. My shoulder felt like an elephant was constantly pressing on it while molten lead was poured over my skin but my head was clear and my back didn¡¯t force me to the ground anymore. A wicked grin formed on my face while I slung four wings around the arms and legs of the humans as they were still fighting to regain their balance. I threw them to the ground easily and pierced the heart of every single one of them with another four of my wings. The world seemed to stand still for a moment as I felt my wings cut through more than flesh, all of their energies unraveling around the torrents of energy I had slammed into their hearts. With an excited shudder I pulled all of it into my wings. Bliss, unimaginable bliss spread through my body when I felt a soothing chill run down my spine and the wounds on my back disappeared while the humans withered away into husks of dried up leather and bones, their energy settling somewhere inside my core. Within seconds only skulls with empty eye sockets stared accusingly at me but my wounds were gone and I felt completely refreshed. I jumped to my feet smoothly and pushed more energy into my wings. Like silvery lightening they danced through the room before sinking into the reinforced steel door, easily cutting the refined metal. While I broke through and waited for images to fill my second vision I gently pulled Ahri into my arms. Most of my fear subsided when I felt her breath and heard the steady beat of her heart but I was pretty sure she had at least a couple of cracked ribs and probably a concussion. Best to leave her here, I still had some housecleaning to do. I gently lowered her back down and concentrated on my second vision. The room behind the steel door was in utter chaos. At least 15 more humans were running around, most of them not clad in uniforms but highly elaborate robes with gems and precious metals woven into them. Only 5 were garbed more practically, sporting the same colours and clothes as the ones we had killed before. They had sabres at their sides and were in the process of drawing them, the monstrous crossbow that had caused so much trouble had been discarded when my wings had sliced through the door. The rest of the humans were going through a bunch of open crates quickly, their panicked faces and the sweat on their brows clearly showing their fear. They were picking up artefacts, stuffing rings on their hands and necklaces over their chubby necks. We couldn¡¯t have that now, could we? Instead of slicing through the door completely I ported into the room, directly behind one of the sweaty merchants and broke his neck with a satisfying crack. He immediately went limp and dropped to the floor since I wasn¡¯t there anymore to keep him upright. ¡°What the fu¡­?¡± One of the soldiers never got to finish his sentence as I pierced him with 2 of my wings while I appeared in the middle of the room. I was tempted to utter a snappy line, something like: now you¡¯re being judged and you¡¯re all found wanting, but I had no intentions of giving them enough time to actually attack me. I pumped even more energy into my wings and channelled some into my mind and eyes as well before I went to work. With a graceful turn I flared my wings out all over the room and at least one came to rest around the unprotected neck of every human. With my enhanced perception I could see the look of surprise and fear on their faces slowly shift into terror and despair before I spun around completely. Several artefacts flared and went out the same instant as their owners lost their heads. For a split second they remained in the same position, as if they had been frozen, before the heads dropped and the bodies hit the ground. Blood flowed freely and pooled along the corpses, already forming a small lake where several streams came together. I didn¡¯t feel bad for them in the slightest. Another explosion rocked the ship, this time much closer. Three doors led away from the room, two of them led to the furnaces judging from the heat that welled up around them. The explosion had come from behind the last one, straight across the room from the steel door. Like a stone from a sling I shot across the room, I used my wings to push and pull, my tails provided the necessary balance. When I sliced through the wooden door and pushed into the corridor beyond I heard the ringing scream of children, the panic in the voices made my fox ears twitch and turn. Fuck! I had promised to come immediately but if I went back on deck now and they managed to destroy the stone we would most likely all die. I froze for the fracture of a second torn between two directions but there really only was one option. Uttering a quick curse or maybe prayer to everyone who would listen I fervently hoped that the kids would be fine for a moment longer and rushed down the corridor as fast as my wings would carry me. The passage led directly into another chamber witch expanded upwards, covering all three floors. Close to the deck, maybe 15 meters above me, a black stone with lilac inclusions, about 2 meters in diameter, was safely set into clasps of steel under an iron dome. Two chimneys funnels the heat from the furnaces directly into the structure and brought the stone to the required temperature. Metal rods and crossbars covered most of the room and the walls were reinforced to guarantee its structural integrity. Several glowing stones, the likes of which I had seen on the dwarven vessel, provided enough light for repairs. The heat was immense and it felt like it was actively sucking moisture from my skin. In the centre of the chamber, directly below the stone another robed human stood, his arms extended towards the ceiling and a continuous stream of red light shot up from his hands. Where it hit the stone its surface was already melting and huge cracks had formed all across, glowing in the same lilac light as the inclusions. Without thinking I simply smothered the mage with my wings, nullifying his magic and tearing his body to shreds. A wet squishing sound accompanied his bloody limbs hitting the floor. Hopefully the damage wasn¡¯t too severe and the stone would survive a little longer but I didn¡¯t have the time to make sure, I had to get back on deck. My urgency was underlined by an ominous thunder from above, as if something unbelievably heavy had hit the deck. With a thought I blinked back to Ahri¡¯s side and scooped her into my arms. Her head rolled from left to right and I had to use two of my tails to keep her still. Unfortunately I hadn¡¯t kept my connection to the upper floors, so I was forced to use the stairs all the while straining my ears to pick up the sounds from above. The high pitched scream was still continuing, even louder than before, but now I also made out a rumbling sound that reminded me of grinding rocks, the distinct splintering of wooden planks and the heavy smell of smoke mixed with burning metal entered my nostrils. It hadn¡¯t been 10 seconds since I had first heard the children cry out when I blazed through the door and back on deck, Ahri in my arms and my wings dancing through the air around me. The scene that greeted me neatly froze me in place. A golden fucking dragon was smiling down on me. 55. Of worries, healing and a little bit of cheating Cassandra Pendragon I felt like a deer caught in the headlights, my body froze and all I could do was stare into its eyes. Huge, glowing orbs of gold with pitch black slits in the middle fixed on me and with the sound of breaking planks it pushed itself up and flared out its wings. It was snake like, maybe 10 meters in length and covered with scales that shimmered like molten gold, every movement of the huge muscles underneath sent ripples of light along the deck. It didn¡¯t have a set of wings but rather a form of ruff that surrounded its neck and ran along its body on both sides. Directly behind the neck the ruff protruded maybe 4 meters out and became slimmer the further towards the tail it got. The last 3 meters of its body were said tail, sleek and agile like a huge golden whip. Its face was¡­ beautiful I couldn¡¯t describe it any other way. Predatory and alien for sure but also regal and elegant and I thought it had a feminine grace to its features. It had a protruding but rather slim snout and the tips of two fangs were barely visible under its lip. The nostrils shimmered with a golden glow from within and miniature tentacles formed a frill on the underside of its jaw. Atop its head 12 golden horns formed a ring or rather a crown and I could see specks of golden light lazily travelling from one horn to the other. It sniffed the air and the sound brought the rest of my surroundings rushing back along with the immediate desire to move as fast as I possibly could. But I remained still. The deck was in shambles, small patches of the burned sails littered the planks and cracked boards and splintered wood showed where the dragon had landed and moved. The children were huddled together around one of the masts, the boy I had put in charge before standing between them and the golden predator. But that wasn¡¯t what kept me in place, they were far enough away from the dragon that I could easily reach it before it got close to the kids. No, what made me hesitate was the overwhelming smell of blood mixed with molten gold. A sickly sweet but very faint undertone nearly made me gag. The dragon hadn¡¯t been smiling but clenching its lips in pain and I saw several deep cuts across its body, most of them oozing a golden liquid but some were black at the edge as if a form of necrosis was setting in. It was the source of the smell and whatever it was, it was potent enough that my stomach clenched at the sick odour alone. Wherever the dragon¡¯s blood touched the wood of the deck, the planks started blackening and smoke curled into the air but the tainted drops ate through the wood immediately. The beast was hurt, severely, probably even poisoned and it eyed me and especially my wings warily. Carefully I moved my wings around my body, towards the children and away from the dragon and tried to rearrange my features into a less fight or flight like look. Without a warning a tremor ran along the length of the dragon¡¯s body and it fell back, cracking even more planks in the process, I was starting to worry about the integrity of the whole deck. A warm wind blew my hair back as the dragon gasped in pain, smelling of molten metal but underneath I could detect the sweet fragrance from before again. It curled in on itself and its flanks were starting to shiver. I didn¡¯t know what to do but with an apparent effort the creature turned its head towards me and its eyes, their glow had dimmed in the last seconds perceivably, fixed back on mine, as if they were searching for something familiar. Reflexively I sent energy into my eyes and a soft silver glow made its scales sparkle even more. The tattoo on my chest tingled for a moment before a young, female voice, soft and gentle like the first touches of spring fluttered through my mind, faint and trembling before it disappeared into the void of unconsciousness: Help me, please. Her tone and voice banished every thought of fighting or hurting her from my mind. The dragon¡¯s body relaxed and a golden haze of magic escaped her maw, covering her completely. Before I could react the shimmering cloud shrank in size and dispersed, leaving behind a naked girl, maybe 10 or 12 summers old with golden hair and porcelain skin. Her body was still covered in wounds and some of them retained their ugly colouration. I didn¡¯t bother walking and with a thought I appeared next to her. Gently I lowered Ahri to her side and turned towards the children, their mouths hung open in amazement which had effectively stopped their wailing. ¡°Any one of you know some form of healing? Magical or mundane, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± They looked at each other for a moment and I already started to fear that I would have to rely solely on my less than perfect knowledge before the boy, Archy, I think, stepped forwards. ¡°One of my mentors was a healer and I know one or two spells that might help. I¡¯d be willing to try, if you wanted me to. Are you sure she won¡¯t eat us if she wakes up?¡± My tension drained slightly and I had to smile. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied. I was more worried about how she had gotten in this state and if she had a pair of overprotective parents. I wasn¡¯t an expert on dragons but I was relatively sure that the age of the girl before me would mirror the age of her dragon form. She appeared delicate and fragile, now. ¡°But just to make sure I won¡¯t leave your side.¡± That did the trick and he approached us. I crouched down and caressed Ahri¡¯s cheek. ¡°Could you look after my friend as well? She hit her back and head hard, I think she has a few broken ribs and a concussion.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± He kneeled down beside me and took the dragon girl¡¯s hand into his own. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks when he couldn¡¯t stop his eyes from roaming across her curves and I pinched his side. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ sorry.¡± He closed his eyes and started to chant. I was tempted to watch, healing was the thing I wanted to learn the most but first I had to organise my new army. My rather short, underfed, dirty, frightened and undeniably young army. I got back up and motioned for the rest of them to come over. Their eyes were still full of concern but when the little girl from before squealed and rushed me to bury herself in one of my tails they took heart and shuffled over. At first I wanted to push the girl away but then again, she was a child and I didn¡¯t think Ahri would mind so I allowed her to grab onto one of my tails and hold onto it like it was a fluffy teddy bear. ¡°I know you must have a million questions and I promise I¡¯ll answer each one of them as soon as we have the chance but right now I need all of you to do as I say.¡± Again I felt my energy stir as another promise started to swirl around my core. I had to be careful or I soon wouldn¡¯t be able to move without breaking an oath. The sensation made me shiver for a moment but I managed to hide it and smoothly continue: ¡°my name is Cassandra Pendragon and I¡¯m here to help. Your captors are dead but one of them hit the flying stone with a spell before I could stop him. The ship is heavily damaged and we need to find a spot to land as fast as possible. I think there might be something like maps or maybe books with charted courses in some of the cabins but I can¡¯t leave the deck right now. I need you to quickly check the captain¡¯s cabin below and the vaults besides your former cells for any thing we could use. It would be great if two of you could also go down to the lowest floor. Just stay outside the first door and make a lot of noise if you hear any form of sound from behind. Now, I know that some of you are too weak to do much so can you please raise your hand if your willing and able to help?¡± I was surprised how quickly most of the older children volunteered. A round dozen of them was willing to do as I asked, I would have judged them the oldest of the bunch, which suited me just fine. They were going to see more than just one corpse. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s really brave of you. If anything, and I mean even the smallest problem comes up, you scream, as loudly as you can. Is that understood?¡± They nodded and I thought I saw a glimmer of determination in their eyes. ¡°Good. Then go, if you¡¯re not back within ten minutes I¡¯ll come looking for you, sooner if can manage.¡± A rather tall girl with red hair and a cute red tail with a white tip nodded again and turned towards the others, shooing them along. ¡°Let¡¯s go guys, the faster we are, the faster we can be back. We¡¯ll bring some food along, if we find any,¡± she added. Damn, I had forgotten that they probably hadn¡¯t eaten their fill in a couple of days. ¡°Thanks I forgot that, ¡­¡± I said, hoping she would provide a name. ¡°Reia, I¡¯m Reia,¡± she turned back to me. ¡°And thank you for what you did. I hope that I can repay you one day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± but she had already left me and was heading towards the door, her tail wagging from left to right as she was excitedly spurring the others on. I was really starting to like her. Most of the children were still with me and I didn¡¯t have the time to give them the attention they deserved so I decided to keep them busy. ¡°Now, can the rest of you patrol the deck and watch the skies? Those of you who know one another are welcome to stick together but it would be best if you could cover every direction, I don¡¯t need any more surprises and our guest might have more trouble following on her heel. I¡¯ll stay here, just call me if you see something.¡± Judging from the teary and dazed eyes that stared at me it probably wasn¡¯t the best idea but I just needed them out of my tails for a few minutes until I¡¯d know what was wrong with Ahri and the dragon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± I stopped myself from adding I promise just in time. ¡°If you want, you can also stay with me, but I really need you to keep an eye on the sky. Is that alright?¡± Hesitantly they nodded and a few groups of two or three broke off and walked across the deck, but they never strayed too far and one of them always kept an eye on me. Most of the kids slumped to the ground where they were but they didn¡¯t close their eyes. They remained vigilant and did what I had asked them to. A tug on my tail prompted me to look down and I saw the little girl motioning for me to come closer. I kneeled again and a sweet childish voice whispered into my ear, it somehow reminded me of the telepathic contact I had had with the dragon girl. ¡°My brother says he cured the kitsune, she should wake up any minute but the dragon is another matter. He doesn¡¯t dare to stop his magic, he says it¡¯s a wonder she managed to hang on for as long as she did.¡± Tears trickled into the fur around my ears and her voice started to tremble. ¡°The poison has a magical component that¡¯s attacking her life force, but he doesn¡¯t know how. He says if you can¡¯t help her, she¡¯ll die within the hour, no matter what he does.¡± The way she was relaying what her brother thought made me suspect that she was a telepath which would also explain why she was crying for a predator the other kids had feared. She had probably had the chance to see her mind. It would also explain why it was the first time I had heard her talk and why she used her voice to speak to me, my immunities probably made me invisible to her mind. I curled another tail around her and squeezed her tightly. ¡°Then let¡¯s see what we can do, shall we?¡± My gaze travelled over the two women at my feet, Ahri had regained her colour and appeared to be sleeping. I exhaled and suddenly felt a lot more optimistic. I breathed a kiss on her forehead before I focused on the girl beside her. She was stunning, her graceful features and radiant colours made her remarkable but her skin was covered with a sweet smelling sweat and she shivered slightly. The wounds on her body had closed except for the ones that showed that nasty black along the edges, they appeared just as raw as before. Archy was even paler than her and he was drenched, his face drawn into a mask of concentration while chants left his lips faster than I could follow. I wasn¡¯t sure but I thought he appeared thinner, emaciated. An hour ago I would have been completely clueless on what I could do to help if I had been thrust into a similar situation but now I had an idea. Admittedly it was a desperate and possibly lethal idea but with a lot of luck it might just work. I knew I could feel the energy within a person and destroy or even absorb it. It wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch to assume I could meddle with her life force and maybe, just maybe get a hold of the magical component of the poison. If I fucked up, I would most likely kill her outright. If I did nothing, she would die for sure, though¡­ with everything that had already happened I couldn¡¯t stop myself from wondering just how much better my day was going to get from here. Hesitation surely wouldn¡¯t help so I gently placed one of my wings above the girl¡¯s heart while I wrapped four more around her limbs as carefully as I could. I didn¡¯t need to but I closed my eyes anyways when I focused on my second sight and the radiant life in front of me. She shone brightly, not as brightly as Ahri but in a different colour. Nearly everything was silver in here but Ahri¡¯s wings retained their fiery red and her core pushed energy through her veins, shining like flames. This girl had a subdued shimmer of gold around her and I could see the outline of a dragon formed by the edges of that aura. Streaks of black ran through her body and converged towards her heart where a gemlike formation of golden energy slowly pulsed, one black spot already anchored deep within. For the first time in a long while information flooded my mind. I was looking at her carbuncle, the seat of every dragon¡¯s soul, life and mana. Evolution or their sheer prowess had crystallised their very essence into something physical, a gemstone that contained all of their energy, pretty similar to my core, now that I thought about it. They couldn¡¯t form or control transcendent energies but everything else came to them as easily as breathing, fuelled by the nearly inexhaustible fountain of magic in their chests. The older a dragon was, the larger its carbuncle would become and the more energy would be stored within until they became an almost unstoppable force. I knew that a dragon¡¯s colour determined how fast the carbuncle grew and added some innate talents to the mix but I didn¡¯t have any specifics. But I didn¡¯t need them for what I was about to try, the only question that mattered right now was if I could pierce her carbuncle and reach the poison without shattering the whole thing. Yet again I ushered a prayer to no one in particular before I moved more wings around her body to hover one over every streak of black and gently pushed the tips through her skin. Immediately my vision collapsed into motes of golden light that formed a whirlwind of shapes and complex structures around me before they vanished again into the unending dance of sparks. I could feel them, trying to change me, to make me a part of them but they were repelled like a fly bouncing of a fortress wall and my perception changed back to what I was used to. Now my wings were inside her body, her energy curling around them without so much as touching them even once. Reaching the poison wasn¡¯t difficult from there and it felt natural to draw it out of her and into me. I felt a mildly tingling sensation when it raced through my wings and towards my core but nothing happened and the dragon¡¯s energies appeared cleansed to my vision, except for her carbuncle, I hadn¡¯t managed to work up the courage to plunge a wing into it, but I couldn¡¯t stall any longer. It was easy, much too easy. With nothing more than a touch my wing pierced the conflux of energies and slithered towards the black spot, effortlessly absorbing it. The problems arose when I tried to extricate myself from the centre of her being. I had cut a hole into her walls and as soon as I removed my wing I could feel her essence bleeding out. I pushed my wing back in to smother the stream of energy but that was a temporary fix, at best. Somehow I had to close the wound. Well, if I could take I should also be able to give. With all of my might I tried to push some of my energy to the very edge of my wing, imagining it to slowly bleed into her. I knew I couldn¡¯t control it outside of my body, not yet anyways, but maybe she could use it if I somehow managed to shove it out of my sphere of influence. 56. Of pasts, escapes and a little bit of familiarity Viyara Nameless Fear leads to desperation and desperation engenders defiance. If you have nothing left, you¡¯ll either crash and burn or you¡¯ll find the courage to do what you thought impossible and I certainly tried. I was a trophy, captured and stolen from the remains of my home, my family, my friends. My father had been an ancient Gold Dragon, well over 30 centuries old. Dragons are possessive, compulsively so. Over his long life he had collected everything that had sparked his fancy, from jewels, artefacts and precious metals to beautiful women and a menagerie of exotic semi-sentient beasts. The crown of his hoard was an elven princess he had taken as his first wife when he had been a mere 1000 years old. I imagined their first decades hadn¡¯t been the easiest but over time they fell in love and she stayed with him until the very end. I was their only child. As one might imagine, unions between dragons and other sentients usually didn¡¯t produce offspring, dragons had to shapeshifter to be with the smaller races and they couldn¡¯t sire or receive children in a changed form, their magic was attuned to their eggs. It had taken my father the better part of 1500 years to find a solution and another 500 to actually make it happen. He had modified his body and magic with countless rituals and spells until my mother became pregnant and I was born, despite his harem I remained his only child, he couldn¡¯t even father more with his dragon brides, the changes to his physiology had been too severe. His meddling had produced something different, I was neither elf nor dragon, but both. My carbuncle didn¡¯t contain my energies, instead it housed a second me of sorts. I could change into a humanoid or dragon form from the moment I had been born but both of them were real, I had two bodies, two lives, two souls, I was unique and that had to be kept a secret unless we were willing to risk the greed and envy of my draconic relatives. And for over a decade my family managed to pass me off as another dragon, born from my father¡¯s second wife, a brilliant and lively red dragoness. My first years had been very sheltered, my father, his five wives and a bunch of servants¡­ slaves if I¡¯m honest, they were treated well but my father always regarded them as possessions and far below a dragon, lived on a small island, far to the south. An active volcano rose from the sea and with time we had excavated a small city within the crater. Enchantments allowed for the less fire resistant races to exist and immaculately designed runes provided fresh air and water. Our caves were filled with light from precious gems turned into lanterns and the eternal dance of flames where magma ran through our home in enchanted trenches. The exterior slopes where lush and verdant, the rich volcanic soil provided nutrients for all forms of plants and with gentle care and foresight my father¡¯s slaves had turned them into a veritable paradise filled with sweet smells, bright colours and the sounds of a myriad of different animals. I loved my home and my family, I was happy there and admittedly spoiled. As an only child with 5 caring mothers, one of them an elven princess, three fierce dragonesses and a dryad whose tree and plant magic kept most of our garden alive there wasn¡¯t much I wouldn¡¯t get once I wished for it. Add a doting father to the mix who overcompensated for having only a single child and there wasn¡¯t much I wasn¡¯t allowed to do. It all changed when my father brought home his 6th bride, a beautiful dark nymph named Alessa. He had been gone for months and when he had returned, the fresh scars on his body slowly healing, he had carried her along on his back, a place of honour reserved for his closest family. A great feast had been held, celebrating his return and the newest addition to our little community. My father had narrated his adventures and how he had come across an old rival of his, a black dragon by the name of Galathon who had been on his way back to his hoard, a dark nymph clutched in his paw. Her beauty had entranced my father and given their history he had been more then willing to fight Galathon for his prize. Their fight had been swift and brutal but in the end my father had carried away Alessa and his foe had been forced to flee with clipped wings and his tail between his legs. At first he simply wanted to possess her but during their journey they had come to know and love one another and she had pledged to become his wife. Their story had been the epitome of draconic romance and we were thrilled to have her with us. We couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. The next weeks were pleasant, I got to know Alessa better and she appeared sweet, maybe even a little naive from time to time but I enjoyed her company and loved our little chats while I showed her around our home. We grew close quickly and I soon regarded her as something like a sister, I even shared my secret with her. She didn¡¯t keep up her act much longer. The next celebration was the wedding day of my father and my biological mother, they had taken up the tradition a couple of centuries ago. It was a beautiful evening and the food was delicious, music from enchanted instruments filled the night and when the stars appeared above Alessa told us a story. She spoke of a maid from a faraway land, captured by a dragon. We expected her to narrate her first meeting with my father but her story took a different, darker turn. In her story, the dragon was cruel and selfish but her life was tolerable as long as she complied with every order the dragon would give. She survived and clung to a slowly fading hope that one day she might be free again. And the chance presented itself in the form of a bet. Her freedom would be bought with the blood, heart and secrets of the dragon¡¯s greatest enemy, a Gold Dragon that he couldn¡¯t hope to match in prowess but that might be brought low through his own desires. Her last words rang out loudly: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you don¡¯t deserve this. Sanguis preces!¡± My blood was on fire and I immediately collapsed, muscles twitching without a trace of control over my body. My eyes were unfocused but through the haze of pain I could still see my father collapsing, bloody foam splattered around his maw. The earth shook when his massive head crashed into the remains of the fire pit. My mothers didn¡¯t hesitate and threw themselves at Alessa, fangs, claws and magic threatened to tear her apart but she didn¡¯t seem fazed, pity was the only emotion on her face. A terrifying roar, similar to my father¡¯s but somehow colder, more cruel shook the night sky and while my mothers were repelled by a black veil of magic that suddenly flickered into existence around Alessa a huge shadow descended, the stars vanishing behind. Cold and dread clawed at my heart while a voice like frozen steel stormed through my mind: ¡°you have served your purpose, I don¡¯t need you anymore.¡± Alessa¡¯s shield winked out and before she could comprehend what was happening the ivory teeth of my mother turned her into a bloody pulp. Laughter echoed across our volcano and the ground shook when a fully grown, black male, at least 50 meters long landed in our midst. ¡°Now you have a choice: Serve or die!¡± His telepathic voice felt like daggers were drawn across my mind. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Before he could finish my mothers had already jumped him without regard for their own safety and he slaughtered them before my eyes, like a child that gleefully pulled the limbs from an insect. I couldn¡¯t turn away, couldn¡¯t avert my gaze and the image of his expanding throat when my mother went screaming down his gullet would haunt me for years to come. His laughter when he tore the carbuncle from one of their chests and ground it to dust would stay with me for the rest of my life. His satisfied smirked when he tore into my fathers body would have me wake up in a cold sweat in the foreseeable future. The smell of blood and smoke when he torched our home and devoured everything around scarred me deeply and the feeling of decay and despair when he picked me up like a sack of gold finally pushed me into unconsciousness while fire still raged through my veins. I came to much faster than I had expected. I was still squashed in one of his claws and the sky had changed into the deep blue of midday but I was pretty sure we hadn¡¯t gone too far, the air smelled similar to home, maybe a little less¡­ rich. The abundant fragrances of exotic plants and the heavy presence of energies dragons produced over the years were missing. I could feel mana surge around us, channeled into a spell of camouflage and my captor was napping on the wing, his regular breathing and the low rumbling of his fire gave him away. I still felt sick, weak, but the agony that had ravaged me before was gone, only a faint pressure in my carbuncle and a lingering¡­ presence in my veins remained, but I was alone. For the first time in my life I was truly and utterly alone and in the hands of a maniac that had slaughtered my whole family. Tears came to my eyes and my vision swam. Grief welled up but was instantly smothered by a wave of dread as I imagined what my future might be like. A future without my parents and friends. My throat constricted and for an eternity I oscillated between fear for what the future might bring and regret of what the past had wrought until I felt empty and broken, like a damaged doll on the curb. I wanted to give up, to just die but that thought sparked another. What did I have left to lose? If my future had to be hell, I¡¯d at least chose how I¡¯d get there. I would escape or die trying. I wasn¡¯t anywhere near proficient with any from of magic but I knew a trick or two. First I used the smallest tendril of my life force to deepen the Black¡¯s sleep and relax his strained muscles. I wove a net of mana in front of his eyes and ears, it would shatter before him the moment he¡¯d notice but it might give me a little time. Lastly I formed a spike with every last drop of energy I could spare and drove it into the small mountain of muscles that held me tight while I simultaneously changed into my human form. Huge drops of seething blood welled up from the fist sized hole I had punched through his scales and the camouflage spell wavered for a moment. He woke up startled but he didn¡¯t roar. Instead he immediately clutched his paw closer to his body but I was already gone. My smaller body had easily slipped through his massive talons, but not without sustaining deep cuts from the razor sharp edges and I was falling towards the unending blues and greens of the sea below, the rushing wind a constant noise in my ears. I waited until the last moment before I changed back and fought to pull myself out of the dive. My strained body protested but through sheer stubbornness I managed to ignore the pain in my back and sides. My claws skimmed through the waves before I could rise again but with a last effort I spiralled back up into the sky. Frantically I searched for the black behemoth but the sky remained clear, not so much as a shadow marred the horizons. Had I lost him? It certainly appeared that way. I sighed and released the breath I hadn¡¯t realised I had been holding in. My heartbeat slowed down a notch and while I still kept a vigilant eye on my surroundings I focused inwards. Now that the excitement of the moment had passed, I again felt weak and I missed the energy I had spent sorely. From what I could tell my shifting hadn¡¯t changed my condition, I could still feel something alien within but it appeared dormant now and a sort of pressure still weighted onto my carbuncle. And then a mental scream shook me from my contemplation and spiked through my mind like an icy spear: ¡°sanguis preces!¡± Instantly the pressure I felt became nearly unbearable and pain ignited within my veins again. It was nothing compared to last night, as if a crucial part of whatever it was had been destroyed since then, but it still sent me tumbling through the air before I could righten myself and regain hight. With every passing second the wrongness I felt grew and I knew I didn¡¯t have much time. I needed help, quickly. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t know where I was or which direction I should head in, all I could do was guess and gamble with everything I had left. I closed my eyes and allowed the winds to carry me by themselves for a moment. My body turned slightly while the airstreams carried me along and when I opened my eyes again I was facing south east. Without further hesitation I glided through the air, helping along with slithering movement of my serpentine body and winglike ruff. I had no clue how long I would last but I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t stop until I dropped from the sky. I conserved as much strength as I could and allowed my mind to drift off and push the pain away. Screams brought me back to reality. I was spent, I wasn¡¯t exhausted, I was on the verge of losing consciousness. My whole body felt like it was torn apart from within and my muscles protest with the smallest movement but what I saw revitalised my dazed mind with a surge of hope. In front of me a damaged air ship sailed through the sky, most of its sails had been burned away and flames still danced along parts of the rigging but it was flying and it was close. As I approached clumsily I saw a group of small humanoids aboard, pale and agitated they pointed in my direction and screamed at the top of their lungs but right now I couldn¡¯t be bothered. It took everything I had left to head for an unoccupied part of the deck where I crashed down, dazed and panting. The screaming intensified and a shudder ran through the vessel as we dropped a couple of meters. Had I done that? I didn¡¯t know and I felt my mind wandering while I tried to focus on whoever was making such a ruckus. Right, small humanoids. I should ask them if they knew a thing or two about poisons or curses. But before I could open my mouth the damaged door that led below deck burst open and I recoiled reflexively from what came through. In a blaze of silvery energy another two legged creature stormed on deck torrents of light slithering around and behind her. In her arms she carried another one and when she saw me she froze. I stared down at her and the energy that curled around her, I felt¡­ threatened, like I had met a predator that could pounce on me at any moment. But she didn¡¯t, instead she gingerly pulled the one in her arms closer and directed her ¡­ wings? away from me. A soothing glow shone from her eyes. I did the only logical thing. Before the darkness that had hovered at the edge of my vision for hours claimed me I focused on her and whispered: Help me. Darkness came but before I collapsed on the deck I saw her face and somehow I felt safe. 57. Of connections, grief and a little distraction Cassandra Pendragon My energy danced along the edges of my wing, sparkling brightly. I strained and fought and with a final shove I pushed a tiny mote of silvery light into her. Her carbuncle sealed instantly, silver and gold mixing in an iridescent fountain of magic while she absorbed what I had offered. Blinding flashes of lightning crackled along her skin and I felt a growing pressure in the air like static electricity. I didn¡¯t want her to damage the ship even more, so I wrapped her tightly in my wings, pulled my tail away from the girl that still clung to it and soared into the sky. I kept her close and through the silvery veil I could see more and more energy circulating through her while the first physical changes manifested. Her hair became shot through with streaks of blue and silver, her skin kept its lustre but a distinct silvery sheen blinked from behind the gaps in the cocoon I had covered her with and a glowing mark appeared on her forehead, shining like a star in the night sky. It was only visible for the shortest amount of time before it melted back into her skin but I had seen it clearly, a stylised version of my wings, 16 to the left, 16 to the right and one below arranged in a tight V. Her eyes flew open, the dark slits within the puddle of gold had become silver as well and power radiated out. She opened her mouth and exhaled deeply, a silvery fog with sparks of gold left her mouth and was blown away by the wind. Her gaze fixed on me and the same sweet voice I had heard before sounded in my mind, faint but much more lively: ¡°thank you.¡± She closed her eyes again and I felt her relax into my wings, her tension simply vanished and I was sure the corners of her mouth curled into a small smile. Her fragile state and delicate appearance made we want to protect her, I felt a connection with the girl, born from the magic that now connected us or from something else I couldn¡¯t say. Hesitantly but carefully I heaved her up into my arms and studied her face closely for the first time. Large eyes with slanted eyebrows dominated her features and pointy ears poked through her long, wavy hair that now showed three different, interchanging colours. She had a small mouth but her smile allowed the point of a canine to slightly poke out. Her nose was slim and rather narrow, maybe even a little pointy but I thought it looked cute on her. When I slung my arms around her and her soft skin touched mine for the fist time, the mark on her forehead appeared again for the fracture of a second and I felt a tickle in the depth of my mind. A name, Viyara, suddenly fluttered through my thoughts. I could feel her, just within reach if I strained myself a little but her thoughts were empty, her consciousness sleeping except for a shaky feeling of hope that warmed my heart. I pulled her closer and slowly descended towards the ship and the gawking army of shorties. The deck had filled, Ahri was back on her feet, smiling at me while I headed for her and Reia and her group of pioneers had returned with a couple of bags, a pink crystal and some parchments. Most of the kids were chewing on something while they watched me and I could see one or the other head over to the bags and grab a couple of dried fruits or meat. Water hadn¡¯t been an issue since there were several huge barrels on deck, regularly filled when it rained. I landed as gently as possible to not wake my breathing burden and kissed Ahri¡¯s cheek. ¡°Are you still hurt?¡± I asked while I carefully lowered Viyara to the ground. She clung to my hand stubbornly and I had to use a little force to pry her fingers open. She mumble in her sleep and groped around for something to hold on to. With a sigh I straightened and brushed one of my tails along her arm until she grabbed it tightly and snuggled into the soft fur. Ahri was watching us with a faint smirk but when I looked up again she quickly kissed me and tried to hide her amusement. ¡°Just a little shaken but I¡¯m not injured anymore. What about you? Did you just tame a dragon?¡± I smiled at her. ¡°I wanted to surprise you with a tale of my heroics but if you already talked to the kids I¡¯d have to stick to the truth and that¡¯s not very exciting. I have no clue what happened, she appeared, was hurt and I tried to help her, maybe not in the most traditional way possible. She was cursed, I¡¯d say, and I cleansed her but I also damaged her carbuncle. To fix it I fed her some of my energy and she changed, a little.¡± ¡°Right, not exciting at all, just another Monday. So while I was out, you cleared the ship, broke the curse on a dragon and forced a spark of transcendence into a mortal creature. Anything else I should know?¡± ¡°Well, we might also be well on our way to lose the flying stone and I have not the foggiest in which direction we might head to find land but that¡¯s about it.¡± She groaned. ¡°I have an idea, though. Most of the children know a little magic and if they work together they might keep the stone I¡¯m one piece or maybe even repair it. If our sleeping beauty wakes up she should also be able to help, dragon and all that.¡± Ahri cocked an eyebrow and looked at Viyara¡¯s hands still stuck on my tail. ¡°Our sleeping beauty?¡± I snorted in response. ¡°Right, as if you would leave her if I wasn¡¯t around. She¡¯s not dangerous, Ahri, she¡¯s hurt and scared, something I can completely sympathise with.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s one of the reasons I love you.¡± She kissed me again, this time tenderly but with passion. ¡°I¡¯ll look after her, you go talk to the kids and check out what they found. Maybe you could send the healer along, Archy, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him but I think he¡¯s ready to collapse, he kept Viyara, that¡¯s her name,¡± I pointed at the girl in answer to Ahri¡¯s questioning look, ¡°alive and healed you. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s got much left but I¡¯ll certainly ask. Do you think you can keep them busy for a moment? I¡¯d like to try and wake Mephisto, we could really use his help.¡± ¡°Sure, but talk to them first, answer some questions and tell them about Viyara, calm them a little.¡± ¡°Come with me? Most of them don¡¯t know you yet, or have you already talked to the whole gang?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Fine, just give me a second.¡± She scooped Viyara into her arms and angled her in a way that allowed the girl to keep her hands on my tail. I had to smile, Ahri had always taken care of people around her but that amount of consideration warmed me to my core. I slung another tail around Ahri¡¯s waist while we made our way over to the group. The eyes of most of the older boys were glued to the naked girl in Ahri¡¯s arms but the rest of them were waiting for us curiously, I could even see Archy struggling with his little sister to keep her from rushing towards us. They appeared much more steady and calm, the fright the dragon had caused all but forgotten with a few scraps of food. Children truly were resilient. I took a moment to count them and said: The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Everyone alright?¡± A couple of nods and shrugs were all I got until Reia opened her mouth: ¡°We found some food and a bunch of maps. The crystal was stored with the maps so we brought it along as well. Nothing happened, we didn¡¯t get hurt but no one wanted to stay on the lowest floor either. It smells of blood and the corpses are creepy so we all came back up together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, you didn¡¯t happen to stumble across some clothes along the way?¡± Reia gave me a nod. ¡°There were some in the captain¡¯s cabin, I can go fetch them if you want.¡± ¡°Sure, thanks.¡± She turned around on the sport and vanished through the door. Before the sound of her feet on the stairs could fade away she was back already, a frilly shirt and black trousers in her hand. Ahri and I took a moment to stuff Viyara into the shirt, covering at least her most essential parts and allowing the boys to focus, somewhat. When Archy¡¯s sister saw that Viyara stillheld on to my tail tightly she squealed and tore herself lose from her brother to charge me. I laughed and picked the bundle of energy up to place her on my hip. She grabbed one of my tails immediately and contently played with my fur. Somehow I had a feeling that both girls would stay with me for quite some time. The thought filled me with warmth and gave me enough courage to start speaking again. ¡°Now that we have a moment, I think it¡¯s time to tell you why I¡¯m here and what happened back home. This is Ahri and she has been with me through all of it¡­¡± I told them what they had to know. I didn¡¯t go into detail but I didn¡¯t hide the truth either. The next 15 minutes where maybe the hardest of my life, assuring them that their families couldn¡¯t possibly have survived. There is a special form of pain when you¡¯re forced to snuff out the hope of people you care for or in my case were responsible for. It hurt when the first tears welled up and I had to focus to not join them when they started to cry, it didn¡¯t take long until they were clinging to one another. Siblings stuck together and Ahri and I quickly collected the ones without living relatives and gathered them close. We tried to comfort them as well as we could but it was only a pale imitation of what they actually were due, the loving touch of parents and the security of a home waiting for them. It felt dreadfully inadequate to hug them or pat their backs but it was the best I could do. Some of them surprised me, though. A couple of the older ones, especially Reia and Archy were teary eyed but much more collected than I would have thought. It felt like they had already known and I was simply the messenger of news they had expected. It made me shiver to see their youth end before my eyes and once again my resolve surged to not allow what had happened to go unpunished. The emperor would pay and if I didn¡¯t like his story, so would Amazeroth I vowed and my core reacted. Brighter than the other two a third band of energy weaved itself through me and bound me to my words. A bitter smile appeared on my face. As if I had needed another reason. Sometime while I had still been talking Viyara had stirred awake but she hadn¡¯t opened her eyes. Instead she had remained perfectly still, listening to my voice and absently stroking my tail. Her movements were small enough that I wouldn¡¯t have realised she was with us again if I hadn¡¯t felt her mind sluggishly stirring at the edges of my perception. Muffled images trickled through our link and I felt her anxiety grow but I tried to ignore it. We would have time to talk, soon. Also, I couldn¡¯t possibly imagine whatI could say to her, given that I was still trying to comfort the other kids. I really didn¡¯t learn. I was in the middle of another group hug when I felt everyone around me stiffen and pure dread radiated through my connection to Viyara. I was at a loss and I tentatively focused on the scared dragon while I tried to capture Ahri¡¯s gaze. She was white as a sheet and when she caught me staring she silently pointed her finger upwards. Two things happened simultaneously: images of a devil incarnate clad in black scales flooded my mind and a hellish roar pierced the sky. Somewhere above us a black, winged menace had spotted its prey. The next moment a torrent of emotions crushed into me, jumbled and incoherent but I understood enough that I could make an educated guess at who was circling through the sky. We were so screwed. I didn¡¯t have a plan but I knew that if we waited until he¡¯d reach us, we would have to mourn yet another bunch of killed kitsune and I wasn¡¯t willing to accept that. With a little force I extracted myself from the kids and took a hurried step backwards, my physical connection to Viyara broke but I could still feel her presence. Ahri looked at me, terrified but determined. Her wings flared out. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± I had to suppress a curse. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. One of us has to stay, get the kids working on the ship and figure out a direction while the other distracts that¡­ thing. And frankly, I like my odds much better than yours.¡± She puffed out her chest, ready to argue but surprisingly Viyara opened her eyes, they were a fascinating mixture of silver and gold, and raised a hand to touch Ahri¡¯s cheek. I didn¡¯t know what went on between them but after a moment Ahri¡¯s attention returned to me and she slumped a little. ¡°Stay safe and come back to me,¡± she all but whispered. I leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. After a short hesitation I also hugged the little dragon girl and shot off into the sky. I was pissed enough to actually look forward to a little tussle with a dragon but my excitement only held for as long as it took me to channel energy into my eyes. With a small twitch the hovering monstrosity became sharp. He, I assumed it was a he from what I had felt form Viyara, was longer than our ship and his wings blocked out the sun when I approached from below. His scales were thick and sturdy but they didn¡¯t shimmer or reflect the sunlight, instead they had a sort of matte glow which made them appear nearly indestructible. His body was immense, with a long and sinewy neck and a snake-like tail. His arms and legs were drawn against his torso but I could still see the magnificent strength that ran through each limb. The bat-like wings weren¡¯t translucent and seemed much more rigid and durable than I would have expected. His head was hideous. Two long horns curled down from his forehead on either side and framed a sunken face that clearly showed the lines of the skull. His eyes were dots of an even darker colouration, almost as if I¡¯d go blind if I focused on them. His thin lips were curled back in a sneer to reveal an impressive jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth, their ivory sheen bright against his black scales. He could swallow me whole and would still have room to spare. What had I been thinking? Well, I had come to distract him so I might as well get down to business. Swallowing my fear and silencing the small voice in my head that told me I was about to commit the worst and last mistake of my life I went and wiped the smirk of his ugly face. My vision turned silvery and I appeared in front of his maw, my wings spread wide. Without taking the time to second guess myself I slammed the better part of them into his eyes and down his nostrils while I simultaneously tried to clamp his maw shut with the rest. His grin vanished immediately, that was the good news. The bad news was that I was nowhere near strong enough to keep my hold on his snout. With a terrifying roar that rattled my bones and set my ears ringing he simply shrugged off the wings I had used to muzzle him and flung a stream of pitch black flames my way. I was much too close to dodge and my wings were either stuck or flailing around his maw uselessly. I took the brunt of his breath and while the magic didn¡¯t harm me it still felt like a condensed hurricane had slammed into my chest. A condense hurricane that smelled of rot and decay I might add. I tumbled through the air helplessly before I managed to stabilise my fall and pull myself into a gentle arc to face him again. Blood, dark enough to nearly appear black streamed from his eyes and nostrils and I couldn¡¯t suppress a grin as I watched him thrash about, blinded and in pain. I even tried to laugh but the movement brought tears to my eyes as soon as I strained my chest. His attack had hurt me more than I had thought. All mirth forgotten I focused back on my foe, this had been only the beginning. 58. Of fights, misjudgements and a little bit of alternatives Cassandra Pendragon My chest felt constricted and a quick glance showed me just how much damage he had done. My shirt was ruined, strips of cloth that barely clung to my torso were all that remained of it and the skin beneath showed a colourful mixture of red and white. I sent some energy towards the torn ligaments and raptured muscles and a soothing coolness spread through my limbs while I watched the dragon in front of me closely. His eyes had already healed but huge drops of blood still ran from his nostrils and dispersed into the air with every heavy breath he took. Anger and hatred radiated off of him in perceptible waves that distorted the air and made my fur stand on end while his regrown eyes zeroed in on me. I definitely had his attention. The way he looked at me unblinkingly and his lips twitched made me assume he was trying to reach me telepathically, good luck buddy. I wasn¡¯t going to complain though and when his eyes narrowed in concentration I charged him again. I couldn¡¯t match his strength but I could obviously hurt him, maybe even more so if I managed to stuff a couple of wings down his throat. Spreading my wings wide I rushed directly towards his face, seemingly trying to go for the same spots again. He snorted and another cloud of blood rose from his nostrils as he opened his maw wide and prepared to launch another ball of black fire my way. I waited until the very last moment when I could practically feel the gathering force in front of me and then I teleported. With a flash I appeared behind his head. Huge spikes grew along his neck and down his back, some over 3 meters long and wider than me, glittering like obsidian in the sun. I anchored myself in between two of them and pushed the better part of my wings forward, brimming with energy to circle around his head and slam into his opened snout. Silvery blue torrents of light easily parted the wave of dark flames and slithered down his throat and towards his carbuncle. I couldn¡¯t see his expression but the shiver that ran along his spine and his panicked movements when he rolled and tumbled through the sky made me think that he was still nicely occupied. I felt some form of spell or another try to take hold on me but I simply ignored it. The barrel rolls and convulsing twitches of his long neck weakened my grip though and when he suddenly somersaulted and whipped his head from left to right I lost my balance completely, the two horns I had slung my wings around cleanly cut through. I fell and reflexively drew my wings back out of him to latch onto another part of his body but I was just a tick too slow. As soon as the cutting pain and searing heat in his gullet vanished he beat his wings with enough force to create a miniature cyclone and shot away from me. I reached for his neck but his horned tail covered in ebony spikes took me in the side and catapulted me away from him. One of the barbs pierced my skin and liquid fire blazed through my abdomen while I struggle to regain control in mid air, but he wouldn¡¯t let me. All thoughts of telepathy or magic forgotten he shot towards me like an oncoming storm. Thick streams of black blood flowed from his gullet and I could see the cuts around his snout while I tumbled tails over wings through the air. If he got a hold of me he would tear me to shreds with a single bite, I was sure of it. Without any from of orientation, I couldn¡¯t clearly form my second vision while my wings swirled around uselessly, I teleported again, based only on a diffuse feeling that trickled through my wings. Luckily I appeared above him, less lucky, my momentum wasn¡¯t broken and I still had to regain my balance. My muscles and nerves protest, the deep hole in my stomach felt like it had been filled with molten lead when I spread my wings wide again and fought against my inertia and gravity. A cry escaped me but I won, just in time. My eyes watered and dark spots appeared in my vision but I finally managed to stop midair. I was still losing blood but I didn¡¯t get a chance to focus on my wound as a looming shadow hurtled towards me from the right. While I had been struggling to regain control of my flight the dragon had spotted me and came for me again. Without thinking I veered to the left, away from the encroaching darkness. I felt the bone rattling snap when his jaws closed only a hair¡¯s breadth away from my legs and I heard the dry crack when one of his horns slammed into my knee and turned it into mush. A fresh wave of agony hit but he was already past me, his speed carrying him further and further away. I should have a couple of seconds before he would be able to turn around for another pass. I closed my eyes and channeled everything I had towards my wounds, I spared only enough to keep me afloat. I could feel my organs regenerate and my skin seal itself but it took time, maybe more time than I actually had. A lump of fear formed in the pit of my stomach while I watched my body regrown missing tissue at a painfully slow rate. I became much too scared hovering in the sky blindly to allow myself to heal fully. Halfway through I had to open my eyes again and the black incarnation of rage that charged me immediately commanded all of my attention. A small trickle of energy was all I further dared to use on my injuries while the rest went back into my wings, eyes and brain. My stomach still felt like a dagger was stuck in my side and my knee couldn¡¯t possibly support my weight but I would live, for now. To make things worse the Black didn¡¯t appear wounded anymore, only pissed. An enraged dragon in all his glory headed for me and a thundering roar pushed me back a couple of meters. The blood flow from his maw had dried up and his tongue, which I had torn to shreds, was whole again, the dark red, glittering smears of blood on his scales everything that was left of my attack. At least his horns hadn¡¯t grown back¡­ That was just unfair! Seriously, what would it take to truly injure that guy? Would I have to dig trough his body to reach his carbuncle? That was just wishful thinking, I had had my chance and I hadn¡¯t even gotten close. It was time to try a new strategy. I bolted. As fast as my wings could carry me I rushed further away from the ship and slowly angled myself towards the ocean. I was pretty confident that he¡¯d follow me after our little tussle. Dragons were prone to fits of rage as far as I knew and this one was well and truly furious. When he saw me turning tails his roar became even louder and the rhythm of his wing beats picked up. Despite my aching limbs I had to smile, if he was following me he wouldn¡¯t butcher the others and now all I had to do was keep him interested and on my tails until they were well away from him. And then I would have to lose him and somehow get back to the ship before my stamina ran out and I¡¯d drown in the ocean but that appeared to me like a problem for later. For now I had to make sure his instincts kept dominating his actions, otherwise he might just turn around or start using more sophisticated magic. While I wasn¡¯t afraid of any direct spells, the minuscule amount of blood that still clung to his tail shouldn¡¯t be enough for a focus, especially with all the impurities it must have been mixed with by now, I wasn¡¯t eager to find out what would happen if he turned the air around me into stone or something else unpleasant. Better to keep him truly and utterly busy. Damn it, that meant I¡¯d have to poke him from time to time, keep him in a state of constant struggle with fangs and claws. What the fuck had I been thinking? Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. With a weary sigh I slowed down and peeked over my shoulder. The black behemoth was maybe 200 meters behind and slightly above me, fire streamed from his gullet and his eyes glittered menacingly while he powered after me, apparently blind to anything else. The sight still sent shivers down my spine even though I had already faced him by now and once again I had to question my sanity. At least he was still drunk on his rage and I didn¡¯t have to go for another round right then and there. With a thought I picked up speed again and shot away from him, the distance between us slowly widening. Good, if I was faster, I¡¯d be able to simply outrun him later on. For now I tried to match his speed while I glanced at him from time to time to make sure he was still frothing at the snout. I had to dodge a couple of black fireballs but other than that the next few minutes were rather peaceful except for the ear splitting roars that tore at my nerves from time to time. I even felt confident enough to channel some of my energy back into healing my wounds. I had just felt the last blood vessel seal itself before he remained silent for a longer period of time and I felt the first tentacles of magic wither against my wings. I knew I¡¯d have to reignite his bloodlust if I didn¡¯t want to face a calculating dragon instead of a feral beast. The last two times I had tried to go for different weak spots but I assumed he was expecting that now. I wasn¡¯t willing to try to teleport behind him again only to find myself close to his serrated fangs. So I decided to try a frontal assault. My wings could cut through pretty much everything but I already knew from experience that it¡¯d take longer the sturdier the material was. I had sliced through his horns involuntarily which made me rather confident that I¡¯d be able to get through his scales quickly enough but I wouldn¡¯t risk slamming into him head first. My wings flared brightly while I suddenly somersaulted and headed straight towards him once again. No roar greeted me this time, instead the tingling of magic intensified while his face turned into a mask of concentration. Now, we couldn¡¯t have that. Within the blink of an eye I was in range and teleported again. His head whipped around, ready to pluck me out of the air but I wasn¡¯t behind him. I appeared on the left side of his neck but still in front of him, my wings angled downwards like an array of spears, ready to dig into his chest. My momentum slammed my wings into his scales while I tumbled helplessly over his shoulder and along his back. Luckily he couldn¡¯t take advantage as the first pain filled sound I had ever heard form him thundered through the sky. I managed to blink away before I could collide with one of his spikes and materialised in front of him again. With a thought I stopped myself midair and regarded the fruits of my labour. 33 narrow cuts covered his chest. They would have appeared inconsequential if not for the astounding amount of blood that gushed through. His front was quickly slick with dark liquid, small rivers flowing down and vanishing into the sky. He was struggling to keep up his pace, his wing beats erratic and strained. His head was thrown backwards and the sound that pierced the air was more wail than roar. With a grim smile I threw myself at him once more. My plan was pretty simple: circle his neck while he was busy dealing with his injuries. With a little luck I should be able to sling my wings completely around and restrain or suffocated him. If Fortuna was truly smiling on me I might even be able to cut his head off, but I wasn¡¯t going to bet on it. I sped up and vanished again to appear next to his neck, my wings trailing behind me, ready for round two. Unfortunately, so was he. As soon as I appeared again, his wounds stopped bleeding and his head whipped towards me. The bastard had been faking! Taken by surprise I couldn¡¯t react in time and while I managed to roll away from his grinding jaws the damned horn on the side of his head crashed into my side. My breath exploded from my body and stars appeared in my vision while I was flung away from him. It felt like an anvil was continuously pushing down on my chest and I couldn¡¯t breathe normally. The lingering fear ignited into panic when I started to suffocate but with a growl I pushed it away and channeled as much energy as I could spare into my lungs and broken ribs. Pain still raced through me but at least I was able to gasp for air again and my vision cleared. His headbutt had sent me tumbling again and with an astonishing feat of flexibility he neatly flipped his body over and raced after me, eyes aglow with anticipation. His fangs were less than three meters away from me when I finally managed to regain my orientation. My wings were all jumbled together, forming a loose muddle around me. I could easily spread them again but I wouldn¡¯t be able to teleport away in time. There was only one thing left to try. I retracted my wingsand used my tails for balance while I fell towards the ocean. I pressed my limbs tightly to my body and stretched myself to minimise air resistance but I was still too slow. His maw opened and I¡¯d slam directly into the row of razor sharp teeth in his lower jaw. They would cut me into pieces if I didn¡¯t come up with something else, fast. I unfurled my wings again but instead of pushing away from him I entered his opened snout willingly and flared out my wings with every ounce of power I could still muster. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation I pulled them back and formed a shield of silvery blue light between me and the yawning darkness of his gullet. Torrents of boiling blood streamed from the cuts I had made and drenched me. My skin started to blister immediately. A river of fire shot from the black depth in front of me and the accompanying scream burst my eardrums while I was carried out of his maw on a wave of fire and blood. If I hadn¡¯t had to deal with a myriad of severe injuries before I would have blacked out in an instant, the boiling feeling from my skin and the bone rattling force that carried me along was simply too much to cope with. Through sheer stubbornness I managed to hang on until I could feel the soothing tingle of my energy targeting my wounds but I was nearing my limits. The channels between my core and my body were starting to ache and burn and I could feel the skin between my wings rupturing while I kept on pushing more and more energy into my body. I wasn¡¯t yet at the point I had been when I had tried to tear apart space but I was getting closer. Through the shield of light I had used to protect myself I could see the river of black fire cut off and the forces that carried me along disappeared. Wearily I stopped and pushed myself upright. The pain was diminishing but still lingered in my veins. The dragon was spitting blood and I could see it coming through his cheeks where I had managed to punch through completely and for the first time I could smell him, a musky scent, underlying notes of decay covered by the metallic taste of his blood. He was coiling his neck and a faint mewling reached my ears. I used the moment of respite to look at my tattoo and scan the horizon in the indicated direction for any trace of an airship. When I couldn¡¯t find one I felt marginally better but I wouldn¡¯t forget that he had found us, or more precisely Viyara the first time around as well and if I had the chance I¡¯d try to lure him away even further. While I had been distracted he had pulled himself together, the blood flow had dried up considerably but it hadn¡¯t disappeared completely which I took as good sign. Maybe I wasn¡¯t the only one who was close to exhaustion. His body had lost some of its vigour and his tail was slithering through the air rather limply, I told myself. His eyes still glimmered with unabashed rage but I could see a spark of grudging respect in them. His ugly face was drawn into tight lines and he slowly beat his wings, circling me, like a shark preparing to charge. I called upon my second vision again and prepared to blink away but I didn¡¯t move along the streams of light just yet. 59. Of misunderstandings, shortcomings and a little bit of teamwork Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Before we go for another round, are you by any chance able to talk?¡± My voice was hoarse, somewhere along the line I must have screamed more than I had realised. Which was one of the reasons I tried to communicate, I needed a break. The other reason was that he had already started to shove his instincts away and to actually think about what he was doing. He wouldn¡¯t come after me blindly anymore if his circling was any indication at all. He was looking for an advantage. He stiffened and I thought he was about to attack but instead I felt a tingling of magic in the air. Sound waves manifested seemingly out of nowhere and a cold, grating voice rolled over me like a wave. Pressure mounted in my ears and I had to actively strengthen them to prevent injuries and deal with the onslaught. I might even have gone cross eyed for a moment. ¡°Why are you opposing me?¡± Pure malice and distain oozed through his words and battered against my mind but he wasn¡¯t rushing at me and I took that as a win. It took me a moment to unclench my jaw and reply without a tremor in my voice. His words had been powerful. I was tempted to antagonise him and try to get his temper up again but that hadn¡¯t been working out too well for me. For now I thought I might actually go with a serious attempt at conversation. ¡°You attacked me and mine and I am not going to stand by idly while those I care for are in danger. Which makes me wonder, why did you come for us?¡± I already had a pretty good idea why he had done it but I shouldn¡¯t know from his point of view and I wasn¡¯t going to willingly offer that tidbit of information. ¡°You have something that belongs to me. Even now I can feel her in the distance and I want her back. Give me the girl and I might spare you and your slaves.¡± Slaves? What the¡­ well, I wasn¡¯t going to enlighten him who or what we were but it was probably pointless to deny Viyara¡¯s presence, especially if he had been able to feel her all along. Furthermore he would be able to find us, no matter how far away we got if he could really sense her. Fear clawed at my insides as I frantically thought about what I could do. Killing him would be the easiest solution but I didn¡¯t see that happening, not without a lot of luck. If push came to shove I might try to trick him closer to the water and pray that one of the gargantuan sea creatures would finish the job for me. Or I might try to guess where the dwarven ship was and hope that their weapons were able to do what I couldn¡¯t but both options seemed rather unlikely. Maybe I could bargain? ¡°I can¡¯t, no, I won¡¯t. If there is nothing else on your mind we will have to continue the way we started.¡± To emphasise my point I sent just enough energy into my wings to make them crackle and flare with silvery light. It wasn¡¯t enough to tax my already strained meridians but the fireworks were still impressive, or at least I hoped so. The air around me shook from an icy laughter that emanated from deep within his chest and sent shivers down my spine. He had the cruel predator routine down to a T and I couldn¡¯t help myself, I had to look at his immense fangs again and swallowed dryly, which didn¡¯t escape him. The laughter boomed out even more loudly but his words reached me clearly none the less, another aspect of the magic he used to speak. ¡°You impress me, hatchling. But this has gone on long enough, as much as I admire your courage. You¡¯re nearly spent and while I freely admit that you managed to hurt me, we both know how this is going to end. I¡¯ll find a way to crush you, or if I don¡¯t, you will still falter long before me. I shall dine on your essence and the one you seek to shelter will be mine either way. Spare yourself, you¡¯re young, there is no need to die for the first dragon who caught your fancy. Surrender her and I promise I won¡¯t seek revenge, you and your slaves could still see another sunrise.¡± My thoughts were stumbling over one another while I tried to puzzled out everything he had said. He had called me hatchling, a term not necessarily of endearment but recognition as a legitimate dragon child. The way he had talked about my slaves and that Viyara had caught my fancy convinced me that he actually thought I was a dragon as well, maybe in a shaped form. He was also lying through his fangs. No idea how he had arrived at that conclusion but if he judged me a dragon, he knew I would never willingly surrender what I thought of as mine and if he forced me I¡¯d seek revenge as soon as I¡¯d be strong enough. He couldn¡¯t possibly let me go unless he was dumber than a tree which I doubted. He had already proven that even in an enraged state he still retained a modicum of cunning and he appeared rather calm right now. Maybe he was even faking his exhaustion. Then why talk to me at all? My tails curled up, oh crap, he was distracting me with loud sounds and his creepy voice, the magic he invoked would even cover traces of other spells he might be trying to form. I teleported as far as I could go and then I vanished again and again. In the blink of an eye I had covered over 100 meters and my meridians protested heavily but when I looked back at the spot where I had been, I was really glad I hadn¡¯t hesitated. A glowing orb, formed of fire and obsidian, maybe 10 meters in diameter, hung in the air, spinning slowly. It hid me from his view temporarily but the whole thing freaked me out. Veins of greenish energy raced across its surface and while I watched, the veins pulsed, once, twice and with a deafening thunderclap the orb exploded and sent a deadly wave of shrapnel through the air. If I had still been in there, I¡¯d have become a bloody mist. Fear flooded through me and I immediately channeled energy into my mind to give me a little more time to think. If I wanted to face him I¡¯d have to get close enough to cut his spells to shreds before they could activate and I¡¯d have to be quick enough to do that while dodging his tail, wings, claws and fangs.And that was assuming I could even perceive everything he¡¯d throw at me. With the amount of pain that already coursed between my core and wings I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to channel enough energy without breaking down to even attempt such a feat. Tricking him back into a battle rage seemed equally unlikely, considering he had managed to pull himself out of the last one and apparently understood that I wasn¡¯t going to succumb to mindless attacks easily. If I tried to flee he¡¯d be forced to decide whom to hunt, me or Viyara. He¡¯d probably go for me at first until he¡¯d realise that he couldn¡¯t catch me. Then he¡¯d turn around and kill everyone he¡¯d find to punish me. If I retracted my wings and tried to play dead, trusting in the explosion and distance to hide me from him, the wave of shrapnel would turn me into a sieve. There was just no way. I could try to save myself but then I¡¯d most likely doom the kids and Ahri would die trying to protect them. Viyara¡¯s fate I didn¡¯t even dare imagine. Apparently push had come to shove and I was eying the sea below me anxiously. Even from up high I could see the immense waves that roiled over the surface and I thought I saw a gargantuan shadow linger for a moment before it vanished into the depth again but that had most likely been wishful thinking. My chances of luring him down there and finding something dangerous enough to take down a dragon without swallowing me just as well were pretty slim and I really didn¡¯t want to try it. The dwarfs were even more unlikely, I didn¡¯t know which direction I would have to go and I couldn¡¯t warn them. Without preparation I couldn¡¯t imagine how they¡¯d take down a grown, pissed and frustrated dragon. If I could somehow communicate with them¡­ huh, I couldn¡¯t talk to them but the tattoo on my chest had allowed me to take Ahri along while I teleported and had allowed her to warn me when the mage had tried to blow up the flying stone. It had also made it possible for Viyara to reach me telepathically even before I had used a spark of my power to fix her up. And now I could feel Viyara¡¯s presence, admittedly very faintly, the added distance didn¡¯t exactly help, but there was something at the edges of my mind. Maybe I could reach one or both of them and we could figure out a way to save all of our tails. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I waited until the first shards of glass were about to rip through my skin and then I teleported forwards, twice, directly into the centre of the explosion. Chaotic flares of life force and mana were still tearing at one another but they didn¡¯t touch me and the shrapnel was gone. I thought I¡¯d have a moment before the dragon would spot me again so I took a deep breath, shoved my fear and the pain from my meridians away and closed my eyes. But instead of allowing my silvery vision to form, I focused on the very edges of my perception, the slight glow of Viyara and the bright spirit of Ahri I hoped I¡¯d find. It was actually pretty easy. At first there was a soft tug, surprisingly it led me away from Viyara¡¯s presence and when I tried to follow it, it felt like I passed through a door and warmth flooded through me when I heard Ahri¡¯s voice: ¡°Cassandra? What¡¯s happening, are you hurt?¡± An involuntary smile spread across my face, I hadn¡¯t even realised how much I had missed her and the emotions she didn¡¯t voice but I could still feel through our connection did more for me than an army of healers could have done. ¡°Love you, too. I¡¯m still in one piece, more or less but it¡¯s a friggin dragon¡­ I¡¯m not doing too well¡­¡± panic raced through the link but before she had the chance to interrupt I continued. ¡°Listen, is there anything all of you could do to kill him? Could you prepare a trap or an ambush that has a chance of working?¡± I could feel her bottling away her fear: ¡°can you wait a minute? I need to talk to Viyara and possibly some of the kids but if I¡¯m honest...¡± I knew perfectly well that it wasn¡¯t likely that they¡¯d find a solution. ¡°I don¡¯t have a minute, I¡¯ll have to move much sooner. Just ask them and try to somehow get in contact with the dwarfs, they might be able to help. Maybe I can somehow keep the link active¡­¡± this time she interrupted forcefully. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Go, survive, I¡¯ll initiate the contact so you don¡¯t have to spare the concentration. Please, stay safe, my love. I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± She severed the connection. Well there wasn¡¯t much more to be said, enough of our subconscious thoughts had been conveyed. When I opened my eyes again, practically no time had passed, the turbulent energies around me were dispersing but still danced brightly around my figure and hid me from view. I was still battered and strained but the short connection to Ahri had done wonders for my courage. I had to buy more time for now, so maybe I should just remain here for as long as possible? That was no good, if I wanted to be able to teleport or use my second vision I¡¯d have to spread my wings out of the epicentre and into full view. I wouldn¡¯t be able to see him if he was further away than 33 meters and he would know exactly where I was. Additionally I didn¡¯t think that my protective bubble of volatile forces would remain for much longer and the dragon would surely check here first, if he couldn¡¯t find me after the dust had settled. Time to move. Downwards struck me as the best direction, it was unlikely that he¡¯d be willing to put himself into a vulnerable position in case I had survived. He¡¯d most likely be circling above so if I wanted to get as far away from him as I possibly could and make sure I wouldn¡¯t appear close to his crushing jaws and ripping talons, downwards was my best choice. I vanished in a shower of sparks that were completely hidden by the lingering flashes of light and materialised with a groan about thirty meters below where the orb had been. My back and head pulsed with pain for a moment but luckily it quickly subsided. I was about 100 meters away from the black dragon who had turned his face away from the explosion but otherwise appeared unharmed. Right then and there I might have been able to get close without him realising but I hesitated, afraid to teleport again and the moment passed. A pulse of magic reached me from the ancient Black and he immediately angled his body into a steep dive. Streams of black fire ran along his snout and danced over his horns, forming a dark halo around his head. My heart skipped a beat and I had to admit, the sight was fucking terrifying, especially when his chilling roar thundered through the air around me and pushed me even further down. I couldn¡¯t meet his charge if wanted to see another day so I turned tails for the second time and rushed away from him in a gentle arc. I hoped my speed hadn¡¯t suffered and that I could still outrun him, even though my meridians were complaining heavily but my wings at least didn¡¯t feel any different. I had to be careful how much energy I channeled into them but for now I could move them freely enough and I soared through the sky faster than the fastest bird. I allowed my second vision to overlay reality, turning everything in close range silvery while the rest retained its usual colours. I was looking for traces of magic that might be coming my way. If old fang face wanted to manipulate the elements around me again I would have to know before hand to stand a chance of getting out of the way. Even while I finished the thought, immense fluctuations of mana changed the structure of the world around me and I couldn¡¯t help it, I had to teleport once again, straight ahead this time. This time I had to gasp heavily under the pressure, my back once again felt flayed. To make matters worse, the wily lizard had learned from the last time and I saw a veritable forest of spears, made of dark glass, manifest in the air and shoot towards my former location. At first I was pretty happy how that had turned out but I had been glad too early. When the spears suddenly changed direction and came rushing towards me with a shrill whistling sound, I felt like a soon to be kebab. There was no way between heaven and hell on which I could outrun them and the pulsing waves of agony that crept along my back and down my spine told me how much of a terrible idea another teleport would be. I was struggling to remain upright for crying out loud. To add insult to injury I could see another spell manifest above me and a glimmering net, black and flexible, fell from the sky. I¡¯d be entangled within moments and the spears would easily finish me off if I couldn¡¯t stop them. With the courage of the damned I slung my wings through the mesh and pulled with everything my inured back would give me. I managed to whirl the falling death trap around and swipe it through the path of the spears but it cost me. I could fell rivulets of hot blood streaming down from the already punished skin between my wings and hot knives seemed to slowly dig through my back. I screamed to somehow stay atop the waves of pain while I watched his two spell constructs collide in a shower of broken glass and fiery sparks. A high pitched note sounded wherever one of the spears broke and a small explosion sent the pieces flying but I was too far away to be seriously threatened. A couple of small grazes appeared on my skin but that was nothing compared to the injuries I had inflicted on myself. Unless I found a way to replenish my body I¡¯d be stuck with my wings and the strength I had left in my limbs. Even the amount of energy I used to amplify my mind and perception with was turning into a river of pain that flowed along my nerves and I had to cancel even that. His next spell was going to hit me. Before I could panic though, warmth flooded from my chest and Ahri¡¯s voice sounded in my mind: ¡°Cassy? Fuck, what happened to you? Wait, I think I can take some of the strain¡­ and Viyara had an idea.¡± 60. Of hints, connections and a little bit of morality Cassandra Pendragon While Ahri was talking a strange sensation travelled from the tips of my tails to my heart. The dull aches and fiery pain that had become more and more unbearable during my battle flowed along my limbs and seemingly left my body through the tattoo. I didn¡¯t feel completely refreshed but I was much better off than a moment before. Ahri on the other hand, was struggling. Through our connection I felt a shadow of the agony she was in. Her voice wavered and slipped away from me but I clenched down on our connection and tried to pull her close again, if I had the chance I¡¯d also take back the pain she was shouldering for me. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t. Cassie¡­ I¡¯ll survive¡­ let me help, if I can¡¯t be there I¡¯ll at least carry part of the burden¡­. Don¡¯t be so damned stubborn!¡± I could feel her sincerity through our link and while she was suffering, I was sure she wasn¡¯t actually in any real danger, at least not yet. The same couldn¡¯t be said for me. Cursing colourfully I let go and allowed the tendrils of fire to fully spread through her body. ¡°Atta girl, that wasn¡¯t too hard now, was it?¡± She all but whispered in my mind. ¡°You damned vixen, you have no idea! I can feel what¡¯s happening to you, I can practically see you on the ground, panting! Don¡¯t ever make me hurt you again, please.¡± The last sentence was more of a sob than an actual request but I could hardly concentrate. Admittedly, I had been in a tough spot but watching her deal with transcendent backlash I had cause nearly broke me. I felt her muscles cramping and hairline cracks appear all along her bones. I almost heard her heartbeat speed up when the skin around her wings cracked and blood started to flow. She wasn¡¯t even able to channel her own energy yet but still she had taken on my burden willingly and now she was paying the price. ¡°Only if you never need me to, again.¡± Her mind was hazy with pain but her voice remained unwavering. I really loved that girl. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Don¡¯t worry too much, Archy can look after me in a moment, I¡¯ll be fine. But I don¡¯t know if I have the strength to reach you again once the link breaks and I can¡¯t say how much longer I can keep it open, so listen closely. Galathon, the dragon you have been fighting is ancient, well over 2000 years old. There isn¡¯t much we can do to hurt him but there is maybe another way. Reia found a couple of maps and they were enough for Viyara to figure out where we are. We are still close to her father¡¯s island, he was an ancient Gold, you should be able to reach it within a few hours. His hoard should still be there, whatever the reason Galathon hasn¡¯t taken the time to plunder her home as far as we know. With the artefacts and enchantments hidden there you might actually stand a chance but you won¡¯t know how to use them or even where to look. Which is why Viyara has already taken off, she is on her way to the island now, with a little help from the others Archy has patched her up nicely. She said you should be able to find her or rather your spark of energy within her. She¡¯ll be waiting for you. But you two will need some time. You have to make sure Galathon isn¡¯t hot on your heels when you arrive, 1 or 2 hours should be enough but you somehow have to get that head start.¡± I could feel her fighting to stay with me and her mind seemed to lose focus but with an effort she spoke again: ¡°Two more things: Viyara will need about 4 hours from now on to reach the island. Assuming your not too far away and that your faster than her I¡¯d say you could get there in 2, maybe 3 but I don¡¯t know for sure and I also don¡¯t know how fast Galathon is. Head southwest and then just follow Viyara¡¯s presence, you¡¯ll get there. I won¡¯t be able to help you out again, so please be careful and don¡¯t use your abilities lightly, you¡¯re pretty much stuck with whatever you have left. Also, Viyara has pointed us towards a little known island only a couple of hours away. If we work together me and the kids will keep the ship in one piece until we arrive. You can find us there when you return. I love you Cassandra, fly fast, stay safe.¡± Her voice trailed off and before I could respond darkness swallowed her mind and the connection slammed shut. I hung in the air, frozen for a moment. I felt guilty for the pain I had caused Ahri, hopeful that there was a way for all of us to get out of this, anxious at the prospect of how I would delay Galathon and deal with him once we arrived on the island, weary that everything hinged on a girl I had met for maybe 60 seconds¡­. That was enough, I had things to do and a dragon to kill. My back was still sore and my meridians felt somehow¡­ rusty but I¡¯d manage. My eyes started to glow brightly, I flared out my wings and tails, my attention snapped back on the hovering Black. He had seen the change in me and I could practically smell his confusion, I had gone from a hovering corpse to only slightly battered within an instant after all. The oversized bat had to be wondering if he had misjudged me severely and I could see his tail quiver while he drew his front legs closer to his chest. His eyes narrowed but no further spells came my way, instead his voice echoed out across the sky from a spell construct close to him: ¡°At least have the courtesy to show me your true form. You¡¯re a Crystalline, I take it? Vain creatures, from what I¡¯ve heard but I would never have imagined to meet a dragon who would hide behind a humanoid mask, even if she wasn¡¯t from this world.¡± Shit, he was hinting at so much that I was sorely tempted to answer him simply to get a little more information out of him, but I could still see the remains of the conclusion of our last chat tumble towards the sea in a shower of dark glass. There was no way I¡¯d risk him blindsiding me again. The only way I¡¯d engage in a conversation again was if I knew for sure he would be interested enough in what I had to say to not attack me in the middle of a sentence. Maybe¡­ ¡°I am no dragon, not even close,¡± I had to use a little energy to make my voice carry over the distance. ¡°But I don¡¯t see how it concerns you anyways. Dragon or no, before this day is over I¡¯m going to make you bleed, again.¡± I saw a handful of strange expressions cross his skull like features but he was too far away and they changed to quickly for me to try to puzzle them out. I also didn¡¯t have much experience reading scaly faces the size of a barn but I was fairly confident that one of them had been surprise and another rage, nobody likes taunts. One might question the wisdom of angering the flying, fire breathing, magic wielding and gargantuan lizard when I wanted to talk but I was certain he¡¯d attack me the moment he thought I was even slightly weaker than I appeared. Also, in comparison to stuffing my wings down his throat and into his eyes, insults seemed rather tame, they wouldn¡¯t make him lose his cool. All in all I thought a big mouth would get me farther than meek politeness. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, your wounds might have healed but I can still see the strain in your movements, even from here. I can smell your sweat and hear your heart pumping at a gruelling pace.¡± I really hoped he was bluffing even though he was spot on. ¡°You surprised me again, but nothing has changed, except if you¡¯re not a dragon we might still come to an understanding. Admittedly, you¡¯re more than a nuisance and I¡¯d prefer to not have to chase you to the ends of the earth. So here is what¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯m going to leave now and take what¡¯s mine. If you let me be, I¡¯ll spare your friends. If you come close I¡¯ll fight you all of the way if I have to and then I¡¯ll burn everything you hold dear while you cling to my hide. The ashes of your life will make a nice background to finish our battle.¡± Without a further word he turned around and winged away. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Wait!¡± I screamed but he ignored me and pulled away with slow and rhythmic strokes of his obsidian wings. Damn it! My tails twitched in agitation but there was nothing else I could do, I shot after him. I could have run away, I didn¡¯t expect him to bother with us anymore once he got his claws on Viyara. I could have sacrificed her and hurried back to the ship, saving us at the cost of one child I hardly knew. I was sure that there were many philosophical theories that would tell me how that was a good bargain and that there would be no guilt in abandoning her, heck I had read a couple of those books myself. But honestly, I would recommend that everyone of those scholars should visit a dying child¡¯s death bed and imagine he would be able to help at the risk of endangering himself or others. I would like to see how many of them would be able to look into the kid¡¯s eyes and walk away, head held high. If there was one, I wouldn¡¯t like to meet him. Additionally, I was pretty sure I was only playing with my life and not Ahri¡¯s or the kitsune children¡¯s. The dragon¡¯s threat had told me that he didn¡¯t know Viyara had already left the others, he expected her to be still on board. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to track them down, even if we couldn¡¯t get rid of him. Worst case scenario: we¡¯d lose and I¡¯d find out what he had planned for Viyara first hand. A risk I was willing to take to still enjoy my reflection in a mirror. Huh, maybe I had become a little vain. My job was simple: keep Galathon busy for as long as I could manage, preferably for at least two hours and then rush towards Viyara as fast as my wings would carry me. The rather problematic part was staying alive during the first two hours but with the boost I had gotten from Ahri I might just make it. I had been toying with the idea of getting close to him to disrupt his spells before but I hadn¡¯t been in a state to try it. Now I had a chance. I wanted to get behind his neck, close enough to the head that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bite me or reach me with his claws and close enough to his torso that I could still reach any spell construct that might form there. I intended to channel as much energy as I could into my mind and limbs. I would use my wings to anchor myself like I had done before and pierce his spells with the rest of them. If I could then absorb them, I¡¯d be in a good spot, if not I¡¯d spend my energy in a trice and be mush pretty quickly. The only thing I would have to look out for once I got there would be his tail, which I would have to dodge constantly. His claws and fangs shouldn¡¯t be able to reach me. Without a further sound I shot through the sky as fast as I could, my tails tightly pressed against my legs and my arms stretched out in front of me. With every wing stroke the black bat in front of me grew until I could once again admire his sheer size. His wings began to fill my vision and the winds they stirred up were nearly enough to blow me off course. His tail swished from left to right in front of me, thicker than the oldest cherry tree back home. In his wake the smell of decay and rot that had been present before became overwhelming, forcing me to gag slightly. The thought crossed my mind that I might have had a serious death wish but a moderate hero complex seemed to fit better. The arrogant asshole hadn¡¯t even bothered to turn around when I had screamed and now he was going to pay for it. When I could practically touch the tip of his tail and already felt the tingles of a neatly woven net of magic around him I conjured my second vision and teleported right through. As soon as I materialised halfway up his spine I slammed a couple of wings into his scales and immediately blinked away again. With a bone shattering roar his head whipped around. I had counted on his reaction and appeared where a moment before his crushing teeth would have been. Now I saw his craned neck and the backside of his horn crowned head. I still had my momentum so he didn¡¯t crash into me while I latched 12 wings around three of the spikes that grew along his neck and pulled myself closer. I wanted more space to manoeuvre once I was in position so I had chosen to anchor myself in three spots, allowing for a little more room, to dance up and down his neck. ¡°Bloody insec¡­¡± his words cut off when I whirled my unoccupied wings around and pierced his spell. Voraciously I devoured every last thread of energy I could get my hands on and the formation that had allowed him to speak blinked out in a shower of silvery sparks. Invigorated I slung 6 wings around his neck and secured my hold while I simultaneously started to apply pressure and energy to my wings. He instantly bucked, his wings worked furiously to throw me off, his neck slithered from left to right to break my hold and I could see swaths of energy circulating in his chest while he prepared a spell. A dragon¡¯s heart was on the left side of his chest close to the carbuncle and that was where all his magic originated. Through my silvery vision his spell appeared like an advancing storm front, slowly getting larger and more threatening the more time passed. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t reach the spell, it was simply too far away as long as he didn¡¯t expel it from his carbuncle. I would have to catch it as soon as he was going to send it forth. But until then I had my hands full with staying alive. He wasn¡¯t trying to throw me off anymore, he was trying to squash me. All attempts to keep in the air forgotten he craned his neck and used his wings and tail to batter the spot I was standing in. We fell through the sky, picking up speed while we hurtled towards the sea. Without my second vision I would have died in an instant, blind to most of his attacks, but I could see the very beginning of his movements and I had enough space to dodge the battering ram of a tail. The wings, unfortunately, were much too large and I had to take the hits, pressing my body close to his spikes and crouching low to dampen their impact. I used another 10 of my wings to form a tight net above me, two of his spikes served as supports to help me catch his punches before they could crush me against his scaly hide. He cut himself on his own horns and my wings over and over again, dark blood had formed a fine mist around me and the rich smell paired with the fragrance of decay nearly suffocated me. With each attack I had to block, my wings were pushed down further and further along his spikes. Soon I wouldn¡¯t have enough room left underneath my makeshift cover to dodge his tail and that would be the end of it. He finished his spell long before we got to that point though. The fur on my tails suddenly stood on edge as if I had been shocked and I saw 3 torrents of blackish green energy rush from his carbuncle and towards me, probably well on their way to form a spell construct around my body but I wasn¡¯t going to allow it. Eagerly I sent my last unoccupied wings to slither through the streams of energy and absorb it all before it could invoke completely. I felt the magic resisting but with a little push his spell vanished without a trace while my own reserves filled to the brim. With a triumphant cry I drew the wings around his neck tight and channeled enough energy into them to cut through his scales easily. He reacted instantly and formed a canopy with his wings along his neck to box me in. The next instant his tail started battering his neck liberally with blatant disregard for his own injuries. His only goal was to break my hold. Folds of obsidian covered me, their surface felt like glass where it brushed against my skin and prevented me from moving. As much as I wanted to stay where I was, if I wanted to keep breathing I wouldn¡¯t. A final blaze of energy ran through my wings. I cut into his neck deeply and removed the spikes I was anchored to before I teleported away, straight up into the sky. 61. Of transformations, defeat and a little bit of flight Cassandra Pendragon We had dropped significantly and were much closer to the sea now. I stood on the air above him, a fresh breeze brushed through my dark hair and tickled my ears. Galathon had fallen even further after I had vanished and was now pulling out of his dive more than 100 meters below me. Even from up high I could see the rivulets of blood that ran down his neck and flowed from his body, forming a veritable waterfall beneath his chest. He was hunched over and his wing strokes were laboured while I felt much better. I hadn¡¯t been able to recover my bodily stamina from the spells I had devoured, they had lacked a life force component, but my meridians and wing bases felt as good as new. For the first time during our encounter I held the advantage and I didn¡¯t plan on losing it again. I allowed gravity to take hold and helped along with a couple of strokes while I rushed towards him, like a hawk hunting a mouse¡­ that was admittedly several times the hawk¡¯s size. Faster and faster I hurtled through the air, but still, I wasn¡¯t fast enough. The blood flow from his wounds dried up while I was watching and from one moment to the next power gathered in his chest, much more than I had seen before. His whole body was overlaid with purple energies that pulsed and squirmed as if they were alive, even in the visible spectrum. I didn¡¯t know what he was planing, but whatever it was, my fur stood on edge just from watching its creation. If I had been closer, I might have been able to tear the spell apart but something told me it¡¯d be finished before I¡¯d have the chance to get my wings on it. Reluctantly I slowed down and even pulled back a little, hovering about 50 meters above him. I was too far away to follow the spells formation with my second vision but the effects were quite obvious. A black cloud, purple lightning illuminating the shadows within from time to time, formed around his body in an instant. It reminded me of the light that had covered Viyara when she had changed her form¡­ just friggin perfect. The cloud dissipated just as quickly but when the winds blew away the last wisps of smoke, no trace of the black dragon I had been fighting remained. Anxiety bubbled up from my stomach and I looked around frantically for any sign of my foe. Suddenly it felt like a jolt of electricity was running through my tails and they curled up around my legs. Without hesitation I blinked away, whirling around to keep the spot I had been in in sight. A black blade, shadows clinging to the edges, whirled through the sky where my neck had been a fracture of a second before. Remaining still at the end of his strike, a huge black figure, humanoid in shape but at the very least 2.5 meters tall with wings of dark fire, turned its head towards me. He projected malice the same way his dragon form had but somehow his smaller body had concentrated his aura, the waves of hatred and raged that radiated off of him literally made my wings quiver. He wore a tight full body armour made of ebony scales that made him look like a golem. Huge shoulder guards were adorned with obsidian blades and covered the sides of his neck while a crown like helmet hid his face completely. An intricately designed dragon, its spread wings protecting the warrior¡¯s neck, cheeks, and parts of his back, coiled around the helmet, it showed a vicious snarl and immense rubies that sparked with an inner light filled its eyes. Shadowy rune formations danced deep within and along the spine of the dragon. Along the warrior¡¯s forearms the armour thickened and several ivory spikes protruded from the scales, 5 of them neatly cut off at the base. Heavy boots, made from the same pitch black scales, rose up to his knees, a single horn jutted from the tip of each foot. A set of black blade breakers covered the wing bases on his back, their protrusions effectively protecting the first few centimetres of his wings. A scaly tail whipped through the air behind him, each movement produced a whistling sound and a loud crack when it changed directions. His toned arm was still stretched out, calmly holding an immense broad sword in perfect balance. The blade shimmered in the sunlight and while the metal it was forged of looked like obsidian, it reflected the light in a myriad of different different colours whereas darkness clung to the edges, blurry and wavering like smoke in the wind. Rune upon rune was carved into the hollow, some strung together to form complex sentences and glyphs, some isolated but all of them brimming with enough power that I could practically smell it. Slowly, with the grace of unending hours spent swinging his sword, Galathon moved back and brought his blade up in a mocking salute. A deep voice flowed out from beneath his helmet. It had kept its cold edge but it appeared fuller, more sonorous than before. ¡°And so the end begins!¡± He brought his sword back down in a whirling strike and his body collapsed into shadows and flames. I didn¡¯t wait to find out where he might reappear and blinked to the position he had just vacated. Before I vanished though, I felt a chilling breeze caress the back of my head and when the sparks and light cleared from my vision I saw locks of my hair flowing through the sky, cleanly cut off where his blade had missed its mark by less than a centimetre. Gingerly I felt for an injury but he had only managed to sever several strands of hair, he hadn¡¯t touched my skin. I couldn¡¯t see his face but I was sure he was smiling beneath his mask. It had been the first time he had hit me without any from of retaliation and a cold sweat was forming on my brow. My biggest advantage had been his unbelievable size which had allowed me to use his body as a shield but now he was far more agile with a deadly blade in hand. I also didn¡¯t believe for a second that his transformation had reduced his strength or durability, if anything his new armour seemed even more sturdy than his scale dress. With a flourishing wave he conjured over a dozen black orbs, made from some form of dark glass and sent them flying with a whistling sound. They didn¡¯t head for me but instead started to arbitrarily shoot through the air, covering the space in my range in a deadly hailstorm of bullets. If I wanted to teleport again, it would be nearly impossible to not get skewered as soon as I appeared again. Additionally I would have to keep track of the flying balls of death in case he decided to crash one of them into my back. That was the exact situation I had been struggling to avoid, facing a dragon that made full use of his sophisticated magic and experience. At least he couldn¡¯t swallow me whole anymore. A shiver ran along my tails and I reflexively somersaulted over two of the orbs which had come rushing at my back. I hadn¡¯t even seen a flare of magic with my second vision to warn me and it took me a moment to puzzle out how he was controlling them. He used short bursts of magic when the orbs were well out of my reach to accelerate them or change their direction but mostly they travelled on inertia. There was no spell to destroy unless I managed to intercept him while he was trying to alter their direction. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. If I didn¡¯t want to be sitting ducks I¡¯d have to close in again, making it impossible for him to shoot at me without risk of hitting himself. I swallowed dryly when I remembered the few instances where I had seen him handle his sword and the proficiency and grace that shimmered through his attacks. If my spar with Ahri was any indication I wouldn¡¯t be his match in a fight, to stand a chance I would have to use my wings to restrain his movements and if I was right and he still commandeered all of his strength that was about as likely as toddler restraining an armed knight. I couldn¡¯t even safely give it a try, if he managed to get his hands on me or if his blade pierced my skin I was sure our fight would end just then and there. I fled. With a sudden burst of speed I neared the closest orb with the intention of teleporting past the perimeter they were covering once I was close enough. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to change their flight patterns accordingly and I managed to get close. Collapsing into silvery sparks I reappeared behind the line of weaponised marbles just when his voice cleaved the sky once again. ¡°Pressura!¡± The orbs closest to me vanished in an explosion of dark flames and half molten shards of glass shot off in every direction. I couldn¡¯t dodge and I couldn¡¯t teleport again, there was just not enough time, all I could do was weave my wings into a loose net of energy around me. Most of the shrapnel slammed into it but a small part slid through. At first it felt like I had been punched. I recoiled and looked down. Two holes had appeared in my legs and blood oozed from a third one in my thigh. The pain hit me as soon as I saw my injuries. Tendrils of fire clawed at my nerves and I immediately lost all control over the wounded leg. Beneath the raging fire a cold numbness spread out, slowly sucking away more and more of my body heat while it spread towards my heart. The damned projectiles had been poisoned. I doubled over in the air, gasping and channeled energy towards the torn tissue. The wounds didn¡¯t heal but I managed to prevent the poison from spreading. I¡¯d have to dig out the shrapnel before I could cleanse myself. Unfortunately Galathon wasn¡¯t going to stand idly by while I cared for my injuries. As soon as my posture crumbled I saw his wings flare threateningly in the corner of my eyes and I knew he was headed for me once again. ¡°Persequi!¡± He thundered. Blood pumped in my ears but I could still hear the whistling of his projectiles coming closer while they zeroed in on my position. Gritting my teeth I ignored the approaching world of hurt and unceremoniously dug my index finger into my leg to extract the still red hot piece of glass that was lodged deep within. I didn¡¯t have the time to be gentle or careful, I clawed at my wounds like a desperate animal and ripped the three pieces of obsidian right out, alongside a handful of flesh and a fountain of blood. The gemlike shards in my hand shimmered with a sick, greenish light and I threw them as far as I could before I teleported again and again. Panicked and hurting I tried to get away, to somehow clear enough space between us for a moment of respite but Galathon was hard on my heels. Wherever I appeared, his orbs were already there and forced me into a new direction only to narrowly dodge his blade or tail. He was playing with me now, like a cat would play with a mouse but the constant barrage of attacks didn¡¯t touch me. I was reminded of the countless hours I had spent in Greta¡¯s cavern, running away from every object she had been able to throw at me. My mind shifted gears and I managed to push down my fear again and think more clearly. I was still losing blood at a fast pace, my trousers were soaked on the left side and a spray of it swirled through the air behind me. I was already experiencing the first symptoms of blood loss, a slight dizziness and faint tremors in my muscles. Grudgingly I slowed down, sparing enough energy to start healing my wounds but that also meant that for the next couple of minutes I¡¯d be limited in what I could do, a considerable part of my concentration and energy occupied. I tried to estimate how often I could teleport without overtaxing my body while still healing myself and started to fly on a razor¡¯s edge between life and death. I¡¯d circle him until I could see or feel one of his orbs accelerating towards me, then I¡¯d head straight for him. Once I was just outside of his reach, I teleported back towards the now vacant spot in the net of flying obsidian. When he slowed them down and set others on my tails again, I¡¯d repeat the manoeuvre. Over time most of the black bullets should be close to him, allowing me more space to work with and a fair chance to get away. Time dragged on while I slithered and whipped through the air, erratic movements and my agility kept me from being hit again but I lost several centimetres of the fur on my tails when I misjudged one of his swings and nearly got cut. I didn¡¯t know what would happen if that blade made contact with my skin or even worse my blood but I wouldn¡¯t find out if I could help it. I was sweating profusely and while I didn¡¯t burden my core overly much, the strain of keeping up my concentration and whirling my limbs away from a cutting blade or tearing orbs of glass was starting to get to me. It became a little easier once my wounds had healed and I even managed to use my wings a couple of times to slice through his armour whenever I came close enough but the tears in the scales vanished nearly as quickly as they appeared and he didn¡¯t even bother defending himself. Instead he always preferred to send another swing with his sword my way, aiming for my neck, abdomen or legs. Each of his strikes carried enough force to cleanly cleave me in two if they were to land. It was a risky game for both of us, one mistake on my part would probably cost me my life but if I managed to dodge his blade and orbs in close quarters and realign my wings swiftly enough, I might be able to wrap my wings around him and cut his body to pieces. I¡¯d like to see him regenerated form that. Unfortunately I always had to blink away long before I could even start to entangle him in a net if energy. We had reached a stalemate for the moment but I could feel my stamina draining away and each time I neared him, his sword came closer and closer to finally cut into me. Sweat flowed in rivers from my brow and drenched the remains of my shirt, my lungs were aching with the effort of pumping more and more oxygen into my body and my meridians were aching again, forcing me to dial down my energy consumption heavily. When I blinked away from him once again, ready to circle and draw in more of the orbs he changed his plan. He immediately dismissed the ones I had lured close to him and conjured new ones in their stead, close to where I was hovering. ¡°Impetum!¡± He screamed. All 15 of them shot towards me, faster than before and from every direction in 3 waves of 5. I had to teleport again but the only spot I could reach that wasn¡¯t full of whistling glass was close to him and in the path of his already descending blade. Whatever the cost I wouldn¡¯t allow that thing to touch me. A shiver of fear ran through my body when I vanished and appeared behind the first two waves of projectiles. I immediately raced along the lines of light in my minds eye again but I still got hit. I materialised behind the line of orbs and as soon as my senses returned, a crushing pain flooded through me, originating from my right shoulder. I felt nauseated and had to swallow a mouthful of bile back down. My arm hung limply at my side, blood cascade along and fell towards the sea. A clean hole, the size of one of the orbs, had appeared and I could see white bone at the edges before it filled with gushing blood. I yelled out in pain, darkness etched in from the corners of my vision and I knew I was done. But I also wasn¡¯t surrounded by his flying death traps anymore. If I didn¡¯t run now, I wouldn¡¯t get another chance. Without hesitation I turned towards the faint presence of Viyara and winged away as fast as I could. Whenever my concentration would allow, I wove a teleport into my movements. I sped away from the dragon with all my might and anxiously looked up at the sun. It wasn¡¯t evening yet, but we had been fighting for longer than I had thought, more than two hours had passed. Now all I had to do was race him and not die of blood loss on the way. Considering what I had been through in the last hours, I had to smile at the prospect. That seemed doable. Energy tore apart the sky in front of me and a shadowy portal appeared, an obsidian blade slithered through the moment it stabilised. 62. Of escapes, surprises and a little bit of headless pirates Cassandra Pendragon The idiot. He had had me dead to rights and now¡­ well I knew exactly how much power it took to keep a tear in space open, more than I could control at the moment. I waited half a second longer until his sword and most of his arm had appeared and then my wings slithered along the outer edges of the portal, searching for the spell that held space apart long enough for something to pass through. In my mind¡¯s eye the portal was a black spot of nothingness, surrounded by beautiful glyphs, wreathed around the edges. They pulsed and shimmered with energy and even deformed a little while they kept the portal open. Grinning I ripped them apart, absorbing every iota of energy I could get my wings on. I couldn¡¯t take it all, once I had weakened the structure, the rest crumbled on its own, squashed by the force I had experienced myself when I had tried to reach the other air ship. The result was admirable none the less. With a hissing sound the portal slammed shut and cut off his extended hand that had been reaching through. A thunderous scream echoed from behind me and his blade, the fingers of his severed hand still attached to the pommel, tumbled through the air, a trail of blood extending behind it. Reflexively I reached for it and managed to wrap two wings around. I wasn¡¯t going to touch the thing with my bare hands. The sword was brimming with power, a constant hum that set my teeth on edge but even though I could fell the malicious intent behind the runes it seemed like a gift to me. Together with the energy I had taken from the portal it should provide enough for me to heal completely. I stood still while my wings pierced through the runes and the underlying structure of magic, tearing, ripping, devouring. Light flooded through my veins and my whole being resonated with the delicious sensations that flowed through me while the sword lost its lustre before it crumbled to dust. The wind carried away a stream of black powder and I was tempted to catch his hand, who knew when it might come in handy, but I feared he would be able to use it as a focus for his magic and conjure one of his orbs from it or simply make it explode. A risk I wasn¡¯t willing to take so I let it go. My reserves were replenished and I had been able to absorbed quite a bit of life force from his blade. I felt refreshed and the wound in my shoulder was starting to knit together. My body was whole again, I might have lost some fat, my arms appeared quite sinewy and I could see the muscles move beneath the skin on my stomach clearly. I thought I had burned actual mass while I had been low on energy to somehow keep my faltering body functioning but that was a thing of the past. Right now I felt great. Mentally drained and still sort of frightened for sure, but I wasn¡¯t in pain and I could feel my core pumping energy smoothly through my body without any problems. I considered turning back for a moment, the loss of a limb and the amount of power he must have spent to open the portal should give me an advantage but when I recalled the last time I had had to face him in his changed form a shudder ran along my tails and I dropped the idea quickly. I still had only a vague idea on how to kill him and it required me to reach his carbuncle. Unless I had to I wasn¡¯t going to come near him and his strange flying orbs again. Right now he was probably forming or conjuring a new weapon to replace the one I had destroyed and I wasn¡¯t keen on seeing it in action. As if to emphasise my thoughts, his voice rolled out like a wave of rage and I had to struggle to not get blown away: ¡°you¡¯ll suffer for this, whelp! I¡¯ll flay your skin, break your bones and crush your spirit, there is nowhere you can hide from me! You¡¯ll be mine.¡± The last words had been uttered quiet softly, more like a promise than a threat. I turned around while the last bone in my shoulder grew back and had to gasp involuntarily. He had changed again. Where the formidable warrior with his wings had been, a swarm of insects filled my vision. They were too far away to make out the details of their tiny bodies but their sheer number was astonishing. The buzzing of their wings reached me easily and the monotonous sound drowned every other noise, I couldn¡¯t even hear the wind anymore. There had to be millions of them, their carapaces black and shiny where the sun touched them they headed for me like a storm cloud, an unending wave of disgusting little soldiers. The term Plague Beetle surfaced in my mind and I suddenly knew exactly what was hunting me. A Plague Beetle was similar to a scarab but it didn¡¯t have the horn on top of its head. Instead their mandibles were much larger, sporting serrated edges that could cut through metal and bone. The inside of their mandibles was covered with a secretion that contained every sickness they had ever come in contact with. A single one could be a real threat to a city, if it wasn¡¯t caught quickly enough it would spread its diseases wherever it went and Galathon had turned into a veritable army of them. Bugs, I hated bugs¡­. For the fracture of a second I started to wonder what had happened to his carbuncle and if there were a couple of crystalline beetles hidden throughout the swarm but I opted to get out of there as fast as possible instead of satisfying my curiosity, the gnawing pit of fear the black mass had opened in my stomach and the rising nausea made it an easy choice. Stiffening my tails I shot through the sky like a spear and only glanced over my shoulder once I had covered a handful of kilometres. I hadn¡¯t gained on the swarm, quite the opposite, they were getting closer. Panic rose but for the umpteenth time I shoved it away and concentrated on the task at hand. A trickle of energy flowed to my eyes and I focused on one of the beetles without slowing down. The first thing I saw was a formation of runes on its back, glowing with faint traces of red. They appeared different from the ones I had seen before, rather archaic and somehow more brutal. They covered the carapace and followed its limbs, trailing on along the mandibles. While I traced the runes, I realised that it was missing one of its legs, the stump was clean as if it had been cut with a razor. The injury prompted me to check one of the others and indeed, it was missing the same appendage, sliced off cleanly. I felt much better, at least his hand hadn¡¯t grown back. I also found out how the cursed things could be that fast. They only flew a short distance before one of the runes covering them lit up and a small portal appeared in front of them. It transported them several meters before they materialised again and repeated the process. Luckily their tiny bodies didn¡¯t seem capable of sustaining a longer range but they were able to complete one iteration once a second which allowed them to travel tremendously fast and explained why they were getting closer. Damn it! Outrunning the bugs would be much harder than I had thought. I was going to have to mimic them, weaving teleports into my flight or they would be gnawing on my tails in a heart beat. I could only hope that I¡¯d be able to keep it up until I reached Viyara. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The next hour blurred away in arduous monotony. Wing stroke followed wing stroke only broken by a flash of silver when I vanished once more. A dull ache settled in, exertion taking its toll, but the thought of what was hunting me kept me going. When the sun was nearing the horizon I had managed to pull away, the swarm of beetles nothing more than an ominous shadow in the darkening sky, far behind. I had no idea how long they would actually need to catch up but if I had tried to teleport more often I wouldn¡¯t even have made it this far. The distance would have to suffice, Viyara¡¯s presence had become clearer over the last minutes and I expected the outlines of an island to appear any moment now. The thought wrung another burst of speed from my tired body, I couldn¡¯t wait to stand on solid ground again, even if it meant facing off against an army of disease ridden insects. The sun was a little to my right but its rays still made my vision blurry every time I stared straight ahead. A couple of minutes passed and then, finally, a cone shaped shadow appeared in front of me, its outline hazy from the distance but it became clearer with every wing beat. I couldn¡¯t suppress a gleeful shout, my goal in sight but when the shapes in front of me became sharp and I started to make out details, I became cautious and weary. An immense volcano rose from the depths, dark stone and smoking cracks formed the first 2 kilometres above the sea and clouds of vapour rose from its base. Along an invisible line the barren rock changed into verdant greens. Exotic trees like huge sequoias and sturdy date palms grew side by side with pines, cherry trees, oaks and firs. 4 rivers, one in every direction, ran through the forest and nourished the plants. Their sources were obviously artificially designed, close to the crater¡¯s edge a ring of crystal connected four ponds with one another, each of them overflowing with sparkling, emerald green water that than ran down and formed the streams. I couldn¡¯t discern much of what was happening below the canopy but the flocks of birds that rose up from time to time were a clear sign of how abundant life must be below the trees. On the eastern slope, a sizeable portion was charred and looked like a black scar on an otherwise healthy body. The birds stayed well away from the place and if I strained my eyes I thought I was just able to make out the bloody remains of a golden dragon. What had caught my attention, though, were three sky ships, hovering deep inside the crater. I had only been able to spot them because I was still much higher than the crater¡¯s edge. Rope ladders dangled below them and the smoke from their furnaces entered my nostrils with the distinct, sulphuric scent of treated wood. Viyara¡¯s golden from, bound and gagged, hung below the ship in the middle, her struggling body slowly pulled upwards while the last rays of the sun reflected off of her golden scales and pooled on the blood red sails above her. Viyara Nameless Out of the frying pan and into the fire¡­ the last day had been the worst of my life and when I had just thought I might actually have a shot at turning it around, I had been captured, again. After Cassandra, I had heard her name from Ahri, the other slightly intimidating woman, or rather kitsune as I had learned, had flown off I had felt elated. Through our connection I had been able to get a glimpse at what was lingering just behind her fragile facade when we had touched and it had stunned me. Deep within her I had felt a dominating presence, vast and ageless, dwarfing even the oldest dragons I had met. Her magic, her core, had been to bright for me to look at directly and I hadn¡¯t been able to discern the shape it had been projecting but I knew there was a second form, just like I could feel mine below the surface. I had thought she would change as soon as she faced Galathon, but she hadn¡¯t. I had even calmed Ahri down telepathically, otherwise the love struck fox wouldn¡¯t have left Cassandra¡¯s side. When the tiny speck of light had neared the huge, towering mass of Galathon I had felt desperate. Why hadn¡¯t she transformed? When they had clashed for the first time and she still had retained her tiny body I had panicked. She didn¡¯t know how! Cold fear had gripped my insides but when Cassandra had actually managed to herd the Black away I had started to hope again. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t be facing a future as a slave to the one being that had killed off my whole family? I had tried to follow their fight and had focused on my connection to her as soon as they had been gone from my sight but only the faintest hint of a presence had been coming through, not enough to guess how the battle had been going. The kitsune around me had been frozen as well, transfixed on the display in the sky. When all we had been able to see had been a quickly vanishing black spot on the horizon we had stirred. The children had looked at Ahri and each other nervously, doing their best to not meet my eyes. It had been entertaining for a moment until Ahri had stiffened. A second later she had calmly ordered the maps to be brought over and had asked me directly: ¡°now, do you know of a way to kill a grown dragon?¡± I had been forced to conclude that Cassandra was losing and fear had gripped me tightly again. With a little effort I had pushed it away, resolved to help in any way I possibly could. After a moment my father¡¯s hoard had come to mind. Not 5 minutes later I had been in the air again, courtesy of the combined efforts of the kitsune who had helped one of them, Archy, to heal me completely. I had rushed back as fast as my wings had carried me but my body had been nearing its limits when I had finally approached my home. Bleary eyed and tired I hadn¡¯t spotted the airships which had been hovering deep within the crater until it had been too late. The moment I had realised something was wrong large harpoons with heavy chains attached to them had already torn through my hide. Pain and fear blew away my exhaustion. Please, not again! A pulse of magic ran through the harpoons and my muscles spasmed, entangling me even more. I felt a heavy net hit my back and my flying ruff was pressed against my body. When the tremors subsided and I managed to unscrew my eyes again I was hauled across the deck of a huge airship, blood red sails blinking in the sunset. The smell of sweat and seasoned wood tickled my nostrils. Before I came to a halt, a coarse voice said somewhere to my right: ¡°Ah knew them harpoons would com¡¯ ¡®n handy. As ah always say: when ya visit a dragon¡¯s lair, ya bring the big guns and now look what we caught! A fine prize, no doubts about it, ¡®n brought in without a fight. Good fortunes, mark ma words!¡± But not for me, I feared. My limbs were still reluctant to do my bidding and my head hurt enough that any spell I tried fell apart long before I could finish it. A small throng of people were surrounding me despite the menacing growl I produced deep in my throat. An ugly, unkempt brigand whose smell assaulted me even from a couple of meters away was the one who had been talking. To his left a tall, slender male whose hat was adorned with a red feather smiled down on me. While the others seemed nervous or giddy, this one was composed and looked at me with a small smile. ¡°What do we have here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be somewhere else little snake? Who set you free?¡± His voice had a soothing cadence and I could feel the magic in his words but I wasn¡¯t going to fall for cheap parlour tricks. Defiance and raged welled up. I tried to aim a fireball his way but all that came from my snout was a shower of sparks and a cloud of smoke. He chuckled quietly while his crew jeered and laughed. ¡°We can¡¯t have you burning our ship now, can we? Don¡¯t make it harder on yourself than it needs to be. I know who you are, just tell me how you escaped Galathon and our meeting might yet be a pleasant one.¡± A flash of light blinded me and when I had blinked away my tears, his headless torso dropped to its knees while a fountain of blood gushed from his severed neck. 63. Of rescues, returns and a little bit of cooks Viyara Nameless In the growing darkness of the approaching night an angel descended form above. Stunned into silence we looked up, the only sound the soft thump with which the decapitated pirate fell to the ground. Bright torrents of energy swirled through the air and slithered over the deck, heading straight for my binds but no one cared. Halfway along the mast, maybe 10 meters above us Cassandra stood in the air, her beautiful face drawn into tight lines and a threatening shine flickered from her eyes while she studied the scene below her. Her wings spread out behind her, filling the deck with fleeing shadows and her tails framed her figure like a halo of molten silver. Dried blood, nearly black in the dwindling light, covered her body and her shirt was torn to shreds. Alabaster skin shimmered in the darkness, the colourful tattoo on her chest clearly visible. Palpable waves of anger rolled off of her and the brigands took an involuntary step back, cowering slightly. I smelled their fear, an acidic taste like lemons, and heard suppressed whispers all around me: ¡°who¡­what?¡± I had hope again, for the third time on the same day she had come for me. First she had brought me back from near death, than she had fought a battle in my name and now she was here. A warm sensation flowed through my limbs, it reminded me of the times my father had picked me up when I had fallen and had told me it was going to be okay. When the light from her eyes travelled over my prone body, despite the mumbling pirates and the chains, I felt safe, protected. One of her wings touched my tail and the spark of power she had given me ignited. Heat raced along my veins and a suppressing feeling I hadn¡¯t even known was there vanished when the runes on my binds lost their lustre. Cassandra¡¯s voice sounded in my mind: ¡°I have weakened the chains but I can¡¯t do anything about the two harpoons, for now they have to stay, I¡¯m sorry. In a moment they¡¯ll remember their weapons, as soon as they move you have to fly. Break your chains and fly as fast as you can, I¡¯ll be close behind. Is there any way for us to get into your fathers hoard and seal it, at least temporarily?¡± I wanted to thank her and tell her how much it meant to me that she was willing to go this far for practically a stranger but I didn¡¯t. ¡°Yes, the main entrance is a huge cave in the crater wall below us but it¡¯s barred. There are several smaller ones scattered all over the island. The enchantments will allow me to pass and bring you along. The closest one is just on the other side of the crater, near one of the emerald springs.¡± ¡°Good, I want you to head there directly. Don¡¯t wait, don¡¯t turn around!¡± Her wing squeezed my tail and slithered off. As if it had been a sign, the smelly pirate who had praised their good fortune before, shouted: ¡°What are ya¡¯ll waiting for? Shoot the darn missy. If ya get¡¯ er with a sleepy time potion, ah¡¯ll pay ya double! Jerry, Signal the other ships, ya big oaf!¡± The scraping of metal was accompanied by ¡°aye!¡±s and the rustling of cloth while Cassandra¡¯s clear voice rang out: ¡°So, you¡¯re the second in command?¡± Without further warning silvery blue spears of light pierced through his body. He fell silently, his skin shrivelling up along his skull before a withered corpse hit the planks. All hell broke loose. Crossbows sang and several javelins sailed through the air while a howl of outrage burst from the assembled humans. Cassandra¡¯s wings flared brightly once more and she appeared to fold in on herself, vanishing in a shower of silvery sparks. I didn¡¯t wait for her to reappear, instead I pushed against the metal surrounding me with everything I had. Surprisingly it came apart in a thrice, as if it had become brittle, my vigorous shove catapulting shards of broken steel through the air. Several screams and the heavy scent of blood rewarded my effort. Shouts of: ¡°it¡¯s free,¡± and ¡°get the snake, get her,¡± rang out all around me. I inhaled deeply and used my breath to clear the deck in front of me. Unfortunately every pirate in range had been quick enough on their feet and I had only managed to singe a couple of trouser and boots but small fires were starting to eat away at the blackened wood along my line of sight. I slithered across the deck, opening my ruff and spreading more flames along my way for good measure. Several sharp stings peppered my back, a couple of crossbows had been fired my way but none of the bolts managed to pierce my scales. I didn¡¯t turn around and flung myself off the ship and into the night. My ruff caught the wind and my sinewy body aligned with the airstreams perfectly to carry me away from the ship and higher into the sky. I picked up speed, the harpoons still nestled in my side made me clumsy but I was still a dragon in the air. I was tempted to turn around and bombard the ships, a burning heap of embers wouldn¡¯t stay in the air for long, but I wasn¡¯t going to disobey Cassandra. Not after everything she had done for me. My tail whipped through the air and I corrected my course, heading directly for the overgrown cave, I knew I¡¯d find on the other side of the crater. A thunderous explosion shook the night and a wave of heated air carried me along faster than I could fly by myself. Whirling, I managed to glance over my shoulder and saw a scene of devastation behind me. The ship with the blood red sails was falling, its side torn apart with the stern missing completely. Fires hungrily gnawed at the splintered wood and everything on deck that wasn¡¯t nailed down started to float and tumble. Cries of terror and despair echoed through the crater but they immediately cut off when the ship crashed through the fumes and hit the sea of magma below. Like a misshaped wicker man the ship burst into flames with its living cargo, reduced to coal dust within a moment. A deafening silence filled the crater and just before I slithered over the edge I saw Casandra appear again in a torrent of light on the opposite side. Her ringing voice reached me loud and clear, even though I was nearly a kilometre away by now. ¡°Fly, you fools!¡±. The last thing I saw before the crater¡¯s walls barred my view was a barrage of projectiles, hurtling her way from the remaining two ships. A vein of crystal circled the summit, the four springs, that provided water for the plants further down the slope, glimmered gently with an emerald light. I landed near the closest one, where the waters rushed from its depth and flowed over. A strip of barren rock separated the pond from the lush forest, maybe 30 meters away, the cave I was looking for was beyond the edge. Gingerly I took a snout full of water, the potent magic eased the pain in my side and washed away my weariness but it couldn¡¯t suppress my anxiety. I was still alone. A shiver travelled along my spine and I tasted the air nervously with my tongue. Smoke, blood, fear, rage, damp fur, pines, mushrooms and a myriad of other impressions reached me but I couldn¡¯t get a hint of Cassandra¡¯s smell and I wouldn¡¯t miss it. Only she and Ahri had that particular scent of stardust around them, an electric tingle deep in my throat that somehow felt like I had swallowed a mouthful of light. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The tearing sensation in my side reminded me constantly of the harpoons that still lodged there. I wouldn¡¯t be able to change my form, they would appear in the same spot once I transformed and with how deep they were embedded in my flesh they¡¯d probably kill me outright. I had to get them out, the cave was much too small for my draconic shape. Reluctantly I turned around and submerged myself in the spring, its emerald waters a soothing touch against my scales. Magic, brimming white life, surrounded me and without thinking about the agony that was about to come, I coiled up and used my teeth to rip the first harpoon right out of my hide. For the fracture of a second I could admire the barb, glistening flesh and steaming blood formed red clumps around the piece of metal and then the pain hit me. Searing waves rolled through my body and made me curl up even more, I had to bite my tongue to not roar loudly. I thrashed around, water spattered everywhere but the healing effects soon washed away the worst of it. Red and golden smears of blood dispersed quickly in the waters and my wound closed without leaving a mark. Before I could even digest what had happened and prepare myself for the next one, agony swallowed me for a second time. Dark and bright spots appeared before my eyes and I might have passed out for a moment. The next thing I remembered was a throbbing ache in my side that quickly disappeared and a drenched kitsune that smiled down on me with a bloody harpoon in her hand. ¡°Better?¡± Was all she asked. I bobbed my head while I reached for her mentally. The spark in my chest pulsed gently and I heard her thoughts again. ¡°Up you get, little one. If you¡¯re up to it, we¡¯ll have to move. Questions can come later.¡± ¡°These springs are marvellous, I¡¯m as good as new. Give me a moment to change and let me at least thank you for what you¡¯ve done, what you¡¯re still doing.¡± We didn¡¯t exchange words but thoughts and emotions, it was much easier to convey the complex feelings I tried to communicate with the simple sentence. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome but we¡¯re not out of the volcano, yet. Take my hand, which way do we go?¡± A golden light had enveloped me and now I knelt in the middle of the spring, a naked girl with dripping locks of silver and gold. I reached up and grabbed Cassandra¡¯s hand, her slender fingers, almost the same size as mine, hauled me up with surprising strength. ¡°Can you walk or do I have to carry you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Come on.¡± I led her away from the pond and towards the forest. I wanted to ask her about Galathon and what had happened in the crater but I could see her fluffy ears twitch from left to right and her eyes roamed across the sky constantly. I didn¡¯t want to distract her and focused on my footsteps once we had crossed the edge of the forest. Springy soil was covered with all sorts of plants and every few metered a thick trunk rose from the ground. The air smelled fresh and alive, like a wild meadow after a rain shower. When we disappeared beneath the canopy Cassandra relaxed visibly. She squeezed my hand: ¡°how much farther do we have to go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just behind that tree. Follow me.¡± We hurried around a small hill that rested like a hump against the slope of the volcano. The roots of an ancient oak covered it completely, only a closer look revealed that they actually formed a wooden arch, heavily overgrown with evergreens and weeds. Tiny runes were carved around the base and a single gem rested deep within the jumbled roots, nearly invisible unless a ray of sunlight would hit it by chance. When I approached the jewel lit up and the arch sizzled with energy. Without releasing my hold on Cassandra¡¯s hand I hurried through and pulled her along. I felt like I had passed through a cold waterfall and my vision swam with different colours for a moment. I blinked and my surroundings had changed. I still clung to Cassandra¡¯s hand but we had entered one of the antechambers of my father¡¯s lair. White marble inlaid with gold formed the floor and ceiling while the walls were decorated with artful pictures designed in enamel. They depicted different scenes from my father¡¯s life, most of them showed how he met one of his wives or the other but quite a few also centred around his battles against other dragons, mainly an ugly Black. The room was huge, large enough for a fully grown dragon to stand in, at least if he wouldn¡¯t insist on stretching, and two equally immense tunnels led deeper into the lair. Along the walls, between the sheets of enamel, glowing gems formed intricate mosaics, rune formations hidden within and filled the chamber with light. Channels allowed glowing lava to crisscrossed the floor before they vanished into gaping holes along the walls, but the heat remained tolerable. I wouldn¡¯t have minded overly much either way but I knew my father had worked quite hard on the enchantments that kept the temperatures pleasant throughout the lair and absorbed the radiant energy of the lava channels. Most of the magic throughout the layer was dependent on the power gathered that way. Cassandra took a step forward, her eyes wide in amazement and as if on cue a hoarse, somewhat slurred voice reached us from the depth of one of the tunnels. ¡°Lady Viyara? For the love of the scaled wyrm, supersized lizards and their architecture. I¡¯ll be there in a moment¡­ ooff, an outsider?!¡± Heavy footsteps had accompanied his words, interrupted by heavy panting. With his last exclamation Barzuk hobbled to a stop, his bulking form swaying from left to right in the tunnel mouth, a good 50 meters away from us. He was huge, for a humanoid. Green skin was drawn tight over rippling muscles. He stood at an impressive 2.5 meters with trunk like arms that nearly reached the ground. Black bristles covered most of his body and a loin cloth was the only garment he had ever deemed necessary. His head seemed to grow directly from his massive chest, an additional bunch of muscles the only thing that resembled a neck even remotely. Long black hair was bound into a pony tail that hung across his shoulder and his pointy ears were pierced through with golden bones. His face was broad with a pig like nose and narrow lips. Two fangs jutted from his jaw and set his features into a permanent scowl. His beady eyes were a bright red without whites or pupils and added to his menacing appearance even though they were a little hazy at the moment. A jewel crusted crown sat lopsided on his head, heavy gold chains were slung around his torso, a crystalline dagger was stuffed into his loin cloth and he clutched a nearly empty crystalline decanter to his chest, the smell of liquor reached us even across the distance. His other hand remained hidden behind his back. A little drool dripped from the corner of his mouth and he stared at us wide eyed. He hiccoughed and slowly narrowed his eyes. ¡°One of them intruders! Don¡¯t fret milady, I¡¯ll free us of the vermin!¡± With more coordination than I would have thought him capable of in his current state Barzuk¡¯s hand shot forth from behind his back and he threw a massive cleaver across the room. Before it could land he smashed the decanter against a wall, the bitter scent of whiskey became nearly unbearable and flung himself at Cassandra with a gleeful shout. His crown swayed dangerously on his head and even though his eyes were glazed over, he thundered towards her with a loping grace that didn¡¯t appear even the tiniest bit clumsy. She didn¡¯t bother with dodging. Her wings manifested and she picked the projectile from the air before she tripped him. Four of her wings gripped one of Barzuk¡¯s legs tightly and she pulled. With a resounding crash his snout hit the marble and he slithered along for quite a distance, luckily he didn¡¯t fall into one of the lava channels. Orcs were resistant to heat but if he passed through the seal of enchantments he¡¯d burn like a match. ¡°Oh my, what an exuberant reception,¡± Cassandra chuckled. ¡°Let me guess, he¡¯s the cook?¡± I could only nod in silence. 64. Of orcs, conjectures and a little bit of morals Cassandra Pendragon I eyed the drunk bag of muscles and bones curiously. I didn¡¯t have a clue how Viyara¡¯s family had been organised so I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, but I had to admit, a cantankerous orc was a little much. I had never seen an orc before, except for illustrations in some of the books I had been forced to read but they hadn¡¯t done him justice. Neither the eerie glow of his eyes nor the absurd length of his tusks had been captured and if I hadn¡¯t spent the last hours dancing with a dragon I would have been intimidated but in comparison he appeared rather¡­ cute. Especially with the slightly confused look on his face and the absurd amount of jewellery he was wearing I just couldn¡¯t take him seriously. The cleaver was another matter. Size and proportions were suited to a draconic kitchen and the dark spots on the blade were probably not only rust. I brought it close to my face and sniffed it cautiously, yep, definitely blood. I would have loved to drag out the moment a little longer, I quite enjoyed the cook¡¯s expressions while he tried to puzzle out what was going on and Viyara was obviously embarrassed, shuffling on her feet with a faint trace of red in her cheeks. I couldn¡¯t image what had set her off but she looked adorable, like a child who brought home a friend for the first time and doesn¡¯t know how it¡¯s going to go. Huh, that actually made a lot of sense and would explain her behaviour. I wanted to enjoy the normality a little longer without mad wizards or power crazed dragons ruining my day but unfortunately one of those oversized megalomaniacs was already well on his way and I had to hurry. ¡°Hello, my name is Cassandra and I mean no harm, neither to you nor to your lady. Quite the contrary, actually, I need your help dearly. If I return your weapon, will you listen?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a reply and extended my wings that still held on to his cleaver. The orc sat up and squinted at me through half closed eyes before he took it. ¡°Well, if the lady Viyara doesn¡¯t mind. I can always make you into a steak later on, can¡¯t I? You¡¯re not one of the Black¡¯s lackeys, are you?¡± He turned to the girl by my side waiting for her opinion on the matter. She sighed deeply and her blush returned in full force. ¡°Barzuk, Cassandra is the reason I am standing here. She¡¯s a friend, please, try to behave. I owe her.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Viyara was already gathering her breath to protest but I chose to ignore her. ¡°We are, however, in a shitty position. I don¡¯t know how much you already pieced together, Barzuk, was it? Viyara escaped Galathon and found me and my friends along the way. We wanted to lure him here to finish him off but when we arrived, three air ships were already in the crater. I broke the flying stone of one but the others are undoubtedly searching for us right now and an angry dragon is bound to arrive soon. If we want to see another sunrise, we¡¯ll have to figure something out. Viyara, you said that there might be some enchantments or artefacts that could help us. Now that we¡¯re here, care to elaborate?¡± I deliberately turned my back on the orc and focused on the dragon girl. Her demeanour had changed, she wasn¡¯t blushing anymore and her eyes were roaming along the golden ornaments and over the jewels. Tears started to fall and she didn¡¯t appear to have heard me, staring straight ahead with dull eyes. I felt a tremor run through her fingers, still intertwined with mine and her torso shook with silent sobs. Damn it, she was breaking down. The last day was catching up with her and now that she was back in an almost empty home, she had finally realised that her family was truly gone. I suppressed a curse and slung my tails around her to propel her into my arms. I hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear: ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re not alone, I¡¯m here.¡± I reached for her mind, a dark and grey cloud seemed to obscure it, her thoughts moving sluggishly underneath. Inexperienced and clumsy as I was I tried to console her, to just be there and share in her grief, to allow her to not face it alone. I knew how she felt. I stroked her back gently and kept whispering into her ear until she shivered and started to cry openly. Heavy sobs shook her body and she nearly crushed me when she pressed herself into me. I didn¡¯t know how long we stood there until a coarse hand landed on my shoulder. Barzuk had gotten up and made his way over to us. He didn¡¯t say a word but he had placed a hand on both of our shoulders and his eyes shone with compassion and a shared loss. ¡°See,¡± I mumbled into Viyara¡¯s ear, ¡°even the drunk orc is here for you.¡± A choked chuckle sounded from somewhere below my chin and I felt a fresh breeze blow through her mind. The oppressive fog was changing into a storm front, with towering black clouds, ready to unleash a thunderstorm. Anger was at least better than desperation. I caressed her head one last time and pushed her to arm¡¯s length, my hands on her shoulders and my tails still slung around her middle. She looked at me through swollen lids and even though her cheeks were wet and blotched, her eyes shone again with a bright inner fire. ¡°There,¡± I brushed away a tear that still clung to her chin, ¡°we¡¯ll get through this, together.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± She asked tremulously. ¡°Promise.¡± I had to swallow dryly. I had already decided to stay with her until the end, however it was going to turn out but another binding promise? And quite loosely worded as well¡­ another circle formed around my core but this time I had the impression of golden runes on a silver canvas when the energy settled into me. Astoundingly I could see a change in Viyara as well. A faint silvery light shone through her skin, just above her heart and the mark on her forehead that had appeared briefly when she had absorbed my energy sparkled with power. This time however, it didn¡¯t sink back into her skin. 33 strands of liquid silver spread across her skin, 16 to left,16 to the right and one in the centre, slightly below the others. Each one was thin and nearly invisible, unless it reflected a ray of light. They were maybe 2 centimetres in length and seemed to move on their own but that could also have been my imagination. ¡°Are you alright? I¡¯m sorry, that has never happened before. I don¡¯t¡­¡± I stammered. Barzuk squeezed my shoulder to shut me up. Viyara was smiling. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I feel¡­good, actually.¡± She closed her eyes and appeared to listen. ¡°I think¡­ I think my carbuncle just grew. For the love of magic, I have to change, I want to see my draconic form.¡± Her misery forgotten she excitedly hopped back a couple of meters without waiting for a reply. Golden light and silvery sparks covered her form and when they vanished a golden dragon loomed over me again. She hadn¡¯t changed much, the only difference were her horns which had turned into silver, they were literally made of metal and bluish sparks of energy ran along them. Barzuk whistled appreciatively. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Her voice took me by surprise when it flowed through my mind even though we weren¡¯t touching. ¡°I can still feel your presence, much more clearly than before. You don¡¯t have to worry, I became attuned to your magic when you healed me. I¡¯m not going to burn up because of a little more.¡± ¡°Can you read my thoughts now as well?¡± She huffed and a cloud of smoke laced with silvery blue sparks escaped her. I had a hunch her breath would be quite powerful. ¡°No, even though I would love to. There is so much I want to know but to answer your question: if you had been able to see your face you wouldn¡¯t have asked. You¡¯re still scowling.¡± I relaxed a little, I really had been worried for her. Everything I knew told me that mortals and transcendent energy didn¡¯t mix well and she had clearly taken in more than just a spark. I liked her and I didn¡¯t want to watch her suffer because of something I did in ignorance. Once again I resolved to get Mephisto out of his hibernation as soon as possible. How hard could it be? ¡°I assume you two are talking? It¡¯s great to see you ladies bond, warms my green heart and all,¡± Barzuk had to pause for another hiccough, ¡°but don¡¯t we have a massacre to plan?¡± We both stared at him. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t the gist of it that a lot of people have to die? Sorry to burst your bubble but when you kill more than, say 20, it¡¯s a massacre. Not that I see why it matters but if it makes you feel better we¡¯ll just call it a slaughter¡­¡± he was decidedly to cheerful at the prospect but I wouldn¡¯t argue with him. In essence he was right but I had never much cared about definitions or morale theory for that matter. I didn¡¯t enjoy killing but I had been forced to end lives as soon as I had been able to think. Was it wrong? Probably. Did I think I had been justified every time I had taken a life? Definitely. The same principle applied here: you couldn¡¯t massacre or slaughter someone who had come to threaten your life, your freedom or your friends. You removed an obstacle with as much force as necessary. But like I had said, I wasn¡¯t going to argue. ¡°Call it whatever you want, but the pirates aren¡¯t the problem. I¡¯m pretty sure the man behind them is somehow connected to Galathon and unbelievably dangerous but he isn¡¯t here. It¡¯s the dragon we have to worry about. The pirates can¡¯t even enter here, can they?¡± It was Viyara who replied. Somehow she included Barzuk, using her mind as a junction so that we could all communicate mentally. I didn¡¯t hear the orc directly but I heard an echo of his thoughts. ¡°Normally I¡¯d say they can¡¯t, but the chains they used to bind me show that they came prepared. They may very well have an artefact with them that allows them to enter, especially if they serve someone as dangerous as you fear.¡± She was right! It was actually even more than likely. ¡°Uhh,¡± Barzuk interjected. It was funny to hear his thoughts overlayed with Viyara¡¯s sweet mental voice. ¡°Could you explain who you are talking about? A little information could be handy if we have to face his cronies.¡± Right, they both knew nothing about the emperor or the marks Ahri had seen years ago. Since we were communicating at the speed of thought, now was probably the best time to bring them up to speed and get a second and third opinion on my conclusions. ¡°Right, I don¡¯t know if you have seen a kitsune before but we aren¡¯t form around here. Up until a few days ago we had a home, not that far away to the north¡­¡± I told them my story and only obscured the things concerning Ahri¡¯s and my origins. I continued with what Etosh had told us about his fianc¨¦e and the marks Ahri had found on the very same pirates when she had travelled towards the five kingdoms. I ended with a quick summary of how I imagined we had come to this point. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened here, but I think it¡¯s safe to assume Galathon didn¡¯t touch the hoard because he has some deal with the emperor. Maybe he needed help to handle your father, maybe it was something completely unrelated but the emperor¡¯s lackeys outside have come to take his dues. The captain¡¯s words when he spoke to you just emphasise their connection. I think they want the hoard and it¡¯s a safe bet that they have some way of getting inside. Which means we have to first get rid of them and their equipment and then we have to fend off Galathon.¡± ¡°Are you sure the pirates are vassals? Did you find anything on their ship?¡± Viyara¡¯s wanted to know. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time to look around but I saw a crown on the captains neck before I severed it. I don¡¯t think everyone is enslaved but they get their orders from the emperor, of that I have no doubt. But even if they don¡¯t it won¡¯t change much. They are working with Galathon and we have to assume they will help him without questions. If they are working for the emperor it only means they¡¯ll have much better artefacts and enchantments with them, like the harpoons and chains they used on you. The question is, what can we do about it?¡± I felt a series of thoughts flash between Barzuk and Viyara but before I could ask Viyara spoke up. ¡°There are some thing we can try but first let me explain where we are. A dragon¡¯s lair is his fortress, his pride. They work on it for as long as they live but, like most magic, enchantments perish along with the caster. My father knew that and spent much of his time to create something that would last far longer than him. He¡­ there is simply no nice way of putting it, he enslaved a spirit queen and bound her to a gem. Most of the magic is of his design but it¡¯s connected to a jewel, the crown of his hoard. If we can convince the spirit within to help we¡¯ll be able to¡­¡± her words trailed off but I had gotten the idea. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the kind of spells a protective dragon would have cast over millennia but they had to come in handy. ¡°Two questions. Why isn¡¯t the spirit contacting us or activating some of the enchantments on her own and are there any more living beings here?¡± This time it was Barzuk who replied. ¡°No, everyone was on the surface when¡­ I got lucky, I had just returned to my kitchen to prepare deserts when the entrances closed. I thought everyone was gone so I raided the good stuff and waited for someone to burst open the doors. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes when I saw the young lady again¡­ anyway, we are alone except for the fey and she is completely cut off from our world. When my master died, the gem¡¯s safeguards activated and sealed her in. It¡¯s going to take the blood of lady Viyara to open it again. The magic should also renew the subjugation spell on the fey, binding her to the lady.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that,¡± Viyara interjected. ¡°I¡¯ll offer her her freedom if she promises to help us one more time. I never really thought much about Erya while I lived here but now that I had to face slavery myself¡­¡± a visible shudder ran along her serpentine body and golden reflections danced across the wall. ¡°I won¡¯t keep her here if she wants to leave.¡± I was impressed. For a dragon to give up something that might be considered hers was remarkable. Barzuk didn¡¯t share my point of view: ¡°What? Why? You¡¯ll need her if you want to protect your hoard. Your the last living member of your father¡¯s family. You have a duty to your heritage!¡± Viyara¡¯s reply was calm but we could both feel her temper rising. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me of my duties. They are dead, their hearts digested by a monster that¡¯s coming here. My duty is to make sure he never leaves and nothing else! Afterwards I¡¯m done, done with the endless quarrels and the envy that comes with this place. You¡¯re very welcome to join me but I don¡¯t intend to spend a minute longer amongst the ashes of my family than I have to. Maybe one day I¡¯m going to build my own hoard but it¡¯s going to be far away from here.¡± Now it was Barzuk¡¯s turn to impress me. He smashed his fist across his chest in a warrior¡¯s salute before his thoughts reached us: ¡°Your will, master. Forgive this old orc, you are right. We¡¯ll do everything we can to put the spirits of the fallen to rest, that¡¯s what has to be done. But allow me to say, you shouldn¡¯t discard what your father left behind lightly. He built his legacy to endure and it would be a shame to throw it away on a whim.¡± Viyara answered much more gently than before: ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not going to leave empty handed but this place just¡­ it reminds of how it has been, of what has been taken from us. I don¡¯t want to live with that.¡± I understood her perfectly. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue living on Boseiju either, even if he had survived. 65. Of dragons, lairs and a little bit of fey Cassandra Pendragon We didn¡¯t dawdle much longer. A short discussion broke out when Viyara offered to carry us on her back, she¡¯d be much faster at navigating the lair in her dragon form. I was all for it but Barzuk insisted that it would sully her dignity, transporting others like a common mule. Viyara¡¯s temper was rising again when I decided to put a stop to their argument. I blinked onto her back and pulled Barzuk up with a couple of my wings. I placed him in front of me and ignored his yammering: ¡°We can worry about appearances later when we don¡¯t have a crater full of enemies at our door. Until then I don¡¯t want to hear another word about how she should behave.¡± I applied just enough pressure to emphasise my point before I retracted my wings. ¡°Did I make myself clear?¡± Barzuk grumbled under his breath but he didn¡¯t object loudly and with a smug roar from Viyara we were off in a trice. Riding her felt strange, her arms and legs were too short to run at speed and she had to support them with slithering motions of her whole body. It was a rather comfortable way to travel, her back remained steady and only swayed from left to right smoothly. I didn¡¯t have to try terrible hard to keep my seat even though I had never ridden before but the constant shifting of her coils around us took some getting used to. We were surprisingly fast, the wind from our passage ruffled my hair and blew Barzuk¡¯s ponytail across his chest. The sights along the way were marvellous and for the first time I could truly appreciate that I was in a dragon¡¯s lair. Despite our dire circumstances I felt a rush of excitement while I took in everything around me with wide eyes. My sense of direction was completely confused under ground so I had no real way of knowing where we actually were. Additionally I didn¡¯t have the foggiest idea where the portal we had passed through might have taken us. We glided through the left tunnel from where we had appeared, marble and gold giving way to dark granite interlaced with veins of all kinds of metals, gold, silver, astralite and some I hadn¡¯t seen or heard of before. I saw green and pink streaks, ores that appeared nearly crystalline with ruby red or sapphire blue shimmers and I was sure I had even seen a dribble of mercury in passing, running down one of the walls. In regular intervals, huge druses appeared along the ceiling, filled with rubies and citrines, a giant amber glowed brightly in the centre, its light reflected and strengthened by the gems around it. Soft golden red light filled the corridor and made me feel like I was flying through a fairytale. A lava or magma channel, I wasn¡¯t sure which since we were still underground but the stuff wasn¡¯t driven by tectonic forces anymore, ran along the right side of the tunnel, partly carved into the wall. A long string of runes covered the edges of the channel, most of them active and probably powered by the stream of molten rock but the most intricate ones which appeared every few meters and showed the same sigil over and over again were dull and lifeless. Curiously I glanced around and searched for other signs of magic and with a little bit of energy sent to my eyes I found them. The gems in the druses above were all subtly carved, delicate lines crisscrossing them where the light from the amber wouldn¡¯t reach. I was by no means an expert but the craftsmanship alone told me how much effort had gone into designing and applying them. But yet again, they didn¡¯t seem active, the groves and trenches within the crystals void of energy. Carefully I conjured my second sight and studied the different formations again. While most of the runes along the channel were blazing with light, the others were indeed dormant. I saw a spark of energy lingering, ready to blaze into life but a vital part seemed to be missing, there was no purpose, no will behind them. If I had had to guess I¡¯d would have said those weren¡¯t runes but anchors for complex enchantments that were tied to the fey, Erya. As long as she was sealed, they wouldn¡¯t work. Viyara¡¯s thoughts broke me from my reverie: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± I dropped my silvery vision and focused on her mind, wondering how her telepathy actually worked and if she had gotten a glimpse of my thoughts. ¡°Extremely, I haven¡¯t seen something comparable before. The light, the colours, it¡¯s truly magical. I don¡¯t even recognise half of the metals we have come by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no surprise, quite a few of them should be unique. Same goes for the gems, the ones you see around here are artificial but the ones growing naturally are something else. They shine with an inner light in all colours you can imagine. Just wait, you¡¯ll see them soon.¡± I padded her hide affectionately. ¡°Can¡¯t wait. But before we get there, can you tell me why? I know that most islands have some unique resource or the other but I have never heard of so many in one place. How come this volcano is chock full of them?¡± I felt Viyara¡¯s ribs press against her scales as she puffed out her chest proudly. ¡°Every lair turns out like this sooner or later. Dragons are constantly emitting magic, sometimes more, sometimes less. Each beat of our hearts sends minuscule waves of life force into the world, we exhale mana and from time to time even our soul emits a pulse power. At birth for example or when we fall in love¡­ when we die.¡± She added morosely. I continued to stroke her side while she regained her composure. ¡°Anyway, over time our surroundings absorb more and more magic and they start to transform. My father lived here for more than 2000 years, well before the cataclysm, with several draconic wives. Most materials within the lair have been saturated to the brink and then some. Often the change isn¡¯t obvious, but you¡¯d be surprised at how sturdy the rock deeper down can be or at the healing properties of some of the thermal springs close to the hoard. Precious metals, gems and living beings are another matter though. I don¡¯t know why, maybe they are more attuned to magic or maybe it¡¯s the fact that we actually care for those things, but they always end up very different. One of my mothers even told me a story about how most humanoid chimaeras, you know, beast kin, are descendants of humans changed that way.¡± ¡°Even kitsune?¡± I had to ask. I didn¡¯t know much about my people, most of our history was lost during the cataclysm and the few fragments I did know about didn¡¯t contradict her. Her head bobbed up and down in front of me: ¡°According to my mother, probably. But I don¡¯t know anything about your race, today is the first time I have seen one of the fox tribe after all. If you could tell me a little about your people I could maybe give you a hint.¡± ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t much to tell. Most of our knowledge was lost when our capital was destroyed during the cataclysm.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You misunderstand. What are you like? Do you have any common traits? If you really were transformed that way some of the dragon¡¯s characteristics would break through.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Let¡¯s see¡­ all of us can use mana but we only have very few life force casters and practically not a single soul mage. We are¡­,¡± I blushed and was quite glad Viyara couldn¡¯t see my face, ¡°well, we are said to be extremely beautiful and we don¡¯t age. I¡¯m probably going to look like this for the next couple of centuries. I¡¯m taller than most kitsune, even the males, we aren¡¯t as sturdy as humans and don¡¯t reach the hight of elves. Our tails appear over time, normally a new one sprouts whenever we understand something fundamental about ourselves or the world we live in and our abilities skyrocket every time. As far as I know a kitsune can have up to nine tails but I have never met anyone who even claimed to have met a nine-tailed fox. We have a thing for trees, cherry trees in particular but that could also be a cultural bias, I¡¯m not really sure. Like most races, I guess, we appreciate art, wisdom, beauty, kindness¡­ the usual. We aren¡¯t particularly greedy or fond of wealth but we definitely value finely crafted jewellery or precious gems.¡± I was paraphrasing, our conversation consisted of memories I conjured and shared with her, not actual words. Viyara¡¯s soaked up every detail and relished in some of the scenes from Boseiju I shared with her. I could feel the storm front in her mind recede bit by bit while I took her for a stroll along my favourite glades which I still remembered in vibrant colours. I could even conjure the smell of cherries and thyme that had always calmed me down. While she strolled through my home I focused back on my surroundings with half my mind when the walls and ceiling suddenly receded and we entered another cavern. My mouth hung open in amazement and I couldn¡¯t sustain the images any longer, completely enthralled by the sight before me. I had thought the chamber we had arrived in had been huge but now I knew better. We had entered a cathedral fit for a gathering of dragons. Immense pillars of marble rose every 20 meters from the ground, reaching up to the far ceiling. Streaks of gold formed complex formations on their surface but the enchantments again lacked the lustre of magic. Far above us a mosaic of sapphires and moon stones gave the illusion of an open, starlit sky. The walls were covered in druses, each one housing a single gem. They were a deep blue colour but they shone with a pulsing, reddish light that reflected off of the pillars and illuminated the cavern with rays of colour. Each gem stood taller than me and when I looked closer I could see different veins of metal running through each of them. Their placement and orientation seemed intentional but I couldn¡¯t figure out the shape they formed. The centre of the cavern fell away to from a yawning hole, maybe 100 meters in diameter and 200 meters away from us. Flickering red light danced over the rim and swaths of heated air brushed across my face, carrying with them the smell of molten rock and burning air. The circular edge of pit was covered in a single sheet of silver, arcane symbols, inlaid with different gems, etched into it tightly enough to form a waterfall of oscillating light. A low rumbling sound reached my ears as if boulders were clashing against one another deep below and I could feel faint vibrations in the air that made my tails itch. ¡°Welcome to the Great Hall, Cassandra. Only a few outsiders have ever had the chance to see it.¡± Barzuk¡¯s deep voice felt tiny in the gargantuan space. I had to take a moment to collect my thoughts before I replied with barely more than a reverent whisper: ¡°Breathtaking. I feel like an ant in a treasury. What is this place?¡± Viyara¡¯s thoughts curled around my own with the impression of a smug smile: ¡°You¡¯re no ant but I know what you mean. This is the central cavern of the lair, the hoard is just beneath. It¡¯s a throne room, if you will. Every time my father wanted to impress, be it the few instances when another dragon visited or for one festivity or the other we would gather here.¡± She slithered across the polished floor and peered into the pit. ¡°Look, my father¡¯s pride.¡± Without warning she slipped over the edge, the ruff in front of me caught the air and we soared into a world of fire and light. My stomach churned, I reflexively unfurled my wings to keep my balance and slung a couple around Barzuk¡¯s waist for good measure. We were near the ceiling of a dome, maybe a kilometre in hight and 2 across. The circular walls consisted of cracked geodes, gems of all colours blinking at us from within. Some were larger than a barn while others were just as small as my pinky but not two of them shone with the same light. While I was watching, some of them even changed, purple became azure, emerald rays turned a deep yellow. The rumbling sound I had heard was much more pronounced, as if we had entered the body of a gigantic beast and would listen to its breath. Magic hung heavy in the air, swirling and dancing it made my fur stand on edge and my wings tingled with energy. Halfway towards the bottom, five mighty streams of magma broke through the walls, each of them as wide as a river they thundered downwards at an angle, their momentum catapulted them far towards the centre. Where they slammed into the sea of molten rock that made up the floor, fountains of sparks and flames shot into the air for tens of meters. Dead in the centre of the sea of fire a single island rose from relatively calm floods of magma. On a dais of white marble, at least 100 meters across and 50 above the magma, an inexpressible amount of wealth glittered in the light. Mountains of gold, hills of silver and heaps of jewels were carelessly scattered around. Armours and weapons, most of them made for humanoids but others clearly intended to be used as a tail weapon by dragons, stood side by side with ancient tomes, some of which were carved on sheets of crystal with pages twice as wide as Barzuk. I saw vials, filled with luminous liquids and huge gems that enclosed different kinds of plants. Powerful artefacts hummed with their own power alongside bars of precious metals, stacked together by the dozens. Flying stones hovered over the dais, each of them loaded heavily with further riches. From up high I could see the imprint of a dragon¡¯s body where Viyara¡¯s father had rested on his hoard. He had been coiled around a pillar of gold in the middle of the island. A colossal ruby, carved into a cabochon with a diameter of at least 5 meters sat atop. A faint glow shimmered through its surface but I was too far away to make out any details. Surprisingly the temperature was tolerable. The air was hot, dry and had a sulphuric taste to it but I wasn¡¯t choking, nor were the tips of my hair smoking. I was in a much better condition than I should be this close to a sea of molten rock. Viyara didn¡¯t appear troubled or strained while she gently arched downwards and rode the currents of hot air. I didn¡¯t expect to be distracting her when I gently brushed against her thoughts: ¡°Why are we, or rather Barzuk and me not burning up? This close to a sea of magma we shouldn¡¯t be able to survive. Are you casting a spell on us or is the magic of this place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the place, in a way. You see the large ruby down there? That¡¯s Erya¡¯s prison. It¡¯s supplying the magic for most of the lair, an absurd amount. One of the most ingenious set of runes is carved into the stone beneath the sea and into every gem along the walls. The runes constantly convert thermal and kinetic energy into different forms of magic and channel them into the ruby. It¡¯s the only way to sustain all the enchantments which were usually active. Since most of them are dormant right now the magic accumulates here. You can even smell it in the air.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that the fey down there has access to all the energy this place can provide? And she has been enslaved for I don¡¯t know how long? Won¡¯t she just try to kill us if you set her free?¡± ¡°Fey are bound by their words, literally. I¡¯m not going to let her out without some form of reassurance but they are devious by nature. If she manages to trick me we¡¯ll be in a whole new world of trouble.¡± 66. Of prisons, problems and a little bit of breaking and entering Cassandra Pendragon Viyara¡¯s claim that kitsune might be born of draconic magic still circled my mind while we approached the dais. I would have liked to question her further but we were close now and there were more important things to do. I simply added it to the growing pile of stuff I¡¯d do later¡­ The closer we came the more impressive the hoard appeared. From up high I hadn¡¯t been able to judge how tall the mountains of treasure truly were but when we circled about 30 meters above, I realised that buying a kingdom wouldn¡¯t put a dent into the amassed riches, probably not even in a single tower of gold coins if I was honest. I wasn¡¯t a greedy person but I couldn¡¯t deny the allure of the glittering heaps and was well aware of the financial problems I was facing as soon as I reached the others again. We¡¯d need a home for the children, preferably in a city with a school. Tuitions, transport, food, clothes¡­ the list went on endlessly and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many problems I¡¯d be able to solve with just a tiny piece of what laid in front of me. With the clattering of hardened scales on marble Viyara touched down close to the edge in one of the only unoccupied spots. I wanted to jump down as soon as she had regained her balance but Barzuk turned around and stopped me immediately: ¡°Don¡¯t, there are probably some hidden runes or still active enchantments as a nasty surprise for anyone who isn¡¯t of the family. Until we have the fey on our side I wouldn¡¯t touch a thing. Stay here, it¡¯s safer that way.¡± I swallowed dryly when I imagined the sea of magma rising and swallowing the dais or an explosion that would simply throw us into the streams of red hot, molten rock. I nodded energetically. ¡°Sure, thanks. You¡¯re warming up to me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not really, I just don¡¯t want to find out what kind of traps a draconic mind can think up in 2000 years. But if you want to throw yourself from the platform, be my guest. Just don¡¯t touch anything on your way down.¡± ¡°Oh my, and I thought we¡¯d become friends,¡± I chuckled. I didn¡¯t take his words seriously, ever since he had seen me comforting Viyara his demeanour had changed. He might not like me but he trusted me and that was more than enough. Now that I thought about it he seemed like the gruff warrior type. Prickly on the outside but quite sweet once you got to know him. He harrumphed and turned back around. Viyara was slowly moving forwards into a maze of glittering metal and humming magic. My tails itched and trembled, I really wanted to explore and maybe snatch a thing or two but I wasn¡¯t going to. I really didn¡¯t want to turn into fox well-done so I contented myself with staring left and right and asked Viyara out loud to include Barzuk: ¡°So, a spirit queen, one of the fey. What¡¯s going to happen when we reach the ruby? Anything I can do to help?¡± I again felt her mind connect with mine and an echo of Barzuk¡¯s presence brushed against my senses before she replied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I was never really taught much about Erya. My studies in magic aren¡¯t nearly advanced enough and there was never a reason to ask. I know my father included a way for one of his blood to take control but I have no idea if it will open the ruby. Right now I¡¯m stuck with cutting myself and feeding the gem a drop of blood. If nothing happens we¡¯ll have to think of something else.¡± Barzuk¡¯s voice reached me through Viyara: ¡°I¡¯m not an educated wizard but I¡¯ve picked up a thing or two over the last 50 years. If I remember correctly, you¡¯ll indeed just have to provide your blood, even though a drop may not be enough. I don¡¯t know how it works but the magic will recognise your lineage and reactivate the subjugation spells on the fey, which in turn serve as a key to her prison. It¡¯ll open once she is under your control. Honestly, it¡¯s quite fool proof.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Viyara wanted to know. ¡°Well, when your father¡¯s artificer, you know, Khartan, the gnome, had botched one of his little projects, he drowned his sorrow in a bottle or five of elven wine and I, responsible master of the kitchen that I was, of course kept him company. He was soon reminiscing about the marvels he had helped create and some of the spells on Erya¡¯s prison are of his making. I got a fairly detailed description of how it worked even though I couldn¡¯t understand most of it.¡± ¡°Do you by any chance also know how the subjugation works?¡± I interjected. It was Viyara who answered: ¡°I do. My mother told the story many times, she was quite proud of what her husband had achieved.¡± It was the first time that I realised she had never spoken the names of her family before. I had heard of cultures where the deceased wouldn¡¯t be called by name again to allow their spirits to rest. Maybe this was something similar. ¡°He bested the fey but spared her life in exchange for her servitude. The spells he added later on when he was searching for a way to pass on his lair. They compel Erya to accept whoever is offering his blood as the legitimate successor to her promise under the same conditions. I just didn¡¯t know that they would unseal her prison at the same time.¡± ¡°Could she refuse? Just remain locked up instead of willingly prolonging her servitude?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe? Probably? I assume the spells have weakened when my father died, I¡¯m not sure if she can resist the compulsion. But we¡¯re going to find out either way.¡± She slithered around a stack of crystalline swords, we had been constantly climbing a rolling hillside made of gold coins, and stopped in front of the golden pillar I had spotted from above. Up close I could see the top was formed like a crouching dragon, the gem nestled between its wings. Glyphs and runes ran up and down the pillar and along the dragons body. The ruby itself had an immaculate surface the eerie glow from within illuminated patterns, etched on the inside. The whole thing was nothing more than a shell, hollow and perfectly suited to seal something inside. The concentration of magic I had already felt up in the air was suffocating this close to the source. My hair began to float and my fur stood on edge while swaths of unbound energy danced around my body. I was tempted to use my second sight but I feared it might temporarily blind me like a flash of bright light in the middle of the night. Viyara gingerly slithered forward until her snout practically touched the ruby, its light flowed along her head and made her horns glimmer. With a shove of my wings I glided past Barzuk, completely ignoring his undignified yelp, and hovered over Viyara¡¯s head, in between her horns, to get a better view of what she was doing. Her slit like pupils reflected the glow of the gem and she seemed entranced, staring into its red depths. ¡°Viyara?¡± I gently asked with my voice and mind. I could feel a soft pulse from my spark in her carbuncle and she appeared to shake her self loose of a half forgotten dream. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Sorry, I¡­ I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°Nothing, I felt something. A longing that I don¡¯t quite understand but it¡¯s gone now. I wanted to¡­ to just curl up here and wait for the end. I felt so tired and afraid. Afraid of dying or worse, being caught, afraid of the future¡­ it just seemed so much easier to stand here and stare into the light until it wouldn¡¯t matter anymore. I felt like giving up.¡± She finished morosely. I slung my wings around her neck and patted the ridges above her eyes. ¡°Not on my watch, kiddo. If it makes you feel better, I¡¯m reasonably sure that was a first greeting from the little fey. She might not be able to interact with us at the moment but that shouldn¡¯t prevent her from influencing her prison. Better not stare at it for too long, you know, abyssus abyssum invocat and all that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, best get to it. Maybe you want to stand back a little?¡± ¡°No, not really. Don¡¯t worry about me, just do what you have to do, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she mumbled before she straightened and brought her head above the gem. With a quick movement and a hiss of pain she sliced her tongue on one of her fangs and thick drops of steaming blood flowed over the ruby which swallowed them up with a hiss. Its light immediately intensified and the faint etchings I had seen on the inside before now flared with sparkling energy, a string of complicated glyphs arranged in neat rows. The ruby started to pull in energy from the surroundings and shone ever more brightly until suddenly it stopped and the sigils dimmed down again. ¡°That felt anticlimactic,¡± Barzuk grumped from further down Viyara¡¯s back. I wanted to answer but a voice, no, the idea of a voice whispered through the cave, resonating with the free energy around to actually reach our ears despite the thundering magma falls in the distance. ¡°There won¡¯t be no bargain, struck in the past. If you want what I have to offer you¡¯ll come inside and face me.¡± The rumbling noise that filled the cavern seemed deafening after we had to strain our ears to hear her quite request. Barzuk said out loud what we were all thinking: ¡°I take it back. That was fucking ominous.¡± A puff of smoke escaped Viyara when she added mentally, a thick blanket of anxiety covering her words: ¡°And pointless. I can¡¯t enter the prison, maybe I can but I don¡¯t know how. Even if I was willing to confront the fey on her own terms, I wouldn¡¯t be able to. Are we just stuck here?¡± ¡°At least I already had my go at the good stuff,¡± Barzuk projected unintentionally. That guy seriously had to get his priorities in order. ¡°Now, it¡¯s a little early to bury our heads in the sand. You may not be able to enter, but I might.¡± I flared some of my wings before Viyara¡¯s eyes and hopped down along her snout. ¡°They don¡¯t just look impressive, just give me a minute and we¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± I had already suspected that millennia of servitude wouldn¡¯t incline Erya to just jump into the next contract. Considering that most of the safeguards had been purely theoretical and hinged on the spells of a now deceased dragon, his death had to have some kind of effect on his magics, I had already suspected that we wouldn¡¯t just waltz in and do as we please, hence my questions from before. If I had been in Erya¡¯s shoes, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to fight a prolonged servitude. With time she might be able to escape the prison or Viyara might die and the spells might break down completely, there were a thousand things that could set her free. But if she was bound again, she would have to help the very person who held her chains and make sure they survive. Not a very enticing prospect. I had already thought about how we might reach the fey and I was pretty sure I could use my wings to pierce her prison and teleport inside, hopefully without tearing the whole thing to shreds along the way. That was what I wanted to find out: Could I get inside without destroying the enchantments and allowing her to leave immediately? Honestly, it wasn¡¯t half as difficult as one might expect. I couldn¡¯t understand the complex formations of glyphs and energy anyway so all I did was activate my second sight and channel enough energy into my eyes to see through the glare the abundant magic caused. The next few minutes I studied the most intricate web of tightly spun energy I had ever seen but I didn¡¯t have to comprehend or memorise what was going on, I was just looking for a tiny hole, a minuscule space where I could slid a wing through without disturbing the flow of energy. If I wouldn¡¯t find one I¡¯d just make one, but I¡¯d really have preferred not messing with the spells. Worst case scenario: we would have to face a spirit queen, possibly with access to all the power this place could provide, who might or might not intend to kill us. I didn¡¯t particularly want to find an answer to that question the hard way. It took me a while to get used to the brightness and quite a lot of energy to heal my eyes over and over again but after a while I found what I was looking for. A tiny mote of shadow among the sea of silvery light. It took me a couple of tries to narrow my wings by drawing more and more energy out of them until just the fraction of a ray of silvery energy slithered smoothly through. I dropped my second vision for a moment to actually be able to discern anything else despite the flows of magic and spoke up: ¡°I think I found a way. I¡¯ll try to talk some sense into her, if I can. I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t take either of you with me. You¡¯re going to have to trust me.¡± ¡°What if you can¡¯t,¡± Viyara asked nervously. ¡°She¡¯ll tear you to pieces. She has lived in that realm for ages, who knows in what ways she has managed to change it. Remember what happened to me when I only stared at it intently.¡± ¡°Fey are creatures of magic, aren¡¯t they? And that¡¯s a magical prison. Im going to be fine, I might not be able to get my wings on her if she¡¯s careful but she¡¯s not going to harm me.¡± Charming as ever Barzuk said: ¡°I¡¯m not overly worried about your safety but are you sure she won¡¯t be able to leave in the same manner you¡¯re going to get in?¡± ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s great to be valued¡­ no, if she hasn¡¯t left by now she won¡¯t be able to squeeze through. I¡¯m not going to change anything about the framework of spells and enchantments. If everything goes south I¡¯ll be back in a couple of minutes with nothing to show for my trouble, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°In that case, go¡­ and good luck. We¡¯ll all need it.¡± The orc answered gruffly. ¡°Go, but if anything seems amiss, don¡¯t hesitate and return.¡± Viyara added with more than a hint of worry. I hovered forward to look into her eyes and smiled reassuringly. Than I waved at Barzuk and vanished along a silvery path. I materialised at the mouth of a valley. Lush red grass covered the ground and filled the air with a rustling sound and a minty fragrance I had never smelled before flowing into the distance until it vanished underneath the edge of a forest. Towering black mountains liberally streaked through with veins of gold formed insurmountable walls to my left and right. At the opposite side of the valley an immense stream shining with different colours, reds and greens were dominant though, thundered towards a lake at the centre, filed with the same glowing water and surrounded by a pearly white beach. A verdant forest enclosed the lake but I couldn¡¯t recognise a single one of the plants. I saw oaks, but their leaves were golden and they didn¡¯t carry acorns but huge violet nuts. Something like a fir stood taller than a sequoia, the bark had a deep red shine and the branches seemed to move on their own accord. Yellow fern and crystalline flowers covered the ground, the blossoms emitting a soft light. A myriad of smells reached me over the grass¡¯ minty flavour but I couldn¡¯t place them, either. Notes of vanilla and cinnamon were definitely present but there was so much more I just couldn¡¯t discern the individual fragrances. When I turned around, astoundingly the same scene greeted me again. I looked down into a valley with the same stream of luminescent water, the same forest and the same lake. It didn¡¯t matter which way I¡¯d turn, there was only one place I could go and on second glance I knew exactly where I¡¯d be headed. A small figure was standing on the beach, her features blurry with distance but I felt the burning concentration with which she focused on me and my tails curled up on themselves. 67. Of encounters, offers and a little bit of empty skies Cassandra Pendragon With a thought I rose into the air and headed for her, assuming she really was the fey and not some kind of illusion. I activated my second sight again but it wasn¡¯t much help, the whole valley was ablaze with light and I¡¯d need ages to actually make out any useful detail. It seemed like I had to rely on my charm and hopefully a rather enticing offer. I didn¡¯t take me long to reach her, even though I was itching to have a closer look at the forest while I soared over it. There weren¡¯t any animals, at least none I could see from above but the flora was unique with a multitude of plants that were obviously magical. Leaves, glittering in all colours of the rainbow rustled beneath me with an astoundingly musical sound and the smells that reached me reminded me of a trader¡¯s ship I had visited back on Boseiju, loaded to the brim with spices and precious ingredients for potions. Much too fast I had passed over the forest and hovered over the beach, maybe 15 meters away from the girl¡­ fey that stared at me with entirely black eyes. She was small, not more than 1 meter and really slim. Her white skin had a mother of pearl sheen to it where it wasn¡¯t covered by a leafy dress kept in reds and greens. Her legs and arms were bare as were her feet. Fingers and toes ended in long and sharp nails, not quite claws but close. She was proportioned like an adult women with luxurious curves and delicate features with slanted eyebrows and full lips. A necklace of gnarly roots hung around her neck. I¡¯d have called her beautiful but her black eyes and the set of silvery horns, similar to a ram¡¯s, gave her an alien appearance that was more intimidating than alluring. Her lustrous hair nearly reached the ground in a cascade of liquid fire that moved slightly despite the calm air. She looked up at me and smiled predatorily, sharp teeth showed behind her pink lips. Silently I dropped to the ground and we stared at one another for a long moment until her voice, which still held an ethereal quality flowed over me: ¡°My, I didn¡¯t expect the new heiress to be cowardly enough to send me a slave instead of coming herself. Tell me child, what message does your mistress have for me? Do you bring threats or bribes with you?¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself, I had to laugh. She obviously didn¡¯t know the first thing about Viyara or the situation we were in, which was a load off my chest. I had feared she might know everything that had transpired and how dearly we needed her help. Additionally I was extremely glad she hadn¡¯t tried to simply blast me out of the sky. Apparently she was ready to talk. My reaction startled her and I could see her eyes roaming along my wings and settling on my torn clothes and the tattoo that was clearly visible on my chest. A blood red tongue slithered across her lips when she tasted the air and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Still chuckling softly I gave her my brightest smile and answered before she had too much time to dwell on who I might be: ¡°Great Lady,¡± a little flattery never went amiss, ¡°I understand your mistrust but I bring neither threats nor bribes, simply an offer. If you¡¯re willing to listen, this might very well be the last day of your servitude.¡± Her eyes bore into mine and I could feel the touch of magic but it was nothing more than a tingle at the edges of my perception and I didn¡¯t pay much attention. She¡¯d soon realise that I wasn¡¯t going to succumb to her spells. ¡°Then speak, why have you come here if not on the behest of the one who now wears the lizard¡¯s crown?¡± ¡°I came to offer you your freedom in exchange for your help in a single battle. However it turns out, if you stand by our side, you¡¯ll leave this place with me for good.¡± It was her turn to laugh but it was a bitter, almost cruel sound. ¡°And who are you to make such an offer? Your not of the Gold¡¯s family, you have no authority over me or my prison. Why should I trust a single word you say?¡± ¡°Lady Erya, while you¡¯re technically correct that offer comes from the Lady Viyara and she will uphold any bargain we strike here. If that¡¯s not enough to ease your mind, I¡¯ll also pledge to do everything in my power to ensure you¡¯re treated fairly.¡± ¡°Then you really are a dragon thrall. What makes you think your words are of any consequence, little kitsune? You¡¯re as much of a prisoner as me if you follow the dragon¡¯s bidding. Run along and tell her that if she wants my help she¡¯ll come here herself and not send a pretty surrogate.¡± I exhaled deeply, her insults were starting to piss me off. Honestly, why couldn¡¯t she just be a little more courteous? Oh well, I¡¯d probably be rude as well after centuries of imprisonment. ¡°That¡¯s not gong to happen. Viyara can¡¯t come here and if I leave, you¡¯ll be stuck,¡± I hesitated a moment but then decided to follow my hunch, ¡°at least until the most depraved wizard I can imagine gets his hands on your prison. What do you think will happen then? If you feel like your life has been hurtful before, you¡¯ll be in for a rude awakening, little fairy.¡± I hadn¡¯t intended to add the last part but my temper had gotten the best of me, once again. I bit my tongue and studied her closely, expecting some form of outburst but she stilled, even her hair froze while her eyes bore into mine with a burning intensity. Again magic brushed against my senses, strong enough to make my fur stand on edge. I flared my wings reflexively and my tails fanned out behind me. A palpable tension rose between us and I saw tiny sparks of energy travel along her horns and vanish into the air. A couple of seconds passed before she broke the silence: ¡°By the holy tree, what are you? I can see you standing before me, smell your sweat and hear your heart beat but my magic can¡¯t touch you and you¡¯re invisible to my other senses. That¡¯s not possible!¡± ¡°And why should I tell you? Because of your friendly and trust inspiring demeanour? Or maybe to return one of the plentiful favours you have already done me?¡± I might have been a little snarky but she had tried to spell me, again! And I hadn¡¯t given her any form of reason, I had even been the epitome of good manners until the last few sentences. ¡°Because you need me, don¡¯t you? If I am to take you seriously I want to know who you are and maybe we can come to an agreement.¡± For a moment I was tempted to simply lie to her face but I was sure that wasn¡¯t going to go well. If I had been a centuries old fey bound by my words I would have made sure that I always knew when someone wasn¡¯t telling me the full story. ¡°I am no one¡¯s slave and I have the ability to make good on my word. I am a friend of Viyara¡¯s and an enemy of the one who seeks to gain this hoard. I stood my ground against the black dragon Galathon and I don¡¯t fear your magic, Lady Erya. And, like you, I¡¯m bound by my promises.¡± I squeezed the bridge of my nose and continued: ¡° I¡­ we seek your help because we desperately need it. A powerful sorcerer¡¯s lackeys and an ancient dragon are currently at the gates and they are out for more than blood. Sure enough, the dragon wants Viyara¡¯s head and probably mine as well by now but the others are here for the riches and, I think, for you. Help us to drive them back and Viyara will set you free, this I promise.¡± My eyes shown brightly while the threads of transcendent energy settled into my body. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She studied me for a long time, her face rigid and her eyes distant before she said: ¡°once upon a time I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated. But now¡­ it appears like your destruction is assured without me and while my fate might yet turn out dire I¡¯m not in any immediate danger. I want more. I¡¯m willing to help you in exchange for my freedom and I¡¯m also willing to let bygones be bygones and not hunt Viyara in the future but you have to sweeten the deal. You intrigue me, vixen. I¡¯m giving you a choice: spend your first night with me or give me the acorn in your pocket. Either way I¡¯m willing to fulfil my duties one more time.¡± A hungry look had entered her eyes and they openly roamed over my body. A heavy blush came to my cheeks unbidden and I reflexively tried to cover my chest with my arms and the remains of my shirt. Her laughter filled the air again but this time it was melodious and free of bitterness, she was enjoying herself. I loathed the idea of giving up the last piece of Boseiju I still had with me but I wouldn¡¯t ever let her touch me, not in a million years. For a moment I toyed with the idea of offering her something else but I knew very well that I didn¡¯t possess anything a magical creature would care for besides the acorn. Honestly, I didn¡¯t see much of a choice. Even if I had been willing to try to force her, I didn¡¯t think I would have been able to. In this little world she was probably close to omnipotent and I wasn¡¯t particularly interested in finding out if rocks and trees from a magical place would trigger my immunity, despite what I had told Viyara and Barzuk. I was stuck with handing over what she wanted, leaving this place for good, which I incidentally had no idea how to accomplish or trying to make her fear a possible fate in the hands of the emperor more than a direct confrontation with an ancient dragon and two air ships full of the emperor¡¯s minions. Slowly I extracted the acorn and weighted it in my hand. Unconsciously I had always thought I¡¯d be able to grow a new home from the little brown sphere, a place where my people could live in peace and that would truly be ours, resurrected from the ashes of our old lives. The amount of expectations I had held for the seed was hitting me with full force, now that I had to give it up. ¡°Am I really that hideous that you¡¯d prefer to give up something like this?¡± Her voice was soft, vulnerable but when I looked up her eyes still held a predatory sheen. I answered honestly never the less: ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± I continued in a whisper: ¡°but you¡¯re not the one I love.¡± I threw the acorn at her. ¡°Here, take good care of it. It¡¯s all that is left of my home.¡± She curled her fingers around it but her eyes remained fixed on me. Her expression was strange, a mixture of longing and sadness but it disappeared as soon as she saw me staring. ¡°I will. Would you tell me your name?¡± Huh, that was the friendliest she had ever been. I must have done something right. ¡°Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon,¡± I bowed my head. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± The acorn lit up and transformed into a pendant that she skilfully intertwined with her necklace. She curtsied and approached me, hand extended. ¡°Likewise. I¡¯d introduce myself but you already know my name. Now then, shall we leave this place?¡± I gingerly took her hand, her skin felt hot as if she had a fever and her fingers clasped mine gently but with an astounding strength. Her gaze was still locked on me when she whispered: ¡°I accept,¡± and the valley shook. The stream suddenly pulsed with energy and the sky shuddered under an onslaught of light. Glyphs, the size of the largest tree in the forest, burned brightly all along the mountains and the fey in front of me was covered in sigils of different colours. Most were centred around her heart and neck, shining brightly enough to glimmer through her dress. With a blinding lightning strike that came out of nowhere and struck the lake in its centre the glyphs vanished and the storm of light disappeared, silence returned. Everything had been over in a heart beat and if it weren¡¯t for the stone arch filled with a grey void in the middle of the lake and a myriad of anchor points for enchantments that covered the rock walls around us I¡¯d have thought I had imagined the whole scene. Erya hadn¡¯t changed but I could practically see the rush of energy that stormed through her and into the enchantments and spells that had powered up. She smiled at me and said: ¡°well then, let¡¯s go meet my new master, shall we? I can¡¯t wait to see for myself how far up shit creek we actually are.¡± She didn¡¯t bother releasing her grip and pulled me along like a doll, her tiny body was even stronger than I had originally thought. If it hadn¡¯t been for my wings and tails I would have lost my balance and been dragged after her unceremoniously. How matters stood I managed to retain some of my dignity and allowed her to pull me along while I hovered over the ground. In the blink of an eye we reached the portal and Erya jumped through gleefully. Again I felt like I had passed through a curtain of cold water before I blinked in the glaring light of a magma and treasure filled cavern. Viyara laid coiled up, a couple of meters away, the upper part of her body was erect and she glowered down on us when we stumbled from the ruby. Barzuk was still on her back but the moment he saw the fey appear he jumped down and stood by Viyara¡¯s side, causing a small avalanche of gold coins. His features were set into his trademark scowl and he hung on to his cleaver nervously. My tiny companion hovered in the air, level with Viyara¡¯s head. She had finally released her hold on me and I glided backwards to sit cross legged on top of the ruby. ¡°Viyara, drunk orc, may I present Erya, fey of the gem and possibly our saviour. She¡¯s a piece of work but rather¡­ clingy once you get to know her.¡± The fey snorted but didn¡¯t even turn around. ¡°I¡¯ve already been told you¡¯re willing to let me go once I help you out of the mess you¡¯re in, dragon. So let¡¯s get this over with. I promise I¡¯ll aid and protect you and yours with everything in my power and without falsehood until you have safely left this island.¡± I coughed. ¡°And I¡¯ll refrain from persecuting or hurting you and yours in anyway without provocation,¡± this time she turned around and shot me an angry glare. ¡°Better?¡± I nodded. Pulsing energy raced around her horns and settled into her forehead. ¡°Now then, Lady Viyara,¡± she continued, ¡°it¡¯s your turn. Release me from the promise your father has forcefully extracted. Or are you going back on your word?¡± The ensuing silence was longer than I would have liked but after a few seconds Viyara¡¯s thoughts reached me. This time I couldn¡¯t only feel the faint echo of Barzuk¡¯s grumbling thoughts but also a rustling of leaves and the smell of wild flowers which I associated with Erya. ¡°In the name of my father, Shafeer the Golden, I release you from your oath, Erya, Queen of the Silent Glade. You are free and the chains that bound you to my family are broken. Esto!¡± I expected another light show or at least a couple of flying sparks considering how much was hinging on the oath Viyara had just annulled but there wasn¡¯t much to see. Erya¡¯s horns glimmered faintly and for the fracture of a second I thought I saw a series of glyphs before they simply vanished. The fey inhaled slowly, her fingers twitched and she bowed her head. Magic danced around her fingertips before it flickered out. ¡°Thank you Viyara, if I¡¯m honest, I didn¡¯t expect you to keep your word. I can¡¯t say that your father would be proud of you but if it means anything I will say that you surprised me in the best possible way. I don¡¯t know what happened to you but you should cherish the change. And now, before I become sentimental, we¡¯ll see what¡¯s going on outside.¡± She waved her hand with a flourish and I felt a torrent of energy race through the gem I was sitting on. A curtain of magma rose from the sea around us, its colours changed in quick succession while blurry images started to form on its surface. The crater slowly came into view, seen from above. It had become the dead of night and a quarter moon provided just enough light to make out rough shapes. We stared at the improvised screen but no matter how long we looked, there were no ships and no dragon to be seen. ¡°Where are they?¡± Barzuk mumbled. 68. Of arrivals, realisations, and a little bit of Pete Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ Give me a moment,¡± Erya said, talking more to herself than us. The image started to shift, rotating through multiple viewpoint fast enough to make the scenes hazy. It finally settled on a perspective that showed the crater and its surroundings to the north. The damned pirates had retreated, their ships were quite a distance away from the volcano and I could barely discern the movements of the crew on board. What I could see quite clearly was an intimidating warrior, clad in black scale armour that stood at the helm of the larger ship, a throng of people surrounded him in a respectful distance. Just looking at him again made my heart beat rise and I had to suppress the urge to run, to fly. Galathon had arrived. ¡°What are they doing?¡± I whispered. ¡°More importantly, can you blast them out of the sky?¡± Barzuk asked Erya pragmatically. She shook her head and her flowing hair danced across her back. ¡°No, they are too far away. They might appear close but I¡¯d say they are more than 10 kilometres away from us. I can¡¯t even listen in, we are quite lucky we can even see them.¡± She moved her fingers in a complicated series of gestures and a faint reddish line streaked across the image, somewhere in the middle between the volcano and the ships. ¡°That¡¯s the limit of most of the enchantments,¡± Erya explained. ¡°As soon as they cross over I can start messing with them but if they remain out of reach¡­ they don¡¯t seem to be in a hurry, we should have some time.¡± She turned away from the curtain of magma but didn¡¯t cancel her spell. ¡°Maybe it¡¯d be for the best if you could tell me what¡¯s going on with a little more detail than: we are hunted by a big bad dragon and en evil wizard.¡± Again Viyara¡¯s consciousness brushed against mine and linked us together. Her musical voice together with Erya¡¯s presence, which felt like a part of nature, soothed the anxiety that Galathon¡¯s sight had instilled in me. Even the indiscernible grumbling from Barzuk made me feel a little better. This time around I wouldn¡¯t have to face him alone. ¡°You already know my family has been slaughtered by a Black, the one you see on the ship.¡± Viyara¡¯s head jerked towards the curtain of magma. ¡°Or do you? My father didn¡¯t use you, now that I come to think of it. Did he speak to you before the end?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s one of the reasons I decided to help you. During the festivities my magic was working just fine and suddenly I lost contact with everything. My prison sealed before I felt the death of my slaver. Didn¡¯t you realise the enchantments had ceased to work?¡± ¡°They hadn¡¯t. Everything was just as always until¡­ How is it even possible? Who could seal you other than my father? And kept the spells running on top of it without your help?¡± ¡°I fear you¡¯re underestimating the emperor¡¯s power,¡± I said, worrying if I had made the same mistake. From what Erya had said, he had been involved in her family¡¯s death from the beginning, preventing the fey from helping the dragons and probably also hiding Galathon from her and the others until it had been too late. The more I heard, the more I came to realise he had already sunk his claws deep into the southern parts of our continent, subjugating pirates and dealing with dragons. How? When? My tails curled up when I asked myself a simple question: How had we come to believe that Mordred had been the only or even the first one to set foot on the cursed island? Had there been more? And if so, how many? By the Great Fox, what if his plans on Boseiju had only been a small part of what he was trying to accomplish? Curse his name, I had been so naive! Divide et impere, it goes both ways, you never put all your eggs in one basket. ¡°Maybe I should start with telling Erya how we came to meet on an airship in the middle of nowhere¡­¡± I quickly went over my story, emphasising the feats of magic I had seen the emperor accomplish and his connection to the local pirates. ¡°¡­ considering what you just told us I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much of a stretch to assume the emperor helped Galathon in his attack. I assume he provided the dragon with artefacts to seal you off and keep the spells running as to not alarm your family, Viyara. In exchange he was promised the hoard, or, more accurately, you, Erya. I¡¯d wager one of my tails that the ruby I¡¯m sitting on is the most enchanted artefact around and it stands to reason he¡¯s after it. Don¡¯t ask me why he wants it, maybe it¡¯s just greed, maybe he can use you and your realm to construct another pathway to his citadel or maybe it¡¯s for an entirely different reason but it doesn¡¯t matter right now anyways.¡± Viyara and Erya were silent, incoherent thoughts filled with worry brushed against my mind and an acidic smell, like lemons, overlaid Erya¡¯s presence. ¡°Damn straight, what matters is how we can blast them before they can accomplish whatever they¡¯re trying to do and for that we need to know what they¡¯re planning.¡± If he hadn¡¯t been such a sourpuss I would have really liked Barzuk. As it was he was just a little too ¡­ orcish with his broody stretches of silence. He gestured towards the image. ¡°Can you get us a little closer? I can lip read, if I see their mouths I might be able to figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± Erya¡¯s presence drew away while she shrugged: ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Do you even know what language their are talking in?¡± ¡°The Trade Tongue,¡± Viyara replied, ¡°at least that¡¯s what they used when they caught me.¡± Most races and even kingdoms had their own languages, derived form what they had spoken before the cataclysm. Since air ships had made trade possible, a common tongue had developed that most people could speak at least to a certain degree. We had been conversing in the same language, when we weren¡¯t talking mind to mind, as I neither spoke orc nor draconian and had no idea what the native tongue of the fey could possibly be. I spoke the language of the kitsune, elvish and the Trade Tongue fluently and I had picked up some chunks of dwarvish here and there. My abstract knowledge helped a lot but I simply hadn¡¯t had the need nor the time to learn more. ¡°So they¡¯re probably from different islands,¡± Barzuk mused. ¡°Interesting, I wonder if some of them might have been pressed into service. Lady Viyara, could your telepathy reach one of them?¡± Lucky Pete Right now I hated my life. Fly with us, they had said, you¡¯ll see the world, they had said. Riches, women, freedom, just sign on the dotted line, they had said. By all the gods, I had been an idiot. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. At first the life of a pirate had been a dream come true, especially for a hopeless street rat in the gutters of Free Land. As much food as I wanted and a place to sleep were more than I had thought possible. Sure the occasional killing and pillaging had been unpleasant but I had had to knife another child at the tender age of 5, fighting over bread crumbs so I hadn¡¯t minded overly much. Do or die was the motto I lived by. But I hadn¡¯t signed up for the weird shit that was going on now. The last two years had been one fucked up mess after the other. Ever since Captain Sinclair had returned from the last council, his pockets stuffed with gold and shimmering new artefacts around his wrists we had started kidnapping children, torching villages and carrying strange acolytes on board with pale skin and red markings all over their bodies. Well, it hadn¡¯t been rosy but I would have managed but then we had sailed so far up shit creek that I hadn¡¯t even known where to look for land. A couple of days ago the bosun had collected me from a well earned trip through the harbour pubs in Free Land, yammering on about an important run we had to undertake. I had already known how hard the dude could hit so I hadn¡¯t dawdle and followed after him. A few hours later we had been on our way to an island none of us had ever heard about. Nothing new there, the weird acolytes often guided us to strange places. We had arrived at a smoking volcano and I had nearly sullied my pants when I had seen the ravaged carcass of a huge golden dragon far below us. Cries of wonder had issued from the crew but the Captain had told us that it wasn¡¯t any of our concern and had underlined his words with a straight jab into the face of the first one who had dared to speak up. We hurried on into the volcano¡¯s crater where two other ships had already been waiting. The Queen Anne¡¯s Revenge under Captain Teach was well known and feared, the atrocities committed by her crew legendary amongst the pirates. The other ship was a bit of a mystery but I had seen the blood red sails before, mostly when we had been about to do something particularly distasteful. Our Captain had even sometimes received orders from the peacock that commanded her. A few message had been exchanged between our acolytes and those that had supposedly been on board of the other ships and all of them had gathered on the deck of the unnamed ship. I hadn¡¯t had any ideas what they had been up to but whatever it had been, they had been rudely interrupted when another dragon, much smaller and of a different shape but with the same golden hue to its scales had neatly flown into the crater. The next few minutes had been pure chaos while we struggled to follow a barrage of orders. I hadn¡¯t been able to take my eyes of the spectacle when massive harpoons had been launched to capture the creature which had earned me quite a few sharp slaps from the bosun. Her cries, I had been pretty sure it had been a female, had made me shiver and I hadn¡¯t been able to stop thinking: what the fuck have I gotten into now? She had been hauled on deck, some form of magic dancing along her body. I had truly felt sorry for her, captured above the corpse of what I had assumed must be a relative, but that¡¯s life. When you¡¯re down it¡¯s going to punch you one more time for good measure. And it had struck again not minute later. While greedy smiles had formed on my comrade¡¯s faces in anticipation of the bounty, lightning had flashed underneath the blood red sails. A figure had appeared, I hadn¡¯t been able to see her face across the distance but the torrents of silvery blue energy that played around her form and slithered across the ship had been more than remarkable. Combined with the halo of silvery tails I had thought a goddess had descended to punish us mortals for our transgression and when the dragon had broken loose from her chains the next moment and the glowing apparition had neatly beheaded the Captain and another one of the officers I had felt certain that judgement had arrived. I wasn¡¯t the most religious guy, honestly, there were so many to chose form, how would you know which one was right? The one with greatest benefits? The one you were born in? But the display on the other ship had had me trembling in my boots. Dragons and winged creatures of energy, I had been so far out of my depth that I had almost tumbled over the railing when a thunderous explosion had torn the other ship apart. Hot air had flown over us, pushing us back and small debris had peppered the deck, slicing our sails and hurting quite a few of the crew. Luckily I had come away unscathed, huddled against the railing as I had been. Half dazed I had seen a bright light appear over the crater¡¯s edge and a musical voice laced with loathing and anger had reached me loud and clear: ¡°Fly, you fools!¡± Then she had disappeared again. Screams, curses and hectic activity had filled the next minutes. No one had even thought about trying to dive deeper into the volcano to look for survivors. There had simply been no way for anyone to live through a face dive into a crater and honestly, most of us hadn¡¯t given two pence for the lives of those onboard. Good riddance, especially for the acolytes, as far as I had been concerned. We had put out the small fires that had started to eat away at our rigging and the Captains Teach and Sinclair had been shouting across the distance, the magical means of communications had probably been burned to ash with the acolytes. The golden dragon had long since been gone and I had started to hope that we¡¯d just turn back with a bloody nose but otherwise intact when the quarter moon that had risen in the east suddenly turned dark. A buzzing that had been heard even above the hisses of gas from below and the moaning of our ships had become louder and louder until a swarm of the ugliest bugs I had ever seen had come flying into the crater. A putrid stench had emanated form the cloud of whistling wings and squirming legs and the chill of death had crept across our bones. It had felt like a devil incarnate had come for us. Most of the crew had dropped to their knees, eyes rolling madly and Egbert and Drux had even taken the easy way out and had hurled themselves over board, their screams slowly fading into oblivion. A mad laughter had thundered through the volcano and the swarm had stilled, darkness engulfing the insects one by one. It had disappeared after a moment to reveal a nightmare. Black scales, horns, a tail, wings and even his glowing weapon had paled in comparison to the hideous mask that had been staring down on us. A closed helmet formed like a dragon couldn¡¯t hide the malice of the slitted eyes that glared down on us hungrily. In all it¡¯s terrifying glory the warrior landed on our ship with a heavy thump and a cold, cruel voice rang out: ¡°I saw what happened and I have need of you again. Turn this ship around and leave the crater, we have much to do and only little time. Who is in charge of you pitiful lot?¡± Now we were over 10 kilometres away from the island, the officers from both ships engaged in conversation with the newcomer while his aura of fear held the crew in its grip. I had overheard that he was a dragon as well by the name of Galathon and the one who had slain the Gold we had seen on the slope. He was asking for the acolytes and when Captain Sinclair told him what had happened to them he howled with rage. His clawed hand shot out, ripping the beating heart right out of the captain¡¯s chest. He squeezed the blood from it while the captain¡¯s body crumbled to the deck, wide eyed but still alive. ¡°What a pity, than I guess I¡¯ll need all of you to compensate for the loss. I need some volunteers. We have to contact the Pirate King. If he wants his ruby, he¡¯ll have to shut down the cursed fey once again. I can already feel her eyes on us, the hatchling has activated some of daddy¡¯s toys. Get me 5 of your people, preferably useless ones.¡± It was just enough. Silently I crawled out of sight and hid myself between a mast and a stack of sail cloth. My legs trembled and tears flowed from my eyes. I was supposed to die for this monstrosity? Never! So help me, I knew I had been headed down a gruesome path but that was just too much. I wanted out, I wanted to leave behind all thoughts of dragons and my fear, I wanted to breathe freely again. But I was stuck on an airship in the middle of nowhere, what could I possible do? A soft touch slithered across my mind and I heard a sweet voice whisper deep in my thoughts: ¡°why do you cry?¡± 69. Of deals, failures and a little bit of resurrection Cassandra Pendragon I had wanted to ask Barzuk what he had been on about but the images on the magma screen shut me up. Galathon had been in conversation with one of the pirates, a burly man with a dark tricorne on his head. Suddenly he erupted with a howl I thought I could actually hear and his hand cracked the poor bloke¡¯s rib cage. A fountain of blood gushed from the wound and when Galathon pulled back, his claw-like fingers encircled a still pulsing hunk of flesh. We weren¡¯t close enough to see many details and thankfully smells weren¡¯t conveyed through Erya¡¯s magic but the look of poor horror on the mutilated man¡¯s face, his rolling eyes and the frantically working mouth made my stomach churn. What a terrible way to go. Whatever he had done, nobody deserved to end like that. His agonised and desperate expression reminded me of the fallen and turned kitsune I had seen on Boseiju, his panic and pain palpable even through the spell. To distract myself from the rising nausea I focused on my companions. While Barzuk and Erya followed the scene with rapt attention and no apparent unease, Viyara¡¯s eyes were roaming about as well and when our gazes met, I realised the immense snake in front of me was shaken to the core. She hadn¡¯t told me what had happened to her family exactly but I imagined Galathon ripping the beating heart out of someone must have triggered her more than me. Silently I rose into the air and hugged her snout, as much to comfort her as to calm myself. I didn¡¯t speak, I simply held her until Barzuk¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. ¡°There, can you focus on the scrawny fellow that¡¯s crawling away. No, the one behind the mast. Is it just me or is he crying?¡± I squeezed Viyara¡¯s neck one more time and sat down on top of her head, between her horns. When she turned towards the image I saw a human boy, not older than 17 summers. He appeared much closer than before, close enough to make out the stream of tears that was running down his cheeks. His blonde mop of hair shook with every ragged breath he took, his body trembling and his arms slung around his middle. A dirty white shirt and brown leather trousers were his only garments, both had seen better days and had been patched multiple times, not necessarily with cloth of the same colour. ¡°Lady Viyara,¡± Barzuk continued, ¡°could you reach him? Maybe even read his thoughts? I would love to know what¡¯s going trough his mind. We could possibly find ourselves a turncoat or two. I can¡¯t imagine the crew is taking the murder of one of their officers lightly.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s branded and spelled it won¡¯t matter what he wants. Can we check for magic on him without direct contract?¡± I interjected. ¡°It¡¯s not the best idea to telepathically contact someone who is directly linked to the emperor. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely but we should make sure if we can.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t.¡± Erya replied. ¡°They would have to come closer for me to use the placed enchantments and they¡¯re much too far away for my own magic. Unless we find some form of focus, all I can do is conjure up the images.¡± My second sight wasn¡¯t much help either, I could see the magic running through the curtain of magma but I couldn¡¯t see through. Maybe I could pull off the same stunt I had used to reach the ship with the children but bursting from thin air, hurt and over exerted in front of a dragon seemed like a bad idea. But maybe¡­ I rapped my knuckles against Viyara¡¯s head. ¡°Could you work your telepathy or some of your arts through me?¡± Confusion flowed through her and brushed against my mind. ¡°I mean, if I can reach a place you can¡¯t, will you be able to channel your abilities through our bond? For example, if I had a way to, let¡¯s say reach the ship physically in one form or the other, could you work your magic through that connection and influence what¡¯s going on over there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Id have to try.¡± ¡°Go ahead, let¡¯s see if it works. Maybe try pushing a spell through the spark in your carbuncle.¡± We hadn¡¯t shared our conversation, consequentially the other two were taken by surprise when Viyara¡¯s horns suddenly glowed with energy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Erya asked. I wanted to answer but the moment I opened my mouth Viyara¡¯s spell surged and I had to concentrate. It didn¡¯t quite work out as planned, the moment Viyara finished the spell formation and pushed it back into her carbuncle and through the connection my energy had formed between us, she lost control. The spell didn¡¯t trigger, explode or vanish but the very instant it touched my transcendent energy it became mine. Unfortunately that also meant that it ignited my own astral body and started pulling in energy from my core. Pain flared across my meridians instantly and I didn¡¯t hesitate to disperse the spell into the air. A silvery blue haze rose around me and covered my body and Viyara¡¯s head for a moment before the drafts of hot air blew it away. I leaned again Viyara¡¯s horns, groaning. The pain wasn¡¯t as bad as I had feared, I had managed to get rid of the magic quickly enough but it was still plenty awful. At the moment I felt like a steel brush was slowly scrubbing my nerves clean but the feeling diminished by the second. ¡°Alright, bad idea,¡± I whispered through another wave of pain. ¡°Let¡¯s not try that again,¡± I added before I slumped on top of her head, breathing deeply. ¡°What the fuck have you done?!¡± Barzuk¡¯s scream felt like an ice pick to my overly sensitive ears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You could have hurt her!¡± ¡°Sure, worry about the big, shiny dragon, who is fine! I¡¯ll just wait until the world stops spinning and apologise, you ass.¡± I had my eyes closed and my focus turned inward to block out his continued string of questions and reproaches. The hand that brushed across my forehead took me by surprise accordingly. Erya was hovering in front of me, a look of serious concern on her face. ¡°You alright?¡± She asked quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll be in a minute, thanks for asking.¡± I replied. ¡°Are you sure, sweetie? Maybe take a look at your body? Not that I mind, but¡­¡± That cleared away my grogginess in an instant and I stared at my arms and the parts of my torso I could see beneath the rags I was wearing. Silvery lines traced across my skin, down my arms and, I supposed, along my legs, faint against my alabaster skin but clearly visible. They didn¡¯t hurt but followed my meridians perfectly, at least as far as I could tell. I gingerly reached for my core and surprisingly I felt it immediately. The connection was even stronger than before, at least I thought so. Carefully I sent a sliver of energy coursing through my body. It followed my will seamlessly but the channels of molten silver on my skin lit up with a bluish sheen wherever my energy flowed. My remaining aches disappeared in its wake. Ah well, as long as Ahri liked them I wouldn¡¯t mind, honestly I thought it looked quite beautiful. I released the breath I had been holding in. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just exhausted. You don¡¯t have to keep caressing my cheek.¡± I stroked Viyara¡¯s scales. ¡°You okay?¡± Her consciousness had been connected to mine the entire time but I hadn¡¯t heard her, focused on myself as I had been. ¡°Sure, but I felt a shadow of your pain. I was seriously worried for a moment. Care to tell me what happened?¡± ¡°Not particularly. I don¡¯t really know myself and the few bits I can guess are better saved for when we are out of here. But I would really appreciate it if you wouldn¡¯t try that on your own, I don¡¯t know if you can just shove spells into me but I¡¯d like to keep it that way. Honestly though, nothing bad happened, if anything I feel even a little stronger than before. Could you talk to Barzuk, though? His constant complains aren¡¯t helping.¡± She did as I had asked and after a moment I could again feel the echoes of Erya¡¯s and the orc¡¯s thoughts reaching me through her mind. He was still grumbling but at least he tried to tone it down a little and I had already gotten used to the constant background noise of an orc with a temper. To prevent further questions I started: ¡°I tried something, it didn¡¯t work and I payed the price,¡± not quite true but also not strictly a lie. It had worked, somewhat. ¡°Can we move on? Why would you want to contact that human?¡± I could feel Erya¡¯s reluctance to let the matter drop just like that and Barzuk was probably choking on another tirade but they didn¡¯t insist on an explanation, at least for now. With a mental sigh that sounded more like a giggle through Viyara¡¯s thoughts and made me smile Barzuk answered: ¡°If we have a willing focus, Erya¡¯s magic should be able to reach the ship. Maybe not in full force but enough to find out what they are planning and mess with them a little. Ain¡¯t that right, fey?¡± ¡°In a way. If he willingly enters a deal with me, the distance won¡¯t matter. Depending on the bargain I might be able to use him as a focus.¡± ¡°How does that work?¡± I had to ask. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to spell him from a distance either way?¡± ¡°No, a deal with a fey is a special form of soul magic that solely depends on intent and a willing anchor. It¡¯s actually quite complex but basically, as long as I reach an agreement with someone and we both want it to happen, the magic will form a connection, no matter where we are. It¡¯s closely tied to our nature and one of the reason we are bound by our promises.¡± That reminded me of the contract Mephisto had made me sign, but more sophisticated. A literal signature was replaced by intent and their very nature supported the magic. Maybe it could even break a mark? ¡°Could it then also form through a letter or, I don¡¯t know, a communication crystal?¡± ¡°A letter wouldn¡¯t work but any form of direct contact should suffice. A communication crystal would do nicely, or a telepathic connection for example.¡± ¡°Which you can¡¯t establish from here but Viyara might be able to, I see. Would it help us?¡± ¡°Immensely, depending on what he wants and what he¡¯s willing to offer. I¡¯ll have to uphold whatever I promise him, keep that in mind. But if we can reach an agreement, I should be able to work most of my magic through him. Not the enchantments and spells on the lair, mind you, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve that could turn out very useful.¡± ¡°Enough blabbering. I admit, the boy might be enthralled but the worst thing I see happening is that we can¡¯t reach him in the first place or that they kill him off directly.¡± Barzuk interrupted. ¡°We should give it a try, see what happens.¡± He wasn¡¯t entirely wrong and Viyara and Erya had formidable minds in their own rights but I still felt uncomfortable at the idea of forming a mental connection with someone who might already be linked to the emperor. I didn¡¯t know the rules of telepathy but I assumed that he could exploit an opportunity of that kind. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, though. ¡°I agree,¡± I said out loud, or rather projected. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. But if you feel anything strange in his mind, I implore you, leave immediately. Provided you two are even willing to try. We can figure out something else, maybe Barzuk¡¯s lip reading might yet come in handy, and we¡¯re not even in danger at the moment. If you don¡¯t want to take the risk I¡¯ll completely understand. So will the orc.¡± I added decisively. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d seriously pressure them, especially not his Lady but better safe than sorry. He truly was a rough and prickly fellow, after all. ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± a wave of confidence flowed from Viyara. ¡°My telepathy is strong, I¡¯ll reach him and establish a connection with Erya. It might take a while, though. Why don¡¯t you two,¡± a picture of a winged kitsune and a grumpy orc reached me, ¡°have a look around in the meanwhile and see what we might be able to use.¡± Giggling she added: ¡°Also, Cassandra, please just take one of the armours or a cloak, you have no idea what kind of thoughts I¡¯m picking up from Erya.¡± To make matters worse she continued: ¡°she has quite a vivid imagination.¡± Erya smiled nonchalantly while I blushed furiously. At least I managed to reply calmly, more or less. ¡°I will, thank you. And good luck.¡± I slid from my seat between Viyara¡¯s horns and the fey took my place. I swore she pinched one of my tails when she passed me but before I could react, both of them closed their eyes and I was left alone with a green mountain of muscles that eyed me suspiciously. ¡°One armour or cloak she said. Don¡¯t you dare lay your fingers on anything else, you hear me?¡± ¡°And how am I supposed to search for artefacts that might help us, you dullard?¡± I groused back while I landed. ¡°Summon them? But don¡¯t worry your pretty little head. You can pick something for me,¡± after a moment when I imagined all kinds of things he could fetch I added: ¡°as long as I can wear it and as long as it won¡¯t make me blush even more. I¡¯ll just stay here and wait for you.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°Really now. And why would you do that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m an evil witch that has waited for this precise moment to fulfil her dark purpose. Because I¡¯m dead tired, hungry, thirsty, dirty, plagued with a headache and I just want a few minutes for myself without your constant nagging or reproachful silence, you bone head. Is that too much to ask?¡± And I wanted to see if I could charge Mephisto¡¯s emblem with the excessive magic that still swirled around us. If I could I¡¯d like to prevent trying to use transcendent energy to bring him back. The way I saw it, it¡¯d either work and maybe give him a spark of his own, or it¡¯d burn the thing to ashes. The more I had thought about it the worse the idea had appeared. Now was my chance to get around the problem. He stiffened and the chords around his neck protrude while his jaw started grinding. After a moment he spat: ¡°I know exactly what you mean. Unwanted company can be a burden.¡± He stomped off without another word and soon vanished behind a small hill of gems. Oh my, he at least had a flair for exists. My ears twitched while I focused on his steps until I couldn¡¯t hear him anymore. Then I quickly soared back on top of the ruby and fumbled the emblem from my pocket. I studied the figure and tree closely. They were already mending, the burned and blackened parts giving way to highly polished silver underneath. It¡¯d take maybe two more weeks for it to regenerate on its own but I was going to speed that up, hopefully. I activated my second sight and searched for the thickest cloud of energy I could find. As I had thought it was just above me, hovering over the ruby. Without further thought I reached up and put my hand straight in the centre, the medallion resting on my open palm. As I had hoped the swath of magic started to move, slowly circling around the silvery coin, which in turn started to glow faintly. The metal became hot, hot enough to hurt. I didn¡¯t want to use my wings in case they interfered with whatever was going on and pretended I couldn¡¯t feel my skin cooking. By now I had become quite adapt at ignoring the warning signals my body was sending out. A small whirlwind of energy had formed around my hand and I could smell burned flesh before the magic suddenly vanished into the emblem. It became white hot all and I dropped it with a yelp. Flexing my fingers I waited until the charred lines on my skin vanished before I tentatively flew back down and picked up the medallion. 70. Of curses, connections and a little bit of consequences Cassandra Pendragon It was still warm and shone with a pristine silvery glow again but something was off. The face depicted as a sun was still bleary, the features distorted and somewhat ¡­ damaged? I glanced around surreptitiously and cautiously whispered: ¡°Mephisto?¡± The emblem lit up and I dropped it with a curse, crouching down and bringing my wings together in front of me to from a glittering wall. My pulse raced and my tails curled up as I studied the nightmarish figure that materialised before me. The first thing that hit me was the cold. Ice was spreading from beneath the creature in an ever growing circle, gold coins and gems were frozen solid and lost their lustre wherever they came in contact with the wave. When it reached me, the sweat on my skin froze solid and crystals formed over my lashes. I felt a faint tug, as if something was trying to pull energy from me, but it didn¡¯t happen. The air shuddered when heat and magic were drawn towards what I assumed was Mephisto and an eerie howl filled the cavern while he slowly stood up, each movement accompanied by another expansion of the frozen circle. Dead, pale skin clung to an emaciated body, as tall as Mephisto had been, but with only the barest hint of muscles and flesh. His veins were clearly visible, black and twisting they seemed like eels that slithered along his arms and across his neck. The face was a grizzly mask, lifeless black eyes without a shimmer above a skull like nose and mouth. The dried up tendons twisted his lips into the mockery of a smile with shark like teeth blinding through the gaps. His hair was gone and his hands ended in claw like fingers, long and crooked like a bird¡¯s talons. The only thing that reminded me of the eccentric demon I had met was the stately white robe that now hung loosely on his bony frame, even his horns were gone. I had never seen one before, but he looked exactly like I imagined a vampire, devoid of life and an always hungry, bottomless pit that devoured everything that came close, even energy. I gulped and took a step backwards, shattering the ice that still clung to my body. The soulless eyes immediately focused and bore down on me with an inhuman intensity. I knew I should have been afraid, cautious and probably even ready to run but instead I felt my temper rise. I was simply pissed. The last day had been one intimidating, dangerous and outright infuriating event after the other and that just took the biscuit. ¡°I have had a long day, I¡¯m tired and irritable and you¡¯re not the most intimidating or even ugliest thing I¡¯ve seen today, by far. So, if you want to try your luck, by all means, be my guest. But if there is any form of brains left in you, stop that creepy shit and tell me what the fuck is going on!¡± I said and pushed energy into my wings until they hummed dangerously and started to twist light and space around them. It was more than I had used during my fight against Galathon but my channels didn¡¯t protest in the slightest. The silvery lines across my body lit up with bluish fire. If he wanted to try me I¡¯d cut him to shreds and burn the emblem before he could take a single step, promises and future regrets be damned! The look in his dead eyes didn¡¯t change I was sure I¡¯d be about to fight one of the few people I liked to the death when he coughed. A cloud of black vapour escaped his mouth and was carried away by the winds which had picked up since his walking corpse of a body had forced the temperature around us below the freezing point. ¡°Don¡¯t get your wings in a twist. I¡¯m still in control,¡± he rasped. ¡°At least for now. Ouch.¡± With a shuddering moan he somehow stopped the siphon of energy and the heat returned immediately, evaporating the sheet of ice that had formed around him. He fell to his knees, head cradle between his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there like a watered poodle,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Pick up the emblem and give it to me. Now!¡± Yep, that was him, alright. I thanked whoever was listening and hastily scrambled to get my fingers around the smooth silver coin. With no more than a thought I appeared by his side and offered it to him. He grabbed it, groaning like a wounded animal and pressed it against his forehead. Dark words strung together in a chant left his lips in quick succession, if I hadn¡¯t known who he was, I¡¯d have thought he was praying. After a moment, I saw a flash of soul energy and a vicious, red light shone from the emblem. It coalesced into a sphere of burning energy, a dominant will resonated from within and brushed against me but it dispersed as soon as it touched my aura. Mephisto keeled over. ¡°What are you waiting for?! Pierce it!¡± I did. All of my wings slithered towards the thing and slammed into it with every last ounce of energy I could squeeze through my meridians. The chamber lit up with a blinding flash of silvery light, the howling ceased and I heard a distant, orcish scream: ¡°what, in the nine hells, have you done now?¡± For the fracture of a second I felt resistance but than it shattered like brittle glass and a rush of life force and soul energy flowed through my wings and crashed into me. When I had blinked away the stars before my eyes, Mephisto had changed. For want of a better word he looked like a ghost, transparent and blurry as if he was standing behind a thin curtain of water. He gingerly got to his feet, the movement seemed like a weightless glide. ¡°Leeches and maggots, if it rains it pours. Good to see you again in one piece, Cassandra.¡± His voice sounded distant, distorted, like a transmission through a cheap communications crystal. ¡°And thank you. He nearly got¡­¡± He was rudely interrupted by stomping footsteps and an angry outburst: ¡°who the fuck are you?¡± Barzuk, who had come around the same corner he had vanished behind, a fluttering white cloak with golden embroideries draped over his arm, turned to me and pointed at Mephisto¡¯s apparition: ¡°who the fuck is he? Is that a ghost? By the mother, are ghosts real?!¡± I glance over at Viyara and Erya but both of them were still deep in trance, their eyes closed and only their lips moved from time to time. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with their questions for now, but before I could even start inventing a story Mephisto answered with his strange voice: ¡°No, my mentally challenged, green friend. I¡¯m not a ghost and there is certainly no need to shout. My name is Mephisto and I¡¯m on your side.¡± He turned to me. ¡°I am, am I not?¡± I winked at Barzuk: ¡°mostly, but if the lump of muscles annoys you too much, you¡¯re very welcome to teach him a lesson. Barzuk, meet my teacher, Mephisto. Mephisto, this is Barzuk, chef extraordinaire and a first rate sourpuss. His alright, if a little grumpy. You two should get along splendidly.¡± ¡°I am not grumpy!¡± Both of them ¡­ grumped at the same time. They stared at one another and I had to giggle. Two peas in a pot¡­ one of them was even the right colour. ¡°As much as I¡¯d enjoy watching you two get to know each other, we don¡¯t have much time. Mephisto, care to explain what happened to you or should I tell you why we¡¯re in the middle of a dragon¡¯s hoard with the owner¡¯s cook first?¡± His regal but somewhat translucent face turned to me with a scowl. ¡°My story doesn¡¯t take much time. I assume you remember the poison I pulled from you back when ¡­ whenever it was. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t quite understand what I was dealing with. It worked in two stages, the first one attacking the body and the second one, an ingenious little add on in the form of a small, corrupted spark of a soul, infiltrating my life force and soul. I screwed up and didn¡¯t realise what was going on until I retreated into the coin. As soon as my consciousness dimmed down to regenerate, the pesky bugger went for me. When you refreshed my energies it bloomed and nearly consumed me. What you just destroyed was most of my life force and soul, thus the rather ¡­ ghostly form.¡± He gestured along his body. ¡°I¡¯m not much more than memories, a consciousness and an astral body right now, powered by the tiniest spark of life.¡± I was stunned. With all his knowledge he had been nearly brought down by a poison. A shudder ran along my spine when I imagine what would have happened to me if he hadn¡¯t extracted the vile concoction. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly but with as much sincerity as I could muster. ¡°You saved my life and more. Thank you. Is there something we can do to help?¡± Astoundingly, Barzuk hadn¡¯t interrupted and was following the conversation, his mouth opened and a look of utter disbelieve on his face. ¡°Probably¡­ possibly? I¡¯m not really sure myself. It¡¯s not a perfect metaphor but you can imagine the different capacities for energy as a ¡­ bowl. It¡¯s filled with water that you can use to power your spell. Once it¡¯s empty you have to wait until it fills again. That was my problem before, I had run empty and considering my state bound to the emblem that alone is dangerous. Without a body all kinds of complications can arise. But now it¡¯s even worse.¡± He clasped his hands behind his back and adopted his lecturing pose. ¡°The poison, curse¡­ soul whatever it was attacked the bowl if you so will. I crushed it and forced the infected parts to manifest. That¡¯s what you shattered. Right now I don¡¯t have a container to collect life or soul energy in. Well, at least not more than the smallest puddle, enough to keep me cognisant and in existence, but that¡¯s about it. There are several spells that could fix that but it¡¯d take an¡­¡± he glanced at Barzuk,¡± ¡­ it¡¯d take one of us or a couple of sentient and powerful sacrifices to perform such a feat. You can¡¯t yet and I¡¯m, well, crippled. Unless you¡¯re willing to put a village or a bunch of virgins to the sword I fear I¡¯m stuck just the way I am, for now. Once you can use all of your energy or we find a truly powerful practitioner with access to life and soul energies there might be a chance.¡± He looked around. ¡°Or maybe¡­ you said we¡¯re in a dragon¡¯s hoard, right? Looks decent. How old is the lizard?¡± Barzuk spluttered. ¡°Decent?! I¡¯ll have you know my master was an ancient Gold and this hoard stands up to any comparison in the world! Who are you even to¡­¡±. Mephisto interrupted him. ¡°Was? You said was. Is he dead? What kind of trouble did you get yourself into now, Cassandra?¡± We both ignored the orc who was shaking his head violently and tried to regain Mephisto¡¯s attention with a series of curses and insults. It took him a couple of seconds to realise the futility of his endeavour and shut up. I gestured for him to wait, most of his questions would be answered if he was just willing to listen and use his brains. His skin turned and amazing shade of yellow green with how much blood was rushing to his face but he calmed down, a little. ¡°Uhh, that¡¯s a long story but I guess we have the time. So, after you vanished¡­¡± by now I had some experience in recounting what had happened I succinctly told him what he needed to know, including a short explanation how and why I had arrived at the volcano. ¡°Also, I found¡­ a girlfriend,¡± I added. I still didn¡¯t want to get into the whole reincarnation thing with Barzuk present. ¡°You know, someone I have always dreamed about. Her name is Ahri, by the way and she was my maid. Did you know?¡± He grinned. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I just had a way to find her in case it became necessary. But I¡¯m not really surprised. How¡¯s she doing? And how are you? Sounds like you¡¯ve had one hell of a week.¡± ¡°Better than I expected, honestly. I still have some triggers that conjure up all sorts of ugly memories but I¡¯m okay. Getting together with Ahri has helped, a lot. She¡¯s mostly fine, worried about me I guess, but she doesn¡¯t seem overly burdened.¡± When I thought about her I was tempted to ask Mephisto about the tattoo, but only for a moment. She wanted me to remember and I had promised I wouldn¡¯t pry. ¡°Good, good. I have some more delicate questions to ask, though. Should I knock the orc out?¡± He asked innocently. Barzuk sneered: ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± He hefted his cleaver and stared at Mephisto challengingly. ¡°Oh?¡± The latter asked and advanced with a floating motion, a happy smile on his face and his index finger outstretched. I expected him to walk into the barrier that forced him to stay close to the coin, but nothing happened. Before the two of them could get carried away I interrupted them: ¡°There is no need. I just skipped those parts out of habit but I guess this isn¡¯t the best situation to keep too many secrets. Stay put, the both of you, or I¡¯ll make you. That¡¯s better. Now, ask away.¡± They were still eyeing each other, Mephisto amused and Barzuk seething with barely repressed anger. To make matters worse Mephisto started nonchalantly: ¡°Did you bind the dragon girl on purpose? Miraculously you survived your last ascension but it¡¯s still somewhat early for a steed, especially since it is your very first, as far as I know. Or do you already plan to leave the planet?¡± What an ass, he knew very well that I had had no idea what I had been doing but the way he framed it could only lead to¡­ ¡°what?!¡± Barzuk thundered, brandishing his cleaver wildly. ¡°She did what? I swear if you don¡¯t come up with a good explanation I¡¯m going to smash you both into the ground.¡± ¡°You imbecile,¡± I retorted. ¡°You know very well that I was simply trying to save her life, not meddle with anything else. Will you calm down? You¡¯re not helping in the least. But I¡¯d like an explanation as well. Steed? What, by the Great Fox, do you mean?¡± Mephisto¡¯s smile broadened. I didn¡¯t know if he had wanted to get under the orc¡¯s skin or if he had intended to fluster me but he was seriously enjoying himself. Much more than he should, especially since Viyara¡¯s mind touched mine just then and there and a cold thought drifted through me and presumably the others: ¡°I¡¯d like to know that as well. I am no one¡¯s servant! Who are you, even?¡± On the plus side, we could communicate mind to mind again, but on the other hand¡­ I¡¯d have to see what Mephisto had to say but this could turn out pretty awful. What had I done? Nervously I glanced at the dragoness with the fey on her head. Erya was smiling at me impishly but Viyara was focused on Mephisto. Tentatively I reached for her thoughts: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, whatever happened, I¡¯m truly sorry. This has never been my intention.¡± She huffed and a cloud of smoke escaped her. ¡°I know. Honestly, I already suspected that there would be some form of ¡­ purpose? Consequence? to what you did. I¡¯ve changed too much and¡­ maybe we can talk about who you are later. For now: you saved my life, I¡¯m more than grateful and that¡¯s that. But I would still like to know what he has to say. By the way, who in the nine hells is he?¡± She was shielding our conversation from the others which allowed me to answer truthfully. Barzuk I didn¡¯t mind but I wasn¡¯t keen on spilling more of my secrets than I had to before the fey. Who knew what she would be up to. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ well, he¡¯s my teacher and a friend. He¡¯s old, like, really old, ancient and not in the dragon way. I¡¯m talking about aeons not a couple of centuries. He¡¯s the only one I know who really understands my magic, or at least parts of it. Again, I¡¯m sorry, but what he says is most likely true, whether we like it or not.¡± ¡°Will you stop now? I already told you that I don¡¯t mind¡­ that¡¯s a lie. I do mind but I trust you. And for all it matters, I actually like carrying you around. It feels just¡­ right? I don¡¯t know, maybe I just enjoy your presence but if that¡¯s all there is to it I¡¯ll be fine. I didn¡¯t plan to leave anyways, or were you expecting to be rid of me after we get out of here?¡± The last remark sounded lighthearted but connected as we were I easily felt the undercurrents of concern that accompanied it. ¡°Never,¡± I replied, completely truthful. 71. Of Crystallines, conflicts and a little bit of deals Including the others I said: ¡°an explanation, please?¡± Mephisto shrugged his translucent shoulders: ¡°it¡¯s not as bad as you might think.¡± He turned to the dragon: ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I have riled you up, my comment was for the orc and Casandra.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°My name is Mephisto and I¡¯m honoured to make your acquaintance, albeit not under the most perfect of circumstances. You don¡¯t have much to worry about. Basically dragons, or rather higher dragons are the only species that can handle her magic. I don¡¯t know why for certain, there are several theories but if I had to guess I¡¯d say it has something to do with your carbuncle and the way it can process energy. Anyway, when Casandra healed you, she formed a bond between the both of you as you undoubtedly know. A part of her is now within you. It will grow over time and grant you more and more abilities. They¡¯re not determined, much depends on yourself and what you¡¯re going to experience in the next couple of decades but one thing is for certain: sooner or later you¡¯ll be able to cross the void by yourself, travelling between stars and even universes at will. Considering who she is, it might even go further but I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. Anyways, that¡¯s what I meant, nothing more, nothing less. If you¡¯re willing you¡¯ll be able to carry her wherever she needs to go, but you definitely don¡¯t have to, she has no hold over you.¡± We were silent after his explanation, processing what he had said. I thought it was nothing to fret over but then again, I wasn¡¯t the one on the receiving end. Gently I touched Viyara¡¯s mind, curious what was going on inside her head. She was ¡­ excited. I felt uncertainty and a hint of trepidation but mostly she was looking forward to what might happen. When she felt me she asked gleefully: ¡°I¡¯m going to become a Crystalline, am I not? Unbelievable, I always thought they were a myth.¡± Her comment sent my mind reeling: I had heard the word Crystalline once before from Galathon. If she was right and that was how they came to be it would mean that he already had had contact with or heard about another immortal, at least about a dragon that was bound to one. Which meant they had visited this planet not too long ago. That was just what I needed, another problem to deal with. ¡°I really cannot say, you know very well that I had no clue what I was doing and I don¡¯t even know what a crystalline dragon is supposed to be. But why don¡¯t you ask him? I am curious myself. And maybe afterward you could tell us if you had any success with the human boy we have seen.¡± She bobbed her large head enthusiastically which elicited a curse from the fey when she had to grab onto Viyara¡¯s horns to keep her balance. Including all of us again Viyara inquired: ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m becoming a Crystalline? Is that how they are born?¡± A crease appears between Mephisto¡¯s eyes before he answered cautiously: ¡°Yes, yes it is. But I have to wonder, how do you know of them? Have you met one before?¡± Oh oh, it seemed like my conjecture had been right. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have reacted like that. ¡°No, nothing of the sort,¡± Viyara replied. ¡°But my father sometimes told me stories about them. He supposedly met one ages ago and she left a deep impression on him. From what he told me she was magnificent and the only being that ever made him feel humble. I always thought he was exaggerating, you know, give me something to strive for but now I¡¯m not so sure anymore. So¡­ every dragon bound to a kitsune becomes a Crystalline? Is their magic really that powerful, or is it just her?¡± Mephisto and I were stunned while Barzuk and Erya appeared curious. On second thought, I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, I hadn¡¯t told Viyara much¡­ anything about myself except for the few glimpse she might have gained through our connection. It wasn¡¯t far fetched from her point of view but quite far away from the truth. Mephisto shot me an inquisitive glance before he answered: ¡°It has nothing to do with the kitsune, the way you put it I¡¯d say it¡¯s pretty much on her but that¡¯s an explanation best left for another time and a question you should probably ask her directly. For now, unless there is something unbelievably pressing, we should return to our current predicament. I have already heard what¡¯s going on from Cassandra. Could you enlighten us on what you found out about the boy and if you managed to strike a deal?¡± Before Viyara could answer Erya interrupted: ¡°One more thing. This bond, does it only work with dragons?¡± Again Mephisto looked at me and I gave him the go ahead with a nod. I wanted to know myself and I didn¡¯t mind the audience. They had already heard enough to cobble together some parts of who I was and I didn¡¯t mind them getting a few more details. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. As far as I know, yes but with a little risk to your life and sanity I imagine there are ways to make it possible. Anything else?¡± A curious gleam entered Erya¡¯s eyes and she focused on me intently, a small smile on her lips. I¡¯d seriously have liked to know what she was thinking right then and there but I didn¡¯t have a connection with her and nothing reached me through Viyara¡¯s mind. When nobody spoke up after a moment Erya narrated: ¡°Then allow me to fill you in. This little princess,¡± she rubbed Viyara¡¯s horns affectionately which sort of surprised me but apparently she bore no ill will towards the dragon girl, ¡°managed to get through and I had a chance to talk to the human. His name is Pete by the way. Adorable little critter, full of hope, pain, fear and an iron will but I digress. We chatted for a little while but we couldn¡¯t reach a consensus. Mostly because I can¡¯t offer him what he desires but I guess you can. He is ready to do whatever we ask of him but he wants out, a new start, somewhere far away from the madness he has been subjected to over the last years. That might be an interesting tidbit of information. He was actually quite content with his lot as a pirate until, two years ago, after another meeting of the pirate¡¯s council his captain, the guy who lost his heart to Galathon, changed their usual routine. Instead of honest hijacking and pillaging they started to enslave, intimidate and generally deal with politics in one way or the other. Additionally, since then they always had a group of acolytes on board, creepy, pale things covered in red runes. Make of it what you will but I¡¯d say that was when the evil wizard you have been going on about entered the picture. Anyways, as long as we promise to get him out of there and take him away he¡¯ll do as we ask, unconditionally. But that¡¯s not something I can promise.¡± She turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m not yet sure what I¡¯ll be doing and taking him along with you is probably your decision to make.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much of a decision,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m no fan of pirates but if it gets us out of here in one piece I won¡¯t mind dragging him along. I¡¯m more worried about the ¡°get him out of there¡± part. What if we simply can¡¯t?¡± Erya shrugged. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the problem. If he enters a deal I should be able to summon him, regardless of how far away he is. I¡¯ll have an anchor in his very soul to work my magic. So basically I¡¯m good to offer him what he wants?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± Mephisto interjected. ¡°I¡¯d like to know what you¡¯re getting out of it.¡± ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± Erya answered modestly. ¡°Access to his soul as long as he lives and the right of first refusal when he dies.¡± The corners of Mephisto¡¯s mouth curled up while I growled: ¡°No, that¡¯s not going to happen. Seriously, you have been imprisoned and enslaved for I don¡¯t know how long and now you¡¯re going down the same bullshit road as soon as you have a chance? Are you fucking kidding me? Take from him whatever you want but you won¡¯t turn him into a commodity just because you can.¡± Erya wasn¡¯t surprised or taken back, she smiled at me sweetly and asked: ¡°What do you propose? I need access to his soul to make my magic work and I require proper payment to enter a contract. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from but a deal with the fey that isn¡¯t a one sided promise and actually invokes our innate magic has rules. He wants a new shot at life so that¡¯s what I need in return, to make it work he has to offer something as valuable as what he¡¯s going to get. And let¡¯s be real here, considering his situation his essence isn¡¯t too high a price. To balance the scales, the only thing HE can offer is his very soul. Or do you have another idea?¡± I stumbled over how much emphasis she had put on the ¡°he¡± while her eyes bored into mine. My wings flared instinctively and the faint smell of ozone joined the burning scent of magma. Quietly I asked Mephisto: ¡°Is she lying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. That¡¯s how most sympathetic magic works. There has to be a balance. Why do you care so much anyways? It¡¯s just another human. He doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Now I could really feel my rage rising, the bad mood I had been in all day and my exhaustion didn¡¯t help either. My voice trembled when I focused on Mephisto and Erya. ¡°That attitude is exactly the reason why I fought against my brother. Do you honestly believe that you¡¯re that much better than a human just because you have a chance to live longer or have the tiniest amount of power running through your veins? That he doesn¡¯t matter? That it¡¯s alright to force him to give up his soul even though he is helping us? If so, let me disabuse you of that notion.¡± Slowly I rose into the air, a halo of silvery blue energy behind me, my tails spread out like a silvery curtain. Energy crackled between my wings and their glow intensified by the second until they weren¡¯t much more than a blur, surrounded by bent space and quivering rays of light. Deathly calm I continued: ¡°following your own reasoning I should make you dance to my tune. None of you could hope to hold their own against me right now.¡± To drive home my point I allowed a couple of my wings to slither across Erya¡¯s crystal and around Mephisto¡¯s emblem, not yet cutting into them but the implied threat was obvious. ¡°Is that what you want? If so, just tell me now.¡± Erya eyed me fearfully and a little surprised while Viyara appeared thoughtful. Mephisto stared at the ground and I swore he was blushing, hard as it was to tell with his new colouration. Barzuk¡­ well, for the second time he looked at me with sympathy and dare I say admiration. His usual sneer was gone and he displayed the same emotions I had seen when I had first tried to comfort Viyara in front of him. Huh, he really was a softy. That thought, more than anything else calmed me down. I retracted most of the energy from my wings and settled back down, counting to ten internally. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to threaten you. That was uncalled for and I apologise. But the point still stands. Is there anything else we could do to make it work?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Erya replied hesitantly, the small tremor in her voice giving away her anxiety, ¡°I need something of equal value and the kid won¡¯t be able to offer anything else. But if one of you were willing to pay on his part, we might find a way. I don¡¯t want to push you over the edge but I really do need payment. From everything I¡¯ve seen, there are a couple of things everyone of you could offer that would balance the scales and allow the magic to form. The question is, is one of you prepared to do so?¡± The look she gave me made me feel like I had just walked into a trap. But after everything I had just said and done I wasn¡¯t going to wuss out. Viyara was on the cusp of answering but I wasn¡¯t going to allow anyone else to pay for my convictions. If it was even somewhat reasonable I¡¯d do it. ¡°Probably. What do you have in mind?¡± Her confidence returned in a rush along with her smile. ¡°One option I already presented to you, if you remember.¡± Involuntarily I blushed again and Mephisto arched an eyebrow curiously. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re still not willing to go for it. Something material won¡¯t cut it this time so here is what I think might work. Give me some of your magic the same way you did with Viyara. If it makes me more powerful, it¡¯ll satisfy the demands of my magic. A year of servitude should also suffice, given how much more you are than a mere human. Lastly I¡¯d say reciprocity should also work. He wants a new life, so do I. The Silent Glade is most likely already occupied by another king or queen and I don¡¯t have a place to return to. Offer me a haven and protection indefinitely and we should also be set. I don¡¯t know if you can live with any of these options but that¡¯s what I can think of.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to bind myself to her will for a year but I didn¡¯t mind the alternatives. Considering what Mephisto had said I wasn¡¯t keen on trying to shove my energy into someone else, especially since I still needed her. Who could say if she wasn¡¯t going to explode. Offering her a home, because from what I heard that was what she was after, was actually not a terrible idea. Maybe I could even get her to plant the acorn which might allow me to provide the orphaned kitsune with a new place to call their own. But I¡¯d have to see how it was going to go. ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to take you under my wing. If you think that¡¯s enough, I won¡¯t argue. What do I have to do?¡± ¡°Not that much, for now. You¡¯ll have to be part of the spell and allow yourself to be bound by it, but that¡¯s it.¡± Right, that would have been just too easy. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work as smoothly as you imagine. I can¡¯t be spelled, magic simply doesn¡¯t touch me. I can¡¯t imagine how I should participate in whatever you have planned, unless¡­¡± I had just remembered the focus Greta had made from my blood. I still had it with me but giving it to the fey seemed¡­ risky. Would she use it to do as she pleased? She had already made it abundantly clear that she was interested in me and if I handed over the pendant she would be able to have her way regardless of my consent. And she¡¯d be able to pull any other sort of stunt that came to her mind. Damn, why did those things always have to be so complicated. I had remained silent for longer than I had thought when Viyara prompted: ¡°Unless what?¡± Hesitantly I pulled the focus from my pocket and weighted the little thing in my hand. ¡°Unless she uses this. It¡¯s a focus that¡¯ll allow her magic to take hold. But¡­¡± my words trailed off and Erya rolled her eyes. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t use it for anything else than to make the deal work and I¡¯ll hand it back as soon as we are done. Honestly, that I even have to say it¡­ I¡¯d never coerce you, well not in that way. When I slip into your bed it¡¯ll be of your own volition and you¡¯ll be wide awake, no magic required.¡± I raised an eyebrow and winked at her over Viyara¡¯s giggles: ¡°if, not when. But that¡¯s good enough. Catch!¡± I tossed the pendant to her and she caught it deftly in her hand, everyone¡¯s eyes glued to the little thing. Bringing her face closer she sniffed it and I saw a small thread of magic circle around her palm. Her eyes widened and she stared at me unblinkingly, her gaze full of curiosity and anticipation. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m really looking forward to get to know you better. Now then, shall we?¡± She extended her other hand and beckoned for me to join her on top of Viyara¡¯s head. Silently I rose into the air again and glided towards them. It was time to prepare for yet another battle. 72. Of fey magic, characters and a little bit of trouble Cassandra Pendragon To me, magic mostly felt the same, at least if it was directed at me. I could see different patterns easily enough with my second sight but, with some exception like when Greta had cast her healing spells on me, it was nothing more than a distant pressure, stifled and muted. Not this time. When I had reached them and joined their already linked minds, I felt the connection Viyara had built with another, distant presence. At first it was fuzzy but with a mental twist Viyara drew us together, her mind acting as a gateway once again for me to reach the others. Erya I recognised immediately and the third had to be Pete. He was a strange fellow, contradictory thoughts came to the surface and vanished again, fear and desperation mixed with defiance and stubbornness, hatred paired with self loathing. The moment he realised he wasn¡¯t alone anymore a flash of hope overshadowed the other emotions and he focused on us intently. I wasn¡¯t sure if he knew I was there as well but his attention rested on Erya and he anxiously inquired: ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°Yes, all you need to do is ask. You won¡¯t even have to sweeten the deal with your soul. You assistance in the coming hours will be enough. Just say the words.¡± ¡°Then get me the fuck out of here and keep me safe! I¡¯m willingly offering any form of assistance I can provide to see it happen. Just, please!¡± Erya laughed like a wind chime and magic enveloped me. At first, there was darkness before two bright lights appeared before me. One was burning like a star, filled with energy, an imposing presence. In my mind¡¯s eye black, red and green made up most of its colour. The other was small and insignificant in comparison but filled with a myriad of different colours, all mixed together to nearly become grey. When I looked closer I could see faint traces of light connecting them, swirling through the void. They multiplied and grew but even as I watched, the first strands started to fall apart again, rushing back to the blinding presence I assumed was Erya. Faster and faster they vanished, unable to balance the two forces that tore them in different directions. The two sides had to equalise, otherwise the spell would fail. I reached for the waning magic and instead of trying to alter or support it with my own power, I allowed it to take me in completely with a promise: I¡¯ll shield her for as long as she needs me. My core reacted and another band of energy settled in but unlike before it didn¡¯t disappear. It circled through me, time and again, picking up more and more energy until it tore in two and I imagined I could hear the sound of tortured metal before it was ripped apart. One half was pulled back around my core and joined the other promises I had made before but the other slithered through the darkness like a glowing snake of molten silver and snapped into place between the last strands of Erya¡¯s magic. I felt the void we were in shudder when the string of silvery light was pulled tight but remained in place, anchoring the spell. Most of the force was now channeled through it and finally the links of the spell could form. Within the blink of an eye a bridge of magic connect Erya and Pete, the sole strand of energy I had provided nestled in the centre. A thunderous explosion shook the place we were in and I was thrown backwards, everything around me disintegrating into sparks and multicoloured flames. With a groan I opened my eyes and brushed away the trickle of blood I felt running from my nose. I was on top of Viyara, the bright glare of magma around us sent daggers of pain through my skull and it took me a moment to get my bearings. Somehow my head had come to rest on Erya¡¯s lap and she was smiling down at me mischievously. Before I could reacted she lowered her face and kissed my forehead gently. I felt her fingers brush against my palm when she placed the focus in my hand and whispered quietly: ¡°thank you. Here, I don¡¯t want my knight to be hurting.¡± Warmth flooded through our still intertwined fingers and travelled through the pendant she was pressing into my skin. My headache subsided and strength returned to my limbs in a rush. A little groggy but otherwise restored I whispered: ¡°Please, just don¡¯t make me regret this. And how could you heal me? I thought you promised not to do anything else with it?¡± ¡°The demon is in the detail. The connection is still forming, so technically I can do whatever I want to make sure it remains stable. There is quite a lot of freedom in how you can interpret what I said. Don¡¯t scowl, I really don¡¯t want to hurt you. But I think you should know that I could have. I can¡¯t make you trust me but maybe this shows that my intentions aren¡¯t nearly as nefarious as you seem to believe. Now I even have a considerable interest in your well being, so could you just stop questioning everything I do? The next few centuries could become rather tiring otherwise.¡± Centuries? Great¡­ the fey apparently had no intention of letting me go any time soon. I should really get off her lap. Erya of the Silent Glade Looking down on Cassandra¡¯s beautiful face, my healing magic still connecting us, I nearly blushed, which would have been the first time in a couple of centuries. I wasn¡¯t smitten but I was fascinated, maybe even infatuated. When we had first met I had thought she was nothing but a pansy, sent by the new lady of the hoard to entice me into whatever she wanted from me. I had quickly realised how wrong I had been. She had been honest and respectful and had stated clearly what they wanted me to do. Even when I had become quite bitchy and demanding, asking for things I already knew she hadn¡¯t been willing to part with she had played along. That my magic couldn¡¯t get a hold on her had just been a minor surprise compared to how she had behaved. She had even tried to console me when I had pretended to be hurt by her rejection. She had reminded me so much of how I had been before Shafeer had forced me into the damned ruby that I had nearly handed back the acorn, nearly but not quite. From this point on the whole sex thing had turned into a game, more of a mask I used to hide how I really felt. Of course I¡¯d love to spend a night with her, fey are carnal creatures by nature and we take pleasure wherever we can find it, especially after being starved for years, but I¡¯d never get in the way of true love and it had been painfully obvious that she hadn¡¯t just said it to get me to back off. Someone out there was really lucky and I was curious to meet whoever had managed to charm Cassandra so completely. And then she had allowed me to work my magic on her and had promised to protect me for as long as I¡¯d need it. A promise much more thorough than I had expected, made by someone who was much more than I had thought. The moment she had joined Pete and me I had realised just how wrong I had been in thinking she had been controlled by a dragon. In the realm between, where my magic worked, she had been shining brighter than a star, making me feel tiny in comparison. I had seen her wings, spanning through the void behind her, trailing off into infinity and for the first time in my life I had truly felt humbled. Even when Shafeer had battered me into the ground and forced me to do his bidding I had always thought that, given the chance, I¡¯d have been able to prevent something like that from happening again. Not with her. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. If she had set her mind to it I wouldn¡¯t have had a prayer, of that I had been convinced the moment I saw a strand of her energy effortlessly bind me to a mere human. I had never before felt so powerless, her magic was ancient and had smelled of the very fabric of creation. I couldn¡¯t even call it magic, there was no trace of mana, life force or soul energy, it was something different, something I had only heard of before in long forgotten legends told by the oldest and maddest fey I had ever met. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken and the eccentric ghost that had appeared from a silver coin and had started spreading secrets like they had been grain, had made me that much more certain, she was a true immortal, unbound and free of life¡¯s shackles. And here I was, cradling her head, clueless on what I should do. After what seemed like aeons of slavery, pure chance had set me free and had dropped a creature of legends into my lap. I¡¯d be an idiot to let go. I wanted to make up for the time I had lost, stuck as a glorified engine for someone else¡¯s magic and staying with her appeared to me like the best way for some excitement in the foreseeable future. Better yet, she would even make sure that I¡¯d get out of whatever mess I was going to get myself into. For the first time in I didn¡¯t know how long I was looking forward to what was to come. I just had to convince her that I wasn¡¯t going to sell her out, an understandable concern, given how I had acted. But first I had a job to do or my plans might get cut short, permanently. I brushed her silky, raven black hair behind her ear which made her narrow her bright silvery eyes at me. I winked and gently pushed her away, my fingers trailing along her arm. When the last sparks of my healing spell had vanished I let her and the focus go with a bright smile and said: ¡°Now then, I think I have some spying to do and you might better put on that cloak Barzuk brought you. I really appreciate the view, but otherwise I might find myself wholly incapable of concentrating. Your bust might not be the largest but it sure as hell is one of the prettiest I¡¯ve seen.¡± Her blush was delightful and only intensified when Barzuk¡¯s throaty and Viyara¡¯s mental laugh reached us. The dragoness was much more pleasant than I had expected and given what Mephisto had said I¡¯d be around her for quite some time. Admittedly her golden scales made me anxious, they were so similar to her father¡¯s but she had already proven that she was made of different stuff. I couldn¡¯t say if we were going to be friends but I surprisingly didn¡¯t loath her. If we hadn¡¯t had history, I would even have liked her, but we¡¯d have to see how it¡¯d go. I used a part of my life force to change my appearances and grew butterfly like wings from my back. With a rustling like silk sliding over silk I took to the air and descended on top of my ruby. I didn¡¯t need physical contact but it¡¯d make things easier. I wouldn¡¯t be able to cast anything but my own magic through Pete but I could use the energy the gem provided. And who knew, maybe I¡¯d need it and it¡¯d be much easier to feel the flow of power within if I was touching the thing. I closed my eyes and started to block out everything else. The roar of splashing magma, the conversation of my companions that had started up as soon as I had settled down, the faint stream of magic the still active scrying spell was pulling from me and the flickering of a myriad of auras generated by powerful artefacts all around. After a moment even my racing thoughts calmed and I could truly feel myself and the faint connections that linked me to others. Once upon a time there had been many, servants, acquaintances, peers, each one of them represented by a glimmering bridge of light I had been able to cross with a wish. But they were gone now, withered and destroyed, raptured when Shafeer had forced me into servitude. Only three remained, Cassandra, Viyara and Pete and of those only the connection with Pete was strong enough to use for more than a few simple tricks. For a second I wondered if I could use the link to Cassandra to spell her even without the focus but I wasn¡¯t going to try, for now. My consciousness raced along the bridge of energy and I smoothly took control over Pete¡¯s body, shoving him aside like the ant he was. I could still access his memories to make sure I wouldn¡¯t be noticed the moment I took over but his will couldn¡¯t control his body anymore, he was a passenger, along for the ride and judging from his complaints and curses he wasn¡¯t enjoying it one bit. Tough luck. I was going to take him back with me so there really wasn¡¯t much to lament about. It wasn¡¯t like I was enjoying being stuck in a human meat suit. Hidden behind a stack of crates I took a moment to orientate myself and get the hang of how to make his muscular legs move without falling over every two steps. I also played around with his expressions, making sure I could smile and frown quite naturally. His mannerism would take me too long to copy so I simply skimmed through his speech patterns and hoped the pirates I¡¯d be about to talk to weren¡¯t the brightest. Considering they were pirates in the first place I was pretty confident they wouldn¡¯t be too fast on the uptake. I squared my shoulders, rubbed my eyes too remove any remaining tears and adopted a bandy legged gait just to hunker back down again. What was I thinking? The Black wanted five of the pirates, presumably as sacrifices and I was about to walk into plain sight. Stupid idea. Instead I pressed myself even deeper into the shadows and activated my magic. Some of the energy was lost on the way but most of it reached me through the connection I had formed. I could easily scry through the whole ship but the tricky part would be not to alarm the ancient dragon on board. At least he wasn¡¯t on deck anymore from what I could here. I spent the next minutes constructing spell forms that would block everything but the most potent scrying magic and even bolstered them with a tiny bit of soul energy and a huge amount of mana I drew from the ruby. When I felt sufficiently protected I turned Pete¡¯s body invisible and allowed my senses to roam through the ship. Most of the pirates were in varying degrees of shock and despair, Galathon¡¯s aura that felt more like a heavy pressure to me rendered them nearly insensible. The tougher ones were keeping their heads low, following orders, staying out of sight and as far away from the captain¡¯s cabin as possible. That gave me enough of a hint to focus on said cabin and the wards that surrounded it along with the strangled cries and the smell of blood that drifted past the door convinced me that I had found the right place. Unfortunately I wouldn¡¯t be able to break the wards without being detected so I¡¯d be reduced to listening at the door if I wanted to know more. Grudgingly I got up and trotted towards the door that led below deck, keeping my invisibility active. I quickly arrived in front of the captain¡¯s cabin, the smell of blood and strangled cries now physically reached my senses. I didn¡¯t mind but it emphasised that I didn¡¯t want to be caught and used as another battery for whatever the dragon was doing. Quietly I crept closer and placed an ear against the seasoned wood. Pete¡¯s hearing wasn¡¯t the best but it¡¯d do for now, especially with a little spell I used to enhance his senses. What I heard made my heart speed up. ¡°You expect me to just sit here and wait?! Like a damned warden?¡± That was Galathon, his anger easily drowning out the agonised gurgles of a dying pirate. The voice that replied was surprisingly smooth and I¡¯d even call it warm except for the hint of madness that shimmered through now and then. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I expect, lizard and unless you do as your told I¡¯ll cut gloves from your wings as soon as I arrive personally. It won¡¯t be too long now. My slaves will find the other ships and if I¡¯m not completely mistaken they¡¯ll open the doors willingly once we acquire our bargaining chips and cut one or two open before their eyes. Your job is to make sure they can¡¯t leave and prevent my people from capturing the kitsune and dwarfs. Fail me in this and you¡¯ll wish you had died by Cassandra¡¯s hands.¡± 73. Of plans, explosions and a little bit of spite Cassandra Pendragon Cold gripped my heart and it took every last ounce of willpower I could muster to not rush off immediately. I didn¡¯t even want to think about what he meant when he had said that he¡¯d be here soon personally as the threat to my loved ones was terrifying enough. As soon as Erya had told us what she had heard I had reached for my tattoo and tried to contact Ahri. I had been able to feel her but she had been fast asleep, probably exhausted from the backlash she had taken for me. Forcefully I pushed the image of her lying unconscious while pirates descended on her and the kids from my mind and focused on the others. The white cloaked I was wearing by now didn¡¯t make a sound when my movements caused it to brush over the gold coins all around. ¡°I guess after the troubles we had to face to reach Pete that there is no way for us to contact Ahri or my mom from here?¡± Erya and Viyara shook their heads slowly while I didn¡¯t even bother to check Barzuk¡¯s reaction, as capable as the cook might be he wasn¡¯t a mage. Truthfully I just hoped Mephisto had something up his sleeve but the resigned look on his face told me everything I had to know. ¡°The basis for every form of magical communication is a form of scrying, to establish contact between sender and receiver. We would need a location or a focus from one of the persons present. I¡¯d even be willing to try something more esoteric like using your blood to reach your mother but since your fifth tail sprouted your body is constantly adapting and changing. We could try but it¡¯s most likely a waste of time as the magic won¡¯t be able to find your mother based on the patterns you could provide. In the future Ahri should be a different matter but for now she¡¯s still too different from what you¡¯re turning into to make it work. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help.¡± He clarified. ¡°Then I have to go. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t risk losing her even if I have to fight my way out of here.¡± I focused on Viyara and Erya before continuing. ¡°You two have to come with me or I won¡¯t be able to leave. Please, I know you¡¯re risking your hoard and possibly your revenge but I have to warn them, to protect them if necessary.¡± Viyara¡¯s soothing voice flowed through my mind: ¡°Of course, the safety of the living always outweighs the wishes of the dead. But what should we do? The Black has surely put wards into place and he won¡¯t just let us leave. And even if we manage to slip past him, won¡¯t we just lead an angry dragon and two more air ships to your friends? You couldn¡¯t beat him before and now you¡¯re running on fumes and adrenaline.¡± I wanted to protest but she made a shushing gesture with one of her paws. ¡°You know I¡¯m right, your body might be restored but your mind is tired. You wont have a chance against him right now and as much as it pains me to admit it, the only one who might be able to help is Erya. We can¡¯t just rush off head over tails and hope for the best. We came here as a last resort. Wouldn¡¯t it be stupid to give up that advantage?¡± Mephisto cleared his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The situation has changed. Trying to kill an enraged dragon with all the magic here? Definitely possible. Withstanding a siege against one of the most powerful sorcerers I have ever heard about, his army of lackeys and a dragon? Not so much. If we don¡¯t get out of here, this volcano will turn into our tomb sooner or later and dead we won¡¯t be able to do anything. It¡¯s wise to not force a hand when the deck is stacked against you. If you¡¯re willing to listen to my advice we¡¯ll take what we can from this place and use the rest to make our escape. Hells, we could even blow the volcano up if we have to. When we¡¯re away we¡¯ll find the others and try to hide. There are bound to be some cities around where we can hunker down for a while. I¡¯m pretty sure Erya and I can stop everyone from trying to find us magically. When we face them again it¡¯ll be on our own terms and at a time of our choosing. This is not a time to overestimate ourselves. Our life is on the line and right now it¡¯s not looking good.¡± He turned to Barzuk. ¡°And before you start mumbling about honour and revenge, rest assured Galathon will suffer if we escape. Additionally I don¡¯t expect him to stop hunting us so we¡¯ll have another chance in the future to avenge your fallen master. Use that head of yours for something else than to swallow alcohol once in a while.¡± The orc arched an eyebrow. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to argue, I might be stubborn, but I¡¯m not stupid, thank you very much. We can¡¯t defend this place, never mind killing the Black if he has the help of someone who has already proven that he can seal Erya and meddle with the enchantments around here. Maybe there is another explanation why they conveniently failed when Galathon attacked for the first time but I highly doubt it. Unless my mistress says otherwise I¡¯m with you, ghost.¡± ¡°I already said that I¡¯m willing to leave but that doesn¡¯t answer my initial question.¡± Viyara replied. ¡°How can we do so without making everything worse?¡± ¡°We either make them believe we¡¯re still here or we make sure they¡¯re occupied with something else,¡± Erya answered. ¡°With the artefacts your dear father has collected over the years both should be possible. Remember, right now they might not be in range of the enchantments on the hoard but that doesn¡¯t stop us from bringing a couple of nasty surprises close enough to the ships to work on them. I say we try to burn their ships on our way out and throw everything we have left at the dragon before we run. That should buy us a couple of hours. Oh, blowing this place up also seems nice. It¡¯ll prevent those leeches from getting their fingers on anything useful and I wouldn¡¯t mind my prison going up in flames. Nothing personal, Viyara, well, maybe a little bit, but if I never see your hoard again it¡¯ll be too soon.¡± The dragon blew a cloud of smoke at the fey and we heard her cough violently. ¡°It¡¯s fine, but you don¡¯t have to be so smug about it. My home has already been destroyed and the hoard only holds value for me as far as it is useful. The rest can burn for all I care.¡± Her longing gaze and the tension in her mind belied her statement but I appreciated it none the less. I leaned against her leg and caressed her scales, trying to convey my gratitude without words. She didn¡¯t react but the muscles under my fingers relaxed with every stroke and she continued: ¡°I guess we have to look around for everything we can actually use. I know some of the artefacts from stories my parents told me but I could use some help. I don¡¯t think we can carry too many which makes it even more important to chose the right ones.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Erya interjected. ¡°With some luck I can store everything we want in the ruby. I can even shrink it down in size so you can comfortably carry it around. I¡¯ll need a minute to try it out but I¡¯m confident it¡¯ll work. I might even be able to shove the whole dais into the thing.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Mephisto replied, ¡°magical spheres can only carry so much foreign energy and mass. I¡¯m surprise the whole thing didn¡¯t crumble when Cassandra entered but that just shows how powerful it is. Still, I don¡¯t think you can manage to stuff everything around inside but probably a large part of it. Or maybe, hum, I think I can calculate the exact value. Gimme a moment.¡± He glided to the ruby and placed his translucent hands on the gem. A series of engravings lit about on the inside and I heard Mephisto chant softly. After not more than a handful of seconds he turned back around with a smile on his face. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°The thing is frigging huge! Your father was a magical prodigy, Viyara. As far as I can tell he somehow made the gem able to carry a near infinite amount of energy, maybe even completely limitless. I haven¡¯t got the foggiest how he managed such a feat but it¡¯s outright amazing. Anyway, the problem in this case is conversion. Every ounce of energy that isn¡¯t bound to a soul or life and enters the ruby will be converted into pure mana. Cassandra was rather lucky that the artefacts she carries are either bound to her or have a life of their own but without that they would have lost their magic. This means that while we might fill the thing to the brim with gold and gems, everything enchanted we place inside will come out without any spells. What we, or rather Cassandra, could do however is overloading the enchantments which cause this. A small drop of your power, you know, similar to what you did with Viyara, should make the thing explode and not in a small fashion. The only problem would be to get away far and fast enough but we definitely can blow anything to smithereens that comes close to us, at least once.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not really a fan of suicide runs.¡± I said emphatically. ¡°I like telling the tale afterwards.¡± Mephisto shrugged: ¡°that isn¡¯t what I was suggesting. A remote trigger should be easy enough to create. With my help you should be able to encase a part of your magic in a diamond. If it breaks it¡¯ll escape and we can prepare runes to channel it into the ruby. We just need a way to launch the thing.¡± ¡°I can help there, like I said, I can change its size. Maybe not into something small enough to tie to an arrow but not bigger than, let¡¯s say Barzuk¡¯s head. It will still be heavy but easily throwable.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t shoot or throw it, we¡¯d have to be much further away than that.¡± Mephisto emphasised the ¡°much¡± heavily. ¡°Several kilometres would be best but at least one. With my current capabilities my telekinesis isn¡¯t strong enough to push a highly magical object that far.¡± ¡°I have a better idea,¡± Viyara interjected. ¡°Somewhere around here is a pair of linked portals. Their size can be changed and they allow instant transportation between the two. If we can get one unseen to wherever we want it, on the ship Galathon is on for example, we could send the ruby through, followed by a spell or something heavy to smash the second crystal. Would that work?¡± Mephisto nodded slowly. ¡°I believe it would. In that case we only have to smuggle one of the portals onto the ship, the faster the better. As soon as a part of our problems turns into ash we make a run for it. Are we all agreed?¡± ¡°One more question,¡± Barzuk deep rumbled made us look at him expectantly. ¡°How do we reach your friends and how long will it take? I¡¯m asking due to provisions, you can¡¯t eat artefacts or gold and if we lose our largest storage, we¡¯ll need to think carefully about what we are going to take with us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry you,¡± Viyara answered. ¡°I know which island they are headed for. But I need a meal before I can even think about flying through the night. I don¡¯t think that there is a point in bringing further provisions, we should reach them within a couple of hours and I won¡¯t be able to carry enough for everyone that¡¯ll be waiting. We should take some coins with us, though. They¡¯ll come in handy if we have to hide in a city or anywhere else. There are also some artefacts I know about I¡¯d like to bring along. How about we four,¡± she pointed to Erya, Mephisto and me, ¡°sort through the hoard while Barzuk runs up to the kitchen and fetches enough for a decent meal?¡± ¡°Are you really sure that¡¯s okay with you?¡± I had to ask. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I do agree but I didn¡¯t think a dragon would willingly part with his treasures and everything around is most definitely yours.¡± Another cloud of smoke rose from her snout as she sighed. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m having a hard time but it¡¯s not as bad as I expected. I know everything we leave behind is most likely going to end up in the emperor¡¯s hands sooner or later. That makes it a little easier but I still am uncomfortable with the thought of even losing a single gold coin.¡± Her tail coiled up and I was certain she would have blushed if she had been in her human form. ¡°Surprisingly I don¡¯t mind you taking some of it though. I can¡¯t tell you why, my best guess is that I still think of Erya as part of the hoard and of you as part of myself but the thought of you guys using and carrying a part of it around doesn¡¯t bother me too much. The only thing that makes my scales itch is the image of our enemies walking through these halls, profiting of my father¡¯s legacy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easily solved. We¡¯ll leave nothing behind but scorched earth if that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you.¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice was gentle, understanding. ¡°If you don¡¯t plan on returning there¡¯s no point in keeping anything intact. If you want I¡¯m sure I can use a couple of the enchantments to make the volcano erupt. Whoever wants to get down here will have to dig through quite a bit of molten lava and caved in tunnels. With us and the ruby gone I¡¯m pretty sure no one will bother and you might be able to return one day to reclaim what¡¯s yours.¡± Even more sincere he continued: ¡°Also, if I may, I think you¡¯re experience one of the changes I have talked about. Normally there is a connection between a dragon and what he calls his. The more he owns the more powerful the dragon becomes. The how and why are quite convoluted and I don¡¯t even know the particulars myself but that¡¯s the main reason dragons appear greedy and possessive. It¡¯s what makes them grow. That¡¯s not true for you anymore. Sure, it might still help but you¡¯re main source of growth no resides within your carbuncle. I guess that¡¯s why the thought of losing your wealth isn¡¯t nearly as excruciating as one might expect. You¡¯re well and truly on your way to become a Crystalline, Viyara.¡± She pawed at the coins in front of her, a mixture of embarrassment and delight radiated off of her. ¡°That¡¯s great and I¡¯m really glad for you milady, but we have work to do and stuff to blow up. I suggest we get moving.¡± The orc¡¯s pragmatism was unmatched. ¡°Also, it would be nice if you mages could figure out how we can get one of the portals on the ship. I¡¯ll prepare a farewell dinner in the meantime, that is, if one of you winged folks could fly me back up to the throne room.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Erya quickly volunteered. ¡°There are some things I wanted to ask you anyways and I need to take a quick look around the library. If memory serves there are some books there that shouldn¡¯t be left behind.¡± None of us protested so she wove a spell around Barzuk and sped towards the ceiling, the huge orc tethered to her through invisible threads. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t join them when Erya mentioned a library. Lost your love for books?¡± I teased Mephisto, covering up my worries. ¡°Of course not but I highly doubt there¡¯ll be something up there that I haven¡¯t read already, the really interesting volumes are down here anyways. Now then, you¡¯re still unable to use your stamp, correct? We¡¯ll still use it but I¡¯m going to craft the runes with some of your blood. As far as I remember it¡¯s quite spacious. I think we can store quite a bit in there. Combined with everything Viyara can carry I assume we¡¯re going to have space for a decent amount of artefacts and coins. Why don¡¯t we split up for now, I¡¯m sure Viyara has some ideas what she wants to take and we can have a look around together. You¡¯re knowledge is abysmal but maybe you see something I miss. Those eyes of yours must be useful for something other than turning heads. Ladies, let¡¯s get going and while you¡¯re at it, think about what the orc said. We still have to get one of the portal pieces on the ship without anyone the wiser.¡± 74. Of conversations, information and a little bit of cruelty Cassandra Pendragon I pocketed the emblem again and joined Mephisto in searching through the mountains of treasure.Soon I realised that I was mainly there to provide a set of hands that could dig through the heaps of gold and gems. While the sounds of Viyara¡¯s massive form slithering through the hoard became more and more distant we slowly made our way across the dais. I was nervous and itching to be off but I¡¯d curse myself soon enough if I wasn¡¯t going to do this properly. Admittedly the wondrous sights of sparkling metal and shining gems made it far easier to push away my anxiety but I still couldn¡¯t fully appreciate the stroll through a dragon¡¯s hoard. Every time I took a moment to marvel at a particularly beautiful piece my mind turned to Ahri and the others and how long it would take for a couple of airships to reach them. Never the less I somewhat enjoyed myself. Sliding down steep slopes of coins or climbing hills made of crystals was fun and my amazement grew with every step we took. I didn¡¯t know how long Viyara¡¯s father had been accumulating wealth but the sheer variety was breathtaking. Gold and other precious metals had been carved into works of art, sculptures with glowing emerald eyes, little trinkets like horns or brooches encrusted with jewels and larger than life reliefs decorated with shimmering patches of different materials stood side by side with weapons basked in a magical light. Every piece was fascinating and I had to pull myself forcefully away from immense blades made of rubies and diamonds, daggers with pitch black edges and green inlays and a set of crystal orbs that shone with a milky white light, dark shapes slowly forming and dispersing beneath their surface. We walked or, in Mephisto¡¯s case, glided side by side, he was concentrating hard on different pieces before discarding them again while I was mostly busy gawking with my mouth open. From time to time he¡¯d point and ask me to dig up one thing or the other only to inspect it closely and drop it again after a moment. After a while he broke the silence: ¡°So, a dragoness, a fey and an orc. Quite an interesting group of strays you adopted there and all that in the middle of a conflict. I never knew you were such a sociable creature.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that and I definitely didn¡¯t adopt the orc,¡± a slight smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. ¡°But I have to admit, I enjoy their company. What do you think of them?¡± ¡°Hmm, Viyara is young and I think she sees something like a protector or substitute parent in you. I have no clue how that happened, mind you, considering how inexperienced you still are but she¡¯s a fine young lady. Quite mature and focused but I guess losing your family, being kidnapped and rescued and preparing to take revenge, all on the same day would do that to anyone. If she was human I¡¯d advise to be cautious, sometimes I think she is too collected considering what happened but as she is a hybrid that¡¯s to be expected. From what I heard they develop nearly twice as fast and have two souls to carry life¡¯s burdens. You should take care of her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. You know about hybrids? I thought she was the first.¡± ¡°Hardly. Maybe on this world but I¡¯d say she is only the first one you heard about. They aren¡¯t common but throughout the cosmos there are several species who can produce offsprings with two souls, dragons are simply the most impressive ones. Can you grab that spear? No, the golden one with the diamond tip. Hmm, junk, elaborately enchanted but still junk.¡± ¡°And what about the whole steed thing you mentioned? Later on you made it sound like it wasn¡¯t anything of significance but I highly doubt you¡¯d have used that word if there hadn¡¯t been a reason. You also mentioned she¡¯d be my first. Care to share some details?¡± He exhaled slowly. ¡°Well, powerful as we are there is only a handful of immortals who can navigate between worlds on their own. Oh, we might fly or even travel through the void on our own but that still takes ages, depending on where you want to go. It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that we have searched for ways around that for a long time and it so happens that dragons allow us to circumvent the problem.¡± ¡°How come? What makes them special?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know for sure. A dragon¡¯s flight is much more magic than actual movement, or did you think they could get their mass airborne with only their wings? Anyway, when a dragon comes into contact with transcendent energies they change and adopt some of its properties instead of immediately combusting. I don¡¯t know why but they always develop the ability to enter the void, the space between the different layers of reality and navigate through it at the speed of thought, practically allowing them to go anywhere they like in the shortest span of time. To survive the trip some of their magic infuses their scales and turns them into crystals, thus the name Crystalline. That¡¯s, by the way, how you¡¯ll know that Viyara has finished integrating your energy. As soon as her scales are completely changed, the process is done.¡± ¡°Do you know how she¡¯ll look? What colour she¡¯ll have or if her body is going to transform?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Like I said, you have never before bound a dragon, at least as far as I know, so I can only speculate. Show me that glowing red orb if you would. Your characteristic are going to play a vital role as you have already witnessed with her horns but other than that¡­ if I had to guess I¡¯d say she¡¯ll have quite a bit of silver in her coat and maybe even form a couple of your energy wings in a reduced form but, like I said, that¡¯s pure speculation. You don¡¯t have to think about it too much for now, those changes take time, quite a bit of it.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pester you once we get to that point. What about the fey? Do you have any experience with the spirit folk?¡± ¡°Unfortunately more than I¡¯d like. Nasty little buggers the lot of them but Erya seems¡­ tame. I wouldn¡¯t sleep with her, though. That might have some far reaching consequences.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen? I already found Aurora, that¡¯s not going to happen. What I meant was: Is it wrong to trust her?¡± ¡°Probably, but that ship has sailed. Your promises can¡¯t just be brushed away or ignored. When you gained the ability to channel your energy through your body you changed, fundamentally so. With every passing minute and every time you use your energy your body imbues more and more of your spark until it isn¡¯t mortal anymore. A nasty side effect is the way your oaths work from now on. They are ingrained into every fibre of your being as well and it would be a terrible idea to violate one. Be careful what you promise and especially to whom. I don¡¯t think you made a grave mistake, though. For a fey she seems rather sensible. Maybe a few centuries of slavery can have a positive effect on some people. Alas, we¡¯re stuck with her either way for the foreseeable future. Ah, now that is interesting.¡± He had stopped in front of a dragon sized tome, each page was larger than I was tall and the consisted of polished onyx, the scripture inlaid with pale diamonds. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. When I paused in front of it, static charged my hair and my fur rose up, the amount of magic contained in its pages was astonishing. Reverently I walked closer and touched the cover. Nothing happened and Mephisto snorted: ¡°What did you expect? That this thing miraculously reacts to a being impervious to magic? Here, let me show you.¡± He stepped closer and concentrated. With my second vision I saw a small trail of energy rise from him and slither into the book, almost like a key that entered a lock. Invisible runes on the cover lit up in a soothing blue and it opened with a smooth sound. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t recognise a single sigil where as Mephisto studied the page intently, his eyes followed the neat rows of glyphs from top to bottom. Grudgingly I asked him: ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°A diary, written by Viyara¡¯s father. We should definitely take it with us. There is certainly some useful information about this world inside. It won¡¯t help us right now, but it¡¯ll be a great boon in the future.¡± With another pulse of mana he closed the time again. ¡°Could you give me a drop of blood?¡± I took a sharpened piece of silver, dangling from a necklace at my feet and drew a drop of blood from my thumb. With the same spell he had used back on Boseiju Mephisto applied two distinct runes and added a third one just below. ¡°That last one will contain the aura of the tome and make sure it doesn¡¯t interfere with the magic in your stamp.¡± He explained. ¡°There, all done.¡± As soon as he finished the last stroke the tome shimmered and disappeared and I could feel it settling into my own pocket dimension. ¡°You remember how to retrieve it?¡± He inquired. I nodded. I¡¯d have to enter the dimension mentally and take it back out with me. The rune that had sent it there would be consumed in the process and he, or hopefully I by then, would have to draw it again. ¡°Good. How much space do you think you have left?¡± ¡°About a fourth is occupied now,¡± I answered after checking. The tome was about 2 on 2 meters with a thickness of another meter. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s considerably more than I hoped. Even from here I can see more than enough to fill it up several times. I don¡¯t know how much additional weight Viyara can carry but she isn¡¯t that large yet. Why don¡¯t you have a look around? Just head for the strongest concentrations of energy you can perceive and we¡¯ll see what we find.¡± I did as I was told but it was difficult. The amount of magic in the air and around us made it hard to discern details and even harder to pinpoint where we¡¯d have to go. After a couple of minutes I hesitantly pointed to my left and said: ¡°this way, I think. There are two light sources in addition to Erya¡¯s ruby that seem brighter than the rest, at least to me.¡± We strode off quickly, heading for a section of the dais that was mainly filled with weapons, armours and wands, some of them made from metal, others crafted from a variety of timbers in dark browns and reds. When we approached the first rack containing spears and shields a memory form one of our last conversations surfaced and I touched the emblem in my pocket gingerly. ¡°Remember when we first met?¡± I asked. ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t think you do. I assume you¡¯re referring to the first time I met you as Cassandra?¡± I huffed: ¡°yeah, wise ass. Back then you said you¡¯d be able to help me regain my former weapon. Regrow it form the coin if I remember your wording correctly. Well, now seems like a good time to do so. The gods know how direly I needed it.¡± ¡°Pff. Gods, don¡¯t make me laugh. Those fleeting accumulations of energy with a spark of consciousness know nothing about our needs nor do they care, they simply can¡¯t. But that¡¯s a lesson for another time. You¡¯re right though, if you could get Aiglos back it¡¯d be a tremendous help and I think we have everything we need around here. Let¡¯s first check out what you saw and then we¡¯ll try to get your pointy stick. I need a moment to think anyways, it¡¯s been aeons since I last had to deal with another immortal¡¯s artefacts.¡± Aiglos¡­ I liked the name. We continued on in silence, my gaze roaming over the exquisite masterpieces we came by. I was sorely tempted to try on one of the armours but the design didn¡¯t allow for my tails or wings and I was pretty certain that they¡¯d be more of a hindrance than a help if I were to carry one into a fight. Barzuk was another matter though and I silently looked around for a piece that might fit the burly orc. I didn¡¯t have to search for long as there was a whole section dedicated to oversized humanoid armour. When I took a closer look I realised that most of them were actually ceremonial pieces made of precious metals that would bend and break under even a small amount of force, utterly useless in battle. Only a couple of them were made with practicability and protection in mind and of those only one struck me as suitable, the others were mostly mage armour in one form or the other, covered in glyphs and gems that could hold different enchantments. Barzuk wouldn¡¯t be able to use them so they were mainly added weight and a possible weak spot. The one I thought he might use was a cuirass with long metal stripes covering the legs. A formation of runes was engraved along the back, where the spine of the wearer would be, and across the midriff. The armour was forged from gleaming steel which reflected light with an orange hue. Black inlays ran across the chest and down the arms, strengthening the joints and seamlessly devolving into the cluster of runes. The whole thing was huge and probably too heavy for me to easily life without enhancing my muscles. I stopped, pointed at the armour and asked Mephisto: ¡°can you read the runes on this one? I, thinking about bringing it along for the orc.¡± ¡°That green skin¡¯s skull is thick enough but I guess a little protection for the rest of him wouldn¡¯t go amiss. Let me see¡­ Endurance, strength and balance along the spine, written with quite a lot of understanding, stability, hardness, and flexibility across the waist. Those aren¡¯t as proficiently drawn but still quite good by mortal standards. Judging from the position and orientation the ones on the back should empower the wearer while the others enhance the armour itself. The materials are more than adequate, titanium as the base and a mixture of obsidian and burned silver for the inlays. You want me to store it for you?¡± ¡°Please do and in case I haven¡¯t said it yet, thank you.¡± ¡°What for?¡± I cut myself on one of the swords nearby while I answered: ¡°your support. I¡¯m sure you must be dying to tell me how many times I fucked us since you were¡­incapacitated. Yet you haven¡¯t said a word and went with everything I¡¯ve done. You even played nice with the others. So, thank you.¡± He shrugged and applied the runes I¡¯d need to transport the armour into my stamp. ¡°Honestly, you didn¡¯t. I think you could have handled the whole fey thing a little better but otherwise you did fine. I mean, you¡¯re still breathing and that¡¯s more than I could reasonably expect after everything you told me.¡± I had to smile, I think that had been the first time he had ever praised me. ¡°Don¡¯t get to full of yourself, though. You¡¯re still as knowledgable as a tree and that¡¯s got to change if you want to keep that pretty head on your shoulders. As soon as we get out of the mess you got us into, albeit for a good enough reason, I¡¯m going to change that. I expect Aurora¡­Ahri will take you under her wings in regards to actual combat and I¡¯ll make sure you have the necessary knowledge to go along with it. For instance, if you had had the necessary control over your abilities you could have easily torn through that dragon once you were close enough. After I¡¯m done you¡¯ll know how but it¡¯s going to be hard. Something to look forward to, at least for me.¡± He had finished the runes, the armour disappeared and a nearly imperceptible movement of air filled the space where it had been. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s see where you¡¯re leading us.¡± A few minutes later the racks of equipment vanished, replaced by gems that contained a myriad of different plants, eggs and even animals, some of them huge, others small but all encased in stone and seemingly frozen in time. A cold shudder ran along my tails as I stared into the open eyes of small gryphons, baby wyverns, infant krakens and even a fully grown unicorn. Shafeer really had been a cruel bastard. I felt anxious and nearly turned around but one of the magical hotspots I had seen was close and I kept walking, turning a blind eye to my surroundings. A few moments later we stopped in front of a sizeable diamond that contained a small snake, azure scales bright as sapphires shimmered through the crystal and three sets of feathered wings ran along its body. With a sharp intake of breath Mephisto exclaimed: ¡°it¡¯s still alive!¡± 75. Of trophies, loot and a little bit of fallen gods Cassandra Pendragon ¡°What? How? That¡¯s impossible! Poor creature. Can we get it out of there somehow?¡± Internally I was seething. If Viyara¡¯s father hadn¡¯t died I would have plucked each of his scales and shoved him into the deepest hole I would have been able to find. Trapped in a crystalline tomb for however long wasn¡¯t a fate I¡¯d wish onto my worst enemy and from the looks of it this one here was just for decoration, another oddity to spice up the hoard. My hands were shaking when I imagined the desperation and fear the little thing had had to go trough, all alone and unable to move, to breath but still alive and probably even able to think and feel. Maybe it was just my imagination but I¡¯d have sworn that it was staring at us, its eyes full of pain and maybe a little hope. Mephisto was much more collected than me and cautiously inspected the gem. ¡°Hmm, quite easily, actually. You could just smash the diamond but I¡¯m afraid that¡¯d kill it. If you want it to survive it¡¯ll be a tad more difficult. Maybe we can teleport it out or disintegrate the gem around it but that¡¯s not going to happen without ample preparation. For now I think you should store it. The enchantments on your stamp reduce the flow of time within immensely and we can take it back out when we know what we want to do. Until then it shouldn¡¯t be aware as long as you keep it inside and I think the the crystal will protect it from any harm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure about that? I¡¯d hate to retrieve a corpse later on.¡± ¡°Quite. I can¡¯t guarantee that¡¯s it¡¯s going to be fine but the odds are good enough. Unless you want to leave it behind there isn¡¯t much else we can do anyways. Brute force will definitely kill it outright.¡± ¡°Fine, can you draw up the runes? And are any of the other creatures still alive? Please tell me that¡¯s the only one.¡± ¡°It is. The others are only preserved but quite dead. There aren¡¯t any enchantments on the diamond though that would explain how the snake could survive. Also I have never even heard of a species like that. Winged snakes? Sure enough. But with three sets of wings and that small? No idea what it could possibly be and that¡¯s rather intriguing. My first guess would usually be that it is a chimera, artificially formed but it doesn¡¯t look like it. Normally chimeras have some sort of defect, a fault line if you so will where the magic is anchored but I don¡¯t see one on the little fellow. Combine that with its abnormally strong aura and it¡¯s quite the mystery. As soon as we have a little more time I¡¯ll make sure to get it out. I¡¯m quite fascinated to tell you the truth.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯m really glad you found something to keep you busy but could you at least pretend to care about what happened to the creature? It¡¯s a living being for crying out loud!¡± ¡°And what would that help? I already said I¡¯d get it out and you¡¯re sensitive enough for the both of us. Fret and cry for all I care but that¡¯s not going to change a damned thing. Trust me on this. You don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s sentient. It could very well be just a dumb animal or maybe even a construct of pure magic.¡± Even though his inflection was nonchalant I felt like he was pretending. The way he eyed the little snake and the frown that crossed his face every time he looked at one of the crystals around us didn¡¯t fit into his distanced and cold demon act. Considering what he had just said I had to wonder if there was a story there but he¡¯d either tell me or he wouldn¡¯t, not much I could do about it. Maybe once we were out of here I¡¯d be able to wheedle something out of him but for now I had to let it go. I huffed and squeezed another drop of blood from the cut I had made previously. ¡°Do you honestly believe that a creature with an aura strong enough to overshadow all the artefacts around would be non sentient or artificially created? Would that even be possible? But if you say so, oh might demon, I¡¯ll try to keep my idiotic compassion to a minimum.¡± ¡°No need to become snarky. It¡¯s not my fault that you¡¯re still too young to understand but you can¡¯t just try to save every being you come across. It¡¯ll kill you sooner or later but some people have to learn the hard way. But I find it kind of funny to have this conversation with someone who earned the moniker eater of immortals. You really have changed. I just hope we can survive your new found morales.¡± He was busily applying the runes to the diamond but I couldn¡¯t just let that go. ¡°Eater of immortals? What does that even mean?¡± ¡°It means you were full of sunshine and rainbows in your previous life¡­ idiot, it means you killed two angels and reduced a couple of demons to so much as stardust. And no, I won¡¯t go into anymore detail. It¡¯s still much too early and even though you seem astonishingly healthy for someone who went through two evolutions in quick succession I¡¯m not going to risk triggering a third. The silver lines on your skin are already worrying enough. Ask me again in a year or two.¡± He had finished and the gem vanished into my stamp. When he turned around he poked me in the chest and added: ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the present before we deal with the past, shall we?¡± Grudgingly I nodded. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t know that I had killed in the past, probably more often than I could even imagine but I¡¯d still have liked to know why I had murdered two angels. If he at least told me their names I¡¯d be able to tell if they had been Michael¡¯s lackeys or connected to the corrupted pieces of reality Ahri had told me about but I knew it¡¯d be pointless to ask. ¡°Fine. But now that you mentioned the silvery lines, could you at least tell me what they are? It felt like I could control my energy a little better once they appeared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no surprise. They signify that your meridians are already saturated with transcendent energy. You shouldn¡¯t face anymore of the problems you had before when you channel too much energy, well at least not with the channeling part. You body is still far from that point and you skin and muscles can still break down but in theory you can use as much energy as you want, your meridians, at least, won¡¯t crack. I¡¯m just surprised you didn¡¯t lose consciousness for a couple of days when Viyara pulled a spell through you and triggered the transformation. I have to admit, you¡¯re much more resilient than I originally thought. Or maybe your immunity allows for some leeway, suppressing parts of the effect but either way you should thank your lucky star that you aren¡¯t lying on the ground with blood dripping from your eyes and ears. I would also advise you to ask me the next time you intent to pull a stunt like that.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I would have, but unfortunately you were still in the middle of your beauty sleep. Next time I¡¯ll talk to you before I try any form of new magic.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Well then, we should be off. You said there was a second source of energy that caught your attention? Let¡¯s head there and see what we find. Depending on how much space you still have left to spare afterwards I¡¯ll decide which of the artefacts we have come across we¡¯ll take with us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I get a say?¡± ¡°Sure, unfortunately you wouldn¡¯t even recognise their properties never mind understanding them and explaining every single piece we stumble across would take ages. In this case you just have to trust me. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard considering what I¡¯ve already done for you.¡± He gestured for me to lead the way and grumbling under my breath I walked off. He was infuriating but I had to admit, bantering with him had taken a load of my chest. I felt somewhat better, still worried about Ahri and my mom, not to mention the others, still tired and exhausted and seriously pissed at Shafeer for what he had done to his trophies but the spike of anger and the easy conversation had taken off the edge. Right now I was even looking forward to blowing up a ship and, if it went just right, a dragon. The fireworks would surely be worth it and with a little luck I¡¯d be shot off the black, flying menace in an hour, maybe less. Then I could take care of whomever the emperor had sent to capture my family or at least get them to safety. We left he macabre collection of encased corpses behind us quickly enough and headed into another part of the gilded labyrinth. We walked around several heaps of gold and jewels before a well organised section filled with enchanted items came into view. There wasn¡¯t any order and most of the artefacts were thrown together hazardously, their auras mixing and intertwining. I had a hard time focusing on the brighter glimmer somewhere close because every little part of my surroundings now exuded a lot of energy in one form or the other. Rings, necklaces, gems, even boots and some dragon sized weapons made us slow down, carefully navigating around the precious objects. When we were nearly there and I could practically taste the powerful aura close by Mephisto stopped me. ¡°Grab that cane over there. The one with the emerald on top. It¡¯s the first healing artefact I¡¯ve seen down here. I think it¡¯s chargeable holding up to five spells. It¡¯s empty at the moment but we can ask Viyara to fill it. It works on life energy which should make the spells quite potent but it also means I can¡¯t recharge it myself. You can break off the emerald if you want to, it¡¯s the part carrying the magic. No need to burden us further.¡± I didn¡¯t hesitated. Even if it probably wouldn¡¯t work on me, I¡¯d be more than happy to have something on me that could heal others. It was an immense solace to know that I wouldn¡¯t have to watch idly again when my friends were injured. I slung my wings around the cane and held the gem in my hands. With a deft twist and tug the wood splintered and all I was left with was a chicken egg sized emerald, pulsing warmly with an inner light. On closer inspection I could see swirls of energy circulating through its depth, forming abstract shapes and complex constructs but they seemed somewhat hollow as if they were lacking substance. I assumed that would change as soon as it¡¯d be recharged. Depositing the gem in my pocket I turned around and took a couple of more steps around a huge sundial with a base of silver and rods of a dark metal as arms. Behind it was an array of figurines depicting various hybrids. They all showed humanoid creatures with the heads of animals except for one female figure, a beautiful face, long black hair and butterfly wings made her look like a fairy. The rest were males with the heads of a jackal, a hawk, and a crocodile. Their clothes were meticulously portrayed with flowing robes, sandals and circlets over their brows. Every statue was heavily enchanted but the one that stuck out to me was the one with the jackal head. Now that I stood in front of it I realised that it had even more energy stuck within than I had thought. The other figurines were surrounding it and were covering most of its aura as if they were guarding or imprisoning it. The hawk headed one even had a golden copis in his hand the tip aimed at where the heart of the jackal head would supposedly be. I really had a bad feeling about this¡­ ¡°I have a bad feeling about this,¡± Mephisto said quietly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like something you should just grab.¡± He focused on the figurines and even hummed a short chant. When he spoke again his voice was tense. ¡°I can¡¯t analyse it. They are chock full of soul energy and as good as my control over mana is, I can¡¯t overcome their resistance. Crap. Can you see anything?¡± ¡°Hmm, they are all bright as miniature suns and I think it was their combined aura that led me here. But the one that appears surrounded by the others has the strongest glow. They are not alive, I can tell you that for sure but the energy within them isn¡¯t ordered either like I would expect it to be if they were just artefacts. It¡¯s chaotic, almost like an imitation or memory of something that once lived. Maybe we should just leave them.¡± He scowled, giving me a patronising stare: ¡°Really now. Do you think that¡¯s the best idea? Just a couple of possibilities: your friend on the fiery throne wasn¡¯t interested in Erya but rather this small gathering of whatever they are. Or, they really are something like remnants of once great beings and the ones on the outside really keep the one at the centre in check. The volcano erupts and the formation is broken causing who knows what. I don¡¯t know what they are and you may call me paranoid but in my experience something like that will bite you in the ass sooner or later if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re dealing with. Considering that we are standing in front of one of the most magical things in a dragon¡¯s hoard that has no apparent use I¡¯d bet it¡¯ll be sooner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily disagree but what do you want to do about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a look at that diary we found while you go and fetch Viyara, who knows she might have heard something from her parents. If we can¡¯t figure it out we¡¯ll put them into the ruby before we blow it up. Whatever they are, they won¡¯t survive an explosion like that, at least, I think so.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± I mockingly saluted and pushed my consciousness into my stamp and back out again all the while focusing on the immense, crystalline tome. With a displacement of air the thing appeared before me and the runes Mephisto had drawn on the cover disappeared with a puff of smoke. For a moment I was wondering how runes, that were dependent on the maker¡¯s understanding and worked of the natural laws of the cosmos could be used up but I imagined that it might be an intended effect. If they didn¡¯t have that property, retrieving the item would be neigh impossible. I didn¡¯t bother asking though, I¡¯d find out soon enough when he¡¯d teach me how to create them myself. When Mephisto opened the tome I unfurled my wings and quickly rose into the air until I could see Viyara¡¯s horns peaking out between the hills of gold and silver. I angled my body and rode the streams of hot air that alway swirled above the sea of magma. Even though I could just forcefully push into the direction I wanted to go it was much easier to go with the flow, so to speak. My tails made for a formidable rudder and I easily glided towards the moving rods of solid silver. I wanted to cast a quick glance at the scrying spell Erya had cast on the wall of magma now that I¡¯d be able to see it again but it was gone, probably dispersed when she had left for the library. Well, she¡¯d tell us if anything happened to Pete, I assumed. A few seconds later I settled down on Viyara¡¯s head which made her jump, albeit only slightly. It was hard to sneak up on someone to whom you were connected and who could sense you, after all. ¡°Hi there, found anything interesting?¡± I asked. ¡°Quite a few things but I don¡¯t know how much we¡¯ll be able to carry with us. What about you?¡± ¡°Oh, the same¡­ your dad had a really sick sense of decorations, though. I thought stuffing Viyara into a ruby was a one time thing, but¡­¡± my voice trailed off. ¡°Oh, you found his species repository¡­,¡± a wave of shame rushed through her mind. 76. Of gods, fate and a little bit of self-determination Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Repository?¡± I asked. ¡°Was he preparing for the world to end?¡± ¡°Not quite, he was just convinced that a dragon should have a sample of every mythical creature that inhabits his lands. You know, like a collection of blue prints of sorts. He said that species die out constantly, some when their environment changed, some are hunted to extinction. As a guardian it¡¯s a dragon¡¯s duty to remember them and, if need be, revive them.¡± ¡°Then why are you ashamed of what he did? To me that sounds like a good idea, maybe a little arrogant but who am I to judge?¡± ¡°Because he, well, he thought the young were best suited for what he wanted as their bodies were still growing. To make things worse¡­ did you know that the body changes once you die? It starts to decompose and even seconds can make a huge difference in how your organs and everything else behaves. So he¡­ he froze them while they were still alive!¡± She was pawing at the cover of gold coins she stood on nervously. ¡°Can you imagine what they went through? And the worst: most magical beasts are at least moderately intelligent. He always said the end justifies the means but¡­¡± her thoughts trailed off. There wasn¡¯t much to add either way. Cruel didn¡¯t even begin to cover it. Abstractly speaking I understood where Shafeer had been coming from. It wasn¡¯t too far away from what Mephisto had said about compassion and it mostly boiled down to: Kill one to save the many. But where was the line? Quantifying life like a commodity didn¡¯t fly with me and the thought of what Viyara¡¯s father had actually done in his pursuit of the greater good made my tails curl up. I seriously hoped I was never going to rationalise my actions that way. I patted the scales below me and told Viyara: ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie, that¡¯s fucked up. But it wasn¡¯t your fault. You don¡¯t have to feel ashamed for the sins of your parents and neither should you feel obliged to atone for them. Maybe set things right when ever you can. Which brings me to why I went looking for you. We found a still living creature in one of the casings and a set of figurines that just give me the creeps. Could you come along and have a look? At the figurines I mean, but if you heard anything about a flying snake with three sets of feathery wings it¡¯d be great as well.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­not really. At least I don¡¯t think so.¡± She replied and took off towards where I hade come from before freezing from one second to the next. ¡°Wait, what did you just say? You found one still alive? In one of the crystals? Please tell me that¡¯s some sick joke.¡± ¡°Afraid not. It¡¯s a small snake, like I said. Azure scales and three sets of wings with feathers, withe at the tip and slowly turning into blue the closer to the body they are. Does that tell you anything?¡± Slowly she started moving again but most of her concentration remained on me. ¡°Mephisto doesn''t know what it could be but I thought you might have heard something¡­ turn right, there. Do you see the huge sundial? The figurines I have been talking about are just behind.¡± She carefully navigated through the assembled artefacts without so much as touching one with her long tail. I felt her concentration waver when she focused on her memories and after a moment she answered: ¡°no, not from the top of my head. Maybe if I see it? What did you do anyways? Set it free?¡± ¡°Unfortunately we can¡¯t, it¡¯ll die if we just break the diamond apart. I stored it for now. Back home I was gifted a dimensional stamp that dilates time, the little creature won¡¯t feel like a second will have passed once we get it out. And Mephisto said that the gem around it would protect it from any possible harm. I just thought you might know what we¡¯re dealing with. Ah, over there, by the large crystalline tome. Maybe by now he found something in your dad¡¯s diary. That¡¯s something else¡¯s we found, by the way. Would you change into your human form? It¡¯s crammed enough as it is without a gargantuan snake peering over our shoulders.¡± I took off before I finished talking and glided the last couple of meters back to Mephisto¡¯s side. He had hardly acknowledged us, engrossed as he was in the tome that laid open before him. Once I landed and Viyara stepped up, again clad in the flesh of a pretty girl he even raised a hand to stop us from asking questions. A couple of seconds later he carefully closed the book and focused on us, a strange gleam in his eyes. I wasn¡¯t really sure that I wanted to know what he had found, his expression was strange. Somewhere between disgust and appreciation but appreciation was definitely the dominant emotion. He collected his thoughts and sighed: ¡°I have some good news and some bad news but before I start to explain, Viyara do you have any idea, what those,¡± he gestured towards the figurines, ¡°are? I think I found a description in your father¡¯s journal but I¡¯d like to confirm what I¡¯ve read. Have you ever heard one of your family mentioning the figurines? Or maybe a story about the sealed remnants of dead gods?¡± What the¡­ ¡°Uh, as a matter of fact, I do.¡± She eyed the figurines sceptically. ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine that those things are, what the story was about. Would you like me to retell what I can remember? And afterwards I¡¯d very much like to get my father¡¯s diary. I¡¯ve never read it and I want to know what he deemed important enough to write down.¡± ¡°Please do. Maybe we¡¯ll know what we¡¯re dealing with afterwards, or at least rule out an option. Of course you can have it, it¡¯s yours after all but I have to warn you, some things might come as quite the surprise form what I can tell after a cursory glance.¡± ¡°I still want to know. It¡¯s my family we are talking about. Alright, the story was one my father told me.¡± She moved some items out of the way, made herself comfortable and began: ¡°long ago, aeons before the cataclysm when the world was still young, a great civilisation lived here. They built sprawling cities filled with high towers, verdant gardens and the bustling of live. They constructed roads, far above the ground and wide enough for even dragons to walk upon comfortably. Their ships sailed the seas and they explored every corner of the world. No one knows what sort of people they were, humans or others, but relics of their achievements can still be found up to this very day. Their magic was strong and not only allowed them to build an empire that span from sun up to sun down but they produced magnificent artefacts and works of beauty, instruments, sculptures, jewellery and the like. But their most astounding invention was doubtlessly a telepathic network that connected every citizen of the empire. It allowed them to pool their magic in times of war or work together to cast their most complex and powerful spells. Without rivals they bloomed prosperously for hundreds of years but, as is most often the case, their doom began within their own society. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. You see, religion was, or at least that¡¯s what my father told me, an integral part of their culture. They believed in the concept of order and chaos as opposing forces that had structured the cosmos since before the beginning of time. During each epoch new incarnations would be born, fighting for control over the dominant civilisations of the respective time, guiding them to chaos or order. But their age was different. Enlightened as they thought themselves to be they broke free of the eternal struggle and instead followed one of their own, their first king and the coming of one of their new gods. Ra, the infinite sun and forefather of each of their rulers ever since.¡± Viyara rearranged a handful of gems she had absentmindedly been playing with before she went on: ¡°Basically during his time as king, or pharaoh as they called their regents, Ra united most of the empire and set the cornerstone for its laws and religion. He pushed the boundaries of magic and science and brought peace to the lands. When he felt like his country was safe and he was no longer needed, he left the mortal realm in search for greater secrets. His four children were supposed to take his place: Horus, his first born, should lead in his stead, Isis, his only daughter should guide the people spiritually as high priestess, Sobek, his youngest would strive to explore more and more of the world and push the boundaries of their empire ever further. And lastly Seth would inherit his magic and try to unravel the mysteries of the world in his place. For a time the siblings worked together seamlessly but after a while Seth became dissatisfied, as the prime sorcerer and arguably the most powerful of the lot it should be him who sat on the throne, not his brother. He watched and schemed for years until the time was ripe and with an army of the undead that he had cultivated from every battlefield and tomb within the empire he marched onto the capital to dethrone Horus. As always, mortals paid the price. Soldiers, farmers, architects and scholars, they all died by the thousands when the winds of war ravaged the lands and the gods marched into battle. In the end, Horus and his siblings won and Seth was forced to flee. Unwilling to let their enemy go, they gave chase and left the empire, which had suffered dearly, in the hands of Horus¡¯ mortal son. So much for their believes but the truly fascinating part is, that the combined subconsciousness of an entire people made it real. They believed in their gods and over centuries their magic made it happen. It were small things at first, their rulers were blessed with a prolonged life, prayers would sometimes be answered with a flash of light. You get the picture. Over the years those manifestations became more frequent and powerful until, one day, their gods truly walked the earth. And that was their downfall. As an expression of the subconsciousness of the people the gods themselves shared their hatred and flaws and thought it their privilege, no, their duty to change what ailed the empire. Long story short, another war broke out, this time a very real one and in the end, marshalling all their available forces and magical might the empire managed to seal the calamities they themselves had summoned. But the effort had been too great and drained nearly all of them of every bit of magic they had had. Their people perished and their cities turned to dust, abandoned and grounded down by the passage of time. Only trinkets and little artefacts remained of what had once been the greatest civilisation this world has ever seen. Oh, and of course, the relics they had used to banish their gods. They remained untouched until they¡¯d be free and would gain a chance to rebuild what they had lost.¡± She fell silent and her focus turned back on the figurines. ¡°But like I said, I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually looking at them. Remember the size of Erya¡¯s ruby? There is a relation between mass and how much energy an object can hold. Those little things, powerful as they might be, would never be able to contain something created by millions of souls. They are just too small.¡± Her story had been fascinating. Gods could be created? That would explain why Mephisto had talked about them so derisively. Provided what Viyara had told us was more than just fiction. Honestly I quite liked the idea. Gods and fate were closely linked as they gave an objective purpose to everything hat happened and thus freed people of the responsibility for their actions. If we failed it wouldn¡¯t matter as it was all part of a plan that would ultimately benefit us. I didn¡¯t believe that. If I fucked up I¡¯d be responsible for the fall out and if I did well, it¡¯d be due to my own efforts. That gods came to be as a result of our believes suited me just fine. We all chose our destiny and gods were just an expression of what we truly wanted. That, I could live with. Mephisto interrupted my musings: ¡°Thank you, you answered quite a few questions I had and I think I can explain what they are. Those figurines are keys to realms inhabited by conscious energy. How they came to be I cannot say, your explanation is just as good as any guess I could offer and resembles the hints hidden in the book. Your father found them on an uninhabited island far to the east in the ruins of what must once have been a magnificent temple. Maybe the story he told you is a narration of what he found out within, maybe he invented it to give you something to think about, we¡¯ll never know. Whatever their origin, he studied them extensively and wrote down some of his observations. Each statue is linked to another realm, each one of them chock full of energy. When he tried to siphon off a little for his own experiments he was attacked. As soon as he used a key to form a connection with a realm, the consciousness on the other side struggle to take control of him and break free. He managed to disentangle himself, barely, and vowed never to touch them again. With a little more research he found out that the forces within the realms cancel one another out and he surmised that the same should hold true for the keys, hence the rather peculiar arrangement. Once he brought them here and locked them down he stayed true to his word. The biggest problem for us is: I don¡¯t know what will happen if the keys are destroyed. The realms could either be sealed for good or they could open. Unfortunately your father didn¡¯t know either, or, if he did, he didn¡¯t write it down. Which leaves us with the eternal question of what to do next¡­¡± that was actually pretty simple. ¡°We take them with us and I won¡¯t ever pull them out of my stamp again. Problem solved, at least until I die and with a little luck that will still take some time. Maybe we even have a chance to unravel the mystery or visit the ruined temple in the future but for now we have a pretty convenient solution. Realms and energy might not be subjected to time dilation but the keys surely are.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ we¡¯d have to wrap them up first, preferably in a way that keeps the formation intact.¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°I can¡¯t apply runes to the figurines directly, I fear that might trigger the seal. But there are more than enough items around that we can use. I think you¡¯re right. For now that¡¯s the best we can do but I wouldn¡¯t let them simmer inside your stamp. We should try to find a better solution as soon as possible. Is that all right with you, Viyara? Everything around us is yours, after all.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we collect what we want to take along right here on the sun dial? When we see it together we¡¯ll be able to tell if we can carry all of it. I have seen some things that might come in handy and I must take my father¡¯s diary. Why don¡¯t we meet back here in 15 minutes? Or do you need more time?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± Mephisto answered for the both of us. ¡°I already saw most of the dais and have a decent idea of what we should take, I think. Cassandra can carry the items for me and maybe she even finds something on the way that catches her fancy. Alright then, no time to lose. Cassandra be a dear and fetch me that chest full of jewels over there. We¡¯ll empty it out and put the figurines inside. I¡¯ll add some runes of binding and we can be off in a trice. Chop, chop, off you pop.¡± Viyara smiled at me and I rolled my eyes in response while I already walked over to the chest. Behind me I heard the sound of Viyara stalking off and turning back into a dragon before I heaved the chest into my arms. The thing was damned heavy. The next 15 minutes went by in a blur, Mephisto hadn¡¯t been joking when he had said that he knew what he wanted. Luckily my stamina wasn¡¯t as bad as it had used to be. 77. Of evolutions, pursuits and a little bit of danger Mordred Pendragon Getting drunk had been fun, having a hangover, not so much. But I had needed it, dearly. Ever since the battle for Boseiju, things had been strange, to say the least. True enough we had lost our home and my father but that wasn¡¯t why I had reached for a bottle the first chance I had gotten. After Cassy had smashed the jewel I had used to bind a part of Amazeroth¡¯s power, I had felt his presence leave me instantly but right along with it, a fog or rather a blockade had vanished and I had remembered how my trip back then, when I had first found the island, had actually happened. Ever since, my feelings were in turmoil, old grudges, forgotten under Amazeroth¡¯s spell had hit me again in full force. My envy, the suffocating anger, it all came back in a rush. During the battle it hadn¡¯t mattered too much, I had been much too occupied with staying alive but afterwards¡­ well, it had become a chore just being around my family, especially Cassandra. To make matters worse, even though I knew I had been manipulated into viewing things differently, I still had learned a lesson or two on the way and that resulted in the worst sort of headache I had ever had to endure. On the one hand, I was terribly wrathful, hurt by a family and destiny that had always shoved me aside and ready to see them suffer just the way I had had. On the other hand I knew just how selfish, shortsighted and dumb that was. Life was no walk in the park and if I wanted to change my circumstance I¡¯d have to fucking work for it, not sulk in a corner. As a result I added a decent amount of self loathing to my already rather dark emotional corset. Watching my sister with her new girlfriend had just tipped me over the edge. So I had put a good face on it and played along but when Xorlosh had brought out the liquor I hadn¡¯t been able to resist. To add insult to injury, Cassie had even woken me up sometime around noon. Now I had at least a very real reason for wanting her head on a pike and I spent the next hour or so blissfully imagining how I¡¯d tie her wings together and throw her over board. A not so pleasant side effect was, that I realised that there was no real venom left. I resented her for what she was and how she had influenced my life but I also liked her and I was clever enough to see just how much she had been going through in her short life. She was barely seven, a child by any one¡¯s standards. Back then my world had been full of brotherly quarrels and stealing candy while she had fought in an all out assault on our home and risked her life more times than I cared to count. Damn it, I had really been an asshole and still was, considering how I was acting. By the Great Fox, I had a decision to make. I could either wallow away in self pity and nourish my perceived injuries or I could man up and finally accept that everybody had their burdens to carry. And mine weren¡¯t even that heavy. At least they hadn¡¯t been until I had brought the fires of war to our home. Great, now I felt even worse. Time to get up anyways, I had a long way to go but as a famous martial artist had once said: every step you take makes the mountain a bit smaller but the only the final step makes it disappear. Unfortunately my personal mountain appeared to be growing rather than diminishing. When I had groggily washed my face and fumbled around with my clothes long enough that I was somewhat presentable the thumping of heavy boots, exclamations and several colourful dwarvish curses reached me through the wooden ceiling. As fast as my protesting body would allow I made my way on deck and was greeted by a scene of frantic activity. A ritual circle had been established and form the burning incense, the smell of ozone and the heavy layers of magic still in the air it had been active recently. Astra and Aspera, our resident elves were arguing in their native tongue but my brain was still too addled to decipher their rapid fire dialogue. My mom was shouting at an elderly dwarf I had seen around the mines before, Golamosh, I thought, while Xorlosh was frantically trying to calm her down. The dwarfs on deck who weren¡¯t directly involved with keeping the ship on course stood around in groups of twos and threes, animatedly discussing¡­something. I strained my hearing and focused on the nearest conversations while I made my way over to my mother. Filtering out most swear words I quickly got a picture of what had happened. The elves had used a ritual to spy on the humans that had taken away the last children of our people, so far so good. They had succeeded and their scrying spell had revealed an ongoing execution. My dear sister had, of course, lost her shit and had torn a hole through the spell. In a flash of light she had vanished right along with Ahri and the spell had collapsed. Right, why would I even be surprised? As I trotted over the polished wood I had to wonder if she did those things on purpose. Seriously, how could one person attract so much trouble? I wasn¡¯t the epitome of luck either, but whenever she was involved, nothing ever seemed to go as planned. Had she really jumped head first onto a ship filled with mercenaries and cutthroats? At least she was trying, I chided myself. That was more than I could say for my sorry ass which had been lying in bed with a hangover. ¡°Mordred, where, by the Great Fox, have you been? Did you seriously sleep until now?¡± Mother¡¯s high pitched voiced combined with her rather loud exclamation wasn¡¯t the best cure for my headache. But I endured. ¡°You sister is gone along with Ahri and that fur ball,¡± she shot Golamosh a scathing look, ¡°has been telling me how we can¡¯t do anything about it. Please tell me you have an idea.¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to know what happened first. Could you please calm down? Your hysterics are neither helpful nor necessary.¡± Aghast she stated at me but at least I had managed to shut her up. ¡°Now then, could somebody who isn¡¯t close to hyperventilating tell me what the little devil has done now?¡± With a worried glance towards my mother who had turned a fascinating shade of pink Xorlosh quickly stepped in to fill the silence, preventing her from starting another tirade. ¡°That¡¯s not easy to answer, lad. Best we, or rather the mages with us,¡± he include Astra, Aspera and the hairy dwarf in a sweeping gesture, ¡°can tell, Cassandra ripped a hole through the scrying ritual those two lovely ladies conjured and somehow stepped through, taking Ahri with her. Quite understandable, considering the humans were about to kill off two of the children. Unfortunately she tore the structure of the spell apart as well and now we¡¯re back at square one without the materials to set up the ritual again. And Helena, like I said, it¡¯s not a question of want or we¡¯d already be behind her, it¡¯s simply that we can¡¯t reach her. Trust me on this, if there was even the slightest chance, me and me lads would already be moving.¡± Meanwhile Astra and Aspera had joined our group. ¡°He¡¯s right, as much as I understand your urgency, Helena, even if we could install a similar ritual, we wouldn¡¯t know how to pass through. Teleportation is a tricky thing and none of us are maters of the different aspects of space magic but I feel confident enough to say that what she did shouldn¡¯t be possible. We definitely can¡¯t replicate her feat. For now we¡¯d be much better served discussing what we can do rather than what we can¡¯t. We think it highly unlikely that the two of them won¡¯t be able to deal with the mercenaries the merchants have hired, especially after what we have just witnessed. Assuming they are alright and managed to subdue the humans, we have to figure out how we can help them.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to answer,¡± I replied. ¡°The marks are still in place, right? Well then, we continue on, as fast as we can. They won¡¯t be running from us anymore so we should reach them quickly enough. I quite agree, even if Cassandra is a little erratic from time to time she won¡¯t allow any harm to come to her people and she won¡¯t succumb to a pack of rabid dogs, especially if she has Ahri with her. That much I know. If we¡¯re lucky they, might even figure out a way to contact us. Most of the kids should already know a little magic and maybe one of them can use the mark to form some kind of connection. To put it plainly: Golamosh should retreat to a place where he can hear his own beard grow and focus on any form of telepathy that might reach him. Meanwhile we put the magic we can produce to good use and conjure up a nice tailwind to carry us along. It might also be a good idea to prepare some food and medicine, just in case.¡± They stared at me in silence and I was starting to get nervous until a hearty chuckle from Xorlosh put me at ease. ¡°Simple and probably the best we can do for now. Unless anyone disagrees I¡¯ll have the lads bring out the storm rigging. You can conjure up a storm, can¡¯t you?¡± Astra and Aspera exchange a quick glance: ¡°With the help of Helena and Mordred we sure can. We might even be able to focus it on the sails with a little effort. If you two would join us we could get started right that second.¡± My mother was visibly upset at not being able to reach her youngest child immediately but after another minute or two she relented and eagerly went to help the elves. I joined them as well, if only to add an additional source of energy to their spells as I didn¡¯t know the first thing about weather magic. If they¡¯d told me to blow something up, things would have been different, but alas¡­ The next couple of hours were tedious, boring and damn exhausting. Holding a spell for a prolonged period of time, even when only supplying energy to the structure, took an immense amount of concentration. Combined with my already aching head and my bad mood it turned out to be a special form of torture. The only silver lining was that my mother had to focus as well and was forced to take her thoughts off of everything that might have gone wrong aboard the other ship. While we laboured in silence, pushing more and more mana into the complicate construct Astra and Aspera had formed, the dwarfs around us did everything in their power to squeeze even the last bit of speed out of their vessel. Creaking wood, slapping sails and groaning hawsers competed with the rushing winds about which noise would break our focus first and the intermingled curses in the deep, grumbling dwarven tongue didn¡¯t help at all. Suffice it to say, we weren¡¯t exactly having the time of our life. Or at least I wasn¡¯t, some of the dwarfs were seriously enjoying themselves. I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed when my reserves ran dry but the sun was nearing the western horizon. Embarrassingly I was the first to have spent all of his energy and I stumbled away from the circle of casters with bloodshot eyes and the worst migraine I had ever experienced. Slumping down against the mast, I closed my eyes and allowed the winds to tangle my hair until a strong hand patted my shoulder and pushed a bottle of water on me. ¡°Here lad, drink. That¡¯ll help.¡± Thankfully I gulped down a couple of mouthfuls before the strong fragrance of dwarven mead hit me. I had to cough violently but when the spasm subsided I admittedly felt much better. ¡°There,¡± Xorlosh smiled down on me, ¡°at least now you have some colour in your cheeks again. I was afraid you would pass out on us. Nothing like a good drop of the home brew to rekindle one¡¯s spirits, eh?¡± A little hoarse I replied: ¡°Sure. Whatever you say.¡± I took another deep drag and handed back the almost empty bottle. ¡°Thanks anyways. How are we doing? Did I miss anything?¡± Xorlosh sat down beside me and emptied the bottle before answering: ¡°Quite a bit, actually. You¡¯ve been at it for over 7 hours. Quite a bit of stamina you have there but I must say, your mum is a force to be reckoned with. She¡¯s still going strong and even the elves are showing signs of the strain they are under. You¡¯re family is kinda nuts if you ask me. Anyways, an hour ago Golamosh received a message but it¡¯s not exactly all sunshine and roses. For what it¡¯s worth your sister and Ahri freed the kids and killed off the merchants and their lackeys but¡­ that¡¯s where it gets interesting. Their ship was severely damaged during the fight and they are struggling to reach the closest island, we¡¯ll arrive there in a little less than 5 hours if our casters can pull through. Your sister isn¡¯t with them anymore, though. Believe it or not they encountered two dragons.¡± My eyes went wide but before I could interrupted he continued: ¡°Apparently we have stumbled from one conflict into the next. An ancient Black has raided the home of one of his rivals and murdered everyone except for a cub. He took her with him and she managed to get away. After a short flight she more or less collapsed onto the deck of the ship with the other dragon close behind. I¡¯m pretty sure you can guess how the story continues. Cassandra tried to lure the Black away to give the others a chance but apparently it didn¡¯t go too well. No, she¡¯s still fine as far as I can tell so no need to get your tails in a twist but she needed help. Long story short, she apparently wants to lead the Black back to the hoard of his rival and, with the help of the cub, they thought they could put an end to him there with all the enchantments and artefacts they hope they¡¯ll find.¡± He scratched his nose and looked at me from beneath his bushy eyebrows. ¡°So right now we¡¯re hunting a severely damaged ship, crewed by a bunch of kids while your sister is off somewhere dancing with a dragon. For now, you best keep that to yourself, no need to worry your mother and there ain¡¯t much we can do anyways. She has to remain focused or we¡¯ll need even more time to get there. Once we have the little ones aboard we can think about how we can best help Cassandra. You with me?¡± I nodded. We had a duty towards our people and I wasn¡¯t even sure if we could be of any help to Cassandra, even if we¡¯re to reach her in time. An ancient dragon? By the Great Fox, out of the frying pan and into the fire as the saying went¡­ ¡°You¡¯re right. But just to satisfy my curiosity, could we even assist her, even if we were with her?¡± A dangerous gleam entered Xorlosh¡¯s eyes and he said: ¡°Lad, dragons are tough and scary but if you punch enough holes into them, they bleed to death just like every other creature. Me and me boys know a few ways how we could turn the sucker into a pincushion. Rest for a while and I¡¯ll have a good look at all the surprises we still have stored away in our cargo hold. If the lizard gets close enough I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ll be able to do more than just ¡°assist¡±. Me brother¡¯s drum didn¡¯t fall from the heavens, you know?¡± His gruff optimism put me at ease, at least somewhat, and I leaned back against the mast eager to just relax my aching mind for a moment. I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew was a small hand that shook me awake forcefully: ¡°Mordred, Mordred, get up! Move your lazy behind, we need you.¡± I blinked away the sleep and found myself staring into the tired face of my mother, lines of exhaustion clearly visible around her eyes. But what woke me up like an infusion of lightning was the scene behind her. An island had appeared in front of us, it¡¯s coastline blurry under the light of the moon. I could just barely make out the remains of a crashed air ship on its shore, several dots of light showed where survivors had lit a couple of fires. Above them, visible as patches of darkness that blocked out the stars, a group of three airships hovered in place, the meagre light reflected off the gleaming tips of their weapons which were all pointed downwards. 78. Of hangman’s meals, riches and a little bit of preparation Cassandra Pendragon It was strange to not fly on my own, even more so as I didn¡¯t see my body nor Erya¡¯s, well at least not with my eyes. While we had been within the hoard clouds had been rolling in from the south and the night was dark enough to make me feel almost blind if it weren¡¯t for my second vision. It allowed me to see Erya and the swaths of energy that swirled around her close by, her hand firmly wrapped around mine while she worked her magic on us, keeping us invisible and airborne. Once again she was channeling her magic through the focus Greta had made and we rushed through the night, not more than another blurry shadow in a sea of black. A stiff breeze tousled my hair and ruffled my tails, it carried the smell of rain and a faint scent of seaweeds with it, chasing away my fatigue. If I focused hard I could still hear the sounds of the animals on the green slopes behind us. We had left the crater not 5 minutes ago, after a last exchange with Pete and the others. Over a hearty dinner which had consisted mainly of meat, fruits and water from the emerald springs we had reviewed our plan one last time and had squabbled a little about everything we had wanted to take with us. Viyara and I had pulled an astonishing amount of treasure from the magma cave, she with her magic and brute strength me through my stamp. Meanwhile Barzuk and Erya had raided the rest of the complex, especially the kitchen, library and workshops. They had hauled almost more things into the throne room than us. Munching through deliciously roasted drumsticks and a whole grilled piglet we had gone back and forth, mainly over one question: what should we do with the island once we left? I hadn¡¯t wanted to get involved too much, it had been Viyara¡¯s decision after all and so I had mainly focused on devouring as much as I possible had been able to and had tried to reach through the tattoo for Ahri once in a while. Unfortunately she had still been out cold or at least her presence had been too far removed for me to communicate with her, which had somewhat calmed me down as I couldn¡¯t imagine she¡¯d still have been dreaming if something really bad had happened. In the end this had been what we had come up with: I¡¯d store the most valuable artefacts in my stamp while Viyara would carry everything else. We had quickly debated whether or not we should use one of the flying stones to transport even more but we had quickly decided that we¡¯d lose it sooner rather than later considering what else we had planned for the night. Erya would try to get close enough to the ship to send one of the portal rings to Pete who¡¯d hide it somewhere onboard. I¡¯d come along in case there were wards surrounding it that would prevent Erya from reaching through, which we all thought more than likely. In that case I¡¯d try to slip through somehow and do it manually, given that the wards would probably not even recognise me. At least that was what Mephisto had claimed. I wouldn¡¯t disturb the flow of magic as it would simply part around me, unable to hold on to me. Pete would provide a diversion if necessary and as soon as I was off again, Erya would use their connection to get him off the ship. In the meantime Mephisto, Barzuk and Viyara were going to prepare Erya¡¯s ruby, secure Viyara¡¯s load and rig the outer halls. Once we were out of there they¡¯d explode, sealing the inner chambersbehind hundreds of meters of rock but leaving the central areas and the volcano as a whole intact. In the end Viyara hadn¡¯t been able to destroy the place she had grown up in and we hadn¡¯t argued too much, considering that we had already taken away the most dangerous items. Besides the figurines, the frozen snake, Erya¡¯s gem and nearly a literal ton of jewels and gold we would take quite a lot of provisions with us. I had lost track of the artefacts we¡¯d bring along pretty quickly, I hadn¡¯t understood the majority of them and frankly hadn¡¯t cared too much. What I had taken stock of were the things Mephisto intended to use to repair my spear, but, as always, it¡¯d be quite the complex process. Nothing I¡¯d be willing to risk right then and there. What had stuck with me were the rune armour, Viyara had shoved onto Barzuk, overruling his protests, a huge golden circlet she had worn in her dragon form, a jewelled breastplate as well as a weapon for her tail. The items would shrink right along with her during her transformation, the breastplate turning into a crystalline full body armour on her humanoid skin. Most other things had been quite obscure, from complex rune stones that would somehow help with enchanting and creating new artefacts, over a gem that could supposedly produce a constant stream of energy, a portable version of the enchantments that provided the lair with magic, to a set of crystals that turned any form of energy into pure manifestations of the four elements: fire, water, earth and air. Some items had also been chosen for their destructive abilities as to not risk anybody else ever finding them. A small, black diamond that supposedly contained a poisonous essence that could wipe out entire islands in mere hours, a golden rod, intricate runes overlaid with enchantments running along its sides, that would rip the life and soul out of a victim and banish them into a container for later use. Somehow that thing had been broken when it had been my turn to have a look at it. It had been strange, really. I had fumbled my grip when I took it from Viyara and when I had reflexively tried to catch it with my wings it had combusted, leaving behind only ashes. Oops. There had only been a couple of things I found truly fascinating: Mephisto had found a healing artefact much stronger than the one on the cane. It was a set of gems, that would allow the holders to freely exchange any form of energy. With a little effort limbs would grow back if enough life force was exchanged through the link and if the soul hadn¡¯t fled yet, even resurrection should be possible. There had been a few rings that held useful properties, at least in my opinion, from invisibility to a translation spell but they wouldn¡¯t work on me, at least not without some changes. The only thing I could use was the cloak Barzuk had given me. As most artefacts it was surprisingly sturdy and the effect would only target others, not myself. It wouldn¡¯t render me invisible but rather make others simply ignore me as soon as their gazes would fall on me, unless I deliberately wanted to catch their attention. Sure enough, if I was going to run at someone, weapons drawn, it wouldn¡¯t do much good but at least now I¡¯d be able to move through a crowd without turning heads. Additionally it already had two large slits along the back that would allow me to manifest my wings without the risk of shredding either the cloak or the enchantments on it. I had also found a beautiful fan, nearly indestructible and covered in runes that cancelled out magic. Closed it was suitable as a dagger or, opened, to be thrown like a discus. Once the kinetic energy was spent it¡¯d return to my hand on its own which made it an ideal secondary weapon in my opinion. The only downside was, that I had no clue how to use neither a discus nor daggers but I would learn. The meal had done wonders and as I was gliding through the air beside Viyara I almost felt refreshed. I was pretty sure that I was mainly running on adrenaline, some magic stimuli from the meal and the energy I had taken from the rod but for now it was good enough. I¡¯d probably crash heavily once I had the chance to relax but that was fine with with me. For now I relished the flow of cool air on my face and the feeling of freedom that always came over me when I was flying, even though I was tethered to Erya at the moment. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The two ships had split up and, from what Pete had told us, every practitioner was aboard one while the dragon stayed with the rest on the other. Now they were on opposite sides and both were patrolling along an imaginary line, more ore less 10 kms away from the island. We were heading towards the ¡°Old Roger¡±, Pete had told us her name, and I was straining all my sense to at least get a glimpse of the dragon, who I knew was leaning against the railing somewhere, focused on the island. We would be directly in his line of sight but Erya had assured me that while her magic wouldn¡¯t turn us completely invisible to the naked eye it would repel any from of scrying magic and the disable any magic Galathon could have cast over the island, thin as the net would have to be. The dark night would protect us from being spotted by chance and I felt reasonably safe. Once or twice I had been sure to see a huge humanoid figure move along the outer edges of the deck, an even darker spot in front of a pitch black canvas but that had probably been my imagination. When we came close, maybe 1 or 2 kms still between us and the ship, Erya slowed our flight until we stood in the air. Her fingers twitched in my hand and I heard her voice in my mind: ¡°We¡¯re close enough. Give me a moment, I¡¯d like to find out if there are wards around the ship without triggering them¡­ Drat, of course there are. Alright how do you want to do this?¡± ¡°Depends, how close can you get me?¡± ¡°Pretty close, I¡¯d say around 100 meters before the wards could detect me. Any closer and there is a decent risk. Galathon has probably centred them on himself and they become stronger the nearer we are to him. Should I drop you onto the sails? Can you survive that without your wings?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too high, I¡¯d have to slow down somehow or I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold onto anything. I was rather thinking the reverse. Why don¡¯t you throw me with your magic form underneath the ship? Once I¡¯m close to the hull the ship should block the view and I can use my wings.¡± ¡°Huh, that could work. I could only give you a boost in the beginning, though. Once you¡¯re past the wards I won¡¯t be able to reach you without activating them.¡± ¡°I know but that¡¯s fine. Only make sure that you at least propel me close enough that I¡¯m not in full view anymore. Once I¡¯m gone, reach out to Pete. I¡¯m not going to bother sneaking through the ship. I¡¯ll try to phase through the hull directly and hide the portal ring somewhere on the lowest floor. If the explosion is as powerful as Mephisto claimed it shouldn¡¯t make much of a difference where we place the thing. With a little luck I can get out the same way and just drop until you can catch me. We return to the others and once we¡¯re packed and ready to go you¡¯ll summon Pete. Agreed?¡± I could feel her concentrating on something else before she answered: ¡°Agreed. Pete told me that, while some pirates are bound to be lurking around down there since they are hiding from the dragon, the brig is empty. It¡¯s close to the stern on the lowest floor. You should be able to enter there unseen. If we wait another couple of minutes Pete will make sure that nobody is around and lock the room from the outside.¡± I nodded reflexively before conveying my approval mentally. ¡°Please, ask him to do that.¡± Her presence drifted away again, while she headed for a spot below the ship and I tried to reach Ahri one more time but there was still no change. Slowly I was starting to worry but on the other hand, it might very well be that her body would suffer much more from the backlash than mine. That wasn¡¯t great either, but as long as I could feel her I could at least be certain that she was still breathing and everything else could be fixed, I hoped. There was nothing I could do either way for now, except hurrying back as fast as I could and I was already attempting to do just that. 5 minutes later we had arrived and Erya spoke up again: ¡°Alright, the brig is clear and I used Pete to cast a minor ward around it. It¡¯s only a small deterrent but it should help keep away anyone who doesn¡¯t have a strong will and a good reason to be there. Best of luck, Cassandra. And thanks again, however this turns out, it has been a pleasure meeting you and I¡¯m looking forward to finally meet the girl who charmed you so completely.¡± Without giving me a chance to replied her grip tightened and she physically hurled me upwards, her thin arms once again displaying a strength far above my own. As soon as our fingers parted, her magic curled around me and with a push I accelerated even further and shot towards the ship,my tails fluttering behind me. I felt the invisibility spell break once I was close to the ship, still shooting through the air with enough speed to make my eyes water. I sent a trickle of energy into my tails and took control of my flight, using them to change my angle minimally. I slowed down with each passing second, the looming shadow above me growing accordingly. Erya¡¯s aim had been close to perfect and at the zenith of my trajectory I was only a handful of meters below the hull. I unfurled my wings and immediately latched onto the reinforced wood above me, pulling my body close to the rough surface and pressing my wings against it. I hung there like a oversized spider with too many, glowing legs and breathlessly listened for any form of alarm. Luckily I hadn¡¯t been spotted and everything remained quiet. I could hear the creaking of sails when the ship adjusted its course and the faint thumps of boots hitting seasoned wood but nobody was shouting and I couldn¡¯t hear the dragon¡¯s voice. The smell of rust and wet cloth tickled my nostrils and through the hull the faint fragrance of rotting wood and something acidic like sulphur reached me. With a thought one of my wings slithered through the layers or oak and metal, leaving behind only a small, circular hole with clean edges, almost imperceptible. It was a risk, admittedly, but the faint impressions of a windowless room with chains dangling from the walls and a massive door reinforced with bands of steel rewarded me. A shower of silvery sparks later I manifested in pitch black darkness, the heavy scent of wood saturated with blood and excrements nearly made me gag. Now that I had all of my wings inside, my second vision showed me enough details to remain well away from the chains and the floor beneath them, stained as they were. I quickly placed the ring behind the door, tails held high to not touch the filthy ground. Even if someone would open the brig now, it would be well out of sight. I pushed one of my wings through the same hole I had made previously and stepped through the hull again. My wings vanished the same instant and I allowed gravity to pull me away. A mere handful of seconds later it was already troublesome to make out the shape of the ship above and it vanished completely into the darkness a moment or two later. Except for the roaring wind in my ears and the whistling of my body hurtling towards the waves below the night remained quiet. Suddenly I felt the tingling of magic around me and a web of energy embraced me tightly. My fall slowed immediately until I hovered in place. Warm arms reached around my waist and Erya whispered into my ear: ¡°Well done, they didn¡¯t notice a thing. Even Pete doesn¡¯t know you left the ring and are safely away again.¡± She squeezed my middle and her hot breath tickled my ear. ¡°Let¡¯s be off. I can¡¯t wait to see the fireworks.¡± Effortlessly she pulled away towards the volcano while her magic hid me once again. Pressed against Erya I had to wonder if it hadn¡¯t been too simple. For the first time, something had actually worked out as planned and I couldn¡¯t help myself, I had a sinking feeling that we had overlooked a crucial detail but try as I might, I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. I just hoped it wouldn¡¯t bite us in the ass later on. Or maybe I was just a little paranoid. 79. Of sacrifices, fireworks and a little bit of revenge Cassandra Pendragon I hadn¡¯t been paranoid. In hindsight it had been painfully obvious: Galathon could use portals in his humanoid form, probably better or at least as well as Mephisto. I had even seen it before. Absently I pulled my cloak closer around myself, not that it helped much, soaked as it was. It had started to rain half an hour ago and thick curtains of water had drenched us to the bone within seconds. A veritable tropical storm. I was huddle down between Viyara¡¯s horns, her warm scales a welcomed contrast to the cold that was slowly creeping through me. Mephisto had retreated into his coin soon after our departure, his energy all but spent, and Erya and Pete were silently talking further down Viyara¡¯s back. Barzuk was gone. Shuddering I relived the last hour once again¡­ Erya and I returned to the lair quickly. In the throne room, Barzuk helped Viyara put on a complicated array of bags and ropes, a hastily improvised harness that¡¯d allow her to carry a heavy load without impeding her ability to fly. Gold, gems and artefacts were deposited around them, waiting to be stored. Mephisto was nowhere around but I assumed he was still down in the hoard, tinkering with the crystal I was suppose to fill with energy. I left Erya with the other two to explain how it had gone and soared through the hole. I found my demonic tutor engrossed in his work close to Erya¡¯s ruby. He was busily applying runes to a walnut sized diamond, its surface covered in minuscule glyphs. He didn¡¯t look up when I approached him, instead he carefully finished another rune and immediately started on the next. Patience wasn¡¯t exactly my forte but I still remained quiet and waited until he¡¯d be done, sitting down cross legged on top of the huge gem we intended to blow up. After a couple of minutes Erya glided down on her butterfly like wings and joined me. We remained silent until Mephisto finished the last line with a flourish. Afterwards it became hectic. Erya had to shrink down the gem so it¡¯d fit through the portal rings, Mephisto talked me through how to infuse the diamond with a fraction of my energy and Barzuk and Viyara finished packing. 20 minutes later we were back in the now empty throne room, a large ring of silver engraved with runes, a fist-sized ruby and a small diamond the only things still lying around. By now the diamond was sparkling with an inner light, silver and blue sheens crossing its surface in quick succession. For a moment we stood there in silence until Mephisto spoke up: ¡°It¡¯s time to go. I changed some of the enchantments throughout the layer. When the ruby explodes the energy from the conversion runes will build up in the outer parts, it won¡¯t take long until the magic combusts. I think we did everything we could for the moment. There¡¯s no point in dawdling any longer.¡± ¡°Should we¡­ should we visit your father, Viyara?¡± I asked quietly. She remained silent for a moment, carefully protecting her thoughts from leaking out. ¡°No, I¡¯d prefer to remember him and the others the way they were, not as the ravaged husks they are now. There is nothing here that holds me anymore, let us go.¡± I walked over and stroked her side. There was nothing to say but a friendly touch had always helped me and maybe it would make her feel just a little bit better. She lowered her head and blew hot air cross my face, ruffling the mop my hair had become even further. Only for me to hear she added: ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, sooner or later. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Tears came to my eyes unbidden and I had to blink them away before anyone could see. It wasn¡¯t right, the poor thing hadn¡¯t even had the time to mourn her family and now she was comforting me? Damn it, at the moment our life was seriously fucked up. With an effort I smiled at her: ¡°in that case, after you Milady. It¡¯s time for the fireworks.¡± As if on cue, pitch black portals popped up all around the ring, at least a good dozen of them filled the throne room from one moment to the next. Before we could react, a swarm of oversized plague beetles came through each of them, their buzzing filled the cave with a deafening noise and the smell of decay that I had come to associate with Galathon assaulted my nose. A deathly cold gripped me and my heart nearly sprang out of my chest. One question ran through my mind while I unfurled my wings and rose into the air, panic gnawing at my insides: How? How in hell could he possibly be here? My wings flared and I reached for every portal in range, immediately ripping apart the spell constructs that anchored them. But for every one I closed, two others blinked into existence. Not three seconds after the first beetle had come through, an army of chitinous pests surrounded us, the wind from their wings a veritable storm in the confined space. There had to be thousands of them. ¡°Enough!¡± Magic pulsed form Mephisto and the beetles closest to him turned into dust but he had barely made a dent in their numbers while I could practically see the strain it had put on him. His figure became even more translucent and his extremities flickers in and out of existence. Maniacal laughter filled the room and a voice like death incarnate assaulted us from all around: ¡°You are mine now. There is no escape.¡± The portals started to wink out of existence and the swarm rose, ready to smash into us with full force. Without thinking I grabbed the closest tear in space but instead of shredding the spell I held it open. ¡°Through there,¡± I screamed. ¡°Viyara, transform and run!¡± Several things happened simultaneously: A golden light engulfed Viyara while she was already heading for the portal. The ropes around her body lost purchase and her load fell to the ground, several artefacts smashed against one another and from the corner of my eyes I saw a gem break when it hit the floor. A wave of magic consumed the jewel and the following explosion nearly made me lose my grip. A searing pain shot through me as one of the sparkling splitters tore through my side. Erya grabbed Mephisto¡¯s emblem and somehow reached the portal faster than my eyes could follow. Barzuk on the other hand was headed for the diamond while a wave of death threatened to drown us from above. Malicious magic flooded the chamber and while I was untouched, Barzuk¡¯s skin withered before my eyes and festering wounds appeared all over his body. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I screamed. I had to leave or I¡¯d be crushed and torn apart by the beetles in less than a second. He turned to me, a sad but somehow content smile on his deforming face. His mouth formed the words ¡°what I have to, take care of her¡± before he shooed me away. That damned, stubborn, cantankerous and valorous orc was going to blow up Galathon right then and there. The first offshoots of the swarm reached us and I couldn¡¯t linger anymore. When I felt razor sharp mandibles cut through me and my body tremble under the onslaught of diseases I vanished into a shower of sparks and raced through the portal which slammed shut as soon as my wings didn¡¯t support it anymore. When I manifested again I coughed up blood and dropped to my knees. My whole body was on fire, while my energy fought against the myriad of afflictions the beetles had left me with. I couldn¡¯t see clearly and my ears were filled with a deep drumming sound. Every breath I took rasped in my throat and I felt a warm liquid dripping from my nostrils. Through the haze of pain Mephisto¡¯s deep voice reached me as if from far away: Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite easy, lower your weapons or¡­¡± he was cut short by a flash of light that shone brightly enough to pierce through my closed eyelids. A moment later a wave of sound rolled over me, rupturing my eardrums. I couldn¡¯t hold my balance anymore, even on my knees, and fell to the ground. My cheek chafed over rough wood and then I was suddenly moving again, barrelled along by a blast that sent me, flailing, through the air. I crashed into something unyielding with my shoulder and bones broke with a dry crack. Surprisingly, I felt better in an instant. My mind cleared and the diseases that ravaged my body vanished without a trace. My eyes snapped open and I took in my surroundings. I was on the ¡°Old Roger¡±, folded around one of her masts while the whole ship hung at a precarious angle, its side masts snapped and the rigging mostly gone. Behind us a pillar of silvery fire rose a kilometre or more into the air. The volcano was gone, for the most part. Where the crater should have been, a burning ladder to the heavens had appeared sending rivers of molten rock down the sides of the island. There was no smoke, no debris, only a raging inferno that turned night into day and illuminated the darkness as far as I could see. If there was a true god, I¡¯d imagine his judgement would look like this. Buffeting winds raged around the ship and threatened to turn it over completely. Reflexively I unfurled my wings and sent enough energy into my shoulder and side to heal the wounds I had sustained, the superficial cuts the beetles had inflicted on me weren¡¯t a bother, now that they weren¡¯t brimming with sickness and death anymore. I grabbed the mast with my wings and pressed my body against it, even slinging my tails around to remain in place despite the furious storm. Well done, Barzuk. Blowing an ancient dragon to smithereens was a good way to go for any warrior, I thought, half of me proud and happy, the other half sad and regretful. The deck below was in shambles, crates, debris, fluttering sails, torn away from the masts and stumbling bodies were thrown hither and to while the scent of ozone, stronger than I had ever experienced before, assaulted my nose. With a little imagination I could still put together the scene we had crashed into. Most of the crew had been on deck, arranged around a ritual circle. In the middle I could still see the glowing edges of the ring I had deposited in the brig, the metal had burned itself into the wood and thus withstood the furious assault of the elements. A handful of corpses were slithering across the deck, their skin withered and dry. My best guess was that Galathon had sucked them dry to power his spell. He had probably needed the sacrifices to follow the connection of the portal ring to its origin and overcome the defences of the hoard. Pity for the poor souls overcame, until I imagined who they had most likely been. Pirates and cut throats that had been here to deliver us into slavery without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Served them right. When the shockwave had passed, only my friends remained upright, undoubtedly aided by their magic. They appeared shaken but otherwise unharmed and I quickly glided down to join them. Viyara¡¯s eyes roamed across the ship, searching for Barzuk. When she didn¡¯t find him she looked at me and I slowly shook my head. A tear rolled down her cheek but she nodded grimly. Without a further word she took a step back and transformed, her towering figure looming above us ominously. ¡°Protect Pete,¡± was all she said before she threw herself at the closest pirate and bit him in two without hesitation. Blood splattered across the deck and a chorus of panicked screams filled my ears. Erya made a grabbing gesture and bands of magic raced away from her only to return a moment later with a white faced human that stared at us in apparent disbelieve. Meanwhile Viyara massacred everyone she could reach. The deck quickly turned red, streams of blood running over the sides, forming a macabre waterfall underneath the ship. Her graceful movement appeared like a sinister dance, accompanied by a choir of the dying. Judgement had come for the second time today. We huddled together and stayed away from her as well as we could, shielding one another, afraid she wouldn¡¯t even recognise us in her frenzy. Within seconds the deck had turned into a tomb, limbs, bodies and blood covering most of it. When everything was still except for the death twitches of a few pirated she had mutilated Viyara roared. It wasn¡¯t a sound of triumph or pride, instead she sent her pent up grief and rage to the heavens, her desperation over the losses she had suffered. It was a tortured sound that made my tails curl up and I would have like to hug her, to tell her it¡¯d be alright but when she pushed her snout through the doors that led to the lower decks and filled them with a sea of fire and death I realised how futile that would be. Heat rolled over us and the wood beneath our feet became uncomfortably hot while the stream of destruction Viyara channeled into the ship went on and on, far longer than I had thought possible. When the doors and everything else in front of her had turned into ash and flames hungrily crawled over the deck she turned towards us. Her mental speech was devoid of any emotions, like a cold, starless winter night. ¡°It¡¯s time to go. Climb up.¡± We exchanged glances full of worry and quickly complied. I took my seat between her horns but remained silent while the others helped Pete. He was shaking and a wet patch was slowly growing on his trousers. I wouldn¡¯t blame him, though, mounting the beast who had just slaughtered all of your comrades wasn¡¯t exactly a walk in the park. Viyara opened her ruff wide and the winds quickly carried us along and into the sky¡­ I stroked the scales beneath me and gently reached for Viyara¡¯s mind, the rain was still pouring down unimpeded, an appropriate metaphor for my mood. ¡°I know how this must sound, but Barzuk would have chosen this end any day of the week. He died while getting revenge for his revered master, killing an ancient dragon and protecting you, the one person he truly cared about. Scream and cry all you want, but don¡¯t sully his memory by allowing what happened to change you.¡± ¡°What are you even talking about? I¡¯m fine,¡± she snapped. A tired sigh escaped me. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re about as fine as I was when I lost my home. Here, let me show you¡­¡± I shared memories of the nightmares that had haunted me, the constant fear and crushing grief but also the light touch of a loved one that had brought me back from the brink and chased away the darkness. ¡°Viyara, you¡¯re not alone, don¡¯t believe that for a second. You have lost your parents and your home but if you want, I¡¯ll be¡­ we¡¯ll be your family. All you have to do is talk to us, to me. Cry for them, remember them and share what you¡¯re going to miss the most but don¡¯t just withdraw into your shell. Let me in, allow me to help you find a way out of the dark valley you¡¯re stuck in.¡± The images I had allowed her to see had impressed her, even though she had already known a thing or two about my past. She remained silent for a long moment, water dripped down my nose and cascaded over her sides. In the distance lightning struck, followed by growling thunder. ¡°I know you¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t think I can. I¡­ I just don¡¯t know what to do. I want to hurt someone, anyone, really, just to make them understand but that¡¯s not who I want to be.¡± A cloud of smoke escape her and she added tremblingly: ¡°I think I already lost myself aboard that ship.¡± ¡°No, no you didn¡¯t.¡± I pressed against her mind a little more strongly and I felt her protections waver and disappear after a moment. A torrent of churning emotions immediately swept me away and for a while we lived through her memories once again but this time she wasn¡¯t alone. We cried and laughed and I was sure Erya and Pete thought we had gone mad but I didn¡¯t care. For hours our tears mixed with the rain until finally the faint glow of the sun rising in the east broke through the thick clouds and a ray of light sparkled across Viyara¡¯s golden scales. 80. Of personalities, identities and a little bit of revelations Cassandra Pendragon The first warmth of a new day carried away our grief and worries and left behind a tranquil companion ship while we allowed the beautiful colours the fresh light cast on the seas below and the clouds above to sooth us. As an old poet I had been quite fond of in my previous life had written: the morning steals upon the night, melting the darkness from your heart. A bit cheesy but when I took in the red and yellow streaks across the horizon that painted the underside of the looming clouds purple with shades of white, black and grey I thought I understood what he had meant. A new day always brought hope to those that were ready to seize it. Carpe diem and some such. ¡°How long do you think we¡¯ll still be in the air until we reach the island?¡± I asked Viyara. ¡°Not much longer, we should be able to see it pretty soon. We¡¯ve been going for over 5 hours. Why don¡¯t you try to contact Ahri again? Maybe she¡¯s awake. I¡¯ll talk to Erya, she¡¯s been trying to reach me after Pete fell asleep but I blocked her out. Oh, and thank you, again. One of these days I really have to find a way to make it up to you.¡± I rubbed her scales gently, the best I could with how big her head was. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Maybe refrain from further massacres in the future? That¡¯d be much appreciated.¡± She snorted and the cloud of smoke that rose from her snout made me cough. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. No promises, though. I¡¯m still a dragon, after all, aren¡¯t I? Spontaneous killing sprees are part of our charm, or at least that¡¯s why I¡¯ve heard.¡± I had to laugh and promptly inhaled another batch of smoke. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± She had been completely serious. Charm had probably a different meaning for apex predators than it had for the rest of us. ¡°Nothing much, I never thought about it that way. But I guess the power to do as you want can be alluring to some, it¡¯s just not my cup of tea, that¡¯s all.¡± She was surprised. ¡°So you don¡¯t mind? I expected you to be all on the ¡°every life is sacred track¡±. At least that was the impression I got from your memories.¡± I had to think about that for a minute. ¡°No, not exactly. I think people make their own rules, if murder is part of the game it¡¯ll be stupid to walk around like a goody two shoes. If you join a pirate ship or become a soldier or mercenary you¡¯ll alway throw your life into the balance. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d kill them without provocation but if it happens I won¡¯t cry over spilled milk. I guess the best example would be an army that¡¯s attacking. While most of them are likely pressed into service and innocent in a way, I¡¯d never just bow down to not have to kill them, if that makes any sense. Or, in regards to the pirates you have slain, they made their beds when they joined their captains, even though I expect most of them to be closer to Pete in attitude than ruthless killers. Still sucks if you ask me, but that¡¯s the way this world works. Doesn¡¯t mean I find it attractive, though.¡± She pondered my words for a while. ¡°What do you find attractive, then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s your question after my monologue? Hmm, let me see. The same as most I¡¯d say, grace, poise, even a little naivety. Inner strength and an indomitable will but mostly passion. Honestly, though, it¡¯s a difficult question. The same thing that attracts me to some could repel me with others. I guess it mostly depends on the circumstances and person, you know, how you get to know someone, what you experienced with them and how it felt. What about you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really say. Most people I¡¯ve met were either a part of my family or servants. I¡¯ve heard stories, of course, but¡­ you were the first stranger I have truly spent time with and I do like you but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the same, given what has happened to us. That¡¯s why I asked.¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°Viyara, you have to experience some things for yourself, you can¡¯t learn them from others. Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll run across a dragon as pretty as yourself in the future who isn¡¯t dead set on ripping us apart. I¡¯d bet that would answer more of your questions than I ever could. I¡¯m pretty sure that you¡¯re overthinking this a little.¡± Somehow I had the feeling that she was blushing. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant. Anyways, Erya is calling again. Want to join the conversation?¡± Was she trying to change the topic? I couldn¡¯t quite interpret what I felt through our connection but Erya¡¯s faint present was definitely swirling around Viyara¡¯s mind so I let it go. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you said and try to reach Ahri. If something important comes up, will you tell me later?¡± ¡°Sure, good luck.¡± Her thoughts drifted away but I still felt her at the edge of my mind, our connection never truly severed after my promise to her. I turned my concentration towards the tattoo and gingerly tried to send a sliver of my awareness through. Ahri wasn¡¯t asleep anymore, that much I knew in an instant. Exhaustion, weariness and anger were permeating her mind but as soon as she felt my touch I heard her voice and that alone made me smile. ¡°Cassandra? Are you alright? It¡¯s good to hear your thoughts but I¡¯m a little busy at the moment.¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s happening? I¡¯m fine, we¡¯re close to you, I think. Are you still on the same Island Viyara sent you to?¡± ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re not alone. Three ships full of pirates have arrived as well as the dwarfs. We¡¯re in the middle of negotiations, rather violent ones, they have some nasty, pale mages onboard. How long will it take for you to get here?¡± ¡°Not long, maybe an hour, maybe a little less, I¡¯d say. How are you holding up? Is there something I can do?¡± ¡°Hurry, my love. We could use your help and that of the dragon but the dwarfs are giving them a run for their money, at least for now. Your family is unhurt as far as I know and the kids are mostly fine, a few were injured but nothing too serious. You don¡¯t seem surprised, though. Did you expect an attack?¡± ¡°In a way. I¡¯ll tell you all about it when we meet in person. And what about you? Can you even fight?¡± ¡°Not as good as I would like, but it¡¯ll suffice. I can use my wings and my swords, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°If you say so. Please be careful and don¡¯t do anything rash. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can. I love you.¡± A jolt of happiness ran through me when I uttered the words but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was coming from her or me. ¡°I will and I won¡¯t, I¡¯m not going to risk my neck when you¡¯re not there to appropriately admire me. Love you, too.¡± I struggled to sever the connection, the quick exchange had made me realise just how much I missed her, even though we hadn¡¯t been separated for more than a day. I ached for her company but soon I¡¯d see her again. And may the gods have mercy on everyone that stood between us. With an effort I left the warmth she filled me with behind and focused back on reality. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Judging from the buzzing that filled Viyara¡¯s mind, she and Erya were still conversing. Sighing I stood up and stretched, popping my back. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to telling them we were headed straight for the next conflict. I unclamped my cloak and wrung most of the water from it, the tiny rivulets reflected the morning sun while they ran over Viyara¡¯s scales and turned into streams of liquid diamonds, each drop shining with an inner light against the gold of her body. I admired the scene for a moment and relished in the feeling of cool air, brushing along my body before I donned my cloak again. The damp cloth made me shiver when it slid across my skin and, with a smirk, I wondered when I had gone from canopy beds and dresses to dragon backs and wet rags. Energetically I reached for Viyara¡¯s mind and joined the conversation just as Erya was saying: ¡°¡­ asleep or even unconscious. If we don¡¯t wake him, he¡¯ll stay that way, I¡¯d say. Humans are quite fragile, it seems. And he smells, honestly, I don¡¯t know how you can bear having him on your back, filthy as he is. I wouldn¡¯t even want to sit downwind from him. Ah, hello beautiful. Found out anything interesting?¡± ¡°Could you not¡­ never mind. I did. Remember what you overheard? That they sent some pirates after the kids and after my family and the dwarfs as well? Three ships have reached the island where they came down, from the looks of it I¡¯d say those are the ones that have been sent after Ahri and the children. The second batch is probably still on its way. At the moment they are fine, the dwarfs have already arrived and they can keep them at bay for now. I fear what will happen if the pirates receive reinforcement, though. Viyara, is there any chance that you could fly faster? Would it help if you didn¡¯t have to carry Erya and me? The sooner we get there the better.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no. My ruff allows me to stay in the air but my movement is mostly magic. A little weight doesn¡¯t change much. Maybe you could fly ahead? Are you faster on your own?¡± I looked around and tried to gauge our speed without a fixed point to focus on. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Not by much anyways and given that I¡¯ve never been to the island we¡¯re heading for I might as well just miss it on my own. My sense of directions isn¡¯t that great. I also don¡¯t want to split up. With our luck we¡¯ll just run into the other pirate ships on our way and I¡¯d much prefer to face them together. Which reminds me, could one of you cast a spell that would alert us to their presence?¡± It was Erya who answered: ¡°Nothing that would cover a wider range than what we can see for with our eyes. A ship will be visible for many kilometres in the sky and considering how good your and Viyara¡¯s sight is there¡¯s no way my magic could reach further.We should rely on old fashioned look outs in my opinion.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Viyara added. ¡°But I have to wonder, do we even want to encounter them before we reach your friends? Depending on their equipment and the amount of ships we¡¯ll be in real trouble if they decide to shoot at us directly. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay out of sight or at least range anyways? If there are one or two ships I won¡¯t mind our chances but if there are more¡­¡± ¡°I think your selling yourself and us, for that matter, short,¡± Erya interjected with a huff. ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if we had any real trouble dealing with a bunch of pirate ships. The ones who captured you were probably much better prepared and equipped than the group we¡¯ll encounter. They were spontaneously sent out to seize a single ship, after all. No, I¡¯m more worried about them actually uniting, remember, they most likely also have groups of acolytes on board. Depending on how fanatic they are and what they can do, they could become a serious problem if they were together. While you two were behaving like lunatics last night I talked to Pete and from what¡­ ah. He¡¯s stirring awake. Maybe it¡¯d be for the best if he told you himself. Give us a moment and we¡¯ll be right there.¡± She withdrew her mind and I could here her soft voice and Pete¡¯s deeper replies even over the rushing wind of our passage. I didn¡¯t bother listening in, though, there was something else on my mind. ¡°Viyara, are you afraid of the pirates?¡± ¡°Of course not. Why would you even ask?¡± ¡°Because¡­ well, after what you did on the ¡°Old Roger¡± and considering what you said a minute ago about draconic charms I expected you to jump at another chance for battle. I guess I simply didn¡¯t expect you to be the voice of caution and I¡¯m wondering why that is.¡± A spark of irritation flared across our connection but she stifled it quickly and actually thought about what I had said. ¡°You¡¯re right, in a way. I don¡¯t fear the fight, actually I¡¯m looking forward to it. As far as I¡¯m concerned they all deserve to burn and I¡¯d be more than willing to provide the necessary flames, at least part of me does. But¡­ I know it¡¯s stupid but I¡¯m afraid that something might happen to you, or even Erya for that matter. If there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned in the last days it¡¯s that no matter who you are, death always comes for you. I¡¯m afraid of being alone, left behind in a world that obviously doesn¡¯t care for me. I¡¯m not just a dragon and the other part of me wants, no, needs, someone to hold on to. Does that make me a coward?¡± ¡°Far from it. That makes you a living being. But there¡¯s only so much you can control. If I had my way, we wouldn¡¯t have to deal with pirates or battles at all, but that¡¯s not going to happen. I have to help my people as much as I can, even though it may cost me my life or the life of someone I cherish. As you said, bad things happen but the risk shouldn¡¯t stop you from doing what you think is right, that would be cowardly. So, unless you intend to turn your back on everyone and everything, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to get used to that particular fear. As long as you allow others to be part of your life you¡¯ll always be in danger of losing them again, be it in a fight or simply due to bad luck. But for what it¡¯s worth, I think Erya and I are rather difficult to get rid of.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re basically saying suck it up?¡± I had to laugh at that, she was spot on. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. It¡¯s a part of growing up, I guess. Some things you just have to learn how to deal with. Admittedly, I think everybody would be shaken to the core after what you went through. It¡¯ll get easier with time but running from one bloodthirsty adversary to the next can¡¯t be helpful. With a little luck this will be the last conflict for a while, though. We could all do with a little time to get our feet back under us. But for now we still have a bunch of pirates to deal with.¡± She was silent for a bit. After she had sorted through what I had said she asked more calmly: ¡°Could you.. could you tell me who you are? The bond we¡¯re sharing and how it changes me¡­ the way you talk sometimes¡­ I saw some of your memories but they don¡¯t make any sense. You said you¡¯re a kitsune but that can¡¯t be all. Admittedly, you got the tails and looks to prove it but how can you know all this? Why aren¡¯t you struggling the same way I am? What happened in your past that you¡¯re so¡­ wise?¡± It was my turn to remain silent but because I heard Erya and Pete approaching and I didn¡¯t want to let her question go unanswered I hesitantly told her a small part of the truth: ¡°This isn¡¯t my first life and I¡¯m only slowly starting to understand who I truly am. A part of me is old, ancient even. I can¡¯t remember most of my previous life but I still carry the lessons I learned with me, at least in part, and that helps a lot. For better or for worse, I¡¯m more than just a kitsune. If you want I¡¯ll talk to Ahri when we reach her, if she agrees I¡¯ll tell you the whole story but since parts of it are hers I won¡¯t do so without her say so. Can you live with that?¡± ¡°Thank you, I already imagined something along those lines after what Mephisto said back in the hoard but I want to understand who you are and that¡¯s difficult without knowing where you¡¯re coming from.¡± I stroked her scales comfortingly just as the sour smell of an unwashed human reached me. Pete and Erya had climbed along Viyara¡¯s back and settled down at the base of her neck, a little too close for my sensitive nose. I felt their minds link to Viyara¡¯s and once again the echos of foreign thoughts reached me through her. Surprisingly it was Pete who spoke up first: ¡°Thank you all, thank you for freeing me from that hell. Erya told me a little about where we¡¯re headed and I¡¯ll do everything I can to help. It might not mean much, considering one of you is an ancient fey and one a golden dragon, who ate my shipmates, but you have my eternal gratitude.¡± ¡°Whom are you calling ancient, whelp?¡± Erya grumped indignantly. 81. Of armies, acolytes and a little bit of dreams Cassandra Pendragon Pete was¡­fun to talk to. Even though we quickly came to what he knew about the acolytes the round of introductions was still enough to get a sprinkling of his humour. He even took it in stride when Erya renamed him from ¡°Lucky Pete¡± to ¡°Smelly Pete¡± and doused him with a jet of conjured water even thigh the rain had washed away most of the filth. He had the necessary distance to what had happened, especially in regards to Viyara ¡°putting away¡±, his words, not mine, most of the people he knew and the way he talked about his childhood as a street urchin wasn¡¯t bitter, maybe even a little proud. I understood his ¡°the devil may care¡± attitude and quite enjoyed his quips. ¡°When the going gets tough the tough get going¡± was his explanation, for example, why he had, ¡°poised and in complete control of his mental state¡±, stoically asked for help. He was also a treasure trove of information and gave us a brief overview of how the pirates were organised and what we should expect on a common ship. The most influential captains, 7 by now since we had killed the one commandeering the ship with the blood red sails and Galathon had killed off Captain Sinclair, formed the council which was headed by the king who was voted into office every five years. They operated mostly independently and the council only came together to react to possible attacks by Free Land or other affairs that impacted everyone. Two years ago that had changed, though. He didn¡¯t know why but since then the pirates had slowly been turned into an organised fleet. They had started dealing with politics and had even been forced to incorporate at least five acolytes into each crew to better allow them to deal with unforeseen threats and to make instant communication possible. Those ¡­ things were hardly human, pale as death with markings all across their white skin. They didn¡¯t talk to the crew nor did they join them during meals. Mostly they remained in their quarters and only appeared to relay information or crush an opponent. Pete described vividly how they had once turned two ships that had been hunting for them into ashes. From his recollections they had uncaringly slit the throat of one of their own and turned his lifeblood into an array of spells that had torn, unimpeded, through their pursuers while the crew had only been able to stare on in fear. Pete didn¡¯t know where they were coming from but every time they lost one of the acolytes, a replacement would soon appear, either waiting for them in the next port or onboard another ship they¡¯d meet. They all pretty much looked the same, their individual features marred by runes and scars and some of the pirates had even started believing they were wrathful spirits, there to take revenge upon the living. Considering what the poor fellows had had to go through to turn into those kinds of abominations, I suspected that was rather close to the truth. For us the implications were quite clear: the acolytes were willing or forced to use their own life and probably soul to fulfil their orders, sacrificing both if push came to shove. Depending on how many of them were together, that could make them incredibly nasty to deal with and a spike of fear shot through me when I did the math: three ships, at least 5 aboard each one. If they were cornered that¡¯d mean 14 sacrifices and one unbelievably potent caster, powerful enough to challenge Erya or Viyara. If we allowed the pirates to unite that number would double¡­ there was no way I¡¯d be willing to risk that and I had to contact Ahri, immediately. Our conversation was short and strained. I informed her of what Pete had told us and that there was, most likely, a second batch of ships heading for them, Pete had overheard the orders after all. We, Viyara, Erya and I, would try to intercept them but it wasn¡¯t a given. We didn¡¯t know the direction the ships would be coming from but with Pete¡¯s knowledge of the local ports we could make an educated guess. She in turn told me that they had already dealt with the acolytes on one ship when the dwarfs had bombarded it. She thought that they had enough practitioners with them, the kids were a tremendous help, to keep the rest in check, at least for now. I didn¡¯t prolong our conversation, she was extremely busy and it¡¯d be a terrible idea to keep her distracted, even if it were for only a few seconds longer. From the looks of it they were fine for the moment but I didn¡¯t want to image what would happen if another group of pirates was to join the fray. We had to find them before they could reach the island, of that I had no doubt by now. Ahri¡¯s goodbye still swirling through my thoughts I rejoined the conversation: ¡°My friends are holding on but we can¡¯t allow more ships to reach them. They¡¯d be overwhelmed. Pete, where did you say the most likely ports they¡¯d be coming from were again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell specifically but that doesn¡¯t matter. They could either have been hidden in Free Land or somewhere around the Pirate Islands. Either way they¡¯ll be to the East. We can head a little further north until we draw even with the course they have to take and head towards your friends. Either we see other ships on the way in which case we¡¯ll attack or we won¡¯t and we¡¯ll help out as soon as we get there. With a dragon joining the fray my former colleagues would have to be suicidal to try and stay their ground. But I don¡¯t know if that makes a difference. Free will seems to be a rather sparse commodity around pirates at the moment.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure. True, the captains were most likely spelled but that didn¡¯t mean the crew would just willingly go to their deaths if they didn¡¯t see any way to win the fight. When the alternative was a dragon¡¯s gullet I imagined mutiny would become much more attractive, even if the captain had a tight hold on his men. And from what I had seen, loyalty wasn¡¯t that highly valued amongst them anyways. Real negotiations in the form of - if you throw your captains and the acolytes over board, my huge, fanged, fire breathing friend won¡¯t eat you and turn you ship into ashes - might actually work. Viyara corrected her course and with the rising sun to our right we headed north. After a while the clouds dispersed and we sailed through an immaculate sky. The temperatures started to rise and drove the water from our clothes. The quiet atmosphere and vast expanse of blue all around us made it difficult to imagine that somewhere to the west my family was fighting and I felt the last day slowly catch up to me. My eyelids became heavy while the sun rose higher and I had to struggle to keep focused. From time to time a gust of wind shook Viyara and more than once the sudden movement was the only reason I stayed awake. I tried to concentrate on the danger we were still in and which grizzly surprises might await us once we caught up with the pirates but it became increasingly more difficult. It had been a while since I had experience anything as peaceful as flying through the open sky with no one but friends around and my mind simply wouldn¡¯t entertain the idea that a fight might be imminent. I couldn¡¯t say how long I had been sitting there, my head slowly sinking lower until I practically laid flat on Viyara¡¯s head. The rushing air smelled salty and clean after last night¡¯s thunderstorm and lured my thoughts away, pulling my imagination towards strange coasts and magical places, far away from the emperor. When I felt a soft touch and Erya¡¯s voice whispered into my ear: ¡°sleep, we¡¯ll stay alert and wake you if something comes up. Sleep, Cassandra, you¡¯ve earned it,¡± I finally succumbed and within seconds my eyes closed completely. The last thing I knew before the world faded away was the warmth of her when she pulled my head onto her lap and quietly started singing a foreign lullaby. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. I watched silently and sank even deeper into the shadows as the first of a group of demons passed below me. I was hidden in the cracks of a towering cliff that guarded the entrance to my least favourite place in all of creation: hell. Endless wastelands filled with the remains of tortured souls and a searing wind that never calmed, endless fields of black glass, the edges sharp enough to cut through everything that had the misfortune of stumbling into them and the occasional demonic stronghold didn¡¯t exactly make it one of the most sought after spots for a family vacation. And that was without considering the smell, clouds of sulphur, poisonous gas and the occasional nose full of decay made my eyes water just thinking about it. Once again I cursed Michael and his cronies, I really didn¡¯t want to be here, but still¡­ may the chasm claim their souls, I just didn¡¯t know what else I could do. I was in the void but contrary to the silver city, hell was within its own little dimension and the only known entrance was beneath the cliffs of grief. The void was special in a way, it didn¡¯t contain anything of its own, except for the chasm, but it showed shadows or imprints of whatever was going on in the real world. Planets, cities, stars¡­ everything had a shadowy duplicate but they usually didn¡¯t stick around. The void was hungering for energy and it devoured its own creations faster than they could form. The only way something would endure was, if it was filled to the brim, black holes for example or the central planets of star faring civilisations. Their imprints would remain as long as energy was still coursing through the original, a small part siphoned off to satisfy the void¡¯s endless hunger. The cliffs of grief, or rather their counterpart in reality, had been the scene of one of the last battles between the nine families and ambition¡¯s corpse had been put to rest within, guarded by transcendent enchantments, his slowly dispersing life force an anchor amongst the tides of the void. The great gateway that led to his burial chamber was hidden deep within the rock and on this side it was a portal, a portal to hell and the place I was headed for. My mind drifted as I asked myself for the umpteenth time what might possibly have happened to the ninth family, Arete, but that was a mystery I wasn¡¯t here to solve. I was here to enter hell unseen and get my hands on the ring of dominion, a remnant of the first war between angels and demons. It was a small, black thing, formed in the shape of a dragon from what I had heard but it was maybe the single most hated object in all of creation. Long before time and space had been divided, back when our will had been the only thing to shape the multiverse, things had been simpler. I couldn¡¯t remember much of that time, like most of my siblings I had given up the better part of those memories willingly. It had been the first time angels and demons had agreed on anything but the atrocities of the first war had to be forgotten, otherwise there would have been no future. Only Metathron and Amazeroth had kept their recollections as a safeguard against us going down the same road once again. One of the few things we all remembered though, was the ring of dominion. Forged from primordial materials with the blood of every demon in existence it had been a weapon, made to channel their ambitions and will into a single purpose that would have swept away everything that would have dared to stand in their way. But like most weapons it had two edges and while it could focus the energy of every demon onto a single task it also allowed the wielder to control them, to influence their minds and very essences. The catastrophe that had followed its creation had been unrivalled. In a straight up confusing war the ring had wandered from hand to hand, its wielder decimating the angelic armies wherever they had met. Betrayal, greed and the angels efforts had guaranteed that it hadn¡¯t remained in the possession of a single demon for long and our people had been stuck in a vicious circle of mutual destruction until, one day, Amazeroth had gotten ahold of it. He hadn¡¯t used it with one exception: he had sealed the thing away in the deepest parts of hell, bound with enchantments strong enough to withstand the onslaught of an immortal army. And now I wanted to put that assumption to the test. Over the last years I had finally understood why Michael had wanted me out of the way or at least branded a traitor. Step by step he was trying to convert the heavens into an army that would change the multiverse into a sterile and stuck incarnation of perfect order. It had started small, erasing civilisation that had been on the brink of truly achieving greatness, I had even been a part of some of his plans, or whispered words of advice and a little help behind the scenes to change the face of the cosmos into something that was more to his liking. With time he had become more aggressive and by now he openly promoted that the immortals should act to change creation as they saw fit, their prerogative and even sacred duty as shepherds of the lower races. Damn right I¡¯d do everything in my power to put a stop to that, which had brought me to the cliffs of grief, waiting for the portal to open, so I could slip into hell unnoticed and hopefully steal the ring of dominion. If I had to use an army of demons to make the angels see sense, than, so help me, I would. I had never been a big fan of negotiations anyways. I waited for another few minutes until the demons¡¯ footsteps had faded away and quickly dropped from my perch. Without a sound I landed in front of a yawning cave, its interior dark enough to make it seem like black light was spilling from its depth. It had been aeons since the last time I had set a foot in there and the creepy vibe of the place hadn¡¯t changed in the slightest. Oh well. Carefully I glided forward, my wings and limbs well away from the rock around me. The second I entered everything became muffled, the constant grinding of the void far away even though I hadn¡¯t moved more than a few meters. I stained my eyes but I couldn¡¯t see a thing, the darkness heavy around me like something tangible. I knew the tunnel would lead straight down until it reached a carved portal made of black diamonds with ancient runes from a primordial time engraved along the sides. I retracted my wings, their glow might alarm the demons who were still somewhere in front of me, and followed the path deeper into the depths. I closed my eyes and focused solely on my hearing, trying to pick up even the lightest sound aside from my rhythmic breath. After some hundred steps my skin tingled and I felt the energy in the place shift. Air brushed against my skin as a gust of wind rushed down the corridor. The portal had been activated, the entrance to hell was open. I had counted four demons, one of them a knight of hell, and from the looks of it they were just now passing through. I had to hurry. Abandoning caution I unfurled my wings again and raced down the tunnel, the silvery light highlighting carved runes and sigils that covered every centimetre of the walls around me. If I hadn¡¯t been who I was I would probably have been fighting against a myriad of wards and enchantments right now. The thought made me smile sadly, I had never expected to be forced to sneak anywhere, let alone hell of all places. I couldn¡¯t spare a single moment, if the portal closed again, I¡¯d be forced to wait for the next time it¡¯d be activated or tear it open which would certainly alarm every demon in existence. Accordingly I rushed forwards, faster than a thought, and filled the tunnel witch crackling energy. Suddenly the walls retreated to form a huge cavern, a pedestal at the centre with the obsidian arch on top of it. Multicoloured lights danced across its surface and I had to suppress an exclamation of delight, the thing was still open. Less fortunate, the knight hadn¡¯t yet passed through and with a look of utter surprise Chaleb whirled around, his heavy axe at the ready. 82. Of bars, allies and a little bit of chaos Surprisingly he didn¡¯t strike which put me in a dilemma. Now I actually had to think about if I wanted to attack him instead of just burning the shit out of him without a moment¡¯s pause. I just wanted to get in unrecognised and, once I had the ring, I hoped I¡¯d be able to smooth out any problems I created along the way. On second thought, that wasn¡¯t much of a plan without even considering that I only had a vague idea about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do afterwards. Alright, a talk it was. We could get back to bashing our heads in quickly enough, anyways. I spread out my wings and came to an abrupt halt, a couple of meters away from him. Chaleb was a big boy, his current incarnation came from one of the technologically advanced, humanoid races. They had meddle with his body in the stereotypical mad scientist with a gruesome laboratory fashion when he had first displayed a part of his heritage. As a knight he had easily pulled through and, as far as I knew, there was still a tear in space surrounded by dust from back when he had finally escaped. He had never bothered with changing his appearance afterwards, though. He was a towering mountain of flesh, easily reaching 3 meters in hight. Puckered scars crisscrossed his nearly black skin and an additional set of powerful arms jutted out from beneath the original pair. His eyes were gone, replaced by bright blue gems that shimmered with their own light from underneath a heavy hood that covered up most of his face, except for two curved horns, pitch black and curved, that protected his temples and ran downwards along his neck. In contrast to the other knights of hell he didn¡¯t wear armour but a long, flowing robe with arcane symbols stitched onto it. His axe was ancient. It was one of the primordial weapons, the first thing he had made himself back in the day and somehow he had managed to retrieve it again and again with every new life. It was a thing of destruction, honest in design but the way the light curved away from the greyish material of the blade told enough of its inherent power. Behind him, energy was still flowing through the arch and sparks dance all over the portal. When he spoke his voice took me by surprise, as if I hadn¡¯t heard it before, rich and deep, a voice one would expect a singer to have, or even Father Christmas, but not the ugly warrior in front of me: ¡°Lucifer? What are you doing here? Hell isn¡¯t the safest place for an angle without the backing of heaven, you know?¡± He swung his axe leisurely and continued: ¡°there are quite a few demon who would trade a horn or two for the chance to cut a piece of flesh out of you.¡± His words were quite but filled with a palpable menace when he added: ¡°tell me why I wouldn¡¯t call for them right now.¡± ¡°Because you haven¡¯t already. Stop the act, we both know you¡¯re not stupid enough to try and face me on your own so there is a reason why the cavalry isn¡¯t rushing through the portal right now. And frankly, it¡¯s kind of insulting after everything we¡¯ve been through together. What do you want?¡± He stared at me for a moment and the blue light from his eyes made me twitch involuntarily. The tension broke when he laughed softly and sheathed his axe, the huge weapon vanishing in a shower of sparks. He snapped his fingers and the portal winked out of existence, darkness fell on the chamber and I had to send a trickle of energy into my eyes. ¡°Quite right, on both accounts, even though I wouldn¡¯t call you stabbing me a shared history. Why don¡¯t we have a little chat, somewhere more private? There are quite a few things I¡¯d like to ask you. You could possibly even convince me to help you out.¡± I sighed, the entrance to hell had closed and I didn¡¯t have much to lose, well, he might lure me into an ambush but he had just willingly given up his best chance so I wasn¡¯t overly worried. ¡°Sure, where do you want to go?¡± ¡°There¡¯s this lovely little place¡­ never mind, you¡¯ll see soon enough.¡± One of his hands vanished into his robe and reappeared with a small, black diamond clutched between his fingers. He crushed it effortlessly and the dust rose into the air, forming another gateway. I couldn¡¯t peer through its pitch black surface but Chaleb strutted through without hesitation. Half of him was already gone when he looked over his shoulder and added: ¡°you should retract your wings. We¡¯re going to a mortal bar.¡± Then he was gone. Smiling slightly I did as he asked and followed him. It had been a while since I had had the chance to taste a good brew. I appeared in small cubicle which contained nothing but a door and a toilet. Rather expensive lamps along the ceiling emitted a faint light and the open door led into a modern restroom with sinks, hand driers and huge mirrors. Chaleb stood in front of one, washing his hands. As I looked on, his robe and second set of arms vanished, hidden beneath a coating of magic. He turned into a tall, dark human with faint scars across his face, clad in a tuxedo. I joined him at the sink and dismissed my armour. A white suit with a red tie took its place, I didn¡¯t have to change my appearance in any other way, I could easily pass for a human, albeit one who had had a couple of plastic surgeries. I saw him raise an eyebrow in the mirror when he asked: ¡°still going with that colour? I heard she dumped you, permanently this time.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean my feelings for her have changed. I could strangle her at the moment but she¡¯s the one for me, even if she doesn¡¯t see it that way anymore.¡± A nasty grin split his lips. ¡°And how would you know? It¡¯s not like you have a comparison, heck, you don¡¯t even have any other friends by now. When did the last one die? A couple of centuries ago?¡± I focused on the fittings and the warm water that rushed over my hands. Early digital age, I¡¯d guess, or something more advanced with a soft spot for retro design. Had he taken me to earth? Nah, I hadn¡¯t even told Aurora how much time I had spent there. ¡°As if I¡¯d tell you. When you mentioned a bar I thought I¡¯d be getting a drink and if I¡¯m going to listen to your blabbering I¡¯ll need it. Or would you prefer trading insults? Not that I can hope to compete with your experience, you''ve probably already heard everything I could come up with more than once.¡± ¡°Ooh, touchy. Exile doesn¡¯t agree with you?¡± He was moving away and headed through a wooden door so he couldn¡¯t hear my murmured ¡°fuck you¡±. When the door opened, a wave of warm air reached my nose, carrying the smell of alcohol, tabac and other smokeable substances. Quiet music I couldn¡¯t place but associated with comfortable chairs and an open fire flowed over me. I really hoped the booze would make up for the company. I followed him through a short corridor, lined with colourful polymers and a plush carpet that muffled our steps. One other door, metal this time and presumably the exit, was set into the wall to our left. Faint vibrations reached me through the floor and made me rethink my first estimation. It felt like a space station and when Chaleb moved out of the way that turned out to be true. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. In front of me a circular lounge area spread out, filled with clouds of smoke and a dim, yellowish light. A merry fire blazed underneath an intricate mantlepiece on the opposite side of the room. Thick carpets in blue and red covered the ground and comfortable looking armchairs were put together in groups of twos and fours. To the left a single stair led to a closed, velvet curtain and to the right a massive wooden bar with an impressive array of bottles dominated the scene. Around and behind the mantlepiece large windows showed the deep black of space with a myriad of stars blinking through the reinforced glass, while a reddish nebula I didn¡¯t recognise was ablaze with light and slowly turned through cycles of complex shapes. The music was coming from cleverly hidden speakers along the ceiling, carefully placed into the wooden panelling as to not draw attention. The patrons were mostly human but I also spotted a pair of ursa, enormous, bear like beings whose savage exterior hid their truly gentle nature. Unfortunately that didn¡¯t help me in figuring out where I was. The ursa were a space faring people, their thick, greyish fur and their even thicker hides allowed them to survive in the vacuum for quite a while without any protection. Combined with their age, some were rumoured to be over a thousand solar years old, their patience and their knack for understanding machinery they had become one of the most sought after races for mechanics onboard any ship and were found nearly everywhere throughout known space. I didn¡¯t even know where their home planet was, if I was honest, and I had already met quite a few. The only real surprise was a hooded individual, lingering alone in one of the chairs closest to the fire. He seemed somewhat strange and when I sent a trickle of energy into my eyes, his greenish aura without a single spark of life force immediately stood out. I hadn¡¯t expected to meet one of the undead here. Grinning I imagined what kind of ruckus would ensue if I were to unmask him, or rather it. The rest were all humans of one variety or the other, even though most of them were genetically modified. I saw tails, insect-like eyes, a variety of skin colours from a deep blue to a lovely shade of red that reminded me of Aurora¡¯s hair. A couple that gazed at each other amorously in a corner even had a set of feathery wings on their back. I assumed they had some biomechanics as well, otherwise they would hardly have been able to fly with their normal- sized and proportioned bodies. Behind the counter an androgynous droid acted as the barkeeper, his many arms swirling around his torso, mixing drinks, cleaning glasses and rearranging the booze. His crimson eyes zoomed in on us the moment we entered. After a second he bowed his head minimally towards Chaleb and focused on his work again. Discreet as he might have been, a couple of patrons still turned their heads and their gazes lingered on us. One of them even stood up and approached us with a wide smile on his face, right hand extended. I was honestly baffled when Chaleb shook with him heartily and the other man even pulled him into a hug without having his head removed. Who would have thought. The newcomer was small and wiry with a wrinkled face. His mouse brown hair receded behind his temples but was without a hint of grey. He was probably in his late 50s. Intelligent and dark eyes blinked behind wired glasses and he wore a rather plain, black suit with a matching top hat. His voice though, was smooth if a little high when he quietly talked with Chaleb. ¡°Boss, welcome back. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be back, Khan. Unfortunately I can¡¯t stay long. We¡¯ll be headed to the back room. Could you kindly send a server along and make sure we aren¡¯t disturbed?¡± ¡°Can do. You¡¯ll have your privacy. Do you have the time for a chat later on? Something has come up that might be worth your attention.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. If I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll have my full backing whatever you decide to do.¡± Khan nodded in acknowledgement, smiled at me and returned to his seat. ¡°Am I keeping you from something? You know, if half of those bottles are as good as they most definitely are expensive I won¡¯t mind waiting a little, boss. A head start might be just the thing I need to get through the evening.¡± Chaleb stared at me for a full five seconds and we were already gathering attention when he inclined his head: ¡°fine, through the curtain. Just order anything you like, I¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡± To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Whatever it was it had to be incredibly important, considering he left me alone after dragging me here. Damn it, I felt like an asshole standing there while he went about his business. If my outlandish scheme was going to be even close to successful he and the other immortals would soon be much to occupied to meddle with the mortal realms. Well, for an omelet you had to crack some eggs. I strode through the curtain, glad of some privacy. Behind was a large, circular alcove, apparently added as an extension to the existing lounge. The walls consisted of some kind of see-through polymer or glass and the vast expanse of space that stretched away in every direction made me feel like I had stepped through a bulkhead into nothingness. The floor was covered with a black carpet and a set of armchairs was arranged around a small table in a way that¡¯d allow every occupant an unimpeded view of the stars. Sighing I dropped into one and relished in the quiet for a moment. I didn¡¯t know how long it had been since last I had taken the time to simply breathe. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a handful of seconds before a small, sphere shaped robot rolled in. With a whirring sound it projected a menu into the air, listening a number of different beverages. Since I didn¡¯t know a single one I randomly chose something expensive by tapping the projection and the droid rolled off only to return half a minute later. He brought a deep blue bottle, a bucket full of ice cubes and two glasses on a tray which he deposited in front of me. He quickly scurried off afterwards and I gingerly uncorked the bottle. A strong smell of gasoline intertwined with hints of leather, peat and the faintest traces of vanilla tickled my nose. Smiling brightly I filled both glasses to the brink, downed one and started sipping on the other. Comfortably reclining in my chair I thought that whiskey always tasted the same, no matter where or when you were. I gazed at the corners of the nebula I could just barely make out through the windows on my right and savoured the burning sensation in my throat. The beauty before my eyes made me wonder¡­ the universe didn¡¯t care and it would move on, no matter what my brethren did. Was I even better than them when I was consciously trying to alter its course? Was Aurora right, had I really been blinded by my own believes? That line of thought wasn¡¯t going to help in the least. With an effort I pulled myself back to reality and finished the second glass. Just when I had refilled both of them, Chaleb waltzed in like he owned the place, which might as well be the truth, considering how he had been treated. He fell into the chair to my right heavily and reached for one of them. I was already marshalling my wits for a mental spar, I wasn¡¯t going to give up my advanced supply line without a fight, when the look on his face made the words wither in my mouth. Even the illusionary mask he used had gone pale and beads of sweat ran over his brow. He seemed frightened and that was enough to shut me up. He downed his drink in one and quietly poured himself another which was gone just as fast. So much for my head start. We sat there in silence while I was getting more curious by the second, but I¡¯d be damned if I was going to ask what was going on. I somehow doubted that it was mere coincidence that he had brought me here just in time for whatever shenanigans were happening. He¡¯d speak up soon enough. I wasn¡¯t disappointed. He out a hand inside his tuxedo and with my second sight I saw him extract a pouch from his robe. He carefully nestled with the strings and said: ¡°This makes everything much more straightforward. But before we get into why I wanted to chat, have a look and tell me what you think.¡± He had finally opened the pouch and threw a small, golden object on the table. It was a horn, a demons horn from the looks of it. At first I was simply baffled why Chaleb would even have one but then I saw the flicker of energy at its base, silvery blue, just like my wings. 83. Of transformations, memories and a little bit of truth ¡°I¡¯d usually say someone is trying to frame me for cutting off a demon¡¯s horn but since you¡¯re not already jumping down my throat I assume I have a good alibi.¡± I leaned forward in my chair and carefully picked up the horn. It was surprisingly heavy and upon closer inspection I realised it wasn¡¯t made of solid gold but had a dark, organic base with golden glyphs drawn over it until it appeared like a piece of metal. Residual energy still lingered within but it was dormant, cut off from its source. The silvery taint at the bottom was slowly spreading through the reservoir of magic in the horn and gradually turned it into something else. No matter how hard I tried I couldn¡¯t clearly make out what was going on. From my point of view the horn was filled with golden energy that had some streaks of black and red running through. A single thread of silvery-blue light curled through the centre and minuscule changes appeared wherever they came into contact. The Gold, Black and Red didn¡¯t transform or anything obvious but a translucent sheen of blue and silver slowly appeared. ¡°Try spelling it, something basic, make it glow,¡± Chaleb¡¯s quiet voice reached me. He was barely whispering and emitted a palpable tension. With a twist of my mind I sent the tiniest amount of mana into the horn and willed it to slowly deteriorate along its edges, generating light. I hadn¡¯t expected the spectacle that followed. As soon as my energy touched the horn the silvery vein at its centre exploded outwards in a flash of light and burned away every last trace of my mana, leaving the magic it had already corrupted intact. The sparks of transcendent energy that had long ago spread through my astral body were another matter. They were tiny in comparison to the pulsing stream and nearly indiscernible as they had practically the same colour but when the torrent crashed into them they erupted in a blinding explosion that forced me to avert my eyes. When I had blinked away the tears smoke rose from the glowing horn and the strange energy at its base was gone. The horn was completely coated in my transcendent energy, I could even feel it once I knew where to look. Instead of a simple light spell I had turned the thing into a lantern that would shine brightly even when the stars faded away. The energy contained within was back to its original lustre but instead of a silvery blue vein it had a meandering thread of scarlet at the centre. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Chaleb was trembling with excitement. He gently picked up the horn and I could see him work some form of transmutation spell before he placed it back in the pouch and hid it in his robe again. I was staring, I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what I had just done and frankly, I was a little worried. A part of me was obviously related to something foreign, something I had never seen before. I couldn¡¯t just let that go and I¡¯d have my answers, one way or the other. When he had finished nestling with his pockets Chaleb refilled both glasses and pushed one towards me. ¡°Drink, we might be here a while and I assume, after what you just witnessed, that you¡¯re quite glad you followed my invitation. Now then, I think it¡¯d be for the best if I told you why I wanted you here and how I came to possess this little thing,¡± he patted his robe and continued: ¡°unfortunately I have to give you a little bit of context so bear with me. A couple of centuries ago Delilah, one of us and incidentally the owner of the horn you¡¯ve just seen came to me with an interesting proposal. She wanted my help in breaking a contract between demons and offered me something in return I had thought impossible: power. Not the flimsy, fleeting kind a new spell or ritual could provide but a real change to my essence, a chance to reforge myself in any way I liked.¡± My face must have betrayed my disbelieve because he immediately gestured for me to listen: ¡°I had the same look in my eyes when I heard her offer. Our cores can¡¯t be changed, after all. Sure, you may engrave a rune or two on them but their essence remains immutable, isn¡¯t that what you wanted to say?¡± I gave a small nod. ¡°I was of the same opinion and laughed her out the door, which turned out to be one of my biggest mistakes. A few years ago I met her again by coincidence and she was still pissed at how I had treated her. We got into a fight and believe it or not, she wiped the floor with me and she shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m a damned knight of hell and there aren¡¯t many immortals, angels and demons alike who could hope to hold their own against me. She didn¡¯t even break a sweat. My magic couldn¡¯t touch her for the most part, only the transcendent spells worked to some degree. She was physically strong, much stronger than anyone else I¡¯ve ever encountered and I¡¯ve had to deal with quite a few gods of battle, valour and strength over the ages. After our fight she mocked me. ¡°Should have taken me up on that offer, Chaleb. Look at you now, beaten and useless like the dog you always were,¡± and ran off, a satisfied smirk on her face. You can imagine what I did for the next couple of years. I dug for every scrap of information I could get, on her, on breached demonic contracts and on you. Don¡¯t roll your eyes, the only other time my magic was thwarted was when I had to fight you. It wasn¡¯t far fetched to assume some kind of connection and after what just happened with her horn I don¡¯t think even you could be stubborn enough to claim that I was wrong. Now then, I¡¯d much prefer to show you the next part.¡± His brow furrowed and, like most mages when they concentrated on a spell, he appeared constipated for a second. Swirls of energy formed around his mind and with a visible effort he expelled a fragment of memory that slowly turned on the spot between us. He gestured for me to inspect it and I leaned forwards, tendrils of my magic enveloped it. Similar to my second sight another scene overlaid reality and while I could still see the room we were in and the stars behind the windows, translucent figures appeared in my vision and a scene that had happened light years away played before my eyes. I was standing on a cliff, Chaleb beside me in his full battle garb. The details were blurry and I couldn¡¯t see into the distance but I was pretty certain that I was again on top of the cliffs of grief. This time, though, there was a veritable gathering of strange figures around me, all of them armed to their teeth. Magic was practically oozing from each and every one and they were clad in varying sorts of armour, one or two pieces even looked like they were made of primordial materials. I recognised two of them, a towering white furred lion who stood on his hind paws and wielded an immense, double-ended spear and a humanoid battle droid which housed an independent AI, both of them had been with Chaleb when last we had fought. If I had had to guess I¡¯d have said that everyone around was a friend of his in one way or another and I had to admit, the sheer number was surprising, I counted 12 fighters by his side. They stood there in silence and peered into the abyss, focused on something I couldn¡¯t quite discern until Chaleb took a few steps forward. The foot of the cliff suddenly became sharp and I saw a beautiful succubus prancing towards the entrance below us. She had perfect proportions, pale skin, silky, black hair that swirled behind her like a veil of shadows, a long tail which ended in a a heart-shaped, ruby tip and a set of graceful wings, neatly folded on her back. Two small horns parted her cascading hair above either side of her forehead, they glittered golden wherever the sparse light of the void would touch them. I had never talked to her before and only seen her from afar a few times but that was without a doubt Delilah, the lady of insanity and she most definitely still had both of her horns. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Like a wave of energy I felt everyone¡¯s attention shift to Chaleb and he nodded, once. ¡°Now,¡± was all he said before the gates of hell opened, at least metaphorically. The earth around Delilah shifted and faster than a thought, jaws made from sickly green void crystals shot up around her, smashing shut with a thunderclap. At the same moment, fiery bands of energy coiled around the closed trap and formed a burning cage around it, slowly cutting through the crystals and towards Delilah. Space warped around me when several spells transported most of the warriors on the cliff and they appeared right next to the caught demoness. In utter silence they attacked her prison, weapons, spells and pure ferocity shook the void and I felt more than thankful that Chaleb had never set up an ambush for me. Which made me think, all of that because Delilah kicked his ass and displayed more strength than he had expected? Hell hath no fury like an ego scorned... I already expected a quick resolution and a gruesome scene where Chaleb cut off her horns before he¡¯d chain her up or kill her outright but I was just as wrong as the poor lads who had attacked her and had thought they¡¯d get somewhere. The sphere of void crystals erupted in a fountain of splitters and magic, a colossal shockwave interspersed with scarlet streaks of light blew her attackers back and reduced everything within a 50 meter radius to dust. From the crater rose an abomination, I couldn¡¯t put it any other way. Delilah had grown and pulsing muscles covered her frame like amour. Her horns were hidden beneath a sea of swirling threads of darkness her hair had turned into but what truly made me worried were her wings. They had changed to accommodate her new body, the elegance and sultry allure of the velvet folds transformed into bat like appendages with additional spikes and razor sharp edges. Veins of silvery blue light pulsed along the arteries and the same sheen I had seen invade the magic of the horn clung to her skin. Blasts of energy rained down on her and the melee fighters were again closing in when she screamed. A sound of pure madness, fuelled by anger and a gnawing hunger I had never expected from an immortal smashed against us and I could feel my body react, even though it was just a memory. My wings manifested and I dropped into a crouch before I regained my composure and refocused on the memory. The scene had changed into devastation incarnate, of Chaleb¡¯s soldier only 7 had managed to survive besides himself. The rest was withering away before my eyes, their bodies and even amour slowly tuning grey and crumbling away until all that remained was a heap of dried up slack. Of the others, four were staring at Delilah with a mixture of desperation and admiration before they dropped their weapons and fell to their knees. The proud group had been reduced to Chaleb, the white lion, the AI and a tall figure in bright blue servo armour who silently redoubled his grip on his war hammer, seemingly unfazed. Chaleb¡¯s gaze wandered over his fallen comrades and a look of disgust flashed across his face when he turned back to Delilah. Deadly calm he spit out an order: ¡°do it, Cel. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The battle droid saluted and a set of enchantments, engraved all over his body glowed ominously before he vanished in a purple flash of light. A sphere of the same colour appeared around Delilah the very same instant and without any form of warning blinked out of existence. The last thing I saw before the memory started to dissipate was a golden shimmer when one of her horns dropped to the ground, neatly severed at the base. Silence and the uncaring smile of the stars greeted me when I looked up. ¡°Did you kill her current incarnation?¡± My voice was much raspier than I¡¯d have liked. ¡°Far from it, Cell displace her into a black hole but I have it on good authority that she¡¯s out already. What do you think?¡± ¡°One, you¡¯re an ass. That you pulled others into this who aren¡¯t immortals was dumb. Why didn¡¯t you ask some of your brothers or sisters and why did you attack her in the first place? Two, why did you only become nervous when you returned from your meeting with Khan? You should have had that horn in your possession for much longer. Three, I can¡¯t deny that there has to be some kind of link between my powers and whatever happened to Delilah, the colour and the way it reacted to my magic are just too obvious to ignore. But I swear, I haven¡¯t got the foggiest idea what it could be or what you want from me.¡± ¡°Unfortunately I believe you, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. I didn¡¯t involve anyone, by the way. They wanted to come and you of all people should understand why I respected their choice. The better question would be, why were they there, even though they knew the risks. Allow me to ask a question: assuming what you saw and did wasn¡¯t a figment of our imagination or some elaborate scheme of mine, what do you think happened to Delilah?¡± ¡°How should I know? I¡¯d have to guess. She apparently absorbed some kind of energy that changed her, assuming the she hulk isn¡¯t just part of her natural charm. From what I¡¯ve seen it almost looks like she has been infected and whatever it is, is spreading through her, slowly transforming her magic, quite literally like a disease. It makes her stronger but also¡­ hungry.¡± ¡°Precisely. Here is what I think: Delilah recently came into the contact with the same thing that infected you, ages ago. Unfortunately she doesn¡¯t have your immunities and suffers from the rather severe side effects.¡± I stared at him incredulously. ¡°I¡¯ve never been sick and I can¡¯t remember anything that would even remotely suggest I came into contact with a core altering substance. We both know something like that would be engraved on my core for all eternity, especially if it was transformed somehow.¡± ¡°Unless it happened during the first war,¡± Chaleb replied quietly. ¡°Nearly all of us gave up their memories of that time and it¡¯s safe to assume that we also suppressed our cores¡¯ recollection to make sure it stayed that way. Think about it, you practically subjugated the energy in Delilah¡¯s horn, pardon the analogy, almost like a purer strain would consume the virus in a younger vampire and make it their own. It may sound outlandish but I have good reasons to believe it¡¯s true. For one, I found out that Delilah broke a contract with Amazeroth, one of the only beings who still remember the first war. Gabriel and Michael helped her, otherwise she would have failed miserably, the second one with his memories intact and your much beloved brother. That alone would be enough to make me suspicious. I don¡¯t know what they did but ever since Delilah has quietly been forming alliances with different demons. Nobody wants to talk but from what I¡¯ve gathered she¡¯s promoting an allegiance between heaven and hell to change the multiverse to our liking, something that might sound familiar to you. Needless to say she¡¯s found quite a lot of willing supporters among us. That was when I decided to confront her.¡± He seemed disturbed by the thought of an immortal rule which made me dislike him just a little less. ¡°When we met in front of hell¡¯s entry, I had just come back from a fruitless expedition to look for you after I had gotten ahold of the horn. There were just too many signs for me to ignore. The similar energy, Delilah¡¯s and Michael¡¯s shared proposals and of course you as the villain of the piece. I wanted to hear your side of the story but when we arrived and Khan told me what he had found out and a more direct approached seemed in order. I showed you the horn. You see, when last we fought you left quite a bit of blood on my axe I manage to distill the tiniest mote of energy form it, not enough for a focus but enough to test it against a sample from Delilah. I¡¯m not good with those things and I used my resources around here to make up for it. Khan brought me the results when we walked in. Lucifer, they¡¯re practically the same except that your transcendent reservoirs are pure and hers are still diluted by her original energy.¡± 84. Of criticism, friendship and a last hooray ¡°So you¡¯re basically saying I¡¯m the prototype of what she¡¯s turning into? May I remind you that some of the stories surrounding me aren¡¯t lies? I don¡¯t have any aspirations to gain political power and I did and still do work against every immortal that tries to form the multiverse as they see fit. On a related note: I can¡¯t even remember the last time I felt truly hungry and what I sensed from Delilah was¡­ starvation.¡± ¡°Semantics, I already told you, I think your immunities saved you from the worst parts, you only experience the benefits¡­ like access to a form of energy that bypasses all known defences. Come on, Cassandra, you can¡¯t be that blind¡­¡± what had he just called me? ¡°Cassandra! Cassandra, wake up!¡± Groggily I blinked the sleep from my eyes, still half engaged in my dream I needed a moment to understand why I was staring into a clear, blue sky, a beautiful face with ram like horns merely centimetres from my nose. When everything snapped into place I couldn¡¯t suppress a curse. Damned useless hints! Had Chaleb told me more and I had missed it because Erya had to wake me? Was any of what I had seen even the truth or the reason why I had died in the first place? I was really starting to hate mysteries. A handy box of text with all the essential information from a source I could trust would be a nice change, once in a while. ¡°My, you¡¯re a deep sleeper, aren¡¯t you?¡± Erya¡¯s voice was brimming with barely contained laughterand when I realised why I had to fight down my embarrassment. My head was still resting in her lap and I had drooled all over my cheek and the bottom part of her dress. A bit of liquid was still stuck on my face. I hastily raised my head and wiped it away, my ears twitching in agitation. I had probably also snored. Great, just great. To keep the last of my dignity intact I chose to ignore the whole scene and squinted my eyes at the sun. I had been asleep for a good hour, maybe a little more, and from the looks of it we were headed East by now, a stiff breeze carrying us along. Curiously I turned around and searched for a sign of ships on the horizon and even tasted the air but there was nothing there. Maybe the faintest trace of smoke but that was probably us. A little miffed I focused on Erya who was still smiling brightly: ¡°No, not really, quite the opposite actually.¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk about what I had seen, nor did I want to lie so I decided to distract her. ¡°I usually can¡¯t sleep very well with others around. Doesn¡¯t seem to be the case with you, though. Thanks by the way, you make for quite the comfy pillow.¡± ¡°A compliment, or rather two at that?¡± This time she laughed openly, it sounded like wind chimes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask about your dreams but I¡¯d prefer a little honesty. Just tell me that it¡¯s none of my business and I won¡¯t pry. No need for games,¡± she winked at me, ¡°which you incidentally wouldn¡¯t win anyways. But if you insist, you¡¯ll always be welcome to try.¡± Before I could reply Viyara¡¯s mind brushed against mine: ¡°Enough with the flirting already. I¡¯m sorry we had to wake you, Cassandra but I smelled the pirates a couple of minutes ago. They¡¯re not too far behind us and the wind carries their scent farther than we could possibly see. I think I am a bit faster and could probably gain about an hour or more on them before we reach your friends. Do you still want to fight them midair or should we push on as fast as possible?¡± I took a second to mull things over and shove away the last, lingering traces of my dream. My eyes roamed along Viyara¡¯s back and I had to smile when I spotted Pete, his drying shirt bound around his head. His back was turned to us and he gazed through a retractable brass telescope with his makeshift cape fluttering behind him. Erya followed my line of sight and answered my unspoken question: ¡°He¡¯s trying to get a glimpse of the ships. He asked me to enchant the lenses so he has a decent shot. The shirt staves off the midday heat and prevents sunburn but I have to admit he¡¯s looking ridiculous.¡± ¡°If it works¡­ if I didn¡¯t have a form of regeneration I¡¯d probably be sitting right next to him. I can¡¯t tell you how often I stayed out in the sun for too long as a¡­ child,¡± I chuckled. ¡°I spent a lot of time indoors so when I got outside¡­ Lobster red isn¡¯t my colour, let me tell you that much. But I think he¡¯s got the right idea anyways. Air ships are basically pushed along by air currents, correct? They can¡¯t change their speed without magic or a change of directions. If we¡¯re faster there¡¯s no reason why we can¡¯t just have a look. It¡¯s a pity there¡¯s no cloud coverage but if we stay far enough away they wont be able to catch us, even if they spot us. Depending on what we see, we can still decide to make a run for it. I¡¯m pretty sure they aren¡¯t that well equipped either with how little time they had to prepare. Why don¡¯t we turn around?¡± They both quickly agreed, an air ship that could catch a dragon in flight had yet to be built, after all. Pete got up when he saw Viyara¡¯s changed course and trotted towards us with surety and balance born from climbing ropes and masts in every weather. I quickly send a tendril of awareness towards my tattoo to check on Ahri. Her emotions were still surging and she was very much alive. That would have to suffice for now, she¡¯d contact me if anything important changed at their end, at least that was what I told myself. ¡°I take it we¡¯re on our way to a little aerial ballet. Or is there something else I should know, your ladyships?¡± Pete inquired. ¡°I was thinking more along the lines of a viewing party,¡± I replied. ¡°If the venue is to our liking we can still join the dance. Jokes aside, I¡¯d like to know a little more about the ships, exactly how many there are for instance. When we have seen them we¡¯ll be much better able to make a decision.¡± ¡°True enough, but I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s wise. How likely is it that they won¡¯t spot a gargantuan, glittering, flying, golden serpent? If we can see them, they¡¯ll probably see us. Right now they¡¯re not expecting an attack, at least I hope so. You killed the acolytes at the volcano and with Galathon dead they shouldn¡¯t have been able to communicate. If the dragon lady shows herself, though, even the dumbest of the bunch will know what¡¯s up. In case you sincerely want to bring them down, I wouldn¡¯t freely risk discovery.¡± ¡°I think I can help with that,¡± Erya chimed in. ¡°I can¡¯t hide a dragon the same way I hid us back on the island, not without the enchantments I had access to, but I¡¯ll surely manage if Viyara changes into her human form. Incidentally, can you fly as a human?¡± Viyara sent us an image of her dragon body shaking out its wings, which I took as a shrug. ¡°I can levitate, but I¡¯m not fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, we can carry Cassandra and Pete with a spell so her wings won¡¯t attract any attention for the time being. They won¡¯t see us.¡± A few minutes later I was again holding hands with Erya, her magic keeping me afloat and hidden. I had tried to argue that I¡¯d be perfectly fine on my own but to no avail. Apparently any magic Erya tried to cast on my wings was torn to piece despite the focus and so I was reduced to playing the part of an oversized hand bag. At least I wasn¡¯t alone in my predicament, Pete dangled helplessly on her other side, while Viyara kept him afloat. We formed a living chain in the sky, slowly drifting westwards. To me the scene seemed like the beginning of an awful joke: a dragon, a fey, a human and a kitsune are floating through the air¡­ thankfully I didn¡¯t have to endure for long. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I had channeled quite a bit of energy into my eyes and consequentially spotted the dark shapes on the horizon almost the same moment as Pete, even though he was still gazing through his telescope. One of the advantages of Erya¡¯s magic was, that we could still see one another for as long as we remained connected physically. Both of us pointed at the same time and the echo of his thoughts reached me through Viyara an instant after I had already sent an image of the moving, blurry shadows, their outlines hazy across the distance. With a thought I sent even more energy into my eyes until I could feel them protest under the onslaught but it had been enough. With a headache inducing tremor my vision focused on the dark spots and the ships came into view. There were three of them, each of them approximately the same size, deigned for a crew of about 30 people. They appeared to be in good shape, no patches marred the colours of their sails and the hull was spotless. Polished metal blinked in the sunlight where it had been used to reinforce the wood in some places. I couldn¡¯t see a single flag atop the masts but the constructions on both sides of their sterns which sported a sizeable ballista each, made it obvious that we weren¡¯t dealing with random traders. Try as I might I couldn¡¯t get a look at the crew, all I saw were moving silhouettes, darker spots against the gleaming deck or in the rigging. They could be chock full of acolytes and I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell, unless we got much closer. I shared everything I could discern with my friends and Pete. A callow idea was ghosting through the back of my mind when I relaid the images and Viyara picked up on it, even though I hadn¡¯t consciously projected it. Either she was getting better at reading me or she had a little more access to my thoughts than she wanted me to believe. Maybe I should ask when we had the time. ¡°So you basically think each of us should go for one ship and sabotage it, make it crash into the ocean?¡± ¡°More or less. If we get there unnoticed, I think each one of us will be more than able to destroy the flying stone before they could stop us. But honestly, I think we can do better. Unless we want to literally stack people we¡¯ll need another ship to get everyone off the island once we reach my family. I think this is our chance to get one. If we can blow two ships up, the acolytes on the last one shouldn¡¯t be a match for the three of us, even if they go for sacrifices. With a little persuasion I¡¯m sure the survivors can be talked into helping us afterwards and a little information wouldn¡¯t go amiss either. Something along the lines of: you either help and spill the beans or you¡¯ll have to learn how to fly on your own. Erya, do you think you can get us close enough?¡± ¡°Easily, I tricked the wards of an ancient dragon for a good while, may I remind you. Whatever those amateurs put into place won¡¯t stand a chance to pierce my spells. So, what are you thinking?¡± ¡°Viyara has already proven that she can light up a ship in seconds and, unless I¡¯m gravely mistaken, I should be able to simply walk through whatever protection they put into place and overload the flying stone. I¡¯ve done it before. We could blow up two of them and if you snuck on board of the third beforehand with Pete, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get rid of the acolytes while they¡¯re distracted. They¡¯ll be all over the place once they realise a dragon has attacked. Maybe you can even get them all with one good spell. If push comes to shove we¡¯ll be there quick enough to help out. It won¡¯t take us more than a couple of seconds to reach you.¡± Something about what I had said had struck Erya the wrong way. She glared at me: ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, thank you very much. I think I¡¯m capable enough to deal with a couple of human sorcerers without either of you holding my hand.¡± Ah, wounded pride. ¡°No need to baby me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I know how powerful you are, you simply have the hardest task. I fully believe that you¡¯re capable of bringing one of them down on your own. Keeping it intact is another matter. I know I can¡¯t do it and I highly suspect Viyara¡¯s magic isn¡¯t developed enough, either.¡± My words coaxed a smile out of her. She was quite touchy on the subject, but then again, so would I have been if my last defeat had earned me a couple of decades bound to a gem. ¡°Liar, liar, pants on fire,¡± Viyara whispered into my mind. ¡°You¡¯d manage easily enough.¡± ¡°Probably, but I meant what I said. Her magic is much more versatile than anything I can do and she has the best chances to prevent something from going wrong. Plus, neither of us could take Pete and keep him safe. If I can pat her ego along the way, why won¡¯t I?¡± Including everyone I said: ¡°but if any of you have a better idea, I¡¯m all ears.¡± Surprisingly Pete backed me up: ¡°Sounds plausible enough if you can really do as you said. Two questions, though: why do I have to come? Can¡¯t you just make me float here in peace and pick me up once you¡¯re done? I don¡¯t want to sound ungrateful but I really doubt I could be of much use. Second, why don¡¯t you try to seize all three ships? I¡¯m fairly certain that once the acolytes and maybe some of the officers are dead, the crews won¡¯t give you much grief. Most of them are just like me, in over their heads and eager for an out. Just a thought, but you could start your own fleet.¡± Tempting but unfortunately impractical. ¡°I¡¯d love to and not only to get the ships but I don¡¯t think we can. We¡¯d have to split up and try to clear each vassal simultaneously. While I¡¯m decently sure I can destroy an artefact before they have time to react I won¡¯t be able to kill all of the acolytes, they¡¯ll at least be able to communicate, maybe even work some spells before I could get to the last one. Worst case, they¡¯ll manage to focus most of their energy into a single caster who could then become a big problem, a problem one of us would have to face alone. I¡¯m not willing to risk that, unless we could somehow make sure that they can¡¯t reach each other or at least can¡¯t send power to one another. Can we?¡± ¡°Afraid not,¡± Erya explained. ¡°Form everything we have heard and seen it seems like they use tattooed glyphs or runes for most of their magic. I don¡¯t think the connection between them can be broken unless the sigils are destroyed and for that we¡¯d most likely have to kill them anyways.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Viyara added. ¡°And we have to bring you along, Pete, since none of us could sustain a spell over that distance and we can¡¯t enchant an artefact to make you fly on your own midair, at least I can¡¯t. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re stuck with us for better or for worse. But I think our chances are much better than with everything else we have already survived today. Let¡¯s get closer to the ships, we¡¯ll adapt if something seems amiss once we¡¯re there.¡± Half an hour later we were floating about 20 metres below the ship in the middle. Without my wings my second sight was as good as useless and I had to rely on Erya¡¯s and Viyara¡¯s description concerning everything magical that might be hidden. From what I could see in Viyara¡¯s mind, a fracture of each crew carried an enchanted item or the other but nothing major. The interesting part was a complete lack of auras in some of the cabins and a part of the hull where I assumed the stone chamber to be. To completely suppress any form of leakage the wards had to be finely crafted and decently powerful, the work of the acolytes, no doubt. On the plus side, these dark spots told us exactly where we would have to go. Viyara and I would directly head for the stone chambers while Erya would sneak into the cabins. Protected by a bunch of spells Pete would do the same, his connection to Erya would allow her to pull him out of any danger with but a thought if anything went wrong. As far as plans went, what we had was more of a crayon painting than a DaVinci but in reality I didn¡¯t expect much resistance, I had a fey and a golden, or rather soon to be crystalline, dragon with me. If anything I felt sorry for the poor blokes who would probably experience their last few minutes in utter terror. At least I¡¯d be sufficiently terrified if an immense, fire breathing snake suddenly materialised on my ship and torched everything in range. 85. Of explosions, transformations and a little bit of success Cassandra Pendragon A few minutes later I was staring up at one of the flying stones, blood slowly dripping from the corpse behind me, filling the room with the heavy scent of death. Up until now it had been easy. I had chosen the ship to our left and Viyara had levitated me over, still hidden behind Erya¡¯s magic. Once I had been beneath the hull, I had shrugged off the concealment and used my wings to crawl along the thick planks, their weathered surface harsh against my skin. Nobody had been able to see me from above and I had had to be only a little careful to stay out of sight of the neighbouring ships. Every few metres I had gingerly pushed a wing inside the ship and used my second vision until I had found the stone chamber. One lonely pirate had been on watch, struggling to stay awake in the pressing heat. I hadn¡¯t hesitated. A shower of sparks later he had sunk to the ground silently, his heart and lungs pierced by torrents of light, which had brought me to where I was. The room had a similar design to what I had seen before. Suspended in midair the flying stone was connected to a series of strong metal rods that continued on into the ship, forming its skeleton. The heat was channeled from the furnace next door through a pipe that bathed the stone in a stream of hot air, guaranteeing the necessary temperature. Sweat was running down my back and the rich smell of burning wood assaulted my nostrils. I strained my ears to hear anything over the rumbling of the furnace and the hiss of hot air but no alarm reached me. I hadn¡¯t been noticed, yet. I pushed the dead pirate in front of the door and made sure it was locked, feeble a protection as that might turn out to be. My wings slithered over the stone and I used my second vision to search for anything that struck me as odd. Since I didn¡¯t understand any of the enchantments it was a doomed endeavour from the start but I hoped I might spot how the spells might differ from the ones I had encountered before. I didn¡¯t. The whole thing was completely alien with a decidedly dark tinge to its energy. The spells were more complex and somehow appeared sturdier, the lines of powered that formed them more condensed. Ah well, I hadn¡¯t expected to know what I was dealing with anyways. Like last time I was just going to punch a couple of holes into the matrix of the stone, shred the enchantments around it and run like hell, straight through the hull and towards the ship Erya was on. ¡°I¡¯m in front of the stone. Where are you?¡± I sent a tentative thought in Viyara¡¯s direction. Her reply came instantaneously: ¡°Nearly there, I can¡¯t get inside without causing a ruckus. I¡¯ll transform on the outside and smash the whole segment to bits. There are some feeble spells worked into the wood but they won¡¯t stop me. If necessary I¡¯ll just rip the stone out of the ship. Let¡¯s wait until we hear from Erya, then we can go to work.¡± It didn¡¯t take long, maybe 5 minutes or even less, but nervous as I was each second was drawn into a minute while I listened for a sign if I had been discovered. To somewhat occupy myself I searched through the chamber, staying well away from the sea of blood the dead pirate was lying in by now. My experiences on Boseiju had instilled a bone deep weariness of turning my back on fallen enemies, though, so I kept him in my line of sight. If even a single muscle twitched I¡¯d tear the body to shreds. I didn¡¯t find anything particularly interesting, some tools and schematics for the mechanical parts of the chamber and a communication crystal. It wasn¡¯t active and probably to be used in emergencies to alarm either the captain or the designated acolyte. I stayed well away from it, as well. Just when I was about to start worrying Erya¡¯s thoughts brushed against mine with the familiar tingle I had come to associate with her using the focus. Viyara¡¯s presence followed swiftly: ¡°Pete and I are set. There are seven acolytes aboard our ship, 3 of them on deck and 4 in their cabins, alone. We can easily deal with those and I prepared some spells that should keep the others occupied for a while. Now that I have been close to one I can tell you what they are as well. They¡¯re very sophisticated golems, grown from the soul of a victim. They aren¡¯t alive, their astral bodies as well as their life force were consumed in the process. They¡¯re constantly taking in what they lack from their surroundings which makes them devilishly hard to damage with spells, as they can absorb almost anything that¡¯s thrown at them. That¡¯s also how they can cast, by the way. They don¡¯t fuel their spells with their own energy but manipulate what¡¯s already around them. I¡¯m going to fill their cabins with gas, there are quite a few natural ones that eat flesh in a heartbeat. They¡¯ll be reduced to goo in seconds. I think I can handle the ones on deck as well, but, as much as it pains me to admit, I wouldn¡¯t mind both your help. You can just tear them apart physically, their abilities be damned. They won¡¯t see you coming, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be there as fast as we can,¡± Viyara replied for both of us. ¡°Good luck, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± I extracted my mind and flared my wings, it was time to act. The silvery blue torrents of energy danced through the air, a shower of sparks ignited wherever they tore through an enchantment or the other. Silver, red, yellow and purple lights danced across the walls and along the stone before my wings cut into it. Energy surged through various safeguards and an alarm shrilled, once, before the spell formation that fuelled it crumbled. Acrid smoke rose from tiny craters the rupturing enchantments had torn into the stone and its casing and faint lines appeared all over its surface. With a final twist I made sure I shredded even the last bits of magic that still clung together. The fissures immediately flared with red light and a deafening crack reverberated through the chamber when the stone was blown apart. A wild surge of energy crashed into me while I lost my footing, gravity gone the moment the ship fell freely. I tumbled backwards, the world around me turned into a mad display of colour, flames and shrapnel. Before I was thrown into a wall or peppered with stony fragments I raced along the silvery paths in my mind and vanished. A roaring thunderstorm of magic burst from the ship and turned it into a flame spitting spinning top while it sped towards the waves, more than 2 kilometres below. One of the side masts nearly struck me square across my stomach when it rushed past but with a violent contortion I managed to get out of the way. A second later the last flailing ropes soared past and the ship was gone, becoming smaller with every breath I took. It carried with it a choir of desperation, one I was becoming awfully familiar with: the voices of men who knew that the end was nigh. There was no stoicism, only pure, undiluted screams of panic. With an effort I tore my eyes away from the death trap the ship had become and surveyed the scene before me. Viyara had been even faster, her gleaming, snake like body slithered through the air, below her a ravaged carcass of burning wood and mangled metal plummeted through the sky. She had made good on her words, the flying stone was still intact and hovered by her side, the cooling rock slowly losing buoyancy. Her claws had torn deep gouges into its surface and broken metal stubs still showed where it had been connected to the ship. Wooden splinters covered her claws but she seemed unhurt, an impression that was quickly supported by her turning in midair and sending a jet of golden light interspersed with motes of silver after the already beaten pirates. A fiery sphere swallowed the stern and hungrily gnawed at the sails, the wind from their fall providing an endless stream of fresh air to feed the flames. The ship had turned into a blazing meteor on its final voyage towards the ocean. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Viyara¡¯s huge, golden eyes met mine across the distance and we simultaneously focused on the last one flying. I recoiled in surprise when I saw what Erya had done. The masts, the planks, the steering wheel, basically every piece of wood on the third ship had started to move. Blurry faces and gnarled limbs snapped and clawed at every thing in range with the strength of a falling tree. The sails were slowly drifting towards the deck, the rigging ripped and shredded by claw like extensions that had grown from every wooden surface. Further down the hull, a sickly yellow gas was pouring from several portholes. It didn¡¯t appear to damage the ship but wherever one of the desperately fighting pirates on deck came close to one of the clouds, his skin started to blister immediately. If the poor sod was unlucky enough to tumble through a swath of the stuff completely, amidst the obligatory hacking and slashing to keep the wrath of nature at bay, he¡¯d fall to his knees on the other side, his skin and most of his muscles gone. The animated parts of the ship were mostly focused on the three acolytes that stood back to back in the middle of the deck. Admittedly, if a pirate came too close they¡¯d crush him instantaneously or throw him at the golems directly but the reaching tendrils and gnawing maws were directed towards the unmoving group at the centre. They stood there like statues in the eye of the storm, the conjured elementals withering away as soon as they got close to them. And the longer they weathered the onslaught the brighter the runes carved into their skin glowed. Suddenly a visible stream of energy, sparkling with red and purple light slammed into them from above. Utterly surprised I frantically searched for the source and quickly traced it to the ships we had destroyed. The thick torrents were still pulsing towards the acolytes even though several hundred meters separated them by now. A sinking feeling spread through my stomach. We hadn¡¯t damaged the golems enough to prevent them from channeling their power towards their brethren but I only spotted five beams. At least we had reduced their number. With three of them still standing, probably with access to the energy of another five, I thought we¡¯d be able to manage. I winged forwards weaving teleports into my flight. The ship was maybe a hundred meters to my right and 20 above me. I covered the distance in less than a second but that was still enough time for the acolytes onboard to change, dramatically. They had absorbed every last ounce of power they could gain from the willingly offered sacrifice and violent lights raced around their bodies, their runes aglow with power underneath the dancing sparks. Tendrils of energy crawled along their limbs and sunk though their skin, their muscles swelled and the runes flashed brightly before they dispersed into a thick blanket of energy. For less than a heartbeat the golems were completely hidden behind a glowing wall. The pirates on deck were fighting with the courage of the doomed, attacking the supernatural forces that had taken control of their ship in a frenzy when Viyara¡¯s looming shadow fell onto them. Screams and curses washed over the deck and the light around the acolytes blinked out. What had been three humanoid shapes was now moulded together into an utterly alien abomination that only faintly resembled something living. A swollen head with eyes of crackling, ruby energy was surrounded by a ring of runes that pulsed with power and floated freely through the air. A short neck was connected to a square torso with overly long, spindly arms and legs. The thing was much taller than each of the golems had previously been, combining their mass into one ugly accumulation of flesh. It crouched low, its flat nose sniffing the air. An eerie howl escaped its overly large mouth, racing through the sea of enchanted wood like a shockwave. In its wake Erya¡¯s spells broke and the elementals either caught fire or crumbled to dust immediately. A haze of magic rose from the destruction and with an eager command the creature started to pull swath after swath into itself. With a thought I flashed across the last meters and appeared behind it, my wings raised to strike. I pushed everything I had into the attack until my wings burned brightly enough to form a single arch of power that descended on our last foe. There was no resistance when I brushed aside the feeble barrier the floating runes had become. Effortlessly I cut through the hastily raised arms of the creature, its hardened bones providing no more protection than its magic. The enchantments around its head and torso were annihilated when I cleaved the last acolyte in two. It dropped to the ground, first the severed arm followed by the body, half of it to the left, the other half to the right. Not a single drop of blood spilled from the cauterised wounds while silvery flames still gnawed at the edges. I remained still, my wings extended in front of me and my tails spread to keep my balance. Slowly I looked up, the sheer amount of energy that was rushing from my core made my eyes shine brightly and allowed the web of silvery lines across my body to shimmer through the rags my shirt had turned into. A deafening silence greeted me, only interrupted by the loud crash and accompanying tremors with which Viyara landed behind me. The few pirates who were still alive on deck stared at me and the dragoness with open mouths, the retreating vines and branches allowed them a moment to breath. They twitched visibly when the door to the lower floors flew open with a bang and Erya and Pete strutted out. With a flourish Erya bowed to the stunned group of survivors: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this is a high jacking. If you could kindly stop quivering in your boots and point me to the highest ranking officer, I¡¯d be forever grateful. If you don¡¯t, well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s become quite obvious by now that we don¡¯t mind a little violence. Oh, only those you can see count, the ones below deck are¡­ shall we say preoccupied. Not to worry they¡¯re still breathing and so will you if you just play along.¡± At the same time I heard her voice in my mind: ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m glad you came. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to face that thing on my own. Its scream alone tore through my magic like a hot knife through butter.¡± I suppressed a satisfied smirk while I straightened and retracted my wings. ¡°Always. You still have the seed you took from me. I can¡¯t allow it to get damaged, now, can I? And I guess by now I have also become somewhat used to your smart mouth. Speaking of which, they are moving.¡± Quick as our mental exchange had been, the pirates had still had the chance to surreptitiously glance at one another and make sure that neither aggressive masts nor swaths of poisonous gas were around. They hadn¡¯t dropped their weapons yet but they hadn¡¯t made a move towards us either. After a couple of seconds one of them sheathed his cutlass and took a few steps forward. He was a lanky fellow, with greasy blonde hair, mud brown eyes and a nick in his ear. He had a shallow cut underneath his right eye and from the way he favoured his right foot I assumed he had taken a hit or two on the other side. His tongue brushed quickly over his brittle lips while he tried to focus on Erya but his gaze darted back to me and over my shoulder more often than not. A moment later he had scrounged together enough courage to speak up. His voice was hoarse and quite a bit higher than I had expected but then again, that could have also been due to the looming, golden head with teeth longer than one of his arms. ¡°Uh, that¡¯d be me. I¡¯m Clovis, on board for close to 14 years. I¡¯m not the captain or anything but the boys listen to me and I¡¯m the oldest one up here. I think I¡¯m speaking for everybody when I say: we surrender.¡± 86. Of victories, costs and a little bit of hypocrisy Cassandra Pendragon Erya enjoyed her role as the apparent voice of our group and pranced towards Clovis, a wide smile on her face: ¡°and we graciously accept. If you and your comrades would be so kind as to hand over your weapons. Not that I particularly care but there is a certain etiquette to these matters, isn¡¯t there? Now then,¡± she waved her hand and the last traces of her magic vanished, returning the ship to its inanimate state. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put them all on a heap right here? And please, don try to hide anything, I¡¯d hate to throw you overboard.¡± She had them well in hand and the bunch of seasoned cutthroats quietly complied, a varied assortments of sharp utensils clattering to the floor. Erya made them form a line and skipped up and down in front of them giddily. She was having the time of her life ordering them around, especially when Viyara joined the game of let¡¯s-make-the-pirates-miserable and slithered along the railing until she came to a stop behind them. She neatly coiled herself around a mast, her red tongue tasting the air from time to time. Her breath sent waves of hot air across the shaking prisoners, her lungs working like bellows at their back. They were tough, though, I had to give them that. Only one of them sullied his pants and he was the youngest of the bunch. I wrinkled my nose and strolled along the deck, content that nobody was watching me for the moment. Once I reached the helm I leaned against the railing and focused on my tattoo. Warmth spread through me when Ahri¡¯s mind readily enveloped mine, a surge of emotions flowing between us. For a long moment I simply basked in her presence and relished in the feeling that there was someone out there who had already spent an eternity with me and had still come back. For me. Her soft voice flowed over me like the waters of the emerald springs and soothed most of my worries. She was still there and unhurt. Everything else could be figured out. ¡°Cassie, you¡¯re fine! Where are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll arrive before the sun sets, I¡¯ll see you soon, my love. How are things on your side?¡± A flicker of guilt raced through her thoughts but she quickly suppressed it, along with the string of memories that rose up and reached for me across our connection. ¡°We won, the pirates are gone. It wasn¡¯t pretty, though. Their casters were tough. The dwarfs had to bring down each ship and they spent most of their arsenal doing so. With each ship they destroyed the remaining casters became stronger. I¡­ I chose to help them with the last group and left the children alone. I expected us to draw all of their attention and we did but in the end one spiteful creature threw a spell and it wasn¡¯t aimed at the dwarfs or me. Cassandra, I¡¯m sorry but Reia and six of the others were hit. She might still make it but¡­ none of the healers we have with us can do a thing for her. The wounds are cursed and we can¡¯t break it.¡± this time guilt, shame and grief were much more pronounced, a dark veil that dimmed her presence. ¡°Oh Ahri, that¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m sure you did everything you could, don¡¯t blame yourself! Damn it, how I¡¯d love to hug you right now.¡± I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists. Another six dead and one was hovering on the threshold. I had to get the kids somewhere safe, as fast as possible. Everything else would have to wait. ¡°I want the children on their way to Arthur as soon as I get back and Reia is better. We dealt with the reinforcements, at least you¡¯re safe for now and we¡¯ll bring a functioning ship with us. We can send anyone who wants to go on their way within hours. Is there a chance we might find some game to hunt on the island?¡± Even though it didn¡¯t help much, my words made her feel just a little bit better and she shoved down her emotions to focus on the task at hand. ¡°Probably, it¡¯s not as small as I first thought and most of it is covered in vegetation. The dwarfs have already sent out foragers, they¡¯ll be back in an hour or two, I expect. With a little luck we should have enough food, but the way things are going at the moment¡­ what about the dragon? Did you manage to kill it?¡± ¡°In a way, but we¡¯re definitely rid of it. Unfortunately he was just another chess piece. Here, let me show you¡­¡± a wave of memories flooded through our connection. She saw the crown like sigil on the neck of the pirate captain I had decapitated and joined me during my first visit to Erya¡¯s prison. We listened to Erya¡¯s description of what she had overheard through Pete¡¯s ears when she had spied on Galathon and together we strolled through Shafeer¡¯s hoard once more. We marvelled at its splendour, the little feathered snake sparked her curiosity and pity while she didn¡¯t care too much for the statuettes we had found. A faint trace of recognition swirled through her thoughts when she saw Mephisto and I felt her fear for me when we relived the final encounter with the Black. She didn¡¯t speak directly afterwards but pulled my mind closer until I could almost physically hear her whisper: ¡°it¡¯s never easy with you, is it?¡± Her presence wrapped around mine in a much more intimate way than I had thought telepathy capable of, even her scent of pine trees reached me. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still in one piece. You did well, Cassandra, but I won¡¯t let you out of my sight in the near future. Wherever you go you apparently find a way to stumble across mortal enemies left and right. We¡¯ll stay together from now on, duty and dragons be damned!¡± Fierce resolution glimmered behind her words. ¡°I¡¯d love that.¡± I closed my eyes and allowed the outside world to fade away until all that remained was her. ¡°And I love you.¡± For a few seconds longer we held our connection, savouring the moment of¡­ peace while everything except us moved into the distance. If it had been up to me I¡¯d have remained like this until I could have wrapped my arms around her in the real world but, like she had said, luck wasn¡¯t exactly favouring us. ¡°Cassandra?¡± Viyara¡¯s voice, even though directly projected into my mind seemed quiet, muted. Grudgingly I extracted myself from Ahri, a last whispered promise fluttering between us before the link severed. I opened my eyes and had to brush a tear from my cheek. Viyara was standing in front of me in her human form, I had been so far removed that I hadn¡¯t even realised she had transformed. A sturdy cloak, a stained, white shirt and dark trousers, apparently gathered as a first spoils of war, covered her form and when my gaze rose above her shoulder I could see the pirates form a living chain that reached below deck. They were quickly pulling their unconscious comrades form the bowls of the ship, some of them had developed a nasty rash and all of them were pale with dark circles under their eyes, and deposited them in a neat line between two masts. The destruction the ship itself had suffered hadn¡¯t been too severe, at least up here, I didn¡¯t know how it looked below deck. Everything that, at least partly, consisted of wood had moved, crates, beams, planks and even wooden keys were literally everywhere, littering the deck. Most of the sails had come down in a chaotic pile when the masts had started gnawing at the rigging but they weren¡¯t torn, much. The few holes and cuts along the edges could be quickly mended and as far as I could tell we only had to replace a few ropes, of which there should be an abundant number of spares onboard. There had been a method to the violence Erya had unleashed, her spells had barely damaged parts of the ship and the feeble resistance the pirates had managed to muster hadn¡¯t destroyed anything vital either. A few thin beams had been hacked in two, as well as some of the smaller parts and the last eruption from the golem had incinerated the planks closest to it but otherwise we were fit to fly. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Welcome back, I hope Ahri is fine? The one who healed me, Archy, was it, as well, or did something happen to him?¡± Viyara¡¯s human voice sounded almost exactly like her draconic mind speech, musical cadences interwoven with a deeper resonance that reminded me of an oncoming storm on a warm summer day. I quite enjoyed hearing it out loud. ¡°They are, but some of the others¡­ wait, how do you know I¡¯ve been talking to her? And what we discussed?¡± She smirked. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re an open book when you¡¯re not aware of your surroundings. The goofy smile on your face was a dead give away as well as the tears you just brushed away. So how bad is it?¡± I didn¡¯t even bother with a denial, I could vividly imagine how I must have looked, gazing emptily into the distance. ¡°Bad. They brought down the ships but had to pay for it. Six kids are dead and one is barely clinging onto life as it is, Reia¡¯s wounds are cursed and they can¡¯t break it. Do you think you would be able to help, if you were there? Or maybe Erya?¡± She surprised me with a hug, her soft hair tickling my cheek. I thought her scent had changed, I recognised a trace of ozone under the layers of molten metal when I rested my head on her shoulder and breathed in deeply. ¡°Is that a dragon custom I¡¯m not aware of?¡± I mumbled into the cascade of gold and silver. ¡°Not really, but it¡¯s what you did back when we arrived at my father¡¯s layer. It made me feel better and brought me back from the brink. I thought it might also work the other way around and you looked like you could use a little support. To answer your question, I think we probably could but aren¡¯t you best suited to destroy a malicious spell?¡± She hadn¡¯t let go of me yet and I truly was grateful for something to hold on to, even if it¡¯d be for just a few moments. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. Rip the magic apart, sure, I can do that, but I don¡¯t know if she would survive. I¡¯d much prefer somebody else to treat her. If you think you can help, will you come with me? It¡¯s still going to take a while to get this ship flying again and Erya seems perfectly capable of keeping the crew in line, literally. I don¡¯t want to waste what little time Reia might have left.¡± ¡°Of course I will, but I think the girl will have better chances if you take Erya with you. She¡¯s much more knowledgable and her magic is powerful. I would have to rely on my nature and instincts mostly whereas she might actually know what to do. Don¡¯t worry, I think I¡¯m just as able as she is when it comes to making our new friends behave. Come on, we¡¯ll talk to her and I¡¯m sure you can be on your way in a trice.¡± I squeezed her tightly before letting go with a whispered: ¡°Thank you.¡± Erya was having a hushed conversation with Pete, both of them keeping a vigilant eye on the toiling pirates. Our captives worked quietly and efficiently for the most part, but from time to time they shot speculative glances our way. In most of their eyes I saw a bone deep fear that would make them put their best foot forward but one or two were decidedly curious, maybe even hopeful. All in all I didn¡¯t expect them to become a problem in the foreseeable future. The officers where another matter and we had to quickly find out which ones of them, if any, had been branded. As there was no one missing from the group who had surrendered I assumed they had all checked out. Erya looked up when we approached, her dark eyes glinting with worry and Pete followed suit, turning to us with a frown on his face. Something she had said had upset him. I quickly found out what it had been: ¡°Ah, maybe you can make him see sense. We found three people who bear the mark. I want to throw them overboard but he insists that that¡¯d be a terrible idea¡­¡± ¡°It would be! Damn it, woman, I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life on the run because you had to be so ¡­ fey!¡± He massaged his temples and continued calmly: ¡°Listen, I know I¡¯m not exactly in the loop but I figured a few things out on my own. You¡¯re obviously in some kind of feud with the Pirate King and, whatever happened before, you can rest assured he wants your necks as well after what you did today, incidentally, mine as well if he even knows I exist. The three branded buffoons are you best shot at getting any from of reliable information. Kill them if you will, but make them talk first. Hells, it can¡¯t be that hard with how much magic you have at your disposal, maybe you can even break the rune!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s not going to work,¡± Erya interjected. ¡°I have had a look at the marks and those things are works of art. They¡¯re much more than a typical rune, even combined with an enchantment. They¡¯re nearly alive, a perverse and parasitic existence at that, but they¡¯re evolving and growing all the time! The one I examined has already infected the very soul of the poor fellow and is slowly transforming his life force and astral body. If I had to guess I¡¯d say that it¡¯s the first step in becoming one of the golems we have fought. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way to save them. A clean death would be a mercy and much saver for us. I for one don¡¯t want to interact with someone who is basically in the process of zombification! Entering their minds is a gamble I¡¯m not willing to take and waking them up seems like an awful risk as well.¡± I had first hand experience on just how powerful the emperor¡¯s runes could be. Never the less I understood Pete¡¯s reasoning too, we weren¡¯t likely to get anything of value out of the ones nobody had thought important enough to control. But I wouldn¡¯t put it past possible that they were going to explode or turn into an hellish abomination the moment we started to meddle with them. Which made me wonder¡­ ¡°How did you down them in the first place? Every one they carry on deck is unconscious and they look like they have been poisoned, at least mildly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I did. When I filled the acolyte¡¯s chambers with gas I thought: why not flood the rest of the ship? I used a much less toxic variant and that should have knocked them out for a couple of hours. The rashes you see are an allergic reaction, I think. As far as I can tell, the marks didn¡¯t react but that might change. Also, I assume they can be activated form the other side and I can¡¯t even begin to guess what could happen, then. Every moment we keep them around is a moment too much. There are possibilities enough for us to learn what we need from someone else. If society has changed fundamentally since I was locked away, one of them,¡± she gestured towards the line of unconscious pirates and their comrades who still hauled more of them up the stairs, ¡°will know someone who will know someone who knows something. A little short cut isn¡¯t worth the danger.¡± That was the problem with magic, or life in general, taking a risk was only wise if you could weather the fall out, which in turn meant that things like mercy should be the prerogative of the powerful. It was somewhat ironic that the most gracious acts were none the less usually committed by the poor and powerless. Abstract musings aside, Erya was right in my opinion. I wasn¡¯t going to debate the point much longer, though, but I¡¯d be damned if I ever willingly risked the life of my friends for an intangible gain. My wings flared into existence and I unceremoniously threw the three bodies, Pete and Erya had separated from the rest, overboard. ¡°There, that should put an end to the discussion.¡± Erya smiled and Pete looked somewhat shocked, his expression mirrored on the faces of the crew. ¡°I have a favour to ask.¡± Erya¡¯s musical laughter contrasted Pete¡¯s consternated expression nicely. 87. Of introspection, mistakes and a little bit of reunion Cassandra Pendragon Flying could be awesome. The sinking sun turned the ocean below into a glittering sea of molten gold and reddish reflexions. The warm breeze that carried me along smelled of fresh salt. Cool winds blew along my body and over my tails while I whirled through the sky, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of freedom that coursed through my veins. My wings pushed me along while I rose and fell, following the air currents in an intricate dance that brought me ever closer to Ahri and my family. If there hadn¡¯t been another emergency along with the news of more death that made my haste necessary I would have been happy. As it was I barely spared a glance for the exquisite scenery and silently cursed my companion whose weight was starting to hurt. It hadn¡¯t taken us long to leave the hijacked ship in the caring talons of Viyara. To assure the smooth cooperation of her newest employees she had transformed back into her draconic self and sent a blazing stream of flames over the masts when Erya had introduced her. I¡¯ve never heard of even trained soldiers snapping to attention faster then her recruits. Pete had been put in charge of the more practical decisions, our resident dragon had as much knowledge about sky sailing as a real lizard and would mainly ensure that Pete¡¯s commands would be followed. A minute later we were in the air, I had offered to carry Erya along, even without interwoven teleports I was considerably faster than her and to my chagrin she had jumped at the chance. So instead of freely riding the wind I had to lug a squirmy bundle of attitude along and even though she wasn¡¯t heavy, I¡¯d put her at about 30-40 kilos, my shoulders were starting to burn with the constant strain. A little energy from my core kept my muscles working but it wasn¡¯t a real substitute for the time I¡¯d need to recover naturally. By now I had pushed so much transcendent power into my still mostly mortal body, within a short amount of time, that I was continuously experience something like muscle ache or soreness. I thought it was mostly a psychological reaction, I might have been projecting the way I expected to feel after the trying days that laid behind me, but I wasn¡¯t sure. I¡¯d have to talk to Mephisto about it as soon as he had recovered from his last attack on Galathon. About this and the ritual to free the snake, a way to deal with the statues, about repairing my spear and whatever else I could come up with¡­ I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to wait several days again for his hibernation to end. Soft snoring rose me from my reverie. Erya¡¯s head rested against my shoulder, her arms wrapped around my neck while I held her in a princess carry. Considering how close to the horizon the sun already was, we had been in the air for nearly two hours and we had chatted for the most part of it. We had speculated a bit on what kind of curse we would encounter once we arrived but without actually seeing Reia there wasn¡¯t much to work with. Soon we had talked about our life before we had met, mundane things like music, favourite places and the like, while we both tried to avoid more serious topics. She hadn¡¯t been keen on explaining her past and I had been preoccupied, Reia¡¯s lively features reduced to a deathly stillness in my mind¡¯s eye. Erya had fallen silent a couple of minutes ago and at first I had appreciated the tranquility but by now my mind was turning in vicious circles. I was wondering who had died, if I would recognise their faces, how we might help Reia and, most of all, if all of this shit was my fault. Maybe Ahri had been right and I should just leave behind everyone I cared for to protect them from the mayhem my life had become. On an abstract level I knew that I was simply wallowing in self pity but that didn¡¯t make the constrictive feeling in my chest and the tears that came to my eyes any less real. I was glad for Erya¡¯s weight and her minor movements that screwed up my balance and tore me back to reality ever so often. Stubbornly I pushed the emotional baggage away, shook out my tails and focused on the horizon, metaphorically and literally. I forced images of Ahri, my family and even Viyara and Erya to the front of my mind every time it wanted to go astray once more and searched for the outline of an island with renewed fervour. It didn¡¯t take much longer. Once a purple shadow manifested in the blue expanse before me I knew I was nearly there. Admittedly, it was still quite the distance but knowing that I was this close sent a surge of warmth through me, blowing away the soreness in my body. With an unrestrained cry of joy I managed to accelerate once more, the wind an unending roar in my ears and the withe, frothing crowns of the waves below a blurry haze. Erya woke with a start and nearly struggled free before her mind caught up. Grumpily she snuggled back into me: ¡°Warn a girl, I thought we were being attacked! I understand your desire but there¡¯s no need to fly fast enough that a lonesome bird might become a deadly projectile. Slow down a bit, would you?¡± ¡°Not a chance. Hold on, I think I can go a little faster.¡± That shut her up handily. Our surroundings were turning into streaks of colour and I felt her work some kind of spell on us to part the air in front of me and keep away any animal that might be unfortunate enough to cross our path. I crossed the remaining distance in less than 10 minutes. Somewhere along the way I had started to supplement Erya¡¯s magic with my wings. I had formed a wedge with 7 of them in front of me and pumped enough energy into them to turn them into a blazing knife that cut holes into space with a glittering display of light. In a way we had started to teleport forward, jumping as far as I had still been able to hold the folds I had ripped open together. For me those short burst had felt pretty much the same as moving along the silvery lines in my second vision and just as exhausting, but I had been able to carry Erya with me. Unfortunately she hadn¡¯t enjoyed the experience one bit, she had even stopped supporting me after the first jump. When I slowed down and spread my wings to let inertia carry us for the remaining distance I felt her tremble in my arms as if she had been bathed in ice water. I pulled her closer and asked: ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± It took her a moment to focus back on me, a cold sweat was starting to form on her pale skin. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do that again. You took me to the space in between, between worlds and realities, the void. You might survive there but for me it¡¯s a damned nightmare. It sucks away my life for as long as I¡¯m in there without ample preparation.¡± Her voice became a little stronger. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad just now but you could very well have killed a weaker fey. Think, Cassandra and don¡¯t just try every idea that pops into your mind when you¡¯re not alone! We¡¯re not all some kind of magical anomaly.¡± She was right, without a question. The image of holding Ahri in my arms again had pulled me along but that was no excuse. I had been an idiot and I should have known better. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I truly am.¡± I squeezed her lightly. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. Can I somehow make it up to you?¡± She squirmed until her face was close to my ear and I leaned in her direction. Blazing pain shot through my hole body, the little minx had bitten me! Sensitive as my ears were the white hot surge was enough to make my tails curl up reflexively and I nearly lost my balance. Over my throbbing pulse I thought I felt a trickle of blood run down my neck while I fought to remain upright, a wrong move with her dangling from my neck might turn out extremely ugly. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°There, no we¡¯re even. Pain is the best teacher, after all.¡± A colourful curse escaped me and I was sorely tempted to drop her, especially the part of me closest to the bite marks was very keen on the idea. But she had been right and the red hot agony that flowed from my ear was nothing compared to how I¡¯d have felt if I had seriously harmed her. Lesson learned. But honestly¡­ did it have to be the ear? ¡°I guess I deserved that,¡± I hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°But if you ever so much as pinch me there again, I swear¡­¡± warmth had returned to her limbs and I could practically see her mischievous grin when she audibly smacked her lips. She snuggled back into me and I felt her relax. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, next time I¡¯m going to be much more gentle. Just say the word.¡± Over the hours I had become much more used to her banter but I still blushed. Every second conversation with her tuned into flirting sooner or later and I was still having a hard time discerning if she was really into me or if it was just the way she was. And maybe, by now, I was the tiniest bit curious. Never the less I was glad she wasn¡¯t holding a grudge even though she had a valid reason. I really had fucked up. Luckily I was spared an answer when a a small figure with fiery wings launched itself from the island and headed towards us like a living flame. She elegantly circled around the airship anchored to the cliffs and soared into the sky. ¡°Oh my, I think I can fly on my own for a while,¡± Erya said while she was already pushing herself away for me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the middle of that.¡± She didn¡¯t have to repeat herself and I readily let go of her. A strong push catapulted me forwards and I channeled energy into my eyes until I could finally make out the details of the beautiful angel that was headed my way. Ahri was still wearing the set of clothes the dwarfs had given us and hers were only marginally looking better than mine. A huge tear ran along her left sleeves and parts of her trousers were burned. The rim of her shirt had been ripped away up to her naval and she was barefoot. But her emerald green eyes were still sparkling with an inner light and her delicate features were split by a wide smile. Long, nearly translucent waves of silky hair danced behind her in the wind and I thought I saw a couple of reddish reflections sparkle amidst the pearly white flood. Relief washed over me when I saw her unhurt and well. Her wings burned the air behind her, her long, slender tails fanned out like weaves of silk while she flew towards me. I opened my arms wide and slowed down just enough to spare us from crashing into one another. A moment later her arms were wrapped around my neck while her tails coiled around my hips and caressed my sides. Without thinking I leaned forward and kissed her for what felt like the first time in ages. Her soft lips and the scent of pine trees swept me away and for a few blissful seconds I forgot my worries. Heat flowed through me and I fell deeper and deeper into her embraces until she bit my lip playfully. Her soft laughed sent another shower of sparks along my spine when her warm breath tickled my skin. ¡°Cassie, we¡¯re falling. One of us has to keep us afloat. Could you maybe¡­?¡± Oh, right. I had wrapped my wings around her and had completely forgotten to stay airborne. We had already dropped a couple of hundred meters and I had to wonder how I had been able to ignore the howling wind. The feeling of weightlessness I might easily have associated with the girl in my arms. I extracted my wings from hers and propelled us back up. Ahri wasn¡¯t even bothering with a token effort and instead preferred to hug me closer and bury her face in the nape of my neck. Electric jolts traveled along my body when she softly kissed the sensitive skin and I involuntarily allowed us to drop again before I regained my balance. ¡°Hmm, looks like you missed me,¡± she whispered. ¡°But I have to wonder, what happened to your ear?¡± She kissed the still throbbing appendage. ¡°That looks like a bite mark. Is there something I should know?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Not in the way you insinuate, darling. But yes, you should definitely meet Erya, maybe you can muzzle the walking calamity. I brought her along to help Reia and I honestly can¡¯t wait to see the two of you together. You¡¯ll either be fast friends or at each other¡¯s throats within seconds. Ah, speak of the devil¡­¡± I had slowly circled higher and was now again on the altitude where I had left the fey. She had sprouted her butterfly like wings and was headed towards us. Reluctantly I pushed against Ahri¡¯s shoulders and while our tails remained intertwined I gained enough space to see more than the flames from her wings. It was nearing sunset and the first stars blinked through a darkening sky. The island we had arrived at appeared small from up here, I could even see the other side, although faintly. A few taller hills, overgrown with large trees, beards of moss and lianas clung to them, filled the centre and I saw a merrily bubbling creek rush to the far side of the island from somewhere between them. Flocks of exotic birds in all colours of the rainbow, some of them large as turkeys others smaller than a nightingale, rose from their nests in the coming dusk. They filled the air with their surprisingly loud songs which still reached me despite the distance. With the amount of energy that was still coursing through my eyes I could see blurry movement beneath the shade of the trees, larger animals, predators and prey alike, preparing for the night. Further towards the edge of the island the forest gave way to a rolling sea of grass, flowers and herbs, interspersed with small ponds and murky patches. From what I could see there was only one river but the ground stored an abundant amount of rainwater wherever I looked. Lush vegetation, vivid greens and blossoms in dark red, purple and yellow, thrived all around, a veritable paradise. Exotic fragrances washed over me with every gust of wind that reached me from the island. I smelled sweet fruits and nectar, aromatic spices and the musky scent of wild animals. But there were also darker flavours, smoke and a hint of blood and violence still hung in the air. The source was close to the southern edge. Two smouldering wrecks had crashed onto the island, one clearly the remains of the ship we had found the kids on. It was still mostly in one piece but the area around the stone chamber was burned and charred, a gaping hole torn into the hull. The others must have been one of the pirate¡¯s vessels, not that I could still discern much of its design. The masts were broken and the sails gone, reduced to a fine layer of ash that covered the ground. The deck had been ravaged, massive explosions had opened craters every few meters and what remained if the hull wasn¡¯t even recognisable, the metal reinforcements had been blown away and most of the wood was either cracked, blackened or simply gone. The dwarven ship was anchored a few hundred meters away. It had been severely damaged as well, one of the masts was already replaced and a second one was lowered to the ground while I was watching. Most of the sails had holes in them and a part of the rigging had come down. A couple of ballista bolts still lodged in the hull and dark burn marks showed where spells had hit. Towards the stern a huge chunk had been ripped away, the interior exposed to fresh air, but it was still flying. Beneath the ship a sizeable patch of ground had been converted into a makeshift camp. Several fires had been lit and a few improvised workshops were already in use with two hastily erected tents at the centre. The faint pounding of hammers on iron reached my ears. A pond was close by, the gutted carcass of two large deer slowly bleeding dry a couple of meters away. A line of 10 sentries stretched from one end of the camp to the other. Dwarfs and kitsune alike meandered between the workshops, the spot where items form the ship were lowered, the tents and a large fire pit where several dwarfs were preparing a hearty meal. 88. Of reunions, responsibilities and a little bit of curses Cassandra Pendragon ¡°It looks almost¡­ peaceful, except for the wrecked ships it could be some kind of holiday camp.¡± My voice was quiet and the longing I felt for what I had said to be true was strong enough to make it tremble. Ahri¡¯s tails curled around my middle more tightly but she didn¡¯t answer. There was nothing to say. There was no peace for us here, we were refugees on the run and instead of camp equipment and food, the tents most likely contained the dead and one who was fighting for her life. A fight she would win if I had my way. Exhaling deeply I squeezed Ahri¡¯s hand and turned towards the approaching fey. Erya¡¯s iridescent wings reflected the light of the setting sun in colourful sparks and together with her glimmering horns she made for a striking figure in the approaching night. Mysterious and hopefully powerful enough to bring Reia back from the brink. If not, well, I was decently sure that I could get rid of the curse that had infected her wounds but it wouldn¡¯t be pretty. And I¡¯d very much like to avoid cutting into a breathing child with my wings. I shook my head and drove away that image. ¡°Now then, Ahri, that¡¯s Erya, a good friend of mine, I¡¯ve already shown you how we have met. Erya, meet Ahri, my¡­¡± ¡°guardian and girlfriend, depending on what she needs at the moment,¡± Ahri interrupted without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Cassandra has shared some of her memories and I¡¯m thankful for your help. You brought her back to me in one piece, I¡¯ll never forget that.¡± I thought it funny how much emphasis she put on ¡°to me¡±, as if she was making a point¡­huh, she probably was. Erya¡¯s laugh, that always reminded me of wind chimes, was honest while she bowed from the hip: ¡°I see your wings aren¡¯t your only fiery aspect. No need to get territorial, Cassandra has already made it plenty clear that she¡¯s taken. If either of you change your mind, though¡­¡± she winked but quickly became serious. ¡°I¡¯d love to continue this discussion and get to know you better but from what Cassandra told me, we shouldn¡¯t linger. Could you tell me exactly what happened? If I know what kind of curse I¡¯m dealing with it¡¯ll make it that much easier to cleanse it.¡± Without a spoken word we simultaneously turned towards the island and quickly headed for the camp. ¡°Not in as much detail as I¡¯d like,¡± Ahri replied over her shoulder, Erya was flying a few wing strokes behind us. ¡°There was a lot of smoke, the ship was on the verge of going down. Most of the sails were on fire and the dwarfs had already broken the hull with one of their special bolts. I thought we had won, only a few pirates remained as well as two of the strange casters they had on board.¡± She paused and I heard her swallow drily. When she continued her voice was strained. ¡°Another volley from the dwarfs peppered the deck and I was already on my way to land amidst the last survivors when suddenly every instinct I have cried out. A strange stillness crept over the ship and I could see the remainder of the crew simply crawl up and die, except for one. The last acolyte burned every ounce of energy he could get his hands on, from his comrades¡¯ life to his own, and unleashed a stream of magic. If it helps, the magic appeared sickly green with patches of darkness all over I can¡¯t properly describe. He had targeted the spot where I had left the children. They were already running for cover but not all of them made it. Reia was spurring on the stragglers when the spell hit. Two of them were caught directly and withered away on the spot until nothing remained. Beams of the same colouration exploded outwards and caught the others in the back.¡± She needed another movement and I gently stroked her side with one of my tails. ¡°I rushed back as fast as my wings would carry me but there was nothing I could do. I held the hand of the ones that were still alive while they passed away before my eyes. Reia had been lucky. As the fastest the ones behind her stopped the brunt of the magic. She was only grazed but lost consciousness not long after I got to her. There is a cut on her left thigh, not too deep, but the tissue around it is cold and pale. Dark streak are slowly growing towards her heart, almost like blood poisoning, but whatever we tried, we couldn¡¯t cleanse the wound. I fear she will not see the next sunrise if you can¡¯t help her.¡± Please, just this once¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t fret, I think I know what¡¯s happening to her. I¡¯ll have to see her first to be sure but most likely she¡¯s suffering from a consumptive curse. Even if I can¡¯t break it, I¡¯ll be able to divert it. Curses are pretty much spells with an added component that binds the magic to a certain purpose. A fire ball explodes, a cursed one follows you around until it hits. A hastily constructed function, like the one undoubtedly used here, can usually be fulfilled quiet easily without causing any harm to the host. No matter how strong the caster was, once the curse achieves what it was made for, it¡¯ll unravel. I¡¯m betting on something along the lines of: ¡°consume whatever you touch until nothing remains¡±. If that¡¯s the case I¡¯ll offer a bit of my own energy, channeled through the kid¡¯s meridians as a surrogate. Once the curse latches on I should be able to transfer it.¡± She made it sound positively easy. Somehow I couldn¡¯t imagine it¡¯d work out that flawlessly in reality but I definitely wasn¡¯t going to voice my thoughts out loud. We quickly soared over the anchored ship, some of the dwarfs toiling away raised their hands in greeting when we sped past. The closer to the camp we came, the heavier the tang of smoke and fire hung in the air. Our quickly growing shadows raced across the ground and everyone who wasn¡¯t directly engaged with one task or the other looked up. Worried faces, the eyes heavy with grief and anxiety, turned towards us. A few hollow smiles formed here and there but most of the children were much too absorbed in their own misery to truly care. The dwarfs were another matter. Seasoned warriors that they were I could see the tension in them but they went about their tasks efficiently and kept themselves busy organising the camp and gathering provisions. Several parties were preparing for another venture across the island and the rest were either manning the workshops, butchering the already hunted animals or salvaging the wrecks. We came down close to the tents at the centre, a small throng of people had gathered there to receive us, my mother, brother, Xorlosh, Etosh, Golamosh, the elves and most of the kids, even though I only recognised Archy and his little sister Estrella. As soon as I touched down, my mom came running, or rather limping, towards me, my brother a few steps behind. Ahri took a couple of steps away from me, giving us some space. Seeing my family alive and well, more or less, was another heavy weight off my chest. They were both unharmed, but seemed on the verge of collapse. My brother had dark circles under his eyes and he moved like a zombie, with shuffling, small steps. Soot and ash were liberally coating his clothes and his normally neat appearance was closer to a beggar than a prince, albeit one without a country. My mother was even worse for wear, her skin pale and, I realised that as soon as I hugged her, clammy. She appeared frail, her energy spent. Both of them looked like they had just lived through the worst days of their life, which probably wasn¡¯t that far from the truth. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Xorlosh looked pretty much the same as always, a few scratches marred his armour and he had cut off a chunk of his beard but he stood erect like an old cherry tree, his hands clasped behind his back. The biggest difference I could see was, that his quiver of bolts was now nearly empty, a few lonely shafts all that remained. His lads flanked him on either side, both of them with grim faces but an honest smile spread their hairy features once we landed. Astra and Aspera seemed untouched but distant, as if they had withdrawn into their own world, leaving the troubles of our situation behind. I didn¡¯t believe it for a minute as they were standing close to the kids and even had their arms around the smallest ones, like two old trees in the middle of a sea of saplings. I appreciated their stoic demeanour, though. There¡¯d be time to wail and repine once we were out of the woods, or rather off the island, so to speak and we needed every ounce of reliability we could get, especially with how the children were doing. Most of them wore jaded expressions, their eyes empty and their shoulders haunched and it nearly broke my heart. No child should have to live through what they had experienced. They kept together in a tight group but I was glad to see that they apparently had accepted the elves as a source of comfort or maybe even safety. I also didn¡¯t miss the spark of relieve that showed on some of their faces when Ahri landed beside me. After she had taken care of them for most of the fight they looked to her as their protector, a responsibility I truly didn¡¯t envy her for. Before I could get out a single word, my mom crashed into me, arms wide open and smothered me in a hug that drive most if the air from my lungs. She might appear exhausted but the little woman was resilient. For a moment I thought I heard her snivel but when she pinched my ear, the one Erya had already mistreated, and her scathing voice sounded form somewhere around my chest I knew I must have been mistaken: ¡°Without a word! You just took off without a word and once we get to where you¡¯re supposed to be, they tell me you went after a fucking ancient dragon! By the gods, I thought I¡¯d never see you again¡­¡± and that was that. She dissolved into a crying mess while she clung to me as if her life depended on it. There was nothing I could to for the next couple of minutes except for holding her. I slung my tails around her middle and gently pulled her closer. What was there to say? Considering how I felt when children I wasn¡¯t related to were in danger I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how I¡¯d react if my daughter was in peril and I wasn¡¯t able to help. As hard as the fight with Galathon might have been, I was sure my mom had had an even worse day. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°But there was no other way, I had to do what I could to keep everyone alive. And besides, I¡¯m not that easy to get rid off. You could ask the dragon but he won¡¯t be able to reply.¡± A strangled chuckle escaped her. ¡°I know, Ahri already told me bits and pieces of what you did. That girl is a treasure, if she hadn¡¯t already calmed me down, you¡¯d have had a much harder time explaining yourself than a few platitudes and a half-assed joke.¡± I could feel her breathe deeply. She stopped shaking and energetically wiped her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back. You know about Reia? Is there something you can do?¡± ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯d rather not. I¡¯m much better at destroying things than fixing them.¡± It somehow hurt when I said it out loud but it was true. At least for the moment. ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s here.¡± I pointed over my shoulder towards Erya. By now the rest of the group had gathered around us but the only one who had approached was my brother, his calloused hand coming to a rest on my shoulder. He didn¡¯t speak but his relieved smile when he studied me told me enough. I winked at him and gently extracted myself from my mom¡¯s embrace, my gaze travelling over everyone around. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back. I know there are pressing matters we should talk about but that can wait. Everyone, this is Erya, a fey. She¡¯s here to help. Could you take us to Reia?¡± ¡°Sure, lass,¡± Xorlosh¡¯s rumbling bass easily carried over the sounds of the camp. ¡°We set a tent up for the injured. I¡¯ll get me boys out of there, they aren¡¯t in that bad a shape that they can¡¯t walk for a while. Actually it¡¯ll do them some good and they can help prepare dinner. Come on, follow me. The rest of you can get lost for the mo¡¯ I¡¯ll call you once it¡¯s over. Unless you want another couple of casters around?¡± His last question was directed at Erya. ¡°No,¡± her eyes roamed over the assembled group. ¡°Unless there¡¯s someone who has dealt with a curse before?¡± No one spoke up but I saw Aspera and Astra exchange a quick glance. I couldn¡¯t quite place it, somewhere between worry, hope and incredulity but it vanished too quickly. They busied themselves with ushering away the kids, some of which were rather reluctant to leave but they didn¡¯t protest. Estrella waved at me when she walked by, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. I hastily took a couple of steps and hugged her and her brother. With a smile for the others I rejoined Ahri and my family who were having a hushed discussion with Erya while they slowly followed after the dwarfs. ¡°I know a thing or two about curses,¡± Mordred was just saying. ¡°But I already tried and I can¡¯t break this one. The spell somehow uses the girl¡¯s own energy to fend off any attempt to destroy it. With the help of the others I could easily crush it but it¡¯d kill Reia on the spot. I don¡¯t know how it was possible to create such a thing in the midst of battle but the way it¡¯s linked to the host and its structure are way beyond me. If you want, I¡¯ll gladly help, though, even if it¡¯s just to supply a little extra energy.¡± Erya slowly shook her head. ¡°I appreciate the offer but you and your mother are looking like walking corpses. I honestly don¡¯t want to involve either of you and I think I don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll take Cassandra with me, just in case I fail, but no one else.¡± Her eyes travelled across his face and torso before she continued: ¡°but if you want to, you could organise a place for me to sleep. I¡¯ll probably be wrung dry afterwards and since your sister won¡¯t let me sleep in her bed I¡¯m all out of options for someone to cuddle with¡­¡± My mother gasped, Mordred turned a bright red that contrasted his black fur nicely and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from laughing softly. ¡°Social awareness is a thing, you know?¡± I asked her. ¡°What? The girl¡¯s going to be fine. Trust me. And look at them, your relatives appear much more healthy now, with a little colour to their cheeks.¡± I couldn¡¯t deny the truth of that. Meanwhile Xorlosh and his comrades had already reached the tent to our left and vanished inside.When we arrived, a group of rather grumpy looking dwarfs were ushered through the entrance, most of them limping. Bruises and cuts were common but nobody was severely injured form what I could tell. Those had probably been taken care of by the magicians. Each of them nodded or grunted a couple of words in passing, most of them directed at their brethren who had unceremoniously thrown them from their sickbeds. A line of 11 dwarfs thus stomped past us, directly headed for the cooking pit. When the last one was gone, Xorlosh closed the flap. ¡°It¡¯s empty now. Do you need anything else?¡± Before Erya could reply Golamosh added: ¡°I¡¯d like to join you. I¡¯m not an expert on curses but I know quite a bit about wards and protective enchantments. Whatever you intend to do, I¡¯m sure I can help.¡± ¡°Can you form a containment spell? Any higher variant should be enough.¡± The dwarf nodded. ¡°Good, come with me, then.¡± She gestured for me to follow and strode through the entrance. I was surprised that she had taken the dwarf up on his offer after her rebuke of my brother¡¯s but who was I to judge. I exchanged a baffled look with Mordred and my mother, kissed Ahri on the cheek and ducked into the tent. The smell of herbs and alcohol made my eyes water for a second and the row of improvised beds, some of them a little bloody, didn¡¯t help. In the back a curtain walled off a small space, just large enough for a bed and a few people to stand around it. Erya and Golamosh were already halfway there and I lengthened my stride to catch up to them. I reached them just when Erya moved the curtain aside. She turned to us and said with a smile: ¡°it¡¯s going to be fine, re¡­¡± her voice trailed off when she glanced into the small room. 89. Of troubles, subterfuge and a little bit of light Cassandra Pendragon Erya immediately sped past the curtain and Golamosh and I hurried after her. The small chamber contained nothing more than a bed and a tray with a bowl of clear water and some herbs which filled the air with a crisp smell that reminded me of freshly cut grass. Reia looked like a corpse. Erya had already removed the thin blanket and was nestling with a clean bandage that covered her left thigh. Reia¡¯s clothes were gone but there were still some traces of soot on her body, apparently nobody had taken the time to wash her. She was pale, deathly pale. Her tail hung over the side of the bed limply and her breath was nothing more than the faintest movement in her chest. She looked frail and small, a far cry removed from the lively girl I had met a day ago. When Erya had unrolled the bandage a sweet, rotten stench entered my nostrils and I had to bite my tongue to keep from gagging. At first glance Reia¡¯s flesh seemed abnormally white, even more so than her face, with an inconsequential cut that oozed drops of a dark liquid. The veins around the wound were black, the maze her blood vessels formed clearly visible. The discolouration stretched towards her heart like the spindly fingers of an ancient monster reaching for its prey. The worst part: I thought the twisted mass of lines followed the shape of malevolent glyphs, their power shimmering through her skin like the veiled presence of a predator at night. ¡°Cassandra,¡± Erya¡¯s tense voice brought me back to reality, I had been staring, motionless, at the girl for several seconds. Meanwhile, she had ordered Golamosh to the side where he was constructing a complex spell, purple light flickered across his raised palms, his face scrunched up in concentration. ¡°Can you read it?¡± ¡°There are glyphs hidden in there? I thought it must be my imagination. No¡­ I, don¡¯t think I¡­ wait. One glyph appears several times. I think I could draw it but I don¡¯t know what it means.¡± ¡°Describe it for me, please.¡± She couldn¡¯t see them? How had she known they were there, than? ¡°It consists of nine lines, they form a web, of sorts. There are three parallel lines running from top to bottom. Six more lines connect the lines to the left and right. Three run diagonally from the bottom left to the top right, parallel again with equal distances between them. The other three mirror them except that they run from the top left to the bottom right. They intersect along the line in the middle.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if my description was helpful but Erya apparently got the gist of it. She paled. ¡°Rot and decay, that¡¯s the Web of Fate. Give me a second.¡± She closed her eyes and when she breathed out, a mist of greenish energy flowed from her mouth. It covered Reia in a heartbeat and condensed around her wound. Suddenly there was a hissing sound and the conjured cloud was sucked into the dark lines across Reia¡¯s body. They violently flared with a red brightness and changed before my eyes. From the chaotic mess of interwoven channels a short, clean row of glyphs appeared. I couldn¡¯t read a single one but they appeared archaic, brutal and powerful, as if written by a hand that could barely contain its own strength. They shimmered along Reia¡¯s thigh, her blackened veins still visible underneath. I heard a low moan behind me and saw Golamosh breaking out in a sweat, his fingers trembling and the light on his palms wavering. Somehow the transformation had influenced his spell and he was struggling to keep it intact. Blood rushed to his face but with a grunt he forced the light into the same patterns as before and Erya¡¯s eyes flew open. She studied the glyphs for half a second and sprouted words in a language I didn¡¯t know but I thought she might have been cursing, colourfully. ¡°Son of a¡­,¡± definitely cursing. She whirled around and studied Golamosh briefly. Satisfied that he wouldn¡¯t keel over she turned back to me and continued heavily: ¡°I was wrong. The curse is straight forward enough but the purpose, the anchor is much more convoluted than I expected. It won¡¯t stop and consume everything it touches until dispelled by the master. In other words, we can¡¯t break it without killing the girl, you brother already told as as much, and we can¡¯t simply redirect it. We would have to take control of the whole damned thing. You¡¯re a complete novice concerning magic, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°Alright, every curse basically consists of three different layers. The outer one keeps it alive, in this case it¡¯s hooked into Reia¡¯s life force and soul and constantly feeds on them to provide the second layer with energy. That¡¯s the spell itself, a nasty, consumptive thing that unravels any form of life until it¡¯s gone. The core is but a tiny spark, the initial construct that conjured the curse and gave it purpose. If we directly manipulate any of the layers, the curse will consume Reia¡¯s energy to counteract the change until she has withered away. The only thing we could do is take control of the core and dispel it afterwards. Every spell contains a fragment of the caster, tiny bits of memories and identity and we would have to replace them with our own.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from putting in. Erya sighed. ¡°It is bad. It¡¯s a million times easier to simply break a spell construct than it is to take control of one. Why do you think mages usually don¡¯t even bother? Imagine the original spell as realm of its own and we have to fight its creator, its god within that realm. I¡¯m also pretty sure it wasn¡¯t the controlled golem who first formed that curse. It¡¯s much to complex and was probably imbedded beforehand to be used as a last resort, a form of suicide attack. The curse would have consumed the golem as well once activated, I¡¯d wager, if he had survived long enough. Frankly, I can¡¯t do it, the magic would consume me in seconds. Same goes for everyone around. Poor Golamosh is already on his last leg just from interacting with the thing and halting its progression.¡± ¡°Oh, come on! Fine, what do I have to do?¡± Erya was baffled. ¡°Just like that? Cassandra, I know how powerful you are, probably better than most, but that¡¯s a fight you can¡¯t win. You¡¯ll have to enter the spell and accept its rules to even try and that makes you vulnerable. You¡¯ll have to allow the magic to take hold or it won¡¯t work and than you¡¯ll be subjected to it.¡± We¡¯d see about that. ¡°Don¡¯t be dumb, you barely know the girl.¡± ¡°But I should, I should know her. Erya, these are my people. Tell me honestly, is there a chance?¡± She glowered but replied truthfully: ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ve been with you in a magical dimension before and I¡¯ve seen your shadow. You might, MIGHT, have a chance. But most likely it¡¯s going to be your last piece of hubris. Think, girl, whom do you expect to be the architect of that curse? He¡¯s burned your home as a puppet master from afar and know you¡¯re going to willingly walk into his domain? Have you lost your mind?¡± Maybe, but on the other hand¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t care. I would¡¯ve gone, even if it had been hopeless. But it isn¡¯t. Don¡¯t waste anymore time and tell me what to do. You¡¯re not going to change my mind.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°And what about Ahri, your family? What do you think will happen if I get them in here and tell them precisely what you¡¯re about to do?¡± And then it clicked. That was why she hadn¡¯t wanted them with us in the first place, she had been expecting something like this. The bitch was testing me! With a reverberating crack my open palm left a beautifully detailed handprint on her cheek. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you dare! Don¡¯t you dare question my loyalty nor my resolve! You¡¯d still have been stuck in a ruby, probably chartered off as a present for an abomination of a man right now if it hadn¡¯t been for me. I bound myself to you through a promise despite your stupid little games and now you dare to use one of mine as an excuse to evaluate how far I¡¯m willing to go? Tread carefully Erya, or you might come to know another side of me.¡± I hadn¡¯t raised my voice but my wings had manifested and a silvery light shone from my eyes. Enough with the games! Energy pulsed from my core in a continuous stream and the scent of herbs was slowly replaced by burning ozone. Golamosh¡¯s magic vanished when one of my wings slithered through it and he opened his eyes in a rush of panic. His gaze darted from me to Reia¡¯s prone form but I had already slung a couple of wings around her torso, like a compress, and physically restrained the curse. ¡°Tell. Me. What. To. Do.¡± I pressed through clenched teeth while the light from my eyes was reflected in Erya¡¯s black ones. My arms were shaking with suppressed tension while the shadows in the room fled as a wave of light flowed from my ignited wings. And the little devil was smiling at me! ¡°There, that¡¯s what we need,¡± she chirped and released a spell through the focus she had been fiddling with behind her back. I felt a strong push against my chest and stumbled backwards. Before I could regain my balance I fell, but I didn¡¯t hit the ground. It felt as if I passed through a curtain of cold water and my vision flickered. Everything turned grey. A formless landscape appeared all around me, colourless and monotone except for streaks of blinding light that tore across the horizon. Unrecognisable shapes formed and dispersed in the distance while everything close by seemed frozen in place. A low keening sound reached my ears and an unnatural cold crept through me. It felt like I was being watched. Fine with me. I was seething and the faster I managed to attract whatever form of puny god haunted this place the quicker I could cure Reia. I pushed even more energy into my wings until I felt the familiar tug when space gave way around them. Wordlessly I fanned out my tails and struck the amorphous mass around me with reckless abandon. Deep wounds appeared and the realm started to bleed energy in front of my eyes. ¡°Face me,¡± I growled. I knew I wasn¡¯t going to do him any harm but even killing off the tiniest piece of the emperor filled me with wild anticipation. And maybe I envisioned Erya¡¯s face in one or two of the spots I attacked. Had I been manipulated? Sure. Had it been necessary? Probably not, I could rally my temper well enough on my own, thank you very much. But when the scene around me abruptly transformed I came to be a little grateful for her troubles. The blink of an eye after I had first cleaved a tear into the dimension I found myself in a darkened throne room. Black pillars of marble and rubies carried a ceiling with intricately painted scenes from a long and cruel life. Torches along the walls provided just enough light to fill the hall with dancing shadows among patches of utter darkness. A massive, golden throne towered at the centre of the chamber, ghostly flames playing around its base. The figure on it was clad in a flowing, bright red cloak with an elegant crown atop its brows. I took a step forward and flames suddenly danced over the crown and illuminated the person below. Ahri¡¯s face leered at me, her emerald eyes full of disdain and hatred. Oh my, that was a mistake. Normally I might have hesitated to attack, the simple act of raising my hand against her repulsed me deeply. But right now, I didn¡¯t give a fuck. Rising up from my crouch I took a step forward, torrents of light ripped the air apart behind me and cut deeply into the surrounding pillars. ¡°First I¡¯ll tear your face off and than we¡¯ll see what you truly are.¡± The figure scrutinised me contemptuously and a single syllable thundered through the room, Ahri¡¯s soft, vivacious voice nearly unrecognisable with power and spite: ¡°Kneel!¡± The realm shuddered and the weight of a world crushed down on my shoulders. I trembled and strained against the burden, my wings dimming when I channeled more and more energy into my muscles to keep upright, but slowly, centimetre for centimetre, my legs and back started to bend. It felt like bands of iron had been slung around my body, crushing the air from my lungs and irresistibly dragging me to the ground. I wanted to scream, to cry out my defiance but even the air round me had become solid and was bearing down on me. Blood vessels popped and my energy tore away at my ligaments and bones, a warm liquid ran down from my eyes and ears but I was still standing, even though it wouldn¡¯t be for much longer. I felt like a bug, already stuck beneath the boot that would squish it and I was pissed. I relented and allowed my knees to buckle. The floor rushed up to meet me but before I struck, I vanished into a shower of silvery sparks and materialised again before the throne. I smiled through bloody teeth while my wings shot forwards: ¡°that wasn¡¯t nearly enough.¡± The creature didn¡¯t care, its answer was almost bored: ¡°if you say so.¡± The throne and its occupant disappeared before I could touch them and a circle of purple flames ignited around me with a pair of eyes mockingly blinking through the fire. Faster than a thought the trap converged on me. Pure agony flooded my body when the first purple sparks brushed against my skin. For the briefest moment I forgot where I was or what I was doing, all I knew was the consuming heat that dance along my nerves and gnawed at my sanity. A tormented scream ripped from my throat and I toppled over, my head striking the ground with a solid thud. Ahri¡¯s voice that held a sensual note by now whispered in my ears: ¡°is that enough? Or can you take even more?¡± The flames bit deeper, hungrily consuming every spark of hope, of individuality until nothing remained but the pain. The pain and my anger. Defiance made me move and instinct carried me along the silvery lines in my mind. Gasping for breath I materialised 30 meters away, behind one of the pillars but before I could regain my bearings, crushing arms of cold stone wrapped around my torso. The marble had sprouted claws and fangs, blurry faces pressed against its surface from the inside, madly trying to get out while they pulled me ever closer. Like a fly in a spider¡¯s web I was ensnared within a heartbeat, thick fingers of solid darkness held me tight. ¡°Silly girl. There¡¯s nowhere to hide in here, I am everywhere and everything. You¡¯ve entered my realm and now you¡¯re mine!¡± My back was pressed against the pillar and I stubbornly lashed out with my wings. Cleanly cut pieces of rock rained down around me while I fought to get enough space to blink away without being reduced to a pulp. Insane laughter accompanied my struggles. ¡°Oh, look at you! So much fire. You¡¯re going to entertain me for a long time and with your essence I¡¯ll be able to finally leave this place. Dance for me, Cassandra, dance!¡± And so I did. With a pirouette I fanned out my wings and slashed through everything around me. An instant later I collapsed into a flash of light and appeared in the centre of the chamber on the now vacant throne. Where had it gone? Before I could move again the very air around me froze, the shadows in the hall started to wiggle and shiver and the gruesome scenes carved into the ceiling came to life. Tortured souls, subjugated monsters and weapon wielding minions sluggishly fought against invisible forces that held them back but malformed limb after malformed limb they struggled free. ¡°This is not reality. This is a manifestation of my will and you won¡¯t ever leave!¡± Animated nightmares dropped down, the darkness closed in from all around and the air held me in place like an ant in ember. I was trapped in the dream of someone else and the rules were his to make. Suddenly I had an epiphany. If this was but a figment of his will, I wouldn¡¯t have a real body. I had entered a spell, not a real pocket dimension. Everything I was, was energy, purpose and my visualisations of what was going on. There were no muscles to burn or skin to rupture. I could access my core freely, in here, I wasn¡¯t limited by my frail tissue. In here, I was more than a god, I was a true angel and I wouldn¡¯t succumb to a ghost from my past. Let there be light! 90. Of power, pitfalls and a little bit of history Cassandra Pendragon My wings lit up like a solar flare when energy rushed from my core like a tidal wave. Harsh light, at first silvery blue and then a glaring white, vanquished the shadows that had encroached upon me. A spherical shockwave pulsed from my body, annihilating everything it came in touch with. The creatures that still clung to the ceiling were brushed away like mosquitos in a storm and the unfortunate ones that had already dropped down were reduced to sparks of stardust in an instant. Pillars toppled over and burned before they reached the ground, the throne weathered the bright onslaught for a heartbeat before it disappeared in a blaze of light. Black marble became white hot slag when the darkness gave way to brilliant brightness like the night to a beautiful sunrise. And still I pushed more energy from my core, the infinite reservoir eager to finally come to life. The silvery marks on my skin were the first parts of me to change, erupting into a maze of glowing lines that was visible despite the glare while I disappeared behind a veil of power. The outlines of my wings became blurry and seemingly fused together to form a flickering halo behind my back. The glow from my eyes turned into a torrent of light that streamed forth like a wave of liquid fire, effortlessly cutting through stone, darkness and mutated flesh. My senses awoke for the first time, piercing the chaos around me with frightening ease. I saw the monsters turn into ash in minute detail, I smelled the evaporating spells and I heard the panic ridden thoughts of a soon forgotten memory. Whatever piece the emperor had left behind, for the first time in its existence it knew fear. Bottomless, overwhelming, cruel fear that reduced it to a cowering shadow, hidden in in the fabric of the very world around me. And still I pushed, my core could offer so much more. I became a deadly incarnation of light, as if the sun had been compressed into a tiny kitsune, its power barely contained by the frail from, leaking out as streams of magic. Lightbringer, indeed. The world turned into an immortal furnace and I felt the realm around me unravel. The very laws that bound this place became undone, washed away in a storm of light. There was no resistance, no desperate shove for more energy to stabilise, an abundance of energy was the problem after all. Everything in me screamed to fill this place with cleansing fire but I didn¡¯t know what that would do to Reia. Right now, I felt certain that she wouldn¡¯t be drained but what would happen if I destroyed this place I couldn¡¯t tell. For all I knew she could already be changed in one way or the other. My awareness flickered through the different impressions my enhanced senses provided me with, the visualisations I had come up with before slowly dispersed into a world of energy and magic. The room vanished, replaced by threads of multicoloured light that formed abstract, minuscule formations which in turn were the building blocks of the realm I was in, its structure laid bare before my eyes. Interwoven with every single construct was a foreign purpose, something alien that had claimed the magic and subjugated it to its will, a faint shadow behind the veil of this reality. And shadows had to flee before the light. I focused on one singular glyph and tentatively bathed it in the glow, emitted from my eyes. Surprisingly enough there was no violent reaction, instead the threads of energy seemed to absorb some of it and hummed with a newfound brightness, the lingering darkness was dispelled. Swaths of memories broke lose when their anchor vanished and they immediately started to deteriorate, their structure unable to withstand the light. Hazy figures appeared and enacted blurry scenes from the distant past. Somehow I knew that I was witnessing a fragment of the decisions and moments that had led the emperor to cast this spell, that had formed the web of fate which had made this moment unavoidable. It was a chance to get to know my enemy. Carefully I concentrated on the collapsing images and allowed them to expand. With dazzling speed traces of a memory combined into a shadowy sequence. A young boy with honey coloured skin, black hair and intelligent brown eyes stared blankly at a closed door. His homespun, dirty robe hung around his narrow shoulders as if it had been made for someone much wider in the chest. He was alone in a small room, a bed and a low table were the only furniture found and I could practically smell the rotten straw that peaked out beneath a worn blanket. The door opened and a friendly looking man in his forties entered. He kneeled in front of the boy and put his hand on the small shoulders. The resemblance between them was obvious and his next words made their relationship clear. ¡°Son, I¡¯m sorry. I have to go. Let that be a lesson to you: those without power always suffer. It may not be our war, nor were they our gods but if I don¡¯t fight they¡¯ll kill me anyways. I pray that one day I will see you again, there¡¯s always hope. But in case I shouldn¡¯t return, remember what I told you, if you have nothing left, she¡¯ll help you. I love you, Amon, never forget that.¡± A suppress cry shook the boy in his arms and they vanished like an airy fog under the midday sun. Did I just witness a scene form the emperor¡¯s youth? The moment that had set him on a path of violence and domination? Wearily I glanced at the hidden strands of memory. My enthusiasm at unravelling his past had evaporated. In a way, this whole thing was a trap. Knowledge led to understanding and understanding engendered pity. I didn¡¯t want to feel for him, it was much easier to simply hate him, to picture him as the incarnation of something evil and not a living being with a past full of suffering that had shoved him down a path he hadn¡¯t wanted to tread on in the first place. I knew enough about myself to realise that I wouldn¡¯t be able to hate or condemn someone whom I understood, there was a reason after all why I had never bothered to talk to anyone I had had to kill. The question was, could I still fight him until the end if I came to know him or would I risk everything on the abysmal chance that I could maybe change his fate, give him back the opportunity to make his own way, free of the shackles thrust upon a young boy by cruel circumstances. Damned be it all, like I had told Viyara, sometimes you just had to suck it up, not everyone could be saved. I wouldn¡¯t forget, nor would I forgive, burdens you had to carry were no excuse to make the world suffer. My wings flared even more brightly and the light wrapped around every fibre of magic in this place, cleansing the emperor¡¯s¡­Amon¡¯s presence in a surge of luminosity. Clouds of memories rose around me like a maelstrom of dark waters, churning and changing and fleeting. I let it take me in, allowed it to catapult me through space and time to a distant past that still held sway over the present. The light and magical structures of the realm vanished, instead of hazy silhouettes that replayed pieces of Amon¡¯s life before my eyes I became a part of them, similar to how I relived my own memories¡­ It was cold, the sun had set hours ago but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move my feet. As if tied down by iron chains I stood before the mound of fresh earth that contained my mother and brother and now also my father. My whole family had been taken from me and for what? To wage a war against forces we had been told to worship before, paltry gods invented to justify the rule of depraved men over a declining society. I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all but all I managed was a strangled croak, more sob than anything else. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. What was there to do? I was alone, my village gone, my family murdered and despite their guilt the ones responsibility still sat on their golden thrones in the capital, ready to subjugate the next generation to rebuild what they had lost. I curled my tiny hands into trembling fists. No more, no more would I be powerless and the plaything of others. The next war I¡¯d have to suffer through would be of my own design. And even if I had to sacrifice my life and soul, I¡¯d make sure the world would remember my name and that even a god king could bleed. Today, when the last shovel of earth had covered my father¡¯s face, Amon had died. The frightened, useless child was gone, in its stead stood a man with a purpose. First, I¡¯d end the travesties of existences that had brought the fires of war into my life. Seth, Sobek, Horus and Isis, they would all pay. I was going to purge this world of their taint and then I¡¯d wreak my revenge on everyone who had a hand in their creation. My shaking body slowly stilled as a newfound purpose streamed through me. I was no longer Amon, the scholar, but a child of despair and that was what I would bring to a world that had taken everything from me. I exhaled deeply and looked down on my family for the last time. A cloud obscured the moon and in utter darkness I shed my last tears before I turned away, ready to walk a new path, one that would allow me to rise above my grief and change the world as I saw fit. And I knew exactly where I had to start¡­ The cave was damp and cold, the filthy rags that were all I had left provided no protection form the creeping cold that seeped through my body. My bloodied feet, my sandals had fallen apart days ago, made barely a sound as I carefully tottered deeper into the darkness. The place reeked of dark magic but I wouldn¡¯t turn around, the old me might have been scared but I had nothing left to lose and the thing that lived down here would either kill me outright or allow me to become more powerful than I could possibly imagine. Either way my suffering was going to come to an end soon¡­ White hot agony flooded through me as my soul was warped and twisted, my mind trying to flee from the consuming onslaught but I couldn¡¯t. Kneeling in place I had to endure everything the witch was doing to me while I was wide awake. Her spidery legs caressed my cheeks while her eight eyes, ablaze with energy, bore down on me like I was the most succulent treat imaginable. I didn¡¯t know why she had even listened to me or what kind of perverted amusement she got from keeping me conscious but I wouldn¡¯t back down. Her offer had been to good to be true: surrender yourself and I¡¯ll make you strong enough to achieve your goals. Sooner or later I¡¯d make her pay for what she was doing to me but right now I needed her, I needed her to face my enemies¡­ My hands were covered in gore but I didn¡¯t mind. It amused me that I had never killed anyone until a month ago and now I was liberally digging through a still breathing body, the screams that should have appalled me were nothing but a faint distraction while I closed my fist around a still beating heart. I yanked it free and a shudder ran through its previous owner. I didn¡¯t particularly enjoy torture but it was necessary from time to time. The rag tag band of lowlifes I had gathered over the last weeks stared at me, fear, admiration and nausea reflected in their eyes while I raised the heart from the bloody hole the chest of the mage had turned into. Without hesitation I brought my hands close to my mouth and bit down, the last thing the servant of the empire would see was a thin, ragged boy who stood tall over him and consumed his heart while his spirit fled to the next world. An image that would hopefully haunt the bastard in his next life. A surge of energy pulsed through me, the stolen essence coming over me in a rush. I felt my soul expand and grow, nourished by the life I had taken. The blood left a metallic taste in my throat but the warmth that flowed through me made up for the minor inconveniences I had had to go through. A thousand sacrifices, the spider had said, a thousand sacrifices and I¡¯d be ready to end this war. If I was going to have my way, the eight legged monster would be one of them. Blood spurted from the corners of my mouth as I chomped through the tender meat and a cruel smile formed on my face¡­ Ah, destruction, chaos, mayhem. How I had come to love the scenes of despair that always followed when two armies clashed, steel against steel, magic against magic and flesh against flesh. Screams of pain and fear hung over the battlefield like a thick blanket punctuated only by the staggering staccato of colliding weapons. I breathed in deeply and felt the power of a thousand souls strain against the confines of my body, their anger and hatred palpable, especially from my former teacher. Good, I¡¯d need that. With a twist of my mind I sent forth a hungry stream of death that ate through the opposing army and brought back the sweet nectar of their life force, my reservoirs swelling even more. At this rate I¡¯d be able to face one of the so called gods on my own very soon. The thousands of corpses that were left in my wake would be put to good use. My father had been right, those without power always suffered for those who wielded it, but fortunately I wasn¡¯t on the wrong side of the equation anymore¡­ The royal family, bound and gagged on the floor, was shaking in fearful anticipation. They were right to be scared for today would see the end of their dynasty. I needed their armies and their resources to face the gods they themselves had brought down on us and as long as one of them still drew breath, my rule would always be in jeopardy. Children, concubines, wives heirs and the pharaoh himself, they would all find their end at the tip of my sword. Let the butchery begin! A part of me was shaking in anticipation when I descended from the throne I had forcefully taken. There was something soothing in the crimson tide that flowed from cut throats and opened chests, it filled a hole inside of me I hadn¡¯t even realised I was carrying around until the drops of blood from my first victim had finally started to close it with a blissful rush of fiery energy. This would be so much better¡­ Four tiny statuettes stood before me, the magic they contained a constant hum behind the veil of reality. I had waded through rivers of blood, I had erased a dynasty and led an empire into ruin and everything had been done for this. Everything had been done to finally send those abominations back to the hell they had crawled out of but somewhere along the way I had become just like them. It didn¡¯t bother me, I was who I was and I didn¡¯t care if I was called evil or good, god or devil, all I had ever cared for were my goals and to repay just a little of the debt I had owed the world since I was but an innocent boy. The tower I was in was the last remainder of what had once been the prosperous capital of an empire that had reached from sunup to sundown and from the icy fields of the north to the flaring heat of the southern jungles. Now, when I gazed through the window, all I saw was rubble, ash and the corpses of the ones I had had to sacrifice to make this possible. Their cooling bodies littered the abandoned streets, at least those that had survived the final blast. There was nothing left, no foe to vanquish, no height of power I could still strive for. I was the last survivor of a ruined world. The thought made me laugh hysterically. ¡°You are avenged,¡± I murmured. ¡°I¡¯ve finally done it.¡± Surprisingly tears came to my eyes when I thought of my family for the first time in ages. What would they say if they could see me now? No matter, they weren¡¯t here anymore, nor was anyone else who could judge me. My gaze travelled east, across the despoiled lands and towards the coast. Somewhere across the waves another continent supposedly existed. Another place where I could start again, relive the highs and lows of battle, butchery and conquest. Another place where I could leave my mark¡­ 91. Of rests, meals and a little bit of initiative Cassandra Pendragon A final impression fluttered through my thoughts, incoherent and blurry before I again found myself in the realm of the spell, the memories I had lived through still vivid in my mind. The shadows were gone and the magic vibrated with a new brilliance. I could feel it now, like an extension of my mind and with nothing but a thought I willed the strands of energy to dissolve. The constructs vanished without resistance and like a rising curtain the realm disappeared. My perception shuddered and I stumbled back into reality. I blinked in the dim light inside the tent, the crisp smells and muffled sounds that suddenly flooded my senses were disorientating for a moment. I had fallen to my knees in front of Reia¡¯s bed, my wings encircled us both in a translucent sphere of silvery light. Erya and Golamosh were standing on the other side, their faces lined with worry. I was exhausted as if I had just truly lived through a fraction of another¡¯s life. My hands were shaking and I was struggling to get to my feet. Reflexively I used my wings to push me upright and the small movement caused Reia¡¯s eyes to flutter open. Her perplexed expression made me smile. ¡°Welcome back,¡± I rasped. My voice was hoarse and nearly cracked from the few words. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Her eyes focused on me and I thought I saw a silvery sheen flicker across them. Before I could voice another thought her thin arms circled around my neck with surprising strength and she pulled me into a heartfelt embrace. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks and into my hair while she breathed: ¡°thank you, thank you so much. I thought I was lost.¡± She started to cry in earnest, her frail frame shook with heavy sobs. I settled down beside her on the small cot and cradle her head while her tears started to wash away most of the dread and desperation she had felt. Gently I moved the blanket that had become entangled between us and studied her thigh. The small wound was gone, a silvery scar all that remained, barely visible among her porcelain skin. The glyphs and dark traces of infection had disappeared and when I carefully brushed over the spot I felt her healthy warmth beneath my fingers. She was cured. I relaxed and for the first time in I didn¡¯t know how long I was truly happy. Instead of killing or destroying I had saved a live, I had preserved something precious and that was the best feeling in the world. I retracted my wings to get a little more space and curled my tails around the girl in my arms. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll always be there for you,¡± I whispered. I held her tight, as much for her comfort as for my own, and closed my eyes. It had been one hell of a day. A warm hand squeezed my shoulder and when I looked up I saw Erya¡¯s face close to mine, pride written all over it. ¡°Well done. I¡¯m sorry for what I did, but we can talk later. You should rest, you¡¯re nearly as pale as Reia. I¡¯ll inform the others, stay here for a while and sleep, at least for a few hours.¡± My temper stirred, albeit only lazily, and after a moment I smiled at her. I rested my head on the pillow and didn¡¯t even hear Golamosh and her leave the room anymore. I slept dreamlessly and when I woke up I felt refreshed. The setting sun blinked through the open exit and I felt Reia¡¯s regular breath against my cheek. We were still on the same bed but someone had covered us with another blanket and left food and water close by. The grumbling from my stomach reminded me how long it had been since I had last eaten and I gently extracted my tails from Reia to get up. We were still alone in the tent but the lingering smell of pine trees told me exactly who had checked up on us. I sat on the edge of the cot and after making sure Reia was still soundly asleep I focused on the strips of meat and slices of bread. It was simple but delicious and after only a few moment I had devoured more than half, regretfully leaving the rest for the girl. My joints protested a little when I stood up, strained by the cramped sleeping arrangements, but all in all I felt much better than before. I stretched and quietly left the tent. The camp had changed, another sky ship hovered in the air close to the other one and fires had been lit at regular intervals to provide some light as soon as the sun would have set. The horizon was already ablaze with red light, an early dusk turning into night before my eyes. An improvised table now stood next to the cooking pit, a couple of dwarfs slowly spit roasting an animal I had never before seen in my life. It looked like a deer but with an additional set of legs and the hearty smell of sizzling fat and meat wafted around my nose. Everyone I knew by name was sitting at the table on slightly burned, wooden chairs salvaged from the wrecks. The wounded dwarfs had an extra footstool, mugs of ale and water were arrayed before them. The pirates from the ship we had hijacked were nowhere to be seen, I thought they might be retained in the brigs of both airships. Most of the dwarfs were still busy in the workshops but they appeared to be wrapping up for the day. Some of the older children were seated at the table but most of them were still strolling through the camp in groups of twos and threes, exploring and sometimes even playing. The atmosphere was much lighter than I could remember and for a second I imagined that we actually were out on a camping trip, the deprivations and losses of the last days far away. I took a deep breath and made my way towards the cooking pit. Ahri was the first one to see me and she smiled at me dazzlingly before she got up and strode towards me. With a goofy grin on my face I rushed forwards to embrace her and when we kissed everything around me became insignificant, all that mattered was the taste of her lips. I was still astounded that her presence influenced my mood to such a degree but I was thoroughly thankful to have her in my life. When we parted after a few blissful seconds, she cocked an eyebrow and said: ¡°How¡¯s Reia doing? And how are you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine and as soon as I get my hands on a little more food I¡¯ll be great. Thanks for looking after us, by the way. What did I miss?¡± ¡°Not much, at least nothing important. Come along, the roast will be ready soon and it should be enough, even for your ravenous appetite. Between what I already knew and what Viyara told us everyone has a rough idea of what¡¯s going on but they¡¯d like to hear your side of the story.¡± We had strolled over to the table in the meantime and I grabbed a seat beside Ahri. Xorlosh sat at the head of the table but otherwise there was no apparent order. My mother sat to my left and my brother across from me, in between Erya and Viyara. They got up and hugged me briefly when I joined, the mingled scent of hot metal, flowers and the subdued, musky scent of my brother made me smile again while a feeling of security slowly spread through me. ¡°Welcome back, lass,¡± Xorlosh greeted me. ¡°The little one is better, I assume?¡± ¡°She¡¯s healthy and will be up soon. Thank you again for all your help, you¡¯ve done much more than we could ever have expected.¡± I stood and bowed, first to the wounded dwarfs and then to everyone else. ¡°All of you have proven to be true friends and I hope I can one day repay you. You didn¡¯t suffer anymore losses, did you?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Nah, only a few scratches.¡± The wounded dwarfs harrumphed. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, like I said, me lads and I have a thing for whacking the noses of creepy wizards, don¡¯t we boys?¡± A resounding ¡°aye¡± went around the table and most of the dwarfs took the chance to empty their mugs in a salute. ¡°We have already heard a bit about your exploits from the two lovely ladies you brought along but while we wait for our meal, I¡¯d much like to hear from you what has happened. Also, we have to make a decision on how to go on. Since the kids are safe for now, I don¡¯t want to linger here for longer than absolutely necessary. I don¡¯t know if anyone has told you yet, but there are old ruins all over this island and some of them may make my beard curl up. This isn¡¯t a friendly place by any measure.¡± ¡°My sister and I,¡± Astra added while she nodded gracefully at me, ¡°just finished a scrying spell and there is magical residue all over the place, most of it close to the centre. The island may be deserted now but it definitely was the home to powerful mages in the past. There¡¯s no way to tell what kind of spells they may have left behind. I¡¯d very much like to explore the runes, given the chance, but it would be prudent to not stir any unwanted attention while we¡¯re still on the run, more or less.¡± Right, of course it couldn¡¯t have been just an uninhabited island. Considering how the last few days had gone, I was just glad that we hadn¡¯t landed in the middle of a vampire enclave or the hunting grounds of another dragon. ¡°Are the two ships or at least one of them fit to fly?¡± I wondered, my gaze travelling up and down the table, decidedly avoiding eye contact with the children. ¡°I¡¯m asking because whether this place is dangerous or not I want the kids out of here, preferably directly after our meal. We have two ships now and I¡¯d like to send one of them back to Arthur as soon as possible. We¡¯ll get the children to safety as well as anyone else who wants to leave.¡± I had to raise my voice to drown out the protests my words had caused but under my seething glared even the most impertinent kids fell silent quickly enough. ¡°Which reminds me, have you heard back from the ship you sent to meet my brother?¡± ¡°We did and I briefly talked to him,¡± my mother replied. ¡°He¡¯s coming after us as fast as he can. If we get a ship in the air tonight, they will be able to reach him within two days, three at the most.¡± ¡°Good, we¡¯re in danger here, and not only from some remnants of the past we might encounter.¡± I took a deep breath before I continued. ¡°The emperor¡­ Amon, that¡¯s his name, or at least was long ago, already dug his claws deep into the local power structure. While I was gone I found out¡­ well, you can form your own opinions¡­¡± I quickly recounted my story from the moment I had used the scrying ritual to reach the ship. They listened to me with rapt attention despite everything Ahri, Erya and Viyara had already told them. I talked for a good 10 minutes and was barely finished when two dwarfs carried the heavy roast to the table, the heavenly smell of perfectly seasoned meat with just a hint of an ale-glazing made my mouth water. While I finished my story with a quick explanation of what had happened when I had tried to break the curse on Reia and what I had seen afterwards, our plates, or rather the wooden planks we used for that purpose, were filled with steaming, succulent food and I could barely concentrate on my words anymore. Luckily Xorlosh cut off any questions: ¡°You did well, Cassandra, truly. But let¡¯s postpone everything else until we¡¯ve eaten. An empty stomach makes for poor decisions and I, for one, am famished.¡± He raised his mug: ¡°to a good meal and a brighter future!¡± We echoed his toast and I took a sip from the spicy brew before I started to devour everything I could get my hands on. Meat, bread, dried fruits and pickled vegetables, nothing was save if I could reach it. Low murmurs of conversation flowed up and down the table over the clattering of knives and a few heartfelt belches from the dwarfs but I was much too occupied to pay them any attention. I only glanced at the sick tent once in a while to make sure Reia hadn¡¯t come out yet, but other than that I was solely focused on my meal. When I had cleaned my plate for the third time and had flushed everything down with an ample amount of mead I leaned back in my chair. Mordred was engaged in deep conversation with Erya and Viyara, his usually somber demeanour forgotten as he gestured wildly to emphasise his words. If I hadn¡¯t known better I¡¯d have said he was trying to impress them. My mother was telling one of my favourite fairytales to Archy and Estrella while Ahri conversed seriously with a small boy, not older than 5 summers, who had walked up to her a few minutes prior. Aspera and Astra were arguing with Golamosh about the results of their spell and the poor chap was already red faced and sweaty, unable to convince the sisters to let him look over their spell formation. Pete, whom I hadn¡¯t seen before, was talking to Xorlosh quietly, his red nose indicating just how much he enjoyed the dwarven brews. No one was paying attention to me for the moment and I had to stifle a treacherous impulse to slink off into the night and look for a place to close my eyes. Now that my belly was filled and the warmth of the fire was slowly spreading through my body I was feeling bone-tired again but I knew I had to hold on for a little while longer. I emptied my mug and slammed it down on the table, the loud noise enough to make everyone focus on me again and the few who hadn¡¯t heard quickly realised that their neighbours weren¡¯t listening anymore, prompting them to turn around as well. ¡°Now then, hopefully it¡¯s clear by now why I want the children far away from here. I imagine most of the captains from the Pirate Islands will be on our tails sooner rather than later and the less time they have to find us, the better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always talking about the children,¡± my mum interrupted. ¡°Why can¡¯t we all leave? We could regroup with Arthur or even try to find allies, the elves, the dwarfs or even some of the human kingdoms are surely willing to help. I don¡¯t see why anybody should remain here.¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a good chance that a path to the other continent will open. Remember what Erya, or rather Pete, overheard? Amon said he¡¯d be here in person soon enough. If he can bring his army with him, we won¡¯t stand a chance later on. Our continent is divided, we don¡¯t have large empires to match what he could throw at us, if we don¡¯t want to condemn our world to a war we can¡¯t win, we¡¯ll try everything in our power to prevent that from happening. I quite agree with you, some of us should leave and at least inform the neighbouring kingdoms of what might be coming. I¡¯m going to stay, though. I¡¯m sure some of our prisoners can point me in the right direction.¡± I glanced at Ahri, Erya and Viyara to make sure they were on board with what I said next. ¡°And if I have some help we¡¯ll find a way to either stop them or slow them down enough for anyone else to actually get here before we have to face hordes of golems and soldiers. The attack on Boseiju might have been for personal desires but whatever he¡¯s planning here, is about power.¡± ¡°After everything I¡¯ve heard I agree with you, but how do you think you, or any of us for that matter, will manage?¡± Xorlosh asked. ¡°You¡¯ll have an awfully hard time to disguise who you are. I hate to break it to you but none of us could walk through a port without causing a stir. Me lads might have a chance as there are some dwarven mercenaries this far south, from time to time, but you fox kin stick out like a sore thumb and the two gals you brought along won¡¯t fare much better. They¡¯ll know where and who you are as soon as you set foot on an inhabited island.¡± ¡°I can help with that,¡± Erya chimed in. ¡°A little illusion magic goes a long way when it comes to hiding something. After I¡¯m done no one will recognise us. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a point in trying to dissuade her, she can be stubborn like a dragon and in case something goes wrong she¡¯ll have Viyara, Ahri and me by her side. We¡¯ll figure something out. The question is, does anyone else want to come with us?¡± Before even my mum could answer a quiet but firm voice said from behind: ¡°count me in.¡± Unbeknownst to us Reia had woken up and left the tent. 92. Of dynamics, trials and a little bit of boldness Cassandra Pendragon ¡°No, definitely not! You¡¯ll leave with the others, end of discussion.¡± I caught my mum¡¯s eye, who shot me a disgruntled glare, probably because I hadn¡¯t talked to her before announcing that I was going to stay, but nodded once before I continued. Including every child with a sweeping gesture I said: ¡°None of you will stay, we¡¯ve only come here in the first place to get you back and I¡¯ll be damned if I allow anything to happen to you. As soon as the ship leaves, all of you will be on it.¡± Most of the kids seemed perfectly content at the prospect but some had obviously expected to be treated as adults and went on to voice their complaints loudly and all at once: ¡°I¡¯m the best healer you have, you can¡¯t send me away¡­¡±, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, the bastard had my parents killed¡­¡±, ¡°you¡¯ll need all the help you can get, why can¡¯t we stay¡­¡±, surprisingly I couldn¡¯t hear Reia¡¯s voice among the cacophony and when I looked at her a small smile played around the corners of her mouth as she said firmly: ¡°My family is gone and as the last living heir I demand the right to proof that I¡¯m fit to inherit their responsibilities. I petition the royal family for a chance to face the Trials of the Moon.¡± The kitsune part of the table fell silent while the rest exchanged confused glances. I couldn¡¯t blame them, I myself had only read of the Trials in an old history book. It was a remnant from a time shortly after the cataclysm when the families had been small. Death had been a regular occurrence back then, sometimes due to starvation or sickness, sometimes due to accidents or fights. It had happened quite often that a bloodline disappeared save for an underaged child. If a family had ceased to exist, their fortune would have been confiscated by the crown and if only a minor had survived, the crown would have kept the assets safe until the heir would have come of age. In this context that didn¡¯t mean the ceremony I had undergone when I had turned seven but rather the sprouting of a third tail or, if that wouldn¡¯t happen, reaching a tender age of 100 years. The Trials of the Moon were an ancient edict that allowed the heir to proof his or her competence and assume the position of patriarch or matriarch regardless of age and the number of tails. The candidate in question would have to show his qualifications in direct comparison to the royal who would otherwise be in charge of his heritage. The court would decide on three challenges as suitable representations of the duties the contender would have to face as the head of a house and if he won at least two of them he¡¯d become a fully fledged member of the court, responsible for his own house. The idea of invoking a questionable ritual form the past in a field camp was utterly ridiculous and I was just about to say that out loud when my mum spoke up: ¡°The crown hears you, Reia Lightsong. As there is no court at present, the royal family will preside as judges over the trial. You may pick one of us as your opponent since there is no fixed distribution of duties, yet. Do you agree?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­ouch,¡± I was rudely interrupted when Ahri pinched my side. She leaned over and whispered into my ear: ¡°Don¡¯t be daft. Don¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on? Reia is willing to accept the old structures, the old laws. If you or any of us start questioning their validity how do you think we¡¯ll keep those rascals in check? Your mum will allow the Trial and make sure it¡¯s brutal enough that no one else is going to petition for it. Reia will have a couple of bruises and maybe sulk for a while but afterwards they¡¯ll do as your mum, as their queen, says, at least for now. Don¡¯t fuck that up!¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Did they really think we could go back to how things had been? No, that couldn¡¯t be it. Most likely we¡¯d become a part of whatever Arthur had built anyways and I couldn¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d allow my mum to take over. We should just get the kids on the ship and save the lessons for a less dangerous time. Ahri pinched me again. ¡°And don¡¯t frown like that. You¡¯re thinking about it the wrong way. They just lost their families and most of them are completely alone in the world. Structure is necessary or some might lose their grip. Just imagine how you¡¯d feel and what you¡¯d do in their situation. We have to pretend that everything will go back to normal sooner or later even if it¡¯s a lie, at least until they have a permanent roof over their heads and a place where they can develop new attachments.¡± ¡°How does everybody do that? Why do all my friends know exactly what I¡¯m thinking?¡± She laughed softly and gently bit my earlobe. ¡°Because your expression changed with every word I said. It¡¯s not hard to picture what¡¯s going through your head once we know you a little. Don¡¯t worry, I think it¡¯s cute and you¡¯re a terrible liar anyways. Maybe I¡¯ll give you a little pointer on how to do better, once you¡¯re old enough.¡± I couldn¡¯t think of an eloquent response given how distracted I was and chose to ignore her. Additionally she might be right after all and I couldn¡¯t change a thing about the matter anymore. While Ahri had kept me quiet, Reia had approached my mother, passing an eerily silent crowd, and knelt at her feet. My mum, in turn, had placed her hands on Reia¡¯s head and was just saying: ¡°by the power vested in me as your queen, I grant your request. Whom do you wish to face in the Trials?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know what the tasks are, before I make my choice.¡± ¡°A wise decision. I¡¯ll allow it. Cassandra, Mordred, come with me. As the only members of the court present we¡¯ll devise the challenges.¡± My brother and I got up from our seats and followed her. The dwarfs we passed looked at us curiously, only Golamosh seemed a little worried. The elves still wore their neutral expressions but I thought I saw Astra exchange a quick look with my mum on the way past her. We were headed for the now empty sick tent and once inside I didn¡¯t wait to voice my doubts: ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? Like, at all?¡± ¡°At least as much of one as you staying behind is,¡± my mom answered scathingly. ¡°This serves a purpose. What do you think you can accomplish here? Except from getting caught, of course.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Do you realise that you¡¯d be left with no one to follow your stupid traditions by now, if it weren¡¯t for me? I meant what I said, I truly think I can delay or stop whatever Amon is planning. What do you think you can accomplish with that Trial? Except for risking injuries and delaying our departure, making it much more likely that we will get caught.¡± We glared at each other until Mordred intervened. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said quietly. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. I¡¯m not going to argue with either of you but Cassy, this Trial is going to happen, whether you like it or not and mother, Cassandra will stay behind, whether you curse her or wish her good luck. Now then, can we focus on what we can actually do? I hope you had an idea that goes beyond ¡°let¡¯s uphold an outdated tradition¡± when you agreed to this. I¡¯d like to hear it.¡± My mother stared me down for a moment longer before she answered: Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Yes and no. I couldn¡¯t do much but agree, otherwise half of them would have stayed here anyways, thinking they could decide for themselves. Hurt and angry as they are they¡¯d follow in your sister¡¯s footsteps and try to avenge their families. I¡¯m not going to let that happen. I might not be able to make my own child see reason but I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t get each of the kids back to safety in one piece.¡± Considering how furious she was I thought that that was as much of a concession that she understood my reasoning as I was going to get and I had to suppress a grin. At least I knew whom I had inherited my temper from. ¡°As for now, it shouldn¡¯t be to hard to think of three tasks any one of us can accomplish better than a child. She has to lose but I don¡¯t want to humiliate her. Any ideas?¡± Accepting the olive branch for what it was, I replied instantly: ¡°As far as I remember, the tasks were usually tailored to represent the future duties of a noble. Right now that¡¯d include rebuilding, diplomacy and, whether we like it or not, fighting. How about a duel to the first blood, negotiating some form of official treaty with the dwarfs and organising the repairs among the two ships? It shouldn¡¯t take more than couple of hours, a day at most, but none of us know a thing about it and Xorlosh or one of the others could evaluate our efforts.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe,¡± my brother added slowly. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if the dwarfs would allow anyone to meddle with the repairs and honestly, I think it¡¯s a terrible idea to include negotiations. It¡¯s either a farce if we don¡¯t intent to honour the agreements or we might be bound a badly worded contract. No, the duel is fine, martial prowess has always been an important virtue, but the rest don¡¯t work. It¡¯s risky, but how about an expedition to the centre of the island? Explore the magical residue and find its source. Diplomacy and ingenuity. The contenders would have to find a group capable of solving the problem, let¡¯s say 5 at the most, convince them to help and then they¡¯d have to proof their resourcefulness in actually finding out where we are and what happened here. We could ask Erya or Viyara to go with Reia beforehand, to make sure she doesn¡¯t get in over her head.¡± He smiled curiously. ¡°Who knows, this way the little one even stands a sporting chance and we can skip the duel. It¡¯d be pointless since the winner would gain nothing, considering the expedition would account for two victories and I¡¯d feel much better knowing I¡¯m not going to have to beat the shit out of a little girl.¡± Point taken. My mum disagreed, though. ¡°No, I see your point but I neither want her to have a real shot at winning nor do I want a couple of kids to explore the island. It¡¯s just too risk. What if they do find something and can¡¯t deal with it? Or worse don¡¯t recognise it and unknowingly trigger an old trap or a slumbering monster?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that something would sleep through the battle you fought here,¡± I said. ¡°And it¡¯s equally unlikely that there¡¯s a spell or something similar a dragon or a fey can¡¯t deal with. I quite like the idea. We should give her a chance, if she pulls it off, she might as well stay with me. I know, that wasn¡¯t the idea, but the longer I think about it, the more I feel like there might be a point to the Trials. Age isn¡¯t everything. If she outsmarts one of us, she¡¯ll be fine on her own.¡± I didn¡¯t know what had prompted me to say that and my mother obviously shared my surprise. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± My mum erupted. ¡°Do you even know how old she is?¡± ¡°15?¡± I guessed even though I imagined she might be quite a bit younger. ¡°She¡¯s 12! I know you¡¯re not stupid, so why would you possibly want her with you?¡± I had to collect my thoughts for a moment. Frankly, it was mere intuition. When my brother had proposed an expedition it had felt right, somehow, and now I had to rationalise something I had been strictly against not two minutes ago. A coherent argument took a while to construct. ¡°They aren¡¯t children anymore, or at least they won¡¯t be once everything that has happened has sunk in. If she thinks she¡¯s ready to take on that burden and everything that comes along with it, we won¡¯t be doing her or us any favours if we disregard her. We should take the Trials seriously and think of something that actually challenges her as a person. If she prevails, we¡¯ll honour our side of the bargain and if she doesn¡¯t, the kids will have a much easier time accepting it. Mordred¡¯s idea works nicely, first of all it¡¯s useful, we¡¯re pretty much broke and everything we unearth and can sell later on is a load off of our chests. Secondly, she deserves the chance and thirdly, I could really use her help.¡± I raised my hand to prevent them from interrupting. ¡°Most of what I¡¯m going to do in the foreseeable future is talking to people and trying to find out who is who, I¡¯m not going to fight anybody if I can help it. She won¡¯t be in too much danger. Mostly likely I¡¯ll start in Free Land, I have to talk to an official form the city state anyways. She can easily get information that¡¯s unreachable for me. Reia is still young enough that she can, with a little effort, associate with the orphans and street rats, for example. Pete is probably already too old and firmly in the ¡°adult¡± category and she will have a much better time getting them to talk.¡± I thought it made sense, for the most part. My mum, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°Oh boy, if you truly believe that I¡¯ll have to tie you down myself and make sure you¡¯re onboard with us when we leave. Would you kindly tell me what made you change your mind? I¡¯m not yet suffering from Alzheimer¡¯s and I can recall quiet vividly how you opposed her in the first place.¡± ¡°Fine, but it¡¯s not going to sound much better. I just have a gut feeling, that¡¯s all. Following the Trials and including a challenge to figure out what¡¯s going on here just seems like the right thing to do. I can¡¯t really explain it, but when I heard Mordred¡¯s proposal I¡­ it¡¯s like I listened to a lesson from dad about the value of traditions again and I finally got the meaning. Plus¡­ not allowing her to chose for herself what she wants to do doesn¡¯t sit well with me. I know she¡¯s young but like I said, she¡¯s been through enough and has earned her right to decide her own future. She¡¯s already proven that she¡¯s mature with how she behaved when I first found the kids.¡± ¡°Now, that sounds more like my daughter. Doesn¡¯t mean I agree with you. I¡¯m not going to disregard your intuition but I¡¯m also not comfortable with the whole affair. I admit, I might be biased as I¡¯m still peeved about your plans, Cassy, but I¡¯ll hold my tongue if your brother¡¯s on board. Mordred, I know it was your idea in the first place, but do you really want to send a child on a magical scavenger chase? With a lethal mission as a reward?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t guilt trip him, mum,¡± I murmured. ¡°It won¡¯t work, anyways. I stick to my words. We should give her a chance and I think we can make sure Reia comes out at the other end, unscathed. I say let her try and fail on her own merits.¡± My mother¡¯s eyes traveled between us before she nodded slowly. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s tell her.¡± When we came out, Reia was already waiting for us in front of the exit, the rest of the kitsune had formed a lose half circle behind her. When she saw us, she bowed deeply. My mum didn¡¯t let them wait for long. ¡°We have decided. The three virtues that will be tested today are your fortitude, your ingenuity and your power of persuasion. We devised a single task that allows you to proof your prowess among all three. You¡¯ll have to gather 4 allies to explore the centre of the island. You are to figure out what caused the magical residue and if it¡¯s a danger we have to deal with. Now, contender, pick your opponent.¡± Reia straightened and sought eye contact with each of us before she replied: ¡°I pick Prince Mordred as my opponent, unless the royal family disagrees.¡± We all shook our heads. If I had the chance I¡¯d ask her why she chose my brother, the way she had studied us made me think there was a valid reason. When she saw our reaction, Reia continued: ¡°I¡¯d also like to use the opportunity to ask Princess Cassandra for her help. In case I¡¯m allowed to take four others with me, I¡¯d be honoured if she was willing to accompany me.¡± 93. Of histories, paranoia and a little bit of justification Cassandra Pendragon Well payed, Reia, there was no way I¡¯d decline. I was curious as to why I had suddenly changed my mind in regards to the Trial and the consequences if she would manage to pull through. Maybe some part of me had rebelled at the idea of taking the decision away from her, maybe it had had something to do with the island itself, but either way I wanted to know for sure and going with her would make it a hell of a lot easier. But the little vixen couldn¡¯t know that now, could she? Well, as her de facto subordinate for the next couple of hours I was going to have ample time to question her. ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure,¡± I said out loud with a small bow while my mum nodded and addressed Reia and Mordred: ¡°I¡¯ll be the sole judge, then. You have two hours to prepare. Both of your parties will work together as far as necessary and I¡¯ll decide if you passed the trial based on the accounts of everyone who¡¯ll come along. Strictly speaking this is against tradition as we don¡¯t have a direct confrontation but since the circumstances we find ourselves in are rather irregular and we don¡¯t have a full court to prepare three balanced challenges, it¡¯ll have to do for now. Reia Lightsong, Mordred Pendragon, assemble your parties and come back here two hours after sundown.¡± As soon as my mother had finished Reia had been swarmed by some of the older children, harassing her to take them along. If she had a pound of brains she¡¯d shoo them away. The kids weren¡¯t going to be of much help, Archy¡¯s healing might come in handy if things went south but other than that she¡¯d be much better served with some of the dwarfs, or, if they were willing, Erya or Viyara. Ahri would tag along anyways, if only to keep an eye on me, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell Reia any of that. She¡¯d have to figure out what she wanted to do on her own. I quietly wandered off towards the cliffs where the last rays of the setting sun turned the ocean below me into a sea of gold and painted the horizon with streaks of red and purple. On my way past I gestured for my friends to follow me, my impulsive behaviour from before still bugging me. The whole thing had been a dumb idea. An ancient rite of passage in the middle of nowhere to decide whether a child was fit to take responsibility for her life. To top it all of, if she truly managed to win, as unlikely as that seemed, considering my mum was going to play jury based on hearsay accounts, she¡¯d be officially a fully fledged noble. The Lightsong family had been a rather important one back on Boseiju and, if she played her cards right, she could do pretty much whatever the fuck she wanted. What had I been thinking? Never mind taking her with me, she could simply tag along and bring even more of her miniature friends. Well, I could always say no, I supposed, but that would bring along a whole other string of problems, especially after the integral part I was playing in the Trials. Damn it, I should have prevented this farce from the start. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ahri¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. I heard her heartbeat behind me, her scent mingled pleasantly with the sweeter notes I had come to associate with Erya and Viyara¡¯s presence of molten gold. ¡°Nothing, well, maybe something. But that¡¯s not¡­ it can wait. We have two hours during which we aren¡¯t needed and I¡¯d just like to talk. I¡¯ll explain what¡¯s on my mind but for now¡­¡± I turned around and hugged each of them. ¡°So much has happened and I sometimes feel like I just can¡¯t keep up anymore.¡± I settled down, my legs dangling over the cliff. ¡°I¡¯ve been running from one mess to the next. I need a few moments and I¡¯d very much appreciate your company.¡± I felt them exchange glances behind my back and a moment later Ahri sat down on my right, her tails encircling my middle. Viyara and Erya made themselves comfortable behind us, unwilling to scoot closer to the edge. We admired the colourful display while darkness slowly crept over our world and the first stars appeared in a blackening sky. The sounds of the animals across the island changed, the buzzing of insects slowly drowning out the last birds settling down for the night. Distant hammering still echoed through the air, the ships being constantly repaired, even after sundown. The only thing that didn¡¯t quite fit was the lingering, acrid stench of burned wood, fabric and tobacco. Confused I turned around. Erya was sucking on a massive dwarven pipe. She blew bluish clouds of smoke into the air, punctuated by a small ring from time to time. ¡°What?¡± She asked when she caught me staring. ¡°Want to try?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine, thanks. I just never pictured you for someone who¡¯d enjoy inhaling burned plants.¡± ¡°I also like alcohol and that¡¯s basically juice gone bad. Maybe when you¡¯re older.¡± She winked. We fell silent again, each of us preoccupied with their own thoughts. It wasn¡¯t until the last rays of sunlight were gone and the sky was ablaze with a myriad of stars that Viyara spoke up: ¡°I always loved nights like this but now¡­ it somehow feels wrong. Gazing at the starts without the rumbling explanations of my father. He always told the most fascinating stories about the stars, he claimed some of them were even alive while others supported civilisations far greater and older than everything we have on this world. I thought his stories to be fairytales, you know, invented for my pleasure, but now¡­ was he right?¡± I didn¡¯t have to answer, Ahri beat me to it. ¡°Yes, he was. And there are so much more of them than you can imagine. Worlds full of light or darkness, made of ice or fire. Cities with unimaginably high towers that pierce the sky in sleek spirals, others built under the ocean or deep in a mountain, their roots reaching ever deeper into the earth. It can be beautiful and deadly but it¡¯s always astonishing.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Viyara almost whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it. Hasn¡¯t Cassy told you who she is?¡± ¡°Not really, a few hints here and there but she wanted to talk to you beforehand. I assume you¡¯re of the same species?¡± We nodded simultaneously, but again it was Ahri who replied. ¡°In more ways than one. We¡¯re both Kitsune, you know, tails, ears, heart, soul, the whole deal, but we have another, how to put it, part to us. Something ancient, it¡¯s not the soul or any part of the body but something else, like a¡­ like the basic idea of who we are. Those things are old, really old. We don¡¯t know exactly for how long we have existed, but you¡¯d be hard pressed to find a star that could tell tales of our birth. So, in a way, we have been around for quite some time, but on the other hand, we haven¡¯t. Our life began anew, not too long ago. We have some memories of what has been before, but mostly we have to make do without, a fresh start.¡± Silence reigned while Viyara digested what she had heard. Erya seemed satisfied, as if she had guessed correctly all along and just now received confirmation. I was surprised at how openly Ahri describe what we were, but I wouldn¡¯t complain, I was the one who had woven close, magical ties between us, after all. Maybe that was the reason why Ahri was so forthcoming. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Why are you here, then? I mean, why are both of you here at the same time? What you described sounds an awful lot like reincarnation. I¡¯d understand meeting one of you, but two?¡± I sighed. ¡°Make that three, if you stick around long enough. One of our¡­ cousins is probably close to the emperor and we will run into him sooner or later. But to answer your question, this was supposed to be my story, until that little vixen,¡± I playfully swatted Ahri¡¯s head with one of my tails, ¡°decided to barge in. I¡­ I¡¯m not completely sure but I think I was killed by my brethren, or rather one of them. We had, or since I survived, still have some minor political issues but I haven¡¯t yet figured out the whole story. As for Ahri¡­ well, why don¡¯t you tell them yourself, darling?¡± ¡°Im here to keep her alive. ¡°Minor political issues¡± is a pretty euphemism for ¡°most of our siblings want her dead, permanently¡±. Not that I can blame them, she can be a royal pain in the ass, but in this case¡­ well, that¡¯s another story. Suffice to say I won¡¯t stand for it, not again. My reincarnation was voluntary and partly controlled which means, the things I know about my past are much more structured but still rather confusing than actually helpful. I¡­ during the battle for our home I brieflyhad access to most of my memories but they are gone, or sealed again.¡± ¡°And what about the ghost like man you conjured from that silver coin?¡± Erya chimed in. ¡°You said he was your teacher, how does he fit in?¡± ¡°You see,¡± I answered slowly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said my death had been about politics, power played a huge part in it, but there¡¯s¡­ I think there¡¯s more to it. Mephisto is one of our cousins, a sister race if you so want, pretty similar to ours. He¡­ I think he sacrificed a part of himself to allow me to survive, but again, I¡¯m not sure. He doesn¡¯t tell and if she knows,¡± I gently placed an arm around Ahri¡¯s shoulders, ¡°she won¡¯t, either.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, I really don¡¯t,¡± Ahri quickly assured me. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I do remember. The rest is guesswork.¡± Her soft laugh suddenly filled the air and she leaned into me while she turned around: ¡°now, do you think we are raving lunatics, or do you simply regret having met us?¡± The girls behind us blinked confusedly before they joined in, their melodic voices a beautiful mixture of mirth and music that brought a bright smile to my face, albeit a self conscious one. I had always thought that I was bound to them by my promises, but it went both ways. They didn¡¯t have much of a choice anymore, either. When the laughter had died, we continued our conversation but kept to less personal topics. Not until we talked about the Trials and what was likely going to be at the centre of the island did I mention what had bugged me before: ¡°If I¡¯m honest, the whole thing is a stupid idea, including your arguments, Ahri. They¡¯re children, admittedly, they¡¯re traumatised, but that¡¯s all the more reason to bundle them about and get them somewhere safe. If they challenge us, we¡¯ll spank them. They don¡¯t have to love us or follow the rules of a society nearly extinct, they simply have to function for a few days. A scavenger hunt on an island that makes Xorlosh¡¯s ¡°beard curl up¡±, as if it were some kind of game, is the exact opposite. Not to mention the whole ¡°heiress to a noble household¡± affair and that I don¡¯t think I can just send her away anymore, in case she wins. But yet¡­ when I was in the tent I somehow felt certain that I had to go through with it and now I can¡¯t even imagine what made me act that way. If I hadn¡¯t been immune to magic, I¡¯d have sworn I was being manipulated. Any ideas what might be going on? Or did I just experience a simple lapse of judgement or¡­ maybe some form of premonition?¡± I looked around and made a vague gesture. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make any sense either, because I¡¯m either rambling right now or most of you experienced pretty much the same thing. I mean, none of you questioned the Trials and you even defended my mother¡¯s position. Think about it. Was it really the right call?¡± They took a moment to think about what I had said. ¡°It was, or it wasn¡¯t, depending on your perspective,¡± Viyara replied. ¡°You just want to get the kids out of here and that¡¯s pretty much it. You¡¯ve just said as much, to you, your society is nearly extinct. Your mother doesn¡¯t see it that way. Everything she can preserve is worth the effort. As for your change of heart: Cassandra, your impulsive, exhausted and stressed. Don¡¯t overthink it. Maybe you made a mistake, maybe you didn¡¯t, either way, it won¡¯t change much. Let everything play out and do what you can to make the best of it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Ahri added. ¡°First of all, I still think it¡¯s the right call, not the precise challenge, mind you, but the Trial itself. Allowing Reia to take control of her life back, showing the others that one amongst them is ready to move on, that¡¯s invaluable and very well worth the risk. Secondly, you¡¯re probably more conflicted than you admit, even to yourself. You do see the point but you don¡¯t want to condone anything that could harm the children. If I had to guess I¡¯d say you changed your mind when you were away from them and swapped back once you saw them again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± I intervened. ¡°Even back in the tent I thought it was a bad idea, rationally, but I¡­ I just felt like it was right. Everything you say sounds logical to me. I didn¡¯t make a reflected decision, I went with my gut. Maybe that¡¯s just it. It bothers me that I was willing to bet Reia¡¯s life on an intuition. Admittedly though, what you said makes sense, maybe it could have been worse.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about prophecies,¡± Erya said after a short silence, ¡°or premonitions but I do know a thing or two about the subconsciousness or ¡°gut feelings¡± as you said. Normally that happens when you¡¯ve already realised something without understanding it. You meet someone in a tavern, for example and share a drink. Suddenly you just want to get as far away as possible without knowing why. Later you pass by the gates and see his face on the wanted posters. You have already passed them when you entered but didn¡¯t really look at them. Back at the tavern, your new acquaintance held his head the same way he did on the poster and you subconsciously recognised him which made you want to flee. A poor example, but I think you get the gist. A little paranoia isn¡¯t the worst, but I think there¡¯s no reason to believe you¡¯ve been the victim of a conspiracy, Cassandra. At least not in this case. You simply changed your mind.¡± The more they talked, the sillier I felt. They were right, I had overreacted. There was no need to invent trouble where there was none, we had enough of that in the real world. ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re probably right,¡± I said out loud and tried to shrug off the gnawing feeling of unease, snuggling deeper into Ahri¡¯s warmth. It had either been a good idea or it hadn¡¯t, for now I¡¯d have to live with it. ¡°Would you come with us anyways? I don¡¯t care if you go with Mordred or Reia but I¡¯d feel much better knowing you were close by. You know, just in case.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear. ¡°Sure, but I think you¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on beforehand,¡± Erya replied. ¡°I had a quick look at the scrying spell the elf used and it¡¯s good, really good. I¡¯m pretty sure your mother gave the contenders two hours so she¡¯d know what they were going to find before they even left. That way she¡¯d be able to go through with the Trial in a controlled fashion. She¡¯s a clever woman, I don¡¯t think you give her enough credit Cassandra.¡± Huh, maybe¡­ probably. But why hadn¡¯t she said so back in the tent? To ensure a fair fight as either me or my brother were going to compete with Reia? That¡¯d mean she had always intended this outcome. Why pretend, then? Had she expected me to go against her out of principle? That couldn¡¯t be it¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that your brother, running towards us?¡± Viyara asked. Her senses must be absurdly well developed, I could just about hear his muffled footfalls but I¡¯d never have been able to tell who it was from the distance. 20 seconds later she was proven right when Mordred came to a halt some 10 meters away. He was already talking when he stopped moving, his voice raspy from his sprint. ¡°You should better come along. Astra did something with her scrying spell and she¡¯s been freaking out ever since. The whole rolling eyes and talking in tongues schtick. Archy and mom are keeping her breathing for the moment and I went to fetch you as fast as I could. Could you come with me and take a look at her? Maybe you can help her.¡± We were already scrambling back to our feet. Paranoia, huh? It sure as all hells didn¡¯t seem like it. 94. Of traces, apparitions and a little bit of fate Cassandra Pendragon Being right could suck, from time to time. Now it did. After we had rushed across the camp my brother had led us to a couple of trees behind the pond. Astra had prepared a small spelling area I hadn¡¯t seen before, a low trunk serving as an improvised table. Several parchments and a dimly glowing crystal were still lying there, apparently forgotten. A few meters away, Astra was on the ground, her head resting in her sister¡¯s lap who was struggling to keep her still while cramps ran up and down her body and strange words rolled off of her tongue. My mum and Archy were on either side, working some kind of magic on the convulsing elf while Golamosh was busily applying a circle of runes to the ground around them. They were all covered in sweat, streams of energy slowly rising from Archy¡¯s and my mother¡¯s hands to envelop Astra in a multicoloured blanket of light. Erya hurried over to add her own energies to the mix, while Ahri, Viyara and I stared at each other, somewhat lost. Mordred finally managed to catch his breath and joined us on the sidelines. There wasn¡¯t much we could do, Ahri and I weren¡¯t even capable of casting spells. With a thought I changed the world around me to shades of silver, determined to at least observe what was going on. Archy and my mother blazed brightly with all the magic that was running through them and Golamosh nearly vanished behind a fog of energy. The two soul bound sisters on the other hand appeared surprisingly normal. While I could understand why Aspera, she was a fighter after all, wasn¡¯t aglow, Astra should have shone like the sun, but she didn¡¯t. Instead it seemed like she was constantly becoming darker, her inner fire unable to outshine the magic surrounding her. She was fading, slowly but surely and I didn¡¯t have the shadow of an idea as to why. I pushed more energy from my core into my eyes until I could follow every particle of light that travelled through her body. I picked one at random and focused on its path, how it travelled through her veins, through her organs until it reached her heart and suddenly disappeared. That shouldn¡¯t happen. I concentrated harder on her centre, willed my gaze to pierce straight through the maze of energy until bright strands of light unfolded before me and I finally saw¡­ something. It wasn¡¯t like it had been in the spell, I didn¡¯t enter another realm, I just perceived much more. Little details like the structure of the magic and the precise flow of energy stuck out to me, the same as a small hole, for want of a better word, in the middle of Astra¡¯s heart. Like a drain it channeled the magic my mother and Archy were pumping into the elf away and sucked her own reserves dry in the process. While I watched, the thing flickered and for the briefest moment a surge of light flashed through Astra¡¯s body before vanishing into the ground. It was over much too quickly to understand what had happened but at least I managed to get a glimpse at the torrent of power that left Astra and raced towards the centre of the island. A grim smile formed on my face, despite all the fretting, there would be no Trial. I tapped Ahri on the shoulder and gestured for Viyara and my brother to follow. As soon as we had left the shadows of the trees, I turned towards the line of sentry fires at the edge of the camp and the verdant hills in the distance while I started explaining: ¡°If one of you thinks he can help with the healing they are attempting back there, please stay. Otherwise I have an idea. Every ounce of magic they are currently trying to shove into Astra is somehow redirected into the earth and towards the centre of this island. I don¡¯t know how or why, but I¡¯m going there right now to find out.¡± They quickly exchanged glances and since no one seemed to think that there was something meaningful to add to the efforts of our healers, we continued on as four. I took a moment to inform one of the dwarfs why we were heading out and to ask him to relay what I had said to Xorlosh. He obliged me with a deep frown on his face, mumbling something about cursed lands into his beard before he scampered off. Some of the children saw us moving through the night but none approached us, cowed by the stories that must be circling the camp by now and we probably didn¡¯t appear like we¡¯d welcome a distraction. Well, none but Reia. She didn¡¯t even hesitate on the way over, as if it¡¯d be the most natural thing to join us. I was just about to tell her exactly what I thought about that idea when I bit my tongue. Again I felt this strange¡­ certainty that she should come with us. This time around, though, I didn¡¯t simply give in but tried to pinpoint what was making me feel that way. I was still rationally convinced that taking her along was a terrible idea, who in their right mind would take a child with them to investigate the source of an obviously dangerous spell? But somehow I knew we¡¯d be sorry if we left her behind. That was it, I didn¡¯t think or believe, I knew we needed her with us, as if I had lived through this before. Which begged the question if I could trust that knowledge and how the hell I could know things I hadn¡¯t lived through, yet. Wearily I massaged my temples and slowed down enough for the little fox to catch up with us. ¡°Do you honestly consider taking her along, after everything you just said earlier,¡± Ahri whispered into my ear. ¡°By all the gods, have you lost your mind? If you hesitated before, why would you think bringing her along now makes any sense at all?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± I snapped. ¡°Sorry, but I just know she should be there and it¡¯s driving me nuts! Alright, you decide. I don¡¯t want her with us but if it¡¯s up to me I¡¯ll take her because of some strange malfunction in my brain. What do you want me to do?¡± She blinked once, twice before she replied: ¡°I trust you. If there¡¯s a part of you that believes we¡¯ll need her, that¡¯s good enough for me. But I¡¯m not going to be the one on babysitting duty for the whole time.¡± I only nodded and mumbled quickly: ¡°we¡¯ll share,¡± since Reia was already close enough to understand us. ¡°And what do you think you¡¯re doing here?¡± Mordred welcomed her. She took a moment to catch her breath before she answered: ¡°Since you¡¯re headed out towards the centre I¡¯m not going to simply stay behind and forfeit. I already heard what happened to Astra but I¡¯m not going to give up. Who knows, maybe I¡¯m going to save your tails before this is all over.¡± ¡°You, save me? Let me tell you¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± I said quietly. ¡°If she wants to come, we¡¯ll let her.¡± I took a step closer to Reia, the top of her head was somewhere below my chest and she had to strain her neck to look me in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this once. This is not a fancy event back home where the worst that can happen is a little humiliation and maybe a broken bone or two. I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to find but I¡¯m fairly certain it won¡¯t be all sunshine and rainbows. You don¡¯t have to join us, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll come up with another task, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. I¡¯m not going to stop you either, but you had better be certain, there might be no turning back.¡± For good measure I pushed a trickle of energy into my eyes to intensify their glow. A bit melodramatic but hey, it got the message across. To Reia¡¯s credit, she didn¡¯t even flinch. She stared at me for a long moment before she replied steadily: This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I don¡¯t want to turn back.¡± ¡°Fine. You¡¯ll stay behind me at all times and, if I¡¯m not around, you¡¯ll cling to Ahri like her shadow. Understood?¡± She nodded and I exchanged quick glances with the others. While Ahri had known what was to come, Mordred and Viyara hadn¡¯t expect me to allow her to stay. Viyara appeared thoughtful while my brother was simply confused. I tried to reassure him wordlessly that I knew what I was doing, in a way. He seemed about as convinced as I myself felt, but at least he didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Alright, Let¡¯s get going. I¡¯m going to fly ahead and take a peek from above. Maybe I can guess where we need to go. I¡¯ll be back in a couple of minutes. If I¡¯m not, I¡¯d much appreciate it, if you came looking for me. Also, could you get a rope before you leave? I¡¯m sure one of the dwarfs can help us out.¡± This time all of them looked quite confused. My wings materialised behind my back and I rose into the night sky while I called down: ¡°trust me, if we don¡¯t bring one to explore an unknown island, we¡¯ll regret it soon enough. You always need a rope.¡± At least this time I knew I was speaking from experience, even though I couldn¡¯t quite remember how often I had wished for one without ever receiving an answer. What would make an immortal wish for a rope, I wondered.Maybe it hadn¡¯t been first hand experience, after all¡­ Cool air brushed over my back as I spiralled into the sea of stars above us, the incredulous look that had appeared on the faces of my companions made me chuckle softly. I angled my body to allow a warm streak of air to carry me higher while I constantly pushed towards the centre of the island. The fragrances in the air changed with every wing beat, form the aromatic herbs among the rolling greens close to the cliffs to the heavier scents of trees, forests and larger animals. The birdsongs that had been loud and clear when I had arrived where nearly gone by now, an occasional cry that reminded me of owls or the harsh caw of a crow the only noises I could pick up over the rushing wind. The old trees that covered the hills at the centre seemed foreboding under the starlight, their crooked silhouettes reaching for me with gnarled fingers. I felt certain that whatever we were looking for would be hidden somewhere in their shadow, buried beneath their roots. A pity my second sight would be no help at that distance. I relaxed my eyes and allowed the shapes below me to flow together, searching for any form of structure among the forest that would hint at ancient ruins or some other form of civilisation. Details became blurry but in exchange the overall layout became visible. The treetops vanished and turned into a dark blanket, spread over valleys and peaks with visibly frayed holes where the forest was less dense. Outlines of the underlying topography stood out as harsh cracks in the otherwise smooth surface. At first nothing seemed artificially created but once I circled above the hills, the structures around the source of the creek caught my attention. From up high I was able to spot a circular elevation and several straight lines that could have been walls, a long time ago. Slowly I descended and landed lightly just a few steps behind the spring. Lush grass muffled my footsteps and the smell of moist earth welled up when I turned in a circle. The first thing I noticed was the silence. No rustling leaves, stirred by the wind or the hurried movements of animals that fled my presence reached my ears. I could hear my own breath and the soft thudding of my heart but other than that, everything remained quiet. Goosebumps erupted along my arms and down my spine but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from the eerie stillness or the temperature. It was cold, much colder than it had been up in the sky. A cloud of faint vapour escaped my mouth when I exhaled, obscuring the trees and the swiftly flowing creek for the fracture of a second. The canopy was much lighter than I had expected and several stars as well as the rising moon provided enough light to take a closer look at my surroundings. Behind the spring, the trees stood further apart than elsewhere and appeared¡­ younger. A rectangular shape formed by elevated, straight lines broke the natural vegetation even though it was covered by moss and vines. The circular outline I had seen before was even further away, a group of healthy and tall cedars grew at the centre of a ruin that must have once been a tower, their mighty trunks and straight branches towering over the trees around them. As if on cue, I felt the faintest tingle of energy flow through my tails and the earth trembled. Deep vibrations sent waves across the gurgling creek and shook leafs and dead branches from the trees. The next second the flowing waters shimmered with a pale light and I felt a mounting pressure, as if I¡¯d be diving deeper and deeper into an ocean. Old wood groaned under the strain with a sound awfully similar to cries of pain. A pulsing glow shone from deep within the earth and illuminated the scene with a ghostly, hazy brightness while the pressure I felt disappeared. Instead I heard a voice, my voice to be precise, reverberating through the air: ¡°bring the girl, or he will come through. Bring the girl or we will fail.¡± The light died down and the vibrations ceased. Right, on the plus side I had definitely found the place, on the other hand¡­ that hadn¡¯t been ominous at all. I sat down on the grass, even if I was going to go along with ¡°my¡± demands, I didn¡¯t intend to jump at anyone¡¯s say so. Defiance aside, I had a decision to make. I could either go on on my own, the others would come after me soon enough, but I could probably get a decent head start. If I had stumbled into some kind of trap, doing what it says would be close to suicidal. Pressing on alone would make sense in that case. But¡­ first of all I couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of idiotic scheme would result in a trap like that. Secondly, considering that I had already been influenced in that direction despite my immunities implied some sort of connection. If it was malevolent, I¡¯d be screwed anyways since it could apparently manipulate my thoughts to a certain degree. One minute later I was setting down in front of my friends, smiling brightly when I realised that Mordred had even tied a rope around his mid. They had already crossed the grassland and were waiting for me under the protruding branches of an araucaria. I lost no time to tell them what I had seen and heard. ¡°¡­ and then I flew back here, as fast as my wings could carry me. I¡¯m willing to listen to the¡­ to my voice, but essentially it¡¯s up to you, Reia. Do you still want to come?¡± ¡°More than ever. I don¡¯t have an explanation for what¡¯s going on and honestly, I¡¯m a little scared, but I believe there¡¯s a reason why I¡¯m here. I think I can help with whatever lies ahead.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then. It isn¡¯t too far and I haven¡¯t seen any signs of large predators but keep your eyes and ears open, plenty of animals could have hidden in the shadows when I flew over their heads.¡± ¡°I can solve that easily enough,¡± Viyara replied. With an elegant movement she stepped out of the loose clothes she was wearing. A shimmering, golden fog enveloped her before her shirt could hit the ground and a moment later the already familiar, toothy grin of a golden dragoness made Mordred gulp and Reia turn impressively pale. ¡°Show off,¡± I murmured beneath my breath as I picked up her clothes but Viyara had heard me nonetheless. She winked at me, her scaly eyelid obscuring the glow from underneath for the fracture of a second while I felt her consciousness press against mine. A moment later I could hear an echo of Reia¡¯s and Mordred¡¯s surprise flow through her, while Ahri¡¯s thoughts reached me directly through our tattoos. ¡°There¡¯s no animal under the sun that¡¯s willing to hunt a dragon. Climb onto my back and I¡¯ll get us there swiftly and safely.¡± That was indeed much better than walking through the underbrush. I swatted Mordred¡¯s behind on the way past and used my wings to jump onto Viyara¡¯s head. ¡°Not afraid of heights, are you?¡± I teased our only two members who couldn¡¯t fly on their own. Reia became even paler and Mordred apparently started to question some of his choices. 95. Of rabbit holes, tunnels and a little bit of guardians Cassandra Pendragon My brother was afraid of heights, or at least of flying on the back of an oversized snake, which made the trip all the more enjoyable. While Reia quickly lost her fear and enjoyed the sensation of riding the wind, he wrung his hands and kept his eyes closed. Lucky for him it didn¡¯t take long to reach the spring on the back of a dragon. When Viyara landed he was the first to jump down. He walked a couple of steps and inhaled deeply, fighting down a bout of nausea. Grinning I followed suite and helped our living carriage back into her clothes once she had transformed. The place unsurprisingly hadn¡¯t changed but without the strange manifestations it seemed much more welcoming. No eerie silence or otherworldly displays of light haunted us, which I found highly suspect until I remembered that the magic had left Astra in waves. There was probably some kind of buildup necessary before anything could happen and we had stumbled in, during one of the tranquil periods. ¡°Once my dear brother has caught his breath we should search for some kind of entrance. I saw a pulsing light, right about there,¡± I pointed below the group of cedars. ¡°And I¡¯d say that¡¯s where we need to go. To me, the small elevation over there looks like the ruins of a tower and the cedars might be growing in what had once been the basement. Maybe there¡¯s a door or something similar that leads further down.¡± ¡°Brilliant idea, I¡¯ll get my spade and a couple of buckets¡­¡± Mordred grumped crankily. ¡°Sure, if you want to dig a hole, go ahead. I¡¯m sure Viyara can fly you back to camp to get the necessary equipment,¡± I replied scathingly. ¡°Or, you could use the thing between your ears to, I don¡¯t know, search with a spell or, if that doesn¡¯t work, search with your gods damned eyes. But hey, why not dig through the mud? I¡¯ll definitely not think that you¡¯re a bloody moron.¡± My companions stared at me dumbfounded and Mordred even opened his mouth a few times without uttering a word. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s been a long day,¡± I apologised. ¡°That was uncalled for even though you can still shove your comment up your¡­ anyways, except for Ahri and me, you can use your magic. Look for patches with a higher density of energy or simply for a hidden tunnel. ¡°It can¡¯t be too difficult, now, can it?¡± As it turned out, it was and in the end it was happenstance more than anything else when we finally found something. We were skimming through the trees and along the elevated stretches, which had turned out to be overgrown walls once we had dug through a couple of centimetres of plants and earth, accumulated over centuries, when Reia suddenly cried out. Fast as my enhanced reflexes were, I still only managed to whirl around in time to see the tip of her tail vanish down a rabbit hole. ¡°Reia,¡± Ahri and I screamed simultaneously while we rushed for the spot her tail had vanished. I got there instantaneously, I had unfurled my wings before to boost my second vision, but all I could do was stare down a dark, steep tunnel that had apparently swallowed Reia hole. The entrance had been hidden beneath a huge, green plant with little, blue blossoms and large, fleshy leafs. A sweet fragrance, soothing and somewhat revitalising, wafted around the plant. Reia had probably moved closer to savour the smell and had stepped on the overgrown hole. She was slim enough to simple fall through and glide down the natural slide. If she didn¡¯t have the same form of claws as Ahri, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her descent, the tunnel was angled much too steeply, the walls much to slick with decaying leafs and loosely packed earth. ¡°Oh no,¡± Ahri breathed behind me while Mordred and Viyara still fought their way through the underbrush. I couldn¡¯t agree more, still I said instead: ¡°I think we can all fit through. Mordred might have to draw in his shoulders a little but it should work. Ask him to tie one end of his rope around a root close by. Who knows, if we¡¯re lucky it¡¯ll be long enough. See you soon.¡± I retracted my wings and took a step forward. Immediately I lost my footing, fell on my back and accelerated down the tunnel. The trip down was neither comfortable, quite a lot of poky things punctured the tunnel wall and scraped across my skin when I slithered past, nor scenic. Darkness with a tinge of mould and the wiggling ends of earthworms didn¡¯t make for the best backdrop. On the plus side, it was fast. Fast enough that I was starting to worry about the inevitable collision at the end. Hopefully Reia had had the presence of mind to crawl out of the way. In preparation I pushed my wings out again but I was afraid to damage the walls around me in case the tunnel might collapse so I didn¡¯t anchor myself in the loose earth. Instead I formed a spherical shield around me and pressed my wings against the air to at least slow down a little. And it worked, to a certain degree. When the walls gave way to a larger cave, I didn¡¯t shoot out of the tunnel like a stone from a sling but I was still fast enough to tumble uncontrollably through the air for several meters before I crashed into cold, hard rock. Of course there wouldn¡¯t be a patch of nice, loose earth or soft vegetation where I landed. ¡°Ouch.¡± That was an accurate summary of what went through my head for a few moments. When I was convinced that I hadn¡¯t damaged anything important and that the pain was gradually diminishing I finally deemed my surroundings worthy enough to spare them a second thought. A little push and the energy from my core allowed me to see the cavern in all its glory. Maybe my expectations were a little skewed, the last underground chamber I had entered had been the hoard of a dragon after all, but honestly, I somehow had expected a little more than nothing. Damp, muddy and bare were the words that came to mind. The only remarkable things were the floor which was surprisingly flat with patches of worked stone, like tiles, blinking through the earth here and there and a breach in one of the walls that led further into the darkness. I didn¡¯t spare the time to take a closer look, though, as I quickly discovered Reia, who had come to a halt a few steps further away. She was just scrambling to her knees, confusedly turning her head from left to right. She had a few scratches and the way she moved her left arm made me think she might have broken or sprained her wrist but other than that she seemed fine. I hurried over to her side and pulled her to her feet gently. ¡°How bad is it? Can you stand on your own?¡± She blinked a few times to clear her head before she answered: ¡°I¡¯ll live. But my arm hurts and I¡¯m dizzy. I think I hit my head somewhere along the way. Could you put me back down? Sitting seems like a good idea right about now.¡± Gingerly I complied. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t know enough to examine her through mundane means and there was nothing wrong with the way her energy moved inside her body, at least nothing I could see. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Take a few deep breaths and tell me if it gets worse. Don¡¯t close your eyes, though. You might be concussed, falling asleep wouldn¡¯t be the best idea.¡± I propped her up against a wall and listened for the noise that whoever came down the slide after me would undoubtedly make while I amateurishly fumbled with her wrist. The pained gasps that escaped Reia from time to time told me exactly how skilfully I handled her injury. The wrist was already swelling and she couldn¡¯t move it in either direction without without a considerable amount of pain. The joint wasn¡¯t broken, I thought, but sprained. It hurt like hell but I was much more worried about her dizziness and shallow breaths. Heavy cursing reverberated down the tunnel and made me turn around just in time to see Ahri slide through its mouth, elegantly rolling into a crouch. Clumps of earth stuck to her clothes and a couple of brown leaves and broken roots had somehow got entangled in her hair and the fur along her tails. With her disgruntled expression she reminded me of a soldier back home, who had fallen from one of Boseiju¡¯s higher branches and somehow managed to hit so many obstacles on his way down that he had survived with barely an injury. Smiling at the comparison between the brutish fox and the slender vixen as well as the similarities in their language I made my way over to her and pulled her up. ¡°Nice of you to drop in. Where¡¯s the rest?¡± ¡°They should be¡­¡± her ears twitched the same moment I heard the grinding sound with which another body came down the chute. Simultaneously we got out of the way when first Viyara and then my brother, the fluttering end of his rope still clasped in his hands, came tumbling into the cave. They crashed into the same spot I had already softened up and collapsed into a mess of flailing limbs. ¡°¡­right behind me,¡± Ahri finished. ¡°Everybody still in one piece?¡± I asked. An unintelligible mixture of curses and complaints from the tangled heap reassured me that they were indeed fine. ¡°Good. Reia hit her head quite seriously on the way down, so stop moping. I¡¯m not sure but I think she¡¯s got a concussion. Is there something you can do?¡± They sobered up immediately. ¡°Probably¡­ maybe,¡± was Mordred¡¯s overly confident reply while Viyara slowly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about non draconic anatomy nor am I well versed in the arts of healing. I fear I might make it worse if I applied what I have learned from my family,¡± she explained. My brother was already scampering to Reia¡¯s side and their soft voice filled the cave with murmuring echoes soon after. We stared at them for a moment before I snapped back to reality. I pointed towards the breach and said: ¡°If she can continue we¡¯ll go through there. I¡¯m going to scout ahead.¡± I turned to Ahri. ¡°We can use our tattoos to communicate even if something will block Viyara¡¯s telepathy. Stay with them, please. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I leaned in and kissed her cheek. ¡°Call me if something happens.¡± She nodded and replied: ¡°if you¡¯re not back in ten minutes or if I haven¡¯t heard from you by then I¡¯ll come after you.¡± ¡°We will,¡± Viyara added. ¡°Thanks.¡± I enjoyed the warmth their words had conjured for a moment and turned away. I checked on Reia before I left but she had her eyes closed while Mordred kneeled in front of her,his hands lightly touching her temples. It probably wasn¡¯t the best time to interrupt so I snuck past without disturbing them. Thanks to my second vision I saw everything clear as day despite the utter lack of light and I could easily navigate my way towards the gaping hole in the wall, opposite the tunnel mouth that had spewed us out, without crashing into every obstacle on the way. I only had to bite my tongue once when my foot broke through a damaged tile and I slammed, face first, into the ground. Maybe I cursed a little bit I didn¡¯t cry out. As it turned out the hole was actually a rotten and deformed doorway. From the looks of it, once an impressively thick door had blocked the way but now nothing remained but rusted bands of steel and a few slivers of decayed wood on the ground. This place had to be ancient. Behind the doorway a flight of surprisingly sturdy looking steps with remarkably clean stone walls led downwards, inky darkness obscuring even my vision after a couple of metres. A chilly gust of air blew a few strands of my hair into my eyes but it didn¡¯t carry any form of smell, with the exception of the faintest trace of ozone. Hopefully it¡¯d stay that way and we wouldn¡¯t have to live through another fluctuation while we were down here, but somehow I didn¡¯t expect us to be that lucky. If I had had to guess I¡¯d have said we probably had fallen down a natural tunnel, animals, water and time having gnawed their way through meters of earth and the ruins of an ancient tower. The more or less intact part below us had been sealed off with an impressive gate in ages past. Additionally the tiles and stairs were still somewhat sturdy, with a few exceptions, which made me think that they had been constructed with much more care than the rest of the place. All in all I was probably staring down towards the more secure floors of an the gods-may-know-how-old tower. It was time to find out how many traps the previous owners had deemed necessary to ensure uninvited guests, like us, didn¡¯t get out in one piece. I wasn¡¯t overly worried about the way down, I could glide slowly without touching anything, the corridor was wide enough to use my wings, and possible enchantments or magical traps shouldn¡¯t trigger due to my immunities. How I¡¯d get the rest of my crew through here if there were enchantments in the walls, I didn¡¯t know, but it also seemed like a problem best saved for later. Like a miniature lightning storm I flew down the stairs, my wings extending my vision to about thirty meters. A few times I saw streams of energy run through the walls in symmetrical formations and I tried my best to ingrain the precise spots in my memory. Unfortunately there wasn¡¯t a handy set of glyphs or mosaics to mark them and one stretch of rock walls and stone steps pretty much looked like the next so I wasn¡¯t too sure if I got it right. I should have counted the steps¡­ It didn¡¯t take me long to reach the bottom, I guessed I had covered about 100 metres, and find my way blocked by another gigantic door, completely intact his time. About 3 meters in hight and at least the same in width it was made of a dark, gleaming wood and even though I couldn¡¯t perceive colours very well with my second vision I was fairly certain that it had a bloody sheen to it. Somewhere in the back of my head a memory stirred: I was most likely looking at a door made of Blood Oak, a rare tree which had the curious property that its wood could contain energy nearly indefinitely. Several softly glowing gemstones had been placed in a circle around the centre but other than that I didn¡¯t see a knob, a keyhole or even hinges for that matter. The only thing to interact with were the 12 crystals, each of which shone in a different colour. A magical lock with a presumably predefined sequence of colours that would open the door. That, or¡­ I pushed enough energy into my wings to provide me with some real light as I went to work, slicing through the enchanted door. The crystals immediately glowed with an ominous red and 12 streaks of light slammed into my chest. A net of crackling power traveled over my body, singed my clothes, flared brightly and ¡­ disappeared without leaving a mark on my skin. The impact on the other hand had been powerful enough to crush the air from my lungs and make me stumble even though my wings were tightly anchored to the door. I winced when I gingerly drew air into my lungs and my bruised rips stretched and groaned but I didn¡¯t cease my assault. Instead I shoved even more energy into my wings, ignoring my injuries, until I cut through the door like a hot knife through butter. A second later the smoking pieces rained to the ground, none of them larger than my arm. The gems had gone dark after the first few moments and now they shattered on the ground like glass, tiny fragments of colour mingling with the clouds of dust cause by my violent outburst. I suppressed the urge to sneeze while I withdrew most of the energy from my wings to patch up my ribs. A satisfied moan escaped me when the pain disappeared and I carefully took a few steps forward and pushed my wings through the setting dust. A hallway led further into the darkness than I could see, granite statues, each of them depicting the same man, larger than life, were erected on the side every few metres, their lifeless eyes focusing on me with a spark of greenish fire and a deadly intensity. 96. Of miscalculations, explosions and a little promise Cassandra Pendragon Oh, shit. I didn¡¯t think for a minute that my hosts wanted to invite me in for a nice cup of tea and some cookies, yet I was reluctant to simply turn tails and run. If they were going to follow me back up the stairs I¡¯d lead them directly to my friends, one of which was probably still being healed. Grudgingly I used my wings to block the corridor in front of me with a net of glowing energy, pushed the memories of the last five minute through my tattoo towards Ahri and dropped into a crouch. Maybe the animated hunks of stone wouldn¡¯t leave the hallway they had to guard. They didn¡¯t comply with my expectations. Resounding crashes which made the stone floor tremble slightly, more than a dozen of them, reverberated through the destroyed door and heavy footsteps turned in my direction like the ticking of a doomsday clock. For a moment I clung to the hope that they wouldn¡¯t pass over the threshold and enter the corridor I was in but when the first silhouette appeared as a darker shadow amidst the swirling clouds of dust I had to bury my naivety. As always, the only way forward, or even backwards free of pursuit, would be through. Over the last week I had learned a thing or two, so I didn¡¯t blindly rush towards the centre of the hallway, wings ablaze. I waited, waited until the first unlucky ¡­golem? marched straight into the strands of energy that blocked its path. In my mind¡¯s eye I already saw him cut to pieces, little fragments of its body tumbling to the ground, smoking along the edges. A confident grin formed on my face until the thing slammed into my wings with the force of an elephant. I had already half turned away, expecting an avalanche of burned slag to flood over me, and was utterly surprised when an electric blue light sparked wherever my wings touched the golem. For the fracture of a second a protective sphere flashed into existence around the statue and the middle of its forehead glowed as if it had opened its third eye. The sphere of light wavered when it came into contact with my wings but it didn¡¯t shatter. Information flowed through the light touch and I felt a rush of transcendent energy stream from the shining circle on its forehead. Holy¡­ how? There was no way, was there? Reflexively I met the resistance with another outpour of energy until it seemed like snakes of silvery fire were slithering over the protective bubble. A piercing shriek, like tortured metal, made me wince and the momentum of the golem sent it crashing into me. Panicked, getting crushed by a ton of rocks that were powered beyond anything I had expected didn¡¯t appeal to me very much, I teleported away and reappeared several metres further up the stairs, already panting heavily. At my feet the statue was crumbling to dust, the last sparks of energy dancing over its surface before they vanished into thin air, the core that had held them together consumed by its efforts to withstand my power. That was the good news, the bad news was the army of its comrades that pushed through the doorway and onto the stairs, ready to finish what their brother had started. Two pairs were already ascending the first steps, the same electric blue energy coating their hands and forearms. They didn¡¯t carry weapons, at least the four in font of me didn¡¯t, but two had enormous shields, teardrop shaped and made form a strange metal I hadn¡¯t seen before. It shone with a deep, golden fire, reflecting the shimmer of a huge gem at the centre, which was of the same blue colour as the manifestations of their magic I had seen before. The other two were empty handed. Their hammer like steps drowned out even the frantic bet of my heart. The statues themselves were made from a light granite, with uniform and smooth textures. A bearded man, somewhere in his 50s was depicted. Stern features and a goaty that reminded me of the men I had seen in Amon¡¯s spell were crowned by an elaborate headdress. A flowing robe covered the rest of their bodies, intricate embroideries replicated on the stony surface. If it weren¡¯t for the eerily glowing third eye on their foreheads a d the strong scent of ozone they would have appeared rather ridiculous than intimidating. To give myself a little more time to think I flooded my brain with energy. I didn¡¯t know how many there were in total but if I could hold them here, I¡¯d always be able to retreat back up the stairs, I simply couldn¡¯t let them get past me. Considering how much it had taken out of me to burn through the first golem, I thought I might be able to put down a few of them before my body would start to suffer serious injuries. If all of them had the same amount of transcendent energy at their disposal, I wouldn¡¯t make it through much more than the four below me, maybe 8 or 10 all in all if I was willing to strain my limits. I could try to hold them here and wait for help to arrive but I wasn¡¯t sure if we could hold the rocky flood at bay, Viyara wouldn¡¯t even be able to transform in the narrow passage and there was no telling what the golems could do to my mortal friends. For a brief moment I wondered if I was supposed to take Reia down here but I discarded the idea quickly. If the statues had had tails I¡¯d have been willing to consider that she might be a distant descendant from whoever had built this place, but Reia was a pure blooded noble, she didn¡¯t have human ancestors, even before the cataclysm. Which made me think¡­ I was going out on a limb but I guessed that this place was about as old as the catastrophe that had split our continent and considering everything I knew about how immortals dealt with other creatures who came close to wielding transcendent energy, I could just about imagine that there was a link. It stood to reason that whoever had been capable of creating golems with a spark of transcendent energy had had some form influence, politically. Assuming he had been a part of the ruling class, it wasn¡¯t far fetched to believe the mana heart had been constructed with the same magic and had ultimately brought the wrath of heaven or hell down on them. If that was the case, the defences could have been aimed at transcendent beings and Reia and my brother might not have triggered them. Maybe I should run. If the golems gave chase I would still be able to hold them somewhere further up the stairs and if they didn¡¯t we¡¯d have a chance to return later, on our own terms. When the advanced pair of statues was about two arms reaches away from me I made my decision. Up the stairs it was. I kept facing them, most of my wings still blocking the corridor while I used the rest of them to carry me back up the stairs like a retreating spider. Unfortunately the frenzied mob of bricks didn¡¯t much care about my change of heart. They were still hard on my tails, their movement became faster and more fluid with every step they took. They weren¡¯t nearly as fast as me, yet, but it wouldn¡¯t take long, considering how quickly they adapted. At least they weren¡¯t able to throw spells or shoot at¡­ well, maybe they were. Another pair had made their way through the doorway and the six sparking circles of electric fire that now burned below me on their foreheads flared, pulsed and emitted a beam of the same blue light. Six torrents of energy made the air crackle with power when they converged on me, accompanied by the smell of ozone that had become nearly overwhelming by now. For the fracture of a second it felt like I was facing a mirror image, the streams of light so similar to my own wings that a shudder of fear ran down my spine and along my tails. If those things hit, it would hurt, quite a lot. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Somehow I couldn¡¯t imagine that sidestepping the streaks of energy would do the trick and I sure as hell couldn¡¯t outrun spells. With a thought I moved my wings, the ones that had blocked the stairs now slithering towards the flashes of light, burning with every drop of power I could muster, while I was still rushing up the stairs. When the two torrents of blue met, one shining with silvery flames, the other surrounded by an electrical halo of sparks, the world shuddered. I felt the impact, I could practically see how my wings ripped through the point of each spell and ignited them from the inside. Transcendent structures that were meant to withstand aeons, detached from the flow of time and decay, were torn asunder, breaking down into brilliant sparks which in turned were consumed by the ravaging flames. A blinding explosions, its centre a pulsing blue and the edges white hot with withering swaths of energy, threw me back and I tumbled up the stairs, the crushing wave of air and heat that carried me along much too strong to resist. Pebbles and dust blew through cracks in the ceiling and walls, the stairs shook violently and smaller clouds of debris ignited on the spot, the temperatures climbing to unknown heights. Loose strands of my hair started to smoke and the stench of burned skin and wood added to the suffocating smell of ozone. And that was only on my side. Since I had overcome the spells and my wings had pierced through them, most of the energy had been directed away from me and towards the golems and the hallway. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what must have happened down there and frankly, right now I couldn¡¯t have cared less. It took every ounce of concentration I could muster to push away the tearing pain from my burned skin and fight against the overwhelming force that threatened to crush me against the ceiling. For the first couple of meters all I managed was to stay away from any obstacle while I tried to ride the shockwave as well as I could. Getting thrown around was becoming something of a habit and I wasn¡¯t enjoying it one bit. I couldn¡¯t anchor myself to the walls, my back would be torn apart instantly and my corpse would follow the blast while my wings would still remain stuck to the walls. I couldn¡¯t teleport away, the shockwave would cross the few meters I¡¯d gain in the time I¡¯d need to regain my orientation afterwards and I couldn¡¯t simply ride it out, I was starting to feel slightly well done, the heat from the explosion had already singed my hair and consumed my eyebrows. I didn¡¯t know that much about physics but I was pretty sure that the temperature close to the centre would be deadly. I didn¡¯t fear the magic, but liquid stone would put an end to my life as soon as I¡¯d materialise. My best shot was to allow the shockwave to carry me for as long as I could manage and then teleport behind it. With a little luck I¡¯d be far enough away by then to survive. Shit, there we went again. I sent a panicked ¡°take cover¡± through my tattoo and concentrated on the myriad of impressions my wings provided me with while I was flung up the stairs. The biggest challenge was to keep my trajectory stable and my body close to the middle of the corridor while inertia and tremendously powerful gusts of wind tore at my limbs. I managed for a while until I was blown past the first enchantment I had found on my way down. The energised shockwave, still glowing with the last fading sparks of transcendent energy, triggered it and a concealed set of glyphs lit up. Two translucent curtains of blue energy shimmered into existence, one a couple of steps in front of and one a handful of steps behind me and they were closing in, fast, ready to squash me. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, I did the only thing that came to mind: shatter one of them. I fervently hoped that the conjured walls would stop the shockwave and once again drew more energy from my core than was advisable. I couldn¡¯t fail or I¡¯d become the worlds thinnest fox in a matter of seconds. While it coursed through my meridians the rush of power felt good, like a soothing wave of warm water but when it dispersed along the base of my wings, my skin immediately started to blister and I felt how the muscle attached to my wings started to tear themselves apart, writhing and twitching with the magical overload. My wings became distorted behind a haze of light and like a blazing comet, I slammed into the barrier. The sound of shattering glass reverberated along the corridor, it had been more than enough. I didn¡¯t feel much resistance when I smashed through the barrier but it skewed my balance and send me tumbling head over tails through the air. A deep groan escaped me when I flung my wings towards the wall to regained control of my fall and sent a prayer to anyone who¡¯d listen that I hopefully wasn¡¯t going to get shredded by a wave of superheated air a moment later. Unbelievable as it seemed, my luck held. When I came to an inelegant halt, hands bloody, hair singed and back flayed, I hung between my wings like a spider in her web and watched a glowing fireball smash into the barrier. Cold fear gripped me when I saw the forces of nature unleashed directly in front of my nose, fiery red swaths of flames curled and played along an invisible wall while clouds of debris and smoke formed and dispersed to the pounding of an invisible drum that drowned out every other noise. I fell to my knees and gaped silently at the destructive display, held back by nothing than thin air and the ideas of a bygone age. Dark lines started to crisscross the part of the enchantment I hadn¡¯t obliterated and the remaining glyphs flickered, the consuming force on the other side nearly too much for them to contain. From one instant to the next the roiling sea of chaos swelled one last time, fire and earth fighting against magic, and finally subsided. Soot and smoke obscured my vision, turning the stairs behind the barrier into a pitch black tunnel with weirdly glowing walls where the burning sparks of transcendent energy had fused air and rock together. Apathetically I shook my head. If the enchantments I had passed by so carelessly before hadn¡¯t been bolstered with transcendent energy, I¡¯d have died right then and there, burned, torn to pieces and smashed by rocks my own dumb actions had sent hurtling after me. I didn¡¯t learn and this time, if the devastation had reached the cavern above, I would have endangered the life of almost everyone I had left. The pain that was slowly creeping along my nerves was a welcome distraction. I had underestimated the danger by a landslide and I was lucky that I only had to pay with a few scratches and another entry in the growing list of Cassandra¡¯s painful memories. I would have to do much better in the future. ¡°Cassy?¡± Ahri¡¯s soft voice was strung tight with fear and much closer than I had expected. ¡°Cassy! What¡­ oh my!¡± Before I had even turned around she was hugging me from behind. A hiss of pain escaped my lips when she inadvertently pushed the fabric of my clothes into my ravaged skin but I didn¡¯t mind. Feeling her warmth was worth it, any time of the day. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I mumbled when she tensed. ¡°Or I will be in a second. Thanks for coming.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me.¡± I thought I heard a suppressed sob in her voice. ¡°Why are you always bloodied and on your knees? Didn¡¯t you want to scout? Right now I¡¯m honestly not sure if I should fuss over or smack the living shit out of you. Why would you destroy the door on your own? What were you thinking?¡± And how did you get past the other enchantments? Had I passed out briefly? ¡°Apparently not much,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡­ I thought I could easily get in further, than I wouldn¡¯t have to¡­ I might have found the source and somewhere in the back of my head I didn¡¯t really want to bring any of you down here once I had seen the enchantments and the Blood Oak door.¡± Her fingers twitched around my neck. ¡°If you go down that road, again, I might add, you won¡¯t have to worry about your stupidity killing you. I¡¯ll be faster. Cassy, first you ask us to come then you ditch us at the first opportunity. Are you bloody insane?¡± ¡°No, but I might be a little stubborn. I¡¯m sorry, truly. It won¡¯t happen again, promise.¡± 97. Of strengths, weaknesses and a little second wave Cassandra Pendragon The soft, silvery glow that briefly flickered along my meridians and settled in around my heart placated her more than anything I could have said. With a sound like sliding bolts I felt the woven net of energy my promise had conjured join the already present chains in my chest. A pinched smile played around my mouth when I said: ¡°See, no more ditching, ever. Now you¡¯re truly stuck with me. Does that¡­¡± She silenced me effectively when she pulled me back, her tails circling around my waist. Silky hair brushed over my cheeks when she leaned in and kissed me deeply. A few breathless seconds later she whispered: ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, but thank you. I¡¯m still mad, though. A promise doesn¡¯t make up for your stupidity. You¡¯ll have to try a little harder.¡± A mischievous gleam had entered her gaze. ¡°As you wish.¡± I turned around in her embrace to fully face her. Adrenaline still sang in my veins and the rush I felt when I lost myself in her emerald eyes was undeniably similar to the heat of battle. Hot and cold shivers ran down my spine when I caressingly traced her jawline and slowly brought our lips back together. ¡°Oi, I thought you were in trouble! And now I find you making out on the stairs! Are you serious?¡± Mordred¡¯s words trailed off and he continued much more subduedly: ¡°what happened here?¡± The exasperation in his voice would have been funny if I hadn¡¯t wished him to the moon right then. ¡°Why did I have to bring him along?¡± I mumbled against Ahri¡¯s mouth. Louder I said: ¡°I made a mistake and it blew up in my face, quite literally. How did you get down here? I thought there were enchantments protecting the stairs.¡± Ahri grudgingly untangled herself from me and helped me to my feet before she answered: ¡°There were, but they were powered down when the tremors subsided. Is Viyara still with Reia?¡± ¡°Yes, I did what I could for the girl. Afterwards Viyara sent me after you, she insisted that she¡¯d be much more capable of protecting her than me and that my little sister might be in need of my mediocre healing magic, as she put it. Are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as badly damaged as it seems,¡± I replied. ¡°But you can¡¯t help me anyways. I¡¯ll be fine in a few hours.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Ahri interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re suffering from backlash again, aren¡¯t you?¡± I didn¡¯t bother with a denial, she wasn¡¯t blind, and nodded. ¡°Take my hand,¡± she continued. ¡°It¡¯ll be better if I am the one to cough up blood for the next few hour.¡± ¡°No, not again. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not going to dump my mistakes on you again. I won¡¯t.¡± I even stomped my foot, admittedly rather weakly, to emphasise my point. It was a well thought out argument, after all. ¡°You will. You fucked up and I¡¯m going to pay for it. Maybe that way you¡¯ll at least remember. We can either quarrel for a few minutes about why exactly I should be the one without access to my core instead of you, or why your brother might be able to heal me and then we¡¯ll do it anyways, or you can just graciously accept it. Your choice.¡± And she had called me insane. If I hadn¡¯t known her better I¡¯d have said she was craving pain. On the other hand, I¡¯d probably have done the same thing in her position and I thoroughly hated injuries. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, again,¡± I replied quietly. Her expression softened when she put her hand to my cheek. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t do stupid things and it might not become necessary anymore. Let¡¯s get this over with. The sooner we¡¯re done, the faster I¡¯ll get better again.¡± She turned to Mordred. ¡°Could you look after me? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m going to develop third degree burns in a minute.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but I fear Viyara is right. I¡¯m not a great hand at healing. Maybe we should turn back and get Archy or one of the others to attend before you try anything risky?¡± ¡°No,¡± I answered immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll just carry on like I am before we waste anymore time. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, but I have underestimated the power of the ones who built this place. We all have. Let me explain why there is a nigh impenetrable force field blocking the stairs and judge for yourselves¡­¡± I briefly recounted what had happened after I had reached out to Ahri. ¡°¡­ I think that the enchantments in the walls are linked. From what you said earlier they broke down when the shockwave hit, presumably to provide the strained spells with additional energy. Why they didn¡¯t activate when I cut my way through the first barrier I can¡¯t say but I¡¯m certain that every intact defensive measure has triggered by now. There¡¯s no telling what kind of nasty surprises people with access to transcendent energy might have prepared. We need to get to the bottom of this mess, fast. Or do you want to be still around when the island suddenly wakes up and decides we make for a tasty snack or unwelcome passengers?¡± ¡°No, no I think I¡¯d rather skip that,¡± his eyes drew together in a frown. ¡°Alright, just one more tiny question: how can we hope to get through a maze of enchantments and traps powered by something strong enough to wake islands? Dumb luck and a prayer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so adamant about keeping Cassy functioning,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°She might actually have a chance, not to mention that most likely everything on the other side of the blast has been obliterated. With a little luck there¡¯s nothing left in our way but we still have to make sure. Let¡¯s head back up the stairs. Viyara can inform the dwarfs and your mother telepathically. If Reia¡¯s on her feet and I¡¯m not going to collapse we¡¯ll see if we can¡¯t somehow get through.¡± I¡¯d have preferred a little more confidence but she wasn¡¯t wrong and I was having some serious doubts about bringing Reia down here in the first place. Maybe I should send her back alongside Ahri? Well, that ship had sailed, I had made sure of it, and I highly doubted our aspiring noble was willing to go back on her own. Everything was becoming much more complicated than I had expected, being on your own could have its merits, after all. I heaved my hurting bones up the stairs, groaning. A fresh wave of pain raced over my back when I moved but I clenched my teeth and leaned heavily on Ahri¡¯s shoulder to keep my balance. The steps I had flown down earlier in a breeze proved much more of an obstacle since I couldn¡¯t lift my feet without an explosion of white hot fire all over my skin. When we had retreated several metres from the flickering curtain of energy, it vanished and a cloud of acrid smoke billowed over us. The sharp smell of molten rock, underlying notes of ozone and vaporised wood along with superheated metal assaulted my nose and my eyes started to water as soon as the first tendrils of the miasma played around my head. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. All of us started coughing violently as we stumbled up the stairs, nearly blind under the suffocating blanket. Despite the harsh protest from my body I channeled a bit of energy towards my lungs and throat, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have made it past the first few steps. For a short while my world shrank to sticky darkness, a burning sensation in my throat that intensified with every breath I took and Ahri¡¯s clumsy movements as she pulled me along. I fervently hoped that there would be some kind of vent in the cavern above, otherwise smoke poisoning or plain suffocation would become very real issues, but before I could worry too much, the air started to clear. Grey residue stuck to my fur and hair and my eyelashes were glued together. Mordred and Ahri were just as smeared and we must have made for a rather ridiculous sight, staggering up the stairs, trying to rub the soot from our faces with whatever clean spot of skin we had left. As if we had crossed a magical boundary, a sweet, undiluted gust of wind blew away the lingering clouds of smoke and when I finally managed to scrape enough goo from my eyes, Viyara smiled down on me. Reia was carefully peering around her back and blinked owlishly at the roiling sea of darkness further below. ¡°Oh my, look what the cat dragged in,¡± Viyara chuckled while she descended a few steps and offered me her hand. ¡°Seems like you had quite a lot of fun. Hopefully the other guy looks worse.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain that there¡¯s nothing left but ash.¡± I answered while I allowed her to scoot under my arm. Dangling between Ahri and her I barely had to move my legs on my own anymore. Not that it was strictly necessary, but judging from their worried faces I wasn¡¯t looking my best at the moment. ¡°Parts might even be sticking out of my hair, now that I think about it. It took a lot out of me, though, and I burned myself. Do you keep the smoke away from us?¡± She nodded ¡°Air manipulations were one of the first things I had to learn. Dragons can use them instinctively for their flight but my father insisted that a modicum of control could save my life. Turns out he wasn¡¯t wrong. I can keep that spell up nearly indefinitely, for the breathing part at least, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Everything else can be figured out,¡± I smirked and tapped Ahri¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Do you still want to share the backlash? I think I¡¯m doing better already and if most of the defences are already gone, there won¡¯t be much to do for me anyways.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother with a reply and I had to say, I wouldn¡¯t have either, in her shoes. Instead she steered us into the cavern and let go of my hand with a final squeeze. She made herself comfortable as well as possible while I stood by her side with only the tiniest amount of help from Viyara. A wave travelled across my tattoo, as if the depicted wings had flapped once, and I felt her presence at the edge of my mind like the shimmering light of a rising star during a pitch black night. Warmth raced through me and our emotions flowed freely between us, making words unnecessary. To thoroughly know that she was fully willing to take on my pain, regardless of the circumstances, was a humbling experience. To feel that there was someone who cherished my well-being more highly than her own put my recklessness in perspective. I wasn¡¯t just playing with my life but also the happiness of other people. That wasn¡¯t new, I had known before that my mom would have been devastated if something had happened to me and that there were others who depended on me, but I had never truly realised what it meant until I felt that Ahri was actually looking forward to taking on some of the backlash. As much as it¡¯d hurt, to see me in pain was much worse for her. I didn¡¯t miss the irony that, since I felt the same way about her, while she¡¯d be suffering from an injury, I was going to have to deal with the emotional pain that might just trump the physical one. It¡¯d be best to avoid the whole conundrum altogether in the future, we both thought simultaneously. I stopped playing coy and allowed our connection to deepen. Slowly my aches vanished as I felt revitalising energy caress my strained muscles and broken skin. This time I could see how Ahri¡¯s power moved in her body and flowed through the tattoo to erase my injuries. With agonising precision it replicated every healed scratch and repaired patch of skin as wounds all over her body, her tissue unable to cope with the transcendent energy. While I felt my strength return she became paler by the moment and a suppressed groan escaped her when she dropped to her knees. Frantically I tried to sever the link but she stubbornly clung to it, keeping it open far longer than I had intended to. Not until the waves of pain made her concentration slip was she forced to allow the gate to close. She drew in a shuddering breath, cold sweat slowly spreading across her brow. I was nearly restored, a mild soreness all that remained but Ahri had paid a hefty price. The smell of blood rose from her back and she was hunched over, her eyes bleary with pain. I crouched beside her and held her hand while I gestured towards Mordred. ¡°Please, help her,¡± I mumbled. Ahri¡¯s head rose when she heard my voice and she even managed a small smile before her back trembled and a spasm raced down her spine. With another low groan she closed her eyes and her chin dropped to her chest. My heart promptly skipped a beat. ¡°Move over,¡± my brother¡¯s tense voice made me flinch but I immediately complied and watched on tenterhooks while he went to work. With my second sight I could follow his careful attempts to manipulated Ahri¡¯s body, to help it repair the damage the volatile energy had done. I saw his struggles, felt the gaps in his knowledge when he had to face injuries he couldn¡¯t understand and witnessed his grunt of triumph when he finally coaxed the first gash on her back into closing. A wave of gratitude rushed through me and I threw my free arm around his shoulders. ¡°Thank you, thank you so much. I owe you, big time.¡± I squealed. ¡°Not so fast, we¡¯re far from done and this shit is complicated. But I think I can manage. From what Ahri told me, Archy patched her up in no time with a smile and a hug, after she helped you against the dragon. The boy must be a frigging genius. I¡¯m struggling like a fox under water and I¡¯m still barely making any progress¡­¡± the tension in his voice had changed to his usual, grumpy inflection which was another load off my chest. He wouldn¡¯t sound like that if there was any real danger. I squeezed Ahri¡¯s hand tightly and whispered in her ear: ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Just give it a moment and the pain will be gone. I¡¯m right here, by your side.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She leaned into me and slowly relaxed while my brother still had his hand above her heart. I cradled her head against my chest, relieve rushing through me like a wave, she¡¯d be alright in a couple of minutes. My gaze travelled around the cave while colour slowly returned to Ahri¡¯s cheeks. The first thing I noticed were a handful of glowing orbs that hovered beneath the ceiling. The amount of energy I needed to see in the dark was negligible and I hadn¡¯t stopped supplying it the whole time but it wasn¡¯t needed anymore, the cavern had been lit with glowing mage lights, presumably Viyara¡¯s doing. The dragoness herself was talking to/distracting Reia a handful of steps away. I lightly reached for the spark of my presence I felt inside of her and projected a tiny piece of my memories in her direction. Her expression changed subtly while she watched what had happened and I added: ¡°I should have asked much sooner but could you link us telepathically? As soon as Ahri is back on her feet I¡¯d like to move and there¡¯s no telling what we¡¯ll find at the bottom of the stairs. With a lot of luck the statues have all been pulverised but I somewhat doubt it. I¡¯d feel much safer down there if we could communicate mentally.¡± ¡°Sure, I already formed a connection with the others. I didn¡¯t include you because I thought you¡¯d want silence in your head when you¡¯re out ¡°scouting¡±. Turns out you could use a voice or two to tell you what to do, or rather what not to.¡± ¡°Et tu, Brute?¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re feeling alright?¡± ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s a¡­¡± I never got to explain how Caesar had been betrayed by his son because a mild tremor that quickly intensified shut me up. My fur was tingling with the building magic in the air, the conjured lights were pulsing with invisible surges of energy and the enchantments further down the stairs were glowing brightly enough to pierce the lingering cloud of smoke. 98. Of repetitions, keys and a little bit of links Cassandra Pendragon The walls and ceiling were visibly shaking now and minor cracks appeared here and there, dust trickling down in swaths. A reverberating rumbling sound filled the air as if the island was taking a deep breath and sparks of unbound energy manifested all around us like a swarm of fireflies. I didn¡¯t wait to find out what else might be coming and spread my wings wide. I slung a couple around Viyara and Reia and yanked them towards us. As soon as they came to a skittering halt at my feet I formed a loose net of energy around us and simultaneously used a dozen of my wings to support the ceiling above our heads. Death by a collapsing roof wasn¡¯t exactly on my bucket list. I couldn¡¯t use much force, as soon as I started bolstering my wings with additional energy they cut through the rock like a hot knife through butter but at least I felt a little better and I could easily keep the strange manifestations of magic away from us. Somewhat safe behind the makeshift barrier we stared on wide eyed while the glowing dots of light started to move in intricate patterns, dancing faster and faster around each other until they exploded and a wave of multicoloured light crashed against my wings. From one second to the next the cave was bathed in the glare of a hundred miniature suns and I heard Reia and Mordred cry out in pain as their retinas were burned to a crisp. I hoped they wouldn¡¯t blindly stumble off, I didn¡¯t even dare imagine what would happen to anyone who was caught outside of the shaky protection bubble but I couldn¡¯t spare much attention for them. As soon as the brunt of the explosions slammed into me, I had to struggle to remain upright, my wings hungrily devouring every ounce of energy I could somehow squeeze from my core. I couldn¡¯t maintain my hold on the ceiling, I needed every piece of strength I could muster to withstand the onslaught. Despite my efforts, light was slowly bursting through the holes I hadn¡¯t plugged and one ray after the other pierced our little sanctum. Desperate I did something commendably stupid: I shifted my wings to channel the light onto my own body, hoping that my friends would be safe in my shadow and that maybe I¡¯d get through unscathed or, since that was probably too much to ask, at least alive. A part of my plan worked just fine, ray after ray hit my skin and vanished in a shower of sparks. Not a single one made it past, I became a living ward that protected everything behind it. Unfortunately I had slightly misjudged what was going on. I had expected some form of magic, maybe a little transcendent energy as well, but I wasn¡¯t prepared for an onslaught of memories, emotions and regret. The very moment the light started dancing around my body it felt like I had been split into several pieces and now they all returned home, brimming with every impression they had collected along the way. Sparks of my own power easily overcame my resistance and memories from another life I hadn¡¯t lived yet flooded my mind. In a rush of colours and sounds I was pulled along a dark hallway with statues of an awfully familiar man with an ostentatious headdress along the walls. Here, the door wasn¡¯t torn to shreds but had been opened as it was supposed to, our group just now passing the first pair of golems while I watched like an invisible ghost. Spying on myself while I lived through events that had never happened to me and couldn¡¯t happen at all, I had destroyed the door, after all, was truly the strangest thing I had ever experienced. Without a warning the same greenish fire I had seen before ignited in the eyes of the statues just when we had passed the first pair and with a shudder they came to life. None of us had the time to react before they jumped from their pedestals, hands reaching, while the ones further down the hallway began to form spell constructs with the same electric blue magic they had used to attack me when I had entered on my own. I had just enough time to witness Reia collapse, a bloody hole torn through her chest, before one of the golems managed to get his hands on ¡°me¡±. My¡­ mirror image? had barely enough time to cry out and manifest her wings before it tore her in two. A torrent of blood gushed from the ghastly wound, her wings flickered once and disappeared and Ahri let out a tormented wail. She rushed towards my corpse which the golem had thrown aside uncaringly while an unimaginable wave of agony tore at my insides. It felt like I had been the one who had suffered the blow. I screamed but I didn¡¯t have lungs, I tried to move but my spectral presence wouldn¡¯t obey, I somehow needed the pain to stop. For an eternity or only a second, I couldn¡¯t tell, I hung there, white hot flames ravaging my world while I watched my friends die below me one by one until merciful darkness descended on me. But it wasn¡¯t the end. The pain vanished and again, I felt an irresistible force drag me forwards into another scene. This time I passed an obliterated door and hallway, deep cuts in the walls and floor and the annihilated remains of the golems still glowed along the edges as if a whirlwind of searing blades had sliced them to pieces. If I had had a body I would have smiled, especially with the vivid memories of the last encounter still circling my mind. Apparently I would have enough energy to fight my way through the room if push came to shove. I passed the hallway in a blur of speed, the far end continuously approaching while I soared over a chaotic mess of broken stone and burned metal which reminded me of the shields, two of the guards had been carrying. Small flames were still gnawing at the deeper gashes and spreading across the most mutilated pieces, filling the air with billowing smoke. After about 2/3s of the way, the destruction suddenly ended. The pedestals were still empty but the floor and walls were undamaged and the smouldering heaps of rock and tangled metal were missing completely. Without the smoking remains the air cleared almost instantly and I could see the end of the hallway for the first time. A solid wall made of greyish stone with a reflective surface, almost like tainted glass, blocked the way. Precisely at the centre a narrow tunnel had been constructed, complicated runes and enchantments covering its mouth. I was whisked through much too fast to make out any details but the short glimpse had been enough to see sparks of the electric blue energy play along deep cuts that had broken the inscribed spells in several dozens of places. A short stretch of utter darkness followed before I passed some kind of boundary. From one second to the next a dazzling, blue light disorientated me and I felt my flight come to a halt. Again I was hovering above another version of myself who had her wings spread around her like a halo of power while she inquisitively stared at a blue gem, the size of her head. It was the source of the light that illuminated a circular chamber, its walls decorated with stylised depictions of doorways, 6 of them, at regular intervals. The tunnel I had come through closed the circle as the seventh gate, the only one which actually led somewhere. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The jewel itself was resting on thin air, a circle of golden runes slowly revolving around its brilliant centre. I watched in silent wonder as each revolution made another doorway flicker, the tunnel mouth apparently jumping from one chiselled image to the next. My imaginary twin wasn¡¯t paying much attention to the exits, absorbed as she was with the gem. Despite her flayed back, singed hair and a deep cut across her stomach, which she hadn¡¯t healed yet, she was seemingly trying to decipher the runes. Unfortunately I knew the exasperated expression that was slowly creeping across her face very well, even though I usually wore it during stretches of boredom or frustrating conversations. Apparently her efforts weren¡¯t exactly successful. Her scowl deepened by the second and I could practically see frustration leak out of her twitching ears. Oh oh, I knew myself well enough to realise that very soon she¡¯d¡­ with an animalistic growl she pushed more energy into her wings. Fresh spurts of blood shot from her mutilated back when the torrents of silvery blue energy swelled and slithered around the floating jewel. It resisted, for a moment, before the sound of breaking glass echoed around the chamber. Darkness followed. For a moment I thought I was crossing over into another scene but the unimaginable chaos when the walls and ceiling collapsed simultaneously, along with the excruciating pain of being crushed underneath half the island set me straight. Of course it had to end properly¡­ When my consciousness finally fled and instead of soothing nothingness another version of the door and hallway welcomed me, I was beginning to wonder how many variations of this loop I¡¯d have to suffer through and if there even was an end. Maybe my heroics back in the antechamber had killed me and I was experiencing my own personal form of hell? Condemned to watch my love, my friends and myself die, over and over¡­ Either that or the time stream had gone wonky and I was living through alternate versions of the same moments in time. That would also explain my strange behaviour from before. A little bit of knowledge had tricked through the collapsing membrane between different tributaries and had cause me to act on something I¡¯d have eventually found out in the future or under different circumstances. Since there wasn¡¯t terribly much I could do if I had already arrived at my final destination, I was going to go with the ¡°damaged time stream¡± theory, which was slightly less scary, in any case and gave me a fighting chance. I could either wait and hope that I¡¯d be carried back to where I belonged sooner or later or I could actively try to push myself out of the stream. The only way I managed to come up with was to forcefully spread my wings and try to either tear down the walls of each scene I was catapulted into or maybe anchor myself in the real world somehow. Not exactly much, but at least something I could try. The question was, should I? If that really was some kind of alternate timeline I might be able to simply watch how things would turn out. Admittedly, dying hurt like hell but it wasn¡¯t permanent and the further my ¡°copies¡± got, the more I¡¯d know about what we would have to face. Maybe I could even get a glimpse at the source of all the trouble since I highly doubted that the gem I had destroyed in the last scene was anything more than another obstacle. The explosion of something that could manipulate time would cause much more harm than a simple cave in, I imagined. One more time, I decided. One more try and afterwards I was going to break out of the loop. The door and hallway were in shambles, the golems destroyed. This time however, only a part of them had been cut and burned, the rest bore signs of spells and even dragon sized teeth and claw marks. Since I didn¡¯t spot any corpses or larger puddles of blood, I thought we had done remarkably well. While I sped over the carnage I felt a pang of regret that I could not witness the fight, it would have been handy to know how exactly this group had managed to get through, presumably unscathed. I was pulled through the tunnel and arrived in the same circular chamber, an identical jewel hovering at the centre. A small group was clustered around it, Ahri stood beside me with Reia and Viyara on the opposite side of the gem, only Mordred was missing. They wore stony expressions, Reia appeared nervous, and I heard my own voice, with a slightly different inflections than I was used to: ¡°You don¡¯t have to, you know. There¡¯s no guarantee the spider has told the truth. We can try to find another way in. Honestly, I¡¯d rather dig through the walls than have you activate an unknown artefact on the say so of a creepy, eight legged woman you met in a dream.¡± Reia shook her small head. ¡°She¡¯s been right about the entrance and the stairs and the golems. What exactly makes you think she lied? You didn¡¯t see her, when she talked about Amon true hatred shone from her eyes. She will see him dead even if it¡¯s the last thing she does. She said there¡¯s a seed of the mana heart down there we can use against him, and I believe her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what we might find, it¡¯s the whole ¡°only you can touch the stone or bad things will happen¡± schtick that I find hard to swallow. I¡¯m not questioning if she exists anymore but I do question her intentions. What if there¡¯s another reason why she wants you to touch that thing? Do you honestly believe that she means you no harm?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she cares about me one bit. Whether I live or die is about as significant to her as the rain. The only thing that matters is this.¡± Reia raised her hand and I clearly saw the glyph that had been etched into her palm. A golden circle with eight protruding lines, similar to a spider¡¯s legs, covered her skin, its glimmer visible despite the glaring light from the gem. Shit. That was the key and if I couldn¡¯t find a way to bring it back with me, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get past this room. Worse, considering what they had said, an ugly picture was forming in my mind. A seed of the mana heart, whatever that was, had been hidden in the depth of this tower and now it was acting up, merging different time streams together. Better yet, it was connected to a spider who loathed Amon and my instincts screamed at me that it was the very same one who had helped him out all those years ago. She hadn¡¯t contacted us in my timeline and since she couldn¡¯t possibly find more willing allies, I had to assume that she hadn¡¯t been able to, probably due to the fluctuating magic in the seed. Which begged the question who or what would be able to meddle with powers on that scale and unfortunately only one name came to mind. Considering that Pete had heard Amon proclaim that he was about to arrive on our continent in person, I could just about imagine that he was using splitters of the mana heart to facilitate the transfer. It wasn¡¯t a stretch of the imagination to assume a seed would directly be impacted by a manipulation of the heart on that scale. Which in turn meant, that we¡¯d have much less time than I had expected, the consequences of his actions were already time altering, after all. We needed that key. There was a chance I was about to kill the Reia from another timeline, kill myself or fuck up in a million other ways but my basic idea was simple. Information and energy had already crossed from one stream to another, so why shouldn¡¯t I be able to use that? The mark was probably similar to an enchantment and if I somehow managed to form a connection between this Reia and my Reia, the additional information, namely the glyph, might be added to my Reia, I fervently hoped. There was only one way to find out and I didn¡¯t want to wait any longer, if I was right, the risk of even more severe breaches between different timelines was growing by the second. The first challenge was to materialise some of my wings. I wasn¡¯t exactly there, or then, and it felt like I was dragging a heavy kart through the mud with every torrent of energy I pushed into this reality. Every movement took an unbelievably high amount of effort and I nearly failed but my stubbornness wouldn¡¯t let me back down. I bled for every centimetre and felt my strange, spectral body quiver and crack under the onslaught of transcendent energy but with a silent scream I slung two wings around the mark and poured everything I had left into the ones still in limbo. My vision split and the all too familiar sensation of branding irons on my back swamped my nerves. 99. Of ends, luck and a little bit of spiders Cassandra Pendragon I was somewhere in between. I could still see the circular chamber as an afterimage of sorts while I struggled with the sensations my own body was providing me with. Every muscle and tendon connected to my wings was burning as if it had been dunked in acid and I could feel torrents of blood gush down my back, a warm stream of sticky liquid that formed a dark puddle beneath my feet. I couldn¡¯t remain upright, spasms raced up my legs and along my back and I collapsed face first into my own blood. My wings felt like they were about to be pulled out of their sockets, a much stronger force than I had ever experienced had taken hold of them and was constantly trying to rip me a part. My ingenious manoeuvre had worked, I was in my own time stream and still anchored in the alternate version. Unfortunately that also meant that right now my wings were the only thing connecting two separate streams. In a way I was a stick thrust between two wheels. If the wheels were turning in the same direction there wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem, but if they weren¡¯t, they would either grind to a halt or the stick would break. The simple act of raising my head and blinking through my bloodshot eyes nearly broke me but with a defiant groan I managed. The world around me, my reality as well as the ghostly version I saw behind it, were frozen. Nothing moved and nothing changed, everything was stuck in an instant of time and the power that usually drove existence forward was now trying to rip my wings apart so time could flow freely again. While I was undoubtedly dying, my core poisoning me with more energy than I could even imagine to keep me alive through the ordeal, a small part of my mind marvelled at the implications of what was happening to me. Time wasn¡¯t linear, different streams could flow in different direction, even be averse to each other, but yet the corresponding moments across different streams were still somehow connected, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have been able to find my way back. Metaphysical breakthroughs aside, I could already feel the pain diminish as my body was shutting down. Darkness gnawed at the edges of my vision and I knew that I had a few seconds at best before I¡¯d pass out and was ground to dust between the wheels of time. From one moment to the next my thoughts were thrown into disarray, I couldn¡¯t quite remember what I had wanted to do, with my overstimulated brain on the verge of blanking out. Strange memories rose from the depths or where they further images from another time stream? I couldn¡¯t say. Colours and sparks swam through my field of vision, the boundaries between my timeline and the other one further disintegrating as I distantly felt my wings shred through more and more of the separating membrane. My gaze was drawn to Ahri, who was just as frozen as the others by my side. A surge of emotions bubbled up inside of me but it was instantly drowned beneath the crushing weight that tore at my wings, until nothing remained. I couldn¡¯t even summon the faintest memory of who she was or what she meant to me, I was lost beneath the suffocating, inevitable grip of time like the last traces on a beach before the tide washed them away, for ever. All that remained was the transcendent chain of promises around my heart that kept it beating. I wouldn¡¯t die here, I had promise her that I wouldn¡¯t leave her again, hadn¡¯t I? A trickle of clarity struggled against the impeding darkness and I managed to form one coherent thought. All I had to do was touch the two versions of Reia and all of this would be over in a heart beat. For better or for worse, I¡¯d try to finish what I had started. Please, forgive me, I thought and pushed voluntarily even more energy into my wings. My back burst into flames, literally, silvery tongues of writhing energy danced around the base of my wings and I thought I even felt them along my tails, hungrily devouring every patch of skin they came in contact with. My nerves couldn¡¯t cope anymore, the only sensation that reached me was a faint tickling all over my body while my blood boiled and my muscles burst. For the briefest moment I was in control again, similar to the way the flame of a candle grew just before it went out, I had gained a small window to act, before I¡¯d be gone. At least I wasn¡¯t planning anything complicated. Against the resistance of two realities I moved my wings further, and finally touched my Reia with the very last bit of strength I could muster. Something happened, but I was much too delirious to understand it, my consciousness fading as soon as I had taken that last hurdle. Darkness claimed me immediately after and my last thought before the end was a happy one. None of the temporal warps had touched any of my friends, I had kept them safe and with the key, they had a fighting chance, whether they wanted to run or stay¡­ Ahri Arete No! Blood, why was there so much blood? What had she done? I remembered¡­ a surge of energy had shaken the cavern and Cassy had protected us behind her wings. Then¡­ I couldn¡¯t say, it had felt like a hiccup in the world and the next second Reia and Mordred were thrashing on the ground and Cassy, she just collapsed, a puddle of blood forming beneath her prone form. She laid in front of me like a discarded doll, motionless, her raven hair spread around her head. Red trails covered her face where blood had leaked from her eyes and nose, a ghastly contrast to the pallor of her skin. My gaze travelled down her body and I thought my heart skipped a beat when I saw the still smoking remains of her tails, curled up against her side. No, she couldn¡¯t, she wasn¡¯t¡­ I screamed, her lifeless eyes, grey and glazed over without the slightest spark of silver seemed to swallow me whole and for a long moment all I could do was scream in denial. I clung to the fading hope that my voice might bring her back, that there would be a glimmer of life in her eyes, a faint movement in her body, but she remained still. As if in trance I reached for her head and brushed a few stray strands of her hair from her face. Carefully I leaned over and kissed her forehead, while the sickly warmth of her blood soaked through my trousers. I caressed her fluffy ears and whispered: ¡°Please, come back to me.¡± But there was no reply. She couldn¡¯t hear me. And then, from somewhere deep within, a powerful surge of wrath and self loathing, mixed with a growing portion of rekindled hope flooded through me. I was angry at Cassandra for whatever she had done, I hated myself that I hadn¡¯t been there for her and I knew that this wasn¡¯t the end. I hadn¡¯t seen a handful of immortals die before and no matter the circumstances, if Cassy¡¯s soul and core had left her, I would have seen the change. They were still in her, somewhere, which meant she¡­ ¡°She isn¡¯t dead,¡± despite my stupor, Reia¡¯s voice, thrumming with suppressed power and hate brought me back to a reality, seemingly frozen in time. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Viyara was staring at Cassandra wide eyed, disbelieve and horror in equal measure etched across her face. She stood there rigidly, her body petrified mid step, her arms stretched out towards us. Mordred was on the ground, his hands covering his eyes and his expression showed the amount of pain he was in but he remained perfectly still, like a statue. Reia, though, Reia was moving. She stood erect, boredom, disdain and a grudging respect plain in her expression. Even though I could remember her crying out when the sparks of magic had exploded, she seemed perfectly fine, a little raggedy but unharmed. But I had to admit, the halo of golden energy that shimmered around her left hand and pulsed like the beating of a foreign heart was a little unsettling. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t much care if she was possessed or enchanted, I only cared for what she had said. ¡°Can you save her?¡± My voice was hoarse and I had trouble pressing the simple sentence past unshed tears and the boiling emotions that consumed me. ¡°Straight to the point. No time wasted on who I am and what¡¯s going on. I think I don¡¯t hate you. In that case let me return the favour.¡± Her inflections was strange, like she was speaking through a poorly adjusted communication crystal, sometimes clear, sometimes fuzzy as if there was an echo to her words. ¡°I already have. Well, as far as I can, the rest is up to you and your merry band of adventurers. For all intent and purposes your lover is dead, her soul and core are just about to flee this realm since her body can¡¯t contain them anymore. Incidentally that also means that she isn¡¯t flooded with transcendent energies at the moment and susceptible to the laws of nature. She¡¯s frozen in time, just like your companions and if you should manage to heal her body before time ticks on, she¡¯ll be fine.¡± I nearly laughed out loud. Regenerating a couple of wounds when magic worked on her shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. As if she had read my thoughts the ¡­ Reia added: ¡°Turn her around.¡± With a sinking feeling in my stomach I did and I nearly lost it. Cassy¡¯s back was a single wound, charred flesh and pieces of bone were all that remained. Smoke was still curling along the more severely burned parts and the sickening smell of cooked meat filled my nostrils. Some of her ribs had been torn form the spine and stuck in her flesh like bony meat hooks, the inside of her lungs peaking through ravaged muscles here and there. The spine itself was cracked and fragmented as if it had been crushed beneath a mountain. Some parts had been been reduced to bone dust, forming lighter patches among the blood red gore. It looked as if somebody had grabbed the V her wings formed on her back and ripped it right out of her. While I was struggling to keep down my last meal, Reia said dispassionately: ¡°Yeah, a kiss and some sunshine won¡¯t fix that. And just so we are clear, you can¡¯t heal her as you would anybody else. Like I said, she¡¯s practically dead. You can¡¯t stimulated her life force or her cells to regenerate, there¡¯s nothing left to interact with. You have to sculpt her body, like you would a flesh golem, and hope that you¡¯re not going to fuck up any important parts like her spine or lungs. That¡¯s going to be a really advanced piece of magic.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°Not like this, as you might have expected. I¡¯m mostly sealed away, unfortunate circumstances, yada yada yada, but if you break into my tomb and through the curses, I¡¯m sure I can patch her up just fine.¡± I gently lowered Cassy¡¯s body back down. The chance to hold her in my arms again had taken hold of me like a spark igniting kindling and cleared away the turmoil inside of me. Nothing mattered but making sure that it would actually happen, no matter the cost. I calmed, my heart beat slowed and I became aware again of the minor injuries Mordred hadn¡¯t managed to fully heal. At the same time I was starting to ask myself a few questions, something I should have probably done a little earlier, like what the hell was going on? ¡°Oh, you found your brain again. Interesting, this nose is tolerable. Did you realise that you smell like peaches when you panic? Never mind, I¡¯m getting distract, a couple of conjunctures just broke.¡± At least it didn¡¯t appear like I had stumbled onto the mastermind behind all of this, unless she, for some reason I thought she was female even though I highly doubted she¡¯d turn out to be a woman, had already forgotten all about it again. ¡°Where was I? Right, allow me to introduce myself, Shassa, devourer of souls, calamity of a bygone age, collector of life and some other fancy titles I¡¯ve forgotten. I¡¯m a gods damned spider, I¡¯m evil, I like killing things and I eat souls to become stronger. Also, I don¡¯t give a shit about you and your kind, yes I know what you are, and I don¡¯t intend to hurt you, yet. Nor your lover if that makes you feel any better. Now to the fun part, I¡¯ve been sealed by the very same bastard you¡¯re dealing with, I¡¯ve been toyed with and experimented on and the only thing that has kept me sane,¡± somehow I doubted that, ¡°over the aeons is the image of me ripping his delicious soul from his screaming body.¡± Reia salivated a little and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. ¡°I want revenge, bloody, raw revenge. I don¡¯t care about the rest, not anymore. So, basically, get me out of here and I¡¯ll be your best buddy in the foreseeable future. And trust me, you¡¯ll need my help. I know a little about what has happened in the past, after all. It¡¯s not like you have much of a choice anyways, you¡¯d do everything for that girl, I can smell it and I¡¯m your best shot at getting her back.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure, Mephisto could possibly help if I managed to get enough energy into the emblem but for that I¡¯d have to get to a massive source and that meant delving deeper into this¡­ prison anyways. ¡°You¡¯re right. Fine. If you can save her, I don¡¯t care about the rest. If I am to help you I need to know what¡¯s going on. Where are we?¡± Reia eyed me with an unnerving expression, like a spider staring at a particularly tasty morsel. ¡°So much fire and determination. Ah, how I wish I could taste an immortal, only once. But that might come later. Your standing near the entrance of my tomb, a place where Amon sealed me after the war against the gods. Over the aeons my power slowly trickled through the very foundations of this island and years later an ambitious and talented sorcerer made it his home. I became the source for many of his greatest breakthroughs and I witnessed him raise an empire on the back of my suffering. His arts progressed to astounding heights and cumulated in the creation of the mana heart, a feat that drained me to a husk of what I once was. With a seed he harnessed my power and refined it, to forge an artefact that allowed him to peer behind the veil of fate and ultimately became his downfall. He and his creations perished in a single night, the lord of mirrors¡¯ wrath consumed them, their fate and names erased from existence.¡± I flinched. How long had Amazeroth been meddling with this world? And how much of this did Amon know? ¡°I met him, Amazeroth, he came to me, ready to erase every trace of the sorcerer¡¯s work. I thought the end had come but when he looked at me he smiled and said: ¡°we¡¯ll meet again,¡± before he restored most of my strength and left, without another word or care for my pleas.¡± She paused and tilted her as if she was listening to a distant voice before she continued. ¡°Amon¡¯s meddling with a fraction of what the mana heart once was, but it was enough to awaken the seed, which still slumbered here. It pumped its power into channels which had been destroyed long ago and the rebounding force is what causes the temporal disruptions. Right now, everything on this island is in flux, time can be rewritten or collapse. You have to reach the depths of the catacombs and find the seed. Bring it to me and I can use its power to break my chains and drain it in the process. Without a source of chaos the time stream will heal itself instantly.¡± She paused again, deep in thought. ¡°This place has been built to contain me, to keep me prisoner for all eternity and now some parts of it are even touching alternate versions, I can¡¯t possibly tell you what you¡¯re going to find once you¡¯re inside. I don¡¯t know how, but the girl I¡¯m talking though right know has been branded with my mark. I can use her to guide you, but you¡¯re going to have to trust me, or at least do as I say.¡± 100. Of immortals, chances and a little bit of love Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You¡¯re a bloody idiot, that¡¯s what you are. But you got balls, at least metaphorically, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± ¡°Thanks, by now you¡¯ve repeated yourself enough times as well that my tiny brain can retain the information.¡± I was long past the initial rush of gratitude I had felt when I had first regained a resemblance of consciousness in a grey world of nothingness. By now I was mainly annoyed and a little worried. Unbelievably my stunt hadn¡¯t been the end. I should¡¯ve been dead, my very personality obliterated in the truest sense of the word, my core clean for another spin of the wheel but¡­ I wasn¡¯t. No thanks to my efforts as Mephisto kept on reminding me. He had saved me, in a way. The unbound energy that had been released in the chamber prior to my temporal displacement had been more than enough to reconstruct his reservoirs and the interwoven sparks of transcendent energy had allowed him to perform a miracle, his words, not mine. He had come to when I had collapsed. My fading presence by his side, he had found himself in a still frozen stream of time. With my wings flickering out of existence, time had started to flow again and he had panicked. I¡¯d have died the very moment my body would have been allowed to break down completely so he had done the only thing he had been able to think of. With the amount of my blood that had been freely dripping over the emblem he had easily formed a spell construct and channeled every bit of energy, he had been able to gather, through, repressing my core and effectively allowing the time dilatation to take effect. I had become frozen, just like a mortal, and thus I was still alive, at least for a few more seconds. A clever manipulation of the spell and the combined power of the remaining sparks of transcendent energy in the air had allowed him to form a bubble around our minds, tethering us to the rippling motes of temporal energy. We were basically stuck in a frozen instant that had been anchored to us and not the stream itself. As long as he didn¡¯t cancel his spell, we¡¯d be here for all eternity, cut off from everything and everyone else. Bolstering my mind with a little energy, he had woken me. Which of course meant that I had had to listen to his tiring explanations, scathing remarks and exuberant boasts for¡­ well, no time at all actually, but it had sure felt like years. ¡°Did you just bring me back to tell me that? Hey Cassy, you¡¯re an idiot, you killed yourself and I froze you on the brink to gloat a bit, every one deserves a decent sent off, after all?¡± And that was, why I was worried. I honestly couldn¡¯t imagine that there¡¯d be a way out for me. As soon as I left, I¡¯d be gone. The damage I had inflicted on my body couldn¡¯t be healed fast enough. On the other hand, if there hadn¡¯t been a way Mephisto wouldn¡¯t have been acting like an ass. At least I hoped so. ¡°Of course not, like I said, I also wanted to compliment you on your courage, which unfortunately outweighs your intelligence like a mountain outweighs a rock. But fear not, my mentally challenged friend, I¡¯ll do what I can to set you straight.¡± His perfect mental replication of his body poked my amorphous blob, incidentally I hadn¡¯t been able to form anything more complex, in the side. The contact felt strange, almost like the memory of a real touch, somewhere in my thoughts. ¡°First of, even if I might sound like a cliche, where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. You¡¯re not dead yet, are you? Your life force is on the verge of blowing out, but the smallest ember is still there, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. When it goes out, your core will wander on, no matter what anyone does. But as long as that hasn¡¯t happened, you can supplement it directly. I¡¯m not talking about healing your body, I¡¯m talking about flooding your life force with transcendent energy and forcefully rebuilding it until it can sustain itself.¡± ¡°And you know this because you¡¯ve tried?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m suicidal? No way in heaven. Over time your life force would become infused with transcendent energy anyways, it already has to a certain degree. What you¡¯re going to do would normally burn it to nothingness, it can¡¯t withstand the direct influx of your power, yet. It might work right now, because there¡¯s practically nothing left and because your body is stuck in time as well. Nothing can happen to it until you flush it with your energy again and by then you¡¯ll either have succeeded or¡­¡± his words trailed off and I felt a shiver of fear run down my wobbly side, a literal wave spreading across my surface. ¡°Why are you so damned chipper, then? Do you actually want me to die?¡± ¡°No, believe it or not, I quite like you as you are, but that¡¯s not the point. Now I¡¯ll finally find out if I made the right decision, all those years ago. Even if you succeed, it¡¯s going to hurt more than you can imagine and we¡¯ll see if you¡¯ve got the mettle to pull through. And I¡¯m not chipper, I¡¯m confident. Intelligence won¡¯t get you through this, but courage and stubbornness might. I trust in you, Cassandra, you¡¯ll survive, I just hope you won¡¯t change too much.¡± Now I wasn¡¯t sure anymore if I should be touched, intimidated or plain scared. Relieved might also be an option, I still had a chance after all. At least there wasn¡¯t much to think about, I could either roll over and die right now or I could try, suffer and probably roll over and die anyways, in the end, but I had nothing to lose. ¡°What do I have to do? And why should I change?¡± ¡°Pain changes people, but you¡¯ve already proven that you¡¯re resilient as all hells in that regard. It¡¯s about what you might unleash involuntarily. When you leave this place, your mind will go back to slumber until your life force is restored. It¡¯ll be your soul and core alone that are going to restore you body with an infinite amount of transcendent energy at their disposal. Chances are, after everything you¡¯ve been through in the last week, you¡¯ll become a monster that doesn¡¯t fear or love or bleed, protected from the agony you had to endure. Provided you don¡¯t snuff it halfway through, you might become the greatest calamity this world has ever had to face. I can¡¯t wait to find out.¡± I, on the other hand, could have easily lived on without the knowledge. ¡°As for what you have to do: that¡¯s pretty simple, don¡¯t give up, don¡¯t go towards the light. If you truly want to live on, if your soul can withstand the pain of recreating a shell around itself, you¡¯ll survive. One moment of doubt, one single wish for the sweet release of death and you¡¯ll be gone, irreversibly. As for rekindling your life force, the process has already started. Your core always tries to keep you alive, unfortunately it can kill you in the process. If your soul clings on long enough, it¡¯ll repair you.¡± ¡°Are you saying immortals can be too stubborn to die? That as long as we don¡¯t give up, we always heal?¡± He poked me again. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°The hint is in the name. Immortal. There are a few exceptions, like the interference of another being with access to transcendent energies or a force that overpowers your core, but that¡¯s not the problem right now. You¡¯re still not fully developed, yet. Your life force, your body, even your soul won¡¯t be able to handle the amount of energy you¡¯re going to use. Luckily there isn¡¯t enough of your life left to burn and souls are nearly as hard to destroy as your core. Your soul will warp and it¡¯ll crack but it won¡¯t shatter. The question is, is it strong enough not to flee?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Truth be told, I was frightened. But sitting here wouldn¡¯t help, on the contrary the longer I waited the more likely I was to not leave at all. Just imagine yourself in a blank room where nothing hurts but nothing changes as well. The world awaits on the outside but only behind a roaring river of flame. You know you¡¯ll burn and almost definitely die if you try, but there¡¯s no alternative except for sitting there in peace, for the rest of eternity. Would you find the courage to move? If it hadn¡¯t been for Ahri, I freely admit that my journey would have ended then and there. ¡°Indeed. There is much I want to tell you but it doesn¡¯t matter right now, except for: the best of luck, Cassy. As soon as we leave, you¡¯ll be on your own. I used every drop of transcendent energy in the cavern to make this possible and I won¡¯t be able to withstand the temporal distortions. I hope we meet again.¡± ¡°So do I. Thank you, Mephisto. For everything.¡± For the first time since I had met him, his expression showed true warmth. ¡°You¡¯re Welcome. Ready?¡± I nodded. He raised his hand and I felt the grey nothingness around me move and disperse, a glowing light pushing in from far away. My blobby, mental construct started to quiver and fade while I felt like a warm breeze was carrying me away. I felt¡­ content until Mephisto¡¯s last words reached me while my mind was already drifting off: ¡°Oh, by the way, did I mention that Ahri will almost certainly off herself, if you don¡¯t make it? Just for the minuscule chance to be reborn close to you again? She already did it once, or how do you think she got here in the first place?¡± What the¡­no! It could have been worse, was the first thought that fluttered through my mind when I opened my eyes. Maybe not, followed about a moment later. Every sensation, from the nearly absent, silvery light that filtered through the very cave where I had collapsed, over the hurried scuttling of small animals somewhere in the earth to the cold, hard rock below me, was stunningly clear and unbelievably painful. It felt like someone had scraped off the upper layers of my skin and now even the faintest touch of stirring air caused rivers of fire to spark along my nerves. The flow of my blood hurt in my very veins and the drumbeat of my heart was loud enough to drive icepicks through my skull. I tried to move but I could just as well have tried to push a mountain off my chest, my limbs heavy as lead. Every breath threatened to send spasms through my torso and the muted sound of my stifled groans was thrown back from the walls, burying me under an avalanche of sound. Seconds, minutes, hours, I couldn¡¯t say, passed until slowly, gradually the pain diminished. With every heartbeat I got a little more used to the flood of impressions and managed to push the resounding complaints of my body a little further away. I was still a long way from lifting my head, never mind getting up, but at least I could think again. My memories of the ordeal were blank, I didn¡¯t know what had happened, every time I tried to remember, a hazy image of Ahri was all I could manage. Hardly surprising since my mind hadn¡¯t been involved, and, honestly, I was pretty glad that I didn¡¯t have to deal with it. If what I was experiencing now was only an echo of what I had gone through, I¡¯d make do without the memories, thank you very much. I started to reorganise the jumbled up mess in my mind and as soon as I clearly recalled where I was and why, I immediately focused on my body. Fear raced through me, had I changed? At first nothing felt different, everything hurt, admittedly, but I felt my tails, still five of them, my arms, the hidden thrum of my wings underneath my skin and my pulsing core. Fabric grated against my neck and legs and a few sharp stoned poked me in the back. The small bout of panic gave me the strength to raise my head and peer down my body and around the cavern. I had been moved to the side, a coagulating puddle of blood close to the centre still marked where I had collapsed. Someone had spread my cloak over me but with a mighty effort I gradually pushed my hands and forearms out from underneath. They were still the same, small hands with slender fingers and lithe muscles, but my skin tone had changed. I was glowing dimly in the dark, my exposed skin the reason for the faint light in the cavern, with its silvery sheen. The marks along my meridians had vanished, my whole body matched their colouration. With a yelp I threw the cloak off and even scrambled to my knees. Hunched over, I removed the sad rest of my clothes and studied the my body. Relieve flooded through me and maybe a bit of disappointment. I didn¡¯t think I had changed, except for the permanent silvery glow my bare skin emitted. Unfortunately that also meant that I still had no bust to speak of. I couldn¡¯t see my face but when I clenched my teeth, raised my hands and gingerly traced my overly sensitive fingertips along my jaw, across my lips and towards my eyes I got the impression that everything was still in the same place. My ears were still large and fluffy but when I reached for them I brushed several strands of hair into my field of vision. Most of them were still raven black but here and there a streak of silver, like molten light, blinked through the dark flood. Tears of joy finally started to swim in my eyes and drip down my cheeks. I was alive and still myself! I had done it! Well, at the moment I couldn¡¯t stand, admittedly, but that seemed like a minor problem considering I should have been dead. Alright, two more things to check and then I would have to find out why I was alone in the damned cavern with nothing but an abandoned rope to keep me company, where my friends and the girl, whose imagine had allowed me to survive had gone and why time was flowing normally again. But first I needed a mirror and to manifest my wings. It might have been vain but I wanted to make sure that I hadn¡¯t sprouted vampire fangs or dragon eyes or some such nonsense, I really liked who I was. Still on my knees I carefully pushed mote after mote of energy into my wings, prepared to stop the very moment the pain that still coursed through me became less bearable. Luckily the flow of energy felt soothing rather than taxing, the familiar torrents of silvery blue energy smoothly uncoiling around me. They were the same, an irresistible lightning storm that danced around me like northern lights in the sky. The faint buzzing and sizzling that I had only heard when I had strained my limits and shoved more energy into my wings than I had been able to handle was now a constant background noise as soon as they appeared. Ripples pulsed through the air around them and I knew without a doubt that I wouldn¡¯t hurt myself ever again, no matter how much energy I channeled through them. With a thought I heaved myself up like a spider on her legs and glided over to the puddle of my blood. It wasn¡¯t a very good replacement for a mirror, not even a passable one, but with the additional light form my wings it somewhat worked. Anxiously I followed the outline of my eyes, studied their colour and scrutinised the shape of my nose. I truly hadn¡¯t changed. With a relieved sigh I leaned back, kept upright solely by my wings. I shifted my weight to ease some of my aches and my fiddling brought the rest of my wings into my field of vision. The bottom one, at the very point of the V on my back, wasn¡¯t silvery blue anymore, or at least not exclusively. It had a distinct core of fiery red energy that immediately reminded me of Ahri. Now that I was focused on it, I also realised that it felt slightly different from the rest, less like an extension of my body and more like a gateway, something I could use to channel my powers through. But it was locked, the pathway closed, as if there was something missing on the other side, something that¡¯d invite me in. 101. Of changes, worries and a little bit of portals Cassandra Pendragon Could it possibly be meant to connect to someone else rather than something else? I had always wanted to learn how to heal, after all. Mephisto had basically told me that my new body would be formed in the image of what my soul desired, without the rationalisations an active mind would use to ignore the sometimes darker nature of what I might long for. If that was true, it wouldn¡¯t be too far fetched to imagine that I had given myself a way to restore what shouldn¡¯t be lost. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t how I could try it out without a Guinea pig. Right then, every time I wanted to move my energy through the wing, I encountered a resistance, a blockade that wouldn¡¯t allow my powers to pass. It felt like knocking at the door of an empty house, in theory it was supposed to open but someone was needed to turn the key and invite you in. For now, it wouldn¡¯t be more than a fancy streak of colour among the silvery torrents of energy. Much more confident than I had been two minutes ago, with a relieved smile still plastered on my face, I turned my attention to the most pressing question: now what? The cavern was empty except for the end of Mordred¡¯s rope that still dangled down the rabbit hole which had led us here and my white cloak, discarded in the corner where I had woken up. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that Ahri, Mordred, Viyara and Reia had ventured further into the depths, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have left me here and the rope would be gone. I might have speculated that they had been sucked into another tributary of the time stream but I felt certain that I had protected them completely form the distortions that had swept me away and I also couldn¡¯t imagine that they would have had the time to make me comfortable if they had been dragged off against their will. I still couldn¡¯t move my limbs freely, cramps and a lingering pain that spiked every time I exerted any part of my body forced me to rely on my wings even for the short distance I had to cross to reach my cloak and tattered clothes. Quickly I shrugged back into them, even though it challenged my willpower to force the gory and torn rags over my head. It didn¡¯t take me long to realise that the emblem was gone. No matter how many times I patted down my pockets, the silver coin wasn¡¯t there. Ahri or one of the others had probably taken it. Smart, Mephisto might prove to be a lifesaver down there, in case he was willing to help them out in the first place. Unfortunately that didn¡¯t make it any easier for me. I could either head back to the camp or rush after them. Going back wasn¡¯t really an option. I might have talked to my mom or asked some of the dwarfs for help but neither held much appeal. Viyara had probably already informed someone of what was going on and if the dwarfs had thought they could help somehow, they would already have been here. There was no point in going back unless I wanted to abandon my friends. Forwards, it was and once I found them, I would have to ask my love some pointed questions on how she had arrived here, in the first place. My decision made I tried reaching for Ahri and Viyara mentally, something I should have done the very moment I had woken up, but I had been slightly distracted. The complete lack of a response, even a connection, would have immediately sent me into a panic under normal circumstances but truth be told, I had expected it. The little I already knew about this place, including the circular room, floating gem and guardians powered with transcendent energies made me think that even our tattoos or the link to Viyara might be blocked by wards or enchantments, placed around the inner sections aeons ago. If I added the temporal disturbances which might still be in full effect closer to the centre, I could just about imagine why I wasn¡¯t able to reach them. So much for the topic of a shortcut. I glanced around the cavern one last time but except for the rich smell of dark soil mixed with my blood and the lingering fragrances I had come to associate with Ahri and Viyara it was just a clammy, barren hole in the ground. Shrugging I pushed my body off the ground and hovered about 50 centimetres above the floor. A flash of silvery light vaporised the puddle and with a thought I moved towards the stairs, quickly vanishing into the bowels of the earth. The smoke had cleared away but the acrid stench of burnt stone still hung heavily in the air, straining my hurting throat and lungs until I was shaking with suppressed coughs. Despite the discomfort I didn¡¯t rush this time and inspected each enchantment I came across meticulously with my second vision and in the faint light of my skin. Not that I was able to understand much with my rudimentary knowledge of magic but I wanted to know if they were still active. Luckily small craters in the wall, which had blasted away integral parts of the spell formations with the utmost precision, made my job a lot easier. The formations weren¡¯t inactive, they had been destroyed and from the looks of it, nothing bad had happened. At least I didn¡¯t stumble across a corpse or blood, splattered across the walls. So far, so good. I didn¡¯t waste more time and accelerated down the stairs until I came close to the bottom and the site of the explosion. Streaks of soot ran along the walls and a spiderweb of cracks had formed across the ceiling. The stair below, where I had blasted through the incoming spell, had been reduced to so much as rubble while the nearest stones had been deformed as if they had melted. The remains of the door, a few meters further down the stairs, were gone and the lintel looked like something had chewed on it, chips and larger chunks of rock had been blasted right out of it and a massive fissure started at its centre and continued on into the hallway. From what I could see the hallway had been devastated as well. The pedestals closest to the door were gone and the walls showed the same signs of destruction as the stairs. Even further away, the erstwhile pristine room seemed more like a neglected and dilapidated underground storage than the antechamber of anything notable. Most important of all, I couldn¡¯t see a single statue. Heaps of crumbled stone, some with mangled pieces of metal sticking out of them like the curled up claws of a dying beast, some with still recognisable faces chiselled into their surface, were all that was left. One or two might have survived further down the hallway but near the entrance a storm of force and fire had devoured everything in its path. The wind from my passage stirred up grey and black flakes of ash while I carefully made my way through the ravaged corridor. My eyes roamed across the walls and ground, searching for a trace of my friends or a fight that had happened after the initial blast. The darkness didn¡¯t impede my vision and I quickly found scattered footprints where a hurried step had pushed away pebbles or touched the black residue of the explosion. Sharp as my eyes were, I couldn¡¯t make much of what I had found except for the direction they had been walking in and, to no surprise, it led onwards. I hurried up, trusting that I wouldn¡¯t stumble across anything too dangerous on their trail. Energy sizzled through my wings as I streaked towards the tunnel I expected to find at the far end of the hallway. Clouds of ash rose in my wake while I fretted over the chances one of the statues had remained intact. Could my friends face one of the guardians? Had they been forced to? Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. When I could already make out the details of the runes inscribed around the tunnel mouth, I suddenly halted in mid air. The last pair of statues was still in one piece, both of them resting on their pedestals, motionless. Multicoloured light, that reminded me of the temporal distortions back in the cavern, played around their bodies and on their chests, a glowing golden, circular mark I had seen before, burned merrily with an inner fire. Intrigued, I slithered closer to one of them. In the silvery sheen of my second vision I saw the mark attract swaths of energy from deep underground, a haze of power circling around the statues. The multicoloured light was a reflection of the outer edge of the whirlwind, an iridescent display of light while the actual force was directed inwards, locking the statues in place. I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the scene, Reia¡¯s mark definitely hadn¡¯t behaved like that. Or maybe that particular effect had just been suppressed? Gods, had I forced more than just a key onto the little girl? Mephisto had been right, I was an idiot. I should never have meddled. Maybe if I had just tried to leave the other stream I would have even been able to survive without a transcendent version of Russian roulette. I had even heard myself voice her doubts about the mark but still I had acted on the impulse. I really had to get another tattoo, something along the lines of: think before you act. And I¡¯d start right now. I wasn¡¯t going to leave the statues standing, if the mark was to falter, we¡¯d have to battle our way past them once we intended to get out of here. Admittedly, whoever had cast the marks might become alerted to their destruction but chances were I wouldn¡¯t be able to get deeper, without making a spectacle of myself anyways. And who knew, maybe the denizen of the depth, as I decided to call it, wasn¡¯t an enemy. Judging from past experience that wasn¡¯t likely, though. A small spark of excitement ran through me as I fanned out my wings and allowed the floodgates to open. A sensation like liquid fire spread from my core towards my wings, but it wasn¡¯t painful, it felt exhilarating. The pathways to my wings were filled with sparkling power but they didn¡¯t burn. They easily withstood the onslaught and protect the other parts of my body from the ravenous tide. I heard the air hiss behind and felt small ripples travel through space around me before I brought gleaming torrents of almost solid light down on the immobilised statues. There were no sparks, no explosions, my wings parted the mesh of light around the golems as if it hadn¡¯t been there and cut through the stone without the slightest resistance. Matter and magic vanished with the briefest touch and the heads, arms and legs of the statues shattered on the ground. The web of magic unraveled along the gashes I had torn and the mark pulsed once before it vanished. A cloud of bluish smoke, smelling distinctly of ozone rose from broken stones around a mutilated torso. The last traces of magic flickered out and silence returned. Holy hell, that had been as easy as breathing, I didn¡¯t feel strained or burnt in the slightest. On the contrary, I felt a somewhat refreshed, the aches that still plagued me dulled and a rush of strength had returned to my limbs. Smiling brightly I gingerly lowered my body to the ground and tried to stand on my own two feet without the support of my wings. At first I struggled to remain upright but after a few seconds I became much steadier, my muscles quickly adapting to my weight. I felt less like a walking corpse powered by magic and more like someone with a fever. The first few tentative steps were still a little shaky, but I quickly regained some confidence and when I reached the entrance to the tunnel, I was moving gracefully again. The intricately designed glyphs around its mouth were as complex as I remembered them, smaller clusters forming larger structure in an infinite loop of swirling lines. This time they weren¡¯t riddle with craters like the ones along the stairs but obviously altered with dark lines forming new and unwanted connections between several glyphs. The flow of energy within the formations had been thrown into chaos, ordered structures bound together to form nonsensical patterns. I was surprised the sigils even existed anymore, if they hadn¡¯t been crafted meticulously, the uncontrolled stream of magic would have eroded them instantly. As they were, they could be repaired easily enough but for now they definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfil their purpose. I decided to leave them alone, I simply didn¡¯t know enough to meddle, even though I had the distinct suspicion that I could just cut through them, I had seen it before in one of the time streams, after all. Turning my back in the destruction in the hallway I ventured down the tunnel, a narrow and completely straight line with smooth surfaces all around. Somewhere in front of me a small speck of light marked the exit on the other side but I couldn¡¯t tell how far it was going to be. Carefully I moved forwards, my wings curled around me like an armour made of glowing ribbons. While I sidled across the reflective stone, I felt like the darkness around me became more solid, the sound of my footfalls muffled, my breathing distant. Anxiety gnawed at my insides the further I wandered into the pitch back hole which, with the sparkling glow at its end, reminded me of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Every moment I expected something to happen, the walls to close in or a hidden trap to activate, filling the narrow space with poisonous gas or roaring fire. I didn¡¯t know why, but somehow I had to fight for every step, fear begging me to turn around. ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination,¡± I told myself and continued to put one foot in front the other. ¡°Your friends got through, they¡¯re somewhere ahead of you and a bout of paranoia won¡¯t keep you from them.¡± Stupid as it might seem, I even started to hum softly to myself. I¡¯d have preferred for something to attack me outright instead of this mounting feeling of dread. The melody of ¡°always look on the bright side¡± helped, a lot. Panicking while the immortal lines by Monty Python circled around my mind was close to impossible and I even managed a small smile at my my behaviour. By the Great Fox, after everything I had been through in the last week, I couldn¡¯t believe what kind of fuss I was making. Maybe I had died in here in another time and some of the emotions were still reaching me but whatever the reason, I was done hesitating. A thought spread my wings from wall to wall and instead of slowly creeping forwards I crackled with power and blazed along the corridor like a lightning storm, traps, enchantments and fears be damned. I nearly lost my balance in surprise when I suddenly rushed through another archway and found myself in the circular room with its carvings of doorways along the walls. Everything was just as I remembered except for the hovering gem at the centre, it had changed colour and was now pulsing in a warm, golden light and an open portal, that filled the gate on the opposite side with a flickering light. Strands of the same golden hue were woven together to form a magical framework along the pylons and lintel, swaths of energy circling around them. Closer to the centre, a profound blackness like a window to space, filled the formation. A string of shimmering glyphs had appeared around the carved foundations the spell was anchored to and even form the distance I recognise a few of the swirling characters. Their design and structure were awfully similar to Amon¡¯s spell work and I would have bet most of my possessions, even though that didn¡¯t mean much at the moment, that he or someone with a very similar understanding of magic had crafted them. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t peer through the wavering curtain and I felt certain that I wouldn¡¯t be able to pass through with my wings extended. I¡¯d probably tear the spell to shreds along the way. So instead, I moved closer to the gem and tried to understand how the contraption worked. As I recalled how much success I had had, interacting with the jewel in an alternate timeline, I wasn¡¯t surprised when I stared blankly at a complex pattern of interwoven strands of energy that somehow flowed form the surrounding rock into the gem and towards the active gateway. At least I didn¡¯t have to figure it out, the door had already been opened. Sighing I turned towards the portal and retracted my wings, wishing for sunshine and rainbows on the other side. 102. Of descends, fights and a little bit of lost control Cassandra Pendragon Nope, neither sunshine nor rainbows but at least I didn¡¯t find myself in the middle of the ocean. When I had stepped through the portal, a brief moment of vertigo and disorientation had led me into an atrium, for want of a better word. From the corner of my eye, I saw a doorway and the first steps of a wide staircase that vanished into the earth. The walls were bare but polished stone, a reflective surface crisscrossed with lines of shimmering metal, glowing faintly in the dark. Behind me the energy of the portal still hummed reassuringly, my way back was still open. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t quite concentrate on my surroundings, a still bleeding corpse in the middle of the room commandeered most of my attention. There, practically at the centre of the chamber, laid a chimera, with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent. Black blood oozed from deep gashes in its hide, some clean and narrow, others wide with frayed edges. It looked like the creature had been attacked with swords, claws and magic and had finally succumbed to its injuries after an intense battle. Cracks in the floor still told the tail of mighty blows and scorching magic, unleashed in a fight to the death and the fur on my tails rose with the echo of powerful spells that still hung in the air. Carefully I walked closer, my eyes transfixed on its head, ready to jump back at the slightest movement. One of its eyes had been clawed out, ruptured shreds of skin plastered around an empty socket, that was half filled with coagulated blood, turned its expression into a sick wink. The lolling tongue had a greenish shade and appeared somewhat swollen to me, completing the image of a macabre grimace. Slowly I crouched down and inspected the wounds across its body. The first telltale sign I found was the tip of a broken dragon tooth, lodged between the chimera¡¯s steely ribs. Viyara had probably clamped down on the beast and tried to break its spine with a violent shake, loosing half of her fang in the process. Several deep holes marked where she had bitten into the beast and the vicious slashes had probably been caused by her claws, as she had raked them across its hide. Clean cuts with charred edges across the neck and and legs immediately reminded me of Ahri with her fiery wings and deadly blades but I couldn¡¯t say for sure if she had caused them. I still would have been willing to bet on it, though. Methodical dismemberment simply fit her fighting style. Anxiously I walked around the corpse and searched for signs that one of my friends had been injured, the crimson red spots of blood or a strip of cloth but the room was clean except for the black pools of blood from the chimera. I was baffled, I didn¡¯t know how strong the beast had been, but considering that I had found a broken dragon tooth inside of its body, it definitely hadn¡¯t been a pushover. How had they managed to get through the fight unharmed? Or was I just too blind and had overlooked something? I knew I should have hurried after them immediately, but I took another couple of minutes to once again scrutinise the corpse, I even ran my hand across its wounds and through its fur, searching for something that might tell me what had happened. Just when I was about to give up and had decided to try to contact Ahri or Viyara one more time before I was going to head down the stairs, my searching fingers touched a swelling on its neck. There was no obvious wound but once I had brushed aside the mane, I saw two puncture marks, the skin around them swollen and red with a sickly pus oozing out of them. It looked similar to a snake or spider bite but the row of idents between them, that reminded me of human teeth, told a different story. Judging from the size of and distance between the marks, it had to have been someone small, like a child. A spark of fear raced along my spine. There was only one girl down here that I knew of and I had incidentally hooked her up with a strange magic from another time stream. Was Reia turning into a snake or a spider? Had she sprouted venomous fangs? What, in all the hells, had I done to her? I had to find them. The mental pulse I sent towards Ahri and Viyara didn¡¯t get far, which either meant that they had gone through another portal or that the whole place was protected by enchantments powerful enough to stop it. Since both connection had been formed through transcendent energy, I was fervently hoping that it was the former, because otherwise this dungeon might just proof to be too much to handle and the next corpse I¡¯d stumble over could belong to someone I actually cared about. With a quick glance I made sure that I hadn¡¯t overlooked anything obvious but except for the slain beast the room was empty. I hurried around its motionless form and peered down another long flight of stairs that led into the darkness, a reoccurring theme down here. I had never before seen this part of the labyrinth, so I abstained from rushing down, head over tails. I still used my wings to hover but I made sure to check every metre in front of me before I crossed it. I had seen the enchantments that had been place outside and I wasn¡¯t too keen on stumbling into the ones that might have been cast down here. Step after step I descended into the unknown. After only a handful of meters I felt the temperature change. My breath turned into misty clouds and goosebumps covered my body, it had become cold, and with every second the chill crept deeper into my body. I cursed under my breath and pulled the once again tattered remains of my clothes tighter around myself even though they provided very little protection. Shivering I continued on, the glow from my wings the only source of light in the otherwise abyssal darkness. There were no runes or enchantments along the walls, no decorative murals or warnings, just blank stone and wide, smooth steps that led ever further into the bowels of the earth. It felt like I was leaving the lands of the living behind and slowly entered the realm of the dead, where even the warmth of my breath was sucked form my lungs. I couldn¡¯t say how long I had been following the stairs when a cold, white light appeared somewhere below me. Flickering and faint at first it quickly became brighter until my surroundings thrown into harsh contrasts connected by dancing shadows but there was no heat, no warmth in the pulsing glare, on the contrary, the light seemed to suck even the last traces of energy from everything it touched and my skin started to tingle all over when my body forcefully resisted the foreign power. Confident that if there had been some kind of hidden trap I would have already encountered it and filled with fear for my friends I accelerated and crossed the remaining distance in a heartbeat. The walls and ceiling suddenly vanished and I found myself in another circular chamber. Like the staircase before, it wasn¡¯t embellished nor where there any exits except for the one I had just come through. All I could see was an altar in the shape of a pentagram made of white marble. It was the source of the icy glare and pulsed like a gigantic heart. Lines of red ran from each corner towards the centre where they formed a swirling circle, maybe half a metre in diameter, similar to the portal I had stepped through before. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. By now, the tips of my fingers had started to turn blue and I couldn¡¯t quite feel my toes anymore but a little energy from my core fixed that problem neatly enough. Unfortunately it did nothing against the cold and my uncontrollable shivering. I clenched my teeth and quickly walked around the altar once. Each corner had a little indent, like a bowl, filled with blood. The red lines were in fact small traces of the crimson liquid that constantly flowed from the corners to the circle at the centre. Even while I was watching, the repositories were depleting before my eyes and I could just about imagine what would happen if they ran dry. Assuming that it was indeed a portal, it would most likely vanish the moment there was nothing left to fuel it. I was tempted to refill them with my own blood but I was afraid the transcendent energy that had already started to transform my body would somehow cancel or destroy the spell and then I¡¯d have sealed my friends somewhere or even somewhen without a way back. It¡¯d probably be for the best if I didn¡¯t keep on taking chances like that. But that also meant I didn¡¯t have a single moment to lose. I carefully approached the swirling circle and tentatively pushed a hand inside. It vanished but I could still feel it in an underwater, pins and needles kind of way but I could instantly tell that it wasn¡¯t as cold on the other side as it was in here. Mustering my courage I retracted my wings and dove through the portal head first. Mayhem and destruction greeted me, once I was through. I had stumbled into the midst of a battle. I had arrived in a vast hall, titanic pillars formed like the trunks of mighty trees rose further up than I could see to support a ceiling so far above me that I couldn¡¯t even make it out. At the far end of the hall was a massive statue of a spider, its folded legs pinning some kind of body to the ground. The space between me and the statue was crawling with all sorts of creatures, chimeras like the one I had seen before, animated constructs, similar to the guardians in the first hallway but larger, with weapons and armour that sizzled with the familiar electrical blue energy. I saw small, crystalline spiders that tripled across the floor or climbed the pillars, spinning translucent webs between hordes of walking corpses, nearly rotten to the bone which made it impossible to tell what they once might have been. And in the middle of it all, I finally saw my friends, back to back, fighting against the overwhelming onslaught. Viyara had changed to her dragon form and Ahri¡¯s wings were ablaze with scorching flames, even Mephisto had materialised, throwing spell after spell into the oncoming storm. Mordred and Reia fought side by side, a snarl on their faces that revealed the fang like protrusions in Reia¡¯s mouth that had proven to be so efficient against the chimera. But even though they were fighting with the courage of the damned, for each foe they slew, two more took its place while each wound they suffered made them just a little bit slower and they hadn¡¯t yet managed to bring one of the constructs down. It was only a matter of time until they would be drowned underneath an avalanche of monsters or ripped apart by a blast of electric power they couldn¡¯t dodge. Not unless something changed. It was time to see how much energy I could now truly wield. My wings manifested smoothly with a glare brighter than the sun and the hall was suddenly illuminated with a silvery light that sent the shadows fleeing. A moment of stunned silence filled the hall before I disappeared with a shower of sparks and materialised directly in front of the largest golem. Reinforced stone and metal, filled with sparks of transcendent energy parted like water under my wings and a heap of rubble dropped down at my feet. One down, an army left to go. I didn¡¯t hesitate. Wings fanned out I pirouetted on the spot, swirls of bright light dancing around me while I cut through everything within my reach, be it flesh or magic. If I had any say in the matter, none of us would die today, or at least not die again. ¡°Cassy?¡± Ahri¡¯s voice was full of surprise and relive in equal measure. ¡°How?¡± She didn¡¯t have time for a more eloquent reaction, the incoming waves made sure of it. ¡°Willpower and a boatload of luck,¡± I grunted in replied while severed heads, amputated limbs and crumbling granite rained down around me. My manoeuvre had given us a little breathing room but I had barely made a dent in the horde. ¡°Can you hold on for now?¡± I called over the ruckus. ¡°We¡¯re fine, do what you can!¡± That was exactly what I had wanted to hear. I stayed well away from the tight circle my friends had formed, afraid I might hurt them accidentally and flitted across the battlefield light a lightning storm. Wherever I appeared, golems, undead and hybridised beasts alike went down one after the other, cut to ribbons without so much as a chance at resistance. I moved too fast for their weapons to reach me and their hides and armours provided about as much protection against my wings as a straw hut would against a wildfire. They went down in throngs, clouds of dust rose wherever I had been and the black blood of the chimeras pooled into small lakes all over the floor, filling the air with a rich, metallic scent. I lost myself in the fight, my consciousness slowly disengaging while I danced from one to the next and sowed death and destruction like and incarnation of the reaper. Figures, faces and colours became blurry behind a haze of violence and with every beat of my heart I pushed more and more energy into my wings. There was nothing and no one who could stop me and I revelled in the feeling, for once in my life I wasn¡¯t the one running and scrambling to survive, this time I was the monster who had come to take its due. I swirled and swayed, the flashes of light when my wings burned through one enemy or the other a visual manifestation of the unheard music I was dancing to. I lost track of time and even forgot where I was while I slowly began to empty the hall of attacking enemies and filled it instead with heaps of rubble, broken bones and ravaged bodies. At first, there was no end in sight and after a while I even started to cherish the fact that there were so many of them. They would keep me entertained for a long time. A melodious sound filled the hall and it took me a while to realise that it was my own laughter, echoing back at me from the empty space between the pillars, another form of music I could follow. Faster and faster I moved and spun, my whole body vanishing behind swaths of silvery sparks and torrents of energy. I turned into a blazing star, burning everything which dared to cross its path into oblivion. Exhaustion and adrenaline made my legs tremble and my hands quiver despite the copious amounts of energy I supplied them with but still I didn¡¯t stop, I couldn¡¯t, not until the very last of the things that had dared to raise their hands against me and mine would be gone. Not until this hall was clean and my friends were safe would I even consider slowing down. Plus, I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I had had so much fun. So I continued from one end of the hall to the other and back again, I tore through webs and bodies alike without a care, until: ¡°¡­Cassy! ¡­gone!¡± I knew that voice, I loved that voice but why, what? ¡°They¡¯re gone! Please, Cassy, they¡¯re gone. Please stop! It¡¯s only us now! You¡¯re scaring me!¡± As if someone had emptied a bucket of cold water over my head I woke from my trance, I¡¯d never do anything to hurt her. I blinked owlishly in the flickering light that filled the hall from a myriad of small fires that licked and nibbled at the remains of my victims. Grime and gore covered me from head to foot and I stood alone. Alone atop a mountain of corpses while the people I cared about stared up at me with a mixture of awe and terror. I tried for something akin to a smile but the gesture might have been lost since my eyes rolled up into my head and I fell unconscious. 103. Of defences, doubts and a little bit of last stands Ahri Arete Her knees buckled, her wings vanished and she fell. I was barely fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground but with a few frantic wingbeats I managed to sling my arms around her lithe body before she could add another injury to her growing collection. I was still angry, nay, furious and maybe a little shocked but when her soft curves came to rest against my chest and her fluffy tails circled around my middle reflexively I couldn¡¯t help it, my anger melted like snow under the midday sun and I was simply happy to hold her again, dirty and mangled as she was. She wasn¡¯t wounded anymore, as far as I could tell but her skin had a feverish colour and heat radiated off of her as if she was still fighting for her life, spasms making her muscles twitch against me constantly. Her body was liberally coated with the remains of her rampage, but the few untarnished spots showed the same alabaster hue I had come to know so well but now there was distinct sheen of silver to it, similar to the lines that had covered her meridians before. She felt nearly weightless, lighter than a feather and the remaining sparks of transcendent energy that were still roaming through her body, like stars in a galaxy, were visible as tiny motes of light that flickered across her skin. Caressingly I brushed the dirt form her cheeks and removed a few stray strands of hair from around her eyes before I lowered my head and gently kissed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you. Please, don¡¯t do that again,¡± I breathed against her lips. ¡°Is she alright? Does she look any different?¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice projected a distanced air but I heard the faint tremor underneath his cool demeanour. Somewhere along the way he had started to truly care for her, hell, maybe for all of us. The demon with the golden heart. Or we had just grown on him, like mould. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s hot to the touch, though. Any ideas?¡± I said while I faced our weary group. None of us had sustained a serious injury but I saw minor cuts and bruises nearly everywhere and exhaustion was written plainly across their faces. ¡°The stupid angel just rewrote her own life force and jumped head over heels into the next fight she could find. I¡¯d be more concerned if there wasn¡¯t anything strange going on in her body. But if she isn¡¯t combusting and her heart¡¯s still beating she¡¯ll be fine, I think. Heaven, I¡¯ve never before seen a still developing immortal attempt what she did. How should I know?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one who¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish my sentence. A tormented scream ripped from Reia¡¯s throat and she collapsed where she stood beside Mordred who reacted quickly enough to catch her below the shoulders on her way down. I was just about to make my way over to them with my precious burden when she fell silent again with a pained groan and the hall shook with a mounting tremor. Streaks of energy curled across the floor and along the pillars, touching every slain corpse and destroyed golem they came across. A crackling lightning storm of power built up around us, the statue we had tried to reach at its centre. It had moved, its legs piercing ever deeper into Shassa¡¯s original body, ripping her power out of her. Not even the distance she had created by taking over Reia was enough to protect her from the waves of agony that were coursing through her now. For a split second I wondered how she he even managed to stay alive over the aeons, subjected to a torture like this every day of her miserable existence. The girl was tough as nails, I had to give her that. Unfortunately the scene between me and the statue cut my musings short. Arrows of light pierced through stone, metal and corpses, fresh and nearly decayed ones alike. With every bolt of energy that was torn from Shassa¡¯s form, wounds healed, cut limbs crept, zombie like, back to where they had come from and crumbled heaps of rock shimmered and rose to realign, forming the dreaded golems once again. Before my eyes Cassandra¡¯s work became undone, nearly as fast as she had cut through the horde. If we waited only a minute longer, we would be back where we had started. ¡°Move,¡± I screamed. ¡°Mordred, grab Reia and run! We have to destroy that statue or we¡¯re all going to die down here! This time, there¡¯s no one coming for us.¡± I threw Cassy across my shoulder and didn¡¯t wait to see if the others would follow. I jumped as high as I could and rose into the air on the current of superheated air my wings provided. I circled once to gain altitude and rushed for the far end of the hall as fast as my wings could carry me. It was simple, really. Either we¡¯d be able to shut down the damned thing or we¡¯d die trying, there was no middle ground. We had no chance in hell to face the army again, should it truly rise. We had been hard pressed to hold our ground the first time around and now, we were exhausted and there was no one left who could come to our aid. It was now or never. Luckily Cassy had burned away the webs between the pillars, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have had a prayer to get anywhere in time. As it was, it didn¡¯t take me longer than a handful of seconds before I closed in on the statue, Viyara hot on my tails. The thing was a work of art, no doubt about it, smooth surfaces and intricate details that seemed much more alive than they had any right to be made it appear like some sort of spider goddess had descendent to devour the prey beneath her legs. A chilly aura became stronger the closer I got until it felt like I was bodily pushed back by a wall of cold, the same kind of cold we had already encountered in the last room. Shassa had explained that it was a phenomenon which occurred when a lot of energy was channeled into a spell, the raging torrents would inadvertently leech more and more power from the surroundings, freezing them in the process. Unfortunately knowing why didn¡¯t help in the slightest in overcoming the side effects, the heat from my wing the only thing that kept my skin from freezing. I pressed one arm tighter against Cassy¡¯s body and wrapped it through her tails for good measure. She wouldn¡¯t fall, at least of that I could make sure while I covered the remaining distance in the blink of an eye. The looming shadow before me seemed even larger up close and for a moment, despair raced through me like an electric jolt. How should we even damage something that larger, never mind completely destroy it before it had finished its task? Not much to do but try, I reasoned. Blades or my negligible strength wouldn¡¯t make a dent in the enchanted granite, of that I had no doubt, so the only thing I could try, besides waiting for the raging, golden colossus behind me, was using my wings, similarly to what Cassandra always did. A pity mine weren¡¯t nearly as useful when it came to any form of whole scale destruction. I could easily melt metal or stone but it took time, time we didn¡¯t have. The only way I saw, was to damage some integral part of the enchantments, burn away one formation and hope the rest would crumble on the weakened base and for that to work I needed to gain at least a rudimentary understanding of how the spells operated. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The spider¡¯s legs were wrapped around and had cut through a shrivelled up body but I could still see the similarities between the two: eight legs, mandibles instead of a mouth, closed and dried up eyes on the top of the head. It was Shassa¡¯s body alright but even as I watched, it withered away further, sparks of energy drawn form it¡¯s core and along the stony limbs to disperse through the statue and feed the resurrection spell that was making the army come back to life. Each leg served as an individual conductor for Shassa¡¯s power, feeding the hungry swarm that was struggling back to life with the dull clanks of realigning bones and reassembled stone. The statue was glowing faintly by now, the amount of energy channeled throw it sufficient to manifest as eerily blinking lights that ran long the legs, swirled around the body and disappeared I side the enormous stone head. The closed eyes were glazed over with a film of power and forwarded the stolen sparks towards the invigorated horde. ¡°Viyara, try to snap the legs! I¡¯ll go for the enchantments on the head.¡± Probably not the best idea one could come up with, but the most reasonable thing that came to my mind in the heat of the moment. I didn¡¯t wait for a reply and adjusted my angle, soaring even higher into the air until I was level with the enormous stone face. I knew it wasn¡¯t alive but coming within a few meters of a near perfect depiction ofravenous spider, its every feature radiating pure bliss while it devoured the life of someone else gave me the creeps. No wonder Shassa had been prepared to do whatever it¡¯d take to get out of her predicament. If I was honest, I couldn¡¯t say for sure if I¡¯d even have survived for a single year under similar circumstances. Whatever she had done in her past, and the few hints, well, she had been rather outspoken on the topic, she had paid the price manifold. Silently I landed on top of the head. As soon as my feet my contact with the stone, I felt the crushing force that was making its way through the channels, embedded deeply in the statue. I could feel my own energy react, attracted by the churning maelstrom below and I had to immediately clamp down on my core tightly to prevent it from spreading through my body and burning me to cinders in the process. Wearily I took a second to check on Cassy, afraid she might have reacted similarly and unable to do anything about it in her unconscious state, but she seemed unperturbed. Her skin had even cooled a little and she was fiddling with one of my tails lazily. A small smile had crept across her face and for a moment I again saw the little girl in her, which had had to grow up much too quickly. I¡¯d have loved to just look at her for a while but that would probably have been the last mistake I was ever going to make. I could swoon as much as I wanted to, once we were safe, or at least not in mortal peril anymore. Sighing I pushed her further up on my shoulder and turned my attention towards the swirling, glowing patterns beneath my feet. I had studied the basics of enchantments and runes meticulously but I knew with the first glance that I was way out of my depth. First of, I couldn¡¯t see the formations as a whole, I could only trace the path the motes of light took before my eyes and try to imagine how the construct would have appeared in its entirety. The second problem was the sheer complexity. I felt like a child who had successfully built its first sand castle and was now staring at the blueprint of a magical tower. Completely baffled in other words. Luckily I didn¡¯t have to dissect it, all I had to do was find a lynchpin and pull it out. I took a deep breath and gradually allowed the chaos of the hall to fade away. The tremors that shook the statue when Viyara charged into its legs went away as well as the groaning and rumbling of our approaching doom until the glowing patterns were the only thing that filled my vision. I didn¡¯t try to understand them anymore, like an artist I searched for parts of the composition that glued the rest together, like the final drops of colour that turned a lifeless picture into a masterwork. In my minds eye I traced the convoluted formations with my thoughts, searching for the capstone, some form of confluence which could be altered to destabilise the structure. Unbelievably that part went rather smoothly. In a world of light and shadow I could easily locate the nodes where several veins of energy converged, they simply shimmered brighter than the rest. The real challenge was that I still didn¡¯t have any sort of idea on how to meddle with them. I couldn¡¯t use my magic anymore and my wings weren¡¯t suited to pierce through inches of stone and cut through the enchantments. I could maybe try to melt a way through the rock and burn the magic underneath somehow but considering how sturdy the statue was that seemed outlandish at the very least. Maybe I could¡­ ¡°Need a hand?¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice tickled my ear and nearly made me jump. I didn¡¯t know when he had retreated into the coin and manifested again but I was more than glad to see him. ¡°Desperately. Can you think of a way to stop the spell?¡± His eyes lost focus as he apparently concentrated on the energy structures he could see and I used the few seconds he¡¯d take to quickly glance around the hall. Instead of rubble, discarded bones and shredded corpses, the silhouettes of golems and the discernible shapes of restored chimeras staggered to their feet. Originally they had been spawned from the sacrifice of blood we had had to leave in the previous room but now I thought we had triggered another defence mechanism that linked them directly to Shassa¡¯s energy, a final cruelty that would assure she couldn¡¯t be freed. Either the guardians would rip through the invader or she¡¯d be consumed entirely in an attempt to hold them off. Vile but clever. Viyara was circling the statue¡¯s legs below us, throwing everything she had in terms of spells, fire and even brute force against the enchanted granite but her exertions and shook the statue, they didn¡¯t damage it. Mordred had hauled Reia over to Shassa¡¯s origin, body and was standing guard over them, his face turned towards the twitching horde with grim determination edged across his features. As much as I hated the idea of a last stand, he definitely looked the part. ¡°I have an idea,¡± the hesitation in Mephisto¡¯s words didn¡¯t inspire much confidence. ¡°We can¡¯t shut it down, not in time but I should be able to reverse the flow of energy, with a little time. Instead of sucking Shassa dry, it¡¯ll rip the constructs apart to feed her. She just has to stay alive long enough and you have to give me a couple of minutes to tinker without interruptions. Think you can manage that?¡± Probably not, but what choice was there? I clenched my teeth. ¡°Sure, how long do you need?¡± I imagined my voice held firm but his understanding gaze made me think otherwise. ¡°10 minutes? Give or take? Leave Cassy with me. I think I can use her blood, it should be quite potent by now. I¡¯d say we have about 2 minutes until the transfer is complete and you¡¯re up to your neck in enemies. Good luck, Ahri. And just for the record, I never regretted trusting you.¡± Somehow I knew that he wasn¡¯t talking about anything recent but his words still made me feel better, as if burden I hadn¡¯t even know about had been lifted off my chest. ¡°Thanks. Take good care of her.¡± I heaved Cassy from my shoulder and lowered her gently to the ground. A quick kiss for her and a nod for Mephisto later I was back up in the air, wondering where I had gone wrong that I was now defending a demon to the last breath while he prepared to use the blood of my love to invoke some strange ritual he had told me nothing about after rushing into the depths of the earth on the behest of a spidery, self proclaimed evil sorceress. If I got out of this alive, I¡¯d have to revaluate some of my life choices. But then again, I¡¯d probably be dragged into the next mess before I¡¯d have the chance to. At least it was never boring. Aurora hadn¡¯t promised too much when she had told me that my life would be very interesting. 104. Of fire, flames and a little bit of last chances Ahri Arete The smell wasn¡¯t as bad as one might imagine. The continuous scrambling and scratching was another matter. The noise produced by an army on the rise was horrific, a constant, piercing pressure against my ears that made it impossible to focus on anything but the moving assembly of spare parts and limbs before me. Mordred and I had retreated under the shadow of the statue, Reia alongside Shassa¡¯s withered body between us. Eight stone claws pinned her to the ground and even though the wounds had dried up long ago a distinct metallic odour still lingered around her prone form. Her eyes were closed, shrivelled and blind, eight deep holes on top of her head like windows to an empty room. Reia was still and pale, her mind had fled from the sensations that were racing through their connection, from the pain that had flooded her once the spell had started working. Viyara was hovering in the air, sparks of magic running along her talons and fangs while she surveyed the amassing horde. Her tail twitched in agitation like that of a cat before it was going to pounce and beat against the statue like the biggest drum of war. We waited in silence, every second stretched on for an eternity, the only thing that marked the flow of time was the slowly growing sea of bodies before us and the distorted mumbling of Mephisto that reached us from the top of the statue. Words of power that slowly seeped through the enchantments made the statue tremble, different formations flaring brightly from time to time before they dimmed again and disappeared beneath the black granite. Every muscle in my body was shivering with fear and anticipation and if it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that every moment we stalled was another moment for Mephisto to work his magic, I¡¯d have thrown myself forward just to be done with the excruciating wait while the number of our enemies swelled before my eyes. I saw the towering constructs of stone, magic and a spark of transcendent energy, spawned from my blood and the long forgotten spells of a dead wizard at the very cusp of immortality. My eyes roamed over the scattering spiders, miniature imprints of Shassa¡¯s spirit, channeled through Reia while we had activated the previous portal. Chimeras, brought to life through Viyara¡¯s blood and undead monstrosities, linked to the darker parts of Mordred¡¯s soul, stumbled to their knees and finally rose with unnatural, choppy movements. Luckily only four of us had been required to open the last seal, otherwise we would have had to deal with Mephisto¡¯s spawns as well and I could just about manage without facing whatever would have crawled out of his demonic ass. Another wave of power was ripped from Shassa and I thought I could hear her groan, even though I wasn¡¯t sure if spiders were capable of producing such a sound. Her emancipated legs twitched once, that, I could see, and the brightest torrent of light as of yet burned through the statue and dispersed among the fiends. As if it had been a signal they had all been waiting for, they rose and turned to us, dead eyes and constructs of magic focusing on us with the intent of a predator that had spotted its prey. The wait was finally over. ¡°Viyara, remain close to us and don¡¯t soar too far over the army. If you go down over there, we won¡¯t be able to help. 10 minutes. Hold fast for 10 minutes and keep those two alive. Here they come, good luck.¡± As far as Inspiring speeches went, I probably didn¡¯t deliver, but we all knew what was at stake. The spider had been brutally honest when she had told us about the traps and defensive measures that had been constructed around her prison and if Mephisto had appeared in time to tell me that Cassy might wake up on her own, I¡¯d probably have told her to get the hell out of Reia¡¯s mind. Admittedly, her claim that the feedback from the stimulated seed would be enough to tear the time stream apart without her presence buffering and absorbing most of the impact had made my fur stand on edge but it wouldn¡¯t have been enough to send me head over tails down a dark, dangerous hole in the ground. Well, maybe it would have been but I¡¯d like to think that I wasn¡¯t as impulsive as Cassandra. When I tightened my grip on the blade in my hand and got into position to welcome the first wave with open arms I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the irony. Me, down here fighting a battle I couldn¡¯t hope to win, only outlast, while she was up there, somewhat safe and I was the one who still lamented her recklessness. I fanned out my tails for better balance and added: ¡°We can¡¯t allow the golems to reach the statue. We don¡¯t even know how we can damage them except for Viyara¡¯s flames and they don¡¯t work fast enough. If they get to Reia¡­ I¡¯ll try to keep them busy if they come too close while you keep the smaller ones at bay. Agreed?¡± Mordred grunted an affirmation and Viyara breathed a jet of silvery golden flames across our heads and into the roiling wave before us. Corpses and spiders went up with a shower of sparks, their very essence devoured by her hungry fires. The first blow had fallen and as if the floodgates had opened the horde surged towards us. The fight was gruelling, an endless succession of blurry silhouettes and distorted faces that rose and fell with every movement of my blade. Purple fluids coated the stone around us while Mordred and I laid into the advancing horde with reckless abandon and Viyara whirled over our heads, her short bursts of magical fire illuminating the hall with silvery light from time to time. We sowed death and destruction and for the first minute or so we managed to hold on. That was, until the golems entered the fray. A towering construct of magic and stone loomed above us from one second to the next, its spear held high above his head. ¡°Watch out,¡± I screamed and ducked to the side, my wings catapulting me out of harms way. Sharp metal and sizzling magic descended with the force of the proverbial brick wall and a cloud of dust rise from the spot I had just vacated. Mordred had managed to jump out of the way as well and when the golem¡¯s back was still bend from its swing, Viyara crashed into it, a spitting ball of fury and fire that wrestled it to the ground. The two behemoths fell with an earth shattering impact, the statue pulverised under Viyara¡¯s mighty limbs. But that wasn¡¯t the end. A surge of blue light rose from the destroyed golem and wrapped around Viyara¡¯s like a blanket. A deafening scream immediately ripped from her throat and in the flickering light I could see her scales deform and melt under the punishing spell while a wave of enemies slowly swallowed her up. ¡°Viyara,¡± I howled while I pushed off the ground and tried to somehow get enough space from the reaching limbs around me to rise into the air. I struggled and fought against the onslaught and with a powerful twist I pushed my wings through the encroaching bodies, turning them into blazing torches. Without hesitation I used the brief moment of calm to flare my wings and fly to Viyara¡¯s side. Soaring this close over the heads of our foes wasn¡¯t the best idea I had ever had, the whiplike tail of a chimera that hit me out of nowhere and send me tumbling into their ranks removed any doubt I might have had. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Like a stone from a sling I was shot into the thick of it, my body tearing a path through the army on its way down. The heat from my wings turned me into a veritable comet as I was hurtled through their ranks and finally struck one of the chimeras full in the chest. To me it felt like I had just collided with a mountain. Pain pulsed from my broken leg along my ruptured skin and towards my pulped ribs and my vision began to flicker while I desperately fought to remain conscious. Viyara¡¯s heart wrenching screams echoed close by but they seemed to come from a badly tuned communications crystal, sometimes loud and clear, sometimes fuzzy and distorted. Groggily I tried to get to my feet but before I could persuade my damaged muscles to resume their duties, a fresh wave of agony raced along my nerves when ripping claws latched onto my limbs and tried to tear me apart. Panic flooded my mind, I didn¡¯t want to die, I couldn¡¯t, not before the time was up and suddenly I understood why Cassy was always taking her powers further than she should. If failure was unthinkable you¡¯d do what you had to, the consequences be damned. It was easy, unbelievably easy, as if the energy that was churning around my core had just been waiting for a chance to burst forth. I didn¡¯t have to do anything, I simply had to allow the unending flood of heat and fire to move freely, to finally flow unhindered and it happened. The pain that tormented me disappeared in an instant, brushed way by power and flames. My wings ignited with the wrath of forgotten aeons and a ravaging maelstrom of fury and fire roared to life around me. I could feel my very blood boil in my veins, my skin aglow from underneath, but it didn¡¯t bother me, all that mattered was the tingling of power at my fingertips and the clouds of ash that silently rained down around me. A red hot haze obscured my vision when I floated in the air, held aloft by nothing more than pure will alone. Flakes of charred skin rained down from where the flames were bursting through and I knew my body was breaking down further every moment but at least for now, I stood tall. With a thought I pushed more energy into my wings, the four feathery limbs turning into small suns that burned behind my back with unending hunger and ferocity. ¡°Enough.¡± My voice was calm and quiet but it resounded with enough force to batter the fiends closest to me to their knees while their bodies started to smoke and shrivel under the immense heat. I spread my wings wide and brushed against the blue cocoon of light that still held Viyara prisoner. Sparks and cracks appeared immediately, red veins spreading from wherever I touched it and like heated glass in the snow it shattered. A high pitched chime reverberated through the hall and Viyara¡¯s cries cut off. I knew I didn¡¯t have much time, so I didn¡¯t waste the precious few minutes I¡¯d be able to hold on. Like a cleansing wildfire I blazed forwards, turning stone into glass and limbs into ash. With every second, more and more energy surged from my core until it felt like the world was burning with me at its centre. Swaths of undead and spiders vanished behind flaming curtains and wherever my wings came in contact with stone or flesh, acrid smoke was soon everything that was left. In a frenzied dance I made my way deeper into the horde, hoping I could cause enough damage to halt their advance, to stall them for just a few minutes. Once or twice I thought I saw the shadow of a golden dragon close by, smashing through the holes I had torn into the solid wall of bodies like an enraged beast, showers of blood and torn body parts exploding into the air around her frenzy but she disappeared quickly again behind the sea of falling bodies. I couldn¡¯t focus on her anyways, the ebb and flow of battle had consumed me and I didn¡¯t think about what I was doing anymore. One step was followed by the next, strikes effortlessly glided into pirouettes until it felt like I wasn¡¯t fighting anymore but dancing to the hidden rhythm of the waning life around me. My vision dimmed and still I fought, my hearing became muted but I didn¡¯t stop, the flow of energy that coursed through me became distant but I kept going. Golems, chimeras, spiders, undead they were all consumed like kindling, blackened soot and charred patches of stone and glass the only thing that escaped me until the embers in my blood died down. The strain had finally been too much and in its rage the fire had consumed its host. I felt my life drain away, a last bit of sustenance for a final explosion of red flames and then, darkness came. Cassandra Pendragon I was on the cusp of another dream. I could feel the stirring memories like a tickle in the depth of my mind but they didn¡¯t swallow me. Something kept them at bay, like an alarm it held my focus and didn¡¯t allow me to submerge myself in the scenes from my past. At first I didn¡¯t mind, exhausted and sleepy as I was but after a while, the constant pressure was becoming unnerving. I wanted to make it stop which made me wonder where I even was to begin with. Somewhere between sleep and lucidity my thoughts crawled along at a snail¡¯s pace but I still was somehow aware and with that I realised that there was someone else with me, a strange presence at the edge of my mind that kept me from descending into my dreams. The knowledge sparked curiosity and before I knew what was happening, images reached me, a continuous stream of emotions and memories. It was an introduction of sorts, a ¡°I come in peace even though I might seem a bit scary¡± message paired with the most crucial information I had missed in the last few minutes and a distorted, eight eyed face. Apparently I had the dubious honour of meeting an ancient spider, the very same one who had taught Amon in ages past. I couldn¡¯t say that the revelation had me reeling, but it felt nice to be right once in a while. She had sent me bits and pieces of her past, enough to understand what was going on. Cast down by her former disciple she had been confined to this prison until an aspiring sorcerer had used her as a stepping stone to reach for the spark of immortality until he was cast down by none other than Amazeroth. The remains of the artefacts he had created were the source of our trouble, Amon¡¯s meddling with the shards of the mana heart had activated the seed hidden in the statue I was sleeping on. Shassa, that was her name, could feel every pulse the seed sent out to energise the mana heart and the backlash when the wave of power recoiled from the torn channels, destroyed when Amazeroth had annihilated the sorcerer¡¯s works and caused the cataclysm. Terrible as it was, it also seemed to be the one saving grace because from what she told me, nothing short of changing the past would get us out of there in one piece. After I had collapsed, again, I might add, Mephisto had tried to change one of the defensive spells to revive Shassa, the rest of my friends buying the time he had needed with their life. Unfortunately that surge of power had been the straw that had broken the camel¡¯s back, so to speak. The strained spell formations that kept the seed together were collapsing this very second and as soon as they were gone, time would crack and the time stream would realign, brushing away everything in its way, which included us at the moment. Luckily Mephisto had used some of my blood in his attempt which had allowed Shassa to reach for me as soon as she woke up and felt the spells disintegrating. Which had led us to were we where now, nowhere in particular while the mind of an exhausted kitsune communed with a spirit from ages past. I was tempted to call bullshit, but since we weren¡¯t talking directly, it was a damned sight harder to lie. Panic and fear surged through me, not particularly for myself but if what the spider had said was true, Ahri and my friends were dead right that very moment and if I didn¡¯t meddle with our past they wouldn¡¯t have a future. I was still missing crucial parts of the puzzle but there wasn¡¯t much of a choice anyways. Just like Ahri hadn¡¯t hesitated to follow the spider to save me, I would do whatever I could, even if that meant trusting a creepy, eight legged monster. 105. Of threads, decisions and a little rewind Cassandra Pendragon One might ask why I had said eight legged monster, there hadn¡¯t been much to see after all, images don¡¯t usually linger on the edge of dreams but the longer I communicated with Shassa, the more real everything appeared to me. From exchanged memories lived through between two fluttering thoughts the scene around had developed into the grey of the mind scape, a place I was starting to get familiar with. I had a body and sensory impressions but there was nothing there except for a hazy silhouette, still hidden behind a veil of fuzzy thoughts. With every contact, every exchange she had become clearer until I saw her for the first time and the disembodied memories flowed together to show me whom I was dealing with. Her body was that of a huge spider, bloated and black with red markings in the shape of a reversed cross on her back. Eight bowed, chitinous legs held her upright, each one of them at least 2 metres long with a sharp, deadly claw at its end. Her torso ended in spinnerets that constantly pumped a sticky, purple fluid along the last pair of her legs which was in constant motion, forming spell formations from the stuff and ripping them apart again before they could fully invoke. A constant clacking filled the air and the sweet stench of her silk, similar to rotten fruits, assaulted my nostrils. But it was quite easy to ignore, since her head held most of my attention. Flat and angular with eight eyes regularly placed along the middle stared at me with the hungry gaze of a hunting predator. Huge mandibles, the inside glistening with deadly poison slashed through the air and when they opened wide I could just about make out the maw behind them, a dark, wet gullet filled with circles of needle like teeth that reminded me of a viper¡¯s fangs, the dark spots where poison channel broke through the surface clearly visible. She appeared to be standing on a web of intricately intertwined lines that shimmered in different colours and led off into the distance. Every few seconds a pulse of power raced through the web and made the strands tremble and shiver, some of them even snapping right down the middle and I now realised that she was constantly forming patches and enchantments from her silk to support the failing construct, reinforcing strand by strand. Prefect, just perfect. I couldn¡¯t help it, for quite some time I simply stared at her, her alien features and psychedelic appearance too much to take in all at once. ¡°It¡¯s quite rude to stare, you know?¡± Her voice was a far cry from anything I had expected. It wasn¡¯t wheezy or hoarse, intimidating or even unpleasant, it was smooth, maybe a bit too deep to be called beautiful, but fascinating all the same, like a sheet of dark velvet that glided across my perception. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, a spider on a rainbow wasn¡¯t what I had been expecting. Forgive my curiosity.¡± Once again I thought that politeness might actually go a long way. Not that it ever had, but hey¡­ ¡°We¡¯re not really here, those are just manifestations of our mind, at least for me, that is. Would you prefer something along those lines?¡± She changed. The colourful web beneath her remained the same but the silhouette of the huge spider started to flow like water and before I knew it an alluring woman stood in her place. She was tall and slender with raven black hair and eyes, her only feature that didn¡¯t appear human. Hunger stared at me from the depths of those eyes, the same predatory gleam that had filled her gaze before. A robe of black silk flowed around her shoulders and down her long legs, more memory than actual cloth it was plastered to her from like a second skin. When she smiled, her lush lips revealed the same needle like teeth I had spotted before and a cold shower ran down my spine. Before, she had appeared brutal and savage, but this form radiated danger like fire radiated heat, giving a face to the dark natures that slumbered within us all. ¡°I don¡¯t care too much for your looks, Mylady, but for what I can do. Is everything you¡¯ve shown me the truth?¡± ¡°That entirely depends on your perspective and what we can come up with, but for now I can show you what is left of your friends, if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°Not if you expect me to do anything besides crying for the next hours. If I understood you correctly, their fate is not yet set in stone. How do I get them back?¡¯ She moved her finger in a complicated series of gestures and the lines at her feet rose up. ¡°What you¡¯re seeing before you is a tapestry of fate, a neat trick I learned from my last jailor. It allows me to see decisions in the past that helped form the future. As you can see, it¡¯s collapsing, the threads unraveling. While this may very well spell our doom, it also means that this place in time is in flux, until it collapses. I¡¯ve tasted your blood, you can use this moment, you can cross over and change the past to alter the future, something my previous tormentor always strived to do. I can show you the way and I have a request as well, but if you¡¯re willing, this won¡¯t be the end. Not for you and not for them.¡± That sounded pretty much like a cranked up version of what I had done to form the connection between her and Reia and that hadn¡¯t turned out too well. Just thinking about the pain I had had to go through back then made me shiver. I hadn¡¯t planned on trying that ever again but like a well known philosopher once said: you can¡¯t always get what you want, but if you try, you might get what you need. I needed a world with Ahri in it, there simply was no alternative. ¡°Pretty words, but what does it mean?¡± I asked. Even though I was pretty much willing to jump through burning hoops at the moment, I still intended to be somewhat smart about it. ¡°Here, watch,¡± she said and picked up one of the threads that led to a thick knot in the tapestry. On her silent command it unraveled and scenes from the past danced along the line in front of me. They changed too fast to glimpse much detail but now and again I thought I saw a familiar face or even a golden dragon in the whirlwind of colours. ¡°One of the strands that has led to this moment in time. It¡¯s not overly useful on its own except to reconstruct the purpose of the past and gain some insights. But,¡± she whirled her hand about and instead of one web, a myriad of them appeared, one overlaid over the other until the individual strands blurred together, ¡°here and now there isn¡¯t just one of them. Every thing has happened somewhere, somewhen and the pulses from the mana seed have eroded the walls between the different streams to a degree that they bleed into one another. This means I can search for the outcome I desire and simply follow the threads to see which coincidences have led there. I¡¯ve found several paths that seem interesting enough but we can only reach the minority of them. You see, every instance that stretches beyond the ripples the mana seed has caused is off limits, meddling with them would instigate the usual conundrums from paradoxes to the very same ripple effects we¡¯re dealing with right now. A very bad idea in other words.¡± She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, there are a handful of decisions and circumstances that can be tweaked. The number and identities of the people you take with you, for instance. I¡¯ve already made sure that Reia was among them, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t even have gotten this far.¡± ¡°Does this mean we¡¯ve already been here before?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± again she manipulated the threads around her until I saw myself in conversation with the spider, sometimes I appeared battered and bruised and once or twice I couldn¡¯t even recognise myself at first glance, hidden as I was behind a full plate armour. ¡°We¡¯ve met many times but it has always been too late. The dice have been cast and while you might survive even from this point onwards, nothing else will withstand the temporal explosion that¡¯s to come. If you want to save your friends, you¡¯ll have to prevent it from happening all together. Unfortunately we can¡¯t simply reach back and prevent my downfall, the cataclysm, or another important event that has led here, they¡¯re too far away and not impacted by the explosion of the seed. We¡¯ll have to make do within the small frame from basically since you arrived on the island up to a few seconds in the future from now when everything turns into ash. Tell me, do you carry a set of small statuettes with you? Ancient ones, carved in the likeness of men with animal heads?¡± ¡°Have you seen them as well? What are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re mine! The greatest piece of magic I have ever wrought. They¡¯re a prison and a lifeline and I think I can use them. It¡¯s too late now, but if I had had them only an hour earlier I could have prevented the activation of the seed and maybe even shut down the fragment of the heart that started all of this. As for what they are, each of them contains a structured spell formation that mimics a soul and nourishes the parasites I¡¯ve sealed in there ages ago. Parasites might be a bit misleading, even though they are just that, but I¡¯m talking about the hungry consciousness of powerful entities born from pure magic, gods in their time.¡± ¡°Seth, Horus and the like? I¡¯ve heard the story. So it¡¯s true? Amon asked your help in ridding the land of a horror the people themselves had conjured?¡± ¡°Partly, a conscious mind doesn¡¯t simply appear but it¡¯s close enough. Where did you learn about it, anyways?¡± ¡°A part I¡¯ve seen as the echo of Amon¡¯s memories in one of his spells and Viyara, the golden dragoness told me the rest, at least as a myth from ages past. I didn¡¯t know if it was actually the truth but now¡­ I have them with me right now. Do you want them back?¡± ¡°Tempting as that might be, there wouldn¡¯t be a point, like I said, it¡¯s too late. The damage is too great, there¡¯s nothing we can do from this point onwards. What I want you to do is use that transcendent energy of yours to cut through the web and go back in time. If you can bring me the statuettes, I think I can guide you in restoring my body and severing the seed from the fragments of the heart, powering it down for the foreseeable future. This whole episode will never have happened, you¡¯ll be the only one to know the truth which unfortunately also means that I won¡¯t have any recollections of who you are. I won¡¯t help you willingly, the only reason why I¡¯m not trying to suck the marrow from your bones right now is what I¡¯ve already seen in alternate streams. If you¡¯re successful the seed will never fully awaken in the first place and I won¡¯t have that knowledge. You¡¯ll have to convince or subjugate me. You¡¯ve seen the state I¡¯m in, don¡¯t expect too much sympathy for your plight. I¡¯ll probably ask you to free me beforehand and hand over the statuettes but believe me when I say, I¡¯m going to leave you behind the moment you comply or I¡¯ll even try to regain what I¡¯ve lost by consuming you. Don¡¯t trust me, Cassandra.¡± ¡°Great, simply great. And how do you suggest I¡¯ll go about it? Never mind that I still have no clue how you expect me to travel back through time, even if I arrive, I¡¯ll need your help and there isn¡¯t much I can bargain with.¡± ¡°Are you an immortal or not? Make me fear your wrath more than another eternity in the dark. I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done to me in some of the streams. You¡¯ve got enough darkness in you to drown a world, Light Bringer.¡± Her words made me shiver and not only because she had called me by my name. ¡°How can you know me? Where did you hear that name?¡± ¡°Did you not listen? Right now I can see the infinite possibilities in time and some of them reveal more than you seem to think. I¡¯ve seen what slumbers beneath your pretty face, you¡¯re task is to make me see it again. Make me fear you enough that I think you¡¯ve got it in you to give me what I truly desire. Revenge, revenge and a chance to walk this earth once again.¡± ¡°And what if I can¡¯t? What happens if I can¡¯t convince you?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re doomed, Amon will activate his shard and sooner or later learn of its secrets. Who knows, maybe another immortal will strike him down if he goes down that path but we won¡¯t be there to see it. There are no guarantees.¡± ¡°No, there are none. I don¡¯t even have one on your intentions, now, do I? It sounds an awful lot like I¡¯m going to deliver power directly into your lap at a time when you can still use it. Why should I trust you now?¡± ¡°Because the alternative is nothing you want to live through. Do you want me to show you the scene when you realise you¡¯ve left the love of your life and your family for dead, even though you could have prevented it? You won¡¯t be able to recognise yourself, let alone what you¡¯re going to do.¡± I was afraid she was right but that didn¡¯t do much to ease my doubts. Admittedly, the whole you have to scare me into obedience shtick was nothing I¡¯d have expected if she had planned to betray me, but then again¡­ if I had seen a chance to wake up and find my friends still alive, I would have taken it but Shassa¡¯s fragmented memories had been enough to convince me not to try that. If they weren¡¯t dead, they were dying and even though I was willing to bet quite a lot on the functionality of my new wing, that was a risk I wasn¡¯t willing to take. And then there was this whole time stream debacle, in case it was actually as bad as the spider had claimed, but my own experiences, from the strange intuitions to the cross over that had nearly killed me, pointed pretty much in the same direction. Call it a gut feeling, but I didn¡¯t think she was lying, at least not about the important bits. ¡°Not having much of a choice is starting to get old,¡± I huffed. ¡°So what exactly am I supposed to do? Make a wish and disappear?¡± ¡°If only it were that simple. The web is more than just a visualisation, its very parts are linked with the underlying reality. You have to step through, cut your way to the other side and hopefully your own past will attract you. If you¡¯re going to get lost between the different streams, there won¡¯t be a way back. I can only show you the destination, the rest is up to you.¡± ¡°And once I¡¯m there I¡¯m going to scare you straight and then what? Just hand over the statuettes and wait?¡± She sighed. ¡°The constructs, once opened, should be able to devour the seed without repercussions. The trick will be to seal them again but if I have my body back I¡¯ll be able to help. I¡¯ve done it before and I can do it again. I just can¡¯t say what it¡¯s going to cost.¡± ¡°There always is a price,¡± I answered quietly. ¡°Is there something else I ought to know?¡± I added clearly. ¡°Make sure you always have the upper hand when you¡¯re dealing with me and don¡¯t fall for my traps. Be wary of what you do once the statuettes are broken. They¡¯re powerful and dangerous,maybe more so than Amon. Exchanging one scourge for the other would make everything worse. Good luck, Cassandra. You¡¯ll need it.¡± On her command one of threads rose up, unraveled and formed a perfectly sharp scene. I saw the hall again, but this time it was empty, the towering statue and the shrivelled up corpse in its clutches the only source of movement. 106. Of places in between, realities and a little bit of acting Cassandra Pendragon Unbelievably, the body was still moving, faint twitches and the occasional shudder made it obvious just how much pain she was in. Crap, I could already feel the urge to help her, to free her of her binds without any form or reassurance or gain on my part. Pity was a damned nuisance. ¡°Great, now what?¡± I mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, I know you can cut through spells. Go ahead, you¡¯ve done it before, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And then? Do I shake you until you wake up?¡± She rolled her eyes and that was quite the spectacle, like a wave that ran across her face. ¡°Heal me enough to communicate but not more than that or you might come to regret it. You can do that, can you not?¡± ¡°I hope so, probably¡­ maybe? Uh, won¡¯t there be two versions of me, anyways?¡± ¡°No, the path you¡¯re trying to reach hasn¡¯t been walked yet, it¡¯s just a dream of the universe in a way. It¡¯ll become reality once you cross over, there won¡¯t be two versions of you but I¡¯m not sure where you¡¯ll end up. You could also be sucked back spatially which would probably mean you¡¯re going to have to fight your way through the dungeon again.¡± ¡°At least I won¡¯t be stuck with a twin. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine the headaches that would cause. Alright, here goes nothing.¡± Manifesting my wings was much more difficult that it was in the corporeal world but I persevered and with the sound of shattering glass the silvery blue torrents of energy sizzled behind me. From one second to the next my vision changed and I perceived the reality behind the pretty visualisations my mind had come up with. Shassa was nothing more than a violent mass of energy, the tiniest speck of a soul burning somewhere in its centre. The web or tapestry below her was, in fact, a series of cracks or cuts, much narrower than they had appeared, but deeper as well. They seemed to originate from a spot behind the edge of my vision and became wider and more numerous the closer they were to the source. Like peepholes they allowed me to glimpse fleeting images of the world behind the curtain, so to speak. I could see unrealised realities side by side with scenes from the past that were continuously diverging and added even more possible paths to the mix. In a way I gained a glance at what it had been like before the fundamental laws of the cosmos had been established, chaos and order, creation and annihilation happening at the same time. Another memory stirred at the edge of my thoughts, the primordial display had triggered something but now wasn¡¯t the place. The next time I was going to fall asleep peacefully sure as hell would be interesting. Or maybe just infuriatingly vague, it was hard to tell. At least it had become obvious what I had to do. With a thought I caught the metaphorical edges of the scene Shassa was showing me and slipped a wing through. The pressure came immediately as if a giant had been waiting on the other side and was now trying to yank my wings straight from the socket. I reacted on instinct and shoved more and more energy from my core to strengthen the wing and this time around, my body could withstand the rush of power. Like a raging river, a hot and cold flood raced from my core to my wings and I could feel the structure of the time stream give way when it couldn¡¯t crush the obstacle, its own strength ripping it apart. The whole web trembled violently and I saw threads burst under the mounting pressure. Shassa¡¯s presence quivered and deformed as her life was spent to hold it together, the space around me slowly disintegrating while she vaned. I wasn¡¯t going to hang around and admire the changing scenery, so I allowed the stream of energy that still flowed to my wings to carry me along. A shower of silvery sparks danced among the violent outbursts of light for an instant before it was sucked through one of the cracks and vanished, ahead of the explosions that tore the space apart. I was choking, the sensations that assaulted my nerves much more real than a moment before while I was drifting aimlessly through a sparkling display of blurry scenes and hazy images. I had expected to materialise either in the hall or where ever I had been at that moment in time but I hadn¡¯t crossed over completely, every last strand of the time stream had fought against my passage. I had become stuck halfway through, somewhere between what was and what could have been and my body wasn¡¯t liking it one bit. Aside from the pressure that was still tearing at my wings, this whole place seemed to have it out for me. I couldn¡¯t breathe, I couldn¡¯t seem to move and best of all, I felt my blood slowly turning into slush from the immense cold that had bitten into my flesh the very instant I had arrived. In a way it made sense, I was between time and since movement, even heat, needed time it would be cold but that didn¡¯t make it any more bearable. My fingers and tails were already numb and I hadn¡¯t been here for more than a couple of heartbeats. At least the energy from my core was still moving, otherwise I would already have turned into a popsicle. I still had to get out of there, though. Quickly. With an increasing effort I commandeered my sluggish mind to take up the fight and move my wings. I didn¡¯t know why but somehow my oxygen deprived brain conjured up the image of a tall blonde in a hospital gown who repeatedly said: wiggle your great toe! A task that appeared more and more difficult by the second. With an herculean feat I got back on track, time stream, right. Maybe I should have asked an additional question or two before I had plunged through a hole in time but ironically it was a little late for that. The spider had talked about not getting lost and I could only assume that this was what she had meant. Hadn¡¯t she also said that my past would attract me? That would imply that some of the scenes were unrealised possibilities or even future ones and some were from the past, moments in time I had lived through, fixed and unchangeable unless I found a way back. For a second I wondered what this meant for my identity. Was I just me or the sum of the paths, some of which I hadn¡¯t even walked on? Again I had to forcefully focus on my immediate problems. There was no physically pull, no matter how far I stretched my senses, there was only cold around me and the changing scenes in time. Maybe I had to move through them, similarly to how I had reached this place? Should I just pick one at random? That would probably be a sure way to get stuck in some kind of hell hole for the foreseeable future. Somehow I had to figure out which scene would lead where or rather when I wanted to go but with my brain slowly freezing and the distinct lack of a breathable substance I just couldn¡¯t figure it out. Oh well, before I was going to breath my last in his godforsaken place I¡¯d just have to trust my luck and deal with the consequences once I was out of here. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Against what felt like the weight of the world I moved my wings forward, the silvery energy slithering form scene to scene. Deep down I was still hoping that I¡¯d feel some form of impulse once I touched the right one but again I was disappointed. Every whirl of light I came in contact with just felt similar to the others, a touch of warmth at the edge of my perception. The only thing that varied was the intensity, sometimes the scenes were clear and blazed with heat, sometimes they were fuzzy, barely a warm breeze in the frozen landscape. Everything felt alien like being the last one to enter a room full of people, an intruder for all intent and purposes. A quiet voice at the back of my mind, nearly drowned under the waves of panic that were coursing through me with every second I remained stuck and suffocating, encouraged me that I was on the right track, if I felt repelled now, then there should also be a scene I¡¯d feel like I belonged and that was where I had to go. It was a pity that I didn¡¯t have enough time to leisurely try one after the other, the slowing beat of my heart and the numbness that crept along my limbs were sure signs that I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for much longer. Could that be what Shassa had meant? That I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to search for the right path? I made a decision then and there. By now I had become quiet proficiency at judging the limits of my body, I had blown them to smithereens more often than not, after all. I¡¯d remain here until I¡¯d feel my consciousness vanishing and then I¡¯d take the first exit I¡¯d have under my wings. If I was lucky, I¡¯d stumble across the right one before then. I knew that time was an illusion in this place but while my blood was pounding in my ears and the cold attacked my body like a starved beast, it still felt like an eternity had passed before something changed. Just when I was about to accept my defeat and vanish through the next crack in time I came across, a familiar feeling, like the smell of home, tingled at the edge of my awareness. Unable to muster the concentration to study the scene I blindly plunged forward, my wings piercing through the thin membrane that shattered like glass. Light and warmth flowed through me and I took a deep breath, the stale air of an underground room that hadn¡¯t been touched for aeons sweeter than a fresh spring breeze in the mountains. Shivering I collapsed to the floor, the returning feeling in my limbs gradually turning from a pleasant tickle to the painful sensation of pins and needles while I heaved in large lungs full of air and the first tendrils of a migraine started to squeeze my brain. For several minutes I simply breathed, in and out, and allowed my body to adjust to the myriad of sensations reality provided me with. Rough stone against my cheek, the smell of old dust, soaked rags that covered my skin and the loud echo my breath caused in a huge, empty cavern. After a minute or two I felt confident enough to open my eyes and raise my head. A withered leg, covered in chitinous skin laid motionless less than an arm¡¯s length away and when my gaze travelled along the prone from it belonged to, I knew that I had made it. I was back in the hall, Shassa¡¯s ravaged body close enough to touch it but what gave me the creeps were her open eyes, sunken and glazed over with pain and desperation they stared at me like the pits of hell itself. Ah well, I already knew that she¡¯d be a bitch to deal with but seeing the imposing spider I had met reduced to nothing more than a ball of hatred that clung to life out of pure spite still made me pity her. No one deserved to end like this. Hopefully she¡¯d get the chance to write a few more chapters on her own but that had to wait. Carefully I reached for Ahri, I didn¡¯t want to actually contact her, just to make sure that she was still there and in one piece. A bright smile appeared on my face when I felt her unmistakable presence and it became even wider when I realised just how pissed she was. It took most of my concentration to keep her out, she was looking for me and she wanted some answers, now. Frowning I tried to figure out how I had gotten here, or rather, where I had been before. It was strange, my memories were clear up until the moment when I had fallen asleep at Reia¡¯s side. Everything that had happened afterwards was fuzzy. I still remembered the tomb and Shassa, but I couldn¡¯t pinpoint details up until the moment I had met the spider in my dreams. I could recall the time I had spent somewhere in between and the images I had seen behind the web Shassa had shown me, even the feeling of suffocation and the unbelievable cold remained vivid in my mind. In a way it felt as if I had met Shassa when I had fallen sleep in the infirmary and opened my eyes just a few seconds ago. That would also explain Ahri¡¯s temper and confusion, I had probably vanished in the middle of a lively camp without a trace. She knew I was fine, she could feel me through the tattoo after all, but she obviously didn¡¯t know where I was and I intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. She¡¯d insist on coming down here and as long as the seed was still active I didn¡¯t want her even close to it. Which brought me back to why I had risked my very existence to get here. I massaged my legs and curled my tails until the last traces of the cold were gone. With a groan I scrambled to my feet and waited with closed eyes for the short bout of vertigo to subside. After a few moments I managed to look around. It was definitely the same hall with the same grotesque statue and its prey but luckily the hordes of enemies we had had to face before were nowhere to be seen. I could only assume that the defences hadn¡¯t been triggered by my sudden appearance which would also explain why the spidery corpse was staring at me intensely. She was still conscious, the pulse of energy that had rendered her insensible hadn¡¯t happened, yet. ¡°Oh my, fancy meeting you here,¡± I murmured while I sashayed my way over to her and crouched in front of her head. It wasn¡¯t a pretty sight, her black carapace was cracked were the statue pinned her to the ground and a faint odour like rotten vegetables rose from her body. The poison on her mandibles and her spinnerets had dried up long ago, dark discolourations the only sign that remained of the liquids. Up close I was truly astonished that she had remained alive despite the eight massive holes the legs of the statue had punched through her body but she still managed to focus her eyes on me with insatiable hunger. If she hadn¡¯t been pinned, I¡¯d have feared for my life. ¡°Now then, shall we begin?¡± I asked the emaciated spider. I still remembered Shassa¡¯s warnings vividly but I thought that pulling her legs out one by one was probably not going to do much, considering what she had been through. First I¡¯d try what I usually did if I wasn¡¯t attacked, talk. ¡°While you¡¯re resting comfortably allow me to introduce myself.¡± I straightened, curtsied and smiled at her brightly. ¡°My name is Cassandra Pendragon, a newly born immortal and I¡¯m here to offer you a choice. Cheesy as it may sound, I need your help and you¡¯re going to grant it. You can decide how much you¡¯re going to annoy me in the process. Why don¡¯t you contemplate how much you want to spite me while I check how hard it¡¯s going to be to break you free? Oh, one more thing. The seed that¡¯s feasting on your energy will activate soon and start to wreak havoc with the time stream. It¡¯s not the first time we¡¯re having this conversation but this time around I won¡¯t allow you to screw me over, I¡¯ve had quite enough of that, thank you very much.¡± That was a blatant lie but I thought it might give her a moment¡¯s pause if she thought I had already lived through some of her shenanigans. A little intimidation might also be called for, though, so I decided to put on a show while I examined the statue. I channeled enough energy into my wings to turn them into blazing torrents of light that cut through the air with a deep, thrumming sound. My eyes began to glow with an abundance of power and the deep shadows in the hall scurried away from me to hide in dark corners I couldn¡¯t reach. My skin was radiating a faint light and silver shimmered through the gashes in my shirt while I slowly rose into the air, tails fanned out. Another mental push made my hair float around me like a charged, silky black curtain and when I raised my hands theatrically I thought I looked rather impressive. The spark of uncertainty that appeared in the depth of Shassa¡¯s eyes below the silvery reflections was all the confirmation I needed for the moment. 107. Of freedom, intervention and a little bit of anger Cassandra Pendragon Her eight eyes followed me wearily while I rose ever higher into the air, my wings slithering around the statue like the coils of a hunting serpent. I could feel the enchantments and spells the dark granite had been imbued with give way without offering any resistance and slowly the inner working of the statue became visible to my second sight. Most of the magic wasn¡¯t actually in the legs, they had been crafted as conductors and to inflict pain but the truly ingenious parts were hidden in the torso and head, both of them ablaze with the energy that flowed through them. The way I saw it, everything Shassa could offer, from her life force to her soul, could be torn from her and channeled through the legs towards the centre of the statue. What I thought to be the seed would then start to fill with power and once it had accumulated enough, a purified pulse of what I suspected would be transcendent energy, was going to be sent towards the head. An intricate array of enchantments would channel most of the energy towards the mana heart while the rest would flow through the tomb, powering the defensive spells I had already encountered. A nifty contraption as Shassa provided the very energy to keep her imprisoned. Most of my observations were based on speculation, only the statue itself was within my range of vision after all, but if I was right I¡¯d maybe find a way to destroy the seed on my own without involving vengeful gods and evil spiders form a time long gone. The former could rot behind their seals and the latter¡­ oh well, I¡¯d maybe feel bad if I left her here but it wouldn¡¯t cost me many sleepless nights. I was still prepared to talk to her, mind you, but I¡¯d prefer to have a choice in the matter and be able to simply leave her behind if she turned out to be as much of a pain in the ass as she herself had warned she¡¯d be. I stared at the statue and the spells for a few minutes longer, even though I didn¡¯t have an insane amount of options. I could basically try to cut through or absorb some of the magic and see where that¡¯d leave me or¡­ not. I was convinced that it would be saver to keep my wings off, otherwise Shassa would surely have said something last we had met. But then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Maybe I¡¯d start with a pinprick, the tiniest cut at the outer edge of the formations, if the whole thing started to quiver or crumbled I¡¯d hopefully be able to pull back before anything really bad could happen. Carefully I insert my wings into the periphery of the tightly interwoven energy channels that made up the centre of the statue and squeezed, ever so lightly. The reaction was immediate. Parts of the construct lit up and I saw a tiny pulse travel through the legs which in turn ripped a large part of Shassa¡¯s life force from her body to counteract the mounting pressure. The spider below me shivered once and her legs even moved slightly before her body fell back down, her eyes rolling up into her head. Sparks of energy surged forth and danced around me like a swarm of fireflies. The next moment they exploded with the same electric shade of blue I had encountered down here before. For a moment I vanished behind a curtain of crackling light and I knew without a doubt that I¡¯d have been fox well done if it hadn¡¯t been for my immunities. As it was, I only felt a tingling sensation all over my body and the rush of heat when my poor clothes finally caught fire and disintegrated around me with a puff of smoke. So far so good. The problem was, that the enchantments, true to their purpose, pumped the larger part of the stolen energy through the channels that presumably led to the mana heart. A wave of light that rebounded somewhere out of sight and crashed back into the seed, carried with it the distinct form of energy I had come to associate with the temporal dilatations. They weren¡¯t strong enough, yet, to spread past the confinements of the spells that had invoked them but if I continued, the next pulse would probably cause the first cracks in the time stream. I immediately retracted my wings and eyed the thrumming lines of magic wearily. Luckily, the first wave remained the only one and as the seconds ticked on, I even saw the energy that had already been channeled back into the seed disperse into harmless sparks that vanished into thin air. I released the breath I hadn¡¯t realised I had been holding and glided back down, naked as the day I had been born. The stale air in the hall felt cold against my skin and I couldn¡¯t suppress a shudder when I imagined what might have happened if I had used more than just the tiniest amount of force. A little frustrated I turned my focus away from the centre of the statue and onto its legs. Those I could break, presumably without triggering the enchantments. The soon to be revived spider stirred, the shock from the assault slowly subsiding. As it appeared I didn¡¯t have much of a choice in dealing with her, after all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that, that can¡¯t have been pleasant,¡± I told her. ¡°Now, the good news are that I can easily get you out of there, the bad news are, that we have to reach an understanding beforehand. I hope you used the last moments to make up your mind because I¡¯m going to try and revive you now and I¡¯d really hate to spend the next few minutes exchanging threats.¡± I didn¡¯t have a clue how I could actually use my changed wing but there was no time like the present to learn a new trick and if I screwed up badly, well, if I only killed her off I¡¯d still be able to try something else. With a thought I slung my wings around each of the statue¡¯s legs and positioned the one with the fiery core just above Shassa¡¯s head. Her black eyes followed each of my movements but I couldn¡¯t interpret her expression, was it fear, hope or something else entirely? I couldn¡¯t say. ¡°Ready? This is probably going to hurt, a lot.¡± I couldn¡¯t miss her condescending shrug, small as the movement had been and I had to admit, the warning must have sounded like mockery to her, even though I had meant it. I took a moment to prepare myself for the gruesome sight and probably even worse smells that were going to hit me in a second and then I moved. I cut the legs of the statue cleanly off and tore them from Shassa¡¯s body with one fluid turn. Pus, yellowish blood and bits of rotting flesh sprayed from each wound like small fountains. The disgusting mixture brought with it the scent of decomposing meat which became even stronger when I was liberally sprayed with the gooey substance. It was a challenge to keep from retching especially since I felt every drop burn on my skin as if I had been hit with acid, which probably wasn¡¯t too far away from the truth, now that I thought about it. I hissed in pain but my concentration didn¡¯t waver as I used a trickle of energy from my core to heal myself and plunged the remaining wing deep inside her. I felt my vision expand, a new world suddenly lit up in my second sight. I had established a connection with the streams of energy that flowed through her but this time it wasn¡¯t something destructive, another chance for me to mutilate or tear away, no, this time it felt more like an opened gate that allowed me to use my own energy to bolster someone else¡¯s. I could see her veins as channels through which motes of different coloured light streamed, biding together her ethereal aspects with the worldly ones. Her heart appeared to me like a giant furnace, burning brightly with life, ushering forth a constant supply of energy that kept her alive. And I saw the eight wounds that had kept her subdued for aeons, festering things with frayed edges that slowly ate away at her, sucking out her power even though the diabolical conductors had been removed. Her body was fighting, clinging on to dear life long past the point of what should have been possible but I knew from the first glance that she wouldn¡¯t make it on her own. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Shock and blood loss were taking their toll right before my eyes while everything within in her slowly dimmed down, her heartbeat reduced to the fluttering stroke of a panicked bird. Her eyes rolled up into her head and her consciousness fled while I was watching, there wasn¡¯t a second to lose. Without a plan and only the most vague idea of what I was doing, I set to work. I expected, or rather hoped, that everything worked similarly to how I healed myself, feed energy into the problem until it went away. Based on this assumption I had developed a devilishly complex pattern of what I was going to do: keep her heart beating, flood it with enough power to put a star to shame if necessary, and then supply everything that was left to her failing organs. With a little luck, they¡¯d keep on working and take care of the technicalities for me. A quiet voice in the back of my head was constantly raging at me in the meantime, pointing out that I had already made my first mistake. When I had ripped the spear like stone spikes from Shassa, I had forced my hand. I couldn¡¯t supply her with barely enough energy to have a conversation, I had to heal her or she¡¯d die, simple as that. And just like that, the first warning of the future¡­past¡­alternate version of the spider had gone out the window. A promising start. I used her own vascular system and filled her veins with silvery sparks. Most of them targeted her heart and swirls of energy danced around the muscle, mimicking its movements and guiding ever more power from my wing into her ravaged body. While my magic was at work I realised that she didn¡¯t have the biological makeup of a mammal. Her insides were filled with ganglia which I had mistaken for veins and most of her organs seemed to be placed arbitrarily throughout her body. With every passing second I watched while my magic slowly infused her body, strengthening the damaged tissue. With every spark of power she became stronger, half rotten tissue suddenly reinvigorated, full of life and strength but the drawbacks were also plenty obvious. Her flesh had begun to smoulder where ever it came into contact with my energy. It wasn¡¯t much, a quick burn that was almost instantly smoothed over by her own regenerative abilities that had been kicked into overdrive but around her heart and in proximity to her wounds it was another matter. A lot was needed to heal her and it might turn out to be just a little too much for her to handle. Fat and skin tissue started to boil and char while a race was underway within her. Either she would heal before anything important fell apart or she would die, consumed by the very forces that tried to strengthen her hold on the world of the living. Judging from the rate at which she healed and burned, I wouldn¡¯t have given her more than a minuscule chance to survive but just when I thought that her heart would turn into ash, something else stirred in her. A wave of transcendent energy, not mine, pulsed from a hidden sigil embedded in the very fabric of her being. It was a much more sophisticated enchantment than anything I could hope to create and while I watched it unfold, I thought I recognised the style. Intricately formed circles and runes, made of light, were woven together into a tapestry of power, seemingly infinite repetitions becoming visible the closer I looked. A sense of finality radiated off of them and from the depth of my memories a single name rose up: Amazeroth. He obviously had left her with a present when he had come to visit. While his spell stayed well away from my energy, the constructs shrinking back as if afraid as soon as a silvery spark came near, it changed her, transformed her flesh, her nerves, her body to be able to handle the storm of power that was coursing through her veins. The charred spots disappeared, her wounds closing smoothly now while Amazeroth¡¯s magic made sure she survived whatever I¡¯d send her way. It was over seconds later, the last tear in her hide had closed and with a shudder she opened her eyes. I retracted my wing and took a couple of steps back while she stretched her chitinous legs and focused eight pitch black orbs on me. I could still see the echos of Amazeroth¡¯s magic sparkle behind her predatory gaze, but the creature that now slowly got onto her multiple claws was healthy, free and, based on the look she gave me, hungry. Poisonous secretions glistened along her mandibles and caused hisses of smoke to rise wherever they dropped to the ground. Her bloated torso quivered with suppressed rage as she drew in her first unobstructed breath in millennia, an eerie wheezing sound that issued from somewhere close to her spinnerets which were again producing the sticky, purple fluid I had seen her use to hold the time stream together. The rancid odour her wounds had produced was gone, replaced by a sweet smell that slowly permeated the air around her. It reminded me of cherry blossoms and the evening herbs I had smelled on Boseiju and I unconsciously relaxed while the fragrance became stronger, settling over me like a comfortable blanket. I felt my concentration waver and when I blinked, her nightmarish appearance had changed. The alluring woman I had met before now smiled at me invitingly, her needle like teeth hidden behind her plump lips. She raised her hand and beckoned for me to come closer and in my addled state, I had started to move before I even knew it. As if in trance I placed one foot in front of the other, a peaceful smile on my face while my wings swirled aimlessly behind me and my tails dragged over the floor. She couldn¡¯t be an enemy, could she? I felt save and protected, as if Ahri was gesturing for me to turn in with her for the night, a temptation I couldn¡¯t resist. The simple thought sobered me up instantly. What was I doing here? That wasn¡¯t her! I blinked again and with more of an effort than it had cost me ever before, I marshalled my will and flushed my lungs and bloodstream with energy. My mind cleared just in time to see her spread her arms wide in invitation, not an arm¡¯s length away. Her teeth were bared, slick with venom and a look of undiluted ecstasy was etched across her face in expectation of the savoury meal she was about to dig into. Not today, not ever! ¡°You made your choice.¡± My voice had changed, a supernatural cadence that seemed to come from everywhere at once and carried the wrath of an immortal with it. Tiny sparks appeared in the air, my words alone powerful enough to charge the surroundings while my wings started to burn with an intensity that could cut through space and time. ¡°It has been the wrong one.¡± Silvery light curled around Shassa, never touching her but close enough to make her feel the power that was running through my wings, ready to rip her apart or burn her to dust on my whim. ¡°Kneel.¡± I hadn¡¯t raised my voice but the single word contained more force than an army on the march and I could see her quiver under the pressure. With a thought I tightened my grip around her left leg and her flesh turned into ash, a perfect black line around her thigh. Shock shimmered through her unblinking eyes while she stared at me wordlessly. It wasn¡¯t the pain, she was used to that, but her sheer helplessness. I could feel her magic push against my wings only to be cut to shreds or devoured the moment they came into contact. Like a child attacking a fortress she tried to find a way to break my hold, but there was no escape. ¡°Kneel!¡± This time my voice rumbled like thunder, a deafening wave that pushed Shassa back physically as far as I¡¯d allow it. With the smoke from her burning skin in my nostrils I tightened my wings around her other leg and another scar, a perfect mirror image of the first one appeared. With a very human cry she fell, her knees hitting the ground with a soft thud but still she stared at me. Hunger and ecstasy had changed to disbelieve and fear but there was also something else, something new. The tiniest spark of hope shimmered at the bottom of those pitch black eyes. 108. Of heritages, paradoxes and a little bit of choice Cassandra Pendragon Of course it wasn¡¯t going to be that simple. For a moment I thought I was out of the woods but before I could congratulate myself wholeheartedly she tried to transform again. The darkness in her eyes stirred and black smoke streamed from the sockets, hiding her behind a flowing veil of black velvet. ¡°Enough,¡± my voice was soft, barely more than a whisper but Shassa twitched away from me as if she had been whipped. My wings swirled around her, tearing through the magic that was still pulsing from her eyes. Silver consumed the shadows that had come to do her bidding and for the blink of an eye she was clothed in light, her form illuminated by the dancing torrents of energy. It was over in a heartbeat, her magic consumed or destroyed before it could fully manifest. Again she tried to move, to get away from me but I held her tight and applied just enough pressure to keep her on her knees. ¡°Enough, I said.¡± I followed a hunch but I thought I wasn¡¯t far off the truth. If Amazeroth had left her with a spell to ensure her survival, he had had to have foreseen this precise moment. After everything I had heard it stood to reason that he wanted us to work together to overthrow Amon and presumably free him from his binds. If so, then he would have left a second spell with Shassa or maybe even some of his memories to ensure we wouldn¡¯t tear each other apart down here. ¡°Before you force me to damage you permanently, use your magic on yourself. Search for a still active enchantment or a seal in your mind. If I¡¯m not mistaken, whatever you¡¯ll find will spare us a lot of grief.¡± She stared at me, her mouth open and her eyes wide while I stood before her brimming with energy, a remnant of primordial times when existence and power had been one and the same. I saw her eyes lose focus as she dove into her own mind and her body relaxed against my wings. She swayed like a drunk and I had to keep her upright, much more conscious of the tight embrace I held her in, now that she wasn¡¯t struggling anymore. Painfully aware of the state of my dress and how we were locked together I couldn¡¯t help the blush that rose to my cheeks. Damned developing body and its blasted mood swings, if she saw me like this, she¡¯d never take me seriously. Nevertheless I used her current distraction to take a few steps back while I still held her down with my wings. It might be less imposing but at least I didn¡¯t feel like I was holding my lover anymore. Time ticked on slowly and just when I was starting to wonder if she had gotten lost, her expression changed. Her eyes were twitching and quivering behind closed lids, her mouth fell open in a silent scream and shivers ran up and down her body. She was throwing herself against my wings in a desperate attempt to get away from whatever she was seeing and a sudden impulse told me to let her go. I retracted my wings and she fell on her back, undiluted fear written all over her face. As soon as she was free of the restraints, she stilled. The shivers subsided and her head fell back to hit the ground. Nervously I shuffled from one foot to the other, unsure if I should wrap her in my wings again or if I should rather check her vitals. Getting too close to her while she was free to move seemed like a very bad idea, one bite of those nasty teeth of hers would probably guarantee that I wouldn¡¯t wake up again unless she wanted me to. And betting my life on whether or not I could cleanse my blood faster than she¡¯d be able to knock me out didn¡¯t hold much appeal. When she stirred a few seconds later and opened her eyes, she effectively put an end to my deliberations. Apparently I wouldn¡¯t tie her up again. She stared at me for a long moment before she finally spoke: ¡°You¡¯re even more than you appear. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you.¡± Her voice was just like I remembered, a deep, velvety cadence that reminded me of warm but starless nights. ¡°Thank you for my freedom. I assume you know my name but I¡¯m Shassa. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± She hadn¡¯t bothered getting up and was still sprawled out on the ground in front of me. Since she hadn¡¯t conjured the dress I had first seen her in, I had to hide the blush that was again rising to my cheeks. I didn¡¯t know why, but somehow the spider, despite the circumstances, could push my buttons much more easily than Erya, with all her flirting, had ever been able to. I cleared my throat and forcefully kept my eyes on her face. ¡°I¡¯d love to say likewise, but¡­ if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what did he show you?¡± She smiled at me honestly. ¡°Not the past, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. He allowed me to glimpse two paths to the future. One where you¡¯re my enemy and one where you aren¡¯t. I¡¯m not keen on exchanging one hell for another when I could have gotten what I wish for, instead. Hopefully that¡¯s enough because I won¡¯t tell you more. My future is my own and something I won¡¯t share, not even the parts that could still be rewritten.¡± Fair enough, neither would I. ¡°And where does that leave us? Are we suddenly best friends?¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely up to you. I¡¯ll freely admit that I wouldn¡¯t be inclined to trust me if I was in your place, especially after everything I¡¯ve done in the last few minutes. Unfortunately there isn¡¯t much I can do to convince you, except give you my word but that¡¯s not worth a lot. It all probably comes down to how much you truly need me.¡± ¡°The paradox of evil,¡± I murmured quietly enough that she wouldn¡¯t hear. It was a conundrum I had quiet enjoyed reading about during my studies on Boseiju. One ancient warrior monk or the other had basically asked himself why we were still here. In an isolated instance, greedy, selfish or uncooperative behaviour in general usually yielded much better results. Excluding the rather naive assumption that all sentients were inherently good, it stood to reason that the races would sooner or later eradicate one another in perpetually fought wars. He had simply been musing on why we hadn¡¯t and his answer was perfectly showcased by our current situation. Without trust and goodwill, cooperation became nigh impossible and since most endeavours needed several people to be successful, basic decency would pay off in the long run. Given enough time, communities based on respect and cohesion would flourish while the ones formed under duress and through force would perish. Fascinating as that might be in theory, it still didn¡¯t help me in dealing with Shassa. Any sane person would insist on some kind of reassurance before they handed over a weapon to someone who had just tried to suck them dry for breakfast. ¡°Precisely,¡± she said. Holy hell, her ears were better than my own. ¡°I can¡¯t even say that I¡¯m sorry, only that I won¡¯t try it again. Honestly, if I were you, I¡¯d kill me on principle and deal with the fall out later but I guess that¡¯s not who you want to be. How about you tell me what you actually want from me. Maybe we can find a way to make it work that you can live with.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Fine.¡± I took a few steps forward and offered her a hand while I slung my wings around my body, partly out of modesty and partly as a precaution. She blinked, as if she hadn¡¯t expected me to agree but allowed me to pull her up after a moment. Her hand felt soft and cool in mine and when I let got I could feel an echo of the touch tingle on my skin for a few more seconds. She stared at her fingers and absentmindedly rubbed her thumb against the tips of the rest. Finally she looked at me again and said: ¡°I can apply my poison in this form through a simple touch. Did you know that?¡± Damn it¡­ ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. But you haven¡¯t used it. Why? It¡¯s potent enough to work instantly, isn¡¯t it?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I even thought about it. But¡­ Cassandra, I meant what I said. I¡¯m not going to harm you. I have much more to gain with you alive than I could hope to accomplish on my own, even if I managed to somehow devour a small part of you core. I know I can¡¯t truly consume your power.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t know when you woke up? That makes no sense.¡± ¡°I did know, I simply didn¡¯t care. A spark of eternity is still more enticing than you can imagine. Plus, the last immortal I met wasn¡¯t exactly a blessing. Admittedly, he did more than I thought but he left me here for centuries. I wasn¡¯t going to take that risk. I¡¯d rather have died free than be bound to this place for another second. I¡¯m sure you can understand that much.¡± She sighed. ¡°Also, you¡¯re young, practically a child. How old is your body? Not even 10 years, I¡¯d say, filled to the brim with magic. You are what I¡¯d call a feast and I was hungry, so unbelievably hungry. You healed my body but I haven¡¯t had a decent meal in ages, I¡¯m starved. When I could move for the first time in¡­ I don¡¯t even know how long, my instincts took over as soon as I smelled you. I¡¯m a spider, not a human.¡± ¡°You seem pretty relaxed right now, though. Did you hide a sandwich somewhere or am I missing something else?¡± With a smile she answered: ¡°Amazeroth left me a little more than just a bunch of scenes from the future. I¡¯m fine for now, but I¡¯ll have to eat sooner or later, in a day, two at the most. I don¡¯t need sentients to survive but I do need living meat, a large animal or two would work. It¡¯s not an immediate concern, so why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s actually going on? I think we have established that I¡¯m not going to go for your throat the first chance I get.¡± True, even though technically she already had had her first chance when I had helped her up. She hadn¡¯t said anything about the second and the third. But what was I supposed to do? In all honesty, this had gone much better than I had had any right to hope for. I¡¯d have to take a risk and deal with the fall out later, as she had put it. ¡°Right, where do I start? I think it all begins with someone you know intimately. Amon is by now the ruler of an enormous empire on the other side of the world and somehow he has developed an interest in his old home again. For all I know he is meddling with a fragment of the mana heart right now¡­¡± I didn¡¯t explain how I had come to meet him or what had happened on the dragon¡¯s island but I told her everything I knew or suspect about our current predicament. I told her that we knew that he was currently trying to open a portal to physically reach our continent and that he was probably using a fragment of the mana heart to power it up. His spells were going to activate the seed and since both artefact were attuned to aspects of time and fate, the time stream was going to go wonky. I explained that I had met her before and that she had helped me to go back to a point just on the cusp of the ripples the activation of the seed was going to cause. If nothing changed, the seed would try to feed on her but since she wasn¡¯t bound to the statue anymore, I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen. ¡°I think I know,¡± she interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not really needed as a source, it was pure cruelty that kept me prisoner. The forgotten sorcerer used my innate magic as a blueprint to grow the seed and now it can take in the very energy form the world around it, similar to how I can feast on souls. The seed will charge up, whether I¡¯m there to feed it or not, but this time it¡¯ll rip the necessary energy from everything living within range that isn¡¯t strong enough to resist its pull. And trust me, short of an immortal, there is nothing that can withstand its power.¡± Great, basically I had made everything worse up until now. Hopefully the second half of the plan would work out better. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m quite happy that there is still more to my story. Listen, a while ago I stumbled across a few strange statuettes¡­¡± I didn¡¯t describe where exactly I had gotten them, even though I suspected that she had already heard of Shafeer. The dragon had been old enough to be around for the better part of her imprisonment as well as the rise and fall of the sorcerer who had crafted the mana heart. Additionally, he had had the statuettes in his possession. It wasn¡¯t far fetched to assume that he, at least, had known about her, given that he had built his lair practically next door. I made sure she understood which statuettes I was talking about, mainly by recounting what her alternate version had told me. ¡°You, that is, the you, whom I have already met, said that there was a chance you could use them to shut down the seed and maybe even the fragment of the mana heart it¡¯s linked to. Prevent our temporal troubles all together. But she also warned me not to hand them over lightly, as they apparently can make you even more dangerous than you already are. Do you see my predicament?¡¯ This time she laughed out loud and I had to admit, it was a beautiful sound, similar to the plashing of a small spring in a shadowy glen. ¡°Indeed I do. Allowing me to stand freely is entirely different from handing over ancient artefacts of which you know close to nothing. Well, I can help with that but the decision won¡¯t change. Anyways, cryptic as I might have expressed myself in the future¡­ past¡­ whatever, it¡¯s actually pretty simple but first you have to understand what those gods truly were: thoughts and ideas that became conscious, a ghost in the machine, provided by thousands of sentient minds linked together. Over time, they grew until they were connected to and kept alive by a whole people. Now, this is where those statuettes came in. They aren¡¯t made of stone, but crystallised souls. How do you catch a predator? With bait and I had to offer them something more enticing than what they already had. Plainly speaking I had to create something that could potentially provide them with more power than they could gather from the living.¡± Her eyes glazed over as she apparently relived days long gone. ¡°After each battle, after every death, wherever Amon and I went, we collected the souls of the fallen and slowly forged them into four of the most powerful artefacts this world has ever seen. A reservoir of living energy, the perfect trap for an ethereal, hungry being. But as you might have guessed by now, it can also be used as a weapon. If the seals are opened, all that power, the power of a fallen people, is at the disposal of whoever wields the statuettes, provided they can survive the onslaught of the imprisoned gods.¡± I remained silent for a few minutes, trying to wrap my head around what she had told me. I couldn¡¯t say that I was surprised she had had a hand in creating something as disgusting and damnable as those statuettes but I still felt repulsed. Enslavement that didn¡¯t even end with death was just wrong on so many levels, there were no ends that could justify those means and the very idea that I had touched them, never mind using them, sent cold shivers down my spine. I wouldn¡¯t doom us by being stubborn and standing on principle but as soon as they had served their purpose, those things would have to go. Still, even if we used them how would she¡­ ¡°But aren¡¯t they useless, then? You said that the imprisoned spirits would attack whoever opened the seals. I assume you can¡¯t beat them, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have locked them away in the first place.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t. But I think you can. They are pure energy, they don¡¯t have a body or another way to directly influence the material world. They won¡¯t be much more than a breeze against your skin, if I¡¯m not mistaken. I¡¯ve seen enough of your magic, you might very well be able to devour them whole. That is, if you can bear to become the master of a people in eternal chains.¡± 109. Of differences, stories and a little bit of prisons Cassandra Pendragon ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean? Fancy words strung together to form a meaningless platitude? A master can set his people free, can he not?¡± ¡°Not this time. I¡­ I transformed their souls and while they still exist, they won¡¯t be able to join the cycle, ever again. There are only two options: destroy them, which will annihilate their existence for ever, or leave them be.¡± While she had been talking I had unconsciously inched away from her. ¡°That¡¯s perverted. Tell me, was it worth it?¡± My voice had become icy. She truly was a monster. ¡°You tell me. Do you honestly think that you would have been living in the world you know if we hadn¡¯t done what was necessary? Yes, we committed atrocities far worse than anything the gods had done but if we hadn¡¯t stopped them, they¡¯d have ruled forever and this world would have been a living hell. Grow a spine, Cassandra. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.¡± ¡°Bullshit. There must have been another way.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then tell me, why am I still alive? You know who I am and you won¡¯t be able to change me. Sooner or later I¡¯m going to kill, to prey on souls again. But yet here I am, even though the blood of each and every of my future victims is on your hands.¡± She rose while she spoke and approached me, forcing me back with every step she took. ¡°Because¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ I need you, damn it! I need that seed shut down, whatever the cost.¡± ¡°And there we are. Everything is acceptable in case the price is right. My standards are just different from yours. I don¡¯t care if you loathe me or like me for what I¡¯ve done, but if you want to stop the seed from activating, you¡¯ll use my creations. Otherwise you¡¯ll doom everyone on this island out of ¡­ vanity.¡± I stood my ground and allowed her to come closer. She had a point. The damage had already been done and my refusal would stem from a vain wish to not condone anything as despicable as those statuettes. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I admitted through gritted teeth. ¡°But just so we are clear, I¡¯ll destroy them as soon as we¡¯re safe.¡± She was standing less than a handspan away from me now and I saw her sharp teeth through her smirk. A faint smell of cherry blossoms still clung to her like a veil. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Now then, what you have to do isn¡¯t complicated, but it might turn out difficult. I can¡¯t lift the seals, the gods would simply flee once they realise what you are. What I can do, is send you inside. Once you¡¯re in, well, if you could kill them, it¡¯d be perfect, but I highly doubt that¡¯s even possible, they¡¯re directly linked to the souls that make up the realm, after all.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that meant that they¡¯d perish, once the statuettes are destroyed,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Quite the contrary, they¡¯d be free again. If you find a way to prevent them from fleeing and kill them outside of the statuettes, they¡¯ll be gone. We didn¡¯t, though, and we looked, for a long time. And even if we could, it¡¯d leave us just where we are now: without a way to stop the seed. No, once you¡¯re in, you have to guard the exits, keep them inside the realm while I use the statuettes to absorb the energy from the seed. With a little luck I might be even able to drain the fragment of the heart that¡¯s connected to them.¡± At first I thought she was trying to seal me as well, add an immortal to her magical engine. But honestly, I quite liked my chances of cutting through a dimensional space after my experiences in this tomb. One way or another I¡¯d get out and I expected her to know that. If she was being honest, there¡¯d be another problem, though. ¡°If you flush their prisons with the energy from the seed, won¡¯t they be able to use it? Also, I can¡¯t be in four places at once. We could only use one of the statuettes, couldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°First of, the realms I created are already linked. I guess, a single country with four castles, three of which are constantly waging war on the fourth, would be an apt metaphor. I intent to open a pathway to the country, not one of the castles. Secondly, you¡¯re right. The fallen gods will gain tremendous power once the transfer starts, but the whole realm is made out of pure energy, an influx of even more magic won¡¯t change that.¡± She took a step back and allowed me some breathing room. ¡°You should be perfectly safe, don¡¯t forget, Isis, Horus and Sobek are Seth¡¯s mortal enemies. They¡¯ll be fighting amongst themselves just as much as they¡¯ll try to get past you.¡± ¡°So basically you want me to hold the door for as long as it takes to absorb one, possibly two artefacts that are powerful enough to generate sparks of transcendent energy. And then what? Suppose I manage to keep super powered thoughts at bay, how do I get out afterwards without setting them free? And why would I have to deal with the captured souls, in the first place? You said I¡¯d have to become their master, why, how?¡± ¡°Well, I might have been exaggerating a bit. It again comes down to the statuettes. They are made from energy, in one way or the other, and the Fallen have had centuries to attune them selves to their prisons. They¡¯ll wield the power the souls can offer as if it were their own. If you fight them, you¡¯ll have to stand against it all, but admittedly, it¡¯ll be enough if you can stop them from escaping, there won¡¯t be a need to subjugate the souls and starve the Fallen of their power. That is, as long as you can hold your own. As for how you¡¯re going to get out: the same way you¡¯re going to get in. Me. I guess you simply have to trust that I won¡¯t risk you setting free a calamity, I spent the better part of my years in freedom capturing, while you struggle to break out,¡± she said and rolled her eyes. ¡°I thought we had already established that I don¡¯t want you dead.¡± ¡°Sealed away is not dead.¡± I could probably get out of there, with a lot of brute force, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be willing to set free something an evil spider and the emperor himself had deemed to dangerous and vile to roam free. If she left me in there, I¡¯d be in deep shit and I thought she¡¯d know that. But then again, maybe there was another way. I was certain I could still reach Ahri through our tattoos, even across dimensions and if information could travel through the link, so could I, in theory. Yet another gamble¡­ hopefully it wouldn¡¯t come to that. ¡°Fine. One more question. What are you planning to do while I¡¯m stuck fighting off shadows from the past and you have access to all that power? Make the sun shine and rainbows appear?¡± At least she chuckled, which made me feel just a tiny bit more confident that I wasn¡¯t going to commit the worst mistake of my life¡­ well, maybe the last seven years. ¡°I¡¯m going to create a ring, powerful enough to rule the world and grant me dominion over all living things¡­ honey, I¡¯m going to have my hands full preventing my brain from melting. I know you¡¯re built differently but us mortals can¡¯t just play with the stuff of creation and walk away unscathed. Truthfully, I¡¯m the one taking most of the risk here. I don¡¯t expect you to pity me, or even to arrange a proper burial in case I won¡¯t make it, but a little consideration would be much appreciated.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Uh huh, sure. Let¡¯s say I believe you. What happens now?¡¯ ¡°Hand over the statuettes. I¡¯ll do the rest.¡± And there we were. I still felt bad when I thought about what I was actually going to give her but by now I had become quite proficient in ignoring that gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach. With nothing more than a wish I activated the rune and the sturdy chest we had put the statuettes in appeared in front of us. Now that I knew what it contained, I thought I could feel the faint pulsing of stolen life from within and my tails curled up. But that had to be my imagination, I hadn¡¯t felt it before, after all. Or maybe I now knew what to look out for and was more sensitive than I had been? I didn¡¯t know, but the things definitely gave me the creeps. I used two of my wings to open the lid and pull the chest closer until we could peer inside. Mephisto¡¯s runes had held, the statuettes hadn¡¯t moved and were still facing each other, frozen on the verge of a commencing battle but for the moment I was focused on Shassa. When she saw the, for the firs time again, a series of emotions crossed her face and in her human form I could even read some of them. I saw elation, fear, greed and a considerable amount of disgust, as if she was staring at a poisoned crown. A chance to rise to her former power but at the cost of something she wasn¡¯t willing to sacrifice. I just couldn¡¯t figure out what it could possibly be. It wasn¡¯t her life, I already knew that she held it in low regard and it couldn¡¯t be her soul based on everything I had heard from her. Maybe it was the chance to be someone else, to start anew? Whatever the reason, her expression finally convinced me trust her, at least for the moment. She wasn¡¯t going to use the statuettes for her own gain, I was sure of it. She feared them. Carefully I removed the surprisingly heavy pieces of crystallised souls from the chest and placed them before us. Four dark statuettes, rigid and still as if they were truly made from stone shimmered in the light from my wings. Three men with perfectly sculpted bodies and the heads of a hawk, a crocodile and a jackal faced each other, aggression rolling off of them in waves, even though they were completely frozen. The woman was the odd one out, beautiful with human features except for her butterfly wings that covered her back she seemed¡­ sad, more than anything. ¡°Who were they,¡± I whispered and even though my question had been more than vague, Shassa understood what I meant. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, they have changed so much, but I think in the beginning they represented basic ideals of a society. Knowledge, courage and strength, beauty, kindness and death. Embedded in a vivid mythology, fleshed out with stories and personalities they still are, at their very core, nothing more than the concepts mortal minds associated with those aspects and the conflict between them. Don¡¯t let that fool you into thinking they can be reasoned with, though. They are ideas and, if nothing else, they changed during the time they spent fighting against one another ina realm of corrupted souls. You won¡¯t be able to recognise who or what they once were.¡± She had crouched, her face mere centimetres from the statuettes, longing and weariness reflected in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating, isn¡¯t it? How something so small can be born from and contain so much hate. Ingrained hatred caused the gods to wage war which in return made people like Amon rise up against them. And now the wheel has turned and again we fight. What was that human saying again? The players change, but the game remains the same?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that we¡¯re running in circles. We can change, learn, adapt every minute of the day. Look at us, an angel and a devil working hand in hand, because we have to, because we chose to. And who knows, maybe we can change the world, just a little, before this night is over. That is, if we finally get started. What do you need me to do?¡± She straightened and began to pace around the statuettes, her fingers moving in the same arcane gestures I had seen her use before. ¡°Nothing for now. Amazeroth left me with enough energy to open a pathway. Once it appears you¡¯ll have to hurry, I don¡¯t know how long I can keep it active. I¡¯ll unseal the realms once you¡¯re through, so be ready. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll find inside, but you¡¯ll definitely be able to tell where and when the gate will open. All you have to do is defend it until it closes again. Not that there is much of an alternative, but do you feel up to it?¡± ¡°Piece of cake,¡± I mumbled, not really believing my own words. It wasn¡¯t death I was afraid of, not exactly. Over the last few days I had faced the man with the scythe more often than I could count, and I was still around. By now the Reaper simply didn¡¯t scare me anymore. No, I was terrified of failing, like I had failed on Boseiju. I hadn¡¯t been able to save my people back then and now, they were again depending on me. Would I let them down again? Would I damn everyone on this island? The idea of crawling out of another dimension, only to find that there was nothing left to live for, sent cold shivers down my spine. This time at least I had a pretty good idea of whom I needed to beat up to prevent that from happening. ¡°How long do you need,¡± I asked Shassa. ¡°Nearly there,¡± she answered, her voice strained while sparks of energy slowly flowed together to form burning sigils in the air around the statuettes. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly the same as opening a door. If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll create a pathway that can be crossed in either direction and they¡¯ll escape.¡± Huh¡­ that meant she¡¯d have to do exactly that to let me back out. Had she just let slip that she wasn¡¯t going to? ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯m not going to leave you there. Once I have access to the statuettes, even if it¡¯s just for a moment, I¡¯ll be easily able to pull you out, without a risk. There¡¯s no need to scowl, though¡­ you look quite cute when your grimacing, did anyone ever tell you that?¡± One of these days I was going to get a fake moustache or an eyepatch. And work on my poker face. As much as I loved my looks, getting compliments in a situation like this was just as bothersome as being read like an open book. Damn it, I was about to fight against gods of a bygone era and Shassa made me feel like an idiot, or a cute pet. And now she was laughing, for crying out loud! ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± I asked icily. ¡°You. You really are young, aren¡¯t you? We¡¯ve fought, we¡¯ve talked about a battle against ancient gods and my remarks now, of all things, got you riled up and you can¡¯t even hide it. It¡¯s refreshing. I¡¯m done, by the way. Ready to save this island and meddle with Amon¡¯s plans, cutie?¡± With a sweeping gesture she combined the floating glyphs into a single construct. They swirled around one another, glowing lines left behind in the wake of their dance. After a few seconds, a shimmering portal appeared, Shassa¡¯s magic still circling around it, keeping it open. Her warning that she wouldn¡¯t be able to build the magic for long rang in my ears. I swallowed down my reply and quickly approached the portal. The closer I got the warmer it became, heat brushed against my skin and I thought I heard the echo of an untold number of tormented whispers in the searing wind. Whatever laid on the other side, if I felt like this behind a supposedly one way portal, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to get there. ¡°Good luck, Cassandra. Believe it or not, I¡¯ve quite enjoyed meeting you. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t for the last time.¡± I stopped, not even a metre away from the yawning gap in reality and turned around. The scorching currents of air picked up my hair and made it float around me like a veil. ¡°Whatever happens, it won¡¯t. You¡¯ll see me again, Shassa. Never doubt it.¡± I thought that sounded ominous enough to convey that I¡¯d come back to haunt her, if I¡¯d have to. My wings uncurled from around my body and I held her gaze for a second longer before I gracefully took a step backwards and vanished into the void. The transition was smooth and far quicker than I had expected. One moment I was eye to eye with a beautiful woman and the next I soared high above a nightmarish landscape filled with fire and the laments of twisted souls. It was dark, neither the sun nor the stars illuminated the endless night below me. Veins of red hot energy burrowed their way like lava through a scarred, ravaged plain that was dominated by four enormous, shadowy constructs, I could glimpse in the distance. 110. Of realms, gods and a little decision Cassandra Pendragon The moment I arrived I felt a faint but persistent pull, something in the very structure of the realm was stirring up my energy, trying to draw it out. I managed to resist easily enough but it was a constant reminder that this realm hadn¡¯t been made for the living. I quickly glanced around, half expecting an army to suddenly surround me or a trap to trigger. After everything I had seen, I thought that there was chance, the energy from the seed would enable the inhabitants to mess with time, but everything remained quiet. Except for the unnerving whispers the winds carried with them, amplified several times, now that I had crossed over into this world. Hot gusts of air rose from the ground and filled my nostrils with the smell of sulphur and heated glass while specks of soot and ash swirled around me and obscured my vision. I pushed energy from my core into my eyes to at least get an impression of where I was and turned slowly on the spot. The sky was covered in smoke, thick streams billowing form deep holes and trenches that crisscrossed the ground in every direction. Everything below me was made of black stone, or rather obsidian, judging from the smell, dark and foreboding for the most part but some areas were also hot enough to glow with a bright red, the only form of light that pierced the shadows of this place. With my enhanced vision I could see faint movement all around, heavy clouds of smoke raced across the sky and the stones below were seemingly filled with the echos of the souls that had been used to create this realm. Distorted faces with open mouths appeared and vanished again, leaving behind nothing more than another wail that joined the chorus of the damned and from what I could see, those were the lucky ones. Wherever the ground was glowing with heat, gorges split the stone like torn wounds and the lifeblood of the realm itself seeped from them like tears. The souls in the vicinity were sucked dry, their essence nourishing the streams of energy that continuously flowed towards four huge, shadowy constructs at the edge of my vision. Those souls weren¡¯t whispering, but screaming in pain, a tormented cadence that rose and fell with every pulse of power that was squeezed from them and channeled towards the looming towers on the horizon. I couldn¡¯t make out any details, they were much too far away, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult to guess that I was looking at the representations of the four statuettes. How had Shassa put it? Four castles, constantly waging war on one another and the destroyed landscape was their battlefield as well as the source of their power. I exhaled deeply, pity for the poor creatures that had been bound to create this place formed a heavy lump in the pit of my stomach. I knew I couldn¡¯t help them, not without destroying the statuettes and even then, I¡¯d condemn them to oblivion. Maybe there was another way, maybe this realm could be changed into something beautiful, but for now there was nothing I could do. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to listen to their screams for long, if everything went according to plan. Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t know if time passed at the same pace in here as it did on the outside but I expected Shassa to try and unseal the statuettes, soon. It¡¯d probably be for the best if I got close to the centre beforehand so I¡¯d be able to quickly get to wherever I¡¯d have to go. I extended my wings and silently soared through the gloom. I didn¡¯t try to conceal myself, firstly, the polluted air was doing a perfect job in that regard already and secondly, there was no one around, well, no one who wasn¡¯t part of the landscape. It was odd, I had expected to run head first into an ongoing battle between the rulers of this realm but apart from the ghastly nature of this place and the scars that remained of fights long concluded, it was surprisingly peaceful. Had the fallen gods given up? Or maybe they had formed an alliance during the untold years they had been imprisoned here? If they had, I¡¯d be forced to face a united front. Not that it should matter too much, if the spider had told the truth, but if she hadn¡¯t, or if she had simply been mistaken, this might get ugly, really fast. Admittedly, since I was completely untouched, neither was I choking on the ash I should have breathed in by now, nor did the searing winds hurt me more than a warm breeze, I was inclined to believe her words. If this realm had been made from something more than the energy of souls, I would have suffered from the sheer inhospitality of the place by now, but I felt fine, physically at least. Mentally I was still reeling as soon as I focused on the screams that pierced the air and remembered where they were coming from. The longer I listened to them, the harder it became to stay focused, the urge to free them, to do anything at all to make them stop was growing by the second. I struggled to remain airborne, a large part of me was aching to land and help, even though I knew that I couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know how and I didn¡¯t have the time. I wouldn¡¯t risk the living for the sake of the dead, so on I flew. Seconds turned into minutes but the scenery didn¡¯t change. Flat and smooth bits of rock, their polished surface perfectly reflecting the twisted faces of the ghosts caught inside, stood like islands among the ravaged and destroyed parts that were bled dry to¡­ to do what, exactly? There should be a war going on, a reason to harvest all that energy, but there wasn¡¯t. I was tempted to have a peek at one of the shadowy constructs in the distance but I didn¡¯t know when Shassa was going to open the realm and considering how lucky I usually was, it would probably happen the very minute I arrived. No, for now I¡¯d just stick with my plan, get to a central location and wait for something, anything really, to change. It took longer than I had expected, a not so subtle clue that time was flowing differently in here. I had made my way to a more or less undamaged outcropping somewhere smack down in the middle but I hadn¡¯t landed. The idea of walking or standing on the essence of some poor fellow who had been stuck here after suffering through a war during the last few years of his life was appalling, like having a picnic on a grave. I had hovered in the air for what felt close to half an hour before the first lightning strike shattered the sky and as if it had been a fanfare to herald the apocalypse, all hell broke lose. The first strike was quickly followed by several others, a cacophony of light and rumbling impacts that shook the ground and even drowned out the screams of the tormented souls and I was in the middle of it all. Raging winds blew away the smoke and left nothing behind but clean air, laden with the electric smell of ozone which intensified with every further flash of light that tore through the sky. From one second to the next I was surrounded by a storm of power that began to warp the very realm I was in. The reaction was immediate. The streams of energy that flowed towards the four corners suddenly swelled, a creek that turned into a raging river, and the shadows, which had clung to the huge shapes I had spotted before, exploded outwards, transforming into all kinds of creatures, from immense, black hounds with red embers for eyes which glowed with the same fierce fire as the rivers of soul energy, to winged creatures with ebony feathers and long beaks that looked like they had crawled out of a nightmare. Behind the dispersing wall of darkness, four silhouettes came into view. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Each of them looked different, monuments created to the liking of their masters, one was white and gold with graceful arches and high windows, a tower of ivory splendour in the middle of the abyss. Another looked like an ancient temple, hewn from a yellowish stone I hadn¡¯t seen down here before. The other two were even more remarkable. A living verbena, larger than Boseiju had been, stretched its blossom towards the sky and if it hadn¡¯t been for the flickering, reddish light that sent fleeting shadows across its surface, I¡¯d have associated it with life, birth and growth, not the suffocating pit where I had actually found it. The last one was¡­ intimidating. A twisted and chaotic mess of spires rose from a massive block of obsidian, its shape vaguely reminiscent of a crown. Sparks danced around each of the needle like peaks, adding shades of purple, green and an eerie white to the reddish glow. As soon as they appeared, mayhem followed. The shadowy creatures, headed for me and the display of light, veered off course as if attached to hidden strings and raced towards one another with ear splitting howls full of bloodlust and hatred. Only a small group held back, the ones spawned from the giant verbena, lingered, keeping their distance from their rabid brethren. The lightning strikes around me intensified, a rapid staccato that blew chunks of rock and dust into the sky and made my hair float in the charged air. The glow from the torrents of energy that burrowed their way through the plain dimmed, as if they were being consumed, and four figures emerged from their sanctuaries. A resplendent warrior, clad in ivory and gold with the head of a hawk, a scholarly figure wearing flowing white robes with the head of a crocodile and an ethereal women with translucent butterfly wings on her back appeared nearly at the same moment. Not half a second later, the obsidian citadel exploded, literally, and a dark shape, hidden behind swirls of power which obscured even my vision, rose slowly form the rubble, like an awakened predator that got the first whiff of its prey. I could just barely make out the jackal head under the veil of pulsing energy but when it raised its head and let out an eerie howl, which froze the blood in my veins and made my tails curl up, I knew without a doubt that all four of the fallen gods had made their appearance. As if on cue, the light show around me reached its peak, a final thunderclap, loud enough to even brush away Seth¡¯s challenge reverberated across the plain. The lightning strikes had converged into a single point, close to where I was, turning into an archway of pure light that immediately started to suck in power from the realm. The dimmed, but still glowing rivers were wrenched from their beds and pulled towards the gate, forming a halo of circling energy around it as they were slowly consumed, a perverted sun to illuminate a nightmarish scene that became even worse when the dark waves of beasts finally crashed. Shadows or not, their claws and teeth found purchase and in an cacophony of movement, sound and severed limbs they fell upon each other. Bloodthirsty howls gave way to screams of pain and fear that were much too similar to the cries of the living. Bile rose in my throat when I remembered that everything I saw was made from the souls of the damned, the abominations that tore each other to shreds were just another extension of the realm itself. I was actually watching warped and chained essences of mortals rip each other apart in a living hell. They most likely couldn¡¯t even die in here and would return to the stone only to be harvested again and again, fuel for a pointless war. Pity and fury were raging through my chest and I was on the verge of abandoning all caution and descend upon the grizzly scene as an angel of wrath but the jackal head, Seth, suddenly spoke. A deep, masculine voice sounded across the hellish spectacle and with it went my last spark of hope that I might get out of here without a fight to the death, slim as it had been: ¡°Come then, brothers, mother, the reckoning is neigh. Today will see one of us free.¡± The swirls of energy that circled around Seth vanished to reveal a man underneath, clothed in a blood red robe and larger than life. He towered over the chaos and his words were filled with enough menace to give even the mindless creatures spawned form the shadows pause. ¡°Even though you will die in here when I absorb our prison, the world will remember your names. I¡¯ll carve them into its visage in bloody letters, so make the last chapter of your story one worth telling! Let us dance one more time.¡± Ancient, powerful and still bantering. Some things just never changed. As if they had heard my thoughts, the others didn¡¯t bother with a reply. They vanished into thin air and just as their creatures reached each other, tearing, ripping and biting, they appeared again, surrounding Seth in a constellation that seemed awfully familiar. Horus and Sobek ready to attack while Isis remained a step behind, regret and worry clearly written all over her beautiful face. For the moment no one was paying attention to me, the monsters the citadels had spawned where busy killing one another and the Fallen were engaged in their own little piece of melodrama.Adrenaline pulsed through me with every beat of my heart, demanding that I should join the fray and finally have an outlet for the repressed anger that had been building up since I had entered this place. But I wouldn¡¯t. The longer they were busy fighting against each other, the less time they¡¯d have to get past me and through the gate. Frustrated and anxious I resigned myself to waiting but then an idea struck me. I assumed they hadn¡¯t seen me yet, at first I had been hidden by the blinding lights and now they were much to occupied to pay attention to their surroundings. Presumably they had spent centuries fighting, the scars they had left on the landscape still clearly visible, and had reached some kind of stalemate, unable to permanently harm each other in a realm that had become their dominion. Maybe, just maybe, Isis didn¡¯t want that to change, the reason for her worries a future where her children would finally be able to kill each other. I had no clue how their relationships actually worked, considering that they hadn¡¯t been born in the literal sense and that the legend Viyara had told me painted a slightly different picture, but Seth had called them brothers and mother. To them, at least, they were one big, happy family. If there was one thing I was sure of, it¡¯d be that a mother would always do anything in her power to protect her children, whatever the cost. Admittedly, considering who they were and Shassa¡¯s warning that they couldn¡¯t be reasoned with, I might just as well be dead wrong, but that¡¯d just mean that I¡¯d have to fight them sooner, rather than later. If I could reach out to Isis, there¡¯d be two possibilities. One, she¡¯d point in my direction and say something along the lines of ¡°kill the intruder¡±, or two, she¡¯d actually listen. There were three problems, though. I didn¡¯t have a clue how I could reach her without being spotted, I wasn¡¯t exactly inconspicuous, I hadn¡¯t the foggiest what I could actually offer that would be enticing enough to help me and I would be gambling with the time their conflict gained me. Every instinct screamed at me that the risk was worth it, that I could reach her now, at this very moment. Her sons were making ready to fight before her eyes, their intention clear: who ever got out first would make sure the other side wasn¡¯t going to leave, ever. But what would I even want her to do? Fight by my side while I prevented her family from leaving? If I was right, she¡¯d possibly be inclined to do so to save all of them. I just had to make her see it that way and I had to hurry. If my conjectures were right, Seth, Horus and Sobek would soon make a dash for the archway, determined to get through first. And there it was, a chance. Assuming they fought each other tooth and nail on the way here, I could maybe use that to reach Isis. With my teleportation I could move incredibly fast, even across larger distances, and hopefully they¡¯d be too busy to slip through the gate before I could return. Otherwise I¡¯d be in a whole new world of trouble. The ringing cry of a hawk cut my deliberations short, Horus was taking to the air, a deadly, golden copis in his hand. I had to make a decision. Now. 111. Of shows, secrets and a little bit of betrayal Cassandra Pendragon I had never been the most patient, nor had I ever cared much for waiting until someone else could force my hand. As soon as I got the chance I¡¯d try to find an ally and if I failed, well, I¡¯d hope that I could actually face all of them for as long as the gate would remain open. Preferably without any lasting repercussions. For now, though, I had to wait and watch the show. Horus¡¯ battle cry was still lingering in the air when Seth transformed. Swirls of darkness and red energy, the colour similar to a sunset over the desert, covered his form and when they dispersed, he wasn¡¯t a man anymore. A gargantuan jackal with wings of fire and shadow on his back crouched where he had stood a moment before. Even across the distance and over the piercing death cries of the battling shadow creatures, I heard and felt the low rumbling in the air when he growled and made ready to face his brothers. Horus, who had already risen several dozens of metres into the sky, whirled around, a golden nimbus surrounding his body and weapon while wings of metal sprouted form his back. Like a falling star he descended onto the beast, his weapon held ready to strike. Seth didn¡¯t even attempt to dodge, instead he opened his maw wide, revealing the smouldering flames that danced between his obsidian teeth. I saw his muscles ripple when he prepared to jump to meet his brother head on. An explosion of golden light and flickering shadows followed, forcing me to avert my eyes for moment and when I had blinked away the distorted afterimages, Seth had managed to catch Horus between his teeth. An ear piercing scream escaped the hawk¡¯s beak, filled with pain and hatred, blowing away the debris and dust their initial collision had catapulted into the air. The tendons along the jackal¡¯s snout stood out as he tried to squeeze the life from his brother, to rip him to shreds in the hellish meat grinder of his jaws. Horus¡¯ scream was drawn out when he felt the crushing pressure but before Seth managed to bite through his armour or swallow him whole, the third brother joined the fray. I had been much too focused on the fight to realise that Sobek had transformed as well. Instead of his scholarly appearance, he was now a towering giant with ebony skin, clad in a cuirass of shimmering crystals. His right hand was wrapped around a white staff, intricately designed runes running along its length, topped off with a huge gem that shimmered faintly in greens and blues. His head was still that of a crocodile but now his eyes were shining with the same colours that radiated from the gem and his scales seemed more like dark, green jewels. A casual step made him flicker out of my perception before he reappeared in front of the towering jackal, his staff raised high above his head. With bone crushing force he brought his weapon down, aiming for the side of the neck. When he struck, a second explosion of light, even brighter than the first one, followed. Seth howled in pain and dropped his brother but to my surprise, despite the powerful attack, I couldn¡¯t see a wound. Sparks and smoke were rising from where he had been a hit, but his skin remained intact and as far as I could tell, there was nothing broken but he still had opened his jaws and dropped Horus, who immediately winged back and out of range. Strange. In a way it seemed like Seth had reacted to the pain Sobek¡¯s attack had caused but that didn¡¯t make any sense. They weren¡¯t corporal, I knew that much. Either their structure, their essence was damaged, or it wasn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d experience pain the same way the living did. Admittedly, since they were born from the imagination of a living people, it was still possible that they¡¯d adhere to the same rules but I thought it highly unlikely, especially after all the uncounted years they had been imprisoned here. It wasn¡¯t much but it still bugged me enough to ignore the flashy lights and look more closely at what they were actually doing. They weren¡¯t too far away, coming from the four corners of the realm, they had met pretty close to where I was, maybe a couple of hundred metres from my position. With my enhanced vision it would have been easy enough to make out most of the details if their continuous struggle hadn¡¯t obscured their forms regularly. After Sobek had freed his brother, he hadn¡¯t abandoned his charge and with a lithe movement jumped on the back of the distracted jackal. Blue and green swirls circled around the gem on top of his staff before he brought it down again, square across Seth¡¯s head this time. And while the ensuing light show was impressive, I wondered why he¡¯d clobber him over the head instead of stabbing downwards, embedding the staff in his brother¡¯s flesh. Surely that would have been much more effective. Still, the jackal twitched and even appeared to loose his footing, his front legs giving in. When he hit the ground, Horus came rushing in again, righteous fury written across his regal features. With an earth splitting strike he aimed to decapitate his crouching brother but again, aside from flashes of light and the the thundering roar of the jackal, nothing happened. Seth had somehow managed to turn to the side, the descending copis glancing off his shadowy hide. With an explosions of strength he dislodged Sobek, who was sent flying, and unfurled his wings, preparing to launch himself into the air. Flames danced across his wings and back and with a mighty leap he catapulted himself towards his hawk headed brother. An embodiment of rage crashed into the golden god and both tumbled through the air, biting, pecking and clawing at each other. Their struggle prevented them from flying properly and with an impact that shook the earth, even where I stood, they struck the ground. Shadows, flames and golden light exploded outwards, the ferocious display left after images dancing before my eyes while the shockwave blew my hair back and made me stumble. When I had blinked the distorted images away, Seth was atop of his brother, acid saliva dripping from his a red fangs, ready to bite him in half. Similar to the last time they had clashed, Sobek intervened. He couldn¡¯t fly but with a powerful jump he still managed to cross the distance form where he had fallen and attacked Seth from behind. His staff was now completely sheathed in blue and green, as if he was holding onto a piece of the ocean and it struck Seth¡¯s back, just between his wing sockets, a hammer that had found its nail. I cringed in sympathy, a long forgotten pain creeping across my own back and I curled my wings reflexively around myself, a reaction to an injury I couldn¡¯t remember anymore. Seth¡¯s wings became limp and with a growl he threw Horus away like a discarded toy and turned around. His eyes, smouldering coals in his bestial face, sparked with unrestrained hatred as he opened his maw wide, ready to swallow Sobek whole. The crocodile man didn¡¯t wait for that to happen, his silhouette flickered and he disappeared, obsidian fangs cutting through the air where his head had been an instant before, to reappear by Horus¡¯ side, his staff held at the ready. Despite their seemingly unrestrained fight, none of them was even limping and Seth got to his feet with one fluid movement, a snarl on his face. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. You may call me paranoid, but I was becoming more suspicious by the second. If any of those strikes had truly hit with the force they appeared to contain, there would have been some form damage visible on their bodies, but except for Seth¡¯s slobber that was dripping down from Horus¡¯ beak and wings they remained unscathed. And if they were truly invulnerable down here, why would they even bother with fighting in the first place? We¡¯re they dense enough to not have learned over centuries? It didn¡¯t add up. Still the three brothers made ready for another round, Horus flexing his wings while Sobek and Seth crouched, ready to throw themselves towards each other once again. If I hadn¡¯t been highly attentive, I would have only seen a battle of titans when they charged, staff and copis raised high to meet the onslaught of darkness and flames. Clouds of fire collided with swaths of bluish energy, golden spears of light were swallowed by a wall of shadow and amidst it all, the three brothers pommeled each other with reckless abandon. A flurry of movement, a resounding crash and Horus threw Seth to the ground, his hooked sword following only an instant behind to dig deep into the jackal¡¯s flesh while Sobek turned into a crushing wave of water and slammed against the beast¡¯s body. Light gathered around the descending arch of gold, headed for the prone god¡¯s head and I pushed more energy into my eyes and brain until time seemed to slow down. In perfect detail I saw the blade cut through the air, closer and closer it got with a whistling sound my ears just barely picked up across the distance. Enchanted water swirled around Seth¡¯s limbs, restraining him and I would have sworn that he was done for. Alas, I¡¯d have lost my money. At the very last second, Horus turned his sword so that the flat side connected with his brother. Just before the impact, Seth¡¯s hide was glowing with a dull red and a contained wave of power pulsed form him, blowing up the obsidian around them. Sobek¡¯s water sparked with iridescent light and Horus¡¯ whole body shone more brightly than the sun for an instant. I couldn¡¯t see through the glare and when I regained my vision, the three had again separated, without a wound to show for their troubles but I wasn¡¯t paying attention to them anymore. This last bit of play acting had just been too much for me to swallow. There was no way he¡¯d been able to get out of harm¡¯s way, if Sobek and Horus hadn¡¯t allowed it. They were putting on a show, but for whom? There was only one possible answer: me. But if so, they¡¯d have to know that I was here and I couldn¡¯t possibly imagine why they should want me to watch them fight¡­ a distraction? But why? What was the purpose? I completely ignored the flashy lights and impressive explosions they made to truly look around. The first thing I noticed was, that the armies of beasts, which were devouring each other, were apparently not faking, twitching limbs and what I suspected was something close to blood, were covering the ground all around them and the terrified screams that always followed on bloodthirsty barks were much too familiar. Pure horror, fired by the realisation that the end was neigh couldn¡¯t be faked. Crocodiles tore through jackals, while winged creatures, a mixture of hawk and horse, dove from the sky to plunge out eyes and sometimes even rip off heads. Large desert dogs threw themselves forwards, biting and howling in a rabid frenzy and wherever they wrestled another beast to the ground, a fountain of gore erupted. Their numbers were dwindling before my eyes, the fight to the death slowly consuming them, turning them into blood, ash and the mortified whisper of a soul that was returning to its hellish place amongst the bones of this realm. It was brutal, wrong and possibly nothing more than part of a play and I felt disgusted, but for the moment I was worried about something else. Where had Isis and her pets gone to? The shadow beasts that had held back had disappeared and I couldn¡¯t see the winged woman anywhere, either. Slightly worried I turned on the spot, searching for the fluttering of her butterfly wings or the stalking darkness of one of her pets but I didn¡¯t find a trace. What was going on? My eyes darted towards the gate and my heart rate spiked, I feared Isis might have used my distraction to get close and slip through. The whirling wheel of stolen life and crackling lightning was unchanged, still drawing in energy from the realm, like a dimensional leech. There was no movement close by, nor did I see her beasts, which I would have expected to guard the portal if her mistress had gone through. No, she was still here, the question was where and what was she up to? This whole situation was starting to feel like a trap, even though I couldn¡¯t imagine how that was possible, unless¡­ had the spider betrayed me after all? To her worst enemies, none the less? Well, self proclaimed worst enemies. Except for an obscure legend, narrated by a young dragoness who had probably been only half listening when her father had told the story, I only had the word of Shassa herself that she loathed them. Admittedly, it fit with what I had seen in Amon¡¯s past, but there were also other explanations for what I had witnessed. And I didn¡¯t even know for sure why she had been imprisoned here. What if she had been in league with the gods all those years ago? It would also explain why their statuettes had been kept so far away from her prison and why her sentence had been this cruel. Damn it, had I been played, in the future as well as in the past? If that was the case, she should better hope that whatever she had planned worked, otherwise I¡¯d tear her to shreds as soon as I could get out of here. Which made me think¡­ should I flee? If I was wrong and fled, I¡¯d allow the seed to activate, dooming my friends alongside the dwarfs and children. If I was right and stayed, I might never leave and everyone would still die under the hands of an all powerful psychopath and her allies. Lovely, just lovely. At least I didn¡¯t have to worry about how I might be able to tempt Isis into helping me without anything to offer. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but that ship probably hadn¡¯t sailed, it had crashed and burned. As if to illustrate that it could always get worse, and add insult to injury the gate suddenly transformed. The fiery energy, leeched from the souls of this place, exploded outwards, followed by a wave of electric blue light. Everything in its path was obliterated, a massive crater formed below the portal, the obsidian simply disappeared as if an invisible giant had taken a bite out of the ground. Just before the shockwave reached me, I saw it envelop some of the fighting creatures and they too vanished, like they had never even existed. I wanted to teleport, to move out of the way but even my enhanced perception and reflexes weren¡¯t fast enough to save me. My vision turned blue, sparks of power danced along my limbs and I felt a sudden vertigo when I was picked up like a toddler and carried along with the raging storm. I felt its power gnawing at my body as I tumbled through the air but I resisted, the magical onslaught much less of a problem than my uncontrolled fall. At least until I heard a faint whisper in the cacophony of energy and wind: ¡°Those statuettes have never been my greatest creation, the constructs within are. I told you before, this was never meant to be a prison, but a lifeline. You shouldn¡¯t have let me touch you. Goodbye, Cassandra. For your sake, I hope that you won¡¯t open your eyes again. Now sleep.¡± Shassa¡¯s poison, the tingling in my fingers, no! Panic raced through me but it was immediately swallowed by a heavy lethargy that flowed through my limbs. Even while I was hurtling across the sky with flashes of light all around me, my eyes became heavy, my worries fled and I had to struggle to remember where I even was. I tried to flush my veins with power, to burn away the poison that had activated in my blood, but my thoughts had already become sluggish and I could barely muster enough willpower to keep my wings materialised. The rush of pain and adrenaline when I collided with something hard and unyielding gave me a moment of clarity. Blinking, I recognised Horus, Sobek, Seth and Isis standing around me in a circle, determination and hope etched across their features. Behind them, the portal was pumping energy into the realm and with a gesture, Isis commanded a part of it into her hand, sheathing it in electrical blue. When she punched me in the face, my head fell back and darkness claimed me. 112. Of prices, chances and a little bit of revenge Cassandra Pendragon I wasn¡¯t dreaming, well not exactly. I swam in an ocean filled with memories. Each drop represented a scene from my past, a brief glimpse of what had been. Parts of the endless sea were calm and full of light, others were dark and dangerous, unknown depth that would swallow me up without a chance of return, but I didn¡¯t feel threatened. I didn¡¯t have to go there. If there had been some kind of time in that place, days or even weeks would have passed while I glided from one spot to the next, searching, always searching. I didn¡¯t know what I was looking for but I knew I had to find it, more than just my life hung in the balance. As much as I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t take a stroll down memory lane, not now. There was something¡­ calling for me. I passed scenes I thought I recognised, moments I had already lived through, and others that were alien but felt like I was connected to them, as if I had returned home after being away for years. I was itching to explore, to make them mine again but I knew that I couldn¡¯t. If I allowed a single memory to claim me now, I would lose them all, of that I was certain. I went further and further, making my way through slices of frozen moments until I finally found what I had been looking for. It was nothing special, just another drop among hundreds, thousands of others. Small and inconspicuous it hovered before me, Mephisto¡¯s face staring at me. He repeated two sentences, over and over: ¡°you can¡¯t yet use your magic outside of your body¡­ your core will always heal you¡­¡± Light flashed before my eyes and I remembered clearly what he had told me before I had tried to heal my body and why it mattered so much right now. By the Great Fox, I had been poisoned and betrayed! Suddenly I knew exactly how I had gotten here and with the realisation, the walls, or rather the world around me flickered. Light exploded from each frozen memory until all I could see was white nothingness. For the fracture of a second I felt like I was falling, or as if I had missed a step on the stairs, and then the light receded, silhouettes and figures creeping slowly inwards form the edge of my vision. And with them came the torment. Shassa¡¯s words rang in my mind: ¡°for your sake, I hope you won¡¯t open your eyes again.¡± Now I knew what she had meant. My sight swam with red spots and I could still here the rhythm of an ocean, deafening waves that drowned out every other noise. The smell of something coppery filled my nostrils and I couldn¡¯t open my eyes, but that was nothing compared to the excruciating lances of fire that had pierced my body. There were eight of them, one for each arm and leg and four of them clustered together in my back, close enough that it almost felt like a single wound. I couldn¡¯t move a muscle, pure agony suppressed every motion my overloaded brain might come up with. I had thought I already knew a little about pain, but I had been wrong. In contrast to every other instance I could remember, the flames that seemed to consume my nerves became hotter and more ravenous by the second, each fluttering beat of my heart nearly threw me back into unconsciousness and after a few moments I even begged for the sweet release of darkness. It was unbearable, even my thoughts seemed to be hurting me while I felt my blood trickle along my limbs and pool around me. I tried to scream but I didn¡¯t have the strength, I tried to move but crystal grazed against my bones and the feeling made acidic bile rise in my throat. And then someone drove the spikes even deeper, through my body and into the ground below. As if from a great distance I heard the splintering sound my ribs made, when they were crushed. It felt like I was being sawed into small pieces and for seconds, minutes, hours, I didn¡¯t know, my world was reduced to eight waves of agony that pulsed through my body. I reflexively tried to curl my tails around myself, a movement I could actually make. Unbelievably strong hands grabbed them at their base and with a mighty twist and a dry crack, the bones broke. Bloody splitters pierced my skin when they were yanked in the other direction and I passed out. But only briefly. Cool fingers brushed over my cheek as I regained consciousness to find myself again in haze of agony. I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes and the shallow breaths I forced through my opened mouth, accompanied by the gurgling of blood in my lungs, still left me feeling like I was suffocating. I couldn¡¯t place the source for my torments anymore, my whole body was on fire with waves of pain. ¡°It gets easier with time. Don¡¯t try to fight, it¡¯ll only make things worse.¡± That voice. I knew that voice. The spider was with me again. The tiniest spark of something, anger maybe, broke through the stupor I was in, but it vanished just as quickly, buried under a mountain of hurt that crushed everything else. I just barely managed to open my eyes and shift my head to stare at her blearily while tears ran down my face. I couldn¡¯t discern much, shapes and colours flickered and changed and I had trouble focusing on anything at all, but Shassa had come close enough that I could at least guess what she was doing. I could see a stream of blood trickling down my chest and a black spear of the same obsidian I had encountered in the other realm, was stuck through my elbow, piercing the joint perfectly. I laid on my stomach, Shassa had crouched low to whisper into my ear, and I thought I could just barely make out the shadow of the statue she had been imprisoned under, loom above our heads. The bitch had impaled me the same way she had been forced to suffer! This time my fury was more than just a tiny spark, clearing my thoughts and dulling the onslaught of tormenting sensations that came from all over my body. With callous disregard for the crystalline stakes that had been driven through my back, I tried to manifest my wings and wring the life from the treacherous arachnoid, but as soon as even a glimmer of energy flowed from my core, the poles activated. It felt like someone was scraping the inside of my bones, organs and even blood clean, using a rusted wire brush with sharpened points. Despite the blood that filled my lungs, I screamed and wailed, a fine mist of red sprayed from my mouth and nose and a seizure raced through my body, opening the wounds even further as my muscles spasmed. Like a drowning fish on land I gasped for air while my body was tearing itself apart. And Shassa gently patted my head through it all, like a mother would with her sick child. ¡°There, there. I told you not to fight. You can¡¯t escape. Every ounce of magic in your body will be ripped from you, the moment it forms. I¡¯d put you back to sleep but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d wake up rather quickly, whatever I tried. I still need your energy, but once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll end your suffering.¡± Surprisingly, she got an answer: ¡°Is that so, lass? Yah have an awful lot of plans, for a corpse. Fire in the hole!¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Wha¡­¡± She never got to finish her question as a blinding flash of light, followed by a thunderclap that shook the ground, exploded behind her. Hot air, that smelled of sulphur and molten metal washed over me, tousling my hair and peppering me with pebbles. At the same moment Shassa twitched and stumbled, two bolts buried in her back and one sticking from the side of her neck. Dark blood sprayed from the wounds and covered me in another layer of gore, a scathing touch of acid against my skin, but I didn¡¯t mind the additional surge of pain. I welcomed it, cherishing the small burns, that showed that the spider had been hit. Accurately. I didn¡¯t know how or why, but the dwarfs had come and for a few glorious seconds I thought I was saved. When even more metal bolts rained onto Shassa prone form and the heavy footsteps of armoured, armed and dangerous soldiers thundered through the hall, hope, powerful enough to drown out the roaring agony, returned a small part of my strength and my vision cleared. I was back in the hall where I had first seen the spider but this time it was me, who was pinned to the ground beneath the statue. Shassa had dropped to the floor close by but I didn¡¯t see the fallen gods, nor their statuettes. At least not until the spider managed to utter a command in an ancient language despite the bolt that still stuck out of her neck. Another explosion rang out but my eyes had already dimmed, a new wave of agony held me in its grip. I felt like I was being squeezed dry, the scraping had returned, actively destroying parts of my body now, to draw more energy from my core. I faintly registered distant shouts and hurried movements but soon enough even those vanished behind a maelstrom of suffering. Again I lost all sense of time while I laid there, desensitised to the world, the sole inhabitant of my little island of pain. Every sensation was overwritten by another sharp spike, every thought lost under the suffocating pressure. There were only two possibly outcomes, either I would lose myself, every bit of me slowly chipped away until nothing remained but the pain, a guaranteed descend towards insanity. Or I somehow managed to find something else to cling to, some part of me that hadn¡¯t been buried beneath the onslaught of agony. For an eternity I was lost, it felt like I was trying to climb form the clutches of the ocean onto a rock and every time I found some sort of purchase, another wave dislodged me and threw me back into the churning hell. I struggled and fought, desperately reaching for anything that wouldn¡¯t burn me, that wouldn¡¯t try to devour what I had left. My heartbeat slowed down to a crawl while I lost more and more of my self awareness. Darkness crept towards me from every direction but I didn¡¯t have enough emotions left to panic, to fear for myself. I didn¡¯t really care anymore as long as the pain would end. And just when the last embers were on the verge of blowing out, I felt something else, far away from my tormented body. Throughout the night, streams of light appeared, the energy, my energy which had been ripped from me, had reacted to my frantic search. Sounds, images and sensations flooded my mind and I rose from the prison of my tortured body on wings of thought. The hall, the dwarfs and their desperate battle appeared around me. It wasn¡¯t that I could literally see them, I felt, more than I saw, and I was everywhere at once, I didn¡¯t have my own perspective. My perception was bound to my energy, which ran through the statue and towards Shassa who dispersed it into several spell constructs that activate across the hall. I witnessed the pulsing activation of defensive enchantments, now bolstered with my energy and at the same time I knew that she was channeling a small part of it back into the statuettes. Those sparks were than send swirling to the fallen gods who manifested witch a halo of transcendent energy. It was confusing at first, the simultaneous streams of information were hard to differentiate, but I adapted quickly and made sense of what I perceived. Every last one of my friends had come, my family, Viyara and Erya, the dwarfs, and the elves, only Pete and the children had been left behind. They had apparently challenged the traps and made their way down to the central chamber where they hadn¡¯t wasted a moment. Viyara had transformed, a towering mass of muscles, silky wings and golden scales that was just now taking to the air in a display of fire and fury, with a pissed off fey on her back. Erya¡¯s eyes were glazed over with her own green strands of magic, sparks of it running along her horns and towards her raised hands were an immense spell construct was beginning to form. Below them, the dwarfs had formed their ranks, similarly to how they had fought on Boseiju, archers and melee combined into powerful units, bowstrings singing a song of retribution. Astra and Aspera stood side by side, thick bands of magic tying them together from head to toe. Strength flowed from one to the other, bolstering Astra¡¯s spells or lending more force to her sister¡¯s strikes. They moved in concert, gracefully gliding deeper into the hall, their eyes never leaving my prone form under the statue. Pity and disgust were evident on their features but they never missed a step while they headed for the fallen spider. My mother was distraught. She had taken one look at my mutilated body and apparently lost it. Hands ablaze with churning power, she was charging forward, blind to everything else, except for Shassa and me, her desire to protect and kill warping her usually calm face into a mask of anger. It was astounding how such a small person could become this terrifying within the blink of an eye. Mordred seemed calmer but if I had been on the receiving end of the stare he was appraising the spider with, I¡¯d have looked for a hole to hide in. And Ahri, well, she was already halfway across the room, her fiery wings catapulting her forwards faster than the eye could follow, a huge sword held steady in her grip. She was going to crash into the legs of the statue, freeing me from its hellish embrace at all cost. As much as I appreciated the sentiment, right now was unfortunately not the best time. I didn¡¯t know how long I had been semiconscious until I had found a way to distance myself from the pain that ravaged me, but the Fallen had fully manifested. I felt the statuettes disintegrate, turning into cracking portals from which the hordes of shadow beasts streamed forth, accompanied by eerie howls that had no place in the world of the living. I could feel them, their strength augmented with sparks of my power while massive swaths of it circled around the gods themselves, turning them neigh invincible. Shassa herself was slowly getting back to her feet, her form pulsing with the first signs of her transformation, her restored concentration allowing her too pull more and more energy from me. This shouldn¡¯t have been a fight, it would have been a slaughter, powered by my own strength. But now I was awake and ready to command what was mine. I didn¡¯t know what I could do or how I could do it, but I knew that everything she had torn from me was still under my control, her puny will and the feeble enchantments throughout the statue far from strong enough to cope with an immortal. And just now Ahri intended to severe my connection with the statue and thus with the circling web of power. As soon as the legs would snap, I¡¯d maybe be able to regenerate but I¡¯d lose my chance. Right now, within this hall, I was pretty much a fully grown angel, master of everything I touched. I didn¡¯t have much time, but maybe I wouldn¡¯t need it. I allowed the stream of energy to swallow me completely until I became as much a part of it as it was of me. The pain my body was still trying to flood my mind with, became nothing more than a faint echo, easy to ignore and drowned out by the whole bandwidth of information my magic provided. It was as if I had sprouted an uncountable number of wings, connecting me to Shassa, the statue, the portals, everything the spider, in her ignorance, had fuelled with my strength. Which in turn meant, the more power she had stolen and fed to her creations, the easier it would be for me to dismantle them. With a twist of my thoughts, similar to how I manifested my wings, I took control of the sparkling swirls of energy that surrounded and pulsed through a grinning Sobek. Without a sound, without a trace, he vanished. Silvery blue sparks danced where he had stood for a moment, before they too disappeared, heading back for their source. My body was shimmering ever so slightly while I turned my concentration on Seth. 113. Of chances, deaths and a little bit of chaos Cassandra Pendragon He couldn¡¯t scream, he couldn¡¯t react, his face still frozen in shock from the disappearance of his brother, he joined him. A consciousness that had plagued this world for centuries and feasted on the souls of the fallen, some of which had even died at his own hands, was erased like a fog under the midday sun, gone, without so much as a whisper left behind. As quickly as it was over, I still realised that I had a decision to make. My perception was much more accurate and I could react faster but I was still connected to my body, its injuries and the speed of my thoughts limited how much I could actually do simultaneously, even though my consciousness was largely focused in my magic. In other words, I was fast, but everything I did, still took some time. Ahri was getting closer by the second, unfortunately I couldn¡¯t simply push her back, none of my energy was circling through or around her. I had to chose how I was going to use the last few moments I still had access to my extracted power. Dishing out some well deserved revenge seemed like a great idea, but if Shassa had fed some of my energy into the seed, now might also be the chance to destroy it. It might have been a tiny bit vindictive, but I figured I might always try to deal with the seed afterwards, given that everything the spider had told me had probably been a lie. Right now, I wanted to make sure that no one I cared about had to die down here and lucky for me, that meant I¡¯d have to kill a few more people. I¡¯d have loved to take my time, for the moment I had the means to dissect Shassa, her psyche, her knowledge, even the Fallen themselves, but I couldn¡¯t. I had to make do with the satisfaction their panicked faces provided me with, when they realised that something had gone terribly wrong, spontaneous disintegration wasn¡¯t a common affliction, after all. While Ahri was getting ever closer, I reached for the strands of energy that danced around Horus. With a twist of my will I tried to change its purpose, to fill it with a ravenous hunger ready to consume and devour, but for the first time, something fought back. As soon as I tried to exert my influence, a new shimmering band of power appeared, coating Horus and insulating him. It was my own energy, channeled from my core, that prevented me from getting through. I could easily take control of the newly created walls but for every one I took over, another one was formed and the faint echo of pain I still perceived from my body spiked with every failed attempt to push through. That damned spider! Shassa was slowly rising to her feet, additional legs sprouting from her abdomen like trees growing in a time lapse, while her head elongated and pincer like protrusion appeared around her mouth. Blood was still tricking from her wounds but the bolts had disappeared and her injuries were closing rapidly. She had her right hand extended, fingers half stuck between claws and actual digits, and pulled as much energy from the statue as she could take in. She was forced to mainly use it to protect Horus but still managed to boost the defensive enchantments even more, which roared to life with sparks of silver and blue. The portals behind Seth and Sobek had closed with their death but the other two were still spewing forth shadowy monsters from the depth of the other realm. They seemed to suffer here, their dark and distorted skin was steaming and boiling, disgusting bubbles formed and bursted in quick succession, a frenzied mob ready to tear into the line of dwarfs and now they were being joined by the animated constructs of the hall¡¯s defences. There weren¡¯t different types of guardians, like I had seen last time, fuelled by my power, sparkling orbs of energy manifested, swaths of transcendent energy circling around them symmetrically. To me they looked like will-o¡¯-wisps, animated specks of light that pulsed with an inner fire in silver and blue. As Shassa pulled even more from my core, the wisps became brighter and larger, sprouting tentacles, that seemed very much like my own wings. In a way that was to my advantage, I hoped, as they shouldn¡¯t vanish once I was cut off from the statue. I just want certain if I¡¯d be able to control them without a direct connection to the magic, they had been born from. The whole situation was developing into a massive battle and I had the chance to set the stage, with Shassa fighting against me every step of the way, my own energy used as her weapon. Isis and Horus had to die and the portals had to be closed, otherwise we, or rather my friends, since I didn¡¯t expect to be of much use once freed, would have to face an endless horde, that¡¯d just keep on growing. And I didn¡¯t even know yet where the statuettes had disappeared to. I split my focus, maintaining the assault on Horus¡¯ shields while I simultaneously reached for Isis. Maybe the spider wouldn¡¯t be able to protect two of them at the same time. Again I turned my power into something ravenous but again, I was thwarted. Shassa had fully transformed but had dropped back to the ground, her legs quivering. Her meridians were glowing through her dark, chitinous carapace, which was covered in a fine layer of ash, smoke rising from her in dark, smelly spirals, but still she worked her magic, ripping energy from my core to funnel it towards Isis and Horus. She was taking in too much, her body breaking down under the strain, but I could feel the gruesome toll it extracted from me, as well. While the pain had gradually been growing, it had been easy to ignore, but now I could feel my thoughts slow down, my concentration waver. Shassa was killing us both while she tried to keep the Fallen alive. Had my head been clear, I might have thought about quickly separating myself from one of the two, to suddenly redouble my efforts on the other or to attack Shassa instead, I might even have tried to ignore them and instead marshal the growing army of wisps to do my bidding, but I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. Sure, the ridiculous state my body was in played a fair role in it, but it had also simply been too much over the last days. I was exhausted and in my mind, I simply saw a race. Either she would break first, or I would, and in my addled brain, there was no question of who could be more stubborn. Even if it was going to cost me my life, the spider¡¯s creations weren¡¯t going to survive the night. Which, altogether, turned out to be a terrible idea. None of us had to budge. Storms of transcendent energy ravaged our bodies but our will prevailed until, with a sound like breaking glass, the statue shattered. One second its legs were glowing with silvery sparks and the next an explosion of stone and magic tore through the hall. Shrapnel, sharp as knifes, bit into Ahri, me and Shassa, close to it as we were, while the shock wave ripped through the shadow beasts and the portals they had spawned from, reducing them to memory in an instant. Everyone living was knocked over, if they were lucky, and sent flying if they weren¡¯t. Viyara was pummelled off course and crashed into one of the pillars, while Isis and Horus were thrown back, the shields Shassa had conjured holding for a split second longer before they vanished. Only the wisps remained untouched, they even grew, the shimmering light within them intensifying as they absorbed the power of the wave. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. With the connection severed, I was pulled back into my body, my perception vanishing underneath a haze of agony. I had been flayed and impaled, the only thing that had kept me alive through it all had been the constant rush of power that had flowed through my veins. Dissociated from my body, I hadn¡¯t been able to judge just how bad it had become, but now I could feel it. Every centimetre of my skin stood in flames, my muscles spasmed and eight holes had been drilled through me, the crystalline stakes still firmly lodged inside. Each involuntary movement opened the wounds further, hot blood gushing over destroyed skin where the splitters from the exploding statue had ripped through me. Again I had to fight to even think, the all encompassing pain drowning me as effectively as the blood in my lungs. Like a sea wrecked sailor clung to a plank, I held onto a simple thought: don¡¯t stop cycling your energy. It was all I could do for now, but if I failed, I¡¯d die, of that there was no doubt. A shrill whistling sound filled my ears and the coppery smell of blood clogged my nostrils, I was rendered insensible to the outside world, lost in an ocean of torment while my tissue slowly regenerated. The broken legs of the statue and its shards were pushed from my wounds as bones, organs, muscles and tendons regrew below and around them, a gradual process that made me feel even worse as the overstimulated and raptured nerves healed. Instead of a pain induced stupor, I was wide awake and could fully appreciate how much damage had truly been done to my body. Honestly, I might have lost it for a moment or two, flashes of my life on Boseiju appearing before my eyes and once or twice I even thought I felt Greta¡¯s touch, putting me together after she had gone overboard during her training. The only thing that kept me sane was the knowledge that I was getting better, every new pulse of fire another remainder that I was healing. I fought and struggled and kept the energy from my core flowing smoothly, even when my mind fled towards the past because it couldn¡¯t deal with the present anymore. For seconds, minutes, again I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed, I was as helpless as a fish on dry land, curled up and unable to move. The first real change happened when I vomited up half coagulated blood and cleared my airways with a series of hackling coughs. As soon as I could breath more freely, my mind started to clear and I could even open my eyes. The scene wasn¡¯t pretty. All around me, glistening spikes of dark stones swam on puddles of blood. I must have thrashed around while my body regenerated, the trails my arms, legs and tails and left in the dark red canvas clearly visible. I was still hurting, my skin hadn¡¯t grown back for the most part, yet, but my organs and bones had mostly recovered, the slight, wave like motion my tails performed, a sure sign that the ligaments had realigned. At first I wasn¡¯t able to make much sense of anything further away, my vision became bleary fast, but when I had blinked away the tears that still clung to my lashes, the images became clearer. The first thing I realised was, that I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. Ahri stood over me, sword at the ready. If it hadn¡¯t been for her long waves of platinum hair I wouldn¡¯t have recognised her though, she looked nearly as bad as me. One of her eyes had been pierced by shrapnel, blood and a sticky liquid seeping from the swollen skin around it. Her face and chest looked as bad as my back, her clothes had been torn apart to reveal hundreds of cuts, small but deep, that coated her front with gory red. Her cheeks had been ripped open, the pearly white of her teeth revealed behind the wounds, the granite splitters that had hit her, still lodged in her flesh. In a way she looked like a nightmarish version of a hedgehog, all spikes on a carpet of mutilated skin. Despite her dire state she was guarding me, her blade and wings weaving a sphere of fiery protection around us while the rest of the hall descended into madness. The explosion hadn¡¯t killed the gods, nor had it destroyed the statuettes, of which I still hadn¡¯t seen a trace. Isis was already back on her feet, busily conjuring another portal to call forth their minions form the other realm while Horus manifested his wings and armour, copis ready to welcome the first rank of the dwarfs, who were charging forwards, their deep voices combined into one as they sung their battle hymn. Heavy footsteps built the rising cadence of war as the dwarfs gained momentum but with an eerie shriek and a wave of his weapon, Horus used a part of his own magic to form a larger spell construct than I had seen before. Strands of energy flowed from his body and combined into intricate formations, a display of blinding like in the darkened hall. Bands of golden flames appeared from thin air, waving and twitching like whips, attached to Horus¡¯ left hand. With a mighty swing he whirled them around and brought them crashing down on the closest dwarfs. The enchanted metal of their armour flared, but it provided as much protection as a fog and fire consumed them hungrily in an instant. Just like that, four of them had died in less time than it took me to blink. At least he had to pay. With a thunderous roar Viyara¡¯s silvery flames washed over him, intertwined with sparks of green. She had shaken off her fall quickly and had taken to the air quietly, covered by the stampeding dwarfs. At the highest point of the hall, she had folded her wings and shot towards Horus like a spear. Erya was still on her back, dishevelled and, judging from her furiously working mouth, cursing, but she bolstered Viyara¡¯s efforts with her own power, adding another layer to the flames that danced around Horus. For a moment the hall was Illuminated by silver and gold, fire and light collided in a furious display of strength. A mighty thunderclap drowned out every other noise and for a second I could only see the burning afterimage of clashing forces. Hot and dry air that carried with it the scent of ozone and superheated rocks, strong enough to cover the miasma of blood I was stuck in, flowed over me, its touch coarse against my raw skin. When I regained my vision, Ahri was desperately defending us against a swarm of shadow beasts, a freshly formed portal had spewed forth. Every movement made her groan and sprinkled the ground with her blood, but she still held on, stubbornly refusing to take to the air and leave me behind. My mom had somehow managed to get through the chaos and was sprinting towards us, her magic a pulsing aura around her body, which kept the shadows at bay and incinerated the ones that had made the mistake of getting too close. The elves and Mordred were circling around the back, trying to get close to the now fully transformed spider. Shassa was still down, she had been hit as badly as us but her carapace had protected her from the worst of the explosion. Disorientated and slightly burned she was struggling to her eight feet, a dark substance dripping from the gashes that had opened along her body, despite her natural armour. With a quiet whimper I rolled around and forced my body onto its knees. I was still regenerating, but the serious injuries were gone and I was mostly in control of my limbs. First things first. I manifested my wings, the silvery torrents of energy slithering around me and Ahri like snakes, before they struck and cut through every shadow I could reach. Black smoke rose from their decapitated bodies, hawk heads and grotesque, horned, human like shapes turned into sparks of light when they were separated from the neck. In the blink of an eye I had cleared the space around us and slung my changed wing around Ahri. Maybe it happened because we were already linked through our tattoos, maybe it was our emotional relationship, whatever the reason, it was ridiculously easy to heal her. My magic seemed to know exactly how to strengthen her own abilities and how to support her body to fix itself. It didn¡¯t even take much out of me. In a way it was more like I was guiding her own power to do what was necessary, preventing it from burning its host along the way. 114. Of balances, reunions and a little bit of hope Cassandra Pendragon She whirled around, surprise and hope sparkling in both of her whole, open eyes. ¡°Cassy,¡± she whispered, then louder: ¡°Cassy!¡± Ignoring the mayhem just a few handful of metres away, she flung herself forward and threw her arms and tails around me. Despite my aching body, which protested quite heavily against the newest mistreatment, I had to smile. The faint scent of pine trees I could still smell beneath all the blood, calmed me down instantly and warmth spread through my limbs. For a tiny moment I could again believe that every thing would work out, in the end. Unfortunately reality asserted its hold rather quickly, since I wasn¡¯t able to support my weight, even on my knees, for longer than a few seconds. I collapsed in her embrace, her arms preventing my head from hitting the ground, hard. The hall spun around me and Ahri¡¯s voice seemed to reach me from across a vast distance: ¡°Cassandra? By the Great Fox, Cassy, can you hear me? Please, talk to me¡­¡± my vision flickered and some of her words were drowned beneath a roaring that swallowed every other sound. I passed out briefly, the strain of healing her had obviously been greater than I had thought, or maybe I had just overexerted my body a tiny bit too much over the last days. When I managed to shove the rising waves of darkness away, I was lying in the arms of my mother, Ahri again standing vigilant above us, unyielding in her resolution to keep us safe, but it was tried. Swarms of shadows were circling her, just out of range of Ahri¡¯s blade and her wings. Glowing eyes, filled with pain and desperation turned into madness and hate, stared at us, ready to pounce. Above them, Isis hovered like a descended star, light pulsing form her eyes and skin in blinding waves. White fire was wreathed around her figure like an armour and in her hands she held an Ankh and one of the statuettes. As much as I appreciated that I finally knew where one of them had gone to, the building storm of energy within made me wish that I hadn¡¯t found out. The sheer amount of energy was worrying, not to mention the malevolent colour, a mixture of red and black, that shimmered from within. To make matters worse, Shassa had finally managed to climb to her feet uninterrupted, my brother and the elves hadn¡¯t reached her in time. Massive strands of energy were erupting from her spinnerets, forming a dark and frayed sphere around her. The thing pulsed in quick succession, firing off spear like torrents of shadow, half of them headed for us, the other half sinking into the walls and ceiling of the hall with nothing to show for their passage but lingering, black sparks. Meanwhile Horus had taken to the air, fighting Viyara and Erya, the dragoness¡¯ strength and the fey¡¯s magic against his stolen power. As much a I didn¡¯t want to admit the truth, they were no match for him. If it hadn¡¯t been for the dwarfs below, continuously firing, throwing enchanted axes or lunging themselves at the fallen god as soon as he came into range, both of them would already have been overwhelmed, either cut down by his mighty blade or incinerated by his magic. Despite their valiant efforts, the floor below was already covered with their blood, small rivulets running through cracks in the stone. It was a battle of attrition and since every wound my friends managed to inflict on the Fallen closed faster than it had appeared, the outcome was certain. Simply put, while Horus was holding back the dwarfs and Viyara, Isis was doing everything in her power to kill us off and Shassa, well, her magic surely was dangerous, each bolt that hit Ahri¡¯s wings caused a ripple along the transcendent, fiery feathers, but I had no clue what she was trying to accomplish with the hall. Maybe she¡¯d activate more of the enchantments, or she was accessing the last statuette, I simply didn¡¯t know. But I did know that something would have to change if we wanted to leave this cursed tomb again. As things stood, it was only a question of time before we¡¯d be run over and I wasn¡¯t up to do anything about it. Sure, I could kill the shadows that made the mistake of getting too close, maybe even one of the gods or Shassa herself if I got my wings on them, but right now I couldn¡¯t even properly lift my head from my mom¡¯s lap, never mind teleporting or flying around the hall. And somehow I doubted that they¡¯d be kind enough to come close and hold still while I tried to strangle them. Well, maybe the corrupted souls would, but there were so many of them that annihilating a bunch wouldn¡¯t change a thing. No, we needed someone who could possibly challenge their magic, or, if that was too much to ask for, at least tell us what we had to do to survive. My voice was much weaker than I would have liked and hoarse, even in my own ears, but I still managed to whisper: ¡°did one of you bring Mephisto¡¯s emblem?¡± Ahri¡¯s ears twitched and my mom moved, her eyes going wide when she heard me talk but I forestalled her with a weakly raised hand. ¡°Did you?¡± Ahri grunted, whirling on the spot to shield us from another barrage of dark missiles, while simultaneously cutting through three shadow beasts that had snuck into her range. With a fluid motion she chucked the silver coin in our direction, never missing a step in her deadly dance. I was much too slow to catch it and the sparkling emblem would have soared right above our heads if my mom hadn¡¯t caught it deftly without even looking, her eyes still glued to my face. ¡°What do you want to do? He isn¡¯t answering, we tried when you vanished.¡± Her voice was steady but for the faintest hint of a tremor. Somehow she still managed to convey enough to make me feel even worse for putting her through all of this, though. Right, of course it was my fault. ¡°Send the bastard a wake up call he can¡¯t ignore,¡± I mumbled while I reached for the coin. She hesitated for a moment, her hope that I could actually call for help clearly warring with her knowledge that I was going to do something risky again after just having woken up from an injury induced faint. Hesitantly she lowered her hand but still asked: ¡°Can¡¯t I do it?¡± I wanted to roll my eyes, but I thought that would have been just a tad too much at the moment. ¡°Not unless you can suddenly grow a pair of wings similar to mine. I¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll get out of here. I promise.¡± Fuck, I hadn¡¯t been thinking, I had just wanted to calm her down, but alas, the damage had been done and my core reacted. Another band of power circled around me and sank in, another tie, another chain but this time I wouldn¡¯t have to live with the consequences if I couldn¡¯t keep my word, I¡¯d already be dead. At least it made my mom smile, maybe it had been worth it, after all. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Could you get on with it? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed but I¡¯m having a hard time right now,¡± Ahri panted. Even though we hadn¡¯t wasted many seconds, the horde around us had swelled even further and the power Isis was draining from the statuette had formed a sickening miasma around her hand. Drops fell to the ground, spawning grotesquely disfigured abominations, vaguely similar to Seth¡¯s and Sobek¡¯s humanoid forms, but even larger. They were bulky and hunched, a perverted mirror image of what Isis¡¯ children once had been. Towering over their smaller brethren, they emanated waves of bloodlust and undiluted hatred, focused on us. The dwarfs and Viyara were also slowly being pushed back, glowing, split open armour on the ground, served as tombstones for every fallen dwarf. Already there were much to many, a good dozen of the bearded heroes had lost their life and Viyara was bleeding from a deep cut across her chest. Erya¡¯s magic was circling around it, trying to repair and heal, but every time it came into contact with the wound, slithering, golden flames appeared and consumed her power. Consequentially, Viyara¡¯s steaming blood was mixing freely with the dwarf¡¯s, covering the dark stones with a slick blanket, which added to the oppressive smell of death all around. Once again, I couldn¡¯t afford to fail or others would pay the price. The metal felt cold in my hand and honestly, I didn¡¯t have much of a plan. I knew he had spent most of his energies back on Shafeer¡¯s island and since time had reversed, he hadn¡¯t had the chance to refill them. My grand idea was to heal him, or rather push energy into his emblem without destroying the complex formations that kept him alive, an electrical shock to wake him up, if you so will. Before my wing had transformed I¡¯d have called that impossible. Destruction, sure, but to actually nourish something had been far out of my reach. Now, I could at least try. It was over in an instant, even though it seemed much longer to me. My wings swirled around the coin, close but never touching, a silvery web that covered me and my mom. The smell of ozone drowned out the miasma of blood and for a moment my world was reduced to the small space between the crackling torrents of energy. A small part of me had hoped that that might be enough, that Mephisto would be blue to take what he needed from the charged air around him, but it wasn¡¯t. The emblem remained still and cold, a regular silver coin without any supernatural properties. I had expected as much, but I still had to swallow a slight pang of disappointment, of course it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Next, I tried to connect to Mephisto¡¯s presence, similarly to how I had healed Shassa and Ahri, but it wasn¡¯t as straight forward as I had imagined. He didn¡¯t have a body and I had trouble to even see his energy, never mind interacting or bolstering it. There were no natural pathways I could channel my energy into, nothing to open the door for me, only artificial constructs, mixed with a spark of something else I couldn¡¯t quite place. In a way I was missing the connection that would allow me to support him with my power, the key to access his reservoirs. Usually my preferred method to deal with a problem like this would be to simply use more energy, to flood him with everything I got, but that¡¯d probably only result in fancy fireworks, maybe even annihilate the emblem, but I could not imagine that it¡¯d help me in the slightest. If he couldn¡¯t take in a sip, he wouldn¡¯t be able to swallow a bucket. To stay within the metaphor, the best I could hope for was to drown him, not an outcome I wanted to achieve. Finesse or a good idea would go a long way, but both were out of reach in my current state, I was even lacking in the brute force department at the moment and I was running out of time. Well, desperate times called for desperate measures. I slung my wings around the coin and threw it towards Shassa, praying to anyone who would listen that Mephisto had the strength to make use of her energy and wouldn¡¯t succumb or run out of juice like he had when we had faced Galathon. The emblem sailed through the air in a straight line, over the turning heads of the beasts and towards Shassa¡¯s conjured sphere of darkness and I panicked. Fuck. My plan had been pretty simple, get the emblem into the thickest fog of magic nearby and hope that he¡¯d be able to take it in. Combined with the presence of a malevolent spider, I had been rather sure that he¡¯d wake up. I had simply forgotten a minor detail. He could use unbound energy but everything in this hall was filled with purpose or even channeled into formations, not a drop of it was freely accessible. I¡¯d have to somehow destroy Shassa¡¯s spell so Mephisto could feed on the residual magic that was sure to remain, magic of this magnitude didn¡¯t simply vanish. If I¡¯d been rested, I¡¯d have smiled at the prospect, tearing a spell apart was one of the things I was really good at, after all. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t and the few metres that separated Shassa¡¯s sphere from the tip of my wings seemed like an unsurmountable obstacle. Running was out of the question, even if I had been able to, I¡¯d never have made it in time. Teleportation was dubious, to say the least. My concentration was about as sharp as a rubber pencil and my thoughts felt sluggish, even with the ample amount of energy I was still circling through my body and thus my brain. I could risk it, but I might just as well end up in a wall or not move at all and I would have preferred to avoid that. I just wasn¡¯t able to come up with a promising alternative. ¡°Sorry, gotta go,¡± I whispered and collapsed into a shower of sparks on my mother¡¯s lap. I had been wrong. Neither the transition nor finding the right path through the silvery world were problematic. I manifested smoothly somewhere between the spider and Isis, fully prepared to attack her for good measure while I attempted to rip Shassa¡¯s spell apart. As soon as the real world reasserted itself, I spread my wings wide and that was when trouble found me. First of, as tiresome as it was, a fresh wave of pain raced through my body, every cell protesting violently against the dematerialisation shortly after it had finally healed. Imagine gluing something together and then shaking it until it almost breaks apart again, repeatedly. In my case, a few weak points might even have shattered, I couldn¡¯t say for certain but it sure as hell felt like it. My muscles cramped and I was more than thankful that my wings were mainly controlled by my thoughts but that posed the second problem. Those weren¡¯t nearly as fast as I was used to and both Shassa and Isis had time to react. They did, violently. There was no way to tell what kind of spells they threw at me, a disorientating display of blinding light and suffocating darkness surrounded me and I was flung away like a puppet. Even though their magic couldn¡¯t harm me, it still packed a punch, literally and I didn¡¯t have the strength to hold my position. No matter, as long as I managed to accomplish my task, I¡¯d worry about the landing later. Scraping together every last ounce of willpower I could muster, I sent my wings slithering towards the spot I assumed Shassa to be in. I thought I felt some form of resistance which immediately shattered but I was catapulted out of range too fast to know for sure. Not until a scaly, golden paw fished me out of thin air with a mental ¡°gotcha¡± and I stopped spinning, was I able to tell what happened. I stared after the emblem and hoped. Without a sound or trace it vanished behind the curtain of pulsing energy and I held my breath. Either I had just doomed us all and handed Shassa another weapon on a silver platter, or¡­ the sphere imploded. As if a giant drain had suddenly opened up at the centre, the black swaths of energy began to move, circling for the fracture of a second before they were pulled back, vanishing neatly into the now glowing coin. A sob of relief escaped me and I relaxed against Viyara¡¯s claws when I could finally glimpse behind the lifting curtain. Shassa had dropped to the ground, two of her legs slung around her head while the rest twitched and quivered uncontrollably. She was obviously in pain, the backlash from her failing spell had fried her neves and overloaded her brain. The receding darkness clung to Mephisto¡¯s outline for a moment longer before it disappeared completely, revealing his snarling face. He wasn¡¯t restored but neither did he resemble the ghost like apparition I had met in the volcano. He was somewhere in between, the lines of his body and face were clear and he seemed much more solid, but his form was pulsing with a malevolent light, as if he had been poisoned by the energy he had taken in. With as much contempt as I had ever seen in his eyes he surveyed the scene to finally stare at the fallen gods. 115. Of strengths, weaknesses and a little fear Cassandra Pendragon ¡°My, my, what a waste of¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hear the rest of Mephisto¡¯s sentence, Viyara¡¯s pain filled roar and the crackling of Horus¡¯ whip were much closer and also a tiny bit more important for the moment than his ramblings. To catch me, Viyara had had to drop low and throw herself off course, completely opening her up to strikes from the hawk headed god. He hadn¡¯t wasted his opportunity. His whip had elongated and was now tightly slung around her hind legs, gold against gold. For now her scales seemed to hold but acrid smoke rose from her hide while the golden flames slowly dug into her body. The smell of burned hair nearly made me choke as Horus threw all of his strength against the whip, sending Viyara crashing through the air. She wouldn¡¯t be able to regain her balance in time and as soon as she had slammed into the ground, the fallen god would be all over her like a swarm of locust. But what could I do? I was stuck in Viyara¡¯s paw without a way to reach him in time. I was hesitant to try my teleportation again, the lingering ache from the last time still coursing through my veins, another ride on the rollercoaster might just knock me out as soon as I arrived. If only I could get close to him some other way¡­ ¡°Throw me,¡± I sent mentally. Despite her panic she still manage to sound incredulous. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if my teleportation is going to work again. Throw me at him, now!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°By the Great Fox, just do it! He¡¯s going to kill you, damn it!¡± I still felt her scepticism, she wasn¡¯t exactly trying to hide it, but she did as I had asked. The muscles and tendons around me tightened until my bones creaked but I didn¡¯t have the chance to protest. With a mighty heave she catapulted me towards Horus and somehow I forgot all about my complaints. Flying was great, I loved it. Being thrown, not so much. I had trouble controlling my trajectory, Viyara¡¯s strength had provided me with more inertia than I could easily handle, the smallest correction threatened to screw up my balance. It was easier to allow my wings to float behind me like a massive, silvery tail, swinging from left to right to at least somewhat influence my direction. Like a glowing bullet I flashed through the air, the wind of my passage whistling in my ears. We had gotten lower than I had expected and I could hear the mighty crash and Viyara¡¯s renewed howl behind me as I raced towards the ancient creature. He had gotten closer, ready to impale my friend on his burning sword, while his other hand still held the whip tight, its hungry flames eagerly gnawing at the dragoness¡¯ defences. I even imagined that I could see a satisfied spark in his haughty eyes but that wouldn¡¯t last for long. I braced myself and before he had fully realised what was happening, I was already in range. I flung my wings forward, the slithering torrents of energy danced around me for the fracture of a second before they covered Horus in a tight web of crackling power. There was no coming back from that. A moment later, my wings parted to allow a shower of fine ash to float down and disperse in the angry winds of war. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t him, as I found out a moment later. While he wasn¡¯t protected anymore, Shassa¡¯s spell had crumbled without my power to fuel it, he still had somehow managed to escape my clutches, leaving behind his armour and weapon which had disintegrated in his stead. I didn¡¯t have the chance to lament my bad luck, though, as a searing wave of agony drove the air from my lungs and ignited my left side with streams of fire. The bastard could teleport as well! He had vanished just before I had encircled him and was now above me, my blood dripping from his still raised fist. Like a wrecking ball his attack had crashed into my ribs, breaking the newly healed bones like twigs. I screamed while the force of his punch drove me towards the ground, blinding lights flashing before my eyes. I struggled and fought to righten myself, to take control of my fall with my wings or teleport out of the way but disorientated and hurt as I was, I couldn¡¯t. Cold dread crept through me followed by hot surges of panic as I waited for another strike, this time probably taking off my head or cleaving me cleanly in two, but it didn¡¯t come. The next thing I knew, was the dry popping sound of my shoulder dislocating, when I hit the ground. Swallowing down the rising bile I tried to move around and spread my wings to push myself off the floor but for the moment I had trouble remembering my name, never mind mustering the concentration to control my energies. All I managed to do was roll onto my back and press my hand against the soaking wet hole in my side. I opened my eyes, fully expecting to see a descending copis ready to tear through my body but instead a shower of hot blood gushed over my face, its coppery taste finally tipped me over the edge and I heaved up a mixture of disgusting fluids. I was barely able to turn my head to the side and prevent the smelly concoction from covering me completely. For a second or two I had to rely on my hearing, my eyes pressed tightly shut while I gasped and retched. It was a damned nuisance to puzzle out any sort of sense from the cacophony of sounds around me, the clamouring of weapons and heavy armour, grunts, screams, the howling of the beasts, angry hisses and the humming of magic all flowed together to form an indistinguishable mess, but fear of a violent and imminent death provided me with more than enough motivation. As far as I could tell, Viyara was climbing back to her feet while the dwarfs were moving in around me, forming a wall of metal and flesh that protected me while I tried to regain my bearings. Judging from the silky whisper of fiery wings, Ahri had finally taken to the air, probably trying to get enough room to manoeuvre around Isis and keep her occupied. I could hear my mom¡¯s faint murmurs as she worked on some spell or the other, hopefully saving herself from the horde of shadow beasts that was still surrounding her, but knowing her, I expected something much more volatile. What my brother and the elves had done, I found out when I finally managed to brush the mixture of tears and blood from my eyes. They had followed my example and turned Mordred into a living projectile. With their combined magic, Astra and Aspera had flung him towards Horus, his sword extended and a vicious snarl on his face. He had crashed into the god immediately after I had been struck, driving the enchanted steel of his weapon completely through the armoured body. Smoking, golden blood was still gushing from the wound as Horus desperately tried to wing away but Mordred held on to his sword grimly. Dark energies were swirling around his hands and arms before they vanished into the sword, crackling sparks of power eagerly eating into the impaled body. A scream of terror ripped from Horus¡¯ throat, being eaten alive by a hungry blade was too much to ignore, even for an ancient consciousness based on magic and faith. They tumble through the air, all thoughts of flight forgotten, while Mordred stubbornly clung to his blade, his litany of curses never stopping, and Horus desperately tried to get rid of him and his deadly weapon. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Meanwhile Mephisto had pinned down the spider and was somehow using her energy to bath Isis in showers of purple, angry light that wreathed around her figure and snuffed out the pulses of energy emitted from the statuette and the Ankh in her hand. Burning runes were dancing around his body and his eyes glowed with a sheen of hellfire that was becoming stronger by the second. ¡°Can you hear me, lass? Easy now, let me have a look at your wound.¡± Strong hands gently closed around my upper arm and turned me around. Xorlosh was kneeling next to me, his bushy eyebrows drawn together in worry as his gaze travelled over my torn side and the white nubs of bone that blinked through the blood. I tried to smile weakly, the wound appeared far less terrifying after my short session as a battery and I could already feel my energy targeting the destroyed tissue. It¡¯d take a moment but I¡¯d heal, at least if I didn¡¯t sustain another injury. ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m so¡­,¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish my sentence. Mordred and Horus had finally crashed and by sheer luck, my brother happened to be the one on top. Consequently he nailed the struggling god to the ground, the tip of his sword sinking into the stones with the sound of nails on a chalkboard. A thundering scream exploded from the wounded monster, a visible shockwave that raced through the hall and bowled over everything in its way. The stocky built of the dwarfs and Viyara¡¯s bulk allowed them to weather the worst of the storm but Ahri¡¯s and my wings were caught and before I knew what was happening, I was again tumbling head over tails through the air. Blurring colours and the whistling wind were all I knew before I smashed into something soft and warm. I heard a strangled groan and felt several cracks behind me as I was suddenly stopped, sliding down the side of a pillar. By happenstance or design Ahri had gotten behind me, had slung her arms around me and had cushioned me from the impact. Now we were one tangled mess of tails and wings and when I raised my head from her chest and turned around to look at her, my blood froze in my veins. She was deathly pale, crimson streaks running down from her nose and one corner of her mouth. Her eyes were open but glazed over, either from pain or because she had a concussion, or something even worse, I couldn¡¯t tell but since she had slammed into the pillar with her back first and absorbed both of our falls, something worse seemed the most likely. ¡°No,¡± I growled, ¡°not like this.¡± I didn¡¯t care if I shouldn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t heal her in my current state, or what was happening around us, I wouldn¡¯t let her go. When her wings wavered and threatened to disappear, I slung mine around us and willed the door to open, for her to take whatever she needed. I¡¯d give it all, willingly, just as long as she¡¯d come back to me. At first, there was no reaction and while I felt her breath become more shallow, icy fear gnawed at my insides. Was she already too far gone? Desperately I leaned forward and carefully placed my palm against her cheek, hoping for some form of recognition, a change in her dull gaze, but there was nothing, I only felt the slowing pulse of her heart against my skin and the fleeting warmth of her blood as it trickled over my hand. I gently brushed her lips with mine and whispered into her ear: ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me. I need you¡­¡± tears stung in my eyes and I buried my face in the nape of her neck, where I could still smell the faintest hint of pine trees. If she wasn¡¯t going to leave this tomb, neither would I. Distantly I wondered how Shassa could have seen me becoming a monster without Ahri, I had just realised that there wouldn¡¯t be a future for me without her, but it had probably been just another lie. The thought of the spider cut through me like a scythe through grass, leaving behind a bubbling pit of anger but it was swallowed by despair just as soon as it ignited. I gazed into Ahri¡¯s emerald eyes but they were almost empty, windows to an abandoned house. What would be the point? To save your family and your friends, a stubborn part of me answered, but it was a small and quiet voice. I finally understood how Archy had felt when he had volunteered to be killed. Sometimes, life just wasn¡¯t worth living anymore. But you still have to keep fighting, the voice replied. True enough, I truly believed that, but I just couldn¡¯t. I was hurt, exhausted and forced to watch the most important person in my life die. I didn¡¯t have the strength anymore. If only I had left the statuettes in the dragon¡¯s hoard. The dragon¡¯s hoard¡­ the artefacts! Nearly all of them had been lost when we had been forced to flee from Galathon but before any of it, I had taken an emerald that should still be in my stamp. A treacherous spark of hope fluttered through my stomach, back then Mephisto had told me that the spells inscribed on the emerald would work on a person¡¯s life force and maybe, just maybe, they could save my love. Like a praying child, I closed my eyes and wished, hoped for the green gem to appear. It did, with a small displacement of air the jewel dropped into my waiting hand. Delicate lines crisscrossed its surface, illuminated from below with the flickering power stored in its depths but I didn¡¯t see its beauty. All I saw was a chance, a chance to change what I could not live with. I knew that most artefacts were bound to a chant, a password so to say, that would trigger whatever spells had been placed upon it. Of course I had no clue how to activate the artefact, I had never bothered to ask anyone, but I thought I had a way around that. Back when I had arrived in this hall, I had strengthened my voice with my energy to intimidate Shassa and I had been able to see how hard it had been for her to resist the pressure. My commands had real power if I bolstered them and maybe I could simply order the damn thing to work. My fingers clumsy with adrenaline, I placed the shimmering gem right above Ahri¡¯s heart and pushed enough energy into my voice and through my body that it felt like something solid was trying to crawl out of my throat when I whispered: ¡°heal!¡± A second shockwave raced through the hall. Even though my words had been quiet and directed at the girl in front of me, the strength behind them was enough to explode outwards, carrying with it a faint echo of my burning desire to see her whole again. While we remained unfazed, save in the eye of the storm, the rest of the hall was once again subjected to an outburst of power, but this time it was filled with transcendent forces, carrying with them my fear, my hope and my slowly growing rage, the receding desperation had allowed to reignited in my chest. My wings swelled with light, cutting us off completely from the outside world while the emerald disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but a pool of five vibrant, green embers that slowly sunk through Ahri¡¯s skin. I held my breath, hoping, waiting, praying for her to come back. Please¡­ Tears welled up and I couldn¡¯t prevent them from falling on her freely, the thought that I might really have lost her was too much to bear. ¡°Please,¡± I sniffled, ¡°please¡­¡± She squeezed my butt and took in a gulping breath. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get rid off me so easily.¡± Her voice was weak and still a little slurry but I didn¡¯t care. A burst of laughter broke through my tears and I threw my arms around her, smiling. ¡°I love you,¡± was all I said before I kissed her for what felt like the first time. A surge of emotions, stronger than I had felt before, raced through me, the sparks of hope exploding into a wildfire of happiness. Thank you, whoever had been listening, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that again,¡± I mumbled after a long moment without breaking contact. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll be the one to take the fall. You¡¯re much too pretty to crash into walls.¡± I felt her tails circling around my waist, her steady and strong heartbeat beneath my fingertips and her smile against my lips. ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡± She pulled me closer and for a few seconds the world seemed right again. But¡­ ¡°Cassy, we need to see what¡¯s going on. Can you dim your wings or move them?¡± 116. Of chances, wisps and a little mistake Cassandra Pendragon Right. I had forgotten where we were, but now¡­ oh boy, this was going to hurt. I felt my emotions change as if someone had flipped a switch, elation and happiness turned into anger and rage, a consuming tide I had felt before, when the Furglows had attacked me back on Boseiju for example. Shassa and her ilk had nearly taken everything from me and now there would be a reckoning, consequences, caution and casualties be damned. My voice was steady and controlled but judging from the change in Ahri¡¯s expression I knew that she heard the seething fury underneath: ¡°I can, but you will stay here, whatever happens. Promise me or I¡¯ll hold us here until everything¡¯s over, one way or the other.¡± I could practically hear her thoughts, my threat was rather weak, she knew as well as I that I wouldn¡¯t leave anyone else to die if I could prevent it, but I was also stubborn enough to drag this out for quite a while. ¡°Fine, at least until I¡¯m fully healed. That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get.¡± She kissed me again. ¡°And it better be enough, you wouldn¡¯t even promise me as much if you were in my place.¡± Not quite satisfied I gave in and nodded. Quickly widening gaps appeared in the curtain of energy, revealing a sea of shadow beasts that had surrounded us from all sides, more of them still crawling through a single portal, the other one had vanished. They weren¡¯t within my range but if they were to pounce, they¡¯d reach us in the blink of an eye, moving with a speed that far surpassed mortal boundaries. ¡°Maybe staying here isn¡¯t such a good idea, after all,¡± I murmured and sent more energy towards my brain to fully grasped what was happening. Behind the slavering horde, the tides of battle had changed once again, Mordred¡¯s death defying flight had been much more successful than my own attempt. Horus was still pinned to the ground, while Mordred, pale, in pain and on the verge of collapse, pumped more and more magic into him, paralysing the fallen god to allow the dwarfs to go to town. With reckless abandon they chopped, hacked and slashed at the golden figure, chipping away with their enchanted weapons while their deep voices filled the hall with cries of vengeance. A pool of ichor was slowly spreading beneath the gruesome scene, bits of flesh and splitters of bone drifting over the red-gold surface. Immortal or not, Horus would have one hell of a time to pick the pieces off the floor and put them back together. Further to my left, around the ruins of the statue, my mom, Astra, Aspera and Mephisto were in trouble. Remember the dark bolts Shassa had sent into the walls? Somehow she had taken complete control of the defensive enchantments in the hall and since the wisps had spawned as a part of the structure, they were now under her command and closed in. Spells simply vanished when they got too close to the silvery silhouettes of light and mundane attacks like Aspera¡¯s strikes or the rocks Mephisto picked up telekinetically and bombarded them with, passed through without leaving a mark. I had lifted my wings just in time to witness one of the wisps suddenly rise high into the air and descend onto the elven sisters, its energy pulsing madly. They managed to whirl out of the way and Aspera even slashed at the thing in passing, but this time her blade didn¡¯t pass through. Instead there was a short burst of light and with the smell of superheated metal, half of her sword dropped to the ground, the edge still glowing where it had come into contact with the wisp. Save behind the line of magical manifestations, some of them even dancing directly around her torso, Shassa had climbed back to her feet, but at least she wasn¡¯t unscathed. The holes in her carapace the exploding statue had left her with, had closed, but one of her legs and an eye were missing. Several disconnected runes were flickering all over her body, remnants of Mephisto¡¯s incomplete attacks. They were still messing with her magic but they hadn¡¯t been completed and thus couldn¡¯t invoke fully. While I watched, they were slowly vanishing, her own dark energies swallowing them up to leave nothing but black chitin behind. In her claws, the remaining three statuettes had manifested, bolstering her power, even though two of them seemed dull and lifeless, and the third was shaking in her grasp. Each part the dwarfs chopped off Horus resulted in another tremor, the equivalent part of the statuette flashing brightly before it dimmed again. And while the wisps were protecting her from the steady streams of hellfire that flowed from Mephisto¡¯s raised hands, she was again working on another spell. Isis had risen even higher and was now hovering directly beneath the ceiling where only those of us with wings could reach her. It didn¡¯t stop the occasional dwarven bolt from heading in her direction, though, but she easily deflected them with lazy waves of her hands. Meanwhile she was pulling more and more power from the other realm and channeled into into her Ankh, which by now had transformed into a blinding formation of light that resembled a dragon more and more. Luckily she couldn¡¯t concentrate fully on her task, as our own winged furnace had left Horus to the dwarfs and was now battling his mother with everything she had. Erya was still on her back and Viyara¡¯s silvery tongues of fire, mixed with the fey¡¯s green sparks, were dancing around Isis, bathing her in torrents of power, heat and destruction. For now, they had prevented her from finishing whatever she was trying to accomplish but some of the wisps were rising steadily, headed towards them. They would protect Isis the same way their brethren did with Shassa and she¡¯d have the chance to complete her magic. My mother was¡­ heck, I had no clue what she was doing. For the moment she was more or less undisturbed and had her eyes closed, her brows screwed up in concentration. Wave after wave of mana was pouring from her but it didn¡¯t disperse or was channeled into a spell. It stuck to her skin and layer after layer it spiralled around her until all I could see was a storm of energy, my mom at the centre. Whatever she was doing, it sure looked impressive. ¡°Those silvery things have got to go.¡± Ahri didn¡¯t speak out loud, her thoughts reached me through my tattoo, apparently she didn¡¯t want to waste more time. ¡°They contain a spark of your power, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I think so. Shassa, the spider, used some of the energy she stole from me to feed it into the creation of those things. I could even feel them when I was still nailed to the ground. But I don¡¯t know how much good that will do now, I¡¯m not connected to them anymore.¡± She flinched when I mentioned how they had found me but pressed on regardless. ¡°I think you can still reabsorb or claim them, you just have to touch them, forge a new link. You¡¯ll have to try, otherwise this won¡¯t end well. They¡¯re effortlessly repelling every spell thrown at them, even Mephisto¡¯s more complicated magic. See?¡± Indeed I did. Maybe even more clearly than her, but the truth was that now that I had to, I was afraid to leave her side. The few seconds when I had feared she might have been lost to me had scarred me more deeply than the torture I had had to endure beforehand. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to allow her to face the army of shadows on her own. As much as I wanted to rain down bloody vengeance on the spider, protecting her was more important. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°And what are you going to do,¡± I asked. Since our emotions were flowing freely, she knew exactly what I meant, one of the drawbacks of telepathy and while she was somewhat flattered, she was mostly getting angry. I could even understand her, I wouldn¡¯t have like to be patronised as well¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to fight the beasts, that would be silly. The portals closed when you killed the other two and now that Horus is incapacitated the third one vanished. I¡¯ll help the others in bringing down Isis and Shassa. My flames are a bit more powerful than everything they have at their disposal. We¡¯ll keep them occupied so they won¡¯t have much time to stop you.¡± Great, that naturally made me feel much better. ¡°I think I¡¯m fully healed, so you don¡¯t even have a reason to complain,¡± she added scathingly but the quick peck on the cheek she gave and the physically whispered ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± in my ear took the fire out of her response. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Cassy, imagine how I felt after I saw you pinned to the ground. I don¡¯t want to leave your side, either, but that¡¯s not important right now. You know that. We both have to do what we can. Ready?¡± I breathed her scent in one last time, before I nodded. I hated that she was right but I would have hated myself even more, if I had allowed anybody else to get hurt when I could have prevented it. Reluctantly I flared my wings and vanished into a shower of sparks that danced around her for a second before she manifested hers and took to the air, a beautiful display of fire and grace. The shadows howled and like a crashing wave they surged forward only to have their jaws close around empty air. Both of us were gone. Despite my burning anger and lingering fear, I tried to go about my task as sensibly as possible and refrained from materialising in the bulk of wisps. Instead I appeared close to the outskirts with just a single, pulsing figure of light in range. This time, my bones didn¡¯t protest against the transition and even my thoughts were as sharp as I needed them to be, my sluggishness burned away by the rising fires of fury. Like striking snakes, several of my wings coiled themselves around the quivering mass while I plunged the rest of them directly into its centre, silvery sparks igniting along the way. They didn¡¯t go in smoothly, it was like cutting through cheese with a normal knife, the further I got the harder it became to continue but with another burst of energy from my core and a sound like shattering glass, I finally broke through. The strangest sensation followed. In a away, it felt like I had split in two and now I had to decide how to proceed. On the one hand, I could draw my power back into myself, similarly to how I had absorbed energies before. Like a hungry predator I could take back what was rightfully mine and leave behind nothing but a burned out husk, void of the force that had kept it alive. Or I could nourish the feeble thing, for that was how I saw it now. Small and weak, a drop taken from the ocean, unable to exist on its own. By chance or intuition I had used my wing with the fiery core to create the connection and it allowed me to give even more, instead of taking. I could fill the magical construct with enough energy that it could become something else, something free of the binding spells its creation had placed upon it. Instinctively I knew that by doing so I would also surrender my control, the speck of power would be free, able to grow and flourish on its own but our link would be severed, permanently. What was I supposed to do? Setting them free was a risk, maybe a small one, but there was no way to predict what the wisps would do once they had the chance to decide for themselves. Absorbing them seemed cruel, like ending a life before it even began, sometimes the better choice but cruel none the less. In this case though, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be necessary. The only instance where we¡¯d be off worse if I freed them was, if they decided to aid Shassa, Isis and Horus. Highly unlikely since one of them had put them into chains from the moment they had been created. Since they had been spawned from my energy, I couldn¡¯t imagine that they had taken kindly to that form of existence. Besides, it¡¯d take a seriously screwed up masochist to come running back into the arms of someone who had enslaved you before. I knew that I was projecting a lot of emotions onto an artificially created existence but the thought of erasing them appalled me and I was desperately grasping for arguments why it¡¯d be preferable to keep them around. In all honesty, though, they were probably going to vanish the very moment they were free anyways and that was just as good as killing them off, preferable even. Unless they turned out to be murdering psychopaths from the start, of course. I¡¯d know for sure after the first one, though, and I imagined that I¡¯d easily be able to deal with one of them, murder hobo or no. Streams of light flooded from my core and traveled through my wings. At first, tiny stars appeared within the diffuse, pulsing speck of light only to solidify and grow a moment later. The stars started to move, circling around each other, faster and faster they spun until they exploded with a blinding flash, leaving behind nothing but silvery sparks. A wide smile spread across my face, I had been right, it happened once in a while. The wisp was gone and it had even left behind a present of sorts. With its dematerialisation it had conjured an expanding bubble of energy that raced through me and my wings without so much as singeing a hair on my head or stirring the silvery torrents of energy but as soon as it reached Shassa and her wall of unwilling slaves, its destructive power became obvious. Like leafs in a storm, its brethren were blown out of the way, their light wavering as they were catapulted through the hall. Most were thrown into the walls or ceiling, passing through living bodies on their way without so much as leaving a trace. They remained wherever they encountered something inanimate and solid, their inner fire flickering periodically. Some were less fortunate though and collided with one another. Strange, interchanging colours appeared wherever that happened and a keening sound, that made me grind my teeth, echoed through the hall. Massive explosions of silvery light and blue sparks followed an instant after, turning the hall into a triggered minefield. Raging winds tore at my wings and I couldn¡¯t see through the glare while my ears rung from the mighty thunderclaps that reverberated all around me. Surges of energies battered against my skin and even though they couldn¡¯t harm me, I still felt their ravaging hunger, the desire to consume and devour as much as could be reach before they dispersed into nothingness. This wasn¡¯t some spell, it were the death throes of partly animated, transcendent energy, fuelled by all the hatred and pain it had been born from. It wouldn¡¯t distinguish between friend or foe, whatever it touched would burn unless it was strong enough to withstand the onslaught. Hot and cold shudders raced along my spine and my tails tremble with anxiety, again I had a decision to make. I couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once and I had to choose whom I was going to protect. In all honesty, it wasn¡¯t much of a choice and my reaction was mainly due to my guilty conscience that I was going to abandon my own flesh and blood without a second thought, but there wasn¡¯t much to be done about it. If I had to decide who¡¯d walk out of here, I was willing to sacrifice us all to make sure Ahri would be safe. A small part of me wondered if this kind of obsession was healthy in any way but that seemed like a problem for another, less perilous time. I allowed the faint flickering of energy that always connected our tattoos to guide me and materialised beside her. I immediately slung my wings and tails around her, carelessly catching hers between our bodies while the first wave of power rolled over us. I heard pillars bursting, Viyara¡¯s roar and a quickly drowned out order in the dwarven tongue before everything vanished behind the curtain of my wings, the thundering of transcendent shockwaves and the choking smell of ozone. We tumbled through the air, I couldn¡¯t control our fall since I needed all of my wings to keep us safe, and when I encountered something cold and unyielding, I felt the bones in my hip break witch a crunching noise before we hit the ground. A deafening silence followed. 117. Of foxes, guilt and a little bit of power Cassandra Pendragon Fear, lingering anger and a good portion of self loathing threw my insides into turmoil. Had I just doomed them all because I hadn¡¯t been able to bring myself to kill an artificial construct? Had I sacrificed them just to keep my hands clean of something I didn¡¯t like? The storm of emotions culminated in a simple exclamation: ¡°ouch¡±. My hip made a grinding sound as I came to rest against cold stone, Ahri still in my embrace. At least she was fine, cursing and spluttering, but definitely alive. With a thought I retracted my wings and ignored her muttering for the moment. I had to see with my own eyes what my arrogance had wrought. How ever you looked at it, the last explosion was on me, I should have known and if I hadn¡¯t, I shouldn¡¯t have experimented. When my wings vanished, my jaw dropped open and Ahri fell silent immediately. I felt her draw in a breath of amazement, her chest expanding against my arms. The hall was devastated. Pillars broken, the ones closest to a pair of disintegrating wisps had even turned into rubble, the statue smashed and flickering lines on the walls were all that remained of the enchantments that had been cast upon this place ages ago. Gaps ran along the ceiling, dust and debris raining down from them, and a deep rumbling sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once told me that integral parts of the structure had been damaged. Sooner or later it would collapse, burying everything inside under tons of rock and broken spells and the best part, the exit had probably vanished as well, the runes it had been anchored to, obliterated by the blast. That much, I had expected. The huge, spectral fox that protected most of my friends under its nine tails on the other hand¡­ if I hadn¡¯t seen it, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it myself. The beast was beautiful, no doubt about it, its fur resembled woven moonlight and its eyes shone like stars. Its body was more real than a ghost but yet not fully fixed to this plane of existence, as if something as powerful couldn¡¯t truly manifest here. Silvery specks of light traveled across its body and its tails shone with a warm intensity that reminded me of a rising full moon. Tall as a hill it cowered over my friends, its sleek limbs and voluminous tails had kept them save from the explosion. When it turned its angular head, whiskers of starlight quivering in the air, its gaze fell upon me and I recognised her. ¡°Mom?¡± I whispered. A sad smile spread across her snout and I saw a tear of liquid silver roll from her eyes before she exhaled deeply, a continuous stream of glowing magic interwoven with silvery sparks flowing from her nostrils. While most of the energy dispersed into multicoloured dots of light, the silvery parts returned to me, covering my body with tiny stars for a moment and with them came some memories. My mother had been in the middle of a complex spell, a conjuration that would have absorbed energy from all around her, which she then could have channel into an avatar, a battle form, for want of a better word, to protect her. During the final stages of the formation, the wisps had shattered and the sparks of my power in their core had been sucked into her. Maybe because she was my biological mother my magic had recognised her, or maybe its ravenous hunger had burned out beforehand, whatever the reason, she had survived and somehow had managed to incorporate the transcendent sparks into her casting without turning into a kitsune shaped torch. Instead she had transformed into the towering nine tailed fox I saw in front of me now, a being easily able to weather the storm of power and light the wisps had left behind. But as always, spells like that came at a heavy price. Her mortal form couldn¡¯t support the immense construct for long, her life was waning before my eyes. Cracks appeared all over her silhouette, silvery light spilling forth like blood from a wound, and with a deep groan that reverberated through the hall, the glowing fox shattered and disappeared into a cloud of swirling energy that rushed back to me. For a short moment the surge of power felt exhilarating but I pushed the feeling down, cold dread gnawing at my insides once again. ¡°Mom,¡± I screamed. I ignored the pulsing pain in my hip that intensified with every movement, shoved Ahri off of me and flashed across the hall in a streak of silver. I passed disoriented and shaken dwarfs, two dishevelled elves, my unconscious brother and a groaning dragoness before I came down next to my mother. My leg couldn¡¯t yet take the impact and I dropped to my knees, hands already reaching for her. She was deathly pale, dark circles ran under her eyes and her healthy complexion had turned waxen, like conserved parchment. She was withering away, even while I watched, her breath becoming more shallow while deep wrinkles and dark spots spread across her skin. When I gently touched her cheek, she opened her dulling eyes and her dried up lips twitched with the echo of a smile. ¡°Cassy,¡± she breathed, ¡°you¡¯re unhurt. Thank the gods! I didn¡¯t know¡­ did you save your girl? Is your brother alright?¡± I was already busy trying to heal her and was only listening with half of my attention but her tone stopped me dead in my tracks. The stupid woman was dying and she was actually worried for me and Ahri? Heat spread from my centre and for a moment I thought I was about to get angry with her but when my vision blurred, I realised that I was shedding tears, fuelled by grief, not fury. My mother was dying and I couldn¡¯t stop it. Every time I tried to connect to her energies, I felt nothing, a widening, uncrossable chasm that swallowed my senses and blocked my way. Whatever I tried, I couldn¡¯t get past. Death had already put his claim on her. My throat constricted and it took every last ounce of self control I could muster to keep myself from sobbing openly, the hot tears that ran down my cheeks and sprinkled her face were bad enough. ¡°I did¡­ he¡¯s fine, a little shaken but still in one piece. You saved him, you saved them all¡­ Thank you,¡± I replied hoarsely. What else was I supposed to say? Her smile widened and she appeared to relax, ready to move on, now that she knew her children would survive. ¡°I love you, Cassy. Don¡¯t forget that¡­¡± I had trouble understanding her now, her speech was getting slurry and there were long pauses between the words, as if she had to struggle to remember what she wanted to say. ¡°I love you too, mom.¡± She exhaled deeply, a shudder traveled along her limbs and then she became still. It felt like my blood froze in my veins, my heart skipped a beat and I felt dissociated. It couldn¡¯t be true, it simply couldn¡¯t. Not again¡­ I couldn¡¯t hold the emotions in anymore and my body started to shake violently while my tears flowed more freely. In a way, I had killed her and even though I felt more guilty than I could have imagined, I wasn¡¯t sorry. I¡¯d make the same decision again in a heartbeat. Should I have listened to Ahri and simply left with her, days ago? Was being close to me truly a curse? What would I tell Mordred, when he woke up? Or Arthur? A myriad of questions raced through my mind but they were quickly drowned in a sea of desperation, as the strength seeped out of me and my vision collapsed until all I could see was my mother¡¯s face. I felt numb. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The next thing I knew, I had pulled her head into my lap, similar to how she had held me when I had woken up, and was now gently caressing her cheek, as if she were just asleep. Some of the dwarfs had gotten up and were standing around us, head bowed in respect, but I didn¡¯t spare them a glance. I had trouble coming to terms with what laid before my eyes, the bigger part of me still believed that she would wake up any moment now, there was no way she was actually dead. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to be,¡± a deep, double layered voice whispered. I didn¡¯t really hear it, it was coming from within, form my core. My head snapped up and I looked around. To my surprise everything seemed frozen, the beards of the dwarfs, Ahri, who was just now climbing to her feet, Viyara, Erya, all of them were completely still and even the dust hung motionless in the air. Directly in front of me, the last two wisps, their brethren had been destroyed in the final explosion, floated in the air, the light that shone from their centre much stronger than it had been before. ¡°She is carrying the last sparks of her spell in her heart. The nine tailed fox is still alive. We can animate the magic and she will live, in a transformed body and as our host, but she will live.¡± Hope was a fickle thing, precious and beautiful but also dangerous and the source of fear. If I allowed myself to hope even for a second that there would be a way to save her, I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d take the blow in case it turned out to be false and how far I¡¯d go to make it work. Of course there was nothing to do but try and I was grateful for the chance to believe that she might come back, but even now I felt doubts that were oil on the fire of my fear. She might survive, which meant I might fail her, again. Still¡­ enough of the pity party. I wiped my eyes, my wings swirling around the wisps, tasting for a trace of the spider¡¯s magic or the taint of the other realm, but they were pure, undiluted parts of my energy. Somehow those two had managed to survive the explosion of their disintegrating brothers and even absorbed a large part of its power, burning off every foreign part in the process. ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°Because we can¡¯t survive on our own. Even now we are failing, the energy that gave us life is too volatile to be controlled by pure thought alone and even though we have a small part of the memories of all those we have touched, it¡¯s not enough. We need a body, an anchor and she needs us to feed her what she lacks. But we need your help. You have to nourish us once it¡¯s done, the magic she used demands its payment and we don¡¯t have the strength. We can provide enough of a spark that you can reach her once again, but the rest is up to you.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what will she become? Will she still be my mother?¡± I added quietly. ¡°Yes, but reborn as the creature she conjured. We¡¯ll stay with her as the heart of her magic.¡± ¡°Like my core?¡± ¡°In a way. But you and it are one, we won¡¯t be. We¡¯ll be a half forgotten dream, but we will exist and maybe, one day, we can truly be free and live without the aid of others.¡± With my wings still dancing around them, I caught glimpses of memories and scenes from their short life, fear, pain, suppression and the burning wish to simply be, a desire that had kept them together while the rest of them had vanished. I believed them. I had to. ¡°Thank you. You can¡¯t imagine what this means to me. I won¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°There is no need. We stand to gain even more than you and we are grateful. A chance to live is not to be taken lightly. Good luck, Cassandra. For all our sakes, we hope your strength won¡¯t falter.¡± Their light pulsed once, before they shrank until two tiny dots of silver entered my mother¡¯s closed eyes. A touch of colour returned to her face and she gasped for air, once. I didn¡¯t hesitate. I can¡¯t put into words what happened next. Concepts like language, used to simplify reality so we can understand and categorise it, failed me, but I¡¯ll give it a try never the less. At first, there was nothing, the same deep chasm, infinite in every direction loomed before me. And then there was light, a tiny spark, a sliver of hope somewhere in the darkness, the minuscule thing all I could focus on in this place of loss. As soon as I saw it, it grew, or maybe I moved closer, revealing three separated¡­ shapes which swirled around each other like fish in a bowl. Two of them were bright and powerful but somehow hallow, incomplete, while the third seemed perfect, except that it was flickering on the brink of extinguishing. With every revolution they got closer to each other, their forms intertwining in such complex patterns that I couldn¡¯t tell them apart anymore. Their speed increased but instead of lighting up, they slowly dimmed, as if a tear had opened within one of them and now it was sucking their essence dry, like a ravenous beast whose hunger couldn¡¯t be satisfied. I intended to put it to the test. With a thought, I willed myself forward, it was easy enough now that I had a target to focus on. My wings appeared longer, more substantial like liquefied crystals, as they danced around the swirling silhouettes, mirroring their rhythm. Let there be light! When I allowed my energy to flow unhindered form my core and through my wings, I felt like a straw, with an entire ocean trying to push through. There was nothing around me anymore but the glare of unleashed power, a whirlwind strong enough to rend space and shatter time, a maelstrom of energy that tore through reality itself. For a few moments I was nothing but a vessel, carried away on an irresistible current but to my surprise, it wasn¡¯t enough. In the eye of the storm, a black hole swallowed up everything around it. Whatever I had to give was devoured and consumed, transcendent forces changed and channeled to feed the beast, literally. My mom¡¯s spell had created an avatar with sparks of my energy and that had made it real. She had already turned into a creature, the nine tailed fox, but there was no way in heaven or hell that anything other than an immortal could feed it enough power to truly make it come alive and allow her to survive. The wisps had provided me with a link and a focus, but I had to supply the strength to make the brith of a new, partly transcendent being possible. Despite the changes to my body, it nearly killed me. It wasn¡¯t as simple as it had been with Viyara. With her, I had shared a drop of my energy and she had transformed. This time there was already a template, created from my mom¡¯s believes and intentions when she had cast the spell and fuelled by the taste of eternity she had experienced when my power had mixed with hers. And I had to fill every last nook and cranny or she wouldn¡¯t be able to live, her new from cannibalising itself in an attempt to come alive. I learned two things, one, there was apparently no limit to my supply of energy and two, I was still a far cry away from actually making use of it. At first, I felt just fine. My meridians held and even though I was channeling more power than I ever had before, at least in this life, I thought I¡¯d be able to keep it up for quite a while. I wasn¡¯t. My body started to deteriorate after only a few moments, supercharged light erupting along the base of my wings and from my eyes. The sheer magnitude of the forces at play was starting to effect my soul, my life force, all of me. I wasn¡¯t bending or circumventing the rules of the cosmos anymore, I was straight up shattering them. Before my latest transformation I would have burned up in a heartbeat, as much able to withstand the cataclysm as a squirrel was able to move a mountain. Now, I was being poisoned, energy seeped through me and was bound to parts that weren¡¯t ready yet. Once again, it all came down to whether or not I could hold on long enough to fill the darkness with light. Time didn¡¯t matter, its flow was warped around me and in a heartbeat or an hour I would either have failed or my mom would live. Like drops of water on a stone, I chipped away at the impenetrable nothingness, pulse after pulse raced from my core but with every spark I managed to ignite, a part of me was carried away on the torrent of power. While my mom came back to life, I lost myself, but I never stopped. Not until she shone brightly and I fell into darkness. 118. Of dreams, hypocrisy and a little bit of surprises I was swept away, dancing among clouds of memories and scenes from my past but unlike the last times, I wasn¡¯t directly propelled forward to relive what had once been. Instead, I had a modicum of control, I could chose what I wanted to see. Similarly to what had happened in the sea of memories I had visited before, my former life was arrayed around me, millions of sparkling drops, each representing something important enough to be preserved, surrounded me. I could chose whichever one I wanted but again I felt like some of them were more of a danger than an asset, memories I wouldn¡¯t be able to cope with, memories that would change and drown me in the atrocities I had committed or had been subjected to. Of course I was curious but I wasn¡¯t willing to risk my sanity, so I allowed myself to drift freely, my attention focused inwards. In here, my actual life was nothing more than a half forgotten dream, just as real as anything else and equally hazy, the burning emotions that had consumed me a moment ago were distant and dulled, only a faint echo still lingered in my heart and mind. In here, I wasn¡¯t afraid anymore. Slices of the past drifted by, leaving behind images, emotions sometimes even sounds, but none of them seemed enticing, an arbitrary mixture of things that had moulded me back then but weren¡¯t impactful now. After a while I became bored and reflexively tried to recall why I was even here, what had happened before I arrived in this place. Retrospectively, I shouldn¡¯t have. At first my mind remained blank, as if I had just woken up from a deep slumber and didn¡¯t know who or where I was. It didn¡¯t take me long though to start piecing together the puzzle and as soon as I remembered, hope and fear ignited within in me, strong enough to send ripples of blinding light through the fog of memories. Had it been enough? Was my mom alive? I had to know. From experience I knew that the only way out was through, so to say. To wake up, I¡¯d have to dream first. It was tempting to simply pick one scene at random and be done with it, but I also suspected that I might not get the chance again to decide what I wanted to see. I couldn¡¯t throw that away. But what did I have to know? What would be essential? Amazeroth¡­ every few steps I had stumble across the name, whatever had happened, somehow he seemed to be either involved or even orchestrating everything from the past. I wanted to know who he was and how we were connected, if we even had had a connection before I had been reborn. I wanted to know who was trying to meddle with my fate and who was responsible for the most scarring moments of my life. I wanted to know¡­ if I trusted his judgment enough to not hate him for what he had done. As if the memories had waited for a question, they dispersed in the torrents of light that still flowed from me, vanishing without a trace until only one remained in the glare. Curiosity, anxiety and a little bit of hope were mingling in my chest as I hesitantly took a step forward. By the father, I hated beast kin, from the bottom of my heart. They were so¡­ dull, walking stereotypes in one way or the other, valorous lions, wily wolfs, cozy bears¡­ I honestly preferred humans, capable of cruelty and kindness, greatness and depravity, everything mixed up into one unpredictable bundle that reminded me of the ever changing cosmos. But no, instead of watching a war for love or the rise of a civilisation out of spite, I was on some forsaken planet, Gaia, where magic had run rampant long enough to infuse life with its boring principles. Better yet, instead of bringing those ancient cultures down a notch or two, I was trying to help, to guide them through the biggest catastrophe in their living memory. Why? Because I hadn¡¯t been able to ignore a crying child, even though it had a tail. One impressive specimen of a detached immortal I was. ¡°Can you fly higher, Lu? I want to touch the sun.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be a short trip. The sun is dangerous, as most beautiful things are. And don¡¯t call me Lu. My name is Lucifer. I¡¯m not calling you Gretchen either, am I?¡± The tiny bundle squirmed in my arms, full of life but yet so fragile. I wondered how she¡¯d react if I simply dropped her, it¡¯d be a long way down towards the churning ocean. A long way for her to commemorate her sins and for me to catch her again. But she¡¯d probably just squeal in excitement and ask me to do it again. Stupid girl. ¡°You can. It sounds better than Greta. I¡¯m not old enough to be called Greta. I don¡¯t even have any wrinkles yet. See?¡± She turned around fully and smiled at me, her tooth gaps made the charming expression hilarious and I had trouble to keep on a straight face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the wrinkles will come. Never doubt it. Just imagine, your golden locks turning grey, your green eyes dulled with age and worry. Even your tails will be drooping. You¡¯ll become a splendid Greta sooner or later. Every mortal does, unless they expire beforehand, that is.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I already am. I¡¯m cranky and short tempered but yet wise and kind. Can¡¯t you tell?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget funny,¡± she laughed and this time I couldn¡¯t prevent a smile from forming on my lips. I couldn¡¯t help it, I liked her laugh. It was a precious thing, pure and full of life despite what she had been through. ¡°Where are we going, anyways? Do you think we¡¯ll find more of my tribe in the South?¡± ¡°Maybe, but first we have to make a little detour. There¡¯s somebody I have to talk to, or tear into pieces, depending on how the conversation goes. It won¡¯t take long.¡± Heck, that know-it-all had some things to answer for. Like the cosmic coincidence that had led me to carry a singed, smelly kitsune pup in my arms. And the cycle had begun so well¡­ I had woken up with Aurora at my side, far from here. She had still been asleep, a luxury I hadn¡¯t wanted to interrupt. Sleep and dreams were important, even though we didn¡¯t exactly need either one to survive, to remain sane over countless millennia, we needed a mechanism to cope with what we had done and witnessed. Dreams were simply the most elegant solution, meditation worked as well but it was cumbersome and took ages to replace a single night. Not to mention that waking up with someone you cared for in your arms was a blessing all on its own. We hadn¡¯t been in the Silver City, a place I wasn¡¯t too fond of to be honest, but on earth, a small, backwater planet no one seemed to care for even though¡­ but that¡¯s another story. I had quietly gotten out of bed and crossed over to the huge windows that had covered one wall of our bedroom completely. The impressive massive of the Alps had spread before me, grey and white towards the horizon, while lush greens and verdant forest had covered the slopes closer to our hotel with a beautiful sunrise in the east. Everything was serene, perfect, except that a hooded figure with a crown of horns on its head had been standing at the edge of the closest forest, a few kilometres away. When my gaze had fallen upon it, he had beckoned for me to follow and retreated under the shadowy trees. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. It hadn¡¯t been difficult to guess who he had been, there weren¡¯t many demons who had the ability to track me down, and of those, I could only think of one who would actually bother to do so. I had been tempted to close the shutters and make some coffee, hoping he¡¯d leave but that would probably have resulted in a series of painful accidents until I sought him out anyways. Better to get it over with. With a thought I had unfurled my wings and had appeared beneath a large oak, Amazeroth had leaned against its trunk like an oversized beanstalk, tall and haggardly thin. ¡°Sorry to cut your honeymoon short, I hope the Misses is well?¡± ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you? What do you want? I¡¯d like to get back before she wakes up.¡± ¡°Your manners really are impeccable. Fine. I want you to come with me. There¡¯s something you have to see with your own eyes, you won¡¯t believe it otherwise. It¡¯ll just be a short trip.¡± Right, that was why he had been smiling like a scary stranger with a bag of sweets. ¡°Sure, let me just grab my things and we can be off.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Of course not. If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll go back and start to make breakfast unless you spill the beans.¡± He shrugged. ¡°The end is nigh, the war will be fought again and you can¡¯t stop it. Better?¡± ¡°Not really. Just more crappy nonsense. If all you have are your weird prophecies, I¡¯m not interested. You don¡¯t know yourself what they mean until they come true, so spare me the theatrics. Now, out with it. You knew very well that I wouldn¡¯t come with you, just to play a role in one of your little schemes. What do you have?¡± ¡°A major problem with your character but I guess that¡¯s not relevant. Watered down that even a brute like you can understand me: me help you. You no come with me, big bad.¡± He had rolled his eyes, then. ¡°Do you know how frustrating it is? Knowing what could be and seeing everybody else stumbling around blindly, shutting doors left and right that should have been opened? I can¡¯t speak plainly, otherwise I would. Everything I say will cast its own ripples, possibly undoing what I¡¯m trying to accomplish. You¡¯re life is about to change. This much I can tell you, and if you want a future which isn¡¯t just as dark as your arrogance deserves, you¡¯ll sacrifice some of your time and come with me. It¡¯s not like you have much to fear, even I can¡¯t harm you without help.¡± ¡°No, but I think I have much to lose. I could just as easily find out, a few hundred years from now, that I will have signed my death warrant today.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t, quite the contrary, believe it or not, I want you, no, I need you alive, at least for now. I swear, nothing that will happen today will be detrimental to your future.¡± ¡°And what about the present?¡± ¡°Well, she might rage a little but she¡¯ll forgive you for a spoilt morning. Even though I¡¯m not envying your return,¡± he had added chucklingly. ¡°Hmm¡­ whatever. If you¡¯ve lied to me, I¡¯ll find your little hideaway and burn it to the ground. With you inside. Are we clear?¡± ¡°We are, even though you have as much chance of going through with your threat as a trout has of becoming a philosopher. But if it makes you feel better¡­ you can have the last word.¡± Wise ass. He had then squashed a small gem between his fingers and a greyish portal had flickered into existence. I had tasted it with my wings and the thing had packed quiet the punch, this hadn¡¯t been going to be just a commuting trip. ¡°After me, I assume,¡± I had said and passed through. I had appeared on a colourful field, full of flowers and enticing scents with the heavy odour of old magic in the air. A huge cherry tree had risen in the distance, taller than most skyscrapers back on earth and an aquamarine river had rushed through the fields, carefully designed trenches and channels had irrigated orchards, the fields around small homesteads and several water wheels, some of which had been connected to what I had assumed to be arcane workshops or ritual sites. People of the fox tribe had been milling about everywhere, luckily no one had been close enough to become alarmed by my sudden materialisation but I hadn¡¯t been thrilled, exactly. Why had he brought me here? And why hadn¡¯t he arrived yet? Both questions had been answered quickly enough as the earth had begun to shake, dark clouds had raced across the sky and the oppressive feeling of released transcendent forces on a planetary scale had assaulted me. What the¡­ had he been trying to blow me to smithereens alongside a planet? That would have been the stupidest idea ever, as I had been about to demonstrate. I had taken off, determined to shake Amazeroth for as long as it took to get an answer out of him. But of course I hadn¡¯t been able to fly away undisturbed. When I had circled towards the sky a faint whimpering had caught my attention and idiot that I had been, I had gone looking and found a lonely, crying girl, sort of unexpected in the middle of the apocalypse. She had been stuck in a collapsed barn, bloody patches on the broken timbers had indicated where her family had found its end. I hadn¡¯t been able to leave her there and picked her up, carrying her across a world that had been ripping itself apart. She had clung to me like a drowning person to a raft, her sobs a stark contrast to the explosions and raging winds. We had flown for hours, the scenes of destruction never changing and after a while I had started telling her stories. Some had been invented, some had been real but my words had carried her far enough away to fall into an uneasy slumber. And now I was cradling the orphan in my arms, without so much as an idea of what to do with her. Well, first I¡¯d have to find Amazeroth and demand an explanation for why in hell I had had to witness his tantrum. But a part of me already knew the answer. It was the girl. Somehow it was important that she and I would meet as we had and if I credited his vague ramblings even in the slightest, I¡¯d probably come to owe Greta quiet a bit in the future. Didn¡¯t explain why he was roasting the continent, though. Surely he wouldn¡¯t sacrifice all kinds of peoples just to ensure the right circumstances for our meeting, would he? The more I thought about it, the more I believed that he just might have and that pissed me off, royally. I didn¡¯t know exactly where to draw the line but I was decently sure that he had crossed it by trying to manipulate me through the death of thousands of living beings. That was just¡­ wrong. ¡°Is he a friend of yours?¡± Greta continued our conversation. ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t really know. What do you think a friend is?¡± Her tongue poked through the gaps in her teeth while she was thinking and I had to admit, she looked quite adorable. Not that I cared. ¡°Uh, I think a friend is someone you can rely on. He tells you the truth when you need to hear it and helps you, when you¡¯d fail on your own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. What about sympathy? Shared history? Compatible convictions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what half the words mean, but isn¡¯t that just a fancy way to describe growing together? I don¡¯t know, but I think friendship is a decision, in a way. Otherwise it¡¯s a buddy. Someone you like to spend time with, but that¡¯s not the same. Friendship means to ¡­ to care for what happens to the other person and to have their best interest at heart, even if they don¡¯t see it that way or don¡¯t behave like it. Friendships comes from you, not the other person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty grown up way to describe it. In this case, I don¡¯t think we are. I definitely don¡¯t have his best interests in mind and I¡¯m almost certain that he doesn¡¯t, either. At least I don¡¯t think so. But honestly, that¡¯s probably the essence of what I want to find out. So¡­ actually I don¡¯t know. Maybe he is, after all. Man, that would be weird.¡± ¡°Why? Are your parents angry at each other?¡± This time I was the one to laugh. Metaphorical she wasn¡¯t even too far off but hearing her childlike analogy just put things into perspective. We really were a bunch of rowdy kids. The problem was, we didn¡¯t have parents to tell us right from wrong. ¡°No, but we are¡­ imagine you have a cousin but he¡¯s the black sheep of the family. It¡¯s frowned upon to have close ties. We aren¡¯t supposed to be friends, so I have never truly considered it.¡± 119. Of ties, changes and a little eulogy Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Maybe you should. Who is he, anyways?¡± She was quite curious but I didn¡¯t mind humouring her. Her observations were surprisingly accurate for a mortal child. Even in comparison to some of the immortals I had met before, her mind was rather sharp and quick. Maybe some of the beast tribes weren¡¯t as bad as I had believed. Still¡­ tails, furry tails. Juck. ¡°An old sourpuss who spends most of his time staring into a crystal ball without becoming any wiser, if you ask me. Others might tell you that he¡¯s the greatest prophet in the universe and nigh omniscient. But that¡¯s just propaganda, at least I hope it is.¡± I added more quietly. Seriously, the whole fate, destiny and determinism schtick wasn¡¯t my cup of tea but I couldn¡¯t discredit him fully, he had been right too often in the past. In case he was just guessing, he was the luckiest bastard I had ever met. ¡°He¡¯s also a scheming, cunning pain in the ass, and that¡¯s on his better days.¡± ¡°Why would you even want to meet him, if he¡¯s so terrible?¡± ¡°First, I can be just as nasty and second, he brought me here, probably to meet you, and I want to know why. You don¡¯t happen to have small horns under your hair, do you? Or tiny wings on your back?¡± ¡°Not that I know of, but you can have a look yourself.¡± She was engaging in some impressive contortions to show me her back and the top of her head simultaneously. ¡°Why? Would that be bad?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Wouldn¡¯t be good, either, but it¡¯d explain why it¡¯s so important that we met. Somewhat, at least. Or maybe I¡¯m just dead wrong and this is his version of a practical joke.¡± The girl impressed me more by the second. She had cried in the beginning but the tears had dried up impossibly quickly and now she seemed more curious than anything else. To put her behaviour into perspective: I was carrying her through a dying world. Cities vanished into the crumbling earth without a trace, transcendent energies erased most of the landmass, forests lit up like matchsticks and the sky was torn asunder by arcane storms. Sure, she was as save with me as she could be, but still, I had expected much more snivelling and screams for her parents, maybe closed eyes and a running nose. But there was none of that, well, not anymore. ¡°Now I¡¯ve got a question. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± She stared at me wide eyed. ¡°Should I be?¡± ¡°Probably. I mean your world is dying, or changing at the very least and you¡¯re pretty much all alone. Doesn¡¯t that frighten you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not alone, you¡¯re with me, aren¡¯t you? And as for the rest¡­ it¡¯s not a very nice world, whatever it¡¯s changing into, it can hardly be any worse.¡± ¡°But what about your family, your friends? Honestly, I was expecting you to be a bit more distraught over what happened to them.¡± Bringing that topic up probably wasn¡¯t the most sensitive thing to do, but I was just as curious about her as she was about me. She squirmed a little and remained silent for a while, long enough that I already feared I had thrown her back into misery, but¡­ ¡°They weren¡¯t my family. They took me in from an orphanage but they weren¡¯t¡­ they didn¡¯t¡­¡± she was struggling with her words. I didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened but I knew enough about mortal depravity to not make her go on. I pressed her against my chest and said: ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to tell me. But you might want to think about where you want to go. I¡¯m headed south since that¡¯s where I know Amazeroth to be, but I can¡¯t promise that we¡¯ll find more of your tribe there. I¡¯m quite sure that some of your people are going to survive but finding them might take a while. You could start over somewhere else, if you wanted to. With your magic you¡¯ll have an easy enough time with any humans, they¡¯ll fall over their feet to win your loyalty. Or they might try to force you, but I¡¯ll make sure that that won¡¯t happen,¡± I added as an afterthought. ¡°Can¡¯t I stay with you?¡± What? I missed a wingbeat and we fell several meters through a cloud of ash. When we emerged again, we were both covered in soot and the acrid smell of burned wood made us gasp for air. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a good idea,¡± I answered when I had cleared my airways. ¡°First, my life is dangerous and not in the I¡¯m-having-adventures-and-everyone-gets-out-unscathed-afterwards kind of way. And second, you need a home, someone to teach you, to guide you, a place where you can grow undisturbed I can provide neither of those things.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve only just met you but I¡¯m feeling safe for the first time in¡­ I can¡¯t even remember. At the orphanage it was the other kids and later¡­ can¡¯t I come with you? I¡¯ll be good and do everything you tell me to, I promise.¡± Damn it. The last thing I wanted was a child to take care of. Heck, I didn¡¯t even know what that would entail. I¡¯d have to let her down gently but firmly and make sure she understood that there was no way in hell I¡¯d bring her along. It simply wasn¡¯t a good idea, neither for her, nor for me. She¡¯d come to understand that later. ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m not alone. I¡¯ll talk to my partner and see what she says. No promises though.¡± Well done Lucifer, well done. Continue like this and you¡¯ll be working for Amnesty International in no time with a bunch of strays waiting for you back home. ¡°Thank you,¡± she squealed and pressed her lips against my cheek. By the father, I was a sucker. If it ever came out that I could be manipulated like this, I¡¯d never hear the end of it. But true to my word I focused on the tattoo on my chest and reached for Aurora¡¯s mind. Maybe she would be the voice of reason and I could just dump the refusal onto her. She wasn¡¯t exactly cheerful. ¡°Where are you?!¡± If she had been here for real, she would have blown out my eardrums. ¡°On some highly magical planet without any technology. I have no idea what it is called but it¡¯s close to the centre. Could you yell at me when I get back? Right now I¡¯ve got a fairly important question: how do you feel about kids?¡± As soon as I uttered the words I realised what I had said. Grief and anger pulsed through our connection and I could practically see her wings drooping. ¡°You ass. You know fully well that we can¡¯t have children. What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, truly. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ fuck, I¡¯m an idiot. What I meant was: I¡¯ve met this girl,¡± and here I went, digging an even deeper hole for myself. ¡°Are. You. Kidding. Me?¡± Her words lashed across the link like whip. I seriously had to start thinking about what I was saying. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°No, not like this. Damn it, Aurora! Don¡¯t make this any harder than it is, please. You know fully well that I wouldn¡¯t even think about anybody else in that way. No, she has lost¡­ well, everything and I pulled her from the fire, so to say. She¡¯s a child and I¡¯m thinking about bringing her back with me. There¡¯s no one left for her and I can¡¯t bring myself to just dump her with the nearest group of survivors. What do you think?¡± Surprise and a confusing mixture of hope and fear flowed through her. The fear I understood well enough, whatever else, we were still immortals and would one day bury her. I had said goodbye to more friends than I cared to think about but it didn¡¯t get any easier. And if we were to raise her¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be pretty, in the end. Unfortunately the end usually came sooner rather than later when you counted your life in millennia. Her hope though was worrisome. It had never disturbed me that we were barren, it was a fact and I had never quarrelled with it. I knew that Aurora sometimes longed for a true family but I would never have expected her desire to be great enough, that the mere chance of having someone to raise would ignite a fire, as bright as the one I felt burning within her. Save my soul! She was still sorting through her emotions and thoughts but I already knew what she was going to say, ultimately. ¡°Damn it,¡± I cursed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to settle down, at least for a while. I was hoping you¡¯d say no. Alright, I should be back in a couple of hours. Let¡¯s see how the two of you will get along. Love you.¡± I severed the connection before she had time to either berate me or ask any troublesome questions. I¡¯d pay for that later, but the bill was already steep enough that I didn¡¯t mind, much. ¡°It seems like your in luck,¡± I said out loud. ¡°She wants to meet you. Now, I don¡¯t know how things will turn out in the end but if you really want to, I¡¯ll take you with me, when I leave. Just to be very clear, though, I¡¯m going far away. To the stars, in fact. Do you still want to come?¡± Her eyes had gotten larger with every word I spoke. Curiosity and wonder outshone her lingering fear by far as a wide smile spread across her lips. ¡°Yes, yes, please. I want to see them, every last one of them. Thank you, thank you so much!¡± What had I expected? That she would shrink back from the prospect of leaving a destroyed planet after she had watched everything she knew burn? Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be that bad for her, an entirely fresh start and by the father, I might not know much about children but I¡¯d make damned sure that she¡¯d have everything she needed. How much trouble could it be? I had destroyed entire civilisation without breaking a sweat. Making her laugh and holding her when she cried should be child¡¯s play. And who knew, maybe I could also learn a thing or two. It had been quite a while since I last had shoulder a responsibility for mortals. Maybe I had just as much to gain as her. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. You¡¯ll probably get sick of me soon enough. For now, I want you to close your eyes and hold on tight. I¡¯m going to speed us up a little.¡± She did as I had told her and the air around us crackled with power before we vanished along a silver streak that raced off towards the horizon. I had known since he had arrived where Amazeroth was, my senses were precise enough to register another immortal across vast distances. A measly planet wouldn¡¯t stop them. He had materialised shortly after I had stepped through the portal, a few hundred kilometres away from me. If it hadn¡¯t been for Greta, I would already have paid him a visit and now I didn¡¯t have a reason anymore to postpone our meeting. I conjured a blanket of energy around the child and crossed the remaining distance in the blink of an eye, the colours of the world turning into blurry shadows. When I willed myself to stop, we had arrived on a lonely island in the middle of a stormy sea. Swirls of transcendent energy were racing across the sky, fuelled by a bonfire of power that burned brightly on top of a single tower. It covered most of the landmass, a small patch of sand surrounded it on all sides and the spray of the surf battered against its walls. The lightning storm overhead chased strange silhouettes across its surface and I felt the thrum of powerful magic from the inside. I lowered Greta to the ground and weaved a tight net of energy around her small body. Aside from an all out assault of another immortal, nothing would get to her and if the spell should break, she¡¯d be transported to Aurora¡¯s side instantaneously. As soon as her feet touched the ground she slowly spun in a circle but kept clinging to my hand, her wide, bright eyes darting from left to right while she took in the scene. The sheen of curiosity turned into a veritable glare, her mouth opened slowly in amazement and I heard her gasp. ¡°Welcome to my life,¡± I muttered. ¡°Now, before we go on in, there are some rules I want you to follow. You can think of it as a trial run. I don¡¯t expect you to be in much danger here,¡± I truly didn¡¯t, if Amazeroth had wanted her dead, she wouldn¡¯t have survived. ¡°But I still expect you to stay by my side, whatever happens. You don¡¯t let go of my hand, unless I tell you to. Understood? Good. Second, I don¡¯t want you to talk about your past, or your fears, or¡­ you know, it would be for the best if you just didn¡¯t talk at all while we are in there. If it¡¯s important, squeeze my hand and think about what you want to say or ask.¡± She nodded but I was pretty sure she was only half listening, the flashy lights in the sky and the raging winds too much of a distraction for her to focus. Ah well, how bad could it get? I closed my eyes and allowed my senses to slowly create a silvery world around me, filled with as much detail as I could possible need. Form the mightiest streams of transcendent energy in the sky to the smallest slivers of Greta¡¯s stray thoughts, everything was laid bare. It only took me a moment to locate the entrance to the tower, otherwise I would have simply gone through a wall. A regular door on our right led to an insulated staircase, cut off from the torrents of power that raced through the rest of the building. We could follow it to the very top, where I saw a grinning demon waiting for me. He was leisurely controlling forces that were literally ripping apart the planet but his attention was focussed on us, while he gestured impatiently for me to get a move on. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± he greeted me a minute later. ¡°Have you gone blind or did you get lost?¡± ¡°Neither, I was getting to know your little present. What the heck, dude? Have you gone mad?¡± He smiled at that, his eyes drifting towards the little girl at my side. ¡°No, quite the contrary.¡± His gaze flickered back to me and he continued: ¡°see, I¡¯m doing what I can. Sometimes it just doesn¡¯t work out as intended. Which is not to say that I particularly care about casualties. You¡¯ve got to crack a few eggs to make an omelet.¡± What the¡­ had he seriously fallen off his rocker? I had come here because I basically wanted to know if he had meant Greta when had talked about how my life was going to change. Maybe I¡¯d have used the chance to insult him once or twice but now¡­ Either he was sprouting random gibberish or I was in for one hell of a surprise. There were only so many explanations of why he would refer to something I couldn¡¯t place, or rather, hadn¡¯t lived through, yet, and I didn¡¯t like them, not one bit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll play your game. What do you want me to know?¡± I wasn¡¯t proud or stupid enough to ignore him and there wasn¡¯t much to lose. If I understood his intentions correctly, I could at least provide a commentary and make sure he¡¯d stick to the truth. I could still beat him up afterwards. ¡°Not bad, I honestly didn¡¯t expect you to be that quick on the uptake. I¡¯ve had this conversation before and you¡¯re the first one to figure it out while I¡¯m still in the room.¡± He gestured and our surroundings changed, turning into a cozily decorated living room with a crackling fire. Several armchairs and a couch formed a comfortable circle around a table laden with refreshments. It was no illusion, Amazeroth had transformed the room and while I could still feel the fury of the storm outside, it was hard to imagine that we weren¡¯t in an inviting manor. I steered Greta to the couch and poked her side gently so she would close her mouth which had reached the floor by now. Amazeroth offered a cup of tea to the girl and poured us both a glass of whiskey. Except for the horns he was the epitome of a gentleman form the Victorian age. ¡°Allow me to start with a question,¡± he continued the conversation without missing a beat. ¡°What do you think of me?¡± Clever, and not easily answered. ¡°You know too much for your own good. Sometimes I imagine you think of yourself as the one idiot in Plato¡¯s cave who managed to have a look around and now he¡¯s all alone with his newfound wisdom. I think you¡¯re either crazy or the most pitiful, overburdened bastard I¡¯ve ever met.¡± 120. Of identities, roles and a little bit of fate Cassandra Pendragon He snorted and took a sip of whiskey. ¡°Probably both. You can¡¯t be the most pitiful, overburdened bastard for long without becoming a little nuts. But that¡¯s not what I meant. What do you think my goals are? Or plainly speaking, do you think I¡¯m an evil manipulator who relishes in the suffering of others?¡± That was an interesting question. The simple answer would be no, but as always, things aren¡¯t just black and white. I downed my glass in one go, tasting a hint of vanilla but mainly burned socks and tar. I still liked the brew, ashes to ashes. It was kind of fitting, considering that I was, in a way, a dead angel, at least as far as this conversation went. ¡°You¡¯re the pinnacle of utilitarianism. I don¡¯t think your personal preferences have any impact on how you behave. If you think your actions will benefit the whole in the long run, you won¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about who has to suffer by your hand. Funnily enough that makes you as much of a hero as it does a villain, but it sure as hell doesn¡¯t make you a good person. Are you evil, though? I highly doubt it. In the end, your intentions define you. None of us, not even you, know everything and the universe might as well go down the drain due to an act of kindness as it might because somebody wants to watch it burn. The highest benefits for the largest number isn¡¯t a maxim I¡¯d want to live by, but I can¡¯t crucify you for it, either.¡± He refilled my glass and raised his. ¡°Well said. Sometimes you gotta cut off a branch to save the tree. The bird nesting on it might call you spiteful, cruel, evil but the ones everywhere else can live on in peace. If they had known you even existed they would have called you saviour. Interestingly, both of them are right. Depravity and kindness, good and evil, it¡¯s always a question of perspective, isn¡¯t it? Which leads me to my next question. What do you think I¡¯m trying to accomplish? Over all, I mean. Everybody knows that you¡¯re fighting for what you think is freedom, Michael wants order, Mephisto is simply too absorbed in fooling around to care. What do you think I want?¡± ¡°Does it matter? I honestly don¡¯t know and there¡¯s nothing you can tell me that couldn¡¯t just as well be a lie. I think we can skip this part.¡± ¡°Au contraire. Look at me. Truly look at me. I know what you can see, if you choose to. Tell me.¡± That took me by surprise. I usually didn¡¯t use my wings on other immortals, not unless I was fighting to the death. There were secrets I didn¡¯t want to know and it was easy enough to block me unless I used quite a lot energy. When I had been younger, there had been a few fights I could have avoided if I just hadn¡¯t pried. Most people didn¡¯t take too kindly to an invasion of their privacy. I would never have expected his invitation and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could be so important that he¡¯d allow me access. If I wanted to or if I didn¡¯t like what I was going to find, I could dissect him from the inside with so little as a thought. He had to be desperate for my approval. My wings flared brightly and danced around him like rays of moonlight, liquid silver manifested in a display of power. Curious and anxious what I might find, I allowed my sense to spread out, subconsciously expecting to run into a wall of transcendent energy but there was no resistance. Just like that, the different layers of his being opened up before me, his thoughts, his convictions, his strengths and his weaknesses. Tempting as it was to leisurely stroll through this brave new world, I wasn¡¯t going to betray his trust like that. He had asked me a simple question and I would look for the answer, nothing else. Who are you, rang through my mind while I dove ever deeper, past memories and emotions, hope and promises until I saw the very seat of his power. A glaring maelstrom of near infinite possibilities circled around a spark of light, his core. I changed my perception, filtering out everything that was somehow connected to the mortal realms, until I saw the truth, the very thing that defined him as an immortal, unobstructed by aeons of lies and prejudice. I nearly had a stroke right then and there. ¡°You¡¯re an angel,¡± I mouthed. ¡°The fallen angel of valour. But how, why?¡± My awareness was shoved away and impenetrable gates closed around his core. If I had wanted to know more, I would have had to rip through his defences and take the answers by force. But I wasn¡¯t going to. I stared at him wide eyed, my expression mirrored Greta¡¯s when we had first arrived here perfectly. ¡°That is not you concern. I wanted you to know who I am, not why I became what I am. You haven¡¯t answered my question, though. Tell me, who am I?¡± I took a moment to sort through my thoughts and wait for the world to stop spinning. As much as I had experienced in the countless years I had wandered through the universe, this revelation was just a tiny bit too much. It shouldn¡¯t be possible, there was a fixed number of us, angels and demons alike. By the father, what had he done? What had happened? The sealed memories form the first war instantly came to mind but I knew that he wouldn¡¯t tell me. If I wanted to know, I¡¯d have to go looking for answers on my own, as unlikely as it was that I¡¯d find any. Damn, what had he asked again? ¡°You¡¯re the sacrificial lamb, taking it upon yourself to protect us from the ugly truths behind the veil. You fight when everything seems lost, you¡¯re a shield. But a shield against what or whom?¡± ¡°Again, that¡¯s not for you to know. At least not yet. One last question, do you think I would sacrifice so much in a fight against something that could be stopped any other way?¡± ¡°Of course not. That would be contradictory. Doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re right, though. It all comes down to this: fuelled by arrogance or wisdom you take it upon yourself to make decisions for others. You have to be damned sure that you¡¯re right, heck, even infallible, to justify your actions. Again., like a hero¡­ or a villain, depending on your point of view.¡± ¡°Damn my dame, maybe I should have spent more time with you in the past. That¡¯s almost wise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my type, I like redheads. And what do you mean by almost? I¡¯d like to think that that was one of my brighter moments.¡± I raised my glass at him and took another swig. That stuff was seriously growing on me. Like crisps with vinegar. Terrible at first but highly addictive. A light squeeze made me look down. Large puppy dog eyes were staring at me with an intensity that shouldn¡¯t be present in a child¡¯s gaze. I focused on her until I felt the quiet whispers of her thoughts on the edge of my perception. ¡°He¡¯s talking to me, but I can¡¯t understand him. I see¡­ pictures, no, thoughts? I can¡¯t make any sense of the, but they scare me. What should I do?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Nothing,¡± I said out loud. ¡°Stop messing with the kid. Right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not messing with her. I¡¯m messaging you. There¡¯s a difference. Shush now. It¡¯s not going to hurt, well, not much at least.¡± We would see about that. It¡¯s the arm, I thought, when I heard a loud crack. Amazeroth was on the floor, bound by my wings, silvery light and blue sparks danced across his body while I raised him high into the air again and slammed him back on the ground. Head first, this time. ¡°You still think spending time with me is such a good idea?¡± I muttered over his spluttering. I hadn¡¯t hurt him, not too much at least, but if I was to take care of the girl, I would start now. And as her guardian I wasn¡¯t going to stand by and let her be harmed. Not much, my ass. I held him down, Greta pulling at my hand, tears flowing from her eyes. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t know if they were born form whatever Amazeroth had done or if she was scared of me. I knew how I appeared when I was angry and right now, my heart was sending burning pulses of fury through my body with every beat. Power crackled in the air around me and I imagined my expression was just like death¡¯s, uncaring, distant, the expression of a god staring down at its people without a spark of pity. My voice was cold like the farthest reaches of the universe when I said: ¡°do with me whatever you want, touch her again and you¡¯ll be the first immortal to die a permanent death.¡± His reaction was a surprise. Without even struggling against me, he rolled onto his back and laughed, gurglingly at first but clearly and honestly after he had spit out the broken teeth and his face had regenerated. ¡°Right, the first one¡­ you¡¯re funny, you know that? I wasn¡¯t sure, but now¡­ let me up? I¡¯m not mad and I swear, I won¡¯t touch or manipulate either of you against your will. For as long as we are here, that is.¡± Lovely. Well, it was still as much as I was going to get. Carefully I retracted my wings and offered him a hand. He took it and came to his feet with a flourish, his eyes searching for Greta¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t fear him, child. He¡¯s somewhat rough around the edges but his heart is in the right place, always has been. Anyways¡­¡± he gestured towards the broken furniture which rose and repaired itself before sinking back down, restored. He slumped back down into his chair and rubbed his eyes, as if he suddenly had become tired. I squeezed Greta¡¯s hand and settled back down as well. She seemed unsure what to do, her eyes darting from him to me before she reached a decision. She deliberately snuggled up against me and rested he head on my shoulder. Weird girl. If I had been in her shoes, I would probably have fled the room by now, but then again, I wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to ask a magical creature to bring me along in the first place. Amazeroth sighed, his hands began forming complex sigils in the air. I tensed but I didn¡¯t feel threatened, some of the formations I recognised. He was unsealing one of his vaults and while he undoubtedly could call forth weapons or artefacts that could endanger us, he was conjuring something living. A moment later, two small, dark brown seeds appeared in his hand. He brought them close to his face, his breath gently blowing over them and for the fracture of a second, complex runes shone on their surface before they sunk through the seeds¡¯ shell and vanished. A soft glow pulsed once and then they were back to normal. ¡°Here, a small compensation, I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you,¡± he said and extended his hand but not in my direction. He was offering them to Greta who was looking at me for confirmation. I nodded and she took the small orbs. ¡°They¡¯re hot to the touch,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Give it a minute, they¡¯ll cool down quickly enough. I placed a couple of enchantments on them. What you¡¯re feeling is the residual energy of my spells. Don¡¯t worry, nothing malicious,¡± he added for me. ¡°Some minor protective properties and¡­ ah well, you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± He smiled again. ¡°Probably as soon as you¡¯re going to wake up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still here, you know?¡± I might have sounded a little more aggressive than I intended to, but him talking to my next incarnation through me was unsettling. And honestly rude. ¡°In more ways than one.¡± Something in my expression must have changed because he continued: ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me the mighty Lucifer is afraid of change? Isn¡¯t that you¡¯re mantra? Everything changes since we have the freedom to choose, to walk down new paths with every step?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve much to lose. Maybe even more now, thanks to your meddling. Which brings me to a question I wanted to ask you from the start: what are you doing here? Why rain down hell on backwater planet where the inhabitants didn¡¯t even know that they aren¡¯t alone in the universe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easily answered. They, or rather one of them challenged me. Someone was meddling with my domain and not in a good way. The paths of fate are mine and I¡¯ll defend them until my last breath, that¡¯s one door I can¡¯t allow anyone to step through. Speaking of which, you won¡¯t lose her, this much I can tell you. It might appear differently in days to come but know this: as long as you don¡¯t betray what you think is right, she¡¯ll come back to you. As for your new acquaintance¡­ time will tell. Just¡­ don¡¯t throw away the present because you fear the future.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t run, yet, did I? But frankly, I¡¯ve had enough of this. Tell me what you need me to know and we¡¯ll be off. My head already hurts.¡± Under my breath I added ¡°At least I¡¯ve got a scolding to look forward to. There¡¯s always a silver lining¡­¡± ¡°As you wish. I hope that by this point we have established that I¡¯m not a raving lunatic. There are three things I want you to remember. First, go north, visit the other tribe, ask them about their past. Second, plant the seed. It doesn¡¯t matter where, as long as their is a strong source of power nearby while it grows. If you have the time, you can do it yourself. Sleep beside it, that should do the trick. Third, you need allies. Unite the scattered people of your home, the war will come, you can¡¯t stop it. Use the time you have left, prepare. Don¡¯t expect more, the rest is up to you.¡± Perfect. If I had truly wanted to, I might have been able to puzzle out some meaning from his gibberish, starting with the seeds he had just handed over, but there was no point. I¡¯d probably be far better off if I shoved this episode to the back of my mind and didn¡¯t bother thinking about it anymore. I got to my feet. ¡°Are we done?¡± ¡°Nearly. I¡¯d like to have a word with little Greta here. In private. Give us us a few minutes. She¡¯ll be perfectly safe with me, it might even do her some good.¡± I turned to the little vixen. ¡°What do you say? Can you stomach being alone with the creepy uncle for a while? If you don¡¯t want to, just say the word.¡± She thought for a moment, as her eye traveled across Amazeroth. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to him. But don¡¯t go away without me. Promise?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave this tower without you, that I can promise.¡± I had long ago found out how to break transcendent oaths, but it was painful and frankly messy. It was much easier to simply stick to your word. Somewhere in there was a lesson but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. ¡°I¡¯ll be at the bottom of the stairs. Come find me when you¡¯re done or call for me. I¡¯ll hear you. Amazeroth, it has been¡­ disturbing. But I¡¯ve met worse people than you.¡± I offered my hand and we shook. Before I left, I squeezed Greta¡¯s shoulder one more time and doubled the power of the spell I had placed on her. It didn¡¯t expect it to be necessary, nor did I think that it¡¯d make much of a difference, considering he had simply ignored my wards the first time, but I at least wanted to try. A few seconds later I stepped outside, the howling winds tussled my hair and the smell of ozone had become thick enough to drown out the seaweed and salt scent of the sea. The raging energies had reached their climax, colours danced across the sky and the earth shook as if in the grip of an oversized giant. Far to the East, along the horizon, flames consumed the coast while larger and larger pieces of the landmass broke off and vanished into the frothing ocean. Creatures of the depths, some large enough to pose threats to entire cities, rose from the darkness, their silhouettes illuminated by the hungry inferno. My eyes weren¡¯t sharp enough to make out details but when they struck, I imagined that hundreds, the ones who had fled to the coast in desperation, died in an instant, swallowed or squashed by the behemoths. A part of me whispered, pleaded for me to help, to save as many as I could, but I didn¡¯t. Fate was a fickle mistress and even I dreaded what a mortal could have wrought if he had gained her favour. 121. Of night, day and a little bit of fall out Cassandra Pendragon Immortals at least became old enough to regret their mistakes. Was I a hypocrite for not stepping in? Maybe¡­ probably. Ideals were all shiny as long as you were fighting for them in someone else¡¯s backyard. Add something personal, a mortal who could influence the fate of others and might start playing god for example, and they quickly went out the window. What did I care for this planet, a couple of crumbling civilisations, anyway? Stuck in vicious circles or erased by a higher power, they most likely wouldn¡¯t amount to much, either way. They should still rise and fall by their own decisions, my conscience replied but I shoved the sentiment away. The deed was done, Amazeroth¡¯s magic would consume most of this place and even if I managed to kill him now, his spells would still be coming to fruition. And revenge seemed like a paltry reason to start a fight. Revenge for what? I wasn¡¯t even sure whether he was wrong, and the only person I knew here was safe and sound¡­ Greta¡¯s pained screams ripped through the chaos and my blood froze in my veins. Oh boy, it seemed like there would be a fight, after all. A ray of light raced back up the tower and not a moment after I had first heard her cry, I materialised in the same, cozy room I had just left. Only this time, there was a thrashing girl on the floor, blood seeping through her fingers where she pressed them against her eyes. Amazeroth was gone and I had a choice to make: to heal or to hunt. If I didn¡¯t go after him now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find him again, at least not during this millennium. Valour my ass, the fucking coward. He¡¯d pay for this, I didn¡¯t know why but he was manipulating me through the pain of a child and that wouldn¡¯t fly. One day¡­ but now, there were more important things to take care of. My wings swirled around Greta as I picked her up gently. The poor thing was writhing in pain, blood red streaks ran down her cheeks and she was cupping her face in a futile attempt to protect her eyes. Gingerly I pried off her fingers, afraid what I might find. Her eyes were swollen and closed, transcendent runes pulsing around the sockets while light flowed from underneath the ruptured lids. I cursed, sealing the wounds would be easy but I wasn¡¯t sure if could restore her sight. Amazeroth had plunged her world into darkness, but so help me, I¡¯d find a way to show her the light. ¡°post tenebras, lux,¡± I murmured while soothing energies streamed from my palms, an immediate contrast to the burning rage that filled my eyes as I gazed towards the stars. He was hiding, somewhere up there, but sooner or later we¡¯d meet again¡­ and then, I wouldn¡¯t bother asking questions. No one else would pay for his schemes, if I had my way. I was comfortable, warmth pressed against my back and the light weight of a blanket rested against my skin. My eyes flew open and for a few seconds I couldn¡¯t place the stained tent tarp I was staring at. Hadn¡¯t I been in a tower on a small island in the sea? No¡­ that had been a dream, the past, gone but not forgotten. I was¡­ mom! I shot up, halfway out of bed before my brain kicked in. My sudden movement had dislodged Ahri¡¯s tails from my middle and she was raising her head, blinking owlishly. ¡°What¡­who?¡± She stammered but I didn¡¯t listen. My eyes were glued to a small fox, a silver vixen who just now strode in through the open flap. I froze, unsure and anxious. Could she¡­ was she? The creature stilled and tilted its head, large, silvery eyes with a speck of blue focused on me, while a very familiar smile split its features into an unfamiliar expression full of teeth. She didn¡¯t talk but a tremor raced along her nine bushy tails, which shone like molten silver, before she crossed the distance in one fluid motion. A surprisingly heavy weight crashed into my chest and I found myself back on the bed, the centre of an entangled mess of white and silver fur while my mom was trying to hug me with her paws. Laughter, unstrained and free, erupted from me and I pulled her close, my other arm snaking around Ahri¡¯s shoulders. We had done it, we were still alive. For a while I simply held them, glad that I wasn¡¯t alone. Tears began dripping down my cheeks and my throat constricted, but a wide smile remained plastered to my face. Their scent, a mixture of pine trees and stardust, made me feel safe and for the moment I could pretend that the last days had been nothing more than another dream, a distant memory I could leave behind with the new dawn. But they weren¡¯t. As much as I was longing to close my eyes again and let the world sort itself out, I couldn¡¯t. I had to know what had happened, who hadn¡¯t made it. I felt responsible, they had come after me and those who had died down there had exchanged their life for mine, a debt I couldn¡¯t possibly repay. But I¡¯d try to honour it and the least I could do, was care. I gently placed my mom on the blanket between us and looked from one to the other. I had a hard time reading her animalistic features but Ahri seemed¡­ worn out. She was pale, the dark circles under her eyes a stark contrast to her white skin and bluish lips. Her fluffy ears were drooping and she was holding herself rigidly, as if the smallest movement caused her pain. I leaned forward and tenderly kissed her neck. She smiled, a small gesture that immediately transformed her face as a light blush returned colour to her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive,¡± I whispered. ¡°Both of you,¡± I added, since the little fox had started to growl. I focused on her and asked: ¡°what happened to you? It is you, isn¡¯t it?¡± She barked and the fur along her back rose while she turned around in a circle, chasing her tails. ¡°You can¡¯t talk?¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress a smile. ¡°That¡¯s a pain. At least you have enough control to walk, I wasn¡¯t so lucky. How about telepathy? Your magic? Is it working?¡± She shrugged and grunted, as good a way as any to convey: don¡¯t ask. ¡°Mephisto has some ideas,¡± Ahri interjected while her tails sneaked around my middle again. ¡°The gist of it is that she¡¯s basically a newborn. While he¡¯s certain that she has tremendous magic and possibly even access to a transcendent spark, she can¡¯t use it, she doesn¡¯t know how. Her memories should give her a huge Head-start but I imagine she¡¯s got to learn most things from scratch. He was even going on about how she might be a new, unique species, but I didn¡¯t understand half of it. You¡¯d have to ask him yourself for the details.¡± ¡°He¡¯s awake?¡± ¡°Oh yes, more so than before. He has hijacked one of the statuettes. Apparently once they were freed of the conscious will that held them in check, there was nothing stopping him from draining them. He¡¯s out and about, still linked to the emblem but with much less of a leash, unfortunately.¡± I petted my mother absentmindedly and quietly asked: ¡°what else have I missed?¡± They shared a quick glance before Ahri haltingly answered: Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Except for the dwarfs who died while you were still awake, everybody made it out alive. So did the spider. She¡¯s still unconscious and barely breathing but she¡¯s alive. If it had been up to Xorlosh, they would have already burned her. They¡¯re furious and want revenge for their fallen brothers but he reckons you should decide her fate, since you undoubtedly suffered the most at her hands. They¡¯ve¡­ let¡¯s just say they¡¯ve made sure that she won¡¯t flee or harm anyone for the time being. If you want to, we can visit her later but it¡¯s not a pretty sight.¡± There wasn¡¯t an ounce of pity in her voice, if it had been up to her, Shassa surely would have wished for the flames to take her, before the end. ¡°The last ¡­ ghost, I¡¯m not going to call them gods, still exists. Maybe it¡¯d be easier if I started from when you blacked out.¡± She fell silent for a moment and sorted through her thoughts. A small crease appeared between her brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done but after you fell to you knees beside Helena, you released a storm of power, the like of which I¡¯ve never seen before. Even the magics down in the chamber paled in comparison, all of them. Anyway, every enchantment, every piece of magic that had somehow survived the final explosion was swept away, like leaves before the wind. We weren¡¯t harmed, if anything, it felt like¡­ sunshine, refreshing and warm but it wasn¡¯t. Mephisto explained the parts he understood afterwards and he can probably give a much better explanation than me but you essentially filled you mother with enough energy to create a star, his words, not mine. Somehow all of it got channeled into this new body of hers, but the presence of such a force alone was enough to make the statuettes crumble and pull in magic from all around, like gravitation. My own core reacted and I felt my power leaking out, I couldn¡¯t prevent it.¡± She smacked the back of my head lightly as she felt my body tense. ¡°Not much happened, the sparks were siphoned off as soon as they appeared. You did the right thing, I can deal with the backlash. Give me a day without a battle and I¡¯ll be fine. Mephisto though, he was nearly lost. Without a body he had much more trouble resisting the pull than I had and he would have vanished if it hadn¡¯t been for the thick streams of energies you were drawing in from all around. Before he was sucked in, he cast a few spells of his own. Fuelled by the power in the air, he fused his emblem with two of the dead statuettes and used them to seal himself inside as well as imprison the last spectre again. She had been forced back into her realm when Helena had first transformed and he simply slammed the door shut again.¡± ¡°If the magic disappeared, how did you get out?¡± ¡°Luck, I suppose. Every spell crumbled, even the ones that tethered the different floors of the tomb together. When all was said and done we were back in the first chamber, surrounded by smoking runes and powerless enchantments. We brought the dead and wounded back to camp. That was around noon, yesterday. Xorlosh ispreparing a burial for tonight with his uninjured lads, at least he was when I went to bed. Everybody else is probably still asleep or busy chaperoning the kids.¡± I took a moment to digest what she had said. ¡°Who died?¡± I finally asked. ¡°No one you know personally. I¡¯d tell you what little I know but you¡¯re going to hear the stories of their deeds tonight anyways. If you want to honour them, listen carefully.¡± ¡°I will. I owe them. And you, both of you. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have gotten out if it hadn¡¯t been for you. How did you even manage to find me?¡± She pulled me closer and the fox snuggled up against my side. Ahri¡¯s fingers trailed across my tattoo, goosebumps erupting in the wake, and whispered: ¡°I¡¯ll always find you, one way or the other. But by now, I¡¯m not the only one. Cassandra, between your mother, Viyara and me, there isn¡¯t much anybody can do to hide you from us, yourself included.¡± With a smile in her voice she continued: ¡°so there¡¯s no point in running.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I gently took her hand and pressed it against my lips. Afterwards I sat up straight and picked up my mother, ignoring her undignified squawk. She looked exactly like the towering fox I had seen underground but she wasn¡¯t longer than my forearm. Her tails made her appear taller, though, adding at least as much length. Her fur was incredibly soft like woven moonlight and if it hadn¡¯t been for the electric blue sparks in her eyes, she would have looked like one of our folktales come to life. As far as I could tell, she wasn¡¯t hurt or injured but judging from the slowly building growl in her throat, she wasn¡¯t very fond of me lifting her up. I lowered her back down and ran my hand through the fur on her flank. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± She rolled her eyes and somehow managed to slither up and down my arm, like a snake. Before I could react, she flitted across the room and vanished behind the flap. Reflexively I tried to follow but Ahri¡¯s tails held me back. Her soft laughter washed over me and she explained: ¡°She¡¯ll be back in a moment. Astra enchanted a piece of paper for her. She can use her claws to write on it, that¡¯ll make your conversation much easier. And before you run out that door, you should maybe put on some clothes. Yours were still in the tent after you had vanished and I brought them along. They¡¯re over there,¡± she gestured towards a closed chest beside the improvised bed we were still on. ¡°But first, I¡¯d like to know what happened. How did you end up down there?¡± I felt her tremble as she remembered how they had found me. ¡°And why did you go naked?¡± I slumped back down into her embrace and thought about how I could answer. I didn¡¯t intend to lie to her, I simply had to organise my memories while three things kept bugging me, minor as they were. First, my original set of clothes had been incinerated by a spell, but now that I knew that they were actually over there and untouched, I had to wonder if they even could have continued to exist, seeing as there already was an alternate version of them lying around. In other words, had my set been destined for destruction? And secondly, what had happened to the rope Mordred had brought along? Was it still stored away? Probably, but I wanted to know for sure. And third, if that was the case, why did I still feel the promise I had given to Ahri in the depths of the catacombs circle around my core? Not that I minded, I wasn¡¯t going to leave her anyway, but I was still curious how it worked. Minor things, but I couldn¡¯t let them go. Time travel was much too complicated for my liking. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I actually started this journey with pants, believe it or not, and you, Mordred, Viyara, Erya and Reia by my side.¡± I sighed. ¡°It didn¡¯t go too well and I was offered the chance to try again. This whole complex is ancient, you see, far older than I originally thought¡­¡± I told her everything I remembered, how we had made our way through the ruins and why. I spoke about the temporal distortions and the artefacts that had caused them. I explained how Shassa had come into the story and why they had found me impaled beneath her statue. And I told her about my dream. ¡°Did you know?¡± I finally asked. ¡°That we raised Greta in a previous life to become our mentor in this one? Or that Amazeroth is an ambiguous, scheming bastard? I¡¯ve known the latter for as long as you, I told you about my memories the very next day after I had remembered. As for Greta¡­¡± she tightened her tails around me before she continued: ¡°I didn¡¯t know but I¡¯m not surprised, either. I always thought it strange that she had practically been a recluse before she began teaching you. I suspect you¡¯ve never thought about it as she¡¯s been in your life since you were two years old, but it caused quite a stir back then that the old hermit would allow anyone into her life. Not only that, she treated you and me, on the few occasions I met her, like family, not strangers or nuisances. And the things she knew¡­ it makes sense, but I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m truly feeling the loss like I should. I liked her and I miss her, don¡¯t get me wrong, but she hasn¡¯t opened a hole in my chest I can¡¯t fill.¡± I felt her breath on my ear as she whispered: ¡°but I¡¯m more than grateful that she kept you safe. For that alone I¡¯ll readily forgive Amazeroth most of his schemes, even if he is a fallen angel, unlikely as it sounds.¡± Damn it! I had been fully prepared to write him off as a poisonous fruit, but I couldn¡¯t deny that even though he had been at the root of our troubles, he had made sure that we¡¯d come out the other side in one piece. Something I couldn¡¯t easily explain away. 122. Of wounds, cures and a little bit of changed plans Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Well, I better get dressed before my mom returns. You could have at least put me in a nightie or a shirt, you know? You¡¯re wearing one yourself.¡± ¡°I could have, but I honestly didn¡¯t want to. After I scrubbed more gore and grime off of you than can be found on a battlefield, I thought I deserved as much. Why, does it make you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest, if we were alone. Having my mom waltz in while I¡¯m in bed with you, naked, on the other hand¡­¡± I shrugged and disentangled myself from her to stand up. There were no scars on my body but when I carefully touched the spots where the legs of the statue had pierced through me, I still felt a tingling, followed by a faint echo of the pain I had been in. I hissed in surprise and reflexively wrapped my tails and arms around me. Ahri had followed my movements, dreamily at first but now she got up quickly. Warmth spread through me and I relaxed when her tails covered mine. ¡°That spider will pay. I¡¯ll take more than just her legs before it¡¯s over,¡± she whispered, more to herself than anything else. ¡°No, she won¡¯t. We need her,¡± I grudgingly admitted. ¡°There¡¯s still too much we don¡¯t know and she most likely has some of the answers. But I¡¯m done asking nicely. You can let go of me. I won¡¯t suddenly collapse.¡± She hugged me for a moment longer before she stepped back and allowed me to open the chest she had pointed at earlier. There wasn¡¯t much inside, my clothes and hers, two blades, the white cloak Barzuk had given me and surprisingly her letter and the toy I had taken from Boseiju. Somehow the sight of them brought tears back to my eyes and I croaked a ¡°thank you¡± in a strangle voice before I threw myself at her. She held me tight, her soft voice continuously whispering in my ear while I cried. Fear, agony, hope and anger, everything I had kept inside burst to the surface and for a while, there was nothing I could do but cling to her while the storm inside of me carried me away. I didn¡¯t know how long we had stood there until the worst of it blew over. My tears began to dry and the strangled sobs turned into hiccoughs. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m a mess¡­¡± she pulled me closer and gently ran her fingers up and down my back. ¡°Shush. Don¡¯t apologise. You¡­ all of us have gone through more than a lifetime full of grief lately. If all I have to do to make you feel better is hold you, I¡¯ll gladly oblige. Cry, Cassandra, cry for as long as you have to and tomorrow you¡¯ll laugh again.¡± I breathed in her scent and the pent up tension gradually drained from me. I felt shaky and exhausted but also relieved, as if an invisible weight had been lifted off my shoulders. She was right, tears could be cathartic and I¡¯d shed as many as I¡¯d have to. After darkness always came light, post tenebras lux. ¡°How do you do it? You¡¯re always composed, fearless¡­ perfect.¡± I whispered. Her breath brushed over my ear and her quiet laughter sent a warm shiver along my tails. ¡°Fearless? Prefect? Cassy, I just spent a night clinging to you because I was scared out of my wits that you¡¯d vanish again. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to dress you because I wanted, no, I needed to feel your warmth, your breath under my fingers. Xorlosh nearly lost a hand when he suggested bundling you up with the injured dwarfs, so they could keep an eye on you and I¡¯d get some uninterrupted sleep. Do you want me to go on? I¡¯m about as far removed from the hero you make me out to be as I possibly can.¡± ¡°Not to me. To me you¡¯re much more than a hero¡­ When do you think my mom will be back?¡± ¡°Any second now. Why?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, then. I should really get dressed¡­¡± But I didn¡¯t move. I took me another minute until I finally let go and shrugged into a pair of clothes I had felt burn to ashes on my skin. They were just as comfortable as I remembered and I had to admit, wearing trousers again did wonders. I had never realised in how many different ways clothes actually helped us hide. Not having to parade my naked ass across camp for the second time was an added bonus. Ahri had joined me and it took us a while since we spent half the time ogling the other inconspicuously, without much success, I might add. Consequentially we were just about presentable when my mom waltzed back in, head held high, my brother on her tails with a large parchment in his arms. He looked tired, but healthy and his stern expression lit up with a smirk when he saw us both standing there, as if we had just fallen out of bed, which, admittedly, we had. ¡°I hope we¡¯re not interrupting? Mother even had me wait for a while before we came over.¡± He was wearing the same shirt and trousers as us, his sword dangling from the belt. The wounds he must have sustained from his clash with Horus had vanished except for a beautifully coloured bruise below his collar bone. He dropped the parchment, the corners of which shimmered with interwoven, golden lines, and strode over to us, arms opened wide. He smelled like soap and weapon oil but when we hugged, a faint scent of wild flowers tickled my nose. He had spent time with Erya, enough that I could still smell her on him, even though he had taken a bath afterwards. Oh my¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have been in too much of a hurry,¡± I quipped while I rubbed my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you. Thanks for coming after me.¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly voluntary. You girlfriend and our mother would have skinned me alive if I hadn¡¯t jumped immediately. But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright. You are alright, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°As far as I can tell. Physically at least, I¡¯ve healed. How about you? Your stamina doesn¡¯t appear to have suffered.¡± He didn¡¯t even blush as he answered with a shrug: ¡°A few aches here and there but everything works just splendidly¡­¡± he was interrupted by a bark. My mother had pushed the parchment closer and was trying to get our attention. I felt for her, I really did. Tiny and speechless, one of the most annoying, frustrating experiences one could have. -banter can wait. Asked others to leave us alone. Have a little time. What happened?!- ¡°I could ask you the same thing. But while you sketch out an answer I guess I can start¡­¡± It was a lot easier this time around, having told Ahri before allowed me to quickly summarise what had transpired, even though I left out my dream. For now, I neither wanted to discuss Amazeroth, nor Greta. Especially not Greta. ¡°¡­so, for now we basically have to make sure the seed has been destroyed and, if possible, find out what happened to the piece of the heart it was linked to.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Mordred and my mom had listened with rapt attention, while she was absentmindedly scribbling on her parchment. It was hard to read upside down, also, her new handwriting was abysmal, but I didn¡¯t have to puzzle for long. My brother readily translated: ¡°We should probably include Mephisto, in case he can be tempted away from his new toy, but some of what he mumbled now makes sense. He was going on about how the energies didn¡¯t add up. Apparently he had access to much more than the waves you ripped from the statuettes and enchantments down there and he didn¡¯t know where it had come from. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much, the power you unleashed when you saved mother attracted every drop of energy. Each artefact somehow connected to the place has definitely been sucked dry, heck, even the dwarfs felt the pull on their life force and that¡¯s protected by their armour, bodies and an iron will.¡± I wanted to believe him, I truly did, but I wasn¡¯t so sure. I had and still did imagine the seed as a sort of root and when it had withered, my access to the main plant had been cut. To stay within the metaphor, it might have lost some juice but I couldn¡¯t imagine I had managed to poison the whole thing. And if Amon had it in his grasp¡­ I had to know for sure. And I knew a traitorous bitch who would tell me, whether she wanted to or not. ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right,¡± I said out loud and focused on the small fox. I wasn¡¯t too keen on continuing down the path the conversation was taking, not before I had a chance to speak with my mentor and interrogate the spider. ¡°How is mom¡­ how are you holding up? Any ideas on how long you¡¯ll be stuck like this?¡± She barked again and shrugged, motioning with her paws for Mordred to answer. ¡°Unfortunately not. Mephisto spent some time examining her, but according to the demon, he¡¯s never seen nor heard of a transformation like this. She¡¯s unique, her body is more of an idea come to life than anything else, which makes it impossible to tell how she¡¯ll develop.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ is she like us?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°You mean like you and Ahri? We simply don¡¯t know. He said, am I¡¯m quoting right now: she¡¯s a dream made real. The question is: whose? Mortal or immortal of origin, only time will tell.¡± ¡°I think I know.¡± Every head whipped in my direction, surprise and confusion clearly written across Ahri¡¯s and Mordred¡¯s faces. My mom though, she seemed to be smiling. ¡°I¡­ I think it¡¯s both, in a way. Her transformation happened before I actively got involved. I don¡¯t know what she did, exactly, but her spell was infused with sparks of my energy, the ones Shassa has ripped from me to power the enchantments down there. You remember the wisps? The small, glowing balls of light? They were mine and when they were destroyed, their magic was released. Somehow it didn¡¯t devour the constructs mom was working on but instead, a part of it fused with them and made her spells¡­ well, real. I only added enough energy later on, so that her new body could fully form without killing her. In a way, her imagination and whatever purpose she poured into her spell formed the blueprint but it has been changed, altered when my magic bound to hers and possibly even further when I tried to revive her.¡± I turned to fully face her. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re just as much what I want you to be as you are, what you think you need to be. I¡¯m sorry. I never meant to change you.¡± She got up and quickly rubbed her tails against my leg before she furiously scribbled a short line. -don¡¯t be. You¡¯re my child, becoming what they want to see in you is every parent¡¯s wish. That blasted, undersized and mute body aside¡­ thank you. But couldn¡¯t you have imagined me as fully grown?- ¡°I¡¯m afraid that wasn¡¯t me,¡± I laughed. ¡°Your body is brand new and it does what we all do in the beginning: grow. At least no one is going to force you into frilly dresses, even though I have to admit, you¡¯d look adorable with a little ribbon on top of your head.¡± She hissed and her fur rose along her back, which made her look like a disgruntled cat. The message was clear never the less, but I wasn¡¯t yet sure if I¡¯d comply. There were quite a few instances I remembered that required some pay back and now it seemed like I¡¯d finally get the chance. ¡°Makes sense,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°The growth part, not the ribbon,¡± she hastily added when my mom bared her fangs at her. ¡°Since you woke, you¡¯ve spent most of your time eating, Helena, and I swear you¡¯ve even grown since last I saw you. Which reminds me, what time is it?¡± ¡°Two hours past sunrise,¡± my brother replied. ¡°As soon as we¡¯re done here, Xorlosh wants to meet with us all, he even saved some food from our new born wolverine. The dwarfs should have finished repairing the ships by now and I expect they¡¯ll want to leave directly after the burial. Which begs the question: what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± I answered. ¡°Even if we managed to destroy the mana heart, Amon is still firmly seated on the Pirate Throne. We will have to face him sooner or later but if we don¡¯t have to, I¡¯ll gladly postpone the first meeting until we have a little more to work with than a rag tag band of fugitives. But I also loath the thought of leaving him alone, he is bound to brew up more trouble until we are ready to return. We all agree that we have to get the children to Arthur as fast as possible, right?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°If we aren¡¯t forced to deal with one of his schemes immediately, we should stick to our original plan. Split up to keep tabs on Amon and warn whoever will listen to us. Only¡­ if at all possible, I¡¯d like to visit Ahri¡¯s family instead of staying here. I¡¯ve got a feeling it¡¯s about time we got to know their full story. It¡¯s an old family, really old, they might even have knowledge about his first rise to power. At the very least I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll help us out. It¡¯s not too far from the elven capital either, so we can accompany Aspera and Astra when they return home.¡± I touched Ahri¡¯s hand. ¡°That is, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Before she could answer, my mom drew our attention to her with another bark while Ahri linked our fingers and squeezed mine reassuringly. She¡¯d support me, either way. -Who should stay here then- ¡°Well, Pete¡¯s a given. He¡¯s the only one who knows his way around the locals but someone needs to have an eye on him and make sure he doesn¡¯t sell us out the first chance he¡¯ll get. Erya is the logical choice, they¡¯re already linked and she¡¯ll have no trouble keeping him in line or communicating with us.¡± I turned to Mordred. ¡°If she agrees to stay, I assume you¡¯ll stick with her?¡± ¡°Probably. She¡¯s fun to be around and I¡¯m not much of a diplomat, as you already know. Getting to live a pirate¡¯s life on the other hand could just be right up my alley. But what made you change your mind? Last time you were adamant about how you wanted to stay here to put a stop to the emperor¡¯s ¡­ Amon¡¯s plans as soon as possible. What happened? I don¡¯t see how the situation is any different now.¡± Frankly, it had been Ahri. She had made me reconsider Amazeroth¡¯s words and I was by now willing to try out his advice, which meant getting the seed back from Erya, visiting the Arete family and finding allies. Preferably in that order. I wasn¡¯t keen on a full scale war in any sense of the word, actually I dreaded the prospect, but the more time I had to think about it, the more I found myself agreeing with Amazeroth, it was inevitable. We could spend as much time as we wanted to, running after Amon and plugging holes, so to say. We¡¯d always be a step behind. For instance, who was to say that the Pirate¡¯s Islands were the only place he had sunk his hooks into our continent? He had been trying to open a gateway for all I knew, which made it plausible that his plans had developed the furthest around here. But it didn¡¯t meant that there were no other puppets, spread out all over our islands. And sooner or later, we¡¯d miss one. It¡¯d be much better to stop reacting and get ahead of the game. But I could hardly say that out loud without explaining my most recent dream¡­ which I still didn¡¯t want to share. ¡°He has suffered a defeat.¡± I counted each point off with my fingers. ¡°We are still alive and free and he¡¯s lost everything related to Boseiju, even the merchants he was in contact with are dead. His draconic vassal is gone, a few of his ships and a good junk of his turned acolytes were destroyed and if we¡¯re lucky, even the fracture of the mana heart in his possession is damaged or drained. Not to mention that he now has made mortal enemies of us, a dragoness, the dwarfs and probably the elves. He¡¯ll have to rebuild, carefully, and he might make mistakes. When he does, we have to be ready. I¡¯m not naive enough to believe that we can convince several kingdoms to work together, but we need people who are willing to listen to us, we need allies.¡± 123. Of balance, stereotypes and a little intermezzo Cassandra Pendragon ¡°And you think you¡¯re the best choice to make them listen?¡± Ahri asked. ¡°Honestly, yeah. I¡¯m a walking cliche, the princess without a home, hunted by a dark wizard for her blood and magic. If I¡¯ve got you by my side, we¡¯ll even have a fated romance story without ever lying. Most knights and nobles will fall over their feet to help us out. Am I wrong?¡± Another bark brought my attention to my mom. -that¡¯s why I wanted you to get involved with our politics in the first place. But you shouldn¡¯t confuse lip service with true help and this time, you won¡¯t be asking for a place to stay or a chance for us to rebuild. You¡¯re bringing bad news and even if someone believes you, they¡¯ll just as soon become scared and turn on you. People are strange like that.- ¡°You¡¯re both right,¡± Ahri said. ¡°But that¡¯s not what I meant. I agree, you¡¯ll be easily able to get your foot in the door, which will allow you to tell your story but afterwards¡­ you¡¯re not trying to negotiate a trade agreement or the rights to form a colony, you want to make allies, or dare I say friends. People who will invest resources based on your word alone. That takes time, unless you have something to bargain with, which we don¡¯t. To speed thing up you¡¯d have to play a game of patience and promises and that¡¯s a terrible idea. Do I have to remind you that you¡¯re very much bound to your word? Others don¡¯t have that problem. People lie, Cassandra. More often than not and they¡¯ll forget what they promised the moment you walk out the door. I thought your last misadventure would have taught you as much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to visit your family and the elves first. Knowing you, your people can¡¯t be half bad and with the sisters we already have someone on our side, someone who holds sway with the elves, unless I¡¯m completely mistaken.¡± ¡°What about the fey and dragons?¡± Mordred chimed in. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to get their support? They are as much part of this world as we are and we know members of their species who would vouch for us.¡± ¡°A homeless child without wealth or connections and an exile who lost her realm to one of her brothers while she was incarcerated,¡± Ahri scoffed. ¡°If we can even find them, we¡¯ll be laughed out the door. Don¡¯t forget they don¡¯t see us a fully sentient, but rather well educated animals. It¡¯s purely speculative right now, anyways. We should wait and hear what everybody says, before we make plans involving them. The questions is, is there something we need to discuss privately beforehand?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to Mephisto and if possible the spider,¡± I answered, ¡°before meeting anyone else and there are a couple of things I want to get done today. Nothing too important but I don¡¯t want to wait.¡± -like what?- ¡°It has never come up but I found a living creature, encased in crystal, in the dragon¡¯s hoard. I want to set it free. And then there are a few personal things like finally getting to know the set of runes that activates my stamp and if I¡¯ve changed somehow since rebuilding my body. The usual,¡± I added with a shrug and a grin. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to bother asking for details but checking up on your abilities is probably a good idea,¡± my brother replied. ¡°Did you know that your skin is glowing silvery? You¡¯re practically sparkling¡­¡± He sniffed the air before he continued. ¡°And it¡¯s not for the reason I¡¯d usually suspect. Oh, when you¡¯re out and about, you should also make the time to visit Viyara, as soon as you can. She¡¯s¡­ she didn¡¯t take your disappearance well. You were closer to a meat skewer than a living being when last she saw you before you fainted for a day and a half. You mean more to the girl than you know.¡± ¡°Of course I will. Erya as well, but I imagine she didn¡¯t miss me half as much, now, did she? How did that happen, by the way? Did she find a barrel full of mead and nearly drowned?¡± ¡°Hilarious. Ask her if you truly want to know, I won¡¯t tell¡­¡± my mom interrupted him with a growl. -before we get entirely off track there¡¯s something else. I¡¯m not able to care for the kids in any way, not right now, for all intent and purposes you two and Arthur are the last living royals of our people. If we had still been back home, the responsibility would have fallen to you, Mordred, since Arthur has left. As it stands, you have a decision to make. If we simply wait to reunite with your brother and allow him to integrate the children into his colony, you will both lose any claim you have to leading them in the future. Arthur will become the undisputed regent of our people, he and his lineage. I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s a bad thing, but it means we¡¯ll only be spectators after we have handed them over. Their future won¡¯t be our, or rather your, responsibility any more. After everything that happened, do you both want that?- ¡°No,¡± I immediately answered. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll turn out that way, either. I can¡¯t imagine that Arthur would begrudge us some authority, for as long as we don¡¯t endanger the rights of his heirs. He¡¯s never been one to stand on principle unless he was fighting for his friends or family. And, well, I won¡¯t have children of my own.¡± Strange how the last time I had heard that, I had apologised to Aurora and now I was the one feeling like a pit had opened at the bottom of my stomach. I swallowed dryly and continued. ¡°As you said¡­ wrote, he wants his lineage to rule over what he has built. I don¡¯t have that, so it should be easy enough to reach a compromise.¡± -what do you mean, you won¡¯t have children? Is it because¡­ that can be solved, there are spells for that sort of thing.- I glanced at Ahri, unsure of how to reply. She smiled at me sadly and nodded. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Even with others, neither of us could. We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re barren. Our whole race is¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t reproduce,¡± Mordred blurted out. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s why there aren¡¯t many more of you. It has always bugged me that you¡¯re supposedly immortal, yet I¡¯ve never heard or seen¡­ sorry.¡± My mom reacted quiet differently. In a flurry of movements she somehow managed to climb onto my shoulder, some of her tails circling around my neck while the rest pulled Ahri in closer. She didn¡¯t say a word, not that she could, even if she wanted to, but I didn¡¯t need to hear her voice to understand her. I rubbed my cheek against her flank and whispered: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it really is.¡± Without thinking I reached out and slung my tails around Ahri and Mordred. ¡°I¡¯ve got all the family I need, right here.¡± My brother struggled for a moment, I already knew that he wasn¡¯t exactly the hugging type, but after a second I felt him relax. ¡°Great, now I feel like a jerk,¡± I heard him mumble, which broke the tension. I shoved him away with a smile, kissed my girl and placed my mom back on the floor. ¡°You should, I¡¯m quite fragile, after all. What are mortal enemies compared to your lose tongue?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Apparently nothing more than a nuisance. I¡¯m still sorry. And somewhat grateful, to be honest.¡± I arched an eyebrow. If he was going to say I was living proof that Darwin had been right, I¡¯d punch him squarely in the face, no questions asked. ¡°No, damn it, that¡¯s not¡­ I was thinking about what mother said. If you deal with Arthur I won¡¯t have to get involved, that¡¯s what I meant.¡± ¡°I always thought you were looking forward to having a say in matters. Not anymore? How come?¡± Ahri inquired, her arm still wrapped around my waist. ¡°Old age, a lost home and a few regrets. The ones who strive for power are more often than not the ones least suitable to wield it. Just look at what happened to us over the last days. I¡¯m not so sure I wouldn¡¯t be the one to burn an innocent life if I thought it just. The ends justify the means¡­ I¡¯m not going to fall into that trap. Never again. I¡¯m more than happy to stand back and let Arthur and Cassy worry until their heads explode what¡¯s right and wrong, what¡¯s justifiable and what isn¡¯t.¡± I was speechless. I knew he was smart, even when his broody, sometimes misanthropic nature got the best of him, he was clever and educated but that¡­ that was wise. Again, a quote was fluttering through my mind: Strong men are forged in war, Great men are tempered by it. -I¡¯m proud of you, son. Hearing you say that¡­ it¡¯s your decision but I think your selling yourself short. I¡¯d be more than willing to trust your judgement. Besides, I¡¯ll still drag your butt back by the tails if you run down the wrong path.- for the fraction of a second his expression changed, I thought I saw a deep seated fear paired with self loathing and anger flicker across his face but it was gone too fast to be sure. Again I reached out and grabbed his hand. ¡°We all make mistakes. But only if you allow them to define you, if your past smothers your future, you¡¯ll truly be lost. Trust me, I should know. Don¡¯t fear what you might do wrong, hope that you can make it right.¡± He huffed, but this time I was certain I saw a tear shimmer in the corner of his eye and he didn¡¯t shy away from my touch. ¡°Are you both adamant about dragging me into this mess?¡± ¡°All three of us, actually,¡± Ahri chimed in. ¡°I also don¡¯t think you should simply stand back. We¡¯ve known each other long enough that I¡¯m allowed to say: some real responsibility would do wonders for you. You¡¯ve been an onlooker for too long, it¡¯s time to prove that you¡¯re more than a wiseass.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he barked. ¡°But how do you think this will play out? I, for one, do very much plan on having children, believe it or not. And I¡¯m not going to forfeit any of their rights when I¡¯m going to bust my ass off rebuilding this kingdom. I¡¯m not that charitable, at least not yet¡­¡± -if you¡¯re willing, there are several ways. We¡¯ve lived in a kingdom with four royal families for centuries and it has worked until the end¡­ more or less. Marriage is another option. Arthur is bound to have a daughter sooner or¡­- Mordred took the parchment from her. ¡°Nope, not going to happen. I¡¯m not even willing to consider marrying my niece. Honestly, that¡¯s not been done for over two centuries. Are you insane? That¡¯s exactly the kind of reasoning I was going on about.¡± The little fox shrugged and pawed his leg, eager to get back her only mode of communication. Grudgingly Mordred complied but he was seriously miffed, entirely understandable even though I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. -your call, but if you want to rule, you¡¯ll have to sacrifice many things usually taken for granted. Depending on how we proceed, your hand in marriage and your children might become very valuable. Which reminds me. We should keep it to ourselves that Cassandra can¡¯t have them. At least for now.- ¡°Why,¡± I had to ask. ¡°Admittedly, I hate the fact but why keep it a secret?¡± -sweetie, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s stupid and degrading but you¡¯d instantly lose much of your allure once word got out. Remember what you said, why it should be you who tries to find allies? Outspoken or not, many would only listen in the hope of one day adding an exotic, beautiful princess to their family. A dream that can get you far, but only for as long as everyone believes it¡¯s possible. Besides, as shortsighted as it is, a woman who can¡¯t give birth will always have to proof herself¡­ I don¡¯t want that. You¡¯ve done more than enough, you already deserve respect, even gratitude. I don¡¯t want you to have to fight for it.- Right¡­ I¡¯d have liked to argue, but I knew she was right. The image of a family with a loving, caring mother was deeply ingrained into every aspect of our life, for better or worse. Much of how people reacted to us was born from their own desires and stereotypes, projecting their idealised version of what should be onto others. I wouldn¡¯t be able to change that, I had an inkling feeling that I might have tried and had been killed for my troubles, but maybe I could use it. I leaned closer into Ahri, cherishing her warmth. Once again I was glad that, at the heart of the matter, I didn¡¯t really have to care how anyone saw me, except for her. ¡°Blimey, and I thought being the second born was bad¡­¡± Mordred stopped mid sentence, his ears twitching. The constant, calming buzz from behind the tent flap, the faint sound of hammers on metal, the distant voices of the children, even the heavy footsteps of the dwarfs, they had all died down. Before I could move, the sunlight, filtering in through the tent, darkened as a huge shadow crossed over us. A moment later, a furious gust rattled the tarpaulin and a thundering roar echoed from above. A roar I had become very familiar with, the roar of a dragon. Who? How? I was out in the open before I had the time to form coherent thoughts, my wings a blazing inferno of light behind me. The camp had changed since last I had seen it. Several improvised and hastily erected tents formed two windswept rows opposite the cliff side while the two larger ones I remembered had disappeared. Raging winds threatened to shake them loose while sparks and smouldering bits of wood were thrown through the air like swarms of fireflies, setting the cloth on fire wherever they touched. Another gust of wind, accompanied by a rising pressure in the air, washed over me, carrying with it the smell of sulphur and heated gold. My gaze rose from the frozen dwarfs and cowering kitsune to meet a beautiful nightmare. High above us, a mighty creature of sparkling gold and unchecked fury roared its displeasure to the sky, a wave of magic pouring from him like water. My heart sped up and I felt the cold dread of a rabbit hiding from a wolf flow through me, demanding I¡¯d flee from a predator, larger than a sky ship¡­ Not today, buddy, by now I could safely say: I¡¯ve seen bigger, I¡¯ve dealt with worse and I¡¯m just about fed up with being someone¡¯s prey. My fear didn¡¯t vanish but with every heartbeat, I felt a flame of anger grow in my chest, an irresistible urge to fight, not flee. I spread my wings as far as I could, tasting the traces of his energy on the wind, the changes in pressure each of his wing beats caused and the undiluted terror of the people I wanted to protect. My tails fanned out while more and more power rushed from my core, smoothly flowing through my body until my hair started to float statically, despite the storm. Small flashes of silvery blue light raced across my skin as I narrowed my eyes and¡­ ¡°Wait! Cassy, wait!¡± Ahri had stepped through the maelstrom of energy behind me without hesitation, her wings a fiery spark of red against the fury of silver, which parted around her like a curtain as she was stepping through. She threw her arms around my waist and held me tight: ¡°you can¡¯t hear him, but he¡¯s talking. Please, the magic, it¡¯s telepathy, he¡­ ah, there, look!¡± I saw a flash of bright, golden light from within one of the tents and a second later, Viyara burst into the open, fully transformed. She shot into the sky and despite the difference in size, her own roar rang out, a deafening challenge, emphasised by the stream of silvery golden flames that cleaved through the air in front of her. At the same moment I heard her voice in my mind: ¡°Please, stay back, leave him to me. He won¡¯t hurt anyone. I think¡­ I think he¡¯s a relative.¡± 124. Of grandparents, worth and a little bit of mead Cassandra Pendragon My body was brimming with energy, my limbs trembling with suppressed movement. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ahri, I would have thrown Viyara¡¯s plea to the wind and rushed up to meet them. As it was, I barely managed to remain earthbound, every instinct screamed at me to do something, anything at all but stay rooted to this spot, an easy target for whatever was to come. ¡°What did he say?¡± I pressed out. My voice was filled with tension, a hoarse whisper against the wind. Ahri didn¡¯t let go of me but rather tightened her grip as she replied: ¡°Where is she, followed by a detailed scene of how he¡¯d turn our camp into ashes if we didn¡¯t set Viyara free. He thinks we¡¯re the ones who kidnapped her. Come on, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s in danger, much less than us anyways. We should get going, the dwarfs are moving again and running for their weapons. They won¡¯t attack, at least I hope so, but we have to make sure.¡± She finally let go. While Ahri had been talking, my mom had come running out of the tent, my brother directly on her tails. She glanced around once and with an incredible jump landed neatly on my shoulder again, her tails anchoring her to my neck. ¡°Follow us,¡± I called over my shoulder before I took to the air in Ahri¡¯s wake. The scene had changed drastically, most of the dwarfs had sprung into activity, running for their weapons or shepherding the children out of sight. Erya and the elven sisters had emerged, dishevelled, from their tents, spell formations already forming around their hands. They quickly put out the flames, that had threatened to spread from where the scattered embers of the fire had begun eating into the dry cloth and seasoned wood. And whatever they missed was smothered by water and sometimes even mead, the dwarfs liberally poured everywhere they could still see smoke. A tug at my awareness made me glance to my right where, at the edge of the encampment, Mephisto was slowly rising into the sky, his eyes glued to the golden lizards overhead while his lips worked furiously. Thin beams of energy came to life around him to from a sphere of translucent light that pulsed and grew until it formed a dome around the kids, sealing them and their dwarven chaperones off. Before it closed completely, I saw two small figures slip out and head in our direction. A trickle of energy allowed me to clearly make out Reia and Archy, who easily evaded the reaching hands that tried to shove them back inside. Damn it, if I had the time, I¡¯d pull their ears off! Nobody seemed hurt, at least from afar, but the appearance of a fully grown dragon and the storm his wings had caused, had turned the camp into a chaotic mess of running bodies, screamed orders, flickering magic and unrestrained confusion. Xorlosh¡¯s deep voice, still discernible over the ruckus, was gradually restoring order while he commandeered his lads like a captain would his ship. Ships! Anxiously I searched for the two sky ships, half expecting to see them in ruins somewhere along the cliff, but they were still moored to the island. They swayed heavily, the ropes they were tied to groaning loudly enough that I could hear it across the distance, but for now they held. I touched the ground the fraction of a second after Ahri, practically in the middle of the mess. We had landed directly in front of the running troublemakers, their speed carrying them neatly into our arms. ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± I said while I locked my hands behind Reia¡¯s back and effortlessly picked her up. ¡°We can help,¡± and ¡°it was her idea,¡± came the immediate replies, neither of which actually answered my question. I shook the squirming bundle lightly. ¡°Enough, I¡¯m going to let you down, but you¡¯ll stay right here.¡± As quick as we had been, by now the winds had died down and Viyara and the stranger had turned into tiny spots in the sky, indiscernible from a flock of birds, even to my eyes. Without the looming shadow of the dragons and the violent storm, the dwarfs quickly doused the remaining fires and began forming orderly squares, weapons at the ready. A calloused hand landed on my free shoulder and I heard Golamosh¡¯s rumbling voice behind me. ¡°Lass, do you know what¡¯s going on? Where, by the darkness, did that dragon come from?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure but he¡¯s closely related to Viyara¡¯s father.¡± Mephisto was quickly coming closer, walking on thin air, but his gaze never strayed from the dark silhouettes above our heads. ¡°His magic, it has almost the same resonance as the artefacts and enchantments we encountered in Shafeer¡¯s hoard. Except it tastes¡­ older, more refined. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the winged calamity up there is Viyara¡¯s grandfather.¡± He landed softly next to me and smiled. ¡°Good to see you awake, Cassandra. Hmm, it seems like you didn¡¯t suffer any lasting consequences, did you? Your body is working like it should? No sudden pains or difficulties with moving?¡± ¡°Is now really the right time,¡± I asked exasperatedly. ¡°Sure, we¡¯re in no immediate danger and unless you want to get in the way, the best we can do for now is stand right here. So, how are you?¡± I looked around. Crossbows were handed out and Etosh was beating a quick rhythm on his drum, signalling the ships. The dwarfs on deck broke into frantic activity, tying down every thing loose that hadn¡¯t been catapulted over board and preparing the huge ballistas mounted on the stern. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Cassandra?¡± Viyara¡¯s sudden call made me flinch and I promptly lost track of what I had wanted to say. ¡°Can you join us? Only to talk, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to fight.¡± She was anxious, I could feel as much, and worried but there was also a spark of ¡­ curiosity? Maybe excitement? ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be with you in a moment.¡± Out loud I said: ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to leave. Viyara reached out, she wants me with her. You,¡± I sternly looked at Reia and Archy, ¡°both of you stay with Ahri or I swear, I¡¯ll have your ears for lunch. Is that alright with you?¡± I added as I glanced at her. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them safe or work them over, depending on how they behave. Are you going to take your mother with you?¡± As she spoke, my mom¡¯s tails tightened around my neck and I felt her claws pierce through my shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have much of a choice in the matter,¡± I croaked in a strangled voice. ¡°Love you.¡± With a thought I shot into the sky just when my brother finally had reached us, panting heavily. ¡°Cassy?!¡¯ Was the last thing I heard before the winds of my passage drowned out every other noise. Someone would fill him in, besides, I didn¡¯t even yet know myself, what this was about. ¡°I imagined our first flight together slightly differently,¡± I murmured, while the tents and rushing figures below us quickly shrank to the size of dolls, ¡°but I¡¯m still glad you¡¯re up here with me.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Fresh air, void of smoke and the oppressive scent of too many people without proper baths, blew back my hair and despite the looming shadows above, I felt free. The vast expanse of blue welcomed me with the caress of a stiff breeze and I angled my body slightly so it could carry me along. In wide circles I rose higher until the world turned into a chessboard of different colours and the silhouettes I was heading for became clearer, golden reflections and blurry outlines slowly transforming into wings, tails and polished claws. The closer I got, the more I realised how small Viyara actually was, compared to her conspecific. Without her tail, he would easily have been able to fit her in one of his paws and when he turned, his wings covered her whole form before she appeared again on the other side. Each of his four legs seemed like a mighty tree in the depths of the jungle, wide enough that I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be able to wrap my wings around it, even once. He was built differently from her, instead of a ruff along the length of his body he had a set of bat like wings, huge sails that propelled his heavy body forwards. Small, spear like protrusions ran along the edges, shimmering with the same pearly white as his claws and the row of horns that covered his back and tail in two neat rows. His head was angled like a snake¡¯s with large, massive golden eyes under heavy ridges. The slitted pupils glowed with an inner fire and sparks of energy danced between the moving, fleshy tentacles that hung form his jaw. His aura, nearly imperceptible at first, was physically pressing against my skin by now, wisdom and rage, power and kindness, all bundled into one, a constant reminder that I was facing one of the oldest creatures on this world. He and Viyara were constantly circling around one another, their wings didn¡¯t allow them to stand still while airborne, and the torrents of air, both of them produced in their wake, were strong enough that my mom had to flatten herself against my neck while snaking a couple of her tails around my arm to have another anchor. She¡¯d been blown away instantly otherwise. I didn¡¯t even try to hide my approach, I had been called here after all, but I had to admit, flying carelessly towards two creatures, whose very nature made them regard me as a light breakfast was unnerving. Especially when the larger one once again turned around and came to face me. I was still a distance away but when he opened his snout in what I fervently hoped was a smile, the fangs that appeared in the red depth of his maw, seemed much too large and way too many for a friendly conversation. I slowed down and remained a healthy distance away from him. In case this thing went south I had a nagging feeling that Viyara wouldn¡¯t be the one he¡¯d go for. He had come here for her and I couldn¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d want her dead. Me, on the other hand¡­ Damn it, how badly had I fucked up in my previous life to deserve this? ¡°Come closer, little one. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. If anything I owe you thanks for how you¡¯ve treated my blood.¡± His voice was deep but melodious, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. I felt the faint traces of magic as he worked his spells to talk out loud, Viyara presumably had told him that I couldn¡¯t easily communicate mind to mind. ¡°I mean you and yours no harm but I¡¯d like to hear your story. From what the child has told me, it should be an interesting tale.¡± Unsure I shared a look with my mother before I drifted closer. Both of them changed their course, Viyara slowly circled around me and kept her body between me and the golden behemoth who lazily spiralled around us, a faint spark of amusement shining from his eyes. ¡°You have me at a disadvantage, my lord. While you have heard a bit about myself, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know who you are. But it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, hopefully,¡± I added under my breath. ¡°My name is Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon. I¡¯m a friend of your¡­ grandchild?¡± ¡°A friend? Humble and well mannered, I like that. But let¡¯s speak plainly, I¡¯m too old to spend my time exchanging platitudes. When I choose to interact with others, they call me Ignus, as quaint a name as any and it¡¯ll do for now. Viyara¡¯s father was my son, which makes me, as you so astutely noted, her grandfather. I want to know how my son died and which role you played in keeping his daughter safe. My gratitude is yours, but I¡¯d still like to know who you are.¡± ¡°My heartfelt condolences, I¡¯ve never had the honour of meeting your son but the girl he raised is an excellent testimony to his virtues.¡± That was close enough to the truth, even though I actually thought that Shafeer had been quite the megalomaniac without much of a conscience. But that was probably true for most dragons. Hopefully this one had had enough time to develop some form of empathy, old as he was. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly tell you what I know. Maybe we could land somewhere on the island. I¡¯d prefer to sit and and look you in the eyes while we talk, but I can¡¯t say that my friends would necessarily take kindly to a gargantuan creature like yourself squashing our camp beneath its paws. But I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll part with a barrel of mead or two, if you¡¯re partial to humanoid beverages.¡± In my opinion, a little bribery never went amiss, especially when dealing with an oversized reptile that can breathe fire and cast spells. ¡°Excellent, make that a round dozen. Why don¡¯t you hurry back down and come find us afterwards? The girl stays with me.¡± That definitely wasn¡¯t a question and it irked me immensely. ¡°Is that alright with you?¡± I asked Viyara telepathically. If she didn¡¯t want to go with him, she wouldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡­ yes, I think so. There isn¡¯t much to do about it, anyways, is there?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If he wants to force you, we¡¯ll have to bring him down a notch or two sooner or later anyways. In that case, I¡¯d just as soon get it over with. Besides, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m more afraid of clashing with a dragon or telling Xorlosh that I just gave away most of his mead reserves. He¡¯s going to skin me alive¡­¡± a cloud of smoke escaped her, the equivalent of a laugh in her human form. ¡°Thank you. I already knew, but¡­ thank you. I¡¯m not taking your support for granted.¡± ¡°You should, you came after me, no questions asked. So¡­ I¡¯m the one who is grateful. Also, I promised, and I keep my word, always. He wants to take you away, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes¡­no, I don¡¯t know for sure. How did you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of him but yet, here he is. A long lost relative, ready to take you in after tragedy has struck. If he hadn¡¯t arrived in a blaze of righteous fury, demanding your release, I wouldn¡¯t be as courteous as I am. It makes sense, but only if he kept some form of surveillance on you or your family. He must value you and dragons collect what they value.¡± ¡°He thinks I¡¯m not safe here. Not after¡­ he reckons that more dragons know about my birth and that they¡¯ll come looking, searching for the key to crossbreed with another species. Cassandra, I don¡¯t want to leave, but maybe I should. I¡¯m endangering all of you.¡± Honestly, she was adorable, but also so far away from the truth that I had to suppress a smile. ¡°Viyara¡­ have you been paying attention what has happened in the last few days? Fair enough, I¡¯m not keen on worrying about a bunch of stubborn, egotistical lizards as well, but it hardly makes much of a difference. Honey, we¡¯re on the verge of a war against an almighty sorcerer who subjugated one of the strongest members of your race, made him into an obedient pawn and was or is playing around with an artefact that caused the cataclysm. If anything, it¡¯s us who endanger you. You haven¡¯t told him much, have you?¡± ¡°Only what happened back home but nothing related to you or your race, if that¡¯s what you mean. I didn¡¯t want to divulge your secrets. Cataclysm?¡± ¡°A story for another time. If you want to, you can, of course tell him the truth. I trust you. How could I not? So I ask again, do you want to stay with him?¡± ¡°For now, but I won¡¯t leave with him.¡± Her emotions had been in turmoil the whole time, light and dark tides rising and falling but now, I felt warm gratitude from her and a growing spark of confidence. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. I¡¯m going to bring Ahri along, so you better prepare your gramps. If anything happens, anything at all, you¡¯ll immediately call me, promise?¡± ¡°Promise. And good luck, I like your skin the way it is.¡± An unheard exchange later, both of the dragons turned and slowly circled downwards. I stared after them for a moment and quietly asked my mom: ¡°what have we stumbled into now?¡± 125. Of tempers, arrogance and a little bit of naming Cassandra Pendragon Lugging several barrels of mead even across a short distance was a challenge all on its own. I hadn¡¯t wanted to cheap out, consequentially it had taken me several trips, some hasty explanations and a colourful lecture until I finally got back to the dragons, sweating and out of breath. Ahri had willingly accompanied me, but when it had come to ferrying a wagonload of booze across the island, she had chickened out. Not that I blamed her. At least she had carried a couple of mugs for us, assuming the reptiles would drink directly from the barrels. Now I was standing in a clearing, close to the edge of the woods, Ahri on my right, Viyara on my left and my mom around my neck while a wall of golden scales and white fangs towered in front of us, eyes closed as he savoured the scent of the sweet beverage. ¡°Magnificent, they are terribly rude but a dwarven brew is still the pinnacle of short lived societies. Before we begin, I have a question, though. Why are you facing me like an army across a battlefield? Do you expect a fight?¡± My tongue was a tad faster than my brain. ¡°Yes,¡± my mom¡¯s claws in my shoulder and Ahri¡¯s elbow in my ribs brought me back on track. ¡°Uh, I mean, I¡¯m sorry but after the last few days I have trouble imagining a different outcome. It¡¯s been rough. Please, let¡¯s drink. If it becomes necessary, we can still rip each other to shreds afterwards.¡± Alright, that had been only incrementally better but Ignus didn¡¯t seem offended. On the contrary, he produced a sound that was similar to a deep, humanoid belly laugh and replied, his tentacles quivering with mirth: ¡°I like your priorities. Well then, why don¡¯t we agree to let one another live, at least until the mead is gone? It would be a waste if we were to spoil it with a useless struggle.¡± I exhaled deeply, glad he had a sense of humour. He couldn¡¯t be that bad, right? ¡°Maybe you should do the talking from now on,¡± I whispered in Ahri¡¯s direction while I worked my wings to roll one of the barrels towards Ignus and remove the lid. ¡°It has worked out so far,¡± she replied and filled two mugs. After she had handed me one, I raised it and said: ¡°to Viyara and her father. May the memories of him never be forgotten and may she flourish in his stead.¡± I had tried to avoid using Shafeer¡¯s name, I still wasn¡¯t sure if dragons refrained from using the names of the dead, but better safe than sorry. One blunder was more than enough for the first few minutes of a conversation. Ahri and Ignus echoed my words and we drank. For a few seconds all I heard was a loud, gurgling sound while the dragons each took a barrel between their jaws and emptied it by raising their heads. The empty casks they dropped unceremoniously to the ground afterwards. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while¡­¡± Ignus said while he smacked his lips. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that the basic rules of hospitality are still honoured around here. Now then, while you have been labouring for our comfort I had time to think and examine my grandchild more closely. Parts of what she said and what I¡¯ve seen now begin to make sense. I came here, fully prepared to free her from the clutches of whatever she had stumbled into but instead I find her hearty and whole with a bunch of dwarfs and kitsune. And you two. Who are you and what is that animal on your shoulder?¡± I shared a look with Ahri and my mother. We hadn¡¯t talked about how many secrets we wanted to keep but the shrug I received from both sides told me that none of us had a problem with the truth. And somehow it had fallen to me to decide how much of it we were going to divulge. ¡°The second question can easily be answered, that¡¯s my mother. She can¡¯t talk yet, but nodding and shrugging are well within her capabilities. Scratching too, but I don¡¯t think that matters right now. As for who we are¡­ refugees. We¡¯ve lost our home to the same sorcerer who orchestrated the attack on your son¡¯s lair. The children you¡¯ve seen in our camp had been taken and Viyara stumbled across us when we freed them, Galathon hot on her tail. I imagined you¡¯ve already heard the rest.¡± ¡°I did. Maybe I haven¡¯t asked precisely enough. How could you, a young kitsune, fight off a grown dragon and live to tell the tale? How could you change my granddaughter¡¯s nature on accident? What are you?¡± I didn¡¯t mind telling him, but that was just condescending, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? If you understand what has happened to her, you¡¯ll already have guessed, even if she hasn¡¯t spelled it out for you. We are,¡± I included Ahri with a nod, ¡°reborn members of an ancient race. A part of me has seen suns ignite and fade away and I¡¯ve promised Viyara to stay by her side until she no longer needs me. Whatever. Happens. That includes you and any other dragons who believe they can take her away against her will. Let me be very clear: that¡¯s not going to happen. And now I¡¯d kindly like to know who you are and where you¡¯ve been when she needed you the most. She and your son.¡± Oh, oh, I meant it, but still¡­ He narrowed his eyes, flashes of light ran along the tentacles under his jaw and a reverberating growl, I could even feel echoing through the earth, pressed against my eardrums. Smoke welled up from his nostrils, his muscles twitched beneath his golden armour and I felt certain I¡¯d gone too far. A little modesty, Cassandra, just a little. You didn¡¯t have to rub his nose in your defiance. Dragons, and nearly everybody else for that matter, didn¡¯t appreciate being challenged. Admittedly, I hated being looked down upon but that was no excuse. This fight, if one broke out, would be on me and I better made sure that no one else would get hurt. The constant hum from my wings intensified and I could see silvery patches of light dance in front of me as I pulled more energy from my core. I took a gliding strap forward until I was directly between Ignus and the others, a halo of power crackling behind me. It had never been my intention to start a duel, but I sure as hell would finish it, before I had another reason to regret my words. ¡°The mead¡¯s not gone,¡± Ahri¡¯s silky voice was trembling with anxiety but she still reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, while Viyara seemed completely frozen. ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± she added in a barely audible whisper. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone insinuate that I let my family down, whoever they are,¡± Ignus roared, a blazing tongue of flame erupting from his gullet. To my surprise, he hadn¡¯t aimed at us but released his fire into the sky, a roaring pillar of light and heat. Hot air washed over me and the smell of molten gold became stronger by the second. Still, we were unscathed because he hadn¡¯t wanted to incinerate us. Maybe we could still go back. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention and I apologise. I should have chosen my words more carefully. Please, forgive me. But I won¡¯t be bullied into quiet obedience. I told you truthfully who we are and I think we have just the same right as you to know who we are dealing with. Especially if you¡¯ve come to claim Viyara as one of your own, I¡¯ll have some answers, otherwise we might as well continue what we¡¯ve started.¡± The growl slowly subsided but the lingering tingle of magic in the air didn¡¯t vanish. He kept glowering at me with an intensity that easily conveyed just how thin the ice under me truly was. I felt my mom loosen her tails around me, ready to jump to safety or towards his eyes, depending on the situation, but then he laughed again, the same full, infectious sound as before. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You¡¯ve got the fire and the mettle, I¡¯ll give you that and it even seems like you can back it up. Apology accepted. For a two legged creature you aren¡¯t half bad. You aren¡¯t a transformed dragoness as well, are you?¡± With a lightning quick strike his long neck whipped forward and he snatched another barrel, easily evading my wings. He sat back on his haunches and skilfully opened it with his tongue but the message was clear. That could have been my head. I swallowed dryly and sent a trickle of energy to my eyes and brain, just in case, before I answered: ¡°I¡¯ve been asked before, but no, not that I¡¯m aware of, at least. Would that change anything?¡± ¡°A lot, actually. I would have much less trouble with thinking of you as anything more than a mouthful, for one. Also, you could shield Viyara with your name until she can forge one for herself.¡± He paused and the thrum of his magic disappeared. I took a step back and folded my wings neatly against my back. Like a summer storm, the tension passed and I heard Ahri¡¯s relieved sigh while Viyara relaxed. Still, I felt her shuffle closer to my side. ¡°I imagine that means nothing to either of you, so allow me to explain.¡± He emptied his second cask and belched a cloud of smoke. ¡°Draconic society, if you can even call it that, isn¡¯t structured by blood ties or origin, those things tend to become insignificant when you count your age in hundreds or even thousands of years. No, we live by our word, our promises, something you should be familiar with. Those bonds are tied to our names and what you would call a family, are the ones we allow to share in it. My son, for instance, carried my name long into his 9th century, a shield, woven from the promises I had gathered over the course of my life. Now, whatever the reason, he didn¡¯t imprint his legacy on either you, Viyara, or his wives and everything he was, the connections he had made, died with him. I can speculate as well as you, maybe a bit better since I know how he stood with some of the others, why he chose not to, but in the end, it doesn¡¯t matter. Viyara, as far as dragons are concerned, you¡¯re truly alone, a valuable outlaw, ripe for the picking. I¡¯ve come here to take you under my wing and rectify that, but only if you¡¯re willing.¡± ¡°Great, now I feel like an ignorant jerk,¡± I mumbled. But obviously not quietly enough. ¡°You are,¡± Ignus replied, ¡°but then again, so are we all. It should be clear by now though, why I¡¯m so insistent on knowing who and what you are. In a way you¡¯ve already made my grandchild a part of your family, a bond that weighs more heavy than a connection of blood and I¡¯m old enough to know that she won¡¯t willingly break it.¡± He paused and pointedly looked at the remaining casks. I obliged and he downed it just as quickly as the last one before he continued: ¡°Everything else aside, there are four options: Viyara can forge her own name, you can do it in her stead and she can decide to carry it, she can choose mine or we can leave things as they are. All of them come with their own set of problems but in the end,¡± he moved his head to loom above Viyara: ¡°it¡¯s your decision, yours alone.¡± And then it clicked. Dragons¡­ a long lived species¡­ several of theirs must have been around during the Cataclysm, even before, maybe even during Amon¡¯s first rise to power. They knew, at least some of them had to, but they didn¡¯t care. And the child whose grandfather was one of the oldest creatures I had met had crashed into my life by happenstance. Better yet, in her blood she carried the key for their species to evolve, a precious secret, and again, by sheer coincidence, I had mixed it with my own power. In the end, I had gained a friend who could make them care, through her existence alone. And now, as if the invisible hand of fate was at play, she might even declare her allegiance in a way no dragon could reject. Had every encounter I had had been meticulously planned? Damn it to hell, I already knew what she was going to say. ¡°This is all new to me,¡± Viyara included all of us in her telepathy, which lead me to sense my mom¡¯s mind for the first time, even though it was just an echo. It felt¡­ wild, untamed, even dangerous in a way but there was also compassion and kindness, a glowing spark of warmth beneath a churning sea. For a moment I wondered why nobody had given her an artefact that would allow her to communicate telepathically instead of her parchment, but I imagined that it most likely couldn¡¯t be done. Telepathy wasn¡¯t exactly the same as magic and maybe it followed slightly different rules. Like the communication crystals, they needed a focus as well, a counterpart to connect to, but they didn¡¯t link people mind to mind. I¡¯d have to ask. Focus¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you or the importance of names before. A draconic society? I thought we were loners, tied to nothing and no one. And if blood ties don¡¯t matter, why are you even here? I¡¯d truly like to get to know you and I¡¯ve got many questions, what the forging of a name is, for instance. But I¡¯m not going to leave the people who took me in and became my friends¡­ maybe even my family to become part of a community who¡¯ll either try to exploit who I am or are too afraid of you to touch me. My life in father¡¯s lair has ended and I¡¯ve already taken the first steps towards a new one. I¡¯m not going to give that up.¡± ¡°I expected as much.¡± Ignus thoughts felt old, slow and powerful, like a stream of magma that carried the earth on its back. ¡°But you might change your mind after I¡¯ve answered your questions. You¡¯re right, for the most part, dragons don¡¯t enjoy each other¡¯s company. There are exceptions but they are usually tied to a single hoard or lair, like your family, for example. We are still one people, though, and since we usually reach an immense age, we tend to meet every once in a while. A name is a way to keep track, to record your history, your deeds but also your shortcomings over a long life. It¡¯s a sign that you¡¯ve begun to live on your own terms and are ready to face the consequence without anyone sheltering you. Consequentially its creation is also a trial where you have to proof your worth and your ability to fly on your own. The forging itself is a secret kept by the oldest member of our race, if he deems you ready, he¡¯ll help you craft it. In essence it¡¯s an enchantment attached to your very soul, but the symbolism is far more important. Without it, you¡¯re just¡­ cattle.¡± He paused and I obediently provided another barrel for his bottomless stomach. I hadn¡¯t even finished my first mug. ¡°As for why I care¡­ I made you. I provided the knowledge my son needed to succeed. You¡¯re as much a child of my genius as you are of his body. You¡¯re the pinnacle of my studies and the living proof that I was right. For that reason alone I¡¯d want to keep you safe. But I also know you far better than you think, you might have met me today for the first time, but I¡¯ve seen you on quite a few occasions before.¡± His skin began to glow, but not with the golden light that always engulfed Viyara when she transformed, it was a series of spells that slowly spread and changed his flesh. His wings disappeared, his tail vanished and his forelegs turned into arms while he shrank until he was smaller than me. A hunchbacked, toothless human grinned at us over wire rimmed glasses. I had never seen him before in my life, but¡­ ¡°You¡¯re one of the slaves¡­ but you died, years ago,¡± Viyara murmured. ¡°Not precisely but I had to take my leave. My son never knew that I lived in his lair for the better part of 2 years,¡± he said in a slightly wheezy voice. ¡°I wasn¡¯t willing to risk discovery but I had a friend of mine stay with you until the end. And a good thing I did, since Barzuk saved all of you if I¡¯m not mistaken. He informed me as soon as Galathon appeared and I told him to keep my existence a secret when we spoke again after your return. Otherwise, if you had been captured again, it would have been known that I was approaching. But when I arrived, you were already gone. Of course I remembered the strange companion he had told me about, but I¡¯d never have imagined that you were saved by an immortal who graced you with her blessing.¡± 126. Of trust, rules and a little tale Cassandra Pendragon I wouldn¡¯t have spared him a second glance in the street, if I had met him accidentally. A small, gaunt male with a greying chin beard and thinning hair, somewhere between blonde and brown, clad in a simple, brown robe. His squinting eyes were half covered by his reflective glasses and when he smiled, I could spot a missing tooth in his upper jaw. Only the huge paw prints around him hinted at his hidden nature. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard rumours, or rather the rumour about rumours,¡± he continued, ¡°half forgotten tales about different planets and the wider cosmos where we dragons are but one of a million different species, all struggling to survive. I never believed in them until I saw you, Viyara. I know you can¡¯t feel it yet but you¡¯re aura, your presence¡­ it¡¯s much stronger than it should be, even considering your origins. I can taste the touch of eternity in your blood and it humbles me.¡± He leisurely strolled over to another cask and conjured a tankard with a flourishing gesture. After he had filled and emptied it twice in quick succession he belched and added: ¡°a little, at least. Now, I think I¡¯ve explained myself in more detail than I have in a long time and I¡¯d like to get your side of the story. Preferably without any glaring holes or veiled insinuations. Who is this sorcerer you¡¯ve hinted at and why are there two immortals on my world?¡± ¡°A bit more than that, actually,¡± I replied. ¡°The more I come to know, the more it feels like the answers to your questions are closely linked, if not the same, but I don¡¯t know them. All I have are memories and the worst week of my life. I¡¯ll gladly tell you what I know, but I fear it¡¯s not that much yet. We are¡­ have you heard the name Amon before? Or maybe even met him?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t, but I¡¯ve been around when he crawled from the shadows and burned the largest empire this world had seen to the ground. I¡¯ve heard of him, oh yes. But he vanished across the ocean, long before this continent was shattered, a ghost from the past, for all I know.¡± ¡°The ghost has returned, quite literally. He hasn¡¯t come here in the flesh, yet, but his will already taints the land and brings suffering to all he turns his attention to. He knows of me and he wants my power, as well as our freedom. Aided by one of my cousins, he strives to again hold dominion over these lands and my people as well as your son have fallen victim to his schemes. At the moment, he¡¯s the one we have to deal with for should we fail, not even the dragons will be save anymore.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯ve got a question,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°Before you said that it¡¯d be possible for her to forge a name of her own. Is that true? Could she become accepted as one of you? Or could I, for that matter? Could we try to gain the support of your people?¡± He digested what I had said right alongside another swig from his tankard before he answered: ¡°Yes, we are an arrogant people but if it became known what you are, what you both are, no one would object. Some might even try to push you in that direction. But I have to wonder, is that what you want? As it stands, maybe a handful of dragons could identify what Viyara is becoming or what you are. That would change. Who you are, what you are, would be obvious to any dragon at first glance. While only the most foolish or desperate would needlessly seek a fight with you, we are greedy by nature. I can¡¯t imagine that there won¡¯t be several attempts to either manipulate, blackmail or outright kill you from the shadows. Galathon had already succumbed to your enemy, from what Viyara told me, it stands to reason that he isn¡¯t the only one. Also, we don¡¯t have many rules but you¡¯d be bound by them.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°If you make a promise, everyone who shares your name will be bound by it. If you are defeated and the victor claims your name, he¡¯ll inherit your favours, your promises, your legacy... your family. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re capable to find a way around that or if it would even be binding for you and yours but usually it is.¡± Had Shafeer expected to be killed at one point? Was that the reason why he had never imprinted his family? It seemed likely but I was hesitant to ask, it didn¡¯t change much and it basically was none of my business. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± I asked. ¡°Between what Viyara already told you and what I¡¯ve just explained, you know of the challenges we have to face. What would you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯d probably retreat with those I care about to a mountain range that¡¯s high enough that nobody could bother me and let things sort themselves out. In a couple of centuries the woes of today won¡¯t be more than a distant memory. But I imagine that¡¯s not what you want to hear, much less do¡­ Who¡¯s this cousin of yours and how does he tie back into your story? It¡¯s hard to offer advice when you only know half of what has happened. Or don¡¯t you know yourself?¡± Viyara picked that moment to transform herself, a welcome distraction since I wasn¡¯t sure what to say. My past, our past was convoluted enough as it seemed. What was I supposed to tell him? Corruption might or might not be spreading through the ranks of the immortals and I had died in an attempt to seal it off? Amazeroth meanwhile had been planning for ages, presumably towards the same goal, and the role he played here, we all played, was nothing more than another step in a choreographed dance? Did it even matter¡­ ¡°Tell him,¡± Ahri interrupted my musings. ¡°Tell him what we know and what we have guessed. We don¡¯t have much to lose and maybe he can understand more than us. We need help, Cassandra.¡± I sighed. She was right but I found it difficult to honestly explain my past to a stranger. I had never spoken of it before, except to Ahri and my mom and I loathed the idea to figuratively let my pants down in front of someone I had just met for the first time. Maybe I was also starting to hoard my secrets, especially after the last time I had made the mistake of trusting someone else. That wouldn¡¯t do. I¡¯d be heading down a very lonely, very dark path, the end of which I didn¡¯t want to reach. It was better to get hurt while trying, than to give up, it always was. ¡°Fine, give me a moment. I¡¯ll collect Mephisto, he should be here for this.¡± ¡°No need, did you seriously think I wouldn¡¯t be listening in?¡± He said while his body slowly manifested from thin air. Surprisingly Ignus was the one who took his appearance in stride, the rest of us were stunned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you run around alone and get impaled on another altar. And for future reference, I won¡¯t be collected anywhere, anytime. Hello, lizard. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Mephisto, the other cousin she hasn¡¯t come around to tell you about. In contrast to the two lovely ladies, I¡¯m not a newborn, though, and you¡¯d do well to remember it.¡± And I had thought that we had left threatening each other behind us¡­ oh well, it seemed like they had to work out a pecking order and I wasn¡¯t going to get involved but watching sure would be fun. Two apes beating their chests¡­ if I hadn¡¯t behaved exactly the same, I¡¯d have thoroughly enjoyed the sight. As it was I felt a little silly. At least I had a few moments to finish my mug. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Age and youth are surprisingly similar¡­ the pleasure is all mine. I suppose you¡¯re the grumpy grandfather of the posse? We should get along splendidly, I¡¯m an old fart myself, after all. I¡¯d offer you some mead but after that introduction¡­ if you want some, go get it yourself. Now that we have assembled the group of tiny gods, could we get on with it?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re bold, even for a dragon,¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°Most of the fire breathers either grovel, bargain or bribe. Tell me Ignus, are you not afraid?¡± ¡°Of what? I can smell you, I can taste your aura. You¡¯re crippled, the shadow of what you oncewere, elder, and those two, while brimming with power are still wet behind their ears. I don¡¯t honour what you could be, only what you are and in that department, my hollow crowned friend, you¡¯re lacking. But don¡¯t worry your ancient head, it might become damaged. If I had wanted to hurt you, I wouldn¡¯t have shown your little prot¨¦g¨¦e how fast I can be. Cheers.¡± And there it was. Would we get to see a mud brawl, I wondered. Hopefully they weren¡¯t stupid enough to escalate things that far, but I wasn¡¯t convinced. If they were to¡­ Damn it, I really didn¡¯t want to get involved. ¡°Oh, enough, you two.¡± While Ahri and I were watching curiously and maybe a bit worried, Viyara had decided to stop them. Good for her, and us, probably, but a small part of me still regretted her intervention. ¡°You¡¯re both mighty, wise and not to be trifled with. We get it. Unless you want to battle it out, you¡¯re just going to have to accept that there¡¯s someone else here who might just be as mighty, wise and short tempered.¡± I looked at Ahri and her small smile told me that I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it funny when a naked girl berated an elder dragon and a demon but I quite enjoyed the sight. ¡°Can we skip the part where you have to prove it? The more time you waste the longer we have to wait and I for one,¡± she turned to me, ¡°really want to hear what you were going to say. You haven¡¯t told me much and I would like to know what happened in your past, especially since it always seems to be cropping up.¡± ¡°Even that is speculation,¡± I huffed, ¡°but a pretty good one. I only think it¡¯s all tied together, neither do I know for sure nor has anyone told me. Maybe¡­ Mephisto, isn¡¯t it time for you to tell us what you know? What truly happened? After what I went through in the tomb I¡¯d say it¡¯s a safe bet that I won¡¯t suddenly explode only because you triggered a memory. Last time I dreamed, I could even choose what I wanted to see. By now your silence is much more dangerous than it is necessary.¡± Ignus and him had been staring each other down, more or less ignoring Viyara, but now he reacted as if he had been whipped. He immediately faced me, his features frozen in an unreadable, stony expression. ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but probably means jack shit when you¡¯re risking your life. Granted, you¡¯ve earned the right to ask those questions and I won¡¯t refuse to answer.¡± His expression softened. ¡°I still don¡¯t think what I know matters overly much since I¡¯m not privy to Amazeroth¡¯s plans and nothing I can tell you will make his motives clear but you might still have to pay a steep price. Not to mention you, Aur¡­ Ahri. You¡¯re as much a part of this as her. Are you willing to take the risk? For your life and hers?¡± That was low, in my opinion. I wouldn¡¯t want Ahri to risk her life or sanity whatever the potential gains and he had told me that I was asking for precisely that. Admittedly, I could have figured as much out myself, considering she had been an integral part of my last life and played a role in my death, but I had never thought about it. Of course knowledge that could trigger my memories and core could just as likely trigger hers. ¡°Don¡¯t make me a part of this, Mephisto,¡± she answered. ¡°Even if your information pushes me over the edge, I think I can deal with it. I¡¯ve¡­ the last few days were nearly more than I could cope with and I¡¯ve grown, I can handle one transformation. As for Cassy, it¡¯s her call. I¡¯ll support her either way.¡± Thanks for the vote of confidence, hon, but I wasn¡¯t too sure anymore that her trust in my decisions was justified. Looking back, I had stumbled from one mess to the next and every turn I had taken had brought me deeper into the mire. At least I was fairly certain that she wouldn¡¯t have told us she¡¯d be fine if she hadn¡¯t believe it herself. Probably... Maybe. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°Spill it. It¡¯s time.¡± There was no point in conveying how unsure I actually was. ¡°As you wish. Listen closely, lizard. You¡¯re about to hear a tale that¡¯s not supposed to reach mortal ears. Now, where should I start¡­¡± he massaged his temples and began: ¡°For the first time in aeons, angels and demons were marching to war. Surprisingly it wasn¡¯t against each other as had happened countless times before, no, while it started out like that, we ultimately marched against a single member of our species, you. Not since times primordial had the cosmos seen an army as mighty as ours, reality warped around us and time stood still wherever we went, but in the end it didn¡¯t matter. We were baited into the void, a place where the rules of creation don¡¯t apply, a place where immortals came to wage their wars and fight their battles without endangering existence in its whole. Why, you might ask. Why had we mobilised every immortal, why did demons and angels march side by side against one of their own? Embarrassing as it is, most of us had been deceived, again, by you. You stole from us, Cassandra, you stole from the demons and in the process you killed one of the most powerful members of our species, Chaleb. Even worse, you weren¡¯t caught and back then, we didn¡¯t even know who had breached hell and taken the one thing we feared above all else. Incidentally, we never found out what happened to it. You don¡¯t remember a dark ring cast like the ouroboros, seemingly made from obsidian? A fairly inconspicuous piece of jewellery but I have to wonder, do you know where it is?¡± My heart sped up and I involuntarily touched the dark ring I was still wearing on my finger. I had never intended to keep it secret, nor had I openly talked about it, but why hadn¡¯t he seen it before? I had been wearing it for long enough now, he must have gotten a glimpse at it, one time or the other. ¡°No, no I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied haltingly. ¡°What was it?¡± Another lie, another secret¡­ I didn¡¯t know what prompted me to not tell him, maybe I had imagined a greedy glimmer in his eyes or heard something in his voice, but I had a feeling we¡¯d be better off if the ring stayed hidden. ¡°It won¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t remember it. It¡¯s probably long gone, destroyed by your last incarnation out of spite. Lucifer could be like that¡­ stubborn, resentful. But I digress. Like I said, you weren¡¯t caught but you left behind more than one corpse. At Chaleb¡¯s side, covered in wounds obviously caused by his axe, laid an angel: Metathron, his wings cleanly ripped off and what remained of his neck, covered in the residual energy from Chaleb¡¯s weapon. Strangely enough, none of us could part the veil and see what had happened, time had been scarred and cut to ribbons around that time, so we were forced to guess. None but another immortal would even have stood a chance to get there and with the fresh bodies before us, most of us came to the same conclusion: war, another war against heaven and we had already suffered the first, maybe lethal blow. Only Delilah and a few of her allies argued against it, claiming we were being played but since she couldn¡¯t name you as the culprit, no one believed her. To make matters worse, Michael was rallying the heavenly armies, we knew that much, but we didn¡¯t know why. I¡¯m still not certain, to be honest. Anyways, as could be expected, we didn¡¯t intend to take the final blow laying down and so we marched to the void and to our last battle. All of us but one, Amazeroth. He¡­ I don¡¯t have the foggiest what he was doing, but he didn¡¯t join us until much later. We were ready for a final confrontation, either to perish or get back our freedom when we entered the void and then, you fucked up. Royally. You had to watch, you know. You couldn¡¯t just allow things to play out, so you had to be there. Some of us saw you, some of the angels saw you... Delilah¡¯s fantasies suddenly became much more convincing and we decide to take a chance and¡­ talk. About a second later, two immortal armies turned on you. You¡¯re unbelievably powerful, Cassandra, or you have been, but you didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± 127. Of summaries, chronologies and a little bit of future problems Cassandra Pendragon ¡°That makes no sense,¡± I blurted out. ¡°None of it. I wasn¡¯t that stupid. I know as much. I wouldn¡¯t have been there to gloat, not without another reason. And why did you suddenly trust each other? You went from a fiery, last act of defiance to cooperation in the blink of an eye? I¡¯m not buying it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to,¡± he answered grumpily. ¡°I withheld some information for the dramatic effect¡­ would you just let me tell my story? Thank you. Anyways, now that the cat is out of the bag, it didn¡¯t go over quiet as smoothly. One, you weren¡¯t there to gloat, nor had you banked on us annihilating each other. You wanted to seal the void with us inside. You¡¯re mistake was getting caught while you worked your magic. As for angels and demons cooperating¡­ it wasn¡¯t so hard, provided that Michael and his cronies had readily promised that they hadn¡¯t stolen from us. When the first streams of your magic raced across the realm, even the most moronic angel caught up. It was¡­ humbling. Watching you hold your spells together while the forces of heaven and hell tore at you from all sides¡­ you might have been an ass, but you were never a coward, I¡¯ll give you that. But in the end, even though we paid for it, you fell. And you were never supposed to rise again. Killing an immortal isn¡¯t impossible, as we all learned that day, it¡¯s just difficult. Really difficult. You were going to die that day, Cassandra, permanently. If it hadn¡¯t been for her,¡± he nodded in Ahri¡¯s direction, ¡°and my own trusting, gentle and brave nature, you would have.¡± He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. ¡°Aurora came to me, directly after the battle. I had never seen an angel as distraught as she was and she told me a story. A story about lies, misplaced trust and Corruption. A story I didn¡¯t fully understand and still don¡¯t but here is what she said. You weren¡¯t the misguided, corrupted fool every one thought you to be, no, the culprit was someone else, Michael. She told me that there was something she referred to as Corruption, something tangible, physical that could infect an immortal and change their essence, turn them into a mockery of what they had once stood for. She claimed that she had seen and been hunting for pieces of it for the longest time. She had thought that you had been infected, Michael had told her so. She hadn¡¯t believed him at first but when you had told her of your plans, she had begun to think. She hadn¡¯t been able to imagine that you¡¯d even consider killing your brethren if something else hadn¡¯t changed you and then¡­ well, there are your wings. They supposedly radiate the same power as the Corruption and she had been sure you had been consumed.¡± He sighed. ¡°Only afterwards, when you had already been beaten, had she, that is you, Ahri, found out how wrong she had been. In his arrogance, Michael had made one mistake: he had used its power on one of their own, forcing him to burn his essence to curse the knights of hell, corrupting their rebirth. She had found out shortly after you had collapsed, Cassandra, and was desperate. While she had thought that she was fighting against it, she had helped remove the one obstacle Michael had feared and the man she loved, you.¡± Another sigh. ¡°At first I didn¡¯t understand why she would even talk to me but she had a plan. The knights were gone, their rebirth tainted but I still held their cores and she wanted me to use them to save you. So I had a decision to make, trust her, possibly killing some of my friends in the process, or allow things to play out as they may. Frankly, under normal circumstances I¡¯d have told her to shove her wings where the sun don¡¯t shine and piss off, but¡­ I know you, Cassandra and one thing I didn¡¯t doubt: if you were willing to go to such lengths, you¡¯d either truly have lost your marbles or there¡¯d be a reason I could grudgingly respect. Her explanation fit, either you had been corrupted or other immortals had been. And then I remembered something Chaleb had said to me shortly before he had died. We had talked about you and a meeting between the two of you. He hadn¡¯t said much but his last words still rang in my ears. No, Mephisto. There isn¡¯t a force in this realm or another one that can turn him into something he is not. Never doubt that. Had he known? Had the two of you collaborated to engineer the downfall of us immortals to prevent the Corruption from spreading? Had he warned me back then, that you weren¡¯t the one corrupted? I believed so and still do. I trusted him, he is¡­ was my friend and at his say so, I was willing to take the risk. What more is there to say? I burned the cores to free you from the trap they had placed you in and you were reborn. The rest is history, as they say. And just so you know, I haven¡¯t regretted my decision. Now, there is still much I can tell you about hell and which demons might have gone crazy or which angels I suspect of having fallen, I¡¯ll indulge you later, if you want, but that part doesn¡¯t really matter until we either have a way to leave this backwater planet or we meet Amazeroth.By now I¡¯m quite inclined to agree with you that he¡¯s somehow at the middle of it all. But there you have it. That¡¯s the story of how you died and I got here.¡± I was lost in thought when he finished, some of the pieces clicking together. Considering what Ahri had told me about her dreams, I knew that she hadn¡¯t lied to Mephisto back then. Amazeroth was most likely working against the corrupted immortals in his usual, ruthless fashion, I just didn¡¯t know what in hell he could possibly want to achieve. As far as I knew, everyone that was somewhat on the same side was stuck here, on this very planet and there was nothing we could do for the moment. Better yet, Ahri, Mephisto and I had lost most of our power and where nothing more than dead meat in a conflict with another immortal. And I knew he had created this situation in the first place, since he had suppressed Aurora¡¯s memories and her gnawing suspicions so she would play along. From my point of view, he had repaired the broken watch by smashing it completely. What had he been thinking? ¡°Let¡¯s steal most of their abilities form them and make them run around in circles, meanwhile fighting against a mortal I¡¯m supporting. I¡¯m sure everything will turn out much better in that case, spice it up with a little chaos, add a shaving of mortal peril and grief and voila, the recipe for a perfect Happy End.¡± He wouldn¡¯t have gotten far as a cook, that much was certain. Metaphors aside, I didn¡¯t really know how to feel. Somewhat glad that there at least seemed to be a reason for all the shit I had gone through, disgusted and angry at the stupidity of it all and the more than negligible differences between immortals and mortals when it came to power and¡­ grateful. I wouldn¡¯t even have existed if it had happened any other way. While I was brimming with different emotions, my core hadn¡¯t reacted and there was also no feeling of enlightenment like there had been every other time I had transformed naturally. Mephisto words hadn¡¯t been enough to trigger the change and from what I could see, Ahri wasn¡¯t engulfed in light or flames, either, nor was she sprouting another tail. Absentmindedly I took a step closer to her and intertwined our tails. Despite everything I was happy that I had the chance to live, to breath, to love. Maybe that was it. Had I needed to die to appreciate life again? I didn¡¯t know and I wasn¡¯t going to find out now, that would have to wait until I finally came face to face with Amazeroth himself. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Thanks to both of you.¡± I kissed Ahri on the cheek and nodded towards Mephisto. ¡°I owe you everything¡­¡± ¡°Save it,¡± he replied grumpily while Ahri took my hand and squeezed it lightly. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t been blind, or willing to listen, none of this would have happened. Kick your brother in the balls for me, once we get out of here, and we¡¯re even. I¡¯m more curious as to what you¡¯ve seen in your memories. Anything you¡¯d like to add?¡± ¡°A bit. As far as I know, Aurora told you the truth. The corruption is real and in the beginning, Michael, Ezekiel, Ma¡¯kal, Hora and Aurora knew about it, as well as Amazeroth, Lilith and Delilah.¡± It was my turn to sigh. ¡°I also suspect that it¡¯s not the first time we are confronted with it. It seems like something similar happened during the first war, you know, the one we can¡¯t remember. Also¡­ I might have been infected back then, I don¡¯t really know, but whatever the Corruption truly is, I can control it to a certain degree. My wings¡­ I¡¯ve already relived the meeting with Chaleb you presumably referred to before. Delilah was¡­ is a carrier most likely. Chaleb had cut off her horn and I was able to manipulate the energy within, even the transformed parts of it. A purer strain, he called it. There¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s likely, at least I thought so when he told me. I haven¡¯t changed since I¡¯m immune to magic but I still retained a connection to the source that allows me to influence everything that has sprung from it. Maybe even the corrupted immortals, which would also explain why Michael was so adamant about killing me. As to why¡­ I¡¯m not certain but I suspect that the war of the families you told me about back on Boseiju is linked to it as well. I¡¯m only speculating but since Amazeroth is one of the few who retained their memories and he¡¯s been after Ahri¡¯s family for a while, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too far of a stretch. Who knows, maybe both wars are one and the same¡­ we didn¡¯t forget, our memories merely got altered, but I don¡¯t know, either way. That¡¯s one of the reasons I want to visit Ahri¡¯s family. If they can¡¯t tell us¡­ there won¡¯t be a way to find out, until we meet Amazeroth. He must be able to explain how everything ties together and what idiotic scheme he¡¯s pursuing to allow the past to play out as it has, assuming he truly is as involved as I suspect. Which seems even more likely since he bound himself to Amon in an attempt to get out of another contract. So basically it all comes down to this: how do we stop an ancient sorcerer who has the lord of mirrors on a leash and seems hellbent on destroying our world?¡± I turned to Ignus. ¡°And how can we convince your people to help?¡± He had been listening attentively, even the mead had been forgotten, but my question shook him out if his reverie. ¡°I¡¯m too old for this shit,¡± he mumbled. ¡°What should I say, then? I¡¯ve been ancient before your mother hatched from her egg. I¡¯m not complaining either, am I?¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°You are, all the time,¡± I quickly intervened before Ignus could reply. I focused on the dragon. ¡°But seriously, now that you¡¯ve heard where we¡¯re coming from, what we are, what do you think we should do? Is there a chance we could convince the dragons to help us?¡± ¡°As a people? No. It doesn¡¯t work like that, we¡¯re not tied to a monarch or a council that could decide for dragon kind to go to war. What you can do is try to convince individuals¡­ like me. In that regard, you¡¯ve already had a good start, I¡¯m just not completely convince that you aren¡¯t all moonstruck, but I¡¯m getting there. You mostly don¡¯t seem like a bunch of raving lunatics¡­ if I were in your place, I¡¯d use the naming as an excuse. A new member of our society is a reason to gather, share stories, forge alliances¡­ talk to them, see who might be convinced, bribed or intimidated into helping. Depending on how the ritual goes and who undertakes it, some are sure to be willing to listen. But I wouldn¡¯t bank on it. Warn the bipedal monarchs, get ahead of whatever is happening¡­ you¡¯re a princess, are you not? Even if your kingdom has fallen, you must have friends out there somewhere. That¡¯s where I¡¯d start. You mentioned before that your brood partner has family elsewhere. I saw two elves when I circled your camp and I¡¯m sampling the most exquisite dwarven mead. Use what you have, if the dwarfs, elves and another tribe of kitsune agree to work with you, you¡¯ll have more than enough to handle anything but a full scale invasion.¡± When he had mentioned the mead, he had leisurely filled his tankard and now he downed it in one go. ¡°You also need more information, about Amon, his plans, his resources¡­ from what Viyara has told me it seems certain that he has a strong foothold around these islands. Infiltrate it, get to know your enemy better than you know yourself, if that¡¯s possible. There is also the Black One¡¯s death. You could try to reach out to his family, his friends. If they don¡¯t kill you on sight as the murderer of their sire, they might want revenge, if you manage to spin the tale in the right way. Which makes me think¡­ Incidentally, if you want, I could also make sure that most dragons would attend the naming ceremony, wether it is yours or Viyara¡¯s. I could spread rumours of what you are, what she¡¯s becoming and you can rest assured, nearly everyone would follow my call, considering how close I am to Viyara and my own reputation. I could have them assembled in, let¡¯s say three months. You¡¯d have your chance to speak with each one. But I¡¯m not going to lie, mostly you¡¯ll either be disregarded as a young child that makes a fuzz over nothing or you¡¯ll be forced to pay dearly for any form of help. And I don¡¯t mean gold, but favours and promises. You might even be attacked or ambushed, if one dragon has submitted to Amon¡¯s will, others might have as well. If I spread the word, they¡¯ll be coming after you even faster, in case they can find you, that is.¡± Mephisto scoffed. ¡°They won¡¯t. I¡¯ve already been playing around with a couple of spells. They¡¯ll mask our trace and prevent scrying spells from working.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I thought that might become an issue soon and it seems like I was right. Once again.¡± ¡°Are you keeping score?¡± I asked incredulously. ¡°Sure. Are you not?¡± He seemed at least as surprised as I was. ¡°No? That¡¯s¡­ never mind, why did I even ask? So basically we¡¯re back to where we started. Find allies, keep an eye on Amon and keep our heads on our shoulders while we do it. As for the dragons¡­ we have a small chance to convince a few of them, but only if we divulge who we are. Is that about right?¡± Ignus raised his tankard in my direction. ¡°Pretty much. Which brings us back full circle. I assume you still want to stay here, Viyara?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡­ even though I have only been here for a short time, I already feel like I have a home here, with you.¡± She had turned to Ahri and me. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to stay, if you would have me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a silly question, I already told you, we¡¯d love to have you with us.¡± I answered for both of us. ¡°And he doesn¡¯t get a vote,¡± I added in Mephisto¡¯s direction before he could butt in. For the first time in quite a while, my mom reacted and rubbed her head against my cheek. I took that as agreement and gratefully returned the gesture. ¡°Do you intend to forge a name for yourself? Either one of you,¡± Ignus asked, including Ahri and me with a sweeping gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Viyara answered hesitantly. ¡°How likely is it, that I will truly be hunted for what I am? Is my blood really that important?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not only your blood, but you,¡± the old dragon replied. ¡°The secret of how to have draconic offspring with another species rests within you, I don¡¯t even know it in its entirety. I¡¯ve provided much of the necessary knowledge, but the only one who can lead us to the whole truth is you. For us, that¡¯s much more important than a war between lesser species, maybe even more so than that you¡¯ve met an immortal and what she¡¯s done to you. Even if it¡¯s known that you¡¯re protected by either me or an angel, your guardian will have to fight many duels before it sinks in that you¡¯re out of bounds. You¡¯re valuable enough that many will risk death to get their claws on you.¡± 128. Of names, histories and a little bit of politics Cassandra Pendragon Silence was the only response he received for a while. Viyara had decidedly turned much paler while the rest of us were lost in thought. ¡°What happens if she simply stays away until she¡¯s strong enough to fight her own battles?¡± I finally asked. ¡°We can hide her, between your and Mephisto¡¯s expertise there shouldn¡¯t be a dragon under the sun who can find her.¡± Before Ignus could even reply, Viyara vehemently shot me down. ¡°No way, I¡¯ve been hiding long enough! I¡­ I¡¯m not going to sit around in a cave any longer, like a treasure behind glass. I thought you¡¯d understand¡­ you just said¡­ If you don¡¯t want to deal with who I am, just say the word. I¡¯ll find a way to get through this without troubling you!¡± I was taken aback, especially when I saw the tears glistening in her eyes. She was more than upset, she was trembling with anger and disappointment. What had I said? Damn it¡­ I had forgotten she was barely more than a child and my question had sounded like I wanted to get rid of her and the burdens she carried. Like I wanted to dump her somewhere until she could solve her problems on her own, now that I had heard just how difficult it might become. ¡°You silly¡­,¡± I didn¡¯t finish my sentence, instead I quickly crossed the distance between us and pulled her into my arms. I felt her stiffen. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think that.¡± I smacked the back of her head softly. ¡°I just told you, I¡¯d love to have you with me and I don¡¯t care about your baggage. Didn¡¯t you listen? I meant it.¡± She relaxed a bit but when she spoke, it was more of a sniffle. ¡°I¡­ I know, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m sorry. When I imagined all of you flying away while I was left behind on some dead rock, I¡­ I can¡¯t. Don¡¯t do that to me, ever. Please.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise.¡± There I went again. But this time I had no second thoughts. When I felt another band settle in around my core and Viyara¡¯s presence drew closer to my mind, I smiled. ¡°There, signed and sealed.¡± When I pulled her deeper into my embrace, the tension left her body and her head came to rest against my shoulder. A moment later I felt my mom move as she shuffled across and slung her tails around the girl. ¡°You¡¯re not alone,¡± I whispered. She squeezed me tightly as her tears began to fall in earnest. Mordred had been right, she was a mess. ¡°Oh my, I think I¡¯m going to puke¡­¡± a resounding slap cut Mephisto off. When I looked over my shoulder I saw him rubbing the back of his neck while Ahri winked at me. Good, for a second I had been worried that she might have taken offence at my promise since she admittedly had a right to be included in my decisions. I hadn¡¯t promised anything far reaching or impactful, but still¡­ well, she seemed to be on board either way. I gently stroked Viyara¡¯s back before I asked: ¡°Better?¡± It took her a while to calm down but she eventually struggled out of my arms and nodded. ¡°Sorry, again,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t. I shouldn¡¯t have asked after you had stated explicitly that you want to come with us.¡± I lowered my voice to barely a whisper no one but her could hear. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°I¡­ I want my own name, but I don¡¯t think I can carry the weight alone. I¡¯m dependent on either your or Ignus¡¯ help and I don¡¯t think that would work. If I am challenged, there won¡¯t be much I¡¯ll be able to do, provided I even make it past the trials¡­¡± ¡°What if we joined you? Ahri and me, that is. We could become a formal part of your family and I imagine we could always help you out, in that case.¡± ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡± She asked loudly and perked up. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk with her, or course, but I don¡¯t see why not. We are already tied together anyways and I won¡¯t complain if I can use your name. As for the influence you might gain on us, your word being binding and all that¡­ I don¡¯t particularly care and I don¡¯t expect it to be that impactful with us, truth be told.¡± My mom used that moment to sink her claws into my shoulder. ¡°What,¡± I asked and turned my head in her direction. ¡°It¡¯s not like a draconic name would change who I am or what I call myself. I¡¯ll still be your daughter, I¡¯ll still be a Pendragon.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Viyara said quietly, ¡°if I¡¯m allowed to and you don¡¯t want to use it yourself, I¡¯d like to adopt your name. That way I could be come as much a part of your family as you would a part of mine. Also¡­ Do you know what Pendragon means?¡± I was too surprised to answer for a moment. ¡°Uh¡­ something along the lines of supreme leader? Why?¡± ¡°True, but in its original translation it means more than or all of the dragons,¡± Ignus interjected. He had picked up on the last part of our conversation since we hadn¡¯t bothered to keep our voices down. ¡°It¡¯s not a name I¡¯ve ever encounter among the lesser species and no dragon would be allowed to carry it, not anymore. I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ how much do you know about your family¡¯s history?¡± ¡°Not much. We lost the truly old records during the cataclysm,¡± I replied. ¡°My¡­ my father knew several legends but I was never overly interested in ancient tales. Maybe my mother or brother remember some of it,¡± I added with a shrug. ¡°But you¡¯d have to ask them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯d help too much. You¡¯d know what I¡¯m referring to, trust me. But I¡¯d be very interested in a drop of blood from your brother. Yours won¡¯t be of much use, neither will your mother¡¯s, even if she wasn¡¯t transformed. You¡¯re carrying you father¡¯s name, I assume? There¡¯s a story¡­ did you know that almost every human beast hybrid was, in one way or another, created or formed by draconic magic?¡± I nodded, Viyara had told me before. ¡°Well, if you believe in legends, it wasn¡¯t several of us but one dragon, or rather one family. The Pendragons, as you might have guessed by now. It¡¯s a myth but I¡¯ve seen too many legends come to life today to discard it offhandedly. As the story goes, they had the ability to change into any form they wished. Dragons come in a variety of shapes, mainly we are distinguished by our colours, which also signify how powerful we are and what kind of magic we are most proficient with. What you¡¯re born with, you¡¯re stuck with. Not for them though, they could change their hide and magic, possibly their carbuncle, as they wished and as such were a combination of every dragon race alive, a pen-dragon. Incidentally, that¡¯s what brought me to look into the hybridisation of dragons in the first place, but I digress. You might already have guessed where I¡¯m going with this, their magic bled into the creatures they shared their lairs with, humans and beasts alike and over time, the first beast kin appeared. The interesting part: your people, the fox tribe, weren¡¯t among them. I can¡¯t remember what supposedly happened, you¡¯d have to talk to someone much better versed in our lore than me, but the Pendragon family vanished and the beast kin spread across the world, right about the same time the first kitsune tribes appeared. And now I¡¯m meeting a royal family of that tribe, that carries the name Pendragon¡­¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Huh, another revelation that didn¡¯t particularly impact¡­ wait. He had said that the name Pendragon couldn¡¯t be used by dragons anymore but Viyara had still proposed to adopt it. I¡¯d bet my tails that the two dragons had talked about it before I had arrived and now we had finally gotten to that point. Which meant¡­ ¡°For your people, is Pendragon a name or a title?¡± I asked. Ignus cleared his throat in a very human gesture before he answered: ¡°both. As you might imagine, the ability to shift from one species of dragons to the next and use their innate magic grants quite a bit of power. Consequentially they had been the closest thing we ever had to a ruling dynasty, again, if the legend is based on facts. But even if it isn¡¯t, the name, from its meaning alone, still conveys a claim to hold the reins over dragon kind and thus is never used. Many have tried and all have been slain consequentially for their hubris. If Viyara were to adopt it, she¡¯d also proclaim her superiority, which is incidentally supported by her shifting and the changes you wrought on her. She is what the name stands for. Even though she¡¯s lacking the experience and age to back it up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart, I¡¯ll give you that. Do you hope to turn Viyara, to turn us, into a stepping stone for your own aspirations?¡± A picture had begun to form in my mind and if I was right, he wouldn¡¯t be the selfless grandfather and scientist he had made himself out to be. If Viyara were to forge our name, he stood to gain much by association and the role he played in her creation. I didn¡¯t know if he had arrived here with that intention but I was willing to bet that he had wanted her to adopt my name from the moment he had heard it. Retrospectively I should have seen it earlier, it was obvious that he had told her about it while they had been alone. Viyara hadn¡¯t reacted the first time she had heard my name and now she suddenly knew its meaning? There was only one explanation, he had told her. If so, then why hadn¡¯t they just come out and asked? I could only imagine that he had wanted to make sure we¡¯d be onboard before he shared the knowledge. For us the question was, would that bring more grief than it was worth? ¡°Definitely, but why should that be a problem? You¡¯re interested in gaining enough influence to convince some dragons to help in the coming war, are you not? Your name can turn out to be a huge boon, especially if combined with Viyara¡¯s unique abilities.¡± ¡°A boon you say¡­ isn¡¯t it more likely that it will turn into a curse? She¡¯ll be even more valuable with a proclaimed legacy like that and the ones who hadn¡¯t been sure if she¡¯s worth the trouble would stand in line to claim her. Not to mention that every one who looks into her past will quickly realise where her name is coming from. We are no dragons in disguise, neither royal, nor of any other kind¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± he interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s why I want some of your family¡¯s undiluted blood. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you were closer tied to us than you think. It¡¯s just too much of a coincidence, wouldn¡¯t you agree? But whether your the long lost descendants of an extinct draconic line or not, she definitely is. Maybe not by blood but by abilities.¡± He paused to refill his tankard. ¡°It¡¯s fitting for her to claim the name and in a very round about way, she already has. When you transformed her carbuncle, you made her a part of you, inadvertently I¡¯m sure, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact. She¡¯s a part of you and you¡¯re a Pendragon¡­ you¡¯ve asked me before what I¡¯d do in your stead? That¡¯s my answer. Help your friend claim a long lost title which might allow her to convince a draconic army to come to your aid.¡± I turned to Viyara. ¡°And that¡¯s really what you want? You do know that you can also go with something like ¡°Smith¡±, right? You won¡¯t have to deal with any of it, if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to be hunted either way, you heard him. We¡¯ll have to fight and in that case, I¡¯d rather have something to gain.¡± She switched to telepathy. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. While you and Mephisto talked, Ignus told me the meaning of your name. I didn¡¯t know before, nor have I lied. I never told him about you. He just figured it out while he was listening.¡± I answered in equal silence: ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s bugging me, but I have to wonder¡­ why the tears? We¡¯re you trying to manipulate me?¡± ¡°Never! Cassandra, I swear!¡± She didn¡¯t have to go on, I felt the truth in the ice cold panic that raced through her. She wasn¡¯t afraid that she had been caught, she was dreading the possibility that I might come to believe her even capable of that. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t tell you what came over me, ever since you vanished I¡¯ve felt¡­ lost. The idea of being left behind, even though I knew you wouldn¡¯t, just¡­ I¡¯ve been afraid and I feel¡­ guilty. You have enough problems as it is without me and still¡­ I guess I¡¯m always half expecting you to run and when you were gone, it felt like you had. My family, Barzuk and then you¡­ I thought I was fine when we got you back, but then you asked about hiding me away. Everything rose back up in a flash and I¡­ I just crumbled.¡± Through our link I felt barely restraint emotions swirling through her mind, like thunder clouds on a storm, and I knew she was barely holding it together. Damn it, I had been an insensitive jerk, once again. A little mistrust was surely warranted but I had to stop questioning my friends at every turn. I ignored her weak protest and pulled her back into my arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know, or rather I should have.¡± For a moment I wondered what she truly saw in me to warrant this reaction. A surrogate mother or father? Was she falling for me? In the end it didn¡¯t matter. She was a child who had placed her trust in me and I would start to honour that. The least I could do was return the gesture. ¡°You¡¯re not alone,¡± I repeated quietly. She ceased her struggle and relaxed against me for a few seconds. ¡°Thank you,¡± she mumbled, before she pushed me back. Her eyes were glittering with tears but she managed a small smile when she stepped away. ¡°Alright,¡± I said loudly. ¡°Ignus, Mephisto, I know the two of you are dying to prove that you¡¯re the wisest, most educated and most grumpy. Why don¡¯t you give us girls a minute, while you figure it out?¡± ¡°You want to get rid of us?!¡± Both of them sounded equally offended and cranky. ¡°Yes. Or is your last name Pendragon? Or do you maybe want to adopt it, too?¡± ¡°Why does she get to stay?¡± Mephisto asked and pointed at Ahri. ¡°A million reasons but mostly because she¡¯s already a part of my family in all but name and that might change. I know your curious but I swear, if you eavesdrop I¡¯ll strangle you within an inch of your life.¡± ¡°Promises, promises,¡± he said lecherously but never the less threw an arm around Ignus¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Come on then, my quadrupedal friend. Let¡¯s leave the peasants behind.¡± The barrels, of course, rose into the air in their wake and followed them towards the other side of the clearing. ¡°Viyara, if you¡¯d be so kind?¡± She quickly linked our minds so that my mom would be able to join the conversation. ¡°No,¡± she immediately blurted out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry child, I like you and you¡¯ve already proven that you¡¯re more than just a friend to my daughter, but you¡¯re not going to be the one who wields our name. Cassandra, you should know very well that I can¡¯t allow that. It might not mean much at the moment, but it¡¯s still the name of our family. Especially if it has a meaning among the draconic races that might be tied to us, I¡¯ll not stand by while someone else controls what it stands for.¡± ¡°Why,¡± I asked. ¡°What does it matter?¡± ¡°Damn it, Cassandra! Just this morning we¡¯ve talked about it. It matters because you want to keep the responsibility for what is left of our people. It matters because you¡¯re a princess and because you have two brothers, one of which is trying to build a home, a kingdom under our name. It matters because you¡¯ll have to stand by who you are, if you want to change the future.¡± Before I could reply, Viyara interjected: ¡°Then, what if she were to forge the name and I would join her? Could you live with that? Your family would become recognised among the dragons and your blood would still be in control.¡± 129. Of relations, decisions and a little bit of necromancy Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you want to forge your own legacy,¡± I asked. ¡°I did, I still do. But honestly, since we¡¯re going to stay together, I don¡¯t really see much of a difference. You¡¯re not going to force me into anything I don¡¯t want and you¡¯ll do as you please either way. Also¡­ I think I agree with your mother. It seems like we¡¯re going to visit another tribe of kitsune, the elves, maybe even the dwarfs in the near future, and if she isn¡¯t with us, you¡¯re most likely going to be the one to deal with them. I imagine the contact with my people will be much more sparse, stressful as it might turn out to be. But even with them¡­ you and Ahri are gong to be the ones who will have to answer every challenge, I simply can¡¯t, not yet. It¡¯s just¡­ fitting, since you¡¯re going to fill out the role anyways, you should also have the formal authority to do so.¡± ¡°That, I could live with,¡± my mom said. ¡°But you¡¯ll have to talk to your brothers as well, especially Arthur. I don¡¯t want to go back to discussing claims and legacies, but I imagine you¡¯ll have to drive a hard bargain to convince him to share his kingdom with someone who can easily adopt anyone an anything into the family.¡± ¡°Probably, but that¡¯s something we can discuss when we actually meet him. It¡¯s going to be at least a couple of weeks before we can or have to do anything in that regard and we¡¯ll see Arthur much sooner than that. What about you, love? You¡¯ve been quiet. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have been fine either way. I don¡¯t much care for titles and formal power but I have to admit, I¡¯m much more looking forward to taking a name in case it¡¯s yours. That¡¯s just vanity, though. For me, it¡¯s more of a question if we really want to invest the time, pain and tears necessary for all of it. Ignus made it clear, we¡¯ll have to fight for every inch we try to gain. Let me ask you this, after you have clashed with one dragon and barely came out alive, are you willing to jump right into the next bout with several of them? The fights are certain, the gain is not. I¡¯ve watched you closely, Cassie, you¡¯ve grown in the last days in a way I wouldn¡¯t have thought possible and in a straight up confrontation there isn¡¯t much left that can stand against you, but¡­ they¡¯re old, clever, wily and have magic. One mistake¡­ and I can¡¯t help you. Unless I get access to my core, you¡¯re the only one among us who would stand a chance against a fully grown dragon. Well, Mephisto maybe but he won¡¯t bother. I¡¯m¡­ honestly, I¡¯m not willing to let you poke another bear after I¡¯ve just scraped you off the floor from your last trip down the rabbit hole, or should I say into the spider¡¯s nest.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± my mom added quickly. ¡°You¡¯re funny,¡± I replied while I felt my temper rise a notch. ¡°It¡¯s not like I had much of a choice. This time is different, we know what we¡¯re dealing with and we have time! At the rate we have been going 3 months seem like an eternity. I won¡¯t argue that it¡¯s dangerous, but whichever direction we turn, danger will be a part of it. And it¡¯s not like we could simply ignore the dragons, well, we could but I don¡¯t expect them to return the favour. You heard Ignus, Viyara is going to turn into a target sooner or later, whatever we do. I¡¯d much prefer to decide myself when and where we have to fight.¡± Unless they were truly considering leaving the dragoness behind but I couldn¡¯t imagine Ahri thinking like that. My mom¡­ maybe. She could be ruthless when she felt like she needed to protect our family and would have at least thought about it. Hopefully she wouldn¡¯t say it out loud, otherwise we¡¯d have the prettiest fox fight on our hands not 3 hours after I had woken up. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Ahri replied evenly, ¡°but there¡¯s a difference between defending ourselves and the announcement of a new name in the tradition of a legendary dragon clan. While the former will lead to singular attacks sometime in the future, the latter could lead to an all out war! You¡¯re a vixen, Cassandra¡­ that alone could lead to so much trouble¡­ I can¡¯t imagine that most dragons will take kindly to a lesser species claiming a draconic name, even if you¡¯re an angel! We might very well spend the next years trying to sort out that mess instead of preparing for war. Don¡¯t get me wrong, even if we can convince only a few dragons to help quickly enough, it¡¯ll be worth it. But do you honestly believe that it¡¯s going to be a matter of flying somewhere, participating in an old ritual, beating up one or two challengers and returning?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Viyara intervened. ¡°You¡¯ve heard it before. Dragons are bound by their word, above all else. I don¡¯t know how exactly everything is going to play out, but that¡¯s a chance we shouldn¡¯t miss. If they want to challenge you, they¡¯ll have to offer something of their own. Make them promise that they¡¯ll help and that they¡¯ll accept us for what we are. I imagine we can put an end to the threat from the dragons within a couple of days. Sure, some might still act in the shadows, but that¡¯s better than open attacks, at least for now. Once we have the time, we can always go back and deal with the rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always talking about challenges like they are some sort of law. What exactly are they?¡± My mom inquired. ¡°Ignus mentioned duels as well. What did he mean?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty much the same thing as everywhere else. I¡¯ve never seen one but I¡¯ve heard stories from my parents. Instead of a prolonged conflict, dragons usually settle their disputes with one fight. The winner takes it all and the loser, well, he won¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± ¡°What about the Black, then?¡± I asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your father put an end to him much earlier?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. But if I had to guess, I¡¯d say that he wasn¡¯t willing to risk me falling into the Black¡¯s claws and the Black was afraid that he¡¯d be defeated in an all out fight. Both of them thought they had more to lose than to gain.¡± ¡°But how does it work,¡± my mom wanted to know. ¡°Are you bound by your names to honour the traditions or do you set the terms before each duel?¡± ¡°As far as I know, which is not too much, it¡¯s always the same. In theory, it doesn¡¯t have to be to the death, but since you¡¯re losing everything, including your name and your freedom, in case you lose, I¡¯ve never heard of a dragon submitting. They¡¯d rather die.¡± ¡°Splendid,¡± Ahri said. ¡°So basically, we, or rather Cassandra, will have to fight to the death against everyone who thinks it worth it. Could she decline?¡± ¡°Not really. That¡¯d be the same as forfeiting,¡± Viyara answered quietly. ¡°She¡¯ll have to make sure that the first fight quenches any ideas of challenging her further. I think she can do it, don¡¯t you?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. I¡¯m not willing to let her risk her head just so you can prance around with a shiny new name. Are you?¡± Through our connection I felt Viyara¡¯s emotions immediately change, like a thunderstorm in the mountains, anger and guilt rose out of nowhere, a dark cloud on the horizon. Before she could reply I quickly intervened: ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know? And while I¡¯m not willing to risk my neck for anybody¡¯s vanity, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fair. We¡¯ve met three dragons by now, one was a traitor to its own kind, one is drinking with Mephisto over there and the third has become a part of my family, whether by name or not. Why do you all assume that we¡¯re walking into a den of functioning sociopaths? Age isn¡¯t a guarantee for selfishness¡­ let me ask you this: do you truly think that we won¡¯t find any allies? You said it yourself, if wen can even convince only a few, it¡¯ll be worth it. I¡¯m willing to risk life and limb for that chance, the same way I¡¯d be willing to risk my neck for a chance to kill Amon outright. We¡¯ve lost enough¡­ it¡¯s time to take risks to prevent further grief. I love you and I won¡¯t go if you don¡¯t want me to, but I truly think that we should.¡± Ahri and my mom remained silent for a moment, digesting what I had said, while Viyara took my hand and squeezed it gratefully. The storm in her mind had subsided, replaced by a warm, happy feeling. I knew a little something about mood swings, but this girl seriously was something else. ¡°It¡¯s your decision,¡± my mom finally said. ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened, you¡¯ve more than earned the right to make that call. In fairness, I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯m against it or if I just don¡¯t want to see you walk into the next fight. And this is going to be a fight, I think we can all agree on that much. But just so you know, I won¡¯t let you go alone.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to. What about you, Ahri? Like I said, I won¡¯t do this if you¡¯re against it.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want you to get involved with either dragons, ancient sorcerers or wars but that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± She looked form one to the other before she continued: ¡°you¡¯re right, it¡¯s a chance and while I hate the idea¡­ it¡¯s worth a shot. Under one condition. I want a promise: you¡¯ll promise me that you¡¯ll value your own life higher than any other thing. If something goes wrong, you¡¯ll run and you¡¯ll leave us or whoever is with you behind.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that! I won¡¯t. Do you have any idea what you¡¯re asking of me?¡± ¡°Pretty much the same thing you¡¯re asking of me. You want me to bless this scheme where you¡¯re most likely going to be the one who has to bleed? Fine, but I want this reassurance, I want to know that you¡¯ll survive, whatever the cost. You can forget it otherwise.¡± I knew she was right in a way, I did ask her to support me in doing something that would definitely hurt, and most likely it was going to be me who would have to pay the price. But this¡­ She would be the one I¡¯d have to leave behind, her, my mom, Viyara¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, not to mention that I physically couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t leaver her, nor Viyara, I had already promised. Which meant¡­ ¡°Fine, if you and Viyara stay behind.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Both of them said at the same time. ¡°You heard me. I¡¯ll promise, but only if you two won¡¯t come. I won¡¯t, I can¡¯t¡­ no, don¡¯t look at me like that, I really can¡¯t. I already promised the both of you that I won¡¯t leave you behind. How do you think that would work out? As soon as we get in danger, I¡¯m going to be ripped to pieces by two different promises. If you insist on your stupid condition, that¡¯ll be the only way. So¡­ how about it?¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± came the immediate reply. A shocking surprise¡­ ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re at an impasse¡­¡± my mom¡¯s mental laughter shut me up. It was still the same sound I was used to but underneath the warmth, a hard edge just barely shimmered through, like a dagger hidden beneath a velvet blanket. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± The three of us asked. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re like an old married couple, well, maybe you are, but it¡¯s still funny. You¡¯re falling over your own tails in making sure the other one will be fine¡­ honestly, as long as you stick together everything will work out in the end. I truly believe that. I¡¯m going to chat with the boys over there now, while you figure it out. You have my blessing either way but you¡¯ll still have to talk to your brothers, though.¡± And just like that she jumped off of my shoulder and strolled across the clearing, tails held high. I stared after her, caught between embarrassment and amusement and when I looked at Ahri I saw my emotions mirrored on her face. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know?¡± Viyara said out loud. ¡°As long as the two of you are together, I can¡¯t imagine anything truly bad happening. Still¡­ it seems like the decision is yours, Ahri. Cassandra can¡¯t promise what you ask and we won¡¯t stay behind. Will we go regardless?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡­,¡± Ahri spluttered. ¡°Damn it all to hell and back, of course we will. But I promise you this: should something happen to Cassy, I¡¯ll teach each and every one of your kind the meaning of being burned to ashes, even if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡± If I had know what she was going to say, I might have tried to stop her. But as it was, I felt her promise circle around her core before it came to rest, a transcendent binding she couldn¡¯t break. And I had to admit, I felt more than just a little flattered. Viyara made a sound I¡¯d usually associate with mice or squirrels before she threw her arms around us. ¡°Thank you, thank you,¡± she stammered. I heard Ahri sigh before she pulled us both in close. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, I think.¡± A few minutes later, we made our way towards the others who hadn¡¯t been lazy. I had no idea how a transformed dragon and a spiritual being could drink that much, but the barrels were empty while Mephisto and Ignus were having one of those drunk buddying conversations, no sane person could follow. My mom sat a few metres to the side, happily lapping from a half filled mug while she watched them with a small smile on her face that showed her sharp canines. ¡°Ah, the fair maidens have returned,¡± Ignus greeted us with barely constraint mirth. He got up from the barrel he¡¯d been sitting on and swayed slightly on the spot. ¡°Then tell me, what have you decided in all your wisdom?¡± ¡°No more alcohol,¡± Viyara answered on the spot. ¡°Both of you seem to have problems with holding their liquor,¡± she added scathingly. I wouldn¡¯t say that¡­ for what they had put away with, they were in splendid shape, but the gain, this probably wasn¡¯t the time to indulge at all. Even though I couldn¡¯t deny that I was a little envious¡­ for them, the morning had been a blast. ¡°Pff¡­ the world is a much better place when you¡¯re drunk. You should try it som¡­ never mind, alcohol is evil. Don¡¯t you ever let me catch you with it!¡± Mephisto poked him in the side. ¡°Great save, pal. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take your warning to heart and never ever touch the stuff. So, what¡¯s the plan? Another suicidal idea or are we sticking to the usual insanity?¡± ¡°Both, I think. We¡¯ll try forging a name, but I¡¯ll do it myself. Viyara will become part of it afterwards. Can you live with that Ignus?¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not like anything would change. I heard you saying that you¡¯d have to bring me down a notch or two if I wanted to force Viyara into anything. As far as I¡¯m concerned, for as long a you keep that attitude, I¡¯m happy that she can count on you. Usually I¡¯d threaten you to take care of her et cetera, but that hardly seems appropriate or necessary. I thought I¡¯d try something else.¡± He walked over to me, hand extended. I cocked an eyebrow and we shook. ¡°Thanks for looking out for her when you didn¡¯t have to and thank you for making it your responsibility. I owe you, Cassandra Pendragon. If there¡¯s anything you need, just ask.¡± The lizard was starting to grow on me. He didn¡¯t have to do that, there was nothing to gain, but he had still gone ahead and offered me a boon. I could respect that and I even had an idea what I might use it for. ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m wondering whether you know anything about necromancy.¡± I included Mephisto with a swooping gesture. ¡°The both of you. Could you bind a soul and mind to an object when the body has died?¡± Silence was the only answer I got before Ahri quietly said: ¡°Cassy, that¡¯s really dark stuff. What do you have in mind? I¡¯m not going to let you raise an army of the dead. You¡¯ve seen what that¡¯s like.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not looking for an army, but there¡¯s a spider who has passed her expiration date.¡± 130. Of punishments, memories and a little bit of ever after Cassandra Pendragon It had turned out they knew a frightening lot about necromancy. After I had reassured everyone that I had no intention of becoming an evil overlord with an army of ghouls, set on world domination, they had quickly taken to my idea. Thanks for the vote of confidence, by the way. Nothing better than having your friends believe you could become the next queen of the damned... my plan was pretty simple. We still needed Shassa, or rather her knowledge, but as long as she was alive and had a will of her own, she¡¯d betray us the first chance she¡¯d get, as I knew from experience. So, why not turn her into a revenant? Remove all those nasty personality traits alongside her goals and ambitions. As I had found out, because we couldn¡¯t. Funnily enough, no one had argued that it was plain evil and cruel, we all were unanimously of the opinion that she had it coming. Well, all of us who had had the displeasure of meeting her before and Ignus just thought it a fitting punishment for what she had done. If we wanted to conserve her memories, we¡¯d have to conserve her soul. It had something to do with the link between body, mind and soul, but for the life of me, I hadn¡¯t been able to follow the explanation. The consequences had been quite clear, though. While we couldn¡¯t reanimate her in the usual way, trapping her essence in an object was laughably easy, at least for Ignus and Mephisto. Nearly as easy as adding a couple of runes that ensured she wouldn¡¯t be able to lie when questioned. Unfortunately for her, this also meant that she¡¯d be conscious and sentient and trapped. Tough luck. The two ancient wizards had quickly decided on what they¡¯d need to make it work, which had turned out to be surprisingly little. A container, preferably a high quality gem, and a conductor to which the container could be affixed. Plainly speaking, they had engraved a long dagger with a set of runes and added a couple of enchantments. A larger ruby, courtesy of Xorlosh, who had been more than willing to help incarcerate the creature responsible for the death of some of his lads, was set into the hilt. The thing was far from functional, the stone and consequently the hilt were much to heavy and screwed up the balance, not to mention that the ruby would probably break lose with the first impact. But it didn¡¯t have to be. It had to withstand exactly one strike. According to Mephisto, all I had to do was plunge the dagger into Shassa¡¯s heart, the magic would activate as soon as she died and I¡¯d have a spitting mad spider in a hand sized terrarium. Consequentially I was by now standing in front of a heap of meat that had once been a terrifyingly strong predator, Ahri by my side, while I couldn¡¯t prevent a cold shudder from racing along my tails. The last few hours hadn¡¯t been kind to Shassa. Her legs were gone, the wounds charred as if they had been cut off with heated axes or maybe fiery wings. Her pincers had been ripped from her skull, foul smelling secretions crusted the tears around her mouth and the deep holes where her eyes should have been. A mithril stake, covered in runes, had been thrust through the fleshy bridge between her abdomen and her head, nailing her to the ground in an awfully familiar scene and suppressing her magic. She was still alive, I could tell as much from the cruel spasms that made her body twitch from time to time, but whether she was unconscious or simple rendered insensible from the pain, I didn¡¯t know. The warm sunlight and her spilled blood had attracted swarms of flies and other insects, that circled around her with a disgusting, buzzing noise. The larger ones were beginning to enter her wounds, ravenous, living bandages that were eating her alive. The stench was horrible, like a slaughtered pig that had been left out for too long. Despite everything she had done to me, tried to do to us, I still pitied her. If nothing else, she was a warrior and she deserved to die on her feet, not cowering on the ground in a puddle of her own intestines. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to regret what I was going to do, but still¡­ the sight combined with the smell of a ravaged body and the quiet sounds of dripping blood made me feel like the bad guy. The assembly of dwarfs, dragons, a fey and a demon behind me didn¡¯t help either, if anything they made me feel more like a crazed priestess at the beginning of a dark ritual. Which wasn¡¯t that far from the truth, admittedly. Except for the priestess part. A week ago I would have categorically rejected the idea that I might ever be the one to imprison a soul, whatever the reason, but here I was, a stone throw away from our camp, hidden behind the brushes, so the children couldn¡¯t see the spider and ready to not only end her life but to use her after her death. I knew she deserved it but what frightened me was, that somewhere deep down, I wasn¡¯t doing this out of necessity, well, not purely. I wanted revenge, I wanted her to exist by my whim, a plaything I could do with whatever I pleased. Usually I¡¯d just stay away, let someone else decide and skip the moral implications, but that wasn¡¯t a solution right now. I nervously rolled the hilt of the dagger between my sweaty palms, suddenly unsure if I should proceed. Ahri must have felt my hesitation because her tails curled gently around my middle as she pulled me closer. ¡°I can do it,¡± she whispered in a voice filled with the burning urge to help me and a steely resolve to see the deed done. ¡°Thanks, but no, this was my idea. I should be the one who hammers the nail into the coffin. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I disentangled myself from her and took the couple of steps, needed to reach Shassa. The smell became worse with every metre, a tangible wall I had to break through. With an effort I pushed forwards until I stood at her side, my boots sinking into the soaked ground. I carefully extended my hand and placed it gingerly onto the bulk of her abdomen, searching for the hardened cluster of ganglia beneath her skin that protected her heart. The crowd behind me stilled when they saw me reaching her and the tension in the air became palpable, growing by the second. Erya¡¯s warning fluttered through my mind, one of the few sentences we had been able to exchange. She had told me that everything we did would change who we were and that I¡¯d have to be careful as to not make death and suffering an integral part of who I was, who I was to become. She had let her pain go when Viyara had freed her and she had been worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to if I were to carry Shassa along with me, a constant reminder of how treacherous and cruel the world could be, of how cruel I could be. But it was water under the bridge, life was ugly and beautiful at the same time and so were we all, so was I. The spider quivered under my touch, as if she knew what was to come, and tried to get away, her mutilated body convulsing like an oversized worm. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go, once I don¡¯t need you anymore,¡± I mumbled, echoing what she had said to me back down in the tomb. ¡°But I¡¯m done playing nice. You shouldn¡¯t have challenged me.¡± A trickle of energy flowed to my arm and with one smooth motion I easily pushed the dagger through her chitinous armour, past the cluster of nerves and into her heart. A pained hiss escaped her torn mouth as I felt its beat against the steel while it ripped itself apart in a desperate attempt to keep her alive. Her ruined form trembled and the magic in the ruby activated. The runes lit up with dark, ravenous energies that raced along the blade and began to devour her essence. Stolen story; please report. The more she bled, the faster the black fire spread, as if it were nourished by her demise. A dark glow began to form within the ruby, becoming brighter by the moment as it pulsed with deadly intent. It was over within a few seconds. One last spasm shook her and then she relaxed, her corpse sliding along the mithril stake with a sickening, wet sound that reminded me of¡­ another blade that had ripped through my back while silvery blood had been gushing from a deep hole in my nearly severed neck, years ago, somewhere in the void. I fell to my knees with a silent scream as vivid images, chaotic smells and burning agony swallowed the world around me while I relived the last moments of my previous life. Fear, anger, disappointment and desperation rose from deep within as I again felt Aurora literally pierce my heart, her flames gnawing at me from the inside until nothing was left but ashes. My magic rose, confined by a cage of crimson fire and I made a decision, the last one I was ever going to make in this life. As my energy raced along the flaming katana in my body, ready to devour whatever it came into contact with, ready to lash out one last time before it was extinguished, I reigned it back in. I wouldn¡¯t take her with me. The silvery blue sparks that had begun eating into her essence disappeared before they could gain hold and as they fled, so did my consciousness. I blinked tears from my eyes and immediately scrambled backwards. She was still there, towering over me, hand extended, her beautiful features set into hard lines, like the face of the grim reaper. Her fiery wings filled my vision and everything I was screamed at me to either flee or finally fight back. ¡°No,¡± I half cried, half sobbed, ¡°not again¡­¡± Before I understood what was happening, my wings materialised, the power of aeons roaring to the heavens as silvery blue torrents of light cleaved through reality around me. Distant voices faintly reached my ears but all I could think about was the memory of death, creeping upon me as everything went dark. I didn¡¯t want to die, I wouldn¡¯t¡­ The next thing I knew was the feeling of a soft body under mine while Ahri¡¯s voice whispered in my ear: ¡°I forgive you¡±. She was pinned to the ground, some of my wings slung around her torso so she couldn¡¯t unfold hers while the rest formed a sizzling and crackling sphere around us. The shouts from behind it were muted as if I was underwater but all I cared for where the small streams of her blood that flowed from the deep cuts I had already torn into her skin, the sad, accepting look in her emerald eyes and the engraved dagger I was pressing to her neck. That, more than anything else, brought me back to reality, the past finally vanishing to where it belonged. I immediately released her, dropped the dagger and slung my arms and tails around her. Suppressing a sob, I channeled more than enough energy into her body to allow it to heal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°So sorry.¡± What had I done? ¡°Don¡¯t be, I saw it, too, I felt it. You¡¯ve every right¡­¡± she didn¡¯t get any further. My emotions were still white hot in my chest and without thinking, I slapped her, my eyes brimming with tears again. ¡°Don¡¯t, just don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want your forgiveness, I want you to be mad, I want you to fight, whoever threatens you! Why didn¡¯t you take the damned dagger from me?¡± Colour was slowly returning to her face, the clean cuts in her skin healing over. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t have used it. You weren¡¯t able to hurt me back then and I won¡¯t ever again raise my hand against you in earnest. That¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°No! Why would you¡­¡± she silenced me with a kiss, the sparks of transcendent energy that flowed through her, as her promise was bound to her core, a tantalising taste of eternity against my lips. My anger, my pain, the lingering feeling of desperation, it all drained away in an instant. ¡°Because I love you,¡± she replied breathlessly. ¡°But if you don¡¯t let go of me and lower your wings we might be in a bit of trouble.¡± I blinked sheepishly as I realised that I was still on top of her, our tails intertwined while my hands roamed up and down her body. Both of us were covered in a mixture of dirt and spider¡¯s blood, the disgusting stuff was even smeared across her face and soaking through my trousers. When my wings had manifested, I had ripped Shassa¡¯s corpse to shreds. Her inner liquids had flooded the ground with a smelly soup, grey bits of a gooey, flesh like substance freely floating in the puddles. Behind the curtain of silvery energy, I heard small explosions and felt the impact of dozens of spells as they dissipated harmlessly along the torrents of my power. Even from beneath my feet, the onslaught continued but through luck or aptitude I had woven a cocoon of light that completely surrounded us, even underground. Caught somewhere between embarrassment, giddiness and a small spark of stubborn anger, I leaned back with a crooked smile. ¡°I love you, too. But you¡¯re still an idiot. Were you really going to let me kill you?¡± She sighed. ¡°Cassy¡­ I think you know already that I¡¯ve done worse to get here¡­ so, yeah. But you weren¡¯t going to. You didn¡¯t, back in the void and you wouldn¡¯t just now, that¡¯s just not who you are. You don¡¯t hurt the people you care for, you protect them, whatever the cost. That¡¯s why I wanted you to promise that you wouldn¡¯t risk your life for anyone in the first place. I¡¯m not going to let you die again. Not while I still draw breath.¡± Cheesy as it may sound when narrated, her words made me feel warm, protected, loved. A feeling I wouldn¡¯t ever willingly let go. ¡°We should both get really old, in that case. Because I won¡¯t let you go, either. Do you think we could just vanish? Go somewhere else for a few hours?¡± Her smile was shy but her eyes sparkled brightly as she looked up at me. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, our friends might have a stroke if we simply vanished after the spectacle you just caused. They probably think you¡¯ve lost it completely. If you turned around you¡¯d see two dragon shaped shadows pacing behind your wings. We should move before they try something stupid.Besides¡­ we both need a bath, desperately.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always something¡­ fine.¡± I scrambled to my feet and offered her my hand. When we stood side by side, I picked up the dagger, which had survived my temporary bout with insanity and carefully began parting the curtain of light, ready to snap it shut again should I feel another spell coming our way. A wave of noise hit me like a brick wall, the clamouring of dwarfs, rushing around in their armour, the sizzling of magic in the air as complex spell formations came together in the sky and the thunderous roars of two dragons. Viyara and Ignus were towering above us, their eyes wide, while huge drops of golden blood oozed from a cut along his snout where he had pressed his muzzle against my wings in an attempt to push through. Between them, Erya and my mother stood rigidly, worry and fear written in every stiff line of their posture. Green sparks were coalescing around Erya¡¯s horns while her fingers frantically wove a lattice of golden light between her hands, preparing one spell or the other. My mom¡¯s eyes were glazed over with silver, solid spheres of shining metal that mirrored the glow of her fur as energy flowed like liquid along her tails. A stone throw further away, Mephisto and my brother had their arms crossed in front of their chests, their eyes never leaving the shimmering barrier my wings formed. A half completed circle of dwarfs surrounded us and held back the kids, who had been drawn in by the commotion. Their anxious muttering and the thumping of the dwarven boots died down when the curtain of energy began to quiver and slowly parted. They fell silent and watched nervously while Ahri and I slowly came into view. For a moment I felt like the antagonist of a melodramatic piece, shortly before her grande entrance. The stern expressions all around didn¡¯t help, either and I hurriedly racked my brains for something to say. My mouth turned dry andI blurted out the first thing that came to mind and might reassure them that I hadn¡¯t gone crazy. ¡°I surrender,¡± I said with a helpless smile while I raised my hands. 131. Of angels, demons and a little wisdom Cassandra Pendragon A wave of relief washed over the assembled group. That my family and my friends were more than glad I hadn¡¯t gone mad, I understood. That Ignus¡¯ visibly relaxed when we reappeared was somewhat of a surprise. He didn¡¯t care for anyone around here, except for Viyara, after all. But then again, the deep cuts along his snout and his magic, that had crashed against mine impotently, had probably taught him how much fun he had been looking forward to in case I would have continued my frenzy. ¡°Are you alright? What happened?¡± Viyara was much less hesitant, waddling forwards like a puppy as soon as my wings had fallen away, her telepathic question the first words I heard. She didn¡¯t transform into her human form, though, either because she was still worried I might attack her if she got too close or because she had destroyed the garments she had put on before and didn¡¯t want to appear naked in front of everyone. Probably a bit of both. ¡°We are fine,¡± I answered out loud. ¡°I¡­ Shassa¡¯s death coaxed a memory from my past and I didn¡¯t know what was real and what wasn¡¯t for a moment. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you.¡± ¡°But you did mean to pin me to the ground and put a dagger to my neck?¡± Ahri asked whisper quiet but with a smile in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me, I¡¯m not going to use a weapon but the pinning part seems rather enticing,¡± I answered with a grin. ¡°Well, yah did a darn fine job of frightening me beard off of me, anyways,¡± Xorlosh exclaimed as he left the line of dwarfs and came closer, his brows drawn together into a single line. ¡°Is that something that happens to yah regularly, lass?¡± ¡°No, usually I¡¯m asleep when I¡¯m dreaming, but you might remember the chaos I caused in my cabin back aboard your ship. If the memory is strong enough, my body reacts. Like the fits during an abnormally vivid nightmare. This time¡­ I thought I was still there for a few moments.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± Mephisto didn¡¯t raise his voice but it still easily reached me across the distance. ¡°My last death,¡± I replied. Phantom pains raced along my spine as the memory threatened to rise again but I pushed it down. ¡°Nothing I want to talk about,¡± I added defensively. ¡°Understandable,¡± he muttered. ¡°Well, ladies and gents,¡± he said with a flourish while he walked closer, ¡°I think I can calm some of your worries. Our little princess seems to be getting closer to her next transformation. It¡¯s not dangerous for her, but you saw what can happen to her surroundings. Unfortunately it¡¯s nigh impossible to tell what might trigger another memory, now. She¡­ you should be careful, I don¡¯t think it can get much worse than this, but still¡­¡± while he talked, my mom was strolling over to us, her nose twitching as if she was searching for a scent. Erya was only a step behind her, the spell she was holding had disappeared. ¡°How long will I be like this?¡± I asked Mephisto while we became gradually surrounded by a small crowd of people. ¡°No clue. Usually I¡¯d say months, if not years, but¡­ I¡¯ve never been right before when it comes to your development now, have I? You shouldn¡¯t be this far along, though. Unless¡­¡± his gaze turned inquisitive before he continued: ¡°Tell me, did the spider kill you?¡± What? The spider? No, but¡­ right, he didn¡¯t know. None of them knew what had happened the first time we had descended into the tomb. None but Ahri, and my family whom I had told when I had woken up. Crap, I had to come up with an answer, the way Viyara was staring at me didn¡¯t bode well for my future. If I couldn¡¯t convince her that I hadn¡¯t died, while I had been alone, she wouldn¡¯t willingly let me out of her sight again, not if her sparkling eyes and protective stance were any indication. Sweet but a bloody nuisance and I somehow had a feeling that the truth wouldn¡¯t help, not one bit. ¡°Killed me? No, I don¡¯t think so, but there was¡­ while I was fighting for control over my magic down there, I felt my body shift and change, as if it was being rebuild to accommodate my energy more efficiently, to allow me to reach out through the statue and take back what¡¯s mine. Could that be an explanation?¡± ¡°Possibly. I¡¯ve never heard of something alike, though. But then again, I¡¯ve never met an immortal who was close to gaining control of her energy at the tender age of 7, never mind manipulating it outside of her body. Do you, by any chance, remember if you grew just as quickly the last time around? Did your last incarnation develop the same way?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve zero recollection of my last youth. I don¡¯t even know how old I was.¡± ¡°I can help you there,¡± Ahri interjected cheerfully. She knew exactly why I had lied and obviously enjoyed my troubles. Her eyes travelled mirthfully from Viyara to Mephisto as she continued: ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about your youth but you¡¯re last incarnation lived for over 33 million years.¡± The ensuing silence was deafening. Everybody who had heard her turned pale, even Mephisto seemed shocked. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He inquired. ¡°Very, I remember a conversation we had. Lucifer told me, not his exact age but he said that he was more than ten times older than me. Aurora¡­ I could do the math. Why? Is that so surprising?¡± ¡°Quite. Living is exhausting and often times corruptive. A fresh start from time to time keeps us sane, functioning¡­ like a spring cleaning. There are a few exceptions, Amazeroth for example, but he isn¡¯t exactly what I¡¯d call balanced. I knew that Lucifer had been around the block for a while but I never knew how ancient he truly was. That¡¯s something you can look forward to, Cassandra. Normally your past is served to you on a silver platter, nicely parcelled into processed spans of a few hundred thousand, maybe a million years. You¡¯ll have to deal with more than thirty times that much. Even for you that¡¯s going to take a while. I wouldn¡¯t expect you to know your way around your memories for the better part of your first millennium.¡± Franky, I didn¡¯t give a damn. Of course I was curious and there were a couple of things I had to know, why I had sent myself a ring that was feared or coveted by all demons for example and why Chaleb had helped me get it. But aside from whatever was directly impacting my life, the past could stay dead and buried, for all I cared. I wanted to live my own life, make my own mistakes and celebrate my own victories. My attack on Ahri had only served to strengthen that belief. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°What¡¯s your point? That I might have been a lunatic or that I might yet turn into one?¡± It came out a little harsher and more pressed than I had intended, but I wasn¡¯t at all comfortable with the way the conversation was going. I wouldn¡¯t have minded if we had been somewhere private but I wasn¡¯t keen on dissecting my past with pretty much everyone I knew in this world present. ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m just wondering, you didn¡¯t meet Aurora until much later. Why did you cling on for so long? What secrets were you guarding, that couldn¡¯t be handed down? Never mind, half the fun is in finding out, isn¡¯t it? Since it seems like you¡¯re stable for the moment, shouldn¡¯t we take our meeting somewhere else? Preferably with less guts and more food around.¡± ¡°A marvellous idea. Despite the unquenchable thirst of you and that dragon, we still have a barrel or two left. Me and me lads will prepare a bite. It¡¯s all been hectic enough up until now, but I¡¯m sure most of us would now like to hear what happened to you, Cassandra. And someone can maybe explain to me why there¡¯s another dragon here, me and the lads have to be chummy with. One is already bad enough, but the lass is at least pretty. Patience is one of me virtues, but I¡¯m running low at the moment. There¡¯s only so much chaos a dwarf can handle.¡± I felt immensely grateful to Xorlosh, since he had put an end to any further questions and was about to disperse the growing throng of people around us. He didn¡¯t even wait for a reply and shooed the dwarfs and children along. Reia and Estrella lingered for a moment longer, clearly torn between wanting to talk to me and their reluctance to approach what remained of Shassa. I winked at them and mouthed the word ¡°later¡± before I lost sight of them as they were pulled away by their friends. The dragons, Mephisto, Erya and my family stayed behind, all of them apparently brimming with questions. As soon as everybody else was out of earshot Erya immediately demanded: ¡°spill it. What, in mother magic¡¯s name, is going on here? First the dragon, then this¡­ Xorlosh had a point, there is only so much chaos one can handle. What happened down there and why did you attack Ahri?¡± I grudgingly gave them an abbreviated version of what I had told my family this morning, fully prepared to retell the tale a third time over lunch. I glanced over the part where I had nearly died and been brought back by a mixture of stubbornness and Mephisto¡¯s meddling. I didn¡¯t expect the demon himself to buy it, but the dragons and the fey appeared to accept my explanation. I told them, why I thought we still needed Shassa and why I had wanted to keep her around in one form or the other. At this point, I handed the dagger over to Mephisto, asking whether everything had worked out the way we had planned. After a quick inspection he passed it over to Ignus with the words: ¡°She¡¯s in there all right. You¡¯re sure you¡¯re an angel? That jewel looks more like a demonic artefact than anything else, if you ask me.¡± I must¡¯ve turned pale because he immediately added: ¡°I¡¯m not serious. You¡¯re reasoning is sound, you didn¡¯t do anything deplorable.¡± But it hadn¡¯t been the moral implications I had just realised, I had had my bout of self hatred before I had killed the spider. No, his words had sparked another thought. I knew Amazeroth was an angel turned demon and I knew, almost for certain, that angels and demons came into existence in equal numbers. The easiest explanation would be a demon turned angel, to uphold the balance. Now, which angel could possibly be a little different from the rest and just so happened to be somehow tied to the corruptive force that started all of this? Honestly, I didn¡¯t think it would make much of a difference, decisions defining who you are and all that, but the implications were tremendous. For if it wasn¡¯t me, it would be someone else. I wanted to talk to Ahri, alone. I wasn¡¯t willing to include Mephisto, his snark was not something I wanted to deal with and the others wouldn¡¯t be of much help. Consequentially I jumped at the first chance I got to let the dragons do the talking. When the conversation had turned to why Ignus was here, I excused myself since I still had to scrub a new layer of gore off of me before we sat down to eat. Ahri was quick to join me, equally unwilling to spend another thirty minutes going over the same story once again and in equal need of a bath. I didn¡¯t even have to edge her on. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about,¡± she said while we rose into the sky, headed for the dwarven ship and its ingenious bathing room. I took a moment to answer, savouring the sight of the cloudless sky above and the endless ocean below me while the first fresh air I had breathed in over an hour played around my nose and ears. I could smell the salt of the sea and the smoke from the furnaces that powered up the ships, the tantalising fragrances of the wild flowers further inland and a static charge in the air. It would rain, later today. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± She huffed derisively. ¡°I know you, Cassy and I stood by your side when you realised that what you were going to do to the spider might be on the dark side of things. It couldn¡¯t have come as a surprise when Mephisto mentioned it, yet you became pale like a sheet and hurried through every sentence afterwards. Trust me, I¡¯m not the only one who picked up on it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. When Mephisto¡­ when he said my behaviour was demonic¡­ what if it is? Think about it, we know there is an angel turned demon. Doesn¡¯t that mean that there¡¯s probably a demon turned angel.¡± She immediately reached out and grabbed my hand, but she didn¡¯t reply. She stayed quiet for a while before she spoke again, her voice so low, that, even with my hearing, I had trouble understanding her. ¡°It isn¡¯t you. I know for sure it isn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°But you think I¡¯m right? You think there is someone?¡± ¡°No, Cassy,¡± she sighed. ¡°I know¡­¡± she was cut short when I whirled around midair to face her. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think that¡¯d be worth mentioning?¡± ¡°Please, let me finish. I only put it together just now. Like I said, I saw the same scene you did earlier, but from my, or rather Aurora¡¯s perspective. When you collapsed, my vision didn¡¯t end immediately, there were a few more images, blurry glimpses of what happened but I thought they were just random noise, you know, my mind dealing with two different realities at once. It seems like I was wrong¡­ there was, it¡¯s hard to describe. There was¡­ light and chaotic structures¡­ Remember, Mephisto told us that I had somehow found out that Michael was or is the one who surrendered to Corruption. I think I saw what convinced me back then, I think I saw what remained of the angel Michael used to curse the knights of hell. And I don¡¯t think it was an angel at all.¡± She closed her eyes as if she was trying to picture what she had seen. ¡°There were wings, tarnished and damaged, like a discarded piece of burned out trash and there was a trace of bluish fire at his centre that was still consuming the last sparks of his essence and then¡­ there was crown. A many horned crown on his head, hidden and invisible except for that last moment when everything turned into dust and memories. A crown the likes of which I had seen before, a demon¡¯s crown, filled with the last embers of hellish fire before they too blew out, consumed by the cancer that was spreading from his core.¡± I squeezed her hand and we continued on silently, the rush of our beating wings the only sound. ¡°There might be more, you know,¡± I finally said when we were close to the ship. ¡°But why?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that, but it¡¯s easy to tell since when.¡± ¡°The first war¡­ where something might have happened to my core as well. Tell me, do you believe in destiny?¡± She laughed at that. ¡°No, you taught me to believe in freedom. Why? Are you having doubts?¡± ¡°No¡­ but I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ you and me, my death, Amazeroth, your family¡­ what if¡­ what if there is a reason for all of it? What if we are just living through the consequences of what once was, unable to choose a different path? Wouldn¡¯t that just be the same thing?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s a difference between responsibility and destiny. You¡¯re not forced to go down that road Cassandra, but that doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t. We all want to change the world, some of us are lucky enough to have the chance but that also means we¡¯ll have to fight for it. We don¡¯t know why or how things came to be as they are and maybe it¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯re the ones who have to deal with it, but that¡¯s because neither you, nor I, would be content with sitting back, not because of something you or I did in the past. That¡¯s not destiny¡­ that¡¯s just living.¡± 132. Of transformations, powers and a little song Ahri Arete Cassandra was quiet until we reached the baths, her brows scrunched together in thought and her eyes travelling across my body from time to time while her ears twitched. There was barley a dwarf left on the ship and it took me a while to get my hands on two fresh sets of clothes. We were burning through them fast enough to earn a disgruntled stare from the bearded quartermaster, but at least no one complained, yet. A good decision because I¡¯d probably have snapped and gone on a long, uncalled for tirade. The reason was simple, I was on my last legs. I had tried to put up a brave front, but the truth was, the last time I had truly slept was when we had fled from Boseiju and I was more than exhausted, I was jaded. Last night I had barely been able to do more then cling onto Cassy, terrified she might be gone if I fell asleep. My mind felt gooey and everything I did seemed like a marathon to me. And then a dragon had arrived and Cassy had attacked me. I had had to deal with a bunch of memories while awake, adding another layer of guilt to the maelstrom I already felt every time I remembered her death. I had never known that Lucifer could have killed me right then and there, but what got to me was, that I knew for certain I would have lashed out defiantly if I had been in his place. It was difficult to know that he had had more dignity left in his dying moments than I could muster even now. I just wanted to cry, sink against Cassy, let her hold me and fall asleep for a while, allow my feverish thoughts to calm down, maybe make some sense of what was happening to us. When we were finally alone, I unceremoniously slipped out of the smelly garments and into one of the tubs, the hot water immediately soothing some of the tension in my body. I didn¡¯t even have any trouble ogling Cassandra while she stripped and the sight was enough to drive away my lethargy and bad mood, at least for a while. She hadn¡¯t changed much, but her ordeal in the tomb was definitely visible. When she moved, faint lines appeared on her skin, a barely visible sign of the muscles underneath. I might have even overlooked them, but her perfect, creamy complexion, marred as it was with stains of spider blood, was now constantly glowing with a silvery sheen, highlighting the small changes. She was tall, somewhere around 1.8 metres, with long dresses of silky black hair, parted only by her cute, fluffy ears, that reached down to her waist and a set of soft, bright, silver tails that were about as long as her body, hypnotically swinging from left to right to counterbalance her movements. Slender, graceful legs supported a slim waist and her dancers belly where I could make out the small protrusions of her hipbones, with a rounded bubble butt on the other side. Her breasts were beautiful, in my opinion, perky and firm but I could have sworn they had gotten a little bigger since before she had been forced to rebuild her body. I really wanted to ask, but I knew she was self conscious in that regard so I remained tactfully silent. Plus, I didn¡¯t want her to stop halfway out of her undergarments. Maybe a little less than tactful, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind, she even slowed down a notch and pirouetted on the spot for me. What had happened to the shy girl from a few days ago, who had had trouble sharing a bed with me? I was glad for the dim light, my heart was pumping fast enough as it was and since kitsune didn¡¯t have a speck of hair on their bodies, except for our tails and heads, I might just have developed a nosebleed if I had seen even a little better. When she had whirled around, the soft glow from her large, slanted eyes, framed by unbelievably long lashes, had turned mischievous, casting smooth shadows along her high cheekbones and cute nose. The line of her jaw had become a touch sharper and combined with her lush, full lips, she appeared more like the ideal of what a kitsune might look like, an ethereal ghost of my fantasies, and less like a girl of flesh and blood. When she pranced towards me and elegantly slipped into the same tub, her warm touch put any doubts of her physicality to rest, though. The contact sent a tingling wave of heat along my tails and I felt my fur stand on edge in the warm water. Before I could catch my breath she was already in my embrace, her soft curves tantalisingly pressed against my body. She squirmed and turned, her lips coming ever closer until they met mine in a delightful explosion of sensation. Her smell, her taste, the feel of her heat under my fingertips, it wiped my thoughts clean of everything except for her. I relaxed, tendrils of pleasant fire racing through me. They carried me along, away from the moment as my head fell back and I felt my thoughts disperse, the flames of happiness, anticipation and nervousness more than my overburdened mind could deal with after the turmoil of emotions I had been through. The last thing I heard and felt was her whispered complaint: ¡°there¡¯s always something¡­¡± while she slipped behind me and pulled my head against her chest. My vision dimmed and the scent of soap and Cassy¡¯s hair turned into cherry blossoms and ancient wood, while another scene appeared before me, more vivid by the second. ¡°I swear, you couldn¡¯t have picked a worse moment! By the Great Fox, please tell me I can wake up quickly.¡± I was back in the glade on Boseiju, Aurora sitting across from me with a wide smile on her face, her fiery wings quivering and her azure eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth. ¡°Maybe, but it feels like you simply asked too much of your body. You can¡¯t support it with your energy, yet, and I fear it now took the chance to shut down and recharge. If you¡¯re lucky you¡¯ll be back up in an hour, possibly less. Why? What could possibly be that important? You can¡¯t have been in danger, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have drifted off.¡± ¡°As if you don¡¯t know. Aren¡¯t you a part of my subconsciousness? I imagine you have access to more details than me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°True, but that¡¯s not the same and I¡¯m still going to tease you. You¡¯ll have to deal with it¡­ so tell me, how far did the two of you get, this time? Is she still a good kisser?¡± If I had had something to throw, I would have done so and as it stood, I was highly tempted to punch her. Except¡­ she was a part of me and not real, striking her would be a true Sisyphus work. Still, I wasn¡¯t going to indulge her, not even to shut her up. I wasn¡¯t going to share that part of Cassy with anyone, not even with her and not even the memories, if I could help it. ¡°None of your business, not anymore.¡± That made her pout. ¡°Since I¡¯m not going to tell and I¡¯m stuck here for a while, aren¡¯t there a couple of other things we should talk about? Angels turned demons and vice versa, for example? The Corruption? Amazeroth?¡± My mood had turned sour again, which wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. All valid and important topics but not nearly as enticing and pressing as something else. Don¡¯t look at me like that, I don¡¯t mean sex, even though I¡¯m sure I could give you a pointer or two, if you wanted them. Anyways, I¡¯m talking about your next transformation. You¡¯ve seen how Cassy changed when she became able to control her energies? For you, it¡¯s going to be a little bit harsher. I tinkered with your, or rather, our development and if I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re going to be able to use your magic again, with a few restrictions. I¡¯ll talk, you¡¯ll listen and when I¡¯m done, I¡¯m going to answer as many questions as I can. I don¡¯t expect us to be pressed for time, but we should still get the essential stuff out of the way.¡± I nodded. I would even have agreed to a dance lesson as long as we didn¡¯t revisit the talk about the birds and the bees. Was it possibly to blush in an imaginary world? Probably¡­ Luckily she seemed content with explaining the dos and don¡¯ts of what was to come, for the moment, without embarrassing me any further, despite her threat. Apparently I had not only left myself with a reservoir of energy that had allowed me to work my magic in the past, but I had also implemented a set of enchantments that had continuously kept on changing my body while my core had developed naturally. The gist of it: my flesh had slowly been infused with parts of my astral body, which would allow the energies from my core to power those parts through my meridians, as soon as I could channel them. Reality was based on a few building blocks, the basic elements everything was born from. Mana, life, soul and transcendent forces made up the spiritual aspect and earth, water, fire and air combined into the natural aspects, from atoms to complex molecules and compounds. While the former could influence or even create the latter, the latter were much more abundant as part of the environment and as such, much more efficient to manipulate. A spell could, for example, create gold from nothing, either by attracting and shaping small particles of earth and fire with a touch of spiritual power or by reshaping the spiritual spect directly into the desired form. As one might imagine, it took much less energy for the former than it took the latter. Aurora¡¯s meddling was supposedly going to activate the parts of my astral body, which were the closest to the natural expression of my essence: fire. Every fire related magic that¡¯s wasn¡¯t fed by my life force or my soul should work, in theory, as long as I didn¡¯t push enough energy into the spell to shatter the bridge between my astral body and my flesh. That would be bad. Really bad. Like, I wouldn¡¯t be able to access my mana ever again if I made that mistake, bad. And even if I didn¡¯t, it would hurt. Transcending energy seeping through artificial pathways was going to feel like someone was trying to rip my astral body straight from my body. Her words, not mine. ¡°Why,¡± I asked her. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re going to need it. We are warriors, Ahri. You know it yourself. You won¡¯t be able to stand back, whatever is going to happen, you¡¯ll be in the middle of it and I¡¯m not going to let us die. So I tried my damned hardest to give you the tools you¡¯ll need. It might not seem like much, but trust me, your magic, if supported by your core, will be a force to be reckoned with. I¡¯ve stressed the repercussions of what will happen if you overdo it, but truth be told, there shouldn¡¯t be a force in the mortal world that can put that much strain on you. If you ever run into an immortal while stuck at this stage, though, I¡¯d advise you to grab Cassy and run. Unlikely as it is. Both of you are too stubborn for your own good. Which brings us back to what you wanted to know in the beginning.¡± She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, a mannerism I recognised. I usually did the same thing, when I was struggling with my words. ¡°You¡¯ve probably already guessed that I can¡¯t tell you anything about angels becoming demons. I¡¯ve only stumbled upon the truth in that last memory you saw and I didn¡¯t even know that Amazeroth was one of them until Cassandra told you. I¡¯ve been sifting through our past ever since and there¡¯s nothing that could help you understand, as far as I know. What might be interesting are the bits and pieces when and where we came across Corruption. I can¡¯t tell what might turn out to be important and I¡¯m not going to narrate days worth of time, so I¡¯ve taken the liberty of mashing them all together. The next time you dream, you¡¯ll see those memories, if that is, what you want.¡± ¡°Partly, but what I really want to know is, how my family, my biological family, ties back into it. Who are they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t tell you. That¡¯s a question you have to ask your grandmother. She will tell you what you have to know, but I, that is, you, have promised to stay silent. And while your technically not bound by it anymore as a new incarnation and consequentially neither am I, I won¡¯t break a promise. Never.¡± ¡°Then¡­ please tell me, is Cassy corrupted? Her wings, the colour¡­ you even betrayed her because you thought she is. How can I be sure I won¡¯t lose her?¡± ¡°Oh, she is, very much so, I¡¯m almost sure of it. But¡­ she, Lucifer, they never changed. I don¡¯t know why or how, but I think¡­ well, as much as you have an affinity for fire, I think she¡¯s linked to whatever the Corruption truly is. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s simply another expression of her power from a different source. Nothing she has to be afraid of. Speaking of her¡­ oh, oh my.¡± She fell silent and cocked her head as if she was listening to a song I couldn¡¯t hear. A satisfied smile played around the corners of her mouth and before I could ask, she explained: ¡°Did you know that your girlfriend can sing? She¡¯s got an amazing voice, I¡¯ll give her that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Here, listen.¡± Her brows came together in concentration and a soft, melodious voice sounded in my ears as if Cassy was directly behind me. ¡°The night is long, and the path is dark, Look to the sky, for one day soon, The dawn will come. The sun will rise, it¡¯ll leave its mark, The shadows gone, for one day soon, The dawn will come¡­¡± Her words trailed off, replaced by the rustling wind and chirping birds from my memories. When I raised my head, I saw a tear, slowly running down Aurora¡¯s cheek while she whispered: ¡°She remembers¡­¡± I had trouble focusing on her, my own eyes stinging. I didn¡¯t know why, or how, but the song had broken the dam and every suppressed emotion I had shoved away in the last days burst forth. I closed my eyes but it became even worse, as I immediately felt Cassandra¡¯s touch and her soft body behind me, her arms slung around my chest. I couldn¡¯t hear her but it felt like she was consoling me, repeating my own words back to me while she sheltered me with her warmth. ¡°Cry, cry for as long as you have to and tomorrow, you¡¯ll laugh again. The dawn will come.¡± And I did. I allowed my tears to flow freely, I allowed myself to mourn for what we had lost and to be afraid of what was yet to come. With every heartfelt sob, the steely lump of worries in my stomach became lighter, as if it was slowly being washed away, my tears carrying it along on a cleansing river. Aurora¡¯s presence, the soft grass under my feet, it all vanished gradually until there was nothing left but warmth all around me. And then I heard her voice again, humming softly in my ears. Hot water swirled around my body and soft tails held me close. When I opened my eyes, I saw the dim light of the flickering lantern again while two small, pearly white hands moved across my face, caressingly removing the last specks of grime from my skin. ¡°Sleep,¡± Cassandra whispered. ¡°You¡¯ve more than earned it. Let me take care of you, once in a while. I¡¯ll have to wake you again, soon. Sleep, my love.¡± When her voice rose in the same, beautiful cadences again and I felt the vibrations of her song run through me, I snuggled deeper into her embrace, happy and content to simply be with her, for however long we had until the world was going to intrude again. I didn¡¯t dream, for the first time in what felt like ages, I slept soundly and wasn¡¯t woken by the smallest disturbance, the worries and woes of yesterday and tomorrow forgotten while she sang. 133. Of presents, engagements and a little bit of burials Ahri Arete Judging from Cassy¡¯s exasperated inflection and the frantic way she was shaking my shoulders, I must haven slept like a baby. Dwarven ingenuity kept the water clean and warm and I had the best pillow one could possible imagine. ¡°Damn it, Ahri. Please move! I can¡¯t even get up¡­¡± I groaned and rolled around until I managed to wiggle an arm in between her and the tub¡¯s wall to pull her closer. ¡°Just 5 more minutes¡­¡± ¡°You said that 10 minutes ago,¡± she laughed. Hmm, I couldn¡¯t remember, so it didn¡¯t count. And I was much too comfortable to willingly get up. She¡¯d have to¡­ ouch. The vixen had pinched one of my tails! And not gently. That called for revenge! The ensuing water fight didn¡¯t last long but still filled the dark room with unrestrained laughter and splashing water. We managed to flood most of the baths and were panting heavily at the end of it, both of us red in the cheeks and grinning widely. Before things could get too out of hand, Cassy raised hers. ¡°You win, I surrender. But if we don¡¯t get down to the others now, they¡¯ll send someone after us. Could we please avoid that?¡± I grudgingly agreed and while we slipped into our new clothes, I asked: ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°About two hours, maybe a little more. I would¡¯ve let you rest for longer but Xorlosh sent a message to the quartermaster and he came knocking 15 minutes ago. Oh, by the way, he left a a small package for you, over there. He said you asked them to make it. Care to tell me what it is?¡± Hell no, not like this. I could feel the blood rushing to my face while I suddenly became more insecure than I had in years. I would¡¯ve bet the bearded midget had done that on purpose. I had asked for two engraved bracelets, silly as it was. They were a symbol, a tradition I remembered from when I had grown up, similar to engagement rings among humans and for all I knew, Cassy¡¯s tribe used them as well. I thought it fitting that, while our tattoos already were close to the same thing, we¡¯d have something else that would be recognisable for others. I had meant it as a gesture, a little present she might enjoy, but now, when I imagined telling her, it felt much more important. As I looked into her silvery eyes and feverishly searched for something to say, my confidence evaporated completely and my mind became blank. I couldn¡¯t come up with an elaborate story. Maybe it was better this way, if I couldn¡¯t muster the courage to tell her now, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to in the future. I clenched my teeth and instead of answering, I trotted over to the corner she had indicated and picked up the little bundle of linen, Cassy watching me curiously. When I stood in front of her again, I clumsily removed the layers of cloth until the first silvery reflections sparkled under the lantern light. I heard her gasp. She had recognised the jewellery for what it was. There was no turning back, now. Should I get down on my knees? Oh well, I couldn¡¯t feel more like a klutz anyways. At least I didn¡¯t topple over or got entangled in my tails when I did. When I had removed the last bits of protective covering with trembling fingers, two beautiful bangles made of mithril shimmered under the light. I might have been just as surprised as her, I had handed over one of my blades, with a decent amount of silver inlays along the ridge and on the hilt, but it wouldn¡¯t have made up for a fraction of what the material I held in my hands must be worth. Not to mention the intricate, glowing runes that ran along both pieces and the perfect craftsmanship. They were slim and elegant, the distinct blue sheen of the metal mixing with the faint, green glow of the carvings. Both bands were formed in the shape of two wings, which nearly touched at the tips. Each feather was immaculately sculpted, row upon row of tiny masterworks, wrought together to turn heart shaped at the top, where the bases of the wings were seamlessly welded together, and tapered down towards the bottom where the wing tips were. The broader side carried the runes, inlaid with small emeralds, each one carefully inserted into a single feather. They were too small to decipher in the dim light, but I was certain that half of them belonged to the draconic alphabet, their flowing lines and hard edges reminiscent of the spell work I had seen when Ignus and Mephisto had created the dagger. The other half was distinctly similar to the formations that appeared on Erya¡¯s horns when she cast powerful magic. In their entirety they formed a dwarven rune I recognised: unity. I wasn¡¯t sure when they had found the time, but it seemed like Viyara and Erya had had a hand in the forging and if I had had to guess, I would¡¯ve said that Mordred and Helena had probably paid for the materials. I had asked them before I had commissioned the dwarfs, after all. They were Cassy¡¯s closest family and it had just felt¡­ proper to ask for permission. Apparently they had also added quite a lot of extras to the design I had originally described. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful,¡± Cassandra breathed, her eyes sparkling even more brightly than the jewellery in my hand. I swallowed dryly, desperately searching for something to say, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t come up with anything original. ¡°Not as beautiful as you,¡± I stammered. ¡°Cassy, I¡­ you know I love you, I have for longer than most civilisations exist¡­ Will you allow me to stay by your side, in this life and the ones to come?¡± She squealed and instead of answering she fell to her knees, slung her arms and tails around me and kissed me feverishly. For a few moments I felt like I was dreaming, everything was right in the world for as long as I could stay there, the girl I loved in my embrace. ¡°Yes, yes a million times over,¡± she whispered against my lips. I gingerly pulled back and fumbled with the wing tips of one of the bracelets to push them apart and slide the band across her wrist. It went over smoothly but as soon as it came to rest around her forearm, she flinched. ¡°Ouch,¡± she said, more in surprise than pain. Before I could react, the glow of the runes intensified and a drop of blood trickled from beneath the mithril and left a crimson trail on her pearly white skin. The engraved sigils lit up, one after the other, until a soft halo of warm, flickering light made it look like the feathers were moving in the wind. ¡°Your turn,¡± she smiled and gently took the second piece to slip it across my arm while she leaned forward again, her lips sealing mine with another kiss. Distracted as I was, I didn¡¯t feel the tiny pinprick when the cold metal settled against my skin, but both of us gasped when the magic fully activated. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. A small patch of light appeared in my mind, like an extension of my thoughts. In a way it felt as if I had gotten another limb, one that wasn¡¯t physically attached to my body but instead had some sort of vision of its own. Fuzzy images reached me as soon as I focused on it and I knew without a doubt that I¡¯d be able to make the wings fly and move, like a tamed bird whose eyes I could use. Cassy had been a little faster on the uptake. She was still wrapped around me tightly, but her gaze was following a sparkling trail of silvery reflections, her face lighting up with childish glee. The two wings of her bangle had unravelled and were gracefully moving through the air, a faint sound, almost like metallic music, following them in their wake. With a thought I sent mine chasing after hers, the images I received becoming clearer by the second. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to control and we quickly had them dance around one another, a beautiful display of flickering light in green and silver. ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± Cassandra murmured as the band of mithril settled back around her arm. ¡°I love you, I always will.¡± She paused to kiss me again. ¡°I¡¯ve never before felt so¡­¡± Three thundering knocks on the door interrupted her and a deep, grumpy voice rang out: ¡°Lasses, I¡¯ve given yah more than an hour now. We¡¯ll be leaving for the gathering and if yah don¡¯t come out, yah¡¯ll be the ones to clean and dry the baths, yah hear me?¡± Grinning from ear to ear, Cassy called back: ¡°we¡¯ll be out in a minute. I¡¯m sorry. We won¡¯t keep you waiting any longer.¡± After a final kiss she scrambled to her feet and extended her hand. I allowed her to pull me up with a sigh, wondering how many instances of bad timing one could suffer through. Between our dreams, our battles and our friends, something always came up. ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Everyone is waiting for us. It¡¯s already late in the afternoon and since we disappeared the dwarfs have changed their plans. They¡¯ve put together everything for a proper burial feast and I still have to talk to Mephisto, get back a jewel from a greedy dragon and a magical seed from an equally difficulty fey on the behest of an even worse demon, beforehand. And maybe search for Schr?dinger¡¯s rope, if I have the time,¡± she added under her breath. ¡°Oh, and¡­ thank you. What you just did¡­ you don¡¯t know how much it means to me. You¡¯re the only reason I¡¯m still alive and not just because you saved me more than once.¡± She gave me a peck on the cheek and sauntered off, her hips swinging hypnotically from side to side. I stared after her dreamily, my imagination still very much occupied with the last half hour, before I could muster the presence of mind to follow her and ask: ¡°Schr?dinger¡¯s rope?¡± ¡°Uh, I told you Mordred carried a rope with him when we entered the tomb for the first time, remember? Right now, it could either be where he took it from or where he left it, I¡¯m just wondering which of the two it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that, but who is Schr?dinger? And why do you create so much about that rope?¡± ¡°He was a scientist on earth, at least I think he was and isn¡¯t going to be, I¡¯m not sure when we are in relation to earth, but he had quite a thing for perspectives. Most of what he wrote can be applied to time travel, but basically it was a rather lame joke, especially if you don¡¯t know of him.¡± ¡°And why do you care?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s bugging me like crazy, I just need to know. If it¡¯s still in storage¡­¡± She placed her hand on the door handle, but she didn¡¯t open it, just yet. ¡°If it¡¯s still there, I¡¯ll have a theory on what might have happened. If it isn¡¯t¡­ well, than the laws of time travel are beyond me.¡± ¡°Care to enlighten me?¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m immune to magic, maybe even most forms of energy and in the end, a temporal condition is nothing more than a certain¡­ amount, no¡­ direction, maybe, of energy. I am who I am, which would explain why the promise I gave you down there is still in me and why I¡¯ve disappeared from the tent when I went back through time. Everything else reset.¡± ¡°That¡¯s plenty interesting, but again, why do you care so much?¡± ¡°Because I could build a truly objective clock? Seriously, though¡­ It would also mean that I won¡¯t have to deal with any kind of paradox while time travelling and it would explain the warning, Lucifer gave me when we met. I can¡¯t change so I have to live through the possible consequences of my actions¡­ but mainly I¡¯m just curious.¡± She shrugged and opened the door. ¡°Like I said, if I have the time, I¡¯ll go looking. Why¡¯s that the part you picked out anyways?¡± ¡°The rest seemed pretty obvious. Except¡­ what do you want from Mephisto?¡± ¡°I want to know if he has seen enough of the seed and heart to reconstruct some of their magic. Some sort of device than can tell us when the heart is active and in what condition it is. I¡¯m not expecting it to work, but you never know.¡± She paused when we reached the end of the corridor and climbed up the set of wooden stairs to the deck. A quartet of dwarfs, armed with brooms and towels were already waiting for us. Their beards twitched when we emerged, their eyes roaming over our bracelets. ¡°About time,¡± the tallest of the bunch said, barely suppressing his amusement. ¡°Another couple of minutes and me and the lads would¡¯ve been gone. Shoo now, get off me ship. Yah can canoodle elsewhere.¡± Without another word, they pushed past us and as soon as the door fell shut behind them, we heard their deep, rumbling laughter through the planks. Cassy stared after them and said: ¡°A good thing chivalry isn¡¯t dead, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know how I would feel, if they made our love life an important part of the camp gossip after everything we have been through.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think about it like that. One, take it as a compliment, they¡¯re invested enough in us to care and two, it¡¯s nice to have something to talk about besides death and carnage. Take tonight for example, the dwarfs are burying friends and brothers. I¡¯ll gladly give them a reason to laugh or even celebrate, especially if it¡¯s something that makes me happy. Now that I come to think about it¡­ would you mind if I asked Xorlosh whether or not it¡¯d be appropriate to celebrate our engagement?¡± ¡°Of course not, but I can¡¯t imagine that it¡¯d be¡­ proper. Tonight should be about the fallen, not the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. For many cultures death is a reason to celebrate life¡­ and we are alive because of what they did. Whatever we do will be a part of their legacy. But I don¡¯t know that much about the dwarfs. That¡¯s why I wanted to ask Xorlosh beforehand. He¡¯ll know.¡± Cassandra remained silent until we came to the edges of the ship and her wings appeared, lightning come to life behind her back. She gracefully floated upwards until she stood on the railing, her eyes lingering on the low sun in the west and the storm front that was brewing on the horizon. It would reach us shortly after sunset, maybe a little later. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°But¡­ I have to talk to my mom first. I¡¯m not going to allow her any say in the matter, but these bracelets,¡± her fingers absentmindedly played with the enchanted mithril, a dreamy smile fluttering across her features, ¡°they¡¯re a part of our culture. And as things have turned out, I¡¯m still stuck with all the noble nonsense. I have to tell her before anyone else.¡± ¡°She already knows,¡± I replied, with a little pride in my voice, glad that I had taken the time to talk to Helena beforehand. ¡°I¡­ I thought I should ask your mother for permission and not just because you¡¯re a princess and intend to keep the title. If I want to replace her as your guardian, officially, so to say, she has got a right to know. Fortunately, she likes me and thinks me capable of keeping you out of trouble.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Cassy replied with a smile before she helped me climb up to her side. With an exhilarating laugh she slung her tails around me and propelled us off the ship. The blue sky, already streaked with lines of gold as the sunset approached, rushed by and I pulled her close for another kiss before I unfurled my wings and allowed the winds to carry me along. Side by side we descended to the camp, the smell of slow roasting venison heavy in the air while we could watch tiny silhouettes run hither and to, heavy barrels, filled bowls and buckets of water in their arms. 134. Of certainty, farewells and a little bit of mischief Viyara Nameless I stared after the two angels when they took off, only half listening to Ignus when he narrated why he had come here. Ever since he had arrived, I had felt¡­ lost. I didn¡¯t understand why, after all I had found someone else who seemed to care for me, who knew my family, my past, even the secrets that had led to my birth. I should have been thrilled, excited, but I wasn¡¯t. I had thought, that I¡¯d been done with dragons and their greed, at least for a while, but when I had heard his roar, I had known how wrong I had been. There was a silver lining, though: I didn¡¯t have to rely on a grandfather I had only ever met as a slave, no, I had friends, a new family, people who looked out for me. Maybe that was why I was feeling so glum. I hadn¡¯t wanted to deal with any of it, neither my legacy nor draconic society, I had been prepared to live a new life, far away from the smouldering ruins of my home and this, all of it, felt like a step back. A step away from the people I had chosen, I had begun to form bonds with. Not that I could do much about it, turning a blind eye would only make it worse in the long run. No matter how difficult it might turn out to be, I¡¯d have to convince my relatives that I wasn¡¯t going to go back. Not ever. I didn¡¯t even know if I could, even if I wanted to. The magic that connected Cassandra and me was becoming stronger, a pulsing spark of warmth deep within, that pulled me in her direction, whichever way I turned. When she had agreed to either carry my name or allow me to become a part of hers, I had felt relieved, happy. I didn¡¯t mind our bond, I honestly enjoyed it. There were comfort and security in knowing where you belonged, especially if you had lost everything you ever knew before. I just wished we could have had some time together, without rushing from one life or world threatening catastrophe to the next. From a protected, shrinking violet and kidnapped trophy to an aspiring crystalline dragon at the heart of what seemed to become the next Great War on this continent in a few days¡­ no wonder I was feeling lost. ¡°¡­ listen to me?¡± No, I hadn¡¯t. Ignus was talking to me telepathically and the small gathering around us was dispersing. I hadn¡¯t even realised that they had stopped talking. Mephisto was cradling the jewel with Shassa¡¯s soul in his hands, a not very nice smile on his face. ¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± He rolled his eyes, an impressive sight as the huge, golden spheres nearly vanished into his skull. ¡°Come with me. Now that I have met mostly everyone of importance, I want to have another word with you. And with so many mages around, our telepathy might not be as private as I¡¯d like.¡± He immediately unfurled his wings, billowing sails under the sun, and took to the air without giving me a chance to reply. The defiant part of me was tempted to let him and his patronising attitude leave, he¡¯d return soon enough. But probably in a much worse mood and with a long curtain sermon prepared¡­ I had no trouble keeping up with him, despite the difference in size. Each movement of my snake like body propelled me forwards with more force than I had expected. I didn¡¯t even have to work my magic to influence the currents of air around me, they seemed to willingly carry me along, faster and faster as if I was falling, instead of flying. I felt a faint stirring of power, tiny tendrils of energy that raced from my carbuncle and flushed my muscles with a vibrant force before I accelerated even further. With the rushing wind in my face, a myriad of smells from the island and our camp in my nostrils and the sun behind me, I could let go for a minute or two. I felt free, unbound by bloodlines and legacies, free like a bird who was beheld to nothing but the vast expanse of blue all around. I closed my eyes and followed the airstreams, effortlessly circling around the golden behemoth who appeared to move as slowly as if he was trying to fly through honey. My tongue darted out and I tasted the burning fires below and the faint hint of electricity on the air, a first sign of a brewing storm. When I turned westwards and opened my eyes again, I clearly saw the towering clouds coming together, black giants that slowly moved along the horizon. ¡°That should be far enough,¡± Ignus telepathic voice, old and rumbling like a spitting volcano, brought me out of my reverie as we settled into a rhythm, circling high above the island. ¡°You¡¯re unimaginably lucky, you know that? That you¡¯ve found people who took care of you and didn¡¯t sell you for your hide or carbuncle¡­ and then they were even able to help and not merely die by your side. Which makes this all the more difficult¡­ are you really sure that you want to stay here? No, listen and let me finish. I like them, well most of them, but Viyara, pardon the metaphor, you¡¯re a human who has decided to play with dragons. I know it doesn¡¯t mean much to you, but three of those creatures down there are living legends, even among our kind. Fiery Skies, I¡¯ll deny ever having said it, but what Mephisto knows about magic is frightening. And that¡¯s just knowledge. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what Cassandra or Ahri might turn into when they come to understand and control their powers. You¡¯re lucky enough that they¡¯d allow you to go, even though you¡¯re already bound to one of them. Think twice before you stay. I don¡¯t know much about the wider cosmos, at least compared to those three, but I can tell you that you¡¯re heading into a life of strive, hardship and battles, the likes of which even the oldest dragons can¡¯t fathom. Think about the last days, are you really sure that this is what you want? Once you¡¯re headed down that path, there will be no turning back.¡± That sounded almost humble and consequentially scared the living hell out of me. He was truly worried, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have talked like that. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure,¡± I replied after I had taken a moment to truly think about his question. ¡°I know that¡­ they¡­ Cassandra healed me, she fought an ancient Black for me¡­ she saved me. I feel safe around her, protected and then there¡¯s her magic¡­ we¡¯re connected and I know that the magic is pulling me to her¡­ also, I like her, very much so, maybe more than I should. Even without everything that has happened, even if I didn¡¯t owe her, just from what I know of her, from what I¡¯ve seen, I think I¡¯d like to stay with her, stay with them and help¡­ So¡­ for better or worse, I think that ship has already flown away. But I don¡¯t regret it, not one bit. Like you said, I got really lucky with the people I flew into.¡± He sighed. ¡°Probably, even though¡­ You do know she is taken, right? I can¡¯t imagine that you¡¯ll ever be a part of her life in that way. Can you live with that?¡± ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± I didn¡¯t really expect an answer, I knew it was. I sighed and steeled myself for a rather unpleasant conversation. ¡°I¡¯m not a child, not anymore. I might be infatuated but I¡¯m not a moron. I¡¯m not even sure I truly see her like that. I do have trouble with taking my eyes off her, if she¡¯s near, and I think about her more than I should, I admit, but it¡¯s more like¡­ I think I¡¯m projecting most of what she¡¯s done for me and what her magic is doing to me into something I can understand more easily. Sooner or later that won¡¯t be necessary. If I can¡¯t get her out of my head by then, I might be in trouble.¡± He seemed genuinely impressed, his thoughts flickering through half remembered images and feelings from his past. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I wish I had been this wise when I was your age, or even a few centuries older. As your grandfather, little as the title might mean, allow me to say that I¡¯m proud of you. I expected to find a broken husk of a dragoness, kidnapped and fallen to despair but instead¡­ it would have been an honour to share my name with you. Whatever else he has done, my son raised you right.¡± It felt strange, receiving a heartfelt compliment from someone who was practically a stranger but I knew he was being honest, I could see it in his thoughts, he had meant every word. ¡°I want you to know, should you ever need me, I¡¯ll gladly be there for you,¡± he continued. ¡°Me and all of mine. You¡¯re¡­ it¡¯s been a pleasure to see you again, Viyara and I¡¯m looking forward to what you¡¯ll become in the future.¡± ¡°Thanks. After everything¡­ sometimes it feels like what happened to my family is my fault. I know it¡¯s not true, but still¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress a wave of guilt and grief from welling up, colouring my thoughts in grey and black. ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s good to know that not every dragon sees me as prey¡­ or a means to an end. For a grumpy, ancient lizard you¡¯re not too bad yourself. But why does this feel like a farewell?¡± ¡°Because it is. I¡¯m not going to stay for longer. My presence, it can easily be detected and I don¡¯t intend to bring other dragons down on you before you want to face them. I¡¯ll travel far and wide in the coming moons, I¡¯ll meet with old acquaintances and even older friends and try to prepare the forging ceremony. I¡¯ll be in touch once I¡¯m done. In case you don¡¯t hear from me in the next two months, something went wrong. I¡¯d advise you to stay clear of our people, should that happen.¡± I was decently sure, that wouldn¡¯t fly. If he was in trouble, I¡¯d go looking for him and I¡¯d bet my carbuncle that there were going to be two angles and a demon who¡¯d join me, no matter what he said now. In him, Mephisto had found the first mortal creature he truly liked, since Barzuk. Even if I wouldn¡¯t be the one to push, he wouldn¡¯t leave Ignus hanging. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to do so,¡± pretty wise, ¡°but I do want you to know that I¡¯d prefer you far away, if that came to pass. You¡¯ve already proven that you¡¯re willing to risk your life for others and while I appreciate the sentiment and what it says about you, you¡¯d do well to not make a habit of it.¡± ¡°Thanks for your words of wisdom, gramps, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right. From what I¡¯ve seen in the last days¡­ a willingness to sacrifice for others, it¡¯s not a weakness¡­ it¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re still the one I want to protect. Which reminds me¡­¡± I felt his magic rise, a golden nimbus in his mind that turned into iridescent sparks, dancing around one of his scales. It popped lose and slowly drifted towards me, a glowing rune slowly forming on its surface. I recognised the basic form, something that¡¯d roughly translate to ¡°connect¡±, but the adjacent embellishment and intricate expansions were far beyond me. When the scale was close, I carefully plugged it from the air, his magic dispersing the moment I felt it between my claws. Under the sunlight, a diamond shaped piece of gold shone brightly, vibrating with energy. ¡°This will allow you to contact me. Just project your thoughts through it and I¡¯ll hear them. It¡¯s an extension of your telepathy, if you so will. But please, don¡¯t lose it. I don¡¯t want to have to listen to the ravings of whichever idiot might find it, or even worse, the digestive track of some animal. Having a flatulent goat in your ear can drive you nuts within a few hours, let me tell you¡­¡± I chuckled mentally. ¡°Thanks, but I could have done without that image. I¡¯ll keep it save, don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t you want to say goodbye to the others?¡± ¡°Not really, Mephisto knows I¡¯m leaving and I don¡¯t want to get involved with a dwarven burial. Those little guys are creepy, mark my words,¡± he added with a visible shudder. ¡°Try to stay on their good side, otherwise even your angels might not be able to keep your head on your shoulders. Take care, little one, and don¡¯t hesitate to call for me, if you need to.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Goodbye, Ignus, it¡¯s been¡­ thank you, for all you have done and for what you¡¯re going to do.¡± He circled closer and sent a warm stream of air washing over me as he laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I¡¯m doing this as much for me as I¡¯m doing it to for you. Besides, I have a reputation as functioning sociopath to uphold, don¡¯t I?¡± What.. Cassy had said that when we had talked about the future. Had he been listening in? Before I could ask he turned around and winged away, a slowly diminishing, golden colossus on its way to the horizon. I was tempted to follow, to satisfy my curiosity but I would only be disappointed. If I had learned one thing, it was that grumpy old men liked their secrets more than even dwarven mead. A few minutes later, I landed close to one of the larger tents, where I hoped to find a fresh set of clothes, unfortunately I wasn¡¯t yet able to conjure them from thin air, a spell much more complex than anything I could handle. Internally debating how I might get my paws on a set without being seen or at least called out and consequentially avoiding a rather one sided conversation about material costs and the wastefulness of someone who had never had to work for a living, I was seriously startled when I suddenly felt a small hand against my foreleg. The tiny, red furred vixen, Reia was standing there, a bundle of what I assumed to be pants and a shirt in her hands and a rather shy smile on her face. ¡°Here,¡± she said. ¡°I thought you might need these and¡­ and I was wondering if I¡­ that is, me and some friends of mine, we wanted to talk to you. Would you¡­ can you come with me? We have a tent to ourselves, you¡¯ll have some privacy for your transformation as well.¡± I could either roar or snarl at her, so I answered telepathically. Her mind felt fresh, vibrant and full of energy, like a sunny morning in the spring. ¡°Sure, so you aren¡¯t afraid that I¡¯m going to eat you anymore? You were on the ship when I crash landed, weren¡¯t you?¡± She blushed and nodded. ¡°Yes, but I never thought that you¡¯d eat us, that was Archy. He¡¯s a bit of a wuss. You aren¡¯t mad, are you?¡± I laughed but she seemed to mistake the sound for something else since she took a step back and turned white like a ghost. I hurriedly said: ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s pretty smart to be afraid of a flying, fire breathing snake. Go on then, lead the way¡­ or, if you want to, I could also carry you.¡± I bent my forelegs and offered her my neck to climb up. To her credit, she only hesitated for the fraction of a second before curiosity and excitement drowned out the growing spark of fear I smelled in her. She nimbly jumped from my claws to my shoulder and balanced along my back, her tail swishing from left to right to keep her balanced. I rose and trotted off, the images I saw in Reia¡¯s undisciplined, chaotic mind more than enough to guide me. If I had wanted to, I would easily have been able to sift through her memories until I knew what this was all about, but I didn¡¯t. She¡¯d tell me soon enough, anyways, but I couldn¡¯t stop the occasional thought from reaching me, when they fluttered through her consciousness. She was nervous and I was decently sure she was the one who had come up with the idea to include me in whatever scheme they were planning, worried as she was how I might react. Which made me very curious, indeed. I hadn¡¯t spent much time with the kids up until now, partly because they were still somewhat intimidated by me and partly because I was¡­ well, I wasn¡¯t too keen on interacting with them in my human form because I looked just about their age, maybe a smidgen older. I didn¡¯t want to be treated like a child and consequentially had avoided them for the most part. Combined with everything that had happened, I had barely exchanged a word with any of them, Archy being the only exception. Ahri had told me that he had been the one to keep me alive with his magic when I had been poisoned. I had thanked him rather awkwardly when I had found out and the few words he had replied had convinced that Reia was right: he was a wuss. Well mannered and friendly but also shy and easily spooked. When his image drifted to the front of Reia¡¯s mind, I wondered how she had convinced him to become a part of her plans, again. 135. Of bloodlines, transgressions and a little bit of scheming Viyara Nameless As it turned out, she hadn¡¯t, not fully at any rate. It rather seemed like she had complimented and intimidated him in equal measure until he had grudgingly agreed to play along. Which also explained his sour mood and scrunched up face when we reached him. He wasn¡¯t happy, but his sister, Estrella, his constant, mostly quiet, companion greeted me with a smile that displayed the gaps in her teeth in all their glory. We were in front of one of the last tents, a couple of metres away from the main path, where dwarfs bustled along, carrying materials or food to either get them to the big fire near the centre or towards the working smithy on the other side of the camp. Quiet a few were also stretching their legs, leisurely strolling along the dusty road. I recognised a handful of them, those were the ones who had been injured down in the tomb and they were probably excused from duty for a day or two, even though they had been healed. The mixture of smells from the furnaces on the ships in the sky, the slowly roasting spits of venison, the acrid fragrance of working metal and sweating dwarfs, for the heightened senses of my dragon form it was almost overwhelming. No wonder most of my kind preferred to live alone and far away from civilisation, even though they could easily mingle with one race or the other. A cold shudder ran down my spine when I imagined how a human city would reek. I wondered how the kitsune, especially the children, dealt with it. Their noses were just as good as mine, but yet they didn¡¯t seem too irritated. Maybe they had already gotten used to it but from what I had seen in Cassy¡¯s memories, their home had been full of flowers and cherry blossoms, which was hardly comparable. ¡°We¡¯ll wait here,¡± Reia said and jumped to the ground elegantly. ¡°Nobody is inside, we three have slept here last night. There¡¯s also a bucket of water if you want to wash off the dirt. It¡¯s fresh, I sent Archy to get some before I went looking for you.¡± I inclined my head gratefully and folded my ruff close to my body. Luckily I didn¡¯t need much space to move and could manoeuvre my coils around one another once inside, otherwise I¡¯d never have been able to fit in there. When the flap had closed behind me I quickly transformed. The tent was sparsely furnished, three camp beds with thin blankets, one of which didn¡¯t look like it had been slept in, and a large bucket of water stood around on the grassy ground and the barely hidden heft of a dwarven dagger poked out from one of the unkempt beds. I chuckled softly, washed my face, arms and feet and quickly slipped into the clothes Reia had gotten me. They fit, more or less, and she had even gotten me a pair of sturdy boots which were surprisingly the perfect size. I pocketed Ignus scale, checked my reflexion in the water quickly and brushed through my hair a few times with my fingers, wondering which dwarf was looking for his dagger and if she had nicked something of value. And I was almost certain she had stolen it, otherwise she¡¯d be wearing the weapon openly. On my way out, I decided to check, in case the weapon would be glowing with enchantments or had personalised runes on it, I¡¯d better return it to the owner before it could be missed. On the plus side, no magic I could detect, but the hilt was heavily decorated with gems and the blade was no doubt forged from mithril with a large, stylised X engraved into the ridge. Oh boy¡­ she¡¯d be lucky to get away with a spanking, if she was caught. Should I make her return it? Burnt fingers were said to be the best teacher, but I wasn¡¯t so sure this time. From what I had heard, dwarfs didn¡¯t tolerate theft in the slightest, the first time they caught you, you¡¯d be taken to the stocks, the second time, they¡¯d have your hand and the third time your head. I couldn¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d be this strict with a child, I didn¡¯t even know if they could, considering Reia was a kitsune and technically still Helena¡¯s subject, but the trouble didn¡¯t seem worth it. Better to have her bring it back to Xorlosh with an apology. I sighed when I imagined how the conversation with the girl would go, she wasn¡¯t going to be thrilled and from what I had seen of her, she wouldn¡¯t be mortified or remorseful either. Oh well, if I wanted to be treated as an adult, I should better start acting like one. I picked up the dagger and quickly strode out of the tent, with a, hopefully, stern look on my face. As soon as I stepped into the warm light of the afternoon sun, a half suppressed curse, more vile than I would have expected from a 12 year old, and Archy¡¯s complaints greeted me: ¡°I told you, that was the stupidest idea, ever! Go on then, explain why you have that dagger!¡± ¡°Will you shut up,¡± Reia hissed. ¡°Look,¡± she said as she turned towards me with an innocent smile. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it seems. I¡¯m going to return the weapon, at least the biggest part of it, I promise, but we need it. In case you¡¯re willing to help us, that is. Are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to know much more than that. What do you have in mind?¡± And why would you need a weapon, I added silently. Nothing good could come of a plan that involved a mithril dagger. Nothing good, at all. If she was going to mention any form of sacrifice, I¡¯d spank her myself. ¡°That¡¯s, hum¡­ you see¡­¡± ¡°Out with it,¡± I cut her stammering short. ¡°I¡­ we¡­¡± she hesitated again and blushed but suddenly everything poured from her mouth in one uninterrupted rush: ¡°it looks so beautiful when you transform and I was just too curious how it works, because it doesn¡¯t look like normal magic, it doesn¡¯t feel like it either and then there is this glow, it¡¯s all golden and Archy said he¡¯s seen the magic in your blood when he healed you and thinks he can use some of it to make an artefact with Estri¡¯s help that would allow us to transform ourselves.¡± She gestured excitedly towards the tiny girl between them. ¡°She can see most forms of energy and has already checked, the two of them have just enough of the golden stuff to make it work and I have more than enough in me and with your help we can turn into the animals closest to us, we hope. Archy could turn into a sparrow and Estrella an owl.¡± That was much better than anything I had expected¡­ but utter garbage, at least I thought so. Dragons hadn¡¯t been able to recreate that form of magic in forever and these three did it with a wish, a drop of blood and a stolen dagger? No. Way. A small child, barely more than a toddler could see it in people? And a sparrow? An owl? As far as I knew, my magic allowed the transformation from one sentient species in your bloodline to the next. Not an arbitrary animal. ¡°And what about you,¡± I asked. I was still curious, even though I didn¡¯t expect it to work. ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± she replied downheartedly. ¡°Estrella couldn¡¯t see it, she said my soul is clouded¡­ or veiled, there¡¯s so much of the golden glow that she couldn¡¯t see the form behind it. But if you helped us, we would easily find out,¡± she added hurriedly. Fiery skies, I had an idea. Ignus had even mentioned that he was interested in a drop of Mordred¡¯s blood to make sure the Pendragon¡¯s weren¡¯t descendants of this particular draconic bloodline. What if they were? It stood to reason that there¡¯d be traces of it in the higher noble families, an affair here, an unwanted child, raised by someone else, there and after a few centuries, small parts of the bloodline would be dispersed all over the ruling class. But what about Reia, then. Why was it so much stronger in her? Unless¡­ damn it, could she be a Pendragon? A bastard child raised by a different father? I didn¡¯t know much about Cassy¡¯s family, aside from what she had shown me. Reia was older than her, older than her body, at least, so she couldn¡¯t possibly know. Mordred, perhaps, but from what I had heard, he had never been too close to his dad, definitely not close enough to have a heartfelt chat about mistakes, regrets and an affaire over a glass of wine in the middle of the night. Helena¡­ she might know, but if she didn¡¯t and I asked¡­ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I must have looked befuddled to no end, since Reia asked: ¡°Are you alright? You look like you tasted something foul. I know I shouldn¡¯t have taken the dagger but I thought it¡¯s most often easier to ask for forgiveness than permission and¡­ if you help us, I¡¯m sure Xorlosh won¡¯t be too mad. He has even told me that this was just one of the things he made when he learned how to forge mithril. I swear, if he wants me to, I¡¯ll somehow pay him back. I bet Lady Helena would even help me out, maybe every kitsune can use the magic.¡± I highly doubted it and that definitely wasn¡¯t what was worrying me anymore. ¡°No¡­ I mean yes, you shouldn¡¯t have taken the dagger. Have you talked to anyone about this? I mean one of the other kids or maybe a grownup, anyone at all?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re the first. It¡¯s just us three. Why?¡± I glanced around, Archy was eyeing me curiously and Reia seemed suspicious. Those two were far too sharp for their own good. Estrella was chasing a butterfly and her laughter, bright as a bell, was loud enough that I could be sure we wouldn¡¯t be overheard, at least not by chance when someone walked by. ¡°I think we should keep it that way. If you¡¯re right, I can¡¯t imagine that my people would take kindly to a bunch of foxes unraveling their secrets,¡± it wasn¡¯t even a lie. ¡°And you know, everybody likes to gossip, I can¡¯t imagine all of your friends and all of the dwarfs staying silent. Word travels fast, sooner or later, one dragon or the other will hear about it and then all of you will be in danger.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Why would your people care so much,¡± Archy asked. ¡°Can¡¯t they do the same thing? Ignus made for a pretty convincing librarian when he chose to.¡± ¡°True, but¡­ wait a minute. How do you know his name?¡± He turned red like a tomato. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ we might have possibly hidden in the bushes back there,¡± he gestured towards the clearing where Ignus had met with us earlier. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t on purpose, it just¡­ happened.¡± ¡°You just happened to eavesdrop on us? How did that work? Oh, that¡¯s a nice place to hide, let¡¯s stay here and see what happens. Rolling in the mud can be so much fun, after all.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Reia nodded. ¡°We were unbelievably surprised when you guys just appeared and started talking. Who could have known? And before we realised what was going on, you were already speaking about names and bloodlines and dragons and we didn¡¯t want to interrupt, so¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself, I had to laugh, even though it wasn¡¯t funny. They were well on their way to become a veritable gang, a miniaturised squad of special forces and if Estrella ever caught up to the poor butterfly, they¡¯d even have their first hit under their belts. At least they didn¡¯t seem to put much faith in what they had overheard, otherwise they might have arrived at the same conclusion as me. My laughter faded away when I realised that I still didn¡¯t have a clue what I was supposed to do. My first instinct was to talk to Cassy, she was the one I was most familiar with, after all, but since it was about her father and all I had were speculations, I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how she¡¯d react. Plus, I didn¡¯t want to smear her memories of the man, in case I was wrong. I didn¡¯t think so, though and there might be a way to be decently sure. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s not talk about you spying on us or stealing from Xorlosh for a minute. Estrella can see the golden energy in people? Has she looked at some of your friends, or Mordred, perhaps? Do they have the same magic in them?¡± Reia was immediately prepared to change the topic and called the little girl over. Estrella¡¯s locks were flying around her head wildly as she bounced towards us and slammed into Reia like a battering ram who picked her up and whirled her around in a circle, eliciting another joyous laugh from Estrella. ¡°Uff¡­ You¡¯re getting stronger by the day. Have you been doing the exercises I showed you? Soon you¡¯ll have to carry me around. Look,¡± she continued while she placed her gently on the ground, ¡°Viyara wants to know if you¡¯ve seen the golden glow you saw in us somewhere else. Have you looked around and maybe seen it in one of your friends, Loraine, or what was his name, Barand, maybe?¡± She shrugged and answered quietly: ¡°I haven¡¯t looked. Do you want me to?¡± I nodded in Reia¡¯s direction and she replied: ¡°Please, why don¡¯t you go now? Run through the camp once and get back here as fast as you can.¡± Glancing at me from the side, she added: ¡°if you can, try finding Prince Mordred. We¡¯d really like to know if he has the golden energy in him, as well. You can tell us what you¡¯ve seen afterwards and if you¡¯re really quick, I¡¯ll teach you the spell to change the colour of your fur and hair, like you wanted.¡± And the plot thickened. If Reia knew a spell like that, it stood to reason she had used it before. Now, why would she want to change her colours unless it had caused problems in the past? Maybe she didn¡¯t exactly look like she was supposed to? I didn¡¯t know her family but if all of them were similar shades of red, and she had been different, I could easily imagine that she¡¯d have wanted to fit in. I focused back on the two girls, resolved to ask her immediately. ¡°Promise?¡± Estrella chirped. ¡°Promise, now go, hurry. I¡¯ll give you 15 minutes, not more.¡± With a squeal the tiny vixen scrambled off, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake. ¡°Are you trying to turn her into a monster,¡± Archy inquired morosely when she was gone. ¡°First the exercises, now this¡­ she¡¯ll become a whirlwind of destruction with pink hair, if you keep it up. I¡¯m the one who has to look after her all the time and you¡¯re not making my life any easier.¡± Reia stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so grumpy, she deserves a little fun. By the way, you would be much better off, if you joined her and didn¡¯t complain so much. It¡¯s not my fault you can¡¯t run a mile without collapsing. Anyways, what¡¯s this all about, Viyara? I don¡¯t see the problem.¡± No¡­ of course not. Your little, innocent friend had already developed a form of enhanced vision that put those of dragons to shame and we might have stumbled upon a royal family scandal but everything else was just peachy. Oh, and you stole from the leader of the dwarfs without any intention of ever returning the item, except the parts you wouldn¡¯t be able to turn into artefacts. But by now, a little kleptomania didn¡¯t seem too bad. ¡°Long story short, the kind of magic you¡¯re asking for is lost to my people and they¡¯ll be after everyone who can help them recover it. But you should know this, Ignus explained most of it back in the clearing where you just happened to hide in the bushes. How did you prevent us from smelling you, by the way?¡± ¡°Cloves,¡± came the immediate reply. ¡°They can cover any scent, but you have to rub them over most of your body, it¡¯s a pain. And we couldn¡¯t understand everything, you were too far away.¡± ¡°And again, you just so happened to cover your scent before you strolled through the forest? Never mind. Basically you¡¯ve stumbled across¡­ oh my, I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡± I truly didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t even tell them much about the magic itself without insinuating that Reia might be a Pendragon. Unless I managed to come up with a convincing story as to why there was a seed of the magic in most kitsune and why she was brimming with it. The first part wouldn¡¯t even be too difficult, I could just leave the name Pendragon out of it and hope that they hadn¡¯t picked up on it before. As for the second part¡­ everybody wanted to be someone special. Why not give them a mystery they could puzzle over until I had a better idea of what to do? 136. Of traditions, gifts and a little bit of beauty Cassandra Pendragon Viyara intercepted us after we had landed, slightly disheveled and out of breath. She seemed nervous and a bit distracted, wringing her hands while she told us that Ignus had taken off and had left Shassa in Mephisto¡¯s care. If I had ever witnessed Karma¡¯s Hand at play, that would have been the moment. A treacherous spider was at the sweet mercy of a frustrated demon. Sooner or later I¡¯d have to save her from his clutches, but I wasn¡¯t in a hurry. They could play for a while. The dragoness wanted to speak to Ahri, alone, and since I still had a lot on my plate before sundown, we separated. The two of them strolled towards the cliffs, heads put together conspiratorially, Viyara whispering in Ahri¡¯s ear. I wondered what the golden haired girl could possibly want from my fianc¨¦e that would make her act secretive, maybe even uncomfortable, but if it was anything worrisome, I certainly would hear about it soon enough. Besides, I was resolved to be a little less paranoid when it came to my friends, so I pushed the thought from my mind. First things first, I had to find Mephisto, eventually, get the seed back from Erya and ask one of the dwarfs if a length of rope was missing. I expected the latter to take no more than 5 minutes but as it turned out, I was wrong. When I came close to the smithy and the adjacent stockpile of materials, I saw a line of small, stocky fellows waiting outside, twiddling their beards while curses and the rumbling of overturned boxes came from the inside. ¡°Did I miss something,¡± I asked as soon as I got near. Atosh, who was standing directly at the makeshift door, turned around and smiled at me, his blocky teeth a flash of white amidst his hair. ¡°Nah lass, me brother¡¯s just lost his marbles. Clamouring on about a burial gift he¡¯s misplaced. Threw all of us out so he could go looking. Give him a minute, he¡¯ll calm down soon enough. What do yah need, anyways?¡± ¡°Only a quick answer. Are you missing a length of rope? About 20 meters?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. But if yah want to know for sure, gotta wait till Krack, yah know, the quartermaster, gets down here. He¡¯s got the inventory in his head, that one.¡± Even though I had just left him behind and had to either turn back or wait, I still had to smile. I had always thought that all dwarven names ended on -osch but I had obviously been mistaken. Or the poor guy had had some serious bad luck with his nickname, one of the two. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him tonight. And since you mentioned it: burial gift? I¡¯m sorry to ask, but I¡¯m not that familiar with your customs. Should we prepare something as well?¡± ¡°Hmm, the lads would surely appreciate the gesture, but yah don¡¯t have to. Only the family and Xorlosh, as the leader, are expected to honour their services with grave goods. It doesn¡¯t have to be something material either, a song or a short speech would do nicely. But it¡¯s up to yah, if yah want to.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think of something,¡± I promised. ¡°But I¡¯d have to know what could be appropriate. What¡¯s going to happen tonight? I¡¯ve never been at one of your burials, I don¡¯t even know if there ever was one on Boseiju. Could you perhaps tell me what your plans are for tonight?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ first, yah gotta know that we don¡¯t cremate our people, we bury them deep. Not in earth but in rock. We¡¯ll have to dig pretty far down until we get through the upper layers of dirt around here. That¡¯s the part when the closest of kin, usually a brother, speaks about the life of the fallen comrade, their achievements, their plans and what they left behind. We have four caskets to take care of, so that¡¯s going to take a while. With the grave still open, we¡¯ll have a feast in their memory, celebrate the good times, we¡¯ve had. Only afterwards, will we place the grave goods inside, everybody who wants to will have the chance to say anything they want the dead to take with ¡®em to the next life, we¡¯ll pour a tankard of mead over the caskets and close ¡®em up for good.¡± He hesitated before he asked: ¡°Yah going to use the feast to announce your engagement, lass?¡± His face remained serious but his eyes sparkled mischievously as they roved across my bracelet. I could practically see the ears of every dwarf present prick up, as one poked the other in the ribs and several shuffled closer in anything but an inconspicuous manner. ¡°Does everyone know about that,¡± I asked, more amused than exasperated by now. Ahri had been right, I should take it as a compliment. ¡°Well, most of us helped make that thing, in one way or the other, so¡­ yeah. We just weren¡¯t sure when she¡¯d find the courage to ask. So¡­ are yah?¡± ¡°We talked about it, but¡­ it¡¯s the burial of your friends, we don¡¯t want to do anything that might be taken the wrong way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t yah worry your pretty head about that. All of us, especially the ones who are gone, would appreciate a reason to celebrate and raise our mugs to something other than memories. If yah want to, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll even be able to organise a bit of music for a proper engagement dance, or is that not something your people do?¡± ¡°It is and I¡¯m not going to reject a chance to dance with Ahri. Anything I should know beforehand?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the gist of it quickly enough, it¡¯s not complicated. The music starts and yah move, not much to it. If yah want to do us a favour and honour the dead, yah¡¯ll help turn this night into one to remember. Yah could also hit two of ¡®em birds with one stone and dedicate the dance to the lads who can¡¯t watch it no more. That would make for a fine parting gift.¡± ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll keep it in mind. I guess I¡¯ll better be off, then. I still have to find a cranky demon and take away one of his toys. You don¡¯t happen to know where he¡¯s hiding?¡± ¡°Not sure, but I saw him heading towards the forest. Yah¡¯ll find him in there somewhere. But I wouldn¡¯t leave, just yet. Yah know, the lads have been working like mad men and we¡¯re mostly done with the armour yah wanted. If yah hang on a couple more minutes, till me brothers done with his rampage, yah could try it on. See if it fits.¡± Now, that was a proposal I couldn¡¯t turn down. What had it been? Around 5 days since I had asked? Oh my, they really had been working like crazy to make that happen. ¡°Thank you! I thought it¡¯d take weeks, not days, even though I do hope that I won¡¯t need the armour in the near future. Could you tell me who¡¯s had a hand in making it?¡± ¡°Well, that would be us, Xorlosh, Etosh, Brombolosh and me. We swung the hammer and made the design but your girl made it possible. She and that dragon of yours, their flames were what allowed us to get our camp forge up to temperature. Oh, and that horned fey you brought along, what was her name, Erya. She poured some of her magic into the mix while yah have been out cold. At least when she wasn¡¯t busy jumping your brother¡¯s bones.¡± Alright, so that bit hadn¡¯t stayed private, either. Just as well, I¡¯d have hated being the only one in the family who provided a source for gossip. And maybe it would even shut him up when he saw the bracelet, but I wasn¡¯t convinced. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I took a step forward and kissed Atosh on the cheek. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to hurry that much¡­ but I do appreciate it. Thank you, again. I really hope I can one day repay everything you, all of you, have done for me and my people.¡± He blushed profusely and spluttered a little when he answered. I still thought it funny that a mixture of muscles and stubbornness became flustered so easily and had to suppress a grin as he stammered: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, lass. You¡¯re good people, all of yah. Yah don¡¯t have to thank us for common decency and yah¡¯ve already proven that yah¡¯ll fight and bleed with the best of us. I¡¯d much rather yah called me a friend instead of thanking me and I¡¯m sure me brother and cousins will see it the same way. As for the armour¡­ it¡¯s already been payed for and we¡¯re all quite proud that a princess, an immortal one at that, is going to wear our craftsmanship. Just¡­ try to keep it in one piece a little longer than your clothes, would yah?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± I smiled. ¡°And Atosh¡­ I think friendship hardly covers, what you are to me. Whether you want to hear it or not, for me, all of you are heroes, who saved us when they didn¡¯t have to. You¡¯re kind and courageous¡­ you aren¡¯t friends, you¡¯re family.¡± This time around, all of the dwarfs who had heard me blushed, not just him. For a bunch of fearsome warriors they could be quite sweet. By now I was more or less convinced that I¡¯d get anything I could possibly want from them with a kiss and a smile¡­ and maybe a tankard of mead, or two. What I had said to Mephisto back when we had first met came to mind: Imagine all my power paired with a pretty face and sparkling eyes, followed by a half remembered quote from Lucifer when he had carried a young Greta through a dying world: all beautiful things are dangerous. Beauty was a weapon, just as much as magic or a spear, maybe even more so. And like any weapon, it could as easily be used to protect and defend as it could be used to hurt and destroy. ¡°Lass, that was a darn nice thing of you to say.¡± Xorlosh¡¯s deep bass easily drowned out the creaking door as he stepped into the sun, his beard and hair full of charcoal dust. His dark shirt, woollen trousers and hands were liberally smeared with oil and soot. He didn¡¯t simply look like he had climbed through a forge, he even smelled like it, acrid smoke and the scent of burned metal strong enough to make my nose twitch. ¡°I think me eyes are watering, gotta be the light out here. Who could have known, when it comes down to it, your people skills aren¡¯t that shabby after all.¡± No, they probably weren¡¯t. But I still had to learn how, or rather when to use them. ¡°I meant every word,¡± I replied quietly. ¡°I know you do, Cassandra, I know you do.¡± He offered me his hand but I pulled him into a hug, even though I had to supplement my muscles with quite a bit of energy to move him just a little bit. With a surprised grunt he stumbled forwards until I caught him. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. He stiffened in surprise for the fraction of a second before he returned the hug wholeheartedly. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, lass. Now, why don¡¯t you come inside? The lads and me have something to show you, but I imagine me cousin has already run his flabby mouth. We¡¯ve got far enough with your armour that you can try it on. See if we need to change or adjust anything.¡± He stepped back and headed through the still open door, beckoning for me to follow. When he turned around, I could have sworn he wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye but he vanished in the dark much too quickly to say for sure. Atosh joined me when I made my way into the smithy, while everybody else remained outside, their quiet whispers cut off as soon as the door closed behind us. I entered a surprisingly spacious room with wooden walls and a large, open vent in the ceiling. There were no windows, the only source of light was the huge fire of the furnace, which shone in a supernatural display of colours, crimson red, gold and even green sparks played across the glowing embers. The smithy was unbelievably warm, it almost felt like I had to push through a veritable wall of heat and the sharp smell of molten metal to get inside. Immediately sweat formed on my brow and my eyes began to water in the thick air. With every step, fine grains of rock, almost like sand, crunched under my boots while my vision slowly adjusted to the dim light. It felt like I had just entered an underground cave, not a makeshift hut on a tropical island. The burning coals sent flickering shadows dancing along the walls and over a mighty anvil, which was placed directly at the centre, all kinds of tools hazardously arranged around it. Hammers, files, tongs, an oil bath and several heavy leather gloves laid on the ground and while I could see the shelf they had been taken from, Xorlosh had obviously thrown everything into disarray in his frantic search for whatever he had lost. To my right, a stack of materials, small mithril ingots, steel bars, different woods, unworked iron and heavy, oaken boxes filled with gems, some of them open some closed, reached almost to the ceiling, everything one could possibly need, a comfortable arms reach away from the forge. To my left, a work bench, covered in metal shavings and burn marks occupied the whole width of a wall. As I looked around, I couldn¡¯t see anything finished, though. Whatever they produced was probably directly taken away and put to use, or stored on one of the ships. The only exception was a rack, covered in rough cloth, which had been shoved out of the way and was now leaning against the far wall. I couldn¡¯t quite make out the shape of what was underneath the raw linen, but with a little imagination, the cloth might have just followed the lines of a set of plate armour. ¡°No need to be shy,¡± Xorlosh said. ¡°Come on in. It looks a mess right now, but we won¡¯t need that much space, will we?¡± He shuffled over to the rack and removed the covers with one deft motion. Frankly, it was somewhat underwhelming. I didn¡¯t even know what exactly I had expected, but the tarnished plates of mithril were hardly recognisable as a piece of armour. To me, it looked more like a pile of discarded junk then anything else. ¡°So, what d¡¯yah think,¡± Atosh asked. ¡°Huh¡­ it¡¯s¡­ uh¡­¡± I knew I sounded crestfallen and disappointed but I couldn¡¯t help it. Dwarfs were supposed to be wizards when it came to metal working and the parts over there looked like they had been made by a short sighted toddler with only a vague understanding of anatomy and the purpose of armour. While I was still scrambling for words, the undersized miscreants erupted with ringing laughter, Xorlosh even had to grab onto the workbench to keep his balance. ¡°Lass, you should¡¯ve seen your face. Priceless... I assume you¡¯ve never had anything personalised for you by a blacksmith? No? Well¡­ There¡¯s no point in polishing or even hammering out the exact shape unless the joints are in the right place and move as they are supposed to. That¡¯s what y¡¯re here for. You can put it on over your clothes, it¡¯s designed to be worn over a gambeson or thick, lined leather. There¡¯s going to be some wiggle room with what y¡¯re currently wearing but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. You do know that you need something beneath a plate to cushion the blows that hit your armour, right? Good. The joints will still align the same way and we¡¯ll have you move around a bit, fly, do some cartwheels and jumping jacks, the usual. If the joints lock or hinder you in anyway, we¡¯ll have to change most of the surrounding parts to get rid of that. That¡¯s why it¡¯s looking¡­ rather unfinished right now, but trust me, once we know everything works as it¡¯s supposed to, me and the lads will have it finished in a jiffy. Come on then, let¡¯s get you canned.¡± It didn¡¯t take long until I was feeling more like a cheap tin man from Oz than anything else. My back was covered in a series of overlapping joints, almost like scales, with the base of my wings and tails left out. The same construction circled around my hips, shoulders and stomach while my chest was hidden behind a solid, tight fitted metal plate. My thighs, shins and arms were equally protected by forged mithril with a complex looking joint at the knee that mirrored the one at my elbow. Combined with a raised steel collar that protected my neck, I must have looked ridiculous. 137. Of entertainment, restoration and a little bit of friendship Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Ah well, it ain¡¯t no beauty yet, but just yah wait. Now then, can yah move?¡± I gingerly tried putting one foot in front of the other and to my surprise, I neither keeled over, nor did the armour impede my movements. Even though it was only half finished, it was easier to wear than most of the gowns I had been forced to put on, back on Boseiju. It chafed somewhat against my skin but with thicker clothes underneath and minor adjustments, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Alright, the joints seem to be working properly. Let¡¯s get you out of here and see how it holds up when you do more than shuffle from left to right.¡± The next half hour consisted mostly of embarrassment and aching muscles as I was forced to go through a bunch of callisthenic exercises, in the air and on the ground, with half the camp watching. The worst part: the onlookers even decided to comment on my contortions with either wolf whistles, applause or inappropriate remarks. Once I even heard a dwarf ask why they hadn¡¯t constructed a Pteryges, a sort of skirt that protected the legs with overlapping strips of studded leather, usually worn by Ancient Greek soldiers back on earth. If I had been able to tell who it had been, I would have crash landed on top of his head, purely by accident, of course. When Xorlosh finally decided that he had seen enough, much later than I had hoped, I was drenched in sweat and parts of my skin would have been raw and bloody if I hadn¡¯t continuously healed myself. I had to admit, though, considering that I was wearing more than 15 kilograms of metal, I had barely felt the weight, nor had it thrown me off balance. The armour moved almost like a second skin and if they managed to work out the pressure points, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference between the plates and a heavy winter garb. But it didn¡¯t justify the hoops they had made me jump through. A double somersault on the ground? Please¡­ At least they had already organised a bucket full of fresh water and a soft towel when I limped back inside, Xorlosh and Atosh on my tails. They quickly helped me out of the armour and explained how I could use my wings to do it myself, a feat I wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish with just my arms. They left me alone afterwards so I could have some privacy, chatting all the way like a couple of debutants, except that I wouldn¡¯t have expected debutants to talk shop about densities, weight, friction and stability. When the door closed behind them, I sighed heavily, peeled my soaked clothes off my skin and began cleaning myself, absentmindedly massaging the sore spots where the armour had cut into my flesh. Considering how energetic and content I had been an hour ago, I could hardly believe how drained I felt, even washing the sweat off was a chore. It hadn¡¯t been the attention, I had gotten used to prancing around in front of salivating strangers ages ago and I even liked the dwarfs, but still¡­ oh boy, I was in serious need of a vacation, or at least some peace and quiet, far away from death and tragedy but it didn¡¯t look like I¡¯d get either in the foreseeable future. Maybe I should simply kidnap Ahri and head into the sunset, at least for a while¡­ right, and then we¡¯d watch the world turn to ashes from our front row seats. Oh well, complaining wouldn¡¯t help, great strength, great responsibility and all of that. Next time though, I¡¯d reincarnate as a spoiled cat or maybe a sloth, if I got the chance. A soft knock on the door cut my brooding short and with an unwilling grunt I slung the towel around me, wrung the water from my hair and tiptoed over to answer, the grains on the floor rough against my bare feet. As soon as I opened it, Erya slipped past me, the scent of wildflowers following her like a fresh spring breeze. She had a basket in her hands, filled with several small bottles which smelled slightly medical and a flowing piece of cloth, almost like silk, draped over her arm. ¡°I know what marvels magic can accomplish,¡± she said without preamble while I closed the door, ¡°but I thought you might need something else after the show you just put on. And I wanted to talk to you, alone.¡± Her horns began to glow and seedlings erupted form the ground before I even had a chance to answer. They grew alarmingly fast until they formed a low table on which Erya placed the cloth she had been carrying and arranged her vials. ¡°Come on, lie down. I found a couple of rare herbs yesterday and they¡¯ll do wonders for you.¡± She expectantly tugged at the corner of my towel and simultaneously pushed me forwards. ¡°You want to give me a massage? Seriously? Isn¡¯t one Pendragon enough for you?¡± Her soft laughter filled the smithy. ¡°Never, but that¡¯s truly not what I¡¯m after. Now that I¡¯ve met your girl¡­ I¡¯ve said it before, I won¡¯t make the mistake of coming between the two of you, I like my hide just where it is, thank you very much. No, I just wanted to say¡­ thanks. I didn¡¯t truly appreciate where you¡¯re coming from before, honestly, I thought you¡¯d be far less¡­ vulnerable. But it all matters to you, us, the children, your family¡­ I¡¯m not going to do anything that might hurt you. I like you, Cassandra, and I¡¯m not a complete ass.¡± ¡°No, but you are a nymphomaniac,¡± I replied and let go of the towel. ¡°And a little crazy. I¡¯m still glad I had the chance to meet you, though, all things considered.¡± When I reached the table and felt the cool softness of the cloth under my fingers I added quietly: ¡°I like you, too, Erya.¡± ¡°I know, at least I hope you don¡¯t willingly promise people you don¡¯t like your protection, indefinitely I might add. Chop chop now, face downwards, I¡¯ll start with your back and neck.¡± Over the course of the next 20 minutes I learned that magic didn¡¯t have to be worked through spells, it didn¡¯t even need any from of power. Her warm hands were steadily working fragrant oils into my muscles and hair while the tension slowly drained from my body. I relaxed, my thoughts calmed down and I could practically feel my energy being gradually restored. A fresh wave of revitalising smells hit me every time she opened one of the vials, yarrow, valerian and aconitine were familiar but I also detect faint hints of something closer to fruits or berries which I couldn¡¯t place. Whatever it was, my skin soon started tingling under her fingers. Her touch activated my meridians and a burning sensation traveled across my skin while the energy within me began to flow freely. When I turned my head to squint through half closed eyes, I saw a halo of silvery light around me, much brighter than I was used to and it intensified with every beat of my heart. ¡°Oh my,¡± Erya chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve heard before that people can glow with satisfaction but that¡¯s on a whole new level. You¡¯re not going to turn into a star before my eyes, are you?¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. At first I had trouble slinging my tongue around the words I wanted to say, but with a little effort I managed: ¡°not if I can help it, no promises, though. What are you doing to me?¡± ¡°Why? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, not at all, but I don¡¯t think I can move. It feels like¡­ everything is turned inwards, as if I¡¯m healing myself but there¡¯s no injury to mend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s supposed to happen. Your energy is circling around your core and cleansing your body while it rushes through. Think of it as a magical overhaul. Small impurities are burned away, tiny fractures in your bones and muscles are healed and your mind can power down for a while. It doesn¡¯t do much good with serious wounds, well, maybe it would in your case, but there¡¯s nothing better to chase away fatigue and soreness. If you want, I¡¯ll teach you how to do it. It¡¯s not that difficult with the right herbs and I¡¯m sure Ahri would love it.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d like that,¡± I mumbled. ¡°It feels amazing. You¡¯re really good at this.¡± ¡°Practice makes perfect and it¡¯s a good way to finally feel you up without much trouble,¡± she joked but her mirth faded from her voice quickly. ¡°Do you think you can still concentrate somewhat?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ probably¡­ what¡¯s on your mind?¡± I wouldn¡¯t want to engage in a game of chess right now, but a conversation should be manageable. At least a short one. ¡°Several things¡­ but mainly¡­ your brother,¡± she said hesitantly, as if she had changed her mind midsentence. ¡°Does it bother you?¡± ¡°That I¡¯m not the centre of your romantic advances anymore? Hardly. I do have to wonder about your sanity, though. Are you that desperate or did you hit your head, hard?¡± I refused to seriously discuss my brother¡¯s love life. If anything, she should be talking to my mom, not me. There were some things I truly didn¡¯t want to know¡­ yuck. ¡°Hmm, since all the pretty girls are taken or too young, even for me, and I was stuck in a gem for longer than I care to remember, a little desperation might have played a role. But he is also roguishly handsome and¡­¡± ¡°Stop, right there. Erya, you guys have my blessing to do whatever you want, but please, don¡¯t tell me about it. It¡¯s bad enough that I can smell it, I don¡¯t need any mental images on top of that.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep the saucy parts to myself. Can you move your arms? Slowly¡­ yes that¡¯s it. Try to reach back and grab my hands. There you go. Now, this might hurt,¡± I groaned when my back cracked several times, ¡°a little. Alright, time to turn around.¡± By now I was much too relaxed to care about the bounds of modesty, I just didn¡¯t want her to stop. When she began massaging my stomach, the direction my energy was taking through my meridians reverted. Instead of heat an almost chilly sensation, like cool water, flowed over my skin and brought my other senses back to life. The smell of wild flowers Erya exuded, burned ash and heated metal, the sounds of rushing dwarfs, suppressed curses and children laughing, the quiet rustling of mice and the scent of roasted venison and spilled mead, it all poured into me like a mighty river. For a few seconds I was lost, carried away by the impressions until her soft touch brought me back into my body. Her fingers caressingly followed the meridians across my belly, indicating where the flood of power would go next and when I met her gaze blearily, I realised I was completely at her mercy. I was intoxicated and whatever she wanted do, I wouldn¡¯t put up much resistance as long as she didn¡¯t stop.¡°What¡­¡± I managed to croak. ¡°Shh, just relax, nothing¡¯s going to happen. Your energy is acting like a magnet. It attracts everything you need to bring it back into balance and your body is telling you that it¡¯d be dangerous to stop now, so I shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯ll be over in a minute.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I should be relieved or disappointed, for even though I enjoyed her tender care immensely, it felt just too intimate to be entirely comfortable. Before I could make up my addled mind, though, the sensations slowly vanished and, true to her words, a minute later I was back to normal, more or less. I was brimming with energy, it felt like I was truly awake for the first time in days. My sense were sharper and even my mind felt like I was constantly pushing a trickle of power into it, faster and more precise than I was getting used to. The daunting days ahead, everything I still had to do and even our precarious situation and the ones we had lost, it didn¡¯t overwhelm me anymore. I was certain we¡¯d find a way, push through somehow as we had before. I felt¡­ confident and ready for the challenges that were to come. Hopefully that would last for a while. ¡°There, all done,¡± Erya said. ¡°Now, just lie still for a minute and allow your body some time to adjust. I¡¯ll get you something clean to wear so you don¡¯t ruin my efforts immediately.¡± ¡°Fine with me, I¡¯m in no rush to get up. And thank you, that was amazing, but you could have warned me beforehand. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so¡­ intensive.¡± ¡°And go around in circles with you, arguing whether or not a meridian massage is over the line? Would you have allowed me to continue if you had know what it would feel like?¡¯ ¡°Probably not,¡± I admitted and closed my eyes again, relishing in the tantalising feeling of cool silk against my skin and the still present tingling all over my body. When I heard her shuffling around behind me I murmured: ¡°there something else I need to ask you. Do you still have the seed I gave you when we first met?¡± Considering how lucky I usually was, she might have already planted it somewhere, or lost it down in the tomb. ¡°Of course,¡± she sighed. ¡°That was the other thing I wanted to discuss. You need it back, right?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Call it a lucky guess. I¡¯ve seen your people. Those kids need a home, direly. You¡¯re not the trusting kind, Cassy, and I bet it doesn¡¯t sit well with you to depend on Arthur for their safety, even though he is your brother. You¡¯d prefer to have an alternative, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± True, but mostly I was just following the advice Amazeroth had given me, for better or for worse. Should I tell her? To hell with it, I wasn¡¯t going to repeat the same mistakes I had made in my previous life. ¡°I do but that¡¯s not all of it. I¡¯ve dreamed of my past, again, and I was told how I could make the seed grow. Incidentally by the same demon who¡¯s supposedly aiding Amon right now. He told me, no that¡¯s not right, he insinuated that I might need it in the future. Call me crazy, but since it doesn¡¯t involve anything nasty, like a blood sacrifice, I¡¯m willing to give it a try. If you can be persuaded to part with the seed, that is.¡± Instead of an answer I felt her magic pulse out of her ram like horns, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to turn around or open my eyes. Not yet, anyway. A few moments later the wave of energy dissipated and she slowly replied: ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about following the advice of someone who¡¯s a scheming manipulator at best and simply a backstabbing traitor at worst, but that¡¯s your decision. As for the seed, of course you can have it. But should it ever grow into anything like the original, I want a branch to myself. Or maybe the crown, we¡¯ll have to see.¡± This time I propped up on my elbows and squinted at her. ¡°Just like that? Without any compensation? Can you even do that?¡¯ ¡°Sure, why shouldn¡¯t I be able to give a friend a present.¡± She said while she handed back my cleaned and dried clothes. When I took them, the scent of wild flowers became stronger, as if a blooming meadow had suddenly appeared in the small smithy. ¡°No magic or contracts required there. Do you want it now?¡± She added while she absentmindedly fiddled with her necklace. ¡°Please,¡± I replied while I regretfully got up and shrugged into my pants and shirt. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to plant it anywhere and keep the pot close by while I¡¯m sleeping, but I imagine it wouldn¡¯t hurt if I had it on me for a while, beforehand. You¡¯re truly fine with this? I¡¯m more than willing to give you something else in return.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not go down that road,¡± she sighed as she closed her vials and placed them back into the basket. Over a third was gone from most of them. ¡°Not again. I¡¯m not going to ask for anything. You wouldn¡¯t either, if I needed your help.¡± With a deft motion she detached the seed and a shower of sparks from her horns returned it to its original size. ¡°If you want to do me a favour in return, put in a good word with your mother, in case Mordred and I stay together for a while. I don¡¯t think she likes me and that fox form of hers is nightmarish, especially what lies underneath.¡± 138. Of children, fey and a tiny bit of hellfire Cassandra Pendragon ¡°What do you mean, nightmarish? I wouldn¡¯t tell it to her face, but I think she looks rather adorable.¡± I said and turned towards the fey, finally fully dressed. She hesitated to answer, twiddling the seed in her hands for a few moments before she offered it to me. ¡°I¡¯m hardly surprised to hear you say that, since it was your magic that created her as she is now. But trust me, to a sensitive mage who wasn¡¯t born among the stars, she¡¯s terrifying. I was nearly blinded when I saw her for the first time. It¡¯s like¡­ you took a piece of the sun and compressed it into her fragile form. Now its power is leaking out left and right but it¡¯s still only a fraction of what lies underneath¡­ and that¡¯s outright scary. You know, I always thought that I had an immensely bad day when I tangled with someone as powerful as Shafeer but by now I¡¯m rather convinced that it could¡¯ve been much worse. Against him, I at least managed to put up a fight. Spiders, fallen gods, immortals¡­¡± a shudder ran down her spine. ¡°Maybe the world in my gem wasn¡¯t so bad after all.¡± She seemed truly afraid, much more like a little girl than the powerful, slightly crazed sorceress I had come to know. When I took the seed from her, I protectively pulled her closer, into my arms. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s not going to be like this forever. Even after the darkest night, the dawn will come. We¡¯ll get through this, together.¡± She fell against me and I thought I felt her tremble for a moment before she relaxed. ¡°Not for everyone, it doesn¡¯t,¡± she whispered. ¡°No, not for everyone.¡± I thought for a moment before I added quietly: ¡°this isn¡¯t about the fallen dwarfs, or our struggles, is it? What happened?¡± She stiffened and her arms became painfully tight around my middle. ¡°They¡¯re gone, Cassy, all of them. I tried contacting my family¡­ my children. There¡¯s nothing left,nobody answered my call. I don¡¯t know what happened to them over the years I was gone, but this¡­¡± she sniffled. Damn it, I hadn¡¯t even known she was a mother. She had never told me and I had never asked. I had just assumed¡­ but now that I thought about it, she had had her own realm, and probably an heir or an heiress. And they would¡¯ve been in the way of anyone who wanted to take over. I knew she had lost her kingdom but I would never have imagined what that actually meant. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± There wasn¡¯t much more I could say, everything else would have sounded like a mockery, I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand how she must have felt. All I could do was hold her while hot tears ran down her cheeks and she mourned for those she had lost. I couldn¡¯t help her, I couldn¡¯t make it better, if they were gone¡­ but what if they weren¡¯t? She had said that she hadn¡¯t received an answer, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were dead as her own experience in Shafeer¡¯s hoard proved. Could I say that? What if I reignited her hope only to have it extinguished moments later? That would have been more than cruel. But then again, she had come to me, and I would¡¯ve bet that this was precisely why, not to talk about my brother but about her family. ¡°Erya, do you want me to find out what happened to them?¡± She didn¡¯t reply but I felt her nod. Screw this, even a false hope would be better than none. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a little early for your tears.¡± I pushed her to arm¡¯s length and caressingly brushed away the streaks of moisture on her cheeks. ¡°I have an idea. Come with me, let¡¯s see how brilliant that demon truly is.¡± I grabbed her hand and pulled her along, resolved to at least give her some closure if nothing else. There were still a handful of dwarfs outside the smithy, but they didn¡¯t stop us nor did they try to chat. I was tremendously grateful that I didn¡¯t have to wiggle out of a bunch of highly inappropriate conversations and headed directly for the forest. With a thought I pushed enough energy towards my ears that I could hear the murmuring echo of every conversation in camp, the soft beats of tiny wings as butterflies circled around the flowers further away, the tripping of paws under the canopy and the distant rumbling of long lost languages somewhere to the north. Relieved that I had found him so quickly, I released the magic, the short moment had already been enough to drive a burning wedge of pain through my skull, my mind unable to cope with the myriad of impressions that had assaulted me for the fraction of a second. My vision swam and I had to struggle to remain on my feet, swaying from left to right. I ground my teeth and inhaled deeply as the waves of agony gradually turned into a migraine. That, I could deal with. ¡°¡­ alright?¡± Erya was tugging at my hand. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Found Mephisto,¡± I groaned. ¡°And overestimated my resilience. No matter, I¡¯m fine. Come on.¡± We hurried on, past the outer lines of the camp and across the wetlands. When we reached the edge of the forest I slowed down and again enhanced my hearing, more carefully this time. He wasn¡¯t far away, just on the other side of a small spring, where the forest was still full of light and not yet as foreboding as it was around the ruins of the tomb and towards the hills. I couldn¡¯t hear anything threatening either, the larger animals had probably already fled from whatever Mephisto was doing and the small ones stayed well hidden, only the faint tripping of tiny paws in the underbrush revealed their presence to my heightened senses. ¡°This way,¡± I said and pulled Erya further towards the demon and what I hoped would turn out to be a spark of hope instead of desperation. ¡°Tell me about them, your children. What are they like? And how many are there?¡± I heard her snivel again, but her voice remained firm when she answered. ¡°I have two sons and a daughter, Gawain, Lancelot and the little Guinevere. Beautiful creatures, all of them and a royal pain in the ass. Young fey are¡­ wild, no don¡¯t laugh, they¡¯re much worse than me. We don¡¯t develop or grow up the same way humanoids do. It¡¯s more of an¡­ evolution and it takes quite some time until we even realise that we aren¡¯t alone in the world. For a young fey, there is just magic and instincts. We don¡¯t even have a fixed, physical body until we mature. Our whims and desire shape and change what and who we are. Just imagine: me without any from of self restraint and more than enough magic to make most of my wishes come true. Having them around was challenging and exhausting but not nearly as bad as missing them every single day I was imprisoned. We don¡¯t usually form families, like I said, we don¡¯t grow up, we evolve, and the younglings are more often than not left to fend for themselves but I couldn¡¯t do it¡­ I think I loved them, even back then, and I wasn¡¯t prepared to allow nature to run its course. I taught them, I hugged them when they burned their fingers and I scolded them when they went too far.¡± Her voice became distant as if she was living through the memories she was sharing with me. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise it back then, but I was happy. It¡¯s true what they say, you know: you can only ever appreciate the things you have lost. I would never have imagined how much it hurt when I knew that yet another decade had passed while I sat in my gem and could only picture what they must look like now, if they found another place¡­ or if they died when my realm was taken... over the years I managed to bury the memory of them deep down but when¡­ but now, that I¡¯m starting to live again, to feel, to love and hate¡­¡± Her voice broke. I immediately stopped and hugged her again, inadequate as it felt, but I simply didn¡¯t know what else I could do. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me before,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°We could have done something much sooner.¡± ¡°When? When we fought an ancient dragon, fled form the emperor or when you suddenly disappeared and we had to face remnants of a long forgotten age? No¡­ it is what it is but, I can¡¯t pretend anymore, I have to know.¡± She pushed me back and continued on our path, the flow of energy from where Mephisto was working easily within the range of her senses. I stared after her, a million questions fluttering through my mind, but none of them mattered. She was suffering, alone, and she had been for a long time. I felt unbelievably sorry for her but all I could do was hope with her and, if we got the chance, help her bring them back. And so help me, if they were still alive, no matter what stood in the way, I would make sure she¡¯d have the chance to see her kids again. And if they weren¡¯t¡­ the gods might have mercy on the poor soul who was responsible, but I wasn¡¯t going to. If, once again, all I could be was an angel of vengeance, I¡¯d gladly play my role. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I whispered after her retreating back and hurried to catch up with her. It didn¡¯t take us more than 5 minutes to make our way across a small, gushing creek and towards a huge tree I didn¡¯t recognise. It was large enough to crowd out the adjacent plants and occupy a clearing all by itself, a silent, venerable, ancient king of the forest, at the roots of which Mephisto was¡­I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of what he was doing. I saw the jewel, we had banished Shassa into, the last remaining statuette, several complicated looking sigils and formations on the ground and a variety of different herbs, all placed around the enormous trunk of the tree, which was wide enough that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to encompass it with my wings. On top of that, he had carved a handful of runes into the bark, each of them glowed faintly in the greenish light under the canopy. Yellow, purple, blue and golden shimmers surrounded them, a supernatural display of light that made me feel like I had stumbled upon an enchanted clearing, where druids would assemble to worship nature and life. It wasn¡¯t even that far off the truth, except for the druids and the benevolent part of the magic, since I assumed he wasn¡¯t exactly trying to coax plants into blooming early or bless people with fertility. At least I hoped so. He must have realised that he wasn¡¯t alone anymore but he didn¡¯t look up when we stepped from the tree line and into his little sanctuary of magic and lost arts. Instead he carefully finished another rune, using the ignited end of his staff as a chisel. It was the very same one I had seen him carry when we first had met, but this time, arcane energies were swirling along the unicorn¡¯s horn and down the length of the carved wood. Crackling it flowed into the ancient tree and marked it with yet another glyph. When he was done, he straightened and turned around, his smouldering, red eyes filled with a fire I hadn¡¯t seen before. The crown of horns around his head shimmered with the same intensity, black and red sparks dancing along the curved ebony like fireflies above a pitch black pond. Instinctively I took a step forward to get between him and Erya, my wings manifesting with the whisper of aeons torn asunder while a wave of icy fear raced through me. The fires of hell were again raging within him, suffocating everything that came too close, and I didn¡¯t know, if I was still facing someone I considered a friend or something else entirely. ¡°Mephisto?¡± I quietly asked while Erya pressed herself against my back, she had felt the change in him as well. ¡°The one and only. You can put these away,¡± he said and blinked, the unholy inferno in his eyes disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m still myself. You have nothing to worry about. But with the delightful support of your new spider pet and her artefact, I managed to access some of my caches. I still don¡¯t have a core but if push comes to shove, I can squeeze a drop of hell itself from my old bones.¡± He shrugged and the oppressive aura that had permeated this place vanished. I took a deep breath but I didn¡¯t retract my wings, the strangling force I had just felt still much too vivid in my mind. ¡°Now then, did you just come to stare at me in all my glory or is there a reason why you¡¯re here? If you want me to be your bridesmaid, it¡¯s going to cost you and I don¡¯t do pink,¡± he added with a smirk and a glance at my bracelet. ¡°If we ever get around to having a wedding, I¡¯m not going to scare everyone away. Consequentially, I¡¯m not even sure if you¡¯re invited. What in hell did you just do?¡± ¡°Hell, ah home sweet home, and mostly the answer to your question. I fused a drop of power, I had stored away for bad times, with this wonky construction I¡¯m currently living in. You just saw the echoes of the transfer, nothing sinister, well, not more sinister than I usually am. So¡­ are you going to tell me what you want or do I have to guess?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure, if his explanation served to soothe my worries or exacerbate them, but I had known all along that he wasn¡¯t all about sunshine and rainbows. I had just never seen him like this before, a demon through and through. Hesitantly I allowed my wings to fade away, but my resolve to not distrust my friends was being pushed to the limits today. Without Erya¡¯s massage I wouldn¡¯t have been able to let it go. ¡°Several things, actually, but the most important: can you help us find¡­ Erya¡¯s closest living relatives? I¡¯ve already seen that some spells can make use of blood to connect family members, could you do something similar?¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not that difficult, as your fey knows. Which means she has tried and failed, which in turn means whoever you are looking for is either protected from scrying¡­ or dead. Let me think¡­ are you willing to bleed for this, Cassandra?¡± ¡°You mean literally, right? Of course. How much do you need?¡± ¡°Enough for a couple of runes. I could probably also make do without your blood but it¡¯ll be much easier with a reagent that protects my spells from any foreign magic. But I don¡¯t think she should be here for this,¡± he added with a nod in Erya¡¯s direction. ¡°Why?!¡± She demanded to know as she stepped around me. ¡°It¡¯s my family we are talking about, dimwit, why shouldn¡¯t I be here?¡± At least she wasn¡¯t subdued and quiet anymore. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to power a scrying spell with sparks of transcendent energy from a source that can¡¯t be changed or impeded. It will show us what we want to know, all of it. Are you sure you¡¯re prepared for that? Think carefully before you answer, fey. Also, if you should try to alter or mess with my magic, you¡¯re going to burn to a crisp before either of us could help you¡± If he hadn¡¯t been right, I would have slapped him, right then and there. I couldn¡¯t imagine a more blunt way of saying: whoever you are looking for might only still exist in bits and pieces, and you¡¯re not strong enough to help, at any rate. Are you sure you want to hang around and see that? Or maybe that was simply his form of revenge for Erya calling him a dimwit. ¡°Get on with it,¡± she replied. ¡°Whatever we¡¯ll see, I want to know, I have to know. Everything is better than uncertainty.¡± I imagined that she had aimed for sounding resolved and brusque but frankly, neither of us bought it. Her voice was just a tad too tremulous and I had to swallow down the impulse to hug her again. She just seemed so¡­ vulnerable, that I wanted to protect her. ¡°Huh, must be someone truly special to you. Alright, I need some blood from both of you and a few minutes. The runes shouldn¡¯t be difficult to draw out and I¡¯ve already put down wards in this area. I¡¯ve got a knife somewhere over there,¡± he pointed in the direction of the roots were I had seen most of his herbs. ¡°Empty out three of those vials in your basket. I need two of them filled with Cassy¡¯s blood and one with yours. Then we¡¯ll see what has happened to your family, for better or for worse.¡± 139. Of scrying, courts and a little bit of justice Cassandra Pendragon True to his claims, Mephisto drew up the necessary runes in a heartbeat. I was grateful that we had something to do as well, even though I wouldn¡¯t exactly consider filling bottles with blood a fun activity, but it was better than standing around awkwardly, at a loss for words. We had to wait and see, the dice had already been cast. I was nervous, my heart beat as quickly as the wings of a hummingbird while fear for my friend slowly spread through me like the cold of the night. I had been able to push it away while we had been moving but now, it creeped through me like a disease. I didn¡¯t know what would happen to Erya if she was forced to witness her children¡¯s death and I dreaded the moment, when all I would be able to do was try to console her, knowing that there was nothing in the world that would make the pain go away. Despite everything I had been through, despite the countless aeons I had lived before, I had never even heard of a remedy for a broken heart, or at least I couldn¡¯t remember it. If she wouldn¡¯t be able to find the strength within herself, there would be nothing I could do. But maybe, just maybe, it wouldn¡¯t have to come to that. With a flourish Mephisto finished the last strokes, the runes he had painted with my blood shimmered faintly with silver, a closed circle around a dark red sigil made from Erya¡¯s. It didn¡¯t look like much, a few spirals and lines on the bark of the tree but together they evoked an impression of the intent Mephisto had put behind them. It reminded me of the links of a chain, somehow separated but still connected to form a whole, an impression that was mirrored by the energies that coursed through the outer glyphs and flooded towards the one at the centre. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± the demon said. ¡°But I won¡¯t activate the magic. I won¡¯t be responsible for the outcome, in any way, Cassandra, not anymore. This time, you¡¯ve got to pull the trigger yourself.¡± I took a step closer to Erya and whispered in her ear: ¡°he can be an ass but he wasn¡¯t wrong. Are you sure you want to stay?¡± She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. ¡°I am. If nothing else, I¡¯m not going to leave a friend alone while she goes looking for my family. Whatever happens: thank you. I won¡¯t forget it. You¡¯ve done more for me in a few days than I have ever thought possible. I won¡¯t ever blame you.¡± I nodded once and straightened. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± ¡°Not much, it¡¯s all prepped. You see the tiny gap over there, close to the middle. The rune formed like a wobbly star. Right, close it. Prick your finger, finish the formation and we will be able to see.¡± The few steps I had to take to reach the tree seemed like an eternity. I simultaneously dreaded what we might find out and wished to know, similar to when I had had to watch my teachers correct my homework, only about a thousand times worse, but all I could do was hope. Hope that just once, we wouldn¡¯t have to pay a price in blood and tears. I barley felt the cut when the cold steel of Mephisto¡¯s blade broke through my skin and I hesitantly pressed the wound on my thumb against the warm bark of the tree. As soon as the runes were complete, I felt a pulse of power race through the outer formation, intensifying with each sigil it passed by. In my mind¡¯s eye, it started as a speck of blood red energy that gradually turned into silver with a pulsing core of blue. Sparks ignited in the air and I heard the great tree shudder, leafs and small branches crashed down around me but I couldn¡¯t avert my eyes form the glowing glyphs. They seemed to spin, following the stream of energy that coursed through them. Their contours became blurry and they gradually turned into a construction of pure, silvery blue light. Slowly it spun around Erya¡¯s blood sign at the centre, a halo of barley contained forces, ready to break lose. The vortex of power accelerated, glistening beams crashing towards the middle until it suddenly stopped. One last pulse of magic thundered through the runes and the maelstrom split into three distinctive silver mirrors. Their surface shimmered with iridescent blue before it smoothed over to reveal three scenes in silvery shades, similar to how I perceived the world through my second sight. None remained dark and my heart skipped a beat as I allowed the ember of hope in my chest to ignite. We wouldn¡¯t need another funeral, after all. ¡°Oh my,¡± Erya whispered while she stepped forward to reach my side. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± Mephisto added. ¡°Whom are we looking at, again?¡± ¡°My children, but I¡¯m not so sure if I can rightfully call them that anymore.¡± I had to agree. Her kids were all in the same place, a decadently opulent throne room, where each one of them sat on an elaborately decorated armchair. The room itself was large and filled with light that shone through enormous, round crystal windows all along the walls and painted the floor and ceiling with sparkling colours. Living vines entwined themselves along the sills to meander off and turn into detailed, breathing mosaics. Scenes of battle and peace, harvest and death were depicted through out the hall. While the motives were unique, each image was clearly associated with one of the four seasons, from blooming spring flowers beneath a bloody battlefield to snowy scenes of winter solstice celebrations, where different kinds of fey danced and made merry around a bonfire. Enchanted gems and flickering torches with magical flames added to the surreal atmosphere as the rulers of that land sat in judgement over one of their people. Lancelot, Gawain and Guinevere throned above a crowd of fey. Satyrs, small, winged fairies with iridescent butterfly wings, treants and other creatures of legend, from leprechauns to sprites and imps, I even saw a Minotaur, all of them knelt before the siblings, their gazes transfixed on a bundle of heavy iron chains that quivered at the feet of the triumvirate in silent agony. I couldn¡¯t see much of who or what was underneath the spelled metal, but the slowly spreading pool of glowing blood, like pulverised emeralds, and the desperation I could feel seeping through the connection, were enough to hazard a guess at what was going on. Erya hadn¡¯t lied, her kids were beautiful, beautiful and cold, like a harsh winter morning in the mountains. The two brothers were similar in shape and size, tall and lithe like elves, with humanoid features. One of them had skin of pure silver, like my tails and the other shimmered like polished ebony, darker than the darkest night. Their eyes were burning embers of red and gold and no matter how frantically I searched, I couldn¡¯t find a iota of pity and compassion in their regal visages. They sat upon their thrones, clad in the finest armour I had ever seen, their hands wrapped around massive sceptres of pure gold, a cruel smile playing around their thin lips. Guinevere was different, much smaller than her brothers, closer to her mother¡¯s size, with a voluptuous body, full lips, distant dark blue eyes and snow white, perfect skin. Feathery wings of the same colour sprouted from her back, each one at least as large as her. They were settled against her back like a cloak, their pearly glow a stark contrast to the diadem of rubies upon her brow. Her gown, a long flowing thing I would never have voluntarily put on, was entirely black and shimmered like silk, even though the fabric appeared much lighter, almost like linen. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Her brothers wore similar adornments in the from of long, heavy cloaks in white with golden glyphs stitched onto the sleeves. Their tiaras were made from sapphires and diamonds, respectively, a theme that was replicated in their thrones. Guinevere¡¯s was made from poppy blossoms and rose wood, crested with splitters of garnets and rubies while the boys¡­ men¡­ kings rested upon cornflowers and lilies, with specks of rock crystal, diamond, tourmaline and sapphire poking through the living seats. ¡°With heavy hearts we have assembled here, today, to witness the death of one of our own. The pain we feel defies description, but it is our duty to enforce the laws we all live by. All of you know the accused and the crimes she has been found guilty of. Does anyone here wish to speak in her defence, one last time?¡± I had been wrong, they weren¡¯t as lithe as elves. When the one to the left had risen from his cushion of lilies, his silver skin and golden eyes sparkling in the light, I could properly see his proportions and he was much more muscular than I had expected. Toned didn¡¯t do him justice. ¡°That¡¯s Lancelot¡­ I think,¡± Erya whispered. ¡°I think I like him, even though his rhetorics could use some work,¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°I might have underestimated you, fey, who would have thought that you could raise half decent rules?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t,¡± I interjected quietly. ¡°Im sorry, Erya, but those people there fear you children. That¡¯s no way to rule. Well, it apparently is, but it¡¯s not going to last¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know for certain, but to me it seemed like they had taken over their mother¡¯s realm and made a home for themselves. A flicker of anxiety sprang to life when I wondered if they had sold out their mom to get their hands on her kingdom but I buried it deep down for the time being. I didn¡¯t have the right to judge. I shut up when I saw the crowd in the mirrors shift and move. The expressions I could make out were ranging from afraid to defiant, some seemed even ashamed, but no one spoke up. Until an old, gnarly treant lumbered forwards from the back of the hall, an ancient olive tree whose roots were easily twice as thick as his branches. ¡°Milords, milady,¡± he rumbled with a voice that reminded me of the wind, brushing through a forest, ¡°I¡¯m old, old enough to not fear the retribution should I fail to convince the court. I¡¯m willing to speak and vouch for Morgan and put my life on the line at her side.¡± I didn¡¯t like the sound of that, not one bit. Would he be forced to suffer her fate if he failed? ¡°As you wish, Fladrif. It is your prerogative,¡± Lancelot answered. ¡°Morgan is accused of undermining the peace and threatening to expose our borders to our enemies. Why do you have to say in her defence¡­ and yours?¡± Damn it, I had been right. What a messed up form of justice. ¡°Allow me to first set her free, no accused should be forced to wear the chains of torment before the sentencing. She can¡¯t run from this place and I¡¯m too old to even try. You have my word.¡± Guinevere and Gawain nodded towards their brother and with a snap of his fingers, the binding chains around the prisoner rumbled to the ground. I had to suppress a gasp when she came into view, pity and disgust rising within my chest while Lancelot nonchalantly sat back down. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­ I never taught the, to rule with fear, I swear,¡± Erya promised softly. ¡°I would never have imagined¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence and my eyes remained glued to the fragile, broken form on the ground. Even though she appeared mostly humanoid, she had to be fey, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have survived the mutilations afflicted on her. The chains had been forged with spikes on one side, long and cruel hooks of metal that had been pressed into her body every few centimetres. Her arms and legs had been broken in several places and from the cauterised but still seeping nubs on her back, I was forced to assume that they had cut off her wings. The only part of her that didn¡¯t look like it had come too close to a meat grinder was her face, a pale oval, dominated by emerald eyes that reminded me vividly of Ahri¡¯s, a small, straight nose and plump lips that had a greenish tinge to them. Tears had streaked down her cheeks, shimmering in the same colour as her blood and her eyes were puffy and swollen, but I could still see their dead and detached expression. ¡°This,¡± Fladrif began, ¡°this isn¡¯t justice, nor is it what we stand for or should I say stood for? You accuse her of undermining the peace? I say, she tried to live her own life. You claim she threatened to expose us? I reckon she fell in love and opened her heart.¡± He slowly turned around to face the crowd: ¡°is that a crime? Maybe. But is it sinful? I think not.¡± A shudder ran along his branches as he faced the thrones again. ¡°Milords, milady, I come here, not to defend an act of foolishness, but to plead for understanding and forgiveness. All of us know the heat of the moment, the first caress of the sun in spring is nothing compared to the tantalising promise of not being alone anymore, of having someone to share your water and entwine your roots with. She fell for an elf, a lapse of judgement, as far as I¡¯m concerned, but not the business of this court. She told him where she¡¯s from and he tried to spy on us. We have punished him, exhaustively, him and everyone he was in contact with. We made her watch as you cut his heart right out of his chest. You forged chains from his entrails and cast her in iron and the remains of her love. Is it not enough? Has she not paid more than her dues for putting her own desires before our needs?¡± He paused and rearranged his roots with the creaking of seasoned wood before he continued: ¡°I do remember a time when this was a sanctuary, when the Silent Glade was still a haven for those in need. But times change and so must we if we don¡¯t want to get lost along the spiralling path. But this, this, I won¡¯t stand for. She¡¯s one of ours, I heard her first cries in the warm light and I watched her learn how to walk and fly. You took her wings, you took her dignity, you took her pride but I¡¯m not going to watch her burn for following her heart. When it comes down to it, that¡¯s what all of us should do and I¡¯ll gladly die by her side, knowing that I spoke up when mine demanded it. Now it is up to you, rulers of this land, to decide whether or not a young girl and an ancient tree deserve to burn for doing what they believe in. And all of you,¡± his branches spread out, seemingly encompassing every one in the audience, ¡°have to decide if this is still a place you can call home, when we are gone.¡± Brave, brave and clever. When he had finished, Guinevere lazily clapped her hands, which sent a wave of perceptible dread through the assembled fey. The siblings appeared to communicate telepathically before Lancelot said loudly and without regret: ¡°We have listened well and while we don¡¯t agree with everything you said, we are willing to recant our judgement. Morgan, Fladrif, you will be exiled, your magic will be taken and you will be forced into a human form. You can both live a life free of the shackles that bind you here, but this sanctuary is closed to you, now and forever and should we ever see you again within our borders, we will finish what we have started. Now kneel, and don¡¯t resist the purging, otherwise your bones and roots will yet nourish our lands.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to watch this¡­ this rape,¡± I said quietly and put my arm supportively around Erya¡¯s stiff shoulders. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but if you want to find them, and I know you do, we should better know what they look like. Don¡¯t close your eyes Cassandra, this is happening, this is real and it doesn¡¯t suit you to turn away when it gets ugly. Watch and learn, it¡¯d serve you well to understand, justice, self righteousness, cruelty and compassion, there isn¡¯t one without the other,¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°There are no easy answers, no easy choices. Tell me honestly: are they wrong?¡± I knew what he meant: those three had accepted the responsibility, twisted as it might be, for their people, or at least their land and seat of power. The good of the one could never outweigh the good of the many, at least for a queen. One of the reasons why I wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the job. ¡°Yes, yes they are. Justice¡­ justice isn¡¯t about punishment, it¡¯s about protecting the innocent and a chance for repentance, everything else is either cowardice or revenge, nothing more.¡± 140. Of sentences, bad ideas and a little bit of good news Cassandra Pendragon ¡°This isn¡¯t justice, it¡¯s a demonstration of power, a cowardly and misguided one at that, for power that needs to be demonstrated isn¡¯t power at all now, is it,¡± I added. ¡°But you¡¯re right, I want to know who they¡¯ll turn into.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Erya asked, distraught, her eyes still clinging to the scene before us. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ Those are my children and while some of the crowd are¡­ were my friends, even though I hardly recognise them anymore, I¡¯m not going to undermine what my kids have built. And neither are you. Justice¡­ injustice, I don¡¯t care, they¡¯re alive, they have their home and if anything, I¡¯ll help them, not subvert their decisions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to challenge them in any way, Erya, and I¡¯m certainly not going to get involved with the politics of the fey,¡± I replied quietly, ¡°but this¡­ did you not listen? What do you expect me to do? Ignore them when they need a hand to survive and we can help? If we can find them, I think we should. They won¡¯t last long without their powers otherwise, and that might even become dangerous for your children. What do you think the secrets of an exiled fey are worth around here? Besides¡­ Watch¡­ is this really what you want your legacy to become, the world you want to live in?¡± Before our eyes, Lancelot was slowly descending from his throne. With each step he took, his sceptre began to glow more brightly until it resemble a ray of solid light in his hand. Even through the mirrors I could feel its strength and when I focused on it, my tails curled up from the cruel intent that radiated off the thing. An executioner¡¯s axe over your head wouldn¡¯t feel more threatening. With the most tender expression I had ever seen on his face, he touched the quivering form of Morgan and with a brilliant flash of power, tendrils of energy ripped through her body and burned away her meridians. A heart wrenching scream filled the clearing we were in and when I could see through the glare again, a sobbing girl writhed on the floor, her face hidden beneath flowing, emerald hair. ¡°What have you done,¡± she groaned. ¡°No¡­ I feel¡­ the pain, it¡¯s so much worse¡­ kill me, please¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ why does it hurt so much?¡± His voice was icy when he answered: ¡°no, this is our mercy, child. Be grateful for what you have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening to her,¡± I whispered, while I anxiously watched the drama unfold. ¡°Their emotions are different from creatures purely born of flesh,¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°They don¡¯t experience pain, especially the emotional kind, the same way others do. And now everything is catching up to her. Just imagine how you¡¯d feel right now, if you didn¡¯t have uncounted millennia flowing through your subconsciousness to deal with the loss of your home and the death of people close to you. You¡¯d be a wreck, a crying child hardly able to think straight and I imagine that¡¯s where she¡¯s at.¡± I shuddered. I wouldn¡¯t be a wreck, I would most probably be dead. ¡°Doesn¡¯t change a thing,¡± Erya interjected coldly while she took a step away from me. ¡°If you help those two, they¡¯ll sooner or later want revenge or at least return home. I can¡¯t allow that. Besides, none of us have the right to judge, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, or if the sentence isn¡¯t justified. All we have are the ramblings of a tree, for crying out loud, and your bleeding heart as soon as you see someone in need. You can¡¯t save the whole world, Cassandra!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t, but I can certainly try. And as much as I understand where you¡¯re coming from, don¡¯t roll your eyes, I do. I might never be a parent, but there are more than enough people I¡¯d protect with my life, you included, that it doesn¡¯t make a difference. But I don¡¯t think it even matters. They won¡¯t need us. Look at the treant. He¡¯s¡­ smiling. He expected this. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one you or your children should be worried about¡­¡± the moment I said it, I knew I was right. Fladrif wasn¡¯t afraid when Lancelot approached him, he was excited. Maybe it was my connection to the magic or a side effect of the runes, but somehow I could tell that he was eager for the transformation. Whatever was going on there, I wasn¡¯t that convinced anymore that Erya¡¯s children were the ones in control. No, the gnarly tree had a plan, I just didn¡¯t know what it could possibly be. When the silvery fey reached him, it seems like the magic was willingly rushing form within the ancient wood and toward the sceptre. Again, I couldn¡¯t say how I knew, but it wasn¡¯t absorbed and changed like Morgan¡¯s had been. It remained within the sceptre, a pulsing, brown haze that appeared to slumber but hadn¡¯t died, ready to awaken at any moment. Outwardly, Fladrif was collapsing and shivering while his body transformed, accompanied by pained grunts and plenty of thrashing, but inwardly, I would have bet that he was cheering, as his bark turned into skin and blood rushed through his veins for the first time. A moment later, a painting, elderly man laid on the floor, thinning, brown grey hair plastered to his sweaty head. He wasn¡¯t tall and when he raised his head I saw a pair of olive coloured eyes, gleaming with curiosity. He blinked, once and slowly got his bearings. With a grunt he got to his feet and appraisingly studied the still crying girl at his side. His skin was a soft, light brown, wrinkled and worn like his bark had been, but he stood upright and proud before his judges, a faint smile hidden in the creases around his eyes. He slowly, deliberately extended his hand and pulled Morgan up into a crouch before he helped her stand. ¡°It is done, begone now and don¡¯t return, if you value your life. You are no longer welcome in the Silent Glade.¡± With a twirl of his sceptre, Lancelot conjured a portal and I blurted out: ¡°Can you hijack the portal, Mephisto? Bind it to our location? I don¡¯t care how much blood you need to change the runes, if you can, please, just hurry!¡± Both of them stared at me, eyes wide in surprise. ¡°I¡­ what the hell, gimme your arm. It might not work, though. Those are your runes, not mine. And just so you know, should I burn to a crisp in the fires of your power, I¡¯m going to haunt you until the end of time, mark my words! Not giving a damn was so much easier¡­¡± I extended my hand and felt a sharp sting when he sliced into my forearm. It wasn¡¯t a drop, he was taking everything my heart could pump through my veins. My knees became wobbly almost immediately but there was nothing to lean against and I feared I¡¯d fall until small but strong hands pushed against my back and the fragrance of wild flowers enveloped me. ¡°What are you doing,¡± Erya hissed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay out of it?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve never been good at listening. Forgive me?¡± I replied, more weakly than I would have liked. I was already starting to feel dizzy. ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet. But I can hardly remain angry with you when you¡¯re bleeding like that. Tell me, do you enjoy getting hurt that much? Are you masochistic by any chance?¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m still not going to let you spank me¡­ haven¡¯t you asked before,¡± I slurred. Damn it, it felt like Mephisto was actively pulling more and more of my blood from my body and I couldn¡¯t produce enough to fill the void, not even with the energy I was channeling from my core. The slow, hot flow on my skin, the fluttering in my chest as my heart beat faster and faster and the dripping sound when singular drops escaped his grasp to fall to the ground was lulling me gradually into apathy. Cold was rising from my feet and I leaned heavily on Erya to remain upright. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep this up for long, but I would rather pass out than give up, an attitude that had yielded mixed results in the past. ¡°Thank you, you didn¡¯t have to catch me,¡± I murmured. ¡°I will always try to catch you,¡± she sighed. ¡°One way or the other. I don¡¯t agree with what you¡¯re doing and should this go the way I expect it to, we¡¯ll have some beautiful shouting matches in the future, but I¡¯ll never let you fall. Cassy¡­ you do know who I was talking about when I said that I¡¯m beginning to live again, right?¡± ¡°Afraid so. And I¡¯m sorry, I truly am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be, chasing after stars and dreams, even if you can¡¯t reach them, is living, isn¡¯t it? Just¡­ take a little more care of yourself and stop throwing your blood and tears at every problem you encounter. I¡¯m not the only one who fears for you and all of us are fed up with scraping you off the ground.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Mephisto interjected. ¡°I think she looks much better pale and unconscious, but I¡¯m done, incidentally. Enough of the mushy stuff, we have work to do and some laws of magic to break. You can heal yourself and I¡­ I¡¯m either going to burn or prove, once again, that I¡¯m the greatest friggin mage who walks the cosmos. Eat that, Amazeroth, there¡¯s no kind of magic I can¡¯t control,¡± he added quietly, more to himself than us, before he released my wrist and confidently strode towards the still active mirrors, a sphere of blood floating through the air at his side. My skin resealed and while I brushed the steaks of crimson and silver from my arm with the corner of my shirt, I already felt warmth and life return to my body. Now, that I wasn¡¯t losing more than I could cope with, my energy swiftly replaced what I had lost. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to manifest your wings and shield Erya and yourself. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen and that, more often than not, means an explosion. Considering what I¡¯m trying to do, it might turn out to be a big one,¡± Mephisto said. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Oh, how sweet, are you worried about the big bad demon? There¡¯s no point, if I fuck up, there¡¯s nothing you¡¯ll be able to do. You can¡¯t protect me from spells I¡¯m working myself. Not yet, at any rate. But don¡¯t fret, worst case scenario, I¡¯m thrown back into the coin without a body. I¡¯ll survive, but trust me, I¡¯m going to be pissed and you¡¯ll better work your ass off to get me out of there, should it come to that. Alright, here goes nothing.¡± I did as he had told me, my wings came to life and turned into a shimmering sphere of power around us, a sizzling curtain that would shield us from any form of magic but I didn¡¯t know how much good it¡¯d do against flying debris shrapnel. At first, it didn¡¯t look like much was happening, the mirrors vanished and the orb of blood began to pulse with silvery light, interspersed with streaks of iridescent blue. Everything remained calm and I thought the magic had fizzled out, but only for a moment. The next second, a wave of pure energy raced through the clearing. It wasn¡¯t corporeal and didn¡¯t cause any physical damage, but everything that contained an activated form of magic exploded and I had just enough time to reach out and get a hold of Shassa and the small statuette, protecting them behind my wings. The runes on the tree, the formations Mephisto had drawn on the ground, even the knife we had used to fill the vials with our blood, all of it was annihilated in a blinding maelstrom of sound and light. I was thrown backwards, my wings easily withstanding the mounting pressure but the shockwaves were enough to throw me around like a puppet. Reflexively I tightened my grip around Erya and pulled her close to my chest as we were flung across the clearing and away from the creaking and tilting tree. A good half of its trunk was gone and before the glare of the spreading fires forced me to close my eyes, I thought I saw Mephisto¡¯s silhouette, illuminated by the inferno. After what felt like half an eternity I crashed into another tree, my spine and rips groaning under the impact. When Erya slammed into me, the fraction of a second later, I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. My breath exploded from my lungs and I was certain I¡¯d find a Cassandra shaped dent in the hard wood behind me, should I ever manage to unscrew my eyes again. Luckily this wasn¡¯t the first time I had made close contact with a hard surface and, for the record, it wasn¡¯t even the worst instance, not by a long shot. Less lucky, I had somehow entangled two of my tails behind me and they hadn¡¯t fared well. Judging from the pulsing pain that raged through them, I had managed to break them in several places. ¡°Ouch,¡± I complained as I slid to the ground, Erya a dishevelled and squirming bundle of hair, leafs and twigs on my lap. Of course I promptly landed on my damaged tails and another spike of red hot fire raced through me. At least I wasn¡¯t impaled on her horns. ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± the fey groaned. ¡°Are you still in one piece?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve been worse. Give me moment and I¡¯ll be up.¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯m comfortable enough. And I guess you have a few minutes before we get roasted. Not so sure about Mephisto though. On second thought, maybe you should hurry up.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± I responded eloquently and tried to concentrate despite the ringing in my head. The first thing that got through to me was the smell. It reminded me of a smoker but when I tried to inhale more deeply, my lungs started to ache and I had to cough violently. Yep, definitely smoke, smoke and ozone. The next thing was the sound, a crackling, similar to distant gunfire, or a forest set ablaze. Everything seemed muted, but I could still easily pinpoint each eruption, with which superheated sap exploded from the plants, interrupted by loud thunder claps once in a while. When I finally managed to open my eyes, it took me a second to understand what I saw. The clearing looked like a battlefield. Craters and fissures had turned it into something resembling the surface of the moon more than a forest, except that the dominant colour wasn¡¯t silver, but the dark, smeary black of soot mixed with specks of orange and yellow where small fires were eating into the tree line. The huge forest elder at the centre had fallen, its trunk reduced to so much as ash where the runes had been engraved. Of the complex arrays and herbs, nothing remained but a few smouldering specks that were buried deep in the ground. Mephisto, well, he had turned into the reason Erya was fearing a fate as a well cooked fey. Swaths of silvery fire interspersed with bluish flames circled around him fast enough, that he looked like a whirlwind from hell, ignited by sparks of transcendent energy, more than anything else. To my surprise, he wasn¡¯t flailing or screaming and even had a modicum of control over the raging forces, gradually dispersing them. Streams of light and heat roared through the air and struck the earth around him like the harbingers of doom manifested, obliterating everything they touched. Only two spots remained unscathed: the tree under which I was frantically trying to get to my feet and a small, seemingly untouched area close to where the mirrors had been. Within a circle of maybe 2 metres, the grass was still green and alive, the ground was still intact and two highly confused humans stared wide eyed at the living inferno only a few metres away. Naked as the day they had been born, which, technically, was today, now that I came to think about it, Fladrif and Morgan were experiencing first hand the meaning of: out of the frying pan and into the fire. While the former treant had seemed confident during the trial, he was now reduced to a heap of fear and confusion while the emerald haired girl at his side apparently had done with life. Her eyes remained vacant while her gaze meandered across the clearing. She took in the destruction and the living torch Mephisto had turned into, the shivering man at her side and the chaos all around her without any from of reaction until she saw Erya. ¡°Grandmother?¡± She gasped. 141. Of children, grandchildren and a little bit of growth Cassandra Pendragon For a moment I was convinced I was hallucinating. Maybe I had hit my head harder than I had thought. She couldn¡¯t be Erya¡¯s granddaughter, that would mean I had just watched a parent sentence his or her child, first to death and then exile¡­ no way in hell, right? I surely had misheard¡­ ¡°Is it really you?¡± A strange expression I couldn¡¯t place spread across Morgan¡¯s face and she hurriedly got up, ignoring the burning demon and shocked man at her side. If I hadn¡¯t been too busy extracting myself from Erya without moving my broken tails too much, I would have cursed colourfully. Seriously, what a messed up situation, unless she was lying, but judging from Erya¡¯s deer in the headlights expression, I assumed she wasn¡¯t. Oh well, I wouldn¡¯t deal with that just now, I had a demon to extinguish, literally, and a handful of excuses to prepare, for when the rest of our merry band of misfits would arrive. Considering how much power Mephisto had pumped into the air, it wouldn¡¯t take long. ¡°Go on, have fun, you can thank me later¡± I said and smacked Erya¡¯s behind before I limped across the clearing, completely ignoring the new arrivals, one was preoccupied anyways and the other seemed rather shell shocked. Not that I could blame him, one second a sentient tree in the Silent Glade, the next an unwilling part of our special brand of chaos, I would have stared blankly at nothing as well, if I had been in his shoes¡­ roots¡­ whatever. Now, you might wonder why I wasn¡¯t more anxious, considering my mentor appeared to be well on his way to become the first barbecue from hell, but truth be told, I was more or less trying to get out of the way of what I expected to be a rather private and not to mention awkward moment, after everything we had just witnessed. As for the demon, he had been using my blood for his spell and even though I had about as much control over my magic as a toddler over his limbs, I was still very much aware that he had channeled a good part of it into an insulating layer around himself, a cloak of protection if you so will. Right now he was gradually releasing the left over energy into the air, hence the blinding display of lightning and thunder. It looked dangerous but he was probably saver than he had ever been before, at least for as long as he was still behind his shield. As the aches all over my body started to vanish and my tails began to feel like normal again, I transferred Shassa¡¯s gem and the statuette to my hands and plunged my wings straight into the glaring vortex to take back what was mine. The searing lights, the intensifying smell of ozone and the deafening cracks when the discharges slammed into the earth vanished while an invigoratingwave of heat raced through me. It became unnaturally quiet, the silence after the storm, and Mephisto appeared in front of me, disheveled and slightly singed but otherwise unharmed. He was smiling from ear to ear, pride flowing from every wrinkle on his face. ¡°Damn my dame, I¡¯m good,¡± he said and brushed an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder. ¡°I should get a medal for this.¡± He paused and looked around. ¡°No whole scale destruction and two breathing humans, fresh from the fey realms. And you¡¯re also not that much worse for wear. It could hardly have gone any better, but no need to thank me exuberantly, what is another miracle for someone like me, after all?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Right, thanks. Why don¡¯t you tell me all about it in as much excruciating detail as you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to. So you see, when I used¡­ wait a second. Was that sarcasm?¡± ¡°Not really, I just want to keep you occupied for a minute.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± I was only half listening, after I had become convinced that he wasn¡¯t hurt, I had glanced over a still gaping Fladrif and focused my attention on the other side of the clearing where I expected to see a tearful reunion, well, maybe not exactly tearful but at least friendly, frankly though, it was closer to a tense stand-off. Erya stood rigid while Morgan was glancing from her, to me, to Mephisto and back again. Without the mayhem Mephisto¡¯s spells had caused, I could properly take in her appearance for the first time and I was surprised at how similar her human body looked to the fey in front of her. They had nearly the same figure and size but where Erya held a dark, alluring grace with her black eyes and ram like, shining horns, Morgan was bright. Her huge, emerald eyes and hair sparkled in the afternoon sun despite her ordeal. She seemed¡­ young, more like a girl than a woman. She was slender but curvaceous and the way she held herself reminded me a little of Reia, confidence and pride warring with uncertainty and a deeply hidden fear. Combined with her unique colouration, there was no mistaking her for an ordinary human. Even if I had met her on the street, I would have guessed that she was either somehow related to the fey or a vain sorceress with a soft spot for the colour green. A pity she had no tails, otherwise she could easily have been passed of as one of us. ¡°Who are your parents, child,¡± I heard Erya ask, more coldly and distantly than I would have expected, almost as if she was¡­ furious? Scared? ¡°Uh, the Lady Guinevere is my mother, and¡­ I don¡¯t know much about my father, I was conceived during the winter solstice, thirty years ago. You are Lady Erya, aren¡¯t you? I thought you were dead¡­¡± she was interrupted, when, for the second time today, a dragon¡¯s roar cleaved the sky, followed by a magnificent tongue of golden flames. Great, the cavalry had arrived. Viyara wasn¡¯t alone, Ahri flew by her side, her four fiery wings beating fast enough to match the much larger dragoness¡¯ speed. With a final glance to make sure I hadn¡¯t overlooked anything important, like an opening portal to the fey realm, I took to the air to calm them down and explain what had happened. And maybe get some breathing room to decide how much I was going to worry about the treant. Erya of the Silent Glade My thoughts were in turmoil. At first I had simply been happy that my children were apparently safe and sound, even though I barely recognised them anymore. When I had first seen their faces, I could have cried, the growing knot of fear in my stomach I had buried deep down ever since I had been freed from my prison suddenly gone. Instead, sadness had claimed me, the years I had lost, felt like someone had stolen a part of my life, a part I would never get back. I didn¡¯t know what they had been through, how they had become the regal figures I had seen in front of me or why they appeared so¡­ cruel. Of course I knew that cruelty and cunning were necessary to assert oneself as a ruler of a fey realm, I had proven time and again that I myself possessed these qualities in abundance but I had never used them against my own people. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I had felt elated, giddy, and from one moment to the next, I had realised just how much I had missed and that my children, while physically unharmed, hadn¡¯t escaped the aftermath of my defeat unscathed. Those three were as far away from the playful, curious beings I had nurtured as a deadly snowstorm was from a summer rain. And to top it off, Cassandra had openly voiced every single doubt that had poisoned my mind... and then some. No wonder I had snapped at her. And now¡­ now I was staring at a beautiful girl, whose eyes reminded me so much of how Gwen had looked when I had last seen her in person that I could barely keep from tearing up. Even without her exclamation, I would have known in an instant that she was a part of my family. And it wasn¡¯t solely her looks, the way she moved, the way she talked¡­ Damn it, if I had seen her face a little sooner, I would have created a portal into my former home myself and told my daughter just how highly I thought of her decisions. And probably have regretted it not a second later. It wasn¡¯t my realm anymore, it hadn¡¯t been for a long time and I had no right to interfere, not that I would have given a rat¡¯s ass if I had known that my daughter was about to sentence her kid to exile. By the gods, I was a mess, not eve a week ago I wouldn¡¯t have cared at all but now¡­ I knew I had changed over the course of the last days but I had never thought it would be to this degree. Another week with Cassandra and her family and I¡¯d be the one with the bleeding heart. Not that I minded, honestly, despite everything, I had felt happier, more fulfilled than I could remember and not just because I had finally escaped Shafeer¡¯s trap. There was something¡­ magical in the way everybody here was willing to protect and fight for what they thought was right, even if it cost them, dearly. A kind of magic I had never seen before, but then again, maybe I had been looking in the wrong places. Also, I had never been big on hurting myself, for whatever reason. Psychoanalysis aside, I didn¡¯t have a clue what I should do or say. Morgan was staring at me with wide eyes, as if she expected me to snap my fingers and everything would be back to normal, something I most definitely couldn¡¯t do. If I had understood everything Fladrif had said correctly, there wasn¡¯t much I could do for her. Neither could I take away the pain, nor could I raise the dead or lift her exile. All I could do was try and help her deal with a future that must appear as grim and dark as the void to her. Who would have thought, a fey trying to comfort someone else. The world truly was changing. But then again, at least four immortals were walking among us now, so maybe I should have expected a little chaos. But I still had no idea of how to console her. Well, I could, at the very least, tell her how she got here and what she had stumbled into¡­ right, splendid idea. Hey, I know you just escaped the guillotine but your head is still on the chopping block, more or less. We are going to war and you have been lucky enough to volunteer, or you can try to make your way through this world alone, but since you don¡¯t have a sky ship or any form of magic that¡¯s not really an option. An admirably stupid idea. Luckily I gained a few moments to think of something else when Viyara¡¯s roar made Morgan and Fladrif flinch and look up, a mixture of wonder and terror on their faces. A golden dragoness and a beautiful, woman with four wings made of fire descending form the skies could do that to you. Not to mention the iridescent star Cassandra turned into when she rose up to meet them and the slightly singed demon who stared at them as if he was contemplating whether he should ignore or eat them. If I hadn¡¯t already had some time to get used to it, I would have probably fallen to the ground, trembling, myself. Even a fey had her limits, after all. As it was, I did what I had seen Cassy and Ahri do in these situations. I quickly crossed the few metres that separated us, dropped to my knees and hugged the insecure girl. ¡°Yes, I am, and I¡¯m very much alive but if you¡¯re going to call me granny, we¡¯ll have a problem.¡± I tried to sound nonchalant but truth be told, I barely managed to speak around the lump in my throat. The quivering piece of flesh and bones was a part of me, my grandchild. Words couldn¡¯t describe how I felt in that moment, happy, afraid, hopeful, angry, worried¡­ there were so many emotions churning through me that I thought I was about to explode and best of all, I was crying. Hot tears ran down my cheeks and into her soft, emerald hair while I held her tight as if she might suddenly disappear again. All hells, what was I turning into? Next, I would be saving kittens out of trees and found an orphanage. But when I felt her arms wrap around me and I heard her snivel, my cynicism evaporated like fog under the midday sun. This was real, she was real and I would be damned to all hells if I ever let her go again. I had found something I hadn¡¯t even known I had lost and now I was going to cling on for dear life, whatever the cost¡­ We didn¡¯t speak for a while, both of us rocking back and forth while our tears flowed freely, a river that gradually carried away most of my pent up rage and sorrow until I was able to form a halfway coherent thought again. Morgan smelled like freshly mowed grass and sunlight even though it was heavily layered with the still lingering stench of burned grass and ozone, as well as her fear and confusion, an acidic, sharp fragrance, almost like lemons. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve got you. You¡¯re save here. It might not seem like it at the moment, but that dragoness and the winged girls are some of the best people I¡¯ve ever met. Even the smirking idiot over there isn¡¯t half bad. Nobody will harm you again.¡± She didn¡¯t relaxed, instead she clung to me even more tightly and buried her head in my neck. I awkwardly patted her back, a paltry, insufficient gesture, but what could I have done? Mother magic, I could use someone to hold my hand as well or at least lend me a rule book. Every time I had watched others comfort a crying child it had seemed so easy, natural, but with my own emotions running wild, I just couldn¡¯t come up with anything better than holding her until she wouldn¡¯t feel like the world was burning anymore, however long it would take. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know,¡± I suddenly heard a deep, smooth voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know how we got here or where we are but I¡¯d bet my branches¡­ right hand, that we have nothing to fear anymore. We¡¯ve finally come home, Morgan. So take heart and show us that smile I risked my life for.¡± I blinked through puffy eyes to see a wrinkled, elderly man in all his naked glory in front of me. Paired with his sincere, almost wise expression as he looked down on us, I couldn¡¯t help it, I had to chuckle. Within seconds I was laughing hard enough to gasp for air while my own insecurity and worries drifted away and all I felt was a growing bonfire of happiness as I pushed my granddaughter to arms length and studied her through the tears that still clung to my lashes. ¡°Damn my dame, if I¡¯m subjected to their emotional reunion for another minute, I think I¡¯ll puke.¡± Mephisto had almost been whispering but I had heard him clearly enough, as well as the soft thud when Cassandra smacked the back of his head. ¡°Could you shut up,¡± she hissed. When I raised my head I saw that Cassy had landed close to Mephisto, Ahri and Viyara, still in her draconic form, by her side. Curiosity, contentment and no small amount of pride shone from the eyes of the two kitsune while Mephisto looked like he was staring at something distinctly unpleasant, a dead rat maybe. Viyara seemed¡­ distracted. Even though she smiled when I glanced at her, it didn¡¯t truly reach her eyes and I thought I saw her gaze flicker to the two vixens from time to time, a cease of worry appearing on her forehead. ¡°Morgan, can I introduce you to my friends?¡± I said as I slowly got up, pulling her along with me. ¡°The one who looks like a flame spirit is called Ahri, that¡¯s Cassandra and the hill of golden scales is Viyara. The grimacing beanstalk over there is named Mephisto.¡± Despite her apparent unease, she turned around and curtsied nervously. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Cassandra replied with an honest smile, that made her eyes light up. ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough people bow their heads to last for two lifetimes. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Morgan the Fey. And you, Fladrif. You must be exhausted after everything you¡¯ve been through and I¡¯m sure you would like to talk to Erya in private. If you¡¯ll excuse us, we¡¯ll go and fetch some food and water for you, and maybe a pair of clothes, if we can still find any. We¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± She blatantly ignored the curses from Mephisto as she bundled him up and took to the air again. 142. Of changes, pasts and a little bit of the future Erya of the Silent Glade I watched the slowly diminishing figures of my friends as they soared away from us before I focused on Morgan and Fladrif again. On impulse I reached out and gently took her hand. ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve seen what you went through in the Silent Glade, but I¡¯d still like to hear your story and what happened to my home after I was taken prisoner, not killed, mind you. For now though, I guess it would be for the best if I told you how you got here in the first place and where you actually are. That wasn¡¯t my children¡¯s design, nor was it a coincidence but I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. Over there is a small creek, if you listen closely you should be able to hear it, even with your human senses. You can wash off the ash and the worst of your nightmares. Besides, sitting on green grass is much better than the soot covered wasteland we¡¯ve turned this clearing into.¡± I lightly tugged at her hand. ¡°Come with me. It¡¯s not far.¡± Fladrif was the first to move, when I had mentioned fresh water his face had lit up and he had hurriedly made his way towards the edge of the forest. Only when he had reached the tress did he turn around and beckoned for us to follow. I chuckled softly and pulled the confused girl along, all the while wondering what I was going to tell them. The truth, most likely, but maybe a little less bluntly than I normally would. They had been through enough and I would have loved to provide them with a safe haven where they could take as much time as they needed to recover, but alas, I couldn¡¯t. We would be leaving soon and I had to make sure they knew as much as possibly before then. Not that I was going to give them much of a choice in whether or not they wanted to accompany us, I wasn¡¯t going to be separated from Morgan again and the tree would have to lump it. They couldn¡¯t stay here at any rate, this place might be crawling with Amon¡¯s slaves soon enough. If Mephisto was right, we had just blown a huge chunk of his plans to smithereens, after all. While soot and smoke turned into verdant greens and the acrid smell of burned wood became the vibrant fragrance of a blooming forest I made my decision. I¡¯d tell them my story and mostly everything about what they had been dragged into, with a few exceptions. I wasn¡¯t going to share the nature of the immortals among us, nor would I go into detail as to what we were up against. An ancient sorcerer set on world domination and stripped of morals and compassion should make for a convincing villain all in his own right without adding the plans and ambitions of angels and demons to the mix. Besides, if either of them was anything like me at all, they¡¯d want to stay with the last survivors of a fallen kingdom out of sheer curiosity. Not to mention that they had found kindred spirits who had also lost their home and were looking for a new one. There would be no better opportunity to start anew anywhere. Fladrif at least was still rational enough to see that and Morgan¡­ I might be vain but I was utterly convinced that she was as keen on staying by my side as I was on keeping her there. We didn¡¯t speak much until we had reached the merrily bubbling brook. With an exclamation of joy I would never have expected an old man to be capable of, Fladrif threw himself forward and vanished with a splash, his stretched out limbs were immediately submerged beneath the crystal clear waves. I gave Morgan a careful push. ¡°Go on, I¡¯m not going anywhere and you¡¯ll feel better once you¡¯re in there, promise.¡± She inhaled deeply and sighed with an apparent effort to put the reins on her emotions. ¡°I know, and¡­ thank you. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve already said it but these should have been the first words out of my mouth. Without you, we¡¯d most likely already be well on our way to the next dungeon. I don¡¯t know if I would have had the strength to survive another humiliation. So¡­ thank you, thank you for saving us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, you¡¯re family. Besides, it wasn¡¯t even me, technically. If you truly want to, you can thank Cassandra and Mephisto when they come back but I imagine they are going to tell you the very same thing: you¡¯re very welcome. Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯re not in the fey realms anymore and despite everything you might have heard about the mundane races, I¡¯ve come to realise that they possess much more grace and kindness than we give them credit for, or at least the ones I¡¯ve come to know and¡­ love do. But I imagine you already knew that, given what you were accused of.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve heard,¡± she asked, the spark in her eyes dimming as the memories of her ordeal rose back to the surface. I bit my tongue and pulled her close again to show her that she wasn¡¯t alone, that she hadn¡¯t been deserted. While I felt her tremble in a valiant effort to push down her tears I whispered: ¡°I¡¯ve heard, I¡¯ve seen it and it wasn¡¯t your fault. You¡¯ve nothing to be ashamed of. My children do.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even heard my story, yet,¡± she snivelled. ¡°I don¡¯t have to, I can see it in you eyes. You truly loved that elf, didn¡¯t you?¡± Her whole body stiffened before the flood gates opened again and she began to cry, her heart wrenching sobs echoing through the forest. ¡°Yes, yes I did,¡± she managed to press out. ¡°His name was Solus. He¡­ he was¡­¡± she tried several times but she couldn¡¯t get the words out past her wails anymore. Instead, she drowned in sorrow and while she dissolved into an a anguished flood of tears I felt my heart bleed, a small piece of it breaking off with every tormented whimper. Mother magic, what had they done to her? Would she ever be able to recover? I sure hoped so, and not only for her sake. ¡°Let it all go,¡± I whispered, ¡°but keep the memories alive. Nobody can take them from you. Cry, Morgan, cry and remember.¡± And so we stood there, entwined like two trees who had grown together for decades while she slowly calmed down until I felt her rhythmic breath in my ear and I realised that I was holding her upright, carrying her weight. Her ordeal had taken its toll and she had fallen asleep, or maybe unconscious, considering she was still standing upright. Carefully I lowered her to the ground and used my magic to make the grass weave itself into a small bucket and a soft cloth. I collected some water from the stream and gently began to clean away most of the dirt on her skin. The simple act of caring for her filled me with a deep contentment that gradually overshadow the raging storm of emotions in my chest until I felt myself calm down. My mind stopped spinning in circles and I managed to live in the moment for a while, pushing away the future and the past for the time being. ¡°You know, I never imagined you, of all people, to become so¡­ human.¡± I hadn¡¯t heard Fladrif get out of the water and make his way towards us. He had given me a fright and I nearly jumped when his voice suddenly sounded close behind me. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°What do you mean,¡± I quickly asked. ¡°Oh, right, I assume you didn¡¯t recognise me. And I imagine it¡¯s close to impossible now. We know each other, Erya. We have for a long time. But when I last saw you, I was still wearing a different bark, but the old oak has died and I was forced to search for a new host, something a little more durable. Hence the olive tree. I¡¯m Auguros, the teller who sent you to your fateful battle with the golden dragon. I¡¯m the one who lured you there. I¡¯d like to apologise but on the other hand, you should be able to guess by now why I did it and why I told you that you¡¯d find the key to salvation on that island all those years ago. Well, you didn¡¯t find it there, but I set you on the path that led you here. Or should I rather say, to them?¡± And again, my mind was set spinning. Images of the battle against Shafeer and the gnawing desperation while I was stuck in the gem rose up, followed by a scene from the Silent Glade, the last one I could remember before I had left. It had been a different time, and the troubles of a young, ignorant queen seemed far away now, but I could still clearly recall what had prompted me to turn my back on the safety of my home and rush towards my doom. I had been hard pressed, powerful fey had encroached on what I had been trying to built and I had sought advice from the only source I had been able to come up with. An ancient spirit, said to have existed since the beginning of time, old enough to recognise the patterns in the world and the junctures that determined the future. I had found an oak, taller and older than any living being I had run across before, its branches thicker than most trees with a crown that seemingly had touched the clouds, deep within the mists of the oldest realm I knew. He hadn¡¯t even heard me at first, his mind far away, following the intertwining paths of things that were and things that might yet come to pass but after days of meditation, I had finally managed to gain his attention. He had been sympathetic to my cause and had willingly shared his wisdom, and some of his lies. While it had been him who had first told me about the immortals, heaven and hell, he had also convinced me that I had needed allies and that the powerful races of the mortal realm would have made for a strong bulwark against my own people, in case I would have been able to gain their support. Curiosity, arrogance and no small amount of fear had spurred me on and I hadn¡¯t even imagined that he could be sending me into a trap, we hadn¡¯t met before, after all. So I had started my journey, full of hope and the naive conviction that I was safe, protected by his knowledge of the future. Unfortunately, it had never been his intention to see me return, as I had found out when I had been bested by Shafeer and had been thrown into a cell to spend the rest of my days as an accessory to his plans. Fladrif had chosen the perfect moment for his confession, which wasn¡¯t much of a surprise, now that I knew who he was. The fires within me had died out, the emotions had been spent and they didn¡¯t ignite again, even though I felt the faintest stirring of anger at his revelation. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer through ages imprisoned and alone while my world slowly crumbled to a shadow of what it had once been. Any other time I would have turned him into a torch and asked questions later. But now¡­ now I just felt tired. Tired and¡­ defeated. ¡°I should probably be mad at you or scream right now, but I honestly don¡¯t have it in me. Maybe tomorrow. For now, a piece of advice, though, should all of this be part of one of you visions, you¡¯d better tell me now. I assume you know, whom you¡¯ve just met? Do you know who they are? What they are? If you try to meddle with their future, or with mine any more, there won¡¯t be enough ash left of you to plant a seed in.¡± ¡°Oh, of course I¡¯m going to meddle, I already have. We are here and Morgan isn¡¯t dead, after all. But don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t intend to keep who I am a secret, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have told you.¡± He paused before he continued slowly in a voice that still sent shudders down my spine. ¡°The night is coming, the flames are near and I need your help. Yours and that of your new friends if we want to see another sunrise. Look to the horizon, Erya, you can already see the first clouds of what will turn into the most violent storm this world has ever seen. Fey, dragons even humans, all of us will know what it means when the immortals go to war. And I don¡¯t know if we will survive.¡± I sighed: ¡°You¡¯ve always been full of gloom and doom. Have you met them? If anything those three will make sure we come out alive.¡± ¡°I know, but they aren¡¯t the only ones here. And I¡¯m not even talking about the looming shadow that has darkened the paths of the future for years now. No, there are more, so many more, and they are coming. And while the gates of heaven remain sealed due to a hasty promise, the portals to hell will open. You remember what I told you when we first met? Before I sent you away?¡± ¡°That my path will be difficult but lead to heights no fey has ever reached? You weren¡¯t wrong about the difficult part, at least. But none of this matters right now. I only have one question: was it your design that turned my children into the icy rulers they¡¯ve become,¡± I asked softly. ¡°No, on my roots. It wasn¡¯t me. They had to become who they are, the world depends on it.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you listened to a single one of my stories? Do you think that we are living on a dead, malleable thing that has no mind if its own? If so, you should quickly get rid of that notion. Everything is alive, and everything knows fear. And like every being, when you¡¯re afraid, you either hide or prepare yourself the best you can. I told you, the immortals are coming and our ancient world is quivering, afraid it might become just another burned out husk, a broken remainder of another war. It doesn¡¯t want to die and it can¡¯t run. It rallies its soldiers the best it can. It turns soft iron into hardened steel to defend itself and your children are but three of many who were called to arms and incidentally, you¡¯re one of them. I am sorry for what you and yours have had to go through, I truly am¡­ but without your pain, without their sacrifices¡­ you wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to hate me.¡± I was stunned. Half formed question drifted through my mind: how long had he known? Was he telling the truth? If so, was there even anything we could do? I had seen the power Cassy already wielded and the thought of a free, fully grown immortal, not to mention several, descending on our world made me shiver. If he wasn¡¯t lying, I might be able to understand what he had done to me and possibly even forgive him for it. When a whole world hung in the balance, the fate of an individual suddenly didn¡¯t appear that important anymore, even if it was my own. Yet another thing that had changed. When I had first met him, I wouldn¡¯t have minded if the cosmos had burned, as long as I would have been able to watch it. Not anymore. ¡°How can I trust anything you say? You¡¯ve lied to me before,¡± I whispered. ¡°But he isn¡¯t now, I can feel it, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be breathing anymore,¡± a beautiful but cold voice sounded form above. We flinched and raised our heads to the sky. A few metres above us, Cassandra was standing in the air, her wings slithering around her like living snakes of molten silver while her eyes shone brightly enough to cast fleeting shadows on the ground. The only thing that undermined her angelic appearance was a basket full of food that hung from her hand and two sets of clothes she had draped over her arm. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening and he believes every word he has told you,¡± she said while she slowly descended and landed at my side. Her wings vanished and the glow from her eyes dimmed before she continued: ¡°I thought there was something strange about you Fladrif, or should I say Auguros, from the very moment I have seen you in the Silent Glade, but I would never have imagined that you¡¯re one of those who see the future. Tell me, is it worth it?¡± The old man was gaping at her as if he had never seen a woman before, but then again, he probably hadn¡¯t, at least not one like her. Never the less he still managed to answer with a barely trembling voice: ¡°Most of the time, it isn¡¯t. It usually is a curse I¡¯d gladly get rid of but every once in a while, it leads me to places that might just make up for all the grief it can cause.¡± 143. Of worlds, fears and a little bit of destiny Cassandra Pendragon Who would have thought? He had most likely known where the two of them would end up hence his strange behaviour when they had still been in the Silent Glade. I was glad I had returned in time to listen in on his revelations, even though that hadn¡¯t been my intention, well, not entirely at least. When I had made my way back, I had left Mephisto behind, mainly because I had thought that his attitude and snark would make everything worse, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to deal with him if I had been in the fey¡¯s place, at any rate. Ahri and Viyara hadn¡¯t wanted to come, going on about some things they had intended to take care of, whatever that meant. Consequentially I had been alone when I had flown back towards the clearing, preoccupied with what I was supposed to do, especially how much of who I was and what we were doing I should share with Morgan and Fladrif and whether or not I wanted them to stick around. The second part hadn¡¯t been easy to answer, since I had been more than just a little suspicious of the treant. As soon as I had approached the clearing, I had been able to pick up parts of the murmured conversation between Erya and him and with a small trickle of energy sent to my ears, I had managed to remain far enough away that they hadn¡¯t spotted me while I had hovered close to the crown of a large tree, well hidden in the canopy. I had brought up my second sight and since he was neither a forgotten god nor an ancient spider with a mind as hard and unyielding as granite, picking up on his stray thoughts had been ridiculously easy. I had been able to read him like an open book, almost literally. If I had been able to touch him with my wings, I would have even heard his secrets whispering to me but unfortunately, that hadn¡¯t been possible without revealing myself. So I had stayed and listened while he had told Erya a fantastic story about living planets and invading immortals. A story I wouldn¡¯t have believed in a million years if I hadn¡¯t been able to see the truth staring at me from the depths of his mind. At the very least he had been convinced of every word he had told her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should feel flattered or threatened,¡± I replied while I took a step towards him. ¡°Please, enlighten me, what about this place, or rather us, is so magnificent you¡¯d willingly lose your magic to get here? Is it the lure of a power that might be greater than yours, or plain fear that drove you from your hiding place?¡± ¡°You judge me too harshly, lady Cassandra. I wasn¡¯t going to allow Morgan to die at the hands of her mother, a deed that would have sooner or later destroyed the latter as certainly as the sun rises in the morning. Meeting you, your¡­ family and your¡­ mentor? friend? is but the cherry on top. I¡¯m not here to manipulate you, even though it is tempting, I¡¯m here to offer my service, for while the court might have taken my magic, no one but the lord of fate himself can take my sight from me. If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯m prepared to share my insights with you and if you come to think of me as useful, I¡¯ll be more that glad to accept the protection you¡¯d offer any suitable tool.¡± He sighed and gestured towards the sky. ¡°I can only repeat myself: the storm is coming, and powerful as you are, you¡¯ll still be blown a way like a dead leaf on an autumn wind.¡± ¡°You speak like someone who knows all about us. Do you?¡± ¡°No. I know next to nothing about you and those who are like you. Looking at your past or the decisions you might make is like staring directly into the sun. It¡¯s so bright that your vision turns dark before you even realise it. But I do know a thing or two about this world, my world and I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect it, as I always have. Can you really blame me for that? And Gaya, well, she¡¯s old, ancient even, and she has seen you before, Cassandra, even though you wore a different face. She¡¯s seen plenty of your kind before.¡± ¡°You should start form the beginning,¡± Erya interjected tiredly. ¡°I¡¯m fed up with nebulous insinuations and half spoken facts. What have you seen? And how does my family, how do I tie back into it. I¡¯m not suffering from delusions of grandeur, Cassy isn¡¯t even close to her maturity and none of us can hold a candle to her. What difference could we make in a battle with fully grown demons? Even Mephisto won¡¯t stand a chance unless he gets his core back, I¡¯ve at least learned that much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± it wasn¡¯t Auguros who replied, but me. ¡°That¡¯s a fight I¡­ we can¡¯t win, even together, so in the end it¡¯ll come down to whether or not we find a way around it. Your chances there are just as good as mine, probably better. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry that your family had to suffer for mistakes that aren¡¯t yours, I never wanted that.¡± She took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Her whispered: ¡°I know,¡± reached me while I carefully covered Morgan with a set of clothes I had brought and handed the other one to the exiled treant: ¡°I assume you¡¯ve already seen a way, or rather been told where you might find one? Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes and no. Maybe it would truly be for the best if I told you everything I¡¯ve seen and guessed¡­¡± He turned his back on us and slipped into the same shirt and pants all of us were wearing before he sat down and patted the ground next to him. ¡°My story will take a while so you might as well get comfortable. You can decide what you want to do with me afterwards, it¡¯s not like I can run anywhere, even if I wanted to.¡± Hesitantly, we both lowered ourselves to the ground, Morgan between us. Our weight coaxed a cloud of fresh smells from the soft grass, wet earth and different herbs combined into a fragrance that reminded me of a warm summer evening back on Boseiju. While I still took in the tantalising aroma, Auguros continued: ¡°First you have to understand that I can¡¯t truly see the future, as far as I know, nobody can¡­ nobody I¡¯ve ever met at any rate, except for one... I¡­ I¡¯m old and I¡¯m clever, I¡¯ve seen many things others wouldn¡¯t even dream of and I¡¯ve understood more of them than any other being I¡¯ve ever met. I don¡¯t want to blow my own horn but you have to realise that I¡¯m not a seer, nor a charlatan. I¡¯ve simply watched and learned for long enough that I came to view the chaos of the world much differently from others.¡± He paused and his eyes glazed over, as if he was suddenly far away, even his voice became distant. ¡°One question I¡¯ve always asked myself is why? Why do things happen? What¡¯s the reason, the first cause¡­ I¡¯ve searched for longer than you are alive Erya and I¡¯ve never found an answer but what I did find was a trail of bread crumbs that ultimately led me to her, to Gaya. I know how utterly ridiculous I must sound, almost like a priest, offering prayers to a deified idea, but she truly is within everything in this world. Well¡­ maybe not everything, I¡¯m pretty sure you and your ilk, Cassandra, are an exception, but aside from beings that defy creation, she¡¯s the breath in our lungs, the life in our chests and the fire in our veins. She truly is a goddess, at least as far as there can be such a thing.¡± He sighed heavily before his focus returned to us. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I spent ages trying to get her attention to ask her the questions that burned my mind, but I could just as well have tried to coax an answer from the mountains or the sea. It was only when the cataclysm ripped our continent apart that I first felt the movement of her thoughts deep inside of her. I was jubilant, elated and I didn¡¯t care one ounce for what had caused the change, I simply wanted to seize the moment. So I delved into her presence like a tree that slowly pushes its roots through rock to get to the nourishing earth. It was¡­ humbling and strange and it changed me forever. I forgot so many things I had thought important, but that actually were nothing more than the fleeting wingbeat of a butterfly, and I realised how little I still knew about the truly meaningful aspects of life and death, of nature and destruction. I became what you see before you now, the first soldier Mother Earth had called to her side, a sharpened mind to guide and influence future generations for back then, she had become aware of one simple fact: beings from a different time had found her and where they tread once, they¡¯ll tread again and she wasn¡¯t safe anymore.¡± Absentmindedly he plucked a blade of grass from the ground and began twirling it between his fingers. ¡°So she granted me the thing I craved most: understanding, but unfortunately not in the way I had wished for. She shared her knowledge of what was and how sometimes patterns can emerge in the seemingly random iteration of cause and effect. Which leads us to what you actually want to know: what have I seen, or rather, what have I understood?¡± He paused and his gaze became vacant again. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been here, all those years ago, when our continent shattered, I know who sits in the shadows behind the golden throne, waiting to be released, I know how he got here and why. Ever since the lord of mirrors set foot on this world, Gaya has watched him with eagle eyes and while I¡¯m sure he could have foiled her vision, he never did. Do you want me to go on?¡± Erya was on the verge of flaring up, but he calmed her with a gesture. ¡°You¡¯ve got a right to know and I can feel the bond between the two of you. I¡¯m talking about your granddaughter who isn¡¯t unconscious anymore and listens closely. Get up little one, the charade is over.¡± I flinched and turned towards the girl between us, who indeed was opening her eyes. Damn it, how could I have missed that? I had even touched her when I had blanketed her but I would have sworn she had been out cold. I needed to be much more careful with them. They might have become humans, but they sure as hell still had some tricks up their sleeves. ¡°How much have you heard,¡± Erya asked, her voice low, heavy and devoid of any kindness.Morgan swallowed loudly, the impulse to lie visibly fluttering across her mind. Wisely, she didn¡¯t act on it. ¡°Nearly everything.¡± It was fascinating to watch the change in her expression, surprise and a touch of guilt turning into sadness once again before they were replaced by anger and defiance. ¡°And I want to hear the rest of it. In case all of you forgot, I was the one who has payed the steepest price! Don¡¯t you dare exclude me. I¡¯ve got a right to know why my whole life has turned to shit!¡± She eyed me coyly before she added: ¡°with all due respect, ma¡¯am.¡± Oh my, another one of those. Stubborn, wilful and angry at a world that just wasn¡¯t fair. Now, where had I seen that before? I couldn¡¯t help it, I had to chuckle. Again we might be playing a game set in motion by someone who continuously proved that he was much cleverer than all of us. Amazeroth allowing anyone to overhear him by accident? Did he not know that this planet was alive? Unlikely. And those two¡­ Someone who could fill in the gaps in my knowledge but only with the information Amazeroth had allowed him to have and an exiled princess who I, myself, wouldn¡¯t have turned away in a million years but who also happened to be Erya¡¯s grandchild and practically a mirror image of Ahri. Coincidence? Right¡­ ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± Erya demanded waspishly. ¡°Nothing, nothing at all. Well, she¡¯s your responsibility. It¡¯s your call, but I don¡¯t mind her staying with us and listening. Although¡­ if you call me ma¡¯am one more time, I¡¯ll throw you off the next cliff,¡± I added with a scathing glance in Morgan¡¯s direction. ¡°Cassandra is fine, or Cassy, in case that¡¯s too complicated for you.¡± She nodded hesitantly, unsure if I was joking or not. ¡°She can stay for all I care, but I don¡¯t appreciate being taken for a fool, you hear me, Morgan? I do understand that you¡¯re hurt and that you need to know why, believe me, but that doesn¡¯t mean your entitled to other people¡¯s secrets.¡± The former fey appeared much more at ease while Auguros flinched. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get to the point, then. Like I said, the demon on the other side of the ocean never tried to hide from Gaya. On the contrary, by now I¡¯m almost convinced that he invited her in, so to say. Anyways, here is what I know: when he set foot on this world for the second time, he answered a summoning that shouldn¡¯t have touched him at all. Instead of a powerful spirit from the fey realms, he was the one to answer the call from the ruler of the empire across the waves. He willingly submitted to the chains the ritual bound him with, as far as I know, he even strengthened them with sparks of his own power. To what purpose I cannot say for sure, but I can guess, I¡¯ll tell you my suspicions later. Since then, he has faultlessly served and done what was asked of him¡­ for all intent and purposes, he truly is a slave right now, albeit one that has chosen servitude. He has even guided his master in your direction, lady Cassandra, but I assume you already knew that. Unfortunately his mere presence makes it very difficult to tell what¡¯s going to happen next since every one of his actions I¡¯ve been privy to, was close to the opposite of what I expected and while I assume that I could easily predict Amon¡¯s behaviour, there¡¯s no guarantee that he won¡¯t follow a different path, one chosen by his bound companion.¡± ¡°Tell me, what do you think Amazeroth wants to achieve with this charade. You said before that you might guess at his reasons,¡± I interjected. ¡°Ah, so Amazeroth is his name. Fitting, doesn¡¯t your chosen people even have a legend about a goddess that shares his connection to mirrors? Amaterasu, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I nodded, amazed by his knowledge. Our beliefs and lore weren¡¯t widely known, considering we weren¡¯t very religious ourselves. ¡°As for his reasons,¡± he continued, ¡°you only accept shackles if they free you of something worse. And since I can¡¯t imagine that there¡¯s a power under this sun who could force him into anything, I assume he¡¯s running from your kind. Running, hiding or lying in wait.¡± That was pretty much the same conclusion I had arrived at as well, what I hadn¡¯t thought of was the following: ¡°Which consequentially means, that whatever or whoever he is trying to cheat, will sooner or later come knocking at his door, or should I say against this world.¡± ¡°Is that why you expect other demons¡­ others like him, to come here,¡± I asked. ¡°You can call them by their name, I know that you think of yourselves as angels and demons but¡­not precisely. It simply fits. No, I¡¯m convinced they will come because I can see it, literally. Ever since I connected with Gaya I can see, or rather feel, the web of energies that runs across her and I don¡¯t mean the ley-lines every half competent mage can use. I told you before, Gaya isn¡¯t an entity like us, or even you, she exists within everything that walks on her surface. She¡¯s¡­ more energy and purpose than anything else. Now, do you truly imagine that beings such as yourself can appear without fundamentally impacting the structure around them? You can¡¯t, and aside from the disturbances you, your four winged companion and ¡­ Amazeroth have brought about, the ripples your ilk will cause in the future are strong enough that they can even be felt here and now, in a time when they haven¡¯t even arrived yet. Whatever you believe of me and what I¡¯ve told you, never, not even for one second, should you doubt this: your¡­ family, they will come, I don¡¯t know when, but whatever we do, they¡¯ll come¡­ and most likely tear this world apart.¡± 144. Of plans, transformations and an old friend Cassandra Pendragon Shocking¡­ as if I couldn¡¯t have guessed that much myself. Admittedly though, I had always expected the angels to come looking for me first, Michael was the one who wanted my head on a silver platter, after all. If Auguros didn¡¯t have more to tell, I¡¯d be majorly disappointed. The same sentiment was clearly written all across Erya¡¯s and Morgan¡¯s faces, mixed with anger. He had answered none of their questions, but before we could vent our displeasure, he continued hastily: ¡°So much for the the situation I found myself in, years before we first met, Erya. I didn¡¯t know what I was supposed to do back then, or how I could even dream of stopping creatures that made a whole world tremble¡­ like you said, in comparison to them we seem so¡­ insignificant. I felt¡­ defeated, like a small speck of light tasked with banishing the darkness forever. Despair and a lack of alternatives drove me back towards the memories and insights Gaya had shared with me. It took me ages to even comprehend how much she had given me and even longer until I began to understand. The truth was simple: I couldn¡¯t, not at all. The only way we, our world, would stand the sliver of a chance, was with its peoples, each one of them united under a strong leader who could call them to arms and tell them to flee, if it became necessary. Additionally, we would need a place where we could hide, one that could endure the destruction of this world, a place where Gaya could continue to exist, through her many children. And it just so happens that one of you carries the seed which might turn into it.¡± Holy hell, now it was getting interesting. ¡°Now, you might be wondering, why I even have knowledge of that thing and the answer is simple: I orchestrated a small part of its creation. I had a friend, once, a kitsune, old and wise and plenty grumpy. She was blind but she could still see more than many others. I imagine you know her well¡­ and I¡¯m sorry for your¡­ all our loss, as Greta was one of the very few truly good people I¡¯ve ever met. That¡­ seed you hold, she¡¯s enchanted it for centuries, Gaya¡¯s power bleeding into it over the years but it still wasn¡¯t enough, we needed more, we needed something else to even begin to construct the blue print contained within, a realm protected from the outside, one where we could be safe. And in all those years, I¡¯ve come across exactly one source who could provide the knowledge and the power to make it possible. I¡¯ve told you before that I¡¯ve met someone once, someone who could truly see the future. It shouldn¡¯t be hard to guess by now that I contacted the lord of mirrors and asked for his help. It might seem foolish to you, but remember why he¡¯s here and why he willingly submitted to a puny wizard. Back then, I thought with the whole world in the balance and nothing but my soul at stake¡­ there could have been worse odds.¡± He became quiet and owlishly gazed from one to the other, taking in my half opened mouth and Erya¡¯s incredulous expression, as well as Morgan¡¯s look of complete confusion. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still alive, still have my soul and as far as I can tell, he never breathed a word of what he had done to his master. With his help, I developed a plan that would allow him to saturate the seed with a spark of his power¡­ and this is where it gets interesting. Let¡¯s get the easy bits out of the way: I don¡¯t know how much your brother, Mordred, has told you about his past, but he was the carrier that allowed a tiny bit of Amazeroth¡¯s magic to reach the seed unnoticed and transform the enchantments Greta had placed on it. Now, all it needs to grow, it can take from you. So much for the haven we have tried to built. As for your family, Erya¡­ I mentioned before that we need leaders who can unite the different people of this world. The fey won¡¯t stand behind the weak or the malleable. They will only bow to the strongest and those they judge their superior. Your children have become just that, a banner under which the different realms can unite. And thanks to you, all of them have a tiny spark of the joyful, curious kids they once were still within them.¡± I missed his next few sentences since another realisation struck me: Viyara was close to the same. Well, less cold and cruel, but she still was a being that would unite a good chunk of the dragons behind her, if she was given the chance. And my family¡­ we had already been royalty. But even the best plans could sometimes fail. Maybe the destruction of my home hadn¡¯t been planned, my own intervention back from when I had killed the Furglows to the last act of defiance when I had intended to sacrifice myself to burn Boseiju, might have derailed a carefully laid out path and set us on the road to destruction. Argh, hopefully not. I was feeling guilty enough already without another layer of responsibility for what had happened to my people. ¡°Cassandra,¡± I heard Erya say while she pinched my side. ¡°Are you alright? You look like someone just walked over your grave.¡± ¡°Not mine,¡± I sighed. ¡°But maybe countless others. It¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, what¡¯s done is done, anyways. But I¡¯m starting to think that maybe I¡¯ve done more harm than good, ever since I became involved. I¡¯m¡­ the more I know, the less sure I am of what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± I meant every word, wouldn¡¯t I just end up screwing us over time and again, if I continuously tried to fight against Amazeroth¡¯s plans? In other words, fight against fate, or at least something close to it? There were quite a handful of sayings in that regard, like fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant. Had I doomed my people in my vanity? But then again, hadn¡¯t my actions, misguided or not, at least proven that there truly was no such thing as a destiny written in stone? Again I became lost within my own mind, chasing answers to useless questions but I couldn¡¯t help it. Ancient I might have been, but just then, I felt like a child in the woods who had lost the path. What was I supposed to do? Play along? Stop struggling out of fear I¡¯d make it worse? No, that just wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯d keep on trying, I¡¯d always keep on trying and if I couldn¡¯t deal with the consequences, I¡¯d do what I had always done: fight against them until my very last breath. It seemed like I hadn¡¯t changed that much from the lonely angel who had challenged heaven and hell all on his own for nothing more than the truth: they were wrong. And this time, I had people with me who would stay until the very end and set me straight if I was wrong. Warmth spread from my core without warning and made me gasp. An infinite torrent of energy suddenly raced through me like an ocean forcing its way through the eye of a needle, much more powerful than what I had felt before. From one second to the next, my vision blurred, silvery light turned everything around me into depthless shadows and liquid fire filled my veins while my wings materialised on their own accord. I felt them grow while something within me broke, a wall I hadn¡¯t even realised was there burst into a million sparks that were absorbed into the stream and made it swell even more. I was a tiny vessel, unable to contain the raging forces within unless I managed to change, to expand. I knew what was happening to me, I had been there before, but this¡­ this wasn¡¯t going to be healthy for anyone around. Erya had asked me before if I was turning into a star and now it definitely felt like it. The heat of one was already pulsing though my body. I screamed when the flood of energy ignited my nerves and meridians, fusing them to my astral body. Bright light, harsh and unyielding broke through my skin and with my last clear thought I whispered through the crackling storm: ¡°run,¡¯ before I shot into the air, a glaring spear of uncontrolled power that tore the sky asunder and set it ablaze. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. As soon as I willingly pushed more energy from my core to get away, it became worse, much worse. My mind recoiled from the fires of heaven that burned within me, brighter than the sun and I felt my thoughts shift and squirm under the mounting pressure. Silver and blue were all around me, I couldn¡¯t see the island anymore, nor the clouds on the horizon, even the smells were gone. My ears were filled with the hammering of the tide against a rocky shore and every inch of my body felt like it was ripped apart and put back together, only to be torn to shreds again. I was begging for unconsciousness, to wake up when it was finally over but time ticked on mercilessly while I had to experience every excruciating moment. Flickering lights danced before my eyes, brighter than the world of silver I had been cast into. I couldn¡¯t say if they were just figments of my imaginations or if I had gotten closer to the stars above but slowly, they began to move, to dance. Whirls and spirals, strange constructs and flowing silhouettes appeared and gradually, the pain vanished as they turned into scenes and images and I slipped into another dream. The soles of my leather boots clicked on the dark marble and threw the echoes back at me as I made my way across the pristine floor of an ancient¡­ well, in comparison to me, moderately aged, temple. From the corner of my eye, I saw the reflections in green, white and purple, cast by the flickering torches whose light hit the jade worked into a plethora of mandalas along the walls, which prompted me to stop and look around. No matter how often I came here, the sheer beauty of the place remained as astonishing as the first time I had visited. Bluish swaths of burned incense rose from the braziers in the corners, their sweet and heavy smell soothed my nerves while my eyes roamed over the depictions along the wall. The wheel of life, the five pillars of wisdom, the realms of hell¡­ each one as detailedly crafted as if the artist had truly seen them, with a small altar underneath, the stones worn and polished from uncounted centuries of worship. Further up, the geometrical placed mandalas made room for open windows under a pitched roof, the icy wind blowing through the gaps. An ingenious stroke of inspiration had allowed the architects to turn the upper parts of the temple into a giant choir. The wind chimes and bells that hung from the ceiling fused their tune beautifully with the quiet song of the wind. Ethereal music filled this place, anytime of the day. It changed whenever the wind blew from another direction, lovely and heartwarming in the east, quiet and compassionate in the south, merry and joyful in the west and stately and serene in the north. A handful of monks in reddish robes kneeled in silence, their heads bowed to the higher principles they contemplated here. Every once in a while I would heard one or the other move when they shifted their weight but otherwise, the sublime song remained uninterrupted. I was back on Earth, alone. When I had felt Aurora burn away the mark I had gifted her with, I had felt lost, even though I had known for quite some time now that she had chosen to stand against me. Still¡­ that final act had shaken me and I had fled to a place I knew I was welcome, a short reprieve form a cosmos that held no more warmth for me, the very same place where I had forged the sigil to begin with, all those years ago. Deep within the Himalaya, between snowy mountain tops where nothing lived, an ancient temple stood, one I had helped built. It was a sanctuary, a tiny spot of respite and peace, sealed off from immortals as well as everyone else who sought to bring strife and misery into the small world of music and tranquility. I had pumped so much energy into its foundations that I had been forced to strengthen the metals and stones I had used with parts of my own body. It hadn¡¯t been fun, but after years of hard work and no small amount of pain, the very same tile of marble I was now standing on had been finished. I couldn¡¯t even remember why I had wanted to create something lasting, but when I had finally allowed myself to rest, sinking into dreams of times long gone, it had felt like I had accomplished something important, something meaningful. When I had opened my eyes again, an unbelievably chubby man had grinned down on me, his belly barely contained within the folds of his robe. While I had been sleeping, he had prepared an ample breakfast, the last provisions he had had in his pack. It had turned out to be true, love truly goes through the stomach. I had never made friends with anyone faster than the content, happy fellow Siddhartha Gautama who had serve me rice and milk near the summit of a lonely mountain. And now, centuries later, his disciples still filled the hall they had built on top of my creation with life and a deep spirituality, that I hoped would help me find my balance again. The monks didn¡¯t look up as I made my way towards the far corner, where, below a mandala so worn by time that even the jade had begun to wither, a bald, ascetic and ancient human knelt, deep in meditation. His eyes were closed but since he had been blind for the past decades, it didn¡¯t make much of a difference. He was old enough that he had forgotten his name and no one else could remember, none but me. When he had been born, 152 years ago in Kathmandu, to an English officer and a local girl, they had named him Sanyoddhavya Asura, someone who intends to fight the demons, an unusual name but well deserved. The kid shouldn¡¯t have lived. His father had made a pact with a demon, a knight of hell, no less. He had been sick, terminally so, and to survive he hadn¡¯t sold his soul, he had sold his first born. I had never found out how he had come across the calling ritual, a very powerful one at that, but as luck would have it, when the knight had come to claim his price, I had been on earth, in Tibet to be precise. I had immediately felt the appearance of a demon and when I had gone looking, I had found a crying girl, a stone faced man and a smiling demon who had gleefully taken a baby from a crib. If I hadn¡¯t been forced to heal the child, allowing the demon to escape, he wouldn¡¯t have survived that day. No wonder I had wanted to punch Chaleb, his brother, when we had met in that bar. While I had managed to save the crying baby, the parents had been gone. I had brought him to the nearest orphanage, one that had been founded by Gautama, millennia ago and there he had spent his childhood until chance had brought us together again, during my next visit on earth. When I came close he cocked his head and the wrinkly, humped figure swayed from left to right until he turned around and a wide smile that showed his missing teeth spread over his face. Contentment and joy radiated from each pore of the wizened monk but I could still see the core of steel underneath, steel hard enough that it had withstood over 30 years at my side without bending. Even though his body was waning, the power of his soul was undiminished and I could practically see the halo of vibrant energy that radiated off his skin. It would still take decades until he¡¯d succumb to old age. When his time would finally be upon him and he found his new place on the wheel, I¡¯d go looking for his soul, that much was certain. Well, if I was still around by then. ¡°Ah, if it isn¡¯t the devil himself who decided to wander through our hallowed halls.¡± I should never have told him that or allowed him to visit the Vatican, ever since he had been there, there was no end to his gloating. He slowly got up, his knees and back creaking audibly as he extended his hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, my friend, but I hope you¡¯re not here because we¡¯re in danger. It¡¯s been such a lovely couple of years and I must say, I do enjoy the peace and quiet of my retirement.¡± I gently shook his hand and returned his smile. ¡°Your world is safe for now, no need to get your blood pressure up. No, I¡¯m here because¡­ I¡¯m here because I wanted to see a friendly face and because I fear that I might not have the chance to visit many more times.¡± He stilled, his hazy unfocused eyes that had roamed across my face as if he could still see zeroed in on mine and he placed his other hand on my shoulder. ¡°Come, let us talk. Tell me how you¡¯ve been and what you mean because, for once, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right.¡± 145. Of losses, friends and a little bit of destiny Cassandra Pendragon He led me towards the southern corner where, hidden behind one of the braziers, a set of runes had been carved into the stone wall. When he touched them, a faint shimmer engulfed the glyphs and they melted away. Light ran along their contours and flowed across the sigils like water before a small doorway appeared. Behind it I could see only darkness, even with my enhanced senses, but I already knew where the narrow staircase would take us. We made our way down, the temperature rising with every step. The murmurs of his brothers soon died away and for a while, there was nothing around me but the warmth of a living body by my side and the tap tap tap of his sandals and my boots as we walked along a path, I myself had built. Nothing could enter here, unless explicitly invited and consequentially we didn¡¯t have to deal with the usual inconveniences old buildings held in store. There were no cobwebs and the stairs were free of dust and grime, it was just a long descend into darkness until I finally saw a speck of light at the bottom of the stairs. A few seconds later, we walked through a silvery arch, it¡¯s surface iridescent and flowing, filled with sparks of eternal energy that would still be here when this world would meet its end. I didn¡¯t even want to remember how much blood it had taken to construct that thing. As soon as we passed through, we found ourselves in a cozy cavern, the walls and ceiling had roughly been hewn from the bedrock, the cuts where I had used my wings to speed up the process clearly visible. There was no other entrance except for the one we had just come through and if it hadn¡¯t been for the enchantment the monks had saturated the cavern with, nothing would have been able to breath down here, As it was, a huge fire danced merrily in the middle of the chamber, its smokeless flames an astonishing shade of red. Hardly surprising since I had taken them from Aurora when we had still been on better terms. Wooden benches, soft cushions and thick carpets were haphazardly arranged around it and in the far corner I could still make out the outlines of workbench, tools and materials arrayed around it. A plethora of metals and herbs, fine chisels and small hammers, glass vials with lazily bubbling liquids and ancient tomes, heavy enough to pass for slabs of stone covered the walls and filled several racks. Whatever anyone wanted the craft, the chances were good that they¡¯d find anything they could possibly need there. On our left, the place wasn¡¯t less messy but instead of a magical workshop, provisions and water, tea, grains, dried meet, pots, cups and a small hearth formed a field kitchen. On our right, a small shrine was dedicated to Gautama, the belly of his statue just as impressive as it had been in life. We had reached the inner sanctum, a place I had retreated to often but hadn¡¯t visited in years, not since I had come here to craft the mark Aurora had now burned off her skin. It hadn¡¯t changed much since then, even the smell, ozone, incense and a tang of forged metal was still the same. Asura quietly crossed over to one of the pots and strugglingly filled it with water, his old body nearly overtaxed by the simple task, unless he¡¯d strengthen it with magic but he was much too proud to do so. His pride was also the reason why I would never have imagined to offer my help. I was quite certain he¡¯d be more than offended if I suggested that he might have trouble with pouring a cup of tea. While he worked, I looked around, my gaze travelling over the intricate but mostly unfinished mandalas where one of Gautama¡¯s disciples or the other had begun carving a scene into the stone but lost patience halfway through, since they only had one tiny chisel that could even scratch the surface of the surrounding rock. I could have maybe made them another, but it had always amused me when I had found a Buddhist monk down here, cursing colourfully enough that it would have put a sailor to shame. The little things¡­ Hesitantly I crossed over to the fire and caressingly touched the tattoo on my chest, directly above my heart. I stared into the bright flames, images from when I had forged our marks dancing among the red embers. Like so many things I had done over the course of the millennia I had lived, I had made it on impulse, intended as a gesture to show Aurora just how much she meant to me. I had used sparks form both our essences, hers I had nicked one beautiful night when we had been together, and combined them into something visible, something lasting¡­ but obviously I had been wrong on that account. Briefly I wondered how she had even managed to get rid of it, my energies usually didn¡¯t budge, no matter how much transcendent force you¡¯d throw at them. At least she hadn¡¯t successfully destroyed it, it had only left her, or rather had gone into hibernation. I could still feel the marks presence at the edge of my consciousness and it was still tied to her, but only by the smallest of threads, nearly imperceptible, even for me. As far as she was concerned, it was gone, I was certain of it, otherwise she would have tried to sever the connection completely. Ironic, since I assumed the mark itself was what had even made it possible for her to interact with it. Through dumb luck, or rather my innate ingenuity I hadn¡¯t not only made a beautiful replication of our wings. I had somehow created a conductor that allowed our energies to merge, to flow freely between us, unimpeded, which unfortunately also meant that she was the only being in existence who could alter my magic. Well, not anymore¡­ My eyes were burning and I was surprised to feel a single tear run down my cheek. I truly loved that woman and she had kicked me in the balls, there was no nice way to put it, she had trusted my twisted, spineless brother over me and I didn¡¯t even know why. Not entirely true¡­ I corrected myself. I had a gnawing feeling that Chaleb hadn¡¯t been the first to make the connection between my wings and the Corruption. Maybe Aurora, close as we had been, had known for quite some time and my actions over the last years had just been the straw that had broken the camels back. Or maybe she was not the person I had seen in her, after all. Who could say for sure. Unfortunately it didn¡¯t matter¡­ I still loved her and I always would, no matter what she did. Damn, Chaleb had been right, I truly was pathetic. But there had also been better times, times I wouldn¡¯t have traded for the whole cosmos. Again I remembered how I had felt when I had stood here and used her fire to forge a present that had made her smile¡­ That smile¡­ A warm hand landed on my shoulder and shook me from my memories. ¡°You okay? You¡¯ve never appeared so utterly¡­¡± ¡°Weak?¡± I interrupted. ¡°Human, I meant to say human. You look¡­ sad. Like someone who has lost his way... or maybe the reason he is fighting for? I guess you finally look your age, old friend.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing? And you¡¯re blind, mate. How would you even know what I look like, now?¡± He ignored that. Fully understandable since we both knew he didn¡¯t need his eyes to see. ¡°No, it¡¯s not, not by a long shot. Loss inspires sadness, sadness engenders change and change can lead to growth. You don¡¯t really believe that you¡¯re already perfect, do you?¡± I groaned. ¡°That¡¯s a fucking stupid question. Especially considering how often I have saved this miserable world... bloody hell, I¡¯m deflecting. No¡­ of course I don¡¯t. Otherwise I¡¯d be fighting for the other side, those shortsighted, arrogant, impudent, useless, cowardly excuses for immortals, with¡­¡± ¡°I get the picture. Want to tell me what you mean, exactly? Or do you just have a really bad day?¡± ¡°Try a few nightmarish years, much has happened since last we met and I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m tired. But of course you can see that. Is the tea done? I could really use some of your herbs right now.¡± ¡°Do they even work on you?¡± ¡°If I want them to, they will.¡± He squeezed my soldier and went over to the workbench, where he quickly shuffled through a hand full of boxes before he produced a white blossom with purple stamps from one of them. He used mortar and pestle to grind the plant into a fine dust which he poured into the boiling water before he added some dark brown leafs to the mix. The spicy scent of black tea, laced with traces of something much sweeter, filled the room and I sat down on one of the cushions, legs crossed. I tried to let go of my worries and anger but they clung to my thoughts like a child to its mother. This was the part where I should have acknowledged and accepted that I was hurt, frustrated and¡­ afraid. But somewhere deep down I already knew that I¡¯d never find the strength to get up and return to the world if I allowed my fear to rise to the surface. It was better to ignore the whole bundle and shove it far away, somewhere I wouldn¡¯t have to open it again, even if I came to live trough my most recent misadventure. It would be in good company, my mental landfill was well stocked, after all. Another woman appeared before my inner eye, less beautiful and much younger than Aurora, but still important to me, even though I hadn¡¯t met her for more than a few minutes. She had died in my arms and I didn¡¯t even know her name, even though I had been the one who had killed her. She had been the one who had told me the truth about Airu¡¯s death the one who had sent me down this rabbit hole I was stuck in, in the first place. Ignorance truly was bliss, but unfortunately it wasn¡¯t my job to be happy, or content. I could be grateful for every moment of peace I had had , but in the end, it had always been a matter of time before someone shattered it. The last defier, the first of the fallen, the bringer of light¡­ my life had always been one giant mess after the other but when you were forced to choose between war, even against your family, and what you believed was truly right, you were either a giant, deluded asshole or you lived in a truly messed up world. I had always firmly ignored the former and I wouldn¡¯t stop now. Self doubts where fine before the first people were killed, it was straight down the middle afterwards. Which made me think¡­ I had always shunned back from meddling with time, but in this case¡­ Usually there wasn¡¯t a point to it anyways, at least if you were trying for a certain outcome. Meddling with time simply meant the dice would be cast again and it¡¯d take a much brighter mind than mine to predict which actions would infallibly lead down the correct path. Also, the changes always came at a price, like bearing the weight of all the possibilities that hadn¡¯t come to pass, for instance. But now, I didn¡¯t want to achieve anything in particular, I simply wanted to¡­ I couldn¡¯t even put it into words, I simply believed that somewhere in our past there was a point when it had all gone to shit and I wanted to know why. But I wouldn¡¯t risk my life, maybe even a part of creation, if I really fucked up, just to satisfy my curiosity, not yet, at least. ¡°Well then, tell me, why are you moping? Didn¡¯t you always claim self pity was beneath you?¡± ¡°Back then I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d have to break into hell, the real thing, not the twisted and colourful phantasms you and your kind have come up with over the years, and probably kill even more of my brothers and sisters than I have already been forced to. Oh, and it also seems like the only other immortals who are still willing to talk to me, consequentially the only ones who are willing to help, are demons. And I¡¯m not moping, I¡¯m¡­ processing, no, planning. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he replied with a smile while he handed me a cup of steaming tea. ¡°How¡¯s that going for you?¡± ¡°Marvellous¡­ didn¡¯t you listen? That¡¯s not a plan, that¡¯s utter madness, hence my contemplative demeanour. I¡¯m not liking my chances, to be honest.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try something else, in that case? You always told me that there are no dead ends, only idiots who can¡¯t find the way out.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wish your memory wasn¡¯t quite as good¡­ well, maybe you can help. Want to listen to another fantastic tale you¡¯ll never be able to share with anyone else?¡± ¡°Definitely, it¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, is it not? At the very least I can turn your story into another cautionary parable. The younger kids love them and I¡¯ve already collected quite a few.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks. I¡¯m so glad my life can serve to teach the next generation what not to do. Alright, let¡¯s start¡­ at the beginning, I supposed. Remember, I¡¯ve told you before that my age can more easily be compared to that of this planet than yours. And in all that time, I¡¯ve never truly understood what it means to be alone, shunned by you own blood¡­ well, now I do.¡± I took a sip from my cup and the herbs, a rare lotos species he had grown with the help of a little magic immediately calmed me down. My focus sharpened and the turmoil just beneath the surface vanished, leaving behind nothing but the clear and tranquil pond of my thoughts. ¡°Did I ever tell you about my family? My brothers, my sisters, even my power hungry cousins?¡± ¡°Only in bits and pieces and nothing personal. I know a few names, but that¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°There are quite a lot of us¡­ more than you might imagine. Some I liked, some I don¡¯t and some I don¡¯t really care about. But only one I love,¡± I added under my breath before I cleared my throat. ¡°Nothing special there, I imagine it¡¯s the same with humans. Come to think of it, I guess we aren¡¯t that different from you, overall. We lose our way and give in to temptation, we become corrupted just as easily as you but with us¡­ the consequence are much more dire¡­ and more physical. I fear my oldest brother, Michael, has succumbed to his own lust for power. Something that has always lived within him but was never been allowed to grow, to devour him whole, until it found the nourishment it needed, on the outside. I think it has bloomed, now, and the first step he took down a long and twisted road was trying to kill me. I escaped but I have had to snuff out the life of others to do so and now, he has painted me as¡­ well, as the devil.¡± Oh, sweet irony. ¡°Are you?¡± My friend quietly asked. ¡°How should I know? You think people are born bad? Usually it¡¯s a gradual descent into darkness, one that consists of a million tiny compromises until you realise that your soul is utterly gone or warped beyond recognition. Like I said before, corruption¡­ the Corruption, takes a physical form with us and it just so happens that these,¡±I manifested my wings, ¡°could be the essence of it. It would explain a lot about me and my powers. The funny thing is, I don¡¯t think I am, in any way, different from how I¡¯ve always been. But that¡¯s the trap, isn¡¯t it. How should I know if I¡¯m wrong? But that¡¯s beside the point. The heart of the matter is this: I believe my dear brother has tried to and is still plotting to change the order of the cosmos to suit his own needs, to steer the worlds towards a vision only known to him, and as far as I know, he¡¯s found supporters among the immortals. I don¡¯t yet now how I will succeed, but I do know that I¡¯ve got to stop him, stop them all, if it becomes necessary. So tell me, am I the devil? Or am I a Guardian Angel? It all depends on the perspective, I assume.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t, my friend. But you¡¯re also an idiot. Why would you try to to do this alone? Do you know how many people would willingly stand by your side? Mortal they might be, but you shouldn¡¯t underestimate us. And as one of them, let me tell you this: if what you¡¯ve told me so far is true, you better make sure you win, no matter what it takes, even if it means asking for help.¡± 146. Of decisions, futures and a little bit of help Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Huh?¡± I replied eloquently. ¡°Lucifer, even in the small span of time I¡¯ve spent with you, you¡¯ve saved, spared and protected more people than I can count. Admittedly, you also expedited a decent chunk to the seven hells in the blink of an eye, but how did you put it? The consequences of one¡¯s action always catch up. They should have died a long time ago and you simply helped speed up the process. I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re a saint, far from it, but you¡¯ve made friends. Use them, use us and stop that self sacrificing, lonesome ranger nonsense. So you¡¯re hunted by immortals¡­ welcome to the club. Even I managed to pull through and live my life. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be asking too much if I expect you to do the same. So stop your whining and tell me, what exactly you want to do and why.¡± Damn it, talking to that freak was like looking into a mirror, every small piece of wisdom I had shared reflected back at me, without mercy. But then again, that was probably why I had come here. I needed someone to tell me to pull my shit together, otherwise I¡¯d just keep on limping forwards, a plaything for those who actually had decided to act. ¡°That¡¯s the problem, I don¡¯t know for sure. Look, all I know is that my brother has gone off the rocker and that he has found support among angels and demons, either weak souls tempted by an illusion to rule and finally be recognised for the superior beings they think themselves to be, or mangled spirits, warped by the years they have lived. My first impulse was to seek them out and burn the living shit out of them, or at least die trying, but my chances wouldn¡¯t be great. Additionally, even if I managed to succeed, I think it would only serve to make everything worse, much worse. Michael would turn into a martyr, the seeds he sowed would bloom even within those that have resisted until now and¡­ we would all be lost. Unfortunately allowing him to continue will most likely lead to the same outcome. If they were mortal¡­ I¡¯d try to kill them all and maybe cry for the innocent later, but I can¡¯t do that, I don¡¯t have the strength. All I could come up with was trying to seal them away, bury them deep enough that they¡¯ll need aeons to dig their way back out. Maybe they¡¯ll change by then, or the cosmos will. Either way, life would have a chance to run its course freely.¡± ¡°What makes you even think that so many of your brothers have fallen from grace, at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it. Even if we leave out Michael and that he has practically told me as much, I¡¯ve seen a demon, or at least a part of one, who was slowly being rebuild in the twisted image of my own power. And trust me, I know what it does. Why do you think spells, even the strongest ones, don¡¯t work on me? My energy¡­ it¡¯s immutable, eternal. Whoever tries to host a piece of it, believing in the illusion it could be controlled, will be subjugated, sooner or later.¡± ¡°But you aren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Like I said, how in hell should I know? I don¡¯t think so but as for why¡­ your guess is as good as mine. But whatever else, I¡¯m not the one who is trying to change the order of creation, I¡¯m trying to protect it. Isn¡¯t that something you can relate to? So tell me this: do you think you, everyone within your order, even your flabby founder, are they all just as deluded as I am?¡± ¡°Of course not, but that¡¯s the crux of the matter, we¡¯ve all been influenced by you, some personally like Gautama and me, others more indirectly but we all see the world in a way you showed us¡­. Every fibre of my being wants to act, to put those in their place who assume that they can play god, immortal or not. I¡¯ve spent most of my life doing just that. I¡¯m not going to stop, now. But I¡¯ve got to wonder¡­ you know all this, so why are you suddenly full of doubts?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve lost someone I care about, all right? Someone I trust, more than anyone else, has chosen Michael¡¯s side. How can I not doubt myself? Either I have misjudged her completely, or I¡¯m the one in the wrong. Whichever it is, I¡¯ve already fucked up, royally.¡± ¡°Or maybe she¡¯s been manipulated, just as you have been? Don¡¯t look at me like this, of course you have. You were forced into a situation you would either escape as the villain or¡­ dead. Either way, you lose. So could you finally tell me what exactly happened?¡± And I did. I told him about Airu and how I had confronted Michael only to fight my way out. How I had tried to convince Aurora, who she was, and how miserably I had failed. Desperate and angry I had decided to try to lure angels and demons, all of them, into the void and slam the door shut behind their crowned and feathery asses. To do so I had wanted to steal the only thing I knew, the demons would go to war for. And that had been when I had met Chaleb who had opened my eyes to what might actually be going on. I spoke in length about the strange manifestation of my power he had shown me and how it had physically corrupted the demoness who had come in touch with it. And I told him about the grudging truce Chaleb and I had reached. What was going on with our people was simply too important to keep our animosity alive. By then I had finished my tea and and could even smile at the absurdity of it all. My own power, the one thing I had always thought was truly mine, wasn¡¯t as unique as I had believed. And now I was, in a very roundabout way, plotting against a dark twin, a consuming force, the embodiment of everything I never wanted to become, but yet, so very similar. The other side of a coin¡­ Damn it, I had seen it too many times already, there would be no way out for me. In the end, everyone died, fighting against the ignoble side of their very nature, the only question was if we ultimately became old enough to succumb. When I was done, one of the few people I still considered a friend, looked at me pensively with a mixture of exasperation, compassion and no small amount of sadness. ¡°What?¡± I demanded. ¡°You already know. And I think that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, isn¡¯t it? You won¡¯t survive, not like you are, you¡¯re right on that account. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve reached the end of the road, just yet. You¡¯ll fly in the light again, you just won¡¯t be the same.¡± ¡°Are you moonstruck? If I fail or get stuck with them, my family will make damned sure that I won¡¯t be reborn. It¡¯s not easy but it can be done.¡± ¡°Then¡­ plan accordingly. I, none of us, can help you with what you¡¯re trying to do, we¡¯re just too¡­ weak. But what we can do, what I guess you came here to do, is pave the way for what comes after. This is a time Lucifer, where you have to use your very nature as a weapon. Don¡¯t expect to succeed, but make sure that your failure is something you¡¯re counting on.¡± ¡°I repeat, are you moonstruck? What¡¯s that even supposed to mean?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t be daft. I don¡¯t know much about your family but I can tell you two things for certain: one: she may lie to herself and justify it by other means, but Aurora won¡¯t let you die a permanent death, I¡¯ve learned that much about love. And she still loves you, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t be hurting so badly. Two: you¡¯re not as alone as you think. Heavens, I have more than enough reasons to mistrust a knight of hell, but if even one of those cruel bastards is prepared to work with you, how many others do you think can ultimately be persuade. True, for as long as you are what you are, or rather what you¡¯ve been made out to be, you¡¯re bound to fail, you¡¯ve already made too many mistakes. But you can change that, much more easily than anyone else I know.¡± ¡°So what? You want me to kill myself, start over and pray that I¡¯ll find a way in another skin? There¡¯s one problem: there¡¯s no one I could pray to. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a god, but everything I¡¯ve met in my countless millennia was about as divine as me. Besides, why do you think it¡¯ll be any better afterwards? I¡¯ll still be hunted, shunned and out of options.¡± His voice changed, his inflection the one of a patient teacher who tries to explain the concept of rebirth to a dim witted student. ¡°I¡¯m saying: do what you have to and make sure you have all the tools you need, when you wake up afterwards. Use that noggin of yours to think further ahead¡­ use your imagination. What is most likely going to happen? Unless you¡¯re killed for good, of course, but¡­ you can find out if you¡¯ve got a future, can¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you take a look? And if there¡¯s somebody down the line who carries your mantle, then we can plan, then we can prepare.¡± Maybe that was what had been bugging me. I wouldn¡¯t have to search for answers in the past if I could just take a peek at the future. He was right, if I was still around, I could not only try to solve my problems here and now, but I could also prepare for when I¡¯d be reborn. Even his strange insinuations made sense now, this was the place I had always gone to, when I had wanted to create one thing or the other¡­ here, I had everything I needed to make my own legacy. This way, I wouldn¡¯t even be risking anything aside from my own backside. If I¡¯d be travelling along my own timeline, I could only destroy that particular branch. There were even artefacts that would practically nullify the risk, but I didn¡¯t have one. Consequentially, I could still deep fry my future and probably incinerate myself on the spot, but at least I didn¡¯t endanger anyone else. And¡­ I was already screwed, so there wasn¡¯t that much of a downside, all things considered. With a grateful nod I vanished, leaving behind nothing but sparks of silvery light. Within the blink of an eye, I was far away from the temple, hundreds of kilometres above the blue planet and much closer to its moon. What I wanted to do wouldn¡¯t happen quietly, the time stream didn¡¯t take kindly to invaders, after all. I concentrate and even in the absence of an atmosphere, I heard my wings hum behind me, an oppressive and destructive sound which needed neither air nor another medium to reach me. I closed my eyes and pulled more energy from my core than I had even used in my fight against Michael and his cronies. Lightning began to crackle behind me and still I pulled, the torrents of energy that raged across my skin and sprang into existence between my wings would have turned everything around me to dust if there had been anything close by. With a mighty heave I sliced through space and allowed my power to infect the cut, to tear it open wider until I could see the shimmer of creation in its depth, laid bare by my onslaught. Another explosion of light and power and even that disappeared, burned to nothingness in less time than it¡¯d take to blow out a candle. Ripples of annihilation, a greyish cancer on the face of reality, spread from the cut, atoms, radiation, energy, even reality itself crumbled, transformed into pure force that was drawn toward the wound and turned into nourishment for the walls of the universe so they wouldn¡¯t brake, while I mutilated one of its most fundamental laws. I felt the weight of a world come crashing down on me and I hadn¡¯t even done anything, yet. Should I ever try to interact with my future in any meaningful way, there would be hell to pay. But for now, I only wanted to see, and that much pressure I could handle. Hopefully. I ignored the storm of decay around me with a smile and cast my consciousness forwards. If I had been anyone else, even another immortal, I would have withered away in an instant but thanks to my immunities¡­ or maybe the spark of Corruption within me, I remained unscathed while a dizzying cacophony of scenes passed before my inner eye. Time raced by, weeks, months, years¡­ and still there was light, still there was hope. I would have gone even further if I hadn¡¯t felt the walls of reality shaking, while more and more cracks appeared around my body. The same, greyish, insatiable force bled through them, taking in more and more of existence to desperately shove it into the gap I had created. Grudgingly I stopped my advance and the maelstrom of colours slowed down until I saw a clear image in front of me. Frankly, I took quite a lot of courage to focus on it, my fear that I¡¯d only see a hollowed out husk of who I was, broken and still desperately fighting a war he couldn¡¯t win, a constricting band of ice around my heart. It instantly melted when I realised what I was looking at. Despite my perilous situation and the less than favourable odds I was confronted with, I had to laugh before I quickly pulled back and allowed the wounds I had torn into reality to heal. I had seen a girl, young, beautiful and stubborn, with a set of fluffy tails behind her back. And while I felt very much like complaining that I¡¯d turn into a beast kin of some sort, I didn¡¯t, for I had seen something else. She wasn¡¯t going to be alone. Around her, I had seen the glowing presence of several immortals, a net that slowly tightened around her neck like a hangman¡¯s noose but at her side, I had seen red flames and felt the echo of Aurora¡¯s presence, and that was all I needed to know. Not only was I going to have a future, I¡¯d have one I was looking forward to. With a thought I dispersed enough energy from my core to help reality heal itself, a pulse of silver and blue that closed the salivating chasms in a flash of light. A few seconds after I had left, I reappeared in the middle of the underground vault. Not enough time had passed for the wrinkly old man to refill our cups but I still felt like I had just run a marathon. The simile was quite fitting, because I also couldn¡¯t stop grinning, what I had seen had reignited my passion to do what I could, not only because it was right, but also because I wanted to see where it would take me. ¡°That was quick,¡± he greeted me. ¡°And except for a short moment when I felt a rupture in the weave, nothing bad happened, either. So¡­ what did you find?¡± ¡°Hope, my friend, hope. Like you said, it¡¯s not going to be the end. I don¡¯t know how, nor do I know why, but somehow I¡¯m going to be reborn. And not in the worst shape imaginable, if I do say so myself.¡± I clapped my hands. ¡°Alright, a handful of years form now, don¡¯t ask me how many, though, I¡¯ll be young, stupid and still the target for a bunch of immortals. But I won¡¯t be alone. Aurora will be with me again and for me, that is enough. Which leaves us with a far more practical problem. The woes and worries of my little war aren¡¯t that important for now¡­ I have to make sure they¡­ we can survive. Tell me, if you were young again, clueless and out of your depth with only a few people you trust by your side, what would you want?¡± ¡°Knowledge and strength, but I guess the latter is obsolete. There isn¡¯t much we can do for you in that regard from here. So, I guess I¡¯d want to know as much as I could about what¡¯s happening to me and why.¡± I brushed his remarks away with a gesture. ¡°That¡¯s already being taken care of. As I¡¯ll grow, my memories will return, bit by bit. Adding another chunk wouldn¡¯t change much, but I could maybe make sure that I remember the right things at the right time. This for instance¡­ there won¡¯t be much use if I can¡¯t control my magic but once I can, I¡¯ll be able to activate spells I¡¯ve cast before. Summoning spells for instance. My question was much more literal: what thing would you choose to take with you on a deserted island to fight demons?¡± ¡°A weapon, or a set of armour. Probably the armour, come to think of it, a few books and ingredients wouldn¡¯t hurt either. And if I had the chance, I¡¯d take a hole ship full of artefacts. Anything can be useful,¡± he added with a shrug. ¡°A golem, maybe?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t think I can do that much¡­ yanking a ton of magical auras across creation will leave a trail even a mortal could follow. No, but a thing or two, well hidden and veiled¡­¡± 147. Of presents, wars and a little bit of awakenings Cassandra Pendragon I was tired, my vision swam and I had trouble concentrating, hardly surprising after hours of taxing work. But it had been worth it. With a final push, I flooded the last sigil with energy and doused the glowing metal with a thought. A cube, about 10 centimetres along each edge, hovered before me, each side engraved with a different glyph. While I was watching, the symbols slowly receded into the cooling metal to leave nothing behind but a grey, porous surface. All except for two. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked. ¡°Splendid, marvellous, impressive¡­ would you like to finally tell me what it is? I¡¯ve watched you work and curse for nearly a day, but I still have no clue what you actually made there.¡± ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s a portal. Each of the glyphs you see, or rather don¡¯t, represents an anchor. One is linked to me so that I can summon it and the other one that¡¯s active, I¡¯ve tethered¡­ well, to this place. The other four are still unclaimed. It¡¯s basically a teleport, one I can use to travel here as well as to four locations I¡¯ll still be able to pick at will.¡± ¡°Honestly, that sounds rather underwhelming after the amount of work and energy you poured into the thing. Shouldn¡¯t you have¡­ I don¡¯t know, made something a little more¡­ useful?¡± ¡°More useful? Au contraire, this little thing will allow me to do much more. I already told you, four of the slots are still unclaimed, but that¡¯s going to change. I¡¯ll connect it to three other places, two of which I¡¯ve already decided upon.¡± ¡°Why only three? If there are four more glyphs, shouldn¡¯t you be able to access four locations?¡± ¡°How would I get back, then? No, the last glyph I¡¯ll have to activate in the future so I¡¯ve got a way to return to¡­ wherever I¡¯m stuck. Otherwise I¡¯d only be able to jump between the locations already saved.¡± ¡°So, this little gizmo will basically allow you to access whatever you decide to leave behind in your secret layer? Don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯ve known for quite some time now that you¡¯re a magpie on two legs. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t realise that all the interesting books and artefacts tend to vanish around you as though they could move on their own?¡± ¡°Only the dangerous stuff,¡± I admitted grudgingly. ¡°But yeah, that¡¯s basically the idea. Instead of moving a ton of magical auras around that could easily be traced, I¡¯m going to allow myself to get there, smart, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°If you say so. But isn¡¯t the passage of an immortal just as easily traceable?¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s why it took me so long and why the few remaining hairs on your head are still standing on edge from the residual energy. The passage will be nigh untraceable. Right now I have the knowledge and skill to make that work, I won¡¯t in the future.¡± ¡°And how do you think you¡¯ll get your invention when you need it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hide it somewhere safe, and like I said, one of the glyphs is already linked to me. I¡¯ll be able to summon it with but a word, a password, if you so will. Open sesame.¡± ¡°Great, does that mean the next time I¡¯m going to see you, you¡¯ll be just another snotty brat?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯d suggest you refrain from using those exact words when you meet her¡­ me, again.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Well, it seems like I¡¯m going to undergo quite the change. Lose some parts, get some others¡­ but from what I¡¯ve seen it could be worse, even though I¡¯m going to have tails¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait¡­ I¡¯m basically going to stumble into one of your misadventures without the benefit of you actually knowing what you¡¯re doing, right? Could you maybe change the connection to this place to somewhere¡­ farther away? The moon, for instance? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not looking forwards to meeting you again, but I¡¯d much prefer it if you were older¡­ especially since you¡¯ll probably still be on the run from your family, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s just not going to happen. I need a way to get back to earth and your remote monastery is just the safest place I can think of.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that? What¡¯s this obsession of yours with this planet anyways? Don¡¯t get me wrong, but aren¡¯t there a million other places you could be? But still you somehow always end up back here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a terribly long story and one that doesn¡¯t really matter. Still, if you¡¯re interested you can help me clean up and I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s drawing me to this place, aside from the friends I have here, that is.¡± ¡°Friends? Like, more than one? I always thought I was the only one who could tolerate you and that¡¯s also mainly because I¡¯m too old to run away. And because I fear what you might do to my home if I leave you alone for more than a few hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hardly fair. Admittedly, chaos is drawn to me like moths to a lightbulb, but I¡¯m still the only reason your planet continues to exist. Or do you imagine you could have dealt with all the shit we¡¯ve encountered on your own?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m not convinced that most of it would even have happened if you hadn¡¯t been around. Alright, I¡¯ll put away the materials, you clean the forge and start talking. What¡¯s so special about earth? Why are you so determined to return, time and again?¡± He wasn¡¯t going to be deterred so I began scrubbing away at the anvil, hammer and tongs I had used. ¡°Earth¡¯s history is much older than you believe. True, you humans have only been crawling across her surface for the past few millennia, depending on what exactly you call a human. Even the famed dinosaurs didn¡¯t really have the time to do more than blink, before they vanished again in a storm of fire and darkness. But the very fabric of this planet, the bits and pieces, chunks of metal and rock that came together to form a habitable oasis in the vast reaches of space, they are old¡­ older than me, older than anything I¡¯ve ever encountered. Maybe you have already heard that each one of you contains more than a thousand atoms from each point in earth¡¯s history. Well, that¡¯s not entirely true. It might be accurate for your documented, written past, but minuscule amounts of a time before time, when the universe was still struggling to create order for chaos, are still floating around here, diffusing life on this planet in all its beauty.¡± I paused to burn away a particularly stubborn spot on the anvil before I continued. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Every birth, every single one of you hairless monkeys contains a spark, sometimes even more than one, from a time when we, my family and I, were nothing more than an idea that would still need aeons to come to fruition. That on its own would make your home plenty interesting for anyone of my kind but I fear there¡¯s more. Those sparks, they are powerful. Not in the blowing stuff up kind of way, even though they can be, but they¡­ they can influence how life itself evolves¡­ symmetry, chaos, micro and macro cosmos¡­ it¡¯s all bound together and in your own, downscaled manner, you relive the wars of old again, repeating the same circles, mistakes, triumphs and failures the universe has already suffered through in its infancy.¡± I sighed heavily while I removed the last molten clippings from the hammer. ¡°I¡¯m an observer, trying to learn where we went wrong, what we could have done better¡­ and I¡¯m also trying to understand my own past, to lift the veil from memories I willingly sealed long ago¡­ have I ever told you about our history? The wars and conflicts that made us, as a people, who we are? No? Well, to sum it up, otherwise I¡¯d be talking to your corpse halfway through, there are¡­ two, or maybe one. It is said that in the very beginning, when the cosmos was still nothing more than a salivating toddler, a far cry removed from the intricate and sophisticated system you¡¯ve come to know in parts, the first cause that called the first beings to arms was the very essence of evolution: supremacy. Only the fittest should endure and since there weren¡¯t that many living things around, it fell to us to satisfy the curiosity of an all powerful child. Angels against demons, two sides of the same coin locked together in an eternal struggle. But I digress, when we were done, the very fabric of creation changed, the lingering spells and cast off energy had infused all that is with a spark of what we are and creation changed. At least, that¡¯s what I was told, I can¡¯t remember a single thing from that time.¡± I paused to dust off my hands and fill the kettle with water again. ¡°Forgotten lessons and lost memories led us down the same path again, only this time, we didn¡¯t fight ourselves. We manipulated and influenced life to create surrogates that would fend for what we believed in and would tear the skies asunder once again in their fight for the crown. I didn¡¯t take part in that particular tragedy but watching from the sidelines was¡­ difficult. I watched in silence while existence was snuffed out only to be reborn form its ashes, I listened to the cries of whole worlds sinking into darkness and yet I kept my distance. When they were all gone, annihilated by their very thirst to thrive, to excel, silence returned and we decided to stay out of the mechanisations of the worlds for good. That is, until my dear brother decided to break the balance¡­ anyways, as you might imagine, I¡¯ve spent my time on earth watching while you repeated the very same conflict, over and over again. Be it political, or as your legends so romantically put it, for the love of a beautiful woman, one way or another every era here has ended when two great peoples have gone to war, over and over again. The victor always succumbs to decadence soon after, allowing a myriad of small nations to stretch their fingers towards power and the cycle begins anew. Each epoch has ended the same, some of your scholars even noticed, and I want to know why. I want to find the lynchpin that holds everything and everyone prisoner in a repetitive cycle of unity and conflict.¡± ¡°Basically we are¡­ toys to you? An experiment? And I always thought the white mice were the ones who used us that way¡­¡± ¡°Douglas Adams was a visionary, but even he got some things wrong,¡± I chuckled. When the tea was done I handed him another steaming cup. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of you as lab rats, but truth be told, it¡¯s not completely wrong. But you¡¯re more like patient zero, who might help me understand the underlying disease.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks. That makes it so much better. Did you at least find anything interesting?¡± ¡°Quite a few things, actually. Here, let me show you¡­¡± I moved my wings to conjure a curtain of light that would show my memories as they fluttered through my mind but the spell didn¡¯t work as I expected. Silvery light started to flood my vision and the sparsely lit chamber, the smell of herbal teas and hot metal, it all vanished into a maelstrom of colours. I heard the tides of the ocean crash against a rocky beach and I felt like I was falling, faster and faster but before I could scream, I opened my eyes again. I was standing in the sky like a living star, my wings, 20 meters of pulsing, irresistible torrents of light danced around me like whips of molten silver, iridescent sparks of blue igniting across my vision. When I slowly breathed in, my mind still stuck in the past, I felt my lungs take in more than air, a part of the very substance of the world reacted to me and I nearly choked when the overwhelming taste of ozone suddenly filled my mouth. I felt¡­ connected to everything around me, as if another layer had been added to my perception, somewhere between a sense of smell and taste. Pinpricks of energy raced over my skin and when I moved my wings, an afterimage of swirling light was left behind, hiding me in a cocoon of power. I fanned out my wings and tails, their silvery glow warmer and less threatening than the light which erupted from my back, but my fur was shining brightly now as well, like fluffy pieces, torn from the surface of the moon. A smile spread across my face when I realised that I was me again, back where I belonged. Almost, at least. I was high up in the sky, much higher than I had thought possible. The islands below me where just small, colourful pebbles separated by a unbroken, magnificent shade of blue. What I had only read of before, I could now see with my own eyes, the curvature of our planet, angling away from me towards the horizon. Bitter cold held me in its grasp, but it didn¡¯t bother me and neither did the lack of oxygen, nor the glare form the sun when I turned in its direction. Clouds travelled through the sky beneath me, white wisps pushed along by an invisible hand while their shadows changed the relief I saw below me, texture and colour melted away only to reform when the sun broke through again. Minuscule changes in the air pressure, the rays of light and cosmic energy that flowed around me, even the discordant song of entropy, intangible but for an underlying buzzing at the very cusp of my senses, it all flooded my mind while I became used to the new world I had been thrown into. Astral energy was everywhere and now, I could feel it, I could command it. Power pulsed form my core but instead of working it into a specific pattern, a spell or a formation, I simply allowed it to travel freely along my meridians, to break through my skin and ignited the fabric of space around me. Silvery flames mixed with the ripples my wings cause with every beat and I felt a rising pressure in the thin atmosphere. It grew by the second, a constant strain against my mind and when it finally threatened to turn into pain, I let go with a shattering command that sprang instinctively to my lips: ¡°Lux!¡± And there was light. I didn¡¯t know how it must have appeared from down below, but to me, the expanse of nothingness all around me and the distant surface of Gaya vanished behind a flash of liquid silver, as if the molten metal had suddenly poured like a flood through the tiny star shaped holes in the black void above me. There was nothing but glaring brightness for a moment and while my wings didn¡¯t expand, it felt like my perception raced along with the wave of light. Ideas and concepts sprang forth from a simple touch, when my energies freely traveled farther and farther away, bringing back the names and structure of everything they touched. Atoms, even the collapsing probabilities that ultimately formed the underlying structure of the universe, pulled into reality through interaction, it spoke to me and I listened. Memories rose form the depth to mingle with the impressions that reached me, a cacophony of knowledge and sensation that made me realise just how blind I had actually been. No wonder mages always considered themselves superior. It was hard not to, when you lived in a brighter world. For the first time I could truly understand what the fey had done to Morgan and Auguros. They hadn¡¯t simply crippled them, they had destroyed the way they saw the world, themselves, they had taken away a crucial part of who they had been. For someone who had been born with this, it must have felt like they had been blinded, their ears had been destroyed and their tongues had been ripped out, all at the same time. If it was at all possible, I would return their sight to them, or help them find a way to do it themselves. Yet another thing to worry about¡­ But first things first. I had to find out where I was and how I could get back to Ahri and my family. 148. Of perspectives, blood lines and a little bit of family Cassandra Pendragon The speed I could reach in the far less dense atmosphere was breathtaking. I felt like a meteor, my wings igniting the thin air along my passage while silvery and orange sparks whirled around me in a chaotic dance. Every small movement of my tails changed my trajectory immediately and I had to be careful as to not lose control and start tumbling head over tails through the sky. At my speed, I could easily have lost consciousness or simply broken the bones in my body from the immense forces that tore at my limbs. At first, I could only feel that I was actually moving, my position didn¡¯t change in relation to the carpet of toys below me and if it hadn¡¯t been for the thrumming in my ears and the screaming forces of my passage, I would have started to panic, thinking I was stuck behind the horizon. While I descended faster and faster, the prevalent smell of ozone slowly turned into that of burning oxygen, mixed with hints of vaporising water and something salty, which reminded me of the sea, but soon, even that was lost. Colours, sounds, smells, it all became jumbled, and still I accelerated. I had to close my eyes when the air around me became thicker, and started to burn along my body. On instinct I managed to form a cushion of power between my skin and the raging flames, a blanket of energy that kept me safe when even stone and metal would have melted and been reduced to stardust. Somewhere deep down I knew that I should slow down, that I wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge or break in time if anything crossed my path but with my newfound power circling through my veins I felt intoxicated, the rush of adrenaline mixed with the surge of magic that pumped through me, made me feel invincible, untouchable¡­ free. I cast caution to the wind, pushed a constant stream of power from my core to gain a modicum of sense what was going on around me and angled my body in the direction my tattoo showed me, a sparkling torrent of light that guided me through a silvery world. Time passed, seconds, minutes, hours¡­ I couldn¡¯t say, I was filled with joy, my heartbeat a fluttering staccato in my chest and I knew without a doubt that this hadn¡¯t been the last time I had taken a plunge like that. It was difficult to describe, but when my six tails trailed through the air like rudders made of silver, the waves in the wake of my wings cut through the skies like knifes of pure magic, I laughed form the bottom of my heart in the knowledge that I had found the place where I belonged. I was a wanderer, bound to the endless sky and I would always be falling from one world to another, flying between two realms, just on the edge of what was and what could have been while mortal emotions tethered my immortal core to reality. I needed everything that was waiting for me, the woes and worries, the struggle and strive, I needed the love that I was so willingly offered and I needed the security and trust my family provided. But yet, I would always be rushing away, towards another horizon, only to bounce back and seek shelter from what I had found. I would always return. Tears formed in the corner of my eye and flushed with energy as they were, I felt them being brushed away, another glittering layer of light behind me. My magic swelled with every moment, a growing fire in my chest, digging deeper to reach the yet untapped wells within me, where my life force burned and even deeper still, towards my soul. I knew that I was again on the cusp of losing control, of reaching too far and with a valiant effort, I pulled back, my wings spread wide as I slowed down. When I opened my eyes, the colours of the world and the warmth of the setting sun again flowed over me. The eternal churning of the ocean, the cries of tropical birds that rose into the evening sky, the smells of salt and seaweed, burning charcoal, roasted meat and a bit fainter, herbs and ancient trees welcomed me. I was still hundreds of metres above the island, but I had found my way back and apparently my arrival hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Ahri was racing towards me fast enough that the flames form her wings were streamers of crimson fire, reflected beautifully on her tresses of flowing hair. Even across the distance I could see her bright, green eyes shine, even more brightly than her wings. She truly looked like an angel. If it hadn¡¯t been for her embarrassingly funny expression, a mixture of relief, happiness, concern and fear, which made her frown and smile at the same time, she might have looked a bit scary, even to me. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± was all I said before I shot forwards. We were in each others arms a moment later. I felt her lips on mine, a spark of energy ignited when we touched and for a few, breathless moments there was no need to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried,¡± she finally whispered. ¡°Was it bad?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, the memories were a bit¡­ sad, maybe. But the transformation¡­¡± I kissed her again. ¡°It¡¯s amazing I can see¡­ I can feel so much more. I always knew you are beautiful, but this¡­ when I look at you now, I can see your magic, crimson and alive¡­ and I can almost taste it, radiating off your skin. It¡¯s almost as if I was blind and now, someone has pulled away the shutters form my eyes.¡± Her hand wandered down my cheek to come to rest above my heart, before she asked, slightly anxious: ¡°What about this? Has anything changed between us?¡± I smiled and caressingly slung my tails around her. ¡°Does it feel like it? If anything has changed, I¡¯m even happier to have you with me. I¡¯m not going to leave you, I never have and I never will. I am yours for as long as you want me. And even if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll wait until you change your mind. I already did.¡± ¡°Have you dreamt about us again?¡± ¡°Partly, but nothing I didn¡¯t know before. Lucifer was¡­ I am just glad that I have the chance to hold you in my arms again.¡± I leaned forward and tried to convey what I couldn¡¯t put into words with another kiss. I wanted her to know just how much she meant to me. I thought I managed to get my message across when she practically melted into me, her warmth an enticing blanket I never wanted to cast off. ¡°I love you, too,¡± she mumbled a few second later. ¡°While we are still alone, want to tell me what you saw?¡± ¡°Frankly, not that much, but it could be darn useful. When you¡­ you know, left me behind, I ran to earth and trespassed on Amazeroth¡¯s domain. With a little help from an old friend, I decided to check on my own future and when I realised that I was going to have one, I made something for me. A device that¡¯ll allow me to teleport to a couple of place, but I haven¡¯t seen where it might take me. I do know how to get my hands on it, though. At least, if I haven¡¯t messed up.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do that. Spying on your future, I mean. Are you still able to?¡± ¡°I think so, but¡­ I¡¯ve already told you that I met Lucifer face to face. He explicitly told me not to try, not unless I¡¯m much more resilient. I imagine the backlash of interacting with my future, heck, probably even my past, would be too much for me to handle right now. So¡­ unless your life depends on it, I¡¯m not going to try.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like you should, even then.¡± ¡°No, it really doesn¡¯t, but I guess in that case I won¡¯t really care. Best to stay safe and sound, don¡¯t you agree?¡± She nodded, her hair tickling my chin when she buried her face in the nape of my neck. ¡°How long do you think we can stay here before someone comes to fetch us,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Not for long, the sun is almost setting and I imagine the dwarfs are already waiting for us. They want to bury their comrades tonight, remember? And I assume your mother is already tearing through the tents in frustration. She really loves you, you know, and it¡¯s killing her that she can¡¯t truly help you anymore. Not to mention your dragon, demon and the¡­ three fey you adopted.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ just out of curiosity, are you still set on announcing our engagement tonight?¡± ¡°Definitely. While you were gone I talked to Xorlosh. He thinks it¡¯s a good idea. Unless you changed your mind?¡± She tried to sound casual but I could hear the faint trace of anxiety in her voice. ¡°Never. Which reminds me¡­ when I fell from the sky, I spotted a few islands not too far away. I know we¡¯re not getting married, but I¡¯d still like to take you away for a day or two, leave all the madness behind. When we know where everybody¡¯s headed, we can take some time for ourselves, an advanced honeymoon, if you will. That is¡­. If you want to.¡± She bit my ear playfully but her tails tightened around my waist before she replied: ¡°Don¡¯t ask stupid questions. If it was up to me, we could go right now¡­ but I know you want to play a part in the burial and probably have a dozen things to take care of beforehand. Uh¡­ speaking of things to take care of¡­ remember how upset Viyara was, earlier today?¡± ¡°Of course. Am I going to find out why?¡± She nodded and bit her lip. ¡°The thing is¡­ I¡¯m almost certain that you have another sibling.¡± I gasped. Of all the things she could have said, that wasn¡¯t something I had expected. For a split second I thought she had to be joking but I knew her well enough to know that one, she truly believed what she had said and two, she¡¯d never make a tasteless joke about an important part of my life. When I looked into her eyes, I saw her worry and I squeezed her hand lightly to prompt her to go on. ¡°Viyara came to me instead of you because she wasn¡¯t sure, but¡­ alright, first of all I¡¯m talking about Reia. She most likely¡­ definitely is closely related to Mordred. I can¡¯t say if it¡¯s through your mom, your dad or both of them, but it¡¯s practically certain that she shares in his blood.¡± ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, Viyara did with the help of one of the kids, Estrella¡­ do you remember Ignus¡¯ story?¡± ¡°Which one, exactly?¡± ¡°About the Pendragons and that you might be the descendants of an ancient, shapeshifting, draconic family? Reia has a very similar form of magic inside of her, and it¡¯s practically the same with your brother. While sparks of it can be found among most of your people, there¡¯s no one but those two who carries enough to make a difference. Unfortunately we can¡¯t check if it¡¯s the same with you and your mother, since¡­¡± ¡°Since our bodies and our magic have been altered so much, I see. And because my father is gone, there¡¯s no way to know for certain but since Mordred can¡¯t be Reia¡¯s father, they¡¯re most likely siblings¡­ or could he? Have you spoken to him? Or my mum?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, I wanted to talk to you first. There¡¯s another possibility. She could also be Arthur¡¯s. If she is Mordred¡¯s daughter it won¡¯t matter too much, but if she is the child of one of your parents, or Arthur¡¯s¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, she didn¡¯t have to. Arthur was married, as were my parents. Our culture didn¡¯t take lightly to adultery, neither of a husband, nor a wife. While it would be mostly embarrassing and somewhat painful if my parents were involved, considering all that was left of our nation was a boatload of children, it would be downright catastrophic for Arthur¡¯s authority. And then there was the girl, Reia. It might have been shortsighted, but I was mainly concerned for her and what it might do to her, if the truth came out. It might not matter at all, or she might get branded as an illegitimate offspring, an outcome I could easily imagine with all the noble brats we had saved. On the other hand, she could have a family again¡­ but I didn¡¯t even know if she wanted one. I wouldn¡¯t have, if I had been in her shoes. ¡°You didn¡¯t talk to Reia either, I assume?¡± ¡°No¡­ but she knows something¡¯s up. That girl is scary smart when she wants to be. You¡¯re thinking about whether or not you should allow her to make the decision, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡­ frankly, I think it¡¯s her right. She has to decide if she wants to know who neglected her for all of her life. I¡¯m just not so certain whether or not it¡¯d be fair to burden her at all.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t, I can tell you that much. But¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°No, no it doesn¡¯t.¡± A smiled tugged at the corners of my mouth. ¡°Well, I always wanted a little sister, anyways.¡± ¡°Technically, she¡¯s still older than you, by quite a margin. You¡¯re taking it much better than I expected. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°That whoever it was didn¡¯t tell me and left her to be raised by someone else? Sure, but¡­ honestly, it¡¯s actually none of my business, I¡¯ve been a child until a few days ago. I can¡¯t blame anyone for not confiding in me. Also, I know it¡¯s not my mum. I just do. She¡¯d never leave her child to anyone else. Plus, if it really is tied to the name and not some unimaginable coincidence, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pass it on. My father was of the royal family, she comes from high nobility. And I¡¯m not going to be mad at a dead man, I always knew my father wasn¡¯t perfect but he was still my dad. That¡¯s not going to change. As for my brothers¡­ Mordred I¡¯m going to slap into tomorrow and Arthur¡­ he¡¯d have a lot of explaining to do with his holier-than-thou attitude. But mostly I¡¯m kind of happy. Nobody will believe that she¡¯s older than me and not being the youngest in the family sounds terrific. Plus, now I won¡¯t feel so bad when I have to box her ears.¡± ¡°No, and that might turn out to be quite important,¡± she chuckled. ¡°But seriously, what do you want me to do? Hold my tongue?¡± ¡°For now. I imagine she¡¯ll corner one of us or Viyara tonight anyways, but I don¡¯t want her to know, not yet. It¡¯s been enough. When we¡¯re all onboard, there¡¯ll be plenty of time. And I also want to talk to my dear brother, at least the one I can get my hands on, beforehand.¡± ¡°Your choice, but don¡¯t you want to include your mother? She of all people should know.¡± ¡°No¡­ if my father was still alive, I¡¯d agree, but he isn¡¯t. If it turns out that he betrayed her, I¡¯ll not tell her. I¡¯ll get Mordred to claim the responsibility or think of something else, but I¡¯m not going to force her to question her whole life without a chance at closure. That¡¯d be cruel.¡± ¡°By the Great Fox, Cassy, your mum is much tougher than you giver her credit for. And she¡¯s not an imbecile. Why do you always have to patronise her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, but¡­ don¡¯t you think I have a right to keep her happy, if I can?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you¡¯re doing, you¡¯re trying to keep her safe, ignorant. Didn¡¯t you tell me that people have a right to make their own choices? You shouldn¡¯t take that one away from her.¡± I inhaled deeply, she was right. I didn¡¯t want to repeat the mistakes of my past but it still stung. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m not going to. But I won¡¯t talk to her tonight and I¡¯d very much appreciate it, if you¡¯d do the same.¡± ¡°I¡¯d even have helped you keep her in the dark, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say anything without your say so. But you shouldn¡¯t wait too long, otherwise one of them might piece it together on their own.¡± 149. Of siblings, reunions and a little bit of future trouble Cassandra Pendragon While we descended towards the camp hand in hand, my mind was churning. I had played it down when Ahri had asked me, but truth be told, the idea of having an unknown sibling had shaken me. I wasn¡¯t mad or disappointed, maybe a little since I honestly hadn¡¯t expected any member of my family to be capable of siring a child and abandoning her afterwards, but that was something I could deal with. What was getting to me was the growing ball of happiness in my stomach. I really wanted Reia to become a part of my family and not only because I liked her or because I wanted a younger sibling. The bottom line was, I felt much more connected to the girl, who had risked her life for us, even though I was the only one who remembered, than I should have. When I thought about teaching her, protecting her¡­ being responsible for her, even though the thought was daunting, I could hardly keep myself from smiling. Rationally, I knew that I was most likely compensating for my sterility, the pitiful look on my mother¡¯s face when I had told her and the feelings of inadequacy that rose up every time I thought about it, stupid as it was, but that didn¡¯t help, not at all. I was still elated when I imagined a child, even one as stubborn and complicated as her, depending on me. Not the most healthy disposition to base decisions upon, but still¡­ ¡°Stop your brooding, it¡¯s going to be okay. We¡¯re nearly there,¡± Ahri said and startled me from my thoughts. I hadn¡¯t realised how close we had gotten to the ground and I just barely managed to stifle a yelp when I saw Viyara¡¯s draconic snout only metres away from me. At the very least it was closed, but her ivory fangs, each one about as long as my forearm, still scared the living hell out of me when they suddenly appeared in my vision. ¡°You¡¯re back¡­ and in one piece as it seems.¡± She projected without preamble. ¡°Did Ahri already talk to you about Reia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, too. And I¡¯m fine, I just grew a new tail, my magic changed fundamentally and I relived parts of my past, but I¡¯m alright, thanks for asking.¡± Admittedly, I might have sounded a tad bitchy, but it had been a long day¡­ again, and Viyara didn¡¯t have the advantage that I wanted to see her naked. ¡°And yes, Ahri did talk to me, but I¡¯d still like to see everything from your point of view, since you pieced it all together. Would you share your memories?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ and sorry, I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re okay. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve been worried¡­ and Erya is driving me nuts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know what you mean, do I? Never mind, no need to apologise, I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at you. Still, before I¡¯m swarmed, could you show me?¡± She didn¡¯t reply but I felt her memories stir and a moment later, images began passing before my eyes. I saw how she had stumbled across Reia¡¯s abilities by chance on her and mischief on Reia¡¯s part. I waited with her on Estrella while she had been out to have a look at Mordred and the other kids and I joined her when she had told Ahri afterwards, unwilling to burden me with her theory until she had prove. A spark of anger ignited in my chest when I imagined that she might have kept me in the dark, hypocritical, I knew, since I had planned to do the same thing to my mother, but I couldn¡¯t help it. At least I was going to think twice now, before I repeated that mistake. I watched the two of them sit down together while Viyara told Ahri everything she had found out and guessed only to be berated that she should have come to me first. I grinned and squeezed Ahri¡¯s hand while the one in my mind cut her sermon short and started asking the dragoness how many of the kitsune carried that particular form of energy and whether or not some had more of it than others. Apparently Reia and my brother were chock full of it, while the rest only had small amounts. Ahri had quickly deduced that the more closely the family had been related to mine, the stronger the magic was within their descendants. Yet another indication that Ignus¡¯ story hadn¡¯t been that far from the truth. They had decided to keep silent until I returned and had distracted Reia and her band of misfits with an apology they had had to deliver to Xorlosh and the preparation they needed to activate the amulets with Viyara¡¯s blood. Long story short, Reia, Archy and Estrella were right now starting to learn how to use a forge under the rough hands of Xorlosh who, as their punishment, had decided that they¡¯d have to forge the dagger of mithril into amulets on their own and without the help of magic. The amount of curses and groans that had issued from the smithy, seconds after Ahri and Viyara had left, had been proof enough that the kids would learn their lesson. Briefly I wondered which one that might be: thou shall not steal, or thou shall not be caught. Knowing the little vixen a bit, I was willing to bet that it¡¯d turn out to be the latter. And frankly, I somehow agreed, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission, after all. I just didn¡¯t know if I wanted Reia to believe that. While we landed, the last images reached me, which weren¡¯t connected to the rest. Instead I saw the darkening afternoon sky from Viyara¡¯s perspective, dwarfs and kitsune frozen in their motions around her, while all of them had stared at a pulsing, second sun that had suddenly appeared above them. An explosion of silvery light had followed, which had tuned everything around her into depthless shadows. She had been forced to avert her eyes, the brightness too much, even for her draconic senses, while most of the dwarfs had dropped into a defensive crouch and the kids had tried to hide. A few moments later, the light had vanished, reduced to a falling star that had raced in their direction before it had blinked out completely. The dragoness had waited anxiously for it to reappear, her instincts screaming at her that she had just witnessed my transformation. Fear had gnawed at her insides and she had already felt desperate when Ahri had suddenly began to laugh and had shot towards the sky. Only then had she felt reassured that I was still alive and the bubbling knot of emotions in her chest had been cut, leaving a churning mixture of happiness and anger behind. Happiness that nothing had happened to me and anger that I, once again, had scared the living hell out of her. When she had seen me, she had tried to cover her confusion under a brusque manner, which hadn¡¯t been the best idea and the reason why she had greeted me like that. ¡°No worries,¡± I said out loud while our minds were starting to drift apart. ¡°And I missed you, too.¡± I added without really thinking about what I said, but when I saw the toothy smile on her scaly face, I knew I had found the right words. The next few minutes were the usual chaos I had already gotten used to, with one difference: my mom could neither scold nor ask me questions and consequentially, the whole affair was much more civilised, even though she immediately climbed onto my shoulder. She slung her tails around my neck, rubbed her head against my cheek, her equivalent of an embrace, and began purring. A change for the better, as far as I was concerned, since no one screamed at me and I was mostly forced to shake hands, repeat that I wasn¡¯t hurt and that nothing exceedingly dangerous had happened. For the kitsune, I had to show off my new tail, pirouetting on the spot. Truth be told, I quite enjoyed their attention and the envious looks that crossed the faces of the older ones. If I kept on growing like this, I¡¯d soon have more tails than years under my belt. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I took a couple of moments to exchange a few words with Erya and my brother, but since we were surrounded by a throng of people, we couldn¡¯t do more than hug briefly and reassure one another that the world was still turning and in one piece, well, the reassuring was mostly done on my part, while the fey seemed like she had something else to say, but wasn¡¯t prepared to do so with everyone around. I also quickly realised that Mephisto wasn¡¯t here, but I didn¡¯t think much of it, he wasn¡¯t keen on spending time with mortals and probably already knew that I had survived, his magic was presumably more than capable of tracking my transformation. When I thought about him, I also remembered the ritual he had been in the middle of, the last time had seen him and panicked slightly. With everything that had been happening to me, I had completely forgotten about the seed and the gem I was carrying. I quickly checked my clothes to make sure I hadn¡¯t accidentally lost them, but they were still there, tightly nestled against my skin. I couldn¡¯t imagine how they had stayed that way, nor how I had managed to return, properly dressed for the first time, but I wasn¡¯t going to complain. I was in the middle of a crowd after all, and something told me I¡¯d even be standing here if I had returned in my undies. The whole meet-and-greet affair was still not something I was overly comfortable with but at least this time, I knew and liked everyone I was talking to. A luxury I hadn¡¯t had much of, back on Boseiju. It even had its upsides, when I met Reia and her friends for instance, the lot of them smeared with ash and nursing quite a few blisters and overworked muscles. Something I had to keep in mind, physical activity seemed to be a great way to get your message across, even though I would¡¯ve bet that the lot of them had already made use of the forge to stock up on new materials, at least it felt that way when Reia and Estrella hugged me, solid rods of metal pressing into my stomach. Either that, or they had developed abs literally made of steel in a few hours. I was tempted to pull them aside and question them on what they had done and what they might have guessed, but one, I couldn¡¯t very well take off now without a reason, two, I¡¯d have to deal with their ongoing tendencies to get their hands on things that weren¡¯t theirs and three, as much as I wanted to, I¡¯d have to talk to my mom first, I owed her that much at the very least. After a while the crowd began thinning, the ones I had already spoken to rushing back towards the fires, eager to finish the last preparations for the feast tonight, until only a few remained. Ahri and Viyara hadn¡¯t left my side and my mom was still perched on my shoulder but I was quite surprised to see Aspera and Astra with Erya, Mordred, Morgan and Auguros still lingering close by, their heads put together conspiratorially. Oh my, that didn¡¯t look like they were talking about decorations or the food for tonight. When they purposefully strode towards me, their faces grim, I looked closer, searching for hints as to what might be going on. The elves appeared¡­ shaken, sadness was clearly showing in their eyes but the harsh determination set around the corners of their mouths also showed a barely contained fury. Morgan, on the other hand, was simply exhausted, she laboriously put one foot in front of the other, her eyes cast down, barely taking notice of what went on around her. Erya and Auguros were nervous, their eyes inadvertently roaming form the elves to Morgan and back again, compassion much more prevalent in their gaze than any other emotion. Crap, I couldn¡¯t be sure, but considering how they behaved and that I already knew the fey court had killed the elf Morgan had fallen for, I was willing to hazard a guess who he might have been. Somehow it always came back to blood ties and families¡­ but then again, hopefully I was wrong. ¡°Do you have a few moments? There¡¯s¡­ we have something to tell you and I¡¯d much prefer some privacy,¡± Erya said hesitantly. ¡°Sure, what about those three,¡± I asked and indicated the fox on my shoulder, the angel by my side and the dragoness behind me. ¡°It¡¯d be better if they came as well, we have some decision to make before the feast tonight.¡± Ominous as her words had been, I was pretty convinced that I had guessed right, the dead elf was somehow related to the two sisters. Since he was gone, they¡¯d have to quickly return home to take care of their family and affairs. Or maybe they had to head off an act of retribution¡­ or initiate one. Either way, I was going to find out in a moment. I nodded and gestured for Erya to lead the way, falling in step behind her. She marched towards the cliffs, the busy sounds of the camp slowly fading as we got further away. None of them spoke while we walked, Astra and Aspera were wearing their silence like an armour, impenetrable and unyielding, concealing their thoughts behind an iron mask. Mordred was sticking close to Morgan, ready to support her in case she stumbled. Behind his gruff exterior, he truly was a sweetheart. And Auguros¡­ well, he was taking in everything, his eyes never standing still while his head swivelled from left to right and he studied our expressions and seemingly tried to understand what was going through our heads. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t like him. While I could sympathise with what he had told us, something about him just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was his manipulative disposition or simply that I had come to hate the machinations of everyone who played with the future. It was impossible to trust them, if they considered something they saw important enough, all decency and their promises went out the window. While I could somehow understand where they were coming from, and by they I mainly meant him and Amazeroth, it didn¡¯t mean I had to like what they did, even though it might be for the greater good. I had always thought that it¡¯d take a special kind of stupidity or arrogance to dare to decide who or what was worth sacrificing to achieve a goal. Yet another reason why I¡¯d be next to useless in a position of power. When we reached the cliffs and were far enough away from everybody else that even a kitsune¡¯s hearing wouldn¡¯t be of much use, Erya stopped and waited for us, facing the setting sun. The fading light cast growing shadows across her features, her resemblance to the fey I had seen through Mephisto¡¯s scrying spell obvious in the determined line of her jaw and the harsh angles of her face. Before I had the chance to ask why they had brought me here or even take in the radiant colours of the sunset, Astra spoke up: ¡°While I wasn¡¯t the one to ask you here, it has happened on our behalf, that is, Aspera¡¯s, Morgan¡¯s and mine. But first of all, allow me to express my deep felt contentment that you¡¯ve returned to us unscathed, Cassandra. You can truly be proud of yourself, I¡¯ve never even heard of a kitsune your age with six tails. I can¡¯t imagine what it must be like to be fully grown after only a good handful of years, it can¡¯t be easy to grow up without a childhood.¡± If that was supposed to be a compliment or praise, I¡¯d hate to hear her criticism. ¡°Thanks, but I can¡¯t take credit there. I¡¯ve hardly ever been a child and my development is mostly caused by my past, not by something I¡¯ve done. But I¡¯m truly glad to be still in one piece, as well.Now then, let¡¯s cut to the chase. What¡¯s so important that we couldn¡¯t speak of it in front of people I implicitly trust?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust them,¡± she replied. ¡°And I didn¡¯t mean to imply that they shouldn¡¯t hear what I¡¯m about to tell you, but by chance or design, you¡¯ve somehow ended up as the person everybody turns to, especially now that your mother¡¯s not able to hold the reins anymore. You see, the elf who has been involved with Morgan and slain by the fey, he¡­,¡± it was the first time I saw her mask crack. Glittering tears appeared in the corner of her eyes and she had to visibly fight to get her next words out. ¡°He was our father and the protector of the elven city we come from. More importantly, he was one of the few who has¡­ had the trust of our king.¡± 150. Of elves, fathers and a little bit of necessity Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Your¡­ father,¡± I asked, flabbergasted. ¡°Our mother died while giving birth,¡± Astra replied with a sad smile. ¡°So, there¡¯s no scandal involved, at least as far as propriety goes. But still¡­ allow me to start at the beginning. There¡¯s a reason why my sister and I came to Boseiju 20 years ago, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve already guessed or been told, but the link we share, it¡¯s not entirely natural¡­. nor healthy. It¡¯s closer to a curse than anything else, one of the reasons why both of us have been more than glad when you turned out to be more than a talented kitsune. We¡¯d have asked for your help sooner or later, but this seems like a good reason to share our story.¡± She paused and gestured for us to sit. ¡°It might take a while, so why don¡¯t you get comfortable. First, there are a couple of things you should known about our people. We share your longevity and affinity for magic, and while neither is as pronounced with us as it is with the kitsune, we can still reach an age of several thousand years without much problems and out of a hundred elves, you¡¯ll not find more than one who doesn¡¯t have a sensibility for the arts. In a way though, we are still very human. We don¡¯t lose an interest in living quite as fast as your people and we most certainly don¡¯t simply die once we have accomplished our ambitions, we carry on, until we are claimed by death, but we never go willingly.¡± Huh, most kitsune actually left this world once they were convinced that they had achieved what they had been striving for, one of the reasons why there weren¡¯t that many ancient kitsune around. If elves were different, I wondered how many of them still remembered the time from before the cataclysm. ¡°Consequentially, age is a very determining factor in our society, age and bloodlines. We cherish purity and strength, old families having honed their skills and literally bred themselves towards a perceived ideal, strengthening their magic, enhancing their beauty and broadening their knowledge over millennia. When our continent shattered, hundreds of years ago, the elves lost¡­ we nearly lost everything. The most ancient and powerful of us banded together to save our culture, our home, but alas, even they were but leaves in the wind before the power we now know was the lord of mirrors. In a single night, we lost what we had tried to built for longer than we cared to remember, with only the younger generations, those who were judged too weak to help, surviving. I¡¯m telling you this, because it is the reason why we were born with a curse and why our father probably consorted with a fey.¡± She gently placed her hand on Morgan¡¯s shoulder before she continued. ¡°He was one of the older ones, he never told us his exact age but he must have been over 600 years old when he died. Consequentially he had been appointed to a position of power, the responsibility to guard the gates to the green island had been entrusted to him. And while, in the beginning, he took his responsibilities seriously and focused on protecting us, he soon became obsessed with returning us to our glory days, tinkering with dark magic and combing through ancient tomes in his search for a way to bring back what once was. My sister and I¡­ we were the first experiment of his that didn¡¯t end in a complete failure. It cost my mother¡¯s life and made us into something¡­ else, but at the very least, we survived. We aren¡¯t just soul bound, we share one soul, one that has been altered to a degree that it needs two life forces, two bodies, to remain tethered to this world. When we found out what had been done to us before we even had the chance to see the world with our own eyes, we ran. We ran far away until we found another home with people similar but yet different from ours. A place where we wouldn¡¯t feel like strangers but yet without the most terrifying faults of our own people. So much for our past and an explanation why neither of us truly cares about what happens to the elves. We were willing to return, to help convince them to fight for all of us, but they aren¡¯t our people, not as far as we are concerned, at least. Never the less, this brings us to what we suspect happened to Morgan. We know our father was searching for ways to enhance our bloodlines, by any means necessary and trying to mix the blood of a fey with ours seems just like the short sighted idea he¡¯d come up with. While I¡¯m terribly sorry that you¡¯ve been used in this way and had to pay so dearly for his mistakes, Morgan, I would be glad if his death turned out to be the end of it, but I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t. I¡¯ve mentioned before that our current ruler trusted my father, valued him even. Hardly surprising since the man was spending every waking our on a quest to return lost power to the elven people, a task that must have endeared him to the king immensely. Long story short, it¡¯s very likely that our father informed the royal court before he left on his expedition and his death¡­ I¡¯m sure there¡¯s going to be a reaction. First, the elves probably think that he was successful and has been killed for his troubles and secondly, they¡¯ll want revenge for the loss of one of their oldest and most venerated mages. Unless we are prepared to watch fey and elves clash in a time when we need unity among the people of this continent, we have to return and stop whatever it is they are planning to do.¡± Silence was the only response she got for a while, while we digested what she had said. ¡°Why are you sad, then?¡± I asked hesitantly. The confused looks I received might have been deserved but it truly struck me as odd. I wouldn¡¯t have cried a single tear for a man who had treaty me like that and I just couldn¡¯t understand why the twin sisters looked so crestfallen. Anger, fear, maybe even confusion I could have understood, but sadness? And I was certain I had seen it in their eyes, heard it in their voices when they had told us for the first time that Solus had been their father. ¡°You are quite perceptive, princess,¡± Aspera surprisingly replied. I had hardly heard her speak up before since her sister was usually the one who did the talking. Her voice was soft and deep, almost velvety and not at all what I would have expected from a warrior. ¡°And also quite right. But we don¡¯t grieve for him, we are¡­ his death means our doom and even though this world can be cruel, neither one of us is yet willing to leave it behind. My sister already told you that we were born of his meddling, that he somehow altered a soul and made it incarnate in two distinct bodies. Our father wasn¡¯t stupid. After all his failures he had learned the hard way what could happen when he played with forces far beyond his understanding. As a precaution he¡­ he bound the spells that keep us alive, that keep the essence of our being glued together, to his own life. And now that he is gone, the spells are crumbling and we¡­ we are fading. It won¡¯t be long before our soul leaves us and all that will remain are two empty husks of what we once were.¡± Oh¡­ come on. Were they kidding me? This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Are you gods damned serious? You want to tell me that you didn¡¯t know this was happening? That you didn¡¯t feel the spells unravelling? But never mind that¡­ what the fuck are you doing here? There¡¯s exactly one person on this island you should be talking to and it sure as all hells ain¡¯t me. Go, better run now, search Mephisto. Get him to help. If there¡¯s anybody alive who can help, it will be him, but you should know that, both of you. What were you thinking?¡± They smiled at me, which infuriated me even more. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± I almost screamed. ¡°Because we need you,¡± Astra replied. ¡°We already talked to him. Believe it or not, we are the reason why he has forced a drop of hellfire back into his ghost of an existence. He wants to help, but he doesn¡¯t have the power. You don¡¯t have the knowledge but with his guidance you could do what he can¡¯t¡­ you could save us. And we haven¡¯t brought it up before because it hasn¡¯t been relevant. You weren¡¯t, in any form, capable of conducting the magic that¡¯ll be necessary, and Mephisto wasn¡¯t sure if there is a way, but now that has changed. But even with your help, we¡¯ll most likely not survive. But at least he promised us that our soul won¡¯t disintegrate, we¡¯ll leave this world intact. That¡¯s why we¡¯re sad, the next days might very well be our last in the world of the living.¡± ¡°Since when do you know?¡± I quietly asked. ¡°Our father died two nights ago and we immediately felt the magic waning. Truth be told, we had already made our peace with what¡¯s going to happen to us, but then¡­ you transformed and ignited your magic.¡± ¡°Has he told you that?¡± ¡°For the most part. Some things we already guessed simply from being around you and everything you told us after we fled from Boseiju. Which brings me to why you¡¯re here: will you try to save us?¡± ¡°Of course, you know that. Is this the reason why you told us your story? In case you don¡¯t survive and we have to deal with the elves without your guidance?¡± ¡°Precisely. We have also created a memory crystal with everything essential we can remember. Should we¡­ should we not make it, you¡¯d better use it.¡± I was already half standing, when Aspera put her hand on my shoulder to calm me down. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush,¡± she gently explained. ¡°We still have some time left and the ritual Mephisto intends to use needs time to prepare. Time and ingredients we don¡¯t have here. We¡¯ll have to buy everything we¡¯re missing and the only place close enough, where we might find the necessary herbs, crystals and conductors is Free Land. It¡¯s just¡­ there won¡¯t be enough time to fly there and back again with a sky ship, especially if we wait until the morrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Viyara immediately said telepathically. ¡°I might not be as fast as Ahri or Cassy, but I can still be back here by noon tomorrow and I know my way around these parts, at least somewhat. I can carry you there and back again quickly enough.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll come with you to make sure you don¡¯t get lost or kidnapped¡­ again,¡± Erya added. ¡°Besides, the burial tonight might become rather awkward for the two of us. Our peoples aren¡¯t exactly friends to the dwarfs and I imagine they could do without a fey or a dragon lurking around. And if you¡¯d care to join us, I wouldn¡¯t mind your company,¡± she added with a sidelong glance at Mordred. ¡°A shopping trip with four crazy girls, how could I possibly decline,¡± he groaned. ¡°Fine, when do you want to leave.¡± ¡°The sooner the better,¡± Viyara replied. ¡°It¡¯ll still take me several hours to reach Free Land and only the gods know how long it¡¯ll take us to find everything we need.¡± ¡°And how are you going to pay for it?¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°A smile and a handshake?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to pay at all,¡± Erya replied with a smirk. ¡°We¡¯re going to be out of there again before anyone will notice. No need to dig into our nonexistent funds.¡± ¡°Seriously? You want to steal everything?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me that makes you uncomfortable.¡± ¡°No, not at all. I was just wondering if you could get a few other things we need dearly while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Sure, what do you have in mind?¡± It somehow struck me as odd that I had gone from politics, dressing gowns and private tutors to heists, rituals and deadly conflicts within a few days. ¡°Nothing special, but we do need money, or something that can be turned into it quickly enough. Also, if you have the chance, we could always use healing potions, as many as you can get your hands on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Anything else?¡± ¡°What about you two,¡± I asked, turning to Morgan and Auguros. ¡°Do you urgently need anything?¡± Morgan shook her head apathetically but Auguros appeared to have a whole list at the ready. ¡°With our magic gone, there¡¯s a whole plethora of things we could use, but for the most part, I need some form of container that can hold astral energy. It doesn¡¯t have to be much, just enough for a few minor spells. And of course anything related to the fey would be tremendously helpful. Sooner or later we¡¯ll have to find our way back, if we want to revert what they¡¯ve done to us and anything, anything at all, could be useful. As for artefacts, if you could find prepared shells I can fill with a spell or two, that¡¯d be great. And then¡­¡± He paused when he realised that we were all staring at him. ¡°Sorry, I got carried away. Uh, a small container for astral energies would be great, though.¡± My mom rubbed her head against my cheek and when I looked down at her, she pointed her tails in the direction of the elves. ¡°You want to go with them,¡± I whispered. She nodded. ¡°Fine by me, I don¡¯t think I could stop you either way. Just be careful, I bet there are enough idiots out their who¡¯d risk their neck for your fur. If you want to do me a favour, stay close to Mordred, will you? I think he¡¯s the most sensible of the bunch and ruthless enough to keep all of you safe.¡± She nodded again, squeezed my neck with her tails and scurried off to take a seat on Mordred¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s it,¡± I said loudly. ¡°Viyara should be able to contact me if anything goes wrong and if you haven¡¯t returned by noon tomorrow, we¡¯ll come looking for you. Good luck, and friendly winds.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you all,¡± Astra said, her voice hoarse. ¡°I¡­ we¡­ just, thank you.¡± ¡°You can save the speech for when we¡¯ve actually accomplished something,¡± Mordred replied while he was already walking towards Viyara. ¡°Come on, we should get moving.¡± A few hugs later, Ahri and I stood side by side while the silhouette of the golden dragoness became smaller and smaller as she soared into the darkening sky, the passengers on her back already nothing more than small specks of colour. ¡°You have courageous friends, lady Cassandra. A bit strange, maybe, but definitely courageous,¡± Auguros mumbled behind my back. ¡°Chin up Morgan, there¡¯s hardly a better place where you could have ended up and you heard it before from the elves: that egoistic bastard has used you. He isn¡¯t worth your tears.¡± Ahri turned away from me to face the two fey. ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. Why don¡¯t you come with us, Morgan? We still have a few moments before the sun is completely gone and the burial starts. Since we are going to be spending quite some time together from now on, why don¡¯t we share a cup of tea? It would do wonders for you to simply talk and Cassy and I would love to get to know you. What do you say?¡± Her eyes traveled from her to me uncertainly and I could see her wish to simply sleep and forget her woes for a while, lurking just beneath the surface. But she didn¡¯t give in and after a few seconds, she nodded hesitantly. ¡°Great,¡± Ahri replied and grabbed her hand unceremoniously to pull her along. ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t invited, sorry,¡± I said to Auguros and hurried after them. 151. Of stars, kindness and a little bit of burials Cassandra Pendragon Ahri had only quickly gone back to camp to pick up a bag of tea leaves, a small kettle, a pot and a three cups before she had guided us towards the cliffs again, where she had lit a small fire and made us sit while she worked. Now we were facing the ocean, while the sea and sky were slowly changing from a deep red streaked with gold to black and the first stars blinked through the velvety darkness above. Neither of us spoke for a while and I cherished the moment of tranquil companionship, something I had dearly missed over the last days. Finally I felt like I could relax, at least for a little while, before the chaos my life had become claimed me again. A few seconds of peace in a mad world, that seemed determined to throw one problem after another in my way, from crazy sorcerers, over marauding dragons, to treacherous spiders and dying elves. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Morgan whispered. ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you for bringing me here and for taking care of us. I¡­ I truly am grateful, but I don¡¯t think I can answer your questions, not tonight, at least.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± Ahri replied in equally hushed tones. ¡°I just thought you might enjoy a moment of quiet¡­ I know I need it from time to time¡± and she fell silent again, her tails brushing against my thigh. I leaned against her and breathed in the scent of pine trees that always clung to her, along with Morgan¡¯s flowery aroma, so similar to Erya¡¯s but yet different, sweeter¡­ and somehow darker. Gem after gem appeared above us, white, red, yellow and blue, some astonishingly bright, others barely visible in the growing ocean of light. My eyes traveled along the glimmering axis of hokuto, the Plough, to settle on taiji, the North Star, the only constant in an ever changing display of movement and colours. A fitting metaphor for our life¡­ always circling around an immovable centre but if one were to take only a couple of steps, it would be, but another tiny spark in the night. How far would I have to fly for the heavens to change? I didn¡¯t know, even on this tiny world I didn¡¯t know¡­ as for the wider cosmos¡­ all we had was the present, a minuscule part of a greater whole¡­ or, as another smart man had said: the starry sky above me and the moral law within me, the world we saw and the truth within... Funnily enough, he had thought that insight, as the spark of transcendence, the one unchangeable point of orientation in every human, would ultimately lead to morality but, oh boy, had he been wrong. Nothing was inherently right, for it could only truly exist in the perception of another. While I stared at the sky, the vastness of it all made me shiver. Each spark a far away star with planets and worlds, some inhabited by millions of dreaming, living people some desolate chunks of rock and metal and the longer I watched the more of them appeared, the void slowly filling with light. I felt so¡­ insignificant, despite the slumbering heritage in my veins. What could one soul do to change the ways of the world, never mind the path of the cosmos. Was I doomed to struggle for ever, until one day my luck would run out? Was there even a point? ¡°Sometimes I wonder¡­ why do you think we always have to fight?¡¯ When Ahri laughed softly and poured us tea, her silky hair tickled my cheek while her warm laughter washed away my worries. ¡°You could just as well ask why we exist¡­ angels, demons, fey, dragons, humans¡­ they are all so convinced that they¡¯re right, that their fears and hopes, their dreams and nightmares are so much more important than anyone else¡­ as long as we¡¯re free to choose our own way, you¡¯ll always find someone who fears, envies, hates or needs you, who sees the world differently. Sometimes you can bargain, bribe or compromise, run or hide, but sometimes, all you can do is fight or surrender. And you, my darling, are much too stubborn to simply curl up and lie still.¡± ¡°And what happens if you do,¡± Morgan asked quietly, her hands wrapped around her cup as if she was trying to take in every bit of warmth she could get. ¡°In the end¡­ you¡¯ll die. If you give up every time, there¡¯ll soon be nothing left of what makes you special, what makes you into who you are. You¡¯ll still be breathing and walking, but you¡¯ll be a husk, hollow and dead. But that¡¯s not gong to happen to you,¡± Ahri added and gently placed an arm on her shoulder. The fey flinched, as if she had been expecting to be struck but after a moment, she visibly relaxed. ¡°How do you know? Curling up¡­ a hollow husk¡­ it doesn¡¯t sound too bad right now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you truly believe that.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t sit at the edge and because you¡¯ve looked at the stars above and not the sea below,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re hurt and you¡¯re desperate¡­ every breath is laborious and each movement feels like it¡¯s tearing open another wound¡­ believe me, I know how you feel. But still¡­ wounds heal and in the end, scars make us who we are.¡± Morgan made a strange sound, a strangle cough, somewhere between a laugh and a sob. ¡°How old are the two of you? You look barely older than me but still you sound like the few ancient fey I¡¯ve met. Are you really immortal? If you are, how can you have a brother? Is he like you?¡± I had to suppress a smile, she sounded much more like the temperamental girl I had briefly glimpsed when she had wanted to hear Auguros story, than the broken child she looked like. ¡°Old, pretty old. Yes, or at least as close to it as you can get, because we¡¯re born kitsune with mothers, fathers and siblings, and no, he¡¯s not like us. Ahri and I are a couple, you¡¯ve met my mother, Helena, she¡¯s the silvery fox I had on my shoulder, we¡¯re on the run from a crazy sorcerer after he burned down our home and killed my father and now we¡¯re on our way to meet with my older brother, Arthur. Anything else you want to know?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll tell you once we have a little more time.¡± I paused to sip my tea and the taste of jasmine flowers made me sigh in contentment. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to avoid your question, but it truly is a long story and probably poses more questions than it answers so I want to do it justice. Ahri and I will have to head back in a few minutes and than won¡¯t do. Which reminds me¡­ would you prefer to stay here or join the festivities?¡± ¡°Festivities? I thought it¡¯d be a burial.¡± ¡°From what I gathered,¡± Ahri interjected, ¡°there isn¡¯t much of a difference when it comes to dwarfs. They prefer celebrating the good memories rather than focusing on the tragedy. It¡¯ll be loud, exhausting and drowned in mead. I¡¯d definitely understand if you didn¡¯t want to join, but it might not be the worst idea¡­ they¡¯re also grieving and maybe you can share a bit of you burden.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll work,¡± Morgan replied quietly, ¡°but I¡¯ll try. I couldn¡¯t stand being alone right now¡­ for two old ladies you make for pretty decent company, you know that, right?¡± This time I smiled openly. ¡°Thanks, I quite enjoy our presence, too. And the others aren¡¯t half bad either, if you give them a chance.¡± I was tempted to add that none of us would ever sell her out in the way she had been, but I thought better of it at the last moment. No need to bring that up again, not mere minutes after she had found out that she had most likely been betrayed but someone she had loved. ¡°I know, believe it or not I usually can judge people rather accurately. Although, not when it matters, apparently. By the gods, you must think I¡¯m an idiot. First I fall for someone who didn¡¯t care for me one bit and then I even get caught, giving away secrets to the bastard.¡± She sniffed but underneath, I smelled her anger rising, like a growing storm just beneath the surface. ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Ahri said. ¡°We don¡¯t know much at all. But I do admit, I wouldn¡¯t bet that Solus had your best interest at heart, either. I know you said you didn¡¯t want to answer any questions, but what did you see in him anyway? I always thought fey were quick to play but slow to love.¡± ¡°We are¡­ he was just so¡­ different. Clever, caring, charming¡­ I¡¯ve been so naive¡­ I should have known when he started to ask about our culture, our home, but I didn¡¯t. I really thought he just wanted to know more about me and where I come from, to better understand who I am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up,¡± I advised. ¡°Happens to all of us. Just yesterday we lost four of our friends and most of us were nearly killed because I trusted an ugly spider.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Killed her and caught her spirit in a gem¡­¡± she chuckled. ¡°I meant: what happened?¡± ¡°Oh, basically we ran into an activated artefact that would¡¯ve killed us all and I needed help to shut it down. As it turned out, what I had taken for a stroke of luck had been an apple from a poisoned tree. We got out, most of us did, at least and now we¡¯re going to celebrate the sacrifice of those who didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡­ that sounds awfully detached. Don¡¯t you care?¡± ¡°Morgan, I¡¯ve seen more death and destruction in the last week than most people are confronted with in their lifetimes¡­ do I feel like crap when I think about it? Sure. But I¡¯m not going to allow my past to determine my future. Should I sit here and weep, immobilised and broken under the weight? I¡¯ve already shed most of the tears I¡¯ve got in me. Now, I have to do what is necessary. That dwarfs got it right, you know. Death is, but a part of life and we won¡¯t do anyone a service, least of all the fallen and ourselves, if we allow their sacrifice to become meaningless. I, for one, am more concerned with how I can keep the living alive and make sure no one else has to suffer.¡± ¡°You know, when you say something like this, I truly think I¡¯d have been better off, if I had fallen in love with a tree. First you sound like you¡¯re ready to throw in the towel and now I feel like I have to chain you to a bed post to make sure you don¡¯t run off to do something stupid.¡± Ahri interrupted. ¡°I can¡¯t, remember? At least not without taking you along.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a silver lining, I suppose,¡± she said and curled her tails around my middle. ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t be better off with a tree,¡± Morgan added, her voice only a little strained. ¡°Those can turn out to be quite complicated themselves. Besides, it would be a pity. You two seem to¡­ you seem happy together.¡± I was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t what she had wanted to say, but I didn¡¯t mind the compliment. When I was about to reply, I felt Ahri¡¯s ears twitch and the fraction of a second later, I heard it as well: someone was calling out for us and in the distance, I could already hear deep voices singing different songs. ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± I said and emptied my cup of tea. ¡°I¡­ I like you, Morgan. If you wanted, I¡¯d love spending a little more time with you. Maybe once we¡¯ve gotten your magic back, we could fly together.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought much of my words, but her gasp made me reconsider. When I replayed what I had said, I realised my mistake. She was looking at me with a mixture of scepticism and hope that made her bright, emerald eyes sparkled while I bit my tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but we will certainly try. But not tonight, come on, it¡¯s time to face the music, quite literally,¡± I added with a sigh. I scrambled up and offered her my hand. She took it after a moment of hesitation and allowed me to pull her to her feet. ¡°If you can do that for me, I¡¯ll be in you debt forever.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t. There¡¯ll be enough chances for you to scrape me off the floor, if you should decide to stick around.¡± Ahri nodded vigorously at my side and added: ¡°More than enough. Lifesaving has turned out to be quite the theme around here, especially when it comes to her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± the fey replied, with the hint of a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. ¡°She¡¯s even prettier when she smiles, don¡¯t you think,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear, loud enough for Morgan to easily hear her. ¡°Indeed she is. Come on then, girls. We have an interesting night ahead of us.¡± I pulled them both along towards the bearded fellow who had nearly reached us by now, an empty tankard of mead in his hand. ¡°Ah, lasses, it¡¯s ¡®bout time. Follow me, if yah would. Can hardly start without yah all and the lads are getting hungry.¡± He made a small bow in Morgan¡¯s direction and added: ¡°will yah be coming ¡®s well? The lads would love t¡¯ have yah around but we¡¯d understand if yah had enough of people for a while.¡± This time, her smile was tremulous but wide. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be coming with you. I think I¡¯m done punishing myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the attitude, lass. It¡¯d have been a shame if we hadn¡¯t been able to gawk at another pretty face tonight. Yah won¡¯t regret it, no one has ever left a dwarven funeral without getting rid of some of their burdens. Let¡¯s go then, otherwise they¡¯ll have done away with most of the good stuff.¡± He shook his tankard before he continued: ¡°¡®n I haven¡¯t had enough, not by a long shot.¡± He turned around and scurried off on his short legs, fast enough that I had to hurry to keep up. It took us no more than a few moments to get back to camp, the smell of cooked meat, spilled mead and burning fires becoming stronger with every step we took. Soon we passed the first torches that filled the night with a warm light and made our way past the tents. A couple of metres away, four caskets made of polished wood, heavily decorated with bands of mithril, shimmered beneath the starry sky. Behind them, muffled grunts and showers of earth came from a huge hole in the ground, a group of seven dwarfs assembled around it. They graciously offered advice to their working comrades while they tug swig after swig from heavy tankards. As I was watching, one of the poor sods in the hole had had enough and threw a shovel of earth at one of the onlookers, who didn¡¯t duck fast enough and swallowed a shovel full of pebbles. I grinned and took in the rest of the scene. Improvised tables and benches filled the space around the cooking fire at the centre, where a huge animal with six legs slowly roasted on a spit. Two dwarfs dedicatedly turned the huge wooden pole while a third one continuously poured a mixture of honey, herbs and mead over the sizzling skin. The aroma was divine, my mouth began to water and I had to swallow quickly before I started drooling. A highly inappropriate moment since the heads of the seated company had turned to us when we had stumbled form the shadows between the tents, beards splitting to reveal white, blocky teeth. ¡°And there they are,¡± Xorlosh, who sat at the head of the table greeted us. ¡°An¡¯ we¡¯ve been worried yah might have dropped off a cliff. Come on then, sit, drink. The lads up there will soon strike rock and then it¡¯s about time we got around to telling a few good stories. But until then,¡± he gestured and form somewhere they produced three more tankards and pushed them onto Morgan, Ahri and me. ¡°Hail the victorious dead!¡± We drank. 152. Of memories, traditions and a little dance Cassandra Pendragon The winds were picking up and made Ahri¡¯s glowing hair dance at my side while the stars slowly vanished behind a massive bank of clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by harsh flashes of light when lightning struck the churning sea. We were standing in a circle around the open caskets, gradually getting drenched by the first drops of an oncoming storm. The torches and the huge fire sizzled every time rain showers hit them and the scent of wet wood and linen rose up all around me. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable of situations but I could hardly complain since the dwarfs and Ahri didn¡¯t seem to mind and the two fey even enjoyed the falling rain, their faces turned skywards as they cherished the refreshing downpour. Heck, even Mephisto, who had left his sanctuary in the forest to pay his respects was enduring it stoically alongside the children. Despite the weather, I felt relaxed and giddy, most likely due to the astonishing amount of mead I had already downed. Well, in comparison I had still been quite modest, but two tankards were apparently more than I could easily handle and with the continuous requests to touch glasses, I was pretty certain that I wouldn¡¯t sober up anytime soon. Just as well, from what I had heard, it wasn¡¯t a true burial unless everyone was cross eyed at the end of it. ¡°It¡¯s me pleasure to start,¡± a dwarf whose name I couldn¡¯t remember for the life of me began. ¡°And since most of us have a story or two to tell about the scoundrels that can¡¯t raise their glasses with us no more, I¡¯ll try to be quick. Also, I fear that our lovely ladies won¡¯t be standing for much longer if we don¡¯t get some food into their bellies, light weights the lot of ¡®em.¡± ¡°Hear, hear,¡± deep voices exclaimed all around me and I was already tipsy enough to reward their efforts with a curtsy, even though I had to lean on Ahri to keep my balance. She giggle quietly and I used the distraction to snuggle up to her and curl my tails around her leg. ¡°Therefore, let¡¯s make this quick. Me brother¡­ he was a moron. Nah, don¡¯t look at me like this, he was! Always the first to stumble into trouble but also always the last to remain standing. I still remember when we left our glorious home to join you shoddy lot, chasing after riches in a far away lands. The idiot thought that, now that he was going to leave, he could spent his last few days in the cozy caverns drinking his way through every tavern and hitting on every lass he met. Ah don¡¯t have to mention that he didn¡¯t pay, now, do I? As y¡¯all can imagine, when it was time to depart, he came rushing towards me ship, a throng of people on his heels, clamouring for his head or the same amount of gold. Well, the head they could¡¯ve had but I wasn¡¯t going to pay from me funds for his endeavours. I gave the signal to me lads and we hurriedly tried to get our steamer airborne. Since it wasn¡¯t exactly mine, I wasn¡¯t looking forwards to any form of delay. What? Y¡¯all know me ¡®n him never learned the difference between yours and mine properly. Anyways,¡± he paused to take a deep draught from his tankard and belch heartily. ¡°Me brother made the jump and still managed to get on board but one of the fatter and more slow-witted ones who followed him failed to do the same. He slipped, reached for the railing and tumbled into the abyss. Good riddance and another victory for Mother Nature, I¡¯d have said, but yah know what? Me brother, the gormless bozo, took one glance at his tumbling pursuer, grabbed a length of rope and flew overboard, trying to save the hapless dwarf. Ah thought I was going to be rid of both of them, but he caught his sorry ass and hauled them both back on board.¡± He raised his tankard and toasted a dwarf a few places to my left. ¡°Here¡¯s to you. Kalamosh, to you and your darn flat feet.¡± Obediently I repeated his words alongside everyone else, even though it struck me as odd to raise my cup to someone¡¯s feet. I snorted into my drink and had to quickly hide my face to brush away the mead that had decided to leave me through my nose while Ahri slapped my back and Morgan chuckled heartily. When I looked at her, I briefly wondered why Erya had left her behind, but then again, I would probably also have wanted some time to get my head back on straight after having met my grandchild. And she couldn¡¯t be much safer than she was here, with us and the dwarfs around. Maybe her decision wasn¡¯t as surprising as I had thought. ¡°That was you, big boy,¡± he continued while he crossed over to one of the caskets, enviously steady on his stumpy legs. ¡°Even when you finally had dug yourself out of a hole, you jumped right back in to get someone else out. But ah hold no grudge, you were a fine dwarf, and your heart was big enough to compensate for your flaws. Comrades, bottoms up, hail the victorious dead, hail Borim! Ah¡¯ll miss yah, brother.¡± We downed our tankards and refilled them, while¡­ I still couldn¡¯t remember his name, jumped into the deep hole with a pick axe, putting the first dents into the bedrock. A few moments later, one of his friends took his place at the caskets. He was quite tall and surprisingly slender for a dwarfs, which still meant bulky like an ox, but he wasn¡¯t broader than he was tall, at least. A long scar crossed his face and vanished beneath a leather eyepatch. While he walked, he seemed to be keeping his weight off his left leg and when he slipped on the wet earth, I saw the tip of a wooden prosthetic appear under the hem of his trousers. ¡°Ah well, whaddaya all want me to say after that? In essence, that was¡¯ em, the whole lot of ¡®em. Not necessarily the stealing part, though. That¡¯s just plain nasty. But they always were the first to help out and give a hand, always the first to raise their axes, when it mattered¡­ that¡¯s why they¡¯re lying there, innit? Because they were dwarfs, bloody good ones at that.¡± He turned towards the casket on his right and raised his tankard. ¡°Guthri, yah taught me how to fight, how to hold an axe and a line, when to duck and when to run. I never understood that last lesson and apparently, neither did you. But that¡¯s fine, who¡¯d want a coward¡¯s scar, anyways, eh? There are many of your stories I¡¯d like to share, they all deserve to be remembered, but there¡¯s only one that can tell us who you were, don¡¯t yah agree?¡± As if on command, thunder rumbled in the distance and a forked lightning strike illuminated the night. The dwarf in front of us nodded and mumbled quietly enough that I had to readjust my ears to understand his words: ¡°thought so¡­¡± he turned to face us again. ¡°¡®T¡¯was about two decades ago, maybe a little more. We were selling out as mercenaries, nothin¡¯ unusual, but not the finest work... y¡¯all know what I mean, yes? ¡®T was a cold winter and we were holding the fort of a measly human noble, far up north on a large enough island that there were several kingdoms. Nothin¡¯ special, but a good place to earn a quick coin and have a little fun. We were freezing our butts off, food was sparse and half rotten and none of us had seen a pretty face for a couple of months¡­ not to mention the regular skirmishes we had to fight with a tribe of stubborn wolf kin that had infested the surrounding woods. All in all, we had a bloody great time.¡± He hesitated for a moment, visibly swallowed and dabbed his eye with his beard. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°That is, until one of our patrols, which is to say me ¡®n two friends of mine whom the rock has already taken, were captured and dragged off into the night. ¡®T wasn¡¯t fun, I can tell you that much. They poked and prodded us until we almost forgot who we were. One of ¡®em bastards even took me eye as a souvenir¡­ lemme tell yah, lads, I¡¯m not one to despair lightly, but back then I thought we had reached the end of the tunnel. Well, since I¡¯m still standing here, telling y¡¯all of the good ol¡¯ days, yah know that didn¡¯t happen. The cavalry arrived, just when they had decided that they had squeezed all the fun out of us that they were ever going to have. Roasted at the stake, that was supposed to be the end of us, but alas, yah can¡¯t always get what you want, now, can yah? And those pesky, yellow teethed, moth eaten mutts got quite the kicking instead of dwarf well-done.¡± His bearded face split in a not very nice smiled and he continued with a twinkle in his remaining eye: ¡°Gluthri and the boys, they came for us just about when the fires had been lit. Like an avalanche of steel they rolled through their pitiful hideout and killed every ugly bastard with a tail. No offence intended,¡± he quickly added with a glance in our direction. ¡°Now, that alone wouldn¡¯t have been an occasion to remember, I mean yah save yah comrades and that¡¯s it, ain¡¯t I right?¡± ¡°Hear, hear¡± a choir which sounded like grinding rocks replied. ¡°Nah, we all would¡¯ve done as much. It was what happened afterwards that makes him special. He found a cub¡­ when I, as much as it shames me to admit the truth, was about to pummel the small, crying creature into the ground, head first. Guthri¡­ he didn¡¯t think twice. He slapped me straight to the moon an¡¯ pulled me back down only to provide me backside with another beautiful kickin¡¯. We¡¯re dwarfs, he said, not cowardly barbarians and for your stupidity y¡¯ are goin¡¯ t¡¯ share yahr rations with the cub, yah hear me lad?¡± Murmurs rose for, the assembled dwarfs but he quietened the, down with a gesture. ¡°Y¡¯all know what came of that day. One of the best friends I¡¯m ever going t¡¯ have and a place for every wee, tired dwarf to rest his legs, should he ever come through the Northern Passage. 15 years later and the cub had turned into a fighter I¡¯d rather have on me side than anywhere else and the bloody best bartender on the islands. If it hadn¡¯t been for you,¡± he said to the open casket, ¡°neither of those would have come to pass. Yah made me realise that we can find friendship and courage everywhere, we just have to look deeply enough. Hail the victorious dead, hail Guthri! Yah were more of a father to me than the useless sack of rotten meat I left behind when I joined yah and I¡¯ll miss yah!¡± ¡°Hail the victorious dead, hail Guthri,¡± reverberated through the night, followed by the sounds of downed mead. I was decidedly starting to feel light headed and I pushed a trickle of energy from my core to counteract the alcohol, even though with more than a little regret. But I simply wouldn¡¯t have made it through the night otherwise and I wanted to remain cognisant. I wasn¡¯t going to get engaged again, now, was I? I bit my lip when I realised that my family was already halfway to Free Land by now¡­ we had never told anyone except Xorlosh what we intended to do. At least Ahri had already spoken to my mom, but I still couldn¡¯t imagine that she¡¯d be thrilled if she came back to accomplished facts. Oh well, she wouldn¡¯t be the first parent, nor the last, who¡¯d have that particular experience and truth be told, I was really looking forward to the announcement, it just felt right. Before I focused back on the scene in front of me, I caressingly reached for Ahri¡¯s hand and locked our fingers before I leaned into her and kissed her cheek. The goosebumps that erupted along her neck were all the reassurance I required. With his speech finished, the one eyed fellow jumped into the hole and added his strength to pummel the rock. Sparks and grunts flowed through the night and before Xorlosh stepped up to the caskets, he handed two freshly filled tankards down to the hard working dwarfs. ¡°Alrighty lads, it¡¯s a pity that I have t¡¯ stand here, it truly is. But y¡¯all know the truth, little Durgin and Fenni, they came to us not two years prior, without a family or a history, not one that they¡¯d share at least. And yah might think that there can¡¯t be many moments of valour or wisdom to talk about, but lemme tell y¡¯all, yah¡¯d be dead wrong. In the last week I¡¯ve seen a gangly, strange boy, with not much talents in the mines, mind yah, and his bumbling and shy mate turn into proud and stubborn dwarfs. They fought with us to protect our homes, they battled pirates and in the end, they even faced gods of a bygone age. They were bloody heroes, and I won¡¯t have yah miserable lot forget their names, yah hear me?¡± ¡°Aye!¡± ¡°Fenni saved me life. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t have left the spider¡¯s lair, that¡¯s why I¡¯m standing here tonight, for there are chains between us that weigh as heavy as blood. He pulled me back so I could keep me head on me shoulders¡­ I won¡¯t be able to repay the favour, not in this life, at least, but yah all mark me words: we¡¯ll see him again, a soul as bright as his, with so much more to do, he will return and we¡¯ll be all the stronger for it!¡± He took his obligatory swig before he continued: ¡°By the stones, if I had know sooner how the boy could handle an axe, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to turn him into a blacksmith, I¡¯d have made him into the bloody best fighter who ever lived! And who knows, maybe he¡¯d still be standing here tonight, ready to raise his cup with us in memory of the fallen. That is on me and me doubts, I¡¯ll always have t¡¯ live with, for the rest of me life. And Durgin, well, the lad didn¡¯t need much training. He single-handedly walked into more burning homes back on Boseiju than I can count and he even saved your sorry ass, Oldor, when he pulled you and the 50 kilos of useless equipment you carry around from the fires. We gave ¡®em crap because they didn¡¯t know which end of a hammer to strike with, but, in the end, they were cut from the hardest granite, made for battle, not the forges. ¡®T takes a special kind of gem to shine brighter when the night is darkest but the two of them, their necks were made of steel and in their chests, two sparklin¡¯ Kashra-gems pulsed to keep the courage of our ancestors, nay, of our people alive. They fought for friends and foreigners, and by the deepest chasm, they bloody well won every time they raised their weapons. They won¡¯t be fighting no more, but when we raise our weapons, we¡¯ll raise ¡®em in the name of those who returned to the rock. Hail the victorious dead, hail Durgin, hail Fenni, hail Guthri, hail Borim!¡± As the reply reverberated through the night, Xorlosh poured his mead over the caskets and jumped into the hole, followed by another handful of dwarfs. A torrent of pebbles and larger chunks of rock soon exploded from the pit and within minutes, they finished the tomb. ¡°I¡¯m glad we are alive¡­ and to have you by my side,¡± I whispered in Ahri¡¯s ear. ¡°I love you.¡± She didn¡¯t reply but I saw her smile when her tails snaked around my middle. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth that spread from every spot she touched, the silkiness of her fur on my skin and the tickles of magic as it flowed through our connection. For a few moments I was far away, somewhere peaceful, somewhere quiet and the drops of rain turned into the refreshing spray of the ocean as we flew into the sunset. One day¡­ but not today. Quicker than I would have liked, I was pulled back to reality and the dream popped like a bubble of soap. A drenched dwarf, covered in mud, pressed a fresh tankard into my hand, his white, blocky teeth flashed through a matted, dark beard. His face was covered thickly enough that I had to hear him speak, before I recognised Xorlosh. ¡°We all know yah¡¯d rather for yah selves, but let¡¯s at least get a bite to eat first, shall we? And since it¡¯s raining like the azure gates have opened, we could all use something heart warming. Why don¡¯t yah two cut the meat and say your piece?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be our honour, but we¡¯ll need some space,¡± I answered. ¡°What, why?¡± Ahri¡¯s speech was a little slurred and I had to suppress a grin when I imagined how she¡¯d feel in a second. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? You¡¯ve lived with us for long enough, you know our traditions¡­ I want a dance. I¡¯m wearing your bracelet and I fully intend to keep it, but if you want my hand, you¡¯re going to dance with me tonight.¡± 153. Of thanks, transformations and a little bit of fire Cassandra Pendragon ¡°As you wish,¡± she said and pulled me towards the tables, while the spit roasted¡­ creature was taken from the fire. I couldn¡¯t imagine how we were supposed to enjoy our meal with the continuous downpour from above, but I was willing to give it a try. From what I saw, there wasn¡¯t much in the way of garnish or sauces anyways, we¡¯d have to make do with cooked potatoes and meat. Those things, at least, couldn¡¯t float away. When I got closer, the scent of sizzling fat and cooked pork became stronger mixed with the aroma of heated fruits the roast had been stuffed with. I smelled apples and berries as well as a variety of different herbs I couldn¡¯t identify properly. All in all it was surprisingly appetising, even though the crispy skin was already glittering with water and a puddle was rapidly growing underneath. Up close, the creature even reminded me a little of a fattened pig, albeit with an additional pair of legs and an absurdly long snout, almost like an ant-eater or an elephant. Xorlosh handed me a huge knife, more of a sword if I was honest, and gestured for us to address the crowd before we dug in. I exchanged a quick glance with Ahri and she inclined her head, indicating she wanted me to speak. I took a deep breath and my gaze roamed over the assembled dwarfs and kitsune, the fey and demon who looked at me expectantly. I even spotted Pete in the back, disheveled and wet as he tried to keep the younger kids in line. He seemed¡­ happy, despite his dripping hair. Suddenly self conscious with a mouth as dry as the desert, I scrambled for the right words. I knew what I wanted to say, but I just couldn¡¯t think of a fitting way to start. Oh well, I¡¯d only make a fool out of myself and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time, nothing overly bad could happen. ¡°Tonight we celebrate what was and everything that can still be because four bright and brave souls decided to pick up their weapons and fight. Despite the odds, which would have sent anyone except a stubborn dwarf running for the hills, they rose to stand by your side and to¡­ well, to save my sorry ass when I had stumbled down a hole, deep enough that I couldn¡¯t find the way back. Graciously, none of you have said as much before but the simple truth is, that I wouldn¡¯t be standing here if it hadn¡¯t been for them and if it hadn¡¯t been for me, these four,¡± I gestured towards the still open caskets, ¡°could still enjoy a hearty brew with their comrades at their side. So, before anything else, I want to thank you. Not only the dead, even though they paid the steepest price for their valour, but also the living. Xorlosh told me before that I don¡¯t have to thank you for something that you¡¯d have done either way, but the simple truth is, that makes it all the more remarkable. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you all for being there for me and mine when the darkest hour of the night was upon us. You protected us from flames and fiends, you shared everything with us without demanding gratitude or compensation. You fought and died for people who treated you as strangers and never did you waver. The lot of you, the dead as well as the living, are what makes me think we can endure, we will survive, whatever else this crazy world throws in our way. And for that, I¡¯m grateful.¡± I turned to the side to brush a tear from the corner of my eye. While I had been talking, the memories of our fight on Boseiju and down in the spider¡¯s tomb had risen to the surface like a speck of poisonous oil in a clear pond. My sorrow and grief, regrets and guilt felt, once again, like a crushing weight on my shoulders and I barley managed to continue. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ahri¡¯s tails sneaking around my middle, I wouldn¡¯t have. ¡°You give me hope that loyalty and compassion, trust and friendship will, in the end, prevail. We might have to bleed and suffer but ultimately, it will be worth it, for there is beauty in the world. Beauty, honour and love, things worth fighting for and when push comes to shove, worth dying for. Love¡­ the second reason why I¡¯m standing here, tonight. I¡¯ve never imagined that I could have the good fortune of actually falling in love and if it hadn¡¯t been for you, Durgin, Fenni. Guthri and Borim, I wouldn¡¯t have. You gave me a chance to live and I don¡¯t intend to squander it. Life is short, sometimes violent, sometimes peaceful but always complicated. We don¡¯t know what awaits us down the road and I don¡¯t think we should, otherwise how are we suppose to find the strength to keep going? But I do know one thing for sure. This girl, my angel,¡± I said while I pulled Ahri to my side and took her hand. ¡°She asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of my time with her. A question I would never have heard if it hadn¡¯t been for the victorious dead, the happiest moment of my life and I would have missed it, it if hadn¡¯t been for them.¡± I turned towards the caskets and continued: ¡°You made it possible for me to stand here and tell them all that I¡¯m going to get married! That I won¡¯t ever be alone again, that I¡¯ve found someone who loves me, even though she already knows me pretty well. And for that as well, I¡¯m grateful. I can never repay what you, all of you have done for me, for us, but I¡¯m glad you can still bear witness to what will come of your sacrifice.¡± I turned back around, caressingly placed my hand on the back of Ahri¡¯s head to pull her in for a long kiss. She was surprised at first and squirmed in my embrace but soon I felt her melt into my arms and the heat her body gave off ever since she first activated her core intensified. A breathless moment later I had a smile on my face and looked down on a grinning landscape of beards and tails while wolf whistles and applause flowed through the night. ¡°Tonight, I want to celebrate my engagement as a last farewell for those who made it possible. Tonight, I want to sing and dance, to eat and drink, I want to revel in the joy of what I can still look forward to and I want to remember who made it possible. I want to cry and laugh until the sun rises in the east and the dawn chases away the clouds and carries us along, to new shores. But first, my friends, let¡¯s eat!¡± Cries of ¡°hear, hear¡± and ¡°congratulations¡± rang out, filling the night with the deep, resounding bass of the dwarfs and the clear, high pitched voices of the kitsune. Even Mephisto had a smile on his face when our eyes met. He nodded solemnly and mouthed: ¡°good luck, you¡¯ll need it.¡± A few made their way towards us, Reia and her friends, Xorlosh and his family, Morgan and Pete. They shook our hands and wished us all the best for the future, some more eloquently than others. While Estrella simply pulled us down into a hug, Pete mumbled a few words and Etosh had to be dragged away, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have found an end. For the first time I could remember, I didn¡¯t mind the litany of repeated platitudes, though. Every word they said came from the heart and I was finally celebrating something that meant the world to me, not someone else. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling, which would have been abysmally out of place at any other funeral, but seemed welcomed here. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered in Ahri¡¯s ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t know myself how much I wanted this.¡± She kissed me tenderly and the taste of honey on my lips was the sweetest thing I could imagine. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. There¡¯s no need, not anymore. You¡¯re mine and I am yours, forever more. You were right, you¡¯re never going to be alone again, for as long as I exist. In this life and the ones to come, I¡¯ll be by your side, this I promise.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± A torrent of energy crackled into existence between us, while I felt another band of power settle around my core. I looked into Ahri¡¯s emerald eyes, the flickering fire light reflected in their depths, but as another wave of force rushed through the sigils above our hearts, the spark ignited. Red hot flames streaked across her eyes, fire manifested and danced in her hair and a wave of heat pushed against me. Holy hells, she was transforming and from the looks of it, it wouldn¡¯t go over smoothly. I didn¡¯t hesitate. I slung my arms and tails around her and catapulted us into the sky. A heartbeat later, the confused faces of my friends had turned into dots of colour among a blanket of inky darkness while the girl in my embrace became brighter and brighter. Wreaths of fire were pouring form her like the rain from the clouds, a ring of crimson flames that swirled around us and threatened to set ablaze anything in its way. Her wings appeared, larger than I remembered, four feathery silhouettes filled with blinding flames. They began to move, stirring up torrents of scathing air while I struggled to reach the clouds. Silver and crimson clashed wherever our wings touched, another layer of chaos in a maelstrom of power. I felt her energy around me, dancing over my skin, vanishing along my wings, but while it couldn¡¯t hurt me, I was still getting cooked slowly. A snarl formed on my face when my skin began to blister from the heat she gave off and I smelled the stench of my singed fur. Still, I never let go of her and carried us higher and higher, away from anything she could burn to ashes. ¡°Ahri,¡± I screamed in her ear, ¡°talk to me! What¡¯s wrong?¡± She went rigid and the heat diminished for a split second before it returned, even more brutal than before, a terrifying storm of light and embers. ¡°I¡­ I,¡± she gasped, each syllable an uphill battle. ¡°Aurora, she warned me¡­ my transformation, I don¡¯t think I can control it¡­ go, leave me! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen to me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± I used our connection to push against her mind, panic a growing block of ice in my stomach. ¡°Let me in, please¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll burn,¡± she whispered. ¡°The fires you see¡­ there is so much more in here¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, please¡­¡± I kissed her gently and mumbled against her lips: ¡°let me help.¡± For the first time since I had seen the sparks appear in her eyes, she fully looked at me again. There was pain and confusion in her gaze and an overwhelming fear that threatened to drown her, to carry her down into a pitch black hole with no escape. And then, she nodded gingerly. While we passed through the lowest layer of the clouds, thick vapour exploding all around us, her body and mind pressed into me and I tore down the last barriers between us. Light, heat and eternal flames. For a split second I thought I was back in hell. Mountain high torrents of fire, crimson and cruel, surrounded me on all sides. Winds raged around me, hot enough to sear flesh off bones and strong enough to pick me up and throw me around like a rag doll. I tumbled through the glare, my wings flailing, a helpless leave before a scorching desert storm. Head over tails I fell, the fury of the elements much too strong to resist. I didn¡¯t know which way was up or down, where I had come from and where I wanted to go, there was only an onslaught of crimson light from all directions while heat enveloped me like a strangling blanket and each breath turned into a mouthful of fire. Tears ran from my eyes only to dry out or be whisked away the very instant they formed and I thought I felt the tips of my hair catch on fire while the flames of Ahri¡¯s transformation ravaged us both. ¡°Enough!¡± I thundered, my voice layered with more transcendent energy than I had used before. A ripple of force spread out around me, like a wave of ice that froze everything it came in touch with. Crimson turned into silvery blue as my power raced through the realm and threatened to extinguish everything it touched. With a thought I stopped in mid air and commanded the tide to return, to come back to me and leave everything else unscathed. Dread sliced through me when I realised that I was on the brink of hurting the love of my life and I redoubled my efforts, pulling back even more desperately than I had pushed. Blood dripped from my nose and I felt several veins in my eyes pop, but I never stopped. With an herculean effort I threw everything I had against the wave of glittering light, fuelled by fear and desperation. I wouldn¡¯t hurt her, never again! Gradually, the silvery torrents slowed down, quivered and finally receded, leaving behind a changed landscape. I shivered in the air and when I raised my palms to rub my eyes, they came away bloody. A hollow laugh escaped me, shaky and hysterical, but it soon turned into a stifled groan when I felt the first streaks of pain race through my body. With clenched teeth I channeled more of my energy into my bruised limbs and looked around. It seemed like I had found my way from hell to the heavens. Wondrous silhouettes of flames, frozen in an instant, formed a forest of glittering beauty around me, illuminate by crimson lights that still burned in the distance. Shadows and colourful reflections chased each other through the spiralling splendour, into a maze of magic and memories. As much as I would have loved to stroll through the different parts of Ahri¡¯s life that shimmered just behind the curtains of glass, I couldn¡¯t. Somewhere close by she was still suffering and I had to find her. Quickly. When my skin didn¡¯t feel like it was on the verge of peeling off anymore and my ears had stopped ringing, I sped off like a bullet from a gun, shattering the fragile towers in my wake. I didn¡¯t know if this place was even real or if I had stumbled into her mind directly, but my wings worked just fine. Within moments I had left behind the frozen fields in the radius of my blast and soared through scathing flames again. This time though, their heat couldn¡¯t touch me. I had created a small barrier on my skin which insulated me form the ravenous fires and since I didn¡¯t have to fear the eruptions of pure energy themselves, I didn¡¯t slow down. There was no real direction, everything seemed exactly the same but I knew that somewhere in front of me I¡¯d find her, somewhere in front of me she was still alive. Faster and faster I flew, my speed increasing with the growing knot of fear in my stomach as I realised that I was truly flying through a burning forest, memories the precious fuel that went up in flames. Every moment I hesitated, she would lose a small part of herself. It would be gone, burned to keep the fires of her transformation alive. Hopefully I wouldn¡¯t be too late. Blood hammered in my ears and I felt cold, despite the hellish imagery, the vision of what might happen if I couldn¡¯t find her in time a constant nightmare at the edge of my thoughts. Panicked I sent wave after wave of energy into my eyes, focused on my newly gained senses and pushed against the tattoo on my chest with all my might. Without avail. Flames and fire, light and crimson colour, but nowhere I turned could I make out something other than the dancing towers of burning dreams. I wouldn¡¯t lose her, never again! Think Cassandra, think. Magic still flowed through my tattoo, but it wasn¡¯t directed, it seemed to come from everywhere at once, there was no stream I could follow, no torrent that would take me to her side. Everything around me was a part of her¡­ ¡°Ahri,¡± I screamed. ¡°Where are you? Show me the way! Please¡­I can¡¯t do it myself.¡± At first nothing happened but then the flames began to move, a wave that slowly spread around me until I saw a path, a tunnel, that led me deeper into the burning maze. Without hesitation I charged forwards, praying that she could hold on, hoping that I¡¯d find a way to help her, even if I got there in time. Without warning, the fiery walls receded and I shot into a dome of flames, at the very centre of which Ahri hung in the air, her eyes burning pits of crimson light. 154. Of dances, luck and a little bit of happiness Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Oh no,¡± I cried. ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Faster than a thought I was at her side, my wings enveloping us in a translucent cocoon of silver. ¡°Cassy?¡± She mumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ where am I? It hurts¡­¡± her voice was getting fainter. ¡°With me, you¡¯re with me. Breathe¡­ you¡¯re burning through your memories to stay alive. I¡­ I need you to let me help, I think I can share my energy with you, but you have to allow it. We¡¯re connected, remember? Together we¡¯ll be strong enough, trust me.¡± She shivered in my grasp and the flames around us raged even higher. ¡°How?¡± She asked. ¡°I can barely feel you¡­ there¡¯s only heat and pain and¡­ oh gods, I think I¡¯m burning up¡­ please, I don¡¯t want to leave you¡­¡± My ears twitched and I had to swallow dryly, my throat constricted while I felt a renewed stream of tears flooding from my eyes. I glanced away from her to hide my face and brush away the moisture, my gaze roaming over the walls of our crimson prison. We weren¡¯t in any immediate danger of being incinerated, the flames were still far away, but with every second, Ahri would lose more of herself to her own magic and I didn¡¯t know what I could do. There must be something, damn it, I was as old as creation but what good did it do me? If she was going to burn, I wouldn¡¯t leave either. There had to be something, anything¡­ The fires burned even brighter, wreathing the edge of my vision, always changing, bound together in an eternal dance, entwined but yet apart¡­ like us. By the Great Fox! Maybe it didn¡¯t matter if she couldn¡¯t consciously control the flow of energy, maybe¡­ ¡°Dance with me,¡± I said, my voice hardly more than a whisper. ¡°Just¡­ let go, it¡¯ll be alright.¡± I kissed her tentatively and added: ¡°you promised.¡± Surprise made her gasp but she didn¡¯t pull back, instead a sad smile formed on her beautiful face. ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I? I think I¡¯d like that¡­ for the first time¡­ and the last. I¡¯m sorry, Cassy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± I snarled. ¡°It¡¯s not over, yet. Close your eyes.¡± She complied, the eerie light that illuminated her features vanished and I caressingly took her hands. ¡°Focus on me, don¡¯t think, just¡­dance.¡± Frankly, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that I had to somehow reach her, to get her to trust me enough to allow me in without resistance. If I¡¯d have to use force, I¡¯d destroy huge parts of her, I had seen as much before. Slowly I began to move, clumsy and insecure at first but that didn¡¯t last. My own fear gradually melted away while I pulled her along, my tails snaking around her middle. There was no music but the thundering rhythm of a burning world, almost like a giant heartbeat, and with every pulse, we became faster, whirling around in mid air. Magic rushed through the sigils on our chests, much more than there had been before. My skin tingled wherever we touched, my wings became entangled with hers and with every revolution, she pressed further into me until she stopped shivering while warmth, nourishing and kind, spread between us. Only moments later, my own worries dissipated, my panic vanished until all that remained was the breath of the girl in my arms, her scent, softly ticking my nose and the swelling stream of energy that flowed between us. I didn¡¯t feel the heat of the flames anymore, I didn¡¯t see the glaring fires, there was only her and the taste of our mingling energies all around us. Crimson and silver, interspersed with a touch of blue, a blanket of light that kept away the ravaging heat. Without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed her again, deeply, hungrily, igniting a different kind of warmth. A muffled moan escaped her and her eyes flashed open, emerald, crimson and azure, a tantalising mix of colours that pulled me in. Gone were fear and desperation, replaced by a burning passion I answered all too willingly. Forgotten were angels and demons, wars and enemies, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. When she returned the kiss, a wave of power rushed from my core and circled through us, eagerly satisfying her demands while we danced. Thunder tore through the realm, the fires blew out and the stars appeared again, but I didn¡¯t care, I didn¡¯t even look, all that mattered was right in front of me. She was beautiful, her wings a blazing crimson, living sails of fire behind her back. Her hair and fur had become streaked with red and her eyes still held that fascinating, changing colour. Sparks glowed at the bottom of those infinitely deep ponds and when her gaze travelled downwards, a sly smile appeared on her stunning features. ¡°My knight without an armour. Oh my, at least this time I get to be saved by the naked prince¡­¡± I didn¡¯t let her finish. It had been enough. Enough waiting, enough teasing and I sure as hell had spent enough time regretting all the things I hadn¡¯t done when I had had the chance. I covered her lips with mine and pulled her closer, my tails brushed caressingly against her legs while my wings closed around us like a silvery curtain. We didn¡¯t return to camp until the early hours of the morning, when the sun finally rose in the east and banished the remaining clouds of last night¡¯s storm. Fog laid heavy on the island, a thick wall of white cotton which gave us ample opportunity to slip into a tent unnoticed while the dwarfs slept off their hangover. As luck would have it though, we weren¡¯t alone. As soon as I opened the flap, the slow and rhythmic breathing from within and the scent of wild flowers told me exactly whom I would find. I was still smiling from ear to ear when I put a finger against my lips and gestured for Ahri to follow me quietly. Distracted as I was, the memories of last night still swirling through my mind, I could just as well have saved the effort. I only took a few steps before my feet became entangled in a pair of trousers on the floor and I just barely managed to keep my balance, stomping around like an elephant. Ahri¡¯s melodious laughter was the final straw and with a sharp intake of breath the green haired fey on the camp bed jolted upright. ¡°What¡­ Who,¡± she stammered, still half asleep. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you two. We already wondered where you¡¯d gone to¡­ but now that seems like a silly question. How was it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I blushed profusely, but Morgan immediately rolled her eyes and focused on Ahri. ¡°Your transformation, silly.¡± She scrambled to her feet and came closer. ¡°I can see the changes to your body but without my magic¡­ are you alright?¡± ¡°Better than I¡¯ve felt in ages,¡± she replied with a grin. ¡°But how come you know what happened to me?¡± ¡°Well, when you didn¡¯t return I began pestering everyone who¡¯d listen and Mephisto finally spilled the beans. We had a long chat about angels, demons and the world. He¡¯s quite talkative when he¡¯s drunk.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± I chimed in. ¡°Usually I¡¯ve got to repay him for every bit of information, in one way or the other.¡± ¡°So did I,¡± she amended. ¡°He wanted to know everything I could remember about Erya, stories, legends, even rumours. And he was quite persistent on making me talk about¡­ you know, my mother. Actually, it felt liberating,¡± she quickly added when she saw me frown. ¡°Somehow like confessing your woes to the stars. They¡¯ve seen so much that your own troubles seem far less crushing, less suffocating. It gives you perspective. You weren¡¯t the only ones who found a bit of peace tonight. But all of this can wait until tomorrow. I¡¯ll get out of your hair, just give me a moment to collect my things.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave, we¡¯re the ones intruding¡­¡± she laughed softly. ¡°True, but I can¡¯t imagine you want to run around like that and there aren¡¯t any unoccupied tents left. Besides, it¡¯s past sunrise and I¡¯ve slept enough. If you want me to, I could try to get you some clothes and a tub of fresh water.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be lovely,¡± Ahri replied. ¡°Thanks. But we really don¡¯t want to make you feel like you have to go because of us. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time Cassy has pranced through camp naked and I¡¯ll manage. We could return to the ships, there¡¯s no one left onboard, as far as I know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong there. There aren¡¯t enough cots on the ground for everyone so a good chunk of the dwarfs went back onboard to spend the night, or rather the morning. They¡¯ve been drinking almost until sunrise, from what I heard. It¡¯s really fine, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll see you in a few hours, maybe sooner if I manage to get my hands on everything you need. Try to get some sleep.¡± She quickly slipped into her clothes and headed past us but before she left, she turned around once more and hugged us both briefly. I was stunned, I would never have expected her to show this kind of affection but the confused girl I had left behind last night had apparently disappeared. She seemed much more self assured and calm, almost like a different person. While I watched her leave, I realised that I hadn¡¯t given Mephisto enough credit. When it came down to it, he obviously could find the right words and ask the right questions. Maybe that was what hundreds of lifetimes worth of experience did for you. When you tried, you could just as easily heal as injure, something I still couldn¡¯t do, even though I tried. ¡°Come on,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear and pulled me along. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste the time Morgan has bought us.¡± I followed her obediently to the small bed and dropped onto the covers at her side. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to dream. Just once, I¡¯d like to actually be at your side and not somewhere else when I close my eyes.¡± She kissed me tenderly but I could feel the mirth she was trying to suppress. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Nothing, that¡¯s one of the nicest things you¡¯ve ever said to me¡­ but you won¡¯t be able to stay awake.¡± She shifted her weight and slung her tails around me. ¡°Here, maybe you can take me along now. How did you put it again? Just let go, trust me.¡± And I did. Her warmth, the softness of her body against mine, her rhythmic breath, within seconds I became drowsy and my thoughts drifted away, memories of what had happened between us slowly growing into dreams. When I woke up, I felt refreshed and I couldn¡¯t remember a single scene from my dreams. It was as if someone had decided to give me short respite, a few hours of uninterrupted peace while the world moved on without me. Sunlight was blinking through the coarse cloth of the tent and through the gaps in the tarp, its rays illuminating the dancing flocks of dust in the air. Quiet voices drifted through the air and I thought I heard the low groaning of the air ships¡¯ mooring outside. The scent of burning coal was starting to get heavy on the wind and with a little imagination I could just about identify the scurrying footsteps of the kids outside, but I just couldn¡¯t be bothered to focus. I felt content and happy and when I stretched my body I immediately remembered why. Ahri was still deep asleep, her tails wrapped around me, her head resting on my chest. Her ears were tickling my chin and I had to suppress a giggle when I realised that she was snoring, ever so slightly. If I had ever had the smallest doubt, the fuzzy feeling that rose in my stomach when I held her in my arms, felt her against my skin, would have put it to rest. I was just where I wanted to be and if it was up to me, I wouldn¡¯t ever allow anything to come between us again. That girl¡­ that woman¡­ that vixen would be a part of my future for as long as I lived. I decided to remain where I was, just for a few minutes longer, and studied the streaks of red that were now liberally woven through her white fur and platinum hair. She had become taller, too. Not by much but we were again pretty similar in hight, but I liked to think that I still had a few centimetres on her, at the very least one or two. She was also unbelievably hot, not only in the metaphorical sense. Her skin radiated heat like the dying embers of a fire, as if her energy was waiting just below the surface, ready to break free. It didn¡¯t bother me but I thought that a normal person might actually be hard pressed to spend a night at her side. Not that I was ever going to allow such a thing to happen, she was mine, now and forever. It still made me smile though, when I imagined anybody else trying to touch her when her passion burned brightly enough to set the very air ablaze. And it could, I had seen it. Maybe I had some jealousy issues, but the thought of anyone trying to steal her away going up in flames felt very reassuring. I stroked her side caressingly, taking care to not wake her up. She deserved every kindness I could give and considering the bright smile on her face, I didn¡¯t want to interrupt her dream. Just as well, I wouldn¡¯t complain if I got an excuse to stay a while longer. Morgan had kept her word, and while she hadn¡¯t managed to get her hands on a tub, two large buckets stood in the corner and a set of trousers and shirts had been folded close by. On top of them, someone had place two objects, the sight of which sent a jolt of panic through my blissful stupor. The cherry stone and Shassa¡¯s gem¡­ stupid, of course I had lost them. I had been lucky enough that they had fallen off when the first sparks of Ahri¡¯s transformation had ignited my clothes, but they could have just as easily been gone forever. A few seconds later and I imagined that even Mephisto couldn¡¯t have caught them before they¡¯d have tumbled into the immeasurable depth of the churning ocean. Not that I would have cried a single tear after the treacherous spider, even though I still intended to use her knowledge, no, she could be lost to the waves twice over for all I cared, but the seed was another matter entirely. It held sentimental value, true enough, but if Auguros hadn¡¯t lied straight to my face, it was so much more. Not only would it turn into a save haven, it also contained Greta¡¯s magic, bits and pieces of her soul, her life, her very essence, accumulated over decades. It might turn out to be nothing more than a pipe dream, but a spark of hope still stubbornly smouldered within me that I hadn¡¯t seen my old friend for the last time, yet. Honestly, knowing the old hag, her face would probably pop out of the growing tree sooner or later. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ahri mumbled, her arm snaking around my middle. ¡°I liked the smile you had on your face a few minutes before but now you¡¯re frowning again.¡± ¡°Am I? If I had know you were awake, I¡¯d have found something better to do. Good morning, sleeping beauty.¡± I kissed her forehead before I continued: ¡°I dropped Boseiju¡¯s seed last night and I just realised. It¡¯s over there,¡± I quickly added when I felt her stiffen. ¡°Someone must have found it. Well, I say someone but I think you can guess as well as I who picked it up.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t always be a grouchy old man now, can he?¡± She laughed and relaxed. ¡°Then everything¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? No reason to pout.¡± ¡°None at all, except¡­ I don¡¯t wanna get up. I really don¡¯t.¡± ¡°And why would you have to?¡± She asked, while she teasingly ran her hand up my leg. ¡°It¡¯s nearly noon. Viyara and the others should be back any minute now¡­ my mom might very well be walking in on us and if you keep that up, I won¡¯t even care. Your choice.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± she mused, but her fingers never remained still. After a moment she pushed herself up and whispered in my ear: ¡°you know, I think I¡¯m already well past that point.¡± A second later, she playfully nibbled on my lobe, a sharp jolt of pain that sent tendrils of burning heat through me. 155. Of trouble, sisters and a little bit of farewell Cassandra Pendragon We finally got up when the sun was already past its zenith. Surprisingly, nobody had disturbed us, and while I appreciated the consideration shown by the dwarfs and the kids, even though I imagined that it had taken quite the effort to keep the latter out of our hair, I was beginning to feel anxious when I stumbled from the tent and saw a clear, blue and dragon free sky. Viyara should have been back by now and time was ticking on. While I appreciated the additional hours I could spend in Ahri¡¯s company, the elves didn¡¯t have that luxury. ¡°Should I try to contact them,¡± I asked quietly while we made our way towards the centre of the camp where I hoped we would still find something edible for breakfast¡­ or lunch. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get worried¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to ask you the same thing. Do you think you can reach Viyara?¡± ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll have to try. Oh great, there comes trouble. Could you keep them distracted? Only for a few minutes?¡± Reia, Archy and Estrella had apparently laid in waiting and as soon as we had emerged from our sanctuary, they had taken their chance and were now sprinting towards us. ¡°Sure, with a little luck I might even be able to convince them to fetch us something to eat. Take your time, I¡¯ll manage.¡± She took my hand and squeezed it lightly before she turned away, arms spread wide to hug Estrella. I quickly cast a glance around, but most of the dwarfs, who had already managed to wake up from their alcohol induced hibernation, were busy packing. The smithy and most of the tents were already gone and the furnaces on the ships were filling the air with streams of smoke. Here and there, I saw some stragglers roll around in the mud where they had apparently collapsed after last nights festivities, busily trying to get their rebelling limbs to work. The scent of mead was still thick enough to make me drowsy and the stale smell of sweat didn¡¯t help at all. With a sigh I turned my concentration inwards and reached for the spark of energy that connected me to the golden dragoness. It was still there, I could feel her presence easily enough, but as soon as I tried to gain access to her mind, to push my thoughts into hers, nothing happened. I tried again, more forcefully this time but the result remained the same. Every time I thought I had her, her presence slipped from my grasp like water, tangible but not quite solid enough to form a functioning link. At first, I didn¡¯t think much of it, magic was seldomly straightforward unless you tried to blow something up, but the longer I stood there without getting through, the more worried I became. After the tenths attempt, I finally realised that something had gone wrong and while I still clung to the hope that it was my own inaptitude which caused the connection to fail, I somehow knew that it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. Something had happened and judging from experience, it couldn¡¯t be good. My eyes flew open and I took a deep breath to calm myself, shoving away the tendrils of fear that, once again, gnawed at my insides. I could fret later, for now, I had to get moving. ¡°Reia,¡± I called, ¡°have you seen Mephisto?¡± ¡°He has retreated to the forest sometime last night. Why? Is something wrong?¡± They hurried over to where I was standing, the kids excitedly and Ahri with a frown on her face. Unsurprisingly she had been able to add two and two together. I contemplated lying to them, but what would have been the point? ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure but I think so. I can¡¯t get through to Viyara and it feels like she¡¯s¡­ like she¡¯s behind a wall, or maybe¡­ drugged?¡± Fuck, I hadn¡¯t thought of it before, but that might actually be the case. ¡°Could you do me a favour? Could you run and fetch him?¡± When the kids nodded I added: ¡°and tell him to bring his toys, everything he needs for the elves. He¡¯ll know what I mean. Thanks.¡± They scurried off and I felt Ahri¡¯s tails snake around my waist. ¡°That bad, huh?¡± ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯d rather overreact now than regret later. I¡¯ve got to go, will you come?¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to tie me down to stop me. They¡¯re also my family now, not to mention my friends. Reia already told me that Xorlosh is onboard, overseeing the preparations. I¡¯ll go and ask him if he can lend us some money, we might need it.¡± I kissed her briefly. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll try to find Pete. He should be asleep somewhere, if I¡¯m not completely mistaken. We¡¯ll need someone to guide us, once we get there.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you feel where Viyara or even your mother are?¡± ¡°Probably, at least in Viyara¡¯s case, but I¡¯d like someone with us who knows the city. If I¡¯m right, they might have been taken and I can¡¯t find anyone of the others in case they were split up. Having a pirate with us who has friends in Free Land will help tremendously.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but how do you imagine we¡¯ll bring him along? Mephisto can travel in his emblem but Pete¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry him, if I have to. We¡¯ll work something out. Maybe the dwarfs can rig up a harness of some kind?¡± ¡°You want to wear a saddle?¡± She asked incredulously. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fly to a filthy human city in the first place, but I¡¯ll do what I can to get them back.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re sure they aren¡¯t just¡­ lost?¡± I slowly shook my head. ¡°No, something is meddling with Viyara¡¯s magic, the longer I think about it, the surer I am. They¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°If they are, we¡¯ll get them out. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± She hugged me briefly, the tension palpable in the hard lines of her body, unfurled her wings and shot into the air, a steak of crimson against the unbroken blue sky. I watched her go, unable to explain how I had gotten lucky enough to have her in my life. With an effort I returned to the present and sent a trickle of energy towards my throat. ¡°Pete!¡± I screamed, my voice easily carrying over the ruckus around me. ¡°Pete, where are you?¡± Everyone close to me flinched but when I waved apologetically they quickly returned to their tasks, some of them mumbling into their beards under their breath. A second later I heard muffled curses coming from behind one of the bushes close by. My ears twitched when I focused on the sound only to see a disheveled human scramble out of the greenery while he tried to pull his trousers up with one hand and wiped the spit from the corners of his mouth with the other. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°What,¡± he croaked. ¡°It¡¯s not even sundown. Do you have any idea how much I had to drink last night?¡± ¡°No, and frankly, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s time for you to earn your keep, I need your help. Viyara hasn¡¯t returned from Free Land yet and I can¡¯t reach her. I¡¯m going after them and you¡¯ll come with.¡± ¡°Right, I thought there was somebody missing last night. It isn¡¯t just her, is it? I can¡¯t remember seeing Erya or the cute fox either. Care to tell me what¡¯s going on before you drag me off?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know, as well,¡± a deep voice chimed in from behind me. When I turned around I saw Mephisto striding towards me with a wooden crate under his arm and the three kids in tow. ¡°Viyara carried the elves, Erya and my family to Free Land to get the missing ingredients for your ritual. Thanks for confiding in me, by the way. They should have been back by now and when I tried to contact the dragoness, I couldn¡¯t get through.¡± ¡°Are you unable to sense her at all?¡± ¡°No, I just can¡¯t form a connection. It feels like she¡¯s there but not quite, if that makes any sense.¡± ¡°Unfortunately it does. Let me try something. Can you reach out for her again?¡± I did as the demon had asked and as soon as my mind focused on the tiny spark of light, I felt his magic wrap around the connection, tightly enough to follow it but without touching the strands of my own energy. His face contorted in concentration and a second later he whistled through his teeth. ¡°She¡¯s under. Her brain is shut off, I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s unconscious or drugged, but you can¡¯t get through because there¡¯s no consciousness on the other side. Who do you want to take along?¡± ¡°Just us three.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to leave us behind?¡± Reia complained. ¡°We want to come, too. It¡¯s¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have time for this¡­ ¡°No, even if I wanted to bring you lot with us, you can¡¯t fly on your own and I can¡¯t carry you all. You¡¯ll stay here, end of discussion. And I swear, if we get back and Xorlosh tells me that you caused any trouble, I¡¯ll tear your ears right off, is that understood?¡± Reia seemed on the verge of arguing but Archy stomped on her foot before she could reply and said over her yelp: ¡°Crystal clear. Don¡¯t worry about us, we¡¯ll do what Xorlosh tells us to. Just¡­ bring them back, please. I don¡¯t want to lose anyone else.¡± While he spoke, I felt a lump form in my throat and my eyes tingled with suppressed tears. Damn it¡­ ¡°I will, a bunch of pirates won¡¯t stop me, you know that. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to leave you, none of you, but I¡¯ve got to go. Take care of yourselves while we¡¯re gone, will you?¡± I dropped to my knees and spread my arms, offering them a hug. Estrella and Archy immediately fell against me but Reia hesitated. When she finally decided to take a step forwards, I could clearly see that she was struggling with something she wanted to say. ¡°Out with it,¡± I said and pulled her into my arms. ¡°We might not see each other for while, spit it out.¡± She bit her lip and leaned into me to whisper in my ear. ¡°When Viyara sent us running around camp yesterday, I left a small token behind, one I had enchanted before. I heard most of her conversation with Ahri. I don¡¯t want to be alone again, after I¡¯ve found¡­ a family. Please, come back to me. Will you¡­ will you promise?¡± I was stunned but I still managed to mumble: ¡°Of course, gods, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡± While I tightened my grip around the girl, another band of energy settle in around my core and Reia sniffled: ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to. I didn¡¯t want to say anything but now¡­ are you sure you can¡¯t take me with you?¡± Even more so than before, but I could hardly say that, now, could I? I pushed her to arms length and studied her face. She was brave but I could still see her lips trembling and tears rise in her eyes. ¡°Reia, listen to me. You know as well as I that I can¡¯t. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m responsible for you, in more ways than one, and there are a million reasons why I shouldn¡¯t. Here,¡± I took the cherry seed from my pocket. ¡°Hold on to this. I¡¯m going to want it back when we meet again, so don¡¯t lose it. Do you know what it is?¡± She studied the seed closely, a spark of curiosity igniting under her morose demeanour. ¡°A part of our home. But not only that, it feels like¡­ like something more, like a living being.¡± ¡°I think it is, or at least I hope so. I think it will protect you, if you take good care of it. With a little luck, it¡¯ll soon turn into an even mightier tree than Boseiju has been. She¡¯ll watch over you in my stead. I¡¯m sorry that I have to leave you, there is nothing I¡¯d rather do than spend some time with you, but I have to get our brother back, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Of course you do, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it, does it? Cassy I¡­ I¡¯m scared¡­ for you.¡± It was the first time she had used my pet name. The simple word made me shiver and I had to smile when I realised just how much she already meant to me. By the gods, I truly had to get a grip, I had family and friends to save. ¡°Want to know a secret? So am I, most of the time. By the Great Fox, I imagine you¡¯d have to be a complete moron to not be afraid of what¡¯s happening to us. But you¡¯re more than just one of them now,¡± I said and nodded in the direction of Archy and Estrella. ¡°They¡¯re your people, just as much as mine, and even when you¡¯re scared, you have to take care of them, you have to give them hope and the strength to continue. Do you think you can do that for me?¡± She nodded and tightened her small fist around the cherry stone, but now, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. With an herculean effort, she bravely smiled through the salty streams and replied: ¡°Of course, until you get back. Fair winds¡­ sister.¡± ¡°The same to you, little one. I¡­ I¡¯ll miss you,¡± I said and pulled her back into my arms. ¡°Go now, or you¡¯ll make me cry, too. We¡¯ll be back before you know it and then, we¡¯ll start making up for all the time we¡¯ve lost. Take care of yourself¡­ and the rest of the rascals.¡± ¡°I will.¡± She blew a kiss against my cheek and hurried off, already brushing away the tears on her face. Archy and Estrella followed, pestering her with questions what we had been on about since we had spoken quietly enough that not even their hearing had been able to pick up on our conversation. I watched them go with a heavy heart, my intuition telling me that I wouldn¡¯t be seeing them again for quite some time. Hopefully, I¡¯d be proven wrong. ¡°It¡¯s never easy to leave someone you care about behind. But it¡¯ll get easier and, I¡¯m sorry to say, you¡¯ll get used to it, sooner or later.¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice was low and sincere, something I hadn¡¯t heard very often before. ¡°Not if I can help it. I don¡¯t want it to get any easier, otherwise I might just get¡­ lost. Anyways, what¡¯s in the bag?¡± I asked, in a blatant attempt to change the topic but he let it slide. ¡°The ingredients I have prepared for the ritual and my sanctuary, or do you want to fly me around in a princess carry? Not that I¡¯d complain, mind you, but I can¡¯t imagine that it¡¯d be practically.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not really keen on trying, either. Thanks, by the way. For a misanthropic, grouchy demon you¡¯re awfully close to a hero. Saving people, helping out¡­ if I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say your starting to care about mortals. But that can¡¯t be true now, can it?¡± ¡°Of course not, I just don¡¯t want to deal with your misery in case something happens to your so-called friends. You¡¯re difficult enough to deal with when you¡¯re happy and in love, I don¡¯t want to see you depressed on top of that. It¡¯d make for a handful of awful years.¡± ¡°Sure, you keep telling yourself that¡­¡± ¡°Before the two of you go for each other¡¯s throat, would you kindly explain¡­ what the fuck is going on?¡± Pete interrupted. ¡°I haven¡¯t understood a single word in the last two minutes and I¡¯d like to know where I¡¯m going to be dragged off to, before we actually take off.¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot you were there for a moment, human. Try to keep up¡­¡± Mephisto replied while I rolled my eyes, sorely tempted to smack the back of his head, the demon¡¯s that is. ¡°Viyara, Erya, Aspera, Astra and my family have gone to Free Land to procure a handful of rare ingredients. They haven¡¯t returned and it seems like they¡¯re in trouble. We¡¯ve got to find them and since you¡¯re the only one who knows his way around the city, you¡¯re coming with.¡± ¡°And how are we going to get there? With one of the ships?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Look up.¡± 156. Of journeys, jumps and a little bit of civilisation Cassandra Pendragon After last night¡¯s storm the sun was burning down mercilessly, its glare reflected on the sea below. I was flying through an oven heat and light a shimmering haze around me. I had to blink tears from my eyes every few seconds while sturdy leather straps chafed against the skin on my shoulders. Without my regeneration I would have turned into a hot mess of blisters long ago. Damn it, I had never wanted to find out how a pack donkey felt, especially not through an applied lesson. When Ahri had returned, she had brought a bag of gold Xorlosh had given her, a makeshift harness for Pete and a few metres of straps, which we had used to bundle him up tightly. Now he was dangling below us, safe and sound, while we worked our butts off to haul him across creation as fast as possible and I couldn¡¯t even complain properly, since Ahri was suffering through the discomfort stoically. While I still thought that bringing Pete along had been the right call, my aching body begged to differ, emphatically enough to even drown out the gnawing fear that grew in my stomach with every second. What had happened to my family? Were they still alive? How would we find them? A plethora of questions I couldn¡¯t answer before we arrived in Free Land was continuously churning through my mind and a small part of me was grateful for the painful distraction the journey provided, even though I would have given my left hand to finally arrive. ¡°Tell me again, why can¡¯t we wait for the dwarfs? We could travel in comfort aboard one of the ships and we wouldn¡¯t lose more than a few days, a week, tops. Half of them are following us anyways while the rest heads towards your brother with the kids, aren¡¯t they,¡± Pete inquired from below, his voice hardly audible over the whistling wind. ¡°Because we don¡¯t have a few days,¡± Ahri called back exasperatedly. ¡°Are you deaf or have you already forgotten what¡¯s happening? Besides you¡¯re not the one who has to carry a heavy human through the sky, so would you kindly stop your moaning? I¡¯m not complaining either, even though I can still smell the mead on your breath, even from up here.¡± Maybe she wasn¡¯t coping as well I had thought. Usually she was much more patient than me, but it seemed like the flight had robbed her of her tolerance for stupid questions. Quite understandable and Pete truly smelled like a tavern after closing hour. ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that?¡± He barked back. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave without a bath and a bite to eat, either, so you can keep the attitude to yourself, missy.¡± ¡°Missy? You do realise that I could simply drop you? We¡¯re, what, like 1000 metres above the ocean? It¡¯s a long way down¡­ plenty of time to think about your mistakes and stupidity.¡± ¡°Enough, you two,¡± I interjected. ¡°I don¡¯t need your bickering on top of everything else. Let¡¯s just get there as quickly as possible, shall we? And Pete, if you truly want to talk, why don¡¯t you tell us what we can expect, once we arrive?¡± He mumbled darkly under his breath but was careful to remain quiet enough that we couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. I couldn¡¯t imagine that it was flattering, though. ¡°Alright, Free Land¡­ well, has either one of you been to a city before?¡± ¡°I have,¡± Ahri replied, with a brave attempt at sounding friendly. ¡°When I made my way form the north, I passed through a handful of them but I never stayed for long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something, at least. Free Land isn¡¯t overly huge, by human standards. I¡¯d say around 50000 people live in the city, give or take.¡± I whistled through my teeth, I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how so many people could be penned up together. No wonder humans had a tendency to become greedy. With so many of them around, they¡¯d have to fight tooth and nail for food and shelter. A cold shiver ran down my spine when I imagined how it would have been like to grow up in a place like that. What rattled me the most: it probably wouldn¡¯t have been too different from my own childhood, in case I would have been lucky enough to be born into a noble family. For a commoner, though¡­ ¡°And another couple of thousand live across the island, working, or rather being forced to work to provide the city with a modicum of resources, food and water. Most commodities are traded for, however, or simply taken from the neighbouring islands by force. Free Land has the most airships in the region and they use them to keep their neighbours weak and disorganised, one of the reasons why the pirates have some support among the islands. Most inhabitants would cheer at the prospect of them actually striking a significant blow against the city.¡± He paused and when he continued I heard a shadow of regret or maybe pain in his voice. ¡°The city itself is¡­messy. Only profit matters, profits to the most powerful seven captains. Each of them commands a small fleet of airships and they are the most cruel and vindictive of the bunch. Consequentially, they are also the ones in charge. There¡¯s no real authority or organised force that keeps the streets safe, though, basically they live by the law of the jungle. If you¡¯re strong enough to do something, you can go right ahead, there won¡¯t be any consequences, unless you interfere with the business of one of the captains or your victim is strong enough to fight back. Slavery, murder, rape, you can name any one of the beautiful blossoms that grow from human society, they are all tolerated within the borders of Free Land. As you can imagine, if you¡¯re wealthy, the city can be paradise but if your poor, you¡¯re fucked, royally.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ahri said quietly. ¡°It sounds like a horrendous place to grow up in.¡± ¡°I survived, that¡¯s more than most people can say,¡± Pete replied, his tone conveying without a doubt that he didn¡¯t want to talk about the past. ¡°Lucky for you, I still have some friends, or rather people who won¡¯t rat me out the moment I walk through the door. We can start there, a fey, a dragon, a kitsune and two elves are bound to have caused a ruckus if they were taken by anyone. What¡¯s troubling me is how to get the two of you in without the whole city knowing. You¡¯re about as inconspicuous as a flying whale and I don¡¯t see you getting through the gates without half the slave market following on your heels, eager to pick you up.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Ahri answered. ¡°I just need a little time and a place where we can put on a disguise. From what you said, I imagine it won¡¯t be too difficult to find an abandoned hut or something similar on the island, will it?¡± ¡°No, but I don¡¯t see how you¡¯re going to hide your tails. By now, the both of you have enough of them to fill up a room, you won¡¯t be able to hide them beneath a dress. But if you think you can manage, I¡¯ll trust you. In that case, we¡¯ll land close by and make our way to the city on foot. At least it¡¯s daytime and your wings won¡¯t light up the sky like an asteroid. If a few people see you, it won¡¯t matter too much, but if the wrong crowd gets wind of your arrival, it might turn out ugly. Especially if they¡¯re already waiting for us.¡± ¡°Why should they?¡± I asked. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°I hate to break it to you, darling, but if your family has been kidnapped, it stands to reason that they are expecting someone to come after them. Assuming you¡¯d have just subdued a party of magical creatures, wouldn¡¯t you be on the look out for their friends? Or, if they were really drugged, who is to say that they didn¡¯t spill the beans and told their captors everything they want to know. I don¡¯t mean to agitate you further, but interrogation is an art form in Free Land.¡± I froze and dropped a handful of metres, causing Pete to swing below us wildly, sprouting colourful curses. Crap, I had never really thought about what might have happened to them if they were taken. Maybe I hadn¡¯t wanted to deal with the possibility but they would definitely have been questioned. Knowing them, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d break, no matter what was done to them, but¡­Silently I rose back up and increased my speed while a spike of icy fear spread from my stomach. By all the gods, I was such an idiot. What had I been expecting? I had to reach them, now. Energy flooded from my core, an invisible wave that rushed through the sky and highlighted a path I could follow. Without thinking I wove a tight net of force around my companions and propelled them along the glittering stream. We turned into sparks of stardust, a streak of light that thundered through the sky faster than the eye could follow. Colours became blurry and the world trembled around me as if shaken by a giant hand, a maelstrom of power that gobbled us up. For an eternity we hung between one moment and the next, reality reduced to a folded tunnel. We raced through swirls of churning matter, passed by spots of darkness and light until we reached the end. With a thought I twisted the raging magic, ripped it apart so it would spit us out again. My wings flared brightly, tearing through the walls around us and from one moment to the next, we were hovering over a different part of the ocean, a huge island on the horizon. A satisfied smirk crept across my face, even though I was panting heavily, until I heard the desperate cries of Pete. While I had managed to pull him and Ahri along, the contraption that had tethered him to us hadn¡¯t been so lucky. He was falling towards the ocean below, his arms flailing wildly while he cursed the day he had gotten involved with angels and demons. Before I could react, Ahri folded her wings and raced after him, a streak of crimson fire against the blue of the sky. She caught him quickly enough but instead of thanking her, his yammering intensified. ¡°What the fuck was that? How¡­ why¡­ you¡¯re both insane, you hear me? Insane!¡± He screamed while she beat her wings to reach me again. ¡°I¡¯m so done with all of that magical shit. I swear, everywhere I turn there¡¯s something crazy happening! You can teleport? How¡¯s that even possible? Why would you¡­¡± ¡°Will you shut up,¡± Ahri interrupted him. ¡°You¡¯re still in one piece, aren¡¯t you? At least sulk in silence.¡± When she had come close to me again she added: ¡°but I¡¯d like to know as well, since when can you teleport on a whim? I thought you needed some kind of a connection to make a jump. And that felt much more violent than the last time you took me along for a ride.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­ but I guess since I can now use my magic consciously I can forge a bridge of some kind¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have tried with both of you tagging along. That was stupid.¡± ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it? But next time, a small warning would be very much appreciated.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ it wasn¡¯t really on purpose. When I imagined what might be happening to our friends I panicked and I just wanted to get us there as quick as possible. I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d work out like that.¡± ¡°Great, that makes me feel so much better,¡± Pete grumped. ¡°In the future, could you please restrict your experiments to the more resilient variety of your friends? I only have one life to lose, you know?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, really. At least you don¡¯t disintegrate in the void, you should have seen how Erya looked when I took her along¡­¡± ¡°Again, that¡¯s supposed to make me feel any better? Just¡­ Could you not try out your abilities for the first time when I¡¯m around? That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise,¡± I smiled, ¡°but I¡¯ll try. Now, could we get over my vices and return to my virtues? That¡¯s Free Land, isn¡¯t it?¡± He seemed on the verge of arguing but ultimately shook his head and turned around in Ahri¡¯s grasp. ¡°Yeah, home sweet home¡­ it might have been one hell of a ride but it was fast, I¡¯ll give you that. Fast and suicidal¡­ Since we are this close, can you tell if they are in the city or at least on the island?¡± I closed my eyes and focused on the glowing spark of energy within Viyara I could always feel burning at the edge of my perception. It was there, still subdued but much closer than before. I couldn¡¯t tell where she was exactly, but I¡¯d have wagered one of my tails that she was on the island in front of us. ¡°She¡¯s there, I¡¯m sure of it. I can¡¯t say for certain if she¡¯s in the city or somewhere else, but she¡¯s definitely on the island and still¡­ unconscious? Or drugged.¡± ¡°At least we know we¡¯re not on a wild goose chase. Can you find her if we get close enough?¡± ¡°Probably not. I might be able to tell when we¡¯re getting closer but I won¡¯t be able to pinpoint her exact location.¡± ¡°Well then, we have to get to the city, even if they¡¯re kept somewhere else, we¡¯ll have to pick up the trail there. Do you see the forest close to the outskirts? If you fly high enough, you¡¯ll be able to get there unseen. And I¡¯d very much appreciate it, if we could get moving. Beautiful as you are, Ahri, dangling from your shoulders like a sack of potatoes isn¡¯t the most comfortable experience in the world. And I¡¯m still trying to keep my last meal down after your wife dragged us across the continent in the blink of an eye¡­ So, for both our sakes, hurry up.¡± She didn¡¯t reply but I saw a small smile play around the corners of her mouth as she shot upwards in a shower of crimson sparks. I followed hot on her tails, my attention wavering from the growing island in the east to her shapely behind from time to time. If I hadn¡¯t been worried sick, I might have enjoyed the view quite a bit. We were too high up to make out much detail as we crossed over the city but when I sent a trickle of power to my eyes, I could still discern the ragtag fashion in which the streets and windswept buildings sprawled away form the harbour which sat at the centre of the city like a spider in its web. Air ships in all shapes and sizes, from small barges, barely visible from the distance, to huge cruiser, which towered over the surrounding vessels, filled the landing stages with the colours of their sails and the thick, smoky swathes of their furnace. Throngs of humans streamed across the wooden walkways, which had been built along the cliff and protruded over the abyss to make room for the incomprehensible number of people, and even though I couldn¡¯t make out their faces, I spotted the fur covered bodies of several beast kin tribes interspersed through the crowd. An amazing amount of booths lined the sturdy constructions, selling food, necessities and, form time to time, freshly arrived commodities form one of the ships. Luckily we were too far away for any smells or sounds to reach us, but the sight alone nearly made my eyes water, chaotic as it was. In a way it reminded me of a colourful, agitated anthill. The harbour itself was nestled in between seven flat hills at the western edge of the island, the top of each crowned with an opulent mansion or maybe even a castle. Precious metals lined the roofs and shimmered under the bright sunlight, turning each palace into a softly glowing work of art. Luscious flower gardens with small, artificial creeks and gargantuan trees surrounded the buildings, providing a natural barricade against the turmoil of the city. At the edge of the grounds, immense walls circled around the perimeter, well hidden behind the living green of the gardens but an insurmountable obstacle for anyone who tried to gain entry from the outside. Broad, dusty roads connected the manors and the harbour, dividing the city into 8 districts. Each one of them had a wide, open market place at the centre, beating hearts that kept the behemoth around them alive. Metals, scrolls, herbs, cloth, spices, woods, animals, slaves¡­. Everything under the sun was put on display and sold down there, without the slightest regard for anything but profit and I could imagine vividly how the sentient wares down there felt. It had to be hell. 157. Of arrivals, disguises and a little bit of Free Land Cassandra Pendragon To the north of the city, a vast forest grew, its edges frayed where the busy workers had begun tearing into it to satisfy Free Land¡¯s ravenous hunger for woods. Breadnut trees, rubber figs, possum woods and snake woods comprised most of the plants, a dense canopy of tropical trees that still covered the greater part of the island. In the distance I saw the jagged, broken line of rising hills, slowly cresting towards mountains, nothing more than hazy, blue silhouettes on the horizon. Veins of water sparkled under the sun and if it hadn¡¯t been for the disorganised city, I¡¯d have called the scenery beautiful. The island was huge, much larger than my home had been and I puzzled for quite some time why anyone would willingly live in the confines of a cruel society if a veritable paradise lay waiting just behind the walls. When we descended towards the forest, the smells and sounds of the city reached me, a cacophony of mingled impressions that left behind a sour taste. I felt relieved when the scent of living plants and the noises of nature covered the miasma and frankly, I was dreading the moment when I¡¯d have to enter the chaotic juggernaut of so called civilisation. With a final beat of my wings I broke through the canopy and landed at Ahri¡¯s side in a small clearing, some hundred metres away from the nearest road. Pete was already lying on the ground, arms spread wide, while he kissed the earth. ¡°Drama queen,¡± Ahri uttered quietly while she retracted her wings. ¡°I thought pirates were made from sterner stuff.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a pirate, at least not a good one, thank you very much. And I don¡¯t think any sane person would appreciate the torture you two subjected me to. I¡¯m taking the ship on the return trip, that¡¯s certain.¡± He scrambled to his feet and quickly glanced around. ¡°But I hear you, time to get moving. I¡¯ll leave you alone for a bit and see if I can¡¯t find a couple of slaves close by who are willing to talk to me. I¡¯ll be back in half an hour, maybe you can use the time to do something about your appearance. I¡¯ll try to get my hands on some cloaks or something comparable but you shouldn¡¯t count on it. Just¡­ don¡¯t do anything stupid or wander off while I¡¯m gone, will you?¡± He didn¡¯t even wait for a reply and headed off towards the edge of the forest on wobbly legs. Before he vanished behind the trees he turned around and added: ¡°don¡¯t forget your ears, they¡¯re just as much of a giveaway as your tails and nobody wears hats around these parts. Maybe I can find two bandanas somewhere¡­¡± I stared after him unsure if I should laugh or take him seriously, but all things considered, we might be better off if we followed his advice. ¡°Well then, what do you have in mind,¡± I asked Ahri. ¡°How do we disguise ourselves?¡± ¡°First, you¡¯ll have to get rid of the clothes you¡¯re wearing.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Unfortunately no, but you can¡¯t blame me for trying. Truth be told, it would be quiet the hassle to cover our tails. The rest can be changed easily enough but Pete is right. We could try folding them against our backs, which would also provide a nice hunchback, but why bother? You¡¯ve carried a chest filled with ingredients and a grumpy demon across the ocean. I¡¯m sure Mephisto can help us out with an illusion or two to solve the problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the secret? Call the demon for help? I could have figured out as much myself¡­ and I thought you truly had a miraculous way to change our appearance.¡± ¡°I do,¡± she pouted, ¡°it¡¯s just a lot of work and we¡¯re pressed for time, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Always an excuse¡­ fine. Let¡¯s see what he can do.¡± With her help I removed the small chest I had strapped to my back. Luckily it hadn¡¯t fallen off during the journey, otherwise we might have been in a whole new world of trouble. A few seconds later Mephisto stood before us, his appearance as regal and imposing as usual. He squinted in the glaring light before he focused on us. ¡°That was quick. How did you manage to get here within the hour?¡± ¡°I learned a new trick on the way. Being able to control my magic comes with a few advantages.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say. Well, I guess it can wait but a word of advice: using your energy as a pathway is dangerous. Not necessarily for you but the world around you. You can easily destroy anything along the way. So¡­ where are we at?¡± ¡°We¡¯re close to the city of Free Land and Pete is trying to weasel some information out of the locals. Meanwhile he wants us to disguise ourselves since we attract too much attention, any chance you can help us out?¡± ¡°Sure, what do you want to turn into? I won¡¯t be able to truly change your body, the transcendent energy that¡¯s running through your veins makes it nigh impossible, but illusions should work. Any preferences or do you simply want to blend in?¡± A few minutes later I scrutinised my reflection in a small puddle of water while Mephisto droned on about the dos and donts of illusions. Basically we would be fine as long as nobody touched us. While the magic wouldn¡¯t crumble, our true forms were still underneath the layer of concealing energy and could easily be felt, especially since we were much more slender than the human bodies we had chosen. Consequentially, anybody who came in contact with us would see their hand pass through our skin for a few centimetres before they actually encountered any resistance. Or worse, they might accidentally touch our tails where we had slung them around our upper bodies. A handshake would work, at least for me, but everything else was bound to blow our cover. I had chosen a middle aged, rather pudgy woman with a nut brown complexion, braided, long hair interspersed with threads of gold and dark, shimmering eyes. Unfortunately, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use my magic much, since the glow from my eyes easily pierced through Mephisto¡¯s veil as I had found out when I had inadvertently used my energy to bolster my muscles. Truly a pity since I had hoped that I¡¯d at least be able to strengthen my body and senses without anyone else being the wiser. Ahri was more lucky in that regard. While she couldn¡¯t control her magic yet, she at least could freely use her power to augment her physical strength to match her imposing figure, not to mention her fiery disposition. She had turned into a hulking, muscle packed behemoth of a man, dark as the night with piercing blue eyes clad in black, flowing robes. Considering she had wanted to keep the unwanted attention of muggers and brigands away from us, I thought she had hit that nail square on the head. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You know, I might be tempted to keep this body,¡± she said as she lowered her head to peer into my puddle, her changed voice a deep, resonating bass. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could look anymore impressive, no matter what I turn into.¡± ¡°Not if you want to keep sharing a bed with me. Holy hell, I think you¡¯re about three heads taller than my original body and about ten times as massive.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the tall one, remember?¡± She grimaced. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re not nearly half as beautiful as before¡­¡± I pecked her cheek, which felt rather funny since I passed right through the outer layer of her new face. ¡°And I want to be able to show off with you.¡± ¡°Flatterer¡­ but you¡¯re right, I can¡¯t even fight properly. The sword would be stuck somewhere in my forearm, my arms are way too short¡­ should I pick something else?¡± ¡°No, if we¡¯re forced to fight, it won¡¯t matter much. I¡¯m not going to risk you getting harmed just to remain inconspicuous, if we¡¯re attacked, we¡¯ll use our wings anyways. And to keep any unpleasant company away from us, I think you¡¯ll do just fine.¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ll be damned if I have to play the role of loyal guardsman alone,¡± Mephisto interjected, who by now looked like the identical twin of Ahri, except that his body wasn¡¯t an illusion but a solid construct of magic. We had decided to enter the city as a rich, decadent merchant with her two bodyguards, passing through town on the lookout for any interesting purchases available. As good a cover as any and better then some, since we could easily explain away most questions we would have to ask. With the both of them towering over me, I felt quite small and I had to suppress the impulse to manifest my wings again, their intimidating appearance a tad too much for me, even though I knew who was underneath. To cover up my insecurity I quickly replied: ¡°But that¡¯s basically who you are, isn¡¯t it? Our grumpy guardian angel with a heart of gold.¡± ¡°Repeat that one more time and I¡¯ll make sure you choke on your words. I¡¯m a sinister, mysterious entity with selfish goals, which are much too complex for your young, underdeveloped mind.¡± ¡°Sure, you¡¯d never do anything without appropriate compensation. Like helping Aspera and Astra, you definitely have a hidden agenda that will somehow help you become the master of the cosmos, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m not going to share my diabolic secrets with you. I don¡¯t want you to lose any sleep over my glorious ambitions.¡± Ahri snorted, an impressive sound coming from her more than two metres tall frame. ¡°You think that¡¯s funny?¡± Mephisto barked. ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯m quivering in my boots, can¡¯t you tell?¡± Before we could continue our conversation, Pete¡¯s voice wafted across the clearing. ¡°Oh my¡­ are you¡­ you are! Now, that¡¯s a disguise, if I have ever seen one. Which one of you is which?¡± I turned around, a small smile on my face. If he couldn¡¯t tell who we were, we should be safe enough. ¡°I¡¯m Cassy, the behemoth in black is Ahri and the one with the white robes is our demonic friend. I assume this¡¯ll do for a disguise?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he replied while he strode over to us. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, I¡¯d never be able to guess that you aren¡¯t humans.¡± He stopped in front of me and peered into my eyes. A moment later he shook his head. ¡°Unbelievable, there¡¯s nothing left of you. Can you transform at will, now?¡± ¡°No, those are just illusions, we¡¯re still ourselves underneath. Except for Mephisto, his body is quite real, or as close to real as he can get for the moment. Did you find out anything interesting while you were away?¡± He was still struggling to wrap his mind around the changes but answered: ¡°Yes, several things that might be of interest to us. First of all, the captains have scheduled public games for tomorrow, a celebration of some sort. While I don¡¯t know why, it¡¯s to our advantage since the city will be busy with the preparations and I can¡¯t imagine that anyone will bother with us, even if we slip up. Also, a good part of the fleet has left the day before yesterday, but nobody could tell me why. For the moment, only around 30 airships that belong to the city are at anchor in the harbour, the rest are foreigners.¡± He paused and scratched his chin. ¡°Getting into the city won¡¯t be much of a problem, but we might have trouble finding a place to stay.¡± ¡°Do we even need one? We don¡¯t have that much time after all¡­ which reminds me, Mephisto, how long do the elves have, precisely?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure but not more than three days from now and I¡¯m convinced that we won¡¯t be able to do much for them if we can¡¯t find them tomorrow. They¡¯ll be too far gone. Once the soul decides to leave¡­¡± ¡°Great,¡± Pete replied. ¡°No pressure. But I don¡¯t think it matters too much either way. If we can¡¯t get to them within a day or two, they¡¯ll probably be gone for good.¡± I tensed again and Ahri quickly reached for me to wrap her arms around my middle. Seeing her meaty forearms against my waist while I felt her slender hands on my skin would have made me smile, but honestly, I just couldn¡¯t. I was feeling nauseous. ¡°Sorry, but we have to stick to the facts. Free Land is a jungle and once they¡¯re lost in the undergrowth, I can¡¯t imagine how we¡¯ll manage to drag them back out. So, no time to lose, let¡¯s get going. Are you going to use your real names?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mephisto replied. ¡°They aren¡¯t known and it would be much more problematic if we used fake ones and slipped up. Except¡­ maybe you shouldn¡¯t introduce yourself as a Pendragon, you never know who might have heard of Boseiju and its royal families.¡± ¡°Your call,¡± Pete said, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t even use your original surnames. I told you before, whoever has taken your family might know more than you expect. It¡¯s an unnecessary risk, I wouldn¡¯t be willing to take.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I interjected while I snuggled deeper into Ahri¡¯s embrace, ¡°if we¡¯re going to play roles anyway, we can just as well flesh them out a bit more. Allow me to introduce myself, I¡¯m Yasmine aibna Malek, trader extraordinaire with a disposition towards the rare and beautiful. Those two are my loyal guards who have been with me longer than I care to remember, the only ones I trust and you can be our local guide who we rescued from a small, deserted island where you were marooned on.¡± ¡°That sounds better, just one last question, how did we get here? We don¡¯t have a ship in the harbour and I¡¯d feel much better if we had an explanation, should the need arise.¡¯ ¡°Magic,¡± Ahri replied immediately. ¡°Mephisto, you still have the crystal with the fallen goddess with you, right? It¡¯s already an artefact that contains a small realm, we can easily claim that we stored our ship inside. If Cassy plays her cards right, nobody will dare to question her and should they try to analyse the thing, they¡¯ll see that it contains much more than should be possible. It can even be an heirloom of some sort.¡± ¡°That could work,¡± Mephisto said. ¡°I might even be able to change the signature of the statuette to match the story. Just give me a few minutes. Incidentally, from now on, you can call me Tanotamun, it¡¯s a name I¡¯ve used before. But I imagine we won¡¯t have to talk much anyways, as Yasmine¡¯s guard, we¡¯re supposed to look intimidating and remain silent.¡± Pete was looking thoughtful and when Mephisto finished he quickly asked: ¡°Great, but how much money do you have on you? If you want to be a filthy rich merchant you can¡¯t lodge anywhere. People will expect you to burn gold left, right and centre. Can you cover the expanses for a day or two?¡± Ahri gave me a gentle push and fumbled with the purse Xorlosh had given her. After a quick glance inside she smiled: ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re covered on that front. We can spend money like water with everything he¡¯s given us. There are at least a hundred coins in there, all gold.¡± Pete whistled. ¡°That¡¯s a small fortune, it won¡¯t be enough to buy our way out of this mess but it should be more than enough to keep up appearances. Alright, as your guide, I¡¯d like to show you around my beautiful home. Follow me, milady.¡± Ahri and Mephisto fell in step behind me and together we left the forest to get our family back together. 158. Of cities, humans and a little bit of services Cassandra Pendragon It was worse than I had imagined. After we had left the forest and had headed towards the outskirts of the city, the smells had become more overwhelming with every step. Waste, rotten meat, excretions, blood and smoke combined with the scent of spices, cooked food, fruits, flowers and perfume turned every breath into an assault and I quickly ripped away a part of my shirt, I was still wearing beneath the illusion of a flowing dress, to cover my nose. It still smelled like I was walking through a sewer, though, but at least it was bearable. We had passed a section of muddy huts, constructed from broken and discarded beams of wood, the roofs covered with earth and large, discoloured leafs, to enter the more wealthy sections of the town, closer to the markets. Until now, a stern glance from one of the giants behind me had kept the lurking, pitiful figures at bay but the further we came, the more people clogged up the streets and we were slowly being swallowed by a stream of bodies. Humans¡­ I had never truly understood how many of them there were. Hearing or reading about it was quite different from actually wading through an uncountable number of shouting, screaming and crying individuals, an agitated mass of limbs that beset me from all sides. In the beginning, I had feared that our cover would be blown in an instant, someone was bound to realise that he had just brushed against a body that didn¡¯t match what he had seen, but after a few minutes I realised that all of them were much too focused on themselves to pay much attention to their surroundings. Either they were hustling from one place to the next, grunting unwillingly when they tumbled into us by accident, or they were busy with their own activities. Traders advertised their wares, sparsely clothed women called over with invitations that sent the blood rushing to my face, children weaved through the throng chasing after one another or running away from a wild dog, a plethora of which seemed to live among the humans, craftsmen hurried through the streets, burdened with materials and beggars put their mangled bodies on display to stir the pity of the crowd. It seemed like the alleys were filled with every excrescence of society and it was unbelievable noisy. For the first time I regretted that I had been born with enhanced senses, the cacophony of impressions a millstone that slowly grated against my nerves. I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand what was going on around me and neither could I hide from the onslaught. Ultimately I was forced to focus on Pete¡¯s back and cover my ears but I still felt like I was drowning in a sea of chaos. From time to time I glanced over my shoulder, making sure Ahri and Mephisto were still there. While she seemed just as overwhelmed as I felt, her eyes darting from left to right and her hands twitching nervously, the demon was perfectly at ease, towering over the crowd like an unassailable mountain. He kept a close eye on everyone who came too close and even handed out the occasional punch in case someone didn¡¯t get out of the way fast enough or lingered too long. He behaved like the perfect protector, making sure we got through the city unmolested and without being robbed. As we travelled deeper into the maze of bodies, sounds and smells, the buildings lining the streets began to change. Huts and makeshift houses were slowly replaced by solid stone structures with shingled roofs, cobblestones appeared on the street and the people seemed more wealthy, or rather, less poor. From time to time I saw finely dressed individuals in the company of guards or mercenaries, the occasional litter was carried around by oiled and well fed slaves, fragrant woods smoulder in braziers along the way to cover the stench and the people appeared much more healthy and clean. The only thing that was scarce, was magic. Compared to the places I had seen before, there was practically none of it. Sure, from time to time the tingling of energy reached me and I even sometimes smelled ozone on one of the people who crossed our path, but over all, everything was just¡­ mundane. Of course I knew that most humans were incapable of manipulating the hidden weaves, but I had never dreamed of how utterly rare the talent actually was. In a way, the whole city felt empty, despite the bustling activity all around me. As soon as I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the world behind the veil, there was just¡­ nothing. A lonely spark here and there, nearly lost in the overwhelming darkness that filled the streets. It couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour, even though it had felt like a small eternity to me, before we made our way through a stylised archway. Two pillars had been anchored on either side of the road, their surface covered in tightly woven sigils that exuded an aura of power. I looked closer and recognised some of the underlying runes, but I wasn¡¯t able to tell what the spells were for. ¡°Welcome to one of the eights hearts of Free Land,¡± Pete explained as we crossed over an invisible threshold. A faint hum of energy brushed against my senses but it was nothing more than the buzzing of a fly, distracting at most but not really important. ¡°The markets are about the only place where you might find some form of order. They are the centres of every district and while you can buy almost anything in each one of them, they also have some form of specialisation. This one here is known for its huge variety of vendors selling rare herbs, crystals and anything you might need for the arcane arts. As you might have noticed, there aren¡¯t many wizards in Free Land, but the few we have, all get their ingredients here. I thought it might be a good place for you to start your inquiries, since I¡¯m not going to take you with me when I meet with my¡­ let¡¯s call them friends.¡± He paused and looked around the bustling square until his eyes settled on an opulent building to the left, a massive sign depicting the severed head of a wolf above the door. ¡°But first, let¡¯s get ourselves a room. The Bloody Wolf is one of the best taverns in town and while the prices are steep, we¡¯ll at least find clean beds, water and food there, along with some privacy and a decent brew. Once we¡¯re inside, let me do the talking, otherwise you¡¯re going to be robbed in broad daylight and it also doesn¡¯t suite your station to freely converse with commoners. We can plan how to proceed once we¡¯re in. Follow me.¡± The closer we got, weaving through the thick crowd, the more obvious the wealth of the place became. Nearly imperceptible traces of magic crisscrossed the walls and the door, a protection that would surely have cost hundreds of coins considering how little magic there was to begin with. It was a three story building and the windows on the upper floor were filled with real glass, secured by gleaming crossbars of steel. Music and laughter echoed faintly through the door and even from outside I could smell fragrant incense, the heavy, sweet odour of drugs and exquisite wines, mixed with the scent of sizzling meat and cooked vegetables. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. From time to time a silhouette appeared behind the windows, either young, beautiful adolescents, more often than not adorned with tails and fur, or older¡­ gentlemen and women. It seemed like this establishment offered a variety of recreational activities. I just hoped they weren¡¯t slaves, or at least that I wouldn¡¯t be offered one, otherwise I¡¯d be hard pressed to stick to my role. I was already itching to take out my frustration on somebody as it was and when I imagined punching a suitor in the face for taking advantage of a broken child, the knot of anger in my stomach unwound, somewhat. Unfortunately I had much more pressing matters on my mind and I knew very well that I couldn¡¯t change the world, not within a day at least. I was still sorely tempted to try. Damn it, I already wanted to get out of this place and I hadn¡¯t even seen a slave sale, yet. If I was going to stumble across one of my friends, put on display during an auction, there would be hell to pay. If push came to shove, I felt pretty certain that I could handle thirty airships, all by my lonesome if the need arose. With Ahri and Mephisto at my side, nobody in this city would be able to stop us. Brooding, I followed Pete through the massive, oaken door into a world of muted lights, exquisite cloths and expensive treats. We entered a circular room, a huge counter occupied the opposite wall and comfortable chairs were arranged around low tables, laden with sweets and refreshments. A few patrons filled the room, their low voices a constant buzz at the edge of my perception which added another layer to the soft song of a beautiful human girl. She was alone on a stage to our right where a winding staircase led to the upper floors. A handful of¡­ employees, clad in long, flowing garments which didn¡¯t leave much to the imagination, glided from table to table, refilling glasses, handing out food or offering their services. At least half of them were beast kin of some sort but all of them were pretty and young and I didn¡¯t have to rack my brain to guess what they were here for, especially since I could easily smell the faint hint of sweat that wafted down the stairs. Behind the bar, a massive bear of a man, almost as tall as the disguised figures of Ahri and Mephisto, leisurely cleaned a glass, his face lighting up with a smile when he spotted us. ¡°Ah, new customers. Welcome to the Bloody Wolf! It¡¯s always a pleasure to see a new face in the crowd. Lady, gentlemen, what can I do for you on this fine day?¡± His voice was raspy, almost as if he was hoarse but when he moved to greet us, I saw a faint scar running across his throat. ¡°Hello Gardan, long time no see. A room for the night and a meal would be appreciated,¡± Pete replied. ¡°May I introduce Yasmine aibna Malek,¡± he added with a small bow in my direction, ¡°she¡¯s in town for a few days and I¡¯m lucky enough to show her around.¡± ¡°Oh my, Pete! I didn¡¯t even recognise you, clean as you are! It¡¯s been a while.¡± He turned to me and mirrored Pete¡¯s bow. ¡°And how does a fine lady end up with this scoundrel? Usually he¡¯s the one who has to pay for company, not the other way around.¡± Before I could answer, Pete quickly said: ¡°That¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll willingly share over a pint or two but first we¡¯d like to wash off the dust, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course, so what do you need?¡± ¡°Three rooms, one for our esteemed miss, one for her guards and one for me. Tubs of hot water in all of them and when we¡¯re done, a meal and something to drink would be perfect.¡± ¡°Do you want those tubs with a little help on the side?¡± ¡°Nah, not that I don¡¯t appreciate your girls but we¡¯ve had a long day travelling. Some peace and quite would be perfect.¡± ¡°All right, that¡¯ll be a gold each, including everything you want to eat or drink or half a coin for the rooms alone.¡± I gave Ahri a sign and she handed me a handful of coins, since she could hardly pay herself with her illusionary hands. Somehow we hadn¡¯t thought our disguise through properly. The barkeep, Gardan, took the four glittering coins without a second glance, though. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down for a bit while I get your rooms ready. Won¡¯t take long. Have a glass of wine or two and we¡¯ll have you set up in a jiffy. I can also tap you a mug, if you want, but the wine¡¯s truly remarkable, a freshly opened barrel from the northern reaches. Sweet and heavy.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take the wine. Just send someone to fetch us once you¡¯re done and please, make sure your staff keeps its distance. They won¡¯t earn any coin with us tonight.¡± ¡°I hear you,¡± Gardan said with a wave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my boys and girls know how to treat our customers. Enjoy your stay, I¡¯ll call you, once the water is hot.¡± With a grunt he heaved his impressive belly from behind the counter and made his way upstairs, giving one of the older girls in the room a sign to take his place behind the bar. Pete led us to one of the tables in a corner and within seconds, a pretty wolf brought us four large cups of a deep, red wine and retreated with a bow. Once I had taken my seat, I focused on the other guests and the waiters, trying to get an idea of where we had landed. The patrons were wealthy, their clothes alone were a far cry different from nearly everything I had seen in the streets. Thick, fluid cloth and precious metals glittered in the lamp light and the fragrance of expensive perfumes and oils tickled my nose. The employees were clean and well fed, smiling all the time when they saw my gaze lingering on them. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t seem hollow but quite sincere, as if they didn¡¯t mind overly much where they had ended up. Maybe I had been too harsh in my judgement, those weren¡¯t the looks of people who were forced to sell out everything they had for a bite to eat. While all of the customers were human and seemed quite similar in regard to their complexion and hight, the workers were a rather colourful bunch. I saw a girl from a cat tribe, completely covered in silky, grey fur, two wolf hybrids with bushy tails and a boy I couldn¡¯t quite place. He was tall with ripping muscles, overly long arms and huge fangs that protrude from his mouth whenever he smiled. If I had been forced to guess, I¡¯d have said he belonged to some kind of ape tribe, but I had never heard of those before. The rest were human, although in a variety of shapes and colours, from pale, voluptuous, blonde northern women to oiled and tanned southerners that were nearly as dark as Mephisto and Ahri. From time to time, one of them would lead a patron up the stairs, snuggled up against them and giggling all the while. Hopefully the rooms upstairs came with thick walls, otherwise our stay might turn out to be rather¡­ distracting. And I wasn¡¯t keen on first row seats with excellent sound. ¡°What do you think,¡± Pete asked while he sipped his wine. ¡°Not too shabby, is it?¡± ¡°My friend, I was raised in a palace and I think it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever been to a brothel. I admit, it¡¯s much cleaner and the people here seem much happier than I expected, but it¡¯s still a brothel. My father would be turning in his grave if he could see me right now.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a bad place. Didn¡¯t you have anything comparable, back where you¡¯re from?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve met me as an adult but for the most time, I was just a little girl back on Boseiju, a princess to be precise. No one in their right mind would have allowed me anywhere near a place like this.¡± ¡°I would still try to keep you away if I could,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°But for different reasons. And I assume every tavern in this city provides this service.¡± ¡°What, you think I could be tempted?¡± ¡°They are pretty, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve rejected a fey for you, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you have to worry about.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you say so. I¡¯m just glad you don¡¯t look like yourself¡­¡± ¡°Same here,¡± I smiled with an effort. ¡°Well then, what¡¯s going to happen now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to borrow a few of your coins,¡± Pete replied. ¡°To oil the machine, so to say. Once we¡¯re settled, I¡¯ll visit some of my acquaintances. Maybe they heard something. Meanwhile, you can have a look around the city, I expect I¡¯ll be gone for a few hours. Talk to the vendors, your family wanted to obtain quite rare ingredients, didn¡¯t they? With a little luck, you can find out whom they bought from, or rather whom they robbed.¡± 159. Of slavery, mortals and a little bit of thieves Cassandra Pendragon A bath, during which Ahri had snuck into my room, a warm meal and another glass of wine later, we again stood in front of the Bloody Wolf, the market, or rather the sea of people and wares sprawling away in front of us. Small, colourful stalls filled the open square while the buildings surrounding the place either advertised their services through large banners or noisy barkers. Wave after wave of people made their way through the labyrinth, from hunchbacked servants, out to get groceries for their masters to huge, towering mercenaries, inspecting different weapons. Herbs, gems, weapons, armour, food, cloth, animals, tomes, scrolls¡­ everything the heart could possibly desire was on sale somewhere, even slaves. A small, enclosed section of the market was reserved for sentient commodities. After I had convinced myself that I didn¡¯t recognise a single face, I forcefully kept my gaze away from the huddled together, desperate creatures that were either stored in metal cages or chained to wooden posts. The whimpering and the smell of their captivity could, unfortunately, not as easily be ignored. How depraved did a society have to be to allow or support slavery? Even if I had been willing to put aside the plainly evil aspect of selling another sentient creature, of treating them as things, of squashing their will, which I wasn¡¯t, I still wouldn¡¯t have been able to imagine how it could possibly be productive. Those frightful, subjugated beings would never be able to live up to what a free, unshackled person might accomplish. It was simply perverted and a large part of me screamed for me to not just turn a blind eye¡­ ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off,¡± Pete interrupted my train of thought. ¡°If I¡¯m not back by sundown, would you kindly go looking for me? There¡¯s a tavern close to the harbour, it¡¯s called the Gilded Dream. The owner, a fat, ugly toad, goes by the name Madame Sinis, is the first name on my list. Not much is happening around here without her knowledge. If I¡¯m not there, she¡¯ll know where I¡¯ve gone. Can I leave you alone for a while? Judging from your expression, you¡¯re about to do something stupid and I¡¯d hate it, if you burned down my home. There are also decent people living here, you know? Admittedly they¡¯re a minority, but still¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to lose my nerve, at least not until we¡¯ve found my family. Afterwards¡­ we¡¯ll have to see how it goes, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something¡­ all right, behave yourselves and keep in mind, your supposed to be a rich, ruthless merchant, not an exiled, naive princess. The world can be ugly and your supposed to thrive in it. I¡¯ll see you soon, hopefully.¡± With a wave he turned around and after a few steps vanished into the crowd, his figure swallowed by the pressing throng of bodies. ¡°Are you really that bothered?¡± Mephisto asked, gesturing towards the slaves. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not really, they¡¯re mortal, never forget that. Their life is filled with suffering and in the end, they disappear without a trace. What does it matter to us? It¡¯s no good to get attached.¡± ¡°If I truly believed that you think like that, I¡¯d melt your emblem down in a heartbeat with you in it. Fortunately you¡¯re just a hypocrite or do you want me to go over every instance where you put your life on the line to help out? And it hasn¡¯t all been for me either, has it?¡± ¡°Believe what you will, but I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t try to shoulder the woes of the world, they¡¯ll crush you, sooner rather than later and as much as it pains me to admit it, I need you, we need you, alive and sane. You won¡¯t stay that way if you can¡¯t keep you distance.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Ahri added. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, you know he is. I¡­ your compassion is one of the reasons I fell in love with you but you can¡¯t protect everyone, Cassy. And sometimes, you simply have to let go.¡± ¡°Then why are the both of you even here,¡± I replied scathingly. ¡°To humour me?¡± ¡°Girl, use that noggin of yours for something else than turning heads,¡± Mephisto retorted sharply. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re here because of you but that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t care for your family. They¡¯re fine people and I¡¯d like to have them back as well, but in the end, if we can¡¯t find them, I¡¯ll move on, and so should you. It won¡¯t be the last time, in what I hope will be a long cycle, that somebody close to you dies. Get used to it. And as for those wretched creatures,¡± he gestured towards the section filled with slaves, ¡°they¡¯re fucked and there¡¯s nothing you can do to change that. What do you imagine we could do, even if we wanted to? Burn the city? Make them survive on their own? Free them and take them with us? You know as well as I that the latter isn¡¯t possible and the former would be cruel beyond imagination. They¡¯d starve on the devastated earth we¡¯d leave behind, without hope, lonely and afraid. They¡¯d curse us for our troubles. Grow up Casandra, and don¡¯t use us as an outlet for your mood. True enough, it sucks, but it¡¯s neither our fault, nor is it your responsibility. Freedom comes at a price, you should know that by now.¡± Blood rushed to my cheeks and I felt my temper rise but when I tried to speak, the words wouldn¡¯t come. What could I say? Rationally, I already knew they were right, but unfortunately that didn¡¯t mean much. It all just felt so wrong. What good was my power if I couldn¡¯t use it to at least try to change the world? Wouldn¡¯t I be just as guilty as the ones, who put those poor souls into chains? Of course I wouldn¡¯t but obviously I had needed someone else to tell me that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to blame you¡­ it¡¯s just, I always thought that looking the other way was cowardice, a way to keep your conscience clean¡­ I don¡¯t want to do that.¡± Ahri took a step forward and gently place her hand on my shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between reality and morality. You¡¯re no god, Cassy. Sometimes, you have to compromise.¡± I rubbed my cheek against her fingers. ¡°Funny how that goes, isn¡¯t it? I have the power, or will have it sooner or later, to topple gods, but I still can¡¯t compare myself to one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually a good thing,¡± Mephisto interjected. ¡°For as long as you struggle with what¡¯s right and wrong, you¡¯re still alive. Omniscience, even within a single world, means stagnation and I assume you¡¯ve learned enough from your memories to realise where that leads. Come on then, while I know fully well that you won¡¯t be able to enjoy the sights, we should still have a look around. Even if I can¡¯t imagine that we¡¯ll just stumble over a trace of our friends, we still have to search and I should probably buy the ingredients for the ritual. It would be a shame if we actually managed to find them, only to watch while Aspera and Astra wither away. Let¡¯s stick together and visit the more esoteric places around here, shall we? And who knows, if we have a little time to spare, we might even have a chance to deal with everything you¡¯ve still stored away in your stamp, not to mention repairing your spear. Strange as it might seem, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get closer to anything resembling free time in the foreseeable future.¡± I took a deep breath and nodded, allowing Mephisto to lead us it into the churning chaos ahead. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It was still troubling to make my way through the cacophony of noises and smells, past humans of all shapes, sizes and colours, but I was beginning to adjust, the overwhelming onslaught reduced to a monotone buzz at the edge of my perception. I allowed the plethora of impressions to simply flow over me without taking hold. After a while, I even began to enjoy the sights as we passed from one stall to the next, the wondrous things we encountered extraordinary enough to make me almost forget what was happening only a few stone throws away. From a vendor who sold a variety of soft, warm eggs that he claimed would hatch into giant bats, large enough to carry a man around, to stalls filled with extravagant jewellery made from silver and precious stones, we slowly meandered deeper into the market. From time to time Mephisto emphasised that we weren¡¯t an easy target by leisurely slapping a purse cutter into tomorrow but aside from the occasional, violent outbursts, I began to understand why markets were so popular among humans. Not only were there things on sale I had never even heard of before, like glittering crystals that supposedly grew on their own and spices that could neutralise toxins and change the taste of anything they were used on into something completely different, every merchant even told fascinating stories about the origin of their wares, captivating enough to truly make me feel like I was visiting the places they had been bought from. We strolled from the highest mountains of the northern isles, covered in eternal snow and famous for the purity of their gems to the deepest jungles of the southern reaches, where the most expensive herbs grew amidst the deadly plants and ravenous beats of the wild. We visited the exquisite blacksmiths of the Forgotten Mines, fawned over the artful masterpieces elven tailors had produced from cloth so soft, it almost felt like liquid in my hands and marvelled over carefully crafted tomes, made from the bleached hide of beasts I had never heard of before. And while I was being led through the different parts of this world, the wondrous sights slowly improved my dark mood. It didn¡¯t take long until I was the one to pull my companions from stall to stall, a growing smile on my face. I didn¡¯t buy anything, I was much too inexperienced to tell which objects were just glorified junk and which truly were worth the asked price, but I still enjoyed myself, despite the gnawing worries that came over me, every time I remembered why we were here. Even the loud, cruel advertisements that reached me, when we came too close to the slaves, didn¡¯t burden me as much a they had before. While Mephisto haggled for one trinket or the other, Ahri and I simply took the chance to escape our reality and spend the day together, sauntering from one corner of our continent to the next. It was surprisingly easy to get lost within the cornucopia of wares, impressions and stories, to forget that the displayed wealth was, for the most part, born from the suffering and exploitation of unseen masses, but in the end, Mephisto had been right. I simply couldn¡¯t change that and I might just as well try to make the best of it. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered in Ahri¡¯s ear while the demon was bargaining for a small emerald. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Putting my head on straight. I needed that.¡± She shuffled clumsily, on the verge of kissing me, but she remembered our disguise just in time. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Anytime you need someone to haul you over the coals, I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Gee¡­ great. Something to look forward to.¡± I pretended to watch Mephisto haggle for a while and allowed my gaze to roam freely across the market. I covered my face with my hands and peeked through the gaps between my fingers to conceal the silvery glow that shone from my eyes as I flushed them with power before I innocently asked: ¡°how much has he spent, anyways? Do you still have a few spare coins?¡± ¡°Some, it¡¯s phenomenal how much you can buy with a little gold. And I¡¯m beginning to think we still overpaid for our lodgings by a mile. A part of the money is probably going to find its way into Pete¡¯s pockets, but I won¡¯t begrudge him a coin or two if he can help. Why do you want to know, anyways?¡± ¡°Do you see the fountain over there? The one with the marble dolphins? From time to the time the pickpockets and beggars swiftly talk to that old geezer in its shadow. No, the one in the dirty, beige robe without any hair on his head. I¡¯d be willing to bet they¡¯re organised and he¡¯s somewhat further up the ladder. We should talk to him and I imagine he¡¯ll understand us much more easily if he sees a little gold.¡± Ahri allowed herself to be pulled in by an over ambitious merchant, her eyes seemingly fixed on his wares, while she tried to get a glimpse of the man I had described. He appeared like an old, weathered sailor who had decided to spend his last few years on land. Strong hands, broad shoulders and bendy legs were still perceptible under his ungainly attire, even though he had made an effort to conceal his still strong body. Wrinkles spread across a pockmarked face, like fractures in a mirror, dominated by a pair of bright blue eyes. A small tattoo peeked from his collar, a stylised, black anchor and a few scar ran across his light brown hands. Just then, another child, a boy of maybe six summers, made his way towards him and we saw them exchange a few words followed by a series of fluid gestures. When the boy moved on, he inconspicuously stumbled and the old man quickly caught him before he could fall. I hadn¡¯t seen it but I was almost certain that a few purses had just changed the owner. They went on their merry way afterwards, the boy disappearing in the crowd and the sailor leaning back with closed eyes, for all the world nothing but a senior who enjoyed the warming rays of the sun. ¡°Sneaky,¡± Ahri said after she had extracted herself from the disappointed vendor. ¡°You¡¯re right, I think. Do you have any idea what you want to say to him? The truth won¡¯t fly, I can tell you that much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on it, but if we don¡¯t stop muttering, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ll be made, there are a millions eyes all over the place. Come on, I¡¯m certain the demon can fend for himself and I¡¯m not convinced he¡¯s going to be of much help. Unless the lad proofs to be completely stubborn.¡± She nodded her agreement and followed me towards the fountain. With every step we took, the distance between us grew until we became nothing more than a rich merchant and her loyal guard. One of the advantages of growing up in a palace, I wasn¡¯t a bad actress, not at all and I knew very well how to either disguise or fake friendship, even adoration. Fooling an uncultured pirate thief shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? A little more conviction and I might even start believing it myself. When we reached the small dais and marble steps, I leisurely made my way around the fountain, pretending to study the craftsmanship. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the dolphins were indeed finely carved, much more so than I would have expected in a public market. Surprisingly they weren¡¯t damaged, each figure pristinely preserved on its pedestal. Vandalism in one of the centres of town was probably a bad idea, one of those crimes that were actually punished. But then, why would theft be tolerated? Because the money stayed in town? Nothing lost for the ones at the centre of the web, no matter where the coins were spent. ¡°Good sir, could I have a moment of your time? I¡¯m new in town and only here for a few nights. You struck me as someone who knows this town inside and out and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if you were willing to grant me your advice?¡± I had spoken with a slow drawl but still in the common tongue. His eyes flew open and he scrutinised me from head to toe before he smiled: ¡°Madame, forgive me for starin¡¯, but Ol¡¯ Tom isn¡¯t used to women chatting him up no more. Those days are gone¡­ but what can I do for you? If all you need is advice, I¡¯ll have plenty to share, don¡¯t you worry.¡± ¡°Perfect, that¡¯s what I hoped. I¡¯m searching for rare commodities, I¡¯m a trader, you see¡­¡± 160. Of instincts, masks and a little bit of crimes Cassandra Pendragon ¡°But most of the the things put on sale around here can be bought almost everywhere. I was told that Free Land is the place to go to purchase truly unique¡­ objects. I was wondering if you could possibly point me in the direction of the more¡­ exclusive sales.¡± A nearly imperceptible shudder ran through his hunchbacked figure and his eyes focused on mine for the first time, curiosity sparkling in their depths. ¡°Is that so? And what makes you think I would know anything about that? Ol¡¯ Tom isn¡¯t a merchant, I¡¯m not privy to the secrets of the guilds.¡± My gaze travelled over the bustling activity around us, skipping from the huddled together beggars to the squirming street kids. ¡°I just thought someone as connected and in touch as yourself is bound to pick up a few things.Most of the¡­ freelancers around here seem to take their cues from you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve sharp eyes, Madame, sharper than most, almost¡­ superhuman. I won¡¯t deny that I have plenty of friends in the right places, but why would I leave my spot in the sun? No offence, but my old bones ache quite a bit and I don¡¯t see why I should trouble myself with a fool¡¯s errant. If I knew what you were looking for, maybe I could find it in me to help you out, but as it is, I¡¯m inclined to bid you a good day and hope you won¡¯t take it personally.¡± ¡°Never, I fully understand where you¡¯re coming from, but maybe I can sweeten the deal.¡± I gave Ahri a sign and she passed me a handful of coins. ¡°Is that enough to compensate you for your troubles?¡± He greedily watched the shimmering metal but was still reluctant to take it, his hand hovering a few inches above mine. ¡°It definitely is, but I still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re actually looking for. Ol¡¯ Tom isn¡¯t known for buying a pig in a poke. I¡¯m tempted but you¡¯ll have to either give me more information or more gold, simple as that.¡± We stared at each other, him with a small smile on his face that made the wrinkles around his eyes stand out even more sharply and me¡­ well, I was perplexed. Somehow his whole demeanour reminded me of a friend I had thought lost, he reminded me of Greta. The way he talked, the way he looked at me, half mocking superiority, half honest interest, I immediately felt like I was back beneath Boseiju, asking a stupid question she wasn¡¯t going to answer. Could I possibly risk confiding in him? And if I was wrong, was there a way to ensure his silence? Ah well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. ¡°How about both? Here¡¯s your coin and now, watch¡­¡± I was going to take a huge risk and simultaneously threw our well¡­ mediocrely crafted plans out the window but a small voice inside my head kept on insisting that he could be trusted, to a degree at least. I knew very well that I could be wrong, hell, I had suffered enough for trusting the wrong people, but this wizened, scarred man didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Quite the contrary, I didn¡¯t know why, but deep down I was convinced that he might genuinely turn out to be on our side. Besides, I had no intention of relying purely on chance. I still had a few tricks up my sleeve, after all. I shuffled closer and made sure Ahri¡¯s broad back hid me from view before I allowed my wings to manifest for a split second and my power to shine through the carefully crafted illusions around me. Energy sizzled between us and a shadow of my true form appeared underneath the pudgy silhouette I was wearing like a coat. I heard Ahri¡¯s sharp intake of breath behind me but my focus didn¡¯t waver from the wide eyed man. I brought up my second sight and reached for his thoughts, determined to end him then and there if I saw anything that would endanger our safety or that of my family. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t even necessary since he immediately verbalised his thoughts as soon as they fluttered through his mind. Well, not all of them. For instance, I directly learned that he wasn¡¯t yet old enough to ignore my true appearance. I blushed a deep red when I saw what his imagination came up with, the very instant he glimpse my face and figure. Luckily he didn¡¯t bother acting on it. ¡°Crap, should have seen that coming. You¡¯re Cassandra Pendragon, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You know of me?¡± I asked as I retracted my wings and the shimmer in my eyes subsided. ¡°Hearsay, but I¡¯ve been warned that you might come here, looking for your friends. It¡¯s just fitting that I¡¯m the one who has to stumble across your path¡­ well then, what¡¯s the deal? You¡¯re going to rip my soul from my body if I don¡¯t tell you what you want to know?¡± ¡°No, nothing quite as sinister. I might be tempted to break your legs, though, see where that leads us, since you seem to know what I¡¯m looking for.¡± He smiled toothily and shook his head. ¡°Nowhere, I can promise you that much. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone tried to break me. You¡¯ve put me in quite the pickle, you know that? Ever since I heard that you might be visiting, I¡¯ve been asking myself what I would do if I met you. But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. Why don¡¯t you hand over those coins, nice and obvious, so all my little friends are convinced I¡¯m getting paid and then¡­ I guess we should go somewhere a little more private. Where are you staying?¡± ¡°Over there,¡± I replied, indicating the Bloody Wolf while I handed over the money. ¡°Not the worst choice. Alright come with me, let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t come to an agreement that benefits us all.¡± He rose, his joints creaking like an old oak in a winter storm and waddled off. We followed closely behind and as soon as we moved, Ahri muttered in the kitsune tongue: ¡°Are you out of your damned mind? What was that for? We could just as well have announced our arrival the minute we got here. Now we either have to kill him or bribe him with more gold than we have. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°I was taking a chance. Look at him, truly look. Do you think he¡¯ll rat us out?¡± Her eyes seemed to drill a hole into his back and I could practically smell the amount of energy she pushed form her core to sharpen her senses. Unfortunately, she came up blank. ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know. What makes you think he wouldn¡¯t?¡± A good question. I had hoped she would come up with an explanation all on her own. I could simply have nodded along, then. ¡°He fears me, fears what I might do if I became upset and I think he knows perfectly well that I can do more to him or maybe even for him than whoever it is we are looking for. Didn¡¯t you hear him? He thinks I might take his soul¡­ not that I ever would but he doesn¡¯t have to know that. Also¡­ I think he¡¯s desperate. I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯s going to tell us, but mark my words, this city isn¡¯t in as tight a stranglehold as I first believed. He¡¯s looking for help and he believes we might be just the lucky break he has been looking for.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°And when did he tell you that?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t, I saw it in his mind, as plainly as I see your hulking figure in front of me now.¡± That wasn¡¯t strictly true, I was interpreting a great deal into the faintest whiffs of memories I had briefly glimpsed in his mind, but it wasn¡¯t a lie either. I¡¯d call it¡­ artistic freedom or maybe a small exaggeration. I didn¡¯t mean to deceive her, but I didn¡¯t want to have to explain how he had reminded me of Great from the beginning and how the quick peek into his thoughts had convinced me that he wasn¡¯t half as hardened as he appeared, either. I fervently hoped that I wasn¡¯t wrong. Otherwise Ahri wouldn¡¯t allow me to live it down, ever. ¡°And if you¡¯re mistaken, if he lied?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Then the party starts a few hours earlier than expected and we¡¯ll have a trail of underlings we can beat the living shit out of until someone spills the beans. Either that, or we¡¯ll be drugged in our sleep or from a distance and find out exactly what they did to Viyara and the others.¡± She snorted. ¡°Great, perfect. Becoming the newest pleasure slave to one hidden overlord or the other sure sounds like fun. I repeat, what were you thinking? Did they put something in your wine?¡± ¡°Damn it Ahri, if you¡¯re that worried, go get Mephisto. He can alter Tom¡¯s memories if push comes to shove and no one will know about us. Heck, we should probably do that either way.¡± ¡°He already knows somethings is up, he¡¯s tailing us. Still, could you maybe talk to me next time, before you go ahead and confront me with accomplished facts? It¡¯s starting to become a habit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try, but no promises. You know me, I¡¯m impulsive and more often than not it has served me well.¡± ¡°And what about the times it didn¡¯t? Pain, mutilation, almost death to just name a few of your more recent accomplishments.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still alive and in one piece, aren¡¯t we? And I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll turn out that badly, we¡¯re dealing with humans, after all.¡± ¡°No, you aren¡¯t,¡± Tom suddenly interjected over his shoulder. His pronunciation was terrible but never the less he was speaking our tongue. ¡°How, why¡­?¡± I stammered. ¡°That¡¯s a long story and the reason why I¡¯m prepared to deal with you. For now, all you have to know is that quite a few people on the streets can understand your native language, even speak it brokenly. The captains might be human, but the guilds here all listen to one of your kind, even if you wouldn¡¯t know him to be a kitsune, should you ever meet him. He doesn¡¯t look the part, not anymore at least. If you want to know more, you¡¯ll have to buy me a drink, or several dozens. And maybe explain a little more in depth who in the nine hells you actually are. A small reassurance that I¡¯m going to leave your side with my mind still intact would also be appreciated. Immensely.¡± My thoughts were reeling but before I could ask a single question, we had already passed through the doors of the Bloody Wolf. Gardan raised his head from the mugs he was filling and greeted us with a smile. As soon as he spotted Tom though, his eyes narrowed threateningly. ¡°What are you doing here? I already told you that I want none of you in my establishment. I don¡¯t care one bit for the Mask and if you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯ll be out of here before I lose my patience!¡± ¡°Calm down, Gardan. I¡¯m not here on business, I just want to enjoy a glass or two of your fabulous wine and have a private chat with my new found friends. That¡¯s not too much to ask, now, is it?¡± The barkeeper glowered at him but nodded curtly a second later. ¡°As long as you¡¯re with them you can stay. But I¡¯ll keep an eye on you.¡± Her turned to us and added: ¡°it¡¯s none of my business but a word of advice: tread carefully. You don¡¯t want to get involved with the likes of him. There¡¯s nothing but suffering and pain in store for you.¡± ¡°Wise words, we¡¯ll take them to heart,¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice sounded from the door. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure my employer doesn¡¯t forget them, even though it might already be too late for that,¡± he added in an undertone. ¡°Thank you, for your concern, master Gardan.¡± The Barkeeper waved away his thanks and returned to his tasks, humming tunelessly. ¡°I take it, you also think I¡¯ve lost my marbles?¡± I said when the demon joined us. ¡°Not precisely. You definitely acted rashly when you revealed yourself, I could feel it even from where I stood, but we¡¯ll see how it turns out.¡± He scrutinised Tom from head to toe before he continued: ¡°this time, at least, there aren¡¯t that may lose ends, now, are there. Provided nobody else on a market famous for its magical gizmos was able to pick up on the storm of power you unleashed back there. It¡¯s not likely, since you probably fired every artefact within the radius that was directed at you, but it¡¯s still a distinct possibility.¡± Damn, I hadn¡¯t even thought that far, but better lucky than good, as the saying went. ¡°You know, the lose end is standing right here,¡± Tom interjected while his eyes travelled over the closed door and windows. ¡°Could you at least pretend like I matter?¡± Mephisto focused on him with the brightest smile I had ever seen on his face and truth be told, I¡¯d have been quivering in my boots if it had been directed at me. ¡°Sure, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re not going to leave this place without my say so, though. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be civil, just remember that you won¡¯t reach the street alive, should you decide to run. Now that we¡¯ve established some ground rules, why don¡¯t we sit down? Your drinks are, of course, on us. After you, little human. Go ahead and pick your poison.¡± The phrasing didn¡¯t sit well with Tom but he still ordered four glasses of wine and led us to an empty table in the corner. When we were seated, one of the girls brought our drinks alongside a bowl of roasted peanuts. They were glazed with honey and I quickly threw a handful into my mouth, savouring the crunchy nuts. I didn¡¯t strictly have to eat anymore, but I still enjoyed it very much. Besides, I had learned by now to take my treats whenever I could get them. Tom sipped his wine and smacked his lips in appreciation, his eyes travelling from one of us to the next. A small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth when he realised that Ahri and Mephisto were mostly focused on him, trying to appear even more intimidating than their illusionary disguises made them out to be, while I was busy devouring the complementary snacks. ¡°At least one of you has her priorities straight,¡± he muttered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on that,¡± Ahri replied. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled, she¡¯s not as oblivious as she appears. Now then, why don¡¯t you explain why you can speak our language. Adding two and two together, I assume there¡¯s a disfigured kitsune, known as the Mask, calling the shots around here. How come? And who is he?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty fast on the uptake¡­ the first question is easy to answer. You already pieced together the most important bits. The thieves¡¯ guild in Free Land is run by one of the fox tribe, known as the Mask and he made us learn bits and pieces of your language so we could have a way to communicate that can¡¯t easily be overheard. As to who he is¡­ I simply don¡¯t know. I neither know his name, nor do I know how he got here all those years ago but it¡¯s safe to assume that it wasn¡¯t entirely by choice. He¡¯s maimed, horribly. His ears and tails were cut off and rumour has it, that he even bears a branding on his forehead, but I¡¯ve never seen him without his mask, so I can¡¯t say if that¡¯s the case.¡± The peanuts fell from my numb fingers as a lump of ice cold fear formed in the pit of my stomach. Cut off tails and ears, a supposed branding on the forehead? That sounded awfully familiar. Traitors or criminals who had been deemed beyond redemption had been treated like that back on Boseiju, their bodies mutilated so every tribe they would encounter would know who they were dealing with. And the branding¡­ I would be wearing one myself if my immunity hadn¡¯t protected me from Boseiju¡¯s wrath, back when I had interrupted Ahri¡¯s duel. Could it be? Had we stumbled across an exiled fox who had made a new home for himself among the humans, outcast from our society? By all the gods, I hoped not. But it would explain a damned lot of what had happened. Why anybody would risk trying to subdue a fey, a dragoness, two elves and my family. It hadn¡¯t been chance, or greed, or stupidity, maybe it had been revenge. Revenge against a member of one of the families who had sent the Mask away and scarred him for life. 161. Of limits, mistakes and a little bit of light Cassandra Pendragon A personal feud made so much more sense. The amount of resources and knowledge needed to subdue them, the drive to actually go through with it, despite the costs and the magic necessary which had to have been much more powerful than anything I had seen here before. It also meant that I wouldn¡¯t get them back without a fight. Not that I had truly believed in a peaceful outcome, but I had hoped. Now, even with a naive amount of wishful thinking, I couldn¡¯t see it. Or maybe, I was just dead wrong. Unfortunately, it fitted together just a tad too well. Ahri reached for my hand under the table and when I looked into her eyes, I realised she had come to the same conclusion, fear and a spark of regret shining in their fathomless depths. I took a deep breath and shoved away the knot of worry, struggling back to reality. ¡°It sounds like you have seen him before,¡± I said to Tom. ¡°Could you describe him?¡± ¡°Let me see, he¡¯s slender and not overly tall, maybe half a head shorter than me and he walks¡­ strangely, as if he¡¯s missing the support of his tails to keep his balance. His eyes appear almost black under his mask but I can¡¯t say for sure if that¡¯s their true colour. He¡¯s got long, light hair, almost white, that flows down his back to cover the scars where his ears were. Mostly he wears wide, comfortable robes in dark colours and he¡¯s got a cane, the head carved into the face of a fox, screaming in pain. And his voice¡­ it¡¯s sonorous and soothing, convincing in a way that makes you believe everything he tells you, even if he should claim the sky to be green. But I imagine, especially for you lot, his smell would be the most obvious. He reeks of magic, like a brewing thunderstorm and sparks sometimes dance along his fingers when he¡¯s angry or agitated.¡± Tom paused and absently rubbed his fingers along one of his scars. ¡°He¡¯s cruel, cruel and cold. From time to time I think he even relishes in the suffering of others, in the chance to make them feel as much pain and despair as he has been subjected to. When he first came here, about twenty five years ago, he cut a bloody path through the guilds and the underside of the city, uniting the thieves and beggars, the murderers and smugglers under his banner. He made an example of everyone who resisted, flaying them alive and leaving them in one of the markets to draw their last breaths for the whole world to see. I¡­ I lost my brother back then. Within a year, everyone who wasn¡¯t directly bound to one of the seven captains was forced to bow to him and he hasn¡¯t relinquished the throne ever since. There¡¯s a devil beneath that mask, no doubt about it.¡± He downed his glass, as if to flush down a bad taste and seemed lost in his memories for the moment. ¡°If the Mask is one of us,¡± I asked, turning toward Mephisto, ¡°can¡¯t we find him the same way you spied on Erya¡¯s family?¡± The demon slowly shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, no. Otherwise I could have used your blood from the beginning to form a connection with your brother. But there isn¡¯t much of your origins left in you, definitely not enough to use your blood in a spell, even if I were able to find a way to circumvent its transcendent properties.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Instead of answering he handed me a small knife. ¡°Cut yourself. Just enough to draw a drop of blood.¡± I did and to my surprise, the liquid that welled form the small incision didn¡¯t look like blood anymore. It resembled nothing more than liquid silver, brighter than mercury and even more dense. ¡°Using that, the only connection I could form would be with her,¡± he nodded in Ahri¡¯s direction, ¡°and luckily we still know where she is.¡± ¡°What about Viyara, then? There¡¯s a spark of my magic in her. Can¡¯t we use that?¡± ¡°Not yet. It would be akin to finding a needle in a hay stack. Your power is still growing within her and it¡¯s far from reaching its maturity. If she was standing in front of me, I might be able to detect your presence underneath her inborn magic but as it is¡­¡± he spread his hands, indicating he didn¡¯t see a way. ¡°Crap, so we¡¯re truly stuck with looking the old fashioned way¡­ unless, if the Mask is as powerful as Tom described, can¡¯t we just go looking for the strongest hotspots of magic around here?¡± He smiled at that. ¡°Sure, which would lead us exactly to wherever we are at that exact moment. I don¡¯t think you fully appreciate the difference between us and them. You¡¯ll understand as soon as you¡¯re going to learn a few scrying spells of your own. Right now, whatever this so called Mask is doing, even with the auras of your friends at his side, we won¡¯t be able to see them through the glare. Imagine the flame of a candle in front of the sun. Would you be able to see its light? But¡­¡± he paused for a moment, deep in thought. ¡°Your mother might be another matter. She¡¯s practically a transcendent being in her own right¡­¡± he shrugged before he added: ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into it, once we have concluded our business here. But if we can find a way to get to him mundanely, we might not need to.¡± As he spoke his last words he focused on Tom, his intent stare shaking the human from his memories. ¡°How about it, is there a way we can meet him?¡± ¡°Maybe, but, as you might have imagined, I have a few conditions before I¡¯m going to help you.¡± Mephisto smiled nastily. ¡°Are you sure about that? You have been listening, haven¡¯t you? What makes you think that we won¡¯t just take what we need by force?¡± ¡°Nothing, except¡­ none of you seem the type. I¡¯ve seen plenty of evil in my days, people who would deny me out of spite, but you¡¯re not one of them. And what I want won¡¯t endanger your friends, your family or yourselves. All I ask is that you won¡¯t allow this town to drown in madness, once you¡¯ve decapitated the snake that slithers under its skin. The death of the Mask will leave a vacuum that will be filled with blood and death until the next tyrant takes the throne. I want you to prevent that from happening, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°How? How could we possibly manage that? You¡¯re asking for a miracle,¡± I interjected. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m asking for your backing. I¡¯ve never wanted the reins, but may the gods help me, I¡¯ll take them if I have the chance to change the cesspool we¡¯re living in into something else. And with your help, I think I can do just that. I don¡¯t know exactly what you are, but I imagine that should be well within the range of your possibilities. Or are you not as powerful as you make yourselves out to be?¡± Mephisto laughed, a cold, detached sound that didn¡¯t suit the body he was currently in. ¡°Power, that¡¯s what you want. Power in exchange for helping us free innocents from the clutches of a man, you yourself fear. You¡¯re right, we¡¯re not evil, but I¡¯m beginning to think you might just be.¡± He raise a hand to prevent me from interrupting and continued. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, your intentions might be noble, but those are the ones that lead straight to hell. Believe me, I know, I¡¯ve lived there¡­¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°And so have I. He¡¯s quite right, Tom, but I don¡¯t think you have to worry about it overly much. You¡¯re not going to see the dusk, after all,¡± a new voice sounded form the door, smooth and full like glittering silk. We whirled around, but in truth, we already knew whom we would see. There he was, a polished mask of ebony on his face, his body clad in a long, flowing, black robe. Ozone tickled my nose and I felt the remains of spent magic on him, like faint traces in the sand after a strong breeze had brushed them away. White hot fury immediately spread through me like a wild fire and I was halfway across the room, my wings a glaring curtain of light behind me before he muttered his next words: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that, if you¡¯re intent on seeing your family again. Strike me down or touch me with your magic and they¡¯ll suffer more than you can imagine, more than they already have.¡± Blood pumped in my ears, and if it hadn¡¯t been for Ahri¡¯s intervention, I wouldn¡¯t have managed to stop myself. She slung her arms around my middle and tripped me. We went down in a shower or sparks and light, our wings an entangled mass on the floor. From somewhere far away I heard human screams, quick footsteps and the curses of Gardan but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look away from the smug kitsune in front of me, standing there like nothing in the world could touch him. Something within me cracked, a wall that had kept my past hidden from my present broke when I imagined what he might have done to my friends, to my family. They had already suffered? Gruesome images of torture and despair flooded my mind, guilt and fear a suffocating pressure but suddenly, the white hot fire in my veins petered out, extinguished by a rising tide of power. Energy pulsed from my core and with nothing more than a twist of my wings I threw Ahri off of me. She tumbled through the air and crashed into our table, leaving a trial of crimson blood behind. Wood splintered and the smell of burning cloth tickled my nostrils but I didn¡¯t turn around. A flash of glaring light and I was on my feet again, my eyes fixed on the masked fox. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± I barely recognised my own voice, it was laced with cold indifference and a thrum of power that went far beyond anything I had experienced before. Magic swirled around me and my words reverberate through the room, heralding destruction as the windows burst and the wooden floor beneath me broke apart with every syllable. ¡°What. Did. You. Just. Say?¡± Behind me, I heard Mephisto hiss: ¡°stay down. Don¡¯t even get close to her. That¡¯s not the girl you know anymore. Holy hells, I think that idiot just awakened the Lightbringer from his slumber.¡± My mind felt empty, the emotions that had held me in their grip only seconds before were gone, drowned in a sea of power, its tide crashing against the confines of my body. With every breath, I drifted further and further away, until all that was left was a desire to punish, to make that puny mortal see the errors of his way, to make him squirm before me like the insignificant bug he was. He wanted to blackmail me? To stand before me and utter demands? To threaten those I cared for? To hurt them? Such hubris¡­ I took a step forward, smiling contently while wave after wave of burning light ripped from my wings, setting the building ablaze. Somewhere deep down I still felt my connection to Ahri, the promises of several lifetimes protecting her and those she chose to keep safe, but everything else turned into ash around me, everything but the Mask. His desperately tried to cast one spell or the other but with a lazy wave of my hand, I ripped his magic apart, his efforts nothing more than a child, trying to stop the sun from rising. Another step and I was at his side, my wings keeping him upright as my power dug into his frail body, tearing his defences to shreds. ¡°Who do you think you are,¡± I whispered. ¡°A sorcerer? A schemer? A misunderstood hero? A king? To me, you¡¯re nothing more than an insufferable child, tormenting those that aren¡¯t strong enough to stand up to you and the reckoning is nigh. Now, let¡¯s see¡­¡± I hoisted him up into the air, my wings piercing through his skin like meat hooks and the warm shower of blood that sprinkled my face made me smile even more. I relished the feeling when his bones broke, his muscles ignited like dried tinder and my smile widened when the scream of a tortured soul ripped from his throat. ¡°Silence,¡± I commanded. ¡°We haven¡¯t even started, yet.¡± Light broke forth from his eyes, his mouth and the wounds I had opened while I began to slowly dissect his mind, searching for his pitiful safeguards that he had thought would have allowed him to come here and extort us. A couple of spells and a few sentries that were supposed to alert his people should anything happen to him, so they could carry out his revenge against my family. Laughable. With a thought, we vanished into a shower of sparks only to reappear above the burning building like a wandering star, hidden behind a veil of light, the bustling city below us. I drew in a deep breath and bolstered my voice with a fraction of the power that was coursing through me: ¡°Flee, flee and hide,¡± I thundered. ¡°Run, run as fast as your feet will carry you, for I am coming for you all. Everyone who has raised his hand against those I cherish will know despair before the end. Watch, watch what happens to those who think they are above retribution. Now, you may scream,¡± I added quietly, almost caressingly, while the crowd below us fell into a panic, their only thought to comply with my demand as fast as possible. I tightened my grip on the different layers of the Mask¡¯s existence and gingerly pulled them apart, little by little. I paid attention to where he had stored my friends, but aside from that, all I really wanted was to make him relive every moment of pain he had caused before he was swallowed by oblivion. There would be no rebirth, no new cycle for him, his very essence would cease to be, right then and there. While he howled, more like an animal than a man, his magic, his life, his soul turned into light, a miniature sun I held in my grasp. Stardust floated towards the ground, all that remained of his mortal form while a well of power slowly rotated in the air in front of me. I extended my hand and with a flick of my wrist, light bursted forth, a rippling wave that spread over the whole town and rejuvenated the sick and the ailing, a final amend to sooth the suffering he had caused. When the energy was almost spent, I drew the final sparks into myself, savouring the taste of his last moments as they dispersed among the raging storm of power in my veins. The memories of what he had done a fleeting shadow in my mind, but it was enough for me to feel my way through the net of energy across the city until I connected with the artefacts and guards that had been tasked with keeping my family subdued and turn them into leverage. No more. Silvery blue streams crackled across the sky and raced towards a hidden cellar where my friends laid in stupor, ugly, twisted collars, covered in runes, around their necks. Their anguish, their despair was like a beacon I could follow once I knew where to look and with another bright flash of light, I materialised between the guards. ¡°I told you to run,¡± I whispered before my wings flared out, taking their life the very instant they tore through their hearts. Smouldering husks fell to the floor but I wasn¡¯t paying attention anymore. What I saw sent a spike of hatred and regret through me, breaking through the ice cold purpose that had taken hold of me. Regret that I hadn¡¯t prolonged the Mask¡¯s suffering for a few more aeons. They were all there, even my mother, stuffed into a cage, the runes on it glowing gently in the light of my wings. Spikes had been pushed through their bodies, meticulously severing their meridians and traces of dried blood marred their bodies, covering the cuts and bruises I could just barely see on their skin. The smell was horrendous, blood and excrements mixed with the sweet odour of infected flesh. They were almost gone, the nearly extinguished flames that still burned inside of them nothing more than a candle in a breeze, flickering madly. The scene shook me from my trance and while the icy clarity slowly retreated from my thoughts, hot tears began falling from my eyes. But I couldn¡¯t allow myself to succumb to the mounting dread in my veins, not yet. I had to save them, I had to make sure it hadn¡¯t been in vain. 162. Of a single war, weapons and a little bit of hubris Cassandra Pendragon While I took the first steps in their direction, I tethered on the verge of another dream. As I gradually became more and more aware of where I was and what I had done, regret, hope, anguish and anger replaced the cold detachment I had felt. The innocents I had burned, the soul I had destroyed and the wounds I had inflicted on Ahri gnawed at my conscience, but burning brightly underneath was a bonfire of fury at what had been done to my family. A crushing weight settled on my shoulders and I felt my thoughts wander, unable to cope with the maelstrom of emotions. If it hadn¡¯t been for the ragged breaths of my friends, I would have crumbled then and there. As it was, every movement felt like I was pushing a small mountain uphill but as so many times before, I couldn¡¯t do much more than push through, leaving it for later. With an herculean effort, I shoved the rising images and scenes back into the past where they belonged, buried my fear deep down and tried to do what was necessary. A flash of light and the spikes fell to the ground, their edges glowing. The cage I simply ripped apart and before the last, twisted poles of metal hit the floor, I was already pushing energy through my changed wing, moving form one to the other to make sure none of them would die on me. Indiscernible groans and fluttering eyelids were my only reward but as long as they kept moaning, they were breathing and that was all that mattered for the moment. Darkness rose at the edge of my perception while I went form one to the next, repeating the same movements over and over again. A fleeting touch, an explosion of light and on to the next one. I struggled to remain anchored in the present but the urge to close my eyes and allow the battles of the past to claim me, became stronger with every second and as much as I fought to stay with my family, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to for much longer, I couldn¡¯t even see the room I was in anymore. My vision was reduced to the faces of those I cared for, unnaturally pale in the flickering light. Like ghosts they watched me, a silent choir of the damned, whose song brought me ever closer to losing myself, faces from my past sporadically appearing before my eyes. One second I was tending to my brother, the next I looked into the eyes of a long dead girl, her empty, accusing gaze fixed on me with the patience of the doomed. One moment I was gently lifting up the limp body of my mother and the next, she turned into an ironclad warrior I had laid to rest under a purple sun. I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay for much longer, I needed help. Desperately I reached for Ahri¡¯s presence deep within but unfocused as I was, I barely managed to get a hold of her. In my stupor, I blindly tired to bolster our link with more power from my core, dragging us closer together. Dumb luck prevented me from accidentally frying her brain when I finally found her and clamped down on her thoughts. Her mind, familiar and ancient, full of fire and passion, gave me something to hold on to and with a guttural scream that made the small chamber tremble and annihilated any residual magic close by, I pulled her through. Sparks burst forth from my tattoo, crimson and vibrant, and a second later, she stood before me, her wings a glorious halo behind her. Her multicoloured eyes filled my vision and I thought I managed a smile as I shakily extended my hand. ¡°Help them,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I can hold on anymore.¡± She whirled around, taking in the scene around her for the first time and the fires behind her back burned brighter. ¡°What has he done,¡± she hissed. ¡°Cassy, we need to¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t follow anymore. My knees buckled and I stiffened in anticipation of the unavoidable moment my face made contact with the filthy floor, but it never came. Soft tails caught me and I was pushed forward, falling directly into Ahri¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I never meant to hurt you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, it wasn¡¯t that bad. I even managed to keep the demon and the rest of the Bloody Wolf alive, even though it was close. I don¡¯t know why, but somehow your magic listened to me, partially at least. Listen, Cassy, Mephisto told me this might happen. You¡¯re probably going to be stuck in the past for a while. We¡¯ll somehow patch them all up, trust me, but if there¡¯s anything else I need to know, you have to tell me now.¡± ¡°I love you.¡± Her fingers brushed a few strands of hair from my face and the smell of pine trees engulfed me when she leaned forward to kiss me. ¡°I love you, too. Don¡¯t get lost in the past, I¡¯ll be waiting for you when you wake up.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± My consciousness drifted away but there was one more thing I had to know. ¡°Ahri, I¡­ can you forgive me?¡± She kissed me again. ¡°Silly goose, that wasn¡¯t really you, and even if it were, there would be nothing to forgive. You¡¯re not a saint, Casandra, you never were, but you¡¯re no devil, either. He had it coming. We¡¯ll talk when you wake up, if it¡¯s even necessary by then. Good night, princess.¡± I closed my eyes. Tranquility and bliss, the sea of memories hadn¡¯t changed but this time, I had no control. Like a feather on the wind I was swept along, towards a dark, looming depth, one of the places I had struggled to avoid that last time around. Azure, light filled water turned into churning waves of darkness and from one moment to the next, before I even had the chance to collect my thoughts, I was falling down a long, cold tunnel, digging deeper into my past than I ever had before. My senses reeled, I began hearing colours and smelling sounds as my environment changed from a pitch black abyss to a confusing display of light and motion. I was on a destroyed planet, a lifeless chunk of rock, drifting through space. Craters and the occasional spark, where residual magic was discharged from the broken surface, were all I could see. Hundreds, thousands, millions had died here in a war that hadn¡¯t been theirs to fight. Casualties of chance, victims of cruel circumstances that had ended their life as casually as i would have squashed a fly. What had we become? A scourge for all that lived, blind to the suffering we caused in our useless struggle for supremacy? Sighing deeply I rose into the air, my senses spreading out to find the one existence I knew had endured. A tingling at the edge of my perception, a cluster of energy just behind the horizon. There he was. Space split apart as I pushed myself forward, covering uncounted leagues in the blink of an eye. A gargantuan mountain of black scales rose before me, its sides quivering with every ragged breath. Even on the brink of death, he was still strong enough to shake the world. Bleary eyes, glazed over with pain and fatigue opened, each one as large as a building and I felt the faint rumbling of his breath as it shook the earth. ¡°So, you have finally come. Here to finish what your children could not?¡± His voice was deep and full, despite the echo of his imminent death, it still held the power to annihilate lesser species and even I could feel the unshackled might that crashed against me with every syllable. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°No¡­ no, Im not. Those weren¡¯t mine, I¡¯ve never been a part of the madness my family has unleashed on the cosmos. I never wanted you to exist in the first place, but I¡¯m also not going to let you pass into the void unnoticed. You¡¯ve earned as much, we owe you as much and for as long as I live, you won¡¯t be forgotten.¡± ¡°Pretty words and empty gestures¡­ where have you been, for all those years? How many could have been spared if you hadn¡¯t decided to hide like a coward? You claim you¡¯re no part of this? It was your family who made us, who pitched us against each other to fight for the throne at their side, was it not?¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t deny it, patriarch. But I¡¯ve never raised my hand, neither for nor against one of the races. As much as I wasn¡¯t part of their creation, I won¡¯t become a part of their doom. I¡¯m only here to bear witness, to remember and carry the dark truths of the moment into a future that might yet have a chance to see the light. Do you know why I can¡¯t become involved?¡± ¡°Afraid you might be proven to be far more mortal than you assume? Afraid you might have to begin anew?¡± ¡°No¡­ forgive my candour but none of you could touch me. Even at the hight of your power, none of you would have been able to face me. Even amongst the immortals, I¡¯m feared. No, I stayed away because¡­ because you shouldn¡¯t be and destruction is, but the only outcome. Your life and that of your children¡­ sentient weapons to wield in a conflict we couldn¡¯t resolve among ourselves. I¡¯m sorry, but in the end, the only way forward leads to your death, yours, your brothers¡¯ and sisters¡¯¡­ they have to die so creation can live. Only when the immortals come to understand that they won¡¯t ever be unchallenged, that the balance between angels and demons is necessary so the cosmos doesn¡¯t crumbled under the reign of one or the other, will their be peace. And that can never happen for as long as they fight at your side since from your very first breath, your whole existence has revolved around subjugating those that were created with you.¡± ¡°Then, why are you here? Only to watch the last incarnation of freedom die? Eager to see mortal creation once again suffocate in the grasp of an immortal destiny?¡± ¡°Quite the contrary¡­ I¡¯m here to take back what was once mine, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± That stunned him into silence and I couldn¡¯t prevent a small smile from forming on my face. ¡°You could have chosen to fight with us, long before. Why would you wish to do so now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not going to participate. This has to end, but not by my hand. But while I¡¯ve watched, I¡¯ve learned a thing or two. You¡¯re right, we should no longer be a driving force in the mortal realms. When the dust has settled on this war, I want to make sure that there¡¯s no repetition, I want to make sure, every brith brings with it its own choices¡­ I want you and your siblings to be the last beings who are bound to a purpose¡­ I want to set it right, to return freedom to those who stand to lose it. As I always have. Have you never wondered why you even came to be? Valour, freedom, justice¡­ the immortals already knew about those things, hence they could even make you. And if they know, they¡¯ll act, spreading ideas across the cosmos like a disease. ¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re here to tell me I¡¯ve fought and lived in vain?¡± I sighed. ¡°No¡­ the opposite is true. Here, let me show you.¡± I moved my wings, conjuring a revolving sphere of light. It pulsed, once, twice and then a ghostly scene appeared before us, glittering in silver and blue as images from the past came to life. We saw a cave, even though the description didn¡¯t do the place justice. It was more like a breath taking dome, filled with shimmering crystals and arcane symbols. At the centre, a fire burned with all the colours of creation, a muscular man with snowy white wings kneeling on the floor close to the flames. He was deep in meditation, primordial energies swirling around his raised hands, each strands carrying with it the very essence of the universe. Slowly, carefully he weaved the radiant light into another form, a ring of purest white. With every stand of power he entangled with the growing construct, his body aged, wrinkles started covering his smooth skin, his wings dropped to the ground, their weight to heavy for him to support. His hair grew and turned from a deep brown into the lightest silver. After a few seconds, even his defined muscles withered away until all that was left was a hollowed out husk, a glowing circle of light pressed against its chest. One final smile spread across his face, before his body was engulfed in white hot flames, leaving behind a fine cloud of ash, a trail of sparks where his core had raced towards the chasm and a perfectly crafted ring on the floor. The scene blurred, as if viewed underwater and when the images cleared again, we were at a different location, deep within the void. Matter and energy danced around us, following the mad choreography of chaos while a group of angels hovered above the stream of souls. They sang, their voices a beautiful, ordered contrast to the mayhem all around. Each note made the eternal river before them react, it shook and frothed until a tiny particle was ripped from its depth. The soul floated through the void, a brilliant glow that even outshone the glaring lights until a torrent of blinding, white energy smashed into it and carried it back to where it had come from. But now it bore a mark, the mark of justice. Before the images disappeared again, we saw the smirk on the angels faces as they put away the very same ring, whose creation we had witnessed just a moment before. Now though, its immaculate, white lustre was interspersed with streaks of the deepest black and its perfectly polished contours showed stylised lines that seemed like a creature was rearing its head just below the surface. A creature with several, scaled wings. When the distorted colours returned to normal, we saw a fiery sky, black clouds and crimson lighting a cacophony of chaos above our heads. Around us, hundreds of demons stood, their eyes fixed onto a dark altar, where the angel of valour laid in chains, the ring on his chest. If it hadn¡¯t been for its dominating aura that even reached us from the past, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to recognise the thing. It was pitch black, shaped like a thirteen winged dragon and its pure glow had turned into a dark, pulsing flame. A growing tide of magic circled through the assembly and little by little, each demon added a piece of its own power to the rising wave. A mighty thunderclap shook the sky, lightning streaked through the reddish glow and the angel screamed. A flash of transcendent energies, his core was ripped from his body and passed through the ring, its radiance changing from a soothing white to a purple, oppressive flame. The body on the altar combusted and the magic in the air ignited, forming eight raging torrents of light that shot off into the distance. Hundreds of voices whispered: ¡°now they are ours,¡± and the scene shifted, one last time. Stars and planets came to life around us, sparkling dots of life among the cold infinity of the universe. Little by little, they went out, their light swallowed by and expanding, ravenous darkness that tore through them, devouring everything in its path. At the forefront, eight mighty warriors battled against each other, their constant struggle tearing apart the worlds they set foot on. One of them was the perfect likeness of the gargantuan dragon in front of me. Each one of them was a harbinger of destruction as they brought war to untouched regions of space and left behind nothing but devastated wastelands and crumbling reminders of the civilisation that had fallen prey to their fight. And above them, angels and demons fought for supremacy, for the right to call those incarnations of higher concepts slaves to their will. One by one, the warriors fell, slain by their own kin in a struggle, caused by the warring aspects of their beings. Angels had made them, but the essence of demons burned brightly in their hearts, fuelled by the allegiance of the artefact that had given them life. With every death, the opposing forces of their existence were set free, the unbound energies combining when they left their host. A bluish glow appeared wherever one of them fell, an eerie light that seemed to pierce through reality itself. With a wave of my hands I dispersed the magic and the scene vanished. The next moment, I pushed more energy from my core until my wings hummed with power and the pure silver took on a distinct, blue sheen. 163. Of roles, resistance and a little bit of love ¡°What is this,¡± he hissed. ¡°Have you been following our battles only to absorb our essence? Is that what you intend to do to me?¡± ¡°No, or rather yes, it depends on you. I never had any intention of profiting from your demise but as it stands¡­ look, haven¡¯t you seen what that energy can do to reality? How the laws of the cosmos crumble where ever they come in touch with it? Do you have any idea what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t collected the rags in your wake? There would be nothing left to fight for¡­ the powers of angles and demons aren¡¯t supposed to mix, it defies the order of creation.¡± ¡°For someone who has taken in such a cancer you seem quite healthy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I don¡¯t know why but I¡¯m different. Energies don¡¯t change me and I can hold what would make others wither away or change until they couldn¡¯t be recognised anymore. Maybe that¡¯s the reason for my existence, who knows? But in the end, it doesn¡¯t matter. I did what I had to, to keep the universe in one piece, no matter the cost.¡± ¡°And what do you need me for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you, not exactly. But I¡­ you¡¯re made in my image. Don¡¯t roll your eyes, did you think my brother would have been able to even imagine what freedom looks like? Never mind forging a being that¡¯s about as close to its essence as it can get? No¡­ and that wasn¡¯t even his intention. I¡¯m pretty sure he thought that you would inherit my powers if he created you in the name of what he believes I stand for¡­ and true to his nature, he screwed up from the very beginning. As if I would ever have dared to¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Your time is running out and you have a decision to make. If you die, I¡¯ll take in the poison and use it to put an end to all of this. And sooner or later, you¡¯ll be forgotten by everyone, except for me. Or¡­ you can live on, as a part of the very power that has corrupted your whole life.¡± ¡°Enough with the riddles, speak plainly, what are you offering?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to wait until you¡¯re dead. As long as you¡¯re alive, your essence is still bound to the anathema that¡¯s coursing through your veins. If I were to take it in now, a part of you would endure, safe and sound within me.¡± ¡°And why would you do that? Why would an immortal be willing to share his existence with me?¡± ¡°Because I already do¡­ when you were born, it wasn¡¯t my brother¡¯s blood that gave you life. It was mine, stolen without my knowledge. But make no mistake, the life you know is still going to end. You¡¯ll be nothing more then a spark in a sea of light. I can¡¯t truthfully tell you what¡¯s going to happen to you, for I don¡¯t know, but I imagine you¡¯ll fuse with my core since you were born from its power. I think you¡¯d turn into another expression of my energy, a second face, if you so will.¡± He stilled, mulling over what I had told him. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t really care which way he¡¯d go. I was here out of a sense of obligation, nor conviction or friendship. Not that those words meant particularly much to me, but even if they had¡­ Having watched him and his ilk tear apart the cosmos for the better part of a millennium had definitely healed me from any romanticised notions I might have had. A pity, especially since none of it was his fault. Neither he nor his siblings were responsible for what had been done to them. When the immortals had fought among themselves, they had soon realised that they would either be forced into extinction by their own hands or keep on fighting for all eternity. The nine families had been the answer. Mortals had been imbued with a spark of transcendent power, supposedly shifting the balance in the angels¡¯ favour, but unfortunately, the demons hadn¡¯t simply curled up and died. They had fought back, they had gotten their hands on the artefact that had been used to influence creation and they had changed it. It had allowed them to infuse as much of their essence into the nine families as the angels already had and they had killed one of us in the process, even though I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced that he was dead¡­ and now we were back to the beginning, eternal war or death looming above our heads. If there was any chance for us to get out of this alive, I would have to change the rules. And that was, what I was trying to do. His rumbling voice brought me back to reality. ¡°Don¡¯t take me, take my daughter.¡± To say I was surprised would have been the understatement of the century. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°You heard me. Take from me what you want, I¡¯ll even help you in any way I can, but I want you to free my daughter, end her suffering and give her a second chance at life, no matter how minuscule it is. If you are as different from your family as you claim, you won¡¯t deny me this.¡± ¡°I¡­ there¡¯s so much wrong with your demand, I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡± ¡°Like what? Where¡¯s the difference to what your offering me, right now? A young girl lives, an old man dies. It¡¯s a fair trade, isn¡¯t it? Why are you even hesitating? What¡¯s could make an angel, who can play with demonic energies, afraid?¡± ¡°Uh, she¡¯s tied up in the Silver City, for one, at least as far as I know.¡± I sighed. ¡°And even if I could free her, I don¡¯t think it would work. She¡¯s probably just a husk of whom you once knew by now, the energies within her are much more diluted and¡­ SHE¡¯s a woman. I¡­ we are as close to eternal as it gets, we don¡¯t change. I¡¯ll always be whom you see in front of you. I can¡¯t combine my essence with someone who¡¯s as far removed from me as her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, you can change. I¡¯ve just seen it. The angel who died to manipulate the ring, he changed, fundamentally, didn¡¯t he? Why couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t want to. I¡­ who knows, the next time I die, I might turn into a dragoness. I¡¯m not really keen on that. I like who I am.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re denying me out of vanity? You¡¯re prepared to let her suffer because you¡¯re afraid it might change you? Or because you¡¯re afraid you might get hurt? Are you truly the coward I always believed you to be?¡± That stung. ¡°Watch your tone, Ancalagon. Do not forget whom you¡¯re talking to.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re going to kill me? I¡¯m afraid you might be a little late to the party. I don¡¯t have much time left, I can feel it, the darkness is coming for me, so let¡¯s speak openly. You and I, if what you say is true and we really are that similar, you didn¡¯t come here for power. I imagine you already have enough of that all on your own, you came here for absolution, you came here because you don¡¯t want to carry the burden of the decisions you¡¯ll have to make all on your own. Tough luck, I¡¯m not going to help you, I can¡¯t. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m tired and spent, I¡¯ve given everything I have for a cause that seemingly isn¡¯t even mine and I¡¯m done. Done with being the villain or the hero. I earned my rest, twisted as my struggles might have been. But you¡­ you¡¯re not. I see the fire in your eyes despite the countless aeons on your back. You still have hope and maybe even the strength to make it come true, but I won¡¯t be along for the ride.¡± He paused, his enormous figure shaken by a sudden fit. When he calmed down he continued: You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°So¡­ save her, allow her to live on and maybe, one day, she can return the favour. What do you have to lose?¡± ¡°My life? Literally? If I get caught I¡¯ll be branded a traitor. We don¡¯t forget, we don¡¯t forgive. I¡­¡± Suddenly, he laughed. I could see the pain it caused him but he still raised his head to the skies and roared out his mirth. ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ve already decided to free her, her and whoever else you find, haven¡¯t you? Long before you came here. Oh, the irony. What I would give to have met you earlier¡­ fine then, do as you please. But let me tell you this, if freedom is what you crave, the choice that comes with mortality, I won¡¯t be the one to show you the path. But she might. She¡¯s done it for me, she¡¯s shown me a life beyond the constraints of my destiny. Act on my words or don¡¯t, the choice is yours, but for me it¡¯s time to move on. It has been a pleasure meeting you, fleeting as it might have been. And I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re no coward.¡± And before I could answer, he quivered one more time and became still. Stupid lizard. As bluish flames began eating away at his carcass, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had been right. Was I really that constrained? Was I talking myself into believing what I did was right instead of a role I was supposed to play? Did it matter? Oh, how I sometimes wished I could just forget this whole, stupid war and what it had done to us all. The fires expanded, swallowing my vision until all that remained was a blue veil of light streaked with silver. When it cleared, I was somewhere else, far away in an eternal place I had never wanted to visit again, silvery towers and bridges of light a beautiful display of transcendent power. And I wasn¡¯t alone. Aurora stood at my side, her eyes fixed on me. ¡°Come again? You want me to do what?¡± Her wings manifested and I swallowed dryly. ¡°Just look the other way for a few hours. I¡­ whatever you do, don¡¯t go down there tonight.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to?¡± ¡°Look, I frankly don¡¯t care. I came here because you saved my hide a few times in the past and I don¡¯t want to have to hurt you. But truth be told, if you get in my way, it won¡¯t matter. Try to stop me and you¡¯ll have to pay the price.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to stop you¡­ I want in.¡± ¡°You¡­what?¡± I spluttered which made her smile. ¡°You heard me. I want in.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I intend to do. How can you possibly say that.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure it out. And besides¡­ I¡¯ve been involved since the very beginning, instead of watching from the sidelines. I¡­ I want to know one thing and please, don¡¯t lie to me. Do you think it can work? Do you think we can become more like them, more¡­ mortal?¡± ¡°No. We are who we are, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t change¡­ by the heavens, my core has changed since I¡¯ve begun cleaning up after our siblings. We won¡¯t ever have the luxury of knowing that we have but one life, of knowing that everything we do matters because we can¡¯t try again, but I fully believe that we can become more like them, more caring, more¡­ human. We might have a chance to laugh and cry, to fear and hope, something to set us free from the constraints of our existence. Who knows, maybe we might even learn how to hate and how to love.¡± While I was talking, she wrinkled her forehead in concentration. A gesture I would come to find endearing quite soon. ¡°That¡¯s a chance I won¡¯t ignore,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m tired of running in circles.¡± ¡°But¡­ Aurora, damn it, if you¡¯re half as well informed as you claim to be, you know it won¡¯t matter what you want. You simply can¡¯t, you won¡¯t survive. Even if there was another one down there who carried enough energy, it would tear you to shreds the moment you¡¯d try to absorb it. Are you really that tired that you¡¯re willing to commit suicide? There won¡¯t be another cycle, your core would explode or even worse, it would be corrupted by the invading force.¡± ¡°Not if they were still alive and willing, not if there¡¯s still a consciousness attached to it. Haven¡¯t you told that to the dragon?¡± ¡°Have you been following me? You know what, I don¡¯t want to know. Yes I did, but I¡¯m far from certain. For me, it doesn¡¯t matter much, but for you¡­ well, it¡¯s your life and I won¡¯t deny you if you¡¯re sure, but I want to know why. Why would you risk everything on the mere chance of evolving? I always thought you were content with your role.¡± She hesitated for a few seconds before she answered haltingly, a wet shimmer in her eyes. Was she crying? That shouldn¡¯t be possible. ¡°I was, but¡­ while you¡¯ve been away, there was another battle. I¡­ I made a promise. I tied myself to one of the families, and in turn¡­ I¡¯m already changing, that¡¯s all you have to know.¡± ¡°You idiot! Perfection, isn¡¯t it? Of course¡­ why else would you want to change, damned if you do, damned if you don¡¯t, aren¡¯t you?¡± I took a deep breath, my thoughts racing. ¡°That¡¯s not the only way, you know? Promises break when we die. You could start anew.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I wasn¡¯t coerced or tricked, I fully understood what I was getting myself into. He isn¡¯t dead, you know. The angel of valour, he still lives. I met him and he told me¡­ well, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll either survive and come to see the future for ourselves, or we won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon? You¡¯re not making any sense right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, am I? Then let me rephrase: you want this war to end? So do I, and if you want to stand a chance, you¡¯ll take me with you.¡± ¡°And you know that because¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s my secret, you¡¯ll find out sooner or later, but for now, you¡¯ll have to trust me. Think you can manage that?¡± ¡°Fine, it¡¯s your life you¡¯re playing with, not mine.¡± Again she smiled but it was somewhat different. It wasn¡¯t a way to communicate or an expression of her mood, it was somehow deeper, more honest. As if she was truly¡­ happy? Again, that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Caution, disgust, worry, in short everything that was related to an object was fine, but happiness? Something subjective? She shouldn¡¯t have been capable of that. And I would know, for neither was I. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure about that,¡± she almost whispered. ¡°I think you¡¯ll come to understand that there isn¡¯t so much of a difference.¡± ¡°Could you speak plainly, please? What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Usually I¡¯m the one getting cryptic. I must say, it¡¯s a true pain in the ass, having to experience the other side.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see, at least I hope so¡­¡± the scene dispersed again. Love¡­ love was a pain in the ass, no nice way of putting it. Had I known beforehand what I was getting myself into, I would have fled from the Silver City the moment I had met with Aurora. But no¡­ blithering moron that I was, I had gone through with it. We had made our way into the dungeons, I had sent a handful, of angels back to the river and we had visited the cells. Two of them had been occupied and I should have become suspicious right then and there. What a coincidence! But no¡­ I had been worrying about how long we would have and whether or not I would witness the true death of an immortal any minute now and hadn¡¯t spared a single thought for what her strange innuendos could have actually meant. Her problem not mine, I had reasoned. As it had turned out, it wasn¡¯t. Not anymore. Somewhere between fleeing from our siblings and getting used to the strange world we had been thrust into, I had come to realise that I liked her, that I didn¡¯t think of her as useful, entertaining, beautiful or passionate. I simply liked her and a few days later¡­ damn it! I should never have taken her with me! By now, she crept into my thoughts every few seconds, a fucking nuisance! And all because of that pesky little spark I couldn¡¯t get rid off anymore. Screw mortality, screw emotions, they drove a man nuts until he headed head over heels into a battle he couldn¡¯t win. Freedom¡­ freedom my ass, how could you be free if your groin was starting to make your decisions? Save them, she had said, they deserve it, she had said. And here I was, clueless, outnumbered and mightily mad. 164. Of repetitions, interpretations and a little bit of sickness How was I supposed to ensure the safety of one of the nine families? Aurora had already protected the Aretes once, snatched them from the clutches of their rivals but that wouldn¡¯t last. If they were to survive, the power I was striving to eradicated still flowing through their veins, sooner or later they would be hunted again. Be it angels or demons, someone would find them and try to to take their essence in a misguided attempt to rise above the rest. I only saw two solutions: kill them all, which was hardly feasible. Ever since I had taken in a minuscule spark of the consciousness of another creature, I felt sick when I even contemplated genocide, a throughly inconvenient thing, morals, not to mention that I was hardly capable of killing my family. The second option wasn¡¯t much more realistic. We would have to forget, forget that the power of angels and demons was combined in their blood, that their existence was a doorway to forces unknown before. At least I had something close to an idea how I may go about it, but I couldn¡¯t do it alone, I needed help and as much as I had fallen for Aurora, she wasn¡¯t the one who might be able to make it possible. If what she had told me was true, there was only one being in existence I could turn to. Unfortunately, he had become a demon and I couldn¡¯t just waltz into hell and make an appointment. Somehow I had to get my hands on Amazeroth, his new name, and convince him to share his visions with me. The second part wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem, I had always thought of myself as quite persuasive and if push came to shove, I would simply shake the truth from his transformed bones, but getting to him would be a challenge. Alright, that was an understatement, it would be close to a suicide run¡­ whatever it takes, she had said. Screw that girl. It hadn¡¯t even been a full cycle yet and I was already wishing for the simpler days, when I had been able to do what I wanted. But that didn¡¯t help much. For now I had to somehow get into hell, snatch a demon, and get out again, preferably without losing too much blood and especially my life on the way. You¡¯re the only one who can do it, she had said. Argh! Well, the longer I stood there, the harder it would become to move and as several wise men had said over the course of the centuries, when you fear something, just get it over with. At least I had a few tricks up my sleeve no one knew about, not yet anyways. It was time to find out how much my changed core could actually handle and if the energy I had been collecting, had been worth the effort. Just as well, stealth had never been my strong suit anyways. I closed my eyes, soothing darkness covering the raging storms and rugged formations around me. I took a deep breath, the poisonous, overcharged air almost refreshing in my throat, and allowed my mind to expand, making sure nothing living was in my immediate vicinity. With an inaudible curse, I unfurled my wings and allowed the bluish flames that burned in my core to finally spread through my body. Let there be light! And there was. Energy, more than I had imagined, more than I could comprehend, an infinite torrent of power pulsed from me. I turned into a silvery blue sun, illuminating the depths of the void like a falling star, the combined forces of angels and demons roared through my veins and an exhilarating sensation of endless possibilities took hold of me. The self doubts and insecurities I had picked up like a disease when I had united with Ancalagon¡¯s child vanished behind a curtain of eternal light and for the first time in what felt like ages, I was myself again, unrestrained and free. Success or failure, right or wrong, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. There was only an ironclad purpose left in me, filling me with confidence and silencing the bugging voices of what I had come to learn was a conscience. Cold detachment overshadowed even the burning desire and the drive to protect, to make her happy, every time I thought about Aurora. I had a job to do and I wouldn¡¯t be stopped. For the moment, I was again unshackled from the woes and worries of existence and I was eager to see what I could do. Time to go knocking on hell¡¯s doors¡­ Cassandra Pendragon I woke up shaking and covered in sweat. My muscles ached as if I had truly just fought my way through a legion of demons and my thoughts felt slow, distorted, as if they weren¡¯t used to the shell they were confined to. Images form the past, an exploding, dark gate, severed limbs and fountains of blood still raced through my mind and for a few seconds I was tethering on the verge of the past and the present, slipping back and forth. I tried to open my eyes, but the small movement felt nearly unmanageable and the longer I remained still, the more I realised that it wasn¡¯t only my sight, even my other senses didn¡¯t seem to work properly. My thundering heartbeat was the only thing I heard and when I breathed in, the expected myriad of smells didn¡¯t reach me. If I hadn¡¯t known better, I would have said I was sick. But that couldn¡¯t be now, could it? I had never fallen ill before and I hadn¡¯t exactly taken good care of myself. Quite the opposite, I had always treated my body like a currency, spending its integrity to accomplish my goals. Maybe it had finally caught up to me? A quiet groan escaped me when I finally manage to push my eyelids apart, the dim light of an early morning singeing my retinas. I was in a plushly decorated room, comfortably placed in a huge, soft bed with several pillows and a fluffy blanket. An opulent, silver chandelier hung from the stucco covered ceiling and through the open window, I could glimpse tiled roofs. Aside from my bed, a table, laden with fruits, a carafe of water and an assortment of sweets, as well as a cupboard and several armchairs stood around, Ahri snoring quietly in one of them. She rested her head in her hands, her shimmering hair covering her face like a curtain of liquid light. I tried to speak, but all I managed was a half strangled croak, even closer to a whimper if I was being honest. Damn it, that wasn¡¯t what I had been expecting. I had been wounded before, more often then I cared to remember, but that wasn¡¯t it. I wasn¡¯t even in pain, not really, but I felt thoroughly drained, as if someone had stolen all my energy while I had been asleep. Tentatively I reached for my core so I could get up or at least speak properly, but as soon as even a trickle of power raced through my meridians, a nagging pressure built in my veins which instantly reminded me of all the times I had suffered from an excessive use of my energies. Unwilling to risk the backlash, I grudgingly released my core and resigned myself to getting up the normal way: with a lot of effort and a few colourful curses. A good plan, in theory, but rather complicated in its application. All I managed with the first try was to roll around clumsily and push several pillows to the floor. At least my efforts hadn¡¯t been completely in vain, since I managed to wake Ahri from her slumber. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, their multicolour shine immediately narrowing in on me as I flopped on the bed like a stranded whale. A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth when she saw the predicament I was in and with a few quick steps she was at my side, helping me into a sitting position. ¡°Good morning, how are you feeling?¡± She asked, as she bowed down to kiss my forehead. ¡°Terrible,¡± I croaked after the second try, my voice hoarse, dry and broken, like that of a drunkard after closing hours. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°In general or right now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny. I feel like a walking corpse¡­ am I sick? Can we even become sick?¡± ¡°Yes and yes, even though you¡¯re not suffering from the common cold, if that¡¯s what you wanted to know. I didn¡¯t fully understand it, but from what Mephisto told me, you¡¯re now so far down the line that your body is starting to treat the remaining parts of your original form, the one you were born with, as a disease and it¡¯s starting to fight it. Mortality as an illness, isn¡¯t that poetic?¡± ¡°I can hardly breath and you¡¯re quoting poems¡­ wrongly? How am I deserving of this? You know what, don¡¯t answer that. How long will I be stuck like this?¡± ¡°Not too long, a couple of days, maybe a week or two. It depends on how much of your original makeup you instinctively replicated when you formed that body of yours. Just be glad you already slept through the worst of it.¡± ¡°I can hardly imagine how it could be worse, I feel like a new born cub with a fever¡­ how long have I been lying here anyways and what did I miss?¡± ¡°It was worse, you ruined several sheets when the discarded tissue pushed through your skin¡­ not to mention that you were thrashing around in pain even while you were dreaming. As for how long you¡¯ve been here, five days. I called Mephisto as soon as you passed out and we patched everyone up provisionally, enough that they wouldn¡¯t bleed out on the spot. Luckily, Tom was more than eager to get on our good side after he had seen what you can do. He¡¯s still very much set on becoming the next king of the back alleys and seems to think that being nice to us might prove useful in the long run. You¡¯re in one of the houses the Mask used from time to time and we can stay here for as long as we like. Your family is downstairs and the dwarfs have arrived a few hours earlier. Guess who has been travelling with them as a stowaway.¡± I groaned. ¡°Is she alone or did she bring her two trusted sidekicks along?¡± ¡°All three of them are out and about, getting some herbs for the medicine your brother, Aspera and Astra still have to take. No need to get agitated,¡± she added and pushed me carefully back down, when she saw that I was struggling to get up again. ¡°They¡¯re all fine, Mephisto even managed to complete the ritual in time and save the elves. I took a vile of your blood and helped him out a bit. But while your mum, Viyara and Erya mostly needed some time to let their bodies recuperate, the other three are still pretty weak. For now, the best we can do is let them rest, not that you have much of a choice in the matter, considering that you¡¯re the worst off.¡± ¡°Great,¡± I said while I dropped into the pillows. ¡°Anything else I need to know?¡± ¡°A few things, but nothing pressing. Sooner or later we¡¯ll have to decide what we want to do with the pirates who are still in the brig of the dwarven ship and whether or not we want to stay here for a while until you¡¯re back to normal, but that can at least wait until tomorrow. So¡­ what about you? What did you see?¡± She was looking at me curiously, her eyes glowing with that fascinating mix of red, green and blue. ¡°I¡­ quite a lot actually, but there were several important pieces missing¡­ I think I saw scenes from the first war, from the time when you bound yourself to the Aretes and how we came to be who we are¡­ and what Mephisto meant when he said that the Mask awoke the Lightbringer. I¡­ first, I want to know if you remember if there are any couples among the immortals, aside from us.¡± She wrinkled her forehead in away that immediately reminded me of my dreams and answered slowly: ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think so. There are allegiances, maybe even friendships but nothing more, at least as far as I know. Why?¡± I sighed. ¡°Because I don¡¯t think there can be. It¡¯s not meant to happen, we are¡­ changed and we have been for the longest time. I don¡¯t think we are full blooded angels, not by a long shot. I¡­ I¡¯m not too sure, like I said, there were parts that I couldn¡¯t see, but here is what I understood. First of all, I think what we believe to be our history is mostly a lie, born from the truths we have forgotten and the small bits we remember. The conflict between angels and demons, the first war, and the war between the nine families, I think they¡¯re one and the same, the latter was the climax of the former. The nine families¡­ they were created as weapons and to cut a long story short, the powers of angels and demons flowed through their veins. Powers that were never meant to mix and when they did, they spawned something new, something corruptive¡­ you know what I¡¯m talking about. Back then, I decided to collect the pieces of that energy that were freed with every death. So far, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s what happened, but after that¡­¡± I became quiet for a while and tried to bring the memories that were swirling through my mind into a resemblance of order. ¡°One of the families was created as an incarnation of freedom, did you know that? Supposedly made by one of my brothers using my own essence which he had stolen. When their patriarch laid dying, I paid him a visit, prepared to not only take in the energies that would be released upon his death but also a part of his consciousness. He declined and instead asked me to free one of his children, who had been taken into the Silver City and make sure she¡¯d have a chance to live on, despite the atrocities our siblings had subjected her to while she was incarcerated. I was hesitant but I agreed and¡­ well, I think you were supposed to guard them so I tried to lure you away.¡± A small smile tugged on the corners of my mouth. ¡°Which of course went over about as smoothly as you might imagine. You made me take you with me and I think, even though I haven¡¯t seen that part, that we found two creatures far beyond redemption. We¡­ I think we took in their essence, even though I neither know how you managed to survive the Corruption that should have spread through your core afterwards, nor why we simply didn¡¯t whisk them away in the first place, I can only guess. But it doesn¡¯t matter too much, either way. Their presence, the spark of mortality we absorbed, it changed us, it made us feel, it made us¡­ fall in love. And then, well¡­ history seems to repeat itself. The last thing I remember is me trying to break into hell to get to Amazeroth to ask for his help. It was him, his essence, the demons used to corrupt or transform the nine families and in doing so, they made the angel of valour become¡­ I haven¡¯t got the foggiest what he actually is, but the more I know of him, the more I¡¯m starting to believe that he¡¯s a mixture of transcendent and mortal strands, a being that holds power over the transcendent forces of angels and demons as well as a mortal disposition. Maybe that¡¯s what allows him to glimpse and alter the future...¡± She remained silent for a while, digesting what I had said while I simply cherished her presence, content with studying the interchanging colours in her eyes. I would never become tired of her passion, of her beauty. It felt unimaginable that it had taken something else for me to finally fall in love with her¡­ which reminded me: ¡°When¡­ you remember what happened when I faced the Mask¡­ I think that was how I used to be before¡­ how I was when I was just an immortal. It¡­ I don¡¯t want to become that, ever again. It scared the living hell out of me. I¡­ I¡¯m truly sorry for what I did.¡± She brushed my comment away with a wave of her hand and kissed me gently. ¡°I told you before, there¡¯s no reason. Mephisto told me about the times he remembers when he has seen you in battle. If it keeps you alive and as long as you find your way back to me, I¡¯ll be more than happy to deal with the occasional outburst. But what I don¡¯t understand is this: if the Corruption has been around since the very beginning, since the first war, how come it has taken aeons to spread through the ranks of the immortals? Why are we now fighting a war that must have been going on for thousands, or millions of years? And why can none of us remember?¡± 165. Of mistakes, apparitions and a little bit of reasons Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I think that¡¯s on us. I don¡¯t know exactly what we needed Amazeroth¡¯s help for, but judging from the few hints I picked up, I imagine the both of us came to the conclusion that the only way forward would include forgetting the atrocities committed during the war and¡­ forgetting what we had created. At least I remember thinking it. The power that ran and still runs, in the case of your relatives, through the veins of the nine families is much too enticing¡­ no immortal would be able to resist and in essence, it¡¯s nothing but Corruption. To save the Aretes, I think we hid the truth. We made sure the memories of that time wouldn¡¯t survive unaltered so they could live in peace.¡± ¡°And in doing so, we doomed the future. Are you telling me it¡¯s our fault that Michael tries to change the cosmos? Because we hid the truth?¡± She seemed truly taken aback at the notion. Since I wasn¡¯t able to fully hug her, I took her hand in mine before I answered: ¡°Maybe, but in the end we didn¡¯t doom anyone back then, we saved and protected people you cared for. That¡¯s never a bad thing. The consequences of our actions are so intertwined, so twisted that nobody can predict where they lead¡­ well, maybe there¡¯s one exception. What I¡¯m trying to say is: I might have agreed with you, ages ago, when we were but incarnations of an empty purpose, but I¡¯ve learned a thing or two since then. Everything we do brings with it good and evil, light and darkness. We can only try to do the best we can and fight for what we think is right. If it comes back to bite us in the ass later on¡­ we¡¯ll just have to try harder.¡± She smiled insecurely but at least she rewarded my effort with another kiss. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I believe you, but thanks for trying¡­¡± she was interrupted when my stomach rumbled audibly, which made me blush a beautiful shade of crimson, almost like the strands in her hair. A quiet laugh escaped her and she sauntered over to the table to fill an empty plate. ¡°Breakfast in bed,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it, but I think for now, we don¡¯t want to risk you stumbling over your own feet or falling from a chair. Pineapples or pears?¡± ¡°Both, please. I didn¡¯t expect to be hungry, considering how I¡¯m feeling but I¡¯m actually famished. Aren¡¯t you supposed to have trouble eating when you¡¯re sick?¡± ¡°Usually, but in your case, you have to somehow make up for what you¡¯ve lost. True, most of the energy is taken from your core, but I imagine your body doesn¡¯t know that. Here, that should help until I can get you something warm,¡± she added while she returned with a glass of water and several slices of fruit. I began salivating when the sweet smell hit me despite my clogged up nose. The first few bites were like heaven and even though I couldn¡¯t appreciate the full aroma, sugar and a hint of taste was already enough to have me moaning in pleasure. ¡°Seems to be tasty,¡± Ahri commented while she snatched a small piece of mango. ¡°Unbelievably so,¡± I replied after half of the plate was gone. ¡°Or I¡¯m just starved. One of the two. You should try the dragon fruit, it¡¯s pretty amazing.¡± ¡°The kids bought everything on their way from the harbour, you can thank them later. Which reminds me, are you feeling up to a few visitors? Your family will drop by soon enough, but the rest I could keep away today, if you wanted me to.¡± ¡°I imagine I¡¯ll be more bored than sick quite soon. Leaving the house wouldn¡¯t be the best idea, I take it?¡± ¡°Not really. As long as you can¡¯t fight properly, I honestly don¡¯t want you outside. Remember what Tom told us? About the city tearing itself apart if the Mask should die? It¡¯s not that bad, but chances are, something¡¯s going to happen, should you be on your own. Nobody has seen your face when you killed the Mask¡­ so you¡¯re pretty much just a worthwhile, pretty target. Rumours are spreading from what Pete told me, he¡¯s back, by the way and still in one piece, but Tom hasn¡¯t got the pull yet to keep you safe, so yeah, until you can fly again, you¡¯re stuck here.¡± ¡°Perfect¡­ no matter, there are a couple of things I need to take care of anyways. At least I have plenty of time now, being grounded.¡± She looked at me sternly. ¡°No magic, that could be dangerous. It¡¯s not likely but even Mephisto doesn¡¯t know how you¡¯ll react if you use your core right now. You can talk, eat and sleep and if you¡¯ve got some colour in your cheeks by tomorrow, I might be persuaded to take you to the market, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Then what exactly do you expect me to do? I can¡¯t just sit here for hours, I¡¯ll go crazy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to suggest knitting, but you could read a book, once in a while. Your practical knowledge about magic is, apart from the more esoteric stuff, virtually nonexistent. If you truly want to learn, you¡¯ll have to start somewhere and now might be a good time to lay some groundwork. You¡¯ve never cast a spell in your life, and sooner or later throwing more and more energy at a problem won¡¯t be enough. Also¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure your sister will keep you occupied, once she¡¯s back with her escort, if you don¡¯t throw her out at one point or the other. She¡¯s been bombarding me with questions ever since she has arrived and I¡¯m convinced she¡¯ll focus on you, once she knows you¡¯re awake. By the way, she hasn¡¯t told your mom anything and neither have I. So I imagine that¡¯s another lengthy conversation.¡± ¡°You realise you¡¯re making everything worse? Isn¡¯t here anything I can look forward to?¡± ¡°Well¡­ once you¡¯re feeling a little better, a few things come to mind,¡± she replied while her gaze became hazy and her eyes roamed over my curves, only half hidden under the blanket. Before I could react she added quickly: ¡°But for now, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to deal with a little boredom. By the way, I promised Helena to fetch her, once you wake up. Should I go now or do you want a few more hours of peace and quiet? I imagine you¡¯ll have quite the stream of visitors knocking on your door, once they know your awake.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have more than enough peace and quiet, if your predictions come through. And¡­ if you¡¯re already on the way, could you maybe get me some meat or anything else with a little more sustenance? Fruits are delicious and all, but I¡¯m still hungry.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She kissed me again and headed for the door. Before she left she added over her shoulder: ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Even though I knew what was going on this time, I was still worried. There¡¯s never a dull moment with you, is there?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a response and closed the door quietly. I stared after her for a few more seconds before I shrugged. As if she was any better. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Sighing deeply, I contemplate getting up and dressed but frankly, the idea of standing upright sent shivers down my spine and despite the minor aches, I still felt quite comfortable. In the end, I contented myself with peaking under the blanket, curious if I had changed in any way, but I was still looking the same, except that I could now clearly see my muscles twitch under my skin, every time I moved and I thought the silvery shimmer I had begun exuding might have intensified, but at least I still had the same number of tails and they hadn¡¯t changed colour. Just as well, for a moment I had feared a more severe transformation, considering my body was restructuring itself, yet again. Apparently that was mostly on the inside, but of course Ahri hadn¡¯t left me a mirror, so I couldn¡¯t be sure. At least she had kept me clean, or rather I fervently hoped it had been her. I wrinkled my nose, not too pleased with how skinny I had become, but with a little fattening up, unavoidable if I was confined to this room and the sweets, I hadn¡¯t touched until now, were as delicious as they looked anyways, I would be back to normal quickly enough. With a little luck I might even have gotten something out of the deal. Maybe poisons wouldn¡¯t work on my change body anymore, which made me think, would alcohol not have an effect either? That would be a pity. Not that I was particularly fond of stronger beverages, but over the course of the last two weeks I had become quite attached to dwarven mead. Oh well, I¡¯d find out soon enough. For now, I had a stretch of inactivity to deal with, which surprisingly wasn¡¯t something I was looking forward to. Admittedly, I had wished for less life threatening circumstance for a while now, but not being able to even go out on my own? That was taking it a bit far. I couldn¡¯t even remember the last time I had been hauled up in a room for days on end and I wasn¡¯t particularly thrilled at the prospect. If Ahri could have stayed with me the whole time, I wouldn¡¯t have minded, but unsurprisingly she seemed rather busy and I didn¡¯t want to make her feel like she had to babysit me. Sure, she would probably spend her nights with me, but that still left me with hours I had to somehow fill. Reading might be an option, and it¡¯d even be useful, as she had pointed out, but truthfully, I had never liked it much. Maybe Mephisto would be willing to teach me a thing or two, but knowing him, he would expect me to lay the foundations on my own and he wouldn¡¯t bother if I wasn¡¯t even able or supposed to use magic. Why would two people be involved if you can do it on your own, he¡¯d say. Glumly I looked out the window and nearly bolted upright in the bed. Someone was standing on a roof close by, his figure hidden beneath a long, black woollen cloak, utterly unsuitable for the humid and hot climate. A shimmer of red glowed from beneath the hood and I reflexively pushed some energy from my core and towards my eyes. Which wasn¡¯t the best idea I had ever had. A spike of pain dug through my skull and I had to close my eyes when my vision blurred. Hissing in surprise, I massaged my temples and when I opened my eyes again, the figure was gone and I heard a soft knock on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said distractedly, while I tried to get up and hobble towards the window. ¡°By the Great Fox, I leave you alone for less than two minutes and you¡¯re already up? What¡¯s gotten into you,¡± Ahri¡¯s exasperated voice sounded from the door. Disorientated. I turned around to see her standing there while a bolt of silver flashed through the room. A second later, I was again prostrated on the bed, a nine tailed fox on my chest.For such a small creature, she was surprisingly heavy. ¡°Ouch,¡± I muttered and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°I missed you, too, but was that really necessary?¡± With a toothy grin that showed her long canines, I heard my mother¡¯s unchanged voice in my mind: ¡°no, it wasn¡¯t. But you shouldn¡¯t be up and I quite enjoyed it. Once you¡¯re back to normal, I¡¯ll hardly be able to throw you off balance now, will I? Thanks, Cassy. Thanks for coming after us.¡± Her bright, silvery eyes shimmered when she added: ¡°that¡¯s twice you¡¯ve saved me now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it¡­ wait a second, when have you learned how to speak?¡± Her grin widened. ¡°Not all of us have been lazing around in bed for the last few days and as it tuned out, I¡¯ve got a talent for telepathy¡­ most magic, actually, but I thought being able to communicate would be more important than hurling fireballs around.¡± That made me laugh. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± My fingers traveled across her slim body, searching for any marks she might have retained from her ordeal but luckily I found none. ¡°How are you? And how¡¯s everyone else?¡± She hunkered down and wrapped her tails around me while she replied: ¡°nothing we can¡¯t deal with. The bruises to our egos are probably going to take a little longer to heal, but for the most part, we¡¯re fine. Well, at least none of us is going to complain to your face, that would be rather hypocritical, don¡¯t you think, considering what you¡¯ve been through in the last week. And how about you? How are you doing?¡± ¡°Great, well, no, that¡¯s a lie, I¡¯ve been better, but there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll be out and about in jiffy. Unfortunately it seems like I¡¯m stuck here until then.¡± ¡°You can bet your tails you are,¡± Ahri interjected as she joined us. ¡°Especially since you¡¯re obviously not giving a damn about what anyone tells you. Why were you up?¡± ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s nothing, really. I just thought I saw someone on the roof over there.¡± With a few strides she crossed over to the window, opened it and stuck her beautiful head outside. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Want me to go check?¡± ¡°No¡­ or maybe, would you mind? I¡¯m probably just paranoid, but there was something¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure but I thought I saw a pair of glowing, red eyes and they were staring at me¡­ almost like whoever it was, was hunting and I was the prey. Scratch that, that was just my imagination, but I¡¯d still very much appreciate it, if you could have a look around. Better safe than sorry, I think, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll find a way to make it up to you.¡± She kissed me swiftly and headed for the door again. ¡°No worries, but if I¡¯m not back in 10 minutes, I¡¯d appreciate if you sent someone after me. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time something went wrong around here, would it?¡± I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to laugh and judging from the low growl that escaped her, my mom didn¡¯t see the humour either. Or maybe she had simply been dead serious. When Ahri was gone I focused back on the sleek vixen and asked: ¡°How did you get caught anyways? I didn¡¯t think any one mortal could get the jump on you, a dragon and a fey.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget your brother and two elves,¡± she replied while an involuntary snarl spread across her face. ¡°Idiocy, bad luck¡­ take your pick. Has anyone already told you, whom you freed us from?¡± ¡°No, but I already figured out that he was most likely one of us, a kitsune, born on Boseiju and exiled, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°More than that¡­ he was a noble and I knew him personally¡­ he was banished, long before you were born, for practicing sacrificial magic. His status and connections protected him from the executioner but he was exiled the old fashioned way, branded and maimed. I¡­ in hindsight that wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do. Let it serve as a lesson to you: don¡¯t humiliate anyone, kill them, if you have to, but never send them away with a festering hatred in their heart. Sooner or later it¡¯ll come back to bite you in the tails.¡± She fell silent while she wriggled around to find a more comfortable position before she continued: ¡°At first, everything seemed to work out just fine. We visited the markets, kept to ourselves and quickly located everything we needed. If we had just bought the ingredients then and there, nothing would have happened, but as you very well know, we wanted to take more than we could pay for. We decided to wait until the stalls closed down, follow the merchants and take what we wanted from their stores but that part didn¡¯t work out as planned. Somebody had recognised us, or at least your brother, I think. Not him, personally,¡± she added when she saw me ready to interrupt, ¡°but rather that he was a kitsune.¡± Another growl escaped her before she continued. ¡°Word travelled fast and when we tried to get into the building, they had already set a trap and where waiting for us. No spells, no magic, just mundane blowpipes, crossbows and expensive poisons. There was no warning, no trace, they knew how many we were and before any of us even realised that we had been tricked, we went down. The next thing I knew, I was already confined to that abominable cage and the others weren¡¯t much better of. The next hours were¡­ challenging. Torture is one thing, but seeing your child¡­ oh well, it¡¯s over now.¡± Her matter of fact tone didn¡¯t deceive me for a second, I could feel her shiver as she told her story, after all. 166. Of regrets, undead and a little bit of family Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I should have been there,¡± I whispered. ¡°And what good would that have done? No, it was a blessing you stayed behind, otherwise¡­ he knew, Cassy. He already knew¡­ he knew that there are three of you and that Arthur was beyond his grasp for the moment. The only reason he kept us in the city and alive was to lure you in. He wanted us all¡­ every last member of our family. Everyone he knew about, at least. Fortunately, he thought he would be dealing with just another kitsune¡­ his last mistake, from what I¡¯ve heard. I¡¯m just sorry I couldn¡¯t rip his heart out myself.¡± I sighed. ¡°Why was he even so fixated on us? Were you¡­ had you anything to do with his punishment?¡± ¡°No, not directly. But he was one of ours, one of our nobles. We didn¡¯t protect him, your father even lobbied for a harsher punishment¡­ in the end, I think it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. He was deranged, broken beyond repair, he always had been. Revenge and ambition fuelled him, even back home and afterwards it only became worse. From what I¡¯ve seen¡­you did a good thing, when you ended him.¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t simply kill him. I¡­ took his soul,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone deserves that.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t there¡­ trust me, if you were, you wouldn¡¯t be doubting yourself. I¡¯m not trying to tell you that what you did is a good thing, I wouldn¡¯t even have believe it was possible if I hadn¡¯t watched you grow up, but don¡¯t beat yourself up because you went overboard. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re much more detached than I expected. Back home I¡¯d have been put on trial and probably sentenced for destroying a soul, if they hadn¡¯t killed me outright.¡± ¡°Maybe, but we aren¡¯t back home and you already did something similar when you were barely 2 years old. You aren¡¯t¡­ mortal. Cassy, look at your life, look at the past weeks alone. I don¡¯t think you, any of us, can be judged by civilised standards anymore. We¡¯re fighting for our survival, nearly every day. We change, we develop, faster and more throughly than even the heroes of old. Was it wrong? Sure, we don¡¯t have the right to interfere with anyone¡¯s soul, it is simply wrong, but by the Great Fox, you torment a snake and you get bitten. That¡¯s the way it goes and you, honey, you¡¯re more dangerous than any snake I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°Might makes right, is that what you¡¯re telling me?¡± She growled and bit my ear, just as she had pinched them when I had been younger. ¡°Ouch,¡± I complained. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re still a little drowsy. Of course not, power is never an excuse. But you don¡¯t have to hide it, either. He challenged you, threatened you, anyone who had been given the opportunity would have fought back with everything they had¡­ in your case, the result is just a tad more drastic than anything I¡¯ve ever heard about. You made a mistake and you know it. Now, relativising what you did isn¡¯t possible, but I surely hope that you won¡¯t hesitate to defend yourself or us in the future, the consequences be damned. And if an evil bastard loses his soul along the way¡­ well, he shouldn¡¯t have tickled the dragon, should he? But if I ever catch you trying to pull a stunt like that when your back isn¡¯t against the wall and you¡¯re thinking straight, I¡¯ll rip your ears off cleanly.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied dryly. ¡°That¡¯s making me feel so much better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. What else are parents for? Now, tell me about your engagement. I knew what the vixen was up to, but I thought she would at least wait until we could be there. What have I missed?¡± A crooked smile formed on my face at her miffed tone. ¡°Fireworks, a lot of fireworks. Ahri transformed that night, did she tell you? No, of course she wouldn¡¯t¡­ it didn¡¯t go over smoothly so I spent most of the night trying to keep her alive and from burning the dwarven ships. But aside from that¡­¡± ¡°If your goofy smile is any indication, it wasn¡¯t all bad. I¡¯m happy for you, I truly am. Even though I still think you should have waited¡­¡± I understood what she wasn¡¯t saying out loud and I didn¡¯t like it, not one bit. ¡°I¡¯m not a trophy to use as a price in politics,¡± I snarled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have minded, if there had been no repercussions, but I¡¯m not going to sacrifice my own happiness to play make believe.¡± She shrugged and yawned openly. ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t get your tails in a knot. I gave my permission, didn¡¯t I? There¡¯s no reason to argue, but I still have to ask: are you sure that was the right call? I mean, you know her for how long now, a few¡­¡± ¡°Thousands of years. Trust me, this isn¡¯t half as hurried as it must seem to you. You only glimpse my changes form the outside, but by now, I think I remember more of my last life than I have lived years in this body. True, my memories form the past seem more distant, less real than what I experience in person, but still, if there¡¯s anything I¡¯m sure of, it¡¯s her. I love her and I always will.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to insult either of you and ask if you¡¯re sure she feels the same way, even a blind human could see it, but¡­ never mind, it¡¯s your life, your decision and I can see it in your eyes that you have no doubts. Like I said, I¡¯m happy for you, I mean it. Not many people are lucky enough to¡­¡± she stopped mid sentence, her nose twitching while she slowly rose from her haunches with the silky sound of her fur rustling against linen and stared out the window. I followed her line of sight and strained my ears but with how impaired my senses were, I couldn¡¯t see nor hear a thing aside from the glare, when a ray of sunlight hit a reflective surface on the roofs. ¡°What is it,¡± I asked, my voice taut with a sudden flash of fear. Someone had been there and I had sent Ahri out after him, what if¡­ ¡°Nothing, I think. Give me a moment. You stay here, don¡¯t get up.¡± With a single, elegant jump, she reached the windowsill and perched down, her tails fanned out to keep her balanced. A second later she relaxed and my own tension drained away when I saw a shock of platinum, red hair appear on the other side of the street. Ahri waved and I had a feeling she was talking to my mother, but without my wings or second sight, I couldn¡¯t be sure. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to. ¡°She¡¯s coming back. Someone was there and it was his smell that surprised me. Almost¡­ rotten, or decayed, like rancid meat. It wafted through the window but over there it¡¯s much more pronounced, at least she told me that. Have you¡­ she asked¡­ do you remember anything about higher undead?¡± ¡°Where did that come from? You¡¯re joking, right?¡± She slowly shook her head. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Afraid not, at least that¡¯s the term your fianc¨¦e used and it would explain the stench. I always thought they were a myth. A soul can¡¯t cling to a dead body, can it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I think they¡¯re real, somewhere at least¡­ but here? The magic involved in creating one is¡­ I think it¡¯s even more complex than the thralls Amon made on Boseiju. You don¡¯t think it could be him, again?¡± Suddenly my eyes went wide as a quiver of panic iced through me. ¡°Please tell me the kids aren¡¯t strolling around the city alone, they have an escort, right?¡± ¡°Relax, we wouldn¡¯t have let them out of our sight without someone to hold their hands and keep them away from the slaves. They got 4 dwarfs with them, a fey and a dragoness. They¡¯re as safe as they can be. Neither Xorlosh nor your friends would allow them to go on their own, so they now have a pretty impressive entourage. Seriously, did you think I would have let them go if they hadn¡¯t been guarded? They¡¯re children for crying out loud and¡­¡±. She sighed, a very human gesture. ¡°And I very well know what Reia means to you, to us. I¡¯m neither deaf nor blind¡­¡± ¡°How, when¡­?¡± I stammered, hidden, undead threats forgotten in a heartbeat. ¡°For quite a while¡­ ever since I transformed. It doesn¡¯t matter, if you hadn¡¯t found out by yourself, I would have told you. I¡­ I just don¡¯t know how to deal with her, not yet anyways.¡± That was a weight off my mind. I had dreaded telling her ever since I had found out and now, I would at least be spared one hell of an awkward conversation. On the other hand¡­ ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I can¡¯t imagine how you must feel.¡± I whispered softly. ¡°No, you can¡¯t and considering how moonstruck the both of you are, you never will. But that¡¯s not important. Whatever your father did or didn¡¯t do, she¡¯s still your sister. Maybe the four of us, her, your brother, you and me can go out for dinner one of these days. But first we should find out who or rather what has been spying on you. It looks like it wasn¡¯t just your imagination, after all.¡± Reluctantly, I let it go. ¡°I suppose it wasn¡¯t. If we¡¯re getting dragged into the mess around here, I should probably know what has been happening. Ahri didn¡¯t share many details¡­¡± She made her way back to the bed and curled up on one of my pillows. ¡°Since the captains never truly cared for what¡¯s happening to the city itself, as long as the money keeps flowing, guilds play an important part in making sure everything runs smoothly. There¡¯s your normal variety of blacksmiths, carpenters and shipbuilders, but also thieves, assassins, procurers¡­ the things that normally stay in the shadows are openly organised around here. As far as I know, the Mask, or rather Nero, to use his proper name, killed, tortured and threatened his way to the top, subjugating everything that wasn¡¯t directly tied to one of the captains. Now that he¡¯s gone, the different guilds are struggling for supremacy and some¡­ well, some are out for revenge.¡± ¡°Why would they bother? Why seek revenge for someone who kept you in chains?¡± ¡°Power, I imagine. Some where much better served with an organisation that allowed them to keep their monopolies and conduct their business uninterruptedly. Whoever took you out would also immediately jump to the top of the pecking order, plus, it¡¯s also a question of credibility. It wouldn¡¯t bode well for the next one in line, should they not at least try to punish you. But I don¡¯t think they know who killed him, not yet anyways.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we just pack our things and go, then? There isn¡¯t much keeping us here, is there? We can be back onboard within a couple of hours and far away from here before anyone would know. They couldn¡¯t dream of catching us again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­ it¡¯s also a chance. We know Amon is tied to the pirates. For one, having the captains of Free Land on our side could turn out to be invaluable and two, he¡¯s bound to have spies around here. He, at the very least, will know exactly who killed Nero. If we leave now, we¡¯ll have to fight for every mile we want to fly.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to, anyways,¡± Ahri interjected while she entered the room. ¡°But I¡¯d much rather have you hearty and whole before we set sails. No matter what the guilds and the captains come up with, we¡¯ll be better off dealing with whatever they decide to throw our way. Once you¡¯ve recuperated, we can try to weather the wrath of the emperor, once again, but until then, I think we should stay.¡± ¡°That sounded much different, not 15 minutes ago. What changed your mind,¡± I asked while she sat down on the edge of the mattress. ¡°I just had a reeking reminder of what magic can accomplish. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what he came up with while we were stuck here. As much as this city spells trouble, it¡¯s still some kind of protection, unless Amon is planing a full scale invasion and after his recent defeats, I don¡¯t think he has the power, not at the moment, at least. Besides, most of the undead can be lit up like matches,¡± she added while tiny flames appeared between her fingers and a nasty smile spread across her face. ¡°Should they try to bother us, I¡¯ll finally have a reason to show off a little.¡± ¡°If we stay, what will happen to the kids? Has the other ship already reached Arthur?¡± My mum shook her head slowly, anxiety sparkling in her large, silver eyes. ¡°No¡­ not yet. Xorlosh is in contact with them, but they¡¯ll still need a couple of days to reach your brother, they ran into a strong headwind. I¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯re in any real danger, but we can¡¯t do much for them either way at the moment. Maybe you, Ahri, or Viyara could get there quickly enough, but otherwise they¡¯re beyond our reach. We¡¯ll have to hope that Amon doesn¡¯t know where they¡¯re going or if he does, that he won¡¯t be able to catch up to them. I don¡¯t quite like it, neither that they are on their own, nor that they¡¯ll be taken to your brother¡¯s village without us, but I don¡¯t think we can do much about it and it¡¯s still a hundred times better than having to worry about them getting entangled in this mess. Reia¡­ your sister and her posse are enough trouble as it is.¡± Ahri¡¯s gaze traveled from me to my mother and back again, her eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her,¡± I quickly explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to. She figured it out on her own, even before we did, I might add. Turns out she¡¯s a bit more perceptive than us.¡± ¡°And a good thing that is, who knows how long the two of you would have kept me in the dark. You don¡¯t need to explain,¡± she added when she saw me gathering my breath. ¡°I do understand why you didn¡¯t want to tell me, but¡­ we are family, all of us, by now. We have to trust each other, which includes trusting in the other¡¯s ability to¡­¡± ¡°That would be a nice change, wouldn¡¯t it,¡± a new, soft voice rang out from the door. I didn¡¯t have to turn around to know who¡¯d be standing there. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought you could rely on me a little more than you do.¡± ¡°Spying on us sure as all hells will make us trust you more. How long have you been listening,¡± I asked, exasperatedly. I didn¡¯t even wonder why neither my mom nor Ahri had heard her, the little vixen was far too sneaky for her own good. ¡°Long enough,¡± Reia answered, while she came closer, her anxiety hidden behind a mask of bravado that fooled none of us. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly how I pictured introducing myself. Oh well¡­ I guess, since I can skip all the explanations I prepared, I can ask directly: will you have me?¡± She had stopped a few steps away from the bed, unsure if she should come any closer. Her eyes were darting nervously from my mother to me and back again, her tail flinching from left to right insecurely. I spread my arms wide and answered for the both of us. ¡°That¡¯s one of the stupidest things I¡¯ve ever heard. Come here!¡± She didn¡¯t have to be told twice. A flurry of movement was followed by a heavy weight that crashed onto my stomach and when my mom decided to join in as well, I could have sworn I felt my ribs creak in protest. I chose to ignore them, the warmth that spread from my stomach easily outweighing my discomfort as we became one entangled mess of arms and tails. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll give you a moment,¡± Ahri mumbled. ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± I replied, while my eyes began brimming with tears. Damn it, I hadn¡¯t even known how much I had wanted this, ever since I had found out and judging from the strangled sniffs I heard, I hadn¡¯t been the only one. ¡°Those two are your problem, just as much as they are mine. You knew I come with a lot of baggage. Don¡¯t just stand there, join us.¡± A warm smile spread across her face and with a few steps, she was suddenly at my side, her tails wrapping around me. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered through our tattoo. ¡°I¡­ you don¡¯t know what it means to me, that you¡¯re willing to share even this part of your life.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop grinning, as I pulled her down for a kiss. For the moment at least, I was happier than I had ever been, in this life or the last. 167. Of rules, promises and a little bit of politics Cassandra Pendragon It was truly remarkable how the company of the ones I cherished blew away my worries. Time ticked by while we fooled around and talked about all the little things that usually never came up but were still unbelievably important, like our favourite colours, my inborn hatred of dresses and my mom¡¯s trouble with adjusting to living on four paws and her ravenous appetite for raw meat. None of us was willing to leave the shelter our stories provided, a sanctuary from the chaos outside the door. Somewhere between listening to Ahri¡¯s evocative descriptions of the small forest dwelling she grew up in, the nearly imperceptible strain in her voice when she talked about her family lost on everyone but me, and Reia¡¯s enthusiastic tale about all the small marvels she had come across during her quick visit to the market, I realised that this was what had set Ahri and me apart from the other immortals for longer than I could remember. Maybe even before we had taken in a spark of mortality, a spark that had allowed us to live. We didn¡¯t seek power but to protect the ones we loved, we didn¡¯t strive to rule nor to remake the world as we saw fit. We simply wanted a place in it, a place to live in without fear, a place to call home, not only for us, but for everyone else as well. That was the reason we fought, we struggled and it was worth the blood we shed and the pain we had to endure, at least to me. Briefly I wondered how Mephisto had ended up at our side, but I imagined for him it was much less personal. He was here out of principle and spite, and maybe, just maybe, because even his immortal heart wasn¡¯t comfortable with idly sitting by anymore. I flinched when someone pinched my side, Reia¡¯s bright eyes sparkling just below my chin. ¡°You¡¯ve gone awfully quiet. Penny for your thoughts?¡± I smiled at her and flicked her forehead. ¡°I do that from time to time,¡± I replied while she rubbed the spot I had hit. ¡°Gives me an air of mystery and wisdom, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Well, maybe it would, if you were dressed and didn¡¯t have a severe case of bed hair. Seriously, it looks like you haven¡¯t gotten up in days,¡± she added, laughing. ¡°Wise ass. But you aren¡¯t wrong. Maybe you could ask my jailers if I¡¯m allowed to go downstairs. I¡¯m still awfully hungry and I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing the others. Where¡¯s Mordred, anyways? I thought he might at least check on me once.¡± ¡°Your brother¡¯s got better things to do,¡± my mom replied. She had managed to learn Viyara¡¯s skill to include everyone present in her telepathy. ¡°He¡¯s sharing a room with Erya. He visited a few times while you were asleep but I imagine they¡¯ve got to make up for lost time while the fey was babysitting your sister.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t babysitting me,¡± Reia interjected forcefully. ¡°Honestly she¡¯s dragged us around as much as she looked after us. The woman simply can¡¯t sit still, she¡¯s even worse than Estrella.¡± ¡°Or you,¡± I asked. ¡°Which reminds me, why are you even here? Not that I¡¯m seriously complaining but I left you a task, didn¡¯t I? What on Gaya made you think it¡¯d be a good idea to hide on a ship that was headed for one of the most vile parts of our continent, with your friends in tow?¡± ¡°That it was headed for one of the most vile parts of our continent? Also¡­ I didn¡¯t want to stay behind. My whole¡­ family is here and I think I¡¯ve proven that I¡¯m more skilled than the average little girl. And I brought Archy and Estrella along, so I could keep an eye on them. Plus, I¡¯m older than you, Cassy. I simply didn¡¯t want to do as you said,¡± she added and stuck out her tongue. ¡°It should be the other way around, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± This time, I pinched her ears, a little more forcefully and even though she spluttered her complaints, she didn¡¯t move away from my touch. ¡°Tell you what, once you¡¯ve saved me from slavers, an ancient dragon and a curse, I¡¯ll gladly follow your orders, oh wise one.¡± ¡°No way, that¡¯s my job,¡± Ahri chimed in. ¡°But if you truly want Cassy to listen to you, I¡¯ve got an idea or two. She¡¯s easy to bribe. Cuddling works, most of the time, food too, if you have it on hand. I wouldn¡¯t recommend threatening her, though. That usually goes very poorly.¡± ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t divulge all my secrets. Besides, you¡¯re no better. I bet if she looked at you with her puppy dog eyes, you wouldn¡¯t manage to say no to anything. But I was actually going somewhere with this, believe it or not. Reia, you do know that we can¡¯t take you with us all the time, right? No, don¡¯t pout. I get it, I really do, but I wasn¡¯t just making things up, when we left you with the dwarfs. I can believe I¡¯m saying this, but¡­ you truly have a responsibility and I need to know that you want just run away, every time you feel like it. You want to be treated like an adult, fine, but then you¡¯ve also got to start acting like one. Which includes not shirking away from your tasks, tedious as they might be.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking,¡± my mom intervened with a barking laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of a princess who¡¯s been hiding away more than you when it comes to anything political.¡± ¡°Not helping,¡± I growled. ¡°Like, not at all. Besides, I¡¯ve always done my part, haven¡¯t I? I might have cursed a little and made a fuss, but I never left you hanging, not even once.¡± ¡°Not even when you skewered a petitioner in the middle of court? Or when you sulked for a week because I made you wear a dress? Or when¡­¡± I raised my hands in defeat. ¡°Alright, maybe I overdid it, once or twice. You know what, you explain to her why she can¡¯t always do what she wants.¡± ¡°Why should I? I already failed miserably with you, so go ahead, teach me how it¡¯s done, oh wise one.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯d really appreciate it, if you weren¡¯t acting like I wasn¡¯t here,¡± Reia mumbled. ¡°My mother,¡± she paused, a shadow rising behind her eyes but before any of us could react, she hurriedly pushed on: ¡°she always made deals with me. Like, I got to learn a spell of my choosing for every month I did my chores without complaining.¡± I wriggled my tails from under the blanket and gingerly wrapped them around her. While she relaxed against me and my mum rubbed her cheek against hers, a soft purr rumbling through her body, I whispered: ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound half bad, little one. What do you propose?¡± She sniffled, once, her hands compulsively buried in my mother¡¯s fur, but her voice remained steady when she replied: ¡°How about this: I¡¯ll do whatever you tell me to, but for every order I follow, I get one question. You¡¯ll all answer truthfully and not try to trick or deceive me.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t do that, anyways,¡± Ahri replied. ¡°What do you get out of it?¡± Reia laughed at her, and even though it sounded a little strained, it felt honest. ¡°Really now¡­ let¡¯s see, tell me, how did the two of you meet for the first time? And I mean truly the first time, how did you fall in love and what exactly are you?¡± ¡°I¡­I,¡± my fiancee stuttered. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. So, what do you say? Think you can live with that?¡± ¡°What happens if we can¡¯t answer, or simply don¡¯t want to?¡± My mum inquired ¡°Nothing, much, but I won¡¯t do as I¡¯m told,¡± the little vixen replied with a bright smile. ¡°I think that could work,¡± I said slowly. ¡°With a few exceptions. First,¡± I indicated Ahri and myself, ¡°our past is off limits. I don¡¯t mind you asking but I won¡¯t be coerced into answering. Same goes for spells and rituals. Second, and I hope you know this already, if we¡¯re in any immediate danger, you WILL do as you¡¯re told, without a discussion. And third, you¡¯re not going to use this deal as an excuse to manipulate us by, let¡¯s say¡­ prodding for the things you know we don¡¯t want to talk about and bringing them up every time you don¡¯t feel like listening.¡± She pursued her lips in thought and her resemblance to my father whenever he had gotten lost in his work was striking enough that I couldn¡¯t imagine how I hadn¡¯t seen it sooner. Without the female softness to her features and a darker fur, she would be his spitting image, like the backside of a coin. For a moment, a wave of grief and, as much as I hated to admit it, anger, surged through me. I missed him, but every time I looked into Reia¡¯s eye, I couldn¡¯t help but remember what her birth meant. I wouldn¡¯t take it out on the girl, no way in hell, but I really wanted to smack my dad seven ways to Sunday. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t going to happen, ever, and I had to be careful to not fall into the same pit I had feared my mother might tumble into. If I allowed the misdeeds of a dead man to define who he was for me, I would never again be able to remember him the way I wanted to. Crap, life could really be difficult. ¡°And you¡¯re not going for repetitions,¡± my mom added and plucked me out of my thoughts. ¡°You won¡¯t pose the same question twice. If we can agree on that, I think it¡¯ll be fine with me.¡± ¡°Spoil sport,¡± Reia mumbled under her breath. ¡°Alright¡­ so, what do you want me to do?¡± I laughed softly, even though I imagined it sounded a little strained. ¡°I guess the better question would be: what do you want to know? If there¡¯s something on your mind, just tell us. You can still ask, can you not, even without any leverage.¡± She bit her lip, her gaze travelling between us and then, it spilled out of her in one uninterrupted rush: ¡°Everything, I¡¯m not stupid, I¡¯ve already pieced together a few things, you¡¯re older than you should be, you know more, than you should, and don¡¯t even get me started on the things you¡¯ve done, the transformations, the spells, your friends, nothing makes sense, I don¡¯t even know where to begin, but for now, please, just tell me, are you gods? Like the ones they taught us about back home? Am I living in one of the ancient stories? Is there actually some kind of truth to the legends?¡± I blinked, caught completely off guard. And then I had to laugh from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Don¡¯t let Mephisto hear that, he would box your ears for that particular comparison,¡± I pressed out, hardly able to breath. For a second I didn¡¯t know myself where my mirth was coming from but then it dawned on me. I had been so busy doubting us, our abilities and our chances in a world that seemed dead set on throwing everything it had in our way, that I had never truly paused to think about what we had actually achieved and how it must appear to someone from the outside. First and foremost, we were still alive and that wasn¡¯t a mean feat, not at all. ¡°What she¡¯s trying to say when she¡¯s not busy choking,¡± Ahri intervened, through a small lipped smile, ¡°is no, we are not. I guess, if you want to reference the old stories, you could call us half breeds, but we¡¯re not really descendants of some deity, we¡¯re just not¡­ completely mortal.¡± Reia¡¯s eyes went wide and she whispered: ¡°so it¡¯s true, you really are¡­¡± she turned towards my mum. ¡°You as well,¡± she all but whispered. ¡°Not quite, and neither was your father. What they are, it¡¯s not tied to their blood, I¡¯m sorry, child.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Reia quickly clarified, her hands stretched out in denial. ¡°I¡­ maybe I was hoping, that¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Her ears dropped and I could practically see her mood swing. ¡°I just thought¡­ how am I supposed to stay with you, if all I have is my magic? Won¡¯t you just leave me behind, sooner or later,¡± she asked through trembling lips. ¡°No,¡± I replied firmly, all mirth forgotten. ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen, you¡¯re ours, as much as we are yours, I promise.¡± Ahri flinched, her body going rigid as she watched me intently, worry clearly visible in the pinch of her multicoloured eyes. For a moment, I simply felt confused. That had been a promise I¡¯d make again in a heartbeat and then it hit me, quite literally. My core reacted, bands of energy spread through my body and while the silvery glow from my skin intensified and the transcendent forces settled in around my centre, pain exploded throughout my entire being. With a strangled groan, I collapsed while whatever little strength I had left evaporated in the fire I felt rushing through my veins. Soft hands reached out for me and I heard different voices I couldn¡¯t quite place shout my name, but it didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t concentrate as a widening chasm opened within my mind and I tumbled straight down a long tunnel, agony the only real thing in the world. By the Great Fox, I was a bloody moron and I just didn¡¯t learn. At least I was starting to get used to it. For a while, I was again caught between tendrils of ravaging flames while transcendent forces burned through my clogged up meridians, scraping them clean. An apt metaphor, since that was pretty much exactly how it felt. Tiny specks of light danced in the chaos before my eyes, a crushing tide rumbled in my ears and every breath seemed to fill my lungs with suffocating darkness. Icy spikes, bitter and barbed, pierced my nerves wherever the searing flames petered out. Sweat started to form a sticky layer on my brow and I couldn¡¯t stop shivering, caught between unbearable heat and deadly cold. I was dimly aware that Ahri unceremoniously shooed everyone else form the room, decisively silencing their complaints and questions, before she laid down next to me and pulled my head into her lap. Her tails circled around my middle and her warmth slowly spread through me, keeping the darkness at bay. A few more tormented minutes passed by before I felt the surge gradually subside, leaving behind nothing but the tingling of my overstimulated nerves. ¡°Ouch,¡± I uttered. ¡°That sucked.¡± With a considerable effort I pried my eyes open and smiled at her beautiful face crookedly. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to collapse on you again, but I got to admit, opening my eyes like this, it¡¯s nearly worth it.¡± She cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Only nearly? Oh my, and here I was, imagining that you simply wanted to have me all to yourself.¡± I chuckled and regretted it almost immediately. My body wasn¡¯t yet up to tasks more challenging than simply breathing and even that was more arduous than I would have liked. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh, it hurts. But if you feel like it, you¡¯re very welcome to kiss me. I can¡¯t lift my head right now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure you deserve it, I can¡¯t reward you for your thoughtlessness, now, can I,¡± she replied but her smile took the edge off her words. When I pouted, she hastily added: ¡°But if you insist¡­¡± A few seconds later I was feeling much better already, but I wasn¡¯t convinced that it had anything to do with my improved condition. Not that I particularly cared, for as long as I could remain in her arms, her tails holding me in a caressing embrace. It wasn¡¯t until someone knocked on the door gently that our lips parted. ¡°Come in,¡± Ahri called in a slightly throaty voice, her cheeks flushed. A young, petite girl in an apron I hadn¡¯t seen before hesitantly pushed open the door. She stared at her feet timidly, unwilling to look at us directly. ¡°Lady Cassandra, Lady Ahri, the Lady Viyara has sent me, there¡¯s an envoy from the seven overlords downstairs and if you¡¯re feeling up to it, they would appreciate your presence. I¡­ I was also told that there¡¯d be a warm meal on the table, if¡­ if you didn¡¯t dawdle longer than necessary.¡± With a visible effort she raised her head, her auburn locks framing a pale but pretty face with large, dark eyes. ¡°What do you want me to tell them?¡± Her nervousness was endearing but I didn¡¯t want to make the situation any more difficult for her, so I bit my tongue and simply answered: ¡°we¡¯ll be down in a few minutes. Thanks for telling us.¡± 168. Of weakness, officials and a little bit of guilds Cassandra Pendragon I had hoped, that my little lapse of judgement would have sped up my recovery, but unfortunately, if anything, it had made things worse. While I could again reach for my core without inviting a migraine, I still felt sick and weak. Consequentially I had to lean heavily on Ahri while I limped out of the room. She had offered to carry me, but my dignity was worth more to me than the extra discomfort and I wasn¡¯t willing to put up with the snide remarks I¡¯d invite if she carried me over a threshold. Plus, I wasn¡¯t going to appear like a damsel in distress saved by a heroine the first time I met with an official. No way in hell I¡¯d willingly deal with that. Having her help me shrug into my clothes and comb out my hair had been bad enough as it was. What I hadn¡¯t thought of were the stairs. I found out quickly enough that my room was located on the first floor and a wide, oaken staircase, the walls covered with a collection of rather tasteless pictures, a chaotic amalgamate of scenery and act portraits which produced a vibe of failed sophistication, led to the ground floor. Each step felt like I had to scale Mount Doom and when I finally shuffled onto the soft carpet in the entrance hall, I was drenched in sweat and out of breath. So much for first impressions. We had arrived in an opulently decorated room, opposite a strong, carved double door. To our left, two smaller exits were separated by a life size statue, depicting a human dancer in the midst of a pirouette, her contortion and empty smile forever immortalised in white marble. To our right, a single door stood slightly ajar, two full battle armours, made from darkened steel, keeping their vigil on either side. A small table in the corner displayed a silver platter with several bottles that smelled strongly of liquor and a few comfortable chairs with colourful pillows and the flickering light of candles turned the atmosphere homely, if somewhat clattered, despite the creepy statue. ¡°Do you need a moment to collect yourself? I can keep them busy,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear while she gestured towards the half closed door to our right, voices and the enticing smell of a savoury stew wafting through the remaining gap. ¡°If I can¡¯t sit down soon, I¡¯ll keel over. I think I¡¯d prefer everyone believing we made out on the stairs to that particular outcome.¡± ¡°A pity we can¡¯t,¡± she sighed. As she shook her head regretfully, the light of the candles, still lit in the chandeliers, dancing through her silky mane, I was again struck by how beautiful she actually was. When she ushered me through the door, I curled a tail around her leg and winked at her. ¡°Next time,¡± I mouthed and steeled myself for what I expected to be a rather dull and mindless conversation, filled with hidden threats and vague promises. Holy hell, how I hated politics. At least there would be something to eat and if I could still trust my impaired sense of smell, it¡¯d be delicious. Maybe Nero had hired a professional cook? No one could be a complete ass, after all. As soon as I entered the room I froze and stared at our guest in silence for a full two seconds, barely taking in who else was there. Of all the things¡­ another kitsune! He was small, even by our standards, but what he lacked in hight, he made up for in girth. I had seen a few of my people before, who had taken too much of a liking to sweets and wine, but that guy had to be related to a manatee. His flabby arms were about as thick as my thighs and his expensive, loosely tailored robes still seemed to stick to him like a second skin. Intelligent, curious eyes sparkled in a bright purple above several chins, the only part of him that was constantly in motion, moving up and down while he chewed on the end of a pipe. His ears, covered in midnight blue fur, twitched form time to time, sending ripples through his long, black hair. He smiled when we entered, his chubby but firm cheeks quivering with the arduous task. Before I could regain my composure, he heaved himself up from his creaking chair and boomed out, his deep voice ringing through the room: ¡°there you are! What a pleasure! I must say, the stories I¡¯ve already heard, fantastic as they were, don¡¯t even begin to do you justice.¡± He executed a surprisingly graceful bow, while he added: ¡°pardon me for breaking decorum, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Allow me to say how delighted I am to finally meet the two of you in person.¡± Shaking off my surprise, I tried to control my breathing and took a couple of steps forward to circumvent the massive table, where my brother, Viyara, Erya, Mephisto, Pete, Xorlosh, Etosh and, to my surprise, Auguros were seated. Each and everyone had a steaming bowl in front of them, while my mum mimed the cute, clueless pet in the background and the girl that had fetched us earlier ladled out more stew. I curtsied elegantly - more or less - and offered my hand to our guest. While he breathed a formal kiss onto the back of it I replied: ¡°You¡¯re very kind, but please, if you don¡¯t want me to blush and stutter in embarrassment, you¡¯ll have to keep the compliments to a minimum, as much as I enjoy your flattery.¡± He was ready to protest when I quickly added: ¡°And if you wanted to make me thoroughly comfortable, you would simply call me Cassandra. But I have to admit, you have me at a disadvantage. I¡¯ve never before visited these parts and, please excuse my ignorance, can¡¯t claim to know whom I¡¯m speaking to.¡± ¡°But of course, forgive me. I¡¯m Tharos, Tharos of the Dawn Fleet, here to convey my master¡¯s, Captain Dawn¡¯s, sincerest welcome¡­¡± ¡°Enough already with the niceties,¡± Xorlosh¡¯s sonorous bass cut him short. ¡°Tharos, Ahri, Cassandra,¡± he said while gesturing at each of us respectively. ¡°We¡¯re all honoured and could you now please sit down so we can have a bite to eat? I¡¯ve been stuck on a diet of ship biscuits for the last days and if I have to stare at me stew for much longer, I won¡¯t be able to contain meself.Good to see you again, lassie. You don¡¯t look half as bad as I expected,¡± he added with a wink. I bit back a grin and with another small bow for Tharos and a wave for Xorlosh, I settled down between Ahri and Viyara. The dragoness greeted me with a bright smile and her small hand quickly covered mine while I took my seat. ¡°Thank you, again,¡± she mouthed. I wrapped a tail around her leg under the table and squeezed her hand before my attention returned to the food. Up close the delicious smell from the bowl in front of me was nearly unbearable and when my stomach rumbled loudly again, I was throughly grateful for Xorlosh¡¯s intervention. It had been quite a while since I had felt truly famished, not having to eat had helped, but when I slowly chewed through the first mouthful of potatoes and something that tasted almost like lamb with a hint of garlic and pepper, undiluted bliss nearly elicited a soft moan form me. I didn¡¯t care much for the platitudes that were exchanged between bites, busying myself with devouring my meal and casting barely veiled glances at Tharos and my brother. My mum had told me that him and the elves were still recuperating and since Astra and Aspera would have been here, if they had been able to, I surmised that I wasn¡¯t the one off the worst, at least mentally. It didn¡¯t really surprise me, after all I had more experience than I had ever wanted to gain when it came to being tortured or helpless. Both wouldn¡¯t make it onto anyone¡¯s bucket list and what Nero had done to them was more than I cared to imagine. Thankfully he hadn¡¯t crippled them¡­ Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Mordred appeared pale in the grey lights that filtered in through the high windows on the southern side of the room. Dark red circles under his eyes, almost like wounds, contrasted with his white, puffy skin and his normally impeccable posture had given way to an exhausted slouch. He twitched nervously, never remaining still or at ease and from time to time, I saw his gaze roam over the windows and door, as if to make sure he wasn¡¯t locked up. Pity and anger welled up within me, but I knew my brother wouldn¡¯t appreciate the former and there wasn¡¯t much point to the latter, I had already made sure of that. Still, my first impulse was to hug and comfort him and if we had been alone, I would have given in, even though I was decently convinced he wouldn¡¯t have had patience for either. At least when it came from me. Where the fey was concerned, though¡­ the two of them relaxed visibly every time their eyes met and I began to wonder if they had already left the it¡¯s-only-fun-and-games stage of their relationship behind. I seriously hoped so, they both deserved something more meaningful to heal their wounds. Tharos on the other hand seemed perfectly at east, exchanging flirtatious, superficial remarks with Erya, when he wasn¡¯t busy emptying his bowl as if he hadn¡¯t had anything decent to eat in days or laughing wholeheartedly at one of Xorlosh¡¯s grunted comments. An air of confidence surrounded him like a tangible halo, but his aura wasn¡¯t intimidating but rather reassuring, like the presence of a powerful, wealthy uncle who had only your best interest at heart. I almost snorted into my meal. If he was the generous, benevolent kind, I was a sheltered, timid princess. I tried to breath in his scent but I could barely identify the fragrant oils he used, never mind anything more substantial. Sighing, I wondered if I could now try to wish away my ailments but I wasn¡¯t willing to risk it, for the time being. The short bout I had had to suffer through upstairs had been enough to become a little more careful. If I wasn¡¯t forced to speed things up, I¡¯d just wait until I felt better. While I swallowed the last morsel of meat, my attention returned to the conversation, which had taken a turn towards why the kitsune was actually here, now that Tharos and Xorlosh had lit their pipes. ¡°Not that I¡¯m surprise to find a henchman of the captains on our doorstep,¡± the dwarf said, ¡°but you have to admit, it¡¯s somewhat strange that you popped in shortly after Tom left. Did you lurk in the shadows until he walked out the door?¡± ¡°No, no, nothing as sinister as that,¡± Tharos replied, grinning. ¡°I simply had one of my guys trail him for the last days. Now, don¡¯t get your beard in a knot, but I think it goes without saying that there isn¡¯t much love lost between us and the guilds and he¡¯s¡­ more dangerous than you think. I only wanted to make sure that we could talk without any unnecessary animosity.¡± ¡°And that we wouldn¡¯t immediately call you out, should you strain the truth a little, eh?¡± The fat fox folded his hands above his heart, looking hurt. ¡°I would never, especially since the quiet one over there, Pete, wasn¡¯t it, could just as well tell you when I¡¯m lying. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not pretending we don¡¯t have a serious interest in what your merry circus might decide to do next, but I¡¯m not here to cause you any trouble. I value my hide more than you think I do. I just wanted to feel the waters, get to know you all, and maybe sniff out if there¡¯s common ground for us to work together in the future, that¡¯s it. After all, I think our goals might be more similar than you already know. Which brings me to a question I¡¯m just desperate to ask: why are you still here? I, of course, already heard about your tussle with the pirates, a thorn in our eyes as well. Forgive me for assuming, but I thought we might be able to help each other out.¡± ¡°Quid pro quo,¡± I quietly interjected and when everybody¡¯s head turned to me, I elaborated: ¡°please, forgive me for being blunt, but I don¡¯t think I have it in me right now, to wrap my words in colourful innuendos. You¡¯re here to collect information, a sensible thing to do, given what little you know, but I¡¯m not willing to spoon feed you who we are and what we want without getting anything in return. Frankly, I don¡¯t trust you much and I don¡¯t imagine that it¡¯s any different the other way around. So, why not try for an honest approach. What do you want to know and what are you willing to offer in return?¡± He looked at me strangely, as if I had just been promoted from a pretty face to someone actually worth his while. Interesting, that meant, he didn¡¯t know who exactly had killed Nero, only that it was one of us. Or I was simply mistaken. Auguros¡¯ laughter caught me by surprise, a deep, soothing sound, like the wind blowing through an ancient forest, and when we looked at him, he quickly raised his hands: ¡°Sorry, I just thought this whole discussion became a lot more interesting. I wasn¡¯t very keen on deciphering every second word and a bit of honesty might actually be refreshing, for a change.¡± Tharos smiled magnanimously and saluted the fey with his pipe. ¡°You know, why ever not. I already told you what I want, I want to know as much about you all as you¡¯re willing to share. As for what I¡¯m willing to give¡­ how about a quick peek behind the curtain, a dip in the well? You¡¯ve mentioned before, that most of you have never been here, but still you linger¡­ even after the flashy ruckus you caused. That tells me you expect to gain something from staying. While I¡¯m not sure what it might be, I¡¯m willing to bet that you could use as much information about the workings of this city as you can possibly get and I imagine that you wouldn¡¯t turn down the chance to make influential friends around here, either. Very influential indeed.¡± ¡°But why would we need you and the ones you speak for,¡± I asked. ¡°You know we are not without connections, you even took the precaution of making sure Tom wasn¡¯t here when you came knocking on our door. Speaking of conclusions, that tells me something about how valuable he and his network might turn out to be and if I was willing to guess, I¡¯d say that most of what you¡¯re offering isn¡¯t something worth bargaining for.¡± He surprise me when he didn¡¯t try to deny it. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course, partly, at least. While I freely admit that nearly everything I¡¯m willing to divulge can be obtained through other channels, you have to keep in mind what¡¯s happening in the city, at this very moment. New alliances are being forged, enemies turn into friends and friends become enemies. Now, the captains have never seen a reason to get involved with the guilds, we had an understanding with the mask¡­ and others, after all. But, as you might imagine, that has changed. Turmoil and chaos aren¡¯t profitable and while we have looked the other way for quite some time, we won¡¯t do so anymore. It¡¯s time the guilds were brought back into the fold, for better or for worse, it¡¯s time to clean house and return order to our backyard.¡± ¡°Are you making us choose,¡± I all but whispered, a hint of suppressed anger thrumming in my voice. ¡°Did you come here to ascertain how close of a bond we¡¯ve already forged with Tom?¡± ¡°Partly, I don¡¯t know how much you¡¯ve already found out about your friend, but his ambitions and ours aren¡¯t compatible. I don¡¯t expect you to offer up his head on a silver platter, that would be naive, at least right now, but I do want to show you another way. Whatever it is you¡¯re trying to accomplish, you must have realised that it would be much easier to do so, if the city were organised and you had the backing of its leaders. And as a small token of my goodwill, why don¡¯t you ask him if he knows who watched you through your window, earlier today, when next you meet with him? I¡¯m convinced his answer will either surprise you or he¡¯s going to lie to your face.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being manipulated. If there¡¯s something you want us to know, tell us, but don¡¯t try to sow mistrust between us. You won¡¯t enjoy walking down that road, I can guarantee it.¡± ¡°Oh my, beautiful, clever and dangerous. You¡¯re not looking for a husband, are you? No, I thought not. Fine, your oh so trustworthy ally is, at this very moment, out and about trying to sell your blood for the support of a guild that even we wouldn¡¯t dare touch. You can either take my word for it or you can wait until you have proof, but it might be too late, by then.¡± ¡°Who,¡± Ahri inquired. ¡°Who could pose a threat that you couldn¡¯t eradicate?¡± He sighed, deeply. ¡°I wonder, during your travels or studies, have you ever heard of vampires?¡± 169. Of allegiances, vampires and a little change Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Once or twice,¡± Mephisto answered, his eyes losing their apathetic sheen for the first time since I had entered. ¡°But they can¡¯t be real, can they? They¡¯re just a myth, something to scare the gullible and entice the stupid. Undead, but yet alive through the blood of others? An undying body with the power to take in someone else¡¯s essence? They would rule the world by now, if they existed.¡± ¡°What makes you think they aren¡¯t,¡± Tharos replied sagely. ¡°I¡¯m not saying they are, but you wouldn¡¯t know about it, if they were, would you? I can assure you, they exist. Like the traces of a nightmare after the sun has risen, they prowl this city, out of sight but their presence can be felt almost everywhere, even in this very room. Why do you think this town puts so much emphasis on slavery? We all know that it¡¯s not truly efficient, but somehow, we have to satiate the thirst for fresh blood that¡¯s so deeply ingrained in¡­ our community. We aren¡¯t vile, we just do what we have to, to stay alive and gather a few creature comforts. That¡¯s as much true for the lowliest street rat as it is for the captains and the Lords of Shadows at the very top.¡± ¡°You seem to know an awful lot. And you¡¯re telling us that one of them was spying on us, because¡­¡± I didn¡¯t finish my sentence, staring at him inquisitively. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but I imagine he was there to figure out how many of Tom¡¯s claims were actually true, like me. Now, much of what I¡¯m going to tell you is pure speculation, but here is what I think is going on. The Mask, Nero, he¡¯s been here for a while and one of the reasons why nobody truly challenged him was his association with the Cabal. That¡¯s what they call themselves. From the very beginning, he secured their support, rising through the ranks, bolstered by the Night Lord¡¯s influence. In exchange for their backing, he offered them the one thing they truly crave: indulgence. Fresh blood and luxuries without lifting a finger. I imagine he even became an aspirant, ready to one day join them, but luckily, you put an end to this particular venture.¡± ¡°And you think Tom is trying to sell us out to forge an allegiance? How would that work?¡± While his story made some sense, it would explain, for example, how Nero had been able to easily subdue my friends, I still remained sceptical. How much bad luck could we actually have? ¡°Usually it wouldn¡¯t,¡± he replied. ¡°What are a few more bodies to bleed, after all? But you aren¡¯t the garden variety that can be picked up on the markets, now, are you? I don¡¯t pretend to understand who you are yet, but I¡¯m certain that they became interested in you, at the very latest, when you turned the Mask into ash. Incidentally, would you tell me which one of you did that?¡± Nobody answered and most of my friends had the presence of mind to remain nonchalantly still, but when Pete¡¯s and Etosh¡¯s eyes swivelled in my direction, I could just as well have held up a sign with my name on it. Tharos didn¡¯t miss the nonverbal clue either and I couldn¡¯t help but groan. The dwarf, fine, I hadn¡¯t expected him to be anything but straightforward. The former pirate and street rat, though, didn¡¯t have much of an excuse. He should¡¯ve known better. ¡°That would be me,¡± I spoke into the lingering silence. Since the obese kitsune was going to start dissecting the dynamics between us anyways, I might just as well try to control what he came up with. ¡°I know I don¡¯t look the part, but I¡¯m quite skilled when push comes to shove. Even though I never intended for him to go out like that. I got¡­ carried away. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve ever met the Mask¡­ Nero in person, but he was quite the handful. I don¡¯t react well to either threats or subterfuge and he tried both.¡± Tharos squinted his eyes at me and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Duly noted. I¡¯ll always put my best foot forward, then. You don¡¯t have to look so grim, though. I already figured that there¡¯s more to the two of you,¡± he included Ahri with a swipe of his still smouldering pipe, ¡°than meets the eye. Not that you aren¡¯t the epitome of eye candy, I can assure you,¡± he added with a wink, ¡°but you don¡¯t normally wait for the princess to discuss a peace treaty.¡± I frowned, unsure whether he was simply speaking in metaphors or if he actually already knew who we were, or rather, who we had been, back on Boseiju. ¡°Anyways,¡± he continued, ¡°you did well in concealing that particular tidbit, but I imagine Tom knows, doesn¡¯t he?¡± I shrugged and look at the others who had been there. After a moment Ahri replied: ¡°if he isn¡¯t dumber than a stump, he must know. Does it make a difference?¡± It was the fox¡¯s turn to shrug. ¡°Probably. That was quite the exceptional piece of magic you performed there, Cassandra. Knowing it was you would add to your allure and make for a better bargaining position, if he decided to sell you out. I don¡¯t doubt he already has, but since even I don¡¯t have friends in the Cabal, I, of course, can¡¯t say for sure.¡± He clapped his hands, his eyes roaming along the table. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get down to business. The way I see it, you only have three options: run and forget about whatever it was you wanted to accomplish and on top of that, still remain on the most wanted dinner list for a group of ancient, bored and powerful undead. Or, you can help us get rid of them, save your own neck in the process and ensure that the captains of Free Land are in you debt. Or three, you can ignore what I¡¯ve said completely, write me off as a raving lunatic and continue on your merry way. Since I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve fallen off my rocker and I expect you would already be gone if you thought it feasible, there isn¡¯t much of a choice, now, is there?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Mephisto slowly replied, ¡°but couldn¡¯t we also, say, subdue you and bring you to the vampires as a peace offering, nicely wrapped, of course? If even half of the legends are true, they can easily turn you into a puppet. Without many difficulties. Who knows, maybe they¡¯d even let us off the hook, for a spy, perfectly placed at the side of one of the captains?¡± Folding his hand across his belly, Tharos turned towards him with an indulgent smile. ¡°So you¡¯re the voice of reason around here? Could have guessed as much. Only a great intellect could kid himself into believing that robe is sophisticated instead of gaudy. Sure, go ahead. You¡¯re genius has caught me completely off guard. Had I only thought of such an outcome¡­¡± I could see his sarcasm irked Mephisto and before I could intervene, the demon replied haughtily: ¡°You know, Nero said pretty much the same thing before we scattered his essence across town.¡± ¡°We? I thought it was her. Now, now, my grumpy, badly dressed friend, of course I¡¯m quivering in my satin socks, faced with your unsurmountable wit and dastardly plans, but I think you¡¯re forgetting one little detail.¡± Suddenly his amicable habit vanished. A red spark entered his purple eyes and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise, while his presence became suffocating, like a blanket of fear. Shadows seemed to crawl towards him from every corner and the temperature in the room dropped noticeably, as if death incarnate walked among us. Chairs creaked and muted curses rang out, as nearly everyone jumped to their feet, either reaching for the door or their weapons. The girls to my left and right, though, didn¡¯t move, their magic slowly rising in their veins. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Tharos¡¯ smile turned predatory and I could see overly long canines poking out from behind his lips. ¡°You¡¯re already a little late to the party.¡± His voice had changed as well, a soothing cadence that pulled at my mind, like whispered promises in the dark. Two opposing impulses flashed through me, momentarily rooting me in my seat. My instincts screamed at me to run and hide, to get away from the unleashed beast in our midst, but the stronger, older part of me felt¡­ challenged, challenged and amused. In my weakened state, a confrontation would surely be interesting. But then again, I wasn¡¯t alone. My gaze darted form left to right and I realised that Tharos would turn into a pile of ash, if I didn¡¯t intervene immediately. Neither Ahri nor Viyara seemed to be willing to listen to him any longer and they slowly got to their feet. ¡°Enough,¡± I spat, a thrum of transcendent power echoing in my voice, easily overpowering Tharos¡¯ presence. ¡°I¡¯m tired and close to the end of my patience. Sit. Down.¡± Even this much, the minuscule trickle of energy I had used, elicited a prompt reply from my throat. Wherever my power flowed through my body, my muscles and nerves protest in pain, searing flames burning away the last bits of unchanged flesh. It took all my self restraint to hide my discomfort and keep from crying out. I felt like I had just swallowed a glowing rod of iron. ¡°Please,¡± I whispered hoarsely when the rising tide of power within Ahri didn¡¯t diminish and she took a step towards the vampire. ¡°You¡¯re better than me, you don¡¯t have to give in. He¡¯s not threatening us.¡± When my tails brushed along her legs and tightened around her middle, she blinked, the raging fires in her eyes slowly receding. She shook her beautiful head, as if to clear her thoughts, the flames in her hair petering out, and gave me a pinched smile while her gaze finally left Tharos. She looked up and down the table before she allowed me to pull her back and settled onto my lap. ¡°If he makes one wrong move, he¡¯ll burn,¡± she murmured. I wrapped my arms around her and breathed: ¡°of course. Thank you, thank you for listening.¡± While we had been stuck in our own, little world, the room had changed, significantly. The vampire hadn¡¯t moved a muscle and my command had been strong enough to tie Pete, the dwarfs and my brother to their chairs, Mephisto hadn¡¯t bothered to lift a finger, anyways. The rest though¡­ green bands of magic slithered around Erya¡¯s horns and while she had to struggle to remain standing, the anger, pain and humiliation she had suffered, had finally found an outlet. If it hadn¡¯t been for me, she would have already thrown herself at the smiling fox. Viyara wasn¡¯t encumbered by my command, our connection had protect her, but she hadn¡¯t attacked yet, either. She stood there, golden light radiating from her eyes, which had turned into two miniature suns. Her hands, or rather claws, were extended, pointing at Tharos and thin rays of power circled around her transformed arms. And my mum¡­ she was gone. Instead, I saw a shimmer of silvery sparks dancing around the wide eyed servant girl, who had collapsed onto the floor. From time to time, the sparks coalesced into the faint outline of a nine tailed fox, a visible reassurance that I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the girl in case things turned ugly. Shaking myself loose from the scene, I slapped the table, strongly enough to make everybody jump. ¡°What are you doing,¡± I hissed. ¡°He hasn¡¯t even moved. If anything, I appreciate the honesty. He didn¡¯t have to reveal himself, but I¡¯m still curious, why did you,¡± I added and turned towards Tharos. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re mindless enough to simply show off. You had to know what would happen.¡± He shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the murderous stares that were thrown his way. ¡°Credibility. You wouldn¡¯t have taken me seriously if you hadn¡¯t known who I was. And since I still think we can work together, I thought it was as good a way as any to speed things up. I¡¯m really tame, you know, and I wouldn¡¯t have come here alone, if I had been set on causing trouble. Now, do you want to hear what I¡¯ve got to say, or should we continue trying to kill each other with dirty looks? As you might have guessed by now, I know a wee bit more about the mechanisations in the city than you thought and more than mostly anyone else you might stumble into.¡± ¡°I have one question beforehand,¡± I replied quietly. ¡°Did you know about the abduction?¡± ¡°Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t confess to it, going by your sudden tension. But alas, no, I did not. Neither me, nor my master, would ever have allowed for it to happen, had we been in the loop. We stayed well away from your¡­ brother? Cousin? When he wreaked havoc on this world a few hundred years ago and we won¡¯t get in your way either. But¡­ before I¡¯m going to spill any more secrets, I think it¡¯s your turn. I¡¯ve shown and hinted at more than I intended to and as you so aptly put it: quid pro quo. If you want to know more, you¡¯ll have to give me something in return. And trust me, I can make it worth your while. Our family isn¡¯t confined to this island, after all¡­ not even to this continent, in case you were wondering.¡± I turned away and tried to catch the eye of everyone else. They grudgingly settled back down and extinguished their magic. When I felt sure that they wouldn¡¯t immediately erupt again, I asked: ¡°what do you say? Benefit of the doubt or should we throw him out on the street?¡± ¡°We need him,¡± to my surprise, Mordred was the first to speak up, his voice flat. ¡°If he¡¯s one of them, it stands to reason that he¡¯s also right about Tom and the Cabal. There¡¯s too much¡­ we have too much to lose. If they were to come for us right now, it would result in a bloodbath. Not many of us can hold their ground against a vampire, if our guest is an indication of how strong they truly are. And I don¡¯t want to run away with my tails between my legs, I want¡­ no, I need to make sure that they¡¯re dealt with, permanently. No one should have to go through¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m done dancing to a tune, someone else is playing. If it¡¯s up to me, we¡¯ll stay and make sure that every last one of those fucks, who helped catch us, rues the day he was born. If that means jumping into bed with him and his ilk,¡± he pointed at Tharos, ¡°then, so be it.¡± ¡°Lad,¡± Xorlosh said, ¡°I¡¯m not sayin¡¯ you¡¯re wrong, but I think that¡¯s your pride speaking, not your brain. I, for one, am not eager to even stay in the same room as one of those bloodsuckers.¡± He looked Tharos dead in the eye and added: ¡°I won¡¯t go against the wishes of me friends, but I know that you shouldn¡¯t be¡­none of you. In case you and I ever meet in a dark alley, you better run. Undead or not, I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll keep on walking when your head is no longer attached to your body.¡± The vampire chuckled and replied calmly: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from you. The living axe of Angram, wasn¡¯t that your monicker, back in the day? I¡¯m glad to see exile hasn¡¯t dulled your edge. By the way, how¡¯s the family? Still save and sound, I hope? It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve heard the Wardens move, after all, but I expect that¡¯s just because there was no reason and not because they hide in shame.¡± I didn¡¯t understand half of what he had said and judging from the confused expressions around the table, I wasn¡¯t the only one. The dwarfs, though, they got the gist of it. The muscles along Xorlosh¡¯s jaw stood out when he ground his teeth and Etosh was livid. His hand flew to his axe but before he could pull it out, Xorlosh gestured for him to stand down. ¡°You¡¯re well informed,¡± he replied icily. ¡°Not many people know of me origins. But at least you know that I¡¯m not making idle threats. Me oath still holds, despite me exile, and you¡¯d do well to remember that.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure of it, but it never even crossed my mind to take you lightly. When everything is said and done, I throughly hope that we won¡¯t cross paths, ever again. Believe it or not, I would hate tearing your throat out nearly as much as being decapitated. I already told you, we aren¡¯t vile, well, at least not all of us.¡± ¡°Liar,¡± Mephisto spoke with barely more than a whisper but I didn¡¯t have any trouble hearing him, and neither did anybody else. ¡°You asked what I know of vampires? I¡¯ve hunted them, bled them dry and returned them screaming to the sea. I¡¯ve torched and slaughtered more of your kind than you¡¯ve ever met and you know what I¡¯ve learned? You¡¯re nothing but a shell, a shell filled with lust and dark desires, created in the image of your pathetic progenitor. You¡¯re not vile? Tell me Tharos, how many innocents have you killed to satiate your thirst, when was the last time you drank?¡± 170. Of roles, family and a little bit of change Cassandra Pendragon With every word, Mephisto had straightened, until it seemed like he was towering above us, like a giant. ¡°How many virgins have you turned, in your quest to seek hollowed fulfilment? How many had to suffer to silence your needs?¡± He rose from his chair and the shadows that had clung to Tharos dispersed, only to reform around the demon like a cloak. His horns manifested, streaks of hellfire dancing between the prongs of his crown. Heat repressed the lingering cold, but it wasn¡¯t gentle or warming, it felt like a living, vengeful beast, ready to tear into us at any moment. And for the first time today, I was afraid. ¡°Tell me, Tharos, what is left of the little boy, who craved only the power to protect his loved ones? When did he die? Was it when you first killed to fill the gnawing hole in your chest, or was it when you began selling out what you hold dear to gain your master¡¯s favour? Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t end this farce, right here and now. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t treat you as the rabid animal you are.¡± Even more quietly, he continued: ¡°tell me why I shouldn¡¯t pick your mind apart and throw your moving carcass over the cliffs.¡± By the gods, I had forgotten¡­ I could only watch in silent shock while my mentor¡­ my friend made us remember who he truly was, an unchained immortal, absolute and pure, who had reclaimed a spark of his power. At first, I felt shaken, but with every moment that passed by, I could feel my temper rise, a growing ball of anger in the pit of my stomach, that gradually drowned out my fear. I didn¡¯t understand why, if anything I should have been thankful for his intervention, but I wasn¡¯t. Instead, I felt corner and my wings began moving under my skin. No one in this world could stand up to him, no one could challenge him¡­ no one but me. As much as I wanted to hide, to let him have his way, I couldn¡¯t. If I turned away now, I would condone his actions, I would return to an eternal world of black and white, of right and wrong without salvation, and I had already sacrificed too much, in this life and the ones before, to allow that to happen. I had to believe that we could change, that we weren¡¯t defined by the mistakes of our past, a vampire as much as a hunted angel. That was something I would have to stand for, even against my friends, if I didn¡¯t want everything I had ever done to become meaningless. I couldn¡¯t let Mephisto break him, just because he thought Tharos deserved it for what he might have been. That was a line I couldn¡¯t let him cross, or I would lose him. By the gods, why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did I always have to choose? ¡°Because I won¡¯t allow it,¡± I said, my voice as quiet as his. ¡°Because this is no trial and you¡¯re no judge, he came here willingly and he leaves the same way. Because you wouldn¡¯t do it to protect or to save, you¡¯d do it for your own vanity and I won¡¯t let you fall into the pitiful state my brother is in. Because you¡¯d have to beat me senseless, and I doubt you could, even now.¡± His burning eyes turned on me and I almost flinched as the presence of a demon bore down on me. While everyone at the table stared at us wide eyed and I felt Ahri tense, ready to spring into action, he said: ¡°Do you think that¡¯s wise? He¡¯s given up on redemption, long go. There¡¯s nothing left to be redeemed. I know you ignore the truth from time to time, but people like him, they don¡¯t change, they can¡¯t. They¡¯re similar to us in that regard, aren¡¯t they,¡± he added with a nasty smile. ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I whispered. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯d be dead, Ahri would be lost and you¡­ you wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± A humourless scoff escaped him. ¡°Don¡¯t get smart with me. You don¡¯t know anything about me and the two of you¡­ you¡¯ve always been different, for longer than I can remember. I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s nothing in him but darkness and a thirst for blood. Don¡¯t be fooled, Cassandra.¡± ¡°Try me,¡± Tharos interrupted us. To his credit, his voice wasn¡¯t trembling, well, not much, at least. ¡°Your quarrel is pointless, there¡¯s an easy way to proof my claims. You¡¯ve made it plenty clear that you can read my mind, if you want to. Go on then, dive in. I won¡¯t resist.¡± ¡°With pleasure,¡± Mephisto instantly replied and I was almost certain that I had seen a smirk creep across his face. Had he been playing us? Or rather, had he been manipulating me, or the vampire? Shadow and flame receded from him and before he focused on the fox, when everybody else was busy breathing freely again, he winked at me, almost as if I had been helping him, as if I had done exactly what he had wanted me to do. I wanted to be mad at him, I really did, but the fire in my belly subsided instead, while a wave of relief slowly spread through me. His theatrics had been more than worrisome and I hadn¡¯t liked the situation he had put me in one bit, but I had to admit, if he¡¯s intention had been to cow Tharos into revealing all of his cards, he had played his hand perfectly. Not only was he going to find out exactly what kind of mess we had stumbled into, again, but he had also given me a chance to hide behind his back. Whomever Tharos was reporting to, their interest wouldn¡¯t be solely focused on me, when they heard what had happened here. I might even have the chance to heal properly, before I was dragged into the depths of vampiric society. While I was still contemplating the demon¡¯s behaviour, he himself was making his way towards Tharos, a curious spark shimmering in his eyes. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll see,¡± he murmured when he placed his long, pale, fingers lightly on either side of the fox¡¯s head and closed his eyes. I felt a surge of power and then both of them went rigid, almost as if they had been frozen. With a shudder, I turned away, my attention snapping back to everyone else. Ahri was still on my lap, her tails curled around my legs, and I could feel the energy that was continuously circling through her body, ready to spill out at any moment. She was as tense as a bow string and for a moment I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought of how she would react if I poked her side. Not that I really would, I wasn¡¯t completely loony, after all, but I was still tempted. Her squeal might even be worth it, inappropriate as it would be. Get a grip, Cassandra! I nestled my head against her neck and breathed in her scent, dulled as it was. While my heartbeat slowly calmed down, I realised that I was shivering and covered in sweat, it had already been too much for me. ¡°I¡¯m a mess,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Thanks for everything, I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡± She turned around to kiss me before she whispered: ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, did I?¡± ¡°You would have, and that¡¯s more than enough. I love you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a room upstairs, but don¡¯t we have more pressing matters to attend to,¡± Erya interrupted. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°I do enjoy the view, mind you, but¡­ vampires?¡± She moved towards us and wrapped us both up in a hug. ¡°And thank you,¡± she murmured. ¡°I think I¡¯ve said it about a thousand times already, but¡­ you were asleep. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. At least this time, it wasn¡¯t for a small eternity. But I do hope that getting incarcerated doesn¡¯t turn into a habit. Even though, being rescued might make it worth it.¡± ¡°Oi, could you stop flirting with my sister, I¡¯m right here, you know?¡± Even though he sounded serious, it was the first time I saw Mordred smile, since I had woken up. The short exchange did wonders to lighten the mood and when Xorlosh chuckled into his pipe and my mum materialised again, I felt considerably better, as did everyone else, going by their grins. Everyone except the servant girl, who was still white as a parchment with eyes as big as saucers. For a moment I contemplate heading over to her, but truth be told, I simply didn¡¯t have it in me to comfort her right now and judging from the frighten stares she shot in my direction without ever glancing at me directly, it wouldn¡¯t be welcome anyways. Maybe some of my magic had leaked out when I had confronted Mephisto¡­ whatever the reason she looked at Erya, Viyara, Ahri and me like we were some kind of beast, dangerous and wild. Where the others were concerned, I couldn¡¯t blame her, Viyara was still half transformed, Erya¡¯s horns still shimmered in an eerie green and the slowly subsiding surge of energy within Ahri could even have been felt by a sloth, but seriously, what had I done? Oh, right, I had made her collapse with a few words. Maybe it wasn¡¯t that surprising that she wouldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°The seven winds may curse you, you¡¯re all completely crazy,¡± Pete suddenly exclaimed. ¡°What did I ever do to deserve this? There¡¯s a friggin vampire in our midst and you just¡­ accept it? Have you lost your goddamned minds?¡± ¡°I might considering running, if I were up to it,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But frankly, after dragons, fey, spiders and the few surprises we came across on the last island, he doesn¡¯t seem so scary. I know that¡¯s not saying much and from what Mephisto said, I should probably be a bit more cautious, but right now, I just can¡¯t get myself to care for much except for how I¡¯m going to get back up the stairs later. Anyways, the two of them seem rather¡­ introverted at the moment, so¡­ what should we do when they wake up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much of a tussle to figure out,¡± Xorlosh replied while he refilled his pipe. ¡°I¡¯d still vote for chopping off his head and purging the city, but that might be a bite to big to chew, even for us. If I¡¯m not completely mistaken, Tharos isn¡¯t half stupid. He came here, fully prepared to show us who or rather what he is. It stands to reason that he, or rather the people he speaks for, are quite interested in our help. He¡¯s used the word family¡­ me guess is, that, at the centre of it all, we¡¯re dealing with a family feud. Dunno if it¡¯s brothers or parents or cousins, but I imagine we¡¯ll find out soon enough. A part of them is in cahoots with the captains while the other faction plays in the shadows on the streets. And now, they want to know who¡¯s the biggest bully in the playground. If I¡¯m right, poor, ol¡¯ Tom is probably already dead and as soon as this one leaves,¡± he jerked his head in Tharos¡¯ direction, ¡° the next messenger will arrive. We¡¯ll have to choose our side. Trying to stay out of it¡­ well, after everything that went down already, I imagine that¡¯s a damn certain way to get us killed.¡± ¡°Why do you say that,¡± Mordred inquired. ¡°¡®Cause they already know of us¡­ as long as we stay here, they¡¯ll see us as a threat and only the most moronic bastards would allow us to stay in their backyard. If we don¡¯t want to leave today, I fear we¡¯ll have to pick a side, for better or for worse. Or we could try to kill them all, like I said. Still me favourite outcome, but I think it might be a wee bit much to take on, don¡¯t you agree, lad?¡± ¡°Certainly and I think I¡¯ve already made it pretty clear where my allegiance lies. I don¡¯t care too much about who they are, but I want revenge. If it¡¯s up to me, every ally of the Mask will bleed before we¡¯re done. To clarify, I¡¯m not questioning you¡¯re reasoning, I¡¯m simply saying that there¡¯s no way between heaven and hell that I¡¯m turning down Tharos¡¯ offer. I¡¯d hunt those freaks on my own, if I had to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hurt, I get that,¡± I said, which earned me a nasty glare form my brother, ¡°but you don¡¯t know who was involved and who wasn¡¯t. Could we, maybe, try to figure out what¡¯s what before we start burning people at stakes? Please, I know how you feel, but¡­¡± ¡°And how would you know how I feel? You, of all people? Tell me, Cassy, when were you ever powerless and at the mercy of another?¡± I tensed, and if Ahri hadn¡¯t been on my lap, I would have gotten to my feet, my shaking muscles be damned. Was he stupid? ¡°Are you kidding me? Rack your brains, that can¡¯t take more than a few seconds,¡± I hissed. ¡°Want me to answer alphabetically or chronologically? You were tied to rack and poked with sticks, damn it Mordred, a few days ago I had stalagmites shoved through my limbs! Pull your head out of your¡­¡± ¡°Enough, you two.¡± It was fascinating how my mum could make us blush and fall silent immediately. As if we were still kids and she was reprimanding us. Not that I had been around to watch her chastise my brother, but since I had been at the receiving end of her ire more than once, I could vividly imagine, how it had gone. It was all the more impressive since she couldn¡¯t even shout, but her telepathic voice conveyed more than enough to make us listen. ¡°We¡¯re already in the middle of another conflict, do you really think that¡¯s the best time to squabble like children?¡± I was on the verge of pointing out that he had started it, but somehow I didn¡¯t see that going all too well for me. ¡°Thought not,¡± she continued. ¡°I do understand what¡¯s going through your mind, Mordred, I was there as well, but that¡¯s no excuse to stop thinking. We¡¯re in no position to hunt after petty vengeance. There¡¯s so much more to think about, I thought you knew that, after everything that has happened.¡± Before I could relish in the fact that she had taken my side, she turned to me: ¡°And you could very well remember that not all of us have the luxury of an immortal core that helps us deal. Honestly, I¡¯m glad that you have the mental resilience of a cockroach, but you could still try to be a little more empathetic, from time to time.¡± I tried to argue, to be honest, the comparison had stung, but she quickly raised her paw. ¡°I know you don¡¯t lack compassion, but sometimes you just forget that most of us can¡¯t go to bed after getting hurt and wake up the next morning as if nothing happened. I¡¯m grateful that you can, Cassy, but I can¡¯t, and neither can your brother. So¡­ could you cut us some slack? We¡¯re trying, we truly are, but we simply aren¡¯t immortal and your attitude isn¡¯t helping.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± I began, but she cut me off once more. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to sound reproachful, but you can¡¯t expect us to take everything that has happened over the last weeks in stride. Your brother isn¡¯t mad at you, he¡¯s mad at the world and frankly, who can blame him? It¡¯s become a lot easier for me since you changed me, but I still have trouble sleeping because the fires that devoured Boseiju ignite in the darkness, every time I close my eyes. So¡­ you were right, of course, I told you as much this morning, but it¡¯s a bit unfair to use the same yardstick, don¡¯t you agree?¡± So much for taking my side, but she wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°I¡­ of course.¡± I faced Mordred and added: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to belittle what you had to endure. Forgive me?¡± He shrugged and almost smiled. ¡°Sure, and I¡¯m sorry, too. I¡¯m somewhat out of my depth, but I didn¡¯t intend to blame you, even if it might have sounded like it. I¡­ I think I need some time to myself. I¡¯ve just proven that I¡¯m not a tremendous help right now. I¡¯ll support whatever you guys decide to do, but I don¡¯t think I can make any sensible decisions right now.¡± He quickly got up, as if he was trying to flee and turned his head away from us, Was he crying? I couldn¡¯t tell, but if he was, there was no way I¡¯d let him be alone right now. My mum had been right. I took too much for granted. Some things simply needed time to heal, time and more often than not, a shoulder to cry on. Luckily I didn¡¯t have to volunteer mine. Before he reached the door, my mum hurried after him, waving her tails at us apologetically. ¡°I¡¯d ask if you want some company, but I¡¯ll come either way,¡± she projected. 171. Of comforts, omens and a little bit of education Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with him,¡± I asked Erya. She slowly shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I still have a nearly depressed granddaughter to take care of. Morgan is hiding in her room and I¡¯ve already spent too much time ignoring her. I don¡¯t have the patience to care for your brother all the time on top of that. Besides¡­ while I do enjoy his company, he¡¯s starting to see more in me than I can reciprocate.¡± Shit. And I thought the two of them were getting closer. That definitely didn¡¯t sound like it. ¡°Really,¡± Pete chimed in. ¡°To me it seemed like the two of you were of one heart and one soul, just now. Was I mistaken?¡± Erya frowned and I could practically see her thoughts as she tried to figure out if and how to respond. Anxiety and regret were clearly visible in the tight line of her lips, her eyes were narrowing with annoyance and something akin to fear hid in her posture. For a former ruler and an instinct driven fey, she was surprisingly easy to read. Or I was just getting to know her better. ¡°You weren¡¯t. But¡­¡± she glanced in my direction before she continued: ¡°do you mind if I go on? It concerns you as well.¡¯¡¯ I blinked, oscillating between confusion, curiosity and just a hint of worry. ¡°Sure, I mean, how bad can it be?¡± I replied hesitantly, which elicited a sigh from her. ¡°Truth be told, pretty bad. He¡¯s jealous of you, in more ways than one, and that we¡¯re tied together doesn¡¯t help one bit. He¡­ I think he¡¯s trying very hard to not blame you for his problems, but it¡¯s not always working out. If we go on like this, I fear he might make me choose between the two of you, one day. And¡­ well, I like him, I truly do, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big secret how that would turn out. It¡¯s got not so much to do with how I feel about either of you and more with who I am. I simply can¡¯t deal with the amount of commitment he expects, at least not right now. One day, maybe, but if I take a step back and look at what has happened since you freed me...¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence and shrugged instead. I was pondering what she had said, when Ahri squirmed and whispered in my ear: ¡°you should make the time to talk to both of them. Your brother¡­ I think I know Mordred better than you do, and if the fey is right, you shouldn¡¯t allow his feelings to fester. He¡¯s got a nasty streak and I don¡¯t want to imagine what might happen if he truly started believing you were responsible for his troubles. Also, while Erya didn¡¯t admit as much, I still think a part of her believes that she¡¯ll have a chance with you, if she just waits long enough. You owe it to her to clear the air. Unless, you¡¯re interested as well?¡± Her tone surprised me. It was rather curious than defensive. Which in turn irked me immensely. I¡¯d be furious if she wanted to jump into bed with anyone else. Sending my thoughts through our tattoo, I asked: ¡°wouldn¡¯t you mind?¡± I didn¡¯t manage to suppress every impulse that circled through my mind and when she felt what I was trying to hide, the blasted vixen even chuckled. I was ready to throw her off of me but she quickly leaned back and kissed me passionately enough to buy herself a few seconds. While the dwarfs wolf whistled and I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks, she replied: ¡°Of course I¡¯d mind. I hate the thought of anyone else touching you. But if you were tempted, I¡¯d want to know and I didn¡¯t think that showing you precisely how thoroughly I detest the idea wouldn¡¯t have been the best way to get the truth. I told you before, I¡¯m a tad better at controlling my emotions than you are.¡± ¡°You manipulated me,¡± I wanted to hiss, but with the warmth of her lips still on mine, it came out closer to a moan, even telepathically. ¡°Was that really necessary?¡± ¡°Cassy, you¡¯re the most important being in my life. No, it wasn¡¯t, but I still had to know. Just the same way I had to kiss you while Erya was watching, just now. A bit petty, but you know¡­¡± ¡°You actually are afraid of something,¡± I mused, my bad mood evaporating like a bad dream. She pinched my side before she said: ¡°That¡¯s what you take form what I¡¯ve said? By the Great Fox, maybe I¡¯m the one who should be looking to get to know someone else.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± This time, I had no problems sounding menacing. ¡°Of course not,¡± she laughed. ¡°I love you. And once we¡¯re rid of our guest, I¡¯ll remind you of just how much. But until then, I think we should focus, don¡¯t you agree?¡± I wrapped my tails more tightly around her and nodded reluctantly. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Our exchange had been nearly instantaneous and consequentially, I was faced with a variety of grins when I glanced past Ahri¡¯s mane. After what she had told me, I couldn¡¯t help but study Erya more closely. Superficially, she seemed as amused as the rest of them but there really was a strange tension to her expression and I saw her gaze flicker to Viyara, more than once. The dragoness appeared composed while she transformed her arms back into their human form, but she was carefully avoiding looking at me. Now, that I actually thought about it, I realised that I already knew that both of them had been infatuated with me since we had first met. Erya had even been quite outspoken about it, even though I suspected that a lot of it had been simply for show. As far as the young dragoness was concerned, I expected her feelings to be closer to what Archy felt for me, a mixture of gratitude and curiosity, easily confuses with something more, that would blow over quickly enough. In his case, it already had. The fey, though¡­ I simply couldn¡¯t tell. It didn¡¯t matter too much, she had just now made it perfectly clear that she was level headed enough to make her choices without any sentimental baggage, but Ahri was right, too. If she truly thought that there might be something between us in the future, I owed it to her to set her straight. Even though, in my humble opinion, I had been perfectly honest from the start. Sifting swiftly through my recollections of our time together, I had to admit, I might have flirted with her once or twice, but I didn¡¯t think that I had ever given her a reason to believe there might actually be more between us. Absentmindedly, my fingers brushed over the bracelet Ahri had given me and once again, I felt thoroughly grateful that I didn¡¯t have to question my own feelings. The knowledge that I had already found someone was¡­ comforting. ¡°Sorry for the interruption,¡± Ahri said out loud, ¡°but I had to make a point.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve been heard loud and clear, lass,¡± Xorlosh replied, ¡°but I¡¯ve got to wonder who the message was actually for. No matter, I don¡¯t think I even want to know. We ought to get back to the question at hand anyways: what now?¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I don¡¯t mind providing him with some gossip,¡± I jerked my head in Tharos¡± direction, ¡°in case he¡¯s more present than we believe but if you¡¯re right and we have another message waiting for us, I¡¯m not willing to discuss whom we should side with as long as he¡¯s with us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one thing you don¡¯t have to worry about,¡± Viyara replied. ¡°Mephisto¡¯s in his head. Even if the fox should hear something he isn¡¯t supposed to, Mephisto can delete it instantly and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s blocking his senses already. We¡¯re about as safe as we can be.¡± ¡°In that case, let me ask this first: who¡¯s even here? I heard that Morgan came along as well and I already met Reia. How many are we, all together?¡± ¡°Let me see,¡± Xorlosh rumbled while he distractedly packed his pipe again. ¡°There¡¯s the ones you see, the three kids,¡± he lit the tobacco and began counting off with his fingers, ¡°the elves, a couple of me lads, 18, without the two of us, most of them still on board the ship, and of course, the pirates you took prisoner when you highjacked their ship. Incidentally, that¡¯s something we have to deal with, soon. We can¡¯t keep them locked up for much longer, they¡¯ll become sick shortly. Maybe that¡¯s something we could figure out now? I wouldn¡¯t mind throwing them overboard terribly much, but I imagine you lot would rather find a less drastic solution. I guess we could always set them free, but I¡¯d rather not.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that,¡± Pete wanted to know. ¡°Most of them aren¡¯t that bad. Hells, I imagine only a few wanted to become pirates in the first place. I could just as well be down there,¡± he added quietly. ¡°Lad, I know you¡¯re decent enough folk, otherwise me and me lads would¡¯ve already had a talk with you, but don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking they¡¯re all like you, cuz they aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°And how would you know, Axe of Angram? It doesn¡¯t look like you spent particularly much time with them.¡± The moniker made Xorlosh flinch, but even though I could see the grinding of his jaws, he answered calmly, his irritation hidden behind a jovial mask: ¡°Pete, I get it, I truly do. You¡¯ve had a lucky break and now you feel like you have to stand up for the ones who weren¡¯t as fortunate. That shows some character, but¡­ tell me, if you hadn¡¯t been around us for the last couple o¡¯ days, dare I say made friends, and someone came up to you and offered you good coin for whatever you knew about us, would you take it?¡± Pete already drew in his breath to answer but he deflated quickly enough. ¡°I suppose so,¡± he grudgingly admitted. ¡°Answer me this, though, if you go ahead and finish them off, where¡¯s the difference between you and the vampire you obviously hate so much.¡± ¡°Simple, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill in cold blood if it makes me and mine safer. You¡¯ve called me Axe of Angram¡­ do you know what that means?¡± The human shrugged and I sat up straighter, curious to get some information about Xorlosh¡¯s past. ¡°It¡¯s a title, more than anything, one I earned for cutting a bloody path through my own people. You know what happened? I wasn¡¯t chastised, punished or exiled for it. I was hailed a hero cuz I had the guts to do what was necessary and damn the consequences and I slept like a baby afterwards. I think you¡¯ve known me and me boys for long enough now to tell that we aren¡¯t looking for excuses to murder people, but I¡¯ll be damned if I risk the neck of any single one of my friends to satisfy a need to be seen as a hero.¡± He turned to me and asked: ¡°Lass, I¡¯ve got a question: do you think you could keep us safe from the vamps and the scum of this place, if you truly tried?¡± I didn¡¯t even have to think about my answer. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already proven that I can¡¯t. We came here in the first place because I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°There you have it,¡± the dwarf continued. ¡°She¡¯s one of the most powerful beings I¡¯ve ever met and still she can¡¯t. If you want to see yourself as a saviour, you better make darn sure that you¡¯ve got the firepower to back it up, in case things go south. And we simply don¡¯t. Let those buggers out of the brig, let them swarm through the city with everything they know about us, and we¡¯ll have a dagger in our backs sooner than you can imagine.¡± ¡°Ah, but I believe that¡¯s were you¡¯re mistaken, my burly friend,¡± Auguros interjected. ¡°The cat is already out of the bag, so to speak. Do you think a vampire, old and strong enough to walk under the sun, is simply dropping by on accident? Whether or not Tom is telling on us doesn¡¯t even matter, we¡¯ve already left a lasting impression. I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re worried about. Do you truly think that a few handful of human sailors could pose as big a threat as him alone,¡± he jerked his head in Tharos¡¯ direction, ¡° never mind his master? If there even is one.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that,¡± I asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not we¡¯ll versed in the lore of the undead, but over the centuries I¡¯ve picked up a thing or two. For him to be able to walk under the sun isn¡¯t normal, it¡¯s an ability unique to the oldest bloodlines, as far as I¡¯m aware. He definitely isn¡¯t just another lackey, but who¡¯s to say that we don¡¯t have the actual Captain Dawn in our midst?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice was loud and clear but when I glanced his way, I saw him shake his head vigorously, as if he was trying to get rid of the images that were still stuck in his mind. Tharos, on the other hand, seemed more composed but his movements were edgy and unnaturally fast, his predatory nature clearly visible, despite his attempts to appear at ease. The demon focused on the fox and said: ¡°get out. We¡¯ll be there but until then, I want to see neither you nor one of your goons near this house. I think we can take care of ourselves for a few days. And¡­ well played. I didn¡¯t expect you to come prepared. It¡¯s¡­ a nice change to deal with someone competent, once in a while. Also, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have judged you so harshly, but it didn¡¯t matter, in the end, did it? Now move, before I change my mind.¡± Without anther word, the vampire got up, bowed to us and headed for the door, leaving behind a stunned silence. When I heard the front door close, I asked: ¡°What was that all about? Care to explain? Or would that be too much trouble for his demonic majesty?¡± I had intended to sound flippant, but since I was beginning to struggle with simply sitting upright, I didn¡¯t think that I actually managed to pull it of. Whiny was probably closer to how I had actually sounded. Mephisto didn¡¯t reply immediately and closed his eyes while his crown vanished and the shadows around him dispersed. After a second or two, he again looked like the slightly eccentric pharaoh I had come to know him as. When he raised his head, he smirked at me: ¡°Isn¡¯t it past your bedtime? You look like you¡¯re close to another collapse.¡± I flipped him off. ¡°Fine, I guess I can tell you a short bedtime story. Listen closely, all of you, I¡¯m not keen on repeating myself. First of, I¡¯ve accepted the invitation from Tharos¡¯ liege, the main reason why he was here in the first place. Three days from now, I¡¯ll be visiting the local, undead overlord and you¡¯re very welcome to join me, in case you want to. Now, as for why¡­ it might not seem like it, but I think this time around, Lady Luck actually smiled down on us, for once. If we play our cards right, we might have the chance to throw an undead army at Amon, gain access to a series of gateways that connect to a few islands and, possibly, even to the other continent.¡± He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before he went on. ¡°I guess I should start with what vampires actually are. Basically, there are three different types, pure bloods, changed either in the womb or during their earliest days, the turned, who were transformed when they were older and ghouls, the result of a vampire trying to transform someone who¡¯s already given in to carnal pleasures. As you might imagine, they differ greatly in how powerful they are, a consequence of how the transformation works. Vampirism is mostly described as a virus and that¡¯s not a bad metaphor. In essence, when a mortal is turned, his energies are changed beyond recognition. The soul becomes tethered to the life force directly, which is then fused to the body, which means, that even though they are technically corpses, they still live. To make such a thing possible, the astral vessel is burned, consumed to fuel the change. Consequentially, the stronger the magic of the turned individual was in life, the stronger of an undead he¡¯ll become. Also, the purer the mana used in the transformation is, the more potent the abilities of the resurrected vampire, which is why there¡¯s so much of a difference in relation to when the change happens. Now, aside from providing you with basic education, which all of you dearly need, I¡¯m telling you this so you understand what it means, when I say that the leader of the Cabal and Captain Dawn are siblings, transformed in the womb, when their mother was slain.¡± 172. Of relationships, invitations and a little surprise Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Their sire,¡± the demon continued, ¡°belonged to an ancient bloodline. I¡¯m not completely certain, but I even think that I¡¯ve heard of it before, which is quite surprising since I¡¯ve never cared much for the undead races, despite my earlier outburst. Now, this is where it gets interesting. Tharos¡¯ mind was wiped, most of his memories sealed away in a medium he¡¯s going to reclaim when he gets back. Consequentially, I only saw what he was allowed to retain. Most of it was useless, a few scenes from his past and glimpses of his present. In sum, I¡¯d call them a well crafted sales pitch. I don¡¯t think his memories, those that he still had, were tempered with, but of course, I can¡¯t be sure. With enough time and effort, the mind can practically be rewritten and I¡¯d need a lot more than a quick peek to determine if that was the case.¡± ¡°So, basically, you know nothing,¡± Erya chimed in pejoratively. ¡°After that longwinded introduction, I expected a little more, to be honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not finished,¡± Mephisto grumped. ¡°I know that the two vampires have been in this city since it¡¯s very founding, I know they survived the cataclysm and I also know that, while they were still working hand in hand, they managed to expand their influence far beyond the borders of Free Land, possibly even to the other continent. And, would you believe it, they aren¡¯t oblivious to an ancient, powerful sorcerer taking over the ranks of the pirates they tried to deal with for the better part of a century. Captain Dawn even has a few of his spies locked up in his dungeon. He used Tharos¡¯ to invite us to his manor in three days time. He¡¯s proposing a simple deal: we help him get rid of his sister, so he can start rebuilding Free Land and in exchange, he¡¯s willing to support us. Now, before you ask, I don¡¯t know what happened between them, why they¡¯re trying to rip each other to shreds or how far his help would actually go and what precisely he can offer us. He made damn sure that that I saw enough of his toys, henchmen and magic to become curious, but for anything more, we¡¯ll have to visit him in person. There¡¯ll be a grand ceremony in the harbour to christen his newest ship and hand her over to one of his underlings and we¡¯re welcome to join the festivities at his manor afterwards¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t it just be a trap,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°This¡­ Captain, he seems to already know a great deal about us and I¡¯m not keen on walking into a reception, similar to what my family went through.¡± The demon shrugged. ¡°A valid point and one of the reasons why I said I¡¯d go. You¡¯ll have to make up your own mind, if you think the risk is worth it. I, for one, do, but I¡¯m also reasonably certain that I¡¯ll make it out of there in one piece, whatever happens. If you want my honest opinion, you shouldn¡¯t come, unless you¡¯re restored by then, but that¡¯s unlikely. As for the rest, I¡¯d easily take Erya and Viyara with me, Ahri too, but I imagine she¡¯s going to stick with you. I¡¯m fairly certain they¡¯re reasonably safe, but everyone else¡­¡± his words trailed off, but to my surprise, no one contradicted him immediately. I had expected a flood of boastful complaints, that they were strong enough to take care of themselves but apparently, no one was eager to walk into the lion¡¯s den, or the bat¡¯s cave, in this case. While I pondered his words, I heard a faint knock on the front door, followed by creaking wood and the nervous reply of the servant girl. I hadn¡¯t even realised that she had snuck out of the room at some point. A few seconds later the door closed again and a piercing shriek rang in my ears. All thoughts of plans and allies forgotten, the table immediately erupted in a flurry of activity. Ahri jumped to her feet, her wings materialising with an explosion of hot air, barley missing my head. Swaths of magic formed around Erya and Viyara, their silhouettes temporarily hidden behind a curtain of light. Mephisto barked an abyssal command and a halo of shadows formed around his body, turning him into a nightmarish apparition of darkness. Even Pete developed an unexpected level of agility, as he practically jumped from his chair. The dwarfs were the fastest, though. Before anyone else could move more than a step, they were bursting into the entrance hall, weapons drawn. And while my friends were hot on their heels, an unstoppable force, ready to grind to dust anything unfortunate enough to get in their way, I slowly convinced my aching bones to move. I might have been able to keep up with them, but honestly, short of a veritable army, there wasn¡¯t much that could threaten them and I didn¡¯t particularly feel like myself. While I got up and limped across the room, straining my impaired hearing to pick up on what was happening on the other side of the door, a strong arm slipped around my waist and I heard Auguros voice at my side: ¡°If you want, you can lean on me. But just to be clear, I think it might be better if you stayed. Either there¡¯s something to fight, in which case you¡¯ll most likely be in the way, or there isn¡¯t and you can just as well wait here. But I know you¡¯ll ignore me.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that. Thanks.¡± I smiled at him weakly, wrapped my arm around his shoulders and together, we took a couple of steps until we stumbled onto an almost comical scene. Provided one had a rather dark sense of humour. Otherwise it might have been a tad creepy¡­ Tom hadn¡¯t fared overly well since last I had seen him. Well, his head hadn¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t say much about his body, since it wasn¡¯t there. Somebody had delivered a package, a simple wooden box that laid discarded in the corner. When the girl had opened it, she had found a bloody bundle of coarse linen. As soon as she had unfolded the cloth, she had stared into the empty eye sockets of our former acquaintance and begun wailing like a banshee. Now, my friends were forming a ring around her, bristling with weapons and magic, which probably didn¡¯t serve to sooth her, either. On top of that, the severed head was beginning to slowly rise into the air, blood sadly dripping from its wounds. Aside from the last, final blow, Tom¡¯s eyes had been gauged out and judging from the gaping, swollen and deformed crack that had once been a mouth, I was fairly certain that his tongue had suffered the same fate. As far as last moments went, his had been one of the unkinder ones. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± Mephisto snarled, when Erya was taking a step forward. ¡°And get the girl out of here, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going to happen.¡± While he spoke, he was already forming arcane symbols with his fingers, a translucent bubble with a reddish sheen snapping in place around the head. Erya hesitate, but only for a moment, before she gently forced the servant a few steps back and out of the way. I couldn¡¯t understand what she whispered in the girl¡¯s ear, but somehow she got her to her feet and led her away without too much resistance. ¡°I think, that¡¯s a message,¡± Viyara murmured. ¡°You don¡¯t say, lass. And a pretty convincing one at that.¡± Xorlosh was eyeing the macabre display suspiciously and I could practically see the amount of willpower it took, for him not to poke the thing with his axe. ¡°No, you imbecile! I mean literally. I recognise the spell. It¡¯s¡­ there, shut up, I think it¡¯s going to speak.¡± True to her words, the mutilated mouth opened and an eerily green fire ignited in the dark, bloody holes where the eyes had been. A smooth, velvety voice that reminded me of dark nights and softly falling rain drifted through the hall, like a lazy breeze, an absurd contrast to the brutality on display, even more so, since it came from Tom¡¯s ugly, tortured remains. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°My sincerest apologies for making myself known in this rather gruesome manner. I¡­ I would have liked to welcome you in person, but I¡¯m afraid the circumstances won¡¯t permit it. As you might have guessed, I¡¯m Alassara, sometimes called the queen of the night. Please, take this gift as proof that I don¡¯t mean you harm, and if you could find it in you to return the favour, I would be tremendously grateful. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll cross paths, sooner or later, but hopefully it won¡¯t be on the hungry fields of battle. May the night protect you. And I¡¯m sorry.¡± The head fell back on the floor, its magic spent and the fires in its eyes flared, consuming flesh and bone in an instant. A cloud of smoke rose up, the stench strong enough to make me gag, and when the air cleared again, a shimmering crystal sparkled in the light of the chandelier. ¡°At least we know what Tom was up to, now,¡± Pete said pragmatically, after a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking forward to dealing with him, truth be told. The little things, you know.¡± ¡°Ah¡¯d have liked to give him a piece of me mind,¡± Etosh replied, ¡°an¡¯ he doesn¡¯t smell of roses, either, does he? But ah guess there¡¯s no point crying over spilled milk. Good riddance, ah¡¯d say. Now, who wants to pick up that crystal?¡± I wasn¡¯t surprised when everybody turned to me, eyebrows raised expectantly. ¡°Sure, let the sick one do the heavy lifting. A bunch of true gentlemen, you are,¡± I grumbled, but without any real fire behind my words. If the gem was a trap, I was most likely going to remain unscathed. Still, while I slowly made my way through them, I asked: ¡°Can one of our oh so terribly wise mages at least tell me if it¡¯s enchanted?¡± Erya chuckled. ¡°Oh yes, very much so, and once you touch it, we¡¯ll even know what kind of spells have been placed upon it. At the moment, I fear I can only tell you, what you already see yourself. It¡¯s chock full of energy and there are spell formations that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Just so you know, if this bites me in the ass, you won¡¯t hear the end of it.¡± Ahri was on the verge of speaking up, probably to offer doing it herself, but I wasn¡¯t going to allow that. We could either stand around and throw every scrying spell we had at the crystal, only to come up with convoluted explanations that wouldn¡¯t help one bit, or I could just get on with it. I squeezed her hand in passing, took a deep breath and closed my hand around the glowing jewel. Nothing happened, at least at first. I felt a current of magic circling underneath its surface and there was a faint reaction when I touched it, like ripples in a pond after a stone was thrown in, but no explosion followed. I relaxed slightly and straightened, the gem sitting on my palm. Only when I heard Ahri gasp and saw Mephisto reach for me, did I realise something was wrong. But it was already too late. An opaque circle had formed beneath my feet and before I could manifest my wings or move away, the floor vanished beneath me. With a curse, I fell, the entrance hall, the panicked expressions of my friends, even the rancid smell of burned meat, it all disappeared in a swirl of colours. The last thing I heard, was Ahri desperately screaming my name as she tried to catch me, her wings a blazing inferno of light behind the closing gap in reality. A surge of fear spiked through me, as I lost my grip and tumbled down a long, winding tunnel. My imagination ran wild and with the memories of what Tom had been subjected to still vivid in my mind, I felt like I was drowning. I remembered how it had felt to be staked beneath Shassa¡¯s statue, turned into a helpless, writhing thing, used to power someone else¡¯s schemes until I¡¯d be wrung dry only to be discarded afterwards like an empty battery. I remember how it had felt to be alone in the dark, alone and afraid, hopeless and forgotten¡­ Enough! Never again! Never again would I allow anyone to use me like this. Whatever awaited me at the end of the rift, I¡¯d make sure that they were going to rue the day they had decided to cross me. I might not be at my best, but I sure as all hells was still capable of causing trouble, whoever waited on the other side. With a mental twist, I shoved the rising panic away and allowed my fear to slowly transform into anger. While the suffocating images disappeared behind a curtain of burning fury, my thoughts cleared. There¡¯d be time to freak out later, once I was back at Ahri¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had been pulled through a portal and for a moment I toyed with the idea of unfurling my wings to rip the closely knit strands of energy around me apart. While I was decently confident that I would manage, I feared that I might be catapulted into the ocean, or even another plane, if I disintegrated the spell that pulled me along. My chances to deal with whatever I might find once I arrived were considerably better, I reasoned. Plus, ripping through an inanimate spell wasn¡¯t nearly as satisfying as beating the shit out of an undead wannabe queen. If it even came to that. Now that I wasn¡¯t running in circles within my own nightmares, I realised that I probably wasn¡¯t headed for a fight. Trying to kill me or anyone else for that matter, would have been a million times easier with a heavy crossbow or by simply blowing the house up while we were still inside. Since Alassara definitely knew where we stayed, neither would have been tremendously difficult. Which led me to believe that she¡­ and I came up blank. Why the subterfuge, the message, the enchantment? She couldn¡¯t even be sure that I¡¯d be the one to pick up the gem, not unless she already knew us quite intimately. If she had figured out that I was impervious to magic, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to arrive at the conclusion that I¡¯d be the one to interact with a suspicious, unknown artefact. But how could she have known? After everything I had been through, I immediately thought that there might be another traitor in our ranks and, as much as I didn¡¯t want to, I directly envisioned Pete, striking a deal behind our backs. No, I wouldn¡¯t mistrust my friends without any proof and after everything we had lived through together, I considered the gangly human a friend, even with all his whining. Oh well, in the end, it didn¡¯t matter too much, I¡¯d find out one way or another. Either someone was going to try to kill me, as soon as I arrived, or I was going to have a rather enlightening chat. For now, I had to make sure that the former wouldn¡¯t go over as smoothly as planned. I expected to hate myself tomorrow, but for now, I needed my wings. Grinding my teeth, I willed them to manifest. The exhilarating rush I had come to expect when the power from my core surged through my veins, didn¡¯t come, though. Instead it felt like an injection of acid, burning like fire, consuming parts of my body while it spread through me. If I had been able to, I would have screamed, but in the strange non-space I was in, all I could do was to curse silently and hold on. The tormenting sensation didn¡¯t last for long, though. With every moment, it became more bearable and when the multicoloured walls around me crumbled, spewing me back out, I was almost fine. Not quite, but it would have to be enough. With a stroke of my wings, I turned and landed on one knee, sizzling torrents of energy playing behind my back, my tails fanned out wide. I was ready to fight or bargain, to kill or talk, but what I wasn¡¯t prepared for was a dry sob, which reached my ears as soon as I materialised completely. I was in a sparsely decorated chamber, barren stone walls with etched glyphs turning it into something closer to a cell. I saw an unmade cot, a low table with a blood crusted bowl on top of it, and a small assortment of torn clothes, discarded in one corner. On the cot, a small body trembled with suppressed cries and when I raised my head, the glow from my eyes illuminating the room with a silvery light, a young girl, not older than Reia, scrambled to get to her feet. Beneath a disheveled mane of blonde hair, piercing blue eyes focused on me, red from crying. She was tall and willowy, the faintest lines of her developing curves were visible beneath the dirty dress she was wearing. If I hadn¡¯t been raised amongst kitsune, I would have called her stunningly beautiful, despite her age. As it was, not much registered with me, though, aside from the tiny fangs that poked from behind her lips when her mouth opened wide in surprise. 173. Of prisoners, intentions and a little bit of luck Cassandra Pendragon Her full lips trembled in an effort to suppress her sobs, but when she spoke, her voice was barely more than a fearful whisper: ¡°has my uncle sent you? Is it¡­ is it finally my time?¡± I ignored her for the moment, since I couldn¡¯t imagine that the terrified child was my most pressing problem, at least for now. Instead, I focused on the room once more and sent a quick thought through my tattoo. ¡°I¡¯m still breathing and in one piece. Don¡¯t know where I am, though, I¡¯ll get back to you in a second.¡± I shut out Ahri¡¯s incoherent reply, that came as a stream of images and emotions, reassuring as it would have been to keep the link open. I stood up and glanced around the cell briefly, only to realise that I hadn¡¯t missed anything noteworthy, except for a flickering candle on the table and a sturdy trapdoor in the ceiling, reinforced with bands of iron, the only visible exit. It would have been foolish to close my eyes to focus on my other senses, who knew what the little vampire might get up to if given the chance, but I didn¡¯t need to. The potent surge of energy I had unleashed had apparently cleared away most of my problems, except for the lingering aches in my muscles. Hopefully I wouldn¡¯t have to pay too dearly, once I retracted my wings. The first thing I noticed, I couldn¡¯t hear the girl¡¯s heartbeat nor her breath, she definitely was an undead, which also explained why I couldn¡¯t detect the smell of stale sweat or any of the other putrid results that usually came with prolonged captivity. There was the metallic scent of dried blood and the fresh, salty fragrance of her tears, but nothing else. It was also eerily quiet, the low murmur of her dress, brushing over the cold stone floor when she readjusted her posture and the silky whisper of her hair against her skin the only sounds I could identify. There were no scurrying rats or the creaking of seasoned wood, no footsteps behind the walls, not even the soft rumbling of stone, when it expanded in the rising heat of a new day. We were truly shut off from the outside. Sighing, I quickly tried to piece together the few clues I had and said, with only a tiny bit of hesitation: ¡°no, no he didn¡¯t, I¡¯m not completely sure, but I think your¡­ mother was the one to send me. Not that I had much of a choice in the matter, mind you.¡± I even managed a kind smile. It was fascinating to watch her expression change with every word I uttered. Fear, surprise and hope flashed across her face, her eyes opening wide and before I had finished, she shot across the room and buried her head against my chest. Strangled cries filled the silence and I felt her hot tears drench the cloth of my shirt, while her shoulders shook violently. For a moment, I froze, unsure of what to do, but I regained my composure quickly enough. Screw this, whoever she was, right now, it didn¡¯t matter. What had happened to her that a smile could make her cry? Carefully I wrapped my arms around her and dropped back on my knees, holding her tight while she cried and cried, the misery only a child could feel finally breaking forth. From time to time, I heard her stammer, but the words simply wouldn¡¯t come, drowned beneath a cathartic flood while she weeped. I remained silent, offering her as much comfort as she could take from me, but there were no words to make it better. I didn¡¯t know what she had been through, or why she was here, I didn¡¯t even know who she was for certain, but I remembered the sensation well enough, when torments of the past finally clawed their way to the surface. She needed to know that she wasn¡¯t alone and that much, I could do for her. Seconds turned into minutes and still she wept, a seemingly unending well of desperation and fear had been tapped and now, it needed somewhere to go. After a while, I pulled her closer and whispered the usual platitudes in her ear. I assured her that she wasn¡¯t alone, that it¡¯d be alright, that I was there with her, but essentially, I just wanted her to hear my voice, to have something to cling onto while the pale ghosts of her capture and everything she had been forced to endure slowly left her. It took longer than I expected, but after what felt like hours, she finally calmed down a little, the tension in her body subsided gradually and the strangled sobs turned into snivelling. Still I didn¡¯t move, only when I felt her push against me gently, did I let her go. ¡°Better,¡± I asked. She nodded, rubbing her dirty palms against her eyes as she blinked at me through long, tear hung lashes. ¡°I¡­ I think so. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t even know who you are, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, little one. I understand. And I¡¯m Cassandra, if you want to, you can call me Cassy. I¡¯m¡­¡± I hesitated and when her eyes sparkled with a hint of curiosity, I had to smile. ¡°By the Great Fox, I have no clue how I should introduce myself. I¡¯d say I¡¯m an acquaintance of you mother¡¯s but that would be stretching the truth a tad too far. You¡¯re Alassara¡¯s daughter, aren¡¯t you?¡± She nodded vigorously, her long, flowing hair reflecting the quivering light of the candle in a dizzying display of golden sparks. ¡°I am. How is she? Have you spoken to her?¡± I was taken aback by the genuine concern in her voice, there weren¡¯t many people who could care for someone else in a position like hers. I wasn¡¯t even entirely convinced most adults would have managed as much, if they had been locked up, all alone, for the gods knew how long. ¡°I have, in a way. She¡¯s fine. I think she sent me here to get you out. At least, that¡¯s the most convincing idea I could come up with.¡± ¡°Can you,¡± she whispered, her voice again trembling with the urge to cry, as the spark of hope that had ignited at my appearance flared into bright, powerful flames. ¡°May¡­ definitely. But I¡¯m going to need your help. I¡¯ve no clue where we are or how to get back, but we¡¯ll find a way. Trust me. Can you tell me how you got here? What is this place?¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. The last thing I remember clearly before I woke up in this room, is going to bed when the sun rose. Then¡­ I think there was a fight but I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s all blurry. Something hit me and¡­ Please, I want to go back home. I can¡¯t stay here! Please, just get me out!¡± The last part she screamed at the top of her lungs, loud enough to make me wince. While she threw herself forward and clung to me once more like a puppy to its mother, I focused on the trapdoor, half expecting heavy footsteps and the sound of sliding bolts to greet me. When nothing happened after a few seconds, I relaxed and patted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, we¡¯ll get you back to your family in no time. It¡¯s going to be fine, believe me¡­¡± it took quite a while for her to calm down enough to let go of me. When she finally wriggled in my embrace, I pushed her to arms length and brushed the tears from her cheek: ¡°what¡¯s your name? I can hardly keep on calling you ¡®little one¡¯, now, can I?¡± A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind¡­ but my name is Layla.¡± Despite her dirty dress and our grim surroundings, she curtsied elegantly which made me laugh. ¡°That¡¯s hardly necessary, after you¡¯ve wiped your nose on my shirt, is it,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But it¡¯s nice to meet you, Layla. Now, do you feel like you¡¯re up to telling me what happened here? I assume the blood in the bowl was your last meal? How long have you been here? Did anyone ever come to check on you?¡± She blushed faintly at my words. After a second, she haltingly replied: ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but that¡¯s my 106th candle. I¡¯ve kept count. When it burns down, the hatch opens. Someone sends a basket with a little blood and another candle through. I¡¯ve never seen them, though. Only¡­ only once did¡­ my uncle, he¡­¡± she trembled again. Did I really want to know? Probably not, but it could be important. Gods, my anger, which had been seething just below the surface ever since I had arrived in this cozy suite of hers was almost spilling over. If my conjuncture was correct, Alassara had turned me into an ally without ever lifting a finger. If Layla¡¯s uncle was Captain Dawn and he had hurt the girl to get to his sister, he had made a mistake, a pretty significant one. Cold, detached Lightbringer my ass. I was a sucker. I pulled her closer and whispered: ¡°shh, it¡¯s okay. He can¡¯t hurt you anymore¡­ is he¡­ did he take your blood?¡± I had guessed, but her frail body tensed in my arms, as she nodded, once. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe. He won¡¯t get to you again. But if we want to leave, there are a couple of things I have to know. Do you think you¡¯re up to it? I know you¡¯re scared, but if you can be brave just one more time, I¡¯ll have us out of here before you know it.¡± She looked at me, barely holding back her tears and mumbled: ¡°promise?¡± Shit. I couldn¡¯t even take the time to think about it, if I hesitated, she¡¯d feel denied instantly. Kids could be disturbingly acute, whenever it was the most inconvenient. ¡°Promise,¡± I sighed. At the very least I didn¡¯t have to bite back a scream, the burning sensation I had been forced to endure the last time I had made a promise didn¡¯t assault me again. On the other hand, I was now truly and utterly stuck with Layla. Hopefully I wasn¡¯t going to regret it. The magic that bound me to my words flowed between us and despite my worries, I thought it had been worth it, when the first honest smile appeared on her face. Somehow she knew that I hadn¡¯t lied to her, that I¡¯d stick to my promise, no matter the cost. ¡°I¡­ what just happened,¡± she asked incredulously while the last sparks disappeared. ¡°That¡¯s a long story, one I¡¯ll gladly tell, once we¡¯re out of here. For now, you just have to know that I won¡¯t break my word, ever. It¡¯s a part of who I am. So, until you¡¯re back home, you¡¯re probably going to be stuck with me. Makes this place look more appealing, all of a sudden, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, I think, I¡¯d rather be with you,¡± she giggled. ¡°At least you¡¯re some sort of company.¡± ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s exactly what every girl wants to hear. Alright, first things first. Have you tried reaching the hatch?¡± ¡°More than once, but this place¡­ I can¡¯t use my magic and the walls are much more sturdy than they should be. I can¡¯t get my claws through the stone to climb up and somehow I can¡¯t even jump as I high as I¡¯m used to¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ it feels like something is suppressing all my powers, my strength, my spells¡­ can¡¯t you feel it?¡± ¡°No, I do feel exhausted but it¡¯s definitely not worse in here. Are you sure it¡¯s the place itself?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve been given food for a while now. It might have been poisoned.¡± She shook her head vigorously. ¡°No, I would have tasted anything unusual. That was just normal pig¡¯s blood. While I have weakened from the diet, it¡¯s not more than I expected.¡± ¡°Does that mean you need blood from a sentient species to keep your strength?¡± ¡°Over longer periods of time, yes. I can get by on all sorts of mammals but after a while, my power dwindles.¡± While she spoke her eyes roamed across my neck and fixated on my jugular with a creepy intensity. Now, that was something I had to take care of quickly. ¡°Layla, trust me on this, you don¡¯t want to drink my blood. I¡¯ve no clue what exactly might happen, but chances are you wouldn¡¯t survive. If I thought otherwise, I¡¯d even offer to feed you.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Because you smell amazing, almost like¡­ pure magic. As if a single sip could sustain me for ages.¡± ¡°It even might, or you could turn into a walking torch. Is that a risk you¡¯re willing to take? Because I¡¯m not. Your mum might take it personal if I accidentally incinerated her daughter. But I¡¯ve got to ask, is your hunger a problem? Can you control yourself?¡± She seemed affronted at the notion. ¡°Who do you think I am? I¡¯m not four anymore. I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯m not more likely to attack you than you are to attack a merchant because you want his sweets. I¡¯m not an animal.¡± ¡°I never said you were, but I also don¡¯t know much about vampires. I didn¡¯t mean to insult you, I just wanted to make sure.¡± I massaged my temples, buying myself a few seconds to think. ¡°Fine, give me a minute, there¡¯s someone I need to talk to. Afterwards, we¡¯re leaving.¡± Disbelief was written clearly across her doll like features. ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that,¡± I said through a smile. ¡°There aren¡¯t many things that can stop me and walls definitely aren¡¯t among them. Now shush, I need to concentrate.¡± I offered her my hand, which she immediately clung to like a drowning man to a raft, and sent my thoughts inwards. ¡°Ahri? Sorry for cutting you off. I wanted¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get any further since her fear and worry flooded through our link like a tidal wave, mixed with a bombardment of questions I couldn¡¯t answer, and pure relief that I obviously was still alive and unharmed. Sweet as it was, I didn¡¯t intend to let her go on. The gods only knew how long I¡¯d be standing there otherwise. ¡°Listen,¡± I forcefully projected through the connection. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I truly am. The portal, I think it was a one way street to reach Alassara¡¯s daughter. The poor girl is stuck in an enchanted cell, courtesy of Captain Dawn, if I¡¯m not mistaken, and I¡¯m going to take her with me, just like her mum intended. Unfortunately I¡¯m not sure how far away we are, Mephisto said the vampires are in control of several portals, didn¡¯t he? We could be on the other side of the world, for all I know. Once I figure out how to get back, I¡¯ll be in touch. Until then, could you do me a favour and try to contact that scheming bitch of a vampire queen? Tell her, her plan worked fabulously and if she doesn¡¯t come up with a way to repay us, I¡¯ll stake her in the middle of the town square, once I¡¯m back.¡± I could feel her desire to pester me for more details but she held her tongue, one of the things I loved about her. She had her priorities straight and could keep it together. ¡°Will do. Anything else? Mephisto already tried a scrying spell on Shassa¡¯s gem, but it failed. You still have it with you, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do, but I think this place is heavily warded. Maybe it¡¯ll work once we¡¯re outside. Be careful, Alassara is quite clever and she has to know an insane amount about who and what we are.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wear velvet gloves when dealing with her. Don¡¯t worry. And please, stay safe. Don¡¯t risk your neck for a stranger.¡± ¡°What makes you think I would?¡± I could practically see her rolling her eyes ¡°Because I know you, Cassy. Take care of the girl, but you¡¯re more important to me. Please, come back in one piece. Everything else, we can figure out. I love you.¡± ¡°Love you, too. And thanks. You¡¯re the best.¡± ¡°I know. Hurry up and don¡¯t forget to contact me. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± She severed the connection. I must have worn a rather telling expression because Layla squeezed my hand a second later and asked: ¡°Was that your husband?¡± Naturally, I had to chuckle. Some things just never got old. ¡°Not quite, but maybe one day. We¡¯re engaged. If you want to, I¡¯ll introduce you to her, when we have the chance.¡± I could tell that she was bursting with unasked questions, but now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°Tell you what, once we¡¯re out of here, you can ask me anything you want and I¡¯ll try to answer. But for now, I think we should best get moving. That candle isn¡¯t going to last for much longer and I¡¯d rather not be here, when your jailers walk in again.¡± 174. Of escapes, traps and a little bit of hesitation Cassandra Pendragon I was tempted to simply cut my way through one of the walls but there wasn¡¯t much of a point to it. I had pierced the stone with one of my wings but after a metre or two, I had felt hardened earth instead of air and I wasn¡¯t willing to bury us. The only way out, was up. With a thought, my wings slithered through the air and vanished into the trap door, silvery blue flames igniting wherever I touched the enchanted wood. With a twist and a shove, I first ripped the spells apart before I tore the whole damned thing from its hinges. Flares of magic sprang to life but they were annihilated as quickly as they formed, the engraved bands of iron glowed red before they crumpled to dust. A satisfied huff escaped me while I pulled one last time and with the sound of tortured metal and splintering wood, the hatch broke lose and crashed down in the middle of the room, a twisted and smoking mass of unrecognisable junk. ¡°That was surprisingly easy,¡± I said, just before I felt a surge of energy race through the walls, forebodingly glowing runes coming to life all around us. ¡°Or not,¡± I mumbled under my breath. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that something bad was about to happen and while I wasn¡¯t particularly worried about myself, I couldn¡¯t imagine the girl would escape a crucible of unknown magics unscathed. I wrapped my tails around her tightly and propelled her into my arms, ignoring her startled squeak. We rose into the air surrounded by a cocoon of dancing, silvery light while the walls around us began shaking as if in the grip of an angered dragon. Pressure mounted against my wings while I strained to reach the gaping hole in the ceiling, hoping that the safeguards I had triggered were confined to the cell. Around us, the air was starting to freeze, the runes drawing in every spark of power in the room. To me, it didn¡¯t make much of a difference, it basically felt like feathers brushing over my skin, but Layla stiffened while her life force was pulled from her. She was covered in a vibrant, golden nimbus, the edges frayed where her energy was devoured to further fuel the devious enchantments. A nearly inaudible sigh escaped her and her frail body suddenly relaxed, her eyes rolling up into her head. ¡°Hold on tight,¡± I hissed and catapulted us upwards, covering the short distance in the blink of an eye. Menacing lines of magic, shimmering in an eerie, red light had sprawled across the exit, an intricate web to catch anyone who tried to leave the ravenous trap. A grim smile formed on my face and without a second¡¯s hesitation, I flung myself forward, turning in mid air to protect Layla with my body. It felt like I was crashing through a spider¡¯s web, strands of power attaching to me before they snapped with a resounding thunderclap that shook the walls. One second, I was struggling to pick up speed to get us out of there and the next, I shot through the gap in the ceiling like a bullet from a gun. Before I could congratulate myself wholeheartedly, my back struck another wall, my inertia enough to break my bones. Like a puppet with its strings cut, I fell back down, only just able to roll around and prevent us from tumbling right back through the trapdoor. I came to a halt a few steps away from the hole, Layla still safely pressed against my chest. ¡°Ouch,¡± I muttered while my ribs and shoulder creaked, the ligaments and joints slowly regenerating. While it wasn¡¯t the most painful experience I had had, not by a long shot, it still felt like an army of ants was going to work beneath my skin, nudging the bones back into their places and glueing them together. I could tell that my regeneration was far from what I was used to and it took several seconds before I could breath freely again, never mind getting up. When I felt up to it, I opened my eyes and looked around. Not that there was an awful lot to see. We were at the end of a barren corridor, the walls made from the same stone as Layla¡¯s cell. Not even the flickering light of torches broke through the darkness and even with my enhanced vision, it was terribly difficult to make out any details. I diverted a trickle of energy from my body to my eyes and the world lit up in silvery light. Runes were now clearly visible along the walls, overlapping and entwined like a Pollock painting. I didn¡¯t even bother with trying to make sense of what I saw, the enchantments were complex enough that it would take a master artificer years to understand them and I wasn¡¯t one to begin with. Something I could understand easily enough though, were the swirling threads of light above our heads. A bright flare of energy was followed by coalescing sparks, which came together to form the silhouette of a person before the process repeated itself. I counted three distinct figures up until now and from the looks of it, that wasn¡¯t the end. A portal was active and every moment, someone else was stepping through. I ground my teeth and swiftly checked my surroundings for other signs of life, an idea I probably should have had quite a bit earlier, but better late than never, as Mephisto had always said. Form the looks of it, there was a single guard, who was racing towards the portal chamber and two more prisoners, sealed in further up the corridor. Their energies appeared to me as different shades of silvery light, but while the new arrivals were burning brightly, the ones stuck in the cells were barely more than the flickering glow of a matchstick, close to being extinguished. I could only guess, but I imagined the enchantments that had activated in Layla¡¯s cell had triggered similar responses everywhere else and the poor bastards had suddenly found themselves being sucked dry of their very life force. At least they wouldn¡¯t pose any kind of problem. Those were rallying upstairs and I had to get my shit together if I didn¡¯t want to be found flat on my ass without the ability to move properly. ¡°Layla,¡± I groaned, ¡°can you hear me?¡± The warm bundle in my arms squirmed sluggishly but after a moment she opened her eyes and blinked confusedly. ¡°What happened,¡± she mumbled while she tried to piece together why we were prostrated on the ground and why there was a trickle of silvery blood running from the corner of my mouth. ¡°We got out,¡± I croaked, ¡°and I hit a wall. Can you stand?¡± She took another moment to move her limbs carefully, before she nodded. ¡°I can, but I don¡¯t feel so good, like I haven¡¯t eaten in a month. I don¡¯t think I can do much more than stand up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I slurred, while I used all my concentration to shove as much energy at my wounds as I could get my hands on. ¡°If I have to, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± A rather absurd statement, seeing as I was curled up around her like a bear during hibernation, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not it. Cassy, I¡¯ve got to eat. Soon. The hunger¡­ it¡¯s waking up and now¡­¡± her words trailed off and her gaze snapped to the trail of blood on my skin. A dark shadow rose behind her piercing blue eyes, her canines elongated and she came even closer, her silky hair tickling my neck. Great, perfect, that was exactly what I needed. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I meant to slap her lightly, but rattled as I was and with a hurricane of power coursing through my body, I might have overdone it, slightly. Her head snapped back and I saw the imprint of my hand on her face in angry red lines, but at least she came to her senses. She immediately covered her mouth with her hands and I saw her bite down on her fingers while she shook her head vehemently, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered, her words muffled. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Please, don¡¯t leave! I didn¡¯t meant to¡­¡± I reached out and gently stroked her cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t even think that. But I have to know: are you going to bite me as soon as you have the chance?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe? It would help a lot if you weren¡¯t bleeding. Can you wipe the blood away? I don¡¯t think I should touch it.¡± She didn¡¯t have to ask me twice. Some sensation had returned to my shoulder and with a low grunt, I rolled away from her, wiped my face and tried to stand up. It even worked, but my knees were shaking and I sincerely hoped that I would still have some time before I ran into the guards. Which reminded me: ¡°There are people coming for us.¡± I squinted at the ceiling before I continued: ¡°seven, from the looks of it. They¡¯re probably your uncle¡¯s henchmen. Anything you can tell me when it comes to fighting them? Can I even kill an undead?¡± She deliberately kept her face turned away from me and when she answered, there was a strained cadence to her voice, as if she had to focus on every word. ¡°I¡­ the heart. You have to destroy the heart. Everything else will grow back, even the head. It¡¯ll take a while, especially when you decapitate one, but if you want to make sure they don¡¯t rise again, you¡¯ll have to completely destroy their hearts. A bolt or a stake also works. It won¡¯t kill them, but if you manage to stake them, they¡¯ll be paralysed until it¡¯s removed. And don¡¯t let them bite you. Our bite induces euphoria, if they get to you, you¡¯ll be grinning until they suck you dry.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Fine,¡± I rotated my shoulders and neck, trying to chase off the lingering stiffness. My bones had been knit together and while I wasn¡¯t feeling particularly sharp or energetic, it would have to do. At least there was only a small knot of fear in the pit of my stomach and it was mainly directed at the little girl I wanted to keep safe. I was a far cry from panicking at the thought of fighting a bunch of vampires. Just as well, overwhelming fear might keep you alive but when you had to face the music either way, I could just do without it. The little things¡­ Unless¡­ on second thought, the whole pack would probably be rushing down to meet us any minute now, clamouring for blood. If they were smart, they¡¯d be leaving behind one or two to guard the portal, but most of them would be coming for us. If I kept an eye on them, I might be able to teleport through the ceiling, deal with the ones upstairs and step through the portal before they even realised we were gone. Most likely, it should even be possible for me to take Layla along for the ride. Pete had survived when I had pulled him with me on my way to Free Land and I couldn¡¯t imagine a vampire to have more difficulties than a human. There wasn¡¯t much to lose in trying, either way. Worst case, they¡¯d be fast enough to catch us again and I¡¯d have to fight my way through. Which was pretty much the same thing as staying here and waiting for them in the first place. ¡°I have an idea, take my hand and hold on tight. This is going to feel a bit strange, but whatever you do, don¡¯t let go. Is that understood?¡± She hesitated. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s better, now that I¡¯m not that close to you, but if I touch you again¡­¡± her fangs were still elongated and visible behind her lips. There was a wet sheen to them, as if she was salivating in anticipation of a scrumptious meal. ¡°By all the gods, Layla! I thought you weren¡¯t an animal? What happened to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starved! I don¡¯t know why but I¡¯m completely drained. I need blood! My body is already shutting down. You¡­ you can¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve never felt like this before! I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°They¡¯re moving. If you bite me and you don¡¯t burn to a crisp, I¡¯ll smack you all the way to next week, are we clear? Good, now come here.¡± She did so reluctantly, struggling with every step. I rolled my eyes and muttered: ¡°we don¡¯t have time for this. Don¡¯t take it personally.¡± I wrapped a couple of my wings around her, propelled her forwards and pressed her against me, tightly enough that she couldn¡¯t even move her head. ¡°Here we go.¡± While five of the illuminated silhouettes made their way down a flight of stairs I couldn¡¯t see and two remained behind, I pushed some of my wings through the ceiling, slicing through the enchanted stone like a hot knife through butter. The embedded spells and wards gave way in an instant, small discharges of magic vanished as soon as they came into contact with my wings. The room above our heads suddenly became visible to me, my second sight expanding while I gained access to the energies swirling around in the chamber. In the back, the portal had been erected on a small stone pedestal. It resembled a doorframe, hewn from marble with a series of runes, inlaid with different metals, carved into its surface. Two armoured guards stood on either side, clad in full plate mails of darkened steel. Even their heads were protected by sturdy helmets, the faces hidden behind shimmering masks of polished steel. There were no slits to make room for the nose, but wide gaps for the mouth and eyes broke the smooth, metallic surface. A menacing red glowed from underneath, putting to rest the last doubts I might have had when it came to the nature of the new arrivals. And the portal was still active. A reinforced door stood slightly ajar on the opposite side, presumably leading to a staircase. Spare weapons were piled up along the walls, interspersed with torches every few steps. There were no windows, though, and I assumed the room was still underground, with the staircase leading up to the more habitable quarters and down to the cells. That had to do. It was time. When the thundering of heavy, studded boots reached my ears and the shimmering figures arrived on our floor, I closed my eyes and willed us along the path of my wings, the last embers of my fear melting away in the fires of my magic. While the world seemed to hiccough, reality vanished and reasserted itself, faster than I could comprehend. I kept my focus on the girl, making sure that I wouldn¡¯t lose her, before we stumbled back into the corporeal dimension. A task that didn¡¯t become any easier since she was struggling against my hold, either trying to get away from or sink her teeth into me, I couldn¡¯t tell which. When the strange sensation had passed and I felt solid ground beneath my feet again, I hesitated for the fraction of a second. I had intended to immediately throw Layla off of me, but now¡­ I had materialised between the two vampires, directly in front of the portal. Its magic turned the space underneath its arch into a grey, undulating curtain and I was tempted to simply step through and tear the spell apart behind me. But I didn¡¯t know what was waiting for us on the other side. I might appear in the middle of an army or crash a vampiric feast. Maybe my chances here were still better? And then I didn¡¯t have to ponder any longer. The friendly neighbourhood guards answered my queries, resoundingly. They were fast, unbelievably so and their reactions were sharper than a knife. However short I had paused, it had given them more than enough time. Energy pulsed form one of them, most likely alarming the others while he was already muttering a far more complex incantation. The other one hadn¡¯t bothered with spells or tricks and with an eerie grace, he came charging at us. His weapon, a broad, heavy sword, pierced through my side before I could react and I tumbled backwards. Pain flared only to be replaced with icy numbness that quickly spread through me. Fear roared back to life in my chest when I realised how badly I had misjudged their strength. I coughed up blood when I spread my wings to stop myself from falling, my left side completely insensitive. Another bolt of dread tore through my thoughts when my opponent suddenly vanished in a swirl of shadows only to reappeared behind me. My reaction surprised us all. With a snarl, I hurled Layla at the caster, my wings flaring in a dizzying display of violent light as they suddenly swelled and filled the room with deadly torrents of power and the dangerous smell of ozone. 175. Of fights, mistakes and a new arrival Cassandra Pendragon Energy rushed through my brain, my perception increased and from one instant to the next, the vampires¡¯ speed, Layla¡¯s flight, even the forces the caster was harvesting, it all slowed down to a crawl. I couldn¡¯t move my limbs as fast as I would have liked, my wings though, were another matter. They reacted to my thoughts, a manifestation of my will that wasn¡¯t confined by the laws of reality and with every beat of my heart, blood gushed from my side in a silvery stream, but my wings burned even more brightly for it. Fear was forged into fury as my conviction hardened, the cold that spread from my wound tempering the rising tide. I wouldn¡¯t die here, not like this. I had already survived too much to fall prey to a bunch of blood crazed, undead tin cans. This wouldn¡¯t be my end, but theirs. Without looking back, I cleaved the air behind me, pure, undiluted energy a thrumming thunderstorm that filled the room with glaring light. I didn¡¯t expect to hit, I had already seen how fast they could be, but I only needed to buy myself a few moments. While Layla began to transform in midair, her fragile fingers elongating into deadly claws, her pristine features mutating into the epitome of hunger with glistening fangs, I clamped down on the the swirling magic in the room. My will brushed away the pitiful attempts of the caster to control and reshape, to alter the flow of energy. The growing whirlwind of power around him petered out and even the rippling surface of the portal became still as I froze the swirling forces in place. A circle of ice formed around me, quickly spreading in every direction. For now, we would be fighting with weapons, claws and wings. And a bit of magic, since mine wasn¡¯t impeded in the slightest. Layla¡¯s warning still rang in my ears and before she hit the disoriented mage, who was still trying to figure out why his spells wouldn¡¯t work, I wrapped my wings around the vampire behind me. My vision allowed me to see his expression, even though he was at my back, and a grim smile formed on my face, when I saw the fire in his eyes flicker derisively. He intended to vanish back into the shadows and strike at me from another angle, but that didn¡¯t play out quite as he expected. Haughty confidence gave way to surprise which turned into panic, the magic around him unwilling to heed his commands. I felt him struggle, I felt him access his own life force to fuel his spell in another way, but by then, it was already to late. Silvery light erupted from his armour, when I skewered him. A hollowed, otherworldly scream tore through the room while his plate mail began to glow and deform, wisps of smoke curling through the gaps. Another push, another pulse of bluish fire and he turned into a silvery torch, his ashes drifting to the ground peacefully. My wound closed on its own accord as the energy I had stolen from him coursed through me and I whirled around. The second one had to die before their friends could make their way back here. But apparently, I wasn¡¯t needed. His failing spell and the split second of stunned amazement had frozen the caster in place, long enough for Layla to crash into his chest. But that wasn¡¯t the sweet, intimidated girl I had met before. She looked like she had just clawed her way out of a nightmare. A hellish fire burned in her eyes and her fangs were as long as one of my fingers. When she slammed into him, her scythe like claws ripped through his armour and into his sides, anchoring her in place. With a gleeful, savage scream, she slammed her head into his helmet with complete disregard for her own injuries. His head was thrown backwards and even from where I stood, I could hear the bones in his neck break. Layla¡¯s forehead had turned into a bloody crater, but she didn¡¯t mind. When she saw the small, exposed line of skin between his armour and his helmet, she struck like a snake. Her fangs ravaged the unprotected flesh and blood squirted forth like a macabre, crimson fountain. She didn¡¯t care for the hot shower, though, and opened her mouth even wider, like a beast unhinging its jaws. With a wet, gurgling sound, they both went down, while she dug into her meal with reckless abandon. A shudder ran up my spine when he stopped struggling, his limbs flailing weakly. That sure as hell was an ugly way to go. Slurping sounds that made bile rise in my throat came from beneath the golden blanket of her hair, covering them as if they were lovers instead of predator and prey. It took me several moments to drag my eyes away from the gruesomely intimate sight and then some to find my voice again. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I croaked. ¡°The others will be here any second now. Leave him be, he¡¯s dead.¡± The only reaction I got was a hiss, as she quickly whipped her head around and bared her fangs at me, blood dripping from her mouth while she defended her food. ¡°I said, that¡¯s enough.¡± This time, my voice was laden with power, an eerie, rising cadence that distorted the air between us and cracked the coat of ice that had spread through the room. ¡°Mine,¡± she snarled, small bubbles of blood bursting in the corner of her mouth. ¡°Mine,¡± she howled again as her instincts fought against my command. If she hadn¡¯t been kneeling on a mutilated carcass, it might even have been funny to watch her claws twitch and her expression change as she fought to resist. And I had to admit, she held on longer than I would have thought possible, but finally she groaned in frustration and rolled away. That could have been much¡­ ¡°Then I¡¯ll have you in his stead,¡± she said, her voice less bestial and closer to the alluring, velvety smoothness I had heard from Tom, as she got to her feet and glided towards me, her fangs retracting and her claws turning into filigree fingers. The fire in her eyes changed as well, from a dominating, cruel sheen to something much more soft and welcoming but no less dangerous. Even her scent was different now, a caressing sweetness with a darker note, that reminded me of pine trees, beneath the metallic tang of blood. It matched the gentle pulses of energy she was trying to send in my direction. ¡°You¡¯re much more appetising, anyways.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from laughing. The transformation from savage animal to enticing temptress had been impressive enough, but a young girl, covered in gore, trying to play with my desires, trying to seduce me with pheromones and magic? It was simply ridiculous. Instincts without knowledge could do that to you¡­ Still grinning, I picked her up with my wings and slammed her into a wall. ¡°Snap out of it. Or I¡¯ll have to beat you senseless. Your choice but you don¡¯t have much time. Their friends are coming.¡± The effect wasn¡¯t as instantaneous as I had hoped. She almost immediately fell back into a savage rage, thrashing and screaming as if she was possessed. With a thought I sent even more of my power to my throat and thundered: Stolen story; please report. ¡°Layla! Stop, now! I won¡¯t leave you behind, but I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t calm down, I¡¯ll have to hurt you. And trust me, I can still hurt you, badly enough to break you out of your trance.¡± There was no reaction as she continued to fight to get out of my grip, droplets of blood, that still clung to her skin after her indulgence, flew everywhere while she wailed in anger. I tightened my wings around her, taking care to not cut into her, and bashed her head against the wall again with a satisfying thud. To my chagrin, she didn¡¯t snap out of it, if anything her rage even intensified and we were running out of time. The group that had made its way down to the cells was rushing back and if I strained my hearing, I could already hear the quiet drums of their boots as they sprinted back. We were going to have more company any second now and I couldn¡¯t deal with a raging, underaged monster. Somehow I had to put her down, preferably without damaging her severely. ¡°Sleep,¡± I roared, pushing everything I had into my voice. Which, in hindsight, might have been a mistake. One I would come to regret soon enough. The last time I had tried a stunt like that, my power had still been confined to my body, but now¡­ the frozen swaths of energy in the air surged outwards, bent to a single purpose. An explosion of light followed, as the mana in the room heeded my call, wave after wave pouring forth, battering against every sentient mind it came in contact with. It wasn¡¯t just mana, though. In my mind¡¯s eye, the storm of power glittered in the kaleidoscope of colours that represented the different elements, but there were also tiny stars of silver and blue among them, a visual component of my own energy. The walls cracked, the enchantments that had strengthened them gone in a second as their magic was ripped apart and blown away to further fuel my desire. The portal shuddered and the runes dulled, their energy drained. Layla¡¯s eyes rolled up into her head and she slumped into my grasp, soundly asleep. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Like an unshackled beast, the magic thundered on, tearing away from me in growing circles, eager to subjugate everything it touched. Faint impacts came from the corridor as the remaining vampires fell to the ground, the building shook, its foundations devoid of any supernatural enhancements, and when the waves finally reached beyond the structure, they didn¡¯t peter out. Like an infection they spread, converting every last bit of mana in their way and there was plenty. The spell wouldn¡¯t break down, it would strengthen, the further it got. And from the looks of it, it would tear down every enchantment in its wake, leaving behind nothing that was made of mana. I shivered. I couldn¡¯t allow that. The gods only knew how many people were dependent on one spell or the other to survive. I wouldn¡¯t be responsible for powerless healers and failing artefacts, I wasn¡¯t willing to cause misery and death in mines with arcane safeguards and I sure as all hells wouldn¡¯t watch while sleep suddenly claimed parents who tried to protect or save their child. I wasn¡¯t that callous. I understood perfectly well what would happen to me if I tried to reign in magic I had already unleashed, I had done it before after all, but I had made my bed and now I had to lie in it. No one else was going to pay for my mistakes. Just once, I¡¯d have liked to deal with something normal¡­. With almost no understanding of what I was actually trying to do and even less of an idea on how to accomplish it, I did the only thing that came to mind. I ground my teeth, ignored the dread that threatened to overcome me when I imagined how I¡¯d feel in a second and exerted my will: ¡°return,¡± I screamed. In a way, it was surprisingly easy. The tiny motes of my energy, that pushed the potency of the spell to heights unreachable for mortals, were almost eager to do my bidding. As soon as my intent swamped the existing structure, the waves slowed down and reversed without any resistance. The result wasn¡¯t as satisfying, though. At first, it felt almost pleasant. Energy danced across my skin and turned me into a pillar of silvery light, an energising rush that blew away my exhaustion. My muscles tingled, the lingering aches disappeared and for a moment, I thought I had been worried for nothing. But it didn¡¯t stop. More and more power flooded through me, my own essence allowing it to brush away my immunities as if they weren¡¯t even there. I felt full, bloated and still the stream kept coming. While the transcendent sparks returned to my core, the mana they had swept up and bonded to, invaded my astral body, igniting every nerve along the way. Pressure mounted and from one moment to the next, it felt like I was being ripped apart but still, there was no end in sight. Light danced before my eyes and I dropped to my knees as dark, stained blood suddenly erupted from my skin. A growing, irresistible flame surged through me, incinerating the last impurities in my body, burning away everything that wasn¡¯t strong enough to withstand. I wanted to scream but I choked on the vile, ash like substance. With every rattling cough, I sprayed chunks of it across the room. Wherever they came in contact with the floor, smoke began to rise and the stone slowly corroded. I thought I was going to pass out as the sensation became closer to having swallowed an ember that grew and grew until it filled me with ravaging flames. But alas, it shouldn¡¯t be. I remained painfully aware of every passing second while the fires ate away at my shell, forging and tempering. There were only two outcomes. Either I¡¯d burn up completely, too much of myself lost to the ravaging tide, or I would survive, the last traces of my mortal body gone. I didn¡¯t die. But somewhere along the way, either when my astral body stretched farther and farther to accommodate every last speck of energy, or when my heart finally skipped a beat, unable to sustain its rhythm through the ordeal, a soothing darkness claimed me. I didn¡¯t lose consciousness completely, but the pain, the change, had been too much. I became a passenger in my own body, removed from its plight, but still present enough to watch with interest. I turned into a bonfire of magic, transcendent and astral forces wreaking havoc around and within me. Slowly, gradually, the flames were consumed, were pulled back into my veins until, finally, the last sparks vanished and a soothing numbness claimed me, just as darkness spread through the room. I had done it, the spell was broken. I closed my eyes and let it all go. When I came to, the first thing I felt was the smooth, cold surface of glass pressing against my bare skin. And the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, was utter blackness, not a single light source had survived, except for the silvery sheen of my skin, which was by no means strong enough to illuminate the darkness. Just as well, I didn¡¯t feel like getting up any time soon, anyways. Either Layla had made it through, or she hadn¡¯t, there wasn¡¯t much I could do to change that. Instead I focused my concentration inward, searching for anything that might feel different. To my surprise, it didn¡¯t seem like it. My tails and wings were still there, the thrum from my core reverberated through me and energy filled my veins, maybe a bit more than before, but that was hard to tell. But first and foremost, I felt whole again. Gone was the cumbersome reduction of my senses, gone was the distracting malady in my bones, I was cured. And then, there was a voice. Ahri¡¯s voice to be exact. I couldn¡¯t tell how long she had been clamouring in my thoughts but now, that I was slowly getting back my bearings, I could hardly ignore the colourful stream of curses and genuine fear that crashed against my mind anymore. ¡°I¡¯m awake, I¡¯m fine. Would you¡­¡± ¡°Cassy, thank the gods! What happened to you? What did you do? I was worried sick! Do you have any idea¡­¡± ¡°You know, there¡¯s no point in asking question when you¡¯re not willing to wait for an answer,¡± I interrupted her, a tad tartly. ¡°I used some of my magic and fucked it up, nothing new there. But I think it¡¯s under control. At least the spell is gone, but I might have destroyed my way back in the process. We¡¯ll have to see.¡± ¡°Never mind that, now! Listen, whatever you did, I could feel it from here and Mephisto is still complaining about his headache. Cassy, that¡¯s the problem! It was powerful enough to attract attention you don¡¯t¡­¡± I didn¡¯t listen anymore. In front of me, a red, pulsing spark had manifested. It flickered once and quickly grew into a glowing crown of ebony horns. 176. Of pursuits, arrivals and a little bit of hierarchy Lilith Finally! I had found him. After all those years, I would finally get some answers. Or kill him¡­ we¡¯d have to see how it was going to go. Either way, it¡¯d be fun. At least for me. And well deserved, I had scoured the wide verse for the last years, worked my juicy, immortal butt off only to run into one dead end after the other. Ultimately, it had been dumb luck. The forsaken planet he was on was guarded in more ways than the gates to the Silver City. And those were sealed tighter than the panties of a Vestal Virgin. Come to think of it, now that I had spotted the wards, I could hardly believe that no one else had made the connection. The demonic seals, fine, there was always one scheme or the other going on and who liked the family to interfere, after all? Especially the feathered kind. They just couldn¡¯t relax, could they? Good, evil, right, wrong, blah¡­ It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise that the first thing one of my kind would do, when they arrived on a planet, was to make sure that no angel would just fly by and tear down years, decades, aeons of good, honest work. That was just plain nasty. And inconsiderate. But a planet warded against demons? That was new. Well, not entirely, but at least interesting. So¡­ why had nobody bothered to take a closer look? Oh, right, because they couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t have found the shit hole of a planet myself if I hadn¡¯t stumble across his scent in the void. That sweet fragrance of power that had driven me nuts ever since I had first smelled it during the last little skirmish. That had been entertaining. Angels and demons tearing at each others throats for nothing. Quite the accomplishment, but doomed from the very beginning. There had been too much at stake¡­ the only proper way to instigate a genocide was for shits and giggles, everything else was bound to go south. When you wanted to accomplish something, anything at all, you couldn¡¯t win. Only true and utter chaos could prevail. Ripping out his throat had been fun, nonetheless, but in hindsight, it might not have been my greatest moment. But how should I have known? All I had ever wanted was a little peace and quiet to raise an army or two and make them fight, or tinker with a new curse that could be unleashed onto the mortal realms, or simply fuck my way through history¡­ but no, here I was, the noose around my neck tightening and running after an angel. And the best part? I couldn¡¯t snap my fingers and be done with it, those useless, infamous seals made sure of it. Anyways, ramblings aside, once I had picked up the trail, I had followed it through most parts of the known regions until I had hit another wall. Quite literally. My essence had recoiled, a transcendent web barring my entrance. I had been ready to call it a day and maybe vent my frustration on one civilisation or the other, but then, something had changed. At first, it hadn¡¯t been much. A minuscule rush of transcendent energy on the other side, not enough to break the seal, but more than enough to hold my interest. And so, I had taken out my frustration the only way I could: I had created a minuscule thunderstorm, a puny thing, but I couldn¡¯t get more energy past those damned wards, on the other side of the barrier and set it on Lucifer¡¯s tail. And then, I had waited, hovering in space like an overgrown bat, lurking, watching, until¡­ An eruption of sorts had stirred up the mana on the planet. Only briefly and far from the magnitude I would have expected if Lucifer had truly lost it, but still, the seals, which had partly been tied to the web of energy within the planet had¡­ hiccoughed. A minor glitch, a small window, but since I was already there, I had managed to slip through. And once I had been on the other side¡­ At first, I had been tempted to simply tear down the wards and see what would have happened but unfortunately, I had broken my first rule. I was involved, I had something to lose and I couldn¡¯t risk it. Sure, turning that planet into another immortal battlefield sounded like fun, but I wasn¡¯t very keen on getting my own ass roasted in the crossfire. Plus, from the looks of it, there were already more immortals here than I had bargained for. And while I didn¡¯t care much for Aurora or Mephisto, they could both go and stick their heads into a black hole for all I cared, I wasn¡¯t going to cross Amazeroth. That dude was scary, and not in the good, shivers are running down my spine kind of way. No, sir, he was creepy, kind of like an angel at a goth party. He simply didn¡¯t belong. Oh well, I didn¡¯t intend to get in his way, so there shouldn¡¯t be a reason for him to go after me, right? But then again, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that he had his own plans cooking and me killing Lucifer might directly catapult me into his crosshairs, a place I didn¡¯t want to be, ever. Maybe I should actually be a bit more careful for once, get some information, wheedle my way into an interesting position and plan from there. Yeah, right. I might just as well throw myself into a star. That¡¯d be better than dying of boredom any day of the week. I¡¯d just pay Lucifer a visit and in case things escalated, I¡¯d buy Amazeroth some chocolate and an apology card. Nobody could stay mad, if they were bribed with chocolate, after all. That¡¯d work for sure. Better yet, if push came to shove I could still smash the seals and hope that those corrupted¡­ things who were chasing me would take their time turning this planet into a lifeless wasteland and I¡¯d be on my merry way, with a decent head start. With a solid plan in mind, I quickly spread my awareness over the lands below, taking care to stay well away from where I sensed Amazeroth. Which wasn¡¯t that hard, considering the immortals I was looking for were on the other side of the world. Alright, a couple of islands, a few underpowered mages, no civilisation to speak of¡­ Damn it, calling that place stuck in the Dark Ages would have been a compliment. During those times, they at least had known how to set up a proper witch hunt or eradicate a few towns. But here, everything was rather peaceful. Something I¡¯d have to change, if I had the time. Strive was a necessary part of life and I¡¯d make sure there¡¯d be a chance for growth. Or devastation, both were just fine with me. It was always exciting to watch. Ooh, vampires. I had always loved those. They were like little robots, always running around in circles. One of the few curses I had concocted that had actually turned out marvellously. Briefly I wondered how they had come here, but truth be told, I didn¡¯t really care. Not knowing was always half the fun. Hum, there was Aurora, the self righteous bitch and Mephisto. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, the both of them had made their allegiance rather clear when the demon had saved Lucifer back in the day and the angel¡­ oh well, at least the both of them wouldn¡¯t pose a threat. The girl was still stuck somewhere in the middle of her development and Mephisto hadn¡¯t managed to reclaim his core, from the looks of it. As it was, I could probably kill them with a thought and disperse their ashes through the cosmos, without anyone being the wiser. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. A cute idea and something to take my edge off, but¡­ I might need some leverage. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t just take what I wanted from Lucifer and be done with it, breaking into his mind was impossible, as far as I knew, and I needed a way to make him spill the beans. Plucking Aurora¡¯s feathers before his eyes might be a good start. Better to leave them alive, at least for now. I could still take their heads further down the line. Not that I truly wanted them dead, as in gone, but having them respawn somewhere else and be forced to claw their way back might be entertaining. Desperation and futile anger were always delicious. Right, I should better get moving. The sooner I was done, the sooner I¡¯d be able to do something productive, like founding a new religion dedicated to eternal darkness or maybe make the dead rise in one kingdom or the other. I¡¯d have to see what was going to catch my fancy. But first things first, where was that pain in the ass of an angel. It was simply unfair that he was hidden from even my scrying, but the traces of his last spell should be easy enough to follow. There. Now, I was going to meet the new neighbours. I tweaked my physical shell and rushed through the ether like black lightening, arriving on the remote island not a moment later. This close I even smelled his scent, but it was somewhat different. Lighter¡­ younger? I couldn¡¯t say for sure. With a thought, I blocked the stream of energy around the island. It would take another immortal to get access now and some privacy was surely going to be needed. While my will took hold on the web, I realised that there was almost no mana left in the atmosphere. Probably an after effect of whatever Lucifer had done. It would refill quickly enough, once I released my grip, but for now, the place was going to remain barren. Just as well, even if a mage was going to use a scrying spell, it would just fizzle out. Unless she could power it with her own energy, but from what I had seen, there were no sorceresses around with that kind of juice. Not without the help of one of the deities I had felt but those relicts were about as active as a dead tree. I wasn¡¯t too worried and in case one of them should interfere¡­ it had been quite a while since I had feasted upon divine essence. A hearty snack never went amiss. I felt several life forms on the island, but they were deeply asleep. And somewhere below my feet, the lingering traces of unleashed, transcendent energies still tickled my nose. That¡¯s where I had to go. Another dilation of my awareness, a short burst of power and I materialised in an almost pitch black room, the remains of a shattered portal at the far end. A corpse and a still squirming girl cluttered the floor but my focus immediately snapped to the angel I had come here for. My flames poured forth, pillars of hell fire illuminating the beast kin girl in front of me, who was standing in a crater of purest, silvery glass. He¡­ she wasn¡¯t in a bad shape, considering how everything else down here had fared and I had to admit, her new skin didn¡¯t look bad on her, not at all. It peeved me to no end, but she might haven been even prettier than my true from, something I hadn¡¯t expected. You might call me vain, but that was just adding insult to injury, form my perspective. Not only was she apparently unafraid, her silver eyes locking on mine with an intensity that told me exactly whom I was facing. She stood there, naked as a slug, didn¡¯t even flinch when I appeared and had the audacity to smile at me. At least it was a sad smile, or so I hoped. But terror, amazement or grovelling? Siltch, Nada. She mostly looked¡­ tired. Tired and determined. And then she bowed form the waist. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Cassy. Are you here to kill me?¡± What was I even supposed to reply to that? Hi, I¡¯m your worst nightmare wouldn¡¯t quite cut it. Somehow I had been looking forward to some sort of grand entrance, a true immortal finally appearing, thunder, lightning, maybe a minor earthquake. Awe and fear in her eyes as she glimpse my true form¡­ But her nonchalance had taken the wind out of my sails. Now, that would just be cheap. I even extinguished most of the fires I had conjured. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m Lilith. Depends. I might have been, but now it would be petty, I think.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say that I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mouthed under her breath. ¡°Probability not. No, I don¡¯t think I will. Already tried that, wasn¡¯t very satisfying, seeing as you¡¯re still alive.¡± By the deep abyss, she was young. It must have taken her soul forever to reach this place. It had been far over 25 years since she had died. And that¡­ child wasn¡¯t yet 10. But she was unbelievably well developed, for her age. Not yet grown, but he powers were already stirring. ¡°I¡­fuck, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions, but now I¡¯m not even sure if you know the answers, yet. How far down the line are you? Do you even know who you are?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Partly. If I can, I¡¯ll try to tell you what you want to know, but I can¡¯t promise.¡± ¡°Just like that? No resistance?¡± That smile again. ¡°What for? I guess you came here, fully prepared to coerce me. I freely admit, that won¡¯t be very difficult and I¡¯m not really keen on seeing you try.¡± She moved a step closer and my eyes dropped down to her chest, where a strange tattoo covered parts of her alabaster skin. I knew that thing, I had seen it before. Oh¡­ Plucking Aurora¡¯s feathers had been the right idea. Maybe I¡¯d do so anyways, now that I knew what length she¡¯d go to at the mere chance it might happen. Those two¡­ I¡¯d never understand them. But at least, this was going to be easy. Or it would be, if she remembered. To get back a little steam, I quickly matched my appearance to hers, my body changing into an exact copy of hers, except for the eyes and tails. The eyes I couldn¡¯t replicate and since I had turned them black, I thought I just as well might match the shade of my fur and exaggerate the curves, a little. My efforts got me a frown, at least. Not exactly much, but a start. Maybe if I changed into Aurora¡¯s current form¡­ nah, mirrors had always been the best distraction. ¡°You¡¯re wiser than you were before,¡± I said, my voice a perfect copy of hers. I thought I even managed to mimic her intonation. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. Do you know why some of our people have changed over the last years? Their powers, their¡­ character?¡± ¡°I do. Not everything, but I think I know enough to satisfy your curiosity. I¡¯m just not so sure, if you¡¯ll believe me or not.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to give it a try, won¡¯t we? I¡¯m not going anywhere and neither are you. You might as well start talking.¡± ¡°Sure. But would you mind changing into something else? That¡¯s terribly distracting.¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid of what you see in a mirror?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all? But that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m actually more afraid of what I once was and the way you stand before me¡­ that¡¯s precisely what I¡¯m trying to avoid becoming.¡± ¡°Another reason to keep this face. But tell me, why do you fear your past? It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. If anything you should be looking forward to it.¡± She shook her head, the glowing reflections of my remaining flames dancing on her raven black tresses. ¡°I can imagine why you¡¯d say that. But you actually misunderstood me. I¡¯m not afraid of my past, I fear what might happen if I stopped thinking of what you might do. Because a part of me, the part you so flippantly portrait, really wants to challenge you and find out what you¡¯re made of.¡± Her wings suddenly exploded from her back, silvery light flooded from her eyes like a wave and her voice reverberated with an ancient strength. A smile spread across my face. That was more like it! I didn¡¯t mind bullying a kid, but breaking an opponent was so much better. ¡°Oh yes,¡± I whispered. ¡°And here I was, dreading you¡¯d be a pushover. But child, that¡¯s a fight you can¡¯t win. I thought you knew.¡± The silver blue storm of energy around her subsided and the light in her eyes dimmed until it barely smouldered in their fathomless depths. ¡°I do, which is exactly why I¡¯d like you to change your appearance. Unless you¡¯re looking for a battle, but if you wanted me dead, you would have killed me already. I¡¯m not asking for much and I already told you that there¡¯s no reason to search for ways to hurt me. So¡­ why not do me a favour? Or are you already that fascinated with my looks that you can¡¯t let them go?¡± Feisty. And perceptive. Maybe I should have her stuffed, once we were done? 177. Of rings, revelations and a little bit of craziness Cassandra Pendragon I had been lying through my teeth, from the very beginning. I knew who she was. My subconsciousness was at least clever enough to realise I might need that particular information. Lilith, the mother of succubi, queen of shadows. Crazy, erratic, hedonistic, driven by her own, twisted version of fun. And incidentally, one of the people who had helped put the nails in my coffin. Of all the immortals, she was one of those I really hadn¡¯t wanted to meet. Especially with how weak I still was, at least in comparison to her. While she had mimicked my appearance almost perfectly, with a few changes, her aura was still her own and I couldn¡¯t remember ever having felt so utterly helpless. Dragons, fey, spiders, constructs of magic¡­ nothing had prepared me for the unbridled power that oozed out of her. Every breath set the residual sparks of energy around her in motion, she wasn¡¯t even trying, but her mere presence changed the laws of the world. The very air seemed to circle around her, her flickering thoughts more than enough to cause a visible effect. Even the connection through my tattoo became distorted, Ahri¡¯s voice gone. Stones began to crack or rippled like water while she shuffled on her feet, the burned out runes in the walls glittered with renewed power and the portal behind me hummed, its energies replenished. Not that I¡¯d have used it. There was no telling where it¡¯d lead by now. And then, there were the pillars of fire she had conjured without so much as a whispered command, ravenous, swirling towers of darkness and flame that crackled around me, a constant reminder of what she was capable of and it made me sweat. If she decided to turn my world into ashes on a whim, there wouldn¡¯t be much I could do to stop her. And while I didn¡¯t expect her to, it was impossible to say for sure. That girl had a psyche as wild and twisted and as the depths of the void. There was only one thing I could try. I had to somehow keep her attention focused on me and pray that she¡¯d leave, once she got what she had come for. Hence my irreverent behaviour. As long as she was curious, she wouldn¡¯t turn her mind towards something, or rather someone, else. And my last quibble had struck a chord. With a flourishing gestured, her fur melted away and her tails disappeared. Shadows enveloped her and when she reappeared, she was someone else entirely. White, flawless skin, blood red lips, exaggerated curves, a pitch black crown of horns and a dark allure that put the puny charms of a vampire to shame, all bundle up in black, skin tight leather with a few red highlights. I swallowed dryly. Maybe I¡¯d have been better off facing my own image. At least I had seen her flaws as long as she had been wearing it. ¡°Better,¡± she purred, her voice a throaty, enticing whisper. ¡°Or do I make you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± I admitted, ¡°but as long as you don¡¯t come any¡­¡± of curse she immediately stepped forward and ran her hand caressingly up my arm with a mumbled ¡°prude¡±. I already wanted to protest but something else caught my attention. The ring I was wearing, almost forgotten since no one had seemed to notice it, suddenly grew warm around my finger, when she touched me. From one second to the next, it pulsed with power, a glowing star on my hand that connected to her core, a diffuse link but strong enough to grant me access. Lilith recoiled as if she had been hit. ¡°You¡¯ve found it again,¡± she hissed. A relieved grin spread across my face. It seemed like I had known what I had been doing when I had sent that little gizmo through time. ¡°I never lost it in the first place. Or did you think I was clumsy enough to drop it in the void?¡± Maybe it hadn¡¯t been the best time to get smart with her. Fangs broke through her lips and ebony, bat like wings formed on her back. The whole building shook when she stomped her foot, either in frustration or anger, and the resulting shockwave would have been strong enough to knock me down, if I hadn¡¯t manifested my wings in time. Space deformed around her as her power flared, the cracks in the walls widening while the room suddenly splintered, several versions of it collapsing back into themselves before I even had the time to see them clearly. Moronic as I was, I didn¡¯t take that as a clue to make myself scarce, but instead teleported to Layla¡¯s side and spread my wings over us like a shield. Not a second too soon. The next pulse tore through the air and obliterated the sleeping vampires in a heartbeat. Not even ashes remained. Only the faint afterimage of their essence lingered a moment longer before even that was carried away. For all intent and purposes, it was like they had never existed in the first place. ¡°Lilith,¡± I hollered. ¡°Stop that! You¡¯re ripping this place apart! Get a grip.¡± She grimaced, clearly torn between venting her anger and a palpable fear of what I might do, if she couldn¡¯t control herself. Caution won, at least for the moment, but she was balancing on a knife¡¯s edge, her nature threatening to spill over any second. And if it did, we¡¯d be doomed. There was no way in hell I¡¯d be able to stop her, ring or no ring. She could change or annihilate reality on a whim! ¡°But¡­ how? When?¡± She turned paler by the second, her carefree mask giving way to rage and worry. Before my eyes was one of the rarest sights in the whole multiverse: a grown immortal on the verge of panicking. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t enjoy the show, I was trembling like a dead leaf in an autumn wind. If she went overboard, there was no telling when or where her rage would stop. This world, my home, might cease to exist simply because she threw a fucking tantrum. ¡°Before I ever lured you into the void. Shortly after I acquired it, I¡¯d say, but I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± To my credit, my voice was barely higher than normal. But I took great care to stick to the facts and not antagonise her any further. One outburst had been more than enough and I didn¡¯t want to risk another. If I managed to get her back on track, my¡­ our chances would increase drastically. ¡°And you haven¡¯t tried using it? Good for you. Do you even know what it does? What was sacrificed to make that thing?¡± She was gradually getting back her bearings, wings and fangs disappearing and even her crown of horns retracted into her skull. ¡°I do, I have seen it. If you play with the forces of creation, it¡¯ll come back to bite you in the ass, won¡¯t it? And that¡¯s something even an immortal can¡¯t shrug off.¡± ¡°You¡­ you have no clue what you¡¯re actually wielding, do you? Forces of creation? The whole farce with the nine families? Hon, that¡¯s not even the tip of the iceberg. But sure, go ahead, try it. See what happens.¡± She had been visibly struggling for control, but now, she calmed down significantly. ¡°You¡¯re going to be surprised¡­ and most likely dead, an instant later.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Why should I? Unless you force my hand, of course.¡± Another blatant lie. Sure, I had some ideas by now, given how the ring had reacted to her presence and what she had done but when it came down to it, I didn¡¯t even have the inkling of a plan what I might do. Channel my energy through it and hope for the best, maybe, but as far as plans went, that was a rather terrible one. But at least better than anything I had had a moment before. And if she feared the ring, it was my best chance to get out of here unscathed and with a world to return to. ¡°Mutually assured destruction is the perfect foundation for every fruitful friendship, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± I said. ¡°Mutually assured destruction,¡± she echoed. ¡°And I always thought I was insane. But you¡¯ve got me beat by a landslide. But at least I know now why Mephisto is still here. Have you told him? Does he know you have that thing?¡± He didn¡¯t and I remembered all too clearly how my instincts had warned me not to. Now, I could guess why. But she didn¡¯t have to know that, did she? ¡°What difference does it make to you,¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m the one wearing it.¡± ¡°Unbelievable as it is. I think most of us wouldn¡¯t even survive its touch. You haven¡¯t changed much, have you, Lucifer? Still meddling with things you don¡¯t understand, bigger than you can imagine?¡± By now, her glaring aura had receded. It didn¡¯t feel like staring at the sun anymore when I watched her. It was closer to looking at a floodlight, painful but not quite blinding. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, in the end. Unless¡­ damn my dame, I guess I shouldn¡¯t have come here. If I had known¡­¡± ¡°What are you even taking about? Forgive me, but I can¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. I¡¯m just wondering¡­ it¡¯s very tempting to chop you into little pieces and return that ring as a peace offering.¡± I tensed but before I could do more than blink, she already continued as if a death threat was a perfectly normal part of any causal conversation. ¡°Unfortunately, I imagine my head would be next¡­ maybe it¡¯ll be for the best if you keep it. Right, at least I don¡¯t have to worry about being bored for the next few years. So Lucifer, Cassy, tell me,¡± her eyes roamed around the room and it changed. The runes, and portal, even the door disappeared. With a soft rumbling sound, the cracks in the walls vanished, the patch of glass I was standing on turned to stone and the pillars of fire petered out. The next second, dark carpets formed on the floor, satin hangings covered the bare walls and a table with two chairs and a wide array of wines materialised. Even the smell in the room changed, from spent, acidic magic to something that reminded me of the sea under a starry sky.¡°How have you been?¡± She sat down elegantly, conjured two glasses from thin air and filled them with a dark crimson liquid from one of the decanters. ¡°How¡¯s life been treating you? Are you and that feathered, fiery nuisance of an angel still an item?¡± I was baffled. She had switched from a menacing lunatic to a gracious host in the blink of an eye. No magic, no weapons, no attacks, no seduction, she just sat there, swirling the wine around in her glass, a serene smile spreading across her face when she took a sip. ¡°Are you just going to stand there? It¡¯s no poison, you know, and drinking alone always feels like boozing to me. Come, join me. We might as well be comfortable while we have the chance.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to add to that. Hesitantly I slipped onto the other chair, its upholstery surprisingly soft against my naked skin. Unfortunately the images of her little outburst, the feeling of her energies pouring out of her, reality bending, the utter destruction of the vampires, still haunted me and I just couldn¡¯t get my muscles to relax. ¡°Loosen up,¡± she said, when she saw my tension. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. If I decide to end you, you won¡¯t be able to do jack shit, anyways. But I¡¯m not going to. No, I think for now, I prefer you hearty and whole. But how about my questions? How are you doing?¡± Was she serious? Probably, either way I wasn¡¯t going to insult her by staying silent. ¡°Uh, fine, for the most part, I guess. I¡¯m still alive, at least. The last weeks have been difficult and I got to say, being ambushed by an immortal in the middle of a jailbreak is rather unsettling, but it could be worse. Aurora, if you were referring to her, and I are still together. Which reminds me, would you mind loosening your hold? You¡¯re also suppressing my link to her and I fear she¡¯ll do something stupid if I can¡¯t talk to her.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Good question. Knowing her she might try to get here herself, but I couldn¡¯t say that out loud. Otherwise Lilith might just take that as an invitation to make sure she would. ¡°She¡­ she has meddled with her reincarnation and I¡¯m not quite sure how much she has truly changed. I¡¯d rather not find out to which length she¡¯d go to and what she could do if she thought me in danger.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Whatever she¡¯s done, as long as she¡¯s not reached her full potential, I can easily nullify whatever she might try. But fine,¡± she closed her eyes for a moment and a visible shudder went through the room. With a lazy smile she raised her glass. ¡°There. And here¡¯s to true friends, or lovers, if you prefer. They¡¯re almost as precious and reliable enemies, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Not in the slightest, but I touched my glass against hers regardless and took a sip while I focused on my tattoo. Whatever she had poured us, it was delicious. Sweet and heavy with a myriad of tastes, all bundled up together. Berries, honey, vanilla and, most dominantly, chocolate. While the drink slipped down my throat with a feeling of silk and warmth, I projected: ¡°Ahri, can you hear me?¡± She replied immediately, her mind a darkening landscaped of worries, fear and barely suppressed anger. ¡°Yes. How bad is it?¡± ¡°Pretty bad, I¡¯d say. Another demon has found us. Lilith. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s looking for a fight, but I also have no clue what she actually came here for. But by now¡­ I¡¯ll tell you once I see you in person, I¡¯m not too confident she can¡¯t eavesdrop on us, in case she chooses to, if we talk like this. For now, I¡¯m fine and I¡¯ll try to keep her distracted for a while. Who knows, maybe she¡¯ll just leave. That chick has got some serious issues. In comparison to her, I¡¯m a calculated, cold and logical person. Do you remember her? Any hints or tips? Something I should avoid at all cost?¡± She hesitated and I felt contradicting emotions surge through her mind, fast enough that I couldn¡¯t identify them. After a moment she haltingly said: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure but I¡¯m pretty certain you can distract her easily enough, in case she turns on you.¡± I waited, but she didn¡¯t elaborate. ¡°How,¡± I finally asked. ¡°Kiss her,¡± came the grudging reply. ¡°As far as I remember, she¡¯s a slave to her desires. Fuel them and she might forget what set her off.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Nobody¡¯s that dumb.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. But I¡¯d rather have you not be forced to try, in any case. Should I¡­ do you want me there with you?¡± ¡°By the Great Fox, no! Have you lost your mind? It¡¯s bad enough as it is, she doesn¡¯t need to see you, let alone see us together. But¡­ would you mind keeping the link open? I could use the company. And I really don¡¯t want to be alone with that lunatic.¡± ¡°Of course. But if anything happens¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll stay exactly where you are! There¡¯s nothing you could do. None of us. You haven¡¯t seen her. Ahri, she changes reality by simply existing within in! Promise me you won¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Cassy, I¡­¡± ¡°Promise me! Or I swear to all the gods, I¡¯ll do something stupid to make sure there¡¯d be no point.¡± ¡°I¡­ fine. I promise.¡± The rush of transcendent energies I felt, reassured me, a little. Just until Lilith cleared her throat. ¡°All done,¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite rude to whisper behind my back, so to speak. Say hello to the little firecracker for me. Where is she, anyways? Is she going to join us? I¡¯d be surprised if she wasn¡¯t. Always been the controlling type.¡± She shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can stand her presence. I¡¯d have killed her and made a cloak out of her wings aeons ago.¡± ¡°No,¡± I answered slowly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she will. Particularly not now. Why do you hate her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Well, not more than most of you feathered folk. I like you, sort of, and still need you, that¡¯s why you think I have a problem with Aurora. But truth be told, that¡¯s just how I am when it comes to people I don¡¯t give a fuck about.¡± 178. Of mistakes, demons and a little summoning Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Huh, lucky me. But what for exactly? What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Like I said, I have a few questions and I think I¡¯ll help you. No, I¡¯m not going to fight your battles,¡± she added quickly when she saw me perk up, ¡°but I¡¯m going to make sure you have the time to do it yourself.¡± She sighed. ¡°The last years have been¡­ strange. Most of us thought we would be done when you were gone, but as it turned out, your last death was only the beginning. I asked you before if you know why some of us have changed. I¡¯d like to have an answer, now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged and moved my wings. ¡°That¡¯s the reason why.¡± ¡°You cursed them? I thought you couldn¡¯t do that. No angel can, without dying, as far as I know.¡± ¡°Of course not. But I¡¯m beginning to suspect that wouldn¡¯t hold true for me. No, the blue energy you see, that¡¯s not mine, at least I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly what it is, but Chaleb called it Corruption, when last I met him. I think it¡¯s a mixture of angelic and demonic power. Since the two don¡¯t mix very well, most hosts are driven insane.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not, because it doesn¡¯t affect you. I see. How come you know?¡± ¡°Memories. A part dates back to the First War, which, incidentally, went on for far longer than you think. The ring you¡¯re so anxious about, it was used to make the Nine Families. I¡¯m speculating right now, but I think it basically combined the antagonistic essences of heaven and hell to make a manipulation on that scale possible. But as always, there was a backlash. No one can deal with that kind of power. It¡­ corrupts, it changes. And when an immortal comes into contact with it¡­¡± I allowed my words to trail off, but I think Lilith had already understood what I was getting at. ¡°But how,¡± she asked and took another sip from her glass. ¡°The families have been dead and buried for ages. Why does it spread now? Provided it is the reason for what¡¯s happening to us.¡± I spread my hands, indicating that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°I¡­ Amazeroth knows, I think. He¡­ him and a few others stumbled across a spark of it that had formed all on its own. He claimed it to be the result of someone wielding transcendent energy who isn¡¯t strong enough to cope with the backlash. It spreads, disperses through space and time and after a while, when enough of the¡­ residue combines, it forms a drop of Corruption.¡± She tapped her chin with her blood red nails. ¡°Let me guess, Michael was among the group. They decided to hunt that stuff down and somewhere along the way he came in touch with it¡­ and once you found out, you went all gung-ho on his ass. And now, he¡¯s either forcing others to bind to it, or they did so voluntarily, which is hardly any better. Also explains why Delilah could whoop my ass so easily. Makes sense. I imagine it¡¯s partly responsible for your abilities?¡± How did she know? ¡°I can¡¯t tell. I am who I am, I don¡¯t know if I was any different before. You see, the first time I¡¯ve bonded, as you called it, to the energy was aeons ago, when the Families were still alive. I¡­ I went looking for the fallen and took in the sparks they carried in their chests. I can¡¯t remember if it changed me.¡± If she didn¡¯t ask, I wouldn¡¯t even hint at the transformation I had undergone. ¡°Neither can I. Is there any way to make sure you¡¯re not completely mistaken?¡± I shrugged again. ¡°Possibly. Amazeroth has laid a trail of breadcrumbs for me. I think he wants us to meet in person,but not yet. He¡­ somehow it feels like he has turned my whole life into a challenge. If I survive, I¡¯ll be strong enough for whatever he has planned. And then, I¡¯ll also get some answers.¡± ¡°Huh, want to tell me about what happened?¡± ¡°Not particularly, unless you insist. I¡¯ve lost quite a lot and I don¡¯t feel like getting mocked for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never¡­ oh well, I would, probably. Fine, I won¡¯t pry and you better give me credit for that. Alright, two more thing. Where are you currently at? I mean, when did you first sprout your wings, what can you already do. And how does the ring tie back into it?¡± ¡°Not too long ago, about two weeks. Since then, I¡¯ve transformed twice.¡± She whistled through her teeth and looked at me with grudging respect and something else I couldn¡¯t quite place. It could have been curiosity or maybe pride, but somehow¡­ darker, more possessive. ¡°Not bad. You must have had a heavenly time. And the ring?¡± ¡°At first, I thought it had just been a means to an end, you know, something important enough to get the demons to care, but I¡¯m not so sure anymore. It¡¯s of angelic origin, changed¡­ corrupted by demons. The ritual¡­¡± I paused, unsure whether or not I should bring up Amazeroth¡¯s past. ¡°Go on,¡± she interrupted my train of thoughts. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°I¡­ you used the essence of an angel, as a medium to contain the backlash, I think, and he¡­ transformed. Don¡¯t you remember any of this?¡± She shook her head. ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me, that happened during the Great Wars. My memories of that time are sealed, as you very well know, or do you? Yours should be, too. Why aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They are, but I can still access them,¡± I replied haltingly, the twisted, foreboding regions I had been forced to cross to relive those parts of my past flashing before my eyes. ¡°I imagine the spells that keep them locked away can¡¯t shut me out completely. Anyways, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the ring is the first manifestation of that subversive, poisonous energy.¡± ¡°Which would also explain why you can wear it,¡± she said, more to herself than me. ¡°If it¡¯s already within you, there won¡¯t be any reaction. Tell me, Cassy, do you know who the angel was? The one whose essence we corrupted to transform the ring?¡± ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not so sure you want to know.¡± ¡°I see. Fuck. No wonder he has never cared much for his own people.¡± She put her glass down and massaged her temples in a very familiar gesture. ¡°I should¡¯ve just stayed away. Hide for a few millennia¡­ but no¡­¡± She didn¡¯t seem on edge anymore, but tired and I thought it safe to ask: ¡°Would you tell me why you came here? From what you¡¯ve already said, it appears like you¡¯re hunted? But I¡¯d really like to know. Especially since¡­ well, I don¡¯t want to jump to any conclusions, but if you are, aren¡¯t we in the same boat, sort of?¡± She sighed. ¡°We are, in a way. Yes, other immortals are trying to get their hands on me. I had a falling out with Delilah, another demoness, don¡¯t know if you remember her.¡± I did, very vividly. She was the one who nearly killed Chaleb. ¡°I¡­ eh, you¡¯ll find out, either way. I was one of the demons who were with Michael and Amazeroth when they encountered that first piece of Corruption. It just seems like I was left in the dark, for quiet a while¡­¡± she sighed heavily. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Power has never been that important to me, believe it or not. And I don¡¯t really care for the bigger picture. A grave mistake, as it turned out. So, yeah, when I heard that you had been corrupted, that you had slain some of your own, I believed it. Especially since I had already seen the colour of your wings. It never crossed my mind that I might have it wrong. And then, you went ahead and stole the ring¡­ which put to rest any doubts I might have had. Of course I sided with those I had known longer, with those who had been tasked with eradicating that vile energy and prevent its creation.¡± She paused, an ironic gleam entering her eyes. ¡°Only when Delilah and I... She was¡­ strong. Much stronger than she should have been. For years now, she has been trying to gather support for her ideas of unity and control and after your death, she found quiet a few new followers. I should¡¯ve known¡­ but I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m not going to bow to anyone, whoever they are¡± she suddenly spat, her eyes igniting with sparks of hellfire. ¡°I told her as much and ever since, I¡¯ve been running, hiding. It has dawned on me for quite a while now, that you might have been right. It¡¯s a perpetual circle, isn¡¯t it? We strove for power and now we are brought to our knees by what we have unleashed. By what¡¯s not supposed to be.¡± That much, we could easily agree on. I was struggling to keep up, but if she wasn¡¯t lying, and I didn¡¯t think she was, she had been manipulated almost as badly as Ahri. I just didn¡¯t know by whom. Who had anything to gain from stringing on an arbitrary demoness? Why was she that important? And what about the others who had been there with Michael and Amazeroth? We¡¯re they all just puppets, dancing, when someone else pulled the strings? Would I ever know? ¡°And now you¡¯re telling me that we might have laid the foundation for our own ruination,¡± she continued, more calmly, ¡°all those ages ago? By forcing together our essences? By creating that tool of domination you wear and the first traces of Corruption? Quite fitting. And it¡¯s a mixture of angelic and demonic powers, you say? Like two magnets, pushing against each other? Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ hm, I wonder¡­¡± she snapped her fingers and to her right, a pentagram drawn in fire sprang to life. Before I could do more than blink confusedly, her eyes roamed across my body appraisingly, before she whisper in a voice that tore through my very being and touched my core: ¡°Ex Abysso Lux, appare!¡± The pentagram flared and darkness swamped me from all sides. A heartbeat later, it felt like I was sliding down a long, cold tunnel and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t beat my wings. Disoriented and panicked I tried to move, but I only managed to shift my weight, to turn around while I fell, faster and faster. And then, it stopped. I was still in the same room, only my perspective had changed. Now, I was within the pentagram, crackling walls of bluish fire, almost identical to the colour of my wings, rose around me and I felt a constant flow of energy from my core to the arcane symbols. A connection I couldn¡¯t sever, no matter how hard I tried. I was caught, like a fly beneath a glass and my heart thunder in my chest like a drum. That wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Did she just summon you?¡± Ahri yelled in my thoughts. ¡°How in hell should I know? But it sure looks like it. Oh crap! I don¡¯t even think can leave the formation!¡± While I spoke, I already got up, panting heavily and hesitantly pushed against the confining flames. They didn¡¯t budge and the more I struggled, the more energy I lost. It was sucked right out of me to strengthen my prison, a vicious circle I couldn¡¯t break. Lilith watched me with a satisfied smirk on her face that quickly evolved into laughter. ¡°Hah, who would have guessed,¡± she giggled. ¡°Oh boy, if that had been known¡­ welcome to the dark side, Cassy! I won¡¯t have to look for you, ever again. Oh, that¡¯s just perfect. Now, let¡¯s see. Could you do me a favour and lie to me?¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Just do it, I¡¯ll let you out afterwards and even tell you how you can break those chains you¡¯re stuck in.¡± Fair enough. I¡¯d even do a backflip if she taught me how I might get out of my predicament. ¡°I¡¯m really glad y¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence. The fires swelled and from each corner, a writhing flame shot towards me, bright enough to leave behind a glowing afterimage. They crashed into me, cutting off my words and driving me to my knees. As a silver lining, they didn¡¯t burn me to a crisp, I simply felt like I had been hit by a truck. ¡°Ouch,¡± I mumbled while I struggled back to my feet. ¡°You knew that¡¯d happen, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± Lilith replied, grinning widely. ¡°But I surely hoped so. You¡¯re one of us now, which means you can¡¯t lie when summoned. Poor girl, a newborn demoness! I don¡¯t envy you.¡± ¡°Understandable. But would you kindly tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do now?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I don¡¯t think I will. Figure it out. We all had to. That¡¯s a lesson you shouldn¡¯t ever forget and being stuck here for a few days will make sure of it. I¡¯ll drop by in a week or so. If you¡¯re still here by then, I¡¯ll devise a fitting punishment. Oh and by the way, the pentagram is fuelled with your own power now, so should you ask the little vampire to damage it, once I¡¯m gone, she¡¯ll simply die, or lose a hand, depending on how overzealous she turns out to be. I wouldn¡¯t risk it, if I were you. Besides, there¡¯s nothing she can do. That¡¯s a task you have to complete on your own.¡± ¡°Wait! You¡¯re just going to leave me? Why?¡± ¡°Verify your story, make sure Delilah doesn¡¯t find this planet, sow a little chaos along the way... Nothing fancy.¡± Her eyes roamed across my curves once more before she added quietly: ¡°unless you want to keep me entertained for a while longer, I¡¯m sure I could even let you out in that case.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will.¡± I wondered briefly if I should try arguing with her, but the little angel on my shoulder quickly dissuaded me: ¡°are you crazy? If she wants to, let her leave! We¡¯ll somehow get you out of there. Mephisto should know how to break a summoning circle, shouldn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just not looking forward to standing here for however long.¡± Out loud I said: ¡°you know, I really thought we could be friends.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°Oh, but I think we already are. You¡¯re just too young to realise it, quite yet. Watch, as a token of my appreciation, generosity, call it what you will, I¡¯ll even activate the portal.¡± She raised her hand, a spark of hellfire flew from her fingertips and slammed into the stone arch. The distorted magic, half active after Lilith¡¯s appearance, shimmered in a mixture of black and red before the same, rippling sheet of energy as before appeared between the engraved runes. ¡°Once you¡¯re out, just step through. It¡¯ll bring you back to wherever you came from, or close to it, in any case. Keep that ring a secret and the uncontrolled outbursts of magic to a minimum, will you? I¡¯ll be back.¡± I didn¡¯t doubt it for second. With barely a shimmer in the air, Lilith vanished. Eyeing the silvery blue flames around me wearily I mumbled: ¡°that went perfectly, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you,¡± Ahri promptly replied. ¡°Not to mention unmolested, still in the same place, still healthy¡­ do you need more examples? Yes, it went pretty fucking well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite wound up,¡± I teased while the knot of fear in my stomach, that had been there ever since Lilith had appeared, slowly loosened. She was right, it could have been worse, so much worse. And I had learned a few important things. Truly important things. Or at least they would be, if I was ever going to play a role in the machinations of the immortals again. But now, that they had begun knocking on my door, I couldn¡¯t imagine how I might possibly stay out of that particular can of worms. ¡°Of course I am,¡± Ahri clamoured. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to worry about you wandering off, for the moment. Just¡­ don¡¯t move, don¡¯t try to escape on your own. I¡¯ll get back to you in a minute. Let me see what your demonic teacher knows about summoning spells. With a little luck, we¡¯ll have you out of there in no time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I replied darkly. ¡°Take your time.¡± Silence was my only answer. Just as well, I had to make sense of what Lilith had told me, at any rate. By now, I should have been able to form a more or less coherent picture of my last life and why it had ended. Even without the information Amazeroth still held, I felt pretty confident that I¡¯d manage. I just needed a moment to think. But alas, that shouldn¡¯t be. When I had just about settled down and made myself as comfortable as I could, considering I was stuck inside a burning prison, the runes covering the carved archway began to glow ominously. A heartbeat later, they exploded, the portal itself flickering once, before it vanished. I reflexively closed my eyes and when I opened them again, a new, somehow wider passage had formed. 179. Of monsters, defeats and a little bit of hope Cassandra Pendragon Dark, almost black sparks ignited around an elliptic tear in space and howling winds accompanied its appearance. In contrast to the one which had just shattered before my eyes, this spell wasn¡¯t anchored, the edges of the passage were frayed, its surface less smooth. In a way, it resembled a gaping hole, dug with more enthusiasm than skill. Not that I cared overly much for the portal itself, I was much more concerned with who might be stepping through. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. My spell and Lilith¡¯s intervention had surely caused all kinds of alarms to go off on the other side, especially when the first squad of goons had suddenly combusted. Chances were, the cavalry was about to come charging through, in all its glory. Usually, I¡¯d have taken the less than subtle hint and made myself scarce, but unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t an option. Sighing, I stood back up, unwilling to sit on the ground, naked, when my new friends were about arrive. For a second, I played with the idea of covering myself with my tails, but ultimately I decided against it. Partly due to stubbornness and pride, but mainly, because I just didn¡¯t care anymore. Picking up Shassa¡¯s gem from where it had fallen to the ground, I waited. A blackened war gauntlet, followed by a heavily armoured shoulder plate with nasty spikes all over it, gradually pushed through the portal. A second later, a deathly pale and deformed head emerged. Long fangs protruded from a mouth that resembled nothing more than an open wound but the eyes were far worse. In the middle of a face with parchment like skin, drawn so tightly across the bones that it appeared like a skull, two pitch black coals smouldered with aggression and malice, tiny runes swirling around them like animated flames. The slit like nostrils quivered when the¡­ thing inhaled deeply, tasting the scent of the underground chamber and a shiver of excitement set its malevolent eyes ablaze while it pulled itself through the tear. Steel rang on stone as it jumped to the ground, an ironclad behemoth with a sword that was easily as long as me. Good gracious, being stuck behind a wall of impenetrable fire suddenly didn¡¯t seem so bad. My visitor was huge, his head almost scraping the ceiling when he straightened, the metal of his boots screeching against the floor. He smelled¡­ ancient, a mixture of dust, polished steel and dried bones that reminded me of forgotten crypts under starless skies. Combined with his size, his bulky armour and the complete lack of emotions on his face, he was closer to a nightmare come alive than anything of flesh and blood I had ever seen. That wasn¡¯t exactly true. Come to think of it, he reminded me of the emperor¡¯s acolytes, those breathing zombies I had encountered before. Every individual trait, everything remotely unique, sacrificed for a whiff of power. If I hadn¡¯t just met an immortal, I might have been quivering in fear, seeing as I was stuck in a cage with a veritable monster on the outside, but as it was, I felt nothing but pity and a maybe a bit impatient. That tin can, however scary he might look, was nothing but a tool and badly treated one, at that. Still, if I wanted to do anything but watch, I would have to get out of the circle, quickly. ¡°Ahri,¡± I tentatively sent, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to rush you, but there¡¯s a, presumably, undead monster with me now. Any chance you can tell me how to deactivate the trap, like, right now?¡± ¡°Oh, come on¡­ no¡­ yes, I don¡¯t know for sure. It can¡¯t reach you, can it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. But if I had to guess, I¡¯d say that he¡¯s either going to take the kid or he¡¯ll call his master any second. Neither of which seems like a desirable outcome to me. So¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ alright, basically when a demon is summoned, the ritual is attuned to its essence, hence the whole schtick with the names. Don¡¯t ask me how Lilith managed to capture you with a simple sentence, but somehow she fuelled the circle with your own energy, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t get out. Now, from what Mephisto just said, there are four ways to break the spell. One, kill the caster, which isn¡¯t possible. Two, you¡¯ve got to change, fundamentally. If your essence differs from what is inscribed in the pentagram, you¡¯ll be free to do as you please. But unless you can somehow grow your next tail in a few minutes, that¡¯s not going to happen. Three, someone has to damage the circle form the outside. And four¡­ you can die.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me,¡± I groaned. ¡°That¡¯s no good either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too quick with your assumptions,¡± she replied glumly. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not ideal, but the only thing that you can accomplish on your own and probably what Lilith expected you to do anyways. Here¡¯s the thing, you don¡¯t really have to kick the curb, you just have to trick the spell. It¡¯ll disintegrate once there¡¯s nothing for it to cling on to. Like tug of war. If one side suddenly vanishes, the other will bite the dust, as well.¡± ¡°And how am I supposed to do that? Curl up, hold my breath and close my eyes?¡± ¡°Close enough. You have to seal your core, if only for an instant. Without your transcendent power flowing through you, there¡¯ll be nothing for the spell to take a hold on. The problem is, I simply don¡¯t know if your body can survive without it, after your last changes¡­ ¡± ¡°Great, perfect. Tell me honestly, what are the chance I can make it?¡± ¡°Honestly? Not good enough that I¡¯d be willing to bet your life on it. 50 50, maybe?¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m just supposed to stand here until heaven come?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s one more thing. Lilith already told you, that no mortal will be able to damage the circle as long as it¡¯s powered by your core. They¡¯ll burn to a cinder. But they can claim it. This is where it gets interesting. Once they do, it won¡¯t solely be your power that¡¯s imprisoning you but also the will of the one holding it. If you can marshal more of your energy than they can cope with, they¡¯ll go up in flames and you¡¯ll be free.¡± ¡°And why isn¡¯t that working now?¡± ¡°Because, at this moment, an immortal is in control. She won¡¯t succumb so easily, since she¡¯s not confronted with your energy, but rather a form of backlash that¡¯s transmitted through the ritual. How much power do you think it would take for her to lose control? More than you, yourself can handle right now.¡± ¡°Just to be clear, what will happen if I can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ if they can¡¯t take over the summoning spell, nothing changes. If they do and you can¡¯t break it, you¡¯ll be stuck under someone else¡¯s control. In that case, you¡¯d have to bargain your way out. You know, accept a task and once it¡¯s done, you should be good to go.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Splendid¡­ hang on, doesn¡¯t that mean every demon who¡¯s summoned is doing the bidding of its master willingly? I mean, for a grown immortal, it should be easy enough to overwhelm a mortal, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, for the most part. But more sophisticated rituals include phylacteries to siphon off the backlash. And some conductors are nigh indestructible. Luckily, that¡¯s not the case here.¡± ¡°Right, thanks. I¡¯ll see what I can do. My new friend is moving, at any rate. Wish me luck.¡± ¡°I always do. One more thing. If you manage to stall for an hour or two, we might be able to get to you. No promises, but maybe we can create another portal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work, but I¡¯ll try.¡± I wasn¡¯t fully concentrating on her anymore, since, quick as our exchange had been, the armoured Goliath had finished sniffing around. He only spared me a contemptuous glance before he slowly made his way over to Layla, each of his heavy steps reverberating through the room like a thunderclap. Was I supposed to let him go? To watch while he took the girl back to his master? Somehow that didn¡¯t strike me as the best course of action. Even without considering what might happen to her, I couldn¡¯t imagine that I¡¯d be left alone, once he returned and reported back. But how could I even gain his attention? The walking wall of iron and bones hadn¡¯t even flinched when he had first seen me inside a burning pentagram. Not to sound conceited, but if he had even had a smidgen of free will left, I would have expected at least a lecherous stare, maybe even a dumb remark. But no, he simply didn¡¯t care for me, not one bit. I was almost certain my magic wouldn¡¯t be able to cross the fiery lines, but I simply didn¡¯t have a better idea. Collecting a few sparks of transcendent energy in my throat, I screamed: ¡°stop!¡± I might as well have thrown a cotton ball, for all the good it did. He didn¡¯t even turn around but stoically continued on his way, his armoured, spindly fingers reaching for Layla. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he buried his hand in her hair and pick her up like a kitten. She dangled from his grasp, still soundly asleep and when he brought her closer to his ruined face, the first shimmer of emotion I had ever seen on him crossed his destroyed, mask like features. He wasn¡¯t smiling, not precisely, but the gleeful spark that had entered his fiendish eyes and the satisfied, crooked line his lipless mouth had formed wasn¡¯t boding well for the child¡¯s future. Damn it all to hell and back! ¡°Let her go,¡± I thundered, pushing more energy through my meridians and setting my wings ablaze. The only reaction I got was from the flames around me, which flared more brightly for a moment and converted my efforts into another layer of silvery light that briefly circle around the pentagram, before it too became nothing but fuel for the fire. Metal joints creaking, the nameless giant threw Layla over his shoulder, his smouldering gaze briefly travelling over the scorch marks his predecessors had left behind. Indifferent to their fate, he whirled around and made his way back to the portal he had emerged from, uncaring of my powerless rage. With a flash of light and another gust of wind, he passed through, the spell disintegrating behind him. Where an instant ago a towering warrior had been carrying a child, only black sparks remained, before they went out. I was alone again, the crackling of the flames and the silvery blue light of my prison my only companions. I was stunned. For the first time in my life, there had been nothing I could have done. I had already lost plenty in the last weeks, but at least I had been able to fight back. This time, though, I hadn¡¯t. Being damned to watch had been far worse than losing or being hurt, especially since I knew that I would have been able to wipe the floor with him, if I had just had the chance to confront the creature. What my mum had said to me, when she had described how she had felt while being held hostage by the Mask, suddenly made a lot more sense. And while I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to compare the two instances, Layla wasn¡¯t my child after all, I understood a little better what kind of hell she had been forced to go through when she had watched powerlessly, while the Mask had tortured my brother. If I had been allowed to fight and had lost, I wouldn¡¯t have felt so utterly¡­ empty, so useless. What good was it to be an angel if I couldn¡¯t even protect a kid? She had been less than a handful of steps away from me and still I hadn¡¯t been able to help. ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± I whispered into my thoughts. ¡°That¡­ that thing took her. By the Great Fox, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Stop pitying yourself, for a start,¡± came the scathing reply. ¡°She¡¯s not dead, yet and neither are you. You know where she is, don¡¯t you? If your conjectures are right, she¡¯ll be with her uncle again. We can go get her later, but for now, that pentagram is still the biggest problem. Although¡­ chances are, someone is going to come for you any second now. Or do you think they¡¯ll just ignore a powerful, trapped being out of the goodness of their hearts?¡± ¡°Let them. I¡¯ve got a few ideas what I might do to anybody who tries.¡± ¡°Damn it, Cassy! Stash the attitude! You¡¯re as much stuck there as you were a moment before. You won¡¯t be able to do shit!¡± She struggled to reign in her temper before she continued more calmly. ¡°I actually have an idea. You can probably be summoned because you took in enough of the corrupted energy for the rules of angels and demons to hold sway over you, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± I said haltingly. I had a hunch where she might be going with this. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ve got some of that coursing through my veins as well, don¡¯t I?¡± I wanted to argue, but she cut me off. ¡°No, listen, that¡¯s almost certain. Think about it. You¡¯ve already summoned me once, haven¡¯t you? The tattoo, that connection¡­ I never questioned that you could pull me along before, but now¡­ I think that¡¯s pretty much what it does. It¡¯s a fucking summoning ritual which goes both ways! Call me, right now, with all you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°And then what? Even if you¡¯re right, we¡¯ll both be stuck here!¡± ¡°No, we won¡¯t. That circle is attuned to you, not me. I think I can destroy it, once I¡¯m there. Or at least pass through. From the outside it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to alter or damage the spell formation. I already asked our mages and they confirmed my suspicion. All it takes is one little scratch and the whole thing will crumble. It might remain in place, but it won¡¯t bind you any longer.¡± Shit, I actually wanted to ask a few more questions, but¡­ ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m only going to ask you once, because right now, there¡¯s a new portal forming where the very first one used to be. Are you completely convinced that¡¯s going to work?¡± ¡°Hell no, I¡¯m grasping at straws. But what¡¯s the downside?¡± ¡°You might be stuck here with me, you moron!¡± ¡°That¡¯s still an improvement, as far as I¡¯m concerned. Do it. Now!¡± Your wish is my command, I thought grimly while I channeled as much energy as I could, straight through my tattoo. I concentrated with all my might, I pictured her before me, her flowing hair, her flaming wings, her iridescent eyes. The softness of her skin and the warmth of her touch. When nothing happened, I dug deeper, focusing on our past, on what she meant to me. On our connections, grown over millennia, on the things we had done, those I remembered and those I only felt when we were together. And I pictured the future I wanted to have with her. I closed my eyes and for a moment my prison, the smell of ozone, as a new gateway was ripped through space and the crackling flames disappeared. I saw her before me, clear as day and I whispered: ¡°please, I need you. Come to me, help me!¡± Something changed. The torrent of power that was rushing through my veins suddenly vanished, soaked up by my tattoo which started to burn on my chest, silvery light spilling forth like wave. I fell to my knees, my legs crumbling while my head started spinning. For a second, I was incredibly weak, my limbs felt like lead and I could barely keep my eyes open until the constant stream from my core gradually replenished what I had lost. Inhaling deeply, I never the less couldn¡¯t suppress a smile. I smelled pine trees and fire and a moment later, warm, delicate hands touched my shoulder. ¡°You made it,¡± I mumbled, while I leaned back. My head came to rest against soft skin and a silky voice whispered: ¡°of course. Now, let¡¯s get you out of here before that portal can fully form.¡± A wave of heat washed over me and I heard a sound like ripping silk. Ahri had manifested her wings and with a final, gentle caress, she confidently strode forward, halting only for an instant before she passed through the ravenous flames. Blue and silver parted around crimson like a river around a rock and in less time than it would have taken me to blink, she was through. 180. Of arrivals, fights and a little bit of freedom Cassandra Pendragon Once outside, it was child¡¯s play for her to interrupt the stream of magic that coursed through the pentagram. She didn¡¯t bother with searching for any weak points but simply slammed her wings into the arcane foundations. Her fires flared, a flash of crimson, the walls of silvery flames around me stuttered and went out, leaving behind nothing but molten, still glowing rock. ¡°That wasn¡¯t too bad, now, was it,¡± she said with a satisfied grin. ¡°And not a second too soon.¡± I nodded and quickly strode to her side. Paranoid it might have been, but I wasn¡¯t going to stay within the formation, destroyed or not. Besides, it surely seemed like we were going to have company any second now. While I wrapped my tails around her, the spell, which had been growing in the background, reached its conclusion. ¡°Thanks,¡± I whispered in her ear, my gaze focused on the newly formed portal, an altogether more impressive affair than the last one. A ring of swirling, iridescent runes circled around a grey, mirror like surface that was at least as tall as the one that had filled the archway. And considering the acidic smell, even more powerful. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Any ideas what¡¯s coming for us,¡± she asked mentally. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine, but if we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll make the acquaintance of Captain Dawn quite a bit sooner than expected.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s the one in charge and just received the news that some magical creature with tails and silvery wings is stuck inside his prison, I¡¯m willing to bet he¡¯ll have a look for himself. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him to deduce who I am, he has already sent one of his cronies to invite us to his next gathering, after all. Chances are, he¡¯ll get a guard or two and a competent mage and make an appearance. At least that¡¯s what I would do in his stead.¡± ¡°And what do we do? Kill them all as soon as they step through and use the portal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s risky. It might close, once they¡¯re dead. And honestly, I¡¯m tired of it all. If they¡¯re willing to, I won¡¯t mind bargaining. But he¡¯ll have to let the girl go. My promise was fulfilled when we left the cell, but I¡¯m not going to let her languish under his care. I like her.¡± ¡°Of course you do. Have you ever thought about opening an orphanage? Considering the speed with which you¡¯re adopting strays left, right and centre, you might soon need one.¡± ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± I chuckled, ¡°but this one already has a family. I simply want to return her to her mum. However prickly the lady in question might be, at least she cares for her child.¡± ¡°That she does¡­ which is about the only excuse she can make that won¡¯t lead to me incinerating her for what she¡¯s done to you. I mean, we¡¯d even have helped, if she had simply asked... Incidentally, how are you? If we¡¯re forced to, will you be able to fight?¡± ¡°Hell yes. I¡¯m as good as new. Tired and hungry, admittedly, but that¡¯s something I¡¯ve gotten used to for a while now. But my core, my body¡­ I¡¯m feeling much better. How about you?¡± ¡°Drained. Before I asked you to summon me, I tried the same, but it didn¡¯t work. Don¡¯t ask me why, I simply don¡¯t know, but I had already used quite a lot of power before I understood that I wasn¡¯t going to be able to pull you through. A bit unfair, in my humble opinion,¡± she added sulkily. ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? But I imagine that¡¯s the advantage of having made that thing. You realise what it means, though, don¡¯t you? Even back then, when I forged the magic, I already knew what had happened to us. Or do you think angels can be summoned? I¡¯m not completely sure anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, either. But we can talk about that rather academic question, when we¡¯re safe again. Look, something¡¯s happening.¡± I didn¡¯t think it was academic, not at all. Summoning one after the other to wring their necks seemed quiet appealing to me, but I did agree with her. There was probably a better time to explore that option. For now, the rippling waves that spread across the smooth, greyish surface of the portal were a tad more important. ¡°You know, for once, I¡¯d like to actually look like I¡¯m about to start a fight. I can¡¯t wait for the dwarfs to finish the armour. I¡¯m so done with walking around naked, every time someone ruins my day. Seriously, I can¡¯t even remember the last time I was appropriately dressed for a battle.¡± ¡°Of course that¡¯s the first thing that comes to your mind,¡± Ahri chuckled, while she extended her fingers and brushed over the bracelet she had given me. ¡°At least, you didn¡¯t lose that,¡± she added quietly. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot,¡± I groaned. ¡°The bracelet, I could have sent it after Layla! Damn it all, why didn¡¯t I think of it sooner? Or better yet, maybe I could have used it to damage the formation¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it, I don¡¯t think it would have worked. They are connected to our own magic and I guess that means it wouldn¡¯t have been able to cross over the flames. It would have either burned up outright or been repelled. Besides, since you¡¯ve still got it on you, you can¡¯t claim that you¡¯re completely disrobed, can you?¡± At least I hadn¡¯t made another, stupid mistake... ¡°You¡¯re not the one who¡¯s going to meet one of the leaders of Free Land in their birthday suit. If it¡¯s not big deal, I won¡¯t mind taking your shirt, or your trousers, both are fine, really.¡± ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s no time. Or do you want us to be changing when they come through the gate? Otherwise I¡¯d definitely share with you.¡± Despite her mocking inflection, she slung her tails around me. We both knew that wouldn¡¯t last, but I still appreciated the gesture, immensely. I wanted to lean over and kiss her, but a sudden gust blew back my hair. The portal had activated and the mirror had turned into a pitch black passage. A lithe, heavily armed figure stepped through, confidence, maybe even arrogance, radiating off him in palpable waves. He wasn¡¯t overly tall, I¡¯d have put him at around 1.85 metres, but he was a fighter. Every movement was precise and controlled, a graceful strength lingered in his easy gait and an inner tension gave him the appearance of a predator, stalking its prey. Clad in a silvery scale armour, the overlapping pieces masterfully crafted and carved with arcane symbols, some of which I recognised, he waltzed through and into the room as if he owned the place. Which, judging from the engraved coat of arms on his chest, a stylised sun breaking through a bank of clouds on the horizon, wasn¡¯t that far from the truth. Captain Dawn had a kite shield on his back, the edges clearly visible on either side of his agile frame, and a massive, brutal mace on his belt alongside a pair of silver daggers. He didn¡¯t wear a helmet, his unnaturally pale face was drawn into a satisfied smirk that revealed his canines. Bloodless lips and perfectly white hair emphasised the vibrant colour of his ruby red eyes, their unchanging glow broken solely by slit like pupils. But as soon as he spotted us, their expression changed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Surprise was followed by disbelieve as the self assured leader of the vampires realised, that he wasn¡¯t walking in on a tied up angel, but rather two of them, both unshackled. His eyes narrowed as they roamed from Ahri to me, to the molten remains of the pentagram and back again. As he pieced together what must have happened, I waved at him and said: ¡°Now, no reason to be shy. I assume you¡¯ve come here for me. That I¡¯m not stuck behind an impenetrable wall of flames shouldn¡¯t change much, should it? Or are you afraid of being alone with two women? We don¡¯t bite, don¡¯t worry. And I¡¯m also not craving your head on a platter, not yet, at any rate. Although, what have you done to Layla? For your sake, I hope she¡¯s still alive.¡± Before he could answer, the first of his lackeys came through the portal, a bespectacled, bearded man in a brown robe, his long, white fingers wrapped around a carved staff which smelled like oak. His timing couldn¡¯t have been any better. Concluding that being stuck in a room with the both of us wasn¡¯t in his best interest, Captain Dawn had decided that a strategic retreat was his best course of action. Unfortunately, his hasty flight coincided with the wizard¡¯s arrival. The armoured vampire crashed into the poor fellow like a brick wall and sent him flying, while his arms and legs became hopelessly entangled in the flowing robe. For a split second, he managed to keep his balance but quickly enough, gravity proved its superiority and he kissed the floor only an instant after his friend. ¡°Oh my, what a display of poise and grace,¡± Ahri chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re so eager to get away from us, why would you have offered an invitation in the first place? It¡¯s not like¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence since the portal flared for a third time and a monstrous figure, one I had met before, easily steppe through, gracefully avoiding the flailing mass of limbs on the ground. The gaunt behemoth hadn¡¯t changed one bit while he had been away, except that he appeared even larger now, but that was probably simply because I wasn¡¯t safe and sound behind a wall of fire and magic. I heard Ahri swallow dryly at my side, her eyes glued to the impossibly long sword which the Goliath handled as if it was a toy. ¡°I assume that¡¯s the undead monster you referred to,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Somehow I thought you were exaggerating.¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I wasn¡¯t. Let¡¯s hope he doesn¡¯t¡­¡± my words were drowned out by a ringing command when Captain Dawn screamed: ¡°hold them back!¡± ¡°Or not,¡± I muttered. While the two vampires on the floor struggled to get up and already reached for the portal, a savage smile spread across the face of our newest friend. Without a word, he effortlessly twirled his sword around, glided into a basic offensive stance and attacked, the air whistling around his first strike. Without thinking, Ahri and I reacted in perfect synchronisation. She took a step forward, her flames a ravenous storm of heat and power behind her back. She extended her arm, tongues of fire swirling across her skin, her eyes ablaze with anger and violence. A thin beam, crimson red and brighter than the sun, shot from her fingers and cut through the armoured figure like a hot knife through butter. Smoke coiled around the pinprick sized hole in his chest but he didn¡¯t fall. Instead he roared, an eerily soft sound that reminded me of a hissing snake, and threw himself towards her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his blade descend, but my vixen was faster than him by a landslide. Before he even came close to her, she whirled around and ducked under his strike, her wings glistening as they pierced his side. This time, he couldn¡¯t shrug off the horrendous wound, surrounded by blackened flesh and molten metal. He stumbled, his own momentum carrying him further while his arms flailed like a propellor to keep him upright. Meanwhile, I had spread my wings wide, relishing in the smooth, powerful roar of energy as it rushed through my veins, a far cry removed from the exhausting, insufferable sensation I had been forced to endure before. A smile formed on my face when I felt the rules of reality bend and break around the torrents of light and with a thought, I vanished into a shower of sparks. I reappeared behind the stumbling colossus, the glare from my eyes focused on the disheveled vampires on the floor. To their credit, they didn¡¯t freeze. Instead, the mage uttered an incantation and Captain Dawn went for one of his daggers but he never got to draw it. A lance of darkness ripped through the air, distorting the very space it passed through. With a dull sound like a hand hitting a table it struck me, directly over my heart. The magic sizzled evilly, pulsed once and petered out. Not even a mark was left on my skin. Captain Dawn, who had still been fumbling with his dagger, swallowed visibly and raised his hands, the tension leaving his body as he exhaled deeply. The mage though, was a little slower on the uptake and brandished his staff, sending another spell in my direction. Unwilling to put up with an arcane bombardment, I simply ignored the incoming streak of purple light and wrapped my wings around the caster, as well as his weapon. While I felt a gentle tickling where the magic impacted, I heaved, hoisting the wizard up into the air by his ankles. Dangling upside down in front of me, his eyes going wide in panic, I presented him with a lazy smile before I engulfed his toy in silvery blue flames, reducing it to so much as cinders and smoke in the blink of an eye. ¡°If you¡¯re dead set on being killed tonight, please continue. But trust me, the next spell you cast will be your last,¡± I said sweetly, my smile never wavering. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long day and my patience is about to run out. But if you think testing me is a good idea, by all means, go ahead. To me, it makes no difference whether you walk out of here or if the wind blows away your ashes. The choice is yours. And if you think your hulking brute of a friend is going to help you¡­ well, why don¡¯t we just watch the show?¡± I turned around, provocatively giving them my back, but neither was stupid enough to take the invitation. In awed silence we watched as Ahri began a dance of flame and fury, whirling around the lumbering ogre in a stunning display of speed and grace. She didn¡¯t even use her magic, except for her wings, she dissected him with skill alone. I might even have pitied the poor oaf, if he hadn¡¯t already shown his sadistic, blood crazed nature. His satisfied smirk when he had taken Layla with him, his delight when had seen my powerless rage, in a way it was poetic justice to see him become dismembered limb by limb while the love of my life extracted a price in flesh and blood. It was a gruesome sight, his wounds closing almost as fast as she managed to strike, but piece by gory piece, she reduced him to so much as a wriggling torso on the floor. Dark blood flowed through the room, a thick, wet carpet that filled the chamber with the smell of death and pain. Pieces of his body, some of them squirming, littered the floor, ripped away from his regenerating form and still he struggled to get a hold of her, to bury his sword in her side. But try as he might, his efforts only led to more injuries, to him watching as parts of his walking corpse sailed through the air, the edges charred and smouldering. Step by step, Ahri took from him everything he had left: his strength, his capabilities, his ill begotten power. Finally, he collapsed, the stumps of his legs unable to support his weight anymore. Finally he stopped attacking, his sword sailing through the air, his hand still attached to it. Ahri towered over him like a goddess of vengeance, her flaming wings spread behind her like the fires of doom. In a voice that thrummed with immortal power, she looked down on him, grudging respect etched into the lines of her face. ¡°You¡¯ve fought well, but it¡¯s time to rest. May your next life be more forgiving than this one. Farewell.¡± Fire engulfed her form, coalesced into her hands and with a whisper, she sent forth a bellowing wave of flames and destruction that devoured him whole. I kept my gaze locked onto his face, searching for any reaction and then, when his skin was already turning to ash, the runes annihilated, a spark of hope and gratefulness appeared in the depths of his soulless eyes. For one tiny moment at the end of his life, he was again free, he was again whole. And while the fires burned him to nothingness, an icy wave of anger spread through me. Over the crackling flames, my voice sounded clear and cold, like the crack of a whip: ¡°Captain Dawn, you have much to answer for. If I dislike your story, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll pay for everything you¡¯ve done. And believe me, it¡¯ll be more than your life, I¡¯m going to take.¡± 181. Of intimidation, misunderstandings and a little murder Cassandra Pendragon Ash and soot were sprinkled over my hair like autumn leaves on a forest floor, the glow from my eyes illuminated the pale faces of the vampires before me and when Ahri had reached my side, a solid wall of crimson and silvery blue magic rose behind us, humming with power. I didn¡¯t bother with gently lowering the mage to the ground but instead threw him against Captain Dawn to make sure they wouldn¡¯t try anything silly. Also, I simply felt like it and the tiny bit of spitefulness made it a whole lot easier to drive back the rising tide of icy indifference that threatened to overcome me. ¡°First question,¡± I said quietly, ¡°where¡¯s Layla?¡± Captain Dawn, struggling to get his pet mage off him, stilled and answered immediately. He had obviously decide that cooperation would increase his chances of getting out of here alive by a mile. Also, the fate of his warrior might have shaken him slightly, it wasn¡¯t every day that you saw a 50 kilo slip of a girl utterly annihilate an armoured giant. Smart. But honestly, depending on what he had to say, his prison might still soon turn into his grave. I wasn¡¯t feeling very magnanimous anymore and a small part of me was already clamouring for his head so I would simply be done with the whole affair. I could always worry about the consequences later... crap, maybe I hadn¡¯t shoved the rising tide of frozen fury far enough away, after all. I had to be careful, otherwise I might soon come to regret my choices. ¡°She¡¯s in my palace, unhurt. What is she to you, anyways? Don¡¯t tell me you ended up in here by accident.¡± His voice was deep and full like an aged wine but I still detected a quiver of fear behind his words, despite his efforts to appear calm and confident. Good, that¡¯d make everything easier. ¡°You¡¯re not interrogating me, I¡¯m afraid. I assume she¡¯s guarded. What were your orders before you left?¡± ¡°Nothing sinister. My people will keep an eye on her and make sure she¡¯s got something to eat, once she wakes up. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s told you, but I never mistreated her.¡± ¡°Really now? So you didn¡¯t take her blood? Didn¡¯t leave her alone in the dark for days on end? Didn¡¯t scare her or make her dread what you might do if she didn¡¯t comply with your wishes?¡± ¡°All of the above, but that¡¯s hardly a mistreatment. She was fed, she wasn¡¯t hurt, all hells, she wasn¡¯t even interrogated. Considering she¡¯s my sister¡¯s daughter, I think that¡¯s more than can reasonably be expected of me. Have you even met the woman?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on between the two of you,¡± Ahri interjected, brushing the last bits and pieces of her adversary from her clothes. ¡°It¡¯s a little more than simple sibling rivalry, I take it. What has she done that you thought taking her child was an appropriate reaction? Has she killed yours?¡± ¡°No, but¡­ have you even looked around my city before you came barging into my tower? We¡¯re at war, darling. Not only do I have to keep a murderous sorcerer from another continent at bay, no, I also have to defend my city against a veritable army of cutthroats and brigands, whom my own flesh and blood has elevated to heights that make them just as dangerous. I¡¯m desperate.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that,¡± I asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be working together, especially if there¡¯s an outside threat that might devour your little island kingdom whole, given the chance?¡± He sighed. ¡°Politics, love, revenge. Take your pick. It wasn¡¯t always like this, you know? There was a time¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. The bridge has burned. I killed her husband and she murdered more of my lovers than I can count. There¡¯s no coming back from that. In the end, it¡¯ll be me or her.¡± ¡°There is,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°Almost anything can be forgiven. But it doesn¡¯t explain why you took her child. I would have understood if you had killed her, but why trouble yourself with holding her prisoner? Cruelty? To prolong her mother¡¯s suffering?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a savage,¡± he spat, his nonchalant mask cracking for the first time. This, more than anything else, placated me. The suggestion had visibly irked him. ¡°I¡¯d never use a child like that and for all her faults, neither would my sister. Why do you think I don¡¯t have any kids and she has only the one? We don¡¯t even turn them, despite our instincts. Tharos told you how we came to be, didn¡¯t he? We¡¯d never make anyone suffer a similar fate. No, I need her, or her blood, to be more precise. In combination with my own, I think I can end this bloody conflict for good. Unlikely as that seems now. Incidentally, what do you intend to do with me? Hand me over to Alassara?¡± I studied him for a long moment, but his face had once again turned into an impenetrable facade. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we will,¡± I finally said. ¡°But I do expect you to invite her to the gathering you have planned.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll never come,¡± he protested. ¡°Why on Gaya would she?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re going to give back her daughter and try to bury the hatchet.¡± He snorted, which wasn¡¯t the reaction I had expected. I didn¡¯t think his current situation warranted any form of mirth, sarcastic or not. ¡°Right, even if I wanted to, she¡¯d never go for it. We¡¯ve been at war longer than the two of you are alive, as far as I know. Whoever you are, you won¡¯t be able to make that happen.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite right,¡± the wizard added to my surprise in a nasal voice, almost as if he had a cold. Or he might have broken his nose when he had slammed head first into the kite shield. One of the two.¡°Years of cruelty can¡¯t be wiped away with the wave of a wand, whoever wields it.¡± ¡°Cruelty¡­ a funny, little word.¡± Ahri replied. ¡°Considering what you did to your dead friend, I¡¯m honestly not sure I even want to know what cruelty entails for you. Or do you mean to tell me, that he was willingly carrying those runes you carved into his skin.¡± ¡°No,¡± Dawn answered. ¡°But I¡¯m telling you he wasn¡¯t our friend, far from it. That maniac was the strongest in an unending line of assassins my sister sent after me. I simply chose to keep the gift and add a little¡­ insurance to make sure he couldn¡¯t try again. Honestly, I¡¯m not going to shed a single tear for him. As far as I¡¯m concerned, he suffered far less in your flames than he should have. Be that as it may, I¡¯m not stupid enough to deny your request, but I¡¯m telling you, Alassara won¡¯t show and she won¡¯t believe a single word, whatever I¡¯m going to say to her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you won¡¯t tell her,¡± I elaborated. ¡°I will. And I¡¯ll also take Layla with me.¡± ¡°I expected as much,¡± he shrugged while he slowly got to his feet, making sure we didn¡¯t mind. ¡°If I may, why do you even care? What difference does it make to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your feud, but I do care about your fleet. The murderous sorcerer from a another continent, you so casually mentioned¡­ do you know who he is?¡± Another shrug. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Partly. About as well as I know who the both of you are, which, as it just turned out, isn¡¯t nearly well enough. As the Pirate King, he¡¯s naturally been at the centre of my attention but, since most of my resources are used to keep my sister at bay, I¡¯ve mostly left it to the other Captains to deal with him. A large part of our fleet is just now on its way to their islands to finally get them under control. From the few prisoners we managed to keep from jumping overboard before they could be interrogated, we learned a few things and my mages were able to trace back some of his spells to the other continent as well as witness your battle against his ships. That¡¯s how I knew you were involved with him. And since he¡¯s a thorn in my eye as well¡­¡± ¡°Tharos made it sound like you have a way to bridge the ocean,¡± Ahri inquired. ¡°Do you have a connection to the other continent? Or were you simply luring us in?¡± ¡°A bit of both,¡± the vampire admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t have a portal that can reach across the waves, but I know where you might find one, if you wanted to. Also, ever since I came to know of the Pirate King¡¯s origin, I tried to collect as much information as I possibly could about that distant land.¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± I asked. ¡°You said you traced back some of his magic. What happened, precisely? And what did you find out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­ confusing. If it¡¯s all the same to you, why don¡¯t we return to my residence? I¡¯d much rather enjoy a glass of wine and a comfortable armchair than the smell of a burned vampire.¡± ¡°And as soon as we step through that gate, we will enjoy the company of your guards, won¡¯t we,¡± Ahri replied scathingly. ¡°I¡¯m not very keen on following you into your lair.¡± ¡°Lair? My dear Lady, have I done anything to either of you that warrants your mistrust? Sure, the circumstances of our meeting have been far less than ideal, but if anyone had the right to cry foul, it would be me. You manhandle us, without the slightest provocation, except for me telling my guard to keep me safe, I might add, and I¡¯ve been nothing but courteous and forthcoming. Besides, what would be the point? I have nothing to gain by leading you into a trap. Now, don¡¯t take this as a threat, because it¡¯s not, but if I wanted to force you into anything at all, I wouldn¡¯t be focusing on you, but rather on the people you left behind.¡± Not a threat my lily white ass. But before I could come up with an appropriate response he already continued: ¡°There is no reason to stare daggers at me. None of my people are near the house you¡¯re staying in and I intend to keep it that way. And incidentally, you¡¯ll have to step through the portal sooner or later anyways, unless you want to fly back, which might take a while. We¡¯re pretty far south, about 200 miles away from Free Land. While I fully appreciate that you could do it, why would you? So, unless you want to kill me outright, which I fervently hope you won¡¯t, I don¡¯t see a reason for us to linger any longer. Besides, it¡¯s terribly difficult to concentrate on the conversation while I¡¯m struggling to keep my eyes on your face,¡± here we go, I thought. ¡°I could even offer you a set of clothes, if you wanted to come along. What do you have to lose?¡± A few things came to mind and judging from the suspicious gleam in Ahri¡¯s eyes, she was thinking pretty much along the same lines. How did the saying go again? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice¡­ and if I hadn¡¯t miscounted, Tom¡¯s betrayal had already been one too many. If only there was a way to be sure he was telling the truth¡­ and there was. Admittedly, the last time around, I hadn¡¯t spotted Tom¡¯s intentions, but that was mainly because he himself hadn¡¯t decided to sell us out, yet. And also, this time, I knew exactly what I was looking for. It would be a much harder to hide anything from me when prompted directly. ¡°Really now,¡± I said, my wings slithering forth to gently swirl around him like a breeze of stardust. ¡°Then say it again. Tell me we¡¯ve got nothing to fear from coming with you.¡± He didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I swear, if you want to, you¡¯ll be able to leave my home anytime you want to. I mean you no harm.¡± He wasn¡¯t lying but his mind was also surprisingly empty. No currents of only half realised ideas assaulted me and I couldn¡¯t even get a glimpse of his memories. In a way, it felt like his mind was an unassailable fortress, only the battlements and towers visible. I could see everything that directly impacted whatever he was doing at that precise moment, but anything else was hidden behind walls, thick enough I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what was going on behind them. I might have been able to pry the gates apart, but not without tearing his mind to shreds entirely. ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth,¡± I pronounced. ¡°But now, that were having a heart to heart, what about Layla? How is she? Will you let her leave with us?¡± He rolled his eyes, a rather impressive gesture, considering they were glowing like the embers of a dying fire. ¡°She¡¯s fine, maybe spooked, but unhurt. And yes, I don¡¯t intend to get in your way. Take the brat with you, if that¡¯s what you desire. I won¡¯t stop you and neither will my people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me.¡± I turned to Ahri and added: ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got one more question. Why did you tell your sister about us? If you hated her that much, why would you offer her any kind of information?¡± I blinked, confusedly, but after I had taken a moment to think about what she had said, it made sense. If Captain Dawn had only come to know who we were by keeping an eye on Amon¡¯s puppets, Alassara shouldn¡¯t have been able to figure it out on her own. And considering how she had treated Tom, or rather mistreated, and the gem that had brought me here, she must have had a pretty solid idea of who we were. Where had she gotten the knowledge? ¡°Frankly, I hoped that she¡¯d do something rash. In that case, I was decently sure that you¡¯d have taken her head and I¡¯d have been spared dealing with her. Turns out she isn¡¯t as impulsive as I hoped she¡¯d be.¡± Again, he wasn¡¯t lying, but I was also convinced that he wasn¡¯t telling us the whole story. As if a crack had formed in the walls of his mental fortress, emotions and distorted images bled through. I couldn¡¯t make any sense of them, but a few scenes were clear enough that I could at least understand what I was seeing, even though I lacked context. A dark cave, filled with flickering lights that reminded me of torches in a draft, an underground chamber, bustling with masked people who were chanting, a towering edifice, almost like a temple, standing vigilant in the midst of a desert under a starry sky and lastly a face, eternalised in stone. A face I hadn¡¯t seen before but one that triggered my memories. Beautiful beyond mortal perception, regal and wise, powerful and kind. The face of an angel and suddenly I knew why he was named Dawn. For the fraction of a second, I saw an almost perfect replication of the rising phoenix, the mistress of dawn and it scared the living hell out of me. My heart beat increased, a thundering drumroll in my chest and a cold sweat formed on my brow. Another immortal? How? When? ¡°What have you done,¡± I whispered, my voice hoarse. Louder I asked: ¡°who is she? Where have you seen that statue?¡± For a however ancient vampire, he suddenly seemed very much like a schoolgirl caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Not that I had any experience in that regard¡­ ¡°You saw that? Figures. I¡¯m not going to pretend like it¡¯s nothing, but all I can say for now is that I, or rather, my sister and I, know a bit about what you are. And we did so, long before you ever set foot on our world.¡± He sighed. ¡°We¡¯re an old people and the roots of our family date further back than you can imagined.¡± Mephisto¡¯s remark that he had already heard of this particular family suddenly became much more important to me. ¡°If you want to know more, you¡¯ll have to come with me. I¡¯m not willing to discuss my past here.¡± While he had been talking, the wizard had scrambled to his feet, his eyes roaming from Captain Dawn to me and back again. More to give me a little more time to think than out of actual curiosity I asked: ¡°and what about him? Do all your¡­ friends know what we are?¡± ¡°Him,¡± the vampire answered with a lazy smile. ¡°He¡¯s already heard too much.¡± And without another warning or even a hint of hesitation he whirled around, his fingers elongating into claws. A strike, a spurt of blood and the mage fell back, his fingers clutching the gaping hole in his neck, where his throat had been. Before he even hit the ground, his former master moved lightning quick, his hand disappearing into the poor blighter¡¯s chest. In utter disbelieve I watched while Captain Dawn ripped his heart straight out of his body, squashing it into a bloody pulp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Damocles, but you¡¯re much too clever for your own good. May the eternal night embrace you with open arms. Farewell, my friend.¡± Mouth opened wide in terror and surprise, the mage trembled once and became still, his eyes glazing over as his soul left his body. 182. Of homes, cures and a little explosion Cassandra Pendragon 30 minutes later, I was reclining in a more than luxurious armchair with a glass of whine in my hand, wearing a surprisingly comfortable and frill less dress while Layla snored astoundingly loudly on my lap. The little monster had woken only long enough to cling to me when I had visited her to make sure she was alright and every endeavour I had undertaken ever since to place her somewhere less cumbersome had resulted in her claws digging into my flesh. After the third try, I had gotten the message. We were in a windowless room, close to the centre of Captain Dawn¡¯s residence but despite the lack of natural light, it didn¡¯t lack in atmosphere. A fire was burning merrily beneath a massive mantlepiece and every few steps, the walls were adorned with curtains and sills, which gave the impression of a cozy living room, windows tightly shut to keep the cold of the night at bay. Except, it was still the middle of the day, the heat was sweltering and the sun was shining brightly outside. Captain Dawn himself, clad in a dark blue silk robe that reminded me more of a nightgown than anything else, had taken the seat on the opposite side of a small table, laden with snacks, drinks and decanters filled with blood, while Ahri was was pacing through the room, leisurely inspecting the paintings and carvings that covered most of the walls. I was starting to get tremendously bored, my concentration wavering while the vampire answered another of Ahri¡¯s questions in excruciating detail, this time going on a longwinded rant about another famous artist I had never heard of before. My fianc¨¦e, though, was lapping up his words as if he was divulging the secrets of the universe. She even edged him on with another question. At least the wine was good but unfortunately, I had been right. I was well into my second glass but the expected buzz just didn¡¯t come. I had a nagging suspicion that I might be able to mix a drop of my blood with the beverage to get the desired effect, but I imagined that slicing into my palm in the middle of a conversation might come across as rude. Or worse yet, considering we were in a vampire¡¯s castle, me drinking my blood might have a completely different meaning. Contenting myself with stroking Layla¡¯s hair and focusing on the taste of wild berries, cinnamon, vanilla and age that filled my mouth every time I sipped on my glass, I allowed the superficial conversation to fade away. Considering where we had been half an hour ago, I could barely believe I felt like I was attending another noble tea party back on Boseiju. Well, the drinks were better and I would never have dared staring into the distance glassy eyed if my mum had been around, but aside from that, it was almost as bad. Where had I gone wrong? I should have known that nothing good could come from following someone who was willing to kill his friends to keep a secret. Even though it had been somewhat reassuring in the heat of the moment since it had proven that not every hedge wizard knew about us and that it was going to stay that way, it still should have been a red flag. Fine, maybe Ahri and I were on the safe side since we belonged to the very species whose existence he had been trying to keep under wraps and we weren¡¯t here to become his friends, but still¡­ had it been utter madness to come? After following Captain Dawn through the portal, I had been weary, but I had never expected the amount of depravity I had been subjected to. Looking back, maybe I should have killed the treacherous, underhanded vampire when it had been¡­ appropriate. But alas, I had missed my chance and now, it would have been¡­ petty. Damn it, that was pretty much the same thing Lilith had told me. I was even comparing boredom and dresses to murder. Was I turning into¡­ ¡°¡­ don¡¯t you, Casandra?¡± When Ahri mentioned my name I snapped back to the present but I had completely missed the fist half of her sentence. ¡°Sure,¡± I readily agreed and took a sip of wine. Vixen and vampire stared at me blankly, their confused expressions more than enough for me to realise I had blundered. ¡°Uh, what did I just agree to?¡± Captain Dawn chuckled quietly in response. ¡°That you¡¯re a drunkard in the making and that¡¯s why you¡¯re not able to concentrate on anything else?¡± ¡°Am not,¡± I protested resolutely, emphasising my point with another sip. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly in control. Besides, alcohol doesn¡¯t affect me anyways. No, the explanation is much simpler. I don¡¯t really care much for art and history. I¡¯m just not that¡­ sophisticated. Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯ve been forced to learn enough to tell that your collection is rather fabulous, but being able to discern a bad painting from a good one doesn¡¯t mean I have to like either. Sorry for being blunt, but after the day I¡¯ve had, I don¡¯t find it in me to pretend.¡± I raised my glass. ¡°But the wine is exquisite. So please, by all means, continue.¡± ¡°We were done,¡± Ahri replied while she rolled her eyes. ¡°And I think you¡¯d like to know as well why he killed the mage. Try to keep up, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I mumbled and put my glass down. ¡°So, why did you?¡± ¡°Necessity,¡± Captain Dawn replied with a shrug. ¡°He was a clever one. Given a few decades he¡¯d have figured it all out from the few clues he got.¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t,¡± I interjected. ¡°Figured out what, exactly? That you¡¯re the pawn of an angel?¡± A bit of my irritation must have crept into my voice or my eyes had started glowing again because he immediately tried to placate me. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not stupid enough to proclaim that I won¡¯t ever be, but at least not without a fight. Being bound to a megalomaniac, or better nigh omnipotent asshole once, was enough.¡± He squinted at us through half closed lids before he quickly added. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re either, but the Lady in question¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want to be in a room with her.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not offended, but how would you know? Have you met her? And why did you take her name? That doesn¡¯t seem like the action of someone whose trying to get away from an oppressor.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Take the name, that is. My¡­ progenitor did. And I can hardly cast the name aside without losing every shred of authority I still have in this family. Before I explain, what do you know about vampires, or rather, about our society, about how we live and how we govern ourselves?¡± ¡°Not too much,¡± Ahri answered him. ¡°The very basics, I¡¯d say,¡± she added with a glance in my direction. ¡°How you¡¯re¡­ made. That¡¯s about it. Oh, and the legends of course, but we don¡¯t know how many of those actually are true. Since I¡¯ve already seen Tharos walk under the sun, I assume you¡¯re not all going to burn up the very moment you see its light. Considering the way you¡¯re talking to us now and how the girl is sleeping in Cassy¡¯s arms, you don¡¯t seem to be enslaved by your thirst, either.¡± Well, she hadn¡¯t been there when Layla had lost it. They definitely had some issues in that area. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°That¡¯s something, at least. But not what I had in mind. Like you said, vampires are made. In a way, we¡¯re a disease, our existence bound to infecting another life. What¡¯s less known is, that our blood carries our strength. This has several implications but first and foremost, whoever comes after you, your children, if you so will, they¡¯re bound to you. My sister and I were bound to the monster that spawned us for a small but dark eternity. His will was our will, as his strength had become ours. I don¡¯t know why fate had played that cruel joke on us, but we¡¯re bound from brith.¡± ¡°What about her,¡± I immediately asked, pointing at the sleeping girl on my lap. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not completely sure, but I¡¯d be willing to bet my left hand that Alassara freed her with her first meal.¡± ¡°And how does that work,¡± Ahri inquired. ¡°Blood. If we feed our children our blood, they¡¯ll be free from our influence. That¡¯s what we did as well to our maker. We bled him like the pig he was and gorged ourselves on his life until there was nothing left. The first thing we did of our own volition and it was patricide, as it is for most of us.¡± I had listened quietly, a cold shudder running down my spine. No wonder a life wasn¡¯t worth much to them, their whole existence taught them that there were far worse fates than death. Which made me wonder¡­ ¡°In all those years, have you never tried to break the cycle? Again, excuse my bluntness, but you make your condition sound like an illness. Have you never looked for a cure?¡± He laughed mirthlessly. ¡°Of course we have. And you¡¯re completely right, it¡¯s a disease, in a way. It can even be isolated in the blood of our victims, at least until a full night has passed. But it can¡¯t be cured, at least by no means I know of. Come along, I want to show you something.¡± In a supernatural display of speed and grace he seemed to vanish from the cushions and reappeared in front of a life sized portrait, depicting a somewhat pudgy women in a dark dress, smiling mysteriously. I exchanged a quick glance with Ahri, both of us taking the small reminder of how fast he could be as what it was: a warning not to underestimate him, especially within the walls of his own home. I rose slowly, taking care as to not wake Layla, but when I tried to place her in the chair, her fingers tightened around my arm and with a sigh I picked her up again, accepting my fate as a vampire princess¡¯ mount. Well, it could be worse and if push came to shove, I already knew that she¡¯d make for a surprisingly powerful projectile. Not that I intended to throw her again, but you never knew what might be waiting for us. While we made our way across the room, the vampire¡¯s fingers ran up and down the frame until I heard a quiet click and the whole painting swung forward on hidden hinges, revealing a dark tunnel that led into the bowls of the earth. Cold air brushed across my face and I had to push down the memories of the last time I had entered a rabbit¡¯s hole. It hadn¡¯t exactly been fun and following a murderer with, at best, questionable morales into the bowls of the earth wasn¡¯t exactly on my bucket list. When Ahri felt my hesitation, she took my free hand and squeezed it lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she whispered. ¡°If there was anything down there that could threaten us, we¡¯d know about it. I¡¯m pretty sure the whole city would know about it by now and he surely wouldn¡¯t have to struggle to reign in his sister. It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± Before I could reply, Captain Dawn added, while he vanished down the stairs: ¡°plus, inviting you into my home only to try and harm you after you¡¯ve put a dent into my collection of wines seems kind of pointless, won¡¯t you agree?¡± Right, his hearing was probably even better or at least as good as our own. I still didn¡¯t release Ahri¡¯s hand and pulled her even closer when we entered. A few steps further and the hidden door behind us closed again, plunging us into utter darkness. A second later, while the muffled footsteps of the vampire¡¯s servants came through the portrait, crystals in the ceiling flickered to life, illuminating the narrow passage in front of us. Black, polished rock, put together expertly enough to appear seamless, gave me the impression of entering the gullet of some primordial monstrosity, an image that didn¡¯t exactly help with my tension. And when faint, low murmurs reached my ears from the depths, I was ready to turn tails and run. Get a grip, I scolded myself. But that was easier said then done. Facing a foe was one thing, but venturing into the unknown, especially when you were already scared, was something else, for whether mortal or immortal, our fears were always fuelled by the things we didn¡¯t understand. Steeling myself, I slung my tails around Layla and tightened my grip on Ahri¡¯s hand. I couldn¡¯t afford to act on my fear, I never had been able to, and this wasn¡¯t any different. The echoes of our steps haunted us while we carefully followed after Captain Dawn, the temperature declining with every passing second. Soon, our breath formed white clouds in front of us and my fur was standing on edge, a sure sign that we were approaching a powerful source of magic. I immediately pushed a trickle of power from my core into my eyes, allowing the world around me to light up in silver. There was no energy in the stones around us, none at all. I had never seen anything similar before, traces of the people who had walked by or the smallest stirring of magic was always there,but aside from Ahri¡¯s fiery figure and the signatures of the two vampires, there was nothing, nothing at all. That shouldn¡¯t be possible. My own presence aside, the amount of power that was constantly coursing through the vixen I clung on to should have been reflected in our surroundings, her flame like magic imprinted onto the stones she had passed. But there was nothing but cold emptiness. ¡°What is this place,¡± I murmured and brushed along the walls with one of my tails, channeling a good amount of power through it. Even in direct contact with my body, nothing stuck. The stone itself felt smooth and surprisingly warm but it remained just as dark as before. ¡°A fortress, a place to hide and¡­ a prison,¡± came Captain Dawn¡¯s reply from further below. ¡°Those aren¡¯t stones, but bones. The bones of one the creatures that dwell in the ocean. They¡¯re unbelievably durable and almost impervious to magic. It even rebuilds itself over time when there¡¯s enough energy for it to devour. Go ahead, try it. I¡¯m convinced you can use your wings to cut through or ignite them, but you¡¯ll be surprised how much it¡¯s going to take.¡± ¡°Are you sure,¡± I asked. ¡°We might destroy a part of your home.¡± ¡°Well, l wouldn¡¯t want you to rip this place to shreds but a small chunk shouldn¡¯t matter. Besides, it¡¯s easy to repair. If flooded with mana, the substance will regenerate, slowly, I admit, but a scratch won¡¯t take long to heal.¡± I nodded and unfurled my wings. With a thought I pushed against the wall closest to us. I felt some kind of soft resistance, like rubber, maybe, and then my wings pierced the outer layer. ¡°Cassy,¡± Ahri murmured but I didn¡¯t hear her anymore. A faint tug on my awareness, a flashing light, bright enough to blind me and the wall exploded in a wave of black shrapnel and silvery fire. I was thrown to the side like a lifeless doll, all I managed to do was shift my wings to stop most of the flying projectiles from reaching Ahri and wrap myself around Layla more tightly, protecting her as well as I could. My ears rang, silvery stars danced before my eyes and before I had even understood what was happening, I crashed into the opposite wall with bone breaking force. An instant later sharp, ragged splinters peppered me from all side, flaying the flesh off my bones. A wave of excruciating pain ravaged my body as I coughed up blood, several ribs had been pushed directly into my lungs. My vision dimmed and I felt like I was trapped under Shassa¡¯s statue once more, darkness and agony encroaching from all sides. But it wasn¡¯t as helpless anymore and as much as it sucked too admit it, I had been through worse. I ground me teeth and opened the floodgates with a groan, allowing the soothing energies from my core to spread through my body like a thundering storm. My veins bulged and for a moment, silvery light turned the tunnel bright as day. My wounds closed and I felt every single bone mend in exquisite clarity, the rising darkness receding with every breath. When my vision cleared, I saw Captain Dawn crouched down in the tunnel, his fingers elongated into claws, a curious expression on his face. Fearful and hopeful at the same time. 183. Of mistakes, intentions and a quick awakening Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You knew that would happen,¡± I rasped while I wrapped Ahri tightly in a cocoon of silvery light, keeping her safe. She hadn¡¯t yet opened her eyes and even though her injuries hadn¡¯t been as severe as mine, it was going to take her a while to wake up. I felt the streams of her energy coursing through her, targeting broken bones and ruptured organs, but without help, she¡¯d be out for at least a few minutes. Luckily she wasn¡¯t alone. I simply didn¡¯t know if I could risk focusing on her while the vampire hovered close by. Had he set a trap? Had I been played, once again? While my gaze fell onto him with the weight of a small mountain, I gingerly used my changed wing to bolster her energy with my own, increasing her regeneration several fold. All I needed were a few moments and even if he was trying to kill us, that much time I¡¯d be easily able to buy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you,¡± I added, my voice already much more stable. I still felt like I had been put through a meat grinder but I wasn¡¯t hurt anymore. At least I didn¡¯t think so. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him, just say the word.¡± Layla¡¯s whisper was barely more than a breath that tickled my neck, without the vibrations of her speech running through her body, I wouldn¡¯t have heard her at all. I shook my head as if to clear it but she understood what I was getting at. Not yet. ¡°Are you going to answer me or just stare at us creepily? I can¡¯t move right now, so if you want to kill me, you¡¯re going to have to hurry. Time¡¯s ticking. Don¡¯t waste it.¡± He blinked, his eyes losing focus for a moment before he sighed and straightened. I tensed, ready to plunge my wings through his body as he came closer but to my surprise, he extended his hand and offered to pull me to my feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t know and if I had, I would never have allowed for it to happen. I¡¯m afraid you might have doomed us all. Are you better? For I fear there might be a fight coming for us, whether we like it or not.¡± Hesitantly I took his hand, clutching Layla to my chest with the other one. ¡°What do you¡­¡± instead of answering he pointed to the hole in the wall. Small cracks had formed around it like a spider¡¯s web and at first, I didn¡¯t see what he was getting at. I had just blown up a good chunk of it, a little damage was to be expected. But the longer I stared, the more I realised something weird. The cracks were growing, slowly extending downwards to whatever place he had been leading us to. ¡°Can you move?¡± I nodded. ¡°If I have to.¡± ¡°Good, try to keep up. Leave Ahri and the girl here. I know you¡¯re awake Layla. Stay here and if Ahri wakes, tell her to follow us but don¡¯t you dare come with. You¡¯re staying here or I swear, if the ancient one doesn¡¯t get you, I will.¡± Ancient one? Oh hell no. Was he keeping his dear dad in the basement? I didn¡¯t have the time to ask, he had turned into a blurred shadow of movement as he sped down the stairs. Groaning, I pushed Ahri against a wall and settled Layla down at her side. ¡°You heard the man. Stay here and protect her for me. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± Her expression was a mixture of defiance, pride and fear but she wasn¡¯t your typical run of the mill child. Despite her captivity, or maybe because of it, she pushed her emotions down with a visible effort and nodded, once. ¡°If you¡¯re not back within 10 minutes, I¡¯ll try to carry her to my mum¡¯s. She¡¯s going to take us in. Now go. I¡¯ll watch over her for you.¡± I hugged her tightly and ruffled her hair. ¡°Thanks. Whatever happens, I¡¯m glad I found you, little one.¡± She tensed in my arms but pushed me away after a moment. ¡°Go!¡± I obeyed. Energy crackled in the air around me while I spread my wings and flew down the tunnel like a stone shot from a sling, a storm of silver and blue that illuminated the darkness around me. Unwilling to barge ahead blindly, I channeled energy towards my eyes, my mind and my muscles until it felt like I was chock full, my limbs trembling with suppressed power. Faster than the eye could follow I made my way downstairs, reaching the sprinting vampire almost instantly. ¡°An explanation,¡± I hissed, foregoing proper grammar in an attempt to save time. Instead of answering, he pointed straight ahead where the stairs ended at a door, huge, massive and black, made from the same material as the walls around us. The most remarkable thing though: it wasn¡¯t barred from this side, erected to keep someone from entering, not locking the occupant away. ¡°Good, the fissures haven¡¯t reached this part, yet. It¡¯s easiest to show you.¡± Sliding to a halt in front of the towering gate, he pushed his fingers into a small crevice and with a groan and an explosive shout, a massive piece of dark bone thunderer to the ground on the other side. Before it could settle, Captain Dawn had pried the door open and slithered through the gap. Hesitantly I followed, nervous and weary, my wings wrapped around me as if I had been wearing an armour of light. I entered a surprisingly small chamber which contained nothing but the ancient statue of an exceptionally beautiful woman and an altar at her feet with a shrivelled up corpse placed upon it. The woman I recognised immediately and based on everything I had heard, I¡¯d have been willing to bet that the mummified piece of flesh was indeed the progenitor of the Dawn family. But then again, if Captain Dawn¡¯s father was here, why would he need Layla¡¯s blood? Why would he struggle against his sister if he had the source of their power in his grasp? It didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Good, she hasn¡¯t woken,¡± the vampire mumbled. Louder he added: ¡°can you kill her?¡± ¡°Come again,¡± I replied eloquently, his words had caught me completely off guard. ¡°Can you kill that thing? I don¡¯t care how, burn it, stake it, all hells, eat it, if you have to, but can you make sure it won¡¯t rise again?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I answered hesitantly. ¡°But¡­ is it even alive? And what do you need me for? Tinder and a match or better yet, throw it over the cliffs. I don¡¯t see what else I could do.¡± He inhaled deeply. ¡°Then we¡¯re indeed doomed. She can¡¯t be killed, by no means I know of. That¡¯s the best we ever managed. A prison made from the sturdiest material known to our people and now it¡¯s crumbling.¡± ¡°You¡­,¡± I groaned. ¡°Why would you have let me even touch the walls? I assume this whole contraption is somehow balanced? A part breaks off and the rest follows? Why would you even lead us down here? Have you lost your mind over the course of the untold years you¡¯re alive or were you born a blithering idiot?¡± ¡°No,¡± he snarled, his fangs protruding from his mouth. ¡°I saw a chance and took it. If you hadn¡¯t been able to damage the prison you¡¯d have been nowhere near powerful enough to deal with the occupant. I just didn¡¯t expect you to blow the whole wall out! That shouldn¡¯t even be possible!¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You were testing me? You¡¯re a lunatic! You¡­¡± I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. ¡°Fine, I can insult you later. Alright, the very basics. What¡¯s going on, who is that and what can I do?¡± ¡°I told you, everything you see except for the statue is made of bones and¡­ they¡¯re still alive. But I think they¡¯re dying and falling apart. That creature,¡± he pointed at the shrivelled up husk of a body, ¡°is an abomination, a vampire who fed on immortal blood and lived, the very first of my line, the daughter of the sunrise. If she wakes, we die, simple as that. She¡¯s insane, truly and utterly insane. Immortal powers aren¡¯t meant to be wielded by mortal beings, even undead ones. She¡¯s¡­ in pain, nay, unbearable agony every waking moment and we can¡¯t end her suffering. If you can¡¯t, I fear we won¡¯t see the sunset today. She¡¯ll crush this world in an attempt to become whole.¡± Not that I was feeling pressured enough as it was. A bit nauseated too, if I was honest. What I had told Lilith came to mind, my life playing out as a challenge ever since I had interrupted the fight on Boseiju. One with increasing difficulty. And as it seemed, I had finally reached a point where I was gradually forced to deal with immortals, one way or the other. Or maybe I was just that unlucky. Whatever the reason, I, once again, had no idea what I was supposed to do. Sure, using my wings to try and burn the corpse was a given. I just didn¡¯t believe that it¡¯d turn out to be that simple, this time around. I still had to try, though. The torrents of energy behind me swelled, filling the chamber with flickering lights and the smell of ozone. Cautiously I took a step forwards, gradually bringing my wings down while I simultaneously focused on the skeletal figure in front of me. Power roared through my eyes, flooding the room with a silvery light, banishing the shadows. But before I touched the dried up skin, I hesitated. Something was nagging at the back of my mind. It still didn¡¯t add up. Assuming everything Captain Dawn had told me had been the truth, he had the very first of his line tied up in his basement, imprisoned and immobilised, ready to be harvested. Why would he need Layla¡¯s blood? Unless he couldn¡¯t touch her without waking her up, but the way the thing looked to me, dead and shrivelled up, without a sign of life even when I used my second sight, didn¡¯t fit. He had explicitly stated that their powers were tied to their blood, not their life or their magic. So why would he need a much less powerful lineage when he already had the source? On the spot, I came up with only one idea. What if he had been trying to revive her? It would make sense, he wouldn¡¯t have to fear his sister anymore he had the support of their progenitor and maybe, he needed more than his own bloodline to revive the slumbering relict. And now, he was possibly trying to get me to finish the job. If that creature had already been in contact with transcendent forces, it stood to reason that it had learned to feed off them. The thought brought a smile to my face. Even fully fledged immortals couldn¡¯t deal with the corruptive energy I had made my own. It would be interesting to see how long it would take that thing to combust. My bet was on 3 seconds, give or take. And that was already plenty generous. If my conjecture was right, the poor vampire couldn¡¯t have picked anyone worse. Even Ahri would have been better, probably not by much, but at least her power hadn¡¯t changed visibly to mimic Corruption, in contrast to mine. But one thing was worrying me. There was a chance, admittedly a small one but still a distinct probably, that a mortal wouldn¡¯t be bothered. Maybe the problem with fusing demonic and angelic energies was tied to the strength of the respective forces. In that case, there would be no reaction in a mortal soul, well except for the usual trouble with integrating an eternal spark into an evanescent creature. As far as I knew, dragons were the only species who could survive, but there was so much I didn¡¯t understand when it came to vampires. But¡­ I could just ask, couldn¡¯t I? Stopping my wings a hairsbreadth from making contact I looked up at Captain Dawn: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just wondering. Am I about to unleash the calamity you pretend you want destroyed?¡± While my words still hung in the air, I brushed against him with a couple of my wings, my concentration snapping to the nearly imperceptible currents of emotions and thoughts that spun through his mind. And yet, when he moved, I wasn¡¯t fast enough. I might have known that he was about to jump me before he did, but it didn¡¯t do me much good. I had expected him to lunge for my throat or activate one trap or the other but he did neither. With a maniacal smile that revealed his glistening fangs he pushed himself into my wings. His skin immediately turned to ash around the wounds and deep cuts appeared, silvery blue flames breaking through his body. I almost gagged when the smell hit me, so very similar to barbecued dry aged beef that my stomach constricted. My surprise and the overwhelming smell made me lose my focus for the tiniest fraction of a second. The next thing I knew, he punched me in the side, his claws easily piercing through my body. It felt exactly like one would imagine, an excruciating flared that lit up my nerves while the breath was knocked from my lungs. I coughed up blood, tumbling backwards, reeling from the sudden wave of pain. My vision swam, oscillating between the silvery world and reality. Damn it, that had been the last straw. Plans and pride, never again! Even while I fell, my wings swelled even further, a river turning into an ocean. A silvery glared filled the chamber, the temperature spiked and I lashed out with reckless abandon. Bones, skin, stone and magics crumbled around me, ripped apart as a low keening sound started to build within the chamber. The wound in my side closed, even though blood was still gushing down my thigh and when my back hit the altar, the air was filled with ash, smoke and light, the vampire gone. I took a deep, rasping breath, the bands of steel that had suffocated me gradually lifting from my heaving chest. The world spun but with each ragged, forced expansion of my lungs the maelstrom of colours settled while the fiery claw that ravaged my insides slowly disappeared. My legs were still shaking but with the slab of splintered stone behind me, I managed to keep myself upright. That was, until an unbelievably strong, sinewy arm was wrapped around my neck. I smelled dust and age before my breath was cut off for the second time and long, ivory fangs punctured the side of my neck. A gurgling scream escaped me, and my knees gave out as I felt blood and energy rush through the hole in my skin and a sickening, slurping noise filled my ears. Wrenching my thoughts from the spiralling darkness that threatened to claim me, I reached back with my wings, latching onto the first thing I encountered. The fire in my veins doubled and with an act of will, I cut through the wriggling creature that had risen behind me. A low, echoing wail pierced my ears and the pressure around my neck vanished. Without thinking I turned into a shower of sparks to reappear in the half opened door, my hand clutched to my bleeding neck. Bleary eyed I stared ahead, willing the torn flesh to heal, to make me whole again. Translucent streams of power danced over my shredded skin, diving into the wound, but nothing happened. My blood kept gushing and I felt my body shut down while dread froze my insides. If I couldn¡¯t stop the bleeding, I¡¯d pass out any second now. Grinding my teeth I shoved away my panic and focused on my heart, my organs and tried to replace what I had lost. If I couldn¡¯t close the wound, I might be able to substitute my bloodstream with a river of energy. It worked, partly. I was still loosing more than I could compensate for but at least I was still standing. Rallying my thoughts, I forced the fog that threatened to swallow me back and took in the scene in front of me. The room itself was a mess, gaping fissures ran along the walls, each one still glowing at the edges. While I watched the black material expanded, soaking in more and more of the energy that still sparkled within the cuts. Streaks of light, almost like a maze, appeared in the bone and I knew without the shadow of a doubt that the whole thing would blow within minutes. Considering my current company, that might not even be such a bad thing. Where the altar and the statue had been, only smouldering stones and soot remained, but in front of the destroyed monument, a hunched over, emaciated figure stood. Shadows clung to its contours like water to a cliff, rolling off and dispersing into motes of gold red light that swirled around it like fireflies. My blood, sticky and thick like silver syrup, covered a part of its bandaged body and dripped from the hood of darkness that obscured its features. It bubbled like tar and gradually disappeared into the creature. At the same rate it vanished, shrivelled up, darkened, shredded skin became vibrant and whole, sunken, dead eyes sparkled with newfound life and a pair of feathered wings materialised behind its back, golden and red like its magic. It slowly rose its head and smiled at me, the same way a slaughterer smiled at sheep before they were led to the chopping block. 184. Of fear, help and a little bit of intuition Cassandra Pendragon I gasped, blood loss and pain had made me dizzy but that wasn¡¯t what had gotten to me. It was her transformation. Stained, yellowed fangs shed their patina, turning a sparkling white, wrinkled, blackened skin became flawless and pristine, the husk of a creature filled out with every second, a corpse becoming a beautiful girl in her early twenties. Huge eyes, slanted and full of fire burned with red and golden flames amidst ethereal features. A small, pointy nose and full, luscious lips dominated an angular face with a mane of red hair. Her curvaceous body would have put Erya¡¯s figure to shame and to top it off, her wings were sparkling brightly light the dawn, intricate lines of interchanging colours glittering in the silvery light that still filled the chamber. I swallowed dryly, a distant memory of my own words resurfacing: everything beautiful is dangerous. In case I had told Greta the truth, I was in for one hell of a ride. Hot blood ran down my neck and started pooling at my feet, my heart beating wildly to push whatever I had left through my veins and keep me upright, even though it felt like I was fighting a losing battle. Sooner or later my magic wouldn¡¯t be enough to compensate for what I had lost. I had minutes, maybe, and the realisation hit me hard. Without help, I feared I might not make it out of here. Ever since I had awakened my power, I had always believed that I¡¯d be able to bounce back from any kind of injury but as it had turned out, that wasn¡¯t the case. Maybe it was the spark of transcendent energy she had absorbed or something else entirely, whatever the reason, the wound she had inflicted on me didn¡¯t close and I was running out of time. Steeling myself, I allowed the truth to sink in. I didn¡¯t have many options left. Maybe if Mephisto had been here, he might have told me what I was supposed to do to heal my body, but he wasn¡¯t. As it stood, I could keep staring at her until I collapsed, which was hardly an option or I had a decision to make. If she was indeed as powerful as the late Captain Dawn had made her out to be, she might be able to help me, to save me. All I had to do was ask and hope for the best. Or I could use whatever I had left to try and kill her. Despite my sorry sate, I was still confident that I might manage to take her life but I knew one thing for certain: if I used my power to fight her, I might win, but I wasn¡¯t going to walk out of here alive. I¡¯d have to burn everything I had and afterwards, there would be nothing left to keep my heart beating. It was a simple thought that hardened my resolve. I wasn¡¯t alone. Ahri was somewhere up those stairs and I¡¯d be damned before I allowed an ancient vampire to waltz past me and do whatever the hell she pleased. It had been my stupidity that had resurrected her and I was going to pay the price. No one else. Besides, the next time around, I might even manage more than seven years before everything went to shit. I decisively removed my hand from my neck, allowing the blood to squirt from my vein freely and crouched down, my wings and tails fanning out to block the access to the stairs, a sad smile on my face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered and took a step forward. Her glowing eyes had followed my movements, surprise, pain and longing flickering in their depth. I readied myself, allowing most of my thoughts to drift away until all I saw was her. My wings hummed behind me, the energy that coursed through them elevated to new heights but before I could take another step, a warm, husky voice reached my ears: ¡°help me, please.¡± And just like that, her eyes rolled up, her body relaxed and she crumpled to the floor, her wings vanishing in a shower of gold red sparks. I was dumbfounded, unable to understand what had happened. I froze, indecision and fear turning my mind into a murky swamp of half realised thoughts until I saw a glow of silver slowly eat away at her, the freshly regenerated skin gradually flaking away above her heart. I had been right. My blood was poisonous to her. She was dying, even more quickly than I was. I groaned. Clasping my hand back to my neck while I reigned in my power, channeling most of it into my body to give me a little more time. The biggest part of me was clamouring to just ignore her, get back up the stairs and somehow heal myself. I could always return later with a broom and mop up what would be left of her. That would be the sensible thing to do, or better yet, I could make sure and stake her with my wings while she was helpless, put an end to this mess before it spiralled out of control even further. What had Xorlosh said? If you wanted to play hero, you¡¯d better make damn sure you had the strength to back it up and in this case, I didn¡¯t think I could. Hesitantly, I took another step forward, flaring my wings, ready to plunge them into her chest and burn out her heart. But before I could act, my gaze slipped back to her face and I froze once again. Despite the silvery veins that radiated outwards from her chest, she seemed serene and peaceful, her eyes closed as if she was a sleep. My heart skipped a beat when the realisation hit me. The way she looked now, innocent and calm, she could have been Ahri¡¯s sister, or rather, Aurora¡¯s. I knew the curve of her lips and the form of her eyes, hidden beneath long lashes, better than anything else in the world. There were subtle differences, but while asleep, she resembled my love more than I cared to admit. Was this a result of the angelic blood she had consumed? I didn¡¯t know but the longer I stared, the harder it became to look past the similarities. Damn it, that was going to be much more difficult than I had expected. Still, I wouldn¡¯t risk it. Grasping for every straw of self control I had left, I moved my wings forward and¡­ ¡°Cassandra Pendragon! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I whirled around and there, in the half opened door, stood the reason for my hesitation. Ahri¡¯s hair was on fire and despite her pale complexion, the waves of anger that rolled off her made my fur stand on edge. Oh boy¡­ ¡°How long¡­¡± I mumbled, caught somewhere between embarrassment, anger and a guilty conscience. I couldn¡¯t finish though, the moment I had turned around Ahri had spotted the silvery blood that still welled from between my fingers and with a stroke of her wings, she was at my side. ¡°By the gods, what happened to you,¡± she shrilled and pried away my hand. ¡°The¡­ girl you so adamantly want to save used me as a chewing toy,¡± I slurred, my voice already going wonky. ¡°Any ideas? I don¡¯t think I can stand for much longer.¡± She bit her lip, her slender fingers roaming along my neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my love, but this is going to hurt.¡± Before I had the time to question her intentions, fire sparked between her fingers and the smell of burned skin hit me at the same moment as the renewed wave of pain. With callous disregard for my squirming, Ahri wrapped her tails around me and held me in place while she pressed her searing hot hand against my skin. I screamed, her transcendent fires much more agonising than the original injury had been but while my flesh charred, and her power flooded through our tattoos, I felt the wound close and my blood stopped flowing. A moment later the pain receded until it wasn¡¯t much worse than having a coal pressed to the side of my neck. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Ouch,¡± I muttered into her ear while I fought against the darkness that was threatening to rise from the edge of my vision. ¡°That really hurt.¡± I breathed in her scent and the hint of pine trees underneath the smell of blood and sweat was enough to keep me upright for a while longer. Damn, I was truly hopeless, her presence alone was enough to keep me going. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away from me that easily,¡± she growled into my ear. ¡°You stopped bleeding. It might leave a scar but you should be fine. Can you stand on your own?¡± The worry in her voice was balm for my soul. ¡°I¡¯ll manage, at least for a while. Thank you, I think you might have just saved my life.¡± Peeking over her shoulder I added: ¡°where¡¯s Layla?¡± ¡°Always. It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± She kissed me briefly, but the nauseating smell of cooking meat brought us back to reality faster than I would have liked. Flinching, Ahri stepped back and asked: ¡°Layla¡¯s in the tunnel, I told her to stay where she is. We can collect her on the way back. What about her,¡± she jerked her head towards the glowing body. ¡°Can you help her? She¡¯s literally burning. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s got much longer. Look, the flames are growing.¡± Right¡­ I was contemplating stalling until it didn¡¯t matter anymore, but then, I¡¯d have truly deserved a one way ticket to hell. ¡°Even if I could, I don¡¯t know if I should¡­¡± her tails tightened around my waist painfully and the worry in her eyes was immediately replaced with anger. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that,¡± she hissed. ¡°I heard her plea. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really considering letting her die after that?¡± Well, I had been, but I wasn¡¯t anymore. The second Ahri had told me to stop, the decision had been made. ¡°No¡­ not really. Fine, but if this bites us in the tails later on, it¡¯ll be on you.¡± She pecked my cheek, a tremulous smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispered and stepped back, even though her tails remained wrapped around my middle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything else, I¡¯ll get us out of here once you¡¯re done.¡± Great, so I wasn¡¯t the only one who expected me to keel over the very second I was finished with her. By the Great Fox, why was it always me? Great power, great responsibilities and even greater problems, I assumed. Hopefully I wasn¡¯t on the verge of adding another pile to the growing heap we had already accumulated. ¡°I¡¯ll need your help,¡± I said, my voice much steadier since I wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore. ¡°My magic reacts to your will, right? We have to get my power out of her without destroying anything important. We¡¯ll start with her heart and go from there until the ceiling comes down.¡± ¡°We still have a few minutes. Any ideas what I¡¯m supposed to do, precisely?¡± ¡°Not really, I¡¯m making things up as I go. I think¡­ I hope my energy will be attracted to either of us. Aside from giving it some place to go, I don¡¯t really know what else we can do.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try to keep the fire from spreading and you focus on pulling your power back into your core. Even if I can direct it, it¡¯ll still be much easier for you.¡± ¡°Sure, just one more thing. Why her? You¡¯re normally not the one to go out on a limb and protect a stranger, especially after what she¡¯s done to my neck. She¡¯s dangerous, I can tell you that much for sure and I¡¯m not really convinced she¡¯s on our side. I won¡¯t be much help to you if she wakes and decides to turn us into her next lunch. I have felt her strength¡­ I fear she¡¯s stronger than you and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be in any condition to help you out.¡± ¡°So are you and I¡¯d trade my life in a heartbeat to keep you safe. I¡­ she¡¯s important, Cassy. She almost looks like us and her smell¡­ I¡¯ve met her before, I think. She won¡¯t turn on us, I don¡¯t know why, but I know she won¡¯t. Please, if not for her, do it for me. Try to keep her alive.¡± I sighed again. ¡°Let¡¯s hope your instincts are better than mine.¡± I turned away from her and focused on the smouldering body in front of us. While we had been talking, silvery blue flames had broken through her skin, gradually consuming her. It was the worst just above her heart, where the skin was already gone, leaving behind nothing but charred flesh and small, crackling flames. Even I understood that her time was running out, fast. If her heart was entirely devoured, there wouldn¡¯t be much for us to do anymore, she¡¯d be dead. ¡°I really hate that I always have to guess and pray,¡± I grumbled and wrapped my wings around her chest. The world lit up in silver when I channeled my power to my eyes and tried to make heads or tails of what was happening to her. Much of what I saw was simply confusing, different currents of energy coursed through her, mingling and dispersing, a dance of shapes and shadows that was much too complex for me to understand. Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to, not in its entirety, at least. There were two bright streams within her, much more powerful than anything else. One was a glaring silver interspersed with blue and the other was made of red and golden sparks, the same colour as her eyes and wings. Wherever the two collided, the energies frothed and squirmed, like two opposing forces mashed together. Gradually, the golden sparks disappeared, swallowed and converted by the silvery flood. As soon as the original energy was consumed, her body began deteriorating, breaking apart around the changed areas. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t seem like my power was actively hurting her, it looked more like she needed the¡­ other stuff to survive and as soon as it was gone, her tissue died, allowing the flames that were at work within her to spill forth. A hesitant smile formed on my face, this, I might be able to deal with. The wing above my tails had allowed me to push my power into others, keeping them alive, and it wasn¡¯t restricted by the normal rules of magic. As far as I knew, it didn¡¯t matter if mana or something else was needed, I could provide whatever was lacking. While I didn¡¯t believe for a second that I¡¯d make anything better if I injected even more of my power into her, she might just vanish into a puff of silvery flames, I surely hoped that I¡¯d also be able to do the opposite. I was definitely able to take whatever I wanted but that usually left behind a shrivelled up corpse, which wasn¡¯t what I had in mind, but if I managed to use my wings to only extract my own energies, she should be fine. At least I hoped so. Probably still a homicidal, blood crazed maniac, but that was a problem Ahri had to deal with. I had washed my hands of it. The biggest problem, I couldn¡¯t transfer my intent to the energies that were coursing through her, in a way they were shielded by her own powers. To bridge the gap, I wanted to use my changed wing, accessing her reservoirs without consuming them. I fervently hoped that all I had to do was ask, once the connection was established. And if not¡­ well, judging from the silvery sparks that already glowed behind her closed eyes I wouldn¡¯t have time for a second try anyways. What I was trying to do might have been difficult for a normal mage, but all I had ever done when it came to my magic was based on intuition and willpower alone, maybe aided by a command bolstered with transcendent energy, from time to time. That wasn¡¯t going to change now. Sure, I would have loved to understand the intricacies of what I wanted to accomplish, but I hadn¡¯t had the time to learn, yet. Maybe one day¡­ Sighing deeply, I plunged my wings directly into her chest, straight into the middle of the largest stream of silvery light. ¡°Return,¡± I whispered, more to focus my thoughts than for an actual need to speak the words out loud. Still, for good measure, I added a layer of energy to my voice, the reverberating command thundering through the chamber. The effect was immediate. Like a summoned beast, my energy heeded my call and returned through the channel I had created. Light flickered all along her body and for a second, the glare became bright enough that I had to avert my eyes. When I had blinked the tears away, the flames had vanished, leaving behind scorch marks all along her body, the largest in the middle of her chest. Grinning, I shot a glance in Ahri¡¯s direction but her expression made me pause. Something was wrong. The vampire was aging, her body gradually turned back into the hollowed husk she had been. Her hair lost its lustre, her skin became parchment like and waxen and her curves withered away, leaving behind folds of wrinkly, darkened leather. The edges of her burned wounds turned into ashwhile she slowly ceased to exist. ¡°Feed her,¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t. If you want her to live, you¡¯ll have to feed her.¡± 185. Of resurrections, bloodlines and a little bit of bad timing Cassandra Pendragon Ahri looked at me like a deer in the headlights, insecurity clearly written across her face. ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t that just kill her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re well past that point,¡± I replied hurriedly. ¡°She¡¯s lost too much. If we do nothing, she¡¯ll wither away and my energies are obviously deadly for her¡­ there¡¯s just nothing else we can try. And there¡¯s a chance¡­ unless we¡¯ve been lied to from the start she¡¯s already accustomed to immortal powers. With a little luck, your fires won¡¯t hurt her too badly, the sun burns brightly as well, after all. It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re also harbouring a seed of Corruption, and I¡¯m not so sure she¡¯ll¡­¡± my words trailed off. Another thought had struck me. A while ago, Ahri had told me that Amazeroth had engraved a rune on her core, one that would allow her to identify traces of Corruption wherever she went. Unfortunately, the thing should have activated ages ago. If it wouldn¡¯t react to her own energies, it should at the very least react to mine. It hadn¡¯t. And that meant, it was probably something else entirely and the bastard had lied to us, once again. Her multicoloured eyes narrowed suspiciously at my silence but right now was neither the time nor the place to try to figure out what the puppeteer had planned. That could wait a few more hours. ¡°¡­she¡¯ll be able to deal with it. But there¡¯s no other way.¡± ¡°There is,¡± a familiar, childish voice rang out from the stairs. I closed my eyes, trying to shove away the rising tide of anger. Did nobody actually listen to me? ¡°I can do it,¡± Layla continued. ¡°My blood might not be as potent as yours, but her lineage runs through my veins. It should be enough to keep her alive for a while.¡± ¡°What are you even doing down here,¡± Ahri hissed. ¡°I told you to stay put!¡± ¡°You can scold me all you want later, but this really isn¡¯t the time.¡± The child was right but I was seething just as much as Ahri. I prayed she¡¯d never run into Reia, otherwise the two of them might just drive me into an early grave. ¡°She¡¯s a part of my family,¡± Layla continued quietly. ¡°I want to help. And this is about as much as I can do. Please?¡± I ground my teeth, torn between respect, understanding and plain annoyance. By all the gods, what would her mother say, if she was here? ¡°I couldn¡¯t look my mum in the eyes anymore, if I allowed our progenitor to pass away while I could have helped.¡± Damn it, she was probably right. Also, considering everything I had learned about vampires, I wasn¡¯t too sure what would happen to her bloodline if the woman died. I didn¡¯t expect her whole family to follow suite, but I was prepared to bet they wouldn¡¯t get away unscathed. ¡°Your call,¡± I said, focusing on Ahri. ¡°If you want the girl to live, Layla¡¯s our best bet. I¡¯m not liking it, but if she wants to, I¡¯m prepared to let her try. But mark my words, if she takes too much, I¡¯ll end her without thinking twice.¡± The vixen nodded, hesitantly. ¡°Fair enough.¡± She stepped back and motioned for Layla to come closer. ¡°If that¡¯s really what you want, go ahead. We¡¯ll make sure nothing happens to you.¡± I had to fight down a sad smile when the little girl slowly approached the withering woman. What kind of fucked up world were we living in that I thought allowing a child to feed a vampire was the best alternative? And what did it say about me? Would I have made the same decision a few weeks back? Probably, but I wasn¡¯t sure. Back on Boseiju, it had been easy to tell right from wrong and I had had the luxury to actually do what I thought was right. Now, I was more concerned with what was actually possible. The same thing had happened on the slave market. When ideals became corrupted by reality, had they been ideals in the first place? Or was I simply coming to terms with the simple fact that life was pain and it wasn¡¯t possible to go through it unhurt? I might also have been too much of a coward to tell her no and accept the responsibility for another death, one that Ahri wanted to prevent. Were my needs to do what the vixen at my side wanted warping my judgement? By the Great Fox, hopefully not. Otherwise I¡¯d be screwed seven ways to Sunday. How had Lucifer put it? Love was a fucking nuisance. It was just too bad I didn¡¯t believe that. Not one bit. While I had been busy pointlessly dissecting my motives, Layla had approached the dying creature. She dropped to her knees and brought her wrist to her mouth, her fangs shimmering in the light our wings emitted. A flash of ivory, a sharp intake of breath and the coppery smell of blood rose, tinged with a hint of something else. I couldn¡¯t quite place it, but it reminded me of the latest hours of the night, when the sun was just about to rise in the east. Cold, but also filled with the promise of warmth and light, powerful enough to vanquish the shadows. Maybe this hadn¡¯t been such a bad idea, after all. The angel whom I had recognised was associated with the rising sun, more abstractly, the cycle of ends and new beginnings. And smelling even a hint of her on Layla¡¯s blood was reason enough to hope. Maybe a phoenix could rise once more, fed by her own blood. It would be rather poetic, but probably, I was just grasping at straws. One of the two. It was amazing how carefully Layla handled the decaying body, gentle but decisive as if she had years of experience to back her up. I couldn¡¯t quite imagine that Alassara would allow anyone to feed on her daughter but when Layla placed the, by now, mask like head in her lap and almost caressingly pressed her opened wrist against the mouth, pumping her fingers to get the blood flowing, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. She seemed just a little too¡­ self assured. How¡­ right, she had probably been on the receiving end of the treatment quite a few times. She had already told me that she fed off sentient races and I assumed that it wasn¡¯t the mindless frenzy I had watched before. No, it probably looked exactly like this. At first, there was no visible reaction, the woman didn¡¯t stir, her arms limp, her face wilted and dead. Despite my worries, I felt myself rooting for her, hoping for a movement of the flaccid lips, for a surge of energy that would make her cling to the proffered arm, but nothing happened. A rivulet of blood trickled down her chin and painted a crimson mosaic on her destroyed chest, but still she remained motionless. Until the first drop slipped into the glaring, charred wound above her heart and vanished with a spark of red and golden light. I was nervous and reflexively wrapped my tails around Ahri, pulling her closer. My eyes didn¡¯t waver from the scene while I wondered if I was going to have to fight any second now. Suddenly, an all encompassing, low rumbling sound made me flinch, the vibrations transmitted through the floor. Anxious I looked around and when my gaze travelled upwards, I saw a veritable web of fissures that spread through the ceiling. Something important must have just collapsed. The cracks widened, debris and dust sifting down in dark clouds and from one second to the next, I had trouble breathing, never mind seeing through the polluted air. ¡°Girls, we gotta move,¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs, my exclamation ending in a rattling cough when I inhaled more of the pulverised bone than I had bargained for. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Without thinking, I pushed Ahri to where I prayed the stairs were and thrusted my wings forward, groping blindly for Layla and the fallen vampire. Even my second sight was massively impaired, the swaths of dust as dark to my enhanced vision as the night. A spike of panic raced through me when I couldn¡¯t find them instantly, the rumbling turning into a deep, thunderous grinding noise that made my tails curl up. A few steps away from me, I heard Ahri cough, her voice raspy and clipped. ¡°Cassy, here¡¯s the door! Move! Come on, please!¡± Damn it! One more second¡­ there! I felt cloth and skin and someone grabbed onto my wings with a startling amount of strength. I was already running when I swept the rest of my wings along the floor, latching onto everything that even remotely felt like it might belong to a person. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I barked, brushing past Ahri and sprinting up the stairs. Too slow, I thought when I saw the avalanches of broken bones that flooded through the widening cracks in the walls and ceiling. With a twist of my awareness, I wrapped a few of my wings around Ahri and pulled her and the squirming bundle of flesh I had picked up closer. We vanished into a shower of sparks, reappearing a good stretch further up the passage. ¡°Again,¡± I grunted. It hadn¡¯t been more than 100 metres, I was sure of it, but I still wouldn¡¯t make it in time. I didn¡¯t know why, but from one moment to the next, the whole structure we were trapped in collapsed. It wasn¡¯t gradual, small cracks had turned into all out destruction in an instant, as if the whole thing had truly just died. Gods, hopefully Mephisto had been wrong, otherwise I was about to turn one of the largest buildings in this town into so much as rubble and smoking debris. With a defiant grunt, I pushed my magic outwards, highlighting a path in front of me. Silvery light filled the passage, my wings hummed with suppressed power and when the ceiling came down on us with an earsplitting roar, we vanished once more. Time stood still while we hung between one moment and the next, a fallen leaf caught in a storm. The forces of creation raged around us, reality reduced to a blur of colour and sound, threatening to swallow us whole, and then, the maddening visions splintered. The world claimed us again and I fell to the ground, panting heavily. My wings tingled and I couldn¡¯t open my eyes, the barely sealed wound in my neck pulsing like crazy. I was dizzy and for a moment, all I could do was concentrate on the slow, fluttering beat of my heart and Ahri¡¯s warmth, still nestled into my tails. I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my head, but I immediately gagged, the smell of blood and sex so thick around me that it almost felt like the air had turned liquid. Disoriented, I focused on my hearing, trying to make any sense of the cacophony of noises around me. Grunts, moans, the scurrying of fast moving feet, objects clattering on the floor and above all else, the slurping sound I had heard when the vampire had bitten me. My fur stood on edge and I instinctively fanned my wings out, creating a crackling barrier between us and the madness that was consuming this place. Rallying all the strength I had left, I opened my eyes and hissed in surprise, once I took in the macabre tableau in front of me. Chaos, violence, indulgence¡­ if the gates of hell had opened here and now it wouldn¡¯t have looked any different. Naked bodies writhed on the floor in the throes of passion, dark silhouettes stalked the shadows, fangs glimmering in the frenzied light of flames that gnawed away at the curtains and tapestry, pale corpses laid in a pool of their own blood, the floor slick with their spilled fluids. Here and there, a human figure tried to escape, only to be pulled back or thrown to the ground by a sinewy arm. A moment later, a moving shadow would crawl along the body and come to rest against the neck, adding another fountain of blood to the growing, crimson tide that slowly spread through the whole building. Windows rattled and the walls shook, unleashed mayhem holding the place in a vice like grip. ¡°What the¡­¡± I murmured, unable to process what I was seeing. From somewhere behind me, Layla whispered, her voice trembling with fear: ¡°the hold is broken. Gods, without my uncle to control them, the bound vamps have given in. We need to get out of here!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± I grunted while I tried to get to my feet and threw a quick glance over my shoulder. Ahri was already standing, her wings spread wide. She moved to my side and pulled me upright, her lips drawn into a tight line. Layla and the nameless woman were an entangled heap behind us, but neither seemed to mind. The girl was deathly pale and had her hand clasped over the still bleeding cut on her wrist and the other one was out cold. At least her wounds had somewhat healed, gaping holes turned into patches of raw flesh and slowly regenerating skin. I turned towards the nearest exit, my wings flaring when one of the enraged vampires raised his gaze from the gasping body he had been feasting on. A silvery blue tongue of light slithered through the room and the undead fell back to the floor, a smouldering hole in his chest where his heart had been. ¡°Come on, then,¡± I hissed and brought my wings forward. A glistening tunnel formed, clearing our way. Only one creature remained, blocking our path, but before I could even move, a crimson flash of heat and flames flew past me, consuming the vampire in an instant. Not even the fangs remained when a shower of ash gently drifted to the floor. I gave Ahri a weak smile and used my tails to pull Layla into my arms while the vixen swiftly picked up the unconscious woman and threw her over her shoulder as if she had been light as a feather, carefully keeping her away from her burning wings. We ran. My feet slipped on the soaked carpets and blood covered wood, occasional strikes against my wings threatened to throw me off balance, but for as long as I managed to hold my wings in position, we¡¯d be safe. 15 meters, 10¡­ we¡¯d make it. Nobody could stop us now and if they brought the whole damned manor down on us, I¡¯d just teleport us out of here, one of my wings had already pierced the wall and I felt the sun on the other side. With a thought, I cleanly cut through stone and metal, opening an exit. The glaring light of a midday sun broke through the chaos and I heard pained hisses all around me, follow by the smell of cooking meat. Served them right. A few more steps and we¡¯d be out of there, but suddenly I stumbled. Growling, I tried to keep my balance, but it felt like I was trying to run under water, everything around me slowed down to a crawl and I felt a strange pull, just behind my navel. Hell no, not now! ¡°Ahri,¡± I screamed, ¡°run!¡± While my wings already flickered as if on the verge of disappearing, I threw Layla in her direction and spread them wide, cutting through everything around us in a heartbeat. Our eyes met, wide with fear, and I heard her voice as if across a deep chasm: ¡°Cassy, no!¡± And then, I vanished into sparks and dreams, sliding down a long, dark tunnel, unable to control my body. I had been summoned again! But how? Nobody in this world should know my name! How could they? Unless¡­ oh please, by all the gods, Lilith had told me that she was going to try and delay whoever had been hunting for her. What if she had been caught? What if I was being called by another immortal? If that was the case, there was no way I¡¯d be able to get out of it alive. By the Great Fox, I was so screwed. I felt trapped, mistreated, cursed and alone, all at once, but instead of tears, a snarl formed on my face. Defiance and anger, cold and calm, if I was to give my siblings a show they would remember, I¡¯d need my past. It was easy, as if the light had been slumbering just beneath the surface, awakened by the violence of the last few minutes. All I had to do was ask and bury my own vulnerability¡­ my life under a blanket of frozen anger. Clarity and strength flooded my heart, my fear turned into a pillar of crystallised memories and my wings burned more brightly than they ever had before. When the world stopped spinning around me and I felt hard wood beneath my feet again, my eyes were pulsing in an iridescent blue, interspersed with only a few streaks of silver. I knelt in a burning pentagram, a creature of light and magic, my skin barely visible through the glare. ¡°Well then,¡± I thundered, each syllable accompanied by a blinding surge of flames as the circle nullified my powers. ¡°You¡¯ve called for me and here I am. You got your wish.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, it actually worked,¡± a melodious, high pitched voice squealed from behind the fire. When I raised my gaze it fell on a surprisingly short, wingless shadow with a book in its hand. 186. Of elves, commands and a little obstinance Cassandra Pendragon My surprise and overwhelming relieve cracked open the frozen walls I had erected while a wave of curiosity rushed through me and gradually blue light turned silver. Instead of the far reaches of space or even a cell, I stood on a scratched and worn out wooden floor and judging from the stale smell, it was a place that was rarely visited and even more rarely cleaned. Thank the gods! The flames around me dimmed when I cut off the flow of energy from my core and banished the last shards of ice from my heart, eager to see what was hiding behind the fires. ¡°What the¡­¡± for the second time in as many minutes I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the scene before me. Children, nay, adolescents, three of them, a girl and two boys, stood around my pentagram, a haphazardly constructed thing, scratched into the floor with much more enthusiasm than skill. We were in a small room without windows, lit by a flameless lamp, chairs, tables, broken swords and armour piled up against the walls. There was only one door, closed and incompetently barred with pieces of broken furniture. And my summoners¡­ well, they were elves, as much was certain. Huge, slanted eyes, pointy ears and an inborn grace that went far beyond anything I had seen humans display, even though my comparisons were a bit sparse, were dead give aways. My mouth hung open and I must have stared at them with the same expression of disbelieve and surprise they had on their faces. The girl was the one who had actually called me, the book she had read the spell from still firmly in her grasp. I¡¯d have put her somewhere around her 16th summer with a blossoming figure, deep, blue hair and amethyst eyes, hidden behind horn rimmed glasses. The boys were maybe a summer or two older than her, one was burly with dark hair and tanned skin, the other a rather ascetic looking blonde but both had gleaming steel swords at their sides and stared at me as if they had just encountered a ghost. They were wearing nearly identical, black tunics, which only differed in regards to the coat of arms that was embroidered on their chests. While all of them showed a scroll and a sword crossed beneath a stylised tower, the girl¡¯s was blue and the boys¡¯ were red. With each passing second I became more irritated, I had been summoned by a group of students by the looks of it. ¡°You got to be kidding me,¡± I said, taking care to keep my powers from reaching my voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± A trickle of power slipped into my eyes and now, I knew for sure. They were just kids. The dark haired one, who was still staring at the trail of silvery blood that sullied the side of my dress was on the verge of answering, but his more level headed companion stamped on his foot and motioned for him to remain silent. ¡°Don¡¯t answer it,¡± the girl immediately called over her shoulder before she focused on me. ¡°We won¡¯t fall for your vile trickery, demon. You¡¯re here to do our bidding, in the name¡­¡± I blocked out her ensuing litany and focused on my connection to Ahri. As soon as the link came to life, I made sure to convey images of where I was and that I wasn¡¯t in any danger, at least for now. I felt her fear for me turn into amusement when she realised that I had been summoned by a bunch of kids, but she didn¡¯t gloat. Instead, she went through the memories I had shared with her and said: ¡°You have to get that book. No idea what¡¯s written in there, but there shouldn¡¯t be a ritual anywhere that forces you to appear. I don¡¯t think the circle can actually hold you, if you push, it will crumble. But, if you break it, there won¡¯t be an easy way back for you, they won¡¯t be able to dismiss you anymore. Do you know where you are?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m still on Gaya.¡± I said morosely. She paused before she slowly asked: ¡°How do you even understand their language?¡± Right, how could I understand a single word? I allowed the few exchanges we had had to pass before my inner eye. It took me a few moments to realise that I actually didn¡¯t understand them, not really. I had heard a bunch of gibberish but somehow their voices had been overlaid with my mother tongue, a side effect of the summoning, perhaps. Come to think of it, it was even likely. ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but a part of the spell they used translates for me, I think. Damn it, I could literally be anywhere! I can¡¯t even say for sure if the language they¡¯re speaking is the Elvish Tongue we know.¡± A thread of fear might have creeped into my voice, but only a tiny one. ¡°Calm down, love, when they dismiss you, you¡¯ll be transported back to my side. It¡¯s an integral part of every summoning, otherwise the called entity might stick around and kill the summoner. But you should definitely refrain from doing anything rash until then. Otherwise you might be stuck. The girls are fine, by the way. Nobody has followed us into the sun, I think the maddened vampires were much to busy to realise we left. I¡¯ll get them both back to our house, don¡¯t worry about them. If anything changes on your end, you¡¯ll let me know? Or better yet, if you feel threatened, call me over. I¡¯ll try to come up with a way to pull you back, but¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t find one the last time, I know.¡± I replied, haltingly but calmly. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to play along, for now. Tell me when you¡¯re back safely? I¡¯m more worried about you, right now, they¡¯re kids, for crying out loud. Worst case, I¡¯ll somehow have to find my way back on my own.¡± ¡°Sure. Love you and try to keep your temper in check, they haven¡¯t done anything to you, yet.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes. Love you, too. If anything happens, I¡¯ll let you know. Take care.¡± The girl was still going when I focused back on her, her voice taut with concentration as she recited what I assumed was a part of most summonings. Watching her sweat while she weaved inconsequential words together would have been funny, if she hadn¡¯t finished with a command. ¡°¡­ and by the seven spheres, I command thee, bow and accept me as your master.¡± ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯d rather not,¡± I replied and pointedly sat down. My wings vanished and I slung my tails around myself, unwilling to have the boys continuously ogle the more spicy place where the explosion had torn away parts of my dress. ¡°But if you want, I¡¯ll make sure you get home safely. Trying out strange ritual is dangerous, has no one ever told you that? I bet your parents are worried sick!¡± For a second I thought I had broken her, her breathing sped up, the beads of sweat turned into streams and her eyes became unimaginably large. That her glasses didn¡¯t fall off was about the only saving grace. Unfortunately, her comrades didn¡¯t fare any better. Their hands trembled and the look they shared spoke volumes. They were about as afraid as I had been when I had first felt the call. I just didn¡¯t know if that was good or bad. While scaring them into dismissing me was definitely an option, I wanted¡­ needed that book. There was no way in hell I¡¯d let a manual on how to bind me just lie around somewhere. Not to mention how much more could be hidden in there. Whoever had written it had had far more knowledge than should be possible¡­ oh. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to share your names, maybe you could at least tell me where the hell I am before you faint on me,¡± I continued tartly. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good, you know?¡± ¡°I¡­ we,¡± again it was the girl who answered. She seemed like the leader of their little group, a bit surprising, since she was the youngest. ¡°No, you¡¯re bound by the circle and have to obey my orders! In the name of the great spirits, I¡­¡± ¡°Am in way over my head,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Whom do you think you called here, honey? Do I look like a spirit to you? Or whatever else you imagine a demon is? Didn¡¯t your little book there tell you? If you intend to summon powerful beings, you¡¯d be much better off, if you knew them beforehand, or at least read about them. Otherwise you won¡¯t be getting much older.¡± She gulped and pushed her glasses further up her nose with trembling fingers, stealing her resolve. She managed to sound almost convinced when she replied: ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who you are. As long as you¡¯re within my pentagram, you¡¯re bound by¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely nothing. Here, let me show you.¡± I unfurled my wings and the look of awe that crossed their faces was more than satisfying. A blurry figure, appearing behind walls of fire, had probably been less intimidating than the real thing with nothing but air between us. I spread my wings wide and gently pushed against the rising flames which had ignited the very moment I tried to pass over the lines of the formation on the floor. White eyed and paling the trio watched the carved grooves and spirals they had scratched into the floor char, silvery fires eating away at them. With every passing moment, the girl seemed to wither away, her complexion turning grey while blood began dripping from her nose and ears, her body crumbling as the formation soaked in her power to keep me detained. But before the circle broke and her life was consumed, I pulled my wings back, unwilling to kill her to make a point or to burn my return ticket on a whim. ¡°There, still think you have me by the tails?¡± ¡°I¡­ but¡­how?¡± She was stammering by now but she didn¡¯t run, nor did she bother wiping away the crimson streaks on her face. Either she was too perplexed, and frozen in fear, had understood that I was a tad faster than them, if need be, or she was simply too dumb to live. The latter didn¡¯t seem very far fetched. She had already used an incantation she had stumbled across without much concern. Not exactly the sign of a tremendous intellect. But then again, I shouldn¡¯t judge. I had proven time and again that I was cut from the same cloth, acting without knowing was one of my specialties. Come to think of it, the only time I had managed to think with my head and not my heart had been me swallowing my anger when I had first seen the slaves and that had taken more than just a little coaxing. And I still wasn¡¯t convinced I wouldn¡¯t burn down the damned market the first chance I was going to get, however undesirable the outcome. ¡°Strength,¡± I shrugged. ¡°The few glyphs you put in place only bolster yours but basically it¡¯s your will that¡¯s holding me here. And you, darling, are far from being my equal. Now, I think we¡¯ve established that I¡¯m still in here of my own volition and you might be wondering why. Since I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry I¡¯ll state it plainly. I want you to dismiss me and I want that book in your hand. I¡¯m even willing to bargain for it. So¡­ why did you summon me?¡± The girl and the dark haired boy exchanged worried glances but before they could speak up, the third musketeer blurted out: ¡°who in the nine hells are you?¡± His outburst made me smile. I couldn¡¯t be completely sure, but the nine hells were a part of Gaya¡¯s religion. Maybe I hadn¡¯t left my home world after all. ¡°If you want the full story, it¡¯ll cost you. I already named my price. But for now, you can call me Cassandra.¡± His eyes narrowed and I thought I saw a flicker of recognition pass over his face when I stated my name. Had he heard it before? Somehow the idea of them knowing who I was sent a cold shiver up my spine, even though I couldn¡¯t quite understand why. It shouldn¡¯t make much of a difference but I couldn¡¯t shake my queasiness when I imagined them realising that I was actually a kitsune princess. Anonymity and lies were my biggest bargaining chips and I loathed the idea of giving either one up. ¡°And what about you,¡± I continued in a valiant attempt to distract them. ¡°I can keep on using pet names, but that might become quite embarrassing. Or do you actually like it when I call you darling?¡± A bright blush was my reward and when his eyes roamed over my tattered dress once again, I felt reassured that he wasn¡¯t thinking about my name anymore. At least for now. ¡°Uh, you¡­ you can,¡± he stammered before the girl hissed: ¡°Don¡¯t! Remember what they taught us? Never tell them anything!¡± Her voice was more strained than it had been a minute before and she had finally wiped away the blood trails on her face, but she still managed to sound like a nagging mother, an impressive feat, all things considered. ¡°Tell her your name and the next thing you know, she¡¯ll be after your family! Don¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± I said nonchalantly, ¡°you¡¯re either paranoid or wise beyond your years, I can¡¯t tell which. Alright, if you¡¯re so adamant about keeping your names to yourselves, I¡¯ll call you Bob, Tom and Lizzy.¡± I pointed at each of them in turn. ¡°Now, you can at least tell me why you summoned me, can you not? After all, I can¡¯t simply guess what you want me to do. How about this: if it¡¯s in any way reasonable, I¡¯ll help you out in exchange for the book and your promise to send me back the moment we¡¯re done.¡± She clutched the book tighter to her chest, obviously reluctant to part with it so I continued: ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what exactly is written in there, but I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea and if you cobbled together a ritual to summon me from its pages, I¡¯d wager that the rest isn¡¯t safe for you to use either. Let¡¯s face the facts here, if I wanted to, I could have killed you the minute I arrived. And if you try out another spell, you¡¯ll probably end up dealing with someone who has much less qualms with sending you west. Incidentally, where did you even find the tome? I can¡¯t imagine it was stored away somewhere in a library.¡± Judging from their troubled expression, that was exactly where they had found it. ¡°Oh come on,¡± I huffed. ¡°Are you seriously telling me that you found an uncatalogued book in the middle of your library and thought it a good idea to try out one of the rituals described within?¡± ¡°The ritual,¡± Bob, the dark haired boy replied. ¡°There was only one. There¡¯s more in there but we can¡¯t read the rest. I¡¯ve never even heard of the language the other spells are written in and every translation magic we tried so far failed. We wanted to ask if you could help us out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, I¡¯d have to see it first. But really, even if I can translate it, you¡¯d be far better off if you stayed the hell away from any spell in there.¡± ¡°Why,¡± Lizzy asked, her confidence returning. ¡°You didn¡¯t harm us, even though you claim you could have. What makes you so sure the others would be any different?¡± ¡°Sweetheart, you¡¯re still bleeding from your nose and eyes and I didn¡¯t even try. I wouldn¡¯t call that unharmed. The only reason I¡¯m not marching over to you right now and pry the book from your cold, withered hands is, that I need you to send me back. You¡¯ve got no idea whom you¡¯re playing with and trust me, even though I don¡¯t want to hurt you, I won¡¯t hesitate for a second if it means I can stop you from summoning another member of my race to this world. I¡¯d rather have your blood on my hands than that of the countless souls who would perish if I allowed you to continue.¡± They gulped when the playfulness left my eyes to be replaced by cold determination. ¡°And make no mistake, I¡¯ll leave here with the book in my hands, one way or the other. It¡¯s up to you to decide whether you gain something for it or die trying to keep me from it. The choice is yours but the outcome will be the same, at least for me.¡± Admittedly, I was omitting quite a bit. I wouldn¡¯t kill them if there was another way. Judging from their panicked expressions, my acting hadn¡¯t been too shabby either. My glowing eyes might have helped, too. ¡°If I were in your shoes, I¡¯d think long and hard about what you actually want from me. I¡¯m not going to pretend like I can snap my fingers and make all your dreams come true, but there are a couple of things I can do and I¡¯m stilling willing to help you in exchange for the tome.¡± They shared another look, fear and concern clearly written across their faces but there was also a spark of hope, buried deep down. After a moment the girl whispered: ¡°my freedom.¡± 187. Of nobles, marriages and a little betrayal Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Your freedom,¡± I echoed incredulously. ¡°Oh, the irony¡­ correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I¡¯m the only one around here who¡¯s stuck in a prison, am I not?¡± Her face remained calm, even rigid, but a plethora of emotions swirled behind her eyes and form one moment to the next, she crumbled. Words spilled forth just as tears formed in her eyes and in one hurried rush she explained, casting caution to the wind: ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Zara Dawnheart, last of my line and the promised bride to the king¡¯s heir. On my 16th birthday I¡¯ll be married to a cruel, cold monster and my time is running out. Two weeks from now I¡¯ll have to say my vows, binding myself to the¡­. to the creature responsible for my family¡¯s demise and there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop it. I¡­ I need help, direly. That¡¯s why we summoned you. I thought¡­ I¡­ here, see for yourself.¡± Without another word she stepped closer to the smouldering runes on the floor and extended the book to me. Her arm brushed over the invisible line and my mouth hung open. She had made herself completely and utterly vulnerable, without the pentagram¡¯s protection she was mine to do with as I pleased. It really didn¡¯t make much of a difference, but I could have been lying through my teeth, for all she knew. From denying me her name to full blown trust in less than a minute¡­ she truly was a child. Or my display of power had been more impressive than I could have imagined. Maybe she had felt that I had still been keeping a tight check on my energies, even when I had pushed against her magic. The compromises we made¡­ I did know a thing or two about those. For the fraction of a second I was tempted to reach out and pull her in completely, only to see the look of surprise on her face, but I quickly stifled the impulse. I didn¡¯t know if the spell would survive. Slowly I took the tome from her and the very second I felt the smooth, worn leather brush against my fingertips, a spark of power flashed in the air. A faint light appeared from beneath the cover and the pages warmed until they almost became hot in my grasp. ¡°Surprise, surprise,¡± I muttered to myself and gingerly pried the aged parchments apart. Angular runes and sweeping spirals, painted with dark red ink in neat columns unfolded before my eyes, a spark of magic glimmering across the writing. I was a bit disappointed when I realised that I couldn¡¯t read the glyphs, I didn¡¯t even recognise the language they belonged to, but I nevertheless quickly flicked through the whole book. Near the cover, I stumbled across a few pages which bore more familiar characters, a couple of sentences written in the common tongue and the corresponding letters. It wasn¡¯t much but it explained why they had summoned me. ¡°Beings that can be called upon to aide the practitioner willingly can be counted on one hand,¡± it read. ¡°They do exist but only the most powerful entities gain a modicum of free will past the boundaries of their spiritual existence. As such, they should only be called upon if the desired service is already aligned with their interests. A spell¡­¡± I skipped a couple of lines, skimming over the detailed description of the runes they had carved into the floor. ¡°¡­as well as a cartouche with the name of the summoned being. A manifestation of the entity can be used as a surrogate for the name. The lock of hair below can be used to summon a creature of light and magic, associated with the freedom of ch¡­¡± the text blurred before my eyes, letters skipping places and rearranging themselves in a flurry of motion that made me dizzy. Within the fraction of second they settled down again. I had to blink several times to clear my vision but when I glanced up from the tome, Zara was still watching me intently without showing any sign of something out of the ordinary happening. The newly formed words were for my eyes only. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll work out who I am quickly enough. Consequentially, I don¡¯t expect you to trust me but you should still read on. This book will come to you when I¡¯ve either failed or another immortal has set foot upon Gaya. In either case, your time is running out. What you need is information. The runes on the following pages contain shards of my memory. Learn to use them and your questions will be answered. I still hope we can meet in person, but in case we won¡¯t, this is my insurance that I haven¡¯t toiled in vain. Make of it what you will. Good luck, lightbringer. Camael.¡± I had hardly finished reading when the letters flared brightly and returned to their initial state. Dumbfounded and at a loss for words, I raised my gaze to meet Zara¡¯s. ¡°Do you see,¡± she whispered. ¡°I had to try.¡± What? Who? Right, she was talking about the ritual. I hadn¡¯t read the last few lines and when I quickly glanced through them, I realised that they contained an inadequate description of who I was. ¡°¡­ choice. Can be called upon for any cause that rebels against an unjust fate. The usual summoning practices can be applied but be warned, it¡¯s dangerous and shouldn¡¯t be called unless in dire need. Author¡¯s remark: don¡¯t waste your chance.¡± ¡°I see,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I assume your attitude was the usual summoning practice?¡± She nodded demurely. ¡°Alright. I think this can work. You basically want to escape your suitor, who incidentally is the heir to the crown and had your family¡­ killed?¡± Another hesitant nod and the smell of bitter grief. Gods¡­ I was going to get involved, wasn¡¯t I? ¡°And exchange for my help, I get the book¡­¡± I paused. I didn¡¯t know how a dismissal worked. Better to make sure I wasn¡¯t going to do something thoughtless again. ¡°Love,¡± I projected through my tattoo, ¡°how do I get back? I think we can come to an agreement but I¡¯m not sure what I have to do afterwards.¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± came the immediate reply. ¡°Let me see.¡± I shared my memories with her and she mulled them over for a few seconds. ¡°By the Great Fox, I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what kind of enchantments had to have been placed upon the tome to make sure it¡¯d reach you¡­ I don¡¯t have to remind you that you can¡¯t let that thing out of your sight again, do I? Anyways, if you strike a bargain, you¡¯ll have to promise to fulfil it. When the promise unravels afterwards, you¡¯ll be transported back. And if it doesn¡¯t work, I think I can summon you myself.¡± ¡°Why do you sound so certain? And how would you summon me? I thought our tattoos don¡¯t work the other way around.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I think I can use the ritual you showed me. You¡¯ve left more than enough of your hair in your bed. In the future, you¡¯ll have to take care. If that¡¯s enough to summon you, you don¡¯t want it lying around. As for the rest¡­ Mephisto told me. It¡¯s a guess, but a good one. Normally it¡¯d be a part of the demonic contract but since you can¡¯t form one¡­ or can you?¡± ¡°How should I know? Maybe? But I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to learn how in a few minutes either way. I see the point, though. A transcendent promise should have the same effect on me and the pentagram, as long as it¡¯s unbroken, grants reciprocity, right?¡± ¡°More or less. Something else you¡¯ll have to figure out in detail, sooner or later. For now, you¡¯ll have to try and hope for the best. Or you could stall for another hour and I¡¯ll try to make the spell work.¡± I thought for a moment but when it came down to it, I didn¡¯t want to simply leave. I had done so before, when I had ignored the slave markets and I wasn¡¯t going to do so again. I¡¯d at least hear Zara out. It was still nice to know that I wasn¡¯t dependent on her cooperation, though. If things went south, I¡¯d be able to grab the book and run¡­ and hope that Ahri wasn¡¯t mistaken. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯d love to know that you could, though, so¡­ would you mind making sure? But I don¡¯t want you to go through with the ritual. If I can, I¡¯ll help. I¡¯m a benevolent spirit, after all.¡± I couldn¡¯t see her but she most certainly rolled her eyes while she answered: ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll even do you one better and talk to Astra and Aspera as soon as I¡¯m back. Maybe they know whom you¡¯re dealing with, if you really are with the Elves we know. And Cassy? Take care. Don¡¯t commit to anything you don¡¯t fully understand. I¡¯m sick of having to worry about you. Promise you¡¯ll pull me through as soon as anything happens to you?¡± ¡°No, sorry. I¡¯m not going to put you in harm¡¯s way. But I do promise to tell you.¡± I was getting used to the ensuing tingle of energy around my heart, in a way I was even starting to enjoy it, especially when I knew the promise would tie me closer to Ahri. ¡°Fair enough,¡± she huffed. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon. Love you. And try not to start another civil unrest, darling.¡± Another? The vampires hardly counted in my opinion. Oh well¡­ ¡°Sorry, I got distracted,¡± I explained when I saw the kids looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness, the fear that had haunted their eyes before almost entirely gone. ¡°I just realised I don¡¯t know the first thing about where I actually am and what you¡¯re asking of me. Whisking you away shouldn¡¯t be too difficult but I imagine that¡¯s not what you had in mind?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no other way, I¡¯d prefer leaving to staying here, but if there¡¯s a chance, I don¡¯t want to abandon my home.¡± Zara closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching while a single tear ran down her cheek. ¡°This whole nightmare isn¡¯t just about my hand in marriage. There¡¯s¡­ I guess I have to start from the beginning. I¡­ do you know anything about elves?¡± ¡°Not too much,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I know that you value age and the benefits that come with it, live under a king and on an island in the northern parts. That¡¯s about it.¡± And even that much was a guess, since I wasn¡¯t yet sure if I truly was in the elven kingdom I knew of. Considering the book he been planted for me to find, though, it seemed rather probable. ¡°I¡¯ve also had the pleasure of meeting¡­¡± I paused, unsure whether or not I should divulge my connection to Asper and Astra since it¡¯d make it far too easy to figure out who I was, provided someone knew where the sisters had taken off to. Then again, I didn¡¯t see how it could harm me, but I had already learned my lesson in that regard. Better to be safe than sorry. ¡°¡­some of your people before. I guess I know as much as any traveler would, which is to say, close to nothing. If I¡¯m supposed to do more than simply take you with me once I leave, you¡¯ll have to tell me exactly what I¡¯ve stumbled into and why you even think I can help to begin with.¡± The girl nodded, unsurprised. ¡°You¡¯re in our capital at the centre of the Emerald Island, below the academy. Most of the nobility send their offspring here for their education. My friends,¡± she gestured towards the two boys, ¡°are also from renowned bloodlines as is everyone else you¡¯re likely going to meet. In other words, this is the place, where future alliances are forged and blood feuds usually begin, where members of different families can become friends or mortal enemies. It might seem strange to an outsider that the bonds we form during childhood are so very important, but most of us only live within their families.¡± Grieve and pain rose behind her eyes but she quickly hurried on. ¡°The family, the faction, the kingdom, the three pillars of our nation. Each one with its own goals and ambitions. My parents were not only the leaders of the Dawnhearts but also the representatives of the faction we belong to, one that has traditionally kept the monarchy in check. Since we control the mines, we are rich¡­ we were quite influential. Since the Fall,¡± I assumed she referred to the Cataclysm, ¡°the royal family has tried to weasel their way into our affairs, usurping resistance and gathering support. They have never managed to get a foot in the door, but that changed a few years ago.¡± My eyes flashed with bright, silver light. A few years ago? It wouldn¡¯t happen to be around seven years ago, now, would it? I shouldn¡¯t have drawn any premature conclusions, but a nagging feeling in my stomach warned me not to ignore the coincidence. Could one of Amon¡¯s plans possible be playing out here? And if so, was he also connected to the death of Aspera¡¯s and Astra¡¯s father? Was he trying to push the fey and elves into a war? ¡°I don¡¯t know why, I was still a child back then, but one day, they changed their approach. Instead of the stick, thinly veiled threats and blackmail for example, they¡¯d more often resort to the carrot, bribery and the like. Over time, the tension subsided and when I became older, forming more¡­ durable ties through marriage became an option. After years, my parents finally gave in. They told me that I might be able to change our society, actually do something about injustice and discrimination instead of the tedious and often futile political games they had been playing for most of their life. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to, but after a year or two, I began to realise how much I could actually do as the consort to the heir and future queen of our people. We are ailing, we have been for centuries and I thought I might help. I caved, I gave in. That was three months ago.¡± She couldn¡¯t hold her tears back anymore and the blonde boy quickly wrapped his arms around her. I waited patiently while her cries subsided and she managed to continue, albeit a little hoarsely. ¡°Of¡­ of course that called for a celebration the likes of which had seldomly been seen. Two of the most influential families, joined in marriage¡­ unity and strength, a glorious future for us all,¡± she added bitterly and the venom in her voice was incredibly potent, almost as if she was truly spitting out the words because they caused her physical pain. ¡°We should have been betrothed on the very same day, our promises eternalised by the record keepers before we were going to dance the night away. I¡­ I¡¯ll spare you my speculations, I¡¯m sure you can draw your own conclusions. It was a lovely evening, the stars shone brightly, the winds carried a hint of hope with them and the wine flowed freely. My betrothed¡­ Ianven and I sat at the head of a table filled with nearly everyone I loved. The hours ticked by¡­ it was the first time we got to spend an entire evening together and he was¡­ charming, charming and attentive. After a while, I didn¡¯t feel too bad about the future anymore, I might even have come to like if not love him over the years, but¡­ when the first head hit the table and laughter turned into anguished coughs, I arrived in my own personal hell. From one second to the next, my family laid dying, choking on their own blood. I didn¡¯t understand, not even then, since some of Ianven¡¯s relatives had been poisoned as well, and... We rushed to help them, healers from the palace were called, but¡­¡±Her tears had dried and the hatred that spilled form her next words made me flinch. ¡°It was too late. The bastard even stood at my side through it all, trying to console me. I¡­ I don¡¯t remember what happened next, everything¡¯s a hazy blur¡­ what I do remember is waking up in the palace, guards at my door. Frightened, devastate and alone I sat in the dark, waiting, praying¡­ dying,¡± the last word was barely more than a whisper. ¡°And then, my magic blossomed. Elves¡­ all of us, we have an inborn talent that can manifest for the first time when we go through great distress or emotional upheaval and that night had done it for me. I¡­ I¡¯m no fighter, but my magic allows me to project my senses almost anywhere I want. I only have to be able to picture the place or a person and I can watch what happens there, I can even listen in.¡± She paused to take a deep breath, but I had the sinking feeling that I already knew what she¡¯d say next. ¡°I had already been to the throne room before¡­ and while I sat there, crying like there¡¯d be no tomorrow, I thought about what had happened. I wondered what would become of me, now that I was alone except for a husband whom I hardly knew¡­ when I pictured his face, I suddenly heard his voice. He was talking to his father, glee and pride disgustingly obvious in his voice. It is done, he said. She doesn¡¯t suspect me. Once the vows are spoken, she¡¯ll be the last of her line and as her husband, I¡¯ll have control over her estate. That obstacle has been removed, father.¡± 188. Of promises, returns and a little encounter Cassandra Pendragon She fell silent, red, puffy eyes focused on me with a burning intensity. I, on the other hand, had gone very still, even the light from eyes had dimmed. ¡°Why,¡± I asked, my tone level and distant. ¡°I¡¯ve read the description. You tried to summon and bind a powerful spirit. You¡¯re not looking to run, you want to resist your future. Tell me, did you want me to slay your enemies and place you on the throne?¡± She held my gaze for longer than I had expected but finally she glanced away, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. ¡°Yes,¡± she stated, her eyes cast downwards. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­ you never told us,¡± the black haired boy, Bob, he still hadn¡¯t told me his real, name, blurted out. ¡°You can¡¯t, we¡­ I thought you wanted to become someone else! Live out your life in peace! We never talked about revenge, about regicide!¡± ¡°What did you expect,¡± Zara hissed. ¡°They killed them and for what? Money? Power? Of course I¡¯ll see them all dead, if I get the chance! Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know where this was going when I used my blood to strengthen the runes!¡± ¡°But¡­ you said¡­ no, do you have any idea what¡¯ll happen, even if you¡¯re successful? Especially if you are? The grand houses will fight tooth and nail for the throne! Our nation will be ripped apart! You can¡¯t want that, not now. The fey will devour us alive!¡± How very intriguing¡­ ¡°I¡­ we helped you, we were prepared to take you in¡­ a new life, but this¡­ I won¡¯t let you!¡± ¡°And how are you going to stop me? If she agrees¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I said calmly and the two of them froze mid sentence, mainly because my wings were crackling with power behind me again and filled the room with an eerie, silver light. ¡°I¡¯m nobody¡¯s hangman. You don¡¯t need one, either way. Did you really expect me to fight my way through the palace, storm the throne room and publicly take the heads of the royal family? And then what? I vanish and you waltz in to sit on the throne? For how long? No, your friend is right. You still have two weeks you say? Use them.¡± ¡°How,¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m a child, still stuck in the academy. No one takes me seriously. I don¡¯t even have a chance to act on my own. Every time I try to leave the grounds, there are several guards from the palace trailing me. I¡¯m a prisoner!¡± ¡°Oh, I can easily enough play the messenger for you. And¡­ do you know why people don¡¯t listen to children? Because they have nothing to offer, their words aren¡¯t worth much and they don¡¯t have any real power. You could be different. Not as a prospective queen or the heir to a powerful house. Your people are at war with the fey? That could be your way out.¡± All three of them stared at me in disbelieve. ¡°What do you mean,¡± Zara finally asked. ¡°Would you fight for us? In my name?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so fixated on me saving you¡­ maybe, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m getting at. I¡¯m¡­¡± my ears twitched, the faint thumping of boots and the even fainter sound of raised voices flowed through the barricaded door. With a gesture I bade them to remain quiet and pushed a trickle of power from my core to my ears. ¡°¡­got to be there. She¡¯s been missing for a few hours and suddenly there¡¯s a failed summoning in the basement?¡± The voice was smooth and deep, I pictured a man in his thirties but I could¡¯ve been wrong. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll put her in chains! I¡¯m so done with chasing after that little brat.¡± ¡°Calm yourself,¡± a female responded stately. ¡°Wait for the wedding, afterwards you can do as you wish, but until then, you¡¯d better remain the loving, grieving gentleman, worried about the well-being of his future wife. Don¡¯t screw this up! I think the girl is already suspicious as it is, there¡¯s no reason to fuel the fire. Your father wants the dust to settle and no complications until you¡¯re wed!¡± ¡°Dismiss me,¡± I hissed. ¡°Now! Your nemesis is coming, if he finds me here, the jig will be up! Send me back, now!¡± ¡°But¡­,¡± Zara stammered. ¡°I¡­ how?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave you hanging, but if he sees me here I won¡¯t be able to do much. I know you can¡¯t summon me again, but I¡¯ll find my way back within a week. I promise!¡± Light and silvery flames followed my words, a burning circle that visibly settled in around my heart. Her eyes became huge again and I felt her weariness, her reluctance but before I could prod her further, she nodded. ¡°Then go,¡± she breathed. ¡°And hurry back, please.¡± She hadn¡¯t even demanded that I hand over the book. The runes lit up, walls of light flashed into existence around me and I was whisked away, leaving behind nothing but the charred remains of strange looking glyphs on the floor. Just before I disappeared into sparks and memory, my magic flared and a tiny, barely perceptible silvery flame ignited in a corner of the room. And then it petered out, as if it had never existed. The return trip felt much more like my own form of teleportation. Space was folding around me and form one moment to the next, the scenery had changed from a dusty storeroom to an opulent hall turned battlefield. To my chagrin I reappeared in the exact same spot where I had been summoned from, but it was considerably quieter by now and only one occupant was still standing amidst a sea of blood and ash. And even though her scent didn¡¯t reach me across the miasma of death and carnage, I knew who she was. Hair like molten gold, piercing blue eyes I had seen before, a willowy stature¡­ ¡°Alassara,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you in person. There¡¯s much we have to talk about.¡± Two sparkling sapphires narrowed suspiciously and I felt a pulse of energy leave her while she studied me with the eyes of a predator. A red glow ignited in their depths but when her gaze followed my slithering wings, a smile broke her threatening posture. ¡°Cassandra Pendragon, it¡¯s an honour.¡± She bowed from the hip. ¡°I must thank you for returning my daughter to me and plead for your forgiveness. I¡¯m sorry for misleading you, but I was running out of time. Please, if you¡¯d wait for me outside until I¡¯ve cleared out my brother¡¯s cockroaches, I¡¯d be happy to answer your questions. Or are you after my head?¡± She sounded curious. Not anxious, but curious. I just couldn¡¯t figure out if it meant she wasn¡¯t afraid of me or didn¡¯t care either way. I had a hunch it was the latter. She was¡­ at peace, I thought. But what had changed? It couldn¡¯t have been the return of her daughter alone. Otherwise, why would there even have been a conflict between her and her sibling in the first place. Despite the danger she clearly emitted, the woman who stood before me was¡­ content. Right, we had rescued the other vampire as well. Was she that important? Stupid question, of course she was. I just didn¡¯t know why. But I¡¯d find out today, one way or the other. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m vexed that you used me, angry at being thrown around like a toy and frustrated as hell that I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s actually going on here. And I hope to all the gods that you have some good explanations, but I don¡¯t want you dead.¡± Yet, I added silently. A mischievous smile entered her eyes when she replied: ¡°oh, believe me, I do. In that case, would you excuse me? I still have a few rooms to clean. Unless¡­ do you want to help?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough bloodshed already,¡± I said and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not volunteering for more. Or do I need to make sure you won¡¯t go overboard?¡± ¡°No, only the feral ones will die, I know what I¡¯m doing. Well then, please wait outside, this won¡¯t be pretty, especially if you¡¯ve already had your fill of blood. Or you can head to the house you¡¯re currently staying in. My daughter and your friends should have made their way there, by now. If you want to talk in private, though, you might want to linger. I imagine it¡¯s going to be nigh impossible later on.¡± Without another word she swept past me and vanished down a tiled corridor. I was torn, half of me brimming with curiosity and the vague desire to make sure she wouldn¡¯t kill indiscriminately, the other half longing to see the sun and close my eyes in the shade of a tree, even if only for a few minutes. The latter won. One might argue that I had some sort of obligation since I had been the one to turn the late patriarch into ash, but I just couldn¡¯t get myself to care. Once outside, I found a cherry tree in a well kept garden and quickly jumped onto one of the lower hanging branches. The oh so familiar smell calmed me down and before I knew it, I sat with my back against the trunk, my tails wrapped around the branch and closed my eyes. The sickening sounds the wind carried over from the mansion slowly melted into the rustling of leaves and the hectic activity in the city further away. It didn¡¯t take too much imagination to picture myself back on Boseiju, dreaming the day away in a hidden spot behind our palace and for a few moments I let go. For a few moments I simply enjoyed the sun on my face and the wind in my fur. My thoughts slowed down and any intention I had had of making plans and trying to understand what was happening to me¡­ to us was blown away like a feather. My heartbeat was a soothing rhythm in my chest, the wind rustling in my fur felt like a caress and warmth slowly spread from my skin. My mind began to wander, memories and dreams slowly blurring until they were one andthe same. Caught between the past and the future, the woes of the present weren¡¯t crushing anymore. For as long as we could still imagine a brighter tomorrow, there would always be a way. A song reached my ears, one I had heard under a different sun, in a different time. A song that had pulled me back from the brink and that had given me the strength to continue, even though I hadn¡¯t known why. Even after the darkest night, the dawn will come. Devastation and death had claimed the cosmos, darkness had reigned in the aftermath of the bloodiest war ever fought. A vibrant, beautiful reality had been reduced to no more than a few handful of planets that still supported life. It had been enough to break us, all of us. Ambition and greed had burned out, leaving behind nothing but sorrow and regret, but it had already been too late. The light had been gone and we hadn¡¯t had the strength to pick ourselves up, not again. We had been spent, a powerful people brought to their knees by stupidity and hubris. We hadn¡¯t been better than the ones we had so naturally looked down upon. And the worst part: it had hurt. I had felt like my heart had been pierced with a burning lance, every breath had driven me to my knees, the memories of my failure heavier than I had been able to bear. Gone, all of them gone. In my arms I had held the last member of the family I had sworn to keep safe. Arete¡­ perfection¡­ a chance, one I had failed to keep alive. I hadn¡¯t known how I had been supposed to tell Aurora. Her own life had been on the line, her and her stupid promises¡­ And then, I had heard it. Her voice, rising and falling in soft cadences that had reminded that there would always be a path, I just had had to find the courage to tread on it. I smiled softly without opening my eyes. I didn¡¯t know what had happened before or where we had gone from there, but every time I remembered Aurora¡¯s voice in the dark, I knew that no matter how bad things got, somewhere, somewhen I¡¯d hold her in my arms again while the sun would finally break through the clouds. It was just a question of getting there alive and keeping my sanity on the way. Which unfortunately also meant that I didn¡¯t have the time to day dream, there was still so much to do. And I even had a timeline¡­ well, it surely seemed like the elves would be the first people I was going to visit. I even had an idea of what I wanted to do, but¡­ ¡°Lady Pendragon? Are you asleep?¡± There was still a vampire queen I had to deal with. ¡°You know,¡± I said while I nimbly dropped to the ground. ¡°That¡¯s one of those questions I simply don¡¯t get. Even if I had been, I wouldn¡¯t have been after you woke me up. But I wasn¡¯t asleep, I was dreaming. Also, if you want to do me a favour, call me Cassandra. It¡¯s a bit hypocritical that someone who used me as a weapon would suddenly refer to me as the ¡°Lady Pendragon¡±, don¡¯t you think? We¡¯re well past that point.¡± While I walked up, I looked her over for any signs of her rampage, but apart from a nearly invisible sheen of red on her lips and few specks of blood beneath her trimmed fingernails, she seemed just as prim and proper as any noble lady would in the middle of the day. ¡°You are right, of course,¡± she replied calmly and bowed to me. ¡°Cassandra, then. I can¡¯t do much more than apologise for how I treated you, but rest assured, if there¡¯s anything I can do to repay my debt, I most definitely will. You¡¯re very much entitled to anything I have to offer.¡± ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find a way to make use of that. Maybe we could start with an explanation?¡± ¡°Surely. Should we take a seat? A few steps further down this path here¡¯s a small pond with an old stone bench. I always thought it to be the best place for a bit of peace and quiet.¡± When I nodded, she leisurely strolled away from me and led me around a few strong cedars. In their shadow, a small spring burbled merrily, surrounded by lush greens and fragrant flowers. Alassara gracefully sat, gesturing for me to join her. I gingerly lowered myself onto the cold marble and slowly breathed her in. Her scent was different from what I had imagined, much less domineering and somehow¡­ lighter. She most definitely was Layla¡¯s mother, but if it hadn¡¯t been for the coppery tang of blood that still surrounded her like a blanket, I would never have guessed she was one of the most fearsome predators that stalked this city. Not even the faint smell of decay I had come to associate with vampires tickled my nose. She seemed utterly alive, except that no matter how closely I listened, there was no heartbeat. A rose with hidden thorns. ¡°Why are you so weary,¡± she asked me. ¡°You have nothing to fear from me, do you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before and more often than not, it turned out to be a lie. If we had met a few weeks ago, I would probably have taken your words at face value, but I¡¯m not that naive anymore.¡± She chuckled, a soft, almost bashful sound. ¡°And you mean to say I¡¯ve already shown myself to be more than prepared to mistreat you. But that¡¯s not what I meant. Right here and right now, you could end me just as swiftly as I would end a human. All you have to fear are my words, or rather, what you make of them. But I can assure you, I have no intention of lying to you anymore. You¡¯ve already given me more than I could have asked for and I¡¯m content. Please, don¡¯t treat me like a monster, Cassandra. I might have become one, but today I would like to pretend I¡¯m still still alive and just met the woman who rescued my daughter and my family. Would that be too much to ask?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I don¡¯t think it would. You¡¯re welcome, by the way. You¡¯ve got a great child and I¡¯m happy she¡¯s safe. What about the other vampire? Did she make it? You¡¯re daughter was very insistent on keeping her alive. I hope she pulled through.¡± ¡°She did, as far as I know. I¡¯ve only managed to talk to Layla briefly on my way here. Aurelia was still alive then and should wake quite soon. Our blood is still potent and what my daughter offered was more than enough to help her heal. Once you meet her, I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind answering your questions, either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m entitled to her answers. Yours, on the other hand, I would very much like to hear. What¡¯s your story, Alassara? Why were two powerful, related vampires waging war in the middle of a nest of pirates? Don¡¯t you have better things to do?¡± 189. Of families, blood ties and a birth Casandra Pendragon ¡°It comes down to power, even though there are, of course, slights and insults, vengeance and fear which have played a role, but at the end of the day, it has always been about power and the woman, Aurelia, whom you saved. She¡¯s old, ancient and maybe the strongest member of our race. Controlling her has always been my brother¡¯s ambition, ever since we drained our progenitor. From his blood we took his memories and the seed of war was planted, all those years ago, but it didn¡¯t spark to life until we found her.¡± She fell silent, her gaze lingering on a colourful dragon-fly while she pondered her next words carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t know where we come from, if we were made or developed naturally, but aside from our very beginning, nearly every memory is preserved, transferred from father to son, from mother to daughter. We know a lot, Cassandra, my own recollections reach back thousands of years even though I¡¯m barely older than 5 centuries. To answer your question, my brother and I have¡­ had different views on who we are. He always thought of us as the next step, an evolution that would one day unite the different races, turn them into a family with a shared past. I always thought of us as the other side of a coin, a weight to balance out the rapid growth of mortal numbers. For years it has been nothing but an interesting discussion, a good topic to argue over a glass of blood but then, one evening, we stumbled upon another tribe. In the middle of the night, a vampire came to our doors. He was hurt¡­ no, he was dying and no matter how much blood we gave him, whatever we tried, he was slowly burning up from the inside. An excruciating death was all he had left to look forward to, but still¡­¡± a deep sigh escaped her and I would never have been able to guess that she didn¡¯t have to breath. The gesture seemed so¡­ natural. ¡°He wasn¡¯t raging or desperate, to me, he seemed like someone who had accepted his fate, who was willing to repent, even if it meant the end of his existence. While his skin charred and his eyes turned into pits of flames he told us about his past, his family. He came from an island far to the East, a place of sand and heat. He was a traitor, or so he claimed, caught while he had tried to get his hands on a holy treasure. He was rambling, I thought, delirious from pain but when he spoke about his children, he didn¡¯t seem lost and he asked us to go looking for them, to make sure they had survived his actions. The last request of a dying man and a tribe of vampires we had never heard about? My curiosity was overwhelming and it didn¡¯t take much to convince my brother to come along. Within a few days we saddled our bats, sky ships hadn¡¯t been available back then, and flew east. For many days we travelled and it was the last time we set out together, as a family.¡± She paused again, a melancholic expression flickering across her face. ¡°Weeks we spent under the open sky until we arrived on an island filled with sand and ancient monuments. A tribe¡­ a cult of vampires had subjugated the few human settlements and lived as the undisputed tyrants of the desert, guarding a temple. Long story short, we made our way inside after having met the family of the deceased. We found a sealed sarcophagus, even more ancient than the temple. We tried to open it, but only managed to trigger several traps. The others came and we had to fight for our life. We would have lost, some of them were older than us, more powerful and even if they hadn¡¯t been, there would have simply been too many of them to overcome. I thought we were going to be killed right then and there¡­ but as you can guess, we weren¡¯t. Somehow our blood got onto the sarcophagus during the fight. I didn¡¯t even realise we had bled onto it, until I heard the heavy slab of stone move and fall to the ground. From one second to the next, we were alone amidst a mass of smouldering corpses, a withered wraith standing before us.¡± I wanted to interrupt, but she gestured for me to remain silent and continued. ¡°We hadn¡¯t been able to truly wake her up, our blood had only been strong enough to sustain her for a little while. Before we could even utter a single word, she collapsed again and we were left alone, staring at a creature neither of us could understand. We took her back with us, intrigued and afraid of what we had found. I mentioned before that we can take in memories with the blood of our victims. We didn¡¯t dare wake her up again without knowing who she was and why she had been imprisoned in the first place¡­ so, after everything else had failed, we consumed a small part of her, hoping it would help us make some sense of whom we had found. It did and it shattered the bond between me and my brother more thoroughly than I could have imagined.¡± Another sigh escaped her and her eyes sparkled even more brightly, as if she was holding back her tears. ¡°Aurelia, one of the first vampires, one who lived amongst the immortals, a weapon wielded in a fight between¡­ you call yourselves angels, don¡¯t you? Much of what we saw was gibberish, meaningless without any form of context, but the fights we witnessed were enough to convince us that we were peeking into a world that was so far removed from everything we knew¡­ dangerous and deadly to a degree we couldn¡¯t fathom. It might not mean too much to you, but when I first saw an entire world vanish with nothing but an uttered command, I knew we had stumbled upon something that should remain buried and forgotten, something that didn¡¯t belong to the mortal realm. My brother¡­ he disagreed. He wanted to harvest her power, to become someone who could alter the fate of our world with nothing but his will. That was the last time we spoke to each other.¡± She fell silent, apparently still a absorbed in her memories while I was left contemplating what she had told me. Some parts didn¡¯t make sense to me. For one, if her brother still had been in control of the body, why hadn¡¯t he simply drained her and tried to claim her strength for himself? Also, Alassara had never bothered to explain why Aurelia was different from any other vampire. I could guess, if she had been involved with immortals ages ago, it stood to reason that she had truly consumed a drop of blood and maybe her patron had helped her survive, but I simply didn¡¯t know for sure. And how had she found the courage to manipulate me, if she had already known who I was? Better yet, how had she even found out in the first place? ¡°I can practically smell your curiosity,¡± her soft voice interrupted my train of thoughts. ¡°Ask away, I¡¯ll try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.¡± I nodded slowly and glanced at her form beneath my bangs. ¡°Why has he taken your daughter? He didn¡¯t just want to punish you, did he? Otherwise he would have killed her immediately.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. When we consumed Aurelia¡¯s blood, it changed us but we are, or rather were, in his case, still mostly normal vampires. Layla¡­ she¡¯s different. As much as it pains me to admit, her birth was my own design, an experiment for want of a better word. I used what little of Aurelia¡¯s blood I had left after my brother had cut me off. I used it all up to make her grow in my womb. She¡¯s¡­ different¡­ purer than we both ever were. In the end, I think he wanted to use her to revive Aurelia, convinced that her power could restore her much more thoroughly than we would ever have been able to. In this regard, at least, he was right, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Possibly. It might just as well have been my intervention but it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference now, does it? Which makes me wonder¡­ can Aurelia even be allowed to live? Who is she?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer that. From what I¡¯ve seen in her memories, she¡¯s broken. A mistreated tool¡­ chances are she¡¯ll wake up and lash out for that¡¯s the only thing she knows. But on the other hand, she might as well be docile like a puppy. Layla kept her alive and you¡¯re of the same species as her previous master. Maybe she¡¯ll accept either one of you as her new mistress? I simply can¡¯t say. The only thing I know for sure is, you¡¯re not dealing with someone sane. At best, she¡¯ll turn out to be a neglected and desperate child, starved of any real connections. At worst, she¡¯s too far gone, she¡¯ll rampage for as long as she isn¡¯t stopped.¡± ¡°And you thought it safe to leave her alone with your daughter? Are you nuts?¡± She smiled timidly. ¡°She¡¯s hardly alone, now, is she? Your partner can turn her into ash with nothing more than a wish, can she not? As long as Ahri is with her, I¡¯m not too worried about her safety. She¡¯d never allow any harm to befall my child, especially since you want her to live. Or did I misjudge?¡± ¡°No¡­ no I don¡¯t think you did. How come you know so much about us? Your brother explained how he came to realise what we are, but how can you know so much about who we are?¡± ¡°Tom¡¯s memories, a bit of spy work and good intuition that has kept me alive throughout the ages. I¡¯ve seen monsters and saints, fanatics and believers¡­ I would never place my trust in them, but you, Cassandra, you and your merry band of misfits, you are neither. You are driven and resolute but you¡¯re also kind a forgiving, if you can afford to be, are you not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I think¡­ I¡¯m still figuring it out. For the largest part of my existence I definitely was someone who wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to¡­ to make his life easier by killing whoever got in his way. I¡¯m not that person anymore, or, at least, I don¡¯t want to be. But it¡¯s difficult and I make mistakes left, right and centre. I¡¯m much more fallible than I used to be, but I try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all we can ever do, isn¡¯t it? It might not mean much to you, but, little as I¡¯ve seen, I can already tell that you¡¯re not the nightmarish presence you once were, lightbringer.¡± ¡°Pardon? What did you just call me?¡± My heart rate was picking up and I felt my wings slither just beneath the surface. Judging from experience, this was usually the point where everything went sour. No way she could have picked that name up passively, right? But she simply laughed and put her hand on my arm. It wasn¡¯t a possessive gesture, but rather reassuring. ¡°No need to panic. I don¡¯t know much, but the little I¡¯ve seen in Aurelia¡¯s memories was always tainted with fear of one day encountering you. Your wings¡­ I recognised them. She¡­ I can¡¯t even say for sure what happened, but she saw you battle once or twice, hidden in the shadows. Or maybe her former master¡­. mistress shared the memory with her. She was quite interested in you. Incidentally, have you ever met the first phoenix, the Lady of Dawn?¡± I huffed. ¡°Of course, there aren¡¯t that many of us and I think I¡¯ve met every single one quite a few times. It¡¯s just a question of whether or not I can remember. But her¡­ your brother had a statue of her in his basement, did you know?¡± ¡°Of course, I helped him build it. It¡¯s almost a perfect replication of the one we found in the desert, guarding Aurelia¡¯s sarcophagus. Since you recognised her, am I right in assuming you know who she is?¡± I massaged my temples and closed my eyes willing the memories to the surface. ¡°I¡­ there are a few scenes, blurry images and snippets of conversations¡­ I think I do. She was¡­ is¡­ I think she was a friend, not mine, but Ahri¡¯s. I remembered them¡­ one burning brighter than the other¡­ Sarai and Aurora. Gods, she¡­ she was one of the few I trusted, until¡­ life and death, night and day, she was the phoenix, eternal, yet always changing. She would tend to the suns and nourish every beginning but she was also swift with her ravenous flames so something new could be born form the ashes. Yes¡­ I know who she is. What about you?¡± ¡°Hardly. A few glimpses of power and beauty, strength and fear were all I gained from Aurelia. I could taste her, though. It¡¯s difficult to describe¡­ I know Aurelia drank her blood and¡­ Sarai, wasn¡¯t it¡­ Sarai¡¯s magic kept her alive, or, at least, prevented her final death. There¡¯s still a trace of eternity in her and every time I consumed her blood, I felt it.¡± She turned around to fully face me, her eyes never wavering from mine. ¡°There¡¯s a very specific reason for my question. You¡¯ve already as much as admitted that you¡¯re not on excellent terms, so allow me to ask directly: Will Aurelia¡¯s mistress hunt for you, if she knows where you are?¡± I coughed and a slight blush rose to my cheeks. ¡°We didn¡¯t part ways peacefully,¡± I finally admitted, eyes cast downward bashfully. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not exactly welcome among my kin anymore. Will you make me regret telling you?¡± ¡°No, quite the opposite. I want to make sure you¡¯re completely aware of what might happen, once she wakes up. Someone has already told you about the importance of our blood, I assume? Good, now imagine one of your line was to mix his blood with a vampire and made sure it would survive. What do you think would happen?¡± ¡°The vampire would be enthralled. I don¡¯t know exactly how your connection to your progenitors work, but I¡¯m quite convinced it would immediately snap into place between an immortal and a mortal.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°My thoughts precisely. Now, from what I¡¯ve heard you already fed Aurelia, didn¡¯t you? Could you tell me what happened, exactly? I don¡¯t mean to pry, but I¡¯d quite like to know if the girl you carried form the darkness is bound to you, to an angel I¡¯ve never met or if she¡¯s free.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not bound to me, I can tell you that much. I had to extracted every last spark of my power before she burned to husk. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m corrupted, in a way, and my powers don¡¯t play well with others. As for the rest¡­ within her, there are strands of transcendent forces, gold and red, that keep her alive and my energies tore them apart. If they also enslave her, I can not tell, but she¡¯s definitely still tied to Sarai¡¯s powers, if not her will.¡± It was my turn to sigh. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should even allow her to wake up, she could bring my sister to this world, but¡­¡± ¡°What is it,¡± Alassara whispered. ¡°She asked me to help her. It was the only thing Aurelia ever said to me. Help me, please¡­ At first, I was ready to ignore it, but now¡­ I don¡¯t think I can, I don¡¯t think I want to.¡± A small smile fluttered across her face, her gaze turning gentle. ¡°And I don¡¯t think you should. Are you quite sure you took everything back? Because to me, it sounds like you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± I quickly asked. ¡°My energy burned her, devoured the very essence she needs to stay alive, she was dying! Of course I took it all back.¡± ¡°The cycle of life and death, Cassandra, beginnings and ends. She was dying and healing at the same time, wasn¡¯t she? A bit more of the former from what you told me, but it doesn¡¯t negate the simple fact that her body was regenerating while your powers still coursed through her. We heal from the heart outwards, you know. And that¡¯s also where our chains are anchored.¡± My eyes must have become huge because Alassara chuckled quietly and began patting my arm. ¡°She¡¯s not yours, you¡¯d know instantly if she was. But I¡¯m quite certain she¡¯s not Sarai¡¯s anymore, either. Think about it. How long did it take you to act? Her heart was probably healed over and over again, chock full of your energy. Our magic is linked to who we are, is it not? Do you imagine that your own power would preserve a curse that ties the girl you¡¯re saving to an enemy? Especially after she invited you to do as you please? For that¡¯s what she did, make no mistake. She asked for your help and accept every decision you¡¯d make.¡± I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure? If I was to ask for help, it wouldn¡¯t mean I was willing to accept every price.¡± ¡°No, I imagine you wouldn¡¯t. But she¡¯s a vampire, Cassandra. Trust me, she knew exactly what she was saying. We are a bit twisted and asking for help means submission, always.¡± 190. Of daughters, identities and a little bit of friendship Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Hmm, where does that leave us,¡± I murmured. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for my help as well, at least in actions if not in words? You didn¡¯t even leave me much of a choice, did you?¡± ¡°Of course I did, ask for your help, that is. I¡¯d never deny it. Does any aspect of my behaviour suggest anything else? You can do as you please, that¡¯s your prerogative and the main reason why I had you followed for a while. If I hadn¡¯t been convinced you¡¯re¡­ you can be kind, you would never have heard from me. I imagine we would have met by my brother¡¯s design, but I would have done everything in my power to keep you well away from me and my family.¡± ¡°Your family¡­ does that also include the remnants of your brother¡¯s servants and familiars?¡± ¡°Probably. You have to understand that those who were still bound to him couldn¡¯t be saved. They¡¯re gone, I didn¡¯t spare a single one. When he died, they lost any inhibitions, I imagine you experience a small fraction of what that actually means, and they made up most of his posse. Traditionally, that would have been your job as his responsibilities as well as his assets belong to whoever killed him. But you¡¯re not a vampire, so¡­ I guess, ultimately, it¡¯s your decision. The vamps will accept me as their leader but if you want to be the one in charge, I¡¯m not going to deny your claim. Which means, I should be the one asking you that question.¡± I didn¡¯t have to think it over, much. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t spare the time to lead a hidden race in Free Land. I was interested in getting them to fight against Amon and eradicate the Pirates he had taken control of, if possible, maybe even make them abandon the slave trade, but I wasn¡¯t going to stay here for much longer. I had to get back to the elves and somehow prevent them from going to war against the fey. And then, I still had a draconic naming to attend, not to mention visiting Ahri¡¯s family, which, for me personally, was one of, if not the most important thing. ¡°I¡¯m not going to meddle,¡± I stated resolutely. ¡°They are your people and frankly your problem. Nevertheless, there are a few things I¡¯d like your help with, especially if you¡¯re going to become the undisputed queen of the night around here.¡± ¡°All you have to do is ask. If it¡¯s at all possible, I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡± ¡°Thanks. I mean it. You might feel obliged to humour me, but as far as I¡¯m concerned, you owe me for the underhanded way you roped me in, not for what I actually did. I¡¯m not going to complain though,¡± I added quickly when she wanted to protest. ¡°First and foremost¡­ I assume you know how we lost our home? Why we¡¯re even here?¡± ¡°In the broadest sense of the word. The machinations of our neighbours haven¡¯t escaped my notice but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m well informed. The sorcerer who makes himself out to be the Pirate King has far reaching plans¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened, exactly, but I know that you¡¯re home is gone, burned in the fires of his ambition. You want us to keep him busy, or even kill him, if we can, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that simple. As far as I know, he¡¯s not even here¡­ that sorcerer¡­ he¡¯s old and he¡¯s the sovereign of a powerful empire across the waves. My personal grievances aside, he¡¯s setting out to swallow our world. My home was the first but won¡¯t be the last smouldering ruin he leaves behind. I want him to fail. Whether he lives or dies doesn¡¯t matter too much, for now. One day, I¡¯ll track him down and I¡¯ll make him pay but that¡¯s not important. If we allow him to continue, we¡¯ll soon find our islands ravaged by war and torn to pieces by invaders. I¡¯m not going to allow that to happen, whatever the price. That¡¯s what I want to ask of you. Will you help me?¡± ¡°Without a doubt. I believe you¡­ I trust you. Even if I wasn¡¯t already in your debt, only a madman would deny you. But I¡¯m not quite sure I can be of as much assistance as you seem to think. The ships of Free Land are already on their way but¡­ they expect to be dealing with an unruly overlord who got to the top by murdering and intimidating other cutthroats. If they¡¯re truly flying against an organised enemy supported by an empire, I fear most of them won¡¯t return. I don¡¯t know what my brother planned, maybe he wanted to take over afterwards, but without our ships, it¡¯s a question of time before either a civil uprising or an all out attack breaks our neck.¡± ¡°Call them back, then. If you can stop him from expanding and gathering more and more captains to his side, it would already be an enormous victory.¡± She blinked owlishly and started laughing. Despite the bitter resignation in her voice, it was still a beautiful sound. ¡°I fear you overestimate my standing. My brother was one of seven who kept this city in check. Do you know how many vampires there are around here?¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve never been more than 100 and by now, there might be about 70 left, maybe even less. We¡¯ve always existed in the shadows¡­ while I might hold sway over them and can control the dealings that go on behind the captains¡¯ backs, I can¡¯t influence the decisions they make. I would be lucky to even survive a meeting with the rulers of Free Land. To them, I¡¯m nothing more than a dangerous bug that has infested their city. I can¡¯t make them do anything.¡± I stared at her intensely for a few seconds, my thoughts racing, before I replied: ¡°But you have something to offer, do you not? There¡¯s a saying¡­ if you can¡¯t beat them, join them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be more than willing to welcome you with open arms if that meant more coin in their coffers. Your dealings must be a thorn in their sight. Wouldn¡¯t they allow you to join their circle if you were to bring the wayward brigands back into the fold?¡± ¡°Possibly. They might just as well try to burn me at the stake.¡± ¡°I see¡­ does anybody outside of your confidants and mine know of your brother¡¯s death?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. At least not yet. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°He has¡­ had a celebration planned in a few days time. I imagine the captains of Free Land are invited as well. We might be able to use that. Control the circumstances and you control the outcome of almost every encounter, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can stick around that long.¡± ¡°Why? Is there something more important than making sure we¡¯re not overrun by a foreign ruler?¡± ¡°Probably not, but I¡¯ve given my word I¡¯d be back in the elven capital within a week.¡± ¡°Back? You¡¯ve¡­ never mind. That¡¯s not much of a problem. I don¡¯t know if my brother has told you but he was in control of several portals. I know for a fact that you¡¯ve already seen at least one,¡± she added with a quiet chuckle. ¡°The network doesn¡¯t span all of our islands but getting you north and within a days travel of the Emerald Island won¡¯t be too difficult. Provided I can find his keys and get the enchantments to work.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Oh, I think I know someone, or rather several someones, who can help with that. And if push comes to shove, I can always try to use the marker I¡¯ve left behind. So, basically, all we need to do is convince six stubborn, haughty humans that you¡¯re no monster and that they¡¯re in no position to challenge the Pirates directly. All within 5 days.¡± It was my turn to chuckle. ¡°Piece of cake.¡± She cocked and eyebrow, her sapphire eyes sparkling. ¡°Who¡¯s haughty, now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s going to be easy, but considering what I¡¯ve lived through in the past weeks, I¡¯m not overly worried. Besides, there¡¯s quite a lot we can offer on top of stopping the bleeding your guild has caused. Admittedly, promoting trade with elves or dwarfs might be straining the truth a little, but they don¡¯t have to know that. Who knows, maybe I can even get them to stop the slave trade.¡± The last part I added under my breath but her sharp hearing still picked it up. ¡°You¡¯d have to put the fear of gods in them to make that work,¡± she replied dryly. ¡°It¡¯s much too profitable and provides amenities they won¡¯t be willing to part with.¡± ¡°Oh, however could I possible manage,¡± I said while my eyes began glowing and my wings materialised. ¡°Especially with a bunch of vampires at my side.¡± ¡°Are you really considering revealing your identity? Yours and that of your friends? Anonymity is safety. I wouldn¡¯t be so eager to give it up.¡± ¡°The people who are gunning for me and who have me worried already know who I am. As do the people I care about. I¡¯ve been playing the part of the mortal princess for all my life and all I ever got out of it was hardship, pain, loss and sorrow. On the other hand, my immortal heritage has at least brought my love back into my arms. I¡¯m done playing nice and I¡¯m not going to hide anymore. Besides, I don¡¯t intend to reveal what I am, only what I can do. There¡¯s not much to lose, anyways. Fine, if word should reach the elves before I get there, it might make my future plans a bit more complicated, but that¡¯s a risk I¡¯m willing to take. Especially since the Emerald Island is quite far away. Rumours can¡¯t possibly reach them that quickly, whatever I do. And after that¡­ I won¡¯t have much use for anonymity anymore. I¡¯ll have to become known either way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sounds rather ominous. Would you mind telling me what you plan? Whether as a princess or an angel, you did more for me¡­ for us than... I might be able to help and if I can, I will.¡± Her sincerity was real and her blush told me exactly how hard it had been on her to say the words. ¡°Oh, you most certainly can. But let¡¯s take one step after the other, shall we? Once you¡¯re firmly seated among the Seven, I¡¯ll most definitely ask for it. But¡­ I¡¯d like you to promise me something beforehand.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that,¡± she asked, curiosity sparkling in the depth of her sapphire eyes. ¡°Tell me no, if it¡¯s too much. I¡­ you talked about submission before¡­ I don¡¯t want a servant, I want¡­ a friend.¡± This time, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. Of course I didn¡¯t know, but I imagined I felt like someone who was confessing for the first time. Awkward and afraid of rejection. But like most of them, I was worried about nothing. Her bright smile gave her answer away before she even spoke up. ¡°I¡¯d be honoured. No wonder my daughter has been clamouring for you since you disappeared.¡± I was baffled. ¡°She has?¡± ¡°Ahri, are you sure she¡¯s fine, will she come back,¡± she mimicked, her voice a high falsetto. ¡°Can¡¯t we follow her? If I hadn¡¯t known better I¡¯d have guessed she was your child, not mine. You made quite an impression, even though I¡¯m sure freeing her from a cell already gave you a head start.¡± ¡°Are you jealous,¡± I asked incredulously and a little uncomfortably. ¡°No, I¡¯m grateful. But it¡¯s still funny and I would never have guessed that it¡¯d be so easy to make you uncomfortable. You haven¡¯t been in close contact with normal people much, have you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call you or your family normal,¡± I mumbled. ¡°But yeah, I¡¯ve been surrounded by royalty, servants or bootlickers for most of my life, a few friends aside which you can easily count on one hand. And recently quite a few enemies¡­ come to think of it, it¡¯s actually rather depressing.¡± ¡°Really now? I don¡¯t mean to pry, but a dragoness, a fey, a whole troupe of dwarfs, a former pirate and now my daughter and I¡­ not to mention your family and the other immortals you surround yourself with. From where I¡¯m standing, I¡¯d expect you to tumble into a friend anytime you fall. Is that really a reason to be depressed?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not, but the ones you¡¯ll never have a chance to meet are¡­ you¡¯re still right, though. I guess I¡¯ve started to take the good things for granted and lament the bad¡­¡± I chuckled quietly. ¡°You know, considering I was contemplating chopping your head off only a few hours ago, you¡¯re surprisingly good company. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been this honest with a stranger. I just hope I¡¯m not going to regret it.¡± I turned slightly and allowed my hair to fall down and cover my face while my wings whispered in the air around us. ¡°Would you¡­ would you mind answering a question while I touched you?¡± Even through the silky black curtain I could see her grin. ¡°Oh my, I thought you were taken?¡± ¡°I¡­I am,¡± I stammered, the blood pounding in my cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ Damn it, you¡¯re teasing me again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am. I already figured you meant your wings. Sure, I¡¯ve got nothing to hide. They allow you to read my thoughts, I take it?¡± ¡°In a way. It¡¯s not as infallible as a spell, I¡¯ve already learned that the hard way, but it¡¯d still make me feel better.¡± I touched her temples lightly with two of my wings. To her credit, she didn¡¯t flinch. She even appeared like she enjoyed the sensation. ¡°It¡¯s actually a pretty simple question. Do you love your daughter?¡± ¡°With all my heart,¡± she replied on the spot, but I was barely able to hear her. In contrast to her brother, she didn¡¯t try to hide the memories and emotions my question had prompted and for a few seconds I became swamped by the myriad of impressions Alassara associated with her daughter. Care and love, anger, worry, pride, insecurity and exasperation, all of them tied to small scenes from her life. The first time she had held Layla in her arms, the fist time she had fed her, Layla¡¯s first kill when she had sucked a servant dry in her frenzy, her guilt and shame afterwards¡­ It was disorienting and partly embarrassing but through it all, I came to know one thing for sure: Layla was the most precious thing in the world to her. It had been the thought of her, drained to revive an ancient relict, that had driven her to such extremes. Contrary to my intuition, she didn¡¯t care too much about Aurelia, her submissive attitude and unbound gratitude didn¡¯t stem from me saving the vampire. No when, she had first embraced her daughter again on the way here, she had been able to glimpse a few of her memories through their bond. Alassara had realised that Ahri and I had truly been willing to protect her child, no matter the circumstances and that we weren¡¯t going to abandon her, whatever happened. The simple fact that her daughter would be safe and looked after, even if she wasn¡¯t there, that she¡¯d have two guardian angels on her shoulder, had brought it on. My vision swam and I had to blink back my tears, the torrent of emotions strong enough to crack my facade. Alassara was happy, she was so content it felt like a fire was burning inside her chest. ¡°Oh my, once we get back, you really have to meet my mother. The two of you will get along splendidly,¡± I snivelled and retracted my wings. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ I¡¯m glad I could free her. Neither of you deserved that. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what I would do if Ahri was taken from me. You¡¯re a much better person¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have managed to hold back for a single day.¡± ¡°More restraint, maybe. But to be completely honest, had my gamble not paid off, I would have drowned this city in its blood and fought fang and claw until I would have held her in my arms again. I don¡¯t think we are much different in this regard, except¡­ I imagine your rampage would have left behind nothing but scorched earth, whereas mine would probably have ended with my death. He took her four weeks ago¡­ those were the darkest days of my life and I¡¯ve already been thrown into more hellholes than most people can imagine. Another thing we have in common.¡± I gave her a tremulous smile. ¡°That we have. So¡­ what do you say, my friend. Ready to climb into some more?¡± 191. Of attacks, siblings and a little bit of future pasts Lilith Yikes, how long had I been gone? It couldn¡¯t have been more than a couple of years, I hadn¡¯t been running for that long, but it sure looked like it. Where was everyone? A quite insistent but impossibly unwelcome voice in the back of my head was whispering the answer, but I wasn¡¯t yet ready to listen. After all, my people couldn¡¯t have fallen in a few measly years, could they? Screw that, no way I¡¯d believe it, not even for a second. Michael had promised! 77 years he had promised us. But then again, he truly was one two faced bastard. Could he¡­ no! I wasn¡¯t going to go down that road. Not yet, anyways. Absentmindedly I touched the blackened pillars that should have held a gate to hell in place. A gate that was nothing but rubble and ash beneath my feet. Ragged spikes and mangled crystals, singing with the echoes of broken magic, scraped against my fingers but the enchantments were dead, spent and broken. Who¡¯d even have the strength to rip it from its hinges? It would have taken a full squadron of immortals to break the seals. Unless¡­ seven sins! My instincts screamed at me to run and without a second thought, I turned into a fleeting shadow the very moment my surroundings turned into dust. Pure, undiluted transcendent forces tore through reality and pulverised existence, space and time. The shockwave travelled backwards and I felt its menacing touch in the past, my core trembling in the present while it pulled more and more of my essence through my veins to keep my form intact. At least I had found someone to talk to. An exhilarating rush of pain and anticipation made me shiver in delight while I channeled my presence into a single command. Where the glaring forces of creation had wreaked havoc not a moment ago, a sphere of obsidian light spread and swallowed everything in its path. Gleefully I waited for the fireworks but they never came. Wherever my energy touched the slithering magic that twisted the rules of reality, tendrils of agony sank their hooks into my existence and I could practically hear my core groan under the strain. Fuck! I shifted away and into the void, severing my ties to space and time. The mounting pressure immediately subsided but instead, I heard an all too familiar voice in the space between. ¡°Sister, how good of you to drop by. I was tiring of chasing after you.¡± My energies came together to rebuild my body and I swallowed dryly. The eerie, flickering light of the void illuminated the last being I had wanted to meet. If it even was her. Sure, the hulking behemoth, hovering in grey nothingness in front of me, spoke with Delilah¡¯s voice and its face even resembled that of my sister in a way, but the gruesome, disfigured monster couldn¡¯t be her! Even a new cycle couldn¡¯t explain how she looked. She seemed more like an abstract painting than a real creature, her form flickering between different shapes while a foreboding, bluish light seeped from the cracks in her skin like blood. The only fixed part were her eyes, glowing crystals filled with madness and power. ¡°Geez, I always thought you were ugly, but this¡­ it seems like spreading your legs for Michael hasn¡¯t done much for you, has it? Tell me, are you in as much pain as it appears? I really hope so.¡± I smiled nonchalantly but I couldn¡¯t deny that for the first time since we had battled against Lucifer, a cold shiver was running down my spine that felt awfully close to actual dread. No wonder, every time my life had been in danger, I had been stuck in the void and here I was, back again. Only this time, I didn¡¯t have an army at my back. I¡¯d be lucky if that army even still existed. ¡°Always so derisive. But sister dear, you don¡¯t mean that. Spreading your legs is your specialty, not mine. I simply take what I want and now, I¡¯m strong enough that nothing and no one can stop me. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t feel it? I¡¯m going to shatter your mind today anyways, but I at least want you to know how stupid and shortsighted you¡¯ve been, ever since we made the pact.¡± She was still a talker¡­good. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what I could possibly buy time for. By the looks of it, I was further down the crapper than I had been in a while because she had at least gotten one thing right. I had been able to feel her strength and I couldn¡¯t hold a candle to her. That wasn¡¯t the demoness I had known, the energy she was causally pouring into the void was far stronger than anything I had seen from her before. Hardly surprising¡­ corrupted bitch! ¡°Shortsighted? I¡¯m not the one looking like Picasso¡¯s nightmares. Even if you get to spend an eternity in this skin, I¡¯m not envious. You can take your screwed up existence and shove it up your¡­¡± a wave of bluish energy surged forth and sent me tumbling, head over heels. Her voice came from everywhere at once, a thrumming menace that dug into my mind just as her power nibbled away at my memories, turning my thoughts into a jumbled mess. ¡°You really should learn to treat your superiors with more respect. Instead of barking, you should be grovelling. It¡¯s not going to change much, but maybe I won¡¯t torment you for ever.¡± Fuck, that hurt. Having a good chunk of your memories burned, especially when they reached back further than most civilisations, wasn¡¯t fun. Even I couldn¡¯t get myself to enjoy the sensation when huge pieces of my past went up in smoke and agony. Marshalling my power, I dispersed my consciousness through the void, creating tremendous gaps between one memory and the next for the consuming flames to devour themselves when they couldn¡¯t find anymore fuel. While it worked, it also meant that my essence was stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. It didn¡¯t take much out of Delilah to scoop me up, to force me into a confined space where my power frothed and bubbled like heated tar. ¡°Honestly, your tricks didn¡¯t work on me before and they sure as the seven sins won¡¯t work on me now. You¡¯re pathetic, Lilith. You could as well have tried to seduce me. At least you¡¯re somewhat good at that.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± I meant to spat but when the next tendril of liquid agony dug deep into me, I couldn¡¯t do more than groan in pain. Scenes from my past flashed before my eyes while she methodically stripped away everything I had enjoyed. A sunset over a teeming, lilac ocean, the embrace of a mortal I had come to cherish, the birth of a new star in the endless darkness beyond the fringes of the universe¡­ the images fluttered through my mind, only to be lit on fire and turned into ash. And when they were gone, all that remained was the dull ache of knowing how much I had lost but I couldn¡¯t recall the memories, they had vanished, been taken from me without remorse. At first, I thought she was simply punishing me, lording her strength over me, but with each tormenting moment, I got to experience a bit more of what she was actually up to. Not only did she rape my thoughts, she also violated my core, gradually twisting who and what I was into the cowering image of what she wanted me to be. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how that was possible but I didn¡¯t give a fuck, either. I had much more pressing problems. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. A detached part of me was asking a simple but vital question. Did I believe I¡¯d be able to get out of here alive? Cuz if I didn¡¯t, there were a couple of memories, let¡¯s say from a few hours ago, I¡¯d have to make sure were consumed before Delilah tired of her game. Exposing Lucifer¡¯s¡­ Cassandra¡¯s whereabouts¡­ I couldn¡¯t risk it. By the abyss, as soon as I thought of it, I was tempted to summon him¡­ her, but she was still so young. Even with whom she was, she couldn¡¯t possibly face Delilah. Once she was fully grown¡­well, the last time it had taken all of us to bring him down and we had nearly failed. But she wasn¡¯t there, yet. Considering how far she had come in a few years, it wouldn¡¯t take her long, but that was worth jack squat to me. Or was it? A desperate idea came to mind. Beyond the void, Delilah had shattered the rules of space and time¡­ if I were to send my summoning through the cracks she had created, there¡¯d be a chance. Maybe I¡¯d call upon his future, his past or his present. The latter would fuck us both royally but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen. The few years Casandra had under her belt were, but a drop in an ocean. Chances were, I¡¯d get someone else entirely. Was it worth the risk? Probably not, from what little I had learned, she had to survive or the monstrosity in front of me would soon be the least of all our worries, but I wasn¡¯t one to throw away my life. The multiverse could ultimately burn for all I cared, as long as I was there to watch it. Sort of¡­ Rallying what little strength I had left, I hardened a piece of my mind into a black spear of pure will and hurled it through the void. Delilah hadn¡¯t missed what I was doing, but she didn¡¯t care much, either way. After all, whom could I summon that would pose a threat to her? Arrogance was a lovely thing, especially in enemies. Any second now, I¡¯d know if my gamble was going to pay off, but until then, my dear sister still made me squirm. It wasn¡¯t easy to break an immortal and considering my rather ambivalent attitude towards pain, I wasn¡¯t the weakest of the bunch in that regard, but the abomination made every effort to have me wrapped and delivered between two heartbeats. When it came down to it, she was surprisingly creative. Truth be told, I wouldn¡¯t have lasted for another minute, my own personality, memories, decisions¡­ my own life turned against me in the blink of an eye, but I didn¡¯t have to. Something tickled my senses and even though I couldn¡¯t concentrate anymore, I would have smiled, if I had been able to. Ozone, I felt ozone and the tingling of power in the middle of the void. Hell yeah! ¡°You,¡± I heard a high pitched, maniacal scream and the walls of my prison crumbled just as the hooks she had sunk into my mind vanished. ¡°Me.¡± The voice was full, melodious and decidedly feminine. Scrambling, I formed a body and looked around, panting, while blood, black and gooey, dripped from my eyes. This time, a smile spread across my face for real. Light, silvery blue light was everywhere. There were no shadows left, no magic, only light. A glaring hurricane of power surrounded us, the feeble remains of Delilah¡¯s spells shattering like brittle glass before a world ending storm. Motes of pristine, blinding energy danced through the splendour of might and collapsed to form a figure I never would have imagined I¡¯d be happy to see. 33 torrents of light cut through the void, her face and body were hidden behind a wall of enchanted mithril, a spear like living lightning in her hand, she fanned out her nine tails, a corona of molten silver, even brighter than her aura. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re done for now,¡± I coughed. ¡°I think she¡¯s mad. Good luck, sister. You¡¯ll need it.¡± The last part was more of a strangled whisper, but it was the thought that counted, right? ¡°Luck,¡± Delilah screeched. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, only¡­¡± As we both found out that very moment, Cassandra didn¡¯t indulge in banter before a fight. A surge of power thundered through the void, the very essence of the realm twisting and warping under an onslaught of force that drowned out even the lingering sparks of Delilah¡¯s presence, swept them away on a rising tide of light. I hadn¡¯t even seen her move a muscle but when the glare subsided, I gulped in surprise. Cassandra remained upright, only the intensifying glow from beneath her helmet indicated the swelling tides of power that coursed through her veins. Her hand was empty now, the spear gone. I looked around, searching for my corrupted sibling but in the blinding light that still illuminated the void, even my immortal senses had trouble deciphering the fleeting movements around me. With a silent curse I channeled a part of my energy through my body, even though the wounds Delilah had inflicted on me sent waves of agony through me every time I accessed my core. I wiped the blood form my face and blinked to clear my vision but what I saw made me question whether I was truly awake or caught in another hallucination composed of my memories. My sister was on her knees, her flickering, mutating arms wrapped around her middle. Black blood, interspersed with bluish motes of power gushed form beneath her desperate grip, a silver spear protruding from her body. Cassandra moved her mithril clad fingers and the spear ripped from Delilah¡¯s body, bits of flesh and blood a gruesome trail in its wake when it returned to her. ¡°Only power,¡± she finished the sentence, her voice far away and much colder than I could have imagined. ¡°And yours is lacking.¡± She didn¡¯t give the demoness a chance to collect her bearings. Her wings flared, another flash of light tore through the void and she appeared in front of the cowering creature. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sister, but you¡¯re too far gone. There¡¯s no way back, at least, I haven¡¯t found one yet,¡± she whispered, her voice laden with doom and finality, each syllable a damning strike that made me shiver. She raised her spear. ¡°Sister,¡± Delilah whimpered, the word accompanied by a spurt of blood. ¡°You¡¯re no sibling of mine, lightbringer. You¡¯re a curse upon our race, one we should have cleansed ages ago.¡± ¡°Am I not,¡± came the soft reply. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure.¡± In a fluid motion, she leaned forward and pierced Delilah¡¯s heart. Pushing against the spear, she forced the wounded demoness to raise her gaze until she stared directly at the armoured face hovering above her. Another twirl of her fingers and the helmet vanished into sparks of silver. She hadn¡¯t changed, her perfect face was still the same I had seen only a few hours ago, but the harsh line of her jaw and the cold glow in her eyes made her appear¡­ older, determined¡­ dangerous. And then, there was the crown. A crown of horns above her brow. In contrast to my own or every other I had seen before, it wasn¡¯t physical, but made of living fire, blue and silver dancing around her in an eternal cycle of flames and light. In a silvery stream, liquid fire poured down her face and along her arms, slithering towards Delilah. There was a split second of resistance when the light reached the demoness, the flames quivered and halted but then, the glow from Cassandra¡¯s eyes intensified and the fires engulfed her victim. A nightmarish screamed split the void, a scream the likes of which I had never heard before. It was the end of immortality, the last, fleeting taste of eternity before it was consumed in a maelstrom of light and flames. Delilah¡¯s warping figure froze, her grotesque appearance burned away to leave behind the beautiful form I had known for most of my life. But it didn¡¯t last. Ravenous energies tore through her, charred her skin and burned out her eyes until she turned into a bonfire of silvery blue flames, a crackling reminder of why we had feared Lucifer. Despite what she had done to me, despite her descend into madness and greed, I still had to avert my eyes, a bloody tear running down my cheek. I had never before seen an immortal die and I knew without a doubt that I was witnessing the end of an ageless existence. Fear gripped me, the paltry emotions Delilah had made me suffer through before, nothing but a measly shadow compared to the dread I felt rising in my chest. I had never believed it, not until now, but when the flames had turned my sister into sparks and cinders, Cassandra inhaled deeply, the glaring fire returning to her and taking with it the last, small embers of what Delilah had been. I froze, a memory rising to the surface. One I had never fully understood. ¡°He¡¯s not called the devourer of immortals for nothing.¡± Giddiness and fear bubbled within me just as I was caught between laughter and tears. I had been looking for her, completely ignorant of the devil I had been courting. Only one question mattered now. ¡°Who are you, really?¡± Her glowing gaze settled on me with the weight of a world. 192. Of rebirths, futures and a little bit of courage Lilith ¡°Don¡¯t fear me, please,¡± she begged, her voice much softer than the harsh whiplash I had expected. ¡°Look at me, you know who I am. We¡¯ve already met, haven¡¯t we? I¡¯m still the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± I whispered. ¡°The girl I just met, she couldn¡¯t have¡­ she wouldn¡¯t have¡­ ended her.¡± Cassandra, if it even was her at this point, sighed heavily and banished her armour with a gesture. She wore a simple, white tunic underneath, embroidered with runes. My gaze travelled down her long, bare legs, but I remembered just in time what she had done. ¡°And neither did I,¡± she replied solemnly. ¡°Here, take her.¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± I managed to mumble before her wings came together in her outstretched hand. A wave of silver exploded outwards and when the glare subsided, she held a pristine, smooth, black-red orb in her hand, glowing from within. With a flick of her hand she threw the thing at me and when I scrambled to catch it, my fingertips brushing over the warm surface, the amount of power stored within nearly drove me to my knees. There was only one thing in existence that could store so much energy, but I still couldn¡¯t believe what my intuition knew to be true. ¡°Is that¡­¡± I whispered. ¡°Yup. Delilah, save, sound, free and completely oblivious. What you hold in your hand is what she was, what we all were before life happened to us. I¡¯m sorry, but from a certain perspective, she truly is gone. There¡¯s no way to keep the Corruption at bay without cleansing the core. Even the memories stored in there are burned. She¡¯ll have to start anew. In her case, that might even be an upside. She truly was one messed up freak. Who knows, maybe she can grow into something special, now.¡± Her eyes were sparkling mischievously, but I didn¡¯t dare ask. ¡°But how¡­ you could have killed her, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Probably. Destroying a core is not that simple but I¡¯ve got the tools to do it. I¡¯ve never done it before¡­ not in this skin, at least. As for your unspoken why¡­ you said it yourself. That¡¯s not me. I only kill when I have to, to ensure the safety of me and mine. By now, that¡¯s not nearly as often necessary as you seem to believe, I haven¡¯t changed that much. I¡¯m not looking to destroy our race or change it to fit my own ideals¡­ I just won¡¯t allow our siblings to play god any longer.¡± My thoughts were racing and I was already on the verge of wrapping my tongue around a veritable bombardment of questions when I felt the core in my hand gradually heat up. ¡°You don¡¯t have much time, do you?¡± I finally asked. ¡°No¡­ what Delilah did, shattering the rules of space and time, that¡¯s a trick she¡¯s not up to without the additional force her corrupted core could muster. Soon, it will crack under the strain unless the wounds in reality are closed by then. And they won¡¯t for as long as I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­ you know, take the strain?¡± ¡°I could, but the consequences would even be more dire. I don¡¯t have the skill to manipulate and heal reality at the same time. All I can do is overpower the binding forces underneath and that¡¯s something you don¡¯t want, trust me. There are only a handful of us who have to knowledge and¡­ as much as it pains me to admit it, the intellect to do such a thing. If I was to try, I¡¯d create an anomaly that¡¯d slowly grow. Like a cancer... like corruption. There¡¯s no telling what could happen and as soon as I¡¯d subjugate her magic, I fear we¡¯d find out quickly enough.¡± My thoughts were reeling, but with a mental twist I shoved away the suffocating mass of doubts and emotions to focus on the present. ¡°Alright, then. I assume you have a few things to tell me and I only have one question beforehand¡­ two, actually. What do you expect me to do and where are my siblings? Why does it feel like hell has been raided? Make that three questions.¡± ¡°Your siblings¡­ they are hurting. Some have fallen, others have been captured, a few are untouched. I can¡¯t go into more detail without destroying the core in your hand and that¡¯s hardly worth it. There was a battle¡­ maybe there still is. Tread carefully. Treachery and¡­¡± she paused when I hissed in pain, the orb in my hand glowing white hot. ¡°Huh¡­ fine. I guess we¡¯ll have to leave it at that. But there¡¯s no reason to despair. Not everything is as glum as it seems. But for now, there¡¯s only a handful of immortals outsides of Gaya you can trust. As for what I expect you to do¡­. nothing. I¡¯m not here to coerce or threaten you. I came here to save¡­ a friend. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°The last time we talked, you didn¡¯t seem enamoured with the idea of us being friends. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± She chuckled and now I clearly saw the girl, I had just left behind, in her. ¡°Oh, I am¡­was, but it¡¯ll take a while before I can admit as much, even to myself. You¡¯re still right though, now that we¡¯ve met, there are a few things I¡¯d like you to know. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll tell me about this meeting. When it comes to that, make sure Ahri isn¡¯t around. I don¡¯t mistrust her, but me telling her myself is vastly important. Secondly, don¡¯t return too quickly. Explore hell, find out for yourself what has happened. And don¡¯t trust in everything you¡¯re going to find. Looks can be deceiving¡­ as can memories. Thirdly¡­¡± she paused, her eyes travelling to the glowing core in my hand. We heard a soft chiming sound like vibrating glass and a crack appeared on the orb, a glowing gap that oozed transcendent power like blood. ¡°Thirdly, I think my time¡¯s up.¡± Her wings disappeared and her crown vanished before her whole body became insubstantial. ¡°One more question,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it.¡± ¡°How long do we have?¡± She was gone and I thought I wouldn¡¯t get an answer but after another second, a fragile, distorted voice reached my ears. ¡°When the tree blooms for the first time, it¡¯ll begin within a year.¡± Great, prefect. What was I to make of that cryptic bullshit? Even if it was the truth? Which tree? What would begin? Seven sins, caring really sucked. Royally. Oh well, for now I knew where I had to go. If there had been a battle, or one was still raging on the other side, I had to know what was going on. I squared my shoulders, placed the core in a pocket dimension and wrapped myself in a layer of shadow before I drifted through the gate, quieter than a whisper. Mordred Pendragon I hadn¡¯t even realised that I had automatically turned towards the harbour. Cheap drinks or even cheaper fights seemed rather appealing and would do wonders in helping me clear my mind. Or at least cloud it enough to get some resemblance of peace. But naturally, before I had taken more than a few handful of steps, my plans came to an abrupt hold. A silver fox was barring my way and from the looks of it, she wasn¡¯t too pleased with how I was acting. Understandable but the last thing I wanted to deal with, right now. Really, was it too much to ask to sulk for a while? Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Before she could say anything, I blurted out: ¡°whatever you have to say, get it over with quickly, please. I¡¯m going to get drunk and into a brawl and there isn¡¯t much you can do to stop me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to stop you. I¡¯d like to come along.¡± My mouth must have dropped to the ground, judging from the sly smile that spread over her face. I had expected a lecture, maybe even a bit of support or advice, but I sure as all hells hadn¡¯t expected my mum to join me on a booze cruise. Honestly, the idea held about as much appeal as cuddling with a hedgehog. The only thing that stopped me from answering with a resounding no was, that I actually didn¡¯t mind the chance totalk to her without anyone else around. I¡¯d have to skip some, if not all, of the drinks, but spending a few hours with her might be¡­ peaceful and just what I needed. Over the last few days, I had been mostly stuck in my room with Erya, which incidentally had helped at the moment, but felt rather hollow, looking back. She was great company, but every time we had gotten near anything important, she had closed up. Ultimately, I had been nothing more than distraction to her, even though one she cherished, at least I hoped so, and it had been the same for me, she had made sure of that. Maybe spending time with my mum would grant me some clarity. Dealing was better than deflecting anyways, or so I had heard, but I still would have preferred a bottle of whiskey in front of me while doing so. Peppermint tea might be a good alternative for elders but I hadn¡¯t reached that age, yet. But then again, she had offered to join, not nag at me, hadn¡¯t she? ¡°Sure, can¡¯t stop you either way, can I? But with you there, things might turn out a bit more serious than I had intended. Just saying.¡± She cocked her head and blinked slowly. ¡°You¡¯re a friggin mythical creature, mum. Everybody with half a brain and a lack of coin is going to be after you and with just the two of us, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be intimidating a drunk crowd.¡± ¡°I thought you were looking for a fight? Don¡¯t tell me my big, bad, broody son is afraid.¡± ¡°Am not. Just pointing out what might happen. I don¡¯t have a problem with slitting a throat or two if it comes to that. How about you? I always thought you shied away from bloodshed.¡± She jumped onto my shoulder and growled deep in her throat. ¡°I do, but¡­ it¡¯s not that simple. I¡¯m not going to live like prey for the rest of my life to keep a bunch of greedy idiots from getting their teeth kicked in. And if they insist on throwing their life away in the process¡­ ever since my transformation I just can¡¯t find it in me to particularly care about anyone but my family. If they want to find out why nine tailed foxes are revere in legends, I¡¯m more than happy to oblige.¡± ¡°Huh, I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s struggling with who he is, am I? I guess that would be the time for me to apologise for never having asked before. You just seemed so¡­ detached, in control. I never imagined you were changed that much. Do you blame her?¡± I leisurely walked down the road while we continued our conversation. The smells surrounding us gradually became more¡­ intense the closer we got to the miasma of human society the harbour exuded in all its glory. It didn¡¯t bother me much, though. While there was no reprieve wherever we turned, it still wasn¡¯t half as bad as the smells of battle, especially when someone had been gutted close by. Being covered in blood and entrails a few times surely gave you some perspective. ¡°Cassy? For saving my life? Hardly. She even helped me more than she realises. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d found the strength to keep going. Since your father died, since our home burned, I¡¯ve been struggling every waking moment. It¡¯s much easier for me now to push the memories away as if they belonged to another life. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m still hurting, but I think I can heal... no, I will heal. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know. Sorrow and grief are one thing but when they¡¯re tainted with guilt it¡¯s¡­ crushing. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I can go on like this for much longer. I¡¯m at fault and there¡¯s not a damn thing I can do, which you, my sister or one of the others can¡¯t accomplish on their own... probably even better. I feel useless¡­ and alone. Like a boy who burned down the stable and now watches his family rebuild from afar¡­ too weak to help.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, right? You¡¯ll never be alone for as long as I live and I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not the only one who thinks that way. Your sister, Ahri, Erya¡­ they all cherish you. Maybe not in the way you¡¯d like but they still care for you. If you got yourself to smile once in a while, they wouldn¡¯t be the only ones. And as far as your guilt goes¡­ You were used in the worst way imaginable, but yet, you kept going. We wouldn¡¯t be here, if it wasn¡¯t for you. Your magic allowed us to catch up with the ships, you fought in those hellish catacombs¡­ you¡¯ve done as much or more as anyone else but you can¡¯t see it. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Because, in contrast to you, the elves or the dwarfs, I¡¯m trying to fix the mess I¡¯m responsible for, whether by choice or idiocy doesn¡¯t matter much. Trying to repair something you broke yourself isn¡¯t an accomplishment, it¡¯s just my responsibility. There¡¯s no choice involved and that makes it worthless.¡± The last part I practically spit out, like an old bone. In response, she bit my ear, hard enough to draw blood, and I couldn¡¯t suppress a yelp. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°Being an idiot all over again. You could have run, you could have curled up, there are a million things you could have done. Of course there was a choice and that you were involved beforehand doesn¡¯t make what you did any less¡­ heroic. Otherwise¡­ none of us are guilt free here. Your sister¡¯s very birth caused all of this, our, your father¡¯s and mine, negligence made the destruction of our home possible and don¡¯t even get me started on not being able to see what had happened to you. And then, there¡¯s your brother, you could blame him as well for running away. But in the end, I don¡¯t think it matters. We¡¯ll make mistakes for as long as we live. Owning up to them is what¡¯s truly important.¡± I remained silent for a while, making my way through the slowly increasing crowd, absentmindedly massaging my ear. In the richer parts of the city where we resided for the moment, people didn¡¯t much care for us, manners and restraint keeping their curiosity at bay. The further we got towards the harbour though, the more I felt the pressure of more than superficial glances bear down on us and the turning heads slowly became a cause of worry when one cart or the other lost their track and crashed into a wall or a pedestrian. ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled after a few minutes. After I had cleared my throat, I added: ¡°I needed that. Even if I¡¯m not entirely convinced you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Mordred, you¡¯re my son. Of course I¡¯m not the most objective person you could talk to but that doesn¡¯t make the essence of what I¡¯ve said any less true. But enough of that, now. You said you wanted a drink and a fight. Well, I don¡¯t know about the latter but I¡¯ve learned a thing or two from Pete and if you were to turn right over there, we¡¯d find the supposedly best brew in the city.¡± Was she trying to keep me out of trouble, find a less destructive way for me to vent? Fat chance. We quickly approached a tall building made from fired clay. It was two stories tall with a steeply angled, shingled roof. The heavy odour of a working brewery seeped through the opened windows on the ground floor and clouds that smelled of fermented barley and wheat rose form two chimneys. Muffled voices filtered through the walls and when I pushed open the heavy, banded oak door, I walked into an overheated, crowded taproom. Massive barrels filled the space below a staircase, which led to the upper floors, and the wall behind the counter. Simple, wooden tables with sturdy chairs were crammed into every nook and cranny and despite the rather earlier hour, at least 50 patrons milled about the room and slouched against the bar, their every desire, at least the liquid ones, fulfilled by a busy swarm of waiters. An unfortunate man, whose physique hadn¡¯t been able to decide whether he wanted to become a dwarf or a human, too short for the one and too tall for the other, guaranteed a smooth service by barking orders in a deep, gravelly voice that easily drowned out the ruckus of scraping chairs, merry conversation and the occasional eruption of half forgotten songs. I already very much enjoyed the sight, but when my eyes took in the roped off square that took up almost a quarter of the room, I truly enthused over the scene. Two wolf kin where bowing to each other, their hands wrapped in thick, padded gloves while the final bets were taken by a grey haired, lanky man. That was the kind of entertainment I could get behind, especially now. 193. Of brawls, friends and a little wisdom Mordred Pendragon My head was ringing, the last punch had connected with my jaw and stars were flickering through my vision. I spit out a mouthful of blood and grinned at my opponent, the third consecutive fighter who hadn¡¯t been able to wait to test his strength against an unknown beast kin. ¡°Y¡¯are fast, ah¡¯ll give yah that. Ain¡¯t no mass behind yar swings, though. Ain¡¯t no girlie strikin¡¯ down Big Dick.¡± Seriously, was I the only one who found his moniker hilarious? I¡¯d have gone for Big Rick in his stead, if I had been named Richard and had had about as much braincells as there were letters in my name, but no one even cracked a smile. Maybe they were just afraid the 120 kilo machine would take offence? A viable concern, my swollen face and bruised ribs attested. ¡°You know, if you used your magic, this fight would have been over before it even started,¡± my mum commented scathingly. ¡°Is there a point to being beaten to a pulp?¡± What could I say? That I felt better while my blood pumped through my veins, my muscles ached and sweat dripped form my brow? That I felt in control for the first time since I had awakened from my trance back on Boseiju? Whether I was beaten or dishing out the strikes, in the end, for those few minutes, I still felt¡­ free. I didn¡¯t have to compare myself to anyone, I didn¡¯t have to feel insufficient or tainted, there was only the fight itself and my opponent. Adding magic to the mix would have dispelled the charm. But I¡¯d rather have allowed Big Dick over there to pummel me into the ground repeatedly than say it out loud. ¡°Yeah,¡± I finally answered. ¡°Combat is one of the things I¡¯m actually good at. And without magic, knocking him senseless will be so much more satisfying. Or do you think I can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°Of course you can, I just don¡¯t see why your face has to turn into minced meat along the way. But go ahead, it¡¯s not my noggin that¡¯s being used as an anvil.¡± No, that much was definitely true. My mum relaxed on the counter, lazily lapping away at a small bowl of wine I had ordered. At first, she had drawn quite a bit of attention but when she had made it clear that she didn¡¯t appreciate being patted or touched by cutting four beautiful, symmetrical grooves into the face of the first boisterous drunk who had come too close, the ruckus had died down. Not that I didn¡¯t fully expect some of the more adventurous of the lot to cause problems later, but as long as she was staying close to the barkeep and his trusted cudgel, which incidentally had found its way onto the bar after the first encounter, I was reasonably confident that she wouldn¡¯t cause an all out fight. And well, even if she did, her, or rather our, chances weren¡¯t too bad. The guys around here were brutes and brigands, dangerous in a brawl, but I wouldn¡¯t have put money on them in an actual confrontation. Besides, we both had our magic and none of the people around here had so much as a spark of power in them. The whistling sound of my opponent¡¯s fist approaching my chin for the second time brought me back to reality. Grunting, I spiralled out of the way and wrapped my tails around his mainstay in passing. With a heave, I broke his balance and sent him tumbling. Before he had had the time to regain his bearings, I shoved my foot up his ass. When he went down, and rolled onto his back, I was on top of him in a heartbeat, strikes raining down like a deluge. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to try harder, then,¡± I grunted. Unfortunately the dude was just too big. While I managed to split his lip and gift him with a marvellous black eye, he was far from giving up. With a suppressed groan, he lifted both of us off the ground, one handed, and flipped me over with an explosive strength that took me by surprise. I crashed to the floor, hit by the proverbial brick wall, and his weight settled onto my chest with the finality of a chopped down tree. The smell of stale sweat and hard liquor hit me, just the fraction of a second before his fists followed suit. And in contrast to him, I couldn¡¯t simply shrug off the beating. A few more punches and the lights would go out. For a moment I considered tapping out, but that wasn¡¯t why I had even come here. Either he¡¯d knock me out or I¡¯d turn the tables. Trying to focus despite the heavy punches, I managed to hook my legs under his knees and pull him closer, effectively preventing him from putting any strength into his strikes. A bloody smile spread across my face when I imagined how me must appear to the spectators, a couple of men rolling around in a tight embrace, almost like lovers. But it wasn¡¯t going to last. With a quick twist, I moved my arm under his and locked it in place, stretching the joint as far as I could. A deep growl was the only reward I needed. He tried breaking my hold but I had the strength of my whole body pushing against him. Even with his bulging muscles, he wouldn¡¯t be able to overcome the disadvantage. Ignoring the feeble hits he dished out with his free hand, I linked my hands and lowered my head, my back providing all the force I needed. A dry crack sounded through the room and his laboured breathes turned into a low moan while he fervently tapped his unbroken hand against the ground. ¡°Not a girlie then, am I?¡± I whispered in his ear before I got up, my surroundings only spinning slightly. A throng of smelly humans rushed forward, clamouring about my victory and the honest praise of strangers did wonders for my self esteem. Smiling broadly, I was hoisted into the air and carried along. Apparently most of the guys had been waiting for quite some time for the big brute to finally kiss the floor and as the one who had made him, I was showered in quite a bit of affection. And then, there were the bets. A sly bookie had made a fortune with the fights and seeing him drown in despair when his hard won coin finally changed the owner endeared me even more to them. Not to mention that I had also made a killing and my first words, once the exuberant shouts and congratulations had died down, didn¡¯t hurt either: ¡°Next round is on me! Barkeep, open a fresh casket, I¡¯m buying the whole thing. Cheers, lads!¡± The ensuing applause sounded like a thunderstorm in a bottle and if my ears hadn¡¯t already been ringing, they would have been now. Another round of clapping rang through the room and for the first time since I could remember, I was at the centre of attention. The men wanted to shake my hand and comment on my fight and the girls flutters their eyes at me and tried to get closer. Living amongst other kitsune, I had never been the most handsome, nor the strongest in a room¡­ not to mention what had happened when I had been with my family and I honestly enjoyed the feeling. It somehow filled, or maybe covered up, the growing hole in my chest and for now, that was all I wanted. Especially when Richard, I was resolved to grant him that much respect after the fight he had put up, joined me at the counter, his broken arm in an improvised sling. He congratulate me wholeheartedly and even insisted on buying another round for us. Most remarkable, he was the only one who treated my mum with a modicum of reverence, carefully staying away from her and including her in his various toasts. He even threw a stink eye at everyone who¡¯d ogle her with either curiosity or greed. I was truly starting to warm up to the guy, even though he had chased away a pair of truly lovely human girls. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Ya¡¯re one slippery fox,¡± he mumbled, well into his fifth pint. And he wasn¡¯t drinking beer. ¡°But don¡¯t ya thin¡¯ w¡¯are finished! When the old club,¡± he pointed at his arm, ¡°¡®s ready t¡¯ go, yah¡¯ll have to give us another shot! Ah¡¯ll punch ya good, the next time around!¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to catch me first,¡± I grinned. ¡°A hulking brute like yourself will be hard pressed to get his fingers on me again, now that I know how you move. But tell you what, once you¡¯re healed, I¡¯d be willing to teach you a thing or two. We can still make a fighter out of you. With some effort.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± he laughed deep in his belly and slapped my shoulder hard enough to nearly send me tumbling. ¡°Yah¡¯re funny! Ah ain¡¯t no fighter, Ah¡¯m a tavern brawler an¡¯ proud of it! Wha¡¯ would Ah be needing any lessons for? Ya¡¯re the first to get me to mah knees in forever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mainly because you¡¯re to stubborn to realise when you¡¯ve been beaten. But I get your point. Why are you here, anyways? A big hunk of muscles like yourself could easily find work on a ship, could you not? And I¡¯m sure that¡¯s better paid and even less harmful than slamming your head against another fist every day of the week.¡± He shrugged and downed the rest of his glass. ¡°Ain¡¯t no good with authorities, Ah am. In here, Ah can do wha¡¯ I want when Ah want. In here, I¡¯m me own capt¡¯n. That¡¯s worth more to me than a few coppers and the promise of adventure.¡± I wanted to reply but I felt the words wither away halfway across my tongue. Truth be told, I understood him. Much better than I would have liked. The one time I had set out on my own, I had fucked up, royally, but I still ached for the fleeting feeling of possibility that had overtaken me, back when I had set sail and left my home for the first time on my own. ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± I mumbled and signalled for the barkeep to bring us another round. Richard was more perceptive than I had given him credit for. He immediately picked up on my darkening mood and asked: ¡°Wha¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t yah worry, those girls will be waitin¡¯ for yah. They¡¯re even now pulling yahr clothes off with ¡®em eyes.¡± I chuckled darkly. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I imagine I wouldn¡¯t be hard pressed to find someone to warm my bed tonight, either way. No¡­ just thinking about the past.¡± ¡°Wha¡¯? A lad ¡®s young as yah self already wrestling with demons of bygone days?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as young as I look. I¡¯m not human, as you very well know. Yeah, those pesky buggers are having a field day with me. And it¡¯s not the first time.¡± He nodded sagely which elicited a wry grin from me, his expression simply too much of a contrast to his whole appearance. ¡°Ah know a bit of those. Another reason wha Ah like it where I am. If the past creeps closer, Ah move on. Wha don¡¯t yah move on then? Set sail for another port?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. I¡¯ve got¡­ friends, family¡­ responsibilities. I can¡¯t just run away. Also, I don¡¯t want to. One day, I want to bury the past for good and for that to happen, I¡¯ve got to face it.¡± ¡°Huh, yah truly aren¡¯t that young. The only loons I¡¯ve heard talk like tha¡¯ were priests¡­ or toothless elders who ha¡¯ too much ter drink. But yah¡¯ re neither, are yah?¡± ¡°No, no priest. And no elder, not even by your standards.¡± ¡°How old are yah, if yah don¡¯t mind mah asking?¡± ¡°39. 40 in a few months.¡± Some of his drink went down the wrong pipe when he spluttered. ¡°Huh,¡± he finally coughed. ¡°No wonder yah now how ter fight. Me, Ah haven¡¯t even seen me thirtieth year an¡¯ Ah look older than yah¡­ life¡¯s just unfair, yah know. Looks, youth, knows how ter fight¡­ what reason could someone like yahr self even have to look so glum?¡± ¡°We all make mistakes and mine tend to be on the serious side. Plus¡­ you haven¡¯t met my family. Trust me, you won¡¯t think of me as gifted, once you¡¯ve seen them.¡± My mum growled quietly, mainly to remember me that I shouldn¡¯t talk too much about who we were, especially in here, but she didn¡¯t stop me outright. Richard¡¯s eyes darted quickly towards her but when she winked at him lazily, he quickly glanced away again. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a reason to be happy,¡± he asked. ¡°Yah know, being related to capable people isn¡¯t bad for yah. Ah¡¯d call it a boon¡­ considering mah gormless halfwit of a brother, Ah¡¯d trade anytime.¡± ¡°I¡¯d probably take him¡­ then again, probably not, if I really had to choose. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I like¡­ love most of my family but I just don¡¯t think I can ever leave their shadow. And that¡¯s a hard pill to swallow. Maybe I¡¯m arrogant or conceited to think I have the right to write my own story, but¡­¡± ¡°¡®N why don¡¯t yah? ¡®S never too late ter start, yah know?¡± ¡°The last time didn¡¯t go very well¡­ remember, demons of the past, the monsters under the bed?¡± ¡°So¡­ yah¡¯re givin¡¯ up? Made a mess ¡®n now yah ain¡¯t gonna try no more?¡± ¡°Something like¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish since his meaty, uninjured hand slapped the back of my head strongly enough to nearly make me crash into the counter. When I struggled back up I saw my mum laugh quietly, her pearly teeth on full display. ¡°What was that for,¡± I complained while I rubbed the throbbing patch of skin where he had hit me. ¡°Sorry, but yah deserve a good spanking¡¯ and since Ah couldn¡¯t give it to yah before, Ah wanted ter, now. Are yah bloody stupid? So yah made some mistakes and yah¡¯re no god¡­ lemme tell yah a secret. None of us are. There¡¯s always someone ou¡¯ there who¡¯s tougher, faster, cleverer. If yah thin¡¯ that a reason ter hide in a corner, yah better get on with it ¡®n jump off the next cliff, cuz son, that¡¯s life. Even a drunk, muscle head like mahself knows ¡®s much. Have yah been living under a rock for the past 40 years?¡± ¡°If you put it like that¡­ no, seriously, I know what you¡¯re getting at, I truly do. But that doesn¡¯t make it any easier. I just don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Yah thin¡¯ yah don¡¯t have the strength? Don¡¯t have it in yah to go on, not knowing if it¡¯ll get better? Mate, that¡¯s called growin¡¯ up. Yah know what Ah do when Ah wake up, hurting all over? When Ah think Ah can¡¯t get mah bones ter move no more? Ah clench mah butt ¡®n get the fuck on with mah life. M¡¯be Ah¡¯ll get another kickin¡¯, m¡¯be Ah won¡¯t, but neither is gonna stop me from tryin¡¯. Yah hear me? And Ah¡¯m a measly human. Wha¡¯ excuse do yah have? Ah like yah, Ah do, yah¡¯re fun t¡¯ be around n¡¯ yah can fight. Not much more Ah need, but Ah would never ¡®ve ¡®xpected yah t¡¯ be a coward. Get yah head out of yahr ass ¡®n m¡¯be yah can see the sunshine again.¡± My mum had been nodding along with every word, obviously more than happy to let him do the talking. ¡°May the ancestors protect me, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d turn out to be a philosopher. Where did that come from?¡± ¡°Ah don¡¯t know about no philosophy but when yah get yahr noggin¡¯ pummelled every day of the week ¡®n yah see someone with yah¡¯re talents mopin¡¯ yah gotta say yahr piece. Make of it wha¡¯ yah will but ¡®s far ¡®s Ah¡¯m concerned, yah¡¯re waistin¡¯ yahr gifts when yah¡¯ chase after wha¡¯ yah think yah¡¯ have to be and forget ter live along the way. Self righteousness ¡®s good ¡®n all bu¡¯ when it makes yah crumble under its weight, yah should look for somethin¡¯ else. Ain¡¯t no one tellin¡¯ yah what yah gotta be. That¡¯s somethin¡¯ yah gotta work out for yah self ¡®n it can be painful ¡®n hard but it¡¯s well worth yahr time ¡®n worth a helluva lot more than blaming yah self and the world.¡± ¡°You already know who you are, then?¡± ¡°Does it look like Ah¡¯ve found mah place? Lemme tell yah, Ah might prefer tha¡¯ tavern to a ship, but Ah¡¯m not gonna stay here fer the rest o¡¯ mah life. But Ah¡¯m lookin¡¯. Ah¡¯m talkin¡¯ ter people,¡± her raised his glass in my direction, ¡°¡®n Ah¡¯m keepin¡¯ mah ears open. Who knows, maybe Ah¡¯m out ¡®n about tomorrow. Ah can¡¯t tell, but whatever Ah¡¯m gonna do, it¡¯ll be mah own decision. M¡¯be Ah¡¯m gonna get mah balls kicked in for mah troubles, but that a risk we all gotta take.¡± ¡°So what? You¡¯re saying I should do whatever I want?¡± He took another sip and swallowed slowly. ¡°Yah said yah have responsibilities. M¡¯be try fulfilling them how yah see fit, ¡®n not anyone else? Do what yah gotta do, but do it in yahr¡­¡± the door bursted open to reveal a pale, breathless dwarf. 194. Of rings, pasts and a little bit of servants Cassandra Pendragon Distractedly, I twirled the pitch black ring around my finger, barely sparing a second glance for the crowded streets Alassara was leading me through. I knew I should have focused on the present instead of brooding over my fractured past, but there was one thing I simply couldn¡¯t let go of. What was that thing? The first piece of corruption? A demonic weapon? Ever since I had met Lilith, the question had been fluttering though the back of my mind and now, I was finally able to put a finger on why it was bugging me so much. I couldn¡¯t get past Lucifer¡¯s memories of when he had decided to nick it from hell. He had been so sure it was nothing but a focus, a tremendously powerful one, but still mainly an artefact that allowed the demons to unite and channel their powers. And from what I had experienced when I had met Lilith, it definitely worked that way. But apparently that wasn¡¯t the whole truth. If I could believe the scenes I had witnessed form the first war, it¡¯d be something much worse. Not that I truly doubted them. It simply explained too much. Why it had been hidden and sealed away, why Amazeroth had been the one to do it, why it didn¡¯t effect me at all, why Lucifer had given it to me¡­ it all made sense. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t really help. I¡¯d still have to figure out what had happened back then and for all intent and purposes, I was also responsible for the glaring gap in the memory off most immortals. But why? Simply to help protect the Aretes? I didn¡¯t buy that. Ultimately, it would have been much better to try and hide them and convince our family they were gone, or maybe even openly declare our support... But sealed truths which were still accessible to some? Either the both of us had been unbelievably naive or there had to be another reason. I had an inkling feeling that it was somehow tied to whatever Ahri¡­ Aurora had promised the Aretes and why she had bound herself to them so thoroughly, but I simply didn¡¯t know. And that scared the living hell out of me. Maybe I¡¯d have been able to shove it away if it had been solely my own past and future that hung in the balance but I wasn¡¯t willing to risk Ahri¡¯s. Not now, not ever. Sighing, I forced my fingers to relax and release the small band of darkness. Nothing I could do about it now. Maybe next time I was going to dream I might be able to focus on those intimidating, foreboding depths of memories I had stayed well away from before, but for now, I had to stick to the present. It would do neither her nor me any good if I got lost in a past I had sacrificed to have the future I was now living in. I had promised myself back on Boseiju that I was done dancing to someone else¡¯s tune and it was about time to act on it. For better or for worse. And that meant no more disguises, no more hiding and no more running away. And probably a few hours spent behind locked doors to conjure a spear, set free a strange, winged serpent and summon a silver cube I had forged on Earth. Afterwards¡­ oh well, one step at a time. Judging from past experiences, something would come up along the way in any case. Especially since I had already caused a small ruckus, I realised the very moment I raised my eyes from my hand. Alassara and I had headed straight for the house we were now staying in and I hadn¡¯t bothered with covering my tails or face. I was still wearing the torn, stained dress Captain Dawn had given me and while the midday sun made it almost impossible to see the glow of my skin, it still seemed closer to opaque silver than living flesh. Combined with my looks and the beautiful, probably infamous woman at my side, I had yet to see a single person whose head we hadn¡¯t turned. And since some of them were pushing overloaded carts through narrow, clogged up streets, a few minor accidents had occurred. Well¡­ I say minor, but truth be told¡­ The vampire had deliberately stayed away from the markets we would have passed, but she hadn¡¯t bothered with sticking to shadowy, empty back alleys. For a while, it hadn¡¯t made much of a difference, but when one of the workers had been busy staring after us instead of watching the road and had ran head first into a heavily loaded wain, filled with fruits, disaster had run its course. Colourful curses, mixed with the surprisingly obscene sounds of ripe melons exploding on the ground filled the air and quickly enough, everyone¡¯s attention shifted to the protagonists who stood, red faced, a few steps apart and began a truly legendary shouting match. Suppressing a smile, I tugged on Alassara¡¯s sleeve and gestured towards an empty passage between two windswept buildings, more than eager to get away from the scene before we were dragged into the ensuing chaos. She nodded and we quickly made our way through the slowly growing crowd, for once almost invisible since the epic squabble drew everyone¡¯s gaze, especially when bits and pieces of melon started flying through the air. Admittedly, I felt a few hands brushing across my body while I wiggled through the bystanders but to my surprise, most stayed within bounds. And the two who didn¡¯t¡­ well, despite my appearance my strength was even greater than a vampire¡¯s when I flooded my muscles with energy and they quickly learned that feeling up a stranger on the street could result in bruised ribs and an unrivalled view of the stained cobblestones while they still asked themselves why they were suddenly lying in the dirt, blood dripping from a laceration. ¡°Walking through the streets at your side can turn into an adventure all on its,¡± Alassara chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s never a dull moment with you, is there?¡± While we leisurely strolled past discarded debris and the smelly reminders of why underground canalisation was one of the most cherished achievements of society, I wrinkled my nose and took great care to not inhale too deeply as I replied: ¡°that was as much on you as it was on me. But I¡¯m starting to see why most nobles always have a good dozen of guards with them, when they go out, at least in the stories I¡¯ve read.¡± Despite my shallow breaths, a scent I had smelled before tickled my nose. Expensive, fragrant oils, nearly imperceptible through the stench. ¡°I thought you were a princess? Didn¡¯t you have those back home?¡± ¡°Still am, thank you very much¡­ although, there¡¯s probably not much left of what makes the title meaningful. And no, I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t leave the palace grounds, much, except to visit my teacher and no one would have been stupid enough to bother me on the way. Plus, Ahri was my maid back then¡­¡± I paused and swallowed the lump of rising sadness. ¡°Gods, I make it sound like that was in another life, but it¡¯s been no more than a few weeks¡­ anyways, she made quite sure that I didn¡¯t have to deal with anyone I didn¡¯t want to except for formal occasions. And those consisted of a very different crowd. More verbal barbs and innuendos and less physical contact. I could have used someone to keep me out of trouble but burly guards probably wouldn¡¯t have done the trick.¡± ¡°If I may, I can smell your grief but you don¡¯t sound like you miss it very much. How come?¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m missing my home, the people I¡¯ve lost¡­ my father,¡± I added quietly. ¡°But I¡¯m not particularly sad that I¡¯m not stuck in a palace anymore. A gilded cage is still a cage. A platitude, for sure, but thinking back I didn¡¯t have that much freedom. Everybody scrutinised my every move and when I made a mistake, it wasn¡¯t me who had blundered but rather the royal family. It¡¯s not much fun to grow up like that. Also, I¡¯ve never had the easiest time getting along with people.¡± ¡°Huh? Judging from the scene we just left, I assumed they would have fallen over their feet to have a chance to get to know you.¡± ¡°Oh, they did, some of them at least. But¡­ Alassara, based on the years I¡¯ve lived in this body I¡¯m a child, younger than your daughter, by far. And that¡¯s also what I looked like. Adults treated me like a fragile jewel and I¡¯ve never been able to connect with normal kids. I¡­ even back then I couldn¡¯t get myself to see them as anything but vulnerable and precious. Not exactly the foundation of friendships. And when it changed, when I was taken seriously, I was already tails deep in a quagmire of shit that ultimately cost me my home. So no, I don¡¯t particularly miss my circumstances but I¡¯d easily give my tails or wings to be able to turn the clock back. But from what I¡¯ve learned, that¡¯s something even I can¡¯t do. Not without making everything worse.¡± Towards the end, my voice had become more subdued, the fiery end of Boseiju a heavy weight that had once again settled on my shoulders. Alassara took my hand and squeezed it lightly. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up. For all that it¡¯s worth, I think you¡¯re remarkable and not just because of what you are. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know much about your life, about the trials you went through and I still used you, badly. But yet¡­ did you know that you and that fiery girl of yours are the first persons, aside from myself, my daughter trusts?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I didn¡¯t,¡± I snivelled, still wrestling with the images of mutilated kitsune and burning cherry blossoms that tried to consume me. ¡°She¡¯s an amazing girl,¡± I added forcefully. ¡°A bit scary from time to time but I imagine that comes with her nature. You did right by her and I¡¯m glad I could help the two of you. But next time¡­ just ask. I won¡¯t say no.¡± She laughed, an unbound, happy song, filled with hope and relief. ¡°I¡¯ve come to understand that much about you,¡± she finally said. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for that, too, but I already told you as much. But now that we¡¯ve circled back, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wondering. You¡¯re hard pressed, more or less one of the few people who even know how much danger we all are in, but yet you didn¡¯t want my service, you even recoiled from the idea, in a way. Why? You didn¡¯t know¡­ you still don¡¯t know me very well. Wouldn¡¯t it have been much easier and probably better to guarantee my loyalty? I would have sworn any oath you could have come up with, but yet you didn¡¯t make me. I¡¯m just curious as to why.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Forced loyalty is worth about as much as the dirt under our boots and¡­ I might have been mad at you but I understood why you did it. That¡¯s why I asked if you loved your daughter. I¡¯d never press a mother into a conflict that might endanger her family. I¡¯m not that cruel.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re willing to risk this world to stick to your, forgive me, romanticised notions of how loyalty and friendship should work?¡± ¡°Yes and no. I think I¡¯ve already come a long way. A few weeks ago¡­ let¡¯s just say the Mask wouldn¡¯t have been the only one I would have burned to ashes. That the slave markets still exist¡­ that¡¯s me accepting I can¡¯t change to world, at least not on a whim. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m willing to bend my own ideals when it comes to what I¡¯m doing myself. Maybe that¡¯s stupid but I¡¯m not going to accept anyone¡¯s service or oath, as you put it, when they¡¯re not given willingly. And yours wouldn¡¯t have been. You felt obliged by your strange culture and my own actions to repay me, somehow. I¡¯d rather have you at my side out of your own conviction or not at all.¡± ¡°You know, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, that¡¯s no way to lead, it can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out to be a leader in the long run anyways. Compromises, half truths, the good of the many outweighing the good of the few¡­ that¡¯s not the world I live in, or rather, that¡¯s not the world I want to live in.¡± ¡°Surprising, really. In a way, I expected you to see us mere mortals as¡­ cattle. Or rather, similarly to how some vampires regard humans as¡­ lesser or, at least, less capable of making decisions. You must have seen so much¡­ your experience, your age, the things you¡¯ve done over the years¡­ can you really swallow watching others repeat the mistakes of the past without intervening?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone, mortal, immortal or somewhere in between is perfect. We all make mistakes, commit atrocities, burn bridges¡­ but we also try to do better, at least some of us. What I am has very little to do with who I want to be and how I act. The real question is, do I think I would thrive in a position of political power? And the answer is no. There are people, some of whom I¡¯m related to, who are much more capable than me in that regard. I¡¯ve got a goal and since it¡¯s pretty much saving everyone form an oncoming storm the likes of which we haven¡¯t had to weather before, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to protect my¡­ our home. But once that¡¯s done¡­ I don¡¯t even think I¡¯ll be here anymore, so where¡¯s the point in trying to forge an iron throne supported by shackles and threats?¡± A small smile tugged on the corners of my mouth. ¡°Some people have made a decent living off imagining exactly how bad of an idea that is.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not quite sure what you¡¯re taking about but I assume you¡¯re referring to the book you¡¯ve been clinging to since you appeared in the manor?¡± ¡°This,¡± I asked, raising the tome I had taken from Zara. ¡°No, not really. That¡¯s something a bit more personal. I was talking about a book I read in another life. Pretty racy and gory but a rather fascinating tale of how little lip service is worth. Even honest promises break far too easily when they don¡¯t align with what you actually want.¡± ¡°And yours?¡± ¡°They¡¯re worth a tad more than that, at least I think so. I¡¯ll gladly answer one more question but I fear we¡¯ll have to postpone the interrogation afterwards.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that? You don¡¯t owe me any answers but I have to admit, you make me curious. It¡¯s not every day I get the chance to talk to someone who¡¯s seen and done more than me.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind your questions, it¡¯s just¡­ listen closely, above us. We¡¯re not alone.¡± She let go of my hand and her eyes lost focus while she concentrated on her hearing. A few seconds after we had left the main road, I had caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Expensive oils, the same ones Tharos had used when he had come to visit us. I had sent a trickle of power to my ears and ever since I had been able to hear the whisper quiet footfalls on the roofs. They had been further away back then, but by now our invisible pursuer had made up for lost ground and was almost above our heads. I wasn¡¯t convinced it indeed was the corpulent kitsune, the steps seemed far to light for his weight, but at the very least whoever tailed us had the same supplier of perfumes. Either that, or they used the same bath. And if that was the case, we were either tailed by one of his lovers or another servant of Captain Dawn who had access to the same luxuries. Although, they weren¡¯t strong enough to cover the hint of decay, that was there just beneath the surface, like a festering wound under a clean bandage. But why follow us? They had to know where we were going. A trap, maybe? Or were they trying to talk and hadn¡¯t mustered the courage to stop us? The latter seemed far fetched, except Alassara had just emptied out the Dawn manor of everyone whom she had deemed lost. I¡¯d have hesitated as well, if I had been trying to chat up the person who had just murdered half the people I knew. Alassara¡¯s head snapped up, a red glow breaking through the azure shimmer of her eyes. ¡°Come down, Silas. You must be burning up by now. I won¡¯t bite and I don¡¯t want revenge on my brother¡¯s soldiers. You know why I killed he others, you¡¯ve got nothing to fear.¡± Nothing happened for a moment and then, a rustling, like ripping silk, was followed by a hooded figure falling through the shadows in front of us. ¡°Is that so,¡± a deep, raspy voice inquired. 195. Of servants, ties and a little bit of politics Cassandra Pendragon The newcomer was tall and slender, his figure hidden underneath a heavy woollen cloak with the insignia of the rising sun embroidered on the sleeve. A hand-and-a-half sword was strapped to his side and the hilt of a dagger poked through the coils of a broad, wrapped leather belt. When he lowered his hood, burning, ruby red eyes squinted at the sun and his pale complexion was already turning towards the sickly, blistering colour of a sunburn. Platinum blonde, almost white hair, cut at the shoulders, framed an angular, broad face, dominated by a pointy, overly long nose and elongated canines that were barely visible behind the tight, bloodless line of his lips. An aura of restrained strength surrounded him and when he spoke, his voice seemed distorted as if we were only hearing echos of his words. ¡°Your actions haven¡¯t exactly endeared you to us, Alassara,¡± he said, his lips barely parting. ¡°Is it that much of a surprise that I¡¯m hesitant to approach the one I¡¯ve hunted for the better part of the last century?¡± ¡°Not by my design, nor my choices. It¡¯s not my fault that my dear, late brother was insistent on pitching each and everyone of his children against me. But I won¡¯t hold the past against you, Silas, only the present. So I¡¯ve got to ask, why are you here? Why are you even still on this island if you¡¯re so afraid of my retribution?¡± His tongue darted our from behind his lips, almost as if he was tasting the air like a reptile. ¡°Because I¡¯ve served your brother as an interrogator for the last twenty years and I¡¯ve conducted the questioning of almost every single prisoner we have¡­ had at the estate. As the last remaining master in Free Land, I feel obliged to share my knowledge with you, even if it may cost me my head. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, to ask you to listen and act, something your brother never deemed necessary.¡± My curiosity stirred and I was tempted to ask a few questions of my own, but this was hardly the time. Even if he was most likely referring to the spies they had captured, Alassara already knew how much that information meant to me and I couldn¡¯t imagine Silas would answer the questions of a stranger. Not unless I divulged who had killed the captain and I wasn¡¯t convinced that was the best idea I could come up with. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t care or even respect me for it, a show of strength and all that, but I knew much too little about their world to bet on it. ¡°If you want something from me,¡± Alassara replied, ¡°speak plainly.¡± He hissed like a snake in response, his glowing eyes darting in my direction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s on our side and if she wasn¡¯t, there wouldn¡¯t be much we could do, either way. So why have you come here and where¡¯s your blood twin, Tharos.¡± He eyed me suspiciously but continued, nevertheless. ¡°He¡¯s with the other Captains, lobbying for your acceptance, believe it or not. When we felt our sire pass on, he decided to put his influence behind you and sent me to seek you out. Neither of us wants to abandon what we have built over the years and this city is our home. We¡¯re not prepare to see it swallowed by an upstart memory of the past, no matter how powerful or dark it is. So¡­ will you have us?¡± Alassara scrutinised him and remained silent for longer than I had expected. If I had been in her shoes, I¡¯d have jumped at the opportunity, but then again, I had already proven time and again that I was sometimes too quick with giving my trust. Her eyes began to shimmer, a red hue breaking through the icy blue and I was convinced the both of them were sharing more than a simple gaze. It was tempting to use my second sight to make sure, but out of courtesy and respect, I refrained. Whatever they were doing wasn¡¯t meant for the eyes of an outsider and I wasn¡¯t going to risk spooking Silas or even turning him against us, or her, more accurately, only to satisfy my curiosity. As difficult as it was. They appeared rigid and still, almost like living statues, only the menacing, flickering glow in their eyes giving away that something was happening, concealed from the mundane world. After a full minute, Alassara nodded and the intimidating flames petered out. I heard Silas¡¯ sharp intake of breath, an unnecessary gesture but I imagined some habits were hard to break and his obvious relief when he shuffled away from her was more than enough to tell me how much he had feared what she might have done if she hadn¡¯t been satisfied with what she had seen. ¡°I will,¡± Alassara said, her voice stately and controlled. ¡°You and all of his children who want to seek refuge with me are more than welcome in my home. But make no mistake, you aren¡¯t mine and you won¡¯t become a part of my family. I value your honesty and I need your help, but I¡¯m not your sire and I never will be. I¡¯ll protect you and I¡¯ll always listen to your council but I can¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t make you into something you are not. You¡¯ll always be his son. What you make of this legacy is completely up to you, but you won¡¯t share in mine. Can you live with that?¡± ¡°Neither of us,¡± Silas responded, ¡°has any ambitions to stand in line for your throne. We want¡­ well, if we can¡¯t bury our grievances in the days to come, it won¡¯t matter what we actually want.¡± For the first time since he had appeared, he focused on me, his face an unreadable mask. ¡°So you¡¯re the enigmatic princess from a different time who has our masters, old and new, tumbling over their feet? Forgive my rudeness, but you look more like a treasure than the warrior guarding it.¡± I had to laugh at that. ¡°Oh my, you certainly have a way with words, despite your rough appearance. Which just stands to show, looks can be deceiving. Would you like me to prove that I¡¯m more than capable of protecting what I value?¡± He raised his hand placatingly. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ve already heard Tharos¡¯ tale and I¡¯m in no rush to meet my maker again. I still hope for some good centuries before I follow him into the eternal night. But I just can¡¯t help my curiosity¡­ from what my twin and the captured spies have told me, I expected a monster, taller than life, with fangs and claws, oozing magic, not beauty incarnate. But than again, beauty and danger are more often than not the same thing. I just thought you¡¯d be¡­ less inviting. Or are you hiding?¡± ¡°Most of the time, but I really am what you see before you. Although, it¡¯s not all there is to me and if you were to accept the invitation, you¡¯d soon find out just how much lies beneath the surface.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, no need to wake the sleeping dragon, is there? Either way, it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I¡¯m Silas, former lieutenant of the Dawn Fleet and now one of Alassara¡¯s loyal subjects.¡± He inclined his head and despite his mocking inflection, I could tell that he was actually proud to belong somewhere again, that his offer hadn¡¯t been rejected. Weird, as far as I had come to understand their people, I had always thought blood ties to be the only thing that really mattered, but apparently I had been wrong. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon,¡± I replied with a small, formal bow. ¡°Princess of a destroyed kingdom, loving fianc¨¦e and since recently, doting big sister. The pleasure is all mine. Now, Alassara and I were just heading back to where I¡¯m currently staying and if you wanted to, your heartily invited to join us. I¡¯m sure whatever the two of you have to discuss, it¡¯ll be much more pleasant to do so in the comfort of a home.¡± ¡°Thank you, I appreciate the offer immensely but I fear I have to decline. However, I¡¯d like to come by tonight and bring Tharos with me, if you didn¡¯t mind.¡± I exchange a quick glance with Alassara and when she nodded, I replied: ¡°Sure, you¡¯re always welcome for as long as you keep the peace. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you again, Silas. And please, give Tharos my best regards when you meet him. Our last encounter was unfortunately neither overly pleasant nor very productive, considering how everything turned out.¡± He chuckled, a deep, grinding sound that reminded me of the tide crashing against a rocky shore. ¡°I will and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be grateful that you¡¯re still willing to invite him after everything that has happened. Alassara, I¡¯ll do as you asked and hope I¡¯m done by tonight. Good day.¡± With a smooth gesture, he pulled his hood back over his face and stepped into the shadows. A second later he was gone, only the lingering smell of decay served as a reminder that he had truly been there. Even in broad daylight, he could come and go unnoticed, like a spectre. I turned to the vampire at my side and cocked an eyebrow: ¡°care to tell me what this was all about?¡± ¡°Sure, but you already mentioned that those things are better spoken of in private and comfort. The streets have ears in Free Land and I would rather not risk the wrong people listening in. There¡¯s much to discuss and I imagine you¡¯d also like your friends to know what¡¯s going on. Also, I want to hold my daughter again. If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d like to hurry back, but to answer some of the questions you have: Silas told me what they got from the spies they had captured and from the looks of it, the Pirate Islands are turning into a force to be reckoned with. Quite soon, they might be strong enough for an all out assault. And once Free Land falls¡­ well, I¡¯m sure you can imagine what might happen. I sent him to Tharos, for now, the most important thing is getting the fleet to return. Otherwise we¡¯re going to lose most of our ships in one fell swoop.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t your brother know? He had the information, why didn¡¯t he warn them?¡± A sad smile spread over her face. ¡°Simple: power. He thought he¡¯d be able to dethrone the other Captains if they were to lose most of their soldiers and ships. Only a fracture of his fleet is with them and with the rest, he intended to take over the city and once he¡¯d have held the power, it wouldn¡¯t have been too troublesome to purge me and mine.¡± We were hurrying along the street, barely dodging the other pedestrians. ¡°But¡­ he would have been swept away afterwards. There¡¯s no way he could have weathered the oncoming storm alone. What had gotten into him?¡± ¡°Arrogance. Cassandra¡­ Cassy, we¡¯re old, we¡¯re predators. I don¡¯t think he ever imagined that anyone could pose a threat to him once he had the city in his grasp. Well¡­ current company excluded. I¡¯m guessing, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be too far off the mark if I say that he banked on resurrecting Aurelia with either your or my daughter¡¯s help. That¡¯s probably why he took her when he did. To make sure he could resurrect a warrior strong enough to help him against the looming danger. From what Silas told me, he grabbed her a couple of days after the first spy was caught. If it had worked, he might even have had a decent chance.¡± When we entered the next main road and weaved our way through the busy afternoon crowd, on its way to and from the markets, I was starting to recognise some of the buildings around us. In the distance I could already make out what I assumed to be the house we were staying in, but I couldn¡¯t say for sure. I had never before seen the thing from the outside, after all. ¡°Politics,¡± I spat. ¡°Why does everyone have to be scrambling for a scrap of power, even if the cost is high enough to outweigh the gain by far?¡± Alassara hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you see it that way, but not all of us have the luxury of knowing that they¡¯re powerful enough to deal with whatever this crazy word throws at them. Every sentient being, from the weakest to the most fearsome has something it wants to protect. Be it its own life or someone they love, sometimes it¡¯s even something as mundane as a treasure or their pride. Ultimately, we all fear loss and pain and we do want we can do prevent experiencing either. For some that means sticking to the shadows or training their whole life. For others, it means gaining power over their peers to ensure their safety. Tell me, are you really that different? What would you not do to guarantee your family¡¯s survival? Or that of your girl? Are there any lines you wouldn¡¯t cross, if she was in danger?¡± I wanted to reply with a resounding no, but I assumed she was being rhetorical. ¡°Of course not,¡± she continued. ¡°Only, for you that means relying on who you are. But¡­ is there anyone you fear?¡± I didn¡¯t have to think for long. ¡°Definitely. But I guess what you¡¯re getting at is, if there¡¯s anyone I think I couldn¡¯t best on my own, if there¡¯s anyone from whom I couldn¡¯t save the people I cherish. Truth be told, more than I care to admit. There are over 600 beings out there who could swat me like a fly, at least for now.¡± ¡°And how would you intend to deal with them, if you ever were forced into a fight? Ignore their existence? Run at them head first? Or are you going to try and rally some of them to your side when you¡¯ve got the chance? Convince them to support you? I know the example is lacking since you don¡¯t seek power for the sake of it or for your own gains but rather to have a chance to survive, but in essence, it still holds true. You could hide, you could run after all, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I could,¡± I replied quietly, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t return the favour. My family¡­ my other family, I¡¯m not exactly sibling of the year when it comes to them.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve guessed as much. And already you¡¯re forging ties. Your mentor, your fianc¨¦e¡­ aren¡¯t you forced into the same political games? Unless you¡¯re the one above all, god almighty, you won¡¯t ever be strong enough to change the world on your own... Incidentally, is there a real god?¡± ¡°How should I know? I don¡¯t think it matters overly much. If there is, he¡¯ll be so far removed from anything we can comprehend that I don¡¯t think we¡¯d ever know. Just like an ant doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s living in your garden. But I think I understand. I¡¯m just wondering¡­ don¡¯t you hold a grudge? It sounds almost like you accept or even admire what your brother has done.¡± ¡°In a very abstract way. I can¡¯t overlook how much he¡¯s hurt me and I¡¯ll never forgive him for dragging my daughter into our games, but at the end of the day, he played his hand to the best of his ability. He lost because he didn¡¯t know the deck was stacked. If he had won, all of that wouldn¡¯t have mattered. I¡¯d be dead, my daughter probably as well¡­ his atrocities would be nothing more than dust in the wind. I don¡¯t think he would have made for a bad ruler, not at all. I¡¯m not conceited enough to think my own fate or that of my family has any significance for the world or even for this city. Most of the people wouldn¡¯t even have realised if I had been gone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± I stated quietly. ¡°We all matter. From the ant in the garden to the immortals, our decisions, our life, it has meaning, it has relevance. Creation is convoluted, infinite and impossible to understand. But if there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned over the ages, everything matters. We don¡¯t know what awaits us down the line and I don¡¯t think we should, but for the moment¡­ just imagine what would have happened if your brother had truly won. Maybe he would even have managed to unite Free Land under an iron hand, maybe he would even have managed to challenge the menace from across the waves¡­. but the suffering he would have caused to satisfy his ambitions would have twisted anything he would have built. Not every price should be payed. I¡¯d rather lose the fight for a world I believe in than survive and flourish in one where I don¡¯t recognise myself anymore. Our decisions matter for they shape who we are. That¡¯s why I hate politics so much. Compromises are the death of dreams.¡± 196. Of plans, personalities and a little bit of anger Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Wait¡­ what? You¡¯re going to leave us? Now? I already knew you were moody but I never thought you¡¯d turn out to be a coward.¡± Alright, maybe that wasn¡¯t fair but I was angry and honestly, a little hurt. Everyone was seated at the dining table, even Morgan had left her room and with Alassara and Layla, the table was starting to feel crowded, especially since all of them were watching our exchange with equal measures of amusement and exasperation. My brother squirmed on his chair but he didn¡¯t erupt in anger, nor did he back down. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you. I¡­ Can you stow the attitude for a minute and think about what I¡¯ve said? Do you truly believe that I¡¯ll be of much use to you when you¡¯re going to scamper across the islands? I¡¯m neither likely to endear prospective allies to us, nor am I strong enough to help you with your battles. Those are simple facts. But I still can help out in other ways. Tell me Cassy, do you think you¡¯ll have the time to visit our bother? You can¡¯t be everywhere at once and we¡¯ve already talked about splitting up quite a few times. What¡¯s gotten into you? Are you merely miffed that I decided what I want to do myself without consulting you first? Are you really that petty?¡± As much as I hated it, I was blushing. ¡°I¡­ damn it, fine, if you want me to spell it out, here you go. I don¡¯t want to let you out of my sight.¡± My eyes roamed along the table, including everyone seated there. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m paranoid, maybe I¡¯m a control freak, I don¡¯t really care, but I can¡¯t stand the idea of not being around when you need my help. And don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s not going to happen. Have you been asleep for the last weeks? Because I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ye know lass, that¡¯s kinda sweet,¡± Xorlosh interjected, ¡°but also tremendously stupid and arrogant. Whichever way you spin it, me ¡®n me lads have been kickin¡¯ an¡¯ fighting for longer than ye draw breath. Same goes for most of the others. Don¡¯ get me wrong, me ¡®n the boys are flattered that ye¡¯ d want to protect us, but we aren¡¯t yer pets and we never will be.¡± He raised his hand when I was on the verge of interrupting. ¡°Now that we¡¯re talking ¡®bout it anyways, it might be as good a time as any to tell ye all, that we¡¯ll be taking our leave as well. We gotta hurry on home. Y¡¯ are of course welcome to tag along but we gotta warn our folks and since we¡¯re not needed around here anymore, it¡¯s as good a time as any. We¡¯ll be stocking up on a few provisions and sail within a day or two. Provided we got ¡®em darn pirates out of our brig by then.¡± He scratched his beard pensively before he continued. ¡°I think I know where y¡¯re coming from, lass. It¡¯s one thing to tell folks what ye intend to do but quite another to watch them go when you haven¡¯t planned for it, isn¡¯t it? But¡­ except for yer girl, ye can¡¯t expect us to always stay at yer side. But ye know as much, don¡¯t ye? So why don¡¯t ye tell us what¡¯s really got yer knickers in a knot?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention turned to me and I had to admit, it wasn¡¯t easy letting down my proverbial pants in front of them. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m afraid, damn it! You want to know what¡¯s changed? Them,¡± I said, pointing at the vampire queen who had her daughter in her lap. ¡°I¡¯ve realised what¡¯s gotten me through the last weeks and it¡¯s all of you. I¡­ just ask them if they would separate for anything in the world. I¡­ I lost my home, the same as all of you and I can¡¯t bear the thought of going through it once again. Because that¡¯s what you are to me. Our band of ragtag misfits has become just that, a home, a place where I feel safe. I don¡¯t want to give that up.¡± ¡°Hon,¡± my mum intervened, ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way, I really am, but that¡¯s¡­ what do you imagine is going to happen from now on? Do you think we¡¯ll all just stay somewhere safe so you have a place to return to? That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve taught you and that¡¯s not really what you want, is it? I think I still know some parts of your personality better than you know them yourself and you¡¯re lying, most of all, you¡¯re lying to yourself. In some ways¡­ you¡¯re afraid of failure, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re afraid you¡¯ll mess up, now that you actually have a chance to do something, now, that you¡¯re not forced to simply keep on trodding forward. From now on, it won¡¯t be bad luck or shitty circumstances but your¡­ our own decisions that cause us hurt and pain. And to compensate, you want to preserve what¡¯s important to you, to keep it safe and far away from the potential fallout of your mistakes. Cassy¡­ remember back on the island when you wanted to stay? I felt almost the same but I still would¡¯ve let you. It hurts, it sucks but it¡¯s necessary and we can¡¯t waste the few resources we actually have. Come on, Cassandra, you¡¯re better than this. You don¡¯t have to like it, hells, I know I don¡¯t, but you can still smile and wish your brother the best of luck. He¡¯s going either way and the least you can do is put on a brave face and send him off properly. Besides, he won¡¯t be alone, will he?¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± I quickly asked, a foreboding feeling spreading through my chest. ¡°We talked quite a bit before your return. I¡¯m going to tag along. You¡¯re¡­ from what you¡¯ve told us you¡¯ll have to go to the elven capital in a week and afterwards you¡¯ll be off to visit Ahri¡¯s family and then, there is that draconic naming ceremony you committed yourself to. Those are things¡­ essentially, those are things you¡¯ll have to deal with with your friends. You are my daughter and you always will be, but, and trust me, it wasn¡¯t easy to come to that conclusion, there are parts of your life I can¡¯t help you with. As much as I want to, it would do neither me nor you any good if I were to remain at your side for now. Besides¡­ I have two more children and I think they need me more than you do, at least for now.¡± I was speechless for a moment. Rationally, I knew she was right, but that didn¡¯t help, not in the slightest. Something had triggered me and if I had been forced to guess I would have put my money on two things. Firstly, despite who I was, I still harboured the soul of a child in my body and I was decently convinced she was moping right about now. Secondly, even the immortal aspect of my being didn¡¯t deal particularly well with abandonment, I had had more than enough of it in my previous life. Basically, I didn¡¯t mind for as long as I was the one leaving, but being left¡­ that didn¡¯t sit well with me. I felt like my family was being torn apart, all over again. Like I said, maybe a bit unfair but I couldn¡¯t help it. All I could do was suck it up and put on a brave face, like my mother wanted me to. And maybe reduce the temper tantrum to a minimum. A soft touch shook me from my thoughts. ¡°I know how you feel, I truly do,¡± Ahri whispered. ¡°And you can rage and cry all you want, once we¡¯re alone, but don¡¯t do it now. It¡¯s okay to be a hypocrite, we all are, but you can¡¯t act on it. You¡¯ll do yourself and your family a huge disservice. Besides, they really are right. But I think you know that. Now, smile and tell them you¡¯re sorry, even if you don¡¯t mean it.¡± I snaked one of my tails around her leg and squeezed it lightly. ¡°I¡­ of course you¡¯re right,¡± I said loudly and with much more conviction than I actually felt to cover up how much my voice trembled. I turned towards my brother and added: ¡°you¡¯re no coward, quite the contrary and I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I can¡¯t pretend I like what you¡¯re going to do but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve got the right to try to stop you¡­ and if mum is going to be with you, I¡¯ll most certainly see your infuriating face again,¡± I added with a lopsided smile. ¡°Still¡­ you¡¯ll look out for each other, won¡¯t you? Please, promise me at least that much.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m accompanying him to have some sort of vacation? Maybe board a pleasure cruise while I¡¯m at it? Of course I¡¯ll look out for him, him, Arthur and Reia. We¡¯ll take the little vixen and her friends with us, whether she likes it or not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I get a say in the matter at all,¡± the girl in question piped up. ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know?¡± ¡°No!¡± At least in that regard, we were all of one opinion. ¡°Fine,¡± I continued and pointedly ignored Reia¡¯s protests which was more difficult than I had thought since Estrella and Archy also decided to speak their mind. None of them were particularly happy with being treated like luggage. ¡°So, where does that leave us? When do you intend to go?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Mordred replied, ¡°we know Arthur isn¡¯t too far away, he¡¯s sailing to pick up the kids, after all. We were thinking about asking him to come here so he could pick us up. That would still give us a couple of days to settle matters here and once you¡¯re off to the north, we¡¯ll join him. Unless¡­ what about the rest of you? The dwarfs are going to head back home and I imagine the rest will go with Cassy or am I mistaken?¡± Erya was the first to reply. ¡°We,¡± she included Auguros and Morgan with a sweeping gesture, ¡°will. If that girl¡­ Zara, wasn¡¯t it, isn¡¯t completely deluded, there¡¯s a war brewing between my family and the elves. I can¡¯t just ignore it. And while these two have more than one bone to pick with their people, they¡¯re still fey. Plus, I¡¯m not going to let my granddaughter out of my sight in the foreseeable future. So I guess your stuck with us, your Highness.¡± She gave me a mock bow and fell silent again. ¡°The same holds true for us,¡± Astra added. ¡°That is, the reasoning, not the relationships behind it. It was our father who instigated the conflict our people are headed towards and it¡¯s our responsibility to make sure we won¡¯t sacrifice our chance to defend our world in exchange for satisfying superficial grievances. Plus, I think you could use our help once you reach the Emerald Island. Elvish politics are convoluted and our knowledge might prove to be invaluable, despite the crystal we prepared for you. Especially if you intend to navigate the upper echelons of our nobility. And from what you¡¯ve told us, that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re going to do. Unless¡­ you don¡¯t intend to burn down our capital, once you¡¯re there, do you? That would make things¡­. Awkward.¡± ¡°Not if I can help it,¡± I chuckled and turned towards Viyara. ¡°You¡¯ll come with us, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯ve got much of a choice in the matter, but of course I¡¯m going to go with you. If nothing else¡­¡± she was interrupted when Layla suddenly decided to chime in. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± she said while she squirmed in her mother¡¯s lap. ¡°Why do any of you even have to leave. I thought you¡¯d stay here, with us. I don¡¯t want you to go,¡± she added more subduedly. Her mother gave Ahri and me a stare that pretty much said I told you so before she explained: ¡°Honey, they have their own families and friends to take care of. But I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come back to visit you as often as they get the chance. Won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°And we still have a couple of days before we¡¯re leaving. Plenty of time to get tired of us.¡± While I was talking I realised that Reia¡¯s expression had changed. She wasn¡¯t frowning with consternation anymore but looked rather pensive, her eyes sparkling intriguingly. What in all the hells was she planning now? As much as I liked her and wanted to have her around me, I couldn¡¯t deny that it was going to be a load off my chest when she¡¯d be safe and sound on her way to Arthur¡¯s village. I cleared my throat and added as an afterthought: ¡°besides, if your mum is in control of the gateways, we won¡¯t be more than a few days away, wherever we end up.¡± Not strictly true since I could come up with quite a few scenarios where that wouldn¡¯t work from the top of my head, but I still meant it and I wanted to see her again, her and her mother. ¡°Which brings us to the present,¡± Alassara said while she comfortingly stroked Layla¡¯s head. ¡°Whatever either of you is planning afterwards, for now, the question is what you actually want to achieve in this city. Cassandra and I have spoken briefly on the way here¡­ we even met one of my brother¡¯s former servants. As of now, they¡¯re trying to convince the other Captains that I¡¯m a suitable replacement. I¡¯m not convinced they¡¯ll manage but with the information they have gathered from the spies my brother captured, I¡¯m quite sure they¡¯ll be inclined to command their fleets to return. Of course, we won¡¯t know until they join us later tonight, but I think it¡¯s reasonable to assume they¡¯ll be successful, at least in regards to that endeavour. After all, the Captains must have already realised that the Dawn Fleet isn¡¯t as well represented as the other ones. Now, if the ships are saved, the question remains, what then?¡± ¡°It largely depends on you, doesn¡¯t it,¡± my mum replied. ¡°We¡¯re strangers here with out any political power. I guess it¡¯d be much more appropriate to ask what you intend to do.¡± ¡°I want this city to change, in the long run and since I¡¯m not forced to battle my brother every step of the way anymore, I even think I¡¯ve got a decent chance. But¡­ that won¡¯t matter if we¡¯re swept away on the tide that¡¯s growing in the East. For years now, the force from across the waves has influenced the Pirates, turned them into a something much closer to an actual fighting force than the ragtag band of brigands they were before. I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to make sure my daughter has a home she can grow up in and for that, I need influence. I need a seat at the table and the resources of my brother. And for both, I dearly need your help.¡± She turned to me and inclined her head. ¡°You¡¯ve already done more for me than I could have expected, but I¡¯d like to ask for your support one more time. If the strength of my family was combined with the power you represent, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be much of a challenge to convince the other Captains that resisting me would be futile. If it was up to me, I¡¯d use the time you have left around here to open the eyes of every human to the dangers that are slowly creeping towards our island. Cassy already mentioned that my brother organised a get together in a few days¡­ and even though the others know that he¡¯s crossed over into the eternal night, I¡¯d still like to go through with it.¡± She paused to collect her thoughts. ¡°The other Captains will want to meet me in person and judge how I could fit into their circle. I¡¯d like to use the time we have until then to show everybody just how much strength I could bring to the table. And while my own children will surely make an impression, it¡¯s nothing compared to what you did, Cassandra.¡± To say I was surprised would be an understatement. ¡°Huh, what do you mean? Most people around here don¡¯t even know me and the few who do are either dead or they¡¯ve seen me as a pretty toy on your arm. And those would only be the few we¡¯ve met on our way here.¡± She smiled at me and replied: ¡°While that¡¯s true, it¡¯s only because they don¡¯t associate the benevolent spirit who has turned the Mask into a vitalising wave of energy with the slender girl in front of me. You haven¡¯t had the time yet to hear it for yourself, but many are convinced that the slumbering gods of ages past are living among us, once again. If it were to become known that you¡¯re the one behind healing the ailing, you¡¯d have people lining up to join your following left and right.¡± While I was still struggling with what she had said, my mum asked, deadly quiet: ¡°Now that you¡¯ve brought it up, I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ we know the Mask had the backing of vampires and, whether it¡¯s true or not, we have been told that you¡¯re the one who helped him secure his position in the city. As you might imagine, I¡¯m more than curious who actually helped him capture us, so let me ask directly. Was it you?¡± Shit, she was right. I had completely forgotten what Tharos had told us but chances were, Alassara was at least indirectly responsible for the pain my family had been forced to go through. ¡°Yes,¡± the vampire answered calmly. ¡°In a way, but I never knew what he actually wanted to do. Otherwise he would¡¯ve died by my own hand long before he could have harmed you, this I swear.¡± 197. Of trouble, invitations and a little bit of schemes Cassandra Pendragon My mom didn¡¯t seem very satisfied with her reassurance, a deep growl building in the back of her throat. ¡°How quaint,¡± she said. ¡°But even if you were telling the truth, it wouldn¡¯t change a gods damned thing for us. If you raise a rabid dog, it will bite whoever comes near it. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know, because you did, the very moment you agreed to help that psychopath.¡± Alassara shrugged in response. ¡°Why do you expect me to say, your Majesty? That I¡¯m sorry? I am but it won¡¯t undo your suffering. That I never wanted you or your family to get hurt? Because I still don¡¯t. He was a tool, a dangerous one that I barely managed to control but that made him useful. He was a poison that I willingly unleashed to break my brother¡¯s hold and in that regard, he achieved more in a handful of years than I could¡¯ve imagined. Of course I knew that he might one day bite me or someone I cared about, but that¡¯s the risk with sharp blades. They cut both ways. So yes, I was the one who supplied him with the resources he needed to capture you, but from what I¡¯ve learned about his past, you¡¯re just as much at fault. While I supported him, you and yours set him on that path and I¡¯m not willing to accept the responsibility for using him to the best of my abilities. Like I said, I am sorry for what you had to go through, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m sorry for what I did.¡± My thoughts were racing, not because I disagreed with her, but because I knew my mum well enough to understand how she¡¯d react to Alassara insinuating that she might have been at fault as well for her son¡¯s suffering. And just as I had expected, her fur rose and silvery light started to dance in her eyes, turning them into small shards of the full moon. Her body tensed and I was already preparing to snatch her out of her jump but before she could move, my brother spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s right. It¡¯s as much her fault as it is mine, or yours for that matter. You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs. I think we¡¯ve been through enough to know the truth behind those words. Yes, we paid the price for Alassara¡¯s actions, but she didn¡¯t mean us any harm. Or do you thinks she would have brought her daughter here if that was the case? Let it rest. She said she¡¯s sorry. I believe her. If even I can manage, you will, too. Swallow your hurt pride and act like you always taught us to. We can¡¯t afford to alienate the few people who are actually on our side. And I think there¡¯s no room for doubt where the vampire¡¯s allegiances are concerned.¡± I had to smile. Who would have thought that my brother would turn out to be the voice of reason? ¡°Is it just me, or did he grow up while they were in the city,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear. ¡°It sure looks like it. Let¡¯s hope my mum listens to him, otherwise this might yet turn ugly, fast.¡± Luckily, she did and even though her fur still stood on edge, the glow in her eyes dimmed. She stopped growling and turned her head away, blinking rapidly. ¡°Fine,¡± she practically hissed after a moment, as far as her telepathy was able to convey the sentiment. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to pretend like nothing has happened. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we¡¯ll be even once she has secured the support of Free Land and not a moment sooner.¡± Alassara inclined her head and replied: ¡°I would have expected nothing less. And as a mother myself, I admire your strength. I¡¯m not convinced I would have been able to do the same if I had been in your place.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t goad me, vamp. I¡¯m not your friend. We need you but I¡¯m not willing to forget what your struggle for power has cost us.¡± ¡°Maybe we should let the topic rest,¡± Erya quickly intervened before the two of them had a chance to go right back at it again. ¡°For now at least, we¡¯re all in the same boat. So, instead of gnawing on past grievances, whether real or not, like a dog on a bone, we should maybe move on. As far as I¡¯ve understood what¡¯s happening, we¡¯ll have to wait for Tharos and Silas to join us tonight, before we can actually make any sensible decisions. Is there something we still have to discuss beforehand, because otherwise, I¡¯d quite like to take my granddaughter for a walk, instead of listening to your squabbling. No offence, but to stake your claims, you don¡¯t need all of us around and I¡¯m quite sure we all have things we want to get back to. Time hasn¡¯t exactly been an abundant commodity in the last days.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Xorlosh replied, ¡°one thing still comes to mind, though. Watcha gonna do with the Pirates we still have locked up. We¡¯ve been there before, but we still don¡¯t have reached a decision.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± Alassara answered after a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll take them off your hands.¡± When I narrowed my eyes, she raised her hands in a placating gesture. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill or turn them, far from it. But I have the means to make use of them, if they¡¯re willing and to make sure they understand how bad of an idea it would be to turn against us, if they¡¯re not. If it makes you feel any better, you¡¯re all welcome to come along and ensure I stay within bounds.¡± ¡°I trust you,¡± I said and shrugged. ¡°For me, that¡¯s fine, but I¡¯d like to talk to Clovis somewhere down the line. He¡¯s the most senior member of the bunch. It doesn¡¯t have to be today, though. Or are you planning on dealing with them right now?¡± ¡°No, actually I wanted to take my daughter home before returning here tonight and offer you all the chance to join me. While this place doesn¡¯t lack in luxuries, it¡¯s not very safe. You¡¯re heartily invited to stay with us for the next few days and I can assure you, my home is more than comfortable enough to satisfy even the needs of royalty. Also, since we¡¯re going to work together, at least for a while, it might be for the best if you were to get to know some of my turned children. But of course, if you preferred to stay here, I¡¯d completely understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. But not right now. I still have some things on mind I want to try and as minuscule as the chance is, I¡¯d still rather blow this place up than your home. But of course, I can¡¯t speak for the others.¡± My statement was answered by curious looks and rolling eyes but nobody deemed it necessary to inquire further. ¡°I imagine you¡¯ll need my help,¡± Mephisto finally said. ¡°How about this: it¡¯s about three hours after noon. Why don¡¯t we meet back here in, let¡¯s say, 4 hours. That should be plenty of time for everyone to get things done and we¡¯ll still have an hour or two before your¡­ servants, Alassara, will return. And as for moving, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting to know a vampire¡¯s lair but I imagine Helena isn¡¯t quite so keen on entering the bat¡¯s roost, so to say.¡± My mum shrugged which made her tails move up and down in a wave like motion. ¡°Why would I mind? If anything goes wrong, I at least won¡¯t have very far to go to find an outlet for my displeasure. That is, if your invitation even includes me, Alassara.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Of course it does. We¡¯ll have to find common ground somehow and I imagine a shared glass of wine will go a long way in that regard. If it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll be back here in four hours and show you the way. Or is there anything else?¡± Silence was her only reply and without further ado, she got up and took Layla¡¯s hand. ¡°Until then,¡± she said while already moving towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure to meet you and I¡¯m looking forward to the coming days. Stay safe.¡± She ushered her daughter through the door and the girl turned around one last time to wave at me and wink at Reia before she was dragged along. When had those two had the chance to become acquainted? Oh well, some things I didn¡¯t have to know but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they would cause a boatload of trouble somewhere down the line if we weren¡¯t carful. ¡°Well then, I guess that¡¯s it, for now. We¡¯ll be off, too,¡± Erya stated as she got up and beckoned for Morgan to follow her. ¡°We¡¯ll be back in an hour or two. Take care¡­ and Cassy, try not to blow yourself or anyone else to smithereens, while you¡¯re at it, would you?¡± She hesitated for a moment and kissed my brother on the cheek before she glided out the door, her perplexed granddaughter on her heels. My room was more crowed than I had expected. While I had thrown Reia unceremoniously out the door, I couldn¡¯t quite do the same thing with my mum, brother or Viyara. Consequentially, Ahri, Mephisto, the silver vixen, black fox and golden dragoness were cluttered around my bed where I had spread everything from my stamp, as well as the gem Shassa was confined to and the tome I had taken from Zara. Mephisto had added the last statuette and we were staring at quite the impressive collection of artefacts, some of which were probably powerful enough to cause a war. The trinkets from the dragon¡¯s hoard didn¡¯t hold as much appeal by now, with Ahri¡¯s and my changes and Mephisto¡¯s restored access to different forms of energy, we weren¡¯t as hard pressed for varying healing methods. Still, even if we decided to sell them, the amount of gold we¡¯d be able to get would make quite the difference. And having the means to buy our way out of some of the trouble we were likely going to stumble into sure as all hells sounded nice. ¡°There are quite a few things I want to get done today. Firstly, now that I¡¯ve gained access to my magic, I want to know how I can properly use my stamp and if there¡¯s anything I shouldn¡¯t do. Then, there¡¯s this,¡± I pointed at the frozen, feathered snake in its diamond tomb, ¡°and lastly¡­ well, things have changed quite a bit since we were forced to flee from the volcano. Incidentally, that¡¯s also why I didn¡¯t want Reia around.¡± I paused to look everyone in the eye before I continued. ¡°From an individual perspective, I think it¡¯s safe to assume that we¡¯ve got a decent amount of power assembled here. Isn¡¯t it about time we used it? I lack the knowledge to actually exercise my gifts and the same holds true for Ahri, Viyara and you, mum. But you don¡¯t have the same problem, Mephisto, do you? So, let me ask plainly: with our help, can you end this war before it has even begun?¡± He didn¡¯t even have to take a moment to think about it, which told me it wasn¡¯t the first time he was wrestling with the question. ¡°Maybe. There are spells, rituals, runes¡­ I could probably turn this world into an atomic wasteland or raise an army of the dead, break the spirit of its people or make the sea rise and swallow whatever the emperor has built across the waves¡­ that is, unless I¡¯m opposed.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean,¡± Mordred asked. ¡°Opposed by whom?¡± ¡°Either you or Amazeroth. For one, would you be willing to sacrifice the life of countless, unseen people to achieve your goals? Because that¡¯s what I can offer. Large scale magic isn¡¯t subtle or targeted, it¡¯s violent, cruel and always comes at a price. A price I¡¯m willing to pay but I¡¯m not so sure about you. Also, ever since I¡¯ve regained a part of my power, I¡¯ve tried to decipher what kind of wards and spells Amazeroth has cast. He¡­ he has protected this planet from most immortals but for one reason or the other he has tied his wards to the inherent web of energy that keeps this world alive. Skipping most of the technicalities, he basically made it impossible to use magic on the scale you¡¯re imagining without destroying the wards. They¡¯re bound to the balance of energies here and if I were to upset that balance, they¡¯d crumble immediately after. And then¡­¡± he didn¡¯t finish his sentence but he didn¡¯t have to. We could all imagine what would happen if my family was suddenly able to find me. And while I thought I might find a way to run and hide, thanks to the present my last incarnation had left me, this world, our world would burn. I had a gnawing suspicion that it might, either way, since I already had the seed with me, or rather Reia had it, that would one day bloom into a sanctuary that was supposed to keep everyone alive when Gaya was eventually consumed by fire and flame. But I¡¯d be damned if I was the one to ignite the first ember and seal our fate. ¡°You¡¯ve made it pretty clear what we can¡¯t do,¡± I finally said. ¡°Basically we have to play by the rules of this world, otherwise the floodgates will open. So what can we do?¡± He shrugged. ¡°What you did when you ordered the vampires to sleep a few hours ago is the absolute limit. If you hadn¡¯t managed to recall the spell, the wards would have shattered. It¡¯s a question of scale. Everything that doesn¡¯t fundamentally change the balance is fair game. For instance, impressive as it was, that little show you put on with the Mask or even the changes you inflicted on your mother didn¡¯t matter much in the wider scope of things. You supplied the energy and the web was untouched, more or less. If you were to command an entire city to do your bidding¡­ well, it might work out, if we¡¯re really lucky, but then again, we seldomly are. I¡¯d stay away from any form of magic that might influence more than¡­ let¡¯s say a few dozens of people.¡± ¡°What about the wards themselves,¡± Ahri inquired. ¡°Can¡¯t we strengthen them beforehand?¡± Mephisto shook his head slowly. ¡°Those things¡­ I¡¯m not going to pretend that I even come close to understanding how they operate. If I had a couple of years, I might be able to replicate or change them, but that¡¯s not overly helpful, is it? And as for casting new ones¡­ I¡¯m good, I really am, but I don¡¯t think anyone but the Lord of Mirrors is that good. I can¡¯t even begin to understand how he layered the different transcendent sigils against each other to make them almost impervious to immortal interference. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the only immortal, who could come to this planet uninvited is you, Cassandra. Which might be one of our greatest advantages. I¡¯m decently sure you can also leave. Which means this world is something akin to a safe haven, a place where you can return to without being followed.¡± ¡°Fascinating as that might be, it¡¯s hardly relevant now,¡± I replied. ¡°And it won¡¯t be for quite a while. What matters now is, how we can end the threat Amon poses for us and this continent. Can we kill him directly?¡± ¡°Sure you can,¡± the demon stated. ¡°You¡¯d have to find him first, though. I¡¯m certain he¡¯ll be protect from most scrying spells and while I assume the protection could be broken, we¡¯d still need a focus. Something to connect to. It¡¯s a pity none of the acolytes survived. Their runes might have just been what we need. Also, even if you managed to find him, you¡¯d have to get to him first. Usually I¡¯d say that¡¯s the easy part, but don¡¯t forget he¡¯s got a demon in his pocket. There¡¯s no telling how many layers of powerful enchantments, runes and armies you¡¯d have to crack to get to him.¡± ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Ahri chimed in, ¡°what about Amazeroth? Couldn¡¯t we just summon him?¡± Mephisto sighed. ¡°No, unfortunately we can¡¯t. He already formed the pact and for as long as his existing chains aren¡¯t broken, he¡¯s sealed. As soon as Amon is dead or has relinquished his hold, it would be possible. In essence it all boils down to a single question. Why would a nigh omnipotent being tie itself to a lunatic with megalomaniacal aspirations? If we knew the reason, we might be able to start unravelling Amon¡¯s plans.¡± ¡°But we do, don¡¯t we,¡± I murmured. ¡°He¡¯s bound himself to Amon to circumvent the bargains he¡¯s struck in the past.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but why Amon,¡± Mephisto asked. ¡°He could have chosen anyone¡­ why would he tie himself to the villain of the piece?¡± ¡°Control,¡± my mum replied calmly. ¡°The position he¡¯s in gives him the utmost control over what¡¯s happening. In a way, as repellent as the idea is, couldn¡¯t he have instigated this whole affaire to turn Cassy into the being he believes she has to become in order to survive her future?¡± 198. Of powers, limits and a little bit of gold Cassandra Pendragon Silence was her only response while we digested what she had said. Not that I was particularly surprised, for while I had never stated it as plainly as my mum just had, the thought had crossed my mind, once or twice. Maybe even a bit more often than that. Still, while I thought she was right, I didn¡¯t believe it was all about me. In a way, Amazeroth had been influencing all of us for longer than I could even imagine. Years, decades, centuries¡­ it was impossible to tell when he had actually begun weaving his web, or, in other words, rallying his soldiers. He had manipulated Aurora, probably most of our people long before I had been born and judging from his interference with Greta, I hadn¡¯t escaped his clutches in my previous life, either. The question was, to what end? Stitching together the few scenes from my past I had already witnessed, I was fairly certain he was fighting against the Corruption and trying to stir the cosmos away from a repetitive cycle of woe and war. But why here, why now? Why hadn¡¯t he helped me in the past? I wasn¡¯t exactly humble but there was no way in hell I¡¯d become as powerful as I had been in a few measly years. I was still far away from being a match for any immortal, never mind being a threat to several. From the top of my head I could only come up with two explanations. One, I had never managed to realise my potential in my previous life. There could have been a million different reasons, from the sealed memories of the First War to plain stubbornness, but it might just be possible that I hadn¡¯t been able to do what was necessary because I had manoeuvred myself into a corner. Two, and that was what really made me nervous, the Corruption couldn¡¯t have been stopped back then. Thinking back, there had been a thousand and one ways how my death, my defeat could have been prevented. If he hadn¡¯t erased Aurora¡¯s memories, if he had talked to me sooner¡­ they wouldn¡¯t have spilled my blood in the void. Not to mention that I had probably taken my toll on the other immortals as well. I didn¡¯t know how many I had hurt or straight up killed, but considering how adamant they had been in their united desire to see me gone, I imagined there had been a quite a few. Why allow all of that to happen? Unless the Corruption was something akin to a disease, something that had to get worse, to rise to the surface, before it could be cleansed. It would also fit the timeframe. Amazeroth had been at it since the First War, that much I knew. I had seen how I had come into contact with the corrosive energy during those days, after all and I had been on my way to ask for his help shortly after. Combined, the little pieces of the mosaic formed a picture that shook me to my very core. I could just as well be wrong but the only reason I could come up with that made a modicum of sense was that the Corruption was closely tied to our existence, the existence of all immortals. It flare up whenever mortals meddled with our power since they couldn¡¯t contain it, but for us, it slowly accumulated over the ages, warping our existence. Mephisto had even told me as much a few days ago: Living is corruptive. A fresh start is needed, once in a while. Maybe his words had a much more literal meaning than I had thought, back then. Holy hells, was Amazeroth preparing a war that would see our people eradicated or fundamentally changed? Was he guiding us to an end none of us could survive? ¡°What is it,¡± Ahri asked, her lips drawn tight in worry. ¡°You¡¯re pale as a sheet. What¡¯s going through your mind?¡± ¡°Nothing I want to voice out loud, at least for now. But this,¡± I indicated the tome, ¡°I need to know what¡¯s written in there. I¡¯ve never told any of you, except for Ahri, where I got this book, have I?¡± They shook their heads and Mephisto replied: ¡°Ahri told us that it contains the spell to summon you, but that¡¯s about it. What else have you figured out?¡± ¡°There was a passage in there that only became visible once I touched it. The book was written and hidden by Amazeroth as a safeguard, in case other immortals were to find this place before we had the chance to meet. He stored some of his memories in there.¡± I leaned forward and open an arbitrary page, the complex sigils glowing in the light. ¡°From what I¡¯ve already read, I should be able to access these, but I have no clue how. Any ideas?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Mephisto slowly answered, ¡°I do have a few but I¡¯m not quite willing to try them. If this book was indeed left for you, it¡¯s very likely that anyone other than yourself touching it in any way, would result either in its destruction or a decidedly unpleasant experience. From the looks of it, it appears to be a simple sympathetic connection, linking experiences to the corresponding runes. Once they¡¯re activated, all you have to do is¡­ well, read. The trick is finding out how to actually imbue them with the correct amount and form of energy. I wouldn¡¯t recommend anyone but you to try, though. Which in turn means, you¡¯ll have to learn a couple of spells to analyse the structure. If I had to guess and we were pressed for time, I¡¯d say dumping a junk of your transcendent powers into them would do the trick. But unless there¡¯s a reason why you have to know what¡¯s in there right this second, I¡¯d advise you to wait. You should be able to grasp the spells you need quickly enough and then, you can be sure that you¡¯re not going to blow up everything around you when you try to activate the runes.¡± ¡°What do you mean by quickly enough?¡± ¡°If you truly tried, I¡¯d say a few days, not more. It¡¯s not overly complicated and depending on how much of your memories we can get to resurface it might even be much faster.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you or anyone else for that matter just share your memories, your understanding with me?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve already said it yourself. You need to understand what you¡¯re doing. Everybody has their own way to access magic and spells, depending on who they are. What works for me doesn¡¯t necessarily work for you. It¡¯s the same reason why you only gained abstract knowledge from your past. The way Lucifer thought and did things differs greatly from what you¡¯re going to do, from what you will have to do to make your magic work.¡± ¡°Why did you mention resurfacing memories, then?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m fairly certain this thing works with transcendent energies, otherwise anyone would be able to read it, given enough time. And the way we manipulate transcendent energies is linked to our core. In other words, it doesn¡¯t change when we reincarnate.¡± ¡°But¡­then it¡¯s as good as useless. I¡¯m still a far cry away from being able to control my transcendent powers.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter too much, I think. The sparks that have already taken over your astral body should be enough. But this, unfortunately also means you¡¯ll have to acquire a bit of skill before you can make use of the memories, since you¡¯ll have to guide your mana in a specific way. Cast a spell, in other words.¡± ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Viyara said slowly, still caught up in her thoughts. ¡°Cassy, do you remember when I tried to push a spell through you, back when we were in my father¡¯s hoard?¡± ¡°Sure, how could I forget? Even though I¡¯ve gained a bit of perspective since then, it was still a thoroughly unenjoyable moment. Let me guess, you want to try again? Now that my astral body has developed, you expect us to succeed, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well yes, and I think we could circumvent the restrictions that keep you from reading the runes. It won¡¯t be a surrogate for your magic, but with my help, you might be able to decipher the sigils.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t, unfortunately,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°You can try to cast the required spells through Cassy and her power should, in theory, infuse and support your magic, but¡­ remember what Erya told us about taking over a curse. As far as I know, the same thing holds true for spells. It would be fuelled by Cassy¡¯s power but the intent would still be yours. I don¡¯t think that would turn out too well for the both of you, considering whom you¡¯re trying to trick here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± I agreed and wrapped one of my tails around Ahri¡¯s waist, mouthing ¡°thanks for the save.¡± ¡°The risk isn¡¯t worth it, but I¡¯m still curious to know if you can work your magic through me, in general. We should give it a try, sometime. But for now¡­ If I have to take the long way round, what exactly do I have to learn?¡± ¡°Not that much, basics, mostly. As far as I remember you¡¯ve got an innate form of heightened vision, don¡¯t you,¡± the demon inquired. After my nod he continued: ¡°that should cover most of what you need, we just have to tweak it a little bit. Usually people develop their magic long before they can a start to actually see it. They have to learn how to sail an airship blindly, that¡¯s why it usually takes ages to learn even the most basic spells. With you, that won¡¯t be the case. Once you get a feeling for how you can actually manipulate the mana around and within you, the rest will come naturally. Like drawing a painting when you can already see its outlines.¡± He closed his eyes and massaged his temples before he continued. ¡°Alright then, we won¡¯t be able to cover much ground in the few hours we¡¯ve got left before Alassara returns,¡± when he mentioned the vampire¡¯s name, my mum growled quietly and I heard her claws ripping through the pillow she was seated on, ¡°but it won¡¯t be difficult to teach you how to use your stamp and then, you can finally store your belongings properly and I won¡¯t have to hurry after you, picking up your things whenever you drop them. We should also be able to finally set the poor creature in that gem free. Afterwards¡­ well, frankly, the easiest way to teach you both,¡± he pointed at Ahri and me, ¡°would be to have you fight over the next few days. Cross swords in the morning and have at it with your magic in the evenings.¡± My fianc¨¦e wanted to interrupt, but the demon droned on unerringly. ¡°No, you can¡¯t get out of it, Ahri. Do you really think that what you did before when you used a reservoir stored in your body is the same as actually casting spells with your own power? Thought not. Now, what do you plan on doing while we wait for the Captains¡¯ gathering?¡± I cocked an eyebrow and answered: ¡°what makes you think I even want to do anything?¡± ¡°You strolled through town without concealing who you are. Not even you are that reckless unless it won¡¯t matter anymore, which tells me you expect to become known around here sooner rather than later. So¡­ are you going to be the immortal avenger who turned the Mask into stardust or an exiled princess? What¡¯s it going to be hon, pity or power?¡± I chuckled quietly. ¡°A bit of both, I guess. How much gold do you think we could get if we were to sell the artefacts we still have?¡± ¡°Here? Scarce as any magic is? Enough for whatever you want to do.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Because I want to buy the slaves off the markets, every last one of them and commission a few ships. Provided Clovis and his former pirates are willing to train them and turn them into our own little fleet.¡± They stared at me as if I had just grown a second head. ¡°What? Is my idea that terrible?¡± ¡°Actually¡­no,¡± my mum replied after a few seconds. ¡°But probably impractical. Could we get enough coin to pay for all of that?¡± It was Mephisto¡¯s turn to chuckle. ¡°Even if we couldn¡¯t¡­ gold is a basic element and as such a pure manifestation of earth. With a little time and some help, I can conjure however much you need.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not serious,¡± I gasped. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°Of course I am. It¡¯s never been an option before but with the amount of essence that¡¯s still within the remaining statuette of a forgotten goddess, I can at least manage some more impressive parlour tricks. It¡¯ll take about a week, but¡­ Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Two things. First, you¡¯ve never considered telling us? Do you know how much money can buy? And secondly¡­ we¡¯ve never really talked about the statuettes after we got out of the tomb. Is Isis still in there?¡± I had actually been staring because I had remembered Pete¡¯s words, when we had arrived on Free Land. With enough money we would have been able to buy the information we had needed, but Mephisto had never uttered so much as a single syllable. Since the magic needed several days to prepare, I could hardly hold it against him, but my temper still flared beneath the surface. ¡°Huh. The first question is easy to answer. Better than you, but it didn¡¯t matter¡­ we didn¡¯t have the time nor did I have the capabilities¡­ and I¡¯ve told you now, haven¡¯t I? As for your second question¡­ she is, in a way.¡± He rolled up the sleeves of his robe and adopted his bendy legged lecturer¡¯s pose. ¡°Those things, they are ingenious pieces of magical architecture. It¡¯s a true pity you destroyed¡­: when he saw the icy glare my mum, Mordred and I shot in his direction, he quickly hurried on, ¡°¡­ but I¡¯m sure there was no other way. In any case, they were formed or rather forged with an obscene amount of souls. Now, before you jump down my throat, those poor blighters are gone.¡± ¡°You destroyed them,¡± Ahri casually asked but I felt her temperature rise, putting the lie to her projected calmness. ¡°Please, why would I? No, they were¡­ warped, their essence forged into something new that still contains remnants of the past. Those shadows you have fought in there were their manifestations, but they aren¡¯t very real or alive. Their souls have lost their lustre¡­ a flowery description but in essence what happened to them. Souls are nearly as resilient as our cores, but they can be altered, changed¡­ subjugated. Their uniqueness, their¡­ choices were taken and replaced with an ironclad purpose. They were transmuted into the fundamental structure of those realms. And while they still are there, in a way, they¡¯re nothing more than the most precious mortar you could ever hope to find. So yes, they¡¯re gone, no, I didn¡¯t do anything to them and we won¡¯t really be able to set them free. All we could do is destroy the last statuette, but that wouldn¡¯t change much.¡± He sighed deeply and added: ¡°They won¡¯t ever be able to rejoin the cycle. As soon as the realm crumbles, they will drift off into oblivion.¡± ¡°Suddenly I¡¯m not feeling so bad anymore about what I did to the spider,¡± I murmured. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have in the first place,¡± Viyara almost chided me. ¡°There¡¯s enough ambiguity in life without you adding to it. Use her and get rid of her. Nothing good can come from her continued existence and if you ask me, a prison without torture is still much too good for her. Let her face the fires of retribution in whatever hell she¡¯s headed for. The sooner the better. Why do you keep her around anyways? What do you hope to gain?¡± ¡°The keys to Amon¡¯s empire. She knows him, she taught him¡­ I think she can guess what he¡¯ll do next. Where he¡¯ll strike and which forces he¡¯ll be unleashing upon our world.¡± ¡°Then ask her, get it over with. Damn it Cassy, it almost feels like you¡¯re afraid of letting go. The spider, the statuettes, the pirates¡­ you can never make a clean cut, can you?¡± I paused. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe you¡¯re right, maybe I am afraid¡­, but then again, what does it matter? Do you think I¡¯m wrong? Out with it, what¡¯s troubling you? Where do you think I¡¯m mistaken?¡± 199. Of traumas, friends a little bit of consequences Cassandra Pendragon ¡°The slaves¡­ that¡¯s another scheme you can¡¯t control. You¡¯re creating more and more problems instead of solving them. Don¡¯t you see the pattern? Tell me, why don¡¯t you just fly across the ocean and end this farce? Do you honestly believe that there¡¯s someone left who could stop you?¡± Ahri¡¯s eyebrows almost vanished underneath her bangs, Mephisto and Mordred rolled their eyes, my mum rubbed her paws along her snout as if she wasn¡¯t a part of the unfolding drama and I¡­ I was completely perplexed. Had she not been here for the last few minutes? Wasn¡¯t that exactly what I had been asking? It didn¡¯t make any sense, why was she¡­ unless¡­ ¡°Could you give us a moment,¡± I asked quietly. My mom stretched her back and smoothly got to her paws, strolling out the door, her tails swaying. Ahri breathed a kiss against my lips and resolutely ushered the other two out of the room, leaving me behind with a dragoness who wasn¡¯t able to look me in the eyes anymore. I simply stared at her in silence and waited until she¡¯d find the courage to meet my gaze. It took a couple of minutes and observing the change in her expression in the meantime was rather¡­ enlightening. She blushed and scowled, tensed and relaxed in rapid succession, a visible sign of the turmoil in her mind. Her fidgeting didn¡¯t help either. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she finally whispered, still looking everywhere but me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise, but still¡­ care to tell me what went through that head of yours?¡± ¡°Not particularly,¡± she mumbled and I sighed in response. ¡°Fine, then, do you want me to guess?¡± Her eyes widened and shot upwards, something close to fear or panic rising in their sparkling depths. ¡°You know,¡± she replied, her voice even quieter than before. ¡°That you¡¯re falling for me? Yes, I know and truth be told, I¡¯m quiet flattered. But I can¡¯t understand what set you off right now. Look¡­ I trust you and I trust your judgement, but I have to be sure you¡¯re thinking with your head and not your heart. Quite hypocritical, coming from me, believe me, I realise, but¡­ please, I know how difficult this must be, but I need to understand why you suddenly¡­ snapped. If I can¡¯t tell whether you¡¯re actually onto something or just overcome by hormones, I can¡¯t take you seriously and I imagine that would truly make things awkward.¡± I could tell my words had riled her up, a mixture of anger and embarrassment clearly visible in the sharp line of her jaw and the ferocity with which she finally met my stare. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that much of a child,¡± she suddenly spat, the venom in her voice quiet the unwelcome surprise. ¡°Usually? No. You¡¯re unbelievably mature for your age. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always included you, even when I¡¯ve sent my own sister packing. But right now? Viyara, do you really need me to tell you that you¡¯re a mess right now? You even apologised when you calmed down. And I have to know why, otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise you won¡¯t be able to rely on me, since you can¡¯t know when I might snap again.¡± She took a deep breath and composed herself, at least on the surface. With much less fire in her voice she continued: ¡°honestly, I¡¯m not quite sure myself. No¡­ that¡¯s not true. It just sounds stupid, even when I¡¯m thinking about it, never mind saying it out loud.¡± I smiled at her gently and said: ¡°I think we¡¯ve been through enough together that you don¡¯t have to worry I¡¯d think any less of you. Whatever crazy turns and twists you might have come up with. Viyara¡­ you know we won¡¯t ever be lovers, but I can assure you, I still love you, maybe not in the way you¡¯d like me to, but¡­ all hells, you¡¯re carrying a part of me in your chest. Do you honestly think there¡¯s anything that you might say now, that would, in any shape, way or form, change what I feel for you?¡± ¡°No¡­ but when you put it like that, it¡¯s almost depressing,¡± she answered with a lopsided smile. Before I could even draw breath to reply, she hastily continued. ¡°Save your breath, I¡¯ve known from the start¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. So¡­ you wanted to know why I acted out? I¡­ remember what I said? That you fear clean cuts, endings? I¡­ I was afraid that it¡¯s the same with me, that you¡¯re not actually keeping me around because of me, but because you¡¯re afraid to lose a resource you might need, later on. That I am, in a way, nothing more than another gem you¡¯re collecting to carry around and use when the time is right. And that¡­ I couldn¡¯t live with that.¡± The last words were nothing more than the quietest whisper and if her trembling voice hadn¡¯t been enough to tell me just how scared she actually was, the tears pooling in her eyes would have convinced me, all on their own. I didn¡¯t say a word, instead, I got up and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into me. She resisted for the fraction of a second before she buried her head in the nape of my neck and I felt hot tears dripping on my skin. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°And just to be perfectly clear, that¡¯s nowhere near the truth. Gods¡­ please, tell me honestly, have I ever given you a reason to think that?¡± ¡°No¡­ never,¡± she snivelled. ¡°But I can¡¯t help it. I know that¡¯s on me, but I can¡¯t¡­ I simply can¡¯t change how I feel. Usually I can shove it all down but today¡­¡± ¡°What changed,¡± I quietly asked. ¡°First¡­ this morning, when Ahri kissed you, the way she looked at me and Erya¡­ and then you vanished again and I couldn¡¯t¡­ and when you returned, you brought another pretty girl with you¡­¡± I wanted to ask if she meant Layla or her mother but I managed to bite my tongue before I said something incredibly insensitive. ¡°It was just too much,¡± she continued. ¡°And I really am sorry. You¡¯re right and I have been listening. I know you can¡¯t¡­¡± she tightened her grip around me. ¡°I know you can¡¯t just kill Amon, you would if it was possible. But¡­ and this isn¡¯t just my fear¡­ or anger speaking, I still think trying to build a slave fleet is a bad idea.¡± I thought she was desperately trying to change the topic as quickly as possible but I wasn¡¯t going to resist. Maybe it would have been better to finally get everything out in the open, air the laundry so to say, but I wasn¡¯t exactly enjoying our girl talk, either. And honestly, this was something she had to figure out for her self and while I wasn¡¯t overly worried, she¡¯d probably forget all about her feelings for me once we met a few other dragons, I still imagined I¡¯d be the last person who could help her. The more I tried to comfort her, the more problematic it would become. Not that I intended to hide my affection for her in any way, I just wouldn¡¯t force the issue. Ultimately, she would have to find a way to deal with her fear of abandonment. Oh, the irony¡­ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Really now,¡± I said and gently extracted myself from her embrace. ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen or been around slaves before, have you? I¡¯ve grown up with them, as appalling as it might be it you. They¡­ after a while, captivity warps the mind of all things but for culture creating beings¡­ some simply give up after a while, some manage to remain themselves and some¡­ they don¡¯t appear different on the outside and even docile, but the first chance they get, they¡¯ll lash out at everyone and everything. I don¡¯t know how many of them there will be among the humans, but are you sure you want them armed and onboard your ships?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, I think so. This must sound cruel, but I never expected this to work without some bloodshed. That¡¯s why I wanted to involve the humans we captured. I¡¯m quite sure they know how to deal with slaves¡­ former slaves. And while I wouldn¡¯t risk my assets on such a gamble, keep in mind, we have nothing to lose, nothing at all. We have neither ships, nor soldiers. And even if all of them takeover their vessels and make a run for it, we would only have lost gold, of which, I¡¯ve recently found out, we have more than enough,¡± I added with a smile. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you simply support Alassara with money? She must have a much easier time than us, not to mention she¡¯ll actually stay here and can keep an eye on everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re completely right, but¡­ I¡¯ve been in a fight at Layla¡¯s side, I¡¯ve seen the beast that slumbers within them. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I like them both but I¡¯m not fully convinced¡­ they¡¯re predators and I¡¯m not so sure they can always fight their nature. Their desires, their needs are unbelievably strong and I¡¯m quite sure the emperor knows a thing or two about vampires. I¡¯m reluctant to place all my eggs in one basket. That¡¯s the reason why I¡¯d rather have¡­ a backup.¡± She thought about it for a while before she leaned back into me and asked: ¡°Whom do you plan on leaving behind, then?¡± ¡°Well,¡± I chuckled, ¡°I wanted to ask Mordred but since he is dead set on visiting our brother, that¡¯s not an option, is it? One of the minor reasons why I was so angry when he told us what he wants to do. I know, I know,¡± I quickly added when I felt her gathering her breath to reply, ¡°I¡¯m a hypocrite. Sue me.¡± She blinked confusedly: ¡°sue?¡± ¡°Ah, right. It¡¯s a proverb from another planet. I don¡¯t know why¡­ no, I do, I think, but some of my mannerisms are still from earth. Remember in the tomb? The et tu Brutus is another one from there.¡± A knock on the door and a silky voice calling my name interrupted me. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The vampire is stirring. You should better come along,¡± Ahri called from the other side. ¡°Vampire? Oh, you mean Aurelia. She¡¯s still here? I thought¡­ never mind. We¡¯re coming. One minute. Where did you put her anyways?¡± ¡°Viyara knows. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs. Don¡¯t take too long.¡± I heard her light steps retreating down the corridor and the distant, quiet creaks when she descended the stairs. ¡°Want to stay here,¡± I asked the dragoness and patted her head. ¡°I think we could manage without you if you wanted some time to yourself.¡± ¡°No, I¡­ I¡¯m fine, sort of. I¡¯d rather be with you than alone now, anyways.¡± I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re never truly alone, you know that. I¡­ would it make you feel any better if we were to work on our connection in the next days? I¡¯m convinced we could find a way for your telepathy to reach me wherever I am. Who knows, maybe you could even learn to summon me, the same way I can call Ahri.¡± The first real smile tugged on the corners of her mouth and even though it was quiet rewarding, I was still an idiot. Here I went, doing exactly what I had judged a bad idea. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about the second part but the first I think I¡¯ve already figured out.¡± She closed her eyes and I heard her voice, but it wasn¡¯t the same feeling I was used to. Her words resonated form within my core and not from the outside, as if she was truly a part of me. The connection was also¡­ stronger. Her thoughts and feelings were constantly swirling through my mind, an ever changing landscape, that, at the moment, reminded me of a stormy night with the first glow of the dawn, rising in the east. Each cloud contained fractured moments of her past, carried along on mighty rivers of emotion and thought, a perfect representation of everything she was, laid bare before my inner eye. ¡°I could even feel you when you were inside the summoning circle, but since Ahri was there¡­¡± I immediately knew why she was trying to say. She hadn¡¯t wanted to impose herself on us. ¡°I¡­ thanks for your consideration, but honestly,¡± I pinched her side, which elicited a soft squeal, ¡°please, next time, don¡¯t shut yourself out, especially when you¡¯re struggling. Come on then, let¡¯s meet the newest relic we¡¯ve dug up. Oh and¡­ if you want to, you¡¯re very welcome to keep the link open. I don¡¯t mind in the least. Just¡­ don¡¯t try to snoop around my memories, would you? I¡¯m not quite sure what you might find in there.¡± ¡°I¡­ are you sure? I can see your thoughts and¡­¡± ¡°I know. Really, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not trying to hide anything from you. I¡­ if I¡¯m a part of you it¡¯s only fair that you get to be a part of me, as well. And like this, you¡¯ll always know that you¡¯re not some pretty bauble I¡¯m keeping around because I¡¯m afraid to lose it. I want you to be a part of my family. Now¡­ and for as long as you can stand to be around me. I¡¯ll never push you away.¡± The fur on my tails rose up and I blushed when her lips met my cheek. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try to keep that in mind. And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t try to push.¡± She got up and offered me her hand with a smile. ¡°Shall we?¡± I allowed her to pull me to my feet. Before we left, I quickly swooped up Shassa¡¯s gem and the encased snake, just in case. While I had been out and about, they had place Aurelia in one of the smaller rooms downstairs. She laid on her back, her wings a soft, feathery mattress she rested on while the tresses of her reddish mane flowed around her peaceful face like a halo of rubies. She wasn¡¯t breathing but her fingers twitched form time to time and I could see her eyes move underneath the lids. The rags she had been wearing were gone, replaced by a white, silky nightgown that covered her from her neck down to her ankles. Faint, golden specks of light dance across her skin, almost as if she was an ethereal being and her power was seeping through body, barely tethered to the world. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± the dragoness at my side breathed when we entered the crowded room. Besides Viyara and myself, Ahri, my mum, Mordred, Mephisto, Xorlosh, Auguros, the two elves and even Reia were scattered around her bed, waiting with bated breath for her to open her eyes. ¡°That she is,¡± I replied and swiftly made my way to Ahri¡¯s side. We were both positioned between her and the rest of the room, a living wall, ready to hold her down in case she wouldn¡¯t be as peaceful once she regained her consciousness. With the smell of ozone and a sound like breaking glass, my wings manifested and I wrapped them around the bed, fixing the sleeping beauty in place. Ahri took my hand and entwined our fingers. She gave me a small smile and a nod, her silky voice barely audible over the crackling of my wings. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have allowed your sister to come here but she insisted¡­ apparently, if Aurelia manages to break free from either you or me, Reia won¡¯t be safer anywhere else and I have to admit, she¡¯s not wrong. Even your mother agreed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad, not even surprised. Any ideas how long this might yet take?¡± ¡°She started moving a few minutes ago. When Astra told me, the elves have been keeping her company, I immediately called you. It shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± right on cue, Aurelia¡¯s eyes fluttered open and a soft, warm light spilled through the room. Instantly she tried to get up and I felt her strength as she pushed against my wings, but¡­ well, I wasn¡¯t that young anymore. With a thought I sent more energy through my body, the glow form my eyes intensified and with a surge of power, I pressed her back down. Unfortunately, while she wasn¡¯t harmed, the bed couldn¡¯t take the pressure and splintered with a loud crack. Disoriented and panicked, Aurelia struggled against my embrace, determined to escape the silvery chains that tied her down. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± I said, my voice resonating with a spark of transcendent power. ¡°You¡¯re not in danger here. I¡­ I know you fear me, but there is no reason to. You asked for my help and I¡­ we mean you no harm. You¡¯re safe¡­ and free.¡± With a final squeeze, I loosened my hold on her. 200. Of families, promises and a little bit of hell Cassandra Pendragon Stumbling, she got to her feet, my wings still wrapped around her. We watched her with bated breath, our nerves strung tight. Mutely, she rightened herself, eyes closed as if she was listening to a distant sound none of us could hear. I saw her sniff the air like a predator searching for a scent. My fur bristled and goosebumps erupted all over my arms. Something was off. Instinctively I took a step back and pulled Ahri with me. ¡°Cassy,¡± she whispered, ¡°what is¡­¡± ¡°What a surprise,¡± Aurelia suddenly spoke up, eyes still closed, her body rigid like a stick. ¡°If it isn¡¯t my long lost brother¡­ and that¡¯s Aurora by your side, if I¡¯m not mistaken. Have you missed me?¡± She wasn¡¯t speaking in the trader¡¯s tongue or any other language I had heard before. For the first time since I had opened my eyes, I heard the heavenly language, syllables and sounds older than the universe. But I still remembered and with every word she uttered, the meaning became clear until I knew how to speak the language of my home once again. ¡°I¡­¡± I stammered, the words withering on my tongue. ¡°Sarai,¡± I breathe questioningly while I gesticulated for everyone to get a move on. ¡°Is that you?¡± ¡°Of course. You didn¡¯t expect to meddle with my toys without me knowing, did you?¡± The floorboards creaked when my friends vanished through the door but the angel ignored them, even though she must have heard their steps. Fuck me! The second immortal. How in hell did I deserve this? Had I spent my last life kicking kittens and drowning puppies? ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d bother. She was sealed and forgotten for aeons. What changed?¡± ¡°A drop of your blood. You still haven¡¯t realised who you are, have you? When your power almost vanquished my own¡­ I might be far away but we all can feel it when one of our sparks is devoured. Not that you¡¯d know, eater of immortals.¡± I swallowed dryly. ¡°Am I right in assuming that we aren¡¯t friends anymore? That you¡¯ve thrown in with our brother?¡± ¡°Does it look like I have? Do the gates of heaven open? Are the heavenly fires consuming your planet? Has the host arrived? No? So could you please stop acting like a numbskull? I¡¯m not even opening my eyes to ensure your location remains a secret. But¡­ I could do with a hug. From both of you.¡± She smiled, an honest and pure gesture. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, both of you. And I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ahri and I looked at each other and as if following a silent command I retracted my wings and we stepped forward into the embrace of our sister. What did we stand to lose? If she wanted us dead, we¡¯d die, simple as that. ¡°It¡¯s been too long,¡± Sarai mumbled, her face buried in the nape of Ahri¡¯s neck. ¡°And you smell different. And what¡¯s that,¡± she wrinkled her nose. ¡°Fox hair? Have you both turned into one of the hybrid races? Hah, Lucifer with a tail! And breasts! I always knew you¡¯d one day end up a beast kin, disgusted as you always were with them. But I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually turn into a cute vixen. My¡­ I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing you in person. I think there¡¯s never been a beast kin among our race before, has there? Oh wait, I¡¯m one, ain¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think an immortal phoenix counts. Besides, aren¡¯t you currently in a human skin? Or has that changed as well? And make that tails,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve already got seven of them, thank you very much. And they¡¯re quite fluffy and beautiful. Anyways, it¡¯s Cassandra now, or Cassy and the other vixen is called Ahri.¡± ¡°No¡­ still the same incarnation, all human. So, Cassandra, isn¡¯t that a name form that backwater planet you always skipped off to when you were sulking? What was it called again, earth?¡± ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°No¡­ probably not. Well then, first things first. Who¡¯s with you? I can smell your strength and I¡¯m willing to bet my wings you wouldn¡¯t have come this far in such a small amount of time without incinerating yourself or your world if you hadn¡¯t had some guidance. And Au¡­ Ahri was never much of a teacher. Mephisto made it, I take it? Or have you already drawn the enigmatic stargazer into your fold?¡± ¡°Again, do you really want to know?¡± This time it was Ahri who reminded her. ¡°Huh¡­ no. But honestly, that¡¯s just fucked up. I¡¯ve got so many questions, but yet, I can¡¯t ask them. Well, at least I now know you¡¯re both still around. I had my doubts but obviously you¡¯re harder to get rid off than a cockroach. And a good thing that is¡­¡± she fell silent, her arms tightening around our shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not looking good out there, girls. I¡­ we should have believed in you. I¡¯m so sorry big brother. I never should have doubted you.¡± I patted her head in response, the gesture felt natural, effortless, as if I had already done it a million times before. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve spent a good part of this life doubting myself. And¡­ from what I¡¯ve learned, you haven¡¯t even been wrong. I am¡­ corrupted¡­ I just haven¡¯t changed.¡± She stiffened and I could practically smell her impulse to stare at me, but with an impressive feat of self control, she managed to keep her eyes closed. A single tear wormed it¡¯s way through her quivering lids, leaving behind a golden trail on her alabaster cheek. ¡°Still¡­ I owed it to you and yet¡­ why in the abyss did you act like a traitor? Why didn¡¯t you just refute Michael¡¯s claims and challenged him? I know for a fact you would¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°Maybe I would have, but would it have made a difference? Or would he have become a martyr?¡± ¡°Probably the latter,¡± she sighed, still wrapped up in our embrace. ¡°A few, like me, might have listened, but in the end¡­ you know, ultimately you were just too much of an arrogant jerk. I always knew that¡¯d come back to haunt you one day. I hope you¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still stubborn and arrogant,¡± Ahri replied before I could even open my mouth. ¡°But she¡¯s not a jerk. Mostly, at least.¡± ¡°Thanks for the compliment, darling. I always knew I could rely on you to defend me,¡± I murmured, but she only stuck out her tongue at me and winked. ¡°You two haven¡¯t changed,¡± Sarai said, sadness and contentment reverberating in her voice in equal parts. ¡°By everything that¡¯s holy, I want to go look for you so much right now, it actually hurts. But that¡¯s not a good idea. Listen, I¡¯m being hunted and I don¡¯t know how long I have before they find me again. Whether or not you¡¯re going to forgive me doesn¡¯t matter for now, there are a few things you have to know. First, when I¡¯ll have left, I¡¯m going to cut my connection to the vampire. She¡¯ll lose a good chunk of her abilities but you¡¯ll be safe, at least for a little longer. Second¡­ you were right in trying to seal us away, Lu¡­ Cassy. The last years¡­ most of us have fallen from grace and forgotten who we are. You¡­ I know that¡¯s probably the last thing you want to hear, but please, help us! There¡¯s simply no one left whom we could turn to. We need your strength and your compassion, even though we¡¯ve earned neither.¡± That was just rich. Ultimately, when it came down to it, I of course would do everything in my power to save my family, be it the mortal or immortal one, but asking the disinherited, unwanted daughter for help was just¡­ impudently brazen. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But I swallowed the plethora of scathing remarks that fluttered through my mind when I felt her shiver, a second tear following the path of the first. Either she was truly an amazing actress or she was utterly desperate. And since I knew her rather straight forward, punch first ask questions later, character, I had a decent idea which of the two was actually the truth¡­ huh. Fear, desperation, trust, friendship, compassion? Somehow that didn¡¯t sound overly much like an immortal. That sounded like us, Ahri and me. Oh gods, was she¡­? My thoughts were racing and something must have shown on my face since Ahri caressingly slung one of her tails around my waist. She shot me quizzically look when I met her gaze. All I managed to come up with was a shrug. Everything I had seen, from Sarai¡¯s refusal to open her eyes, fearing her angelic senses, however dulled they were in a foreign body, would reveal our location, to her very words made me believe she wasn¡¯t corrupted¡­ but how, then? How could she be so¡­ mortal? And suddenly, it hit me. I had been so hung up on angelic and demonic powers, on the Corruption and the ring, that I had never stopped to consider the second thing Aurora and I had done. We had taken in the soul of a mortal. A dragoness, in my case. And probably fused it to our cores when we had merged with the corruptive forces they had contained. In that case¡­ ¡°Sarai,¡± I quietly asked. ¡°You¡¯re not yourself anymore, are you? At least¡­ not solely.¡± Her arms around us tightened once more before she released her grip and stepped back, eyes still pressed shut tightly. I could see her shivering and the tears were now freely running down her pale face, gold and red streaks shimmering in the dim light. ¡°No,¡± she whispered, ¡°no, I am not. How did you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re like us. Weaker, but yet stronger. You¡¯re changed¡­ you¡¯re living. You¡­ you¡¯re scared. You¡¯re free. You can choose now, make your own decisions, and that¡¯s scary as hell.¡± ¡°It is¡­ but that¡¯s not all¡­ I¡­ I made a mistake and¡­ I lost my ability to be reborn. When the final curtain falls, this time around, I won¡¯t wake up again.¡± I gasped and searched for Ahri¡¯s gaze, but she could only return my stare. One of the handful of immortals who might be willing to stand with us had lost her immortality? What the fuck was going on? ¡°I¡­ what did you do,¡± I finally breathed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I¡­¡± she sighed and turned away, wiping her face. She continued much more calmly. ¡°Michael¡­ he has been taking prisoners. The dungeons in the Silver City are filled to the brink and he isn¡¯t going for us, not purely, he¡¯s rounding up mortals. Not two of them are the same, it almost seems like he¡¯s trying to get one of every race locked up in there.¡± I wanted to interrupt, to ask why he was allowed to commit sacrilege without a single one of my family turning against him, but I bit my tongue. She¡¯d probably tell me anyways, soon enough. ¡°He¡­ he took one of mine, an elder phoenix. Someone I owed, someone I knew¡­ I tried to get her out of there but she wasn¡¯t herself anymore. She¡­ I think Michael is trying to recreate the nine families and he¡­ by the abyss, Cassandra, you should have seen what he has done to them. I couldn¡¯t save her, her soul was deteriorating before my eyes and all I could come up with¡­ I took her in and I ran, I ran as far as I could, but¡­ I don¡¯t know how but my core, my soul¡­ they changed. Somehow her flames and mine became one and now¡­ my core, it¡¯s not separated anymore. All of me, my soul, hers and my core, it all became one jumbled up mess. I¡­ I¡¯m not an angel anymore.¡± I took a step forward, my heart and thoughts racing, and gently placed my hands on her shoulder. As much as I understood her fear, her desperation, she wasn¡¯t as bad off as she believed. While she had been talking, I had come to understand an important detail. Mortality was the glue that allowed different transcendent forces to unite. That¡¯s why the nine families had been needed and why Aurora had been able to take in a spark of the Corruption. She had already been harbouring a tiny mote of mortality as well and that was what had allowed her to push through. At least I thought so. It didn¡¯t explain my own predisposition, since I had begun collecting bits and pieces of the Corruption, long before I had met Ancalagon¡¯s daughter, but it made sense. And it also explained what my dear, misguided brother was trying to achieve with the mortals he had captured. He was looking for a way to control a force that was still beyond him. And it also gave me an idea how I might help Sarai, or at least, show her a way to help herself. From my perspective, it sounded pretty much like she was still lacking an ingredient. The forces within her weren¡¯t balanced, there was nothing to counteract her angelic power and thus, her body, her current incarnation had to become the focal point for the union of mortality and eternity. But¡­ what if she had something to balance the scales, what if she harboured a piece of a demon as well? Wouldn¡¯t that make her stable, wouldn¡¯t that allow her to restore the balance needed to be reborn? Possibly, or she might simply explode. Which wasn¡¯t an unlikely outcome. ¡°I¡­ Sarai, listen to me¡­ realistically, how long do you have before you have to flee once again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Minutes, hours, days¡­ it¡¯s hard to tell.¡± ¡°Do you know who¡¯s after you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not easily answered¡­ do you¡­ have you any idea what has happened in heaven and hell since you vanished?¡± ¡°No¡­ well, maybe an inkling, but nothing concrete.¡± She froze and slowly turned on the spot to face us again, eyes still resolutely closed. ¡°Whom did you meet? Tell me,¡± she demanded, the urgency in her voice palpable. ¡°I¡­ Lilith was here, only a few hours ago.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s not nearly as bad as I imagined. As far as I know, she¡¯s on the run as well. Look, hell is gone, for all intent and purposes, so is the Silver City. Both still exist but you wouldn¡¯t recognise either¡­ whatever you thought might happen to us, whatever you tried to prevent, reality has become much worse. Do you have any memories of the rumours that some demons were lobbying for an alliance with us in order to finally take control of creation?¡± I nodded before I remembered that she couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°Yes, I do. Delilah was the first¡­ Chaleb told me.¡± ¡°So the two of you actually were in cahoots. Good to know. But then, why did he end up dead? You know what, I don¡¯t want to know, I shouldn¡¯t know. After you had¡­ fallen, most of us thought that we were going to enjoy a stretch of peace. Of course we wondered what had happened to Aurora and why Mephisto suddenly had decided to save you, but nobody really cared. It would take centuries, after all, before we had to deal with any of it. In the end, it didn¡¯t take more than a few handful of years before the past came back to haunt us. Rumours spread, immortals, demons and angels alike, who were much stronger than they were supposed to. Whispered stories of your blue flames, igniting within the hearts of our brothers.¡± She massaged her temples to order her memories. ¡°Us, the angels, didn¡¯t care much. We trusted Michael, when he assuaged our worries, telling us that we had already faced the most vile and strong immortal we ever would have to. Everything else would be dealt with when the time was upon us. None of us even questioned his silver-tongued words. The demons though¡­ they had lost more than us. Their knights were gone, Mephisto had betrayed them, their most powerful weapon was gone and Amazeroth had vanished. Understandably, they were on the verge of panic and came together to forge plans and decide how they¡¯d use the 77 years Michael had promised them for their help¡­ they shouldn¡¯t have. I wasn¡¯t there, but from what I¡¯ve heard, a good chunk of them suddenly went crazy and attacked their brothers and sisters. Those who didn¡¯t die had to flee, a sparse number, not even a full dozen, and the rest were captured, bound and brought into the Silver City.¡± 201. Of siblings, reunions and a little bit of possibilities Cassandra Pendragon I was sweating bullets, torn between disbelieve, anger and¡­ well, yeah, compassion. Why gods, why me? Honestly, the older I got the more I realised that the whole you¡¯ve got the power to forge your own destiny crap wasn¡¯t even close to worth it. Even a life filled with political soir¨¦es and an arranged marriage didn¡¯t seem so bad anymore. I shot a sideways glance at Ahri¡­ and realised I was simply pitying myself. I¡¯d never be able to twist myself into the kind of conformity society would accept. And I¡¯d rather challenge heaven and hell and everything in between on my own than part with the girl at my side. Now, I only had to own up to my convictions. Unfortunately, that was usually the harder part. Words and deeds and all of that. ¡°Hon,¡± I sent through my tattoo. ¡°That¡¯s two in a day now. Do you¡­ is there any chance that we can still keep the immortals away from us?¡± ¡°For a while, maybe. But if either Lilith or Sarai cross paths with our brother¡­ I¡¯m afraid time is running out. Now, there are two people out there who already know we¡¯re alive and what we¡¯ve become. If either one of them gets caught.. they¡¯re already being hunted.¡± I thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her to come here. Make use of Amazeroth¡¯s schemes and wards. You okay with that? Maybe we can keep the lid on things until we¡¯re fully grown and have dealt with all the shit that¡¯s happening here. I just don¡¯t know if that¡¯s actually clever or insane.¡± ¡°A bit of both, I guess. But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a choice. Leaving them to their own devices¡­ that¡¯s even more dangerous. Just make sure you don¡¯t invite a devil to our world.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ besides, I¡¯m here already, aren¡¯t I,¡± I added with a grin. She cocked an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s only one world where you¡¯re known as the devil. That hardly counts. Don¡¯t get cocky. Just because she appears vulnerable now, doesn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t annihilate us with a wish, if she so chose. Be careful, Cassy. You¡¯re gambling with more than just your life.¡± ¡°I know¡­ believe me, I¡¯m also not really keen on having our family around, but when in Rome¡­¡± ¡°Fine¡­ I guess it¡¯s time to change the rules,¡± I said out loud. ¡°Open your eyes, Sarai.¡± ¡°But¡­ have you completely lost it? You know what we can see, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll know where you are! All hells, I¡¯ll probably know exactly who you are. If they catch me¡­¡± ¡°They won¡¯t be able to if they can¡¯t get to you. And this place¡­ it¡¯s safe. I just have to figure out how to get you here without destroying its protection and for that I need to know how much time I have until you come knocking. Besides, you¡¯re¡­ family, in more ways than one now. And I still owe you for my last death. I can¡¯t have you kicking the curb without a chance to yell at you in person. So open your gods damned eyes and tell me!¡± She did, albeit reluctantly. A soft, golden glow filled the room. Aurelia¡¯s beautiful eyes were now glowing with the eternal flames of an immortal phoenix, a spark of heaven manifested in the mortal world. She looked around confusedly before her gaze fell onto us. A wry grin spread across her face as she said: ¡°The sight alone is almost worth it. By the abyss, the both of you are stunning¡­ Argh, these blasted feelings. I never knew beauty could be this dangerous.¡± Her eyes roamed up and down our bodies, tears gathering in them, before she added: ¡°Forgive me, I¡¯m still getting used to¡­ to these forsaken emotions. A damned nuisance,¡± she spat. ¡°Huh, I actually quite enjoy them,¡± Ahri stated. ¡°But then again, I¡¯ve grown up with them.¡± She took a small step forward and reached for Sarai¡¯s hand. ¡°Before we become distracted by the woes and worries of creation once again, it¡¯s good to see you, sister. How are you doing?¡± Sarai¡¯s self deprecating grin turned into a real smile when she took her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve been better. Fear and insecurity aren¡¯t things I¡¯ve ever had to deal with, but I got to admit, hope, desire and joy balance the scales. Looking back, I can¡¯t even tell you how I ever managed to survive for that long in a grey world. It¡¯s almost as¡­ as if I had been truly born for the first time. It¡¯s just a pity that everywhere I turn, I find one pitfall after the other. Sometimes I even wonder if I¡¯ve been cursed. But¡­ right now, seeing the two of you before me, I think I¡¯m happy¡­ ironic, considering that I¡¯ve probably just made everything a million times worse. But still, it¡¯s good to see you, too.¡± ¡°Welcome to my life,¡± I replied morosely. ¡°I¡¯m still hoping it¡¯s going to get better, but¡­ somehow it doesn¡¯t. Still¡­ Aurora once told me that hope is nothing but a decision, a decision to fight for and believe in a brighter tomorrow. At the end of the day, that¡¯s all we can ever do, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember saying that,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t sound half bad. And with you by our side,¡± she added in Sarai¡¯s direction, ¡°our chances just went up by a landslide.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± I said. ¡°First, we have to get her here. So¡­ how long is it going to take?¡± ¡°A while, if I were to fly. A year or two, maybe? But I¡¯ve got a better idea. My essence is still running through Aurelia. With a little luck I might use it to get here directly.¡± ¡°Luck hasn¡¯t exactly been an abundant commodity with us,¡± I mumbled. ¡°How long until you can say for sure?¡± ¡°A few minutes. You mentioned the protection of this place. I¡¯ve got to make sure I can push through. There¡¯s just one problem. The connection I¡¯m using right now is more or less undetectable but as soon as I¡¯m going to shove transcendent energies through the link, I¡¯ll light up like a Christmas tree. My real body that is. If I can¡¯t cross over, I¡¯ll have to run. So¡­ before I try, you have to be sure that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°And maybe we should talk about what you¡¯re going to do afterwards, provided you can¡¯t reach us,¡± I pointed out. ¡°I still want you to make your way here, even if it¡¯s going to take a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try, but it won¡¯t be easy. I already know where you are, approximately at least and I¡¯ll have to cross most of the universe. It wouldn¡¯t be that bad if I could fly through the Void, but that¡¯d be close to suicide. If I run into even a single one of our siblings it¡¯ll be over and then, you¡¯ll have to deal with the heavenly host knocking on your door. I¡¯d like to avoid that, if at all possible.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Ahri murmured. ¡°Amazeroth might be a genius, but even his wards won¡¯t be able to keep the whole host at bay. And that¡¯s without taking into consideration that nobody knows how many of them have already been corrupted.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°That¡¯s the second time one of you has said that,¡± Sarai interrupted. ¡°Is that what has happened to the others? The demons who turned on their kin and the angels who follow Michael?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure,¡± I replied while looking at Ahri to make sure she was fine with me spilling the beans. She only shrugged. ¡°But¡­ probably. It¡¯s also the reason why I¡­ we have ended up here in the first place. I want to tell you, but first, I need a promise. Promise me, you won¡¯t deceive us, that you¡¯re truly who you appear to be and aren¡¯t trying to sell us to Michael.¡± She nodded immediately, obviously pleased that I had remembered. ¡°I¡¯ll even do you one better. I promise I¡¯m still myself, I promise I¡¯m still your friend, I promise that I¡¯m not going to sell you out this time around, whatever the cost and I promise that I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help you.¡± When I felt the faint stirring of her energies, transmitted through the connection she had established with Aurelia, I smiled gratefully. I¡¯d never have asked her to go that far. If she hadn¡¯t somehow learned to break a transcendent promise, she had well and truly tied herself to us. ¡°Thanks, I¡­ just thanks. Now, listen¡­¡± I went straight ahead and told her parts of what we had figured out. That ever since the First War, when the essences of angels and demons had been combined to create the Nine Families, we had known that this union would spell our downfall, that it granted power that even surpassed that of an immortal but that it also corroded their very essence, their purpose. I didn¡¯t go into detail about the pact Ahri had been part of when they had first found traces of it manifesting outside an immortal host, nor did I mention Amazeroth¡¯s involvement, but I explicitly told her that I suspected Michael of having fallen prey to the Corruption and that I had received proof Delilah definitely had from Chaleb¡¯s hands. She listened attentively and not once did she interrupted me, but I could tell she had her doubts. Understandable, after all, I was pretty much narrating a fairy tale. The only saving grace was the pain and hardship she had been forced to endure over the last couple of years, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have believed a single word. But being forced to watch our siblings turn on each other and hunt down the ones who weren¡¯t willing to fall in line had shaken her and she was grasping for any explanation that made even a modicum of sense. And this much, at least, I could provide, even if it seemed rather far fetched. ¡°By the nine eyes, either Michael has damaged your core beyond belief and you¡¯re utterly insane, or we¡¯re headed for the most important war in our history,¡± she finally blurted out when I had finished. ¡°It never stopped,¡± Ahri quietly corrected her. ¡°The war I mean. Ever since the beginning¡­ we¡¯re simply trying to finish a conflict that has begun ages ago. It may have laid dormant, hidden underneath the surface but it never truly stopped.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been this bloody for a while, though,¡± I interjected. ¡°Which brings us to the present. How bad has it become? From what you said earlier, Sarai¡­ you made it sound like it¡¯s already over. Were you exaggerating?¡± ¡°No¡­ not really. Didn¡¯t you just tell me that hope is a decision? I¡¯m not ready to roll onto my back and some of the others won¡¯t, either. I don¡¯t know who, exactly, but maybe I could find out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I immediately blurted out. ¡°It¡¯s much too dangerous. They¡­ I think they¡¯ll come to us anyways. Just like you and Lilith.¡± ¡°And what makes you say that?¡± I hesitated for a moment and then decided to keep my explanation rather vague. ¡°This life of ours¡­ I think much of it has been orchestrated form the start¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t go on. Sarai was shaking her head in disbelief and groaned: ¡°the forsaken know it all. No wonder he hasn¡¯t been around. Is he here?¡± I was flabbergasted. How had she caught on so quickly? Then again, the words orchestrated and immortal probably rang a bell or two. ¡°Do you mean the Lord of Mirrors,¡± I asked. ¡°Whom do you think I mean? Father Christmas? Of course I¡¯m talking about Amazeroth.¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, he is and he has been meddling with my life¡­ our life from the very start.¡± She massaged her temples and stared at the ceiling before she said: ¡°Maybe you should tell me exactly what you¡¯ve been up to since you¡¯ve arrived on this world.¡± ¡°No, she won¡¯t,¡± Mephisto¡¯s voice sounded from the door. With a smile, he bowed gallantly and offered Sarai his hand. ¡°The Lady of Dawn, fancy meeting you here. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡± She took it but her smile seemed forced and I could practically smell her tension. ¡°My Lord Mephisto. It seems like the rumours about your untimely demise were premature. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, of course. After all, who has ever seen a demon sacrifice himself?¡± ¡°Harsh words, but true none the less. Except for me. Look at me. Do I still look like an immortal to you? I¡¯ve sacrificed the most essential part of my being. I would never claim altruistic motives, but it¡¯s still the truth.¡± Sarai¡¯s eyes flashed brightly and her intensity, while she scrutinised Mephisto, made my fur bristle. It almost felt like she was literally drilling a hole through his skull. ¡°I see,¡± she finally murmured. ¡°But that¡¯s reversible. You still held on to the essential structure.¡± ¡°I know, unfortunately we¡¯ve lacked the power to do anything about it. At least up until now.¡± ¡°Is that you¡¯re usual, round about way of asking for help,¡± the angel inquired. ¡°It is. What would become a dangerous adventure with an uncertain outcome for Cassandra is nothing but trivial for you, isn¡¯t it? You still hold all your power, even if it¡¯s diluted. Are you willing?¡± ¡°Have you been listening at the door,¡± Ahri asked indignantly. ¡°Sure, how else would I know if I was supposed to run and hide? There¡¯s a fine line between courage or gallantry and stupidity and I don¡¯t intend to ever cross it. Don¡¯t act so surprised. If there¡¯s another immortal among us, I think I have every right to know what the three of you come up with. Also, someone had to make sure your adopted sister stayed well away from things she couldn¡¯t possibly understand. So¡­ you¡¯re welcome. Anyways, concerning my question¡­?¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to reveal yourself anyways by hurling your powers across the universe, why don¡¯t we take it a step further? You know what I need, don¡¯t you? A transcendent source I can control. You¡¯ve full access to your core. You can siphon off a sliver and tie it to my will, that¡¯s all I need. Well¡­ maybe a tad more than sliver. Give me something to play with and I¡¯ll be as good as new.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you done so already? These two,¡± Sarai pointed at Ahri and me, ¡°have always been stronger than me. I¡¯m quite sure their cores contain more than you can deal with.¡± ¡°True, but they aren¡¯t there yet. If I were to take a spark of their essence it would burn and turn against me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d survive in my current state, never mind actually using their power.¡± ¡°I see¡­ but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my decision to make.¡± ¡°Huh, what do you mean,¡± I asked confusedly. ¡°Who else has the right to decide how you use your own energy?¡± She smiled at me. ¡°You, silly. Remember what I promised? This your world and I¡¯m going to play by your rules.¡± Mephisto stared at me imploringly but I took a moment to mull it over before I replied: ¡°I don¡¯t really know what the two of you intend to do, so you can hardly expect me to make a decision from the top of my head. What are we actually talking about?¡± ¡°Refuelling the seed of my core I still have left. With the drop I¡¯ve taken from hell and the support of a grown immortal I¡¯ll be able to reclaim what¡¯s mine.¡± He hesitated before he grudgingly admitted: ¡°but it will take time. Think of it as the metamorphosis of a larva. I¡¯ll have to¡­ pupate, to stay within the metaphor.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re basically going back to hibernation. For how long? Days? Months? Years?¡± He shrugged helplessly. ¡°Depends. If she was here I¡¯d say days, at the most. But since I¡¯ll have nothing but her help to kickstart the process¡­ remember what I told you back on Boseiju? That you¡¯d have to collect a core from a lower elemental for me? She¡¯s pretty much going to circumvent that restriction, nothing more. I¡­ I don¡¯t have the foggiest how long it¡¯s going to take.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding us,¡± Ahri ground out. ¡°Let me get this straight. You think right now is the perfect time to leave us hanging?¡± He even seemed a bit embarrassed but he stood his ground. ¡°Yes, I do. Depending on how everything turns out, you¡¯ll soon have one, maybe two other immortals at your side and judging from past experiences, things aren¡¯t going to get any easier. I¡¯d rather leave you high and dry, with Lilith and possibly Sarai to protect you, while you¡¯re dealing with a mortal emperor. From everything I¡¯ve heard, things might become considerably more difficult in the foreseeable future and I¡¯d rather be around when we have to face our family.¡± 202. Of immortals, transformations and a little bit of insubordination Cassandra Pendragon I groaned and cradled my head in my hands. ¡°Makes sense,¡± I mumbled through my fingers. ¡°Would you¡­ Do you have to use Sarai¡¯s energy right away?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have that much time, but I surely can wait for a few hours. I assume you¡¯re thinking about your spear and the imprisoned snake?¡± ¡°Partly. I¡¯m also wondering how much you could accomplish before you¡¯re going to go under.¡± ¡°Nothing major. While the restrictions on magic I mentioned before don¡¯t necessarily apply to transcendent forces, it would still be a gamble, a bad one. I can¡¯t just wish our problems away, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting at. Even if we postponed Sarai¡¯s involvement and prepared a few rituals in advance, I¡¯d still be very restricted in what I¡¯m willing to try. And the parlour tricks I am willing to use won¡¯t need any preparation if I¡¯m fuelled up again.¡± ¡°Do you have something particular in mind,¡± Ahri asked and tilted her head to the side. The demon shrugged in response before he elaborated: ¡°you said you needed money. I can create a refilling chest, I can easily guide and help Cassy with her weapon, I¡¯m thinking about enchanting a few of the dwarven armours as well as the one they¡¯re forging for our princess. I¡¯ll also try to conjure something that can withstand your fires, Ahri. I¡¯d feel much better if I knew the two of you won¡¯t at least simply die because someone shot you in the back, no matter what kind of bolt they use. And, if I still can, I¡¯ll try to creat a pocket dimension for you as well, so you can store your swords somewhere out of the way.¡± He scratched his chin before he added: ¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s a whole list of chores I¡¯d like to get through. I¡¯ll probably also try to seal the last statuette. You can¡¯t use it and the only ones I can come up with who are able to on this world, would probably have rather nefarious intentions to begin with. The risk isn¡¯t worth it on the off chance you might actually use that thing in the future.¡± ¡°What about teaching us,¡± I blurted out. ¡°You said you¡¯d want to make sure we can use our magic. Whom are we supposed to turn to?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need another immortal to teach you. True, it might be more efficient since I know what you are, but in essence, you can learn the same way everyone does. It might be flawed and a very restrictive approach, but especially in the beginning, it won¡¯t make much of a difference. Once you know your way around the basics, you two can take much more away from my guidance anyways. Even the few spells you¡¯ll have to learn to read your new book can easily be taught to you by any mortal. You want to go to the elves, next, don¡¯t you? They¡¯re a magical people and should have rather profound traditions. Even if I¡¯m not awake by the time you leave there, you¡¯ll still have plenty of opportunities to learn form the fey and dragons, further down the road.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite sure we can manage in that regard,¡± Ahri interjected. ¡°But what are we supposed to do if our family finds us. Sarai is going to head here and the gods only know what Lilith is up to.¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± the demon sighed, ¡°in that case we¡¯re done for anyways. I can provide knowledge but none of us is more than a fly to an immortal right now¡­¡± he pointed at Sarai. ¡°Ask her. Ask her what she could do to us, even though she isn¡¯t even here.¡± We both turned to the angel and to my surprise, she blushed faintly and licked her lips, a nervous gesture I would never have expected. ¡°He¡­ aside from you Cassy, all I would have to do is concentrate and your hearts would stop. Mephisto¡¯s form I could disperse with a breath, if I so chose and as for you,¡± she turned to me. ¡°Do you think you¡¯d survive if I encased you in the heart of a star? It doesn¡¯t really matter¡­ what he¡¯s trying to say is this: you¡¯re no match for us, with or without Mephisto¡¯s knowledge. Tricks can only get you so far. You¡­ in the end, you¡¯ll have to trust Amazeroth¡¯s protection to keep you safe until you can stand on your own. Until you¡¯ve reached your maturity.¡± ¡°And how long¡¯s that going to take,¡± I chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s almost impossible to answer,¡± Sarai tried to reply before Mephisto interrupted her. ¡°Forget it, the rules don¡¯t apply to these two. From what I¡¯ve seen, it won¡¯t take long for your core to fully bind with your energies. That is, the next two steps of your development won¡¯t be much different form what you¡¯ve already lived through. But the last transformation, when you fully grow into your power, when you take complete possession of your immortal heritage¡­ that¡¯s different. Controlling the transcendent forces that are slumbering within you¡­ that¡¯s when you cross over the threshold and usually, existence doesn¡¯t take kindly to the awakening of a new power that can be a threat to creation itself. We¡¯ll get to that once it becomes relevant, but to give you something to chew on: should you reach your maturity on this planet, it¡¯d be gone. When I awakened my full potential, I created a new star by accident. And I¡¯m not some anomaly, which you are, even by the standards of our people.¡± I had become paler with every word he had uttered. ¡°But¡­ but isn¡¯t the same thing going to happen again when you reforge your core,¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll even be worse! That¡­ there¡¯s no way, you¡¯ll kill us all!¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. Imagine taming a wild beast. Mine is already docile and we¡¯ve know each other for aeons. Yours¡­ like I said, existence¡­ reality itself will try to resist you when you first awaken. I won¡¯t have the same difficulties.¡± ¡°Why,¡± Ahri wanted to know. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the difference.¡± ¡°Hmm, let me see if I can find an explanation you can follow. That¡¯s not supposed to be a jibe, you just don¡¯t know enough,¡± he added when he realised that Ahri wasn¡¯t yet as used to his remarks as I had become. ¡°Our body is what ties us to the world but in the end, the soul defines who and what we are. That¡¯s one of the reasons why the soul is the very last aspect our core binds itself to. But more than that, the soul is what makes us¡­ real. What allows us to be, to interact¡­ to shape reality. Not in a magical way, but it¡¯s what the whole of creation reacts to, what elevates us from being an idolised, complex machine.¡± He paused and caught himself before he completely went off on a tangent. Hesitantly he continued: ¡°In the end, the reasons don¡¯t matter that much. It boils down to this: every soul is unique and¡­ Ah, maybe that¡¯s a better metaphor. Remember what Ignus told us about draconic names? That¡¯s pretty much what a soul is, only it doesn¡¯t refer to family or friends within a society but to every last part of existence itself. It¡¯s a record of who and what we are, one that matters. Consequentially, once a soul develops and changes, it doesn¡¯t have to repeat the process. And I still have mine. Let me try it like this: for me, I simply have to dig a new well. The both of you have to first create water in the dessert, while the very sand beneath your feet fights against you.¡± He studied or distraught expressions before he added: This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about inadvertently destroying your home, though. In contrast to your previous transformations and the two that are still to come, the last step will be one you have to take by yourself. It¡¯ll be a decision, not the result of a dangerous dream. In this regard, at least, you don¡¯t have to be scared. When the time comes, you¡¯ll both be much more powerful than you are now. And I¡¯ll be there to guide you, or even hold your hand, if I have to,¡± he smirked. ¡°So will I,¡± Sarai chirped up and wrapped her arms around Ahri and me. ¡°That is, if I can reach you in time,¡± she continued more subduedly. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m mostly fretting about.¡± ¡°At least we have something resembling a plan,¡± I said. ¡°But before we do anything, there¡¯s one more thing I want to know. As far as I¡¯ve understood what you¡¯ve told me, the demons were practically thrown out of hell, betrayed by their siblings who¡¯ve probably been corrupted. Which also explains why Lilith was on the run. But what about us, what about the angels? Didn¡¯t anyone speak up when our cousins suddenly brought several of their kin as prisoners into the Silver City? More importantly, why did you have to flee? What¡¯s happening in heaven?¡± Her grip around us tightened and even though she sounded calm, detached, I felt her shiver while she narrated: ¡°Cassy¡­ we¡¯re not perfect, far from it. You know that angels and demons have been fighting ever since we first opened our eyes. The First War, the War of the Nine Families, the grudging truce we struck¡­ what do you think happened? All of us, me included, thought Michael to be our saviour, he had protected us from you and then, he managed to bring our eternal enemies to their knees without ever lifting a feather. By the abyss, can you really blame us for trusting him? You know his talents, even those who were hesitant¡­ his honeyed words swayed them as if they were leafs in the wind. In the end, he wanted our promise to follow him, to bow our heads and as much as I¡¯m ashamed to admit it, I would have been willing, if I hadn¡¯t stumbled into the dungeons. I told you before, he was¡­ is taking mortals prisoner, but back then, I believed his lies. They were needed he told us and we didn¡¯t care enough to truly question him. Only when I felt a familiar presence slip through the Silver City and vanish into the dungeons did I bother with taking a closer look¡­ Sarai, the Lady of Dawn Breaking into the dungeon had been surprisingly easy, but then again, we had always worried about our prisoners getting out, not someone sneaking in. Only angles were allowed to move freely through the Silver City and none of us would have had the gall or even a reason to break in, after all. There had always been rumours that the dungeon had been breached once, during the First War, but since Lucifer had vanished, there was no one who expected anything comparable to happen in the foreseeable future. No one at all, except¡­ Our promises were a dangerous thing, binding and eternal. They forged a form of kinship that was the closest we would ever get to real friendship and care. They allowed us to keep track of the people we had bound ourselves to. Maybe it had been chance, luck, or even fate that had led me to this very moment, but when I had felt the fires of someone I had promised to watch over vanish into the depth of despair our dungeons had become, I hadn¡¯t had much of a choice. I dreaded what I might find down there, the lies and excuses I had built up for myself and my siblings might crumble the very moment I was willing to open my eyes and then¡­ I might just come to realise what I had done, what we all had done. Like the seeds of a poisonous plant, my doubts had begun growing the very moment I had allowed myself to accept a simple truth: his bid for supremacy had devoured every last shred of decency Michael ever had. If he was willing to tread on the corpses of beings his siblings considered sacrosanct, there was no telling how far he was willing to go, how far he had gone. And if I had followed a rabid butcher blindly, I wasn¡¯t any better. Damn it all to the chasm and back, I never should have allowed my pride to make my decisions, I should never have believed the truth to be simple. I should never have trusted in a tale that pinned the fault for war on a single pair of wings. But alas, I had done it, I had eagerly accepted Lucifer¡¯s guilt as it was so much easier to deal with than the alternative. And now, I might come to realise that I had not only betrayed him, but had also helped laying the foundation for a new cosmos, one where angels, or rather one angel, reigned supreme to do as he pleased. I felt my lips curl into a self deprecating grin when I remembered that it hadn¡¯t even taken a century for hell to fall after Lucifer had been vanquished and Aurora had vanished. A balance that had kept creation alive and¡­ free had crumbled in less time than it had taken me to deal with the loss of people I had considered¡­ honourable. The worst part: I was still hoping that I might find an explanation once I got to the dungeons, that I might find something that would allow me to hold on to what I had believed for a while longer but the further I came, the more I was forced to realise that I was clinging to a fool¡¯s hope, to something that would never come to pass. The first hint I got was the sheer size of the place. In the past, we had had a few cells, each and every single one warded and guarded to ensure we could effectively imprison immortals. There had been no one else we had even deemed worthy of incarcerating, after all. Be it a wayward angel who had been forced to cool his wings for a few centuries or a demon we had picked up by chance or design, taking them out without triggering their reincarnation had been the sole purpose of the dungeon. No mortal had ever been supposed to even come to the Silver City, never mind the prison. But now¡­ The upper floor was still untouched, white marble with silver doors behind which the prisoners from hell still existed, confined and powerless. The transcendent energies imbued into the stones and metal made me shiver and my hair rose statically, a fiery halo to accompany my smouldering wings. For the fraction of a second I toyed with the idea of opening the cells, but I wasn¡¯t yet prepared to commit treason even though I had an inkling feeling that I¡¯d come to regret my hesitation soon enough. Also, I¡¯d probably turn into slag the moment I touched a door and it wasn¡¯t why I had made my way here in the first place. My goal was further down the corridor. An inconspicuous, black door that hadn¡¯t been here when I had last come to visit. I squared my shoulders and slowly walked down the corridor, carefully suppressing my presence to ensure I wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. The wards that had been placed on the black gateway were more of a nuisance than an obstacle, tailored as they were to mortal powers. With a touch of my mind I pushed past and carefully descended the long staircase on the other side. The smell of blood and disease, of pain and humiliation was thick around me and the further I got, the stronger it became, fuelling my doubts. I was already picturing atrocities I couldn¡¯t have imagined ever taking place in my home, but when I finally glided down the last steps and shouldered open a massive obsidian door, I had to admit that reality was even worse. Before I was forced to move, my enhanced perception took in every detail of the torture chamber I had stumbled into. Two angels, Ezekiel and Thanatos, stood in the middle of the room, their wings unfurled. Between them, on a rack crackling with displaced energy, a bloody, quivering lump of flesh and bones wailed in agony. They tore into him¡­ her, I couldn¡¯t tell, with reckless abandon, their hands elongated into deadly claws, stained with gore and clumps of flesh. All around the circular room, forged cages contained a myriad of different mortals, their eyes glazed over, whether form fear, desperation or pain I couldn¡¯t tell. Not two of them were of the same race and while they were forced to watch one of their own being expertly dissected before them, I felt the strands of power connecting them to the poor creature on the rack pulse regularly, siphoning off their life force to make them share in and prolong the suffering of the one being tortured. My eyes immediately went to one of the cages, a frail looking girl with sparkling, orange eyes and hair, almost like living flames, shivered within, unable to avert her gaze from the grizzly tableau in front of her. She must have felt my presence for the very moment I stepped over the threshold, her eyes snapped to mine and a glimmer of hope ignited in their depths. Unfortunately, the same held true for the two angels and their gaze, burning with the blue fires of insanity, landed on me. 203. Of corruption, sacrifices and a little bit of mortality Sarai, the Lady of Dawn For the fraction of a second I hesitated, the sheer blasphemy of the scene rooting me in place. Neither Ezekiel nor Thanatos shared my bewilderment, their wings, pitch black torrents of power and icy, crystalline feathers, flared, the door behind me slammed shut and began to glow with transcendent runes, strong enough that even the fortified substance of the Silver City groaned and twisted under the pressure. Two pairs of maliciously glinting eyes, arctic blue and black, turned to me. In the dim light they seemed almost ablaze with suppressed strength, a translucently blue shimmer dancing in the depth of their gaze. The taller one, Thanatos, glided away from the rack while Ezekiel stayed where he was, his slender fingers ripping through frail tissue with a grace that made the heinous movement look like a caress. Emaciated and tall, clad in a flowing, midnight blue robe, his long, white hair framing a hawkish, angular face, he appeared to me like an incarnation of death, a figure of nightmares that had finally gained substance to haunt us even in the midday sun. Ironic, considering who his companion was. Thanatos, worshipped as death in many a culture. While he gracefully approached me, blood and gore dripped from his fingers, a blood red trail left in his wake, the only thing that spoke of the brutality he was capable of. He was a beautiful creature, lean and toned, dignified and ethereal, a being whose immortality was truly visible. ¡°Sister,¡± his voice, a husky whisper that seemed to originate from everywhere at once, flowed over me. ¡°Why have you come? Has Michael sent you?¡± Their posture, his inflection, the swelling tide of power within the room, their casual acceptance of the travesty of heaven they had made of themselves¡­ I took his question for what it was, a threat to my existence. Either I¡¯d bow and play along or I¡¯d never leave this place again, at least not as myself. The tormented creatures behind and the smouldering insanity within them, manifested as crackling, blue motes of light, left no room for doubt. Unfortunately, even if I had been willing to close my eyes on what was going on, even if I had been able to deceive myself into further compliance, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to turn away, the pulsing shackles of transcendent energy around my core, that bound me to the suffering phoenix, was tightening with every passing moment. I shrugged. ¡°Afraid not.¡± I bent my knees and allowed my presence to surge forth, a speck of gold and red in a storm of icy blue and inky darkness. The malevolent pressure I immediately felt when my aura struggled against theirs was akin to getting drowned in a vat of tar but I didn¡¯t have many options, I¡¯d either leave with Fenia or not at all. ¡°Is it now my turn to be dragged to the chasm so the truths Lucifer was killed for will be forgotten long enough for you to accomplish whatever twisted goal you¡¯re striving for?¡± Ezekiel chuckled, a cold and cruel sound like icy daggers. ¡°Oh my, such fire. No, sister, why ever would you say that? The deceiver is gone and he won¡¯t return if we have our way. Is that wrong? I do admit, you¡¯ve stumbled upon a scene that was never meant for your eyes, but we¡¯ll do whatever we have to to ensure creation can prosper under our careful guidance. Why would you even want to oppose us? Because we¡¯ve shown cruelty towards these mortals,¡± Thanatos gestured around the chamber, ¡°I assume one of them is known to you? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s hypocritical? How many lives have you taken? How many have suffered to sooth your burning thirst for vengeance? Only because you wade through mountains of ash that leave your hands clean you think you¡¯re any different?¡± He raised his bloody hands and brushed them clean with a word. ¡°There. Now, sister, I don¡¯t want to fight you, but I need your word, otherwise you won¡¯t be allowed to leave. I want your word that you won¡¯t rekindle the spark of dissent we thought snuffed out with Lucifer¡¯s death. I can already see its flame within you, ever growing, even now. I can smell your conviction to take what you think is yours and run. Don¡¯t. You won¡¯t survive, neither of you. The morrow will see you stand with us, one way or the other.¡± While he spoke, his wings whipped through the air, a mesmerising dance that failed to charm me until the same blue light I saw reflected in his eyes appeared at the edges of the swirling mass of manifested darkness. The same sheen I had seen before, every time Lucifer had unfurled his wings. ¡°For someone who calls Lucifer deceiver, a spark of dissent, you seem awfully similar from where I¡¯m standing. Imitation is the purest form of flattery, Thanatos. And I always thought you were too self absorbed to admire anyone. It sure seems like I was wrong.¡± His eyes narrowed in anger and the muscles in his cheeks worked, ready to spit his reply in my face, but I didn¡¯t intend to wait. As soon as I saw that my words had managed to rile him up, I moved. Hot, glistening torrents of energy pulsed from my core, my wings turned into a maelstrom of light and flame and a streak of gold and red shot forward like a bullet form the barrel of a gun. Thanatos¡¯ wings, a maze of pitch black nightmares, parted around me like water. Death incarnate he might have been, but I was an immortal and I wouldn¡¯t succumb, not while I was still needed. I had already failed once before, I wouldn¡¯t fail again, I wouldn¡¯t fail another¡­ friend. I was already pulling away from his presence, the last tendrils of his might curling away from my flames when I felt the chamber¡­ hiccough. Everything seemed to slow down and become still, a frozen slice of a moment before time resumed its pace. When I stretched my presence to finally reach Fenia, my flames stuttered and petered out while rime spread across my body and forced me back into a corporeal form. ¡°Nine eyed trai¡­,¡± I cursed when a spear of hardened ice ripped through my torso and nailed me to the ground. Form the corner of my eye I saw black lightening with an unyielding core of blue race along the translucent shard that had impaled me. The moment it flowed into the wound and through my body, I felt my energy drain away. My mind became foggy while the weight of eternal nothingness crept through me, trying to snuff out my will to keep my life¡¯s fire burning brightly in my chest. I was dazed, resistance and resolve a thing of the past, but I was the first phoenix, the undying flame and I didn¡¯t need my will to burn away the ice. Without my intervention, my core roared to life, sending tendrils of fire through my veins. The ice melted and the mutated darkness withered away while I transformed. My wings grew and became more substantial, ethereal flames and crackling power became feathers of gold and red, the fires of stars burning at their tips. My humanoid form disintegrated, replaced by a gargantuan bird with a golden beak. My song flowed through the chamber, a cleansing, soothing hymn, meant more for the tormented creatures in the cages than for me or my siblings. A maelstrom of flames ignited around me setting the mortals ablaze, consuming their life so their soul might flee. All of them died instantly, turned into a powdery rain of ash that drifted through the chamber. All of them except for one. My flames couldn¡¯t touch Fenia but the enchanted metal of her prison liquefied in a heartbeat and the spells that held her in place crumbled under the onslaught. Just when she rightened herself and her own flames surged forth to bolster my own, a wave of frozen darkness descended upon us and drove us to the ground. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The weight of an entire universe seemed to crush me, my essence groaning and warping under the pressure. Cold nothingness encroached on me, my fire hissing in protest wherever it was smothered by the overwhelming tide. I had never expected to defeat them, all I had hoped for had been to snatch Fenia from their clutches and run as fast as my wings could carry me. But I had never dreamed of the pure, undiluted power that bore down on me that very instant. There was no fight, I could as well have been a kid, throwing stones at two armoured knights. And now, they had had enough of my shenanigans. I was bodily whirled around, Thanatos hands piercing my sides while Ezekiel¡¯s wings drowned me in a sea of ice. Their intent, their will spilled into me, searching for my core. A ravenous tide of pain pulsed through my limbs, my wings fluttering weakly while I struggled against their hold. ¡°You want to save her,¡± Ezekiel¡¯s words slashed through the storm of darkness and ice like daggers of frozen glass. ¡°Then watch her die and rest assured we¡¯ll take great care with your next incarnation.¡± An arch of sizzling blue light manifested around me, almost like a summoning circle, and in the midst of the chaotic blizzard, Fenia¡¯s silhouette appeared, halfway between her human and her original form. Thanatos held her at the throat, choking the life from her body, his wings wrapped around her, while Ezekiel pinned me down, his magic continuously battering against me. He formed an hermetically sealed ring of runes around me, complex, transcendent sigils spelling subjugation and something else I couldn¡¯t quite understand until Ezekiel¡¯s eyes ignited with the distinct bluish fire I had come to associate with their madness. They were trying to infect me, to turn me into another crazed mockery of an angel while one of the few people I had bound myself to died before my eyes. Never before had I felt so helpless. Desperation, anger¡­ hatred, was this what had driven Lucifer to turn against his family? Had he simply had more foresight than the rest of us and had been unwilling to wait until he was caught like a bug in a jar with no way out? Lucifer¡­ he had put his life on the line, had accepted that his actions might mean his destruction, the end of an eternal existence, and yet, he had refused to run, to hide or to bow. He had taken the only path that had been open to him¡­ and I could still do the same. A faint smile tugged on the corners of my mouth when I felt calm and acceptance spread through me. Maybe my life was coming to an end, but I wouldn¡¯t waste my final moments. The acidic touch of Ezekiel¡¯s essence drifted away, the waves of ice cold purpose unable to torment me anymore while everything blurred and vanished behind rising flames that swallowed my vision, only Fenia¡¯s face remained defined and real. Her eyes found mine and she ceased her struggle, a peaceful expression spread across her features when she nodded, once. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered and I could have sworn I saw her smile when I tore down the walls my existence, my soul, my life had created around my core, returning it to its original, primordial state, unshackled and purposeless, beautiful and deadly, power incarnate, ready to consume the world. My thoughts, my purpose, my very self went up in flames, a roaring firestorm of red and gold that first devoured who I was and then spread outwards, unhindered by the sigils that were tailored to me, for I wasn¡¯t there anymore. My sense of self vanished first, drowned beneath the glistening storm, while Ezekiel¡¯s and Thanatos¡¯ magic dispersed in unbound fire, ravenous and unstoppable. The last thing I saw before oblivion claimed me was the panicked expression of my siblings as they fled from the wave of fiery death that surged towards them. But it wasn¡¯t the end, at least not mine. Somewhere in the darkness that was all around and within me, a tiny flame still burned, wavering and weak but real and full of life. It danced before me, something I could hold on to, something I could use to rally the last memories of my existence before they were forgotten and extinguished. It was a pretty thing, a speck of warmth that somehow reminded me of a life long past, a life that shouldn¡¯t be there anymore, but alas, somehow it still clung on. Curiosity and something much stronger I couldn¡¯t name, hope maybe, filled me and from one second to the next, the flame expanded, the lightless void was suddenly illuminated as if a merciful sun had decided to banish the darkness. The dwindling embers, all that was left of me, came together, attracted by the expanding warmth and deep within me, sparks of fear, dread, wrath, sorrow and hope lit up. Fenia¡¯s voice suddenly reached me, like the whispers of a forgotten memory: ¡°Open your eyes, Sarai. It¡¯s not over, yet. Open your eyes and flee. For the both of us, for everyone who died in this hellish place, open your eyes and spread your wings!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I thought blearily, still caught between life and death, my strength gone. ¡°You have to. You promised to watch over me, you promised to keep me safe! It¡¯s not too late, but you have to open your eyes and flee.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡­ forgive me,¡± I didn¡¯t have the strength, I didn¡¯t have the will, the warmth around me made me drowsy and all I could think about was staying here. Even if I managed to wake up, there¡¯d be nothing waiting for me but more battles, more suffering, more pain until I¡¯d find my end in a pointless, hopeless struggle, just like Lucifer had. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she said resolutely. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m with you, now and forever. So open your eyes, get up and earn the peace that might await you in the end. I never thought the burning star that saved my life would turn out to be a coward. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to me, to us! Move Sarai! You¡¯re not dead, yet. Get off your ass and fly!¡± I knew she was right, but I simply couldn¡¯t. There wasn¡¯t enough of me left, I might be hanging on, but in essence, I was already dead, dead and burned out, my core fractured, my soul incinerated. There was no hidden well of power left to be tapped, I had given it my all to escape the fate my siblings had had in store for me. Except¡­ while I was withering away, something, or rather someone wrapped herself around my core, pulled the shattered pieces together and made them whole again. Her fire was a part of me now and in contrast to my own, her flames were still burning brightly. ¡°Open your eyes,¡± she insisted again and while her energy coursed through my veins and reignited my own will to live, the surge of emotions that had taken hold of me intensified, a burning pit in the depths of my mind that finally gave me the strength to do what was necessary. Groaning, I forced my eyelids apart, my vision still oscillating between glaring flames and pitch black darkness, but slowly, gradually, flickering shapes appeared and I began comprehending what I saw. The very structure of the Silver City had protected the room itself but aside from the white marble, which glowed in a bright, daring red, everything was gone. I was alone in a hellish world of flames and soot, the altar, the cages, the sigils my siblings had etched into the door, the door itself and even the remnants of Ezekiel¡¯s transcendent ice were gone, reduced to ash and memories. I was alone, Fenia was gone, as were all the others. As soon as I thought about her, about her suffering and the atrocities my brothers had committed, a searing pain tore through my heart. But it wasn¡¯t the kind of pain I was used to, it wasn¡¯t an enfeeblingache that gnawed at my strength, it was a different kind of fuel for my flames, something that made me stronger, that allowed me to continue, even though I had no strength left. ¡°One of the blessings of mortality.¡± Fenia¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t real as much as it felt like a memory inserted into my mind. ¡°Now, use it and get us out of here. Or do you think your siblings won¡¯t be back? I don¡¯t know about you, but I could very much do without another painful reminder how powerful you immortals truly are.¡± 204. Of tasks, distractions and a little bit of honesty Cassandra Pendragon My deep moan drowned out the silky sounds of Ahri, massaging scented oils into my tails. It had been a long day and we had finally retreated to the baths, alone. At least I had hoped so until a whirlwind comprised of three little girls had put an end to any sensual aspirations we might have had and turned a romantic evening into something much more¡­ tame. Alassara¡¯s home was a true marvel, an underground estate comparable to the fanciest mansions I had seen or read of before. Spacious rooms, precious chandeliers, soft carpets, illustrious pieces of art, magnificent armours and weapons¡­ the decor wouldn¡¯t have been out of place in a palace. The sheer size of her lair, three luxurious floors dug underneath the market and only accessible through a hidden trapdoor in the cellar of a rundown tavern, was impressive but when I had seen the baths, an immense room illuminated by the soft, rosy light of glowing gems, I had become jealous. Several basins were filled with differently temperated water and after we had been shown to our rooms, which weren¡¯t shabby in the least, I had quickly stolen Ahri away for a few hours. Obviously I hadn¡¯t been sneaky enough, Layla, Reia and little Estrella had found us about 15 minutes later. Luckily we had still been relaxing in the main pool and they hadn¡¯t gotten a glimpse of anything too steamy, but from the knowing smile Reia had graced us with when she had seen our faces, I assumed the little vixen knew exactly what she had interrupted. In hindsight, I couldn¡¯t say that I was overly miffed. Somehow the girls had decided that we had earned a little treat and they had played the roles of maids surprisingly well, washing our backs, combing our hair, they would even have taken care of our tails but that was a line I wasn¡¯t willing to cross. I had already gotten used to touching other people with mine, but I wasn¡¯t going to allow anyone but Ahri to caress them. Maybe I was a prude, but that just felt a touch too intimate. As it was, I was resting on my stomach, eyes closed, while my fianc¨¦e did her best to get the accumulated knots of a few weeks without decent care out of my fur and the sweet chatter of our chaperones flowed over me. They were having fun in the water, Layla showing off the different magical trinkets that had been included to change the temperature and scent of the myriad of faucets that were used to fill the basins. Not that we actually needed them. Ahri had gotten the knack of regulating her body temperature a few days ago and she could easily heat up the water to our liking, but the decadent luxury of working taps was still very welcome. While I relaxed under he tender care, I allowed the last few hours to pass before my inner eye, a stretch of bustling activity that had drained me to my core. There had been so much to do¡­ truth be told, there still was, but at least the most pressing matters had been dealt with. I still had to break the serpent out of its crystalline tomb and I hadn¡¯t gotten around to do anything about my spear, but these would still be there tomorrow. In contrast to our resident demon, I thought and buried my face in my arms, covering my fluffy ears to shut out the giggling trio behind us. Sarai, of course, hadn¡¯t been able to use her connection to Aurelia to reach us, Amazeroth¡¯s wards couldn¡¯t be tricked that easily. She had tried and compared the sensation to slamming her head straight into a solid steel wall. It had taken us a while to even get to that point, squabbling pointlessly about how we could best use our resources or rather, the quick burst of transcendent energy she had been able to provide. In the end, she had kept her link to Aurelia open, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have been able to communicate in the future and if I wanted to get her here, we¡¯d still have to figure out a way for her to overcome the barriers Amazeroth had erected. Ultimately, we had only postponed the problem, not solved it. Still, it was probably going to take her over a year to get here and a lot could change in that time. Mephisto might even be up and kicking by then and with an immortal this side of the wards, I felt decently confident that we¡¯d find a way. Unless she was caught beforehand. In that case¡­ we¡¯d probably be screwed, to put it mildly. Aurelia had lost consciousness again after Sarai had withdrawn and pumped Mephisto chock full of transcendent powers. And that had been when the hustle had begun. At first, he had ordered us around like a bunch of minions, delegating the mundane tasks while he had sat there, conjuring memory crystals from thin air, one after the other. Once he had been satisfied he had turned his attention on Isis¡¯ statuette and from there on out, it had been one chain of commands after the other. ¡°Cassy, could you get me another chest, go, hurry over to the dwarfs and ask for the armour they¡¯ve been working on for you and some spare mithril, I need more ink, could you fetch some, run and fetch the emblem so I can lay the groundwork for the repairs, bring me the entombed snake, oh, you¡¯ve got a minute, here, memorise the instructions for your stamp I¡¯ve written out, get me a pint of blood from Aurelia so I can better manipulate Sarai¡¯s energy¡­¡± There had been no end to his requests and somehow I had been the only one he had deemed qualified¡­ or stupid enough to cater to his whims. I also had an inkling feeling that my so called friends had enjoyed watching me rush back and forth with the sweat of my brow. Admittedly, Ahri and the kids had helped out from time to time, but still¡­ fighting monsters was a breeze compared to the duties of a maid. And for the whole afternoon, I had felt like one. One who had the dubious displeasure of watching the mountain of her chores grow by the minute. ¡°Once I¡¯m under, use these crystals,¡± he had pointed at a veritable hill of glowing gems, ¡°and memorise them. When I¡¯m back I expect the both of you to be proficient enough in your mana manipulation to execute each and every spell form described in there.¡± At least that part had wiped the smirk cleanly off Ahri¡¯s face, even though I had a nagging suspicions that she had exaggerated how difficult it¡¯d be for her. As far as I was aware, she was already pretty well versed in regards to magic and had most likely groaned along with me to make sure she wouldn¡¯t be handed any additional work. When his time had finally run out, I had almost been happy to see him go, even though I very much realised what it¡¯d mean for us in the long run to have to make do without his support and knowledge. Incidentally, when he had finally used up every last drop of energy he had been able to spare, it had almost been time for Alassara to pick us up. Which had led to the next hour of frantic activity. At least packing hadn¡¯t been a chore. Mephisto had managed to create a new stamp for Ahri and had even improved my own. Within a few minutes we had scraped everything clean and had prepared for our exodus. A tad dramatic but I had truly felt like Moses ushering his people away from the cruelty of the pharaoh. At least I had been as exhausted as the poor fellow when he had finally made it through the Red Sea. I hummed with satisfaction when Ahri¡¯s divine fingers neared the root of my tails and went on to massage my lower back, kneading the tension from sore muscles. I could have done so with a burst of energy as well, but this way felt much more stimulating and I wasn¡¯t shy about squeezing small advantages from all the work I had put in today. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What do I have to do to get a treatment like this every day,¡± I mumbled drowsily. ¡°Make time for it,¡± she replied. A second later I felt her silky mane tickle my bare back when she squeezed my butt and leaned down to add in a whisper, the scent of lavender and roses replaced by pine tress: ¡°and if you manage to get rid of the audience, there¡¯ll be so much more I can do to¡­ make you relax.¡± I was glad I was lying face down otherwise my blush would have illuminated the whole bath. Never the less, I wasn¡¯t going to take her teasing demurely. ¡°Should I throw them out?¡± Her hesitation was satisfying all on its on. ¡°No, we still got the whole night ahead of us, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I wish,¡± I replied wistfully. ¡°Alassara wants to have a late dinner. All of us together. That¡¯s probably going to drag on long into the night and we still have to wait for Xorlosh¡¯s return. Most of the dwarfs will stay on their ship and begin with the repairs. He¡¯ll come back with his kin and the quartermaster in an hour or two. But afterwards¡­ I¡¯m quiet glad neither of us needs that much sleep.¡± She didn¡¯t stop her movements and I was gradually getting hot and bothered, my body reacting to her touch. ¡°Hmm¡­ why did you want Krack here, anyway? We don¡¯t need to borrow any more gold, do we? Or is there something else you can¡¯t get on the markets?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± I had trouble concentrating and pushed against her hands. ¡°If you want a coherent answer, you¡¯ll have to refrain from teasing my tails. Right, uh, no, actually I want to return what we owe them and then¡­ I still haven¡¯t found out what happened to that damned rope. You know, the one we used to get into the tomb. Not that it matters overly much, but it¡¯s probably the last chance I¡¯ll get to ask. Plus¡­ we¡¯ll have to pay them quite the hefty sum to finish both your armour and mine within the few days they¡¯ll stay here and I don¡¯t intend to lug an ungodly amount of gold around this city. I¡¯m convinced they¡¯ll offer to do it for free, but I¡¯m not keen on exploiting them.¡± Her fingers stayed within bounds but she never ceased caressing my skin and fur. ¡°Exploiting? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re the only one who sees it that way. But since we¡¯ve got the money now¡­ which reminds me, would you like to spend tomorrow in the city with me? Just the two of us? Maybe we could even spend the night in a tavern. Away from the ruckus.¡± I nimbly slipped out of her grasp and turned around to place a kiss on her lips. ¡°Definitely. There are a couple of things I¡¯d like to do beforehand but it shouldn¡¯t take longer than an hour or two and afterwards I¡¯m all yours, love.¡± She tried to pout but couldn¡¯t quite suppress her smile. ¡°Let me guess, you still want to free the snake. Can¡¯t that wait?¡± ¡°Probably, but I already feel guilty for putting it off, time and again. And I also want to hand over the artefacts form Viyara¡¯s hoard to those who actually need them.¡± I kissed her again. ¡°Since I¡¯ve got everything I need right here, it¡¯s about time I start taking care of my people.¡± She cocked an eyebrow and asked: ¡°and what have we been doing for the last few weeks?¡± ¡°Protection isn¡¯t the same as care. Without us¡­ maybe I¡¯m overreacting but I want to use the week we¡¯ve got left to make sure they¡¯ll be fine when they reach Arthur, whatever happens.¡± ¡°Do you honestly mistrust your brother? I know you never really forgave him for running away but he really is a good person. He¡¯ll protect¡­ take care of them. And your mother and Mordred will be there to make sure he won¡¯t alienate them from you or the rest of your family. Cassy¡­ they¡¯re kids, don¡¯t burden them more than we have to. Let them live for a while.¡± ¡°Or you could actually ask us what we want, once in a while,¡± Reia chimed in. The girl was sitting with her back to us and watched Layla and Estrella play, but I had been much to occupied with the beautiful woman in my arms to realise she had come this close. I could have reached her with my tails. ¡°If we asked you, you¡¯d want to stay with your sister anyways, am I right,¡± Ahri replied. ¡°I would, but I¡¯ve already figured out that¡¯s not an option. Look, do you remember our deal?¡± We both nodded slowly and I had to admit I was curious where she was going with this. ¡°You want me to leave without a fuss, right? So¡­ you owe me an answer.¡± ¡°Ask away,¡± I said and slowly got up to grab a towel. ¡°But this time, you better stick to what you¡¯re going to promise. No more excuses.¡± I wrapped her up in it and hugged her tightly, ignoring her protest. Ahri and I wouldn¡¯t catch a cold, no matter how long we remained outside the water but with her wet hair and the lack of proper heating, she might not be that lucky. ¡°I¡­ what do I have to learn that you¡¯ll allow me to come with you in the future,¡± she finally asked breathlessly after she had accepted that she wouldn¡¯t be able to worm her way out of my embrace. I looked at Ahri, who quickly hid her blossoming smile. ¡°That¡¯s all yours, hon,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°I¡¯m not going to get involved in your family quarrels.¡± ¡°Coward,¡± I mouthed, before I focused on Reia again, lost in thought. Did I even want her with us at all? Truth be told, as stupid as it was, I did. But I had to be sure that she¡¯d be able to fend for herself or at least run and hide effectively. Her magic, if developed fully, should be enough, but there wasn¡¯t a certain spell or something similar I could pin it on. Huh, maybe there was¡­ ¡°Well,¡± I slowly answered, still wrestling with my thoughts, ¡°if you can control your innate magic, the magic you stumbled upon with Estrella¡¯s help, it¡¯ll be enough. So, basically, as soon as you can transform your body at will, you¡¯re welcome to tag along. No cheating, though. No amulets, elixirs or complicated spell forms. Access the power within you and once you¡¯re in control, I won¡¯t deny you anymore. I don¡¯t care how long it takes, but that¡¯s my condition.¡± Her head bobbed up and down, her hair tickling my chin. ¡°Figures,¡± she mumbled under her breath before she continued in her normal voice: ¡°there¡¯s no point in complaining that even our brother can¡¯t, is there?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, none at all. Look, this condition isn¡¯t so much about what you can actually accomplish but rather how long it¡¯ll take you. I know how much it sucks to here a platitude like that but¡­ you¡¯re still young. Admittedly, you¡¯ve proven you¡¯re mettle more than once, but¡­ let me ask you this, if I were in danger and I ordered you to run and leave me behind, would you do it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in lying, you already know I wouldn¡¯t. Neither you, nor Helena nor one of them,¡± she added and jerked her head towards the two girls who were still obliviously splashing around the largest pool. ¡°No matter what.¡± I hugged her more tightly and whispered. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly it. I¡­gods, you¡¯re like me in that regard. Just ask my fiancee how reliable I truly am when it comes down to it.¡± Ahri didn¡¯t need more of an incentive and voluntarily elaborated: ¡°She¡¯s a gods damned nuisance. If we weren¡¯t so hard pressed when it comes to power, I¡¯d tie her down and make her sit out most of our fights. Unfortunately I can¡¯t, like I¡¯m literally unable to. She¡¯s just too strong. You don¡¯t have that advantage. Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± she admonished Reia, ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s a bad thing, I fell in love with her, didn¡¯t I, and that¡¯s one of the reasons. It just makes the both of you¡­ erratic and a pain in the ass. Usually you simply go ahead and do what you want, whatever anyone tells you. You and her, both. And most of the time, it¡¯s for a good, maybe even noble reason, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m spending most of my waking moments worrying about her. And you know what Cassy can do if she puts her mind to it. It¡¯d take more than you can imagine to stop her from coming back to me.¡± ¡°And since I¡¯m not that strong, you¡¯d probably have to run after me every time I¡¯m following my whims instead of doing what¡¯s necessary,¡± Reia replied morosely. ¡°And I¡¯d either have to make up for it some other way or you¡¯d have to be sure that I won¡¯t become a danger to you or myself. I think I understand. Do you¡­ do you want me to change?¡± 205. Of tricks, transformations and a little bit of wisdom Cassandra Pendragon ¡°No,¡± Ahri and I stated resolutely. ¡°You¡¯re great, compassionate, strong willed¡­ and pretty much everything I could have hoped for,¡± I continued. ¡°As a person, that is. A soldier, a companion, not so much. You already said so yourself, if you want us to take you along, you¡¯ll either have to be strong enough to fend for yourself or you¡¯ll have to do as we say, no question asks, whether you like it or not. Is that truly something you even want? Is that something you could truly live with? Mull it over, it¡¯s going to take a while until you have to make a decision but once you do, you better be sure it¡¯s going to be the right one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± she mumbled and pressed her back against me. ¡°What do you mean,¡± Ahri quickly asked while she handed me another towel and began drying herself off. ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re not going to go back on your word, are you?¡± We looked at each other, our faces mirroring the other¡¯s exasperate expression. There was only one way this conversation was going to go from now on¡­ ¡°No,¡± I finally answered after a few seconds, ¡°we won¡¯t. Alright then, let¡¯s see it.¡± She squirmed in my arms and I released my hold. She scampered to her feet and shrugged out of the towel, her back still turned to us. The tendons in her neck pressed against her skin when she tensed all of her muscles and a deep groan reverberated through the baths, loud enough to make Estrella and Layla stop their antics and glance our way but after a moment they resumed splashing around. Huh, it surely seemed like we weren¡¯t the first to be treated to the sight. A scent I had come to associate with Viyara, molten gold, filled the air and a nimbus of that colour started seeping through Reia¡¯s skin until she appeared like the depiction of angel from earth. Soft light swirled around her, glimmering sparks, like miniature suns, danced along her form and I felt the pressure of an ancient magic push against me. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± I whispered and groped for Ahri¡¯s hand blindly, the scene much too entrancing to avert my eyes. The glow intensified until I had to strengthen my sight with a trickle of energy from my core and behind the glaring curtain, a ghostly, insubstantial figure formed around Reia. At first I couldn¡¯t place it until I understood that I was looking at a chimera, parts of different creatures mashed together into an abstract conglomerate of ever transmuting claws, wings, tails and fangs. For a few moments I worried that she might turn into an abomination that resembled nothing more than a monster I would have willingly struck down if I had met her in the wilds. I squeezed Ahri¡¯s hand, oscillating between amazement and a deep seated unease the unnatural figure instilled in me but my anxiety was unfounded. Another groan escape Reia¡¯s lips and the cycling limbs slowed down until they settled on the outline of a giant eagle that surrounded her like a cloak of light. The next second, the golden corona flared brightly enough to blind me if I hadn¡¯t been channeling my energy towards my eyes and I saw her body flow like water and expand. The glare subsided until the dim, rosy light of the crystals illuminated the room again and a magnificent, huge bird perched on the floor in front of us, panting heavily. I removed my hand from Ahri¡¯s grasp and took a step forward, whispering the most idiotic question: ¡°Reia, is that you?¡± Who else could it be, but I wasn¡¯t yet ready to accept what my eyes were telling, or rather shouting at me. The golden eagle, it¡¯s tail feathers streaked with black, presumably the colour of Reia¡¯s fur if she wasn¡¯t changing it to her liking, turned around, metallic claws clicking on the hard marble. It winked at us and spread its wings, each of them easily longer than she had been tall. A piercing cry reverberated through the chamber, a mixture of pride and satisfaction, while she took a few, wobbling steps in our direction and promptly lost her balance. With a burst of energy I was at her side, my tails snaking around her middle to keep her upright. The feel of her feathers was strange, silky yet surprisingly sturdy, like massive, compact bolts of cloth. She was surprisingly light weighted, like a real bird, her body, which was, including her wings, easily taller than me, felt more like a child¡¯s when she slumped against me. She looked up and met my gaze, her eyes, larger golden spheres with pitch black pupils, were filled with exhaustion and happiness. As much as I wanted to be mad at her, she had manipulated us once again, after all, I simply couldn¡¯t pull it off. Her good mood was palpable, even in this form, and infectious. I grinned at her and ran my fingers down her head, patting her beak, a formidable, golden weapon in its own right. She even smelled like an eagle, with a touch of molten gold. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± I murmured and continued brushing my fingers through her plumage. ¡°And one sly creature. Can you speak?¡± She shook her head and I heard Estrella¡¯s chirping voice behind me ¡°No, apparently most animals lack the necessary organs. We¡¯ve tried a few transformations and she really turns into the animal. She keeps her mind, but she can¡¯t speak.¡± Layla and her had exited the bath and were standing behind us, dripping wet. ¡°Let me guess,¡± I replied without turning around, ¡°that¡¯s how you spent your time while travelling here.¡± With a sigh I added: ¡°and how do you fit into the picture, Layla? When did you even have the time to fall in with these rascals?¡± ¡°Rascals,¡± the vampire in question replied and came closer. ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh, isn¡¯t it? While you were away with my mother. Ahri and the others were all busy with Aurelia and Reia pulled me aside. We talked for a while and¡­ she¡¯s nice and when she told me you¡¯re her sister¡­ I like them, even Archy¡­. he can be a bit tiresome, though. Anyways, when they heard I was a vampire, they started asking some strange questions and I soon figured out that there was something going on with Reia¡¯s bloodline. We¡¯re quite good with everything related to blood, you know? I managed to help her figure out how to trigger her first transformation. But that was only a few hours ago. I didn¡¯t know she already had this much control. Are you mad?¡± ¡°No, not really. Surprised and maybe a little miffed.¡± I pinched the eagle¡¯s neck. ¡°You tricked me.¡± The transformed vixen released a melodious cry that almost sounded like an apology, tainted with a good portion of smugness, though. ¡°Can you change back? I¡¯ve got a few question and I¡¯d like you to be able to answer. Plus, if I decided to yell at you, I¡¯d prefer you not having a beak as long as my forearm.¡± ¡°Before you do,¡± Ahri suddenly interrupted, ¡°would you mind if I plucked a feather?¡± The bird shrugged and offered her her tail feathers. She deftly ripped one out of the plumage and even though Reia had known what was coming, she couldn¡¯t suppress an undignified squawk. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°What do you plan to do with it,¡± I asked, wondering if I had missed something. ¡°Nothing, really,¡± she replied and admired the soft, golden glow. ¡°They¡¯re simply beautiful. Maybe I¡¯ll turn the feather into a necklace for you. Plus¡­ with this,¡± she raised the feather, ¡°we¡¯ll always be able to find our little troublemaker. It¡¯s chock full of her magic and as good a focus as any I¡¯ve seen before. You won¡¯t go back on your word and she¡¯ll probably be staying with us, won¡¯t she? I¡¯d quite like to have some insurance. We don¡¯t want a repetition of what happened when we first came here, now, do we.¡± I kissed her cheek. ¡°Smart and pretty, no wonder I can¡¯t keep my hands off you. Thanks, I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. If we have to keep her safe while travelling, we should do it properly. Which also means,¡± she added and narrowed her eyes at the majestic eagle, ¡°you¡¯re in for quite the treat. We still have five days until we have to head for the Emerald Island. Time enough to make you wish you hadn¡¯t decided to come along. We¡¯ll have to whip you into shape and make sure you understand what you signed up for.¡± Reia stiffened and the golden light from before engulfed her again. Turning back into a vixen went much more smoothly and decidedly faster than the prior transformation. A second later, my little sister blinked at us sheepishly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Are you¡­ are you really going to take me along,¡± she then asked excitedly. We exchanged a quick glanced before I sighed again. ¡°We¡¯ll try, but I imagine mum is going to have my ears for this. If she kills me, I¡¯ll haunt you for all eternity, mark my words. You¡¯ve no idea how much trouble I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Estrella piped up, ¡°she does. Why do you think she came to you instead of Helena?¡± My eyes grew wide. Rascal had been a much too friendly term. She was a devil in disguise! Half an hour later I was slowly making my way towards the room Alassara had allotted to my mum, even though she could have technically stayed with either of us without much problems. The refreshing bathing experience had already gone to hell, I had worked up a sweat simply thinking about the pending conversation. The arguments I had lined up seemed more than feeble now, that I was actually forced to justify my actions. Taking a child with us while we were probably going to scamper all over creation, hunted and hunting, rushing from one dangerous encounter to the next was, in essence, nothing but insanity. Still¡­ at first it had been an impulse and the conviction that Reia would never be able to fulfil my conditions in a short amount of time, but even in hindsight, I couldn¡¯t really say that I wasn¡¯t¡­pleased. First of all, I selfishly wanted her with me. I liked her and she had already become a part of my family. If I had to let my mum and Mordred go, I, at least, wanted my sister with me. It might be an egregious form of hubris, but I truly believed that I could keep her safe from anything this world could throw at us. Damn it, we had faced fallen gods and dragons, emperors and pirates and we had always come out on top. Admittedly, never unscathed but since I had been forced to watch Greta die for me, I had always managed to protect those I felt responsible for. Ahri and I were immortals for crying out loud, if we couldn¡¯t keep a single child from harm, we¡¯d hardly deserve the title. Secondly, considering everything I had learned about her, she¡¯d be coming with us, whether we wanted her to or not. The kid was much too independent for her own good and sneaky and clever on top of it. Now that she could change into pretty much any animal she could think of, a transformation that even fooled my second sight, I had tested it, there was no chance in hell we¡¯d be able to keep her away. And in that case, I¡¯d much rather know where the little troublemaker was, to begin with. I sighed, even when I iterated my reasons to myself, they seemed hollow and superficial and my mum would pick them apart in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I had given my word. I hadn¡¯t promised, not literally, but if I was going to leave her behind now, she¡¯d never trust me again and that was something I couldn¡¯t live with. Once again, I had spoken without thinking and now I had to own up. Gods, maybe I deserved the scolding that was going to await me on the other side of the door I was dreading to knock on. Get a grip, Cassandra, you made your bed and now you have to lie in it. I steeled my self and called: ¡°mum, are you there? I¡­ there¡¯s something we need to talk about.¡± The door opened as if by magic, or rather by magic, and I entered a luxurious room that was pretty similar to the one Ahri and I had been told to stay in. Dark marble, sparkling in the light of glowing jewels, a massive, unbelievably soft bed with a veritable sea of cushions on top and an empty cupboard since the silvery vixen didn¡¯t have anything in the way of clothing she needed to store, complemented by an expertly crafted desk, which, again, didn¡¯t hold anything. The only difference to a palace was the lack of windows, which wouldn¡¯t have been of much use, three stories below ground. The source of my worries reclined on top of the bed, lolling between silk and brocade like a spoiled house cat, her low, reverberating purr filling the room. Slowly I inched closer, my expression somewhere between guilty and troubled. Of course, she immediately picked up on my mood and nimbly rolled around, fixing the stare of her glowing, silver eyes on me. ¡°What have you done now,¡± she questioned, her tails rising behind her like a wall of molten silver. ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s a long¡­ no it¡¯s not.¡± I sighed again and sat down on the edge of her bed. ¡°I might have allowed Reia to accompany Ahri and me when we¡¯re going to leave for the Emerald Island¡­ and probably afterwards as well.¡± I closed my eyes, waiting for her outburst, but to my surprise it never came. Instead, she produced a hackling sound in the back of her throat I had come to associate with her laughing. ¡°And now you¡¯re worried I¡¯m going to rip your ears off, aren¡¯t you? Well, no need to, I already knew. I might not be as powerful as you or your fianc¨¦e, but my senses are second to none. I smelled her magic, you know, and when I went looking, I stumbled upon her and her friends. They were in the midst of a discussion on how to proceed and I decided to listen in.¡± Instead of her, it was me who turned red and stammered with indignation. ¡°You¡­ you knew? But¡­ how¡­ by the Great Fox, you didn¡¯t think to warn me? Why on Gaya wouldn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I thought you deserved a little payback,¡± she replied leisurely and started cleaning her fur. ¡°You know, keeping secrets, leaving others in the dark¡­ it might do you some good. Being on the receiving end, for once. And also, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s half a bad idea. I did, at first, but then I thought about it¡­ bringing another Pendragon child to Arthur is dangerous and she¡¯ll keep you grounded. Prevent either of you from being too reckless since you have to look out for her. Cassy, you¡¯ve grown much, you truly have, and I¡¯m damned proud of you, but taking care of a child might just be what you need. I don¡¯t have to tell you that you¡¯re still acting without thinking far too often now, do I? I hope Reia¡¯s presence might change that. I know you¡¯d never willingly endanger her¡­ so I don¡¯t really mind her tagging along.¡± ¡°You¡­ she¡¯s not some toy you can use to manipulate and teach me a lesson,¡± I spluttered. ¡°No, she¡¯s not. She¡¯s your sister and, with time, might become my daughter. Which is why I¡¯m convinced she¡¯ll be as safe with you as she can be anywhere else, safer probably. Don¡¯t think for a second that I¡¯d allow it if I wasn¡¯t convinced you and Ahri are capable of protecting her and going to make her well-being your utmost priority. Because you will, I know that much about my own child.¡± I fell silent and regarded her from under my bangs, my thoughts swirling. ¡°Have you always been this¡­ wise? Or am I just now starting to realise it?¡± She ceased her movements and her gaze settled on me, grief plainly visible in the silvery depths of her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve all had to change. The amount of pain, fear and suffering we had to go through¡­ it either breaks people or it makes them stronger¡­ wiser. Just look at your brother. But of course, I¡¯ve always been the epitome of wisdom. I¡¯m your mother, after all,¡± she added with a lopsided grin that revealed her fangs. ¡°That you are,¡± I replied and picked her up, relieved, burying my face in her silky fur. ¡°And I love you, I hope you know that.¡± She began purring again. 206. Of care, attacks and a little bit of divinity Cassandra Pendragon I had fled the crowded banquet as soon as I had been able to, without insulting either our host or the guests. The main reason: they had been talking about vampiric politics for the most part, how to integrate the surviving members of the late Captain¡¯s brood into Alassara¡¯s cabal and how to best deal with and convince the remaining leaders of Free Land to accept or possibly even support her. I couldn¡¯t add anything substantial and the rest of my family had a much better grasp on the intricacies of societal machinations since I simply didn¡¯t care, unless I was forced to. Besides, I had complete faith in Ahri to speak for the both of us. The only interesting thing had been Krack¡¯s report on the rope, which indeed had still been in storage. I had been right, time travel truly reset my surroundings. It didn¡¯t matter much for now, but in the back of my head the outlines of an emergency fail safe were beginning to form. I had already left a beacon on the Emerald Island I still felt connected to, like a closed door I could open if I concentrated. Who was to say that it wouldn¡¯t work the same way with temporal displacements? Well, the laws of physics I remembered, for instance, but I had come to understand that those were more like guidelines. They could be warped and twisted, I simply had to be careful to not smash them apart, otherwise I might break something rather important. Like the planet¡­ or reality. It¡¯d probably be for the best if I refrained from experimenting, tempting as it was. I slowly made my way through the surprisingly well lit corridors. They lacked the gothic, oppressive design I would have expected from a vampire¡¯s lair and actually reminded me of my home. Glowing jewels, soft, exquisite carpets and a collection of art and armours that was rather subtle and atmospheric instead of gaudy. For a dungeon, inhabited by one of the fiercest predators who lived off blood and stalked the night for prey, it was undeniably cozy. I shook my head and recalled the short but heated debate I had had with Xorlosh before the dinner had officially started with a smile. ¡°Keep your gold, lassie,¡± he had almost spat. ¡°We¡¯re no scoundrels and me word is good. On me honour, you¡¯ll have your amour and the one for your lovely lass within 4 days.¡± ¡°But,¡± I had tried to argue, ¡°you never said you¡¯d make two. I¡¯m not going to rely on your generosity further, when I¡¯m finally able to pay!¡± ¡°Lass,¡± he had spluttered, ¡°don¡¯t insult us! I know the old fur ball told you we don¡¯t do nothin¡¯ for free when it¡¯s not necessary, but things have changed. Y¡¯are one of us now and I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m taking money from me niece! So stash your coins, put a smile on that face and say thank you. That¡¯s the proper way of handling things.¡± What could I have said? I had bashfully bowed and stammered my thanks, I had always had trouble gracefully accepting gifts from someone I hadn¡¯t grown up with and it hadn¡¯t changed. He had cut me off gruffly and pulled me into a hug, murmuring: ¡°¡±s nothin¡¯. Me ¡®n the lads will have a much easier time sleeping, when we know you¡¯re not protected by nothin¡¯ but your looks and magic. I want to see you again lass, and if that armour keeps you safe, it¡¯ll be worth it. For you, as much as for us.¡± I had been at a loss for words and had simply returned the hug, tears stinging my eyes. I still couldn¡¯t tell why I had become this emotional, but the heartfelt friendship he had offered had touched me more than words could describe. Maybe it had been the constant fights or the ever present threat of loss, but somewhere down the line the dwarfs had turned into a sturdy rock, one that¡¯d be there, weathering the storm, no matter what. Sighing, I stopped my brooding and opened the door in front of me. It led to a smaller room, containing a nightstand with an array of tinctures, elixirs and potions, a couple of chairs and a small bed on which Aurelia rested, still unconscious. To my surprise, she wasn¡¯t alone. Auguros sat at her side and he turned around the moment I opened the door. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been expecting you. Why don¡¯t you come in? Have a seat.¡± ¡°Of course you were,¡± I mumbled and lowered myself on one of the chairs. ¡°How did you know,¡± I added more loudly. ¡°Another epiphany shared by the spirits of this world?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Age and a bit of knowledge about the mortal condition. And you¡¯re still acting like a mortal, aren¡¯t you, despite your heritage.¡± ¡°Probably. If it¡¯s up to me, that¡¯s not going to change.¡± I exhaled deeply and took Aurora¡¯s hand, caressing her soft skin. ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡± ¡°Exhausted¡­ the magic your sister pumped through her veins was nearly too much for her. She¡¯ll wake up soon enough but remain weak like a newborn for quite a while. Are you worried about her?¡± ¡°Of course I am. I can¡¯t get Alassara¡¯s words out of my head. I didn¡¯t ask Sarai but she must have mistreated the poor girl to an extend I can¡¯t even imagine. I¡¯m not surprised, to her, when she still was nothing but an immortal, Aurelia would have been a tool¡­ a thing to use and discard at her leisure. I¡­ I feel responsible in a way. Maybe I¡¯m just used to cleaning up my siblings¡¯ messes but I don¡¯t want her to suffer solely because she was unlucky enough to meet an angel.¡± I laughed throatily. ¡°Quite ironic, isn¡¯t it, that meeting the beings who are worshipped by most who know about us, has left her devastated and possibly crippled. I¡­ if I get the chance, I¡¯d like to help her. I can¡¯t imagine she¡¯ll be able to recover until her connection to my sister is severed, but I still want to make sure she doesn¡¯t feel¡­ abandoned until then.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re here? So she can see a friendly face when she wakes up?¡± I shook my head and presented him with a wry smile. ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know when she¡¯ll rise from her slumber, it¡¯s just a convenient excuse to get away from the banquet. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but I¡¯m not particularly partial to the unending back and forth of political arguments.¡± He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. I thought you were raised for it?¡± I had to laugh in response. ¡°No, not really. My parents were quick to realise that my temper isn¡¯t suited for the court. I know the basics but aside from etiquette and behaviour, I¡¯ve never been taught the more intricate aspects. I¡¯m not a leader, Auguros, I¡¯m a warrior, I always have been. One of the reasons why I¡¯m even here, if I had been a tad smarter in the past¡­¡± I allowed my voice to trail off and shrugged. ¡°Then we should be grateful you aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh? I appreciate the sentiment, but I¡¯m the reason why we¡¯re even in this mess. Well, maybe not for you and Morgan, but when it comes to the dangers our world faces¡­ you¡¯d be safe without me. I thought you knew. Shouldn¡¯t you be cursing my very existence?¡± It was his turn to smile indulgently. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°What makes you say that? There¡¯s an old question: would you prefer being an oblivious but happy pig to the life of a doubting and dissatisfied philosopher?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t quite get where your going with this¡­ but there¡¯s only one answer, isn¡¯t there? Even if you¡¯re happy it¡¯ll only matter if you can understand and relate, otherwise it¡¯d be meaningless.¡± ¡°Then why do you assume we¡¯d be better off, if the battles of our time were fought hidden from our eyes? Your struggle¡­ your family¡­ it concerns us all, whether we want to be a part of it or not. And I, for one, would rather know what¡¯s coming and try my hand at shaping the future, no matter how minuscule the chance of actually surviving or accomplishing my goals.¡± ¡°Makes sense, considering how we came to meet,¡± I admitted. ¡°But¡­ Auguros?¡± I let go of Aurelia¡¯s hand and reached out to prevent the aged human from slipping to the ground. His eyes had glazed over and his breathing had deepened. From one second to the next he had fallen asleep and while I was still wondering if he had suffered a stroke, the walls suddenly ignited with a glaring, piercing light, almost as if the sun was breaking through the clouds¡­ except, we were still several metres below ground. Cursing, I jumped to my feet. Aurelia would be fine, she was tied to an immortal that represented the changing cycle of stars and life, and the same held probably true for Layla and her mother, but the rest of the vampires¡­ ¡°Ahri,¡± I screamed, using my voice as well as my connection to her, ¡°talk to me, what¡¯s happening?¡± I immediately felt her thoughts brush against my mind, confusion, panic and a dark surge of anger boiling beneath the surface. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ they¡¯re asleep, Cassy, all of them, except for your mum and Viyara. And, holy hells, the vampires are burning up, literally. By the Great Fox, what am I supposed to do? Where are you? What the fuck is happening?¡± That was easily answered. Alassara¡¯s home was under attack. The question was by whom and more importantly how? ¡°Don¡¯t know. Where are the kids? Are they still with you?¡± ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re out cold, just like the rest¡­ damn it!¡± I didn¡¯t have to ask. The searing glow around me had intensified and I could easily picture all to lively what was happening to a room full of vampires, most of which didn¡¯t exactly deal well with getting a tan. ¡°Viyara, can you seal the walls or isolate the spell,¡± Ahri wasn¡¯t concentrating on me anymore but she had kept the link open and I was privy to her thoughts. I couldn¡¯t hear the reply but at least I could gain an idea of what they were up to or if they were¡­ in danger would hardly signify any change, but if they needed my help. For now, they seemed to be just fine and there wasn¡¯t much I could for the vampires. No, I had something else in mind, something that would sooth the growing flame of fury that was gradually swallowing my insides. No one would harm my friends. I nimbly jumped from the chair and left the room, a flickering corona of silver light growing around me. My reasoning was rather simple: light and sleep as weapons? Whatever was going on wasn¡¯t directed at us but at Alassara and her family. It was also more than likely that it wasn¡¯t Amon¡¯s work, otherwise we¡¯d be wading through a veritable flood of golems or soul bound thralls by now. Besides, there wasn¡¯t nearly enough screaming going on for the Emperor to be directly involved. Which meant¡­. well, there was quite an array of possibilities to choose from, but probabilities¡­ not so much. Alassara had stepped out of her brother¡¯s shadow and the next moment her home was under attack? During the very same night her new subordinates had made their way back and could possibly have been followed? I wasn¡¯t sure, but chances were that either Silas or Tharos had betrayed her, or maybe the other Captain¡¯s had decided to end the vampiric threat once and for all. Stupid beyond belief, considering the storm that was brewing in the east, but I had already learned that rationality was the first thing to be ditched, when power was at stake. Either way, I realised with a cold grin, the context didn¡¯t matter that much, for there was only one thing that could logically follow. Someone or several someones were going to make their way into Alassara¡¯s lair, probably to finish off whoever was still alive and plunder everything that wasn¡¯t screwed to the ground. And since there was only one entrance¡­ I knew where I had to go. ¡°Ahri,¡± I sent, much more calmly than I actually felt. As much as I loathed to admit it, I was quite looking forward to having a civilised chat with anyone who had thought I¡¯d be a good idea to invade the home of someone I already considered a friend, or at least an ally and I had to struggle to keep my excitement from my thoughts. When I imagined what I might do to the people who had come here for Layla and her mother, I had to suppress a shudder. The fur on my tails rose up, my resolution to protect the little girl, I had taken from a dark cell, and her family coursed through my veins like liquid fire. ¡°I¡¯m going to have a quick look around and make sure that whoever decides to kick down the front door finds more than he bargained for. Auguros and Aurelia are in her room. Could you keep an eye on them, just in case? Better yet, get them to the banquet hall.¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± she was distracted and her replied came haltingly. ¡°We will. Your mum wants to meet you on the first floor. She says she can already sense the protective enchantments falling. Be careful, Cassy. This magic¡­ it¡¯s strange. I know you don¡¯t have to worry, but¡­¡± she was interrupted when Viyara extended her telepathy and forged a connection between us, including my mother. ¡°But,¡± the dragoness continued, ¡°that¡¯s something I haven¡¯t seen before. I¡¯m not sure, but I think we¡¯re dealing with worshippers of one deity or the other. The spell structure is¡­ incomparable to anything else and its sheer power¡­ If that¡¯s the case¡­ I just don¡¯t know what to expect.¡± I massaged the bride of my nose. Just what I needed. For once, I¡¯d quite like to be told or read about the obstacles I was confronted with beforehand, instead of being thrown into the midst of chaos and confusion with nothing but guesswork to show me the way. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter¡­ energy remains energy, no matter the source,¡± I said hesitantly. ¡°But I¡¯ll be careful. Anyone of you ever heard of or dealt with divine intervention?¡± ¡°Yes¡­,¡± my mum slowly replied, ¡°some of the travellers who visited us, they spoke of their faith. For some cultures, their gods are supposedly real and they can ask them for help. If it aligns with the deity¡¯s goals, they¡¯ll grant them a part of their power. As far as my understanding goes, they¡¯re mages whose capabilities have been boosted beyond their normal limits with the help of¡­ well, something, whether it¡¯s a god or something else, I can¡¯t say. But after everything we¡¯ve already witnessed¡­¡± she trailed off, but I knew what she meant. While I might have discarded the notion a few weeks ago offhandedly, it was difficult to do so with the memory of our last battle against supposed legends still burning brightly in my thoughts. ¡°Great, just great,¡± I groused. ¡°And the only one who probably has some answers is fast asleep, yet again. Fine, I¡¯m at the first staircase, see you in a second, mum. If anything happens, you¡¯ll let me know, right?¡± ¡°Same goes for you,¡± Ahri replied. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the ones who haven¡¯t burned to a crisp safe. Good hunting. Try to leave one alive.¡± I nodded, even though they couldn¡¯t see me, while anger turned my face into a white mask. More useless deaths, more lives extinguished for nothing but vanity. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. But if they really are that powerful¡­ we¡¯ll have to see. Take care.¡± I closed my eyes and focused on my core, allowing the infinite stream of energy to pour forth, filling me to brim with a power that would crush anything in its path. All I had to do was ask. When I opened my eyes again, the world had turned into a kaleidoscopic mirage of silver, interspersed with blue. The walls had become transparent and all around me I saw the living, breathing latticework of magic, sometimes ordered, sometimes jumbled up, but ever present. The otherworldly light, still spilling from the walls, was an intricate web of entangled strands of power, humming with an intensity that rivalled the forces I had seen in Shassa¡¯s tomb, but in contrast to the arbitrary outbursts that had accompanied the spider¡¯s magic, it was perfectly structured. Like souls, the patterns kept repeating themselves, flawlessly branching off into ever smaller fractals, until even my sight couldn¡¯t follow the complex formations anymore. 207. Of defences, priests and a little protection Cassandra Pendragon I was tempted to lose myself in the intricately woven spells. Mephisto¡¯s reassurance, that I¡¯d only have to watch magic closely enough to learn, rang in my ears and I instinctively knew I¡¯d have to wait for a long time until I¡¯d come across anything comparable. From the looks of it, it wasn¡¯t a single spell I could break, but rather a myriad of tightly connected formations. Even if I managed to cleave one apart, the rest would work just fine. If I had had a few hours, I might have been able to deduce the link between the different enchantments, but there was a time and a place for everything and right now, I had much better things to do. Finding the caster, for instance, and shoving his spells up his ass. That should cancel the magic just as effectively. Silently I stalked the corridors, making slightly less noise than a fleeting shadow. Every few steps I paused, listening, watching, searching. My second sight was still restricted, its potency diminished quickly beyond the reach of my wings, but my other senses, bolstered with the energy from my core, had come to life. The hushed murmurs form the banquet hall, the acidic smell of burned flesh, the half suppressed groans of burning vampires, everything was crystal clear and while I passed withering bodies, their skin slowly charring in the searing light, my anger grew. I knew that vampires weren¡¯t innocent, I didn¡¯t even want to guess how many corpses Alassara had buried in her time, but right now, I didn¡¯t care. She had taken us into her home, she was willing to side with us against an enemy who would send any sane person running in the opposite direction, screaming in fear, and her daughter had weaselled her way into my heart. For now, they were under my protection just as much as the kitsune were and there was no force in heaven or hell I wouldn¡¯t challenge to keep my people safe. I¡¯d even go against my siblings, if I had to, and the thought of facing a puppet god, shackled by mortal convictions, didn¡¯t scare me. His minions were the one who should be afraid and I was about to remind them why. Silver lightning danced across my skin and with a whisper my wings materialised, just when I took the last steps into the entrance hall. An ostentatiously decorated room, filled with small statuettes, made of carved gems, a massive, golden chandelier and several plush armchairs and small tables led to a fortified double door. Two guards had been positioned on either side, but they had crumbled, small wisps of smoke rising from the closed visors of their helmets. A faint scratching noise could be heard through the steel banded wood and the centre of the door was already glowing, the planks of hardened oak turning to ash before my eyes. In front of the gradually disintegrating barrier, a silver vixen sat, her tails twitching from left to right while a palpable aura of sizzling energy swirled around her like the corona of a star. Without a word I took my place at her side, joining her silent vigil. The stream of power surging against the door intensified, chunks of coal and liquefied metal dripped to the ground while the whole room trembled as if in the vicelike grip of an invisible giant. The blurred outlines of dimly glowing runes appeared along the walls and all over the door, their strength nothing but a whispered touch against my skin. ¡°They¡¯ll break through in a second. Can you see them,¡± my mum inquired. ¡°No, if I were to push my wings through, the last protective enchantments would vanish and with my second sight I can only see the flood of power they¡¯re directing towards us. What about you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see them, but I can hear and smell them. There are at least twenty on the other side and judging from the scent of blood that¡¯s wafting down the hidden staircase, they¡¯ve slaughtered everyone in the tavern. That¡¯s why there was no alarm or warning. Do we have a plan?¡± ¡°Kill them all,¡± I replied. My anger had boiled over and turned into bloodlust and I didn¡¯t bother with reigning it back in. ¡°If there¡¯s one who looks like the leader, we¡¯ll keep him alive, if we can. There are some questions I¡¯d like answers to.¡± Luckily her telepathy allowed us to communicate without any delay, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have had the time to exchange so much as a greeting. ¡°They don¡¯t know who we are, yet. At least I don¡¯t think so. It might be easier to get your answers, if we were to join them. Pretend to be a slave, captured for its beauty and just now escaping from the clutches of the monsters who took you. We might not even have to fight.¡± ¡°We might not¡­ but I want to. Did you not see them? Corpses and ashes¡­ they¡¯re nothing but invaders. Invaders who¡¯ve come to burn Alassara¡¯s home. I might not have been able to save my own kingdom back then, but things have changed. There¡¯s only one answer I can give to torch bearing abominations and I¡¯ll write it with the blood of those behind that door.¡± She looked at me from the side, her eyes glowing more strongly with every passing second. ¡°Now you sound like a queen. Well then, let us ensure they rue the day they crossed our path, even if it won¡¯t be for long.¡± She licked her lips, her fangs shimmering. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± A cold shiver ran down my tails. I had always know my mum could be fierce when something she held dear was threatened, but this wasn¡¯t the case. She looked more like a cat who had spotted a mouse and was shivering with anticipation, ready to play with her prey. Those poor souls had no idea what was waiting for them. They would find neither treasure nor glory here, only death awaited them. I nodded and my wings flared, filling the room with sparkling light. My core reacted to my desires and gradually the harsh, golden light was overshadowed by a flood of silver and blue, as if the moon itself had just risen below ground. With a thought I bolstered my strength, my brain, my senses while the sparks dancing across my skin turned into a fine layer of silvery flames, flickering faster than the eye could follow. I might have gotten access to my magic, my voice might have ended this farce in an instant, but for what was to come, I needed neither. In the end, I truly was a warrior. The thought of facing them head on, fists against weapons, wings against magic, filled me with joy I had never before felt when I had been forced to fight. Right now, I wanted this. I was distantly aware that my past was influencing me more strongly the further my development progressed, but I didn¡¯t fear it anymore. I wouldn¡¯t change. Maybe I was finally finding the courage to admit who I was, the good and the bad, darkness and light. I was no hero who pitied her enemies, I was no saint who¡¯d rather spare the innocent than judge the guilty, but I wasn¡¯t a cruel, heartless villain, either. I was myself, and I¡¯d carve my own path, bloody as it might become. And those behind the door were the first who¡¯d find out. ¡°Ready,¡± I asked and my mum only nodded, her figure ablaze with the light of stars. My wings surged forwards, gripped the door tightly and with the sound of tortured metal and splintering wood, I ripped it from its hinges, welcoming the smell of ozone and blood that poured through. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. From the maw like gap, a pillar of golden flames, tainted with specks of black, spilled forth and dispersed against my wings, the powerful attack nothing more to me than a tepid summer breeze. In its wake, scurrying figures slipped through the entrance, their movements slow and clumsy to my enhanced sight. Before they found their footing, my mum vanished in a silvery arch, shooting forwards like a stone from a sling. A distorted flicker, followed by the gut wrenching sound of ripped flesh and a fountain of blood. The first intruder went down, his head cleanly severed from his neck. Before the ones behind him had the chance to react, the outline of the vixen blurred again as she tore into her next victim like a fox hunting rats. ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here,¡± I thundered and took a step towards them. ¡°You¡¯ve entered the lair of the beast, bearing flames, and now you shall pay the price.¡± Behind the line of soldiers in black plate armour, still struggling to reform their ranks, I saw two creatures clad in flowing, heavily embroidered robes. One was wearing gold, the other black and while the first of their protectors died, they hastily tried to cast their magic. But I wasn¡¯t going to allow it. With a cold smile on my face I vanished, only to reappear behind them. Time slowed down even more until my surroundings seemed to be frozen, the priests and warriors resembling nothing more than ants caught in amber. To my left, a pale girl with almost translucent skin, her graceful appearance laid bare before my bolstered perception, was marshalling her thoughts into a spell that reeked of death and decay, dark motes of light coalescing around her to form a lance of doom she wanted to hurl at me. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t in front of them anymore. To my right, the burly zealot hidden under his golden robe was commanding the essence of light and fire into a wave of destruction, intended to burn my mum and me where we stood. Their magic was crude, the spell forms appeared almost unfinished. I saw them use their internal energies to stimulate the basic elements around them, marshalling them into a shape that would convey their intend and do their bidding. For the first time, I felt the process of casting a spell, their attempts much less refined than anything I had been confronted with before and I finally understood what Mephisto had meant when he had told me, all I had to do was watch. Magic, in its essence, was nothing more than another language, one that was even more universal than maths, one that allowed the caster to impose his thoughts on reality, because it was based on the very structure of existence, the intricate interaction between practitioner and her surroundings. The dichotomy of knowledge and power determined the strength of the spell. Up until now, I had always dealt with beings, from Shassa to Mephisto, whose knowledge was so far beyond my grasp that I hadn¡¯t been able to comprehend what they were actually doing. This, though¡­ this was different. Their understanding was lacking, severely. Shattered thoughts and crippled ideas came together to become an entangled, warped, chaotic mess of dreams and prejudice. From what I gathered, their magic was born from faith and a very twisted belief in how the world should work. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how much energy it¡¯d take to make that real, the fragmented memories, which slowly blossomed in my mind and filled the gaps in my knowledge as soon as another impression sparked the right question, suggested that no human could even come close to wielding that much power. Every creature was born with a set amount of energy. The astral body, the life force, the soul¡­ it was predetermined how strong they could get, pretty much like the size of a person. There were ways to circumvent the restrictions to a certain degree, techniques that allowed the user to incorporate external sources, for example, but there was a limit of how much mortal flesh could contain, which was also the reason why my body had changed so drastically with each evolution. What they were trying to accomplish should have sucked them dry and spewed them back out as shrivelled up husks. I imagined even a dragon would be hard pressed to supply enough mana to make their insanity become reality, but they weren¡¯t alone. Instead of a steadily growing wave, that flowed through them and spilled over into the world, ready to incite the ambient mana, their strength came form some place else. I could literally see the fragmented presence of an unfathomable consciousness take hold of their minds and fuel their puny magic with its own power. Glistening gold and swirls of the deepest black tore though them and invaded their spells, elevating their magic to inhuman heights. A spark of the sun itself and the chilly breath of death manifested and from their exhilarated expression, I knew that they expected this to be the end. But I wasn¡¯t human either and in a battle of energy and magic, I wouldn¡¯t have feared the source of their unnatural power, never mind mere vessels. My grin grew wider while my wings appeared before them, blazing through their spells, unimpeded. In the almost petrified moment they couldn¡¯t even react before their magic was devoured, black and gold turning into silver sparks that vanished along my wings and strengthened me even further. An exhilarating heat seeped through me, feeding the pulsing fires in my veins and while their faces gradually morphed into expressions of disbelief and panic, my smile grew wider. I twirled around, cleanly severing the loose threads of power that still burned within them, cutting them off from their source. A quiet laugh escaped me when the backlash hit them. Through my second sight, I saw the lines of energy, glowing within their bodies, their meridians, quiver and shake under the onslaught. Like tiny bolts of lightning, tendrils of broken energy tore through them, flooding their minds with waves of ravenous, immutable pain, a sensation I was all too familiar with. I finished my pirouette and two twitching, insensible humans dropped to the ground, wisps of smoke rising from their robes while their eyes rolled up into their heads and at the same moment, the glaring light, still coming from the walls, was extinguished. The forming spells around them had disappeared without a trace and with a slinky smile, I spun once more to throw them both into the ranks of their comrades. With a dull, crunching sound they tumbled into the backs of the nearest soldiers, ruining their balance. Most managed to stay on their feet when my living projectiles hit, but two were pulled to the ground alongside the priests. Those were the lucky ones. The others were still a threat. Laughter bubbled from my throat when the closest hulking behemoths of iron and steel tried to face me, their movements slower than a slug¡¯s. Swords and spears whirled around, about as fast as growing grass, an expanding thicket of weapons and armour. Long before the first gleaming tip could even touch a hair on my tails, I had taken a few steps and had deftly grabbed one of the spears below the serrated edge. I tensed my muscles and easily ripped it from the grip of its wielder, throwing the burly human to the ground in the process. I twirled the massive weapon around, ramming it home underneath the chin band of the downed man¡¯s helmet. A crimson fountain sprayed form the wound and his legs twitched involuntarily, knocking his neighbour from his feet, but I had already moved on, the rising melodies of blood and violence an invigorating symphony I could smell, taste and hear. Light as a feather I danced deeper into their midst, my wings a wavering curtain of death around me. Iron melted, wood ignited and skin was cut like butter wherever they made contact. Similar to the intoxicating feeling that had come over me in Shassa¡¯s tomb, I couldn¡¯t suppress the unbridled excitement that rushed me along, like a leaf, caught in an irresistible river. Steel deformed around my spear while its tip dug into exposed flesh, drawing grunts of pain and surprise from collapsing throats. Swords were torn to pieces when they became entangled in my wings and agonised screams followed the deadly explosions of hardened shrapnel. Showers of blood wetted my skin, my hair and fur gradually becoming heavier with every life I took. Slowly, the futility of their struggle dawned on the soldiers, who had so carelessly followed their prophets into the den of the beast. Panic made their movements even more sluggish and when those who faced me suddenly collapsed, felled by a nearly imperceptible streak of silver, the few who were still in a condition to flee, tried to run. They never had a prayer. Like grains before a scythe, they were brought down, their crimson essence turned into gurgling rivulets on a darkened floor. 208. Of depravity, entitlement and a little bit of revenge Cassandra Pendragon I didn¡¯t feel filthy, nor guilty while I surveyed the scene of destruction we had caused. Some soldiers had been cleanly cleaved in two, while others had been ripped apart, their limbs littering the floor around them. Others had been crushed, their armour had become a death trap that had turned them into a bloody pulp, seeping through torn steel, courtesy of my mom¡¯s telekinesis. Only a mere handful were still drawing breath, the stunned priests among them. I made my way over to them, carefully avoiding the growing pools of blood, and hooked my foot under the girl in the black robe to flip her over. I crouched down to remove the hood form her face, my senses still flooded with energy in case she was only pretending to be unconscious. As soon as I saw the streams of cold sweat, running down her cheeks, and her fluttering eyelids, I knew she was well and truly under, the backlash of her spell too much for her frail body to handle. ¡°Now what,¡± I mumbled, the question a rather rhetorical one, but my mom answered nonetheless. ¡°Now, we try to help. Their spells are broken, the vampires who have survived should be able to regenerate but I imagine they¡¯ll be starved. As far as I know, they need blood to replenish their reserves and healing themselves from wounds, inflicted by this kind of magic, must have drained them. I haven¡¯t seen any slaves around here and the handful of human servants will hardly suffice to sate their thirst. Maybe the ones we haven¡¯t killed can still be useful to us.¡± I would have liked to protest, despite everything, the thought of serving another thinking being to a predator on a silver plate didn¡¯t sit well with me. Hypocritical as it was, considering what I had just done, but sentiments were seldomly rational and it just felt¡­ wrong. But I didn¡¯t. ¡°We¡¯ve got them.¡± I dropped the thought into the web of telepathic connections Viyara had established. ¡°Most are dead but the casters¡­ priests are still alive and so are three of the soldiers. What¡¯s happening down there?¡± ¡°The light is gone,¡± Ahri replied, ¡°and the vampires who haven¡¯t burned up completely are stirring, they¡¯ll be up in a few minutes. Aurelia is still catatonic, as are our friends. I think they have a much harder time shaking off the sleep spell than the vampires, since they still have to sleep naturally. It shouldn¡¯t matter, I think, it will simply take them longer to come to. Viyara and I can keep an eye on them and make sure the vamps don¡¯t use them as a source of blood and start to rampage as soon as they wake up, but other than that¡­¡± her thoughts trailed off. My gaze travelled over the macabre, bloody tableau and up the stairs that led to the tavern. I was already moving when I said: ¡°it¡¯s Alassara¡¯s home, she¡¯ll have to decide what she wants to do with the ones who are still alive and how to proceed from here on out. I can¡¯t do anything down there at the moment, my healing doesn¡¯t work the same way with the undead and I¡¯m convinced Alassara would take it personally if I either bound or incinerated whatever was left of her underlings. Mum, can you keep an eye on our prisoners? The soldiers aren¡¯t unconscious, they¡¯re just pretending. I¡¯ll have a look around upstairs, see if there¡¯s anything I can do. Maybe a few of the tavern staff or its patrons are still alive. Oh and, even if they want to, make sure they don¡¯t kill the priests, not before we had a chance to talk.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you simply read their minds now? Everything we need to know should be hidden in there,¡± Viyara rightfully asked. She was surprisingly calm, the frantic hustle of the last minutes hadn¡¯t unsettled her in the slightest. Then again, she didn¡¯t care much for those who had died and she had already been through worse, much worse. We all had. ¡°Unfortunately, no. I can take a peek at their dreams but that¡¯s not going to help, will it? I can¡¯t sift through their memories, unless I use force and that¡¯d most likely shatter their minds completely. We¡¯ll have to wait until they wake up and we can prompt them with questions, make them think about what we want to know. Either that, or we need the help of someone well versed in breaking minds. I¡¯m not that skilful. Erya, maybe, or one of Alassara¡¯s cabal.¡± ¡°You basically want us to sit tight and babysit the whole lot,¡± Ahri stated scathingly. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take Viyara with me, if you think it¡¯s sensible to wait. But you have to stay,¡± one of the promises around my core hummed dangerously and I quickly amended: ¡°and I¡¯m only going up the stairs anyway. Maybe there¡¯s still more of them left. I don¡¯t want them to report back.¡± ¡°There are,¡± my mom slowly said, her nose twitching. ¡°A handful of soldiers and someone who smells¡­odd. Expensive oils, incense and something else¡­ a disease, maybe? I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, or do you honestly believe I¡¯m going to need help dealing with a few unprepared humans, honey? Keeping the vampires form using our friends as a buffet will be the harder task.¡± ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Ahri said darkly. ¡°But fine, just¡­ don¡¯t take too long. If you¡¯re not back in 20 minutes, I¡¯ll follow you. And keep the link open, whatever happens.¡± ¡°Your will, your majesty. Same goes for you. Anything happens, you tell me, right?¡± ¡°We will,¡± Viyara promised before we could slip back into our usual bickering. As much as I understood where she was coming from, I still missed the half serious exchanges Ahri and I usually shared. They simply reassured us that we cared more about the other than ourselves and that we were truly fine¡­ that we¡¯d see each other again, no matter the circumstances. ¡°Take care of yourselves, don¡¯t let them bite you when they wake up. I¡¯ll bring some more¡­ food with me, hopefully. See you in a bit.¡± Without another word, I hurried up the stairs and retracted my wings. I wouldn¡¯t need them and there was hardly a more unsettling sight than seeing a creature of light and magic burst from the dungeon you had just tried to invade. If the people who had remained behind were in any way the same as the back line commanders I had read about, they would surely have some of the answers I wanted and maybe I could persuade them to share. Well, persuade might have been a bit misleading. I was thinking more along the lines of ordering them. As long as I restricted the power I used with my voice to a minimum, I wouldn¡¯t endanger Amazeroth¡¯s wards. At least I hoped so. The aged wood beneath my feet creaked quietly as I made my way along the dark corridor, the smell of blood slowly changing from the bitter tang of aggression and desperation, I had left behind, to the more acidic aroma of fear, surprise and spilled tears. There hadn¡¯t been a fight, I was headed towards the scene of a massacre, an undiscriminating slaughter that had devoured the tavern before the people inside had even realised what had been happening. I didn¡¯t need my second sight, my nose was sensitive enough to paint a clear picture of what I was going to find. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Workers, relaxing after a tiring day, serving maids, ready to fulfil their desires, a bearded barkeep I had seen when I had fist come through, and of course, the vampiric guards who always mingled with the locals to keep an eye on the entrance, they were all gone. A faint whiff of charred flesh told me how the vampires had found their end and the even fainter, bitter taste of pain, or rather agony, whispered of a prolonged death. Some of the soldiers had taken their time, torturing and asking question before they had put the poor souls, who had survived the first attack, out of their misery. My hesitance, where it had come to handing the last remaining warriors over to Alassara and her children, dwindled with every step and when I finally slipped through the cellar and snuck towards the taproom, the last remains turned to ash and withered to nothingness. Before I even opened the door, I heard a murmured conversation, suppressed moans and rowdy laughter. When I listened more closely, the creaking of a table, the scraping of studded boots and several heartbeats, elevated until they resembled a ferocious orchestra, became clear. Two of the maids were still alive, but I imagined they weren¡¯t actually thankful but rather cursing their luck. I inhaled deeply. Their luck hadn¡¯t run out completely, yet, but every thought I might have had of toying with the remaining soldiers evaporated on the spot. A few quick steps brought me to the sad splinters of a fortified door, shredded and torn. Without slowing down, I rushed around the corner and took in the scene before me. Corpses had been piled up along one wall and a disgusting mixture of spilled alcohol and blood covered the floor. The counter had become a torture rack, the desecrated body of the barkeep strapped to it, his arms and legs spread wide, covered in a myriad of ragged wounds. Only one table was still standing, the rest had been smashed. A young looking human, clad in expensive clothes, precious metals and luxurious gems had been worked into the cloth, was holding down a young and pretty woman, her cheeks wet and already swollen where she had been beaten. He was using his weight to pin her to a wall, one of his hands slowly making their way up, below her skirts while the other muffled her cries. Two older soldiers sat at the remaining table. They were conversing quietly and occasionally sipped from two large, wooden mugs in front of them. They had donned the same steel plates as the ones we had killed and if there had been any doubts left, concerning their allegiance, the coat of arms on their flowing cloaks, depicting a black raven and a golden gryphon, would have utterly assuaged them. The vulgar voices of three younger recruits were flowing down the stairs while they were trying to have their way with another one of the servers on the upper floor. From what I could hear, she was still fighting and the bastards even took pleasure from her futile struggles. Fortunately, she wouldn¡¯t be alone for much longer. But first, I had to lodge my complaints with their leader. ¡°Enough,¡± I roared before anyone could comprehend my appearance. ¡°On your knees!¡± I might have overdone it, my voice didn¡¯t only cut through the ruckus like a whiplash, the windows exploded outwards, small ripples formed on the sluggishly moving puddle on the floor and the humans in the taproom fell to the ground, like puppets when their strings were cut, blood seeping from their ears. Clicking my tongue, I hurried over to the mistreated girl and pulled her to her feet. She shied away from my touch at first, pressing her hand against her ears, cross eyed, but after a moment, she allowed me to help her up and guide her to a chair. I squeezed her shoulder and whispered: ¡°you¡¯re safe, now. I¡¯ll be back in a moment. If they move, just scream for all you¡¯re worth. You¡¯re not alone anymore.¡± Then I was off again, my feet barely touching the coarse, wooden steps while I practically flew up the stairs, my breath rasping in my throat. I was angry enough to feel my tails twitch involuntarily. Killing and even torture I could understand, I didn¡¯t approve, but I¡¯d never claim that I was above either, I couldn¡¯t even say that I¡¯d only resort to despicable acts of violence out of necessity. If Amon ever fell into my grasp, his end wouldn¡¯t be quick, I¡¯d want to make him truly feel the pain he had caused and with Shassa I had already proven that I¡¯d be willing to go far beyond the boundaries of inflicting wounds. But rape? The heinous atrocities they had made the barkeep suffer through? Simply to relieve their boredom and because they thought they were entitled to punish the wicked, just because they could? There was nothing to gain, no feelings of revenge to be satisfied and that¡­ that was plain evil, an evil fuelled by the illusionary conviction of righteousness. A blurry memory rose in my mind, a burning village with stakes at its centre and a zealous cry: ¡°burn the witches!¡± I hadn¡¯t held back then and I wouldn¡¯t do so now. They would become food, food for the ones they had deemed unworthy of existing, convinced the vampires were nefarious enough that they had the right to play judge, jury and executioner for the ones who had simply been associated with Alassara. It might not be just, maybe some of the soldiers even had had their reservations, but I truly didn¡¯t care anymore. An eye for an eye. They would bleed and they would suffer. If might made right, I¡¯d teach them where they actually stood. Like a wrathful thunderstorm I arrived on the upper floor, the doors to the adjacent rooms swinging sadly in the winds of my passage. The patrons had rushed downstairs as soon as the fighting had begun and now, only one room was occupied. I blew through the door, my eyes shining like shards of the moon itself, my wings materialising without a conscious thought. I must have looked like retribution incarnate, framed in blood. Three men were gathered around a straw bag that served as a mattress, two of them holding down a blonde girl while the third was in the process of dropping his trousers. Like an ugly still life of violence and cruelty, they gaped at me and froze. My wings shot forth and I had to restrain myself to not castrate the half naked monster on the spot. He might have bled out, something I wanted to postpone until there was an upside to it and I wasn¡¯t going to use my healing powers on a single one of them. Even the idea was repulsive. Instead, I cut their tendons and pulverised their knees. They went down, my wings still dancing around their legs. As if time had suddenly resumed, they began wailing, their hands clutching the torn flesh and bloody craters that remained, scarlet drops oozing out from between their fingers. ¡°Silence,¡± I hissed and silence there was. Without sparing them another glance, I glided forwards, gently lifting the girl from the stained, smelly sheets. Her eyes were bulging in fear, hot tears ran down her cheeks but as far as I could tell, she had gotten through unscathed, except for a couple of minor bruises on her arms and legs where the thugs had held her down. Like the last one, she struggle against me, trying to escape my grip, panic and desperation still flowing through her veins, her need to flee intensifying with every beat of her heart. I sighed and closed my eyes, suppressing the burning flames of fury that still coursed through me. When I looked at her again, my wings had vanished and the glow from my eyes had diminished to a smouldering spark. With a wry smile I relinquished my hold and allowed her to stumble away from me, carefully guiding her towards the door with a slight shove. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy,¡± I said, ¡°there¡¯s no reason to fear me. I¡­ I can¡¯t claim to know how you feel or what you must have been through, but if you let me, I¡¯ll make sure no more harm comes to you.¡± I extended my hand towards the shivering girl but she only stared at me, her mouth working furiously without producing a single sound. ¡°Oh, right, sorry,¡± I mumbled with a sheepish look. ¡°Here,¡± I quickly brushed against her, focusing my intent through the connection. ¡°I recant my command,¡± I whispered, quietly enough that only she could here my words. The very next second, a stream of incoherent words escaped her, a mixture of sobs and angry screams I couldn¡¯t decipher for the life of me. Until she suddenly shouted: ¡°watch out, behind you!¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate and whirled around to see the sparkling trail of a glinting dagger, headed in our direction. One of the soldiers had managed to hurl his side weapon at me, despite the excruciating pain he must have been in. It didn¡¯t do him much good, though. Another wave of energy raced through my mind and the flight of the polished knife slowed down to a crawl. Lazily I plucked it from the air, without so much as suffering a single scratch. ¡°Nice try,¡± I complimented the flabbergasted human. ¡°Unfortunately¡­ you have no idea whom you¡¯re dealing with,¡± I added, while I sashayed across the room and nailed his main hand to the floor, driving his own weapon through flesh and bone and deep into the wooden planks. 209. Of hunger, cruelty and a little bit of monsters Cassandra Pendragon Cleaning up wasn¡¯t half as bad as one might have imagined, especially since I could easily order my new prisoners around. Admittedly, crippling the ones on the upper floor had been a tad bit shortsighted, they couldn¡¯t walk, never mind climbing stairs, but gravity graciously lent them a helping hand. And if they broke a few more bones on the way down, well, I wouldn¡¯t mind. The two girls, on the other hand¡­ once they had realised that they were truly out of danger and had vented their anger with a kick or two to the groin of their captors, they had pretty much overcome their own trials. Working as a barmaid in the seedier parts of Free Land came with its own dangers and they hadn¡¯t been hurt, after all. The memories and images of the ones slaughtered before their eyes, especially the fate of the poor barkeep, weren¡¯t as easy to deal with, though. They put up a brave facade while they helped me tie up the humans, but their eyes always returned to the macabre display on the counter until I covered the corpse with a sheet. Maybe it was cruel to not put them to sleep straight away but I had always believed and recently learned by experience that it didn¡¯t truly help. How had Ahri put it? A festering wound must be opened and cleansed before it can heal. I tried comforting them as well as I could, but I wasn¡¯t overly suited to the task. Children were so much easier in that regard. Their world was simpler, black and white, and they usually found their own way to cope, as long as they knew that they weren¡¯t alone. The arduous process of reconciling shattered illusions, constructed over years or even decades, with a reality that didn¡¯t care in the slightest about what we thought right and wrong, wasn¡¯t my cup of tea. I had more than enough troubles with keeping my own sanity and I didn¡¯t understand what made these girls tick, either. Simply put, I just didn¡¯t know what to say and I feared that I¡¯d make everything worse, so I held my tongue and stuck to the problems at hand. Which were quite a bit more complex than I had anticipated. When I contacted Ahri, I felt her thoughts, but they were in shambles, her mind engaged in keeping her fires burning. I tentatively tried to gain her attention but instead of a coherent reply, I was bombarded with scrambled images that nevertheless got her message across. I saw flames and shadows, dancing light and eruptions of darkness, a wall of glistening, crimson heat and living torches, their outlines blurred by a haze of magic. My love was standing guard over our friends, Viyara, in her draconic skin behind her, fangs bared. They were holding back the vampires, who prowled around the cage of transcendent flames, searching for an opening. The smell of spilled blood was strong, the few human servants who had been in the banquet hall were sprawled on the ground, their necks and arms covered in puncture marks. Somewhere along the line, the vampires had woken and the thirst had taken hold of them. The only ones who weren¡¯t a part of the mad, blood crazed tide that surged around Ahri¡¯s defences were Layla and her mother. They were pinned to the ground, wiggling to get out from under a huge, scaly paw, but however hard they struggled, they weren¡¯t a match for a dragoness in her true form and their spells were easily countered by waves of golden magic that flowed from Viyara, whenever she felt the tingling sensation of building magic. ¡°Fuck,¡± I groaned. I had always known that the side Alassara and her daughter had shown me was nothing but the sweet icing, covering a much darker nature. But this? There was nothing sentient or graceful about the monsters that risked life and limb only to get a mouthful of blood. Whenever one of them got too close and touched the crimson flames, his skin lit up like tinder and no matter what he tried, the fire couldn¡¯t be quenched. Despite the danger, they never stopped their onslaught, their madness, their hunger, fuelling a dark desire to satiate a ravenous need to tear through living flesh and feast on blood. They didn¡¯t even recognise them, people we had dined with not an hour ago were reduced to monstrous embodiments of base instincts, far beyond my comprehension. Slavering nightmares given human form with bestial claws and devilish eyes. They were animals, just like their cousins had been when the Captain had died. I watched only for the fraction of a second before I made a decision. There were only two outcomes. They had to die or they had to be fed. Counting the warriors who had survived my mum and me, I had access to nine breathing humans, excluding the priests. They wouldn¡¯t suffice to return every vampire to their usual selves, but they would be enough to feed Alassara and Layla. I sincerely hoped the queen of the night was strong enough to tame the inner demon of her subordinates, otherwise¡­ their future would turn into ash. ¡°Do you have a place to stay, far away from here,¡± I asked the girls while I was already slinging my wings around the downed humans, heaving them into the air. When they hesitated I barked: ¡°Answer me! Is there some place you can go?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± the older one, who had been intended as a gift to the soldiers, stammered, ¡°I have a home. It¡¯s not that far away and small, but I can take Brianna with me. We¡­ I think we¡¯re safe there.¡± ¡°Good, take her and go.¡± When they didn¡¯t moved I shouted: ¡°go, now,¡± supplementing my voice with a spark of energy from my core. That sent them scurrying out the door. Just when I turned around, preparing to lug my living cargo down the not so secret staircase, I heard a whispered: ¡°thank you,¡± behind me, but I only glimpsed a mane of blonde hair, vanishing through the closing front door. ¡°Always,¡± I murmured to no one in particular. Sighing, I focused on the bracelet Ahri had given me and sent it after them, the trickle of information I received through the artefact hardly more than a faint buzzing at the edge of my thoughts. If they ran into trouble, I¡¯d want to know. With a last glance I made sure I had left no one behind and quickly exited the taproom. On my way down, my burden began stirring and moaning, the transcendent commands slowly wearing off. Not that I particularly cared. When one began thrashing around, I smashed his head into the ceiling for good measure, silencing him as well as the rest. I had neither the time nor the patience to spare. I was worried, not yet panicked, since I knew Ahri could hold the vampires off indefinitely, her fires as deadly to the undead as anything could be. Even the smallest spark would suffice to slowly devour them whole until not even the heart remained, and as I had learned, that would end even the oldest, most powerful of their race. No, there were two things that made me apprehensive. First of all, why hadn¡¯t they told me as soon as the first bloodsucker had stirred? And second, why didn¡¯t I feel the telepathic connection Viyara had put in place anymore? I hadn¡¯t realised at first, but now that I was actively searching for the meandering thoughts at the edge of my perception, I only felt the warm pulses from my tattoo, but nothing more. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. That they hadn¡¯t called for me, I could understand. Maybe they simply hadn¡¯t had the time. Judging from what I had seen, Ahri was much too busy keeping her flames alive, for should her concentration waver, they would become buried under an avalanche of vampires, but the absence of the already established link was another matter. I knew enough about Viyara¡¯s magic to bet that she would have easily been able to keep her telepathy in place, the few spells she was casting couldn¡¯t have taxed her that much. Something else was at play. Maybe it was a side effect of the raging vampire¡¯s presence but I didn¡¯t really believe that, either. Was there another priest? Someone who had truly stayed back, supporting the rest from afar? Possibly. There was also a chance that it was a defensive enchantment, triggered when Alassara had awoken in a rage. But I should have seen either, shouldn¡¯t I? My second sight was still active and an act of magic, powerful enough to sever a connection made by a dragon should have stuck out to me like a burning star. Or maybe¡­ had the dragoness been bitten? I fervently hoped that wasn¡¯t he case. If a bite effected her at all, she wouldn¡¯t be immune to the other changes it might have wrought, despite her nature. Either way, I¡¯d find out soon enough. I took the last couple of steps in a single jump and called out to my mum, my unburdened wings slithering forth to snake around the still living humans: ¡°the vampires have woken and they are out for blood. We got to get down there. Come with me.¡± Immediately, I felt her thoughts settle in close to my own, her warm presence a comforting pillar I could lean on. ¡°What¡­ why haven¡¯t we heard,¡± she asked, her tails a silvery reflection at the edge of my vision. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Viyara¡¯s spell has broken, but I¡­ we¡¯ll see. Be careful, as soon as we enter Alassara¡¯s lair, we¡¯ll be on the menu as well. If we¡¯re attacked, aim for the head. I don¡¯t want to kill them, unless were forced to. Too many have died already and I assume it¡¯s going to take even the strongest vampire quiet a while to reattach a severed head.¡± I felt her grudging consent when she fell in line behind me, her paws almost silent on the hard floor. The constant moans, occasional curses and open snivelling from my living cargo, they had already learned that fighting against my hold would only result in more injuries, were soon drowned out by a swelling noise, muffled and still distant, but the sounds of battle and the smell of burning flesh were slowly getting stronger. The stomping of boots, the sizzling of charring skin, frenzied hisses and suppressed cries of pain and frustration became clearer the farther we ran. I was so focused on picking up even the slightest change in the cacophony of noises that I neglected my immediate surrounding. When we rounded a corner, the stairwell to the lowest floor and the banquet hall directly in front of us, I was deftly reminded why I shouldn¡¯t. Attracted by the smell of blood, copious amounts were still dripping from the untreated wounds the humans had suffered, three vampires had abandon the unfruitful endeavour of getting through Ahri¡¯s flames and had headed our way. Their skills had been enough to silence their approach and since I had relied solely on my hearing, I hadn¡¯t seen the blurry shadows edging toward us. ¡°Watch out,¡± my mum thundered in my mind when a streak of darkness suddenly rushed towards me, but instead of a bone jarring impact, I felt it crash into my wings, fangs slick with saliva. A strangled scream, a shower of hot, crimson blood that drenched me to the bone and one of my captives was gone, his neck a gaping hole while a vampire, its skin torn to shreds where it had pushed through my wings, gleefully swallowed mouth after mouth from the precious fountain. ¡°Damn it,¡± I cursed and stumbled backwards, the force of the impact strong enough to throw me off balance. I used my free wings to brace myself against the walls while my mum shot past me. The air in the passage began to vibrate when she started growling, a deep, rumbling sound that reminded me more of a gargantuan bear than a small vixen. Her threat wasn¡¯t heeded, though, and the two remaining vampires didn¡¯t even hesitate before they flashed forwards, their outlines a confusing mixture of slithering shadows and nimble movements. One of them followed in his brother¡¯s footsteps, lunging upwards to reach the squirming humans. The other one went for me, whether on instinct, enticed by the blood matting my fur, or by design, I couldn¡¯t say, but his charge was immediately brought to a halt when a fine web of crystallised light entangled him. My mum was working her magic on him, conjuring threads of moonlight form thin air and using them to make the vampire dance like a puppet on a string, until she managed to sling a band of woven light around his neck and cleanly ripped his head off. In the meantime his brothers learned a lesson that should have been ingrained in their very essence: don¡¯t attack the glowing being with a curtain of palpable power behind her back. Without hesitation, I plucked them from the air, their snakelike movements, faster than a mortal eye could have followed, appeared slow to me when a fresh wave of energy surged through my veins and bolstered my perception. I wrapped my unoccupied wings around their legs and smashed them, head first, into the closest wall. Even above the sounds of battle and fire that flowed up the staircase and the frantic, panicked screams of the soldiers I still held in my embrace, I heard the nauseating crack when their skulls and vertebrae were pulverised on impact. An overwhelming wave, smelling of rot and decay, flowed over us when their dark blood sluggishly spread across the floor, resembling nothing more than heated, bubbling tar. With a thought, I discarded the decapitated human and threw him at the fallen vampires. Maybe his blood would speed up their recovery, maybe it wouldn¡¯t. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t really care. While I was fed up with being seen as prey, their appearance had mainly served to remind of a crucial oversight on my part. I exhaled slowly and relaxed my tensing muscles. ¡°Silence,¡± I hissed, shutting up the screaming soldiers as effectively as if I had gaged them. When I could hear myself think again, I focused on all my sense but instead of trying to get a better understanding of what was going on below me, I wanted to know if there were still vampires left alive through the other parts of the lair. There would be no heartbeat to hear, but the distinct smell of the undead should be enough for me to tell. And then I paused again, remembering what my mum had confidently claimed before. Her senses were much more acute than my own, probably even sharper than what I could accomplish with the help of my core. ¡°Mum,¡± I immediately said, ¡°we have to make sure none of them leaves. There¡¯s no telling what they might do if they got out of here. Can you smell them? Are there still some left on the upper floors or did they all burn?¡± She slowly shook her head, her eyes never wavering from the bloody bundle we had turned our assailants into. ¡°I¡­ maybe. Their scent is still strong, but¡­ that might as well be the last trace of their demise. There are so many smells¡­ it¡¯s just impossible to say for sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I feared,¡± I groaned. ¡°Right, can you guard the exit? Just make sure no one slips past you. If anything happens, call for me. I¡¯ll be there in an instant.¡± That got her attention and the glowing, silvery orbs with their catlike pupils finally left the mutilated bodies to settle on me. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Just release a few of them,¡± she indicated the humans. ¡°Either they¡¯ll be hunted by the ones up here or their wounds will attract more of those, who are stuck below us. They won¡¯t escape either way and you don¡¯t need all of them, do you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, but isn¡¯t that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re suddenly feeling bad for them? You intend to turn them into a meal but you¡¯re objecting to a hunt? Screw that, Cassy. They were dead as soon as they accept this mission. Don¡¯t let arbitrary distinctions suddenly cloud your judgement. We need their blood spilled and this way, they can at least die running. Look at them. You¡¯ve broken them already, either way.¡± She was right. The mix of my transcendent commands, their desperation, panic helplessness, and for some of them, the pain from their wounds, had rendered most insensible. They were staring at me, some sprayed with the lifeblood of their headless comrade, with blank eyes, fear and resignation the only emotions left in gazes that seemed almost dead. Only two of them still had some fire in them, their eyes filled with hatred and defiance, the exact same expression I had always worn when I had been forced to face a fiend, far stronger than me. 210. Of fears, dreams and a little bloodletting Cassandra Pendragon Had I become a monster? I knew I was erratic and uncontrolled, my emotions getting the better of me, especially when I was angry, as the newest debacle, when I had accidentally allowed Lilith to enter our world, had clearly shown, but¡­ was the same happening now? Was I doing something I¡¯d come to regret later? Had I earned that look, or was it simply to be expected, arrogance and supremacy turned into despair and resentment? By the Great Fox, I had told Mephisto not two days ago that I wouldn¡¯t stand for judging anyone based on their nature. Was I doing exactly that, now? No, I wasn¡¯t condemning them for who they were but for what they had done. That the sentence was cruel was nothing I¡¯d lose any sleep over. At least I hoped so. Well, the future would sort itself out. I had to make the best of the present and my mum¡¯s plan was simply shitty. ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± I huffed mentally. ¡°They¡¯ll die either way and it¡¯ll even be painless. That¡¯s probably more than they deserve.¡± I was already moving again, pulling her along. ¡°The vamps will be drawn to the bloodletting we¡¯ll start. If some are waking up on the upper floors, they¡¯ll head downstairs. Especially with the bleeding corpse I just left behind. His blood will lure them here and then they won¡¯t be able to turn back. Which means there won¡¯t be a hunt. The humans will most likely make it out and run back to wherever they¡¯ve come from. That¡¯s a result we don¡¯t want, is it?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re right. So¡­ now what? We¡¯re nearly there. What do you intend to do?¡± ¡°Cut them loose, except for two and the priests. If they can¡¯t satisfy their thirst, they¡¯ll at least distract them. I can simply walk through Ahri¡¯s flames, no matter what she¡¯s done. We¡¯ll feed Layla and her mother and if that doesn¡¯t work¡­ after the last time I¡¯m not feeling overly confident in using my voice again on such a scale, but if I have to, I¡¯ll try to break them out of their stupor. And if that won¡¯t work either¡­. I fear we¡¯ll have to burn them. Dragon fire and Ahri¡¯s power are more than enough to deal with all of them. I¡¯m pretty sure the only reason they haven¡¯t yet is to keep them alive. We could also try teleporting our friends out and leave them be, but as far as I know, that¡¯s a death sentence as well. They need the blood or they¡¯ll cannibalise themselves. This way, we¡¯ll at least be able to save a few, if not all of them.¡± A stray thought hit me then, one she hadn¡¯t wanted to project: ¡°why even bother? Let them die, they¡¯re dead already, their bodies just haven¡¯t realised, yet.¡± I was toying with the idea of ignoring her and pretending I hadn¡¯t heard, but ultimately, I thought it¡¯d do much more harm than good. ¡°Because a pulse is not what makes a life worth living. Tell me honestly, despite the grudge you obviously still hold, do you think they¡¯re more of a monster than us? You¡¯ve seen what happens when I lose my temper and you, mum, aren¡¯t much better by now. Death follows us as well as them and just because we don¡¯t eat our victims, we still do what we have to to survive. How many would have still drawn breath, if we had died on Boseiju? Don¡¯t tell me our presence hasn¡¯t been but a bane to everyone who has crossed our path.¡± ¡°Only because we¡¯ve run into psychopaths and twisted abominations for the most part. Don¡¯t make yourself out to be worse than you are, your enemies will do that for you already. I¡¯ve heard what you did in the taproom. What do you think you are to those two girls? They¡¯d be wishing for the sweet release of death by now if it wasn¡¯t for you. And going further back¡­ the kids, Viyara, Erya, her family¡­ they¡¯re alive because of us, because of you. We protect whom we can.¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ I never wanted to have to make these decisions. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to sacrifice or kill, I don¡¯t want to decide what the lesser evil is and if I¡¯m justified in my actions.¡± ¡°Huh? So you don¡¯t want to live? Don¡¯t think just because our troubles are on a different scale that you¡¯d feel less weighted down if you had to preside over a trial or decide whether to invest in the military or the healing arts. You were born into power, your ancestry and your station¡­¡± she paused and I felt a myriad of contradicting thoughts and emotions flutter through her mind before she continued: ¡°do you want to run? Do you want to grab your girl and hide?¡± ¡°Even if I wanted to, I very well couldn¡¯t. But yes, I¡¯d love to hide in some small town, at least for a while¡­ till the fields, build a house¡­ get to know the neighbours, squabble about the harvest. You know that, why do you even ask?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t believe you. Not only would you get bored within a week, you¡¯d also feel responsible for everything you didn¡¯t do. And that¡¯s not because of what you are but who you are. Everyone has the chance to wake up in the morning and try to change the world. Only a few of us actually find the courage to do so, if we¡¯re not forced in any way, we just stay in bed and allow the days to pass by until we¡¯re old and wizened. But that¡¯s not who you are, daughter mine, that¡¯s not who I am and that¡¯s not who your fianc¨¦e is. And the sooner you accept it, the good as well as the bad that comes with it, the happier you¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I? It¡¯s just¡­ I felt like complaining and you¡¯re one of the few to whom I think I can. And just because it¡¯s true, doesn¡¯t me I have to like it, do I? You know me well enough, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I hope so. But I never thought you¡¯d be struggling just like us. You always seem so¡­ composed. At least when you¡¯re not in the middle of throwing a tantrum.¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m not, right now? Just because I¡¯m not angry doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not a tantrum. But mostly I can stop myself before I get swamped by self pity¡­ or I talk to Ahri. Give me a week to recharge mentally and I¡¯ll be as good as new. I imagine you know what I mean. I¡¯m just getting drained much more quickly now. Anyways, enough of that. We can hug and grill some s¡¯mores once we¡¯re done.¡± We had reached the staircase were making our way towards the banquet hall, the smells and sounds of the still ongoing siege becoming louder with every step. ¡°What are s¡¯mores,¡± my mum wanted to know when we reached the lowest floor. ¡°Nothing I can easily explain. If I get the chance, I¡¯ll buy some sugar in town and try to make some. But don¡¯t get your hopes up, I¡¯ve got no clue how to actually cook. You never taught me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t seem like the best use of your time. And truth be told, I can¡¯t cook either.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I replied resentfully when I remembered the few instance in my childhood when my mum had stumbled across pans and pots. I hadn¡¯t been a wholesome experience. We snuck along the dark corridor, our senses strained to the limit to catch even the slightest noise and the faintest smell over the mayhem that awaited us further away. Despite my materialised wings and the scent of blood that must be wafting around us like a breeze, we weren¡¯t attacked again, until we reached the oaken double doors that lead to the banquet hall. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I looked at my mum and she closed her eyes for the fraction of a moment, exhaling deeply. When she opened them again, they were filled with a thrum of power, silvery light dancing through the shadows in front of her. Without any further hesitation, I wrapped my wings around the hinges, pushed two of them through the hardened wood and heaved. Dust exploded form growing gaps, just before the whole door was ripped from its frame and thundered against the wall behind me, smashed to pieces. Swaths of smoke and a stench, horribly reminiscent of a spit roast, wafted through the newly opened hole in the wall, followed by angry hisses and the suppressed cries of burning undead. Before I could move, my mum was already through the door, silver lightning crackling between her tails, drowning out the suffocating smell with the acrid scent of ozone. I followed, hot on her tails, already opening the veins of one of my captives. A warm shower of blood sprinkled across my back and I felt, more than I heard, the rest of them finally straining against their binds, struggling to get free. Before I had even gained a glimpse of the hall, I threw the wounded human away from us, hoping that the bleeding prey would garner the attention of the vampires long enough to orientate myself.Another pulse of energy from my core strengthened my vision further and dancing shadows suddenly became clear in the depths of silver my world had sunk into. There were far more vampires down here than I had seen through Ahri¡¯s eyes, the miasma of battle and butchery had drawn them in like moths drawn to the light. An accurate description, since they also danced around Ahri¡¯s flames, getting closer and tumbling back when the heat became to much, like insects over a fire. Of the banquet hall itself, not much remained, the furniture had been reduced to flinders in the chaos, the exquisite wall hangings had been ripped and torn, their pitiful remains trampled and singed. Thick carpets had become slick with the blood of human servants, obscene, sloshing sounds accompanying the frenzied movements of the undead army that surged around a crimson cage, crackling with heat and power in the middle of the room. Contorted faces, reduced to slavering maws with gargantuan canines and demonically glowing eyes, red embers amidst bloodless, parchment like skin, turned towards us as soon as we entered the hall. Eerie whispers, almost like the wind blowing through a dead forest, rose from the undead crowd and the realisation that fresh prey had willingly stumbled into their midst spread like wildfire among their ranks. As if hypnotised, their gaze followed the trail of blood my sacrificial lamb left behind while he tumbled through the air, his scream a bloodcurdling echo, nearly lost among the insanity. With a dull thud he impacted a wall to my left and slid down, leaving behind a glittering, crimson smear that seemed to enthral every single vampire. He moaned quietly and toppled over, his hand clutched to the wounds I had inflicted. As if an enchantment had been lifted, a resounding growl rose form the hypnotised crowd, slowly gathering volume as more and more of them joined in and then, one shot forward, glistening claws extended to be buried in warm, reachable flesh. His brothers and sisters weren¡¯t far behind and as they moved, so did we. With a flick of my wings, I catapulted two more living corpses towards the corners of the room and rushed to my friends in the wake of my mum¡¯s tails. Our sudden appearance and the squirming sources of blood I had brought along had captivated the vampires¡¯ attention but as soon as we charged, their instincts made some of them whirl around and focus on us. A handful managed to bar our way, arms flailing widely to catch their balance after their abrupt turn. My mum didn¡¯t care. She turned into a streak of silvery light and exploded forwards, tearing straight through their bodies without any regard for their fangs or claws. The one at the centre immediately collapsed amidst a bloody vapour, his chest a gaping hole, wiggling strings of intestines and veins dangling within, like disgusting, red grey ropes. The ones on his left and right were distracted for the fraction of a second, their heads swivelling after the small vixen. I wasn¡¯t in need of another advantage, but I wouldn¡¯t waste it, either way. Another flash of silver and the smell of charred meat became almost unbearable as they fell, their legs cut cleanly at the knee. Even in their crazed state, shock and pain managed to pierce through the veil of their blood starved fury and they cried out, their voices swallowed by the pandemonium reigning around us. With a twist, I crippled the last two standing in our way and without hesitation, I glided through the gap in the reaching, clawing wall of bodies. An instant later, a warm breeze ruffled my hair as I dashed through the wall of flames and came to a halt at Ahri¡¯s side. ¡°Miss me,¡± I smiled and swiftly brushed my tails along her legs. ¡°Always,¡± she replied through gritted teeth, the strain on her mind from continuously supporting her flames with energy had made her voice hoarse. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with me,¡± she added, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Look after the vampires and Viyara. Something¡¯s wrong with her and I don¡¯t know what it is. She can¡¯t reach out to us¡­ she can¡¯t use her telepathy. It¡¯s not blocked, but...¡± ¡°I figured as much. Otherwise she¡¯d have been able to at least communicate with me. Can you hold on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been standing here for quite a while. I won¡¯t topple over in the next few minutes. Stop fussing over me already and go help the others! I¡¯ll call when I need you.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± While my mum kept us safe in her own way, patrolling along the inner edges of the flaming circle, I quickly headed over to the dragoness who had been following us with her eyes ever since we had broken through the fire. She still held Layla and her mother down, her tail quivering with suppressed anger and up close I saw two puncture marks directly above her paw. Damn it, she really had been bitten. That might become a problem all on its own but at least for now, she didn¡¯t seem changed. Except for her telepathy, which had gone down the drain. I placed my hand on her snout, her huge, golden eyes, staring at me with the same burning intensity she always exuded in her original skin. For a moment I hoped physical contact might bridge the gap and allow us to communicate mind to mind again, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. I could still feel her presence at the edge of my perception, but there was something in the way, similar to a door that had been closed. There was still the faint outline, illuminated by the light spilling through the cracks, but I couldn¡¯t get through and obviously, neither could she. ¡°Are you alright,¡¯ I asked and rubbed my hand caressingly along her jaw, completely ignoring the hissing vampires beneath her paws. ¡°Can you still understand me?¡± She rolled her eyes, as if to say ¡°I¡¯m not an animal,¡± but still pressed her scaly skin against my palm, intensifying the contact. Her tongue darted out form between her shimmering fangs and lightly brushed against my cheek. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, but we¡¯ll figure everything out. Just give me a moment, I¡¯m going to feed the spitting monsters you¡¯re keeping in check.¡± I lightly tapped against the almost invisible holes in her golden armour. ¡°Did one of them bite you?¡± She jerked her head towards Layla and averted her eyes, a clear sign of her embarrassment. I could understand her, in her draconic form, the two vamps were about as long as her paws. Getting bitten by a mosquito and suffering any serious repercussions wouldn¡¯t sit well with her pride. ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, by the Grey Fox, if I became embarrassed every time I¡¯ve been injured, I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave my room anymore,¡± I told her while I was lowering two of the struggling humans to the ground, placing their necks directly in front of Layla and her mother. An instant later, both girls sunk their teeth into the squirming mass of flesh and blood, a small, crimson river escaping from the corners of their mouths. A few seconds later, their prey stopped struggling in earnest, the endorphins in their saliva turning their gruesome death into the most sensual experiences they could have wished for. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, I made sure the vampires were drinking from the twitching, moaning humans before I returned my focus to the dragoness and said: ¡°I think you could let them go now, but better safe than sorry. Until they speak, I¡¯d very much appreciate it, if you didn¡¯t. Alright then,¡± I muttered and straightened my back. ¡°How bad is it,¡± I asked myself while I focused on the blurry, silvery images that reached me through the crimson wall of flames around us. 211. Of temptation, orders and a little bit of pride Cassandra Pendragon Bad. It was bad. Not only were we stuck in an overcrowded prison, three kitsune kids, my brother, two elves, Erya and her family, Aurelia and a handful of dwarfs made for a fascinating mixture of tails, limbs and beards, clattering the room around the dragoness, but as much as we were cramped on the inside, it still felt like a leisurely picnic in comparison to the insanity beyond the hissing flames. To compare blood lusting vampires to animals had been a grave mistake. They were far worse. They knew no bounds, their instincts had turned them into mindless, ravenous beasts, but luckily hey had already learned that Ahri¡¯s fires were more than they could handle. Instead, they were beginning to prey upon each other, fighting for the tiniest sip form the humans I had brought. They were long dead, their blood drained, but in their frenzy, the vampires didn¡¯t care. They fought and clawed, desperate to bury sharp fangs in warm flesh, ready to go through their siblings in the faintest hope of tasting a single drop of the crimson liquid. Some were even lapping at the floor, desperately shredding their tongues for a minuscule taste. Stunned, I watched as sophisticated, mighty creatures became slaves before my eyes, the stronger ones dismembering the weak to get closer to the bodies. Hisses and growls, screeches and cries, punctuated by wet ripping noises when an arm or a leg went flying, produced a macabre symphony, exacerbated by the suffocating smell of blood, fire, sizzling meat and spilled intestines. Despite what I had already been through, it took everything I had to keep from retching, my last meal already squirming in my throat. At least the kids were still asleep, the fiery hell they had been forced through on Boseiju couldn¡¯t compare to the nightmare framed in gore, confined to a hall that wasn¡¯t much larger than an average room. Flames were clean, and this¡­ this was messy. ¡°They¡¯re completely lost,¡± I whispered reverently, my voice quivering with anxiety and, as much as it pained me to admit it, excitement. There was beauty in the pure, undiluted violence around us, societal shackles and restraints we imposed upon ourselves had shattered, had been blown away by a maelstrom of base needs and while I truly was disgusted, the scene turned my stomach, I also saw the truth: when it came down to it, this was who we all were, struggling beasts, caught between blood and violence, clinging to our masks to show the world a face we wanted to wear, to hide the deeper currents of debauchery and savagery. I had and always would strive to be more, to become whom I wanted to see in the mirror and not some vile conglomerate of need and want, but I was old enough to admit, I saw the allure, the aesthetics. To let it all go, to be truly¡­ free. Damn it, maybe I truly deserved the look the soldiers had thrown at me. I had to be careful, I didn¡¯t want to become a monster. But then again, nobody did, until it was too late. Abyssus abyssum invocat. Was it possible to live a life full of violence and remain apart? I shook my head, dislodging the disturbing thought, but I could not quite get rid of the sour taste it had left behind. Luckily, I was distracted when I felt Ahri¡¯s tails tighten around me. ¡°I see it as well,¡± she murmured, her voice barely reaching my ears. I had moved to her side again, without even realising. ¡°There¡¯s no shame in them, no hesitation, no¡­ fear. But this also means there¡¯s no courage, no grace¡­ no worth. Don¡¯t get blinded. You told me once that freedom without restraints isn¡¯t real. I think they¡¯re proving your point. When there¡¯s nothing to struggle against, the decision is worthless. Reaching the summit is only satisfying if you had to climb the mountain.¡± ¡°How¡­ did you read my mind?¡± She shrugged, and offered a pinched smile. ¡°No¡­ you just seemed lost for a moment and I know what I thought while I watched them.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what you came up with in response? Good thing I never fell for your substantial philosophical knowledge.¡± I blew a kiss against her cheek. ¡°You know, a simple thank you would have been enough.¡± She pinched my side. ¡°You¡¯re still welcome. Now, you can tell me exactly where I¡¯m wrong, once were out of this hell. Ideas?¡± ¡°Wait for Alassara to wake up and reign them in.¡± I shrugged. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll try to do it myself but judging from the escalating madness around us, I¡¯d have to use much more power than I¡¯m willing to. Having one demoness appear has been a wake up call. I won¡¯t risk it again.¡± ¡°And if it¡¯s not enough? If we can¡¯t get them to calm down?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to end it in another way. I¡­ I can try to do it myself, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be easier for me and Viyara. I heard, you never bothered severing our connection. So, they¡¯ll either obey or burn? Is there nothing else?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything but if you have an idea, please, do tell. We can¡¯t let them be, can we?¡± ¡°Why not? If we seal them in and wait¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no telling how long they¡¯ll be like this or if they can even find a way back. The ones that have gone feral when I killed the Captain couldn¡¯t be saved. Alassara ended them. The longer I¡¯m watching, the more I fear that it¡¯s going to be the same here. I hope not, but I can¡¯t imagine there¡¯s a way to come back from this kind of insanity¡­¡± ¡°There is,¡± Alassara¡¯s voice, raspy and hoarse, strained to reach us over the crackling flames, sounded behind us. We whirled around, to be greeted by the sight of her struggling to her feet, her front and mouth liberally coated with blood. Layla was still feasting but her mother had already drained her victim and was getting to her feet shakily. ¡°They aren¡¯t completely lost, just overwhelmed and starved. I don¡¯t know if I can break their trance, but they aren¡¯t¡­ when a master dies without freeing his children, they lose their mind, literally. Only their instincts remain and there is no coming back form that. For them,¡± she gesticulated towards the shadows behind the wall of fire, ¡°they are merely overwhelmed, their mind flooded with thirst to a point where nothing else exists anymore. Maybe I can call them back from the brink.¡± ¡°And if you can¡¯t,¡± I asked icily. That they could be saved made the looming duty of extinguishing their lives once and for all an even more bitter pill to swallow. ¡°Then¡­ unless you can do what I can not, we have to put them down. Watch, they¡¯re already starting to feed on one another¡­ they¡¯ll continue until only one remains, one who will truly be a mindless monster. He¡¯ll have taken in more than their essence, he¡¯ll have taken in their thirst, their anger, everything you see before you now, only it will be contained within one being. There¡¯s no coming back from that and I¡¯d rather grant them a swift end in cleansing flames than watch them descend even further into depravity. They¡¯re still my children.¡± I sighed and placed my hand gently on her shoulder, her tension palpable through the thin cloth of her dress. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I almost forgot they are your family.¡± I squinted my eyes and looked for what she had described but I couldn¡¯t quite see them feasting on each other. There was enough chaos that I couldn¡¯t be sure and most of them were already injured, either from their desperate attempts to reach the humans I had sacrificed or simply from their frenzied struggle, but they didn¡¯t seem to¡­ but no, the longer I watched, the more I realised that some bodies on the ground hadn¡¯t succumbed to a spark of Ahri¡¯s flames, but had been torn to pieces by claws and fangs. The weakest ones had already been consumed, their bloodless limbs littering the floor. ¡°By all the gods,¡± I addd haltingly, my fingers digging deeper into her shoulder. Whether it was for her comfort or mine, I couldn¡¯t say. ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No¡­ but I need Ahri to drop her magic, I can¡¯t reach them through the flames, they are too powerful. Once the protection is gone, they¡¯ll come for us. If I fail¡­ if you have to choose, please keep my daughter safe, that¡¯s all I want to ask.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I answered with a growl, ¡°none of us are going to die tonight. I might not be able to help them, but we can, sure as all hells, end their miserable existence. They won¡¯t harm Layla and they won¡¯t harm you. Trust me.¡± She tried to smile but the drying coat of blood turned her face into a nightmarish mask and when her fangs blinked though her crimson lips, I shuddered inadvertently. She didn¡¯t take offence, though, and wiped her sleeve across her mouth. ¡°I do. More than you know. Wish me luck, I don¡¯t want to watch you annihilate what I¡¯ve built.¡± I pulled her in and hugged her briefly, the additional, bloody stains hardly visible under the cover of gore I had already accumulated. ¡°Good luck,¡± I whispered and Ahri echoed my words not a second later. When I pulled back, we both positioned ourselves on either side of Viyara, my mum joining us. With a thought, I slammed the remaining humans I had captured into the ground at our feet, rendering them senseless. An instant later, a silvery blue wall of pure energy swelled behind our backs, the crackling torrents of power barring the way for every vampire who wanted to sneak up on us. Alassara nodded at Ahri and the sweltering fires vanished with the sound of ripping silk, their afterimages lasting for a moment longer. A gentle trickle of power from my core cleared my vision and when the dancing lights had receded I tensed. Faced with a frothing wave of fangs and claws that was held back only by a slender woman, her arms stretched wide as if to shelter us from the oncoming tide, I couldn¡¯t help but reach for Ahri¡¯s hand when the frightening flood began to surge. Despite the vast difference in strength between us and them, I still needed her support to remain where I was, not turning tails and running away became harder by the second. The grisly sounds and gut wrenching smells reached a new climax when the fire petered out and when the first blood starved undead took a step forwards, I felt pretty much like a bear hunter, armed with a spear, waiting for the behemoth to crash into him. In theory, I was safe, but it sure as all hells didn¡¯t feel like it and I was lacking the burning anger that had kept me going during my previous confrontation, it had evaporated with my growing doubts. I didn¡¯t miss it, usually I had made everything worse when I had allowed my emotions to run rampage, but it had made things so much easier. Swallowing dryly, I waited, my wings humming with suppressed anxiety behind us, until Alassara raised her head, a flickering, foreboding, red light spilling from her eyes. ¡°By my blood, I order you, kneel,¡± she thundered, her voice deep and resonating like an oncoming storm. ¡°You are mine to command and you will heed my words. Kneel!¡± Those that had already sated a part of their thirst hesitated and crumbled to the ground, tearing holes into the murderous tide, like cracks in an armour. Ripples grew from there, more and more of the vampires falling, their faces twisted while their instincts warred against themselves, the domination of their master and their hunger tearing them apart from the inside out. Some balanced on the brink, struggling to remain upright, but when Alassara hissed again: ¡°kneel,¡± even more were forced to obey. In the end, only a handful remained on their feet but their assault had devolved into a sluggish crawl, their energy spent to even remain upright. Without any hesitation, the queen of the night elegantly glided forward, her claws extended. There was no fight, no resistance, she simply walked up to them and ripped their hearts out of their chests, squashing the bloodied mass underfoot. And from one second to the next, silence returned, only broken by the low crackling of flames while they consumed the last traces of those that had touched Ahri¡¯s transcendent fire. ¡°Is it over,¡± I whispered, my eyes glued to the back of the blood spattered woman, her shoulders shaking as if under a heavy weight. ¡°Over,¡± she echoed, her voice shaking. ¡°No, it¡¯s not over, it has just begun. I won¡¯t forgive what has happened here today, but for now, the safety of my family is more important than the death of my enemies.¡± With a visible effort, she pried her eyes away from the lifeless forms she herself had sent into the eternal night and turned towards us, her eyes hard and cold, despite the single, bloody tear running down here cheek. ¡°But once they¡¯re taken care of¡­ I swear, as long as those who have threatened me and mine still draw breath, I won¡¯t rest, I won¡¯t give in. Until the very last of them dies in his own blood, I won¡¯t forget. This means war! Whoever they are, they have challenged the¡­¡± my fur had risen during her tirade but the low, keening sound that suddenly filled the hall sent a tendril of fear racing through me and brought Alassara up short. Quick as a thought, I whirled around, my eyes immediately snapping to Viyara who was rolling away from Layla, the small bones in her ruff breaking with audible cracks when it became entangled underneath her. Her legs had faltered and the only thing she had managed was to not squash the delicate girl under several tons of gold. The dragoness¡¯ eyes were glazed over, her piercing gaze clouded and her tongue was hanging from the corner of her snout, the flesh discoloured and almost black. She was panting heavily but there were no sparks, no fire, and while I was watching in shock and disbelief, her eyes rolled up into her head and she became still. Even the bellows of her breathing slowed down to a barely perceivable whisper until I had to strain my sense to make out the minuscule rise of her golden sides. ¡°No,¡± I exclaimed, vanishing in sparks of silver to reappear at her head. ¡°No, no¡­ what have you done? Viyara! Can you hear me?¡± My wings and hands were moving on their own accord, caressing her face and slithering along her body. It couldn¡¯t¡­ by the Great Fox, what was happening to her? Fear turned into panic as the realisation set in. She was failing, her body slowly withering away, rosy flesh and sparkling scales turning dull and dark. But how? The bite marks! Without pause, I heaved her head up with my wings until I could roll her over and free her leg. There they were. Two tiny dots, not more than the faintest prick to a creature of her size, but still, I immediately knew that my hunch had been spot on. Around the wounds, her scales were almost translucent, as if the colour had been sucked right out of them and underneath, her golden skin was showing angry, black streaks, radiating out like the spokes of a wheel. How on Gaya was that even possible? She was a dragon for fuck¡¯s sake, one of the mightiest mortal creatures in all of creation. She was bound to an immortal, my energy contained within her! There was no way under all the suns that a vampire¡¯s bite could do that to her. Then why, why? Why was she suffering, why was she dying? ¡°I think it¡¯s us,¡± Ahri mumbled at my side. I stared at her, edging her to go on. ¡°Your energy and¡­ Sarai¡¯s. We already know they aren¡¯t compatible. Layla bit her, didn¡¯t she? And there¡¯s the smallest spark of immortal blood running through her, otherwise she couldn¡¯t have helped Aurelia. And now¡­ now, your own powers are purging what¡¯s trying to encroach upon Viyara¡­ cleansing the influence of another immortal and tearing her apart in the meantime.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ are you sure,¡± I asked, my voice subdued and shaky. If she was right¡­ damn it, why did my friends always have to suffer for what I was? 212. Of powers, subjugation and a little bit of trust Viyara Nameless I hadn¡¯t even felt it when Layla had bitten me in her rage. Only when my senses had dulled and my mind had become clouded, had I realised that something was wrong. Reflexively, I had reached for Cassandra but I hadn¡¯t been able to get through to her. As soon as I had focused on the spark of energy deep within me, pain had blossomed in my mind, as if there had been a wall of fire blocking me, and I had quickly let go. I had been anxious, then, but I hadn¡¯t thought it¡¯d be that bad. Considering the spells that had ravaged Alassara¡¯s home, I had imagined it had been nothing but a side effect of the magic. In the middle of a vampire siege, there had been other things on my mind, anyways, and if I had been to distract Ahri, we would have had a host of new problems. Consequentially, I had kept my mouth shut. Unfortunately, once Cassy had made her way down to us, it had already been far worse, but still I had held my silence. I had felt my body shut down and it had become increasingly difficult to keep the two vampires in check. For a moment I had toyed with the idea of letting them go and somehow get Cassandra¡¯s attention, but¡­ I knew her, her and her lover. They would have ignored everything else to tend to me and in the end, we would have been worse off. Ahri¡¯s flames had been what had kept us safe and knowing Cassy, she¡¯d have done something stupid which we would have come to regret, later. It had struck me as much better to simply wait until the worst of it would be over. ¡°I¡¯m a dragoness after all, how bad can it get,¡± I had thought. Only when Alassara had regained her bearings, had I deemed it safe, but by then, the lingering pain in my mind had already spread through my body, tongues of fire singing my nerves. I had miscalculated, and then¡­ I had keeled over and had barely avoided crushing Layla¡¯s slim form beneath me. Darkness had risen from the edge of my vision and the last thing I had known before I had succumbed to sweet oblivion was Cassandra¡¯s voice, reaching me from afar. She had seemed distraught but I hadn¡¯t had the strength left to comfort her and I had closed my eyes. For a small eternity, I drifted through blissful nothingness, the woes and wants of existence forgotten. There was no looming threat in my future, no feeling of abandonment or inferiority. I was content. If this was the end, it wouldn¡¯t be half bad. But it wasn¡¯t. Slowly, gradually, I became aware of something else, or rather someone else. A fleeting presence at the edge of my perception, a spark of colour in a grey, indifferent void, filled with memories and wishes. And it was calling to me, begging for me to come closer, edging me on, igniting a small spark of fire in my chest. And with the realisation came the memories, memories of where I was and what had happened. I had to wake up! The longer it remained stuck like this, the more likely it became that I wasn¡¯t going to make it back. I tried to move, but I didn¡¯t have a body and it took me a while to figure out that I had to rely on my desires, my will, to change my position. Once I made the connection, though, I easily crossed a distance that was far larger than I had imagined. I couldn¡¯t say how I knew, but I was convinced that I had crossed far beyond the boundaries of Alassara¡¯s home, beyond Free Land, beyond Gaya herself. One instant I was still hovering above a greyish, dreamlike landscape that felt like the other side of reality, my friends blurry, abstract shadows, reflections cast into a hazy mist by a sinking sun, and the next, I was somewhere else. Before me, wings of golden fire burned the aether, infinite and beautiful. Each single feather resembled a sun, dying and reviving in an endless cycle. Amidst the flames, at the centre of the glistening maelstrom, a regal woman stood. She smiled at me, her eyes the exact same colour as her wings, while a small, smouldering bird, it¡¯s plumage sparkling with different shades of gold and red, circled around her. ¡°Hello, Viyara. We¡¯ve never met before, but I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°I know who you are,¡± I interrupted her mentally. My reverence, when it came to transcendent beings with cosmic powers, had taken a dent ever since I had joined Cassandra and her group. While I very much realised that I couldn¡¯t hope to match them in strength, I also knew that they were born from mortal souls and as such, they weren¡¯t that different from the ancient dragons I had met. Powerful beyond belief, partly erratic and strange but still very much a living being. And this one here, the Lady of Dawn, was a friend. At least I thought so and I wasn¡¯t going to waste my time grovelling. ¡°Could we cut to the chase? I assume you know what¡¯s happening to me?¡± The tiny bird¡¯s spherical cry, on second thought, she wasn¡¯t that tiny, she just seemed that way in comparison to the towering figure at her side, filled the space around us with music and I had the distinct impression that she was applauding my nerve. The flaming goddess smiled in response and winked at me. ¡°I do. Don¡¯t fret, you¡¯ll be fine, but you managed to take in a spark of my power. I assume the child, what was her name again, Layla, bit you?¡± I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re either one of the luckiest creature I¡¯ve ever known,¡± she continued, ¡°or you¡¯re honestly cursed. Except for her and Aurelia, there isn¡¯t a single being left that contains enough of my essence to¡­ maybe I should explain what¡¯s happening to you body, beforehand.¡± Her wings fanned out, setting the horizon ablaze, before she folded them again. A sphere of light surrounded me for the fraction of a second, and I felt my body again, the way it used to be, hearty and whole. ¡°There, that¡¯s better, isn¡¯t it? Talking to a spectral presence has always been disturbing for me. Anyways, where was I? Right, Lu¡­ Cassandra¡¯s power is¡­ unique. It doesn¡¯t budge, it doesn¡¯t change and it doesn¡¯t take kindly to anything that comes near it. Right now, the energies in your carbuncle are cleansing your body, chasing off an intruder. Me. It won¡¯t take long, but unfortunately, your body isn¡¯t strong enough to cope with the fallout. The transcendent energies are tearing it apart as we speak. Your¡­ essence, your magic, won¡¯t be touched, it¡¯s already changed to a degree that makes it immutable, but your flesh¡­ that¡¯s another matter.¡± ¡°Same thing that happens to you, or rather to all immortals, if your core develops prematurely isn¡¯t it?¡± She seemed surprised. ¡°Indeed, Cassandra must really trust you. It isn¡¯t often the case that we divulge the secrets of our development. You¡¯re right, in any case, except for one crucial distinction: we can¡¯t turn back and you, my dear, you can. It¡¯s not success or death, in your case, you simply have to hold on long enough for my spark to vanish or until I take it out. Which I¡¯m going to do as soon as we¡¯re done here.¡± I couldn¡¯t very well verify what she was saying, I had not the faintest idea how immortal powers actually worked, but I was still inclined to trust her. Nevertheless, I wanted to know: If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Can I even hold on for that long? Mephisto once told me that my appearance would change as soon as I¡¯m starting to get used to Cassandra¡¯s energy. It hasn¡¯t, yet. Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m¡­ too weak, that I¡¯m dying, right now?¡± ¡°Yes and no. You aren¡¯t dying, since you are still on the verge of closing your eyes. We¡¯re¡­ time isn¡¯t flowing congruently and right now, it¡¯s slow enough for us to have a little chat. I thought you¡¯d prefer it¡­ the alternative would be suffering through every instant until my spark is gone.¡± ¡°You said you could take it out. Couldn¡¯t you have done so, already?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of it until you collapsed. And you aren¡¯t in any pain right now, are you? There are a few things I¡¯d like to tell you¡­ or rather, ask of you. You¡¯re bound to Cassandra.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, but she still gave me the opportunity to reply. ¡°You know I am. In more ways than one,¡± I added under my breath but I assumed it didn¡¯t make much of a difference. We didn¡¯t speak, in the literal sense, and whispering didn¡¯t help. She chose to ignore it, though, and pressed on. Or so I thought: ¡°Then I want to start with a simple question: are you in love with her?¡± If it had been possible to blush in an illusionary body, I would have turned into a red dragon right then and there. My first instinct was to deny everything, but it only lasted for a moment. ¡°I¡­ probably,¡± I admitted. ¡°She thinks it¡¯s going to blow over soon, but I¡¯m not so sure. Why?¡± ¡°I wanted to make sure,¡± she sighed. ¡°Almost every time an immortal binds a dragon¡­ it¡¯s nigh impossible to not fall for the being whose essence you carry in your chest, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s part of it. But¡­ Sarai, she saved my life, more than once. She was there for me when I thought I had been abandoned, she cared, she listened¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯d have turned out any other way if she hadn¡¯t bound me. I most definitely love her, I¡¯m just not fully convinced I¡¯m in love with her. But I still don¡¯t get why it would matter. Care to explain?¡± ¡°Unrequited feelings are more dangerous than you can imagine. War and treachery follow after broken hearts and hurt pride like flys follow after horses. I won¡¯t arm you, if I have to fight you somewhere down the road.¡± I blinked and my next question caught her off guard. ¡°What¡¯s a horse?¡± ¡°Oh, right, they aren¡¯t common around here¡­ A big, smelly creature,¡± she chuckled but became serious again immediately after. ¡°But that¡¯s not really important now, is it? You know what I¡¯m getting at, don¡¯t you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re afraid I might turn against Cassandra¡­ don¡¯t. She hasn¡¯t given me any reason to, nor has she led me on. I won¡¯t promise that we¡¯ll always see eye to eye, but I can assure you, I¡¯m never going to hurt her willingly.¡± ¡°Have you thought that through? Really gnawed on it?¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± I quickly asked, a tinge of worry clouding my mind for the first time since we had started talking. She sighed and quietly watched the phoenix circle around her. ¡°You know who she is¡­ what¡¯s coming. You still have family on this planet, don¡¯t you? Maybe even friends? It¡¯s your home¡­ and war is coming.¡± I tried to interrupt but she raised her hand. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not talking about the conflict you¡¯re in the middle of. Sooner or later, Cassy will have to make a decision concerning us, her family and¡­ Viyara, she won¡¯t hide. I¡¯ve known her for aeons, that¡¯s just not who she is. And she¡¯s not strong enough to get through unscathed. There are going to be crossroads where every path is dark. Sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil. She¡¯ll have to sacrifice more than either of you, young as you are, can imagine. And if¡­ when it comes to that, are you quite sure you won¡¯t hold it against her? Even if it¡¯s going to cost you your world, your family, everything you know?¡± I chuckled quietly but it soon turned into full blown laughter. ¡°You don¡¯t know much about me, do you,¡± I finally asked when my mirth had subsided. ¡°It seems that way,¡± she replied hesitantly. ¡°Care to explain?¡± ¡°Without her, I¡¯d have nothing. My own race has turned against me, regarding me as a price to fight over, to kill for. I already lost everyone who was dear to me and the only being I¡¯m related to who¡¯s somewhat close to me¡­ he¡¯d pluck my scales if I were to even consider betraying Cassy and Ahri. He never said it plainly, but he knows as well as I that I owe them and we take our debts seriously. And that¡¯s just the practical side. I¡­ everything I have left, it¡¯s tied to them. If they have to burn this world, I¡¯m damned sure there¡¯d be a good reason for it and even if they wouldn¡¯t tell me, I¡¯d willingly light the torch. For better or for worse, I¡¯m going to stick with my angels.¡± ¡°And what would happen if you were to meet a dashing young dragon? Would your answer change?¡± I mulled that over for a while. ¡°No,¡± I finally said. ¡°I¡­ you knew Lucifer and Aurora but you don¡¯t know the beings I¡¯ve met. If I were to truly fall in love, they¡¯d make sure we¡¯d have a chance. They¡¯d protect whoever it¡¯d be just as much as they try to keep me safe and I¡¯d never hold it against them, if they failed. Besides¡­ it¡¯s not like I really have much of a choice in the matter, do I?¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how a bond between an immortal and their dragon usually works, but¡­ until your power screwed it up, I was linked to Cassy¡¯s¡­ thoughts doesn¡¯t even cover it. Soul, maybe? I know her, I can still feel her, even now. I¡­ with a little time I think I¡¯m going to know her decisions well before her, since I actually see what goes through her mind, and while she¡¯s reckless, dangerously so, she always tries to do what she thinks is right. There¡¯s no fault in that. Even if I was the one to ultimately pay the price, she wouldn¡¯t¡­ she couldn¡¯t force me into it. I¡¯d do it willingly and there¡¯s no chance in hell that I¡¯d hold her responsible.¡± ¡°How old are you again? That¡¯s an perspective I¡¯d have expected from a wizened, old man but not a child with the temper of a dragon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no child,¡± I growled. ¡°My father¡¯s death put to rest all illusions of being sheltered. Now that we¡¯ve dissected my motives in more detail than I¡¯d have liked, could you finally tell me what this is all about?¡± ¡°Sure. The spark of my power¡­ Cassandra will devour it in a few seconds but I can use it, beforehand. More accurately, I can try to undo the damage I¡¯ve inflicted on Aurelia. But, it¡¯s not pure. It¡¯s diluted¡­ channeled through you. Can you guess where I¡¯m going with this?¡± It took me a few moments but when I remembered what Alassara had told us about vampires and the origin of their strength, it clicked. ¡°She¡¯ll be bound to me, won¡¯t she?¡± Sarai nodded with apparent satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re quick. Yes, she most likely will. And aside from Cassandra and Ahri, she¡¯s most likely the most powerful creature on your world. Considering how little the two of them know about their own heritage, yet, she might even be more dangerous. Not in a direct confrontation,¡± she added when she saw the disbelief in my eyes, ¡°but everything else¡­ I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯ll find out for yourself, soon enough. So, that¡¯s my question: do you want me to? Do you want to hold the leash of a creature you can¡¯t hope to match until you¡¯ve fully transformed into an immortal steed? She¡¯ll be your responsibility.¡± ¡°How does that work? She¡¯s already attuned to your energies, isn¡¯t she? How¡¯s that even possible?¡± ¡°You underestimate what¡¯s growing within you. I¡¯ve said it before, your magic is already immutable. Even as we speak, I can feel it pecking away at my influence and it won¡¯t stop. Sure, if I was there, my own power pouring into Aurelia, it would be different, but as it stands, I¡¯m almost certain that¡¯s the way it¡¯s going to turn out. So, what do you say?¡± Most of my kind would have immediately agreed, the allure of power much too strong to resist, but I had learned a thing or two over the last weeks and I wasn¡¯t going to let my greed dictate my actions. ¡°You said I¡¯d be responsible for her, what does that mean,¡± I finally asked. ¡°She¡¯ll heed your words, she probably won¡¯t even be able to deny you. It basically means I expect you to do much better than I ever did, or I¡¯m going to flay you within an inch of your life.¡± 213. Of boredom, loneliness and a chance encounter Cassandra Pendragon Guard duty was boring, truly and utterly boring. Even the glittering spiral of stars above me and the sounds of the the city had become monotone after a few hours, never mind picking the last, drying pieces of blood out of my fur. In the beginning, I had passed the time studying the occasional drunk, swaying figure, gallivanting along the street. Some of them were headed home or for the next tavern, others were proudly parading around their catch of the evening, whether it had been their coin or their charm who had lured the beauties of the night into their arms, I couldn¡¯t say, they all seemed pretty much the same to me. Humans were stocky, loud and smelly, not to mention hairy, at least the males. I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly disgusted whenever one of them wandered down my street, stale sweat and alcohol clinging to them, like a cloak. I usually wouldn¡¯t have minded except¡­ instead of a fluffy vixen to snuggle up to, I had to make do with a hard, wooden chair and the longer I sat there, the more difficult it became to not dwell on the last, bloody exploit we had been a part of. Also, the smells that came from the devastated tavern behind me, mixed with the unappetising scent of Free Land and the pedestrians, were starting to give me a headache. That, and I was getting tired. I was in dire need of a chance to process what had happened to us, yet again. My body didn¡¯t need sleep anymore, but I was becoming cranky and my mind tended to wander. Just like it did now¡­ My family and friends had made their way back to the ships, no one had been interested in spending the night in an underground lair filled with the remains of burned vampires and the Damocles¡¯ sword of another attack looming above our heads. Unfortunately we couldn¡¯t all go. Alassara had to get fresh blood for her kin and while she was away, someone had to make sure her children wouldn¡¯t leave and that our newfound, religious friends wouldn¡¯t return in the meantime to finish what they had started. Especially since we still held two of them hostage. The thankless task was, of course, delegated to me. Ahri had even buttered me up to ensure I¡¯d cooperate, hinting that I¡¯d most likely have the easiest time to deal with any kind of divine magic we might encounter. Not that I blamed her. Plus, she had promised to watch over Viyara for me until the dragoness woke up. I was decently convinced she would wake up and be fine, our link had started working again after I had pushed my energies through our connection and flushed her system with silvery light, but she hadn¡¯t come to, yet. And also¡­ even while asleep, she had wrapped her scaly body around Aurelia, as if she had been intend on protecting the vampiric progenitor like a mother would protect her young. No idea what that meant, but the two hadn¡¯t been separable and it had taken quite a bit of ingenuity to lug an elephant sized dragon, curled up around a tiny human, from the depth of Alassara¡¯s home. Another thing that had been left to me. The others simply didn¡¯t have the strength and they had organised a large, reinforced wagon while I had struggle to move several tons of flesh and bone through awkwardly narrow corridors. And now, now I was sitting on the porch of the tavern, a coarse, blotchy blanket slung around my body to hide my figure and tails, a black, woollen scarf wrapped around my head, while I waited for Alassara to return with, what I expected would be, a string of slaves. It didn¡¯t sit well with me that she made use of the markets, but the ones she was going to buy were actually lucky. They were headed for either freedom or a comfortable life, and it¡¯d only cost them a pint of blood. Lost in thought, I reached out and focused on the images I received from my bracelet. The two girls had made it home, a small but tidy flat a few streets away. They were cuddled up together, sleeping. A small smiled tugged on the corners of my mouth when I saw them taking comfort in the presence of the other, the nightmare they had lived through held at bay by the warmth of a friend. If I had the time, I¡¯d visit them tomorrow. They didn¡¯t deserve what had happened to them and if I got the chance, I¡¯d make sure they had everything they needed. Since Mephisto had enchanted a chest for us, we weren¡¯t nearly as badly pressed for gold as we had been the day before and while it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference to us, a few coins might turn their lives around. Also, helping someone without slaughter and bloodshed would do wonders for my self esteem. I could still vividly remember how those soldiers had looked at me, shortly before the end and helping those two would go a long way towards convincing myself that I hadn¡¯t earned their stares. A bit superficial, sure, and it didn¡¯t exactly scream confidence, but I¡¯d take my appreciation wherever I could get it. Sighing, I watched them for a few more minutes until I realised that it mainly made me feel lonely. I hadn¡¯t been separated from Ahri for more than a couple of hours, but I already missed her. I knew it hadn¡¯t been practically for her to stay with me, if I had to remain here, I¡¯d feel better knowing that another angel was watching over my family any day of the week, but it still sucked. Being left behind, that is and the only thing I had to look forward to was feeding the vampires and interrogating our prisoners. By the Great Fox, hopefully this night would be over soon. ¡°Excuse me,¡± a slightly slurred, deep voice brought me out of my reverie. ¡°Would you mind if stayed here for a bit? Or maybe even inside?¡± When I looked up, I saw a burly, ginger man with blue eyes, somewhere in his twenties, already pushing past me. He was intoxicated and his clothing had seen better days, but he seemed healthy and didn¡¯t smell as bad as most of the others who had stumbled though my little street. Quick like a snake, I shot to my feet and grabbed the backside of his threadbare, dark blue coat. ¡°Actually, I do. You¡¯re welcome to stay with me for a while but you won¡¯t go through that door. As you can see, some drunkard broke our windows and I¡¯m making sure the boys aren¡¯t disturbed while they try to make repairs.¡± It was a lame excuse, but the best I could come up with on the spot. Apparently my new found friend agreed. ¡°Repairs? Listen here, boyo, ¡®s nobody moving in there and,¡± he sniffed, ¡°it sure as all hells doesn¡¯t smell like spilled beer. I don¡¯t care what happened, but I need a place to lie low for a few hours. Why can¡¯t I just make myself invisible in one of the spare rooms?¡± ¡°Because I say so,¡± I replied resolutely. Why did every single drunk always think they were entitled to everything their gaze fell upon? He chuckled crudely. ¡°And you¡¯re going to stop me? Good luck. There¡¯s nobody inside who can back you up and you¡¯re much to slim to¡­ wait a second, you don¡¯t even sound like a man. Are you a girl?¡± I rolled my eyes beneath my scarf. ¡°No, I¡¯m just pretending. In reality I¡¯m a monster who wants to lure the fools and idiots closer and into my lair so I can sup on their blood. Still think going inside is a good idea?¡± I hadn¡¯t let go of his coat, but he wasn¡¯t trying to simply brush past me, yet. He stared at me for a second, before a deep belly laugh erupted from him. ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± he wheezed between resounding fits of mirth, ¡°in that case, Madame Monster, would you kindly offer me your protection? You see, I¡¯m in a bit of a pickle, a few rascals are on my tail and I either have to hide or find someone willing to keep them off me. Could I somehow persuade you to take me under your wing?¡± He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. ¡°I¡¯d even make it worth your time.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I smiled. The man was likeable enough, maybe he could help me while away the hours until Alassara¡¯s return. ¡°But if you want to stay with me, I won¡¯t object, provided you know a few stories. The one where you end up running from thugs would be a good start. If it¡¯s convincing, I might even be able to find you a tankard of beer, somewhere.¡± ¡°Now, that¡¯s a word. But conversing with a shadow doesn¡¯t hold that much appeal. Could you at least show me your face since I¡¯m going to spend my evening entertaining you?¡± ¡°You must be absurdly brave. I already told you, I¡¯m a monster. My face could haunt your dreams for years to come. Are you sure you want to take the risk?¡± ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯ll be fine. If it¡¯s in any way similar to your voice, it can¡¯t be that bad. So, how about it? I¡¯ll tell you why I¡¯m here and if you want me to, even my life¡¯s story but in return I get to peek behind the curtain. And if you were to throw in that beer you mentioned, I can even spin you some sailor¡¯s yarn, exciting enough to even keep a princess entertained.¡± I smirked beneath my veil. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. But if I like your story, I¡¯ll get your beer. And concerning my face¡­ why not? But I swear, if you try to make a pass at me, I¡¯m going to punch you senseless.¡± ¡°Not that ugly, then,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Sure, you have yourself a deal, lass. Provided you really are strong enough to knock me unconscious. Otherwise this might yet become very unpleasant.¡± He raised his arms placatingly when he felt my fingers tighten around the fistful of cloth. ¡°Not because of me, but you do remember what I said, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m being followed and a slim figure in a blanket isn¡¯t going to put them off, unless they¡¯re taught some respect. Now, where can I sit?¡± ¡°On the porch. Once you¡¯ve earned your keep, I¡¯ll think about getting you a chair.¡± ¡°Fine. Go on then, show us your face. Or are you shy?¡± ¡°How about a name, first? My mother always told me I shouldn¡¯t trust strangers.¡± ¡°A wise woman, that one,¡± he readily agreed. ¡°I¡¯m William, or Will, for short. What¡¯s yours and can you finally let go of me? I¡¯m not going to do anything my new best friend doesn¡¯t want. Promise.¡± I obliged and when he turned around to face me, I offered my hand. ¡°Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon.¡± His eyes seemed to light up for the fraction of a second when he heard my name, but it was over much too quickly and it was much too dark to be sure. Still, I took notice. My paranoia reared its head and I could help but wonder if this meeting wasn¡¯t as circumstantial, as it appeared. Shrugging, I shoved the thought away. Whoever he was, if he meant to cause trouble, I¡¯d make sure I wouldn¡¯t be the one drowning in it. Slowly, I disentangled the scarf from around my ears and allowed the thick cloth to fall away, revealing my eyes and face. I was curious how he¡¯d react, if he already knew who I was, I was confident I¡¯d be able to tell. Unfortunately, he was either a really good actor, or he was genuinely surprised. His mouth went wide in a silent exclamation and his gaze roamed over my features freely, taking in every detail. I was already staring to feel uncomfortable, even though I had somewhat known what I was getting myself into, when he finally spoke up: ¡°Goodness gracious, I didn¡¯t expect that. Your face might really haunt my dreams for weeks to come, even though they might be of a different kind than you insinuated. No wonder you hide your appearance, that can¡¯t be safe, now, can it?¡± I granted him a lopsided smile. ¡°Remember what I told you before? You¡¯re tiptoeing the line, my friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hitting on you, I just call them as I see them. Can I ask what tribe you¡¯re from? I¡¯ve seen plenty of beast kin in my time, but none like yourself.¡± ¡°Really now? I find that hard to believe. Aren¡¯t you from around here?¡± He eyed me curiously. ¡°I am, actually. But I¡¯m not quite sure I catch your drift. Whom are you referring to?¡± ¡°Seriously? Somewhere in your twenties, flawless merchant tongue, just so happens to stumble through this street at night, on the run from a mysterious pursuer? I don¡¯t mind secrets, I have quite a few myself, but do you honestly believe I¡¯m going to buy that? You¡¯re either a full blown idiot, and you don¡¯t strike me as one, or you¡¯re much better connected than you make yourself out to be.¡± I was fishing. I didn¡¯t know, of course, but something had been nagging at the back of my mind and now I had managed to put my finger on it. It¡¯d make no sense for anyone to come through here, if they were on the run. There were a million better places to stay low, unless he was simply trying to get away, but then, he wouldn¡¯t have asked if he could hide in the tavern. The longer we talked, the less likely it seemed to me that he had met me on chance alone. Sure, he might also have been running blindly and simply approached the first figure he had seen. But that didn¡¯t quite match his more or less calm demeanour and his attitude, especially the questions he had asked. He was sniffing around, at least I thought so. And that meant he was somehow connected to the Captains, otherwise there¡¯d be no reason for him to be here. Or I was overthinking the whole thing to an almost embarrassing degree. His eyes sparkled when he studied me again, more calculating this time. ¡°I do have quite a few friends around here,¡± he replied, ¡°but I can honestly say that I¡¯ve never before met someone like you. But if you don¡¯t want to say, that¡¯s fine as well.¡± With a deep sigh he slumped down on the porch and seemed to relax, his shoulders sagging while he fumbled in the depths of his coat to produce a worn and grimy pipe. A moment later a cloud of bluish smoke and a smell similar to wildflowers wafted around my nose. I hadn¡¯t seen a match, though. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± he continued. ¡°Now, you wanted to know why I suddenly came running through this cozy, secluded alley? I¡­¡± he paused, his head swivelling from left to right like a dog¡¯s, searching for a scent. I already knew what had gotten his attention. A group of people, four of them, had made their way from the main road into our small street. Even from afar I could hear the quiet, rustling sound of chainmail and the heavy thuds of studded boots. To my surprise, I also smelled a faint hint of perfume, something like lavender but sweeter. It wasn¡¯t a scent I¡¯d associate with a man and when I sent a trickle of power to my eyes, I spotted a figure, slightly smaller than the others, which was walking with a decidedly feminine sway in her hips. Their faces were hidden, the hoods of well fabricated cloaks covering their features. Leather and iron covered most of their bodies and the weapons they had hanging from their belts looked serious and well cared for. Two of them carried swords, one a spear and the one I thought to be a woman had a fancy looking quarterstaff strapped to her back, covered in runes, but they were only for show. I couldn¡¯t detect even the faintest whiff of energy. All in all they appeared like the epitome of a group of adventurers or mercenaries to me, judging from their equipment, one of the more successful ones. Either that or they had someone with deep pockets footing the bill. Another thing that struck me as odd was the decided lack of an alcoholic smell. Their movements were coordinated and sharp and I¡¯d have been prepared to bet that they were entirely sober. A bit unusual, considering their profession and the lateness of the hour. ¡°These your friends,¡± I inquired calmly while I gestured down the narrow lane. William squinted his eyes against the dim light and shrugged helplessly. ¡°You must have far better eyes than me, all I see are blurry outlines. If there are four of them, one of them a gal, it¡¯ll be them. Have they seen us already?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it seems like they¡¯re searching. They¡¯re moving slowly and the girl is keeping her eyes on something in her hand. A compass, maybe, but I could be wrong. So¡­ how bad is this going to be? Do they want your head or can we actually talk it out.¡± Up until they had shown, I hadn¡¯t even been convinced that he was actually being followed. Maybe I had been wrong. ¡°Maybe¡­ we had a¡­ misunderstanding. But they shouldn¡¯t be out for blood, at least I hope so. It¡¯s only been a bit of gold¡­ they¡¯ll want to beat me up, but I don¡¯t think they want to kill me.¡± 214. Of former friends, wagers and a bit of sparring Cassandra Pendragon ¡°That¡¯s reassuring,¡± I murmured while the group slowly came closer. At least they weren¡¯t directly headed towards us, which meant they probably didn¡¯t know about the entrance below the tavern. Otherwise, they¡¯d have been able to figure out where their prey had gone, easily enough. Which begged the question, did William know? I had been inclined to think so, but now¡­ oh well, I¡¯d figure it out soon, one way or the other. ¡°No point in sitting around and waiting for them to find us, is there,¡± I continued and added loudly enough for my voice to carry: ¡°good evening, I assume you¡¯re looking for this chap,¡± I tapped Will¡¯s back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us? We were just about to share a beer and some stories. I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be interesting for you as well.¡± ¡°Are you moonstruck,¡± my companion hissed. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°Hurrying everything along,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°Let¡¯s see what they do, now. If you told the truth, they won¡¯t attack us straight away. Who are they, anyways?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± he couldn¡¯t finish, or rather even properly start his sentence. A deep, gravely voice interrupted him. ¡°What¡¯s that now? When did you have the time to chase another skirt, Will? Didn¡¯t you learn your lesson the last time around? If you think we won¡¯t mess you up just because you have another whore on your arm, you¡¯re sorely mistaken.¡± Ouch. That was a first, I had never been taken for a prostitute before. At least, nobody had dared say it to my face, which probably came down to the same thing. I didn¡¯t even know if I should feel insulted or amused. ¡°At least he can afford one all for himself, while you have to share yours among three.¡± Will buried his face in his hands in response to my remark. ¡°Was that really necessary,¡± he complained. ¡°That one, Josh, has a temper like a tiger with a toothache and he¡¯s tame compared to the girl.¡± ¡°So do I and I¡¯m not overly afraid of a big brute, nor the girl. Didn¡¯t you want me to protect you?¡± ¡°Sure, but that was mostly just banter. I didn¡¯t actually think you¡¯d be stupid enough to antagonise four armed warriors and call one of them a whore.¡± ¡°And what was I supposed to do then? Distract them with my charm while you make a run for it?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± again, he was interrupted by a decidedly pissed off scream. ¡°What did you just call me,¡± the staff wielder exclaimed, taking a few more steps in our direction. ¡°You must have a death wish or has the pox already gotten to your brain?¡± She was already reaching for her weapon but one of the others held her back. ¡°There¡¯s no need for violence, yet,¡± the one with the spear interjected. ¡°That¡¯s Lorian, usually he¡¯s the voice of reason,¡± my commentator explained. ¡°But he¡¯s also adamant. Don¡¯t make him want to hurt you or he¡¯s going to go through with it, without batting an eye.¡± My mood was getting better by the second. It truly did seem like I had merely been paranoid and this was just what Will had made it out to be. A glorified tavern brawl. I chuckled. ¡°Wise words, but I wasn¡¯t the one to throw insults around, in the first place and if your companion wishes for a lesson, I¡¯ll gladly oblige. No need to hold her back. I¡¯m going to return the lass with barely a dent. A black eye, maybe, after all, some things can only be taught through pain.¡± ¡°Are you trying to get us killed,¡± Will erupted, which made me laugh openly. ¡°No, not quite. But depending on how this is going to go, you might find out why I called myself a monster.¡± I turned to fully face him, hiding my eyes from the group. The light within them intensified and I could see him pale, a nice contrast to his red hair. I didn¡¯t mean much by it, and when I saw him involuntarily take a step back, I wanted to reassure him I didn¡¯t intend to seriously hurt anyone, but the scornful voice of the woman brought me up short. ¡°Is that so,¡± she practically spat. ¡°Prove it, then. You and me, and when I¡¯ve beaten you senseless, I¡¯m going to work on you boyfriend, next.¡± ¡°Fine with me,¡± I shrugged. ¡°And what happens if you get your ass handed to you? Are your friends going to line up, afterwards?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll leave you alone. No promises in regards to the coward behind you, but they won¡¯t touch you. Unless you stick to that silly notion of fighting for him. But you won¡¯t get the chance.¡± ¡°Vanya¡­¡± Lorian tried to caution her, but she didn¡¯t listen and confidently strode towards us, unclamping her staff and removing her hood. She was a pretty girl, probably around her 20th summer. Broad shouldered and tall with dark, intense eyes and long, blonde hair, she looked like an Amazon. An impression that was underlined but the glimmer of steel, blinking through the folds of her cloak. She expertly twirled her staff around and came to a halt in the middle of the street. Her eyes focused on me challengingly and with a broad smile, I shrugged out of my blanket, allowing my tails to swirl behind me freely. I left the shadows, I had clung to, to meet her. A sharp intake of breath rewarded my theatrics, when her gaze roamed from my glowing eyes, over my ears and down to my tails. ¡°Not that confident anymore,¡± I smirked, fanning my tails out widely. With a visible effort, she looked away and when I met her eyes again, they were filled with a steely resolve I found rather admirable. I couldn¡¯t say how much was actually known about my race, but we had never made a secret of our arcane abilities. If I had been forced to face a mage without a speck of power myself, I wouldn¡¯t have managed to look as resolute as her. Then again¡­ when my temper got the best of me, I usually didn¡¯t care much anymore about strength and power. Maybe she was just the same. Hopefully we¡¯d be able to have a more friendly chat after we were done with our obligatory, instigated fight. ¡°Just because you¡¯re not human, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to pummel you into the ground. And you do look more like a dancer than a fighter. But at least I can now see that you aren¡¯t his harlot for the night, he wouldn¡¯t be able to afford you now, would he? Say, if I can best you, will you grant me a discount?¡± Was she trying to get me to lose my nerve? That might have been a good idea if we had been somewhat evenly matched, but we weren¡¯t. Truth be told, I was more flattered than anything else, but if she continued to poke the dragon, I might come to enjoy this even more. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°By all means, but I have to ask, what are you going to offer in return, in case you won¡¯t?¡± She smirked derisively. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a weapon. How do you think you¡¯re going to manage?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my problem, isn¡¯t it? Still, if you¡¯re so certain you¡¯re going to win, there¡¯s no risk in making it more interesting, is there?¡± She hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going. She hadn¡¯t expected me to act on her provocation and now she had to own up. ¡°Sure, it doesn¡¯t matter, anyways. What do you want,¡± she asked with bravado, even though she was studying me more closely now, trying to figure out where my confidence was coming from. ¡°Hmm¡­ you asked for a night of service, but since I¡¯m just a slip of a girl, there should be more in it for me. How about a week? No nocturnal duties, but I¡¯ve got a few errands to run and you and your group of comedians might just be up to the job.¡± She growled in response but before one of her friends could reign her back in, she spat: ¡°fine.¡± Without another moment of hesitation, she threw herself forward, her staff descending towards my head, fast enough to make the air whistle. If that was going to hit, it¡¯d hurt, but there was no way in hell. Compared to the other creatures I had fought, she was just too slow. Grinning, I whirled to the side and smacked her rump on the way past, wrapping one of my tails around her leg for good measure. A squeal followed the meaty thud and she went down. She hit the dirty cobbles head first, unable to protect herself since she was still clinging to her staff. She left a good portion of her skin on the floor, a bloody gouge marring her cheek. ¡°Ouch,¡± I commented, elegantly turning on the spot. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to embarrass yourself, you¡¯re going to have to try a little harder. Or is that all you got?¡± Spitting mad, she rolled around and scrambled to her feet, her hair matted and entangled with less than appetising debris. ¡°You¡¯re quick, I¡¯ll give you that,¡± she spat, ¡°but it won¡¯t be enough!¡± She came closer again. This time, she was more careful, her staff held in a defensive position while she circled me, trying to catch me off guard. From the coroner of my eye, I saw her friends whispering, probably deciding whether or not they should allow the show to go on, but they didn¡¯t interfere, just yet. With a yell, she suddenly charged, her staff levelled at my middle like a spear. If I were to doge to either side, she¡¯d easily be able to adjust her weapon accordingly. A trickle of energy flowed from my core and I leisurely summersaulted over her head, the wind whistling in my ears. It wasn¡¯t particularly clever, if she had seen it coming, she would have easily been able to strike me during the jump, but like most people, she could only watch, her mouth slowly opening. I rose nearly two metres into the air, my tails hiding me from her view, and quietly landed behind her. The breath exploded from her body when I slammed my shoulder into her back and sent her tumbling. For the second time in as many minutes, she kissed the dirt. I wasn¡¯t impressed. ¡°I¡¯m not impressed,¡± I commented. ¡°Somehow I thought you¡¯d pose more of a challenge. Tell you what, next time, I won¡¯t dodge. We can¡¯t have you falling on you ass, over and over again.¡± She had tried to provoke me, but in the end, it was her, who blew a fuse. She slowly got back up, her reddening skin covered in scratches, some unsightly streaks of rotting vegetables and something that decidedly smelled like it had been ingested, once before. I could practically hear her struggle to control her temper, to advance more slowly and maybe get me into a position where my speed wouldn¡¯t matter that much, but it all went down the drain when I twirled on the spot, arms spread wide, and invited her to come at me again. With an incoherent shout, she flung herself forward for the third time, intent on bringing me down by strength alone. There was no finesse, no grace, she simply held her staff horizontally in front of her, preparing to push me along and into the nearest wall. I understood her reasoning, from what she had seen, I was more flexible and agile than her and that usually came at the cost of raw, physical strength. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t play by the same rules. An instant before she reached me, my eyes flared and she had to avert her gaze. Caught in motion, she charged on, head turned to the side. I toyed with the idea of stepping out of her way again, but I had already indulged myself long enough. I reached out and deftly grabbed her staff in the middle, my tails slithering around her legs. Her snarl vanished and her features rearranged themselves into a wide eyed look of surprise when she was stopped dead in her tracks. Her momentum was converted into a bone jarring impact, her legs giving out when I heaved with my tails and pulled. She kept her balance for the fraction of a second, but there was no way she¡¯d be able to remain upright. Finally, she tumbled to the side, her numb fingers unable to hold onto her weapon. With a suppressed curse, she went down, but this time, I was above her as soon as she hit the ground. My tails still held her legs in place and with a quick push, I turned her over, my hands at her throat and our faces only a few millimetres apart. I was still smiling but judging from her expression, I might as well have been frothing at the mouth with canines, longer than a vampires. ¡°What should I do with you, now,¡± I breathed, my grip tightening gradually. ¡°I did say I¡¯d send you back with nothing but a black eye, but I have to admit, I¡¯m starting to have second thoughts.¡± She was blushing furiously, but still managed to remain rigid, only her eyes moved frantically, searching for a way out. ¡°Save yourself a bit of pain,¡± I purred, ¡°and stay down. I¡¯m not going to hurt you, I think. But I might yet change my mind. You remember our bargain? A week¡¯s worth of service?¡± She nodded and I felt her relax. ¡°Good. Just to be clear, do you concede?¡± Another nod. ¡°Prefect,¡± I whispered in her ear and clapped my hands, rolling off of her and onto my feet in one fluid motion. She wasn¡¯t much worse for wear, except where she had made close contact with the street and my fingers had left reddening imprints on her neck. I clicked my tongue and offered her my hand. ¡°Sorry for that,¡± I pointed at her throat. ¡°I got carried away. Thanks, by the way. This was fun. We should do it again, sometime.¡± She was utterly confused by now and hesitantly took my hand. A second later, she stood before me, breathing heavily, the confidence she had excluded before our little spar was entirely gone. ¡°Who are you,¡¯¡¯ she finally asked. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have been able to¡­ you didn¡¯t even use any magic! How did you do that?¡± ¡°Who says I didn¡¯t use any magic,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But I guess you¡¯re right, in a way. As for who I am. That¡¯s an interesting question. I can tell you this much, though, I, sure as all hells, ain¡¯t no harlot. I¡¯m a kitsune, a pretty rare tribe of beast kin. We¡¯re quick, talented in the arcane arts and have a short temper, but that might just be me.¡± I paused and looked her up and down. ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra, by the way. Cassandra Pendragon.¡± She didn¡¯t react, but from further down the street I heard one of her companions exclaim: ¡°aw, fuck! That¡¯s just our luck.¡± I smirked in response. ¡°It seems like one of your friends has already heard of me. I¡¯d quite like to know why. Now, what do you say, why don¡¯t we sit down like civilised people and have a chat? Since I¡¯ve already proven that violence might not be your best course of action, you¡¯ve got nothing to lose, do you?¡± ¡°No, I guess we don¡¯t.¡± She exhaled deeply and lowered her head, looking up at me through her bangs. ¡°I¡¯m Vanya. Vanya Lafayette. I¡¯m a mercenary and apparently yours to command for the next week.¡± I raised an eyebrow. She wasn¡¯t a sore loser and seemed to readily accept the outcome of our duel, which came as quite the surprise. Someone as prideful as her was bound to have a problem with losing as well as being ordered around. I had even thought about letting her off the hook in exchange for a detailed explanation, but her willingness to play along made me reconsider. I could seriously use a second pair of legs in the days to come and from what I had seen during our fight, she wouldn¡¯t be half bad to have around. She wasn¡¯t a match for anyone of my friends, but she did know how to use her staff and she was human. A human with connections that probably complemented Pete¡¯s contacts nicely. As a mercenary, she might have knowledge about the priests we had encountered or she might even be able to recognise one of them. Provided Alassara was willing to allow her inside. ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you into anything despicable or even overly dangerous. In fact, I might just have an offer for you and your comrades and it isn¡¯t tied to what you owe me in any way.¡± I gesticulated towards her friends. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us, now? I already offered to pour you a beer and my word is still good. Unless, of course, you want to further discuss whether or not it¡¯s a good idea to pick a fight with me.¡± 215. Of friends, faith and a little bit of allegiances Cassandra Pendragon It hadn¡¯t been overly difficult to get my hands on a keg, even though I had been forced to quickly wipe away a few blood stains before I had been willing to share it with my new acquaintances. When I finally left the taproom again, after I had made sure that the door to the lower levels was still sturdily barricaded, I found them staring daggers at each other. The four mercenaries were standing side by side, their eyes drilling holes into Will¡¯s skull while the human in question was still smoking his pipe, his gaze travelling from one to the other, a faint smirk edged onto his face. ¡°¡­sucks to have me this close but yet, you can¡¯t touch me. I feel you, lads, even though I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m sorry. Out of curiosity, what would you have done to me if I hadn¡¯t found someone who can kick your asses seven ways to Sunday?¡± I watched through a window and saw Vanya¡¯s hands twitch before Lorian quickly placed one of his own on her shoulder and replied. ¡°Beaten you green and blue until you told us what you did with our money and probably knocked you unconscious afterwards, maybe stripped you naked in the markets. There¡¯s still some of it left, isn¡¯t there? You can¡¯t have spent it all in that brothel. It was close to 200 coins in gold. Incidentally, you wouldn¡¯t want to tell us now, would you?¡± Will snorted. I had been on the verge of exiting the tavern but I decided to wait a bit longer. Their conversation was quite interesting. ¡°Sure. And afterwards I¡¯m going to join your merry band of honourable knights again. You do know why I¡¯ve taken it, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Are you still pissed because we took work with the Captains? Don¡¯t be such a child. Sooner or later you have to bend a knee or your going to end up in the gutter.¡± I could practically feel the air sizzle with the amount of contempt that radiated off Lorian. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re the best example. A run down whoremonger who can¡¯t even stay sober for more than a day. How did you ever manage to convince the girl to take you in? It can¡¯t have been your charm, the way she looks, she¡¯d have her choice in all of Free Land and you aren¡¯t on top of that list. Any list.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon. I might not look my best, but the ladies still line up to be close to me. Case and point. You don¡¯t really think I paid her, do you? As dumb as Vanya can be from time to time, she had that right. None of us could afford her, if she was indeed for sale.¡± ¡°Then how,¡± the girl asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about kitsune, actually, I¡¯ve never heard the name before, but I do know that beast kin usually don¡¯t take kindly to us. What did you promise her? Your first born? If you ever were to find a wench stupid enough to carry your spawn, that is.¡± Will chuckled. ¡°Nothing. Truth be told, I was already pretty panicked when I turned the corner and saw her sitting on the porch. She stared at the sky and I thought I saw her eyes glowing. Well, by now I¡¯m quite sure I did. Didn¡¯t take much to guess she¡¯s a mage and I didn¡¯t have much to lose, either way, with you ungrateful lot breathing down my neck. I gambled and it payed off.¡± ¡°So what,¡± the third man who had called me out in the beginning and who supposedly possessed a temper nearly as bad as Vanya¡¯s inquired. ¡°You just walked up to her and said: hello gal, I¡¯m on the run from my former friends cuz I robbed them blind. Would you mind lending a hand?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± I interrupted, pushing open the door. ¡°He actually promised me a story or two.¡± I lowered the keg to the ground and filled the mugs I had placed on top of it. ¡°Here you go. I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s a thief, though. Not that I particularly mind, but I¡¯m quite curious why he¡¯d steal from you. From what I¡¯ve heard you didn¡¯t agree with taking up work amongst the leaders of Free Land?¡± The newcomers gawked at me but Will took my appearance in stride. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Bloodsuckers, the lot of them. We had a good thing going, Cassandra, a ship, a decent income¡­ but then those fuckers became greedy and lazy. They sold out. No wonder I took what we had left and made a run for it. I¡¯d rather throw the coin over the cliffs than watch them use it to strengthen the stranglehold the Captains hold our beautiful city in.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bloody idiot, that¡¯s what you are,¡± Vanya spat. ¡°You make it sound like we volunteered!¡± ¡°You bloody well did! We could have run, we could have fought, but no¡­ where was your temper when Captain Dawn asked you to kneel? Are you warming his bed at night, by now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely,¡± I quietly intervened. ¡°Since there isn¡¯t much left of him but a handful of ash.¡± My words caught their attention, raptly, and again I found myself at the centre of their scrutinising stares. ¡°Care to elaborate,¡± Lorian finally asked. I shrugged in response. ¡°He thought he could use me. Probably the same thing he did to you, on a slightly different scale. But, well, as your friend can attest, I don¡¯t go down easily, nor quietly. We had a¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call it a fight. He stabbed me in the back and I survived. He didn¡¯t, afterwards.¡± ¡°You fucking killed him,¡± Vanya exclaimed. ¡°How¡­what¡­but he¡­ I¡¯ve seen him fight¡­¡± ¡°Breath,¡± I said. ¡°You really don¡¯t know where you are, do you? Or what secrets the tavern behind us holds?¡± Their looks of disbelief gradually transformed into ones of unease while their eyes darted across the broken windows, trying to pierce the darkness behind them. ¡°No, I guess not,¡± I continued. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the best¡­¡± ¡°I do,¡± the last of the quartet, a burly, black bearded fellow who hadn¡¯t spoke before, except for his curse when he had heard my name, interjected in a raspy voice. ¡°Not many are privy to this information but we are close to the Palace of the Night, are we not?¡± I cocked an eyebrow and studied him more attentively. I had already been wondering if it was the best idea to divulge anything, but Alassara would probably return while these five were still here and since one of them already knew about her home, it didn¡¯t matter much, either way. He was wearing the same getup as the others, a thick, dark cloak over chainmail and his hand and half sword was complimented by a large kite shield, strapped to his back. I imagined he was the one to protect his allies, if they ever found themselves in a situation where they had to hold out as long as possible. In a narrow gap, it would almost be impossible to get past him, even though he wouldn¡¯t be able to wield his sword and shield at the same time. If one of them had been a caster, they would have been a truly formidable ensemble. Even without, if they knew how to fight together, they¡¯d be a nightmare to deal with. Maybe not on an open battlefield, but within the confines of a city or a ship, the four of them could easily hold their own against a much larger force. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that name before,¡± I finally said when he had already begun fidgeting under my stare. ¡°But I imagine you aren¡¯t far off. I don¡¯t feel like sharing much, though, not when I don¡¯t even know whom I¡¯m talking to, or rather whose minions you are. At least as far as his view on the Captains goes, I¡¯m very much inclined to agree with Will here. If you¡¯ve truly entered their service, I don¡¯t see us finding common ground. There are a couple of questions I¡¯d like to ask, though, but that¡¯s about it. Except for you,¡± I added in Vanya¡¯s direction. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten about our wager. I¡¯m not going to let you off the hook that easily.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to,¡± She replied evenly, ¡°a debt is a debt. But I¡¯m rather curious by now. Who are you? I¡¯ve never seen you before, yet you seem to be more knowledgable when it comes to our own legends and the dark machinations in the shadows, than we are. What has brought you here?¡± ¡°Chance¡­ or rather the past. I¡­¡± I had been on the verge of telling them the truth when I hesitated. If I were to openly admit that I had been after the Mask, they would easily figure out what I had done. His end hadn¡¯t been inconspicuous, not by any stretch of the imagination. But¡­ ¡°Oh, to hell with it. It might be easier to show you.¡± With a thought, my wings manifested and the gloomy alley was suddenly illuminated by silvery light. I only kept them visible for a few seconds, but it was still enough for the mercenaries to stumble backwards and for Will¡¯s pipe to fall from his gaping mouth. A resounding silence followed the crackling of my energies. ¡°There,¡± I continued nonchalantly, ¡°I guess that should be enough. I¡¯ve come for the Mask¡­ he took something dear to me and I wasn¡¯t going to just let that slide. I imagine you already know how it ended. Suffice it to say that I was drawn into the local disputes afterwards and I¡¯ve found quite a few friends here, since then. I¡¯m going to try and help them along, for all that it¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°You¡­you,¡± again it was Vanya who found her voice first. ¡°You¡­ what are you,¡± she stammered and for the first time I saw something akin to undiluted awe in her eyes. ¡°If you were to ask around in town, they¡¯d tell you I¡¯m a benevolent spirit. If you were to ask my friends, they¡¯d probably call me an impulsive lunatic with a knack for getting into trouble. I¡¯d say I¡¯m a princess who¡¯s trying to keep the remaining members of her people safe and sound. But that¡¯s probably not what you want to hear. I¡¯m a¡­ rather powerful mage, even though that¡¯s more of a metaphor than an actual description. Except for the powerful part. That¡¯s pretty accurate.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Will grunted, white like a sheet. ¡°If I had known, I would have just kept running. Why on Gaya is it always me? Go on then, what have you got in store for us? Usually this kind of revelation is followed by a bunch of threats and I can already feel them coming.¡± I was baffled, to say the least, and then I laughed. For as astute as his observation was, he couldn¡¯t have been further away from the truth. I didn¡¯t plan on coercing them in any way, I didn¡¯t even know if they could truly help me out, but I did understand where he was coming from. Considering what I had already learned about Free Land, power and blackmail usually went hand in hand around here. ¡°Do you think I would be sitting here with you, if I planned on using force,¡± I asked, still grinning. ¡°You wanted to know who I am and I answered your question. I wouldn¡¯t have revealed myself, otherwise. There¡¯s not much for me to gain, is there? But I hope it might speed things along and quell any doubts you might have concerning my intentions. I¡­ I don¡¯t really care about the Captains or their ambitions. But I do have a problem with which you might be able to help.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that,¡± the bearded fellow asked, his words dripping sarcasm. ¡°Founding a new religion? Assailing the nine hells? I don¡¯t know what the likes of you do in their spare time, but I can hardly imagine we¡¯d be of much use.¡± ¡°And I thought you were a bunch of self assured, badass mercenaries. Don¡¯t sell yourselves short. I¡¯m not talking about a fight. You¡¯re quite right, you wouldn¡¯t be much help in any confrontation I¡¯m likely to stumble into, even though I¡¯ve learned that an arrow to the head works just as well as any fancy spell. Maybe even better. But that¡¯s not¡­ anyways, before I start explaining myself more accurately than I already have, I¡¯d like to know if you¡¯ve sworn fealty to one of the Captains and if so, which one it is.¡± They shared a strange look I couldn¡¯t quite place, but since they didn¡¯t bolt, I assumed they had decided to at least hear me out. The cold mugs waiting for them might also have been a deciding factor, but I surely hoped they weren¡¯t that easy to buy. Shrugging, Vanya was the first to lean against a wall and reach for her beer. After she had taken a few sips, the others followed suite, their faces clearly showing their appreciation for the brew. Intrigued, I tasted mine as well and while it didn¡¯t compare to dwarven mead, it was rich and yeasty. A bit bitter, but I still enjoyed the tingling beverage immensely. Its full scent also drowned out the unpleasant odours that had been assaulting me and for a while, the faint sounds of the bustling Main Street were the only noises to break the quiet. It took a while before Vanya answered my question. Since she was going to spend a week running errands for me, she took it upon herself to converse with the strange, magical creature they had encountered. To her credit, she didn¡¯t seem to care, much. I didn¡¯t know humans very well, but if I had been forced to interpret her demeanour, I¡¯d have said that she was actually looking forward to working with me, or at least didn¡¯t dread the prospect. She didn¡¯t have any problems meeting my gaze and she had picked a place to stand where I could easily reach her with my hand. She even seemed at ease, after the first moment of shock had passed. ¡°We haven¡¯t sworn anything,¡± she finally explained, her voice rather steady despite the turbulent evening, ¡°but we¡¯ve signed a contract, which is pretty much the same thing around here. We work for the Nightshade Fleet. As you might have heard, we,¡± she included Will with a jerk of her head, ¡°were lucky enough to get out hands on a ship, some months back. As it stands, if you want to fly around these parts, you¡¯ve to either sail under a Captain¡¯s flag or your going to be treated like a pirate. We weren¡¯t keen on being shot at, every time we encountered a vessel from Free Land, so we signed on. With the Dawn fleet at first, but we quickly changed our minds. They were¡­ strange, even by our standards, so we took the chance during the last gathering and asked for Nightshade¡¯s protection. It wasn¡¯t easy but he pulled through. We can still pretty much do whatever we want, but nominally we are a part of his fleet.¡± ¡°Nightshade¡­ never heard of him. Say, he¡­ or is it she? Doesn¡¯t matter, what can you tell me about his organisation?¡± Before Vanya could answer, Lorian shot her a meaningful look. ¡°We aren¡¯t at liberty to share any secrets. What would you even want to know,¡± he answered. ¡°Oh, nothing that shouldn¡¯t become public knowledge. Basically, I¡¯m wondering¡­ I¡¯ve seen a few priests and I was curious if there¡¯s a connection between the Captains and religion. The churches seem rather influential, considering that there¡¯s barely any form of organisation at all, aside from the fleets. Are they working together, by any chance?¡± ¡°That much, we can share, but the answer isn¡¯t straight forward. It depends. Of the Seven, now six, if your claims are true, five are religious, worshipping different deities. Those are the ones who have some kind of influence, since they have the backing of a fleet.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t happen to know which deities they serve, do you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Lorian replied slowly. ¡°There¡¯s our own patron, Captain Nightshade. He¡¯s from the Southern Reaches and brought his faith along when he came to Free Land. He worships a god of Death and Silence, the Broken Wheel, he calls him. He has no real name, as far as I know, the believers fear they¡¯d attract their gods attention if they were to call on him. Then there¡¯s Captain Brightblaze. I don¡¯t know much about her, but she¡¯s from one of the larger human kingdoms to the north and prays to their highest god, an incarnation of the sun, authority and judgement. Captains Kirena and Blackthorne are from around here. One is a former courtesan, the other was a gladiator. They worship the local mistress of lust and fertility and the god of war, strength and bloodshed, respectively. Lastly, there¡¯s Captain Asra, a trader who¡¯s made enough coin to buy the world and serves the goddess of commerce. He isn¡¯t very peckish. Whoever wants to bring an offering for good fortunes and fast coin is welcome to the shrines he erected, no matter their background and exact beliefs. That¡¯s about it, as far as I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Seems like my work is cut out for me,¡± I mumbled to myself. Out loud, I added: ¡°and you¡¯re working for Captain Nightshade? Do you know him personally? What¡¯s he like? And do you, by any chance, know someone who¡¯s associated with Captain Brightblaze?¡± 216. Of stories, decisions and a little bit of darkness Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Why those two,¡± Will asked. ¡°Call me paranoid but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that we¡¯re nearing a crossroads, here. And not just for us¡­ Cassandra, what is this all about? I know, I, or rather we, are in no position to ask you for an explanation, but you¡¯ve already revealed quite a bit. Why not try for the whole truth?¡± ¡°Because it isn¡¯t mine to divulge. Honestly, I would most likely tell you in a heartbeat, but I can¡¯t share what isn¡¯t mine to give. If you want, I¡¯ll gladly tell you what my goal is, though.¡± ¡°Let me guess, once you do, you either have to kill us or we have to play along,¡± Vanya asked, even though she didn¡¯t seem as perturbed as I would have been, if I had been in her shoes. I slowly shook my head. ¡°No. For one, I don¡¯t mind beating you up, as I¡¯ve already shown, but I¡¯m not going to hurt you without a reason and two, whether you run around town, screaming my name and pointing fingers, or try to support what I¡¯m doing, makes little difference to me. I¡¯m not belittling you, but the four, or five, of you don¡¯t matter in a war.¡± ¡°Come again,¡± the bearded fellow, whose name I still didn¡¯t know, interrupted. ¡°War? What war?¡± I sighed. ¡°Have you had any contact with pirate ships lately?¡± ¡°No, we mostly try to stay well away from them,¡± Lorian explained. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to gain and an awful lot to lose. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty long story, but I¡¯ll try my best to make it quick. I told you before that I came here to deal with the Mask and it¡¯s the truth, but the reason why I¡¯m even in these parts is more¡­ personal. I wasn¡¯t just fooling around, I truly am a member of the last royal family of my people. But I¡¯m a princess without a kingdom, my home has been consumed by fire and flame, most of my people have died a gruesome death¡­ even their souls weren¡¯t spared.¡± I added quietly, wrestling with the surfacing memories, but it was getting easier every time I managed to push them away. My thoughts must still have shown on my face, since the way they looked at me changed, subtly. They were still confused, afraid and curious but I saw a spark of pity ignite in their eyes. I quickly pressed on, unwilling to deal with the emotional baggage. ¡°We weren¡¯t just a handful of savages either, we had a city, a government, a future¡­ and it all turned to ashes in a single night. We aren¡¯t easy to kill, all of us have magic in their blood and if push comes to shove, we¡¯re decent fighters. You¡¯ve seen what I can do. But it didn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m telling you this, so you might understand how much power and preparation was necessary to utterly annihilate our home. And the being responsible, he wasn¡¯t even there. He¡¯s known under many names, one of them is the Pirate King. Which should make it plenty clear what I actually want. His head on a pike and whether I have to deal with the Captains or the people of Free Land, the humans from the north or the Elven Tribes, I¡¯ll see it done. This is about as far as my interest in Free Land goes. I need¡­ soldiers, people, willing to fight, to oppose the rising power in the East until I¡¯ve had a chance to find more allies.¡± Pity and confusion were gradually replaced by fear. At least they took me seriously, but I could still practically see the unspoken question, fluttering through their minds. ¡°What the hell has it got to do with us?¡± ¡°As for why it should matter to you: what happened to us was only the beginning. Pirate King¡­ that¡¯s not the end of his ambition. If he isn¡¯t stopped, he¡¯ll build an empire of slaves and ruins, until our world, Free Land as much as the greater states to north, is nothing but a twisted version of his desires, forged in the blood of our people.¡± I paused and caught each of their gazes. ¡°Not quite the kind of story I wanted to share in the beginning, but I¡¯m not going to waste an opportunity. I won¡¯t be able to stay here for much longer and when I¡¯m gone, I need as many people as possible to know what¡¯s happening. The storm will come, whether you¡¯re prepared, or not.¡± I downed the remainder of my beer and added: ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute to think about what I¡¯ve said, and to decide if I¡¯m a raving lunatic, but please, don¡¯t try to clobber William while I¡¯m gone. I¡¯d rather not fight again, tonight.¡± That said, leaving behind a deafening silence, I rose and made my way into the tavern. Which wasn¡¯t the best idea, considering the state of the place. An armada of flies had made good use of the past hours and taken to the blood and bodies with gusto. Even the corpse of the barkeep hadn¡¯t been spared, the cloth I had used to cover him was moving slightly and from time to time, an ugly, chitinous leg appeared, only to be withdrawn just as quickly. The disgusting mixture of sweet, rotten smells and the constant buzzing was almost too much to cope with for any extended period of time, but I really wanted to give them some privacy to make up their minds. If they were still there when I returned, I¡¯d have my answer. And if they weren¡¯t¡­ well, another urban legend might be born, but I didn¡¯t expect my honesty to bite me in the tails, further down the road. Come tomorrow, I¡¯d be making some house calls that would shatter my anonymity, anyways. Steeling my resolve, I approached the counter and tried to ignore the plethora of feasting insects, determined to find the hidden bottle, most barkeeps kept out of view. It wouldn¡¯t do much to me, but I was quite confident that it¡¯d help me shake off the memories, my story had evoked. Speaking of which, it was probably a good idea to inform Ahri whom I had met and what I had told them, even though I could already imagine her reaction. She wasn¡¯t one to take too many risks, except where my well-being was concerned, and I was convinced she¡¯d berate me for being too forthcoming. No point in crying over spilled milk. All I could do now, was face the music. My tenacity was rewarded, just when I was about to give up and flee from the army of necrophilic, multi legged horrors, did my wandering fingers encounter the smooth surface of a bottle, stored in a small niche behind the counter. I fumbled for a moment before I managed to extract an ancient looking whiskey. Only a third had been drunk and when I removed the cork, a strong smell of berries, saddle leather and gasoline drowned out the far less pleasant stench in the taproom. Content with the yields of my excavation, I took a seat, as far away from the mutilated body and the soldiers we had slaughtered as possible, and took a swig, directly from the bottle. The drink burned like fire in my throat and I had to suppress a cough, my eyes watering. The second mouthful went down much more smoothly, though. A damned pity I couldn¡¯t make proper use it. Sighing, I ignored the scene of destruction and violence around me and checked in on the two maids I had saved. They were still fast asleep and I lingered for a moment, envious that they¡¯d probably wake up in the morning, their nightmares a thing of the past while mine were still alive and kicking. I chuckled quietly, the absurdity of a seven year old girl, sitting in the middle of a massacre, largely of her own making, with a bottle of booze in her hand and lamenting the cruelty of life wasn¡¯t lost on me. The only thing missing was a slow, sad soundtrack, raindrops splashing against the windows or something similar. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on the harsh, burning taste in my mouth. The murmurs of a quiet conversation faintly reached me through the door but I ignored them. In the end, it was their decision and I wasn¡¯t going to pry. Depending on what they had to say, I might even lose my temper if I were to listen in and I didn¡¯t want to give them another reason to fear me. Once they had talked it over, they¡¯d come to realise that there were already plenty of those going around. ¡°Ahri,¡± I finally sent. ¡°Do you have a moment, love?¡± ¡°Sure, I just settled Viyara and Aurelia in the cargo hold. That was quiet the chore without your help. How are you holding up? Did something happen or were you lonely?¡± ¡°Definitely lonely, I miss you¡­ I know it¡¯s pathetic but I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s kind of sweet, but also not the reason why you wanted to talk, is it?¡± ¡°No, I also met a bunch of mercenaries. It went surprisingly well, I think, but I¡¯ll let you be the judge of that. So, here it goes¡­¡± I didn¡¯t waste much more time and simply shared the memories with her. She remained quiet, her mind flitting through my thoughts like a warm, fresh breeze until she had thoroughly inspected every detail, from the moment I had met Will to the present. ¡°Did you truly feel flattered because they called you an absurdly expensive hooker,¡± was the first question she uttered, which took me, admittedly, by surprise. ¡°A bit. I mean, considering what a few gold coins can buy around here, it¡¯s quite the compliment, is it not? And you¡¯re usually not exactly frivolous with your praise.¡± I hadn¡¯t meant to send the last part, but it was much more difficult to discipline one¡¯s thoughts than it was to keep one¡¯s mouth shut. And I wasn¡¯t a virtuoso with the latter, either. Luckily, she took it in stride. ¡°Cassy¡­ you¡¯re close to almighty, probably the most beautiful creature in the galaxy, at least to me, and I¡¯d willingly follow you into hell and back. I already have. Do I really have to spell it out for you, every single day?¡± Blood rushed to my cheeks, even though I didn¡¯t feel embarrassed. ¡°Not every day. But once or twice would be nice,¡± I replied jokingly, but with real warmth. She just kept me¡­ grounded. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re not mad? I was a bit worried, truth be told¡­ I thought you¡¯d crucify me for blabbering when there wasn¡¯t anything substantial to gain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure¡­ they have to know, sooner or later. It¡¯s just¡­ from what you¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re working for one of the Captains, the very same one who¡¯s probably responsible for the attack we¡¯re still reeling from, you do realise that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s why I wanted to question them about him, before I got sidetracked. And one even knew my name, beforehand, another thing that puzzles me. Unless¡­ I don¡¯t even know, is my family famous, in any way? Outside of Boseiju, I mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re not a very well known people, but I imagine the mithril mines granted you some sort of renown. It¡¯s not impossible that he¡¯s heard the name Pendragon before.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d have expected a trader, maybe, or a gifted mage to know, but a mercenary¡­ if I get the chance, I¡¯ll ask him.¡± ¡°You should. Incidentally, aside from showing off, why did you tell them? What exactly did you hope to accomplish? Or did you really just follow one of your impulses?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t that bad. My instincts, I mean. Admittedly, I¡¯m as often wrong as I¡¯m right, but in the end it has always worked out.¡± ¡°Right¡­ if you¡¯re willing to ignore the corpses and the sea of your blood you¡¯ve left behind¡­¡± I winced. ¡°Yeah, except for those¡­ this time though, I really have an idea. Information is quite obvious, but¡­ you do remember what I said about the slaves? That I¡¯m going to free and use them? Those five might just make a splendid addition. With the sailors¡­ pirates we¡­ liberated, they should make for a formidable foundation. How many slaves do you think there are? 200, 300, maybe?¡± ¡°Probably closer to 500. And that¡¯s only in the markets, without the ones already sold. You won¡¯t be able to get them all. Unless¡­ is one of the Captains controlling the trade?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if there is, I¡¯m going to find out and I¡¯m convinced we¡¯ll be able to strike a deal.¡± ¡°And how do you imagine that¡¯ll work? Ask nicely?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got money to offer, even some artefacts and I¡¯m not above threatening them.¡± ¡°Great, so, basically, you¡¯re already set on making enemies of the two that have been involved in the most recent debacle and you¡¯re probably going to piss off a third one as well. That¡¯s nearly half and knowing you, you¡¯ll find a way to butt heads with the remaining ones, as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hardly fair. We don¡¯t even know if they¡¯ve been involved. Just because they support the church, doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re privy to everything they do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be naive. The very same evening Alassara revealed herself to the Captains, she¡¯s attacked. It could be a coincidence, but that¡¯s unlikely. No, the two of them, Nightshade and Brightblaze, was it? They decided to act. Which¡­ you didn¡¯t listen to Tharos and Silas, when they told us about their meeting, did you?¡± ¡°Not exactly. In the beginning, but¡­ you know me. What are you getting at?¡± ¡°They claimed they managed to convince them to pull back their fleets, but they also insisted that the Captains are just as likely to fight for the scraps that remain of Dawn¡¯s influence as they are to actually work together. To me, it seems like two of them took the chance while the others put a bit more store in the threat Amon poses. Or they¡¯re just afraid of vampires. What I¡¯m getting at is, that we most likely have two of them gunning for us, or rather Alassara, already. And it so happens that you¡¯ve revealed yourself to mercenaries, paid by one of them. If you really start threatening a third, this might very well end in a bloody civil war. And when the dust settles, the Emperor can easily mop up what¡¯s left.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. We simply have to convince them that it¡¯d be a colossally stupid idea to start a fight. Once they know that it¡¯d be a fight they cannot win, they¡¯ll come around.¡± ¡°So¡­ basically, you want to show them that tangling with Alassara isn¡¯t worth it? Cassy¡­ you¡¯re talking about people who¡¯ve fought tooth and nail to get where they are. Do you really expect them to back down, just because you say so? Your stunt with the Mask was impressive, but I hardly think that¡¯s going to be enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure, but I¡¯m not willing to do it again, either way¡­ we already wanted to spend tomorrow in town. Why don¡¯t we visit each one of them, in turn?¡± ¡°And do what? Indiscriminately kill their servants until they see reason? You know as well as I, that you¡¯re not cut out for this and that it won¡¯t be sustainable. As soon as we leave, and we have to leave in less than a week, they¡¯ll just turn around and finish what they started.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to slaughter them. Coercion never works in the long run. No¡­ we need to convince them that their petty squabbles must wait until we¡¯ve dealt with the Pirate King.¡± ¡°And how do you want to accomplish that?¡± ¡°Memories. Yours, mine, my families¡­ the elves can create the crystals and we can fill them. If they won¡¯t budge afterwards¡­ I think my¡­ our voices¡­ I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve already tried but I¡¯m quite sure we can make our orders last for quite a bit longer. Maybe even indefinitely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just plain nasty. I thought you were all for letting people make their own decisions?¡± ¡°I am,¡± I replied heatedly, ¡°but I¡¯m neither powerful enough to snap my fingers and make my problems go away, nor am I stupid enough to not use what I¡¯ve got. Besides, I don¡¯t want to enslave them, even thought it¡¯d be a form of poetic justice, I just want to ensure that they won¡¯t tear themselves to pieces before the Emperor had a chance. And as you pointed out, we don¡¯t have that much time. If you¡¯ve got a better idea, I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t¡­ fine, another compromise. Maybe you can wheedle some information out of your friends. They should know if we have a chance at convincing their patron, shouldn¡¯t they?¡± 217. Of torture, trust and a little threat Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Indeed¡­ that is, if they¡¯re still around. Gimme a second.¡± I listened closely and while the mercenaries weren¡¯t talking anymore, I could still hear their heartbeats and their breath, none of them had decided to leave. If that was a mark for or against their sanity was a completely different story, though. Oh well, if their wisdom had been greater than their courage, they probably wouldn¡¯t have become mercenaries, in the first place. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for me to return,¡± I sent. ¡°Are you going to stay onboard?¡± ¡°Not for much longer. The elves are setting up wards, with Erya¡¯s help. Once they¡¯re done, I¡¯m going to leave. I don¡¯t want you dealing with what¡¯s going to happen to the prisoners by yourself. Alassara is most likely going to extract a pound of flesh, whether it¡¯s helpful or not. I¡¯m not going to let you cope, alone.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s going to be that bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ torture leaves a mark on everybody involved. I know, you¡¯re no stranger to pain. This is going to be different, though. Especially since it¡¯s not really necessary. There are other ways for us to get the information we need, but it won¡¯t matter. The vampires will want payback for what they had to endure¡­ I never planned on staying away.¡± ¡°How do you know? Have you¡­ before we met, we¡¯re you ever forced to¡­¡± ¡°No, why would you even think that? True enough, my journey wasn¡¯t smooth sailing, for the most part, but I¡¯ve never been forced to do anything but kill in self defence.¡± ¡°Then how do you know?¡± She hesitated and I felt a bunch of contradicting thoughts and emotions surge through her mind. She was contemplating how much she should share and was trying to keep me away from the memories until she made up her mind. I didn¡¯t press and after a moment, she haltingly replied. ¡°Your brother¡­ when he was under the Emperor¡¯s influence, he¡¯s done some things he hasn¡¯t shared with you or your mother, yet, and maybe he never will. I¡¯m not going to violate his trust, but he¡¯s still struggling with memories he shouldn¡¯t even have. Breaking a person¡­ it either doesn¡¯t affect you, it damages you as well, or you might even come to find it addicting. I know you, Cassy, you¡¯re neither the latter nor the former. It¡¯s going to be hard on you and I want to be there, with you.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say, I was torn. That my brother was dealing with more than he let on was plain as day, but I had never imagined how bad it truly was. He had been on Boseiju for most of the time and I didn¡¯t even want to think about whom he might have hurt. And now, they were dead, so he didn¡¯t even have a chance to atone. At least he had opened up to Ahri, and while I did feel slightly envious that he obviously had a stronger connection to her than his own flesh and blood, I couldn¡¯t fault him for it. It was the same for me, after all. At the same time, I felt a pit of trepidation open in my stomach. She was right, when my anger wasn¡¯t getting to me, the mere idea of pointlessly torturing another being was repulsive and I wasn¡¯t sure if this was a compromise I was willing to make. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t even know if I wanted to be there, anymore. The last time I had considered it, I had still been flushed with fury and I hadn¡¯t truly given it more than a superficial thought, but now¡­ unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯t change a thing. The decision I had to make was simple, either I was going to let Alassara do as she wished, or I wasn¡¯t. Would I be able to live with myself if I allowed another creature to suffer, without reason? Probably¡­ definitely, I just didn¡¯t know, if I was going to like what I would see in the mirror, the next day. ¡°We could stop her, you know,¡± I finally said, still unsure of what to make of the tangled knot my thoughts had become. ¡°We could, but we shouldn¡¯t. Imagine we had finally caught Amon and someone else would make you show leniency. How would you react?¡± ¡°Badly. But if it isn¡¯t our place to judge, why would it hurt us?¡± ¡°Have you ever listened to cries of desperation, when you weren¡¯t fighting for your life? Have you ever been regarded as a monster and have been forced to admit it¡¯s the truth?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ a few hours ago.¡± ¡°And how did that make you feel? Dirty? Sullied? It¡¯s going to be worse. And before you ask, staying away won¡¯t make a difference. No¡­ I imagine it won¡¯t be the last time, either, but we¡¯ll face it together. This way, neither of us will feel abandoned or isolated, whatever the outcome. If nothing else, we¡¯ll become monsters together.¡± I didn¡¯t know if she was being serious, but I still loved her for it. Knowing whatever was going to happen, whatever I was going to be forced to do, she¡¯d stick with me until the very end was more than I could ask for. ¡°I love you,¡± I simply said. ¡°Please, hurry. Right now, I¡¯m missing you even more than I did before we talked.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. Stay safe. Love you, too.¡± I pulled back and the emptiness I felt when our connection severed, nearly brought tears to my eyes. Gods, I didn¡¯t even want to know how my brother had felt. Considering how much of a gods damned wreck I was, despite my connection to Ahri and my heritage, it was nothing short of a miracle that he was still sane. I truly hadn¡¯t given him enough credit. Him and all the others. I might be more powerful, when it came to strength and magic, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I could even compare myself to them in regards to character. There was so much I still had to learn. One lesson I had just been taught. In the past, I had always thought compromises were what changed us for the worst and I still believed it. But the opposite, rigidly following one¡¯s principles with a singleminded purpose, was just as dangerous. Life wasn¡¯t black and white. The blinders my race, the immortals, wore, made them unable to understand, that, what was right once, didn¡¯t necessarily have to be right again, but I didn¡¯t have that excuse. There was no one fits all approach to life, every decision, every action mattered and we had to struggle through, mistakes and all, for we were all monsters and saints. We only had to decide which face we were going to show to the world, day after day. Sighing, I got to my feet and shoved away the conflicting thoughts, pulling me in different directions. There was enough going on, without me stupidly adding onto it. Which¡­ by the gods, over the course of the evening I had completely forgotten to mention the seal Amazeroth had placed on Ahri. Another thing to worry about, but it hadn¡¯t harmed her in the last years so it probably didn¡¯t matter too much. But I still couldn¡¯t let it go. As soon as we had half a minute to spare, we were going to¡­ whom was I kidding? We stood about as much of a chance figuring out what the scheming demon had done, as we had of getting through the next week without another fight. We had to try, though. I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself if something happened to her. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tiptoeing around the puddles of half dried blood, I made my way back outside. The scene hadn¡¯t changed, much. The air wasn¡¯t crackling with animosity anymore and all of them had taken a seat, their full mugs indicating that they had already made good use of the keg I had brought. ¡°You¡¯re still here,¡± I said, feigning surprise. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure¡­¡± ¡°Neither were we,¡± Will said and scooted over, making room for me to sit down. Vanya had already taken possession of my chair. Chuckling, I followed his invitations and asked: ¡°Then, why are you?¡± He raised his mug, as if to toast me. ¡°The keg isn¡¯t empty and that¡¯s a good brew, you¡¯d be hard pressed to find a better one, even in the more wealthy parts of town. Besides, Malique over there,¡± he indicated the bearded fellow with a jerk of his chin, ¡°has been blabbering on about shadowy cults and vampires. Stories to make you keep your eyes open at night, mind you. Normally, I¡¯d call him a blithering idiot and move on with my life, but considering we found a mythical creature lurking around these parts who hinted at a secret, hidden in that tavern, we can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ so we stayed, at least for now. But I gotta be honest, I¡¯m just as likely going to bolt any second now, as I am to see it through. No offence, but wars, kings and nightmarish beings with claws and fangs aren¡¯t exactly my cup of tea. But for now, my drunk curiosity is still stronger than my survival instincts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s completely understandable. But I have to say, your friend is surprisingly knowledgable. He¡¯s also the one who cursed, when I told you my name, isn¡¯t he?¡± Malique nodded hesitantly. ¡°I am. I¡¯ve heard the name Pendragon before.¡± He had a deep, slow voice, almost like a dwarf. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the kitsune, and their great tree, of their kingdom and their royal families. I don¡¯t know any details but when I saw your tails and the way you moved¡­ it wasn¡¯t hard, once you introduced yourself. I¡­ if what you said is true, I¡¯m truly sorry for your loss. From what I¡¯ve heard, you built yourselves a paradise. I always wanted to visit, but now it seems like I won¡¯t ever get the chance.¡± ¡°It was¡­ beautiful and it was my home. If you¡¯re interested I¡¯ll gladly tell you what it was like. It deserves to be remembered.¡± I blinked rapidly, the weight of what we had lost still felt like bands of iron, tightening around my chest. ¡°How do you know so much about us, anyways,¡± I quickly added. ¡°Have you had dealings with my people before?¡± ¡°Not in the way you¡¯re imagining. I grew up here, I suffered through the Mask¡¯s rise to power¡­ I even saw him once or twice. I tried to find out everything there is to know about him and in doing so, I learned a bit about your people. It¡¯s also the reason why I¡¯m one of the few who would recognise this tavern. The vampires and the Mask are¡­ were closely connected. Which leads me to the part I don¡¯t quite understand. The children of the night aided him in his rise to power until you slew him, but yet, here you are, protecting their hideout. If you came here, as you claimed, to thwart the Mask, why are you helping those who made him powerful?¡± ¡°Life¡¯s complicated,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I never meant to thwart him, as you put it. He took something from me, something I cherish. I simply wanted it back and when he didn¡¯t cooperate but mocked me instead, I lost my temper. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but I can be a hothead,¡± I added with a smile. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ve also learned a bit about him in the meantime, him and his allies. They aren¡¯t¡­ evil, even though he might have been. When they promised to stay well away from what¡¯s mine, there was no reason for me to hold a grudge. Besides¡­ some of the vampires are decent enough. I¡¯m not going to hold a people responsible for a single mistake and as for why I¡¯m helping them¡­ one of their younglings has wormed her way into my heart and I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to ensure that she¡¯ll still have a home when everything¡¯s said and done. I know the pain of losing one, after all, and I¡¯m not going to expose her to the same.¡± Vanya had listened silently up until now, but suddenly she stood up and hugged me briefly, a smell of honey and mint tickling my nose. She must have dressed her cuts while I had been away. A good idea, considering the filthy bits of trash that had been stuck to her face. ¡°What was that for,¡± I asked, more surprised than anything else. ¡°You just looked like you could use it. I don¡¯t know much about kitsune or vampires, by the gods, I thought they were a myth up until tonight, but I¡¯ve got a knack for understanding people and you¡¯re... I¡¯m sorry for your loss and judging from the way you look, every time we even get close to talking about your home, you haven¡¯t gotten over it, yet. I just thought¡­ I know I would want somebody to show, that they cared, if I were in your place, so I thought¡­ did I overstep?¡± I laughed quietly. ¡°No, of course not, I just didn¡¯t expect it, is all. Thanks, I¡­ just thanks. You¡¯re not half bad yourself, Vanya. I haven¡¯t had too much luck with people who aren¡¯t of my tribe, you and your friends¡­ maybe I¡¯m not going to regret revealing myself, after all.¡± ¡°Why would you,¡± Lorain inquired. ¡°It¡¯s not like we could pose a threat to you, even if we tried. Which¡­ you know, I¡¯ve been wondering why you even talk to us. You could¡¯ve easily sent us packing and dealt with Will however you saw fit. Why didn¡¯t you? I hate to be the one to ask, but what do you want from us? I don¡¯t buy the whole I¡¯ve got to warn as many people as possible act. You know, we were in town when you¡­ extinguished the Mask. You¡¯ve got the strength to deal with the Captains, why bother with the privates?¡± ¡°You¡¯re also not the dullest tool in the shed, are you? I imagine you¡¯ve already speculated quite a bit. What did you come up with?¡± He avoided my gaze and stared at his boots, sipping his beer in quiet for a moment. ¡°Mostly rubbish, but for a mythical creature you aren¡¯t unworldly. You know as well as us that your best, no, you¡¯re only chance to get Free Land to fight lies with the Captains, or, judging from your questions, maybe the churches. I assume you want us to put you in touch with Captain Nightshade? Maybe even the other ones?¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°That I do. I could try knocking on their doors, but it would be one hell of a lot easier if I had somebody to introduce me. Believe it or not, I¡¯m not looking forward to bullying guards and servants until I¡¯m finally allowed to meet with the head of the household. Your contacts might go a long way, especially if you¡¯re already working for one of the Captains.¡± ¡°One of them, right,¡± Malique interjected. ¡°What¡¯s so special about Nightshade and Brightblaze, anyways? Those are the ones you were most interested in and I¡¯d like to know why.¡± I spread my hands and shrugged. ¡°Several reasons, some of which I¡¯m not going to share with you, but for the most part, you are working for Nightshade, so his fleet is the only one, where I can confidently expect you to have some influence. As for Brightblaze¡­ I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve met some priests. What I didn¡¯t mention is that our encounter wasn¡¯t exactly peaceful. I want to know if she¡¯s been involved and dissuade her from trying again. The last thing I want is weakening the Captains. I need them to act together against the Pirate King, otherwise they¡¯re doomed to fail and I can¡¯t risk that.¡± ¡°A violent encounter with a priest,¡± Vanya echoed. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine¡­ they¡¯re usually an unbelievably boring lot. What did you do? Desecrate a church?¡± I chuckled. ¡°No, nothing of the sort. I didn¡¯t even give them a reason, as far as I¡¯m aware. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so adamant about finding out what happened.¡± ¡°Now, that¡¯s not the whole truth, is it, Cassy,¡± a silky voice suddenly came from the shadows and the very next moment, a beautiful, sultry, blonde woman stepped from the darkness as if she had just materialised form thin air. Alassara had returned. ¡°What my dear friend forgot to mention,¡± she continued while she sashayed closer, her hips swaying mesmerisingly, ¡°those priests attacked my home, burned my children and if it hadn¡¯t been for her, they might very well have finished us off. So, we would quite like to know who has been involved and whose still beating heart I¡¯ll have to devour to get my revenge.¡± 218. Of revenge, change and a little farewell Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Children¡­ burned,¡± Will echoed. ¡°Oh hells, no! Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you¡¯re one of the vampires?¡± Alassara smiled, but it wasn¡¯t reassuring, her long fangs turned the gesture into a barely veiled threat. ¡°One of them,¡± she purred. ¡°Hardly. I¡¯m their leader, the last remaining master vampire in Free Land since my brother was killed. Why? Are you interested in becoming one of us?¡± I had been focusing solely on their exchange, trying to puzzle out if she was being serious or if she simply acted the way everybody expected her to. Consequentially, the steely whisper of a sharp blade being pulled from its scabbard took me by surprise and I needed a few moments to understand what was going on. The bad tempered member of their illustrious group, Josh, who hadn¡¯t uttered a single word since I had mentioned vampires to them, had pulled his weapon. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, determined to bury several inches of cold metal in Alassara¡¯s chest. He was neither a mage nor was he exceptionally talented. I could have dodged his thrust, even without supplementing my muscles, and to the vampire queen, it must have felt like a crippled, old man was trying to pierce her heart. Embarrassing, rather than dangerous. She didn¡¯t even try to move out of the way, but instead deftly grabbed the blade and pried it from his shaking fingers, as easily as she would have taken candy from a toddler. We could simply look on in silent awe, while she reversed her grip and, using the momentum of his swing, ran him through without so much as batting an eye. Half a second after his first, idiotic attack, he was on the ground, gasping for air, a crimson stain slowly spreading across his cloak. His death rattle reverberated through the air and before one of his companions could even lift a finger, his limbs convulsed one last time and he became still. ¡°Anyone else intent on testing my patience,¡± Alassara snarled. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long and trying night and I¡¯d just love some entertainment before I turn in for the day.¡± The mercenaries exchanged a quick look and as if commanded by a puppeteer, they raised their hands, indicating that they weren¡¯t stupid enough to accept her invitation. I shrugged, my pity for the dead bloke about as pronounced as my sense for the fine arts. I might not have killed him if I had been in her stead, but he definitively had it coming. Still, if possible, I wanted to prevent further bloodshed, so I quickly spoke up. ¡°If one of you feels an uncontrollable urge to test his strength against her, please, just walk away. I assume this puts an end to our conversation, but I would still prefer you to walk away from here on your own two feet instead of adding to the uncounted bodies that vanish, every night.¡± Silence was my only answers, as their gazes travelled from Alassara to me, to the growing puddle of blood on the ground and back again. Anger, surprise, fear, the whole plethora of human emotions was represented in their rigid posture and their widening eyes, but when Will finally found his courage again, I thought I had misheard. ¡°Didn¡¯t like him, anyways,¡± he grumbled. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned he¡¯s got what he deserved. You take a swing, you gotta deal with the backlash. Can nobody expect the missus to ignore a strike, aimed to kill. Why should I care? Unless¡­ we¡¯re not on the menu, are we?¡± ¡°No, not for now,¡± Alassara chuckle. She didn¡¯t seem perturbed, neither the sudden attack nor the admittedly strange reaction had fazed her. She quietly studied Will before she added: ¡°we haven¡¯t met, as far as I¡¯m aware. My name is Alassara, and I¡¯d say it¡¯s a pleasure, but the first impression hasn¡¯t been outstanding. Still, hopefully we can find a way to leave this unpleasantness behind us. And I¡¯d also like to know what you¡¯re doing in front of my home. I don¡¯t mind guests, but right now, I¡¯m a little on edge¡­ you¡¯ve heard what happened, I think you can¡¯t fault me for being cautious.¡± ¡°Not at all, milady. We wouldn¡¯t even be here if chance hadn¡¯t played us dirty, but believe me, none of us has any interest in starting a fight with you. Well, at least none who¡¯s still standing. Ain¡¯t that right lads?¡± The other three hurried to mumble their approval, the casual death of one of their comrades had shaken them much more than Will, but they had no intention of picking up where the corpse had left off. They valued their life more than their principles, a healthy predisposition, I could only applaud, since it also meant I wouldn¡¯t have to watch them die. Vanya leaned over and whispered in my ear: ¡°since¡­ technically I¡¯m already working for you, am I not? Does that mean you¡¯re going to protect me?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I smiled. ¡°Unless you decide to take a swing at my friend, as well. In that case, you¡¯d be all on your own. But you don¡¯t look like the suicidal type, but if I were you, I¡¯d put a tight leash on my temper. This is one of those situations where you can only dig yourself a grave.¡± ¡°Believe me, I know. I barely saw her move and if only half of the legends are true¡­¡± she didn¡¯t get to finish, because Lorain got to his feet, commanding our attention. He exhaled deeply and said: ¡°I¡¯m not going to take what happened personally, but Josh was a friend, not the best one, but we¡¯ve still known each other for years. We¡¯ve fought and bled together and I can hardly sit around, drinking and talking with you, while his body is still warm. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to take him away and make sure he receives a proper burial.¡± Alassara looked at me but I could only shrug. Letting him leave posed a whole variety of risks we could pick from, but I still preferred it to the alternative. I wasn¡¯t afraid of what he might do by his lonesome in the next hours and if he went to Captain Nightshade¡­ well, the two of us probably wouldn¡¯t become friends, whatever the circumstances. Ultimately it was up to Alassara, but since her lair was already compromised, I didn¡¯t expect her to do something rash. After all, the fighting had already begun. ¡°Sure,¡± the vampire replied. ¡°But I¡¯d like to ask you to keep what happened here a secret. It won¡¯t make much of a difference, but your silence would still be appreciated.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stupid enough to paint a target on my back. What about you two?¡± He looked at Malique and Vanya. ¡°Are you coming?¡± The bearded man was the first to answer. ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not thrilled Josh is dead, but Will is right. It was his own fault. This¡­ Lorian, this is a chance. You¡¯ve always been the one to talk about making a difference¡­ now, I think, we actually can. We¡¯ve met the most powerful people tonight we¡¯re likely to ever see and they¡¯re willing to talk to us. You shouldn¡¯t throw it away. I won¡¯t. I¡¯m staying.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± Vanya added. ¡°But even if I did¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Of course I¡¯m staying, a debt is a debt. But¡­ do you know why he did it? I never knew him as a moron.¡± I had to suppress a smile, there hadn¡¯t been much love lost between the two of them, either. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lorian sighed and slowly made his way to the corpse, studying his features. ¡°I don¡¯t know, exactly,¡± he finally explained, ¡°but I think I can guess. He was an orphan and he sometimes talked in his sleep.¡± He straightened again and focused on Alassara. ¡°Don¡¯t bleed them dry, he used to cry. I think one of yours killed his family when he was young. He never talked about it, but I think that¡¯s the reason why he even became a sell sword. To one day find the people responsible. He did, but¡­¡± his expression became even more serious and he asked: ¡°was it one of yours?¡± Alassara inclined her head. ¡°Most likely, it wasn¡¯t. Mine stay well away from families and children, that¡¯s a lesson I make sure every one of my children learns. But¡­ we don¡¯t take kindly to being hunted or hurt, either. It¡¯s possible¡­ I just can¡¯t say for sure. Why? Does it make a difference?¡± ¡°Not to him, but to me.¡± He turned to me, his eyes sparkling intensely. ¡°You know her better than us, you even called her a friend. Answer me this: was he right to raise his sword?¡± ¡°You can always fight for what you believe in, whether it¡¯s justified or not, but you also have to expect to suffer for your troubles. I don¡¯t know his past and I don¡¯t know him, but from where I¡¯m standing, he attacked because she has fangs. That¡¯s about as good of a reason as having rounded ears or no tails¡­ you remember what I¡¯ve told you about the Pirate King? He¡¯s human. Does that mean I have the right to kill every human I see? Hardly. So¡­ if you ask me, I wouldn¡¯t blame him for raising his weapon but likewise you can¡¯t blame her for defending herself, either.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He crouched and gently lifted up his former comrade. ¡°I bid you a good night. Malique, Vanya, you¡¯re always welcome to look for me, but as long as you¡¯re dealing with¡­ gods and monsters¡­ I want no part of it.¡± They started to protest, Vanya was even on the verge of grabbing onto him, but he calmed them down with a melancholic smile. ¡°I¡¯m not mad, in a way, I¡¯m even envious, but I¡¯m not going to stay here and pave my own way to hell. Lady Alassara, I don¡¯t hold a grudge, in no way, but Josh¡¯s fate¡­ I think it¡¯s a sign. We aren¡¯t supposed to meddle with things so much bigger than ourselves. I like my life, I enjoy living¡­ I¡¯ve got a wife and I don¡¯t think any one of us can survive your company. Or yours,¡± he added in my direction, ¡°and as much¡­ I¡¯m not going to turn into a forgotten, dead body at the side of your road, only to have a chance at glory. I wish you luck, I truly do, but I don¡¯t want to ever see you again.¡± With a final nod for his friends, he slowly walked along the shadowy alley, until his cloak vanished around the corner as he stepped onto the brighter main road. A group of sailors passed the spot where he had disappeared and then, even his scent was gone. ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I whispered to myself, ¡°and maybe you¡¯ll have the chance to see it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he is,¡± Vanya quietly objected. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t stay, either, if I had someone waiting for me. But my life¡­ I¡¯m willing to risk it¡­ not for you, but to save our home from the flames.¡± ¡°A bloody heroine,¡± Will grumped. ¡°I¡¯m mainly here because I can¡¯t say no to girls, as pretty as you two. Right now, I do have a question, though.¡± He looked at me, all mirth gone and asked, dead serious: ¡°can you promise me, that everything you¡¯ve told us is the truth? That you aren¡¯t trying to manipulate us to whatever end?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. Of course I¡¯m trying to manipulate you. And while I¡¯m not trying my hardest, I do have a profound interest in what you might do, later on. What I can promise is, that I haven¡¯t lied. I might have omitted a few details, but everything I¡¯ve said is the truth.¡± I was curious what was going to happen now, since I didn¡¯t promise anything concerning the future, but rather the past. The sensation was similar, though. With a flash of silver light, I felt a band of transcendent energy settle in around my core, tightening for the fraction of a second before it dispersed again. If I had been lying, the outcome would have been much more spectacular, not to mention painful. ¡°What¡¯s was that,¡± Vanya exclaimed, staring at my chest where the circle of light had suddenly appeared. ¡°Did you just use a spell? Why?¡± ¡°No need to panic. It wasn¡¯t a spell. I¡¯m bound by my promises and that was but a visible reminder I shouldn¡¯t take them lightly. Trust me, from the inside, it¡¯s much more¡­ thorough.¡± ¡°What do you mean, bound? Like a magical contract? Are you fey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, but I think it works the same way. As for what it means¡­ I can try to break my word, but it¡¯d be excruciatingly painful and most likely lethal.¡± ¡°Is this¡­ does every very kitsune have to deal with this?¡± ¡°If they did, I probably wouldn¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s not something you want everybody to know, is it? But no, it¡¯s unique to me and my fianc¨¦e. It can be a true pain in the ass, but it can also be quiet handy, when you¡¯ve got to convince a bunch of stubborn humans that you¡¯re telling the truth, for example.¡± ¡°Except,¡± Will interrupted, ¡°you could be lying about this, as well, for all we know. Don¡¯t frown, I don¡¯t say you are, I actually believe you, but I just meant¡­ never mind. So what¡¯s happening now? Are we finally going to find out what you have planned, or are you going to beat around the bush for longer?¡± ¡°You¡¯re direct,¡± Alassara replied. ¡°I like that. To put it plainly, Cassandra wants the strength of Free Land united to fight against the Pirate King and I want the heads of those who are behind the attack on my home on a platter. Since the Captains, from what I¡¯ve overheard, two of them, are most likely responsible, we have a common interest. She wants their fleets, I want their blood. Now,¡± she focused on Malique and Vanya, ¡°the two of you have signed on with one of the murderers who tried to torch my home. If he is the culprit, Nightshade will die, simple as that. Does that make you reconsider?¡± It was Vanya who answered first. ¡°He hasn¡¯t treated us badly, but there¡¯s no love lost between us and the Captains, much of what plagues this town is of their doing. You better be sure to win, though. If you don¡¯t and it becomes known that we knew, even helped to a certain degree, our lives won¡¯t be worth the dirt in the street. I¡¯d rather not end up as a slave or killed outright.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the vampire replied with an icy smile, that showed off her fangs more than anything else. ¡°We were born to hunt humans and it¡¯s about time to make the Captains remember. I won¡¯t give them the chance to come knocking on my door again, bearing torches.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Malique interjected, ¡°but what exactly does that mean?¡± ¡°Tonight, we will have our answers form the priests we captured. And tomorrow, we will pay a visit to everyone involved, be it the false saints of the churches or the ones backing them. They will die, their blood will be spilled and when the crimson tide has cleansed the city, we will prepare for war. Our fleets will sail, united, and we will bring the fires of destruction to the Pirate Islands.¡± ¡°And what do you want from us,¡± Will asked. ¡°The longer you talk, the more it seems like we¡¯re as useful as a fifth wheel on a cart. Neither do we have the influence to make the Captains see sense, nor do we have the strength to actually help you.¡± He looked at me and added: ¡°what have you been thinking when you dragged us into this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything of the sort. You came up to me, remember? As for what you can do¡­ I told you before, I¡¯d rather not have to intimidate my way through a bunch of guards and servants. I understand that you¡¯re probably reluctant to introduce us to Nightshade, after everything you¡¯ve heard, but there are 5 more of them and while we, most likely, won¡¯t have a pleasant chat with Brightblaze, the other four I¡¯d rather convince than force. Besides, it¡¯s not really the Captains I¡¯m interested in, it¡¯s their fleets, their sailors and their soldiers. People in your business, you usually have friends everywhere. Talk to them, convince them. Once their people know the truth, the Captains won¡¯t even have much of a choice but to take the Pirate King seriously.¡± ¡°And how should we do that,¡± he scoffed. ¡°No offence, but if I hadn¡¯t seen rays of starlight shoot out of your back, I wouldn¡¯t have believed a single word. You¡¯re expecting us to tell a fairytale. I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret, we are no fairies and we have zero chance of convincing anyone.¡± ¡°Maybe I can help you, there,¡± a new, silky voice floated along the alley. ¡°I¡¯ve brought some crystals that might just make the difference,¡± Ahri added, when she stopped at my side and blew a kiss against my cheek. 219. Of feeding, grace and a little bit of gods Cassandra Pendragon We had sent the mercenaries packing, soon after, having extracted their promise to quietly ask around who of their friends might be persuaded to listen to us. The crystals, Ahri had engraved with some of her memories, relating to the fall of Boseiju, were an added bonus they could use as they deemed necessary. Tomorrow, we wanted to meet up again at Vanya¡¯s place, a small house near the harbour. I surely hoped that none of us would stumble into more trouble until then, but honestly, my fear was directed mostly at us. The three of them seemed more than capable to keep their noses clean and unless they meant to talk to one of the Captains directly, I couldn¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d find themselves in a hole they couldn¡¯t easily dig themselves out of. But then again, the course, my life had taken over the last weeks, had surely taught me to not take anything for granted. Just in case, I had asked Ahri to use her bracelet to tail them, since mine was still at the barmaid¡¯s place. Should anything happen, we¡¯d know immediately. As for us, we were again deep within Alassara¡¯s home, feeding the starved vampires. Their mistress had ordered them to stay put and by now, we were escorting them in twos and threes towards a small chamber, where they were allowed to satiate their thirst. The volunteers Alassara had acquired were more than happy to oblige, since it wasn¡¯t particularly painful, the toxins in the vampires¡¯ saliva turned the whole procedure into something highly enjoyable and more than one of them, especially the younger lads, were begging to have another go, even when they were already pale as sheets and sweating from the loss of blood. Ahri and I didn¡¯t have much to do in the meantime, we mainly kept an eye on the proceedings, ensuring that the ravenous vamps wouldn¡¯t bleed their meals dry, but all in all, it was a much more controlled and sophisticated affair than I had imagined. Gone was the savagery and brutality of the first moments, replaced by a caring gratefulness that turned the act itself into something almost tender, maybe even gentle. A tight embrace, a prolonged moan mixed with the coppery smell of blood and seconds later, the vampire licked the small wounds he had left behind on the neck, stimulating the natural healing properties of the human body. Most of them even escorted their designated donors from the room, making sure they had a place to recover and plenty of food once they woke from their stupor. I became quite curious, when I realised that almost every female vamp fed on a male slave and vice versa, but I didn¡¯t want to disturb Alassara. She was wound up tightly enough as it was and I couldn¡¯t imagine she¡¯d care much for unnecessary questions. Still, it got me curious if their sexual orientation actually had an impact on their abilities or rather, on their bodies. If self actualisation was a thing, it would hint at a magical origin of their powers, rather than a physical one, and that was something well worth knowing. It might even provide me with an idea on how to help Aurelia. ¡°What¡¯s the matter,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear. I had been spacing out and I could very well imagine how it must have looked while I was intently staring at the feeding vampires. ¡°Does it bother you? Or is it the opposite?¡± I chuckled quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not getting turned on, if that¡¯s what you mean. No, I was just thinking¡­ wait a second, are you?¡± She shrugged, but the slight blush, rising to her cheeks, was enough of an answer. ¡°A bit,¡± she admitted. ¡°I think it¡¯s the contrast to what we¡¯ve seen earlier. Violence turning into grace, hunger turning into gentleness... Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°I do, but¡­ do I have to worry?¡± I meant to sound flippant, but I couldn¡¯t quite banish the frosty hints of jealousy from my voice. She laughed and hugged me tightly, her tails circling my waist. ¡°I think you got it backwards. They¡­ it reminds me of you. Cruel and gentle, possessive, yet detached, powerful but vulnerable. Unless you intend to become jealous of yourself, there isn¡¯t much you can do. Get it through that thick skull of yours, you¡¯re stuck with me for longer than you can even imagine. I wouldn¡¯t mind, if we got to spend a little more time together, though, just the two of us. But that¡¯s most likely not going to happen any time soon,¡± she added wistfully. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Just wait for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Seriously? Running from one dangerous thug, turned crime boss to the next? How romantic.¡± ¡°Just wait, it¡¯s not going to be all bad. Trust me.¡± She kissed my cheek. ¡°I do, more than you know. Fine, I¡¯m not going to pester you with questions but just so you know, now I¡¯m getting excited and you should better deliver.¡± ¡°Or what,¡± I asked teasingly. ¡°Or I¡¯m going to sulk for a while and that means you¡¯ll have to sleep alone.¡± ¡°Oh no, the horror,¡± again, I tried to play it off, but truth be told, it wasn¡¯t a toothless threat. Except, she¡¯d be punishing herself just as much. ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping alone for 7 years, mind you.¡± ¡°And you want to go back to your blissful state of solitude,¡± she whispered. Her hand was slowly travelling down my side, leaving goosebumps in its wake. ¡°No¡­ not in a million years.¡± I wrapped my tails around her and spun her into my arms, stealing a proper kiss. ¡°But I won¡¯t be blackmailed either,¡± I added breathlessly, half a minute later. ¡°Too bad, you haven¡¯t even heard the full proposal, yet, but I guess¡­¡± ¡°Are you two lovebirds done, or should I find you an empty room with a large bed,¡± Alassara interrupted us. When I turned to face her, I could see the tension slowly draining from her posture. All of her children had made it through without lasting repercussions, at least I hoped so. By now, we were alone, slaves and vampires were gone and only a few, scattered drops of blood remained behind. Considering how many of them had slaked their thirst, the trails were almost negligible. ¡°Are you offering for real,¡± I replied cheekily, without releasing Ahri. ¡°Cuz if you are¡­¡± she studied me thoughtfully for a moment before she said: ¡°Maybe it¡¯d be for the best. If you want to, you¡¯re very welcome to retreat to the rooms I offered earlier. Nobody is going to disturb you, you have my word.¡± That took me by surprise but before I could open my mouth, the girl in my arms chimed in: ¡°Do you want us out of the way?¡± The vampire queen inclined her head. ¡°Truth be told, yes.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you? There¡¯s one more thing left to do tonight and I¡¯m not convinced, the two of you should be around. Honestly, I¡¯d prefer for you to see me as I am now and not as the monster I¡¯m going to become.¡± She didn¡¯t have to explain, we had talked about it, already. ¡°Then why do you even want to go through with it? It¡¯s not necessary. There are easier and, frankly, less distasteful ways to make them talk.¡± ¡°An eye for an eye, a life for a life. Those I¡¯ve lost, those I haven¡¯t already killed for¡­ I¡¯m going to carve a price, paid in blood, from my prisoners, so my children can enter the eternal night without the tethers of unsatisfied revenge still binding them to this world. That¡¯s my responsibility and my chore, not yours. The information I might acquire is only secondary. We already know who sent them, thanks to you, don¡¯t we? Still, I don¡¯t think you have to witness the depth of depravity I¡¯m capable of, I¡¯d much rather not¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± I interrupted her quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve made my peace with¡­ with what you are, what we are.¡± With an electric whisper and the smell of ozone my wings materialised and a second later, Ahri¡¯s burned brightly at my side, as well. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who isn¡¯t¡­ there¡¯s no need to hide and I¡¯d much rather be at your side, share in your burden than allow¡­ a friend to wallow in self loathing all alone. For you are not, Alassara, you are not alone. Not anymore. You shoulder the burdens of your family and so do I. I won¡¯t leave you, unless you tell me to.¡± She hesitated, clearly torn, her eyes roaming along our wings and over our faces, uncertainty and regret written across her beautiful features. A few moments later, she squared her shoulders, as if a great burden had been lifted off of her, a tremulous smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not going to reject your offer, but I¡¯ve got to warn you. There¡¯s nothing you can do or say that¡¯s going to make me stop, once I¡¯ve started. Unless you kill me, of course. So, I¡¯m going to ask one last time, are you sure you want to walk this path with me?¡± I looked at Ahri and she took my hand in response, squeezing my fingers lightly. ¡°We are. Blood, pain and death are a part of our life as much as love, hope and friendship is. Forsaking the one to hide from the other isn¡¯t a solution, it¡¯s only cowardice. And we might be many things, but we are no cowards. We¡¯ll stay with you, until you¡¯ve satisfied the needs of those who have passed on. We might not agree with your reasons, but it is your decision and we won¡¯t deny you the right to do as you see fit.¡± She gently placed her hands on our shoulders, a bloody tear shimmering in the corner of her eye, and pulled us close. ¡°It¡¯s not every day,¡± she whispered, ¡°that we are accepted for who we are, what we are. The allure of our charm and the repulse of our nature¡­ mortals can¡¯t understand¡­. but then again, you aren¡¯t mortal. Still, I¡¯m not taking your support for granted, especially after what I¡¯ve already done to you. Come, then, let us write the last chapter of this desecrated night in the blood of those, who have come here to end my line. Let us repay the favour, strangled scream for strangled scream.¡± She stayed true to her word. Describing what she did that night¡­ I had already seen death and pain in all its ugly glory, but that night¡­ in a way, it was another rebirth, another part of my heritage I hadn¡¯t dared face before, but the truth of the matter was, no matter what she did, no matter how she made the two priests squirm and beg, I never shed a single tear. Nor was I disgusted or appalled¡­ it just was the end they had bargained for, the moment they had decided to wage war against a stronger foe. Ultimately, when their intestines stank up the room and their guts spilled onto the floor, so did they spill everything we wanted to know. They cried and snivelled, but they talked until their hearts gave out, their eyes, what little was left of them, glued to the bits and pieces of their bodies, strewn all around. Dedication and pride turned into fear and agony. First, she had broken their bodies, then their will and lastly their minds. In the end, there was nothing, but despair and pain until they managed to flee into the sweet embrace of oblivion, their final, choked scream echoing through the bloody mess they left behind. ¡°You have atoned,¡± Alassara whispered to no one in particular. ¡°May your next life be more forgiving than this one. With your death¡­¡± ¡°Death,¡± a cold, distant voice suddenly reverberated through the chamber. It didn¡¯t have a source and seemed to come from everywhere at once, but the dark, almost smoke like, bands of energy that circled around the gruesome remains of the mutilated priestess and bound her flesh back together, gave me a good idea of who the culprit was. My fur started to rise and an icy shiver ran down my spine. There was power in that voice, but nowhere near as much as I had already felt before, be it in dreams or in reality. No, it was the cruel detachment that lingered beyond its dark timbre. So far removed from life itself that I couldn¡¯t help but shudder. ¡°Death is my domain,¡± it continued, while the broken girl clumsily rose to her feet and I instinctively manifested my wings, the smell of ozone drowning out the lingering stench of blood and disembowelment. A fraction of a second later, Ahri did the same and we took a few steps forward, shielding Alassara behind a wall of fire and light. ¡°And you are but ferrymen. Blinded and oblivious to the true purpose of those you send on their way. Don¡¯t misjudge your roles in the play of eternity, we all act upon. You have tortured and killed one of mine and this is a warning. I won¡¯t forget, I won¡¯t forgive and now, you shall taste the first sparks of my wrath, as everything you hold dear shall crumbled under the hammer of oblivion. Behold!¡± As if in trance, the priestess opened her mouth, empty cavities, where her teeth had been and the gaping hole, where Alassara had ripped out her tongue, an accusing reminder of what we had done, and an inhuman scream echoed through the room, accompanied by a frothing wave of darkness. Without thinking, I pushed more energy towards my wings and wove a sparkling net of power around us, a bright, silvery shield against the onslaught of nothingness. I didn¡¯t know what in the hells it was, but I wasn¡¯t going to take any chances. Ahri might have been able to weather the storm on her own and even Alassara might have been safe, she wasn¡¯t truly alive and thus death might be nothing more than an abstract concept, an idea, to her, but I wasn¡¯t going to lose either of them to a¡­ splinter of consciousness with allures of godhood. Be it the Broken Wheel or another idiotic idea, elevated to physical existence, it wasn¡¯t going to touch them. Bright flashes and the crackling of spent power filled the chamber, stars of violet light igniting where ever the liquefied shadows came in contact with my wings. My hair was blown back by a thunderous roar and despite my strength, I was forced to take several steps to keep my balance. Protected behind the curtain of energy, Ahri and Alassara were sheltered from the worst of it, but the immense sound wave still pushed the vampire to her knees. Impenetrable blackness raged around us, broken only by harsh explosions when my power cancelled out the alien magic. I gritted my teeth, the physical force contained in the spell strong enough to nearly sweep me along but with another trickle of energy form my core, I remained upright, my tails braced against the bloody floor. ¡°What the¡­¡± I cursed, still reeling from the sudden change. I could only speculate as to what was going on, a god of death, a dying follower, it all sort of fit, but I had never expected to actually face the powerful magic of a so called deity without a living, breathing disciple to channel the intent and purpose. As far as I knew, that shouldn¡¯t even work, they shouldn¡¯t care, nor should they be able to interact with the world on their own, without the guidance of a mortal, but obviously, I had been wrong. For now, all I could do was hold on and make sure the two girls behind me wouldn¡¯t suffer. A deep groan escaped me, when I fought against the mounting pressure, putting one foot in front of the other, slowly making my way across the floor, slippery with the blood Alassara had spilled. I felt faint movement behind me and then a gentle push, Ahri¡¯s small hands providing just enough additional support to keep me going while her fires turned every writhing blot, that had escaped my grasp, to ash. Step after small step, I edged forwards, towards the centre of the boiling darkness, my wings a slithering, glowing barrier to hold back the black, looming tendrils. A second, or maybe a minute, or even several passed while I struggle onwards. I felt like a ship, fighting its way against the tide and the storm, slowly, gradually inching closer to the safety of the harbour. Another step, another flash of energy, another explosion of light and finally, I saw the distorted, cut up face of the girl appear, a speck of pale white, surrounded by impenetrable blackness. With a thought, my wings expanded, humming with power, and a silvery blue flame devoured what was left of her. The night receded and a deafening silence followed. 220. Of suppositions, introspection and the harbour Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Holy¡­ what the hell? Are you alright,¡± I blabbered and spun around, adrenaline still pumping through my veins. ¡°Did any of¡­ it touch either of you?¡± The girls shook their heads, their eyes roving over the deep scars along the walls, where the flood of blackness had eaten into the hard granite of the room. There was no way to tell what kind of magic it had been, but judging from the destruction the spell had weaved, I had been right to not take any chance. Chaos reigned around us, everything that hadn¡¯t been made from unyielding stone or cold metal had disappeared. Wooden handles, the remains of the male priest, the traces of blood, even the hardened, oaken door¡­ it was all gone without a trace, not even splinters or ash had remained behind. Only the burned out husk of the priestess, silvery flames still dancing in the deep gashes where my wings had cut into her, had survived. Black, smouldering lines marked her skin, where it hadn¡¯t been flayed off, indicating the path, the foreign magic had taken through her body. My power had completely annihilated the alien presence but her frail from hadn¡¯t been able to withstand the onslaught, breaking down wherever we had clashed. ¡°My family,¡± Alassara suddenly whispered, her face scrounging up in concentration. After a moment, she relaxed again, a faint smile spreading across her features. ¡°They¡¯re fine, they didn¡¯t even realise something went wrong. Not a spark of power left this room.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ahri added. ¡°For a second I was worried the magic might not even have been targeted at us, but our friends. Still¡­ one of us should head back to the ship, make sure nothing went wrong while we¡¯ve been stuck here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I immediately replied. ¡°I can be back within a few minutes. Could you get rid of the corpse in the meantime? It¡¯s probably not necessary, but after the last surprise¡­¡± ¡°Quite so.¡± Her wings, still manifested, flared and a bright, crimson tongue of flame engulfed the remains of the priestess, turning her into so much as dust and memories in a heartbeat. ¡°That should suffice, there¡¯s nothing left. Before you go¡­ do you think that was orchestrated? A final parting gift from Captain Nightshade, before his minions were entirely dead?¡± ¡°Maybe, but it didn¡¯t feel like it. That wasn¡¯t a ritual, conducted somewhere else, as far as I can tell. She died and when her¡­ soul, or whatever part of her, was truly bound to a deity of death, left her body, he might have taken over. Otherwise, the other priest would probably also have channeled an aspect of his patron. I imagine we would have known, if there had been something going on in the background. You know, him turning into a small sun in this room or something similar. No¡­ but it surely seems like we made another friend today. A pretty grouchy one, at that. We should probably be rather careful in the future, every time someone dies close to us. I don¡¯t know how it works, but I¡¯m not going to invite that¡­ thing back, if I can help it. All right, I¡¯m off. Once I¡¯m there, I¡¯ll talk to Auguros. As much as he knows about the energies on this planet, he might be able to shed some light on what just happened. If anything seems amiss, you¡¯ll call me back immediately. Please.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m not going to get entangled with a disembodied source of energy, without you here. Do you intend to fly there and back again?¡± ¡°The jig is already up, isn¡¯t it? I do. It¡¯ll be faster and¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± my angel interrupted me. ¡°It might become or already be known who you are, but I¡¯m not sure the connection to the dwarfs is already public. You¡¯ll endanger them, if you head there directly. You can fly until you¡¯re close, but don¡¯t let anyone see you climbing on board with your wings manifested. Maybe it¡¯s for naught, but I don¡¯t want you to take the risk.¡± ¡°Fine, but it¡¯s going to take me a while longer, then. Anything else?¡± ¡°If your friend,¡± Alassara interjected, ¡°knows anything, I¡¯d very much appreciate it, if you brought him here. This is my home and if at all possible, I¡¯d like to keep it that way.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask him. Hopefully we¡¯re done with unwelcome visitors for the night, but still¡­ be careful. The door to the tavern is guarded?¡± Alassara nodded. ¡°And mostly repaired. We¡¯ll at least know if someone tries to enter. I also ordered the corpses upstairs brought to me. I¡¯m going to arrange a proper funeral, tomorrow. At least for my people. The bodies of the soldiers will be taken to the cliffs and thrown over. They can rot in the ocean for all I care. Some of my children are already on the way. Go, now, we¡¯ll be fine for a while.¡± I hugged them briefly and thundered out of the room, a streak of light, barely visible before it was gone. Within seconds I reached the entrance hall, a handful of vampires keeping guard. They smiled at me, when I materialised in front of the door, and without any questions, they hurriedly pulled aside the makeshift barricade they had erected. I flew up the stairs and out into the night, a pulsing star, detached from the firmament. While the humid, still warm air, carrying along the sounds and overwhelming smells of the bustling city, rushed along my wings, the images of the last hours flashed before my eyes. It wasn¡¯t so much the acts of violence and depravity we had committed, they didn¡¯t bother me too much, unless I actively wallowed in what we had done, no, it was what the priests had told us, as well as the manifestation of some forgotten god that had haunted us in the final moments. While I wasn¡¯t afraid of any deity, whether imagined or real, I couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling that we hadn¡¯t seen the last of him and the curse of someone who held dominion over the dead was nothing I could laugh at. My life was already filled with enough enemies and fights, without having to worry, that every single one of them might either rise, once beaten, or even return, once killed. Not to mention that I was more vulnerable than I liked to admit. Ahri and I, probably even my mum and Viyara, were strong enough to deal with the wrath of a god, but the rest¡­ I had felt the strength of his magic and I didn¡¯t want to picture what would happen, if my sister, my brother or even Erya had to face him. They would crumble before his might in the blink of an eye and I¡­ we simply couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. At least it seemed like he had picked Ahri, Alassara and me as his targets, which should mean the others were safe as soon as we separated. But the vampires, Layla, Alassara¡¯s other children¡­ could they weather the enmity of a deity? I simply didn¡¯t know. The safest path would lead over the corpses of every worshipper in Free Land. Once his disciples were gone, I couldn¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d be able to intervene any longer, but even if we were able to cleanse the city of every follower the Broken Wheel had acquired over time, it didn¡¯t mean that we should. Murder, torture and now a possible cleansing for uncertain gains. Somewhere I had to draw a line and I was quite convinced that killing off a whole church was more than just putting a toe over it. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. I exhaled deeply, forcefully relaxing my muscles while I approached the harbour. A trickle of energy reached my eyes and the winding streets and cluttered spaces became crystal clear. The wooden footbridges, where the ships were moored, were surprisingly empty, as were the landing sites, since most of the different fleets were still returning from their futile expedition to siege the Pirate Isles. In the dead of night, the blinking lights and festive sounds that spilled from the open taverns seemed almost homely, and if it hadn¡¯t been for my heightened senses, I might have been fooled into a sense of¡­ peace. As it was, I could easily make out the clanging of metal during a tavern brawl gone awry, the lurking shadows, waiting for a drunk straggler they could rob and the obscene offers of the whores, manning nearly every street corner. At least everyone seemed much to occupied to glance at the stars and realise that one of them was moving. It wasn¡¯t too difficult to find a secluded courtyard, behind a tall, rundown building that must have looked like a mansion in its prime, where I¡¯d be protected from any curious onlookers. They might see me land, but I¡¯d be gone as soon as I scaled one of the walls and vanished among the dark alleys surrounding the place. While I slowed down and aimed for a gnarly, bent chestnut tree, I recalled the confessions, Alassara had forced from the priests, but even in hindsight, I could find a single hint as to why the girl had suddenly become possessed by her patron. Provided I wasn¡¯t completely mistaken and the apparition we had witnessed had indeed been the Broken Wheel¡­ Damn it! In the midst of my descent, another memory surfaced, one from the night I had lost my home. The merchants, those that had taken the children prisoner, they had worn armour with a broken wheel as an insignia. I didn¡¯t know for sure if they had originally been from Free Land, or even if that coat of arms was the same or even similar to what the church, Captain Nightshade had founded, used, but it was just too much of a coincidence to ignore. Could there be a link? Had the followers of the dark god fucked up my life, long before I had even known they existed? If so, the idea of wiping them off the face of the earth seemed far less repulsive than it had, barely a minute ago. Maybe¡­ Again, I skimmed through my memories, searching for anything that reminded me of the insignia the merchants had worn, but the robes of the priestess had been uniformly black and her pristine skin hadn¡¯t been touched by ink. Damn it all to hell, if I had remembered even half an hour earlier, I could have asked¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t the end of the world, there were still plenty of people to question. I even knew the name of the local abbott¡­ pretty much the only useful thing the girl had shared before she had embarked on her last journey. Come tomorrow, I was going to pay him a visit and if I found so much as a whisper of a red, broken wheel, somewhere in his temple, I¡¯d reign down hell on him and his posse until even their own deity couldn¡¯t recognise them anymore. As my temper flared, the air, surrounding my wings, became distorted, small motes of light flashed, wherever my overflowing energies tore apart the very element around it. If I didn¡¯t manage to calm down, I¡¯d soon light up like a Christmas tree and I highly doubted that no one would bother to look at the fireworks, right above their heads. I forcefully pushed my anger down and took a few deep breaths. By now, I was already hovering only a few handfuls of metres above the tree and as my luck would have it, I was almost certain that someone on the streets had seen me, especially with the last, rather bright flare. Oh well, a bit of entertainment to distract myself wouldn¡¯t go amiss, anyways, and I highly doubted that anyone would bother following me discreetly. It was a harbour, for heaven¡¯s sake. I lightly touched down, my wings disappeared and for a few moments I simply stood there, listening, while the scent of wet earth and ripe chestnuts tickled my nostrils. It wasn¡¯t quiet, not by a long shot, but everything I heard was the usual background noise of the city. Music, shouting drunks, the groaning of burdened wood and scuttling feet. From time to time a distant conversation reached my ears, but I couldn¡¯t quite understand the words. Somewhere close by, a heavy cart was pushed along an alley, the smell of dirty rags and wet rope distinguishable, as soon as I focused on it. A few blocks away, a fight was happening, faint thuds, echoing though the night whenever a fist met a face, a quick drumbeat I could have danced to, but neither did I hear surprised exclamations nor barked orders to investigate the fallen star. Maybe my luck had held true, at least this once. Shrugging, I turned around, studying the crumbling facade of the mansion. The remains of colourful mosaics shimmered under the moonlight and even though some of the windows had cracked, the rest still showed finely crafted panels of dyed glass. The walls had been painted as well and I could just about make out the outlines of engraved reliefs, close to the thick, iron banded door. Faint light flickered behind one of the windows and from time to time, I saw a blurry shadow move, but it never approached the window. My curiosity stirred. Who was it? What had happened, for him to fall into poverty? Was he alone? Was there a family, children, waiting for a brighter tomorrow? Or was he a thug who had occupied this place out of convenience. Most likely, I¡¯d never know. It was a sad truth about the world, that we seldomly had the time to get to know the truths, hidden along our path. Even the things we knew most intimately often held stories we couldn¡¯t possibly fathom, maybe even secrets that could either send us running in a different direction or entice us even closer. But it wasn¡¯t for me to dive into everything that caught my fancy. Maybe one day, when the wheels had turned, I might just find myself living in a small village, indulging my every whim, but right now, I had places to be. And for what it was worth, the stories I stumbled into usually weren¡¯t boring. Most of the time they were exciting enough for several protagonists to lose their heads. A trickle of energy flushed my muscles and without so much as disturbing a single leaf in the mighty crown of the chestnut tree, I jumped several metres into the air and elegantly landed on the other side of the closest wall. I was in a narrow, almost pitch black alley, the windswept buildings around me blocking the moon light. Nobody was there but I still picked up the regular breathing of several sleeping humans, just behind the flimsy walls. From where I stood, it would take me maybe 5 minutes on foot to reach the footbridge, closest to where the dwarfs had moored the ship. With a thought, I took my cloak from my stamp, distractedly brushing over the soft cloth. The white material seemed to almost glow in the dark, a beautiful present that would always remind me of Barzuk. I might not have seen eye to eye with the orc, most of the time¡­ or rather always, but thinking back, I truly regretted that I hadn¡¯t been able to spend more time with him. He had been honest, brash and straightforward and with his love for alcohol, he might just as well have been a dwarf in disguise. Sighing, I wrapped myself in its cozy softness and quickly strode towards the closest main road. The enchantments still worked perfectly and I wasn¡¯t interrupted, hit on or even robbed, while I rushed towards the harbour. The only downside, the larger accumulations of people, at the entrance of a tavern or a brothel for example, didn¡¯t react to me either. Once or twice I had to use my elbows to make my way through a veritable throng of night owls, still out and about, especially when they had gathered in a tight corner. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t take me long to arrive at the wooden fortifications, supporting the landing sites. Even though I might have left a bruised rib, or two, behind. Massive oaken beams had been carefully secured against the cliffs, the framework for an almost beehive like structure, nestled against the rock. Before, I had seen the harbour from above, but the ships and gangways I had counted, made up only a small fraction of the available space. Several floors had been anchored below the topmost platform and even though they weren¡¯t crowded, the fleets still hadn¡¯t returned, there were far more airships than I had thought. From where I stood, I could glimpse the jumbled up maze of ladders, ropes and walkways, connecting the various alcoves, bridges and ships. Lanterns hung in irregular intervals from wrought iron hooks, but there were so many, that their glow still illuminated a good chunk of the cliff wall. And I had thought, finding the dwarven ship would be the least of my worries. 221. Of harbours, churches and a little bit of blood Cassandra Pendragon Thick swaths of smoke curled around the construction, the furnaces on the ships had to be fired, even while moored, otherwise, the weight would have been too much for the flimsy hawsers and wooden fortifications. The burned scent of heated metal and tar wafted around me, drowning out the more subtle smells of the various goods the ships transported. Only when a gust of wind blew directly across parts of the cargo, could I get a whiff of fruits, cloth, pelts, spices, living animals, powder and unwashed seamen. I was already moving towards the closest platform, from where I hoped I might be able to spot the dwarven ship when something clicked in the back of my mind. Gun powder. I had only recognised the smell because I had spent more time than I cared to admit on battlefields in my previous life, but I had never even seen or even heard of firearms in my world. I slowed down, surreptitiously glancing around but of course nothing as obvious as a cannon caught my eye, at least not immediately. Torn, I stopped but quickly picked up my pace again. Dangerous as it might be, it didn¡¯t concern me, for the moment. Tomorrow, though, I might try to find out who had managed to get his hands on saltpetre and sulphur. The latter, I could understand, but potassium nitrate? As far as I knew, there was no way to produce it with the current level of technology and as for natural sources¡­ who the hell would even start looking for some? Ah well, if it wasn¡¯t a closely guarded secret, and I didn¡¯t think so, considering I had smelled it in a port like Free Land, the dwarfs would surely know. Blowing things up was probably directly in their wheelhouse and black powder was definitely a toy I could see them use. Which made me think¡­ after we had successfully annihilated the attack on Alassara¡¯s home, the ones, who had been pulling the strings, were sure to find out pretty soon. And then, there were only three outcomes I could imagine. Assuming they hadn¡¯t egregiously underestimated the vampire to begin with and had used a considerable amount of their resources to guarantee her death, they could only, flee, hide or mobilised everything they had left to kill her off. That they weren¡¯t going to survive otherwise should be plenty obvious. I mean, who¡¯d tickle a dragon and be surprised if he was eaten, consequentially? The former two, I didn¡¯t mind overly much. It¡¯d surely be more work, but tracking a human down, who had only a couple of hours as a head start? Unless they boarded a ship straightaway¡­ huh, something else I could take care off, while I was here. Back on Boseiju, the dwarfs had somehow marked or tagged the merchants¡¯ vessel. Maybe they could do something similar? At the very least, they might keep an eye on any ship, departing in a rush. If one of the Captains or even the higher ups in the church, decided to leave, they¡¯d surely run with their coffers and they wouldn¡¯t use any shabby, old boat, either. There shouldn¡¯t be too many luxurious yachts tied up around here and those few, I hoped we could keep track of. From everything the two priests had spilled, I could already judge that the churches themselves didn¡¯t have any vessels. They were mainly glorified servants, dependent on the whims of their worldly patrons. Nightshade and Brightblaze, for those were the ones who financed and protected the followers of the Broken Wheel and the Lord of Gryphons, Aurus, the Immortal Sun, respectively, had sent out their most powerful underlings. Not many of the acolytes could use divine magic and the two we had killed, hadn¡¯t been weak. Their magic, powered by their beliefs, had easily been stronger than anything I had expected and from what I had understood, only the abbots could hope to best them in a direct confrontation. The churches were organised almost militaristically, with an abbott at the top, who mostly had complete control over the organisation. The Broken Wheel had four and the Immortal Sun three elder priests, the seconds in line, who were responsible for the different aspects of the church, respectively. They controlled the priests and aspirants, relaying the will of the abbott and dealing with day to day business. Below them, an eclectic variety of laymen, hired guards and, as much as it pained me, slaves toiled away. Odds were, that we had killed more than just a few people who hadn¡¯t wanted to be near us, in the first place. The orders they had received, which indeed had been to purify the infectious, undead disease, had come from their superiors, they had never dealt with the Captains directly, but I was still convinced they had been pulling the strings. After all, why should the churches suddenly decide to wage a holy war against the vampires, when they hadn¡¯t bothered to, before. Unless they hadn¡¯t know, or Captain Dawn¡¯s influence had been strong enough to keep them at bay. Now, that he was gone, they might have grasped the opportunity and stroke against a thorn in their sight, they had been too cowardly to touch before. Possible, but not probable, considering the timing and Tharos¡¯ and Silas¡¯ report. No, I couldn¡¯t imagine the clergy had acted on its own, but I¡¯d find out, either way. There was still the matter of the merchants¡¯ insignia. I wanted to¡­ I had to know if the church of the Broken Wheel had been involved in the ransacking of my home. I didn¡¯t see the church, as an organisation, survive for much longer, anyways, whether they had been a part of it or not, but the fate of the individuals¡­ that was another matter, entirely. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood. What the old stories, which so adamantly condemned this form as justice, forgot to mention was, that in a world, without an all powerful Big Brother, you had to make sure it wouldn¡¯t happen again. Deterrence worked. If everyone was convinced, you¡¯d retaliate just as fiercely, they¡¯d think twice, before messing with you. Usually, I was all for forgive and forget, but just as Alassara hadn¡¯t been able to let the attack on her home go, I wasn¡¯t able to let this go. Some things were simply too precious to move on from. A gargantuan shadow, large enough to block out the starlight, interrupted my thoughts. The snapping of ropes was accompanied by another cloud of black smoke, when a truly marvellous ship, dark woods and fine, white sails, soared majestically through the air, just above me. Faint cries reached my ears, while the crew prepared for the landing, reducing the heat under the stone and trimming the sails. Like a beautiful whale, the behemoth gracefully glided lower. When it was just above the closest landing site, long, massive cables were thrown over the side and several humans, agile like monkeys, scampered down. They quickly slung the cables around anchored pillars and gradually, the ship was drawn in, the crew singing while they arduously pulled it in closer. Enough already. I knew my mind was prone to wandering, when I was tired, but this was getting out of hand. One thing at a time. Focusing my concentration inwards, I searched for the sparks of my power within my mom and Viyara. I felt them almost immediately, but Mephisto¡¯s warning held true. Behind me, a crimson wildfire burned and my own presence casted a wave of scintillating light outwards. Like he had said, finding their location would be akin to looking for a tiny candlelight in the brightest midday sun. Luckily, I only needed a direction, not a location. And if I got lost, I¡¯d simply ask. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They weren¡¯t too far away, somewhere to the left and well below me. It¡¯d only take me a moment if I was to fly, but that¡¯d defeat the purpose of the whole exercise. As it was, I picked a sturdy looking ladder and descended two levels, until I arrived on a broad, wooden walkway, reinforced with iron bands every few metres. It was one of the main passages, running around the whole structure with smaller bridges veering off here and there to connect to the actual docking sites and the smaller platforms. The latter were mostly empty, but here and there, cargo boxes, carts and spare parts clattered their wooden surface. At a glance, it seemed like some of the platforms were actually hung from heavy, woven iron cables, an ingenious elevator system that allowed even the bulkiest of items to be directly transported to one of the central passages and from there to the respective ship. Some where even in use, now, traders and travellers preparing to leave at first light. I couldn¡¯t spot anything suspicious, like sacred, golden artefacts being hauled onboard or a small box, smelling of saltpetre, but not too far ahead, I saw the unmistakeable, reinforced hull of the dwarven ship. They had docked along a bridge, perpendicular to the main passage, which could have held at least three or four ships, but there were none even close by. Whether by the design of coincidence, they had picked one of the least populated stretches and I could easily make my way over, without so much as coming near another breathing being. Before I even reached the respective walkway, I saw movement on deck and two short, but heavily armoured guards leaned over the railing. I fanned my tails out wide and removed my cloak, hopefully scattering every possible doubt who I might be, and greeted them: ¡°Good evening. Could you throw me a rope so I can come onboard?¡± They stared a moment longer but soon smiled brightly. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s good to see yah, lass. Give us a second. Everything alright? We didn¡¯t expect yah, before mornin¡¯.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Hopefully. Everything quiet, around here?¡± ¡°¡®Cept for when they hauled in a sleeping, overgrown lizard. Did yah know, y¡¯r friend never let go of the poor lass she was clinging onto? Not until she woke up, at least. Good thing, no one¡¯s around. They¡¯re awake ¡®n talkin¡¯, now, I think. How have yah been? How did it go?¡± ¡°A few vampires are dead, but it could have been much worse, I imagine. The survivors are alive and thirsting for revenge. At least Alassara is, which probably comes down to the same thing. We¡¯ve got a pretty good idea who¡¯s responsible. We¡¯ll pay them a visit, tomorrow.¡± I was interrupted, when a thick rope suddenly dangled before my eyes. ¡°Just hold on,¡± I heard a new voice. ¡°We¡¯ll haul you up. Don¡¯t yah worry, we won¡¯t drop yah.¡± ¡°You better not,¡± I mumbled under my breath while I gripped on tightly and allowed the two dwarfs to pull me up. They were surprisingly fast. I wasn¡¯t heavy, at least I didn¡¯t think so, I had never had the chance to actually measure my weight, ever since I had grown up, but I could just as well have been a bucket full of feathers, for all it mattered. Barely ten seconds later, I was already on deck, thanking the two grinning, bearded watchmen. ¡°Then why are yah even here,¡± the one, I had already spoken to, inquired. ¡°If everything¡¯s peachy, I don¡¯t see why you shouldn¡¯t spend the night with y¡¯r girl. Or did yah miss us that much?¡± ¡°That, too, of course. But I don¡¯t want to keep on repeating the same story, over and over again. Could you tell me where Xorlosh is, or maybe fetch him?¡± ¡°Sure thing. He¡¯s retired early, making plans with y¡¯r mom, he claims. Truth be told, I imagine he¡¯s mostly going through the last supplies of our mead, without having t¡¯ share. I¡¯ll gladly drop in on him to make sure. Be back in a sec. Or¡­ that dragoness wanted t¡¯ see yah, as soon as possible. She¡¯s changed back and is in her cabin with the creepy vampire. Why don¡¯t you go check on them and we¡¯ll be along in no time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that, thanks. Which¡­¡± ¡°Down the stairs, third door on the right,¡± his partner answered my unfinished question. ¡°I¡¯d show yah, but someone has to keep an eye open, up here. Yah won¡¯t miss it, with y¡¯r hearin¡¯, yah can simply follow their voices. Those two just won¡¯t shut up. Not that I¡¯m complaining. Feels good to have something else to talk about but death and bloodshed. What d¡¯yah reckon? Will they become an item? It sure seems like it to me, but I was always convinced Viyara had the hots for you, as well, and look how that turned out.¡± I chuckled quietly, enjoying the campfire gossip, especially since I wasn¡¯t at its centre, for once. ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t know what happened between the two of them, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. In a very roundabout way, they¡¯re kin. Maybe even more so, by now. I¡¯m just glad they¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Lass, whatever are you going on about?¡± ¡°Oh. Right. It all started when Layla bit our lizard¡­ she¡¯s a vampire who¡¯s much¡­¡± ¡°We know who the child is¡­ but why should that matter?¡± I was a bit irritated at the interruption but still explained: ¡°Her blood and Aurelia¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s similar. Considering the source of their power is one of my sisters and Viyara has a spark of my own energy, it seems reasonable that they¡¯re drawn towards each other. And that¡¯s just what¡¯s on the surface. I¡¯ve no clue what the two of them have seen when they were both unconscious, flooded with transcendent forces. I intend to find out, though.¡± ¡°¡®N will yah share, once yah know?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± I replied with a grin. ¡°Unless they tell me not to, of course. Alright then, I¡¯m off. Oh, before I forget, should you see anyone resembling a priests or some such, call for me immediately, would you?¡± They shared a confused look but readily agreed. ¡°Aye¡­ an¡¯ when y¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Xorlosh knows. Actually,¡± I added while I was already moving towards the double doors that would lead me below deck, ¡°I might as well¡­ I assume you know Alassara¡¯s home was attacked? There were soldiers and priests, in the service of two churches from around here. As it turned out, one of them was devote enough to prompt her patron deity to intervene in the moment of her death. Nothing much happened, but I assume the Captains are actually the ones pulling the strings and since they might know about me and my connection to you¡­ that¡¯s basically the gist of it, if you want more details, you¡¯ll have to stick around.¡± The seasoned wood groaned under my feet, while I swiftly descended to the lower level and took a deep breath. The scent had become familiar, a faint hint of smoke, an acrid touch of tar and a nuance of heated metal, supplementing the smell of old, sun dried oak. I heard the movement of large, reefed sails, the quiet flow of water from where the baths were, the loud footfalls from my remaining companion and the low murmurs of a whispered conversation, close by. ¡°I¡¯ll find my way,¡± I said. ¡°Could you also inform my mom? She should probably hear this as well. Also¡­ the former fey, Auguros, I think he might know how divine magic even works, for I don¡¯t. Never mind¡­ I¡¯ll tell them. They are all here, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°A few of the lads are out and about, restocking our supplies but everyone else should be around. Y¡¯r mum is with Xorlosh and Erya¡¯s and her little one are still down below, near the stone. The old geezer ¡®s with ¡®em. She wants to show the kid how it works. Y¡¯r brother, the elves, the children, they¡¯re asleep, though. I know, that¡¯s a foreign concept to yah, but most of us enjoy it immensely.¡± ¡°So do I, I just don¡¯t find the time¡­ no reason to wake them, a few quiet hours are precious enough. Could you please tell my mom and Xorlosh that I¡¯ll be with them in a minute? I¡¯ll bring the fey and the two amorous predators, provided they¡¯re willing to leave their cabin.¡± 222. Of friends, deities and a little regret Cassandra Pendragon I knocked on the door softly, effectively shutting up the conversation going on behind. ¡°Come in,¡± Viyara immediately replied. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± I didn¡¯t bother asking how she knew, it was me. She had probably felt me approach ever since I had left Ahri and the others. ¡°And why¡¯s that,¡± I inquired as I pushed open the door. The cabin was pretty much the same as the one Ahri and I shared, while on board. A bed, a table, two chairs and a small cupboard, complemented by a low hanging oil lamp. Behind the porthole, I could see some stars shimmering in the velvety black sky. Viyara¡¯s scent of molten gold had already filled up the room and the dragoness herself was watching me intently, sitting across from Aurelia, half filled mugs and the sad remains of a sparse, late night dinner arranged on the table between them. ¡°Curiosity, mostly. Neither you nor Ahri were here and there¡¯s still so much we don¡¯t understand. For example¡­¡± smiling, I raised a hand to interrupt her. ¡°And I¡¯ll answer everything I can, but first,¡± I quickly strode over to them and hugged her tightly. ¡°I was worried,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°What happened to you?¡± She froze for a moment but quickly wrapped her arms around my waist, the scent of molten gold engulfing me. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not that easy to answer. Why don¡¯t you say hello to Aurelia, first?¡± My gaze travelled to the vampire, who was watching us intently. Her wings were gone again, she could, presumably, manifest them the same way we did, and she looked much better, vibrant even, as if she had finally woken from a nightmare. I offered my hand and said: ¡°sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have ignored you. It¡¯s nice to meet you. The last times hardly count, do they? I¡¯m Cassandra. I imagine you already know a bit about me, so I¡¯m going to leave it at that. Should you have any questions, though, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. How are you holding up? Anything I can do for you?¡± She took my hand hesitantly but shook it with sincerity, a shy smile spreading across her regal features. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ve everything I need, more than, in fact. I owe you quite a bit, don¡¯t I? I can¡¯t remember, ever since I¡¯ve woken¡­ it all seems like a dream, hazy and surreal, but you saved me, didn¡¯t you?¡± I shrugged and disentangled myself form the dragoness. ¡°In a way. But you should probably thank Ahri for that. I¡¯m not proud if it, but if it had been solely up to me, I don¡¯t think you would have opened your eyes again. I¡¯m glad she insisted, though.¡± I watched her closely while I spoke, trying to judge her reaction, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. In fact, if anything, her smile became even more pronounced, maybe even a little mischievous. ¡°I expected as much¡­ but I¡¯m no threat to you or yours, even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t bring harm to any of you. My mistress won¡¯t allow it,¡± she added quietly, a faint blush rising in her cheeks. ¡°Your mistress? You mean¡­¡± ¡°Me,¡± Viyara interrupted. I slowly turned on the spot, my mouth hanging open, but the lizard only chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised. Every time you immortals meddle with us, something like this always seems to happen. Your¡­ sister, when I was infected with her power, thanks to that little devil, Layla, I met her and she¡­ she relinquished her hold over Aurelia and gave it to me.¡± To say I was surprised would have been the understatement of the century. ¡°But how¡­ why,¡± I stammered and leaned against the table for support. Of all the things, this was something I hadn¡¯t expected, hadn¡¯t even dreamed of. Not to belittle Viyara, but considering how young she was and how little time my power had had to change her, she shouldn¡¯t be able to claim someone as deeply transformed by transcendent forces as Aurelia. I had only tasted the vampires strength, but she truly was a force to be reckoned with. I couldn¡¯t possibly fathom how Viyara might even survive the creation of the shackles, that could tether the two of them together. ¡°I haven¡¯t got a clue how she did it,¡± the dragoness replied nonchalantly. ¡°But as for why¡­ guilt, regret, an urge to protect us, the chance to do so¡­ take your pick. Sarai¡­ she¡¯s struggling and I think she¡¯s trying to make amends for what she¡¯s done. She couldn¡¯t free Aurelia, she¡¯d die without a source of transcendent powers, but I think she believes that I won¡¯t repeat her mistakes and since I was there, she took a chance. For better or for worse, as long as your power runs through my veins, Aurelia will be bound to me and judging from everything I¡¯ve seen from you, that might turn out to be a damned long time.¡± I blinked and then I chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± the vampire wanted to know. ¡°Oh, nothing really. It¡¯s just¡­ the dwarfs have been speculating what¡¯s going on between the two of you, but I imagine that no one is even close to the truth, no matter how wild their fantasies might run. And to be completely honest, it¡¯s also a load off my chest to know that you¡¯ve got a very real reason to not turn against us. At least for as long as I don¡¯t manage to infuriate Viyara beyond belief. Still¡­ I¡¯m wondering, though¡­ do you¡­ maybe I could¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± she replied, still smiling. ¡°We already talked about the possibility that either you or Ahri might supplement the transcendent spark I need directly, but I¡¯m content as it is.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s not my place to pry, but would you mind telling me why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s safer. I¡­ my past is still a part of me, a dangerous part, and I don¡¯t want to weather it alone. Also, I trust Viyara and I like her. We¡¯re more similar than I expected. Truth be told, for the first time, I actually enjoy having someone¡­ I can¡¯t leave her and neither can she abandon me. That¡¯s a bit of peace and stability I¡¯m not willing to give up, just yet. Maybe one day, but for now¡­ anyways, it surely isn¡¯t worth risking my life for, now that I have it back.¡± ¡°I see. It just seemed right to offer, though, even if I¡¯m not sure whether I could have been of any real help. Does that change anything,¡± I asked the dragoness, who had followed our exchange curiously. She shook her head, as if to clear it and focused on me. ¡°Not as far I am concerned. I might be a little less clingy,¡± she added with a laugh, ¡°but we¡¯ll have to see. Between now and the time we meet my kin, a lot could change. We¡¯ll have to see how it goes. Until then¡­ I¡¯d love to chat for a while and you better make some time, not too far in the future, for us to do so, but I assume there¡¯s a reason why you¡¯re here. There always is with you. Care to enlighten us? Or do we have to guess?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡­ would you come with me? We¡¯ve encounter a strange form of magic and I hope Auguros might be able to shed some light on how it works. As for the rest¡­ I¡¯ve to tell Xorlosh anyways, so you¡¯ll hear all about in a minute. That is, if I can convince you to leave your cozy togetherness for a while. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be back here in no time,¡± I added teasingly. Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain for they either didn¡¯t understand what I was insinuating or they simply didn¡¯t care. Probably the latter, since even a blind man would have been able to pick up my meaning, considering what I had told them before, about the dwarfs already speculating. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Sure,¡± Aurelia replied after exchanging a quick glance with Viyara. ¡°Lead the way.¡± We left their cabin, the two of them walking side by side, a few steps behind me. The soft murmur of their whispered words barely reached me and I had to push aside the impulse to boost my hearing and listen in on their conversation. It just wasn¡¯t my place and even though I had already proven that I wasn¡¯t the best at reading people, I was decently convinced their voices were filled with care and tenderness, similar to how I would speak to Ahri. Smiling, I made my way down to the stone chamber, while I tried to ignore their flirtatious tone. They probably weren¡¯t even aware of it, themselves. At least not yet. I had always known that Viyara would sooner or later find someone, but I¡¯d never have dared dream that it might turn out to be an undead relict from ages past. Well, she wasn¡¯t exactly your run of the mill girl, either, and from what she had told me, the two of them were stuck together for a while. The deeper we went, the warmer the air became until I felt like I was walking through an oven, including the smells of burning coal and heated metal. A faint vibration could be felt through the floor, gravity and the pull of the stone exerting pressure on the core of the ship. When we had climbed down the last staircase, a reinforced, half opened door in front of us led on while another, to our right, protected the ship from the heat of the furnace behind it. Erya¡¯s voice could be heard, floating though the gap. She was in the middle of a lecture, explaining how ingenuity had made it possible for the lesser races to overcome their inability to fly. From where I was standing, it seemed a bit tactless, since neither her granddaughter nor Auguros could be considered anything other than human for the moment, but the two of them obviously didn¡¯t mind and judging from the excited questions Morgan asked from time to time, she was seriously fascinated. ¡°May we interrupt,¡± I asked, while I pushed the door open completely. A maze of iron beams and pipes greeted me, delivering scorching hot air to the stone and anchoring it to the ship. Beneath the contraption, at the centre of the chamber, the three fey were standing with the obligatory dwarven guard, keeping them company. He was nodding along with Erya¡¯s words, while she gesticulated wildly, indicating different parts of the machine, while she explained their usage. ¡°Welcome back,¡± she greeted me. Her eyes lit up when she saw the two girls trailing behind. ¡°Are you looking for a quiet place? Somewhere out of the way? Because if you do, this one is, unfortunately, already taken.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure, but it definitely sounded like she was hinting at more than just a place to talk and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from blushing. It had taken only a few days without her continuous company and I had already forgotten how irksome she could be. ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± I still managed to reply calmly. ¡°I was looking for you. I hate to cut your family time short, but could you spare a few moments? All of you?¡± ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t two ladies enough to keep you entertained for the night?¡± She was smiling brightly, but I failed to see the humour. She wouldn¡¯t be as sassy if Ahri was around. The next time I had to deal with her, I was definitely going to bring her along, if only to see the fey choke on her more than inappropriate remarks. I rolled my eyes and replied: ¡°Quite so, I also invited my mom, to make it extra spicy. Should we go on, or do you actually want to know what¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°Huh, you didn¡¯t sleep much, did you? Fine, I¡¯ll try to be serious. So, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Trouble, maybe. The attack¡­ it was probably orchestrated by two of the Captains and their obedient clergy. The magic they used¡­ I was hoping you, Auguros, could tell us what we have to expect. None of us has more than hearsay knowledge and with your intimate connection to the web of energies on Gaya, we hoped you could explain, what we¡¯re up against.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± he replied, ¡°but aside from some general information, I fear I won¡¯t be of much use. You see, all deities, as far as I¡¯m aware, are nothing more than an expression of Gaya¡¯s¡­¡± I raised my hand to cut him short. ¡°It might be better if you held off until the others can listen as well. You¡¯ll have to explain it all over again, otherwise. Come on then, they¡¯re waiting for us in Xorlosh¡¯s cabin.¡± A few minutes later, we were squeezed around a table like sardines in a can, the small space hardly able to contain us. With the three fey, two dwarfs, a dragoness, a vampire and myself, it felt more than crammed. Only my mom wasn¡¯t overly encumbered, since she didn¡¯t need a chair and happily watched us squirm around her. I quickly narrated what had happened and why I had returned, reiterating my warning that, even though it was unlikely, some of the Captain¡¯s minions might decide to pay the ship a visit. Afterwards, I described in detail the spells we had encountered and what I had seen with my second sight, prompting Auguros to take over. ¡°Much of what I can tell you, you already figured out yourself. Gaya¡­ I talk about her like she¡¯s an individual, but that hardly even scratches the surfaces. She¡¯s an accumulation of energies and purpose, a spirit of what this world truly is. Her strength¡­ it¡¯s immeasurable. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything comparable to it, except for you kin, Cassandra. Ultimately she is but a reflection of everything that was and is on this world and consequentially, she can give birth to living, breathing ideas, quite similar to the nightmares you encountered in the tomb you razed. Simply put, if enough people believe in something, they can convince her that it¡¯s actually real and then, it becomes real, bolstered by the very fabric of creation.¡± He paused and his eyes travelled along the table, meeting our gazes in turn. ¡°In a way, every deity, every devil, is, but another aspect of her existence. She¡¯s the ultimate schizophrenic, if you so will. Now, if the worshipers expect their patron to help them out, either through guidance or by lending them strength, so will she. It¡¯s not on purpose, but that part of her truly becomes the thing the people envision. From what you¡¯ve told me. The two¡­ sides of her you¡¯ve encountered are bound by a very specific belief, but I don¡¯t know what it is. I¡¯ve never even heard of the Broken Wheel or the Immortal Sun. All I can tell you is, that the power behind those ideas is very real. What you witnessed, that was her, bolstering the strength of the priests to make this kind of magic possible. Which, incidentally, also shows why they are so darn dangerous. Neither their strength, nor their knowledge, affect their magic, at least not to a degree that matters. It¡¯s only their conviction that makes a difference, the more firmly they believe and trust in that imaginary aspect of Gaya, whether it¡¯s a deity, or something else entirely, the stronger they are. And judging from what you¡¯ve told me, the priests around here seem like bunch of lunatics. Usually that would make them weak, but in this case¡­¡± his words trailed off, but we had gotten the gist of what he was trying to explain.Supposedly, the more fundamental, the more blind and moronic a true believer was, the stronger he became. Unfortunately, that also meant the most powerful of the bunch were the ones, we could hardly expect to reason with. They were already lost in a quagmire of lies, prejudice and pride that would make it impossible to reach them, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t even be able to use their magic, in the first place. Unless we were willing to eradicate the lot of them, we would have to act within the confines of their convictions. That meant, figuring out what the different churches actually stood for. None of the people I had met before seemed to be of the religious kind and while the mercenaries had been able to name the churches, at least, I didn¡¯t expect them to know anything substantial about their inner workings. As for Pete, our resident Free Lander, he probably had never even stepped inside a place of worship, never mind actually taking the time to learn what and why they were worshipping. No, if we wanted to figure out the rules, we¡¯d have to either deal with the churches directly or find someone who was involved enough to understand, what each deity stood for. Either that¡­ or we could try ignoring the whole bunch of manifested ideas and brute force our way through. I might even have been in favour of the latter, but the last few times I had rushed in, without prior knowledge, had either led to unimaginable pain or another catastrophe. This time around, I wasn¡¯t willing to risk more of my friends getting hurt or even dying, only because I hadn¡¯t been patient enough to wait for a few hours. 223. Of items, fey and a little bit of arrogance Cassandra Pendragon The rest of the night passed, without any major surprises. We still talked for over an hour, but at the end of the day, there wasn¡¯t much we could do, except for being vigilant. The guards on deck were doubled, told to continuously wear their runic armour and Xorlosh made sure that every last one of his lads knew what we might be up against and what to look out for. Escaping Captains or priests, for example. He even ordered some of them to keep an eye on the more decadent vessels, marking the ones they thought most likely to be used as a way to escape. The marks, as I now found out, were nothing more than an imperceptibly small set of runes that could be attached with a stencil. One quick stumble, a loud curse as a distraction and the marked object could be followed, without anybody being the wiser. In the meantime, I retreated to my cabin and took stock of every little gizmo I had stuffed into my stamp, ever since I had learned how to use it. From Viyara¡¯s hoard, I still retained the dagger that could return to its sheath, the fan, a large circlet and the artefacts to collect and transform energy. The latter still held some appeal to me, since I could use them to create pretty much everything I needed, but the chest Mephisto had enchanted and I had stuffed in there as well, made even these things more or less obsolete. I¡¯d probably be much better served, if I handed most of it over to someone who could actually use it. For the weapons, it was most likely going to be my sister. If the little vixen was truly dead set on accompanying us, enchanted weapons might just give her an edge, if she should ever be in need of one. As for me¡­ I was quite content with the cloak and once I had a chance to go through with the ritual, Mephisto had left instructions for in one of the myriad of memory crystals I was carrying around, I wouldn¡¯t need another weapon. Now that I had the opportunity, I did store away the letter Aurora had sent me and the little doll I had saved from Boseiju, though. They didn¡¯t hold any real value, but I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing either. Including Shassa¡¯s gem, the poor, still frozen snake, the veritable heap of memory crystals, Zara¡¯s book, the emblem, that contained the fractured pieces of my spear and Isis¡¯ effigy, which Mephisto had sealed off and retreated into to undergo his transformation, I still had quite a bit of space left. Originally, I had always planned to stuff it full of food and beverages, but since my body didn¡¯t require sustenance anymore, the thought struck me as a bit of a waste. I¡¯d probably be much better served with things, I might actually need. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t quite that easy to come up with a wide array of useful tools, tailored to almost every situations. Most of those only became glaringly obvious, once you needed them and they weren¡¯t on hand. Still, I probably couldn¡¯t go wrong with a few gallons of water, some bread, a couple of metres of rope and a collection of communication crystals, which I unfortunately didn¡¯t possess, yet. Maybe there were some on sale around here, but I highly doubted that they¡¯d either be affordable, even though that was more reluctance on my part to overpay than an actual hurdle, or of a high enough quality to matter. No, those things were most likely better bought on the Emerald Island. For now, I¡¯d have to make do with the stuff I already had and everything I came across on the markets that caught my fancy. Not having to worry about money was truly luxurious. A few sets of spare clothes would also come in handy, considering how often I destroyed the ones I wore. If I never had to run around naked again, it would still be too soon. A short but heated discussion with the quartermaster later, I had gotten my paws on everything I wanted, except for my armour, which wasn¡¯t finished, yet. It wouldn¡¯t take more than another day or two, or at least that¡¯s what I had been promised, but until then, I wasn¡¯t even allowed to go near the forge. Apparently the dwarfs had similar superstitions concerning personalised items as we held for weddings. Seeing the bride before the ceremony was bad luck and the dwarfs steadfastly believed the same held true for their precious craftsmanship. I didn¡¯t quite get it, since I had already seen and even worn the thing, but who was I to complain? I hadn¡¯t payed a measly dime for it, to begin with. Which was probably also the reason why Krack didn¡¯t like me very much. Either that or my outrageous demand for clothes. According to him, Ahri and I had already gone through more of his supply than the rest of the crew, combined, an egregious exaggeration. What had it been? Like five or ten sets? At the very most. Since I was already there and had forgotten to ask Xorlosh before, I also tried wheedling some information about gunpowder from the bad tempered, under appreciated dwarf but to my surprise, he willingly shared everything he knew. Apparently, gunpowder wasn¡¯t unheard of but highly dangerous to either transport or use. His explanation, as to why, didn¡¯t make much sense to me, but it was enough to trigger a few memories. The potential energy of a volatile substances, like gunpowder or any other kind of explosive, could, depending on the magical laws of the world, attract a myriad of problems. On Gaya, it supposedly allowed minor elements to manifest, expressions of the latent energy within the substance. Simply put, if you were to store gunpowder anywhere, it would most likely blow up within a few hours, or days, at the most, since fiery sparks would manifest and ignite the whole thing. Which made me wonder how I had been able to come across the smell in the harbour. Shouldn¡¯t, whoever was transporting the stuff, have turned into a fireworks display within hours, days at the most? Or maybe they had found a way to suppress the manifestations, one clever rune or the other. In that case, it might turn out to be rather profitable to have a quick word with them, if I ever were to find out, who it actually was. When I finally made my way along the wooden walkways again, I wasn¡¯t alone. Auguros had been easy enough to convince to come along, since he wasn¡¯t keen on spending much more time with Erya and Morgan. The growing familial ties between them made him feel left out and everybody else already had plans for the night or was deeply asleep. And while he was technically human, he still had trouble sleeping soundly, which meant his alternatives were either to come with me or to awkwardly hang around everyone who was willing to spend a few minutes with him. Honestly, considering what he had done for Morgan and thus Erya, I would have expected them to show a tad more gratitude, but then again, the two had to make up for lost time, ages, in their case. ¡°How¡¯s life as human treating you,¡± I asked, while we approached the closest ladder that would take us to the uppermost level, from where we could exit the harbour. I was still sniffing the air from time to time, but the acrid scent of gunpowder didn¡¯t reach me, again. A few other, rather distasteful, smells were present, but nothing that caught my attention. He shrugged disinterestedly, but his response carried quite a bit of frustration, even though he tried to hide it. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Mostly, the lack of magic gets to me. It¡¯s an unbelievable nuisance to not be able to cast even the most minor spells, without external aide. Admittedly, the dwarfs and the two elven ladies were tremendously helpful, they gave me two pure gems, Astra had filled with her mana for me to use, but it¡¯s still¡­ tedious. Not too long ago, I could have made a forest grow with nothing but my will and a bit of time, but now¡­¡± he shook his head and chuckled quietly. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t be ungrateful. Considering what I¡¯ve risked, on the off chance that I¡¯d be able to protect Morgan for a while longer¡­ it actually turned out far better than I had ever expected. But I have to ask, once, you said you¡¯d help us regain our magic. Did you truly mean it?¡± ¡°Of course, ever since I¡¯ve awoken my own, I¡¯ve felt terrible every time I remembered what has been taken from you. I¡­ if I weren¡¯t so damned insecure when it comes to my own powers, I would already have tried. But as it stands, chances are, that I¡¯d kill you both instead of making it better. No¡­ I guess there¡¯ll be an opportunity somewhere down the road, most likely when we¡¯re going to deal with the dragons, but until then¡­. I might have already missed the best chance the two of you had.¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± he quickly asked and turned to fully face me, even stopping in the middle of the walkway. ¡°When Mephisto took in a spark of my sister¡¯s power, he definitely would have been strong and knowledgable enough to cure your wounds, but I fear none of us thought much about anything but our most pressing issues, at that time. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I added subduedly. ¡°I see¡­ truth be told, I didn¡¯t think of it, either and I¡¯m the one who should have. No need to apologise. For what it¡¯s worth, you just assured me that we¡¯ll have to wait until he returns, at the very most and that¡¯s something I can live with. And Morgan¡­ she doesn¡¯t even seem to miss it much. Truth be told, once she¡¯s dealt with her trauma, she might even be happier as a human.¡± ¡°What makes you say that? Has she¡­ this is not her, blaming her race for what has happened to the two of you, is it? Because that won¡¯t actually mean she¡¯s happier¡­ just hurt.¡± We resumed our slow walk and climbed up the ladder, while he struggled to order his thoughts. ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s surely a part of it, but not all,¡± he finally replied, when we had reached the top most platform, which had already become much more lively since I had passed by, an hour or two earlier. It was close to dawn and most crews, who were going to leave come sunup, were busily carrying cargo towards the escalators. Burly seamen, bored private guards and an astounding variety of stray dogs cluttered the harbour. Humans, beast kin and even a few elves could be seen and especially heard, cursing, shouting and even sometimes haggling in the dim torchlight. The stalls were still closed down for the night, but some of the more entrepreneurial captains sold a few bits and pieces directly from the soon to be loaded chests. Pelts and spices were greatly in demand, a few returning traders buying something for the misses, last minute, while others tried to make a quick coin or two, before the sun had even risen. ¡°How much do you know about our race? Has Erya told you a bit about herself?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t say she has. A few things I¡¯ve figured out on my own, though. Are all of you that¡­ carnal, or is it just her?¡± He chuckled while we dodged two humans, who were carrying a load of southern timbers towards their ship. ¡°Some more than others, but we¡¯re much more¡­ open minded. I¡¯ve always wondered why other races actually tend to make a fuss. Even your own kin are rather prude and yet you¡¯re living in tune with your instincts, at least as far as I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. Most of who we are is based on the past, isn¡¯t it? After the cataclysm, my race was almost extinct, like so many others. Food was sparse, water even more so and children were a luxury you had to be able to afford, otherwise you¡¯d watch them starve the very same year. For most of us, and I don¡¯t mean kitsune, but the races who¡¯ve suffered through that time, abstinence and control, be it over your mind or your body, became cherished traits and just as much as an ascetic life became the ideal to strive for, the baser nature of our being became something almost¡­ shunned. Sex has to be linked to love, otherwise it¡¯s crude. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a similar period for the fey. You¡¯ve always had everything you needed and lived freely.¡± ¡°So¡­ you deny yourselves because it has been considered¡­. sophisticated to do so, hundreds of years ago? That¡¯s just plain stupid, if you ask me.¡± ¡°Never said it wasn¡¯t, but I still think that¡¯s the reason. Ideas develop a life of their own. For me¡­ while I grew up, everything that had to do with sex was talked about behind closed doors, if at all. It¡¯s not really surprising that I¡¯m uncomfortable with the topic, is it? But I have to admit, ever since meeting Erya I¡¯m getting much more relaxed. Even this little chat would have had me blushing, two weeks ago. I¡¯m not going to change, though. By now, it has much less to do with being ashamed and much more with Ahri. I know how I¡¯d feel if I knew she desired someone else. That¡¯s enough of a reason for me to stay well away from temptation. If it wasn¡¯t for her, though, I¡¯m quite sure I¡¯d be living differently by now. Sensuality is nothing to be ashamed of. Quite the contrary, actually.¡± ¡°Wise words¡­ but they make me wonder¡­ monogamous and lasting relationships are much more sparse among the fey and dragons, than they are among the other races. Now, this might have something to do with our life expectancy, but I¡¯m not so sure, anymore. The elves, dwarfs, even your people, they all can become nearly as old as us, some even older, and yet¡­ maybe that¡¯s the price we pay for following our every desire. Oh well, nothing¡¯s free, is it?¡± ¡°Quite so. But now, that were already on topic, what about you? Do you have someone to return to?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not really. If anything, I was married to power and my drive to protect our world. Still am. At least in this regard, I¡¯m quite faithful. You¡¯ve lived it yourself, for the last few weeks, haven¡¯t you? If you hadn¡¯t already had someone to begin with, you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance for more than a casual fling, here and there. Deep connections require time and that¡¯s a luxury, once you head down the path we have chosen. But what¡¯s another sacrifice, eh?¡± Rationally, I understood him, but at the same time, I truly pitied him. Fighting for a life without love just seemed miserable to me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it made things easier or not, but at least I knew what I was suffering for. ¡°I¡­ how did you even find the strength to stand up for Morgan? Why did you bother?¡± Again he was silent for a while, while I led him down one of the main streets and hid my face under the hood of my cloak. The taverns were starting to empty out and I wasn¡¯t keen on being ambushed by the last drunk stragglers, who were still looking for a soft body to warm their beds tonight. Rather ironic, considering what we had been talking about. ¡°You know, we all have different reasons why we manage to move our sad, tired bones out of bed in the morning. For you, it quite obviously is a future with your lover, a bit of revenge and a deep grudge against your family, even though I¡¯m willing to bet you¡¯re not so sure about that one, anymore. For me¡­ it¡¯s simply trying to do what I think is right, twisted as my version of right and wrong might be. In the end, we all die, maybe even you. And when that time comes, I want to look back and know that I have done something, that I¡¯ve mattered. Now, I fully understand everyone who thinks this means having a family, maybe raising a few kids, being remembered by those close to you, those you love. I¡­ that¡¯s not enough for me. I¡¯ve seen so much already¡­ I¡¯ve been humbled. Happiness is overrated. I¡¯ve been given the chance to save or doom our world, at least to play a part in it, however small it might be. I¡¯ll be damned, if I waste it.¡± I only sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not humble, that¡¯s arrogant. Everything you said, orbits around your own convictions. Not that I mind, but my friend, without another soul to keep you balanced, you¡¯re embarking on a perilous journey. Who will tell you when you¡¯re wrong? Who will tell you when to stop? If you¡¯re so convinced of what you think you can and should do, I fail to see where you actually accept that you¡¯re not the centre of the universe.¡± 224. Of brawls, connection and a little bit of guilt Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Maybe,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I didn¡¯t say I am humble, I said I was humbled. Happiness and individual desires tend to become far less important, once you¡¯ve been in touch with a spirit like Gaya. Suffering and delight¡­ the difference doesn¡¯t matter to her, as long as she can¡­ live, grow. I guess that¡¯s why she fears your family so much. A barren wasteland comes very close to what she¡¯d consider a nightmare. Which makes me¡­¡± he paused, his head swivelling from left to right until it settled on a spot in the shadows, prompting me to look around. I had been solely focused on our conversation and hadn¡¯t payed much attention to our surroundings. A bit careless, as it turned out. Three burly figures were barricading our way. We had already left the main roads, which led to the harbour and had entered the maze of winding alleys, sprawling towards the markets. At first glance, I thought we had run into the usual, rowdy stragglers, looking for a bit of entertainment after their favourite tavern had closed for the night, but I was quickly dissuaded of the notion. While I could smell a whiff of stale schnapps and old tobacco on their breath, they were quite steady and far from drunk enough to have spent the whole night boozing. Another dead giveaway were the cudgels and crude but oversized knifes they tried to hide clumsily behind their backs. No, they weren¡¯t looking for entertainment but trying to secure the funds they¡¯d need for tomorrow¡¯s celebration. I couldn¡¯t help myself, a lopsided grin spread across my face under the hood. I did understand them. An elderly, well dressed human and a tall but slim figure in a pristine, white cloak should make for a decent catch, but little did they know¡­ oh well, they would find out, soon enough. ¡°Good evenin¡¯,¡± one of them spoke in a slow drawl, that already made my fur bristle. ¡°¡®S a fine night, innit? The two of you seem like well off and friendly fellows. Why don¡¯t you share a bit of your good fortune and we can all be on our way? It¡¯d be a shame to ruin such a fine night with blood and violence, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± A quiet sound, like rustling leafs, told me that another pair had stepped from the darkness behind us, blocking our way back. That, and the nearly overwhelming smell of garlic. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing directly from the harbour and one of them seemed to be in the dubious habit of chewing the dreaded root. Now, I was forced to enjoy the full spectrum of its rancid taste. Before I could voice my displeasure, though, Auguros spoke up: ¡°oh my, of course. Good fortune is best shared among friends, don¡¯t you agree, Cassandra? And the best we can do for you, is to make sure, that you leave your current path, otherwise I fear you might not be getting much older. You¡¯re in a dangerous line of work, good sir. Sometimes, you just run out of luck.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± the previous speaker replied eloquently, while he produced his impressive club and swung it in Auguros direction. ¡°I dunno what you want, gramps, but I¡¯m not going to let you make fun of me. See that? That¡¯s about 3 kilos of hardened oak and if you don¡¯t fork over your purse, I¡¯m going to ram it straight up your arse. You hear me?¡± The fey¡¯s eyes went wide in an exaggerated display of fright. ¡°Oh no, whatever should I do?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold my tongue any longer and whispered: ¡°Would you be just as brazen, if I wasn¡¯t at your side?¡± He shrugged imperceptibly, but didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he continued with his charade. I would have done the same. ¡°I hear you, loud and clear. My friend here,¡± he slapped my back, ¡°is the one carrying all our coin. Why don¡¯t you persuade her to part with it? I¡¯ll just watch from the sidelines.¡± Asshole. ¡°Ain¡¯t that right. Well then, missy, why don¡¯t you hand over the money and remove that hood as well, so we can see your face?¡± Damn it, I had already beaten one human black and blue tonight, I seriously wasn¡¯t in the mood for a few more, but as it stood, I didn¡¯t seem like I was going to have much of a choice. Auguros had made plenty sure of it. In that case, I might just as well have some fun. Who knew, maybe I could even provide some direly needed education. Sighing, I lowered my hood and suppressed the flow of energy from my core, until my eyes were barely glowing anymore. With a challenging gaze, I raised my head and smiled at the supposed leader of the brigands. ¡°That¡¯s one part of your request fulfilled. As for the second¡­ I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to get the money yourself, provided you can.¡± A lecherous glint entered his eyes as he gestured for his companions. ¡°My pleasure. I hope you like it rough, little lady. If you don¡¯t struggle, this might not even hurt, too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t promise you the same,¡± I murmured, while I sent a trickle of power to my ears and mind, just in case. The two bozos behind me had taken their clue and were dashing forward, weapons and garlic breath raised, while the ones in front of me tried to keep my attention with a boisterous display of mediocrely executed swings. To their credit, they at least didn¡¯t fool around and took me seriously. Not that it was going to make much of a difference, but I had already expected the most outspoken one to try and take me on, one on one. Maybe there were some brains, hidden under their shaggy, matted hair, after all. Or they just had one routine, they always followed. Probably the latter. I could have dodged, I could have manifested my wings, I could have ordered them to run, there was a whole variety of things I could have done, but a frontal attack struck me as the most appropriate course of action. While the more or less silent and smelly duo behind me nearly stumbled over their feet, when their heavy swings connected with nothing but air, I collided with the boisterous louts in front of me. I dashed through the gap between the outspoken one in the middle and his friend on the left, my right elbow smashing into a chest and my left foot aimed at a knee. For a split second, their expressions remained frozen, somewhere between disbelieve and anticipation, but when their legs suddenly collapsed under them and the searing pain from a severely damaged knee and a couple of broken ribs caught up to them, their grins disappeared. I came to a sliding halt, a handful of metres behind them, while their screams began echoing through the alley. They weren¡¯t used to being on the receiving end of a beating and the experience didn¡¯t sit well with them. Leisurely, I twirled on the spot, my tails fanning out from under the cloak. The two I had hit were down and the ones, who had tried to catch me off guard, were still stampeding in my direction, like huffing, overweighted monkeys. The last one though, the one I hadn¡¯t wounded on my way past, was dashing towards Auguros, his overly long machete raised over his head. He was either really clever or cowardly, but for now, he was my biggest problem. That was, until the wizened and weak grandpa¡¯s indulgent smile became somewhat diabolical and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. Smoothly, effortlessly, he parried the overhead swing and caught the offending arm in a vicelike grip. ¡°Told you so,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous world.¡± His other hand came up and he locked his adversary¡¯s elbow. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll get hurt.¡± When he spun, the pained wails, of the ones I had downed, were joined by a new voice, his attacker clutching the open fracture of his arm, where a white nub of bone stuck from the bloodied joint. Torn flesh gave way to a torrent of blood and the human fell, like a puppet, whose strings had been cut. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Ouch,¡± I whispered. Without treatment, that wound wouldn¡¯t heal. Vicious, vicious fey. Shrugging, I focused on the remaining two, but even these knuckleheads had started to realise that something was off. They weren¡¯t charging blindly ahead anymore, but instead were dashing off in two different directions. Without a further glance at their fallen brothers in arms, they were hurtling away, as fast as their feet could carry them. Honour among thieves really was nothing but a myth. For a second, I contemplated rushing after them, but to what end? I wasn¡¯t going to kill them and whatever beating I¡¯d administer, they¡¯d be back at it, as soon as their wounds had healed. ¡°Cowards,¡± I still spat, but they didn¡¯t even hear me anymore, their shadows vanishing behind the next corner, the staccato of their frenzied footsteps a hurried drumbeat in the night. ¡°And what have we here,¡± I murmured, as I approached the fallen would be robbers. ¡°Not so high and mighty, anymore are we?¡± I crouched next to the one, whom Auguros had wounded and winced in sympathy. Up close, the bleeding, mutilated arm looked even worse and his constant squirming didn¡¯t make it any better. Still, he was present enough to make a token effort and swing at me. ¡°Stop it,¡± I admonished. ¡°If we don¡¯t help, you¡¯ll lose your arm, no doubt about it. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of wounds and this one is truly marvellous. Either you play along or I¡¯m going to break your legs as well, and leave you here for the rats. Your choice.¡± He groaned and whispered but the anger in his eyes was slowly being overshadowed by pain and when I, accidentally of course, brushed against his hand and moved his arm, he quickly relented. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Auguros, come here. You¡¯ve damaged him, now you can try and fix him.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that? Let him be, I say. If you want to be kind, slit his throat. With the filth he¡¯s lying in, infection is bound to get him. Without proper treatment he¡¯ll die in agony within a few days, so why bother? They asked for it, didn¡¯t they?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°For someone who¡¯s basically only alive because of the mercy of others, you¡¯re prepared to issue a death sentence surprisingly quickly.¡± He grumbled under his breath and the few words I could understand weren¡¯t exactly flattering, but he still did as I asked. Unwillingly and with more force than actual care, he pushed the bone back into its place while I held the yammering fellow down. ¡°That¡¯s about as much as I can do. The rest¡­¡± he stopped, even the quiet groans of the bandits died down, when my wings manifested. With a thought, I sent my energy into the wound and coursing through his veins, purifying whatever disease he might have picked up. Gradually, fresh, pink skin spread over the wound and a few seconds later, the arm was as good as new. ¡°You were saying,¡± I asked, with a grin. ¡°Never mind. Now what? We just leave them be, with a story to tell?¡± ¡°Not quite, I¡­¡± I had already begun going through his things, the least we could do was take whatever coin they had on hand, but when I came across a small, black and red pendant around his neck, I froze. There, hidden underneath his filthy shirt was a leather band with a broken wheel, made from blackened metal, with red highlights, attached to it. I hissed and tore the little gizmo free. It had been a while, but I would recognise the design everywhere. Finally, I had my proof, that the mercenaries hadn¡¯t only headed for Free Land out of convenience, but that they were truly tied to this place. I just didn¡¯t know if they were also connected to the church. Not yet, at any rate. ¡°Where did you get this,¡± I inquired and when he failed to answer immediately, his eyes still glued to my wings, they suddenly flared brightly, filling the night with the smell of ozone and the crackling of power. ¡°I asked, where¡¯d did you get this piece,¡± I repeated, my voice thrumming with a foreboding cadence, reminiscent of a brewing thunderstorm. ¡°I¡­I,¡± white like a sheet, he began stammering through a barely intelligible reply. Only when I slapped him hard enough to make his nose bleed, did he manage to form a coherent sentence. ¡°I¡­ it was given to me! I swear, I didn¡¯t steal it!¡± He might have thought, that¡¯d be what I wanted to hear, but, oh boy, was he wrong. ¡°Who,¡± I demanded to know. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡± No answer came forth but he began struggling and squirming like an eel. I had grabbed him by the collar and without realising, had begun twisting the cloth, choking him out slowly. With a curse, I relaxed my fingers a bit, my eyes never wavering from his. ¡°Answer me,¡± I commanded coldly. ¡°I dunno, I really don¡¯t,¡± he spluttered and sprayed me with spittle, his face red. ¡°I dunno his name! All of us got ¡®em! Boss said, they be coming from heaven and we should wear ¡®em to show our allegiance. So, we do! We meant nothin¡¯ by it!¡± ¡°Your allegiance? Allegiance to whom,¡± I asked, while my wings danced around us like a swarm of silvery snakes. By now, the burly mugger was scared enough to wet his pants. ¡°The flag! Our allegiance to the flag! One of the Captains, I dunno, which! He be pushin¡¯ into the streets for a while now and the boss decided to join with him. He didn¡¯t tell us nothin¡¯, only that we be making twice the money, overnight. Gotta talk to him, if you wanna know more.¡± ¡°And where can I find him? What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°John, his name ¡®s John! But I dunno,¡± my eyes narrowed and I decided to cut through his skin only deeply enough to draw a drop of blood, but the faint sizzling of ozone, when my wing connected with his leg, was enough to make him reconsider. ¡°He¡¯s got a brother,¡± he cried out. ¡°He¡¯s got a brother! He be knowing where you can find ¡®im. Richard, Richard¡¯s the name. He¡¯s a tavern brawler. The place isn¡¯t far away. I¡¯ll show you, if you let me go!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll show me, either way,¡± I said menacingly and cut just a smidgen deeper. As far as possible, he paled even further and began to hyperventilate, the crotch of his pants slowly turning wet. I wrinkled my nose at the acidic stench. ¡°Yes, yes, of course I will! Whatever you say!¡± I patted his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s a good boy. Now, up you go.¡± My wings swirled around his arms and I heaved him to his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell, what¡¯s going to happen, should you try to run, do I? Just a hint, though, I¡¯m faster than you are, much faster. Having to chase you down will only put me in a bad mood. Well, worse than the one I¡¯m already in. Spare us both the mess, will you?¡± Threatening him was hardly necessary anymore, he was already scared out of his wits, but a little extra couldn¡¯t hurt. Eager nodding was my only reply. I let him go and turned to the other two, who had followed our exchange wide eyed. ¡°As for you¡­ your wounds aren¡¯t deadly. Get up and carry your sorry asses out of here. Should we ever meet again, it better be you, serving me a decently brewed ale in a tavern. Prowl the streets again and I¡¯ll tear you limb from limb. It might take a year, it might take a decade, but I¡¯m going to find you. Now, go!¡± The last words I uttered with the pressure of my power and they fled blindly, even the one with the damaged leg managed to limp along at an astounding speed. ¡°Am I right to assume that you intend to visit said establishment,¡± Auguros asked. He had quietly gotten closer, but remained well away from the storm of light, that still raged around me. ¡°Quite so.¡± I raised the pendant. ¡°The traders¡­ mercenaries who helped sack my home, they wore an almost identical coat of arms. Those¡­ humans, they slaughtered my people, they took our young and they left us to die cruelly by the hands of a monster. It looks like I¡¯m going to find out, who thought that he could make a profit off the suffering of my people, my family. I¡¯m more than keen on hearing their explanation and expressing my displeasure. But first, I¡¯m going to bring you to Alassara. I¡¯m sure my fianc¨¦e and my family would dearly like to vent their grievances, as well. I¡¯m not going to deny them the chance.¡± 225. Of friends, family and a little change Richard Tudor I had come in earlier than usual, today. Dunno why, but I hadn¡¯t been able to sleep all that well, the lumps and bruises I had gotten from my little tussle with the fox kin had ached all night and when I had finally nodded off, I had woken again within minutes. Grumpy and hurting, I had carried my sorry ass to the tavern and ordered a generous amount of the universal antidote: whiskey. Before the sun had completely risen in the east, I was well into my third glass and I was starting to feel better. Not exactly hearty, but strong enough for another round with whatever idiot thought he could earn a quick coin by trying to kick me from my throne. Mordred had been the first one in a long time who had given me a run for my money and I didn¡¯t think I was going to encounter a similar challenge, any time soon. How bad could my luck be, after all? The morning had passed as always, whores and other late night workers coming in for a drink before they turned in for the day. The most recent gossip was exchanged but I only listened halfheartedly, mainly focused on my own troubles. The conversation I had had with Mordred had made me restless. I hadn¡¯t said much back then, but truth be told, some of what he had said had struck a chord. I was stuck, stuck in a pit of garbage I had been wallowing in for so long I had already forgotten that I had promised myself to only stay for a few weeks. But one thing had always followed the other and with my gormless brother, running around and risking his neck every single night, it just never had seemed like the right moment to move on. Brooding, I spent most of the morning staring into my glass and downing one after the other. The regulars knew me well enough to keep away, when I was in this mood and the newcomers were told quickly enough. And the more adventurous crowd, I managed to scare off with a single glance. The art of the stink eye was one, I had perfected over the years and most people were sensible enough to heed the warning. That was, until the door open around 9 and a foreboding silence filled the tavern. Curious, despite myself, I raised my droopy eyes from my, I didn¡¯t know how many it had been, glass and stared at the door. Within an instant, I was wide awake, anxious, happy and somewhat surprised, all at the same time. Four, or five, depending on whether or not you wanted to count the animal, newcomers had just made their way into the bar and I recognised two of them. The black tailed kitsune and the silver fox on his shoulder, I had seen before, but I couldn¡¯t imagine whatever Mordred might be looking for in this place. Truth be told, I hadn¡¯t expected to see him, ever again. Judging from his expression, he wasn¡¯t here for shits and giggles, though. The two girls he had brought along were a revelation. I¡¯d be lying, if I claimed I had ever seen more beautiful creatures. While I had already known that he was a pretty boy, it had never hit me as hard, since I just didn¡¯t give a shit about the looks of a man. But those two¡­ anyways, they were definitely of the same race, their tails and ears were a dead giveaway and if I had been forced to bet, I would have put my money on one of them being his infamous sister. Probably the dark haired lass. There was something in her posture and her gaze that reminded me of him, but I could just as well have been wrong. Especially with just how¡­ magical they looked. I had never seen a fey before, but with their huge, glowing eyes and the way the light seemed to dance around them, they reminded me of the stories I had heard. No wonder the boy had trouble with his self esteem. I wouldn¡¯t, most likely, have done any better, if I had been in his shoes. Even from a distance, their presence was something I could feel, quite literally, and if magical strength was as highly regarded in their culture as it was in ours, I understood why he had been moping. And then, there was the child. Another kitsune, with a veritable foxtail who seemed about as confused as I felt. She was clinging tightly to the dark haired woman, her eyes roving across everything that caught her fancy, as if she had never been in a tavern before. When she spotted me, she tugged on the hand she was holding and pointed me out, prompting me to act. With a grin, I raised my arm and called out to them: ¡°Mordred, yah rascal! Have yah missed me that much a¡¯ready? Come ¡®ere! Have a drink with us and bring yah ladies along.¡± I didn¡¯t expect much, maybe a wave or a smile, but when their faces turned towards me and the weight of their gazes settled onto my shoulders, I couldn¡¯t help but gulp. Why ever they had come here, it definitely wasn¡¯t for social reasons. For a moment, the thought of running away crossed my mind, but I didn¡¯t think I could have lived with the shame. A mighty fighter, escaping like a weasel from the presence of two girls, a child, and a slip of a boy. I already knew that they could probably wipe the floor with me, but still, I couldn¡¯t very well act like a quivering maiden and keep my reputation in tact, could I? Besides, I hadn¡¯t done nothing to them, so why would they even want to start a fight? Shaking my head, I motioned for the barkeep to add three more glasses to my tab while they slowly made their way through the almost empty tavern. Mordred seemed relaxed and even somewhat glad to see me, but the two girls¡­ their eyes were icy and didn¡¯t waver from mine, not even for a second. Even the child stared at me as if I was some kind of sea urchin or something similarly unworthy. I felt like a rabbit, when the glowing stare of a predator had settled on it, in the dead of the night. Prey, that would be devoured soon enough. Stop it, I chided myself. ¡°You¡¯re Richard,¡± the dark haired one asked when they had come close, her silvery tails swirling trough the air hypnotically, as if she was agitated¡­ or really pissed. Her voice was cute, though. ¡°That¡¯s me. ¡®N who might yah be?¡± I looked from her to Mordred, who gave me a tiny nod. ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra, Mordred¡¯s sister. That¡¯s Ahri, my fianc¨¦e, Reia, my little sister and my brother and you are already acquainted, as far as I know. We¡¯re¡­ looking for John. He¡¯s your brother, isn¡¯t he?¡± Ah, hell no! What had the bastard done now? They didn¡¯t look look like they wanted to share a cup of tea with him and the way Cassandra¡¯s lips had curled when she had spoken his name told me enough to become wary. If they met him, they¡¯d rearrange his features, at the very least. Which put me in a decidedly tough spot. I didn¡¯t want to get on their bad side and if I was only considering my sympathies, I had to admit, the three of them were easily much better company than the moron of a brother, I called my own. Still, blood mattered, didn¡¯t it? ¡°No point in denyin¡¯, ¡®s there? Why? Wha¡¯ daya want from ¡®im?¡± She shrugged and tossed a pendant onto the counter. When I leaned forward, I saw a hammered, broken wheel, made form blackened iron. A shape I had seen before. Most of us, who spent their lives on the streets, had. ¡°We¡¯re looking for information about the pendant and where it¡¯s coming from. I¡¯ve been told, your brother is one of those, who hand them out. I want to know where he gets them and how long he¡¯s already been using them.¡± I gingerly picked up the little thing and cast my gaze around the tavern but no one was stupid enough to listen in, at least openly. Even the dumbest drunk had realised that those three were dangerous and not in the I¡¯m going to beat you senseless kind of way. No sir, we didn¡¯t have much experience with powerful mages, but even a blind man would have felt their presence. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°¡®N that¡¯s it? Just a little talk,¡± I inquired. It was her turn to shrug. ¡°Depends on his answers.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother hiding her intentions, it was plain as day that they¡¯d hurt him, badly, if they didn¡¯t like what he had to say. Sighing, I shoved the little gizmo back at her and folded my arms across my chest. ¡°Sorry, then, ah fear there ain¡¯t much ah can do for yah.¡± Her eyes narrowed but before she could reply, Mordred spoke up: ¡°Richard, please, think again. She¡­ we will get the information, one way or the other. Why don¡¯t we stick to civilised means? Let us buy you a drink, or even a dozen, talk amicably and then, we¡¯ll be out of your hair. There¡¯s no need for anything else, is there?¡± ¡°Are you threatening me, lad,¡± I spluttered, even though it was more for show. Of course he was. Still, my exclamation got the attention of everyone around and the barkeep, Oli, was already reaching for his trusted cudgel, as much good as it was going to do him. Mordred didn¡¯t even bother looking around and simply inclined his head, an almost sad look in his eyes. ¡°Yes, I think I am. Look, this is personal. Very much so. I like you, I really do, but if I have to, I¡¯m going to tear this whole place apart and that¡¯s not even considering what those two,¡± he indicated the two girls, ¡°would do. They don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about you or the rest of the people here and the only reason they¡¯re not already proving my claim is, that they don¡¯t want to show their darker side in front of the child. But trust me, they will, if it becomes necessary.¡± ¡°Ah fear we¡¯re at an impasse then, cuz I ain¡¯t gonna give up me family,¡± I said stubbornly. ¡°Well then, there¡¯s¡­¡± while his sister had spoken, I had felt something like pins and needles crawling all over my skin and her eyes had begun glowing more brightly. I swallowed dryly. ¡°Cassandra, stop.¡± Mordred put an arm on her shoulder and the eerie light in her eyes diminished. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this.¡± He turned to me and asked: ¡°what would it take for you to talk? Money? A promise that we won¡¯t kill your brother?¡± ¡°Both would be a start.¡± I didn¡¯t intend to sell him out, but if I was going to spill the beans, I might as well make some coin off of it. And frankly, I didn¡¯t know but I could image how much trouble it would be, for four magic users to pry into my mind. Still, I wouldn¡¯t give in without a fight. Which made me think¡­ ¡°and a rematch. Ah don¡¯t care if it¡¯s against yah or one of them girls, but if yah can beat me again without yahr magic, ah¡¯ll tell yah, what yah want ter know.¡± He eyed me critically, especially the improvised bandages, I had still wrapped around my arm. ¡°Are you sure? You haven¡¯t even recuperated from our last bout.¡± ¡°Tha¡¯? Tha¡¯ ain¡¯t nothin¡¯. So, how about it? Who of yah is going to get a good kickin¡¯?¡± ¡°No magic? I guess that would be me, then,¡± the platinum blonde announced. It was the first time I had heard her speak. Her voice was smooth and velvety, like silk, but still imposing, regal. ¡°Ahri, wasn¡¯t it? If yah insist. But ah gotta warn yah, I ain¡¯t gonna go easy on yah, girl or not.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, either way,¡± she replied with a steely smile that showed her sharp canines. ¡°Cuz I won¡¯t, either.¡± Mordred looked at me with something close to pity in his eyes. I tried to ignore his stare and asked brusquely: ¡°Now, we know wha¡¯ happens if yah beat me, but if ah beat yah, what then?¡± ¡°Name your price,¡± Casandra answered immediately, without hesitation. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± ¡°A wish then,¡± I said. ¡°Once ah¡¯ve thought of somethin¡¯, ah¡¯ll tell yah.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Mordred told me, ¡°A fair warning, though, she¡¯s much better than I am or most likely ever will be. You don¡¯t really stand a chance.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about tha¡¯. Come on then, lass. The ring¡¯s over there. Give us a good show, will yah?¡± ¡°With pleasure. No scratching, biting or tattling to mommy, though,¡± she said with a teasing smile. Normally, I¡¯d have answered with my fist, but it didn¡¯t struck me as the best idea to start a fight without any rules. I¡¯d just have to deal with it. It probably wasn¡¯t going to get any better, once the lass had wiped the floor with me, anyways. And I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to truly believe in another outcome. I¡¯d still try my best, of course, but if she really was that good¡­ I hadn¡¯t even managed to beat the boy, now, had I? Well, maybe I was going to get lucky. And if not¡­ at least I had tried to put up a fight before handing over my good for nothing brother. ¡°Jus¡¯ ter be clear, then. Ah win, ah get a wish. Yah win, ah get a promise yah won¡¯t kill ¡®im and a sack of coin, then ah¡¯ll tell yah where the mongrel is hidin¡¯.¡± ¡°Sounds about right,¡± Cassandra replied. ¡°Will your friends,¡± she circled her head, indicating the screamingly quiet tavern, ¡°also be able to live with our agreement?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll have ter, don¡¯t yah boys?¡± A resounding aye was my response and old Oli started cleaning his glasses again, his hands well away from the club under the counter. Quickly enough, everyone present slouched over to the improvised fight rigging. There were no bets going on, yet, since the bookie wasn¡¯t around, but as the always active entrepreneur, Oli seized the chance and got a pool going. From what I could hear, while I made my way across the floor, the odds weren¡¯t in my favour. Not that I begrudged them their assessment, I wouldn¡¯t have put my money on me, either. Especially after the last time, I had tried my luck against a kitsune. Within minutes, the slip of a girl was facing me across the creaking, dirty planks, while the crowd around us slowly became agitated. Only the kitsune remained quiet, silently watching the proceeding from one corner. None of the other patrons had dared come close to them, so they could watch in relative peace and quiet. Good for them, the patrons that was. I couldn¡¯t imagine, the beast kin would have appreciated a half drunk bozo approaching them and how they would have reacted was for anyone to guess. But I imagined a friendly conversation wouldn¡¯t have been it. More likely, there would have been another fight that hadn¡¯t been properly announced. ¡°Yah ready,¡± I asked and tossed away the filthy bandages, pickled in every drink I had had. ¡°I am. Last chance, are you sure you want to do this,¡± the lass asked. Her voice was incredibly low, but I could still understand her perfectly. The others hadn¡¯t, though, except the fox kin. ¡°Yep. Ain¡¯t no way in hell ah¡¯m givin¡¯ up me brother without a fight and this way, yah can get what yah need and ah can still look into a mirror. Ah¡¯ll still give it all ah have, though. Don¡¯t take me lightly, lass.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never dream of it,¡± she said and then, she flashed across the distance, separating us, faster than the eye could follow. Her foot connected with my already damaged elbow, sending tendrils of liquid fire through my arm. Grunting, I whirled around and tried to catch her, once I managed to drag her to the ground, my weight and strength should provide me with a considerable advantage, but my fist closed around empty air. She had already retreated, her steps light and fluid, like a dancer¡¯s. ¡°Yah¡¯ re even faster than the boy, aren¡¯t yah,¡± I mumbled and caught my balance. ¡°But that won¡¯ be enough.¡± Puffing like an enraged ox, I stomped towards her, arms outstretched. For all intent and purposes, it looked like I wanted to grab her again, but in reality, I expected her to easily dodge to the side, which would position her perfectly for a devastating kick to the middle. To my chagrin, she didn¡¯t react as I had expected. Instead of slipping away, she caught my arm and somehow slithered through my guard, her knee connecting with my chest. I was winded in an instant but now, she was directly in front of me. Grinning like a mad men, I swung my arms forward to trap her in a bear hug. Once I had her, all her speed would be for naught and I¡¯d be able to squeeze the life from her limbs, at my leisure. But yet again, I was foiled. I felt her tails brushing against my legs and then, she pulled. She didn¡¯t manage to trip me, but the resistance was enough for her to slide through, in between my legs. Once behind me, her slender arm snaked around my neck, choking me. My blood thundered in my ears, like a drumbeat, while a sweeter fragrance, almost like pine trees, entered my nostrils. 226. Of taverns, brothers and a little bit of family Cassandra Pendragon The spectacle, the oversized human and Ahri were making of themselves, drew the attention of everyone around. I, myself, had trouble not staring like a child on Christmas, after all, it wasn¡¯t everyday that you could watch a beautiful girl dance around a lumbering brute and dismantle him in a display of grace and agility. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t indulge, there was still a conversation I needed to have. Leaning down, I whispered in Reia¡¯s ear: ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll be back in a minute. Don¡¯t move, or I¡¯m never going to take you along, again.¡± She nodded obediently, but her reassurance was worth about as much as a gambler¡¯s promise. ¡°I mean it,¡± I hissed. Standing back up, I tapped my brother on the shoulder and extracted my hand from hers. Over the dull impacts of flesh hitting flesh I asked him to keep an eye on the vixen and made my way to the counter. The barkeep¡¯s eyes had flashed to me, as soon so I had moved. ¡°What can I do you for,¡± he asked, shrouded in a cloud of alcoholic vapours and stale sweat. ¡°It¡¯s a little early for me, but I could use your help, either way. You¡¯ve been living here for a while, I take it? I¡¯m looking for a¡­ Damn it, this is more embarrassing than I expected. I want to take my girl somewhere nice and when I spoke to the only local I know, the only places he could come up with were either the brothels with the most beautiful girls or the taverns with the cheapest ale. Neither struck me as even remotely suitable. Do you, by any chance, have a better idea?¡± His eyebrows rose until they almost vanished beneath his already sparse hairline. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you wanted to know?¡± I nodded, hesitantly. ¡°Don¡¯t make it worse than it is. I¡¯d also rather not ask the owner of such a¡­ fine establishment, but here I am and I¡¯m running out of time. So¡­ any recommendations?¡± ¡°Maybe, depends.¡± ¡°On what, exactly?¡± ¡°What you¡¯ve got in your pockets. I could recommend any number of seedy places, for free, but you¡¯ve already made it clear that¡¯s not what you¡¯re looking for. For a coin, or two, I¡¯m sure I could remember the name and address of¡­ more sophisticated entertainment.¡± His language was surprisingly accurate, without even the hint of an accent. I pulled a gold coin from the depths of my cloak and placed it slowly on the counter. ¡°Nothing¡¯s free, is it,¡± I grumbled and kept my hand over the blinking metal. ¡°I assume I¡¯m paying you almost as much as the evening is going to cost me. This better be worth it.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry,¡± he reassured me with a smirk and slapped my hand away, the coin vanishing behind the counter, the fraction of a second later. ¡°For someone of your rather expensive tastes, I¡¯d recommend the ¡°Silver Swan¡±. It¡¯s run by one of the Captains and she makes sure, her customers can enjoy a peaceful evening with music, fine wine and exquisite meals. Other entertainment is also provided, but very discreetly. And trust me, with one gold coin, you won¡¯t get very far. I hope you¡¯ve got a few more, where that one came from, otherwise you¡¯re wasting your time. And mine, I might add.¡± I didn¡¯t bother with an answer and watched Ahri skilfully weave around Richard, her quick, powerful jabs hitting his joints in rapid succession. ¡°Which one is running the ¡°Silver Swan¡±, anyways,¡± I finally asked, when Richard¡¯s knees buckled. ¡°One of our own, Lady Kirena. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of her. She¡¯s a fine woman, but dangerous like a typhoon, when crossed.¡± I had. Alassara had told me a bit, about an hour earlier. ¡°Only the most superficial descriptions. Anything you¡¯d like to share?¡± He pointedly looked at my pockets and I grudgingly obliged, producing another glittering coin. Once he had taken it, he said: ¡°Let¡¯s see, then. She was one of the finest courtesans this city has ever had the pleasure to accommodate. For a few years, she collected the attention and admiration of the rich and powerful, like others would collect baubles. When she was certain of her connections, she set out on her own, opening a handful of expensive brothels. Over time, the information her girls gathered made her powerful in her own right, until she demanded a seat at the table. As far as I know, she was laughed out the door the first time. In the coming weeks, the dealings of every Captain who had denied her became public. Vices, smuggling routes, secrets of treason and treachery¡­ when she asked again, she was welcomed with open arms. Ever since, her influence has only grown. There isn¡¯t much going on in this city, without her knowing.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ tell me, is she, by any chance, also visiting the ¡°Silver Swan¡±, from time to time?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Probably, but if you¡¯re interested in her itinerary, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to help you. When you¡¯re there, you can, of course, ask around, but don¡¯t expect answers. On the contrary, she¡¯s most likely going to hear about it, the very moment you leave.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m counting on it. Very much so. Thanks, you¡¯ve been tremendously helpful.¡± I turned my attention back to the fight, just in time to see Richard finally hit the floor, groaning. His knees and elbows were swollen, the skin already turning a marvellous shade of red. As far as I could tell, she hadn¡¯t maimed him, but it would take a while, before he could do more than limp around. And judging from the weird bend to some of his fingers, he wouldn¡¯t be holding a mug in his own, either, for the next few days. He was a tough bastard, I had to give him that. Most people would be crying uncle by now, but he only squirmed a little and even managed to smile at her crookedly, through the trickle of blood that ran from his nose. The tavern exploded with applause. ¡°Damn, lass, yah didn¡¯t lie. Ah give, ah don¡¯t even think, ah can get up on me own. Why don¡¯t yah lend us a hand?¡± Smiling, she gingerly helped him to his feet and escorted him to his seat, just a step away from where I was standing. ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on breaking your fingers, but when you caught my wrist, I didn¡¯t know how to get out of your grip.¡± ¡°¡®S fine,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Truth be told, ah¡¯m glad yah broke somethin¡¯, otherwise ah wouldn¡¯t have had anything to show for me troubles. If anyone asks, ah can truthfully say, ah fought to the bitter end. No need to apologise. So, here we are, then. Ah believe, yah own me a bag of gold and a promise, then I¡¯ll talk.¡± Ahri and I shared a look and she said, for the two of us: ¡°I promise, we won¡¯t kill your brother when we find him. I¡¯m not saying we won¡¯t hurt him, but he¡¯ll walk away in one piece.¡± The faint stirring of her power was imperceptible to the mortals, but I felt it quite clearly. To my surprise, an echo of her promise slithered through our connection and nestled itself around my core. The girl had even more influence over me, than I had thought. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Tha¡¯ll do, except¡­¡± without further ado, I slid a bag of coin across the counter, its heavy contents chiming merrily when he stopped it with his forearm, wincing at the impact. ¡°Now then, me brother, he¡¯s got a home, not far from here, but yah won¡¯t find him there. When he¡¯s not out and abou¡¯, he usually spends his gold at a place called the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±. Run by an ugly old hag, goes by the name of Madame Sinis.¡± I had to suppress a startled yelp. That was the very tavern, Pete had wanted to go to ask around for my family, when they had been taken. ¡°Drugs, girls, ev¡¯rythin¡¯ yah might desire, yah¡¯ll find there. Now, ¡®s far as Ah know, he¡¯s made some coin last night ¡®n ah¡¯m willin¡¯ ter bet, he¡¯s spendin¡¯ it there, righ¡¯ abou¡¯ now.¡± I nodded my thanks and studied him closely, before I pulled out a second, smaller pouch. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll use it like that, but that should be enough for a decent doctor and maybe even some magic to set your bones. Call it an investment. Next time we meet, I¡¯d rather not go through the trouble of another fight.¡± He grinned lopsidedly. ¡°Can¡¯t remember you fightin¡¯, lass, but the money¡¯s appreciated. Take care and¡­ do come back, if yah have the time. Might wanna tell me what this has been all about.¡± ¡°I will. Maybe we can even have a drink in peace. I¡¯m buying, of course.¡± ¡°No need,¡± he jingled his new purse, ¡°Ah¡¯ve come into a bit of money, recently, yah know? Wouldn¡¯t mind spending it in the company o¡¯ people Ah actually like. Good huntin¡¯, Ahri, Cassandra. Mordred, it¡¯s been a pleasure. Before yah go, though, mind tellin¡¯ me, why yah brought a kid along? Doesn¡¯t seem like the place to bring a young girl.¡± ¡°She wants to travel with us,¡± I shrugged, ¡°and as strange as it might seem, this is still one of the more¡­ flavoursome places, we might end up in. Besides, I told you it was personal. She¡¯s my sister and she has much right of being there as any of us.¡± He cocked an eyebrow, the movement drawing the swelling skin on his face into a strange grimace. ¡°Dunno if ah want ter know what yah mean, but I wish yah luck, none the less¡­ just don¡¯t kill me brother. Yah promised, remember?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret,¡± I replied evenly, ¡°we don¡¯t break our promises, ever. He¡¯ll be¡­ alive. Goodbye, Richard. I wish you a speedy recovery.¡± ¡°Good bye, may we meet again, preferably under more favourable circumstances.¡± Only when we had left, did I realise that his last sentence had been devoid of his usual southern drawl. Oh well, everyone guarded a secret or two, and I was willing to bet, the man mountain was no exception. ¡°You alright,¡± I asked Ahri. ¡°Did he hit you?¡± She snorted in response and wrapped her tails around my leg. ¡°As if. He¡¯s not bad and he¡¯s got talent, but that¡¯s not enough. I¡¯m surprised though, how did you manage to beat him, Mordred? He isn¡¯t much worse and definitely stronger.¡± ¡°Stubbornness and a healthy amount of masochism,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°You can either win by being better or by being prepared to take more damage. For me, it was the latter. Plus, mom was watching, so there was no way in the nine hells, I¡¯d have allowed the brute to best me. I wouldn¡¯t have heard the end of it, until my dying day. Provided the magical fox, turned by transcendent forces, outlives me, but I assume that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that,¡± my mom projected. ¡°I¡¯ve no intention of outliving my children.¡± ¡°With her,¡± he pointed at me, ¡°that¡¯s pretty much assured, but with me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she growled. ¡°I¡¯ve already left your father behind, I¡¯m not going to bury you, as well. Neither you, nor Cassy, nor Arthur, nor you, Reia. Should it ever come to that, I¡¯ll find a way or I¡¯ll die trying and that¡¯s a promise.¡± Silvery light ignited behind her eyes and a swarm of sparks danced around her small figure before they settled into her skin, just above her heart. ¡°Will you look at that,¡± I said, torn between affection and a distinct unease at her promise, ¡°you should be careful, mom. Your word is just as binding as my own. Don¡¯t give it lightly.¡± ¡°I know and I never have. Trust me, nothing I¡¯ve said is anything less than the truth. Anyways, we¡¯ve got an address, now, so what¡¯s the plan?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Drinks in another seedy tavern? Find John and shake him for all he¡¯s worth? We¡¯re only here to confirm that Captain Nightshade actually is the one behind the mercenaries, wearing the Broken Wheel crest, before we pay him a visit. I don¡¯t care much about his goons, one way or the other. Still, while we¡¯re at it, we might try to impress upon the patrons just how bad of an idea it is to mess with our people.¡± ¡°You promised to let the only one, who might have a modicum of responsibility, walk, remember,¡± my brother interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no point in beating up henchmen, is there?¡± ¡°Probably not, but it might just make me feel better, and I didn¡¯t promise to not touch him. Only that he¡¯d survive. There¡¯s a difference.¡± ¡°Semantics, unless you want to torture him. You don¡¯t, do you?¡± I inhaled deeply, the morning air, laced with the scents of the city, was deceptively warm, but I could still smell the oncoming change in the weather. There¡¯d be another storm, soon. ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I said, while I tried to make heads and tails of the confusing maze of small, winding alleys, that should lead us to the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, already clogged with humans. By the gods, I hated cities. They were full, noisy, smelly and not to forget, dangerous. ¡°But I do intend to scare him senseless. The last thing I want is him, trying to reach out to his Captain, before we had the chance to meet up with Nightshade. I¡¯ll make sure that won¡¯t happen. If it means dear John will spend the next day unconscious, so be it.¡± ¡°And I always thought I had a nasty streak,¡± Mordred mumbled, ¡°but you sure are taking to violence like a fish to water.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. Be careful, Cassandra. You¡¯re behold to nothing and no one, but your own conscience. Tread carefully or it might lead you astray.¡± ¡°And what am I,¡± Ahri interrupted heatedly. ¡°A bloody dream? I said I¡¯d keep her safe, that includes protecting her from her own stupidity.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to be thankful or mildly annoyed,¡± I murmured thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore and while I appreciated your concern, I¡­¡± I felt a tug on my hand and lowered my head. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Reia whispered in my ear. ¡°It¡¯s funny to see you deal with my problems, once in a while, but let it rest. They¡¯re not trying to patronise you, they¡¯re worried and truth be told, so am I. You¡¯re acting callous and I know that¡¯s not who you are. Just because you think the world needs to see you as invincible¡­ it doesn¡¯t mean you have to be. We¡¯re your family. You can trust us, always. Even with the things that might make you weak. Especially with those.¡± Damn it, the last thing I had wanted, was to receive sound advice from my baby sister. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try. Remind me again, when I forget?¡± She nodded with a smile. I straightened and acquiesced: ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind, but I¡¯m not out for blood, truthfully, at least not the blood of those, who weren¡¯t involved in what happened to our home. Let¡¯s just have a friendly chat and see how it goes, shall we? I can¡¯t imagine the Captains were able to cultivate the loyalty of their people. Their fear and respect, maybe, but I don¡¯t think those will prevent John from talking.¡± Mordred was visibly relieved at my assurance that I wouldn¡¯t be looking for a reason to punish John. A bit surprising, considering how he had behaved before, but he probably really wanted to turn over a new leaf. Which also included a more levelheaded approach to problems, apparently. Our conversation became much lighter afterwards and for a while, I almost managed to convince myself, that we were a normal family, enjoying the early morning sun in a busy city. Not that I¡¯d have chosen Free Land for a vacation spot, but strolling through the streets and watching the last taverns close up and the first restaurants open for the morning crowds, the music of vibrant life, sung by quarrelling traders, cussing barkeeps, shouting seamen and playing children, still felt homely. It reminded me of the weekly markets on Boseiju, when almost everyone had been out and about, exchanging news and looking for a bargain. I hadn¡¯t been allowed to go too often, but I had still enjoyed the few occasions, I had been able to convince my parents to let me visit, immensely. In the soft, rosy light, even the ugly parts of the city weren¡¯t enough to drown out the similarities. Chaos and commotion were as intriguing around here, as they had been back home. 227. Of beasts, curses and a little bit of impertinence Cassandra Pendragon We followed a meandering path, past blacksmiths and butchers, carpenters and bakers, steadily moving away from the harbour. The ¡°Gilded Dream¡± wasn¡¯t as close to the cliffs as Richard¡¯s tavern and the further away we got, the more sturdy and well kept the buildings appeared, but the throng of humans didn¡¯t lessen. We had to dodge couriers and workers, families and beggars, all of the, staring after us, either with curiosity or lust, while wooden shacks and windswept houses slowly turned into clean homes of greyish granite and the overflowing gutter vanished underneath stone slabs, which even managed to suppress the offensive smell. Partly, at least. Reia was captivated by the sights, as the traders and merchants, who kept to a less nocturnal schedule, opened their shops for the day, the intriguing smell of spices merging with the colourful sights of expensive cloths and shining weapons. Ahri had taken it upon herself to answer every question the kid came up with and the two of them were mostly rushing from one side of the road to the other, chatting and giggling like schoolgirls on an outing, but they never left my sight. In the meantime, I focused on my connection to Viyara, the dragoness had reestablished the link when I had visited her earlier. Unfortunately, the lazy lizard was deeply asleep and it took me several minutes of constant, mental screaming to get her to open her eyes. I didn¡¯t know what she and Aurelia had been up to, but she was sleeping the sleep of the just and wasn¡¯t at all amused at my early intrusion. Grinning, I pointed out what conclusions one might arrive at, considering her behaviour. Surprisingly, that didn¡¯t endear me to her any further and she almost severed the link. I still managed to persuade her to look for Pete. He had mentioned that he knew Madame Sinis, even considered her a friend, in a way, and since we were headed for her establishment, his presence might come in handy. Grumpily, she promised to find and escort him, assuring me that she¡¯d be there within the hour. Which left us with quite a bit of time on our hands. Time we could use, to indulge Reia¡¯s curiosity. I, of course, wasn¡¯t enamoured with the marvellous sights. If it had been up to me, I would have stoically waited somewhere hidden, out of the way¡­ A two storey building, with occupied cages behind barred windows, caught my attention. I thought of the winged snake, I was still carrying around in my stamp. Not even Mephisto had know what species it belonged to and maybe, just maybe, the owner of an exotic pet shop might be able to tell me, what I was dealing with. But that wasn¡¯t all of it. My skin was tingling and I just felt like paying the small menagerie a visit. Maybe I had seen something strange, without realising. While the others were investigating a smithy, two doors further down the road, I entered the dimly lit place. As soon as I opened the creaking door, a cacophony of noises, crowing, scratching, rustling and hissing, assaulted my ears and the earthy smell of wet fur and animal food wafted around my nose. There wasn¡¯t much to see, though. The cages on display were hidden behind heavy, dark red curtains and not a single beast was visible. An oaken counter blocked the way deeper into the shop, its surface marred by uncounted accidents with fang and claw. In the back, I could just about make out a staircase that led to the basement and upper floors, its steps worn and old. A chandelier, sporting a handful of flickering candles, was the only source of light, the wavering flames emphasising the abandoned atmosphere. ¡°Hello,¡± I called out, my voice barely able to surpass the ruckus, coming from behind the curtains and the basement. ¡°Is anybody here?¡± ¡°Just a mo¡¯,¡± a gnarly, deep voice responded. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a second. Oh my, it¡¯s not often I get customers this early in the day.¡± Before the last word had trailed off, the stairs creaked ominously and a sturdy leather boot appeared. A second later, an old human, about my size but with shoulders as wide as mountains and a considerable belly slowly made his way downstairs. He didn¡¯t have much hair left and judging from the white, cataract filled eyes, he was blind as a mole. Apparently, it didn¡¯t bother him, though. He nimbly took the stairs, two at a time, and before I had been able to fully take in his unusual appearance, he was wearing a wide, flowing, brown robe and a feathered, purple fedora, he already extended his hand, ready to welcome me. When we shook, his voluminous lips spread in an honest smile, showing off an impressive amount of missing teeth. ¡°Welcome, stranger, to ¡°Zuma¡¯s¡±, that¡¯s me, by the way, ¡°Menagerie¡±. What can I do for you? Are you interested in the fine specimen of our local populations or should it be something more exotic?¡± ¡°I¡­ honestly, I didn¡¯t come here to buy. I was hoping you¡¯d be willing to help me out with a rare species I¡¯ve encountered. I¡¯ve never seen nor heard of something similar and I just thought¡­¡± ¡°Sure. Do you have it with you?¡± I shook my head, before I remembered that he couldn¡¯t see. I shrugged helplessly and said: ¡°No, I don¡¯t. But I could try to describe it. It¡¯s about as long as your arm, a small snake with azure scales, bright as sapphires, and three sets of feathered wings. They¡¯re attached at regular intervals, one set just behind the head, the second one close to its middle and the last near its tail. I think it¡¯s a really old creature, maybe even magical and if I was to make a bet, I¡¯d say it comes from somewhere around here. Not this island, exactly, but one close by.¡± He scratched his head and frowned. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe¡­ I can¡¯t say I know what you mean, from the top of my head, but for a small fee, I could let you have a look at my bestiaries. They aren¡¯t of much use to me, anymore, but with a little luck, you might find a description of your mythical creature.¡± ¡°How does a gold coin sound,¡± I immediately asked. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s plenty. Come along then and do try to stay away from the curtains, I haven¡¯t had a chance to feed the rascals yet, and they¡¯re a bit cranky. No reason to disturb them, before they had their breakfast.¡± He slouched off towards the counter and rummaged around in the shadows before he produced a heavy, leather bound volume, easily twice as large as my head. The smell of old parchment and dust welled up, when he heaved it onto the counter, one of his hands still firmly placed on top of it. He motioned with the other and I forked over the promised money. I had no idea how he actually knew that I was really handing over gold, but he seemed satisfied and pushed the book towards me. ¡°That¡¯s Faera¡¯s Almanac of Creatures. The most excessive compilation of different beasts, I know of. Go ahead, just skim through. I imagine your snake will either be listed with the magical creatures or the winged ones. If you can¡¯t find it in here, there are a couple of other works I have in my basement, but they¡¯re much more specialised and we might have to search for a while. With a little luck, it won¡¯t be necessary, though.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. As I carefully flicked through the aged and yellowed pages, I asked: ¡°who was Faera?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve never met her, I might be old, but not that old. I¡¯ve only heard rumours. She was an elf, supposedly, and spent almost all of her time, after the first sky ship had been built, flying around and studying the fauna on every island she encountered. From bears to bats, from horses to hyenas, she wrote down every little detail. Where she encountered them, what she knew of them, if they were rare or common¡­ whatever question you might have, as long as she stumbled across your species, your bound to find your answers in here.¡± I was only glancing at the pages, but judging from what I saw, he was right. Page after page, column after column, the behaviour and characteristic of every animal I could think of were meticulously documented. Some entries had obviously been used more than others, the ink barely visible under fingerprints and small cracks in the parchment, the amazingly detailed pictures of the beasts blurry and smudged. I would have loved to take my time and study every creature Faera had encountered, but I couldn¡¯t imagine my host would appreciate me standing here, for hours on end. Regretfully, I flicked through the book until I saw the first depiction of a flying beast, some kind of bird with flame red feathers and a forked tail. I slowed down considerably, afterwards, making sure I wouldn¡¯t skip a single page. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t find what I was looking for. A few times, I thought I had it, but none of them had the feathered wings I so vividly remembered, nor the crystalline, azure scales. Shrugging, I leafed through the rest of the tome, searching for the entries on magical beasts. Near the end, about 50 pages were dedicated to the variety of paranormal animals Faera had known about and I simply had to read through a few of them. Especially the creatures, indigenous to the vast forests of the Emerald Island, caught my fancy, since we were going to go there, next. The eponymous Emerald Bear, a giant but shy predator with a sparkling, green coat, gryphons, who nested on the highest mountain tops, their claws made of mana infused bone, the death viper, a minuscule snake, whose bite was poisonous enough to kill even one of the dire wolfs, stealthy monsters, who thrived in the shadows, below the ancient trees. Somewhere down the line Zuma left to feed his beasts. From the corner of my eye, I saw him open the curtains, a bucket with fresh meat in his hand. The noises became even worse, punctuated by ravenous cries. There was a cage, filled with slithering snakes, another one contained absurdly large spiders and a third, half filled with water, colourful toads. The giant bats, not nearly large enough to be ridden, but still impressively voluminous, were the worst, though. They still fit snugly into a cupboard sized cage and judging from the silk leash they had tied around their dexterous claws, they were even allowed to fly freely from time to time, but they were still surprisingly big. I had already seen their eggs on sale in the market, but the adolescent version, Zuma kept in his shop, was far more remarkable. And smelly. I had never before been assaulted by a comparable stench. With the curtains closed, their miasma had been a part of the animal scent, that had greeted me, but now¡­ I nearly wretched and quickly focused back on the book. Near the end, I finally found, what I had been looking for. A whole section was dedicated to creatures, Faera had never met but heard of and my feathered friend was among them. Crudely sketched and with almost no information, but there he was, blue scales and all. Agitated, I skimmed through the text and my eyes widened. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t an animal, after all. The paragraph read: Of all the peculiar myths that have survived from our ancient past, none seems more absurd than the ¡°transformatio animalis¡±, a ritualistic punishment, reserved for the most noble of the elvish bloodlines. Those who couldn¡¯t be executed, for either political or personal reasons, were supposedly turned into animals, their own magic burned to fuel the transformation. It is said, they retained their spirit and their personality, but their bodies were unchangeably altered. A snake with sapphire like scales and feathered wings was the result, incapable of performing even the most mundane magic, since their powers were bound to the body itself. Their appearance is supposedly unique, so that every elf might recognise them on sight and do with them as he pleases. Along with their transformation, they also became outlaws and some claim, that many a royal has spent his last years in a literal gilded cage, unable to do more than watch and lament his cruel existence. In all my travels, I have never encountered even a single one of them and none I spoke to could remembered ever having heard more than legends. I am not convinced, that they truly exist, but I¡¯ve heard the story told much too often to ignore the possibility that somewhere, somewhen, one of them might appear. Should you, dear reader, ever stumble across a similar creature, it stands to reason that you¡¯re not, in fact, confronted with a magical beast, but an elf, who has been transformed for real or perceived crimes against our people. To my knowledge, the transformation is irreversible, the magic needed lost to the tides of time. Maybe there is proof or even a description of the ritual with our royal family, but I am not well enough connected to even ask. I swallowed dryly and closed the heavy cover with a dull thud. Zuma immediately shuffled over from the window, the almost empty bucket still in hand, and asked: ¡°Have you found what you¡¯ve been looking for?¡± ¡°I¡­ maybe, but if I have, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll know what to do. Did you¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Thank you very much, you¡¯ve been tremendously helpful. Here,¡± I produced another coin and handed it over. ¡°A small token of my appreciation. Should you¡­¡± he waved my hand away. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. If you want to show your gratitude, you could tell me what you found.¡± ¡°I¡­ well, there are several notes on creatures Faera hasn¡¯t encountered but heard of. One of them looks just like the snake I¡¯ve been talking about.¡± ¡°Come on then, don¡¯t play coy. Which one is it?¡± I hesitated, unsure if it was a good idea to tell him, but in the end, I didn¡¯t see the harm. He couldn¡¯t possibly know that I had it with me. ¡°There¡¯s a description of a punishment. The¡­¡± ¡°The ¡°transformatio animalis¡±¡±, he whispered. ¡°I remember.¡± Really, now? Then why hadn¡¯t he recognised the description I had given him earlier? I was fairly certain I hadn¡¯t been too far off the mark. At least close enough for him to realise what I had been on about, provided he really remembered the paragraph. ¡°Don¡¯t frown, my lady, I don¡¯t mean to trick you. Only when you mentioned the punishment,¡± he explained, ¡°did I manage to add two and two together. So¡­ they¡¯re real, then?¡± How did he know I was frowning? If I hadn¡¯t spent so much time with Greta, I would have become even more suspicious, but blind people tended to develop almost supernatural senses. Still¡­ Hesitantly, I replied: ¡°I think so. I don¡¯t know for sure and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever find out, unless I¡¯m lucky enough to stumble across the same beast again, but it¡¯s just too similar to be a coincidence. The drawn picture¡­ it¡¯s almost identical. I really think I¡¯ve met one of the turned.¡± ¡°Would you tell me where? Lost and exiled elven royalty is the stuff of legends. I¡¯d really like to know where you met one of them. It can¡¯t have been too far away, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have thought it was a species, indigenous to one of the closer islands.¡± I bit my lip, uncertain of how to respond. The longer we talked, the more difficult it became to skirt around the truth. ¡°I¡­ In flight, actually. We had been blown off course by the storm a few days ago and when the weather finally calmed down, we were lost. We sailed for days before our captain recognised a small island and was able to chart our course again. I spent a few hours on deck, enjoying the sunshine, and in the morning light, I saw something sparkle. At first, I thought it was a bird but then¡­ I know a little magic myself and when I used a simple scrying spell, the winged snake appeared before my inner eye. I only saw it for a moment, though. I think it must have felt the magic or my presence, I don¡¯t know for sure, but from one second to the next, it disappeared into the clouds and I couldn¡¯t find it again.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then pray tell, why is your voice quivering? Are you lying to me?¡± 228. Of blackmail, targets and a little bit of science Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I¡­ all hells, even if I was, it¡¯d be none of your damned business, would it,¡± I replied sharply. ¡°No, I suppose it wouldn¡¯t, but my curiosity is understandable, isn¡¯t it?¡± He didn¡¯t sound contrite, not in the least. ¡°I mean, how often do you hear of the appearance of a creature from the mists of myth and legend?¡± He was carefully putting away his bucket and approached me slowly, his fingers twitching. ¡°Incidentally, you¡¯re not human, either, are you? Since were on topic, what are you, then?¡± ¡°Mightily irritated, that¡¯s what I am. How on Gaya did you come to think, I¡¯d answer that?¡± ¡°A bit defensive aren¡¯t, we?¡± He was already close enough to touch me, but I steadfastly refused to back up. ¡°Are you, perhaps, a relative of the enchanted elf? Your voice, your smell¡­ I can just about picture a tall, slender elven princess in front of me.¡± I paused and then I chuckled heartily, my tension evaporating. And here I was, thinking I had, again, stumbled into someone who was much more than he appeared. But no, that guy was just an idiot. A greedy one. ¡°And I assume you¡¯re toying with the idea of maybe abducting me and either selling me on the market, or, if I¡¯m lucky, demand a ransom?¡± Now he was smiling toothlessly. ¡°Oh no, my dear. I was just thinking that, since you so willingly handed me a gold coin, you¡¯re bound to have some more. I can¡¯t imagine you want your story told around here or even on the Emerald Island. I, of course, can stay quiet, but that¡¯s going to cost you.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re actually trying to blackmail me? Maybe you¡¯re not as moronic as I thought, but you¡¯re still so¡­ well, you definitely fit right in, with the others I¡¯ve met. All right, let¡¯s cut to the chase, then. You¡¯re not talking to a lost elven princess, but to a kitsune, you know the species, the Mask belonged to? Incidentally, since we¡¯re on topic, I¡¯m the one who scattered his essence across Free Land, probably curing some of your ailments along the way. I¡¯m on the verge of killing a few of the Captains, one¡¯s already ash, but hey, who¡¯s counting, right? Afterwards, I intend to make sure this lice ridden, good for nothing, hell hole of a place doesn¡¯t fall prey to a literal demon from hell, even if I have to drag your sorry asses, kicking and screaming, along the way. So please, threaten me again. But I assure you, you won¡¯t like the answer.¡± It was almost funny to watch his expression shift, while I spoke. At first, he didn¡¯t believe me, but the minuscule trace of transcendent energy, I eventually used to bolster my voice, convinced him quickly enough. Then, his colour changed. First, he became white like a sheet, then almost green, a bit like a sick frog, and ultimately he turned a marvellous shade of lilac, more like a flower than a human. ¡°I¡­I,¡± he stammered, edging away from me, much too fast to be inconspicuous. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Know,¡± I interrupted him, ¡°think, mean it? Guess what, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve already had a shitty night and being blackmailed by a stupid zookeeper just about takes the biscuit. Shall I show you, how to threaten someone, appropriately? Watch me: you and I are going to browse through your cellar and I¡¯ll decide what I¡¯m going to take, aside from the almanac.¡± I wrapped my knuckles against the book. ¡°Should you, driven by whatever insanity, lie to me, speak about what happened here to another soul or omit anything important, I¡¯m going to drag your blind ass to the harbour and throw you off the cliff. If you¡¯re really lucky, you¡¯ll hit a ship on your way down, but I¡¯ll try to aim properly. Now then, what¡¯s it going to be?¡± His vocabulary hadn¡¯t improved with his current circumstances. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯ll¡­,¡± already peeved, I dashed forward and grabbed him by the collar. ¡°An answer, now, or we¡¯re going to find out, how well humans fly. I don¡¯t really think you have it in you, but it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been wrong. Usually you don¡¯t exceed expectations, though. You fall short by a mile.¡± That got his attention and he immediately started nodding. ¡°Yes. Yes, of course, I¡­ whatever you say.¡± His colour was slowly returning to a paler version of his original tone, but he was sweating profusely. Maybe I had overdone it with the amount of power I had used. But this whole situation was truly infuriating. ¡°I can¡­ do you want gold? I¡¯ve got a few coins up here. There¡¯s not much down there, only a few of my¡­ experiments and some books on alchemy. I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re interested in them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. And experiments? What kind of experiments?¡± If he was going to say hybridisation with sentient species, I¡¯d kill him, for real. Up until now, I had been posturing, but¡­ ¡°I¡¯m crossbreeding the bats. While the largest ones can carry a passenger, when fully grown, they can¡¯t stay airborne for more than half a day. There are much more tenacious species out there and I¡¯m trying¡­,¡± I was only listening halfheartedly. Maybe I was becoming a tad paranoid. ¡°Fine,¡± I interrupted his monologue about bat husbandry. ¡°I still want to see. Go on, then. Lead the way. I want to see your books. I¡¯m a bit of a magpie, myself, maybe you¡¯ve got something that interests me.¡± He wasn¡¯t happy, but a hissed: ¡°now,¡± my voice thrumming with power again, made him move. Much less vigorously than he had made his way down to me, his shoulders stooped and his head hanging low, he lead me past the counter and down the stairs, illuminated by a flickering light at their bottom. The old, wooden steps creaked ominously beneath our feet. Roughly placed stones barely held back the earth and here and there, mouldy spots spread along the walls, like tracery. It was surprisingly cold and my fur rose, whether from the temperature or excitement, I couldn¡¯t say. Every step stirred up swaths of a strange, almost medicinal smell, which had seeped into every brick and plank. A mixture of herbs, thyme, rosemary and valerian, I recognised, paired with blood and excrements. The typical stench I¡¯d have expected, if I had been encroaching on the lair of an evil alchemist. The alchemist in question, luckily, didn¡¯t quite fit the bill. By now, Zuma appeared to have accepted his misfortune and was guiding me with the mien of someone, who had already counted his losses. Without resistance, he waddled down the stairs and opened a rather sturdy door. His¡­ laboratory was a bit of a letdown. Three shabby tables carried a few vials, instruments, lit candles and a plentiful assortment of different herbs, as well as a section, covered with a stained cloth. Cages, filled with small, sleeping bats, were haphazardly piled against the walls, the beasts waking up the very moment my new friend opened the door. Their shrieks seemed to pierce directly through my skull and the echo, thrown back form the staircase, we had just left, made it so much worse. Hissing, I covered my ears and tried to ignore the almost lethal cacophony. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. On first glance, it seemed like Zuma hadn¡¯t lied to me. There was nothing extraordinary or interesting about his cellar and the handful of tomes, I glimpsed amidst the various herbs, were truly nothing I cared for. Judging from the symbols on their covers, at least the ones I recognised, it was basic alchemy and a treatise on reproduction. Slowly, I stepped closer, carefully avoiding the bat droppings on the floor and removed the cloth. What I saw nearly made me retch. A half decayed corpse of a pregnant bat had been meticulously dissected, an unborn embryo clearly visibly amidst its innards. ¡°By the Great Fox, why? How?¡± I whispered. ¡°You can¡¯t even see¡­¡± and I had thought, those bats hatched from eggs. ¡°But I can touch and smell,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m trying to create a new subspecies. Every single one has been born dead. I wanted to know why and thought, maybe, there was something going wrong in the egg. This one was alive, as far as I could tell, but the mother didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°And then you cut her open,¡± I asked, shuddering. ¡°She was already gone and the baby wouldn¡¯t have survived for more than another minute or two. I¡¯ll try again and keep a closer eye on the parent. If I can get her to survive an unnatural pregnancy, I hope the youngling will be healthy as well.¡± ¡°Unnatural? How¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ oh, by the nine hells, I¡¯ve got one artefact, one. Please, don¡¯t take it from me. It¡¯d be useless to you, anyways. It allows me to combine the essence of two species, which can then be introduced, either into an egg or a carrier. I assume, since those bats aren¡¯t naturally equipped to carry their young, the mother died. Next time, I¡¯ll try it with a mammal.¡± There was so much wrong with an artefact like that, I couldn¡¯t even begin to spell it out. But when there¡¯s a useful tool, someone, somewhere will find a way to use it in the most heinous way possible and magic was unbelievably easy to abuse. ¡°I want to see it,¡± I said, more calmly then I actually felt. I wasn¡¯t yet sure if I was going to leave such a tool in the hands of a dubious blackmailer in the murk of Free Land, but I knew one thing for certain. That was the kind of magic, that took ages to learn. I couldn¡¯t even image which spells were needed to make it work, not to mention weaving them into an item. How, on Gaya, did Zuma get his hands on it? He grudgingly replied: ¡°I don¡¯t store it here. It¡¯s upstairs, where I can keep an eye on it.¡± ¡°I see. Where did you get it? You can¡¯t have bought it, it would be worth more than your house.¡± ¡°No need to insult me. And no, I didn¡¯t. I¡­ it was a loan. Look, I would tell you, but the one I got it from scares me more than you. You seem somewhat¡­ restraint. He isn¡¯t. If it¡¯s him or the cliff, I think I¡¯m going to take the cliff.¡± ¡°Really now? Maybe I¡¯ll have to get a bit more creative? Ah, whom am I kidding¡­ I¡¯m not going to stoop that low. Still¡­ you are going to show me the artefact and anything else you¡¯ve got stored away, around here. Otherwise I might just forget myself.¡± Besides, there were only a handful of people with that kind of power and I was willing to bet I could find out which one had been helping him, even without his compliance. I chuckled darkly, partly for the effect, but also because all of this could have been avoided if he just had behaved decently. He¡¯d have made a pretty penny and I wouldn¡¯t have been the wiser. The little things¡­ ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go,¡± I said and propelled him towards the door. Once we reached the ground floor, the nasty smells and headache inducing cries died away and when we climbed up the stairs to, what I assumed, were Zuma¡¯s living quarters, the atmosphere became almost pleasant. Gone were the flickering candle lights, the creepy mould and the rough stones. Instead, sunlight came through small but clean windows, placed beside a well built door with a heavy lock. My guide rummaged in his pockets for a big, iron key. The bolts were sturdy enough, that I could hear them slide aside when he opened up. On the other side, a tidy flat awaited us. Two rooms, separated by a wooden screen, were furnished rather luxuriously. Dark woods, glowing warmly in the morning sun, made the massive cupboard, bed and table appear homely, instead of oppressive. The walls were plastered with shelfs, containing scrolls and trinkets, as well as a surprising amount of dried and fresh flowers which filled the room with a fresh, relaxing smell. Marigold, violets and a variety of lilies made me feel like I had just entered a glen, somewhere in the wilds. Zuma didn¡¯t spare me a further glance and headed directly for a large, oaken chest, shoved against the back wall, just below the largest window. He produced a second, much more finely crafted, key and busied himself unlocking the thing while I carefully stepped closer, still struggling to combine the images of the gruesome laboratory below, his backhanded character and the scenery up here. When he finally pushed open the heavy, reinforced lid, I saw a collection of veritable junk. Broken tokens of his past, letters, damaged instruments and a few sets of fine clothes were jumbled up with vials of rarer ingredients, a few notebooks and a handful of smaller, wooden boxes. He picked one of them and turned around on the spot, arm outstretched. ¡°That¡¯s it. Have a look, but please, don¡¯t destroy it on a whim. You might just as well kill me, then, and get it over with. I¡¯d actually much prefer that outcome to dealing with¡­¡± ¡°Yes? You were saying?¡± ¡°Very funny. Here.¡± The box itself wasn¡¯t remarkable, on first glance. There were no inlaid runes or gilded ornaments, for all intent and purposes, it was just a small, wooden box. As soon as I touched it, though, I had to change my mind. A surge of purple light engulfed me for the fraction of a second and I felt my skin tingle under the magical onslaught. I couldn¡¯t be certain, but I was convinced I had just activated a trap, design to either kill or incapacitated anyone, but the rightful owner, who touched the thing. As the magic dissipated against my skin, the smell of ozone welled up and I couldn¡¯t suppress a crooked smile while Zuma¡¯s expression again raced through a fascinating plethora of emotions. Surprise, fear, uncertainty and finally, undiluted panic. At least I had been right in that regard. I wasn¡¯t supposed to be standing anymore. For a moment, I toyed with the idea of ignoring the whole incident. Seeing how he¡¯d react, if I carried on as if nothing had happened, might be worth it. But then again, I had already warned him and as everyone was taught in politics for beginners 101, following through with threats was the most important part of gaining credibility. Consequently, I allowed a hint of my anger and power to leak into my voice as I said: ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance, exactly one, before I¡¯m going to burn you to a crisp. Who gave you this box? Is there even an artefact inside or was it all made up?¡± He didn¡¯t hear me. ¡°You¡­how¡­what?¡± He wasn¡¯t making much sense but I still got the message. I grinned widely. ¡°I told you. Did you think I¡¯d be waging war against a devil, if I wasn¡¯t able to fight back? You¡¯ve no idea who¡¯s come into your shop, but yet you¡¯ve treated me like a present, all wrapped up for your birthday. I¡¯m done. You were right, I¡¯m not in the habit of using my strength against humans, but for you, I¡¯m truly prepared to make an exception. It¡¯s up to you, now, to convince me not to.¡± ¡°What are you,¡± he finally whispered, his fingers pinched around his arms. ¡°Powerful, more so than your ominous friend. That¡¯s all that should matter to you. Now speak up.¡± ¡°I¡­ yes, it is in there,¡± he finally replied, defeatedly. ¡°Open it, you¡¯ll see. As for who gave it to me¡­ I don¡¯t know his name, just as I don¡¯t know yours. He came into my shop, claimed he had heard about my studies and wanted to help. I was suspicious, of course, but his insights were priceless. A few visits later, he already knew his way around my cellar and when he offered me the device,¡± he gestured towards the box, ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist. It came at a price, of course. Ever since, I¡¯ve been working for him, much more so than for myself.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe, you didn¡¯t find out who he truly is, in all that time,¡± I stated darkly, while I carefully opened the wooden box. Inside, I saw a syringe, nestled onto a bed of crimson velvet. The runes, I had expected on the outside, had been carved into the lid, but their power was spent and they only shimmered dully. Those on the glass of the instrument, though, crackled with energy. Spiral upon spiral, they circle around the corpus, a testament to the skill and strength of the one who had created it. 229. Of research, weapons and a little bit of trust Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Impressive,¡± I mumbled, my eyes glued to the syringe. ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°If you want to know the spells and theory behind the artefact, I can¡¯t help you. As for how to use it: you see the small wheel on the side? It has three settings. The etched triangle and circle indicate extraction from either the father or mother and the third, plain, one injects the essence into a carrier. It¡¯s actually surprisingly simple for what it does.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­ can it be used on every species?¡± ¡°You mean sentients, don¡¯t you? In theory, I think so. There shouldn¡¯t be much of a difference, but I haven¡¯t tried. I imagine the presence of magic might interfere with the enchantments, though.¡± ¡°The silver lining¡­ still, you haven¡¯t answered my question. You¡¯ve never tried to find out who your mysterious benefactor is?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Of course I have. Just until I¡¯ve been warned off, vehemently. But I could hazard a guess. A profound one. Have you heard of Captain Blackthorne? He¡¯s one of the two leaders we have, who was actually born and raised in Free Land. He was a gladiator, bred to live and die by the whims of others, but he survived.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him, but not more than the usual gossip. What are you getting at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said, he met someone during his time in the fighting pits. An artificer of enough knowledge and power to ensure his survival. Once he had fought his way to freedom, he came back for the man who helped him. Together, they managed to rise to power in a quick and bloody struggle. Now, I¡¯ve never truly put much stock in the word on the street, but it¡¯s hard to discredit rumours you¡¯ve seen proven, right before your eyes. Especially when Blackthorne¡¯s thugs warn you off with a few punches to the gut. There you have it. And now, I¡¯m a dead man walking, should you ever breath a single word of what I¡¯ve told you to another soul.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I will. In that regard, you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about. But I do wonder¡­ what¡¯s in it for him? Why would he, whether it¡¯s the mage or the Captain, take such in interest in your work?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he¡¯s trying to find an alternative to airships? The elves hold a monopoly on flying stones, I can¡¯t imagine that sits well with the local powers. Though, now that I come to think of it¡­ there¡¯s something¡­ they¡¯ve shown quite an interest in extracting the essence of things, already dead. Most of my earlier research was dedicating to harvesting deceased animals. It wasn¡¯t easy, but I found a way.¡± He paused, when he heard my sharp intake of breath. ¡°It sounds like you might know why. Care to tell me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will. You can¡¯t tell what you don¡¯t know and as much as I dislike you, I¡¯m not going to endanger your life carelessly. If I¡¯m going to take it, it¡¯ll be on purpose... I¡¯m sure your ominous benefactor comes by regularly to check on your work. Do you know when he¡¯ll return?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. Sometimes he comes by twice a week and then, I don¡¯t see him again for over a month. The last time was a few days ago. Incidentally, it was the very same day you¡­¡± ¡°Turned the Mask into stardust and memories?¡± ¡°Yes, that. How¡­ I can¡¯t see, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid of me ratting you out. You could tell me who you are, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I probably would have, if you hadn¡¯t been such an ass. I¡¯m not going to tell you my name, though, at least for now, but I can tell you this much: I¡¯m the bringer of light and for good or ill, I¡¯m going to try and illuminate the shadows, you all have been hiding in, for far too long.¡± I imagined most people would have been laughed out the door, sprouting cheesy nonsense like that, but I had already put the fear of god in him, with just my voice alone and he wasn¡¯t going to question me now. ¡°You¡¯re either a raving lunatic, who¡¯s going to find a bloody end, sooner rather than later, or you might just be what we need. I¡­ for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry, but a young woman, coming into this store with a fabulous tale and gold to throw around¡­ I had to take the chance.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You gave me a gold coin, only to look at a book. Do you know how many people around here even possess a single one of those? Not too many, let me tell you. And you just gave it away¡­ I still assume you¡¯ve got a treasure stashed away somewhere and the risk was worth it. I couldn¡¯t have imagined that I would run into one of the few archmages, this town has ever seen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that makes it any better, but I already figured you were a greedy bastard with dubious morals. And that I probably shouldn¡¯t have shown you my money. Oh well, I¡¯m not going to throw you into the ocean, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about, but you¡¯re still an ass.¡± ¡°Duly noted. And I am, but only when there¡¯s a reason to be. Most of us try to get by with a modicum of decency, but it¡¯s not easy, in a place like Free Land. I didn¡¯t even commit a crime by blackmailing you, not even if I had tried to take your money by force, at least not by our standards.¡± ¡°I know. Which, again, doesn¡¯t make it any better. I dare not imagine what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t been who I am. Tell me honestly, what would you have made me do?¡± ¡°If you had been dead set on keeping everything a secret? Robbed you blind. I wouldn¡¯t have touched you, though, if that¡¯s what you were getting at.¡± ¡°Oh my, what a relief,¡± I replied dryly. ¡°Now, then, I¡¯m going to¡­¡± ¡°Cassy? Are you in here?¡± Ahri¡¯s voice reached me, muffled by the floor. So much for keeping my name a secret. ¡°Up here,¡± I called back. ¡°Just follow the stairs, the door is open.¡± While her light steps slowly came closer, I turned back to Zuma, but my concentration was focused elsewhere. My bracelet was still with the barmaids and since they were sleeping soundly, without anyone in sight, I summoned it again: ¡°I¡¯m gong to leave you with an artefact of my own to keep an eye on your shop. I¡¯ll be back when the mage returns. The almanac stays with me, though. Seems like a fair price for your attitude.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. My host wasn¡¯t amused at the prospect, but he held his tongue. One of few wise decisions he had made today. Quicker than I had expected, I heard the faint jingling of metallic wings and just when Ahri pushed open the door, Reia hot on her tails, did the small gizmo flutter in, through the open window. ¡°There you are,¡± my fianc¨¦e greeted me. ¡°What have you been up to? We¡¯ve been waiting¡­¡± she sounded a little reproachful, even though I couldn¡¯t have been gone for more than 20 minutes. ¡°Oh, you know, I¡¯ve been blackmailed, exchanged a couple of threats with my new friend over there and stumbled across another plot, probably aimed at Alassara and her family. The usual. What about you? Did you find anything interesting in the smithy?¡± Her eyes were darting from me to Zuma and back again, her tails quivering agitatedly. She hesitated, but decided to let it go, trusting I¡¯d tell her if it truly was important. When Reia opened her mouth, she stepped on her foot to silence her. ¡°A few things, but nothing worth buying. I had to drag this little rascal away from the weapon racks by her ears, though.¡± ¡°You said I should learn to use a weapon,¡± Reia piped up, ¡°and the ones there were really pretty¡­¡± ¡°And utterly useless,¡± Ahri replied exasperatedly. ¡°I also told you, we would get you what you need, but you still decided to throw a tantrum when I wouldn¡¯t let you buy a silver sabre. It would¡¯ve bent and become dented with the first swing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t throw a tantrum! I merely¡­ argued my point. And some of your weapons are made from silver, as well!¡± ¡°Again, they aren¡¯t. The blades are coated in silver but¡­¡± ¡°As cute as it is to watch you bond,¡± I interrupted, ¡°this is hardly the time, nor the place. I¡¯m done here, anyways,¡± I continued distractedly, while I manoeuvred my bracelet down the stairs and into a dark corner. ¡°Except¡­ Zuma, I want my money back.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ sure, here.¡± He tossed the coin in my direction, a pretty remarkable feat for a blind man, even though he nearly missed. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you, Cassy,¡± he added after a moment, emphasising my name. ¡°Cassandra,¡± I corrected him. ¡°Only my friends get to call me Cassy and you sure aren¡¯t one of them. Should you try to find out who I am, I¡¯ll be back much sooner than planned and you won¡¯t get away with a few punches to the gut. Make no mistake, I will hear about it. Unlike yourself, I don¡¯t scare away everyone I meet and I¡¯ve already found a few friends around here.¡± ¡°And I here I was, thinking we had left the threats behind us. Very well, I¡¯ll keep quiet and out of your business. I assume, I¡¯ll still see you far sooner than I¡¯d like. Until then.¡± ¡°Come on, girls,¡± I said cheerfully and headed towards the door. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place and then you can tell me all about the items that caught your fancy. Who knows, maybe I can find something that¡¯s useful and sturdy enough to earn Ahri¡¯s approval, yet pretty enough for my little sister¡¯s acquired taste. I¡¯ve been toying with the idea of showing you, what we took from Viyara¡¯s home for a while, now, and this is as good a time as any.¡± ¡°Seriously,¡± the little vixen squealed, her suspicions already assuaged as she skipped down the steps after me. Just before I entered the sales room again, I heard Ahri¡¯s voice quietly float down the stairs: ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to, but know this: should you betray her, you¡¯ll answer to me.¡± She wasn¡¯t holding back. Even several metres away, my fur bristled from the amount of power, she had put behind her words. I could just about imagine the colourful assortment of expressions, Zuma¡¯s face was cycling through again. It¡¯d take a miracle, for him to breath a single word of what had happened here today to anyone and judging from the dull thud, that reached my ears when Ahri joined us, he had finally taken the chance to react appropriately and fall unconscious. It truly had been a long and bad day for him and it wasn¡¯t even noon, yet. Out in the street, I blinked in the glaring mid morning sun, the sky a perfectly blue blanket. A few, tiny feather clouds, dashing along, far above our heads, their form blurry and unstable, were the only sign, that up high, the first winds of an incoming storm were raging furiously. They didn¡¯t reach us, yet. We still had time, but I couldn¡¯t say how much. A day, maybe? ¡°So, what happened at the smithy,¡± I asked over my shoulder, while I scanned the growing crowd for a shock of long, golden hair. Viyara was getting closer and I expected to see her any minute. ¡°Your sister adamantly wants to buy a weapon that¡¯s pretty but utterly useless and the vendors, of course, see it as a chance to get rid off their non-sellers¡­ ceremonial swords and some such,¡± Ahri complained. ¡°The next time, you can try and explain to her that there¡¯s a reason why weapons aren¡¯t made of precious metals.¡± ¡°The best ones are,¡± Reia chimed in stubbornly. ¡°Silver is easier to enchant and with the right spells, the softness of the metal won¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to create lasting enchantments, most decay quickly enough, over a day or two,¡± I explained. ¡°Runes are another matter, but you don¡¯t know any, do you? Ahri might be able to help you out, but as far as I know, it takes a while before you can implement something as complicated as you¡¯re imagining.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m surrounded by mages! Don¡¯t tell me, none of you could¡­ what about the dwarfs, Erya, the elves? One of them has to be capable enough.¡± Shrugging, I smiled at Reia, while I performed the mental gymnastics, necessary to access my stamp. My awareness shifted and the inside of the space overlaid reality for a moment. I wasn¡¯t yet good enough to simply focus on an item and make it appear, I still had to visualise the whole interior. A moment later, the ornamented fans and the returning dagger materialised in my hands. The kid already knew the trick, but her eyes still lit up. Come to think of it, it might also have been the softly glowing metals and the shimmering gems, though. She appeared to be quite partial to them. ¡°Here, what about those? Enchanted, pretty and yet practical enough, that I¡¯m sure Ahri won¡¯t mind you using them.¡± ¡°I¡­ what are they, even,¡± the vixen reverently mumble, her slender fingers clasped around the closed fans, their precious adornments glittering under the sun. The dagger wasn¡¯t spared a second glance. ¡°Battle fans. Let me show you.¡± I carefully grasped her wrist and made her flick the delicate metal sheets open. ¡°Closed, it¡¯s a sturdy short sword, opened, it can be used as a shield, a discus or a blade. I¡¯ve never seen one in use, though. The fighting style is probably immensely difficult to learn.¡± ¡°I could teach you the movements,¡± Ahri said slowly, studying the unfolded weapons. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could use fans, when did you learn that,¡± I asked, intrigued, but she shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I¡¯ve wielded so many different weapons, by now, I just know what works and what doesn¡¯t. These, for example. I can already tell you, you won¡¯t be able to use them the way you think. When they¡¯re opened, you don¡¯t have enough leverage to actually parry a blow from a sword, never mind an axe. I imagine you¡¯ll have to work with distractions, always attacking, always moving. Weave around your opponent, open and close them, time and again, until he either expects a jab with a dagger and you cut him open or he defends against a thrust and you slice him up. You¡¯re right, though. The fans are going to be devilishly difficult to use properly.¡± ¡°But you can teach me,¡± Reia begged hopefully, her eyes bright. The girl was enamoured, her fingers tracing the gilded engravings. ¡°I can try,¡± Ahri sighed, ¡°but it¡¯s not going to meet your expectations. You¡¯ll have to become stronger and faster, first, then I can start showing you some techniques. We¡¯re supposed to practice in the mornings, anyways, that is, unless Cassy manages to drag us into another chaotic mess before sunrise. You¡¯ll want to join us, if you¡¯re still dead set on coming along. We¡¯ll work on your footwork and transformations, first. Let¡¯s see how far you can get in five days.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start tomorrow,¡± I added. ¡°Which reminds me, Reia, where¡¯s the seed I gave you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got it here, I never leave it behind. Do you want it back?¡± ¡°No, you can hold on to it, but remember to keep it safe. It¡¯s all we¡¯ve got left of our home.¡± 230. Of taverns, breakfasts and a little bit of gratefulness Cassandra Pendragon Half an hour later, we were sitting on an open veranda, only a couple of blocks away from Madame Sinis¡¯ establishment. Viyara and Pete had found us easily enough, Aurelia in tow, and we had decided to indulge in a late breakfast, before we were going to deal with Richard¡¯s brother. Beating or threatening your way up the food chain was rather distasteful and doing so on an empty stomach made it even worse. Consequentially, we were slowly chewing our way through an assortment of local delicacies, some of which I couldn¡¯t identify, despite my heightened senses. Then again, I wasn¡¯t too sure, I actually wanted to know what I was shovelling into my mouth. Some meats surely lost their flavour, once you knew how they had looked, while still alive. From where we were seated, we could keep an eye on the street, leading to the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, and more out of habit than necessity, I watched the unending stream of people, searching for something out of the ordinary. I didn¡¯t see a thing, though, and the variety of filled pastries, smoked meats, fresh fruit and cured vegetables gobbled up my attention quickly enough. I didn¡¯t think I was a glutton, but I had always enjoyed a good meal and since I didn¡¯t have to worry about becoming sick or overly full anymore, not to mention that I still had some fattening up to do, I dug in, with more than just a healthy appetite. The mixture of sweet mangos, savoury pork belly, salty beans with tomatoes and chilled goat milk was surprisingly pleasing and for a while, I was content with listening to the others. Reia was mostly busy admiring her new toys, but the rest couldn¡¯t stop questioning the vampire or conjecturing why a Captain of Free Land might have been interested in lending a hand to the assailants, who had burned Boseiju to the ground. With a small smile, I imagined how much more lively their conversations would become, if they knew that another faction was already hunting for ways to extract the essence of dead creatures, or rather undead ones. The conflict between Alassara and the local authorities seemed to be much more widespread than we had thought and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling, that it was all connected, somehow. A struggle for power that had probably started long before I had even been born and everything we had witnessed was, but another facet of a still obscure whole. You might be wondering, why I hadn¡¯t told them, but from where I stood, I didn¡¯t see why it would matter, just then. We had things to do, people to threaten and probably others to kill and I wasn¡¯t going to make it even more complicated than it needed to be. Sure, in the end, we¡¯d have to get to the bottom of the whole mess, but for now, our only job was to confirm Captain Nightshade¡¯s involvement and the one of his church, of course. In a way, I saw him as the first thread we¡¯d pull on, to unravel the entangled chaos, Free Land¡¯s politics had turned out to be. Once the first bits and pieces came together, I planned on sharing my suspicions with Alassara and I was going to inform Ahri, once we had visited the ¡°Silver Swan¡±, anyways. There were several things we had to talk about, after all. They both had a right to know and maybe the vampire queen could explain why some factions were dead set on eliminating her people. Fear, I understood. I mean, who would want to live in a city, filled with predators, specialised on sentient beings? But from the looks of it, the attack on her mansion, the blatant refuse to act against the emperor before settling old scores, the dubious way her brother had skirted around the other Captains, there was much more to the story. Maybe an old grudge, a wound opened while the siblings had first risen to power? I didn¡¯t know, and speculations wouldn¡¯t help, so I kept my mouth shut until we had an actual way to get to the truth. ¡°Can I bring you anything else? Maybe another glass of fresh juice or some sweets,¡± a pleasant voice shook me from my reverie. A small and pretty blonde was catering to our needs, her bright smile showing sparkling, white teeth. We weren¡¯t the only guests, a handful of patrons indulged in a late breakfast, just like us, and a few even sat at the counter, downing wine as if it was water. ¡°Not for me, thanks. But if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ve got a couple of questions. Here, that¡¯s yours, whether you¡¯re inclined to answer or not.¡± I pulled a silver coin from my pocket, I had gotten a bit more careful, and placed it on the table. ¡°What kind of questions,¡± she asked suspiciously without touching the money. The others had fallen quiet, eyeing us dubiously. ¡°Nothing sinister,¡± I laughed. ¡°Just¡­ how well do you know the taverns around here? We¡¯ve got an appointment at the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, later, and I¡¯d like to know beforehand, what I¡¯m walking into.¡± Pete had already told us what to expect, but I wanted to consult the neighbours, so to speak. They¡¯d be the first to know, if anything changed or went downhill and if the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± had suddenly become the haunt of choice for crest bearing mercenaries, she¡¯d be able to tell me. ¡°Oh,¡± she sighed, relieved, and took the coin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have all sorts around here and better safe than sorry, as my auntie always says. I don¡¯t know much about the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± but¡­ from what little I¡¯ve heard, I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s the place to go, with four beautiful women. I¡­ but that¡¯s your business. It¡¯s not far from here,¡± she gesticulated down the street, ¡°you can reach it in a few minutes.¡± She wrinkled her freckled nose as if smelling something bad and continued: ¡°It¡¯s a place where you can buy¡­ every form of entertainment, if you catch my drift. It¡¯s cheap and rowdy and the favourite of many a¡­ gentleman with less than a stellar reputation. I¡¯ve never been inside, but when we close down around sundown, I have to walk past, on my way home. You wouldn¡¯t believe how often I had to dissuade their patrons from taking liberties with me.¡± I cocked and eyebrow and asked: ¡°And how did you do that? Forgive me, but you don¡¯t look like a fighter.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯m not, but you don¡¯t have to be, to get by. It¡¯s mostly drunks, who can¡¯t even walk straight anymore, and if I¡¯m unlucky enough to meet someone half sober, I usually just run. I¡¯m not strong, but I¡¯m quick on my feet and I know a few places to hide. Still, I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re going to be as lucky, especially if you go inside.¡± ¡°Oh my, are you worried for us? That¡¯s surprisingly sweet, but also unnecessary. If push comes to shove, it¡¯s not the first place we had to fight our way out of and I can¡¯t imagine it to be the last.¡± ¡°Your call,¡± she replied, shrugging, her eyes darting to Reia, ¡°but I still wouldn¡¯t bring a child in there. She¡­ she might see things she¡¯s not supposed to. It¡¯s¡­ oh hells, it¡¯s a brothel and a gambling den. Whatever vice your heart lusts for, you can satisfy your needs there. Whoever would pick a place like that for a meeting?¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°To be fair, it doesn¡¯t sound half bad. No one will bother listening in on a conversation, if there are so many distractions around and I highly doubt that anyone would cry foul if something went awry. As for the child, don¡¯t let her appearance fool you, she¡¯s a devil in disguise.¡± The vixen in question promptly stuck her tongue out at me. ¡°See? I fear she¡¯ll fit right in. Maybe she¡¯d even fetch a decent price¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish, since Reia and Ahri simultaneously stomped on my feet. ¡°Ouch. Fine, no selling, message received. And thanks, your food is delicious and your willingness to answer very welcome. One more question. If you walk past every night, you must have seen the regulars, right? Any chance they changed over the last few weeks? Any new faces?¡± ¡°Not as far as I can tell,¡± she answered slowly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean much. Like I said, I never went inside and the windows are covered with curtains. Or¡­ wait, for a while now, I¡¯ve often seen a few men, lingering near the entrance. It¡¯s almost as if they¡¯re keeping watch. That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already been plenty. Here,¡± I tossed her another coin, ¡°a proper thank you. What do I owe for the food?¡± ¡°Half a silver. Are you quite sure there¡¯s nothing else I can get you?¡± ¡°If you insist, I¡¯ll have another glass of blood orange juice,¡± Aurelia chimed in. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± I watched her retreating backside, lost in thought, when Ahri pinched my side. ¡°What did I do, now,¡± I complained. ¡°I didn¡¯t stare at her, I swear. I was just thinking¡­¡± ¡°About what,¡± she demanded to know, even though I couldn¡¯t possibly have lied. ¡°Whether or not we should simply buy our way to the answers we need. Sometimes, it just works like a charm, but then again¡­ What do you think, Pete?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± he mumble around a mouthful of a suspicious smelling kebab, I hadn¡¯t been brave enough to try. ¡°Sinis won¡¯t risk her reputation for a few gold and if your boy is really under the heel of a Captain or a church, no amount of coin will convince him to risk being keelhauled.¡± ¡°Keelhauled,¡± I echoed, never having heard the term. ¡°A seamen¡¯s punishment. I¡¯ve heard, in ages past, when ships still sailed the oceans, it was already in use. You¡¯d be tied to a rope and dragged underneath the ship, transversely or longitudinally, depending on your offence. Nowadays, it¡¯s a bit more simple. Your hands are being tied together, the rope attached to the mast and then, you¡¯re thrown overboard. You¡¯ll break your arms when the rope draws tight and there you¡¯ll swing until the crows pick the flesh off your bones and take your eyes. Only when the corpse is clean, will it be cut down, dropped into the ocean. For most superstitious folk, that¡¯s the worst part.¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± Viyara commented. ¡°So¡­ they won¡¯t talk willingly and we¡¯re back to hitting things, aren¡¯t we? Isn¡¯t there something else we could try? I don¡¯t know any mind magic, but you¡­¡± ¡°You mean, we should try and order them to comply, don¡¯t you,¡± Ahri asked. The dragoness shrugged and met her gaze evenly. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. We¡¯re not talking about a city, or even a street. It¡¯s a single room.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I interjected hesitantly, ¡°but¡­ it would affect you as well, unless you remained behind.¡± ¡°So? What are you going to make us do? You could, anyways, and telling the truth or not hurting you isn¡¯t exactly a command I can¡¯t live with. You¡¯re already in my head,¡± she added with a smile. Before I could reply, Aurelia cleared her throat quietly. It was a charmingly old fashioned gesture, only her fingertips brushing against her lips. ¡°I¡­ why do you even bother,¡± she asked. ¡°I know who you are. Why don¡¯t you just take, what you need? Where¡¯s the point? They¡¯re humans¡­ they can¡¯t harm us. Well, maybe Pete.¡± When he protested, she shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s the truth. When I¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anyone fret as much as you do, over inconsequential details.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the alternative,¡± Ahri asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. ¡°Go in and take what you need,¡± the vampire replied nonchalantly. ¡°If they don¡¯t comply, make them, by whatever means necessary. Why the fuss?¡± I blinked and Pete spluttered. ¡°Fuss,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s my people we¡¯re talking about, some of them I even consider friends. I¡¯m sorry if we¡¯re boring you, but I¡¯d rather not leave behind nothing, but scorched earth, I still have to live here. Should you walk into the place, wings blazing, all you gonna get in return is defiance and fear. Make them spill the beans afterwards and you¡¯ll have a few new enemies. And it¡¯s not even necessary! Just¡­ let me talk to Sin. She won¡¯t rat out her customers, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll look the other way, if we ask her nicely. He¡¯s probably in one of the private rooms. We¡¯ll get the girl out and then you can do as you please, no violence necessary. Well, at the end, maybe.¡± ¡°What are we waiting for, then,¡± Aurelia asked, unabashedly. ¡°I still have to pay and you ordered another glass of juice,¡± I replied irritably. ¡°A bit forgetful, aren¡¯t we?¡± I had meant it as a joke, but she didn¡¯t take it that way. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe. Sometimes, it¡¯s difficult. I¡¯ve slept for so long, I¡¯ve dreamt and now I¡¯m awake but I can¡¯t always tell the difference. It¡¯s been¡­ distracting. But I¡¯m getting better.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been awake for long. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be just fine,¡± I mumbled uncertainly. I hadn¡¯t expected her honesty. ¡°Do you¡­ remember much? Of the past, of us?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Bits and pieces. I don¡¯t know why I was interred, here, but I¡¯d do remember coming to this planet. There are¡­ gaps, my past is a chaotic mess of memories and dreams. I can¡¯t say what really happened, what I wished for and what I saw, while asleep. Sometimes, it makes perfect sense, I immediately recognised you for what you are, for example, and other times, I just¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± She raised her hands helplessly. ¡°The bond I share with Viyara helps, it keeps me grounded. Like a compass I can consult, whenever I feel like I¡¯m losing my way. But I¡¯ll need time and maybe a good psychiatrist. Are those still a thing?¡± ¡°Not around here,¡± Ahri answered. ¡°Maybe once we get to the Emerald Island, but I wouldn¡¯t bank on it. People in this day and age are more concerned with bodily harm.¡± ¡°On that front, at least, I¡¯m good,¡± the vampire smiled. ¡°Better than I can remember, even though that doesn¡¯t mean much.¡± She paused, when the waitress came back. I distractedly paid our bill, my thoughts circling around Aurelia¡¯s past. For her, not knowing what she had done and what had been done to her was definitely a blessing, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. Somehow, I had clung to the hope, she might know more than me. A fools hope, surely, since I was trying to unravel a web of secrets, most immortals didn¡¯t know existed, but it had still been there. When the waitress had happily skipped away, my mom projected: ¡°a second chance at life is something precious. Don¡¯t squander it, Aurelia. You¡¯ve got quite the burden to carry, even by our standards. Are you sure, throwing your lot in with us, is the best choice for you? I¡¯ve always wondered¡­ you¡¯ve got the chance to walk away. I¡¯m convinced Viyara would let you, or maybe even come along. You don¡¯t have to spend your second life fighting, as well.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but right now, I want to. There¡¯s much I don¡¯t understand, but I know Viyara doesn¡¯t want to leave and I can¡¯t leave her. I don¡¯t want to. So¡­ for as long as you¡¯ll have me, I¡¯d be delighted to stick around.¡± ¡°Another one,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear, her soft breath tickling my fur. ¡°This one¡¯s on you. But truth be told, I¡¯m glad you stopped me. She¡­ she¡¯s much more innocent than I had thought. I think I like her.¡± ¡°Of course you do. She¡¯s pretty, troubled and lost. You know, you haven¡¯t changed that much, come to think of it. Well, you¡¯re less callous, warmer, and even more erratic, but you¡¯re still¡­ a hero. All you need is a cape.¡± ¡°Already got one. It¡¯s even white and very comfy.¡± I closed my eyes and leaned into her, her scent a soft caress, as I breathed in. ¡°I¡¯d like to take you out, tonight,¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t promise it¡¯ll be peaceful and I have some things to tell you, but I really want to spend a few hours with you, alone. There¡¯s this place I¡¯ve heard about. No drunks, no mercenaries, actual cutlery. Would you do me the honour of accompanying me, darling?¡± 231. Of thugs, dreams and a little bit of contradictions Cassandra Pendragon The ¡°Gilded Dream¡± lived up to its name. It was a three storey, well constructed building, painted in red and bronze with many a lantern, swinging in the wind. The walls were made of hard stone and only the attic, beneath the shingled roof, was comprised of sturdy looking timbres. An enormous terrace took up the front of the second floor, arched staircases gently climbing up from the street, with huge doors connecting it to the interior. A young man, accompanied by two pretty girls, was smoking a pipe in the sun, apparently without a care in the world, and two elderly wolf kin played a game of chess, close by. In the shadows beneath the terrace, tables stood in front of the entrance, surrounding a counter with an assortment of spirits and wine, but nobody occupied the seats. Only a burly human kept an eye on and a hand in the booze. In contrast, the noises spilling through the half opened main door were all the more lively. I heard faint music and the occasional euphoric whoop, even though we were still only making our way down the street, at the end of which the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± and all its temptations awaited us. After the waitress¡¯ warning, I carefully studied the few handful of people who lingered in the street, looking for someone, who fit the description she had given us. It didn¡¯t take me long to spot three figures, sticking to the shadows of the neighbouring buildings, in an effort to remain unnoticed. They wore long cloaks, hoods covering their faces, despite the sweltering heat. I tapped Ahri on the shoulder and said: ¡°there they are. Should we talk to them first or simply waltz in and let the dice roll as they may?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see what they have to say.¡± Turning around, she gestured for the others to go ahead, while we slowed down a notch and leisurely made our way over, hand in hand. They saw us coming from a mile away, their lecherous stares and widening grins telling me exactly what they were thinking. Both disappeared quickly enough, though, when we had gotten close and suddenly stood before them, apparently without having crossed the last few metres on foot. ¡°Good day, gents,¡± I said confidently. ¡°It¡¯s such a lovely day, why would you ever be hiding under garments, much more suitable for the dead of night? It¡¯s almost as if¡­ you¡¯re standing guard.¡± They were all the same garden variety of a thug. Unkempt, broad shouldered, probably not the brightest bulbs in the bunch and slightly smelly. One of them seemed to be particularly partial to fish and apparently enjoyed his meals with loads of onions and garlic on the side. No wonder he was the leader of the dirty trio, otherwise, the two others would have sent him packing, long ago. ¡°It ain¡¯t healthy, poking your pretty noses where they don¡¯t belong,¡± he finally rumbled when he had overcome his surprise and his years of experience, threatening and intimidating people, kicked in, ¡°if you know what¡¯s good for you, missy, you¡¯ll scamper off, right to where you came from. Otherwise, the boys and I might decide to take our compensation, for the trouble you¡¯re causing, out of your hides.¡± His eyes roamed up and down my body and he grinned again. ¡°But please, stay. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a prettier face, before. What do you say, Al? Ain¡¯t they beautiful?¡± ¡°They sure are,¡± the man on his right wheezed, his voice hinting at either a lasting wound or a severe cold. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t mind playing with ¡®em. ¡®N why shouldn¡¯t we? Teach ¡®em a lesson.¡± ¡°A lesson you say,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Those are easy to come by, today. Here¡¯s one.¡± When my foot connected with Al¡¯s groin, his eyes bulging like a constipated frog¡¯s, I faintly wondered how embarrassing this would become, if the three of them were truly just innocent bystanders. But I quickly chucked the thought aside. Even if they weren¡¯t here to watch or protect John, they hadn¡¯t exactly endeared themselves to me and a thorough beating might do wonders for their characters. Unfortunately, I was probably a tad too late for any lasting consequences. As soon as Al was collapsing, his hands desperately clutched around his privates, I gave Mr. Fish my brightest smile and danced around his sloppy jab. While Ahri unceremoniously knocked the last of the three into next week, I locked his extended arm, switched my grip and threw him over my shoulder. The air left his lungs in an explosion of garlic and onions, his eyes quivering in their sockets. Laughing softly, I pressed my foot against his neck and bore down until he laid flat. ¡°Oh my, what an amazing teacher you are.¡± When he regained his senses, he clumsily pushed against my leg, his dirty nails scraping over dwarven cloth. A little more pressure discouraged him from trying harder, though. Even a certified goon valued the ability to breathe more highly than his wounded pride and judging from his bluish complexion, he was quickly losing the former. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± I purred. ¡°Now then, while your friend is searching for his balls, why don¡¯t you answer a few questions for me. First one, do you, by any chance, wear a pendant, in the form of a broken wheel? You know what, scratch that, I¡¯ll have a look myself.¡± I carefully crouched down and opened his cloak. A second later, my fingers closed around metal. ¡°And what do we have here,¡± I whispered, a broken wheel sitting on my palm. ¡°A present from one of your friends? Or maybe something else? Tell me, where did you get this?¡± He wheezed in reply and I moved my foot, allowing him to breathe freely, while I cheerily waved at a passer-by. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a mark! The mark of our guild,¡± he croaked. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea, whom you¡¯re messing with, missy! If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll run and never look back, for we¡¯ll be coming for you! You¡¯re so dead, bitch! I¡¯m going to enjoy¡­¡± his voice trailed off, when I readjusted my position. ¡°Oh my, such vulgarities. If I were you, I¡¯d worry more about my current situation than my revenge. And I¡¯d probably take a week long bath, but that¡¯s another matter. So, you¡¯ve been given this little gizmo. By whom, might I ask? And please, try to answer politely, otherwise I might just slip and I can¡¯t imagine your throat can take much more. It isn¡¯t overly sturdy, you know?¡± I added a little more weight, to emphasise my point, before I stepped back. He coughed violently, his legs convulsing with every ragged breath he gulped down. Finally, when I was already beginning to fear I might have permanently damaged something, he calmed down. ¡°John,¡± he mumble through his swollen voice box. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten it from John. He¡¯s our boss. A regular around here. If you want to know more, you¡¯ll have to ask him.¡± ¡°I think I just might. What do you say, love, should we leave them now?¡± Ahri shook her head gracefully, her platinum hair glowing with a crimson sheen in the midday sun. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can,¡± she replied thoughtfully, her eyes cold. ¡°It¡¯d be much easier to slit their throats. Less trouble further down the road.¡± I shrugged, playing along. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No, wait! I¡­ I can help you! Whatever you need, I can make sure you get it, but please, don¡¯t kill me. I¡­ what is it, you¡¯re looking for? I know people, I know secrets, I¡¯m sure I can help you,¡± our prisoner begged. ¡°Names? I can give you the names of most people in our guild, all hells, I can even tell you who¡¯s backing us!¡± ¡°And who¡¯d that be,¡± I asked innocently, sauntering over to his almost castrated friend. With a deft punch to the face, I knocked him out and cut short the unending stream of groans. ¡°The church,¡± he confessed in a rush, his voice almost an octave higher than before. ¡°The church of the Broken Wheel! They¡¯ve provided us with gold and influence! We could never have achieved as much on our own.¡± ¡°Achieved as much,¡± I echoed sceptically. ¡°Achieved what, exactly? Being manhandled by two girls, in front of a brothel? Your blazing success leaves me speechless. I think I¡¯ll just¡­¡± when I reached for what he had to assume was a knife, he continued in a panic: ¡°No! Look, the church of the Broken Wheel, they¡¯re hiring! They¡¯re assembling an army. It¡¯s not only us, but over the last few months, they¡¯ve gotten every merc and cutthroat, who isn¡¯t bound to a guild or a Captain, to work for them. They gave John the pendants and they give us our targets. Dunno, who they are, my job is to protect John¡¯s ass, but he can surely tell you. And I know the guy, who always has our orders. He¡¯s a priest, I¡¯ll lead you to the church and point him out, if you want. He¡¯s a scrawny fellow, blonde hair, no beard, mid thirties. Walks with a limp.¡± ¡°Now, that sounds a little better,¡± Ahri said and petted his cheeks. ¡°And you weren¡¯t afraid of the Captains or the other guilds? Incidentally, why haven¡¯t they squashed you, yet?¡± ¡°Nightshade,¡± he squeaked. ¡°The priest says, they¡¯ve got Captain Nightshade at their beck and call. He¡¯s protecting us from the others. The guilds were a problem, but ever since the Mask died, we can move more freely. As far as I know, he was the only one who kept an eye on us. We¡¯ve been on more missions over the past few days, than in the year before.¡± ¡°What about the Cabal? The power behind, who the Mask was,¡± I asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t they know?¡± ¡°Who? Lady, I honestly don¡¯t know, whom you¡¯re talking about. The Mask was pushing to unite the freelancers, as were we. That¡¯s how we met. Dunno who else might have been involved.¡± ¡°I see. Unfortunately, this also means goodbye.¡± Before he could do more than stare in horror, I grabbed his head and smashed it back onto the ground, putting him to sleep immediately. ¡°Shit,¡± I cursed. ¡°What is it, now? Is the church working for the Captain, or is the Captain manipulated by the church. What the hell is going on, here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we¡¯re going to find out. If John doesn¡¯t have more for us, we already know where we have to go, next, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°A scrawny, limping priest in his thirties with blonde hair,¡± I replied, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ damn it, I wish we had had the chance to speak to the spies Captain Dawn had caught.¡± ¡°Why? Do you think the Emperor is somehow involved? If so, he would have made sure, they wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to talk. But I don¡¯t see it, either way. How could he?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know. But it feels like¡­ people acting differently, chaos, seemingly unconnected deaths and accusations? It reminds me so much of what happened back home¡­ I can¡¯t shake it. You¡¯re probably right, but I¡¯d like to make sure, if at all possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait, I guess. Once we have beaten around the bush, a few times, I¡¯m sure the monster will rear its head. And when it does, we¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°Witch a smile and a gun. Maybe not a gun, but something equally deadly. Alright, then. Let¡¯s not keep the others waiting. I guess our friends here will wake up in half an hour. It¡¯d be for the best, if we were gone from this lovely place, when they do. Shall we?¡± ¡°One sec.¡± Ahri quickly patted them down, taking their purses and two daggers, storing them in her stamp. To my unspoken question, she replied: ¡°punishment. We don¡¯t need the money, anymore, but they don¡¯t deserve it. And the daggers are finely crafted. Come on, then.¡± The first surprise awaited us at the door. A veritable mountain of a man stood directly in the entrance, his presence alone enough to keep the rabble rousers at bay. He didn¡¯t spare us more than a superficial glance, immediately chucking us firmly into the ¡°they can¡¯t cause trouble¡± category. He allowed us in, pulling aside a heavy, dark red curtain, hung directly behind the door. He obviously hadn¡¯t seen what we had done to Mr. Fish¡¯s trio. Once through, a wave of sound and smells flowed over us. The faint laughter and fragmented songs became a cacophony of noise, augmented by the heavy odour of spilled beer, sweat, tobacco and sweet perfumes. Instead of a usual taproom, the lower floor of the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± was a maze of screens, tables, chairs and cupboards, arranged around a central stage. Barely dressed servants catered to the needs of the patrons, advertising the products as well as their own¡­ charms, gliding in and out of the private alcoves, the furniture had been arranged to form. On their trays, they smilingly carried beverages and drugs, pipes and food, always ready to flirt with a customer or take another order. On the stage, a beautiful human girl was entranced in a song, I had never heard before, but the falling and rising cadences of her youthful voice conjured a feeling of desire and longing. A sentiment obviously shared by most of the guests, since they couldn¡¯t remove their eyes from the display. During the chorus, some even joined in. A capital offence, as far as I was concerned, their rough bellows an awful contrast to the lovely music. The minstrel didn¡¯t mind, though, only worrying about her harp and the perfect timing of her next note. At the far end of the room, a staircase led to the second floor and judging form the occasional couple, who came down giggling, hand in hand, I assumed the private rooms would also be found up there. Despite the early hour, the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± was well frequented, even though it was far from crowded. During the evening, I imagined that¡¯d change and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if the employees had to stay here around the clock or if they worked in shifts. It was hard to tell in the dim light, blinking through half closed curtains, but they didn¡¯t seem overly tired or exhausted. If anything, they reminded me of the people, who had worked at the first establishment we had visited, when we had arrived in Free Land. Not necessarily happy with their occupation, but far form desperate. Maybe Madame Sinis treated her underlings just as well as Gardan had. Despite the colourful mixture of patrons and workers, our entrance still caused a scene. As soon as we stepped past the curtain, the closest guests began to stare. The motion spread outwards, like a wave in a pond, and soon almost everyone was looking our way, confusion, interest and greed sparkling in their gazes. For me, it almost felt like another official gathering back home, when I had been forced to prance around before the assembled court. The stares back then hadn¡¯t been any better and I had gotten quite good at ignoring them completely. Ahri, though, didn¡¯t have the benefit of my rather unique education and I could feel her shrinking under the pressure. As good as she was with a blade in her hand, this was a very different form of attack. Being reduced to an object, worthy of lust or possessiveness, by a whole room filled with strangers, did take a bit of getting used to and I could tell from experience, that it¡¯d take even longer until she¡¯d be able to use it to her advantage. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much I could do, except for diverting the attention, which I could not, without making everything worse. ¡°Hello,¡± I said timidly to the closest waitress, a busty human girl with long, brown hair and piercing blue eyes. ¡°We¡¯re looking for Madam Sinis. Some of our friends should have arrived a few minutes ago. Would you please, be so kind as to point us in their direction?¡± She scrutinised me for a moment, probably evaluating whether I was lying and if we might cause trouble, but she came to the same result as the bouncer at the entrance. She smiled at me and replied: ¡°They¡¯re on the second floor and waiting for you. Please, follow me, I can show you. It¡¯s not everyday that we get to see the more exotic races, around here. Don¡¯t mind the stares, they¡¯ll have forgotten all about you, once you¡¯re out of sight.¡± She led the way, nimbly weaving around tables and guests, while she added: ¡°I do have to ask, though: you¡¯re not looking for work, are you?¡± I chuckled honestly in response. ¡°By the gods, no. Were you worried?¡± ¡°A little,¡± she admitted. ¡°Usually, I don¡¯t mind the competition, but¡­ never mind. I didn¡¯t really believe it, anyways, but after everything Pete said¡­ I wanted to make sure.¡± 232. Of fears, hopes and a little bit of courage Madame Sinis I drummed my fingers on the finely carved surface of my table, the ancient, massive oak top a perfect instrument to play the song of my displeasure. To my chagrin, Pete didn¡¯t give a single fuck about my apparent unease, nor my withering stare. He simply sat there, smiling, between two beautiful humans and two fox kin, while a silvery animal pranced around, in front of me. The creature was no common beast, everyone could tell as much with a single look, but the utter disregard for my presence, while it seemingly inspected the quill, papers and other gizmos on my table was unsettling, almost as if it didn¡¯t consider me worthy of notice. ¡°So what¡¯s this whole twaddle about a family in need? I¡¯m not running a fucking charity, as you well know,¡± I finally broke the silence. He had convinced me to take them upstairs, sprouting a fantastic tale about fallen kingdoms and beautiful princesses. At first, I had thought he had found a wench somewhere, he wanted me to hire and I still thought it possible, but the girl they had with them was too young and the other two didn¡¯t seem the type. Also, their whole presence screamedinfluence and power, even though they didn¡¯t show it directly. I just couldn¡¯t imagine they¡¯d be looking for work in a place like mine. ¡°Oh, well, maybe it¡¯d be for the best, if we waited a few more minutes. I told you, we¡¯re still missing two of our¡­¡± he was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. ¡°And there they are,¡± he mumbled, while I barked: ¡°come in.¡± The door opened partially and Liz, one of mine, pushed head through the crack. ¡°I¡¯ve got them. They¡¯re not quite what I expected. Do you want¡­¡± ¡°Yes, send them in.¡± My temper was already rising. Somehow I knew, I wasn¡¯t going to like where this was going, but I owed it to the little creep to at least hear him out. Why, by all the gods, had I ever promised him a favour? Just because he had inadvertently saved one of my girls? Should have let the bitch die, she had caused more trouble than she had ever been worth, anyways. I eyed the door, half curiously, half exasperatedly. When it swung open completely and two more women made their way inside, I immediately knew I was up shit creek, without a paddle or a canoe. Fucking hells, I should have know when I had seen the tails on his companions. The newcomers were stunning, no doubt about it, even more so then the two ladies already seated at my table, but it wasn¡¯t their looks that made my toes curl up in anticipation, nor was it the fluffy wave of silver and white behind their backs. Oh no, those things I could deal with. I was much too old to fall for a pretty smile or exotic allure, but their eyes¡­ orbs of molten silver and iridescent fire, which seemed to tear right through me, shone with their own, inner light and I knew without a doubt, whom I was staring at. Rumours of the Mask¡¯s demise had made their rounds for days now, but I had never put much stock in them. Shadows of his past, incarnations of magic and the ambitions of vampires were just one fairytale too much for me to swallow, but now¡­ I had about as much magical talent as a toad, but even I could feel the invisible currents circling around them, as if the very fabric of the world was waiting for their commands, ready to do their bidding. What had the little shit stain dragged me into, now? ¡°By the abyss, Pete,¡± I vented, ¡°what the hells have you done?¡± ¡°Me,¡± he replied innocently, with an infuriating smile on his face. ¡°Nothing. I simply meant to introduce you to my friends. Now, that we¡¯re all here, allow me the honours. The kitsune, or fox kin, as you may know them, are the last living royals of their fallen kingdom, the charming blonde, you¡¯ve been ogling, is a dragoness and the red head at her side is her vampiric servant.¡± I feared my heart might stutter to a stop but he continued on, mercilessly. ¡°They¡¯ve caused quite the ruckus since they¡¯ve arrived here, I¡¯m sure some of their exploits have reached your ears, considering how many people you know. Now, I¡¯m telling you this much to make one thing abundantly clear: they¡¯ll get what they want and there isn¡¯t much between heaven and earth that can stop them. Unfortunately, what they want now, is a private chat with one of your esteemed customers. It¡¯s up to you to decide, how they¡¯re going to go about it.¡± By now, I was sweating profusely, my intuition, which had served me well for all the decades I had spent wallowing in the mud of our so called society, buzzing in my ears to take him seriously. There was nothing I wanted to do more, than call for Bert and his men and have them throw the whole circus out the front door. Unfortunately, I was convinced, it wouldn¡¯t end quite that way. A dragoness? Was he fucking kidding me? And who the hells were those two newcomers? If the blonde was a dragon in disguise, I didn¡¯t even want to hazard a guess. Maybe an incarnation of a deity? Unfortunately I didn¡¯t believe in that whole mumbo jumbo. ¡°Proof,¡± I finally pressed out, regaining a modicum of composure. ¡°I beg your pardon,¡± he replied politely, while the two ladies slowly came closer, refusing to take the vacant seats. I didn¡¯t know why, but them towering over us somehow felt¡­ appropriate. ¡°Proof,¡± I croaked. ¡°Before we continue, I want proof of your claims.¡± He sighed. ¡°Well¡­¡± the crackling of electricity, accompanied by a blinding flash of light and the piercing smell of ozone brought him up short. Behind the black haired beauty, tendrils of molten light had suddenly materialised, wings of silver, slithering through the room like living snakes. I felt my hair rise in the charged air and I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth from dropping, my eyes twitching nervously. I had heard the descriptions, the fabulous stories, of the living star, that had returned the Mask to oblivion, but seeing it in the flesh was something else entirely. And I didn¡¯t like it. Not one bit. ¡°Oh, fuck me,¡± I grumbled, while a depressing sense of finality clamped down on my heart. There was no way in all hells, I¡¯d get out of here unscathed, was there? But then, my brain kicked back in, despite the rising wave of panic. They wanted something from me, didn¡¯t they? And apparently, they were prepared to bargain for it. Maybe this wasn¡¯t so bad, after all. ¡°I see,¡± I began. ¡°Are you threatening me, then?¡± ¡°No,¡± the winged¡­ creature stated, her voice a tantalising cadence, that barely masked the thrum of power behind her words. ¡°Believe me, you¡¯d know, if we were.¡± Her icy smile put the lie to her words. ¡°We are here for John, nothing else. If you deem it necessary to protect him, though,¡± her words trailed off while she spread her hands, but the implied meaning was obvious. No threats, my wrinkly, old ass. Still, despite the ungodly beings Pete had led into my home, I felt reassured. We were back on familiar ground. Negotiating, with my life and livelihood on the line, was something of a speciality of mine. I didn¡¯t enjoy it, but I wouldn¡¯t have been where I was, if I had shied away from it. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I do,¡± I said firmly. ¡°He¡¯s an esteemed customer and I¡¯m not going to betray his trust and risk my reputation. You might just as well slit my throat now, for if I did, my life wouldn¡¯t be worth a single copper. Doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t come to an understanding, though. You¡¯ll have to simply sweeten the deal with something that¡¯ll make it worth my while...¡± To my surprise, it was the feline creature on my desk, who answered me. An eerie, female voice suddenly sounded in my mind, while the beast leisurely strolled towards me. ¡°Is that so? And why should we bother? If we kill you now, we get John, either way. I¡¯m quite sure, dear Liz, who is incidentally listening at the door, would be delighted to show us, where he hides.¡± Damn it¡­ I had to deal with the whore, before she could run her bloody mouth and I had to keep my head above water. Luckily, I had expected something along those lines, even though the talking fox had been a surprise, well, a small one, considering¡­ I pulled on a hidden rope under my desk and said: ¡°Cuz that¡¯s not all you want, now, is it? I know John. He¡¯s an idiot and definitely not the one you¡¯re after. He¡¯s not bright enough to cause the kind of trouble, that would attract people like you. I don¡¯t exactly know what you want, nor do I care, but I¡¯m sure you could get there much faster with my assistance. For me, it makes little to no difference. If word gets out, that I betrayed one of the Wheel¡¯s servants, I¡¯m a dead hag, walking. Since that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking, I¡¯d rather go the full distance and reap some benefits along the way. So, what do you say, kitten?¡± The fox hissed and seemed on the verge of launching at me, but laughter, as clear as bell, held her back. From one second to the next, the tendrils of power and their unearthly light vanished. The silver tailed woman shared a look with the fox, who sat peacefully back on her haunches. The tall kitsune offered me her hand, still chuckling quietly. ¡°You¡¯re just what I imagined,¡± she elaborated, while I carefully took her fingers in my own. Her skin was cool to the touch and up close, it seemed to exude a silvery light, similar to the one of her wings. ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon. The fox, you so rudely called a kitten, is my mother, Helena, that¡¯s Ahri, Viyara and Aurelia. The two others are my siblings, Mordred and Reia. So tell me, Madame, what do you have in mind? If it¡¯s not completely unreasonable, I¡¯m sure we can reach an arrangement, we can all live with.¡± Her word choice made me suspicious. Was she implying that I wouldn¡¯t live, if we didn¡¯t? Probably. Oh, what the hell. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. ¡°A few things come to mind,¡± I explained, hesitating just long enough to make it seem like I was making things up as I went along. ¡°Youth and health, wealth, power. Either one seems worth risking my life for. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve already accumulated quite a bit of the latter two, so you¡¯d have to offer me even more. As for the former¡­ look at me. Assuming you¡¯re as powerful as I suspect, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you to return a few decades to me, should it?¡± There it was. The reason why I had been so successful over the last few years. I was already dying from a slow acting disease, which had made risking my life quite a bit easier. I had taken chances, no sane person would have and they had paid off. One last gamble and maybe I¡¯d finally find the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow. The elusive little bugger had evaded me for long enough. Maybe I¡¯d finally be able to use the bloody wealth I had been toiling for. The tailless redhead, Aurelia, grinned widely. ¡°Oh, that should be manageable. If my friends decide to help you out, I¡¯ll be happy to provide. Only¡­ it might be slightly painful.¡± ¡°Painful,¡± I echoed incredulously. ¡°Girlie, you¡¯ve no idea what getting up in the morning means, for someone my age. Pain doesn¡¯t scare me. Incontinence and dementia does.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± she purred, her canines suddenly elongating before my eyes. I swallowed dryly, remembering Pete¡¯s words. ¡°Her vampiric servant¡±. For fuck¡¯s sake! ¡°Hold on a minute,¡± I complained. ¡°I said youth, not¡­ whatever this is¡­¡± I was interrupted, again, when we heard a faint thud from behind the door and a quiet knock, a second later. ¡°Bring her in,¡± I ordered. One of Bert¡¯s men had made his way upstairs, when I had pulled on my hidden alarm and true to his task, he had taken out everyone he had found outside my study. Poor Liz had never even seen it coming, but the stupid girl shouldn¡¯t have listened at the door in the first place. I had always warned her, her curiosity would one day be her downfall. Now, she was being carried inside by an ape in human skin and unceremoniously dumped onto the floor, like a bag of dirty sheets. ¡°Thanks, Rafique. You can go back down and pour yourself a glass of whatever you want. You¡¯ve done well. Now, leave us and close the door, on your way out.¡± He smiled distractedly, already going through the contents of the top shelf in his mind, and lumbered away. ¡°That¡¯s one problem taken care of,¡± I spoke into the silence. My guests were eyeing Liz, but it wasn¡¯t pity or outrage, I saw in their gazes. It was something closer to¡­ regret, maybe, and the one who had introduced them, Cassandra, seemed pensive, calculating, even. I rapped my knuckles against the cold wood to regain their attention. ¡°If we can also settle on my payment, I¡¯d be delighted to show you to John¡¯s accommodations and, if you want me to, help you unravel whatever knot you¡¯re dealing with.¡± Maybe I was acting a bit too needy, but I wasn¡¯t willing to let this go. It might very well be my one and only chance. ¡°None of us are capable of the magic you seek,¡± Ahri explained, after an awkward silence. ¡°What you ask is no mean feat, it¡¯s hardly possible to change the age of a creature with normal spells. There are ways, of course, but we don¡¯t have the knowledge, nor the power, yet, to make it happen. Your price is, by no stretch of the imagination, even remotely corresponding to what we want. Truth be told, I¡¯m surprised we¡¯re still having this conversation.¡± Her eyes had traveled to Cassandra during her last words, but the kitsune didn¡¯t seem bothered and merely shrugged. ¡°She reminds me of Greta,¡± Cassandra explained, obviously for her friends¡¯ benefit, since I didn¡¯t understand a single word. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, either way. As you said, we can¡¯t do it, whether we wanted to, or not.¡± ¡°I could,¡± Aurelia quietly interrupted. ¡°No magic necessary.¡± She focused on me and added: ¡°but it¡¯d be a double edged sword. Forget the myths you might have heard. I can return your youth and your health, even grant you strength, the likes of which you haven¡¯t even dreamed of, but it¡¯ll cost you much more than the price of a back door bargain.¡± ¡°Could you be more specific,¡± I demanded. ¡°It sounds ominous enough, but I¡¯d appreciate facts.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a good chance you won¡¯t survive the transformation, in the first place. If you do, you¡¯ll be¡­ different, but I can¡¯t say in what way. My blood is powerful and it¡¯s impossible to predict, what it¡¯s going to do to you. It¡¯d be a leap of faith. Quite fitting, don¡¯t you think?¡± What the hells was she getting at? Did she know I was sick? I had heard many a story about the heightened senses of the demi races, and with my study filled to the brim with creatures, I normally would have placed in a box, labeled fairy tales and other bullshit, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling, they all knew more, than they let on. Maybe even, that I was already dying. My thoughts were cut short, when Cassandra clicked her tongue and asked: ¡°When was the last time you¡¯ve turned someone? Ages ago, I bet. This is getting out of hand. I¡¯m willing to indulge her to a degree, but I¡¯m not going to create another problem for us. Madame Sinis, it¡¯s been a pleasure, but it seems like we¡¯ve reached an impasse. What you want and what you have¡­ there¡¯s too much of a difference and I¡¯d prefer to incur your wrath, while you¡¯re still human. Let¡¯s cut to the chase, then. The girl on the floor can just as easily tell us what we need to know and I¡¯m willing to bet, she¡¯s going to be much easier to persuade. Still, I¡¯m quite interested in what you have to say, considering you¡¯ve already called John a servant of the Wheel. You mentioned wealth and power, before. I assume, you¡¯re not overly interested in gold, but what about an army? Actual influence and a chance to stay close to those who might grant your true desire, one day?¡± I licked my lips and said: ¡°pretty words, indeed. But again, what do you mean, exactly?¡± Through a chillingly cold smile, she replied: ¡°I wonder, do you know which Captain has the most influence on the slave trade?¡± 233. Of friendship, fairytales and a little bit of fate Erya of the Silent Glade ¡°I¡­ one day, maybe. Are you sure they¡¯ll be able to help us? I always thought it was impossible to return magic, once it¡¯s lost.¡± I took my sweet time, thoroughly chewing the last bite of a truly amazing pastry. Whatever else human society might suffer from, their culinary skills had much improved, since last I had had the chance to sample them. After the Pendragon¡¯s had left for their family outing, I had taken my granddaughter for another stroll through the city. The more experiences she¡¯d get to make, the faster she¡¯d be able to distance herself from her past. At least, that was, what I had been told. Admittedly, taking parenting advice from a queen turned fox, whose children had either run away, had almost doomed their home or harboured an immortal souls might not have been the best idea, but I was desperate. After aeons in a crystal cage, life seemed hellbent on making up for lost time, having me jump through hoops, I hadn¡¯t even imagined existed. But here I was, staring at a girl, I knew next to nothing about, a girl, who had nothing left in this world, but me and an ancient, lying treant, who was stuck in a wrinkly, human form. Gods, if she managed to stay alive for even a month, it¡¯d be a miracle. Morgan was¡­ likeable. Timid and insecure, but considering what she had been through, she was holding up surprisingly well. We had spent almost every waking minute together, ever since she had stumbled out of the portal and I wasn¡¯t the least bit disappointed. Even though she had every reason in the world to detest her family, she had accepted me almost instantly. She wasn¡¯t mad or desperate, simply glad, that she wasn¡¯t alone and that her future wasn¡¯t as bleak as she had believed. Following another piece of Helena¡¯s advice, I had refrained from taking her to a brothel, despite my ironclad conviction, that sex solved most problems. If I had been in Morgan¡¯s shoes, I¡¯d have liked nothing more, than to drown my sorrow and misery in the willing arms of a few dozens pretty faces, without any strings attached, but apparently that wasn¡¯t the most sustainable way to deal with a loss. I didn¡¯t particularly see the point, after all, physical intimacy was the best cure for a broken heart, but considering I was fey and she wasn¡¯t, anymore, I had opted to listen to the mother, who had raised two and a half mortal children. Consequentially, we had skirted around the more interesting taverns near the harbour and were enjoying an early lunch somewhere, much too civilised for my taste. I had asked around and apparently, the ¡°Silver Swan¡± was the place to go to, if you wanted to treat someone to a special experience. The beautiful garden, discrete staff and tasteful decorations might have been the perfect setting for a rendezvous of young lovers, but for me, it was just a tad too bland and boring. But the food was good, really good. It almost made the lack of entertainment worth it and sitting outside, underneath perfectly trimmed tress in the warm sunlight, the faint song of rushing water in my ears, while the tantalising scents of herbs and fruits wafted around me, made me forget my grievances. The bottle of wine, I had ordered, had helped as well. To fit in, we had gone shopping in the morning and I wasn¡¯t in my usual dress but human garbs, which kept my attire within the bounds of decency and I had to admit, the flowing cloth felt much more comfortable on my skin, than the leafs I was used to. I had even disguised my horns and fangs and turned my eyes a natural shade of brown. My granddaughter was dressed equally modestly, her green hair hidden underneath a summer hat, and we had managed to avoid any unwanted attention, up until now. The waiters treated us respectfully, without the curios sideway glances I had already gotten used to and even on the streets, we hadn¡¯t commanded more than the usual stares, reserved for pretty girls. The ¡°Silver Swan¡± was a veritable manor, sitting on top one of the hills, surrounded by a wall with a wrought iron gate, just outside the inner city, between the mansions, the Captains¡¯ lived in themselves. Around the half timbered house, artificial streams ran in the shadows of old tress, the tables placed close to small ponds beneath the lush greenery. Incense braziers kept the insects away, while a few tame, well groomed swans pranced over the lawn, begging for treats, from time to time. We had chosen seats under an ancient oak, its trunk easily wider than I was tall. Over three courses, we had talked about gods and destiny, hopes and dreams and now, we had finally arrived on the topic, Morgan had been fretting about, ever since I had come to know her. Her magic, her transformation and Cassandra¡¯s promise to help her reclaim what was hers. ¡°Usually it is,¡± I finally replied, after I couldn¡¯t very well pretend to be chewing anymore. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert on mortal society, but there are magical bloodlines who produce a mundane heir, once in a while. It wouldn¡¯t happen, if it was possible to simply turn someone into a mage, would it? Even among our own race, I¡¯ve never heard of anyone capable of igniting the spark, unless it was already there to begin with. But I fear you¡¯re still underestimating our friends, even after everything I¡¯ve already told you.¡± She meticulously dissected another pastry before she met my gaze evenly. ¡°Maybe, but it seems like¡­ a fairytale,¡± she chuckled softly at her own joke. ¡°Otherworldly beings who just so happen to have befriended my grandmother, a few days before I¡¯m cast out? Sometimes, I feel like I¡¯m dreaming¡­ it¡¯s a dreadful thought, imagining that I¡¯m going to wake up any minute now, back in my cell in the Silent Glade, with nothing but the purge to look forward to. I¡­ I still remember what Fladriff¡­ Auguros told us. My mother¡­ can you tell me who she was, before she was twisted into the cold hearted queen, I¡¯ve come to know her as?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We all carry bits of kindness and cruelty, of compassion and depravity within us, from the very moment we¡¯re born. Your mother¡­ my daughter, after I disappeared, she had to become strong, just like her brothers. You can¡¯t blame them for choosing the easiest way.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There are many forms of strength, but only those that are recognised by our peers make us capable of ruling. Loyalty, warmth, kindness¡­ most would mistake them for weakness, especially in a ruler. Gwen, she chose to show the world a face, everyone would fear and respect. She chose to guide her people with an iron fist to make sure she¡¯d never be challenged. She did what she had to¡­ not too long ago, I would have admired her for it, applauded her for the power she represents. But after having lived in¡­ a fairytale, after having lived with people, who value compassion over principles¡­ I¡¯m not so sure, anymore. To answer your question, I think you will, one day, meet the person, the girl, I raised, provided she gets the chance to leave her burdens behind and then, you might come to realise, that the cold hearted queen you met, is, but a facet of a being worthy of your¡­ trust. Gods, I sound like a fortune cookie.¡± ¡°Maybe, but it actually helps. Ever since my magic was taken from me, ever since I became human, I¡¯ve been¡­ confused. Things that seemed so simple, black and white, are much more complex and difficult. I¡­ I can¡¯t hate her, I want to, I really do, but I just can¡¯t and it¡¯s much easier to believe, we might find a way in the future, than to accept, that I¡¯m simply a delusional idiot.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, your punishment is causing this particular change. You might simply be¡­ growing. At least, that¡¯s what I hope. Otherwise, I¡¯m well on my way of turning into a human, too.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s them? The angels? Are they changing us?¡± ¡°I seriously hope so. The people you care for should always change who you are. Have you never wondered, why I¡¯ve not immediately returned home, after I was set free?¡± ¡°Of course I have, but then again¡­ you don¡¯t plan on returning, at all, do you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Not sure I¡¯ll have much of a choice. If there¡¯s a war brewing between the elves and my people, I won¡¯t be able to stand by idly. But I¡¯m not going to stay and it¡¯s not for the reasons you might suspect. Yes, I¡¯m still hoping I might get the angels to take me to bed, one day,¡± she pulled a face at that, but I wasn¡¯t going to pretend, only to cater to her strange, new sensibilities, ¡°and I¡¯ve never experienced more fascinating days, than the ones I¡¯ve spent around them, but for the most part, I¡¯ve come to realise, that I prefer the world they live in, to the one I left behind. There¡¯s a charm, an allure, to their behaviour. They know, they¡¯re powerful, they don¡¯t have to care for the opinions of others. They don¡¯t have to consider how they might be perceived, only if they can live with their own choices¡­ whether it be dragons or vampires, humans or fey, we usually care too much about what we are. They don¡¯t, they simply care about what we do.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you glossing over the risks, right now? Look at us, in the middle of a hidden war, in a city of cutthroats and slaves. It¡¯s us, who have to pay for them, doing whatever they please.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but nobody is forcing you to stay. I¡¯d hate to see you go, but I also don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to. All of us¡­ the dragoness, you, even Aurelia, we all have our own reasons to stay close to them. They¡¯re rational, at first. For me, it was the promise of safety, for Viyara, it was the prospect of a family¡­ but look at us, now. Viyara has been found by her grandfather, someone bound to her by blood. She wouldn¡¯t ever be alone, again, but yet, she isn¡¯t going anywhere. I¡¯d be much safer, if I were to stay away from the trouble we¡¯re headed for, and yet, I¡¯ll stick around. If you were to rekindle your magic today, I¡¯d still be willing to bet, you¡¯d be around, tomorrow.¡± ¡°I might,¡± she admitted hesitantly. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure, if it¡¯s simply because I¡¯ve got nowhere to go, or because you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to see, won¡¯t we. You asked me if they can help you regain your power. I¡¯m sure they can, it might take a while, but sooner or later, they will. When that day comes, we¡¯ll have our answer. Until then, I¡¯d focus less on what might or might not be and more on the present. Are you¡­ I¡¯ve never dared ask, but I¡¯d really like to now, how you¡¯re feeling, now, that you¡¯ve had a few days to get used to your new life.¡± ¡°I¡­ better than I¡¯d have thought. I¡¯ve got hope, which is unbelievably precious and I¡¯ve got you¡­ and maybe a few new friends. That¡¯s actually more than I could call my own, back home. It¡¯s¡­ hard. Knowing what I¡¯ve lost¡­ when I get up in the morning, I still try to summon my magic to conjure hot water, when I¡¯m getting dressed, I still try to use magic to change my clothes. It hurts, every time it doesn¡¯t work. And then, there are the nightmares. When I close my eyes, I see him, again, his face distorted with pain, while my uncle carves chains out of his entrails to bind me. When I¡¯m lucky, I wake up in a cold sweat and if I¡¯m not, I have to endure the purge again, every night. Knowing he betrayed me¡­ makes it so much worse. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll find true peace, until I¡¯ve faced the elves, as well as my family. A festering wound needs to be torn open and cleansed, before it can heal. But I think I will heal, eventually. I¡¯m going to guard my heart more carefully in the future, though, this much is certain. I¡¯m never again going to fall for a pretty smile and a few whispered promises.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. I¡¯m definitely not going to advise you on love and relationships, but I wouldn¡¯t discard the idea, entirely. You won¡¯t have to worry about being betrayed, though. Trust me, I¡¯ll make sure it won¡¯t happen again. That¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t owe me anything, you don¡¯t even know me. I still remember how I felt about family ties, when I was still fey. They didn¡¯t matter much, and I¡¯m willing to bet, they don¡¯t to you. Why are you so unbelievably nice to a stranger?¡± I didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, I called a waiter over and ordered another bottle of wine. Only when he had vanished behind the tress, on his way to the house, did I reply: ¡°Guilt, hope¡­ no¡­ that¡¯s not it. I simply want to and¡­ you know what kept me alive, all those years in my prison, when I had already accepted my fate? The thought of my children, the memories of¡­ family. I don¡¯t think we, the fey, don¡¯t value familial ties, we just don¡¯t know what they are worth, until it is too late. In that regard, we aren¡¯t too different from humans, are we? We can only value what we¡¯ve lost¡­ the ordeals you and I went through, they changed us, they opened our eyes. You want to know, why I go out of my way to help you? Because I find just as much joy in your happiness, as I do in my own. It¡¯s not due to the blood that¡¯s running through your veins, either. It¡¯s because¡­ it¡¯s because I want to meet the person, buried underneath all the anguish and pain, the person I know will do better than me and my children, if given the chance.¡± She remained silent, carefully keeping her head lowered, apparently engrossed in the last succulent bites on her plate, but I still saw the wet sheen in her eyes. By all the gods, deflecting had been so much easier than actually trying to face who I was and how I was changing. I truly hoped it¡¯d be worth it, in the end, but for now, I simply felt like crying, too, even though I didn¡¯t understand why. No wonder mortals had so much trouble going through life. When everything became personal, there was no escaping sorrow, wherever one tried to run. Morgan¡¯s voice was trembling when she finally said: ¡°the person I am, was born from pain and anguish. I don¡¯t know, if there even is something left, beneath the scars.¡± My first impulse was to laugh it off and point out, that scars needed skin and a beating heart to even exist, but instead, I gently took her hand and squeezed it lightly. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out, together,¡± I whispered chokingly, fighting back another urge to shed useless tears. ¡°I believe there is. Look at us¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever cried, before today and now¡­ if even a broken, old husk of a fey can find her way back to life, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage just fine.¡± She sniffled but didn¡¯t remove her hand form my grasp, instead, she tightened her fingers around mine, pulling my hand to her face. ¡°Thank you. I just wish¡­ everything would have been so much easier, if you hadn¡¯t left us.¡± ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think it would have been. As much as I hate Auguros for what he has done to me¡­ to us, what we are now is largely of his doing. I don¡¯t think you would even recognise the queen, I once was. You think your mother is cruel? I was so much worse. Oh don¡¯t get me wrong, I did care for my people, as a whole, but just like her, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to sacrifice anyone to further my own goals. Auguros told us, he did it all to turn my children into the leaders they are now. Sometimes I wonder, if that¡¯s the truth. No,¡± I hastily explained when she tensed up, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say he has another goal¡­ I¡¯m just not so sure if it¡¯s about my children, or¡­¡± ¡°Us,¡± she finished my sentence, understanding dawning in her eyes. ¡°But why¡­ you don¡¯t even want to go back and I¡¯m a nobody, no fey would ever follow me. I¡¯m a traitor to our people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± I hissed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to repeat their lies. You made a mistake, several, if we¡¯re honest, but it takes much more to become a traitor to a people. As for your question¡­ what do you think? What could we possibly have, that others don¡¯t?¡± She thought for a while, long enough for a stately woman to approach our table, a fresh bottle of wine in her hands. Before she reached us, Morgan mumbled: ¡°You are and I might become close to the very beings, Gaya herself fears. If the immortals are truly coming, the ones already here, whether responsible for the war or not, are our best chance at survival. Someone has to make sure, they¡¯re fighting for us and not against their siblings.¡± 234. Of Captains, aspirations and a little bit of trouble Erya of the Silent Glade ¡°Very much¡­¡± I paused, when the waitress reached our table, carrying an expensive looking bottle. She carefully set it down, but instead of retreating again, she lingered, a curious expression on her face. ¡°Can I help you,¡± I asked, when she didn¡¯t show any signs of leaving. ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet, but I surely hope so. Just like I can probably help you. Would you mind, if I sat down?¡± My head snapped up and, for the first time, I truly focused on her. She was older than I had thought, at first glance, her perfect posture and well tailored garments adulating her figure. Her hair was dyed a deep red, with a ruby sheen, and a subtle layer of makeup covered her wrinkles, without hiding them entirely. Intelligence and determination sparkled in turquoise eyes, set above a small, pointy nose and a firm, but delicate jawline. I¡¯d have put her in her late fifties, maybe even early sixties, even though her voice still held a playfulness, I¡¯d have associated with a much younger girl. She wasn¡¯t trying to hide the traces, the years had left on her, but turned them into a part of her charm. In sum, she was, what I imagined ¡°aging with dignity¡± was supposed to look like. ¡°Probably not,¡± I finally replied. ¡°But I¡¯d prefer to know your name first, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course, how rude of me. I¡¯m called Lady Kirena, or Captain Kirena, depending on whom you ask. I¡¯m the owner of the ¡°Silver Swan¡± and a modest power in Free Land.¡± I tensed up immediately, my magic swelling in my veins, but she placated me with a smile and a hastily added: ¡°no need to get all riled up. We¡¯re keeping a close eye on our guests, around here, and I simply had to see the women, who nearly broke our array, for myself.¡± ¡°Array,¡± I echoed, one eyebrow raised, magic at my fingertips. ¡°The decorations around the gate, they aren¡¯t just for show. They can detect magic. It¡¯s not been overly useful, we don¡¯t have that many mages around here, but if one of them does come by, I want to know, whom I¡¯m dealing with. They nearly blew out, when the two of you made their way past. I¡¯ve got nothing sinister in mind, I simply wanted to satisfy my curiosity and maybe, if we get along, offer you a partnership,¡± she finished with a shrug and I relaxed. ¡°I see. Very well, then, the least we can do is listen, provided the bottle your carrying is as delicious as I assume it¡¯s expensive.¡± She sat down with a bright smile and fluidly removed the cork. A rich, fruity scent welled up, while she carefully poured three glasses. ¡°Oh, it is. This one, I¡¯ve taken form my personal collection. Over the years, I¡¯ve become a bit of a snob, when it comes to wine. It¡¯s elven made. The pointy eared nuisances don¡¯t drink themselves, but their magic makes the grapes they grow much more tasteful and a clever entrepreneur decided to produce wine for the other races. His business is booming, as far as I know. It¡¯s almost impossible to get a bottle nowadays, without paying an arm and a leg.¡± She raised her glass. ¡°To new friends¡± ¡°And prudent caution,¡± I added under my breath. Before I took the first sip, I quickly made sure she wasn¡¯t serving us poison, the abduction I had suffered at the hands of the Mask had been one lesson too many, but it was wine, nothing else. A truly delicious one at that. No wonder the elf was making a fortune, aside from the magical drinks of my home, I had never before tasted anything comparable. Smooth, sweet, rich and dry, a plethora of tastes, bundle into a single mouthful. ¡°You didn¡¯t exaggerate, it¡¯s amazing,¡± I praised, ¡°and it surely has earned you the time until the bottle is empty.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± she laughed, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t waste my precious seconds, then, should I? But still, before we dive into the more juicy topics, how did you enjoy your stay, thus far?¡± ¡°The food and beverages are excellent, but the staff can be a bit nosy,¡± I answered with a twinkle in my eyes. ¡°But that might only be the owner. She¡¯s quite the presumptuous woman, I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°She can be, but she can also be extraordinarily accommodating. It all depends on how you treat her, I assume. Hopefully, you can forgive her for trespassing on your lunch. If she has one flaw, it¡¯s her curiosity, she simply can¡¯t leave things alone, she doesn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re things now,¡± I replied with mock outrage. ¡°What an accommodating treatment.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± she chuckled. ¡°She can be a bit presumptuous. But haven¡¯t my virtues,¡± she clicked her glass against the bottle, ¡°more than made up for my vices?¡± ¡°Until now,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I¡¯m not so sure where this is going. I might yet change my opinion.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be a pity. Before we continue, though, might I at least know your names?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m Erya, this is Morgan. No titles required.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°You surely possess the confidence one provides, though. Let¡¯s cut right to the chase, then, I wouldn¡¯t want to keep you wondering. I¡¯m curios who you are, where you¡¯re coming form, why you¡¯re here¡­ but I imagine you aren¡¯t simply going to share your life¡¯s story with me. I¡¯d offer to answer the very same question I¡¯m going to ask, but I¡¯m not sure you even care too much about who I am.¡± To my surprise, Morgan took the initiative and said: ¡°why ever not? After such an enticing introduction, I, for one, would surely love to know more about you. I¡¯ll go first, if you don¡¯t mind. What did you mean by modest power?¡± Lady Kirena chuckled happily, swirling the crimson liquid around in her glass. ¡°I see, a question I can¡¯t easily reciprocate. In all fairness, though, I should warn you, I¡¯m quite good at these games. What I meant is simple: compared to the other Captains, I don¡¯t command many ships, nor a lot of soldiers, but I know more about the dealings, going on in this city, than either of them. I¡¯ve got my hands in almost every pie and I can make good use of my connections and influence. My turn, then. How would you describe your power in this city?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Morgan tried to complain, but was cut short. ¡°What you asked? But it is, isn¡¯t it? Maybe not the same phrasing, but the same question.¡± ¡°Immeasurable,¡± I interjected coldly. ¡°But since you were kind enough to explain, I¡¯ll do the same. We don¡¯t have influence or political strength, but on a personal level, I suspect there isn¡¯t anyone who could stand up to us.¡± I wasn¡¯t yet sure, if I wanted to play her game, but for now, she wasn¡¯t getting anything, she didn¡¯t know already. Her enchantments must have told her as much, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been here, in the first place. ¡°You said you¡¯ve got your hands in every pie. Doesn¡¯t that make you the uncrowned queen of Free Land?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Not by a landslide. There are so many factions, not even all of them have a face, and earning modest coin here and there is a far sight away from actually having influence or making decisions. If you¡¯re that strong, aren¡¯t you going to claim the very title, you tried to attribute to me, for yourselves?¡± ¡°Who said, we¡¯re going to be uncrowned,¡± I replied mirthfully. ¡°But no, none of us have the ambition to threaten your little kingdoms. You mentioned a partnership, before. What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Oh, the usual. Mutual benefits, shared resources, maybe a couple of children, further down the road,¡± she added with a smile. ¡°Would you be interested?¡± ¡°It depends. You seem like a sensible woman, but we have our own goals and I¡¯m not convinced you could be of much use to us. If this is a sales pitch, you¡¯ll have to do a little better.¡± ¡°Then allow me to put in some preliminary work. You must have noticed, that magic is about as rare around here as diamonds in a pigsty. I can imagine all sorts of things, I¡¯d like you to do for me, ranging from a few enchantments to an actual contract, depending on how far you¡¯re willing to go. I don¡¯t see a reason, why we shouldn¡¯t reach a compromise that benefits us.¡± I was thinking fast and hard. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the innate connection to Cassandra, Viyara had and as far away as we were, none of our friends were within range of my own telepathy. But then again, I couldn¡¯t possibly imagine, Cassy would turn her down from the get go. Morgan was apparently thinking along the same lines. She tapped my foot under the table and gave me an almost imperceptible nod, before she said: ¡°now we¡¯ve established, again, why we could be of use to you, but the question remains, what could you do for us?¡± ¡°Right you are. You mentioned your own goals. Isn¡¯t it obvious, how much I could help with achieving them? While I may not be able to aid you with battalions and ships, as much as others could, there¡¯s hardly an intrigue, a deal or a grab for power going on, without my knowledge. Since you seem pretty self assured, when it comes to your strength, I imagine, my own brand of power would be even more useful to you than mere brawn.¡± ¡°I have to admit, it sounds very interesting,¡± Morgan replied, ¡°but I fear we can¡¯t make a decision, just yet.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that,¡± Lady Kirena asked, her eyes roaming from one to the other curiously. ¡°Now, that¡¯s a question, we can¡¯t possibly pose in return, is it? I¡¯ll still answer, though. We¡¯re not alone. We¡¯ve friends with us and they¡¯ll want to hear about your offer, first.¡± ¡°Really? Might I ask who they are?¡± My granddaughter looked at me, unsure of how to answer, if at all. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I took over: ¡°That¡¯s not as easy a question as you might believe and definitely one you should ask them, yourself. I¡¯m not going to satisfy your curiosity in that regard, at any rate.¡± To buy a little more time, I refilled our emptying glasses, before I added: ¡°if you want to, we could return later and bring them along. If they¡¯re interested, we¡¯ll have much to talk about, surely.¡± ¡°Perfect. I¡¯m always looking forward to meeting mysterious strangers. Say¡­ there¡¯s a performance here, tonight. A travelling group of renowned mimes has recently arrived and I managed to convince them to grace the ¡°Silver Swan¡± with one of their acts. Do you think your friends might be interested? I¡¯d of course make sure you have amazing seats and everything else, you might desire. I still have to prove, I¡¯m an accommodating host, after all. It¡¯d be my pleasure, if you decided to be my guests, tonight.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll ask them, but I¡¯m fairly certain they won¡¯t say no. When would you have us?¡± ¡°Around sundown. The show won¡¯t start for another hour or two, which should give us ample time to get to know one another. Here.¡± She pulled an embossed metal card from her d¨¦collet¨¦, which showed a pearl underneath a stylised sun, and placed it on the table. ¡°Show it to the guard at the entrance, they¡¯ll immediately lead you to me, or, in case I¡¯m not there yet, to my private quarters. Well then, I¡¯ve taken up enough of your time. As a small compensation, your lunch will be on the house. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you again. Until then, stay safe and good luck, whatever you¡¯re up to. Erya, Morgan, it has been my pleasure.¡± She got up and, with a small bow and a bright smile, retreated towards the house. ¡°This was¡­ interesting,¡± my granddaughter commented, when Captain Kirena was out of earshot. ¡°Did you buy her story?¡± ¡°For the most part. I didn¡¯t see the runes around the gate, but I didn¡¯t look out for them, either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. If she¡¯s as well connected as she claims, she has got¡­¡± ¡°To know, who our friends are? Yes, I imagine she should. She should also know about Alassara and possibly, even the attack last night. Truth be told, it actually reassures me.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that? She might be preparing a trap for us, all of us.¡± I chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°And what kind of trap would that be? Poison in our drinks? Arrows from the walls? If she¡¯s that stupid, it¡¯ll most likely be the last egregious mistake she¡¯s ever going to make.¡± Morgan rolled her eyes and explained: ¡°She¡¯s invited all of us here, which means¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried, she¡¯s going to try to take our ship or whomever remains behind? Good lord, you¡¯ve never seen the dwarfs angry, have you? She has a better chance of coercing us into something unsavoury, face to face, than she has of getting her hands on anything valuable, while it¡¯s protected by a walking wall of mithril. Trust me on this, if she really tries to snoop around while we¡¯re gone, her goons are in for the worst beating, you can possibly imagine. Besides, Silas and Tharos spoke to the Captains¡­ she¡¯s bright enough to add two and two together. Maybe she even puts some stock in what they told them and doesn¡¯t offhandedly discard the possibility of a real threat.¡± I paused and reflexively tried to run my fingers along my horns, which unfortunately weren¡¯t there. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she intends to betray us¡­ I imagine, she¡¯s really interested in striking some kind of bargain. Just¡­ put yourself in her shoes. She has to be pondering the rumours, spreading through the city, ever since the Mask was annihilated. She probably knows something has happened to Captain Dawn. The tides are shifting and I imagine, she simply wants to ride the crest and not get swallowed up by a whirlpool of chaos. Her best bet is to try and make sure, she¡¯s chummy with whomever comes out on top.¡± ¡°And she believes it¡¯s going to be¡­ us?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d bet, that¡¯s what she intends to find out.¡± I emptied my glass, savouring every last drop, before I poured us the last of the wine. ¡°She might be in for a rude awakening, though. The last few times we met strangers didn¡¯t go particularly well and I imagine our kitsune are rather fed up with people, trying to take advantage. I wonder how long they¡¯ll remain civil, when they realise what she¡¯s up to.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t plan on telling them? I thought they were¡­ family.¡± ¡°They are, but first of all, I could be wrong. Maybe she is simply curious and I won¡¯t make it any harder for her, if she¡¯s acting genuinely. Also, I like seeing our immortals lose their cool. Admittedly, it can become a bit dangerous, but it¡¯s damned hot.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you really that¡­ no, I know you are. So¡­ we head back and extend Lady Kirena¡¯s invitation?¡± ¡°With a small detours. For once, I¡¯d like to not stumble blindly from one catastrophe to the next. We¡¯ll visit Alassara on the way and have a little chat. She must know a few things about our gracious hostess, considering she¡¯s been around for her rise to power. Alright then, little one, bottom¡¯s up, we¡¯ve got places to be.¡± We clinked glasses and prepared to leave, when another waiter hurriedly made his way over to us, white like a sheet. He was sweating profusely, fear emanating off of him in palpable waves. When he was still a few paces away, he already stuttered, trying to regain his breath: ¡°excuse me, ladies, but my mistress would like to speak to you, again, before you leave. Would you be so kind as to follow me? It won¡¯t take long, I promise, but she direly needs your assistance.¡± I shared a confused look with Morgan. What, in the nine hells, had happened now? 235. Of traitors, heroes and a little trap Xorlosh McMine Distractedly, I downed me sixth mug, staring at a map of our home. The nooks and crannies of the underground city were still as vivid in me memory as they had been the day we had left. The Great Forge, built into the crater of a volcano, powered by Gaya¡¯s very own blood, the vast halls, filled with whispering echos of ages past, the mines, fathomless depths, drilled through our island, until they reached far below the ocean line and most of all, the breweries, where the best mead in all of creation was lovingly made, each grain of wheat carefully picked form the flourishing fields. Ah, home¡­ it had been more years than I cared to remember, since last I had set foot on our island. The old wounds had almost healed, until the shadows of me past had encroached upon me and me lads again. The Axe of Angram¡­ a name I had tried to forget, but here, in the middle of nowhere, it had suddenly resurfaced. Sighing, I closed me eyes and allowed the images, I had pushed away for far too long, to resurface¡­ The city was burning, swaths of smoke curling around houses, hewn from the very bedrock. An acrid taste filled me mouth and the song of axe and steel reverberated in me ears. It had been years, since the Mad King had ascended, but tonight would see his last breath, if me and me lads had anything to say about it. It had been enough. Enough bloodshed, enough cruelty, enough depravity¡­ it was time to put an end to the worst era, our people ever had to suffer through. And if history wanted to call me traitor for it, then I¡¯d gladly accept the title and wear it with pride. ¡°One last push, lads,¡± I roared, me voice thundering through the ruckus, as we carved our bloody way through the last line of defence, in front of the palace. Too many had died today, too many honest dwarfs, who had done nothing wrong but to serve their king until their dying breath. Their blood was on me hands, but the burden wouldn¡¯t slow me down, not one bit. It was time to end this. One way or the other, tonight would see peace restored to our kingdom. With a deft motion, I stowed Big Bertha, the last bolt still nailing one of the guards to the closest granite pillar, and reached for me axe. With a powerful swing, I cleared the space in front of me and growled: ¡°on me! Break the shield wall and the gate is ours! Point formation. They might have them numbers, but we have the balls, move it, lads!¡± Before us, the bodies of dwarfs, I had called friend, not a week prior, were split in half, streams of blood running down the marble staircase, that led to the palace entrance. My boots had long since been soaked, turning every step into a hazardous gamble. Should I slip, I wasn¡¯t going to rise again. While bolts and spears hammered against cold steel, the projectiles hardly more than a gentle breeze against me armour, we pushed forward. Gurgling screams behind me signalled each and every death, when one of me lads finally succumbed to the onslaught, but the gaping holes in our formation were closed as quickly as they appeared, another comrade taking the place of our fallen brother. The tally kept getting worse, though. 156, 155, 154¡­ may the fires protect us! At this rate, we wouldn¡¯t make it to the gate, never mind breaching the rotten thing! Casually, I whirled my axe around, neatly splitting an oncoming spear in two, before it could bury itself in the entrails of me cousin. I fumbled for the pouch, the priestess had given me, before she had choked on her own blood in me arms, the heat it exuded easily palpable, even through the thick leather of me gloves. ¡°Cover me, use them last bolts to gimme a single fucking minute,¡± I hollered and allowed the stream of angry muscles and metal to overtake me. A second later, I was surrounded by blinking steel and hacking, slashing and, above all, cursing friends on all sides. Despite the looming shadow of death and defeat, already bearing its fangs at us, I had never before felt so alive. This was it, the reason to become a soldier, to take up arms. Facing insurmountable odds at the side of your brothers, laughing at dangers, that would make others crumble, while the hymns of battle resounded around me. ¡°We won¡¯t fucking lose,¡± I promised them, even though they couldn¡¯t hear me over their own screams and the ballade of broken blades we had unleashed. ¡°Concentrate,¡± she had whispered with her last breath. ¡°Concentrate and call his name, the fires will follow. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll last, so you better make sure to act. And Xorlosh, don¡¯t fail us. The Mad King¡¯s reign must end, or I fear our people might never recover.¡± Without hesitation, I opened the pouch and downed the ash inside in a single gulp, its heat searing the back of me throat. ¡°Angrosh,¡± I cried out, ¡°your people need you again! Guide me hand and give me strength! By the forefathers, I call upon your oath, Wrath of the Dragon, it¡¯s time to walk the earth again!¡± I called and the fiery fury of a bygone age answered. Faintly, I heard me brother cry out: ¡°no,¡± but it was already too late, as the fires of creation poured forth from the womb of the earth and engulfed me with warmth and sweet determination. No longer was I Xorlosh, third son of a noble house, but the hero of old, a last, defiant flare of his flame, before it would peter out, for all eternity. And I wasn¡¯t going to stop, I wasn¡¯t going to give an inch. I was fury incarnate and the traitors would feel me wrath. Wreathed in crimson flames, hot enough to melt metal, flesh and bone, I straightened and held me axe up high, dark red sparks dancing along its blade. An eerie, flickering light swept over me lads and I felt their hearts beat with renewed vigour, the toll, several days of fighting had taken on us, swept away in a second. ¡°Take heart, me friends, the end is neigh,¡± me voice boomed out, but it sounded deeper, gravelly, like mountains on the move. With each syllable, the flames grew brighter, hotter, larger, a crackling circle of death that slowly spread around us. ¡°The Mad King will fall and his head will grace the tip of a pike before the day runs out! Let¡¯s march! Not for glory, not for vengeance, but for our future! March, dwarfs of the mines, march!¡± And march we did. We marched and we sang, our voices heralding the birth of a new age, a birth marked by steel and fire. The gates, massive slabs of granite, glowed and melted when we approached, the defenders turned into ash and slag, when a wave of burning stone buried them, the traps, nets and bolts were incinerated and without slowing down, we marched. Past statutes and corpses, past ill begotten wealth and stolen heirlooms, through misguided friends and desperate foes we marched until the black, unyielding doors of the inner sanctum laid before us. 35 of me lads were still alive. A thunderous boom echoed through the hall, when me axe met a bulwark, that hadn¡¯t been threatened in centuries, but tonight, it would crumble. I could already feel the fires consuming me heart, each beat eating away at me very essence, but I only laughed. I laughed and the fires burned even brighter, me axe a descending meteor, as it slammed into fortified steel. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Three times I assaulted the door, three times me flaming axe left its mark on the final seal and with each strike, a part of me, a crimson spark carrying along me life, seeped into the metal until it shone as brilliantly as a star, overshadowing the flickering torch light. I felt the ache in me bones, I felt the weakening rush of power in me veins but I didn¡¯t care. I raised me axe again and brought it down, willing even more of meself into the strike. A deafening clash, an explosion of molten shards and the ancient, unyielding doors shattered, while another handful of me lads sank to the ground, their necks pierced by glowing metal. My breath burned in me throat and I could hardly see anymore, the fires still gnawing at me relentlessly, but I had a promise to keep. Straightening me shoulders, I rasped: ¡°This is on me, brothers. I will not have you sully your souls and become oath breakers at me side. Stay here, I will finish this. It¡¯s been an honour serving with you. May your beards grow ever longer, when me bones have returned to the stone.¡± To me surprise, I immediately got an answer: ¡°Boss,¡± me brother wheezed, trough ash and soot, ¡°go fuck yourself. Until he¡¯s stone dead on the floor, we will not relent, we will not falter. And now move your flabby ass, it¡¯s about time we returned the Mad King to whatever ugly hole he scrambled out of. What say you, lads?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± they rumbled, the clear sound of their axes slamming into their shields a soothing wave that cleared me mind. Smiling, I took the final step over the threshold to finish what we had started. The end had come and all that remained was slaughter. The slaughter of a family and their guards, of children and women, of innocents who had the misfortune of carrying on the cursed blood line, a heritage we had to extinguish, unless we wanted to invite a full blown civil war. Amidst severed heads and spilled guts, between ripped off limbs and shredded armour, I finally collapsed, me axe stuck in the skull of our monarch, the late king Angram, whose descend into madness had cost us more than I had been able to bear. Amidst dying friends and slain foes, between murdered children and decapitated mothers, my strength finally faltered and the flames petered out. Amidst the gruesome chaos I had turned our world into, I fell to the ground, my head hitting the wet, crimson marble floor with a dull thud. The last thing I heard, before the sweet blackness of oblivion took away me shame and pain, was a gravely voice, deep within me bones: ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Let this be my present to you. A last effort to serve our people. Stay vigilante, Xorlosh, for as much as you might wish it weren¡¯t so, this isn¡¯t the fiercest battle you¡¯ll have to fight. The future is clouded and our people will need your aid, once again. When the time comes, remember who you are: you¡¯re the last defender of our home. You¡¯ve felt the Wrath of the Dragon, you¡¯ve been forged in its fires. This is not your end, Axe of Angram, but the beginning of your story.¡± In the aftermath, I had fully expected the new king, elected by the council of elders, to make an example out of me, it didn¡¯t get much worse than regicide, after all. I wasn¡¯t executed, though, but me titles were stripped away and me family, the spineless cowards, formally renounced me rights as one of their heirs. I wasn¡¯t much more than an outlaw, but life was good and me lads, the few, who had survived the Mad King¡¯s fall, stuck to me side. Only when I tumbled through the hey with one of me former acquaintances, a duke¡¯s daughter to be precise, did everything turn to shit. Without the backing of me family, the spineless father tried to make quick work of me, leaving me no choice but to pack me things and head out. With me lads, me ship and a belly full of spite, did I sail, until we reached Boseiju, a place I learned to call home, over time. And now, even that had been taken from me and I was going to head back to an island, a people, I had sworn to protect¡­ but I had never had any intentions of returning. Tiredly, I rubbed me hands over me eyes. They came away wet, salty tears clinging to the rough skin on me palm. ¡°Buy me a dress and call me Margret,¡± I cursed. ¡°If the lads had seen that, I wouldn¡¯t have lived it down. Crying in me room like a little girl. Where¡¯s that damned bottle?¡± Fumbling, I went through me desk, shoving away parchments and maps, but before I found it, me fingers brushed against the communication crystal, connected to the other ship. It was vibrating ever so slightly and glowing a deep blue. The lads were calling, even though they couldn¡¯t be that close, yet. I was expecting them in a few days, at the earliest, which meant something had happened. ¡°Talk to me,¡± I spat, when I had managed to extract the crystal from the drawer. ¡°Have you lot gotten lost or did you screw up? How far out are you?¡± ¡°Two, maybe three days, boss, but¡­ there¡¯s some crazy shit going on. We just finished pulling half dead humans out of burned wrecks. There was a battle, no, a full blown war! I¡¯ve never seen¡­ I don¡¯t even know how they survived!¡± ¡°Slow down, son. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened, slowly.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ see, we¡­ you already know, we¡¯ve met up with Arthur and his folks, don¡¯t you? Well, we hustled back, as quickly as we could, tryin¡¯ to get to Free Land as fast as the winds would carry us. About¡­ an hour or two ago, the lookout called down, claiming he was seein¡¯ smoke, risin¡¯ in the east. We weren¡¯t eager to delay, but smoke in the middle of nowhere? We had to take a look, didn¡¯t we?¡± He exhaled deeply, his breath rattling through the crystal. ¡°Anyways, we came across a small island, covered in enormous, verdant trees and amidst the trunks, the wrecks of at least 20 airships still smouldered, the fires that had brought them down still burning merrily. A fleet of 20, sunk without a city close by? We had to know what had happened and landed¡­ boss, I¡¯ve see me fair share of ugly in me days, but what we came across down there¡­ blood and corpses and¡­ the survivors¡­ they had all been maimed, their wounds were still bleeding when we finally found them! Bits and pieces had been hacked off, like we would chop wood, and¡­ their eyes, the bastards, who did this, they even took their bloody eyes and placed coals in the empty sockets! How sick do you have to be?¡± His words trialed off, his mind consumed by the rising tide of gruesome images. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, son,¡± I said decidedly. ¡°You did all you could. Will they make it?¡± ¡°They will. Even as we speak, the kitsune are workin¡¯ their magics¡­ but they won¡¯t be able to restore what has been taken. They¡¯ll make it, alright, but they¡¯ll be crippled for the rest of their life.¡± I swallowed dryly. Waking to eternal darkness in a desecrated body might even be more cruel than never waking at all. But where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. Once they got here, one of our mages might be able to do, what the kitsune couldn¡¯t. ¡°You did good, all of you,¡± I rumbled. ¡°Have you already managed to get one of them to talk? Did they tell you, who slaughtered them?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re barely conscious and a far cry away from a coherent sentence. They¡¯re mostly moanin¡¯ and cryin¡¯ in their sleep, but¡­ the flags, we recognised the flags. Those ships had come from Free Land and they belonged to seven different fleets. Each and every Captain has lost good men today. But that¡¯s not all. There was another wreck¡­ we could still see the leafs and branches, attached to the riggin¡¯. They had hidden themselves among the trees and when the fleet had come close¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure, but it seems like they only lost a single ship.¡± It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what had happened. The fleet, the Captains had sent to deal with the pirates, had truly been ambushed, but the cursed sorcerer hadn¡¯t been idle. Instead of preparing a warm welcome at the Pirate Islands, he had set a trap, somewhere along the way. ¡°How long,¡± I suddenly asked, worry distorting me voice. ¡°How long ago did it happen?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure, boss, but some had already bled out, before we got there¡­ half a day, tops.¡± I was thinking quickly. The timeline didn¡¯t add up. The fleet had left much sooner, which meant they had to have been on their way back, already. But two to three days away from Free Land? It didn¡¯t make sense. Unless they had been placed there, on purpose. Oh, shit. ¡°Are you taking one of the more frequented routes, leading to Free Land? Would the wrecks have been found, if you hadn¡¯t been there?¡± ¡°Yes, we are¡­ I think so. Why¡­¡± I sighed deeply, cutting him short. ¡°I fear you¡¯ll have to finish what the monsters started. I don¡¯t think there really are any survivors.¡± 236. Of games, ambitions and some manners Cassandra Pendragon Asra¡­ it shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise, that someone worshipping commerce and money would turn out to be the first to profit from the suffering and dehumanisation of people, that he¡¯d be the one to turn the anguish of the many into the delights of the few. It was inconvenient, I had half hoped to stumble across a Captain, I¡¯d be forced to deal with anyways, but it was logical. Silently, I studied Madame Sinis, while my fiends around me slowly became nervous. I had been quiet for almost a minute now, after our hostess had answered my question, and the gradually intensifying scent of molten gold made it clear, that the good Madame wasn¡¯t the only one, who was starting to worry. Unfortunately, I hadn¡¯t made up my mind, yet. My first impulse had been to use her ambition to further my own goals. I still wanted to free the slaves and someone, who was well connected in Free Land, would make for the perfect addition to a few handful of seasoned seamen. She¡¯d easily be able to establish them as a mercenary company, for example, and once, we had made our way to the Emerald Island, where I hoped I¡¯d manage to get my paws on a few flying stones, they¡¯d become a veritable fleet, one I could use to keep the pirates in check. Her own greed and the hope of one day convincing the vampires, she¡¯d be forced to work with, to turn her, would keep her loyal and I¡¯d have an army, I could quickly send to wherever I needed them. The only downside: I didn¡¯t have much more than an idea, just yet, and I¡¯d have to trust in Madame Sinis¡¯ desire to escape her frail, mortal body. As far as reliable motivation went, though, the human condition was something I was willing to bet on. She wouldn¡¯t turn away, unless she found another way to achieve her goals, which was highly unlikely. ¡°Do you know him,¡± I finally asked. ¡°A woman in your position must surely keep tabs on the local aristocracy.¡± ¡°Depends on how you define know. I¡¯ve met him once or twice, but I wouldn¡¯t say we are acquainted, he has probably forgotten all about me. Why? Adding two and two together, I suspect you want to take over his trade?¡± ¡°Far from it. I want to abolish the vile practice, once and for all. But even if I can, I¡¯ll have a few hundred people without a place to go. They could become your own army. Real influence, like I said.¡± She laughed mirthlessly, a cold, cynical sound. ¡°And how do you imagine you¡¯re going to achieve that? Ask him nicely? Girl, you¡¯re damn pretty, but no amount of beauty is going to convince a man to give up his livelihood.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan on asking,¡± I hissed, my power seeping into my voice. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re already going up against a church and for good measure, you¡¯re going to piss off a Captain as well?¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t be stopping there. The way I see it, it doesn¡¯t matter to you, anyways. The only choice you have is, whether you¡¯re going to accept the offer of a hypothetical gain or get nothing at all. From where I¡¯m standing, that¡¯s not a difficult decision to make.¡± ¡°Perhaps, except¡­ if it hadn¡¯t been for your display earlier, it would already have called my guards and have you beaten and thrown out as a lunatic with allusions of grandeur. You¡¯re what? 7 people? And you want to go to war with all of Free Land? Honey, even with your strength, that¡¯s borderline insane. I¡¯m not going to personally book my ticket to the underworld.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Your call, but honestly, you¡¯re doomed, either way. We will take John and word will spread. Not by our doing,¡± I quickly added, when she tensed up even more, ¡°but you know how fast rumours travel. I¡¯m truly sorry, but you¡¯re just out of luck. You can take what we offer along the way, or you can just call it a lost cause and hope, whoever comes knocking on your door next, will understand your reasoning. From what I¡¯ve seen, mercy and forgiveness are truly important virtues, around here.¡± ¡°Or, I could cry for help, allow you to beat my guards senseless and report everything that has transpired here, the moment you leave.¡± ¡°You could at the very least try.¡± It wasn¡¯t me who had answered. My brother had finally decided to join the conversation. ¡°But rest assured, your head would hit the floor, long before you even managed to utter a single word. As for the consequences¡­ if you¡¯re dead set on war, a little skirmish suddenly doesn¡¯t seem too intimidating anymore. My sister is going out of her way to convince you, without actually getting to the point. I don¡¯t know since when she¡¯s become that squeamish, but I¡¯m starting to get bored. So¡­¡± he leisurely got up and drew his sword, the shimmering metal exuding a violent aura that emphasised his next words. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. Do you want to die now, or later? I¡¯ll give you a hint: whatever you¡¯re planning, later is always the better option.¡± ¡°And here I was, thinking we had left that kind of idiocy behind us,¡± she replied tartly. ¡°Go on, strike me down. That¡¯s still better than the alternative¡­ I don¡¯t much care for my life, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have managed to get to where I am. The only thing you¡¯ll be killing off, is the information I can provide. Besides¡­ I haven¡¯t said no, have I? I¡¯m just not convinced you can actually follow through with the boisterous claims, you¡¯ve been sprouting, like wheats in the spring.¡± ¡°And how could we assure you,¡± I asked, gesturing for Mordred to put his sword away. ¡°Simple¡­ talk to John, squeeze him dry for all I care, and when you¡¯ve figured out what I already know, bring me the head of the one you¡¯re looking for. That¡¯ll do nicely.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have said so in the beginning, could you,¡± Pete grumbled. ¡°What was the point of this little game.¡± She smiled predatorily and replied: ¡°To get to know you, of course. Can¡¯t share a bed with a stranger, now, can I? Also¡­ I¡¯ve never been offered an army, before, imaginary or not. You can¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t worth it, can you?¡± ¡°So¡­ all of this¡­ that¡¯s been you, playing coy,¡± Viyara exclaimed, clearly miffed. ¡°You could say that, but no. I meant what I said. Simply put, you¡¯re asking me to chose a side, to bet on a horse and I¡¯m not going to, without knowing who¡¯s racing. Your offer is more than enticing, it¡¯s actually too good to be true, which usually means it isn¡¯t. Put yourselves in my shoes. A merry band of strangers walks into a tavern and promises you the stars and the sun, but you have to do them a tiny favour, first. Sounds a bit like a scam, if you ask me. Now, you¡¯ve already shown, why it might be more than pure megalomania, driving your decisions, but¡­¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not willing to give you what you truly desire and everything else isn¡¯t worth the risk, without proof that goes beyond a flashy light show in your back room,¡± I finished her sentence. ¡°Fine¡­ where is he?¡± She smiled like a little girl, who had finally managed to steal the honeypot. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Top floor, second door on the right. Two of my girls are with him. I¡¯d very much appreciate it, if you weren¡¯t going to harm them. Here¡¯s a piece of free advice: unless you can finish your business today, you shouldn¡¯t let him live. He¡¯s going to rat you out, the moment he gets the chance.¡± ¡°And you aren¡¯t,¡± Mordred interrupted her. ¡°Why should I? If you¡¯re successful, I¡¯ll gain much more than I can ever hope to achieve on my own and if you aren¡¯t¡­ well, let¡¯s hope you are. Otherwise I might really have to work hard to get out of this mess.¡± I was already turning away from her and heading for the door, when she called me back. ¡°One more thing,¡± she pointed at the unconscious girl on the floor. ¡°What about her?¡± Her eyes were darting from one to the other, almost as if she was trying to take in every last detail of our expressions, calculating, scheming. I shrugged. ¡°Your girl, your problem.¡± She nodded, and slowly got up. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just finish her off.¡± She pulled a slim dagger from its hidden scabbard and limped around the table until she loomed over the prone form. ¡°We don¡¯t want anyone knowing¡­¡± when she crouched low, Reia finally couldn¡¯t hold her tongue anymore. ¡°No,¡± she almost screamed, ¡°you can¡¯t¡­ you won¡¯t just let her kill¡­ please don¡¯t.¡± I placed my hand on her back gently, while Madame Sinis straightened herself. ¡°Of course not, but she wouldn¡¯t have, either way. She simply wanted to see, what we would do. As far as tests go, this was a rather lousy one,¡± I added in the direction of the smirking woman. ¡°We¡¯ll pick her up, when we¡¯re fished with John.¡± ¡°You will,¡± the good Madame asked incredulously but with a hidden sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s what you wanted to hear from the start, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯d hate to disappoint.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ I¡¯ll have her nicely wrapped before you leave. Go, now. John should be fast asleep by now and we wouldn¡¯t want his lackeys to wake up before you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°You know about that,¡± I inquired. ¡°Did you see us form your window?¡± ¡°Something of the sort. I¡¯ll tell you, once I¡¯m sure you¡¯re actually up to your tasks. Chop, chop, off you pop. We aren¡¯t getting any younger, and at least for me, that¡¯s a concern.¡± I shook my head exasperatedly and headed for the door, whispering to Pete, loud enough for everyone to hear: ¡°Your friend is either a nut job or terrifyingly clever. I just can¡¯t tell, which¡­¡± ¡°Great, in that case, the two of you should get along splendidly,¡± he mouthed back. When the door closed behind us, Ahri asked: ¡°care to tell me, what this has been all about or did you make it up, as you went along? Seriously, Cassy, don¡¯t you ever learn?¡± ¡°What have I done now? I think it went rather well.¡± ¡°Well,¡± my brother echoed, while we slowly climbed a set of wide, wooden stairs. ¡°We could be here without any convoluted, half baked insinuations and another dodgy woman, we have to worry about. Why on Gaya did you even hint at your plans, never mind making her a part of it?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain,¡± my mom answered in my place. ¡°Look¡­ the old hag obviously knows more than she¡¯s telling, we can all agreed on that, right?¡± She didn¡¯t immediately get a reply, since we had just arrived at the top of the stairs. While the lower floors had already been surprisingly clean and tastefully decorated, the opulence before us still came as a shock. It was only a single corridor, three doors on the left and three on the right, but the soft, thick carpet, lovingly embroidered with spicy scenes, explicit enough to almost make me cover Reia¡¯s eyes, and the gilded chandelier, filling the space with the warm, homely glow of at least a hundred candles hinted at how the rooms would look like. Huge, leaded glass windows, at the opposite end of the corridor, allowed in just enough sunlight to highlight the flickering flames. Each individual panel had been coloured, the mosaic coming together to form a large, detailed rose, adding a reddish sheen to every shadow around the surfaces of live sized, masterfully crafted marble images, depicting beautiful, naked women. Their eyes seemed to follow us, as we moved along, an inviting, mischievous smile playing around the corners of their mouths. If it hadn¡¯t been for the strong scent of perfume and the underlying odour of sex and sweat it tried to mask, the scene wouldn¡¯t have been out of place in a palace. Ahri cleared her throat and said: ¡°I think we can, but what¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°Simple, really. Time¡¯s running out, the two of you, or Cassandra, at least, will have to head for the Emerald Island within a few days. We¡¯re already on our way to a, most likely, violent encounter with one of the local powers and after everything we¡¯ve been through, it¡¯s safe to assume that it won¡¯t be the last. There¡¯s no point in carefully weighing whether or not the Madame is trustworthy. Either she is, in which case will have gained the support of someone who has intimate knowledge of the streets, which might even rival Alassara¡¯s, or she isn¡¯t, which wouldn¡¯t change a damned thing for us. Where¡¯s the harm in stringing her along? I¡¯ve listened closely and Cassy hasn¡¯t promised her a thing. In the end, if she becomes a burden¡­¡± she pointedly looked at Mordred¡¯s sword, conveying exactly what she meant. I wouldn¡¯t have been as quick with a death sentence, but in essence, she was right. I stopped in front of the designated door and, with a sideways glance at Reia, hissed over my shoulder: ¡°it has to wait, anyways. I want you to stay here. The girls will come out in a second, then you can enter.¡± Before they had a chance to protest, I quickly pushed the handle and slipped through, closing the door behind me. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, whether to be disgusted or impressed. The heavy, dark blue velvet curtains were closed and allowed only a few rays of soft light into the room, dancing around hastily discarded clothes on the floor and a massive four poster bed, which took up almost the entirety of the room. A silver mirror hung above, reflecting the sleeping, naked forms of a man and two women, still entwined on the pillows, like snakes in a pit. Their repeated engagement in physical activity had filled the air with a heavy, musky scent that almost made me choke and judging from the red imprints on the girls¡¯ shapely behinds, they hadn¡¯t held back. This much, I had expected, but the collection of emptied bottles and half finished pipes, combined with the soft snoring, vacant expressions and trails of drool on their faces, were a testament to John¡¯s endurance, I hadn¡¯t seen coming. Truth be told, I had thought the girls would be awake and eager to get out of there, without giving their suitor a reason to become offended. Obviously, I had been wrong, they seemed more than comfortable in his presence. One of them, a beast kin of some sort, I couldn¡¯t very well tell which kind, without seeing her face, had even wrapped her tail around his legs, a surprisingly intimate and affectionate gesture. I quietly whistled through my teeth and mumble: ¡°good for you, Johnny. Hopefully the night was pleasant enough to make up for the rude awakening.¡± Slowly, I made my way through the maze of drugs and clothes, picking up what I thought to be the two robes, the women had worn the night before. Once I reached the bedside, I gently placed my hand on the shoulder of the beast kin, whispering into her ear: ¡°wake up.¡± She squirmed and yawned, rotating her neck until she faced me. A pair of midnight blue eyes opened behind a curtain of unruly, blonde hair, and for a moment, she struggled with the tangled mess her memories of last night must have become. ¡°Who are you,¡± she slurred sleepily. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before. Has the Madame sent you?¡± ¡°In a way,¡± I whispered. ¡°Get up. She wants to see you and your friend. Try not to wake him on your way out. Here,¡± I handed her one of the robes and offered my hand. She took it hesitantly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the other. ¡°Is something wrong,¡± she wanted to know, her voice a husky whisper, quiet enough, that the sleeping man didn¡¯t stir, even when she nimbly disentangled herself from his embrace. ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine. Could you wake your friend, before you vanish?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ who are you, anyways? I¡¯ve never seen you, before. I definitely would have remembered a face like yours. Are you a new addition to the family? What¡¯s your name?¡± She was running her fingers down the other girl¡¯s spine, carefully coaxing her from her dreams. ¡°No, no I¡¯m not and my name is Cassandra. I¡¯m¡­ a friend, of sorts. Yours, that is, not his.¡± 237. Of stubbornness, principles and a little bit of arrogance She looked at me peculiarly, torn between curiosity and worry, but when her friend finally started to move, she decided to let it go. Getting them out of the room was surprisingly easy, old John had indulged to a degree, that he wouldn¡¯t even have woken if an orchestra had started playing right next to him, never mind the soft footfalls of two slim girls, as they hurried to the door. Once through, my friends started to file in, a procession of sneers, as their eyes darted from the occupied bed to the used pipes. Only Reia was mostly busy sniffing the air, trying to place the scent. The kid was smart enough to figure it out, but seeing her confused, if even for a moment, made me question my decision to bring her along. After being kidnapped and living through Boseiju¡¯s flaming end, she wouldn¡¯t be shaken by the scenes in a brothel, I had reasoned, but that didn¡¯t mean, I should expose her to every nasty facet of life, only because I expected her to cope. As far as responsibilities went, I wasn¡¯t doing very well. Still, it had been her home and her family as well. She had a right to be here and if she wanted to come with us, she¡¯d be facing much more troublesome situations, soon enough. Judging from her outburst, when Madame Sinis had threatened to kill Liz, those would put her resolve to the test in an entirely different way. We spread out around the bed, John¡¯s satisfied snores easily drowning out the quiet sounds as we moved around. Once in place, Ahri and I stood close to the headrest, my brother behind it, sword drawn, while the rest occupied the space to the left and right. We exchanged quick glances and Mordred took it upon himself to wake the sleeping beauty. With a dull thump, he hit John¡¯s exposed rump with the flat of his sword, making the poor man jump in pain and surprise, his hands clinging to the angry red welt on his ass. He spluttered and cursed, still half asleep, until his brain managed to decipher the confusing images, his eyes conveyed. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he mumbled, falling back onto the blankets with complete disregard for his nudity. ¡°You¡¯re not a present I earned, are you?¡± ¡°Afraid not,¡± Aurelia replied, displaying her fangs. ¡°Thought so¡­ you¡¯re wearing too much for an orgy. Well then, whom do I have to betray to get out of here alive? No need for violence, I¡¯ll sing like a bird. Just tell me what you want to know.¡± That was¡­ not what I had expected. After Richard¡¯s insistence we couldn¡¯t hurt his brother and the genuine worry Madame Sinis had shown, when it had come to making enemies of the church or a Captain, I had thought, he¡¯d put up much more resistance. Or at least a token effort, to be able to claim, he hadn¡¯t had much of a choice and had been coerced into spilling the beans. But hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth. Some cavities better remained unexplored. I slowly pulled the broken wheel pendant from my pocket and dangled it in front of his nose. ¡°Who, when, where¡­ the works. I don¡¯t have to remind you, what lying to us might do to your health, do I? You seem to have a pretty solid grasp on your situation.¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± he haltingly replied, his eyes glued to the pendant. ¡°Can I put my trousers on before we continue? I¡¯d rather not become a traitor in the nude, that just seems¡­ wrong.¡± Viyara chuckled involuntarily and I couldn¡¯t suppress a smile, either. For a crook, he was quite funny. ¡°Sure, even though I don¡¯t see what the fuss is all about,¡± Ahri replied with a pointed look at his privates. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to hide, is there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, the two ladies, whom you must have seen, they didn¡¯t complain,¡± he grumbled, while he tried to get off the bed without actually sitting on his tender behind. ¡°They were paid,¡± she countered. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t call the hunter, you¡¯re trying to sell a bow to, a lousy shot, either, would you?¡± He had finally managed to disentangle himself and began searching for his clothes, without the slightest hint of shame. Despite Ahri¡¯s comments, he didn¡¯t have to hide. He was well built, muscled and tall, with wavy, dark hair and expressive eyes. As for his size, I didn¡¯t have much to compare it to, but I couldn¡¯t imagine he was actually lacking. ¡°No, probably not, but then again¡­¡± he replied, but in the middle of his sentence, he suddenly charged towards the window and jumped straight through the heavy curtains. I froze, astonishment and incredulity rooting me in place. We were on the third floor, the street had to be at least 12 metres below us, and it wasn¡¯t a soft, muddy road, but hard, unforgiving granite, that awaited him. Before anyone of us could react, he vanished in a shower of glittering shards and smashed shutters, leaving behind a stunned silence. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± Mordred mumbled, while we rushed across the room. When I pushed my head through the gaping, new hole in the wall, I saw him on the cobbled stones, crying for help. He struggled to get up, but from the looks of it, his left leg couldn¡¯t support his weight and he fell back down, every time he managed to climb to his feet. I shook my head in disbelief and quickly climbed onto the sill. In contrast to our newfound friend, the fall didn¡¯t do much more to me, than rattle my bones. I fanned out my tails and regained my balance with a sliding step, just as Ahri and Aurelia landed behind me, their hair just as disheveled as my own. ¡°Was that really necessary,¡± I asked, waving at the growing throng of people, who had come to witness the spectacle. ¡°If you wanted to break your leg, we would have obliged without destroying a perfectly good window. Now, we¡¯ll have¡­¡± I was cut short, when he screamed at the top of his lungs: ¡°Gerry, Al, where the fuck are you?¡± Apparently, the time to talk things out was well past. Shrugging, I closed the distance between us and heaved him to his feet, my tails circling around his broken leg. For one, I could easily support him like that, but I could just as easily apply pressure to his wound and yanking on a broken limb was pretty painful, I knew as much from personal experience. ¡°Will you shut up,¡± I hissed in his ear, when his cries gave way to an agonised whimper. ¡°Your friends won¡¯t be coming. The only thing you can achieve by keeping this up is making me mad.¡± To emphasise my point, I twisted his knees until I felt the bones grind against his skin. Apparently, I hadn¡¯t been convincing enough, for the next thing I knew, was his fist, slamming into my stomach. As soon as his leg had given out again and I had been holding him upright, he had decided, the best course of action was to take me down with him. Unfortunately, despite the weight difference, he could just as well have punched a solid brick wall. It would even have been better, since walls weren¡¯t generally known for hitting back. I, on the other hand, had no problems with breaking his arm. While Ahri and Aurelia, sweet smiles plastered across their faces, did their best to dissuade the onlookers from lingering, I sent a trickle of energy into my muscles and remorselessly struck his elbow and shoulder. Ligaments tore and bones broke. What little colour John had left drained from his face and he collapsed into a quivering heap, his uninjured arm cradling his newest wound. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I crouched down low and whispered in his ear: ¡°hon, this whole affair is starting to wear me down, so let¡¯s be honest with each other. I¡¯ve met your brother and I¡¯ve promised him to keep you alive. Alive, not unhurt. I have a few questions and the longer you¡¯re going to drag this out, the more painful it¡¯s going to become. Am I clear, pumpkin?¡± Even though he must have been close to passing out, judging from the cold sheen of sweat on his brow and the uncontrolled shiver, running down his spine, he managed to nod. ¡°Good,¡± I continued. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you up, now, and then you¡¯re going to quietly come with me. We¡¯ll return to the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, I¡¯m going to order a large drink for your pain and we¡¯ll have a nice, peaceful chat. Afterwards, I¡¯ll be out of your hair and if you¡¯re a really good boy, I might even decide to do something about your broken bones. I imagine you¡¯ll have trouble using these joints, ever again, if they¡¯re left to mend on their own. Splintered fractures can be nasty.¡± I glanced over my shoulder, but the girls had the few men truly and utterly bamboozled. I¡¯d be surprised if they managed to remember their name, never mind the scene of domestic trouble, that had attracted them in the first place. Maybe my darling was a quicker study than I had believed. Only two women, dressed more like maids than prostitutes, didn¡¯t stare at her with hearts in their eyes, but they quickly shrank back into the shadows, when they met my gaze. That, or they might have spotted the trail of blood, running from the corner of John¡¯s mouth and his hunched over posture. Either way, I was confident they wouldn¡¯t make a scene. With quite a bit more vigour than necessary, I pulled him upright, ignoring his pained hiss when the movement strained his shoulder. ¡°should have thought about that, before you jumped through a window,¡± I whispered and led him back towards the brothel. ¡°But then, I wouldn¡¯t be resting in your arms,¡± he slurred while we took our first staggering steps. ¡°Almost makes it worth it. Should I live through this, would you allow me to buy you dinner?¡± I nearly stumbled and he groaned again, when I twisted my body to keep my balance. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but I am,¡± he mumbled, his voice a little wheezy. ¡°So¡­ what do you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taken. And I¡¯ve just threatened to hurt you. What made you think this could possibly work?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just had to try. You can only regret the things you haven¡¯t done. And I like to believe, our dispute isn¡¯t anything personal. Didn¡¯t see a problem, there. But if you have a husband¡­ no, wait¡­ it¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it? The fox with the white tails? She¡¯s staring at you, even now, and that¡¯s not how a friend would look at you, either.¡± ¡°I should have hit you harder¡­ you¡¯re obviously still present enough to irritate me.¡± ¡°One and definitely not the least of my talents. Trust me, if I wasn¡¯t close to fainting, you¡¯d be at my throat already¡­ you can of course still give it a try. Biting is also fine.¡± ¡°If you think you can talk your way out of this, you¡¯re sorely mistaken,¡± I growled. ¡°It¡¯s only getting easier for me. If I were you, I¡¯d stay silent until asked a question.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that? Besides¡­ you like me, don¡¯t you?¡± Again, I missed a step. This time though, I didn¡¯t bother with keeping him upright and allowed him to drop to the ground. ¡°What, in the nine hells, gave you that idea,¡± I asked incredulously. After he had managed to blink away the tears, which had begun streaming from his eyes, when he had been forced to break his fall, he wheezed: ¡°We¡¯re still talking and you haven¡¯t used your magic, yet. I¡¯ve been warned about you¡­¡± ¡°And you still thought it¡¯d be a good idea to run,¡± I asked, hands on my hips. ¡°Well¡­,¡± his eyes roamed over the emptying street, Ahri and Aurelia had done splendidly and had managed to disperse the few curious stragglers, looking for anything that might help him. When he finally was convinced, no one would be coming, he tried to shrug. The small movement was the straw, that broke the camel¡¯s back. Another groan and he keeled over like a dead fish, his breathing shallow. ¡°You¡¯re not going to die on me now, are you,¡± I asked dryly. ¡°That¡¯d be truly inconvenient.¡± ¡°No, just need a second,¡± he moaned. ¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time, I hurt that much. Couldn¡¯t you have just knocked me out?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have had to carry you, then. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t be on the ground, if you hadn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Decided to make a run for it. I know. Just gimme a minute and we can limp back to the ¡°Dream¡±. In the meantime¡­ mind telling me, why you¡¯re here and why my boss is worried about a visit from a beautiful girl? Magic and strength are one thing, but you don¡¯t seem like the murdering type.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± I looked around furtively, but no one was close by. Ahri and Aurelia were making their way back to us and my family was still watching from the window, John had smashed. The onlookers were gone and while someone might be lurking on a hidden corner, it didn¡¯t seem like a bunch of armed, bad tempered men were about to come charging down the street. There was no need to rush. I hunkered down at his side and continued: ¡°Do you have any idea, whom you¡¯ve been sharing a bed with?¡± ¡°Figuratively or literally? Wouldn¡¯t change the answer, anyway. Not really. Why? Are you on some kind of vendetta?¡± ¡°Pretty much. Those pendants, you¡¯ve been handing out¡­ whom did you get them from?¡± ¡°You already know. The guy I¡¯m working for. One of the big shots in the church of the Broken Wheel. I can lead you to him. Truth be told, he¡¯s probably already expecting you.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°I figured as much, when you told me, he had already warned you. Still¡­ you¡¯re awfully chatty for someone, who¡¯s about to betray a backstabbing, powerful lunatic.¡± ¡°No point in worrying, is there? I tried to get away. Didn¡¯t really believe it¡¯d work, but it was a good effort. If you have him shitting his pants, I¡¯m not going to drag this out for longer than I need to. I¡¯d rather not swim with the fishes, but if I have to choose, I¡¯m always going to side with the one, who has the other worried and frankly, you scare the shit out of me. It¡¯s just common sense.¡± ¡°So much for loyalty. This would have been a lot less messy and painful, if you hadn¡¯t insisted on running. Anyways, you want to know, why I¡¯m looking for your sugar daddy? One of his recent enterprises went sideways¡­ he threw in with a¡­¡± and it clicked. I didn¡¯t know, why it had taken me this long. It was so obvious. The merchants, they had worn the crest and they had been a part of the Emperor¡¯s plans. Whomever I was hunting, he was a tool, Amon¡¯s spy in Free Land. And if he knew I was here, looking for him, so did the Pirate King. I cursed silently and pulled John to his feet, ignoring his weak protest. Gesticulating for the girls to hurry up, I steered him towards the house and pressed out: ¡°my timetable has just moved up. You can relax, once we¡¯re done talking.¡± He didn¡¯t struggle against my hold, but still asked: ¡°What¡¯s gotten your tails in a twist? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± ¡°No more questions.¡± He was walking much too slowly, which prompted me to pick him up in a princess carry and hurry towards the door. ¡°Tell me,¡± I whispered, a hint of my power leaking into my voice, ¡°when you¡¯ve been recruited, did they brand or mark you, in any way? A small tattoo, maybe?¡± ¡°I¡­ yeah, they did. How did you know?¡± I ignored him and demanded: ¡°Show me.¡± My intensity must have convinced him to quit the games and he quickly pushed back his hair. On his neck, half hidden beneath his tresses, was a tiny, red crown, burned into his skin. ¡°Fuck,¡± I cursed, my wings materialising of their own accord. John¡¯s eyes went wide and his jaw slack, when he saw the scintillating torrents of light dance around us. ¡°You can say that again,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Are you going to kill me, now?¡± ¡°No, chances are, I¡¯m going to save your life. If it¡¯s not already too late¡­¡± 238. Of enemies, convictions and a little trap Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You won¡¯t and it is.¡± Distractedly, I took the last few steps towards the door and gave the guard a pressed smile. He swallowed visibly, his eyes tracing the outline of my wings, a growing fear reflected deep within them. He shouldn¡¯t have underestimated me, in the first place. Tough luck. ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± I asked. ¡°Save his life. You won¡¯t. It¡¯s already lost, but he can still be useful. To either of us.¡± I froze, half way across the veranda. As if in trance, I glanced down, studying the man in my arms. He hadn¡¯t changed, much, but his expression had shifted, a vacant, dissociated smile spreading across his face and the burn mark on his neck was starting to get warm, almost hot to the touch. ¡°Who¡¯d have thought, I¡¯d ever rest against your bosom, like a child against his mother¡¯s? I certainly haven¡¯t.¡± I dropped him immediately and jumped back, my heart thundering in my chest. My wings came down to form a shining dome of light around us, but he only laughed mechanically, as if he had long since forgotten how laughter was supposed to sound like. ¡°No reason to fear me,¡± he said in between cold, cruel barks. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me and I can¡¯t hurt you, for now. Why shouldn¡¯t we use what little time this puppet has left, to get to know one another? I¡¯ve been dreaming about this moment for the longest time. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Cassandra, even though I had hoped, you¡¯d be in chains, when we were first going to meet.¡± Panting, I struggled to keep the surging tide of pain and anger at bay, but it didn¡¯t work. With each passing second, with every beat of my heart, I felt uncaring, uncontrollable fury build up inside my veins, a bottled thunderstorm, ready to break free. Finally, the one person I had been looking for, I had pursued, I had dreamt of meeting was right here, but yet, I couldn¡¯t touch him, couldn¡¯t hurt him. The realisation stung more than I cared to admit. I was powerless, despite the echoes of eternity, coursing through me, despite the strength of aeons at my fingertips, I could do nothing to satisfy my dire need for retribution. ¡°Chains won¡¯t protect you, the Great Sea, won¡¯t save you,¡± I hissed. ¡°One day, we will come face to face and then, you¡¯ll finally understand, that you¡¯ve ended your own life, the very moment you burned my home. There¡¯s nothing for you to do, but drag out the inevitable. I¡¯m coming for you, Amon, and there¡¯s nowhere to hide. Even your transcendent pet won¡¯t be able to keep you alive. This, I promise.¡± A small part of me, the one still thinking clearly, wondered why there was no reaction from my core, but I had simply reiterated a promise, I had already made. One way or the other, this would end. There wasn¡¯t enough space on this world, in this multiverse, for the two of us to live. One of us had to go and since I was immortal¡­ ¡°Well said,¡± he chuckled, his voice still holding that eery, detached cadence. ¡°With your looks and conviction, you¡¯d make for a fine bride. Unfortunately, I need your blood more than I want your body. What do you say? Surrender to me now, and I swear, your family, your friends, your love¡­ this city, this continent, they¡¯ll be safe. I won¡¯t lift a finger, I won¡¯t cast a single spell to harm either. Seems fair, doesn¡¯t it? The death of one, who can come back from the clutches of oblivion for the life of many? The longer I think about it, the more I¡¯m starting to believe, you¡¯ll have to sweeten the deal, somewhat. But I¡¯m generous and benevolent by nature and won¡¯t insist.¡± It took me several moments to process what he had said, the sheer gall made me shiver in anger and before I knew it, some of my wings wrapped themselves around his neck. He was slowly pulled into the air, his face turning redder by the second, but while I was practically frothing at the mouth, he was¡­ humming happily, albeit through a constrained windpipe. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± he wheezed. ¡°Add another innocent corpse to the growing pile. Who knows, if you squeeze hard enough, I might even feel it, even though I highly doubt it.¡± His voice cut off near the end, but his mirth didn¡¯t falter. It was, as if he was watching an act unfold, a play without any real consequences. Which probably wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. I bit my tongue until I drew blood and just barely managed to reign in my emotions. I wasn¡¯t going to give him the satisfaction. The only victory I could achieve here, was making sure John would survive. Paltry it might be, but I was going to take, whatever I could get. Grudgingly, I allowed him to fall to the ground, my wings, once again, an impenetrable curtain around us. With a projected calmness, that didn¡¯t reach deeper than the mere surface, I said: ¡°What a generous offer, but I fear, I¡¯ll have to decline. Soon, you won¡¯t be a threat to anything I cherish.¡± He coughed and spluttered, angry black-red welts around his neck indicating where I had used too much energy. Still, despite the obvious pain his host was in, he grinned manically. ¡°And they call me selfish,¡± he whispered. ¡°Can you really take it? Dead children, burning homes¡­ all of it, because you¡¯re too attached to one tiny aspect of an unending life? That¡¯s pathetic.¡± Without thinking, I took a step forwards and slapped him. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t you dare. Don¡¯t lecture me on right and wrong, you¡¯ve lost sight of what it even means, when the seas of blood you spilled, failed to fill the hole, the death of your father left behind, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re nothing, a corpse, clinging to life, a phantom of misery, hollow and spent. Why are you even here? You must have known, I¡¯d never even consider your proposal.¡± ¡°Spoken like the queen you¡¯ll never become. Fine then, let¡¯s make this simple. You know what I can do, you¡¯ve lived through some of it. Admittedly, up until now, you managed to fight back. It¡¯ll be different this time around. Everything you are, everything you love, is here, right now, and I¡¯ll take it all away. I might not be able to harm you directly, but I¡¯m going to bury you in so much misery, that you¡¯re going to beg me to stop, no matter the cost. Picture it: your mother, broken and caged, your brother, disembowelled and dying on his own sword, your lover, maimed and raped, a plaything for¡­¡± he didn¡¯t get any further. His words had felt like parasites, slowly digging into my mind, conjuring images that¡¯d haunt me for days to come, but instead of undermining my confidence, of weakening me and making me see the futility of my struggles, they had only served to stoke the flames, already singeing my thoughts. From one moment to the next, the fires swelled, consuming my fear, my hatred and then, even my anger. Hotter and hotter they burned, until they became cold as ice, a raging inferno of frozen memories and crystallised fury. ¡°Silence,¡± I whispered and silence there was. ¡°Broken? Maimed? Raped?¡± My wings emitted an eerie tone, while my power rushed through my veins, uncontrollably. ¡°Leverage for you to force me into submission? I think not, not while I still draw breath. And you know why? Because you¡¯re here. A door opened, can be passed through in either direction.¡± Swaths of entangled knowledge, of magics unknown on this planet, surged at the edge of my consciousness, concepts of existence and reality, much too complex for me to understand. But I didn¡¯t have to understand, I only had to ask. ¡°I can see you,¡± I breathed, my world shattering into motes of silver and light. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The grey veil of the world was torn away, the inconsequential puppet of bone and flesh became transparent and there he was, a paltry king on a bloody throne, erected on the suffering and death of an entire people. A crimson crown burned on his brow and the stolen essence of uncounted sacrifices blurred his form, but before my eyes, he appeared naked, naked and forlorn. A frightened mouthpiece for the looming shadow behind him. A shadow with a crown of his own, a shadow that was still protecting him from the brunt of my wrath. ¡°Begone,¡± I ordered, my voice cutting through space and time, ripping through pitifully weak wards. ¡°This is a crossroads for you and me.¡± Every syllable made the puppet king shiver and tremble, his world disintegrating around him with every word I uttered. ¡°Give up your game or you¡¯ll have made an enemy of me, for all eternity. It¡¯s your choice, Amazeroth. It doesn¡¯t matter to me, either way. In the end, you¡¯re just another fallen angel. It wouldn¡¯t be the first and it surely won¡¯t be the last time, I¡¯ve been forced to kill one of my own. Fate¡­ is but an excuse, and I¡¯m done running.¡± And for the first time in this life, I heard his voice. If it hadn¡¯t been for the eternal fires, turning me into someone I was not, I wouldn¡¯t have survived. The power of all that could have been and all, that was still to come slammed into me, whispers from beyond reality, a cacophonous song, which carried with it the strength of infinite possibility. Within the confines of my wings, transcendent forces raged, that, if allowed to roam free, would grind this planet into stardust and memories. ¡°Careful, Lightbringer. Even you aren¡¯t above the laws of existence. Don¡¯t threaten me, child, while you can barley hold your own powers in check. Maybe one day, you¡¯ll be able to stand before me and bring me to my knees, but this is not that day. Even now, I can see your resolve crumble, your attachment to those, you claim to love, weakens you. You¡¯re but a shadow of what you once were and I won¡¯t be threatened by an empty vessel, filled with the echoes of a life, long gone. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you would have long since vanished and it wouldn¡¯t take more than a word, for me to make it happen. Begone, Cassandra. This is not your time, not yet. Once you wear a crown of your own, I¡¯m prepared to bow to you, but until then, you¡¯ll play my game or I¡¯ll make you pay in ways, you can¡¯t even imagine. Whether in this life, or the next, or even the one after that, I¡¯ll get you to listen, I¡¯ll get you to see.¡± Colours danced before my eyes, a maelstrom of alternatives swallowed me whole and still, he thundered on: ¡°Until then, don¡¯t come near me, unless you want Amon¡¯s threats to become a reality. He might not have the strength to take from you what you love, but I do and if you force my hand, I¡¯ll bring it down on you and crush everything you¡¯ve ever hold dear, before we move on to your next life. You think you know me? Fragmented memories from a life, you can¡¯t remember¡­ let me tell you this: when Lucifer was born, I was already old. I¡¯ve earned my crown and I¡¯ve lost my wings. I won¡¯t allow a pup to question my motives. Earn that right, fight and suffer, grow and wither and maybe next we meet, I¡¯ll see more than an entitled girl, clamouring that the world isn¡¯t fair.¡± Calmly, dispassionately I said: ¡°you are mistaken. I am¡­ still alive and you¡¯ve made your decision. You won¡¯t live to regret it, though. It seems like you¡¯ve never truly understood who I am, after all.¡± Quietly, almost like an afterthought, I added: ¡°ex tenebrae lux,¡± and my core reacted. A surging tide, a consuming flood of all I had ever been, rushed forth, carrying with it the promise of oblivion. The tunnel opened and the light at its end began to stir. I felt tendrils of my power tear through my tattoo, weaving an impenetrable cocoon around Ahri, while smaller, weaker rivers of scintillating light targeted Viyara and Erya, the promises I had made keeping them safe. Unstoppable, irresistible currents of pure, undiluted force raged through me, building up to a crescendo that would annihilate everything and everyone my gaze fell upon. My wings grew, gradually at first, but with each fractured second, while time tried to move through a frozen door, they expanded further until¡­ ¡°Enough.¡± A word, an order, that wasn¡¯t directed at me, for I was far beyond its reaches. No, it was commanding someone I had once been, not too long ago. ¡°Desist. You aren¡¯t ready, yet. Wake up, Cassandra, stem the tide. Don¡¯t lose what we¡¯ve been working for.¡± I blinked. ¡°¡­ a plaything for whomever I see fit. She¡¯ll curse your name, before the end, and I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯ll stay bound to her flesh for as long as you defy me.¡± I stumbled backwards, my mind in turmoil. A part of me was still reeling, still flooded with so much power, it nearly drove me crazy. Even the despicable taunts couldn¡¯t break me out of my stupor. The world stuttered and trembled and I fell to my knees, thick, silvery streams of blood rushing from my nose, my eyes, my ears. My wings flickered and I screamed, a wave of pain crashing into me, the likes of which I had never experienced. It wasn¡¯t my body, for it had already changed to accommodate my strength, but my mind, my soul, crushed under the weight of countless aeons, I had been forced to bear, if only for a moment. I couldn¡¯t see, I couldn¡¯t hear, Amon¡¯s words unintelligible gibberish in my ears, while I desperately clung to whom I was. It was difficult, as every ragged breath I took, brought back memories, further fanning the flames that threatened to consume me. The worst part: I knew there was an easy way out. I felt the cold lingering, just beyond a flimsy wall I had erected, more by instinct than wisdom, and I knew it could wash away the pain. But then, I would change, truly and utterly. I wasn¡¯t yet strong enough, hadn¡¯t lived through enough, to hold my own against a being, so much older than I had thought. If I was to give in now, I would become him again, would revert to what I had once been, all my suffering, my dreams, my love, my life, it¡¯d have been for naught. Amazeroth hadn¡¯t saved me, he had given me a chance to fight, but even his magic couldn¡¯t change me. I had one moment, one decision, or the light would break forth and the war would begin, consuming everything I had ever known. ¡°Not¡­today,¡± I groaned, marshalling every ounce of willpower I had left and every little piece of stubbornness I could call my own. Like a rock, almost smothered by the breaking tide, I held on, sometimes lost beneath the surface, sometimes just above the waves, I fought for my life. Caught between what I was and what I had been, images from my past, exploding stars and vanquished planets, mingling with scenes from my present, I tried to remember. Not what I had lost, but what I had gained. Faces flashed before my inner eye. My father, my mother, my friends, my siblings¡­ and her. Her smile, her smell, the softness of her touch. My heart stuttered, but I didn¡¯t care, I was entranced, warmth gradually spreading trough my body. The cold receded, as I remembered what she had done. I owed it to her. I couldn¡¯t leave and I would not. Not now, not ever. I had promised. ¡°My name is Cassandra,¡± I whisper and then, with more conviction: ¡°I am Cassandra Pendragon and I will not change.¡± I coughed, the flow of blood from my nostrils turning into fine spray, as I collapsed and my wings disappeared. Curled up into a ball, I wrapped my trembling tails around me, desperately longing for a tiny bit of comfort. While my mind was on fire, my body felt as if it was freezing, my muscles stiff, my joints creaking. The ice wouldn¡¯t dissipate this easily. Stubbornly, I forced my eyes open again, but I only saw a bright, silver sheen until I realised, it was my own blood, shimmering in the sun. Like an old woman on her death bed, I struggled to raise my hand and wipe it away. I ached and every movement seemed like one of Hercules¡¯ tasks, but I didn¡¯t give up. While the surf of a hundred oceans thundered in my ears, my vision finally cleared. At first, I only saw blurry outlines and slithering shadows, but quickly enough, they collapsed into forms and figures. A street, the smouldering pieces of a door, glowing cobblestones and people, screaming in panic, running heedlessly from left to right and back again, like headless chickens. And there, only a few paces away, I saw the crimson flames I had been searching for. Ahri was coming, her wings burning brightly while she rushed towards me like a descending star. A smile formed at the corners of my mouth, but my attention was quickly diverted, when I felt bony fingers close around my arm. ¡°This was easier than expected,¡± John said, his face a lifeless mask. 239. Of kisses, curses and a little gamble Cassandra Pendragon ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, this body can¡¯t handle the magic, necessary to open a gate,¡± he whispered into my ear. He had crouched down at my side, his fingers gently forcing my head up and towards him. ¡°But this, it can do. The beauty of soul magic. Even a worm like him can achieve truly remarkable things.¡± I tried desperately to push him away, but my mind still felt sluggish and my muscles wouldn¡¯t work. All I managed was a feeble attempt to turn my face towards Ahri, but he quickly caught my chin between his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll know, when you¡¯re ready.¡± The next moment, I felt cold, stiff lips press against my own and a dull, faint ache, when he bit me. I tasted silver, salt and something else, something bitter. He had hurt himself and our blood mixed for the fraction of a second, before a surge of heat consumed all sensation. Wherever it brushed against my skin, it dissipated immediately, but I could practically see the connection he had formed, my own blood acting as a bridge for a small part of the spell to overcome my immunities. A sense of dread rose form the pit of my stomach. Panicked, I thrashed around and finally found the strength to break the wretched kiss. I coughed and retched, trying to spit out every last trace of his foul existence, but it was already too late. I could feel his magic circle through my veins, each heartbeat carrying it deeper into my body. ¡°Try to be brave, Cassandra. I expect you to hold on for at least a few days. Don¡¯t disappoint me¡­¡± his voice trailed off and when I opened my eyes, I knew why. John¡¯s face had turned into a deathly pale mask, framed by colourless, grey hair. While I watched in amazement and horror, his skin decayed, gaping, black green wounds opening all over his body. The next second, he crumbled, his form withering away until there was nothing left but a shrivelled up husk, surrounded by rancid bits of gooey flesh. The last part of him to go were his eyes and the bastard, who controlled him, even managed a final, derogatory wink, before they too turned into mush. I felt sick to my core, disgusted and violated. The burning, almost wriggly sensation, as his curse infected every part of me, so much like actual parasites growing beneath my skin, that I¡¯d have liked nothing more, than to simply scratch off every last bit of skin and drain every drop of blood, until I could be sure it was all gone. In my stupor, I even began tearing at my lips and neck, my nails ripping deep gashes into my face. Blood flowed, but I couldn¡¯t even feel the pain, my thoughts consumed by a single goal. Whatever happened, I had to get the magic out of me. I had to get him out of me. I screamed and rolled around in splintered wood and decomposing flesh, my breathing shallow and much too fast. My tears fell freely and for a few moments, I truly lost it. There was only an all encompassing desire to struggle out of his clutches, to rid myself of a poisonous presence, I could feel everywhere. But there was no escape. The more I fought, the faster my heart beat, the further it spread. From my mouth, to my neck, to my stomach, to my chest¡­ it grew and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Unless¡­ Desperate, I manifested my wings, ready to cut through my body and burn every last bit of the foreign spell. I ground my teeth against what was to come, but before I managed to plunge them deep into my chest, I suddenly felt warmth. Crimson flames were all around me and a voice called out to me from far away. I couldn¡¯t understand the words and I didn¡¯t care, but when I tried to move, I couldn¡¯t push through the fiery walls. Someone was trying to stop me. But why? If they only knew¡­ I couldn¡¯t. There was no way in all hells! ¡°Get off me,¡± I screamed. ¡°It has to go! Please, don¡¯t make¡­¡± my words choked off as I sobbed uncontrollably, luminous, white tears mixing with silver blood. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but you¡¯re going to hurt yourself.¡± Of course! That was the damned plan. Tear, rip, shred until everything was gone. I had to¡­ a quick flash of nauseating pain flared across my nerves, the scent of pine trees welled up around me and I lost consciousness, my dread and the overwhelming sense of¡­ strangeness fled into the dark embrace of nothingness. ¡°¡­can¡¯t! No way! Not a spell, not cast by a human! It¡¯s something else, it¡¯s got to be¡­¡± ¡°Look at her, for fuck¡¯s sake! Just look! No poison, nothing natural can cause this. She¡¯s dying, Viyara! Don¡¯t you feel it? You have to let me¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ no! You haven¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t see her the way I do, Aurelia. You¡¯ve been tied to an immortal, you should¡­¡± ¡°Will you two shut up? If you want to continue screaming pointlessly, leave. She needs us, she needs our help, and so help me god, we will find a way to cure her. With or without you. So, either stop shouting and help me figure out, what¡¯s going on, or¡­¡± ¡°They can stay,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯d rather not focus on what¡¯s happening to my insides.¡± ¡°Cassy!¡± The next thing I knew was an altogether much more pleasant kiss, than the last one I had received, even though I could have done without the intense squeezing. Ahri had nearly cut off my breath, when she had wrapped her tails around me and she showed no signs of stopping. ¡°Still alive,¡± I croaked, when she had to come up for breath. ¡°But you¡¯re doing a fine job of finishing, what Amon started.¡± I even managed a wry smile but my fianc¨¦e didn¡¯t appreciated the humour. She was already raising her hand to show me exactly just how little she had enjoyed my remark, but when she met my gaze, her arm dropped down limply. ¡°I¡­ gods, it¡¯s good to hear your voice. I wasn¡¯t sure¡­ how are you doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a stupid question,¡± I hissed, struggling to sit up in my bed and resolutely refusing to concentrate on the strange sensations within my body. Ahri pursed her lips and quickly grabbed me under the shoulders to help, but I still caught the telltale shimmer in her eyes, before she hid her face, pretending to fluff my pillows. I was back in Alassara¡¯s home, our old room, to be precise, the small space cramped with more people, than it could easily accommodate. My entire family was there, looking pale and tired, as well as Viyara and Aurelia. In a way, the assembled, grieving people reminded me of a funeral, a thought, that sent shivers down my spine. But I wasn¡¯t dead, yet. The very same realisation seemed to come to them as well, since they quickly decided to swarm me like a pack of ravenous rats, making sure I was still breathing with hugs, pats and whispered words of encouragement. Only Reia and Ahri remained quiet, both of them silently clinging to one of my tails. They stared at me without blinking and this time, they didn¡¯t hide their tears, even though my love managed a brave attempt at a watery smile. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she mouthed. I could only nod, my own eyes stinging. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. While an avalanche of questions, none of them more, than a veiled reassurance I was truly awake, flowed over me, I decide to bite the bullet and concentrate on how I felt. Considering the ¡°she¡¯s dying remark¡±, I was probably in for quite a treat and I wasn¡¯t disappointed. I felt weak, almost like when I had been sick. My heartbeat was sluggish and arrhythmic, my joints hurt, as if I had a fever and I still felt cold. It wasn¡¯t the same sensation I had experienced, when I had nearly lost myself in Lucifer¡¯s memories. That had been me, trying to make sense of something beyond my grasp, of my mind crumbling. This felt, as if all strength had been sucked out of me, and there simply wasn¡¯t enough left keep my alive. I was truly dying, gradually, slowly, but inexorably. The longer I listened, the more I became aware of something else. My body and my core were fine, my power had long since burned away the vile magic, but something deeper, something hidden, something, that hadn¡¯t become part of my legacy, just yet, wasn¡¯t. I was dying, because my soul had been poisoned and as it withered, the rest of me perished. Damn it, this time, I was truly fucked. My soul was still immaculate, untouched and now, it had been infected by someone, who had practised his despicable arts for uncounted years. I shivered. ¡°We may have a problem,¡± I groaned, when Viyara had finally managed to compose herself and had taken a few steps back. ¡°I¡­ John had been marked by Amon. I should have thought of it sooner, but I didn¡¯t.¡± They exchanged glances, apparently having figured out as much by themselves. ¡°He used his soul to hurt mine and now¡­ I think it¡¯s deteriorating¡­ it¡¯s dying. He poisoned me and I don¡¯t think I can fight it.¡± A stunned silence greeted my words, disbelieve, anger and desperation slowly settling in, while I did my best to stop myself from crying. My mom mewled forlornly, the light in her eyes dimming and Reia¡¯s fingers tightened around my tail, as if she¡¯d never again let go. Even my brother was fighting to hold back his tears, by now. ¡°No,¡± Ahri growled. ¡°Not like this. There must be a way. Soul magic¡­ we simply have to find someone who¡¯s¡­¡± she trailed off, a spark of hope igniting in her scintillating eyes. ¡°Knows, how he works his spells and is better at them than him,¡± I finished her sentence, my mouth going slack, while I quickly shuffled through the contents of my stamp. The gem, we had confided Shassa¡¯s spirit to, appeared on the blanket in front of me and I mumbled: ¡°I knew she would come in handy, one day.¡± If Mephisto had been here, I wouldn¡¯t have even considered the spider as a potential rescuer, but desperate times¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not the only way, you know,¡± Aurelia stated quietly. She was the only one, who still seemed calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know, whom you¡¯ve caught in their, but she stinks¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want her anywhere near my soul.¡± ¡°Better than the alternative,¡± I choked around a lump in my throat. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She looked around curiously, when everyone stared at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean we should let her die, obviously,¡± she finally added. ¡°But that¡­ thing definitely isn¡¯t the only one, who knows soul magic. I do, too¡­ as does my former mistress. Even if my own prowess turned out to be insufficient, I¡¯m convinced I can find a way to communicate with Lady Sarai,¡± she shivered, as she spoke the name, but continued on, as if nothing had happened. ¡°I¡¯m sure your sister could provide the insights I am lacking. There¡¯s no reason to turn to that beast¡­ unless you don¡¯t trust us. Or should I say, you trust us even less than the creature you¡¯ve imprisoned. If so,¡± she didn¡¯t seem offended at the notion, ¡°let me reassure you: I mean you no harm. I¡¯m indebted to you and will forever be. You helped, when I asked.¡± I didn¡¯t immediately manage a reply, torn between embarrassment, hope and a bonfire of fear. ¡°Let her,¡± Viyara pressed out and grabbed my hand. ¡°Please, let her try. Don¡¯t open yourself up to further harm. I¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± I squeezed her fingers and held back my tears. ¡°I¡¯m not going to, if there¡¯s another way.¡± Turning to the vampire, I asked: ¡°what now? Do I lie down and open up wide?¡± Aside from her and Ahri, no one had ever had had the displeasure of visiting a doctor in a technologically advanced society, but at least those two managed a grin. ¡°No need, here let me¡­¡± she extended her hand and placed it over my heart. I didn¡¯t know where the soul was located, but I had always believed it to be a diffuse presence, everywhere within me at once. Apparently, I had been wrong, or she simply needed a physical connection. Either way, I felt her at the edge of my perception, but when she tried to move closer, she ran into an insurmountable wall of light. Without a focus, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help. ¡°Here,¡± I mumbled and handed her the little pendant Greta had made, what felt like ages ago. Nodding, she took it and closed her eyes, her presence coming closer immediately. In contrast to when Amon had spelled me, it didn¡¯t feel like an invasion. It was more like¡­ a friend, stepping through the door, on a cold winter night. While she brought snow and mud with her, I still didn¡¯t mind having her there. She didn¡¯t belong, exactly, but she was a welcome sight. That was, until something alien within me reacted. A chill ran down my spine and my vision collapsed, while another part of the curse activated. My wings manifested of their own accord, my power surged, as if to protect me from an enemy and with a loud thunderclap, Aurelia was blown backwards, her skin blistered. I still felt the breath of eternity at my fingertips and without wanting to, I ushered the forces at my disposal forward, a scintillating, binding arch of light, that slammed into the vampire. She screamed, silvery blue light dancing around her form. Through a kaleidoscope of figures and colours, I saw her burn, her essence, strong as it might be, nothing more than a paper wall in front of the rising tide. ¡°Go to hell,¡± I pressed out, desperately fighting for control, fighting to reign my power back in before another one of my friends had to pay the ultimate price. It was tough and painful, but I had been there before, more times than I cared to admit, and I wouldn¡¯t back down, I never had. Marshalling my will, strained as it was, I took it all back, allowed the infinite currents to flow through a vessel they couldn¡¯t damage. Silver light swallowed my world, the splintered colours and distorted shapes vanishing behind a blinding curtain while spark after spark left Aurelia and returned to me. It couldn¡¯t have lasted for more than a second, but it felt like a small eternity and when, finally, the last, glistening ember spiralled across my skin and vanished into my body, I keeled over, groaning. ¡°That went well,¡± I panted into a pillow, the world spinning around me. Indistinguishable voices rose and fell, warm hands touched my back but for the moment, I was content in the cool darkness, unable to raise my head. Only when soft, nimble tails wrapped around my middle and pulled me into a tight embrace, did I bother opening my eyes again. Ahri had picked me up like child and pulled me into her lap, while Viyara was helping Aurelia to her feet, the vampire¡¯s skin already regenerating from the heavy burns she had sustained. Struggling, I managed to mumble into her neck: ¡°looks like the bastard knows, what he¡¯s doing. Did I hurt anyone?¡± Before she could answer, Aurelia straightened, coughed and said: ¡°Me, but nothing serious. It could have been, though. Had anyone else tried¡­¡± she allowed her words to trail off, but I caught her meaning. If she hadn¡¯t been strengthened beyond the limits of most mortals, she would have turned into ash with the first spark. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be, it was worth a shot and I¡¯m fine,¡± she moved and grimaced, ¡°or I will be, soon enough. What now? Should we try again?¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind,¡± I tried to scream, but it was more of a wheeze. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡± she cut me off resolutely, ignoring Ahri¡¯s darkening expression. ¡°Not really, quite the contrary. I think I know what happened and I should be able to avoid it.¡± ¡°Think? Should? Do you want me to kill you,¡± I asked, exasperatedly. She shook her head. ¡°No¡­ but neither do I want you to die. If that¡¯s the choice, I¡¯ll bear the risk, willingly.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not,¡± Mordred interjected. He crouched and picked up the gem, I had kicked away in my delirium. ¡°This is an alternative, isn¡¯t it? And should she fail¡­ well, I¡¯m not going to shed many tears for the spider, should her soul be crushed. She had it coming, either way.¡± ¡°What about Sarai,¡± Reia asked quietly. ¡°Couldn¡¯t she¡­¡± Aurelia smiled at her sadly. ¡°She isn¡¯t here. If she was¡­ her knowledge alone won¡¯t be enough.¡± 240. Of debts, chances and a little sacrifice Cassandra Pendragon ¡°But¡­ you said you know what went wrong. Can¡¯t she¡­¡± ¡°If I was still bound to her, she would be able to bolster my power with her own, but I¡¯m not, not anymore. As it stands¡­ whatever was done to Cassandra is changing her. She is subconsciously fighting against anyone, who comes too close. Her own power protects the curse. Circumventing it¡­ even Sarai¡¯s uncounted millennia wouldn¡¯t help her. She¡¯d have to experience the magic to find a loophole. No need to look so glum. Like I said, I think I already have.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong,¡± Viyara asked quietly. The vampire shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯ll most likely be dead and you can turn to that cursed creature over there. If that fails as well¡­¡± she looked at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t read. Pity and anger were there, but also something else, something I couldn¡¯t place. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you what to do, but I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to find out, where this is going to end.¡± Ahri¡¯s tails tightened around my waist and she whispered in my ear: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. We¡¯ll find a way, we always do.¡± I answered through our tattoos: ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. Before his puppet died, Amon asked me to hold on for a few days. I imagine, that¡¯s what he meant. Whatever this is, I¡¯m pretty sure that killing myself won¡¯t be a solution. But I also fear, that I¡¯m going to have a whole lot of reasons to try, before the end. If I¡¯m going to become a danger to you, or them¡­ I just don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t turn into a half cognisant monster. Just now¡­ I barely managed to hold back and I¡¯m still more or less myself. Give it a day or two¡­ I can feel it growing, even now. What if I can¡¯t differentiate, anymore? What if I can¡¯t tell what I want? What if I¡¯m going to lash out, indiscriminately?¡± She only pondered for a moment, a maelstrom of emotions and images collapsed as quickly as it had formed. She had given the question some thought, beforehand. ¡°Either we tie you up and wait until it gets better, or¡­ we¡¯ll fly. If he so desperately wants you, that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to give him. A curse dies with its creator, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s going to be him, or us, one way or the other. What we won¡¯t do, what I won¡¯t do, is leave you alone, ever again, I can¡¯t, and neither will I allow you to push me away. Whatever happens.¡± I should have argue, I should have told her, that it was pointless for us both to go, but I couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want to. I remembered the vows of married couples, back on earth. In good times and in bad, until death do us part. I had never put much stock in ritualised promises, but then again, I had never understood the meaning. That was, until now. ¡°Thank you.¡± I sniffed and buried my face in her hair, her scent a calming balm, that allowed me to think more clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯ve done in my last life, but it can¡¯t all have been bad. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be here. I love you.¡± Her lips brushed against my cheek. ¡°We are married, silly, or rather, we were and we will be, again.¡± Apparently, she had picked up quite a bit more than I had intended for her to see. ¡°And that¡¯s enough moping, now. We¡¯re nowhere near the end and I¡¯m not going to entertain your self sacrificing impulses when there¡¯s still hope. And there is. If all else fails¡­ two more transformations, and your soul will become as unyielding as the rest of you. You¡¯ve changed thrice, in a few weeks. You¡¯ve even carried me through my last evolution. Who says I can¡¯t do the same for you? Chin up, it¡¯s far too early to give in. Also, let¡¯s put an end to whatever shortsighted ideas you might come up with, shall we? I promise, I¡¯ll stay by your side, in good times and in bad, until my very last breath.¡± I squirmed, as I felt the crimson sparks settle in around her core, but before I could do more than stare in amazement, gratefulness and quite a bit of anger, she asked loudly: ¡°what loophole?¡± ¡°You¡­ you damned¡­,¡± I stuttered, but she pushed her fingers against my lips and silenced me. ¡°What just hap¡­,¡± Aurelia began, but the golden dragoness, who had been privy to most of my thoughts, stomped on her foot. ¡°Never mind. I think the curse is anchored to your soul, Cassandra, spreading in and outward. It¡¯s using your power to poison you and protect itself. The way I see it, even another immortal would be unable to break it, all of them but you. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t fight it, since it¡¯s already a part of your essence, a part you can¡¯t even control, yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± my mom interrupted. Even her telepathic voice sounded hoarse and strained. ¡°I just don¡¯t see¡­ all but her. You mean, if someone else was to control her energy¡­¡± the vampire nodded. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure how we can accomplish such a bond. Taking control of a soul, and that¡¯s what we need¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone but an immortal even has the strength to do it. But there is only one with us and she is far too young to shackle an angel, especially you, Cassandra.¡± ¡°Unless I¡¯m summoned and willingly accept your commands¡­ like Amazeroth.¡± I whispered. Ahri¡¯s breath tickled my ear, when she breathed: ¡°you know what that¡¯d mean, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already bound to you. What are you going to make me do? Love you unconditionally? Protect you? Grant your wishes? Even if there was something¡­ you¡¯d never hurt me. You can¡¯t. Why are you even asking?¡± ¡°Good point. Next time, I¡¯ll just get a collar for you.¡± She was smiling honestly for the first time, her eyes sparkling with hope. ¡°And maybe a leash. A nice one, one that matches your fur.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always open to trying out new ideas, but I¡¯d never have thought, you¡¯d be into this kind of thing. Maybe I should get a mask and cuffs, as well?¡± She pinched my side, but her furtive smile made it clear, that she wasn¡¯t entirely opposed to the notion. Or she was simply glad, there was something we could actually do, a sentiment I could comprehend in its entirety. ¡°There might be a way¡­ remember the book, I¡¯ve brought back, when the elves summoned me? There¡¯s a ritual in there. It needs my blood or something similar to work, but in theory, it should allow Ahri to summon me¡­¡± ¡°Which would put her in a position, where she can easily order you to fight against the curse,¡± Aurelia finished pensively. ¡°There¡¯s only one problem. You don¡¯t know how, do you? I¡¯m no expert, when it comes to summoning spells, but they won¡¯t allow you to do things you¡¯re incapable of, will they?¡± I shrugged. ¡°No idea, but probably not. And I can¡¯t learn, either, can I? Access to my soul is still a far cry beyond me. Maybe if we had more time¡­ which reminds me, how long was I out?¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°A couple of hours. It¡¯s almost dusk,¡± Viyara replied offhandedly, before she quickly added: ¡°but you don¡¯t have to learn, do you? Whoever summons you can access your power. They would have to know, what they want to do with it. Couldn¡¯t you,¡± she turned to Aurelia, who shook her head slowly. ¡°We could try, but in essence, I¡¯d have to channel her energies. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d survive. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s no one but Ahri, who would. Which begs the question how we can¡­ crap.¡± Her eyes shot to the faintly glowing gem. ¡°Are you sure, the creature in there knows, what has been done to you? If so, there might be a way.¡± A brief silence followed, all of us recalling our encounter with the spider. ¡°Not completely, but it¡¯s likely,¡± I finally said, when no one spoke up. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a spirit, a consciousness and a soul, tied to an object. If I was to help, I¡¯d have to somehow get access to Ahri¡¯s mind, manipulate Cassandra¡¯s power through her. The only thing I can think of, is trying to turn her and I¡¯m convinced, that wouldn¡¯t work. A spectral presence, though¡­ if you were to channel the forces through the gem, it would most likely disintegrate, but if you took her in, if only for a moment, she would be protected by your own essence and she could use the energies at your disposal to fight the curse.¡± ¡°And why can¡¯t you,¡± my brother inquired. ¡°I¡¯m a vampire, bound to my flesh. Even with the changes I¡¯ve experienced, I still can¡¯t leave my shell. No¡­ I fear the beast, you¡¯ve caught, is the best bet, after all. It¡¯s not even that risky. As long as she¡¯s an unbound spirit, Ahri can expel her easily, which would mean her certain demise. She¡¯ll only be able to use, whatever you grant her access to and as soon as she strays, you can cut her off. It¡¯s just¡­ why would she even help and what will she ask in return? If she¡¯s as experienced as you made her out to be, she¡¯ll know, that we need her. Are you prepared to pay her price?¡± ¡°They,¡± I replied, indicating everyone with a gesture, ¡°aren¡¯t, but I don¡¯t have much to lose, do I?¡± My mum growled, her fangs appearing behind her lips. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned that lesson, yet,¡± she hissed. ¡°Stop trying to do everything by yourself. Whatever she demands, we will find a way. And you¡¯re also not going to talk to her. As you are now, there¡¯s no telling what might happen.¡± ¡°Then who,¡± I wanted to know, ignoring the rest of what she had said, since I wasn¡¯t willing to spill even more tears. It truly was remarkable how actual concern could turn me into a waterfall much more quickly than danger, pain or suffering. I still failed miserably. ¡°I will,¡± Ahri immediately said, caressingly stroking my back. ¡°You¡¯re mine, this is my responsibility.¡± I saw the urge to contradict her flash across the faces of my family, but she was right. ¡°Besides, there are still a few unresolved issues between the spider and me. We¡¯re going to have a lovely chat and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll come to understand, that helping us is in her very best interest. I can be quite persuasive, if need be.¡± She gently pushed me back onto the cushions and picked up the gem. ¡°While I¡¯m gone, you could have a look at the ritual and make sure we have everything we need.¡± I didn¡¯t feel comfortable in the least, having someone else fight my battles, but as my mom had said, it was a lesson I had to learn. They wanted to protect me, just as much as I wanted to keep them safe and I¡¯d be doing nobody a favour, if I was going to stubbornly insist on cleaning up my mess, all by myself. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said again, to no one in particular. ¡°Just get better,¡± my brother responded, stepping up to the side of my bed. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea how strange it is, to see you hurt.¡± He ran his hand through my hair and added: ¡°I want to brag about my invincible, immortal sister for years to come. Now, show us that book of yours. Might as well try and make ourselves useful. I might not be an ageless being at the pinnacle of evolution, but figuring out a few spells should be well within my possibilities.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± I sniffled. ¡°Here, take it with you, I can¡¯t read the text anyways, all I see are the runes, Amazeroth left behind.¡± I conjured the heavy tome and handed it over. ¡°Would you mind giving us a minute? I¡¯d like to¡­¡± ¡°No need to explain,¡± Viyara interjected, and motioned for the others to follow her. ¡°We¡¯ll be outside, just call us when you¡¯re ready.¡± Reia squeezed my tail one last time, before she followed, her face buried in her hands. If I managed to get out of this bind, I¡¯d make time to take her somewhere nice. A theatre, maybe, or we could fly over the island together. Knowing her, she¡¯d prefer for me to either teach her some magic or how to fight, though. A pity I wasn¡¯t well versed in either. Could have, should have, would have¡­ When the door closed behind them, I exhaled heavily and closed my eyes. ¡°Would you just hold me for a minute,¡± I asked timidly, the nonchalant masked, I had tried to wear, gradually melting away. I was tired. Tired and afraid. Ahri didn¡¯t reply but a second later, I felt warm arms circle around my neck, while soft, fluffy tails wrapped around my middle. ¡°For as long as you like,¡± she whispered, her head resting on top of mine. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ve been through worse, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know. This¡­ this feels different. Ever since¡­ have I ever told you, how I first discovered my powers? Why I was challenged, back then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the story a few times,¡± she chuckled. ¡°You were quite famous, you know? A beautiful princess without magic, born with two tails, killing royals? Even if I hadn¡¯t already been close to you¡­ I imagine there was no one on Boseiju who didn¡¯t know. Why?¡± ¡°Ever since, I¡¯ve always felt¡­ confident. It has been much closer than I would have liked, quite a few times, but I¡¯ve always been¡­ whole. This time, I¡¯m not and¡­ it scares me. It scares me, that you have to deal with Shassa and I can¡¯t even¡­ god, I¡¯m a mess. I¡¯m sorry. I should be thanking and encouraging you, not¡­¡± she silenced me with a kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t. If you want to repay me, please, just stop being so goddamned stubborn. I know how hard it is for you to let go, but honestly, if you¡¯re going to thank me one more time for something as natural as protecting the girl I love, I swear, I am going to buy you a muzzle and make you wear it. You didn¡¯t hesitate to break the ancient laws for me, you didn¡¯t think about the chances, when you tried to break the curse on Boseiju, you fought a dragon for a child, you didn¡¯t even know¡­ is it so difficult to accept that we¡¯d do the same for you? All of us? Give us a chance and you might be surprised how little we are going to mess up, along the way.¡± A choked laughed escaped me. ¡°In contrast to me, you mean to say. Ahri, tell me honestly, do you think I have a chance?¡± She pushed me to arms length and stared into my eyes, allowing me to see the conviction in hers. ¡°We do have a chance, a pretty good one. We haven¡¯t survived, only to be stopped by a spell. I won¡¯t allow it and if the spider decides to make it more difficult, she¡¯ll soon come to see the error of her ways. Cassy¡­ do me a favour and imagine how you¡¯d feel, what you¡¯d do, if I was in your place and you in mine. Do you honestly think, there¡¯d be anything or anyone in creation who could stop you?¡± ¡°Only if they managed to kill me,¡± I replied glumly. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she sighed, ¡°but that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you. I¡¯m not going to die, I¡¯m not going to allow the spider, or the curse, to get the better of me. I won¡¯t, I can¡¯t, the same as you. With just a pinch of luck, you can take me on that date you promised, before midnight. And once we¡¯ve eaten,¡± an evil smile spread across her beautiful features, displaying her canines, ¡°we can visit the church and ask how they¡¯d like to make amends for siding with the enemy. I¡¯ve heard keelhauling is the preferred punishment for traitors and I¡¯m sure the Captains would appreciated a nicely wrapped gift.¡± I nodded, even though I wasn¡¯t convinced, it¡¯d turn out to be that easy. If I had learned anything from Boseiju¡¯s fall, it was the importance of contingencies and I just couldn¡¯t imagine, Amon had put all his eggs into one basket, this time around. She eyed the gem and added: ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her, now. You can come with, if you want.¡± I cocked my head in surprise and she quickly explained: ¡°our tattoos. You can listen and I¡¯d appreciate it immensely, if you pulled me out, should anything go wrong. I don¡¯t want the others with us.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I was genuinely surprised and a little worried, but she answered with a grin: ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what¡¯s going to happen and every time you ran head first into a similar situation, you came back without your pants. I don¡¯t think I could ignore the stares, as easily as you have. I¡¯m not without shame, you know?¡± 241. Of deals, doubts and a little bit of mischief Ahri Arete The world she had created was surprisingly beautiful. A lush, shadowy forest, with tall, moss bearded oaks, lindens, pines and spruces, growing from heavy, dark, verdant earth. Small creeks and emerald ponds were covered with water lilies and lotus plants, colourful dragonflies buzzing around the blossoms. Patches of ivy, bluebells and forget me nots added their sweet scent to the darker, musky fragrances of the towering trees and a warm wind ruffled through low hanging, thick lianas, producing a sound, almost like wind chimes. They weren¡¯t real, of course, but rather memories from Shassa¡¯s past, given form and life through her will alone. I had arrived in the middle of a meadow, cornflowers, poppies, buttercups and wild roses turning the vibrant place into a carpet of reds, yellows and blues. Bees and butterflies danced between the stems, avoiding brown and white rabbits, who enjoyed nibbling away at clovers, while shy, larger animals, hid in the surrounding shadows. I could still see them, though, their outlines glowing a faint crimson in my vision. Predators and prey, deer and wolves, large eagles and hedgehogs, eyed the new arrival suspiciously, unsure what to make of the intruder. If it hadn¡¯t been for my connection to Cassy and the dull, ever growing pain I felt within her, I would have liked to stay for a while. As it was, the contrast between where I was and why I was here, only served to intensify my nausea. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± I whispered, turning around on the spot. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°What you expected,¡± an alien, cold voice sounded from my right. Under the tree line, a tall, pale woman had appeared, her pitch black eyes focused on me with a disturbing intensity. ¡°And you¡¯re not whom I expected,¡± she continued, displaying a mouth full of needle like teeth. ¡°You cauterised my wounds, didn¡¯t you?¡± I smiled at her radiantly. ¡°I also pushed the stake through your body and gouged out a few of your eyes, but who is counting? I was understandably distressed. You almost killed my wife. You don¡¯t seem worse for wear, though. How¡¯s death treating you?¡± She shrugged and came closer, the outlines of her body blurring. ¡°Better than life ever did. Except¡­ memories make for poor sustenance and I¡¯m hungry¡­ always hungry.¡± She had grown, her torso had become bloated and eight spindly legs had pushed through her skin, until she resembled the spider I loathed so much. ¡°Are you here to feed me?¡± She had gotten close, almost close enough to touch me, but I wasn¡¯t intimidated. This wasn¡¯t real and as much as she wished to hurt me, she couldn¡¯t. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m here to ask for a favour.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rich,¡± she chuckled, her pincers producing an eerie, grating sound. ¡°I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯ll have to decline. But you¡¯re very welcome to stay a while. For dinner, perhaps?¡± Quick like lightning, she whirled around and rose on her hind legs, towering over me like a nightmare become flesh. Poison dripped from her frothing maw and a sickly sweet smell drowned out the scents of the forest. I clicked my tongue and manifested my wings, their eternal flames as hot and scorching in here, as they were in the real world. ¡°Wrong answer,¡± I whispered and shot forward, my whole body ablaze with crimson fire. The spider didn¡¯t move, expecting me to be as powerless as she was. It was impossible to hurt a memory, after all. When my wings connected with her legs, crimson sparks ignited on her skin and an acrid cloud of burned chitin welled up. Screeching, she tried to keep her balance, but with two of her appendages missing, she couldn¡¯t. I savoured her panic, the flailing of her limbs and the convulsive twitches of her eyes, as she fell to the ground, a prone form in front of me, just as she had been, the last time around. I raised my hand and brushed away a single drop of greenish blood, the only bit of her essence, I had spilled, before my fires had closed the wounds. Grinning indulgently, I sashayed over to her head and crouched at her side, my wings crackling behind me with the promise of mutilation and pain. ¡°Look, Shassa, I¡¯m not Cassandra and I don¡¯t have time for your games. I¡¯m an angel, a transcendent force, so much stronger than you, that I can even torture you in a world of your own making. Test my patience and you¡¯ll suffer. Deny me and you¡¯ll suffer. The quicker you learn, the less painful this is going to become. Strain my patience too much and I¡¯m going to take what I need and burn whatever is left of you to ash. There won¡¯t be another cycle, you won¡¯t be reborn. You¡¯ve already lost your body and if you aren¡¯t careful, I¡¯ll make sure your soul and your mind follow suite.¡± Her eyes were wide, quivering in their sockets, but she didn¡¯t try to get away from me, instead she stared at me almost curiously and with a grudging respect, I hadn¡¯t expected. ¡°I need a favour,¡± I repeated quietly. ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure,¡± she answered, while her form shifted again. The woman wasn¡¯t maimed, but deep, burned gashes ran over her chest and along her arms. ¡°What do you need?¡± Howling winds raged through the forest, leafs and branches withering at their touch. The animals dropped dead where they stood, their bodies decaying within seconds. Clear, green waters turned murky and rancid, the flowers within wilted and the insects vanished. The earth trembled, uprooting the trees, while patches of black, unforgiving obsidian appeared. Walls rose around us and with a mighty thunderclap, the blue, open sky disappeared behind hard rock. We were in the very same cave, she had been held prisoner. She had even recreated the foul statue, she had used to torture Cassy. Unimpressed, I cocked an eyebrow and turned to her. ¡°Theatrics won¡¯t make it any easier¡­¡± I was interrupted, when I felt a faint tug at my consciousness, Cassandra¡¯s voice a quiet whisper in the depths of my mind: ¡°When she does something impressive, she¡¯s probably trying to distract you. Don¡¯t drop your guard. She shouldn¡¯t be able to harm you, but better safe than sorry.¡± When she had invoked our connection, I had experienced an echo of her pain an empty, dreadfully cold sensation, that was creeping through her veins, like the roots of a poisonous plant. I bit my lip and tried to shove the rising surge of pity and fear away. Her own worries were bad enough, she didn¡¯t have to carry mine, as well. ¡°Thanks for the heads up, darling. But could you not interrupt, when I¡¯m trying to intimidate an ancient spider? It lessens the effect somewhat, if I go cross eyed, in the middle of a sentence.¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll stay quiet. Just¡­ don¡¯t let her fool you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Now, shush.¡± I rolled my eyes and focused back on the spider turned woman, who was by now lasciviously lolling around on the pedestal, she had been staked to, for so many years. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Was that her,¡± she asked. ¡°Little Cassy? I do miss her. How is the feathered bundle of joy doing? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s in trouble. Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± I was contemplating, how much I was going to share, but again, the angel on my shoulder couldn¡¯t keep quiet. ¡°I¡¯d tell her the truth. There¡¯s no point in making her guess. It¡¯ll only come back to bite us in the tails, later on.¡± ¡°Right, because trusting her turned out fabulously, didn¡¯t it? Honestly, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Fine¡­ it¡¯s just. I¡¯ll shut up.¡± She tried to hide it, but she was giddy with hope and not a small amount of fear, her thoughts in as much turmoil as I had ever seen before. ¡°It is,¡± I said out loud. ¡°She¡¯s hurt and I suspect you can help her.¡± ¡°And you can¡¯t? Must be serious.¡± She chuckled cruelly. ¡°Now, that¡¯s interesting. You, of all people, wouldn¡¯t be, if there was another way. Which means I hold her life in my claws¡­ again. I guess that makes most of your little speech from before rather pointless, don¡¯t you agree? Of course, I can¡¯t refuse you, since I¡¯d lose my value, but a few, minor demands in return don¡¯t seem unreasonable. As long as you can fulfil them, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to oblige. Wouldn¡¯t want to risk her pretty neck, would you?¡± I ground my teeth, but I had expected as much. The carrot and the stick. I wouldn¡¯t get her to play along without some sort of payment. At least she had understood that I wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. ¡°And what do you have in mind? A body? A few sacrifices,¡± I asked ironically. ¡°Oh no, nothing as sinister or taxing. A visit, from time to time¡­ and some sort of source, I can use to create something real in here. It doesn¡¯t have to be a soul, either, but a rechargeable mana crystal would be much more suitable than a mundane gem. Fill it with power, every once in a while, and we¡¯re golden. Nothing terrible, right?¡± It really didn¡¯t seem like much, but allowing an old, spiteful and evil sorceress access to magic didn¡¯t strike me as a good idea. ¡°What do you think,¡± I asked telepathically. ¡°She¡¯s not entirely cut off, anyways. Her soul is right there, with you, remember? I think, since she doesn¡¯t have a body anymore, nor a life, she would have to consume it, use it like fuel, to cast spells. But in theory, she could. Granting her something less powerful but also less costly doesn¡¯t seem too bad¡­ which usually means it is, but I don¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°And what about the visits? I suspect, she didn¡¯t mean me, but you.¡± ¡°Ask her, but for me, it¡¯s fine, either way. I¡¯d have tried to talk to her soon, anyways.¡± I relayed the question. Shassa nimbly hopped off the pedestal and sashayed towards me, proudly displaying the burn marks I had inflicted on her. A small, confident smile tugged on the corners of her mouth, when she realised, where I was staring. ¡°What? No threats, warnings or something similar? I¡¯m almost disappointed. Your darling must be in a royal pickle. As for the visits¡­ you seem like fun, too. Either of you would be fine. Or the dragoness, but I imagine, you¡¯re not going to allow her near me, without supervision. If I was to never see a dwarf again, though, it would still be too soon. They¡¯re creepy.¡± If I told Xorlosh, what she had said, he would be celebrating for days to come. ¡°Fine. But since you want something in return, it seems only fair to include a punishment, should you fail. She¡¯s dying, Shassa, and if her life ends, so will your existence. I promise you that.¡± Another binding vow, another oath to keep, but I meant every word. Should she die¡­ no, she wasn¡¯t going to. I was going to make sure of it. Shassa nodded. She had come close enough again, that I could feel her presence, like a heavy, poisoned blanket, gradually wrapping itself around me. A final step brought her to my side and her breath brushed against my cheek, when she whispered: ¡°Can¡¯t say, I¡¯m surprised. Tell me what the vixen has done now, and I might agree to your terms.¡± It was now or never. ¡°She¡¯s done nothing. Your dear friend and prot¨¦g¨¦e has cursed her, using the soul of someone else. She¡­ her soul is dying.¡± ¡°Oh my, it really is serious, but I don¡¯t quite see, how I should be able to help. If she was just another, regular person, maybe. As it is, I don¡¯t think I can even observe what¡¯s happening to her, never mind curing her. I imagine, you¡¯ve an idea, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be here. So, tell me about that crazy scheme of yours. How improbable is it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know¡­ she can be summoned, just like a spirit and I can use her powers, without spontaneously combusting. If I was to let you in, you should be able to work your magic through me and consequentially, through her.¡± She clicked her tongue pensively. ¡°That might actually work. Might. Provided I can figure out what¡¯s happening to her and find a way to unravel the curse¡­ on the bright side, you won¡¯t have to kill me, if I fail. We¡¯ll both be dead, anyways and so will she. Interesting¡­ I believe that¡¯s what gamblers call all or nothing. You better make it a big gem, enormous, even. And I expect a visit every other day.¡± I blinked in surprise. ¡°Just like that?¡± She smiled softly. ¡°Just like that. What happened between us¡­ it¡¯s nothing personal. I like you, the both of you, and I want to see, where you might be headed in the future. Don¡¯t take it the wrong way, I¡¯ll still tie you to a statue and squeeze you dry, given the chance, but I¡¯d feel slightly bad for a few minutes. Besides¡­ I¡¯m starting to get bored. Memories can¡¯t surprise you and this, my dear, is definitely something new, so I¡¯m in. The question is, are you really prepared to allow me inside¡­ yourself? You¡¯ve probably been told, that you¡¯ll be safe. Let me disabuse of the notion. Once there, I can kill you faster than you can expel me. Are you still willing to go through with it?¡± ¡°Of c¡­¡± I was cut short by Cassandra¡¯s mental screams: ¡°Absolutely not! Are you insane? She¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°What? Kill me? Don¡¯t be stupid. As soon as I¡¯m gone, she¡¯ll have to withstand your powers, without me. She¡¯d burn in an instant. Do you honestly think, she¡¯s suicidal? That she¡¯d throw her life away, out of pure spite?¡± ¡°I do,¡± she rumbled, but was forced to admit: ¡°but not to kill either of us. To thwart Amon, sure, but her best bet to screw with him is helping us. I still don¡¯t want¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re far beyond the point, where want matters. You¡¯re hurt, Cassy, you¡¯re dying. Get your head out of your arse. It¡¯s my decision, anyways, and I¡¯ll gladly risk my life to protect yours.¡± ¡°Great, just fucking great. How¡¯s that supposed to make me feel?¡± ¡°As if it matters. You can bitch all you want, once you¡¯re healthy. Until then, let me do what is necessary. I can¡¯t remember a single instance, when you considered anyone¡¯s feeling, you always did, what you thought had to be done. Now it¡¯s my turn and so help me, you won¡¯t interfere. Am I clear?¡± Her thoughts raced and her emotions flashed from gratitude to guilt to anger and back again but she didn¡¯t contradict me. She¡¯d make me pay, later, but if we got to that point, it would have been worth it, a million times over. ¡°I am,¡± I told the spider, who watched me curiously, her fangs dripping poisonous saliva. ¡°Fantastic,¡± she purred, the sound so very strange, coming from her nightmarish maw. ¡°I expected as much, but I wasn¡¯t sure. Well then, I guess it¡¯s time for you to prepare a ritual and for me, to make sure my skills are still up to snuff. Call me, when you¡¯re ready. Oh, one more thing. Prepare the gem, we¡¯ve talked about, beforehand. I¡¯m not going to return to this place. Should we survive, I want what I was promised. Until then, farewell, little angel. And the best of luck.¡± I nodded and willed the world of memories around me to dissolve, until I was back in the underground room. I had expected a tirade to greet me, but Cassandra was only staring, mirth reflected in her silver eyes. ¡°What¡¯s so funny,¡± I demanded to know, still slightly miffed at her continuous interruptions. ¡°Oh¡­ nothing much, but¡­ when you used your powers in there¡­ look down, darling. You really are beautiful.¡± Irritated, I did and immediately felt grateful I had insisted on being alone with her. My fires had burned away my clothes and I was standing before her, stark naked. When I raised my head again, her eyes were sparkling mischievously, as she forced herself to her feet. ¡°We still have some time,¡± she said, while she seductively glided towards me, her tails caressingly wrapping around my waist. ¡°Are you really up to this,¡± I whispered against her lips, when our kiss broke. She only smiled. 242. Of preparations, victims and a little bit urgency Cassandra Pendragon Being somewhat useless had its perks. While everyone was busy combing through Alassara¡¯s vault, searching for a magically conductive gem, trying to decipher a hastily devised ritual, Amazeroth had scribbled down as a distraction, or making sure, I wasn¡¯t going to kick it, in the next few hours, all I had to do was lean back and watch. Every time I pointed out, that I could very well help out, here and there, I was being shot down enthusiastically. Either they wanted me to save my strength, or they didn¡¯t trust me with anything as difficult and sensitive as ritualised magic. Probably a bit of both. In theory, being waited upon was a delightful change, but it also meant I had nothing to occupy my mind with. Which in turn meant, I was constantly puzzling over what had happened. The only reason, Amon had had a chance to curse me, was my own failure at controlling my powers. If I hadn¡¯t lost it, I wouldn¡¯t have almost become a monster from my past and I wouldn¡¯t have crumbled under the ensuing onslaught. That much could be explained by Cassy being herself, yet again, but him counting on it? ¡°That was easier than expected,¡± he had said. As if he had known I would succumb to my wrath, the moment I laid eyes upon him. As if he had known, how it would turn out. Clever as he undoubtedly was, I couldn¡¯t imagine he had that kind of knowledge, which told me exactly one thing: Amazeroth wanted me exactly where I was. On my back, my soul hurt and dying. But why? He had placed Shassa in my path, he had made sure, I had all the tools necessary to come out alive. But why even bother, what was there to gain? I would learn to listen, to see, he had told me. I would learn or I¡¯d die. What kind of twisted lesson was that? Making sure I knew my own limits? Carpe diem and Memento mori? I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me how easily a life could end, even my own. What was the point? In practice, I was simply crippled for a while. While my soul was connected to my core, I was at risk of annihilating it entirely, should I use my powers. I could feel the parasitic link, the curse had formed, a link that would channel a part of my energies through my soul, should I try to use them willingly. In theory, a summoning would circumvent that particular problem, since I wasn¡¯t going to access my reservoirs myself, but why, why bother? Time¡­ I¡¯d be tied down for a while, as would Ahri. She wasn¡¯t going to leave my side, until I was cured. But what lesson could be learned form not being able to act? Being powerless¡­ oh. A scene, from when we had been in Shafeer¡¯s hoard, rose to the surface. Mephisto had told me, that I couldn¡¯t save everyone, that sometimes, I¡¯d be forced to let go. He had even reiterated his warning, when we had first seen the slave markets. And now¡­ now I would have to stand by idly. Whatever happened, during the next few hours, I would be exactly where I was. Shit. A surge of adrenaline pulse through my body and I had to repress the urge to materialise my wings. Ahri, who was keeping me company, a heavy tome on summoning circles, curtesy of Alassara, on her knees, looked up, her eyes narrowing with worry. ¡°What happened,¡± she asked, putting away the book. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She hurried over to my side and gently placed her hand on my shoulder, trying to reassure me. I stared at her, my thoughts racing. ¡°Where is everyone? Have you heard from the dwarfs? Where has Erya gone to?¡± She frowned. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure. They should be onboard. The fey might also have taken her granddaughter to see the city. Why?¡± ¡°Can you make sure? Try to reach them, please. I¡­ I think something¡¯s happening, if not now, then soon. Remember Boseiju? Once, the first domino falls¡­¡± her eyes went wide. ¡°More will follow¡­ do you think¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just paranoid, but¡­¡± as if on cue, my insides twisted. For the fraction of a second, I simply froze, hunched over. Was it the next stage? Was I about to find out, why he had urged me to hold on for a few days? ¡°Cassy!¡± Ahri¡¯s voice seemed distant, as if underwater and I barely felt her touch, when she pulled me in close. Fear surged through my veins, I expected the next wave to hit me at any moment, but it never came. There was a dull pressure somewhere within, but I couldn¡¯t quite place it. Breathing shallowly, I buried my face in her hair, and focused on the sensations, until I realised that it wasn¡¯t my soul, nor my body, but my very core. One of the shimmering bands around it was constricting, slowly drawing tighter and tighter around the seat of my power. A promise, a promise I was about to break. But which one? ¡°Erya,¡± I panted. ¡°She¡¯s in danger. I promised to keep her safe and I¡¯m failing. Where¡¯s¡­¡± A scream cut me short, a scream, loud enough to tear through metres of cold, hard earth. ¡°Help! Cassy, help me!¡± A moment later, I felt her thoughts, a cacophony of fear and pain. The fey was close and she was hurt, hurt and alone. Without thinking, I shot up, my eyes glowing dangerously, but before I could take a single step, a crimson curtain of flames descended around me, ushering me back. ¡°No,¡± Ahri hissed, ¡°you won¡¯t. You¡¯ll stay here, I¡¯ll go.¡± I lowered my head defiantly, but she didn¡¯t give me a chance to complain. ¡°You will stay here. We¡¯ve not yet managed to drag your ass back from hell and you want to run, head first, into the next demon? Not on my watch. Sit. Down.¡± The last words were uttered with quite a bit of power behind them and even though they didn¡¯t affect me, they conveyed perfectly just how serious she was. ¡°Fine,¡± I gave in and slumped back down. When she didn¡¯t move, her burning gaze still bearing down on me, I added: ¡°would you hurry? I¡¯m not going to run off¡­ promise.¡± Satisfied, she nodded and vanished through the door in a shower of sparks. Alone, frustrated and hurting, I got off the bed again, pacing, listening, cursing silently. I didn¡¯t even dare to enhance my hearing, afraid I might damage my soul even further. I groaned and forcefully pushed the tide of emotions away. There had to be something I could do, but stuck in a fortress below ground, without my powers, limited my options considerably. I heard faint shouts, the muffled sound of heavy boots and even the thundering roar of an enraged dragon, while the shackles around my core vibrated and hummed with energy, exacerbating the pain from my crumbling soul. Damn it all to hell and back again! If I only knew¡­ my wandering gaze fell upon the glowing gem, Ahri had put away, before I had distracted her. Maybe the spider could¡­ the smell of strong, arcane arts welled up, filling the small room with the scent of electricity and ozone. I made my decision and placed the gem right back where I had found it. I had promised and even though I wouldn¡¯t leave, I was decently sure, visiting the memories of an evil sorceress counted as running off. Who said I couldn¡¯t learn? This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Unfortunately, I was now confined to a veritable dungeon, while my friends faced off against who knew what. They were all grown girls, though, easily able to handle themselves. At least, that was, what I told myself, repeatedly, as I shuffled back to the bed and sat down, concentrating on every little sound, every minuscule change, I could pick up on. Which, of course, made everything much worse. My imagination ran wild and I could barely keep myself rooted to the spot. Every creak, every muffled cry, even the rustling of sheets, when I twitched involuntarily, expanded in my mind, until they became the echoes of a bloody, monstrous battle, raging just above my head. Time and again, I told myself, that someone would bother reaching out to me, if anything went wrong and that the continued silence only meant, they were doing just fine. Time and again, I stopped myself from opening the door and sneaking upstairs, from doing exactly what Ahri had told me not to. Damn it all to hell, I truly sucked at being a good, obedient girl. No wonder my parents had spent so much time hammering etiquette and manners through my thick skull. My heart raced, not from fatigue or pain, but for my friends, my family. Waiting, not knowing, hoping, was maybe the hardest thing I had ever been forced to do and with my r¨¦sum¨¦, that actually meant something. Finally, after what seemed like aeons, even though it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few minutes, the smell of magics dispersed and silence returned, broken only by the occasional thud and incomprehensible whispers, I couldn¡¯t quite place. Agitated, I immediately pushed a part of my consciousness through my tattoo and reached for Ahri, her thoughts a welcoming, warm embrace I hadn¡¯t even known I needed. ¡°What happened,¡± I blurted out, before she had the chance to say anything. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m unharmed. So is everybody else, except for Erya. She¡¯s lost consciousness. We¡¯re carrying her inside, as we speak. She¡­ I¡¯m not sure what happened, but she¡¯s the one we had to fight. She was¡­ is hallucinating. Mistook us for monsters, at least that¡¯s what she cried out. Cassy¡­ it¡¯s not looking good. Her magic is strong¡­ I had to hurt her, severely, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have stopped. I¡­ I fear, she¡¯s been cursed, as well, but with her, it¡¯s progressing much quicker. We have to get you cured, and fast. If you¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t finish, her thoughts and emotions turning into a maelstrom of panic, guilt and pain, raging around an image of me, striking her down. I already felt the sting of tears, but when I realised, she was mostly horrified of failing me, of being unable to protect my family if it meant hurting me, even though she knew I¡¯d want her to, I couldn¡¯t hold back, anymore. Crying silently, I desperately tried to regain control, to project calmness and confidence, but I failed miserably. ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen,¡± I still pressed out, with as much conviction as I could muster. ¡°I¡¯m never going to turn on you, none of you. I¡¯d rather die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of. Cassy, if it ever comes to that, promise we, you will protect your own life, you will value it higher than ours. Please, promise me, you won¡¯t give in.¡± ¡°I¡­ Ahri, I can¡¯t. You know I can¡¯t.¡± I sniffled and pressed my palms against my eyes. ¡°Please, don¡¯t ask me again. I¡¯ll live this life with you, or not at all. There is no other option. I thought you knew¡­¡± I felt her urge to shout at me, to scream and quarrel, but with a mighty effort, she pushed her boiling emotions away, accepting what she couldn¡¯t change. Gods, I really didn¡¯t deserve her. ¡°I do¡­ and I love you for it, but sometimes, you really manage to drive me up the walls. If you weren¡¯t so goddamned noble, we probably wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡± She paused, swallowing down the swelling tirade and added amazingly calmly: ¡°get ready. I¡¯m not waiting any longer. We¡¯ll get you back to normal, before the fey wakes up. I can¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t watch that thing grow in you further. Everything else can w¡­ oh, come on!¡± I nearly jumped in fright. ¡°What happened? Talk to me! What¡¯s going on up there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a runner from the ship and he doesn¡¯t look happy.¡± I tried to interrupt, but she silenced me with a quick thought. ¡°Viyara can deal with it. I¡¯m taking Aurelia and your family with me, we¡¯re coming down, now. Get the gem, but don¡¯t talk to the spider. Who knows what she could do with the curse.¡± She was right and I decidedly glad, I hadn¡¯t followed my impulse to talk to Shassa. ¡°Don¡¯t you need more time,¡± I asked, perplexed. ¡°We would, if I wanted to keep playing by the rules. We intended to find a way to strengthen the summoning circle and allow it to take some of the strain. A safeguard. But I¡¯m an immortal, too, darling, and you won¡¯t hurt me. I know you won¡¯t. Your promises are stronger than any curse, no matter, who wrought it. Before you start berating me or refuse outright, keep in mind what¡¯s happening to Erya. Cassy¡­ she needs you. You¡¯ve already broken a similar spell, once, you can do it again, but only if you¡¯re whole.¡± ¡°That¡¯s low,¡± I snarled. ¡°And I¡¯m still not going to value her safety higher than yours.¡± ¡°She¡¯s dying, you stubborn vixen! It doesn¡¯t matter, anyways. Honestly, she could be healthy, for all I care, but that curse is going to break, now. The fey is a convenient excuse for me, but once you¡¯ve thought about her, it¡¯ll change your mind. And I¡¯m not in any danger. I know you. Sometimes, better than you know yourself. Believe it or not, it¡¯s going to be much easier, if you think, you¡¯d hurt me, in case you failed.¡± ¡°How can you be so¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Vexing! Every time¡­ fine! You better be right about this, otherwise, I¡¯ll bring you back, only to kill you myself, again!¡± Quietly, I added: ¡°you believe in what you¡¯ve said, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Every word. I¡¯m honestly convinced we can do this. I wouldn¡¯t risk your life, nor mine, on a whim,no matter the circumstances.¡± Her concentration wavered, while she began talking to someone else. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in a minute. If you can, move the bed. We need space. Love you.¡± ¡°Love you, too,¡± I whispered and severed the link. I cradled my head between my hands, trying to compose myself, while I was still reeling from the last few seconds. That girl would be death of me, one day. Well, she already had been, at least once. A pinched grin formed on my face and I got to my feet, feeling better. We had already been through the worst and yet, here we were. With a groan, I leaned against the heavy bed and pushed it against a wall. The carpet was next, followed by the desk and chairs. When I held the gem in my hand, my eyes following the intricate lines of energy in its depths, I heard rushed footsteps and a moment later, the door opened. Ahri and Aurelia waltzed in, unharmed, even though their clothes had suffered from several tears and the vampire still had a broken twig stuck in her hair. In addition to the drops of plant sap, drying on their skin, they looked like they had just barely won a fight against a hedge. With a happy squeal, I threw myself into Ahri¡¯s arms. Once she returned the hug, her pine tree scent mixing with the aroma of freshly cut grass, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from blabbering, though: ¡°one plant to rule them all. Did the evil fey try to strangle you with weeds?¡± ¡°Hilarious. You should try fighting her. Roses and their thorns aren¡¯t half as beautiful, once they¡¯re wrapped around your neck.¡± She kissed my cheek and whispered, her tone serious: ¡°we have to hurry. I burned her, severely, and I¡¯m not sure how deep the wounds actually are. Transcendent flames can hurt more than the body and in her weakened state¡­ let¡¯s not waste any time. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Exhausted, giddy, tired¡­ I¡¯ll manage. What do you want me to do?¡± Aurelia was the one to answer, while she self consciously plucked the twig from her tresses: ¡°I¡¯ll draw the necessary sigils while Ahri gets a hold of the spider. Your family will join us in a moment. Alassara has a suitable gem in her collection, but we still have to recreate the enchantments. Technically, that¡¯s the most difficult part, but I think your brother figured it out. He¡¯s quite talented, in that regard. They should be here any minute, now. As for you¡­¡± she smiled crookedly, her nails elongating into claws. ¡°You¡¯ll have to bleed. We¡¯re going to paint the symbols with your blood, which should hopefully strengthen the summoning enough to overcome any difficulties, the curse may cause. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be very gentle.¡± Somehow, I didn¡¯t believe her. 243. Of rituals, sacrifices and a little bit of premonition Cassandra Pendragon I felt like a ritualistic sacrifice. Weak and shivering in the middle of a softly glowing circle, its lines drawn with my own blood. The solemn, anxious people on the other side of the silver construct didn¡¯t help much, either. If one of them started to chant, I¡¯d be out of here within seconds. No, I probably wouldn¡¯t. Considering how I had felt my strength slip away, second by second, minute by minute, while they had painted the sigils with painstaking accuracy, I wouldn¡¯t even get up the stairs, without help, never mind running from an angel and a dragoness, who could feel my very presence. Forlornly, I pressed my hand against the still bleeding cut on my wrist. It hadn¡¯t closed, yet, a further reminder, that I wasn¡¯t doing too well. Gods, it really was time to get this over with. Warm, soft fingers brushed against my cheek, while Ahri¡¯s voice whispered in my ear: ¡°We¡¯re done. Are you ready?¡± I nodded hesitantly and pushed my body into hers, clinging to her warmth like a drowning girl to a raft. ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be. It¡¯s not going to get any better. How¡¯s Erya doing?¡± ¡°Still unconscious. You can worry about her, once you¡¯re off the hook, yourself. See you on the other side.¡± She kissed my forehead and took her position at the conjunction of the swirling runes. Aside from the shimmering, blood drawn sigils, it wasn¡¯t an impressive affair. My family, Viyara and Aurelia hovered at the edge of the circle, their eyes following my every movement. Mordred had a softly glowing gem in his hand, its surface carved with complex formations that supposedly mimicked the effects, Mephisto and Ignus had placed on the crystal, Ahri was now pressing to her chest. I¡¯d have been much more at ease, if a good portion of our plan hadn¡¯t hinged on the spider, who called it home. It was much too late to chicken out, though, and I didn¡¯t have any better ideas. One way or the other, I¡¯d be free. With a final, reassuring smile, Ahri closed her eyes and the gem in her hands began to shine, a deep, pulsing red, almost like blood, dripping from an open wound. When she opened her mouth, a complex, alien incantation rolling off her tongue, I had to suppress a shudder. Her voice was the same, but the intonation was slightly different, ancient, sharp, precise. The runes around me reacted to her words, currents of flickering, bluish light racing through the circle, while I felt a mounting pressure, somewhere deep within. Like a rotary, the light spun around me, becoming ever brighter. At first, the faces of my friends vanished behind a silver curtain, the outline of the room was next and finally, roaring with power, the runes ignited, silvery flames erupting from the sigils. The world burned around and the fires reached for me, a whispered invitation I couldn¡¯t resist. But I didn¡¯t even want to. Letting go was easy. It was a relief, the constant pain, I had been in, vanished behind shackles of light and flame, while the magic of the circle took me away. I felt the curse squirm and strain, trying to marshal my own powers to resist, but they were already bound, chained to a foreign will, one it couldn¡¯t touch, it couldn¡¯t change. A dry sob escaped me, when I felt like myself again, bound and imprisoned, but alone¡­ clean, the gruesome parasite nothing more than a powerless reminder of what had happened. So far, it had worked. The flames flared and the room trembled, arcane forces tearing at the very fabric of its reality and with a thunderclap, that blew out the ravenous fires, the sigils dimmed and petered out. I was on my knees, amidst a smouldering pentagram, the additional signs and runes had burned away during the summoning. Faint, glowing lines were wrapped around my wrists, my ankles, even my neck, leading off towards the corners of the formation. They held me down and connected me to Ahri, exacerbating the link from our tattoos. She was¡­ everywhere. Her presence, her will, her¡­ love surrounded me from all sides, smothered my own thoughts until there was nothing left, but a burning desire to do whatever she wanted me to. Deep down, I felt a chill, the knowledge of how utterly helpless I was, sent shivers down my spine, but I didn¡¯t really care. Nothing mattered. ¡°This is going to hurt. I¡¯ll try to be quick.¡± Dazed as I was, I could only nod, oblivious to everything but the sweet cadence of her voice. That was, until I felt tendrils of liquid agony dig through me, grasping for something I couldn¡¯t offer willingly. I screamed, my muscles cramped and I would have crumbled, if it hadn¡¯t been for the chains, that kept me upright. A reaching hand, a monstrous claw, tore through me, searching, always searching, until it came in touch with something else, something ancient, something hidden deep within me. It was then, that I realised, it had only just begun. Imagine your blood turning into acid, eating away at your life on its way to your heart, the very centre of your being. Every beat, every pulse makes it so much worse, while you wait for the sweet release of death, once it has finally devoured your very core. I couldn¡¯t even squirm, bound as I was. I could only wait, wait and hope, my whole being twisted and warped by my desire to help, to strengthen her hold on me and my inability to cope with the sensation. Hot blood dripped from my eyes, the silvery river feeding a growing lake around me. I waited for the soothing blackness of unconsciousness, for a chance to flee the torments of this world, but the unyielding spell held me in place, kept me suspended and awake, while the magic, my magic, ravaged my body, my soul. My thoughts became scrambled. My first kiss, amidst the burning embers of my home, the face of my father, before I had seen him for the last time, the heated embrace of passion and the cold, rigid bodies of the fallen, I had helped to bury, it all turned into a raging storm of images and sounds, a storm that swallowed me whole, that took me way. I laughed and cried, I screamed and begged but the storm wouldn¡¯t be placated. On and on it thundered, taking me ever deeper into my past, until I couldn¡¯t even place the scenes, it bombarded me with, anymore. Silvery streaks blurred my vision, a reflection of my tears, I could neither feel nor see, an echo of the disintegrating parts of my soul, as they were burned away to save, what was left. And then, when I was already convinced, that it wouldn¡¯t be enough, that I wouldn¡¯t have enough left to draw another breath, the surging tide subsided. Gradually at first, the onslaught weakened and my vision cleared, leaving me with a single image: my love, extending her hand to pull me from the depths, to guide me back to the lands of the living. Without thinking, I took it, allowed her to usher me along, while the world around me collapsed into something else. I was atop the highest tower in the Silver City, marvelling at the infinite, ever changing magnificence of creation. It had been years, decades, since last I had been here, since last I had taken the time to actually look at the wonders, we claimed to protect. Life and death, splendour and decay, all wrapped up in one chaotic, endless stream, given shape by every minuscule decision, by every single living being, who dared to gaze upon creation. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°We¡¯re all fools,¡± I mumbled, ¡°chasing shadows in a darkening cave.¡± ¡°Why so glum, little brother,¡± a deep, ingratiating voice called out from behind. I didn¡¯t have to turn around to know, who had come to visit me. Michael could be a pain in the ass, with his holier than thou attitude, but of all my siblings, except for her, he was probably the one I liked the most. Stalwart, strong, a reliable rock in a world of games and pride. ¡°Not glum¡­ just melancholic,¡± I corrected him, without turning around. ¡°The war is over and we¡¯re back, where we started. Nothing has changed, but yet,¡± I gesticulated towards the flickering lights in the distance, ¡°life continues. With us or without us¡­ tell me, brother mine, you¡¯ve bled more than us. Don¡¯t you resent your own role?¡± Sighing, he came to my side and together, we watched, we watched and listened. ¡°Why should I,¡± he finally asked. ¡°We are who we are and I don¡¯t think my part is yet done. Neither is yours. Why bother with questions, we¡¯ll soon forget, anyways? We¡¯ll find a way, we¡¯ll forget the pain and we¡¯ll continue, as we always have. Don¡¯t burden yourself, Lucifer. Not even you are strong enough to change the world. Not alone.¡± I laughed humourlessly. ¡°Save the pitch. I¡¯m not going to join your group of fanatics. Besides¡­ you know as well as I, that I¡¯ve changed. You¡¯ve never asked me, how. I wonder why. Don¡¯t you care?¡± ¡°I already know. I can taste her presence, I can smell her spark¡­ and I¡¯m proud of you. You managed to right a wrong, my own ambition has blinded me to. I should never have taken them, but I wanted to win. It¡¯s who I am. And you wanted to do the right thing. It¡¯s who you are.¡± Surprised, I finally glanced at him. ¡°I thought, you¡¯d be furious. I slew your soldiers and I took your price, no matter how ill begotten.¡± ¡°The ones you killed are alive and well, better than they have been for aeons. It was their time. As for my price¡­ I¡¯m glad they¡¯re gone and I¡¯m glad she¡¯s still with you. I¡¯d never have figured it out, if it hadn¡¯t been for you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your bond. Yours and Aurora¡¯s. Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed. She harbours one of the descendants, as well, doesn¡¯t she? The two of you put me on the right path. Nine families, nine immortals¡­ who¡¯d have thought, we had already created the missing link, without ever realising?¡± ¡°You¡­ want to follow in my footsteps?¡± ¡°Perhaps. But all in good time. First, we have to make peace, a peace that might last.¡± ¡°But¡­ they¡¯re all dead. You killed them all! How¡­¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t ask how, for I will not tell, but more of them are alive, than you imagine.¡± ¡°Suicide,¡± I hissed. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ have you forgotten, who I am? I survived. I. Survived. You won¡¯t.¡± ¡°And what about Aurora? She seems quite healthy, for a corpse. Relax, I won¡¯t do anything stupid. I don¡¯t even plan on doing anything at all, in the foreseeable future. But who knows? Angels and demons, living side by side? Anything can happen. I like to be prepared.¡± ¡°Another weapon¡­I should have known. Haven¡¯t you learned? It¡¯s not about power, it never was.¡± ¡°It always is. I don¡¯t want to get into the same argument, again, but while you marvel and enjoy, I have a people to protect. Don¡¯t lecture me, Lucifer. We are, who we are.¡± His steely wings whispered in the darkness, as he unfolded them. ¡°You might become someone else, but I can¡¯t. Not yet, at any rate. Please, why can¡¯t we, for once, just enjoy the view? I don¡¯t want to fight.¡± ¡°Then, maybe, you shouldn¡¯t have brought up the families,¡± I snarled, ¡°nor what you did to them. I¡¯m not going to allow you¡­¡± ¡°Allow? Boy, you¡¯re not my master. You did good. Entering hell, threatening heaven¡­ forcing us to leave the past behind. You accomplished much, but that doesn¡¯t make you invincible. I¡¯m still the protector of the Pearly Gates and this is my kingdom. Don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°Your kingdom? Michael¡­ your task is to protect, not to govern. Don¡¯t mistake me for one of your cronies, I don¡¯t fear you. Don¡¯t push me.¡± ¡°Maybe you should. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you¡¯d be facing the entire host, by now. It was me, Lucifer, who convinced them to play by your rules. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have. Maybe I should have allowed the war to reach its natural conclusion. I¡¯m getting tired of it all. Where¡¯s the ring, Lucifer? Where have you hidden it?¡± ¡°And there it is. The real reason why you¡¯re even here. It¡¯s gone, Michael, out of reach. You won¡¯t touch it and neither will another angel. Once the contract is sealed, I¡¯ll return it to whom it belongs. And even with all your might, I¡¯d think twice about challenging the Lord of Mirrors.¡± ¡°Are you insane? That¡­ charlatan might just as well break, what little stability we¡¯ve gained. Don¡¯t be stupid. At least keep it yourself.¡± I chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°You¡¯d trust me with it? Or do you want it somewhere close by? I hate to disappoint, but I¡¯m not going to stay, either. Once our memories are sealed, I won¡¯t return, neither to heaven, nor to hell.¡± I paused, weighing my next words carefully. ¡°You could come with, you know?¡± He relaxed, his wings vanished with a sound like rustling silk and he smiled. ¡°To watch you and Aurora frolic in the sun, while I mourn what I can¡¯t have? No, thanks.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not trying to hold me back? I always thought you liked me.¡± ¡°Sometimes more, sometimes less, but I¡¯m not going to be sorry to see you gone. You¡¯re¡­ different, you always have been, even before you¡­¡± he gesticulated up and down. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You leaving might be the only way forward. I forgave you¡­ others aren¡¯t as lenient.¡± The scent of ozone and the crackling of power filled the darkness, as my wings manifested. ¡°Are you threatening me,¡± I asked quietly, through clenched teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool. I¡¯m on your side, as you very well know. But¡­ you can¡¯t just appear before us with an ultimatum and expect everyone to play along.¡± ¡°They agreed, they bloody well knew, what they were doing.¡± ¡°Indeed, but once you surrender your leverage, I can¡¯t imagine that a few of our siblings won¡¯t try to pay you back. If you aren¡¯t here, though¡­¡± ¡°Out of sight, out of mind. Especially, when there¡¯s no reason to remember. Believe it or not, I think I¡¯m going to miss you. Faults and warts and all. For a stuck up soldier, you can be pretty wise. Which begs the question¡­ why did you steal my essence?¡± ¡°You know about that? Of course you do¡­ you saved his daughter, after all. Have you ever heard the story of the frog and the scorpion?¡± I nodded hesitantly. As the story goes, a frog and a scorpion met at a raging river. They wanted to cross the water and the scorpion asked the frog, if it would carry him to the other side. The frog refused, at first, afraid the scorpion would sting it. ¡°Why would I,¡± the scorpion explained. ¡°I¡¯d die seconds later, I can¡¯t swim.¡± Finally the frog agreed and when they reached the middle of the river, the scorpion stung the frog. ¡°Why,¡± it asked with its dying breath. ¡°It is my nature,¡± answered the drowning scorpion. ¡°I told you,¡± he continued, ¡°we are, who we are. I am the guardian. When Amazeroth was sacrificed to level the scales, I had to do something. If there is one thing I know, it¡¯s your stubbornness. You won¡¯t become enthralled, neither by angels, nor demons. Ancalagon was never coerced into a fight. He chose his battles willingly. His death wasn¡¯t in vain. Without him and his family, you wouldn¡¯t have had to work so hard, for we would have lost.¡± ¡°Why did you take his daughter, then? Why punish him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t punish him. I thought her blood held the key to break the other eight families free. Maybe it did, we¡¯ll never know, but I was and still am willing to sacrifice for my people. Only that time, it wasn¡¯t me, who had to pay the price. If I had thought, for even a minute, that I could have reversed, what the demons did, even by burning my own essence, I would have done it. But I never believed it. My blood isn¡¯t our salvation¡­ but yours might just be enough.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean, you¡¯re going to spill it, sooner or later?¡± I asked anxiously. ¡°Not now, little brother, and if it¡¯s up to me, never, but I can¡¯t tell, what the future holds.¡± 244. Of origins, transformations and a little bit of despair Cassandra Pendragon The scene blurred and shifted, colours and shapes became liquid and hazy, like a Dali painting, and for a few moments, it felt as if I was falling, with nothing around me but half forgotten memories. I had already gotten used to the sensation and was beginning to wonder, when and where I¡¯d arrive, but the scintillating sea, composed of my past, didn¡¯t appear. Instead, I was directly thrown into another world, spinning beneath a different sun. My muscles protested, as I rigidly went through another repetition, stubbornly refusing to alleviate the pain and use my core. My fist connected with rock, chipping away yet another sliver, while my blood slowly pooled around my feet. ¡°You aren¡¯t strong enough,¡± he had said. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your edge.¡± I¡¯d show him. I¡¯d show them all. Fear wasn¡¯t weakness. Overcoming it was a sign of strength. But try telling that to an unfeeling, uncaring, immortal piece of shit. ¡°The rock won¡¯t yield, you know? Are you punishing yourself or trying to blow off some steam?¡± I didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who stood behind me. Ever since I had escaped from hell, I hadn¡¯t been alone. Not that I missed it. Not really. Aurora might be a pain in the ass, but she was also¡­ frustrated, I lunged forward again, a trickle of power escaping my ironclad grip. With a resounding thunderclap, the cliff wall, I had been trying to beat up, exploded, leaving behind noticing but dust, settling into the newly formed crevice. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it,¡± I grumbled and faced her. ¡°Sure looks like it, to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cheating,¡± she laughed, her eyes sparkling. ¡°But I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. You were never able to control your temper, even before¡­¡± ¡°Even before we poisoned ourselves?¡± ¡°Poisoned?¡± She came closer, her posture tense. ¡°Is that what you think,¡± she whispered. ¡°Not really.¡± I exhaled sharply and focused on my bleeding hands, willing them to heal. ¡°But sometimes, it sure feels like it. I¡­ I¡¯m doubting myself and that¡¯s about the last thing I need, when I¡¯m about to face our siblings. They don¡¯t listen to reason, but strength and not the kind I¡¯m struggling with. To them, we¡¯re¡­ damaged. Weak. And I¡¯m not even fully convinced, they¡¯re wrong. What use is a conscience, when you know you have to get blood on your hands, over and over again?¡± ¡°It tells you which lines you can¡¯t cross, it prevents you from falling. You know that. What is this really about? It¡¯s not like you to lament things, you can¡¯t change.¡± I sighed. ¡°What if he lied to us,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°What if there is no source, what if I can¡¯t get in, what if¡­¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯ll most likely die, side by side¡­ as traitors. They¡¯ll find another way to wage war and creation will never know peace. But I don¡¯t think he lied and neither do you. There¡¯s no reason¡­¡± ¡°There is. I took the ring. He won¡¯t get it back until I¡¯m dead.¡± She gently placed her hand on my shoulder, a sad smile on her face. ¡°You mean, I made you take the ring and painted a target on your back. Do you regret it?¡± ¡°My life has always been a fight, nothing new there. I¡¯d rather fight against my family, with you by my side, than watch them run in circles, while I¡¯m on the outskirts, alone. Which¡­ you wanted to know, what this is about, why I¡¯m beating up mountains? I don¡¯t want you to go with me. Here,¡± with a thought, I made the blackened, cold metal band materialise in my hand. ¡°Take it.¡± She stared at it for a full minute, before she caressingly wrapped her fingers around mine and closed my fist over it. She breathed a kiss against my cheek and said: ¡°I won¡¯t, I can¡¯t. If you failed, I¡¯d use it and I would succumb. I fear, this is the one burden, I cannot share with you. Don¡¯t look so glum. That¡¯s actually a good thing.¡± ¡°What makes you say that? You¡¯re no coward. Why would you suddenly want to hide?¡± She pinched my side, her eyes narrowing in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but it means he hasn¡¯t lied. Do you remember when we first met?¡± ¡°No¡­ and neither do you. It was different, then. There was no time, how should I remember?¡± ¡°Are you sure? Let me show you.¡± She came closer, her lips brushing against my ear. In a soft voice, almost too quiet to reach me, she sang. Words, I hadn¡¯t heard before, but felt, sparked memories I didn¡¯t even know were mine and I knew. I knew, Amazeroth hadn¡¯t lied to us. In the vast emptiness, life had meant struggle. Only the strongest had survived, an unending cycle of brith and death, never broken, never changed. Each repetition had only had one survivor, a minuscule spark in the dark, a tiny mote of light, but over uncounted iterations, more and more had filled the cosmos. Ideas, convictions, principles, embodied by the very first creatures to ever live. Us. Unfeeling, uncaring, we had existed, struggled and lived, but there had been no meaning, no choice, not even thought or time. We hadn¡¯t been much different from the most rabid animals, fighting tooth and claw, wing and magic, against everyone and everything, an eternal night without so much as the whisper of a sunrise on the horizon. Until we learned, until we changed and with us, so did the source we had been born from. The night had been long, the path had been dark, but the dawn had finally come. When I blinked in the soft light of the setting sun, I felt tears, running down my face. It had been aeons, or even longer, since last I had cried, but here I stood, wrapped up in Aurora¡¯s embrace, luminescent trails covering my cheeks. I didn¡¯t even know, why I was reacting like this, but she didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°You spared me,¡± she whispered. ¡°In the very beginning, you saved my life and we finally opened our eyes. He didn¡¯t lie, Lucifer. It¡¯s real and you can find it. I know you can. You¡¯ve done it before.¡± My vision shattered again, the beautiful moment gone, replaced by something else, entirely. ¡°Enough,¡± I said, my voice thundering through the void with the power of creation itself. On my hand, a minuscule star glowed with black light, pulsing with the beat of my heart. ¡°No more. It¡¯s time to make peace.¡± Behind me, my wings whispered in the darkness, translucent, silvery blue torrents of pure energy, fuelled by more than my own strength. ¡°I won¡¯t stay by idly, not any more. I will make you see reason, or, by the abyss, I will end this war myself.¡± The Pearly Gates opened, the rustling of feathers a bottled up storm, ready to break free, as my siblings came forth, their wings a warning of power and splendour. Michael stood at their fore, sword in hand. His steely eyes bore into mine, as silence returned, broken only by sharp cracks, as the very substance of the void was torn apart around the transcendent host. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, brother,¡± he spoke with the conviction of one, who hadn¡¯t yet failed. ¡°You can¡¯t stand against us without an army and even though you brought the key, you didn¡¯t open the door. Did you really think you could face us, as you are, without the demons? You¡¯ve lost your way, your strength, your resolve. And I¡¯ll teach you what that means.¡± ¡°Will you, now? Oh, brother mine, you couldn¡¯t be more wrong. I¡¯ve lost my strength? Have you been blinded by your pride? Watch and learn, for I¡¯m the one, who has a lesson to teach.¡± A derisive smirk played around his lips, as my wings flickered and disappeared. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms above my heart. ¡°Ex tenebrae Lux,¡± I whispered. Light, glaring, bright light broke through my skin, blue tendrils of undiluted power twisting and writhing within. The darkness of the void turned into a blinding explosion of white, silver and blue, as my siblings were pushed back and the walls of the Silver City shook on their foundations. There was nothing left, but light and power, the only exception the quickly expanding ring of blackness around my hand. With each second, with each pulse of light, the darkness grew, until I became the centre of a maelstrom of black and white, light and darkness dancing around me in an infinite circle of power. ¡°Watch,¡± I breathed, my voice easily piercing through chaos and energy, reaching each one of my siblings. ¡°I might have changed, but I sure as hell haven¡¯t become weaker.¡± A groan, reverberating through my very core, escaped me and I fell to my knees. My form blurred and the storm vanished, leaving behind nothing, but gradually dispersing shadows. Wings, huge, gargantuan wings, blacker than the night, towered above the heavenly host. They rose from a body, long and snakelike, its tail disappearing in the distance, crowned by a massive, serpentine head with a ring of glowing, silvery blue horns. My fangs were sharp and shimmered in the receding darkness, like daggers of crystallised light. A red, forked tongue tasted the air, every scent an almost painful explosion of information. I threw my head back and roar, my voice strong enough to shatter the flimsy membrane of reality, allowing the void to bleed into existence. Tongues of bluish, silvery flames shot form my nostrils, a fountain of power, the likes of which hadn¡¯t been felt, since we had gained our memories. I was drunk, the sensation, the exhilarating rush, it was indescribable. As was the presence, I suddenly felt. She had almost been gone, a part of me I had known was there, but hadn¡¯t been able to reach, a fragment of a dream, half forgotten, but now, I felt her again. As if it was the first time, back in the dungeon, her courage, her valour rushed through me and ignited my every nerve. She was, what allowed me to balance my stolen power, without turning into ash and dust. She was, what had changed me, what had turned me into something alive and now, she gave me the strength to face my siblings. ¡°Choose, Michael,¡± I didn¡¯t speak, but my words were clear and seemed to come form everywhere at once. My voice was different, though. It was lighter, melodious, feminine. It was her voice, the very same timbre I had heard only once, before she had become a part of me. ¡°All of you. Choose. I carry not only the demon¡¯s desperation, but also your hope.¡± My core, a solid, unyielding gem in my chest, shone a brilliant white, its light even piercing through my impenetrable scales. ¡°Continue this war and lose your greatest treasure or make peace and receive, what has been stolen. This war ends, now. One way or the other. The nine families are gone and I¡¯ll be damned before I watch you ruin the rest of creation.¡± They stared. Eyes, that had only shown derision or determination before, flickered with doubt and fear. I was an abomination, a transcendent nightmare become flesh and they knew it. ¡°What do you want?¡± Michael was the only one, who looked¡­ proud. ¡°What I always wanted. End it. Leave creation to itself. Allow them a chance to grow and make peace with our cousins. It has been enough. No. More.¡± The last words were accompanied by a wave of flames, which illuminated the Void and drove my siblings to their knees. Great, now all I had to do, was figure out, how to give up most of my power without being killed the second after. When you wake from a dream, there is this second of disorientation, a moment of confusion, when you¡¯re not quite sure, where you are, whether you¡¯re awake or sleeping. The room, the bed, it all seems far less real than the world, you¡¯ve just left and your mind is reeling, trying to figure out, who you are. Ever since I had been forced out of my home, I hadn¡¯t had that problem. I had either woken to Ahri¡¯s scent or even her touch. I had always had something to hold on to, but this time, it was different. I was alone, alone and cold. At first, I didn¡¯t comprehend what was happening, it simply felt wrong, but when I anxiously shot upright, my gaze trying to pierce through the heavy darkness around me, my memories slowly returned. I knew who I was and what had happened, but I still couldn¡¯t figure out, why I was lying on a hard, polished stone slab, alone. A pit opened in the depth of my stomach, as anxiousness slowly turned into fear. Where was everyone? Where was I? Think, Cassy, calm down. I listened, but there was no sound, except for the frantic beat of my heart and when I focused, the glaring emptiness, where my connections to Ahri and Viyara should have been, felt like a punch in the gut. Even my promises were gone. I was truly alone. Panicked, I scrambled to my feet, reflexively manifesting my wings and bolstering my vision. It didn¡¯t hurt. The curse wasn¡¯t there anymore, just like everything else. No bed, no door, no people. I was in a circular chamber, hewn from black, polished crystals, with nothing in it, but a marble altar, covered in the remains of the dress I had been wearing. When I had moved, the withered, ancient cloth had fallen off, like a second, discarded skin. How long had I been asleep? Tears stung in my eyes, when I frantically pushed more and more power into my body, searching for the tiniest spark, some kind of connection, but the tattoo on my chest remained just that. A pretty painting without any meaning. ¡°Oh, no,¡± I whispered, my voice hoarse but yet disturbingly loud in the empty chamber. What had happened? Why¡­ A symmetrical shadow caught my attention and when my gaze snapped to the corner, I nearly broke down. On a small pedestal, I saw the bracelets Ahri had given me. They were mangled and deformed, the passage of time had been strong enough to bend even the enchanted metal, but what truly got to me, was the tiny line of runes, etched around them. ¡°I never gave up,¡± they read. Fear, grief, anger and desperation filled me up and emptied me out again, as I took a few, shaky steps. My fingers hovered above the cold, broken jewellery, afraid to get any closer, unable to move away. Tears threatened to blind me, as I froze, where I stood. They couldn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Ahri,¡± I screamed, an explosion of sound, accompanied by a storm of energy, that shook the whole chamber. ¡°Where are you,¡± I breathed, as the light subsided. Cracks had formed along the walls and my wings had burned deep holes into the crystals, but the small pedestal remained undisturbed. Shivering, I finally found the courage to pick up the bracelets. They felt frail and worn but hidden deep within, was the tiniest mote of magic, a last reminder of the power, they had once held. Carefully, I extended my senses, pushing just the smallest amount of energy into the metal. Immediately, I knew that it once had been a message, but most of its contents were gone, devoured, forgotten, fallen prey to the insatiable hunger of time. All that remained was a hazy memory of love, pride and guilt, accompanied by the faintest scent of pine trees. I collapsed, the bracelets clutched to my chest, as if they actually were the one, who had left them for me. Silent sobs shook me and my vision blurred, but at the same time, a steely unyielding voice began whispering in my ear. I didn¡¯t know anything, there¡¯d be time to snivel and cry, once I actually knew, what was going on. Until then, I had to get over my self pity and fear and make sure, neither she nor anyone else I knew needed my help. They could have been taken, for all I knew, and here I was, acting like a fucking child. I had to get off my ass and make sure. It sure as hell seemed like I had been gone for years and years, but she was an immortal. So was Mephisto and my mom and Viyara wouldn¡¯t have died of natural causes, either. If even one of them was still around, I had to find them. Along the way, I might even figure out, what had happened and why I had been sealed in a bloody grave. And in case it wasn¡¯t as bad as I feared, I¡¯d have to hurry even more. If I had been asleep for only a few hours or days, it¡¯d be all the more important to make sense of this shit. But first, I had to get out of this goddamned grave. 245. Of memories, devastation and a little bit of mirrors Cassandra Pendragon Somehow, I had expected more resistance, a first hurdle to overcome, but getting out was pitifully easy. The polished crystals didn¡¯t resist my wings anymore than butter would a hot knife. I flexed my will and with the sound of shattering glass, the walls around me crumbled, torn to pieces. A satisfied smile played around my lips, despite the desolate circumstances I had found myself in. It felt good to finally be in control of my own powers again, but my smile vanished just as quickly as it had formed. Instead of a verdant island or even a shimmering, blue ocean, I found myself amidst a destroyed and ravaged plains with nothing around me but the jagged craters of long extinguished volcanoes under a dying sun. Not a living thing was in sight and when I tried to draw breath, the air felt like acid in my throat. I coughed involuntarily, as my body began counteracting the poisons I had inhaled. More tears streamed from my eyes, the putrid steam, which laid like a smothering, greenish blanket over the land, burning my skin. Whatever I had expected, this was not it. Overwhelmed, I slowly spun on the spot, searching for something, anything, living, but I only saw broken rocks and harsh, mangled lines, running off towards the horizon. ¡°What the hell,¡± I whispered. Hell¡­ it truly looked like hell, an extinguished hell, lifeless and barren. Not that my memories had ever shown me anything I¡¯d have called beautiful, but this¡­ this was actually worse than the fiery pit I had seen. There, at least, something had moved and here, here everything was gone¡­ just like the ties I had formed. Was I really alone? The more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed. All of this¡­ it didn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯d have been the first to believe, that breaking a curse, like the one I had suffered from, wasn¡¯t easy and might have repercussion, far more severe, than anyone could have predicted, but this¡­ a world dying, my friends and family gone and all that was left, a token from a life, I had lived, what felt like minutes ago? No. Way. Something was rotten in the state of Denmark, and I was going to find out what. I fanned out my wings and rose into the putrid air, the bracelets still clutched to my chest. Without thinking, I poured enough energy into my eyes to render the world silver and the very same moment, I knew where I had to go. Beyond the horizon, I saw the flickering of power, silver and blue it flared, an echo of my own core. Far away, beyond decayed mountains and dried up rivers, something existed, something that seemed awfully similar to myself. I bit back a curse, when another explanation came to mind. What if, I hadn¡¯t woken, yet? What if, this was still a dream, a real one, not a memory I had already lived through? What if, the curse hadn¡¯t been broken, yet? What if, all my friends had managed to do, was give me a fighting chance? I knew a bit about my strength by now and I could just about imagine, that a hastily created summoning circle might have been enough to sever my consciousness from the curse, without erasing it. In that case, the barren wastes around me, would be a mirror of what I had lost, the destroyed parts of my soul, already burned beyond recognition and the flames on the horizon might represent the source of all my troubles. A source I had to find and annihilate, once and for all. Either way, I knew where I had to go and the mere possibility, that this was all just a nightmare gave me hope. A hope that might just as easily turn out to be false, but it gave me strength. I wiped my tears away decisively. Whatever was going on, I wouldn¡¯t manage to do shit, if I clung onto my fears. Whether it was the curse, some kind of monster, or even another immortal, who awaited me at the end of the path, I, at least, had a direction and that was a million times better than wallowing in darkness and despair. With a quick flick of my wrist, I pushed the bracelets up my arm and angled my body towards the scintillating source of light on the horizon. Faster than a thought, I soared through the thick, acidic smoke, blind to the desolation below me. All that mattered was the pulsing light, somewhere ahead, the continuous, smooth stream of energy form my core and the mesmerising dance of my wings, while I accelerated even further, until the scorched earth turned into blurry patches of grey and black. Only once had I moved this fast, when I had awoken my magic, but this time, I wasn¡¯t surrounded by a thin, flimsy atmosphere, but thick, poisonous clouds of smoke. Barely a moment after I had taken off, the dense air ignite around me and sparked along my wings, turning me into a streak of fire and flame. Like a descending star, I thundered past unimaginably deep crevices, their bottom hidden from even my sight and towering mountains, their summits reaching far above the acrid soup, I was stuck in. Plains and hills, valleys and river beds flew by, but wherever I looked, I never saw a single living thing, not even ruins. I was truly alone and it looked like I had always been. Which lightened my mood considerably. If I had still been on Gaya, there would have been traces of civilisation. No matter how dilapidated, I would have seen something, the foundations of a tower or the remains of a crumbled wall, but the absence of anything manmade was complete. Which meant, nobody had ever set foot on this godforsaken piece of rock and the chances of me, being trapped within my own reality were increasing by the second. Now, I wouldn¡¯t usually call that a cause for celebration, but compared to the alternative, it sure as hell seemed like on. On and on I flew, the storm on the horizon refusing to come closer. I pushed and toiled, wishing, longing for a change, for reassurance, that I wasn¡¯t mistaken, for my hope to turn into conviction. I wanted, no, I needed to know. Mouthing a silent prayer to whomever might be listening, I squeezed yet even more energy from my core, until it felt like the world around me was about to break apart. It warped and bent, like a wounded animal, trying to keep me away, but I didn¡¯t care. On the contrary, the more resistance I felt, the more determined I became. If I was right, it was my own subconsciousness, twisted into something, that¡¯d keep me away from where I had to go, but I had no intention of being bested. This was my life, my world, and I wouldn¡¯t be denied. A reverberating groan escaped me, the sheer amount of power it carried spread outwards, like ripples in a pond and the next second, my surroundings changed. For the fraction of a second, I celebrated. I¡¯d see them again, all of them. They weren¡¯t gone or lost, it had simply been my fear of being left behind, of being alone, manifested as something tangible. A token from a life I thought I had lost, left there to keep me paralysed, but it had failed. I wasn¡¯t beaten, yet. My self assured grin froze, when the world became whole and stable, once again. Above a chasm, wider and deeper than the ones I had seen before, a motionless figure hovered. Long, straight, black hair flowed over his broad, sculpted shoulders. Between his shoulder blades, surrounded by twitching muscles, silvery blue torrents of energy, 33 of them, slithered and danced in the dim light. They were my wings and even before he turned around, I knew, whom I was facing. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°You¡¯ve come,¡± a deep sonorous voice boomed out, as he gracefully turned on the spot. Silver eyes, my eyes, bore into me with a cold determination I couldn¡¯t match. ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t,¡± he added, almost wistfully. His full lips twisted into a sneer, revealing long, pointy canines. ¡°It would have been better, if you had stayed. Why don¡¯t you crawl back into your grave and wait for the end, like the weak little girl you are? There is no point in suffering even more is there?¡± His wings flared, burning brighter by the second until each and everyone had become a star in its own right, a hissing, crackling reminder of the uncontrollable forces under his command. His eyes had turned into molten pits of liquid light, reflecting the strength of aeons, just below their surface. The very fabric of this world trembled around him, whenever he moved and whatever little sanity I had left, screamed at me to turn tails and run. Run and hide from those predatory eyes. He expected me to quiver. His regal posture, his certainty, the power of eternity, shining through his eyes, everything about him was meant to scare me, to show me, how far I still had to go, but it only served to make the ember of hope in my chest explode into a bonfire of fury. Was that really me? Was that, how others saw me? Was this¡­ self serving piece of shit really the angel I had seen in my dreams, sacrificing everything he had had? Everything and more? Hell no! This was neither my past, nor my future. I was. And I¡¯d prove it today. ¡°Coward,¡± I said, my voice steady and calm. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hide from pain, I never have and I¡¯m not going to run from you. You¡¯re but a nightmare and I¡¯m not a child anymore. It¡¯s time to wake up.¡± His sneer tuned into an eerie laugh, grating at the very foundation of existence. ¡°Easier said than done. I am your way out and I have no intention of letting you pass. Or do you really imagine, you¡¯re ready to face me? Me? Oh, Cassandra, I¡¯ve killed immortals and I¡¯ve waged wars you can¡¯t even comprehend, but yet you think you can overcome, what I am? Don¡¯t be a fool. Die here, this very instant, or limp back, the way you came. I¡¯ll be free, sooner or later, whatever you choose.¡± Sighing, I allowed my wings to grow, to swell with power until they matched his. Wherever they touched, lightning struck and reality withered, as forces, too great for any form of existence, took hold of the world, my feverish mind had created. He only smiled, victory etched across his beautiful face. With an effort, I reigned my energy back in. ¡°You won¡¯t goad me into killing my family. They¡¯re around me, aren¡¯t they?¡± He inclined his head. ¡°Perceptive. They are and you just scared the shit out of them, not to mention nearly slicing your sister in half. How did you know?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I felt it,¡± I replied, my fingers brushing over my tattoo. When I had prepared to fight, I had felt a tiny spark of fear, for the first time since I had woken in my grave. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he stated, his eyes following every movement of my shrinking wings. ¡°You might have saved your heart, but I¡¯m still going to take your life. And you can¡¯t even fight back.¡± ¡°No, I probably can¡¯t. But I¡¯m still going to try.¡± Besides, he hadn¡¯t moved, either. If he truly was, whom he claimed to be, there¡¯d be nothing stopping him from tearing me apart. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the kaleidoscopic mirage, his power had turned the world into, shuddered. I had no warning, no time to react, but the countless times, I had almost lost my life, hadn¡¯t been in vain. Reflexively, I willed my perception to expand and exploded into a shower of silvery sparks. His wings flashed and ripped through nothing, but air. I was in deep shit. If my conjecture was right, he was the embodiment of the curse, a manifestation of the hijacked part of myself, which tried to keep me imprisoned here. The face didn¡¯t matter, it was just a mask, my mind had slapped onto the enchantment, but it was telling, that I imagined the parts of my heritage I feared as Lucifer. Then again, after nearly having lost myself to him, only a few hours prior, it might not have been that much of a surprise. Abstract musings aside, I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of what to do. Should I fight back, I was probably going to do exactly the same, in the real world, endangering everyone around me. Not to mention, that I couldn¡¯t kill something, my subconsciousness had come up with. He wasn¡¯t really here and hurting him would probably simply result in hurting myself. There had to be another way, but when I reappeared above him, his wings already a suffocating cage around me, I just couldn¡¯t think of one and I didn¡¯t have the time to ponder, either. The smell of ozone burned my nostrils and I heard a deep, rising hum. Just before his wings would have ripped me apart, I vanished again. This time, I didn¡¯t simply change my position but tried to get as far away from him as possible. Lightning struck the side of the cliff and when the surge of silvery blue light receded, I stared at him from across the gaping chasm. He shook his head, a cruel, derogatory grin on his face. ¡°Is that all you got? A little girl running away? I should have known¡­ aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Hot anger bubbled and frothed in my chest, my vision flickered and it took more than I wanted to admit to keep myself from rushing him, but I remained rooted to the spot. Why wasn¡¯t he coming closer? All the time, he hadn¡¯t moved an inch, as if he couldn¡¯t leave the infinite abyss, he was hovering above. ¡°If you¡¯re too old and slow to keep up, it¡¯s not my fault. That¡¯s why the past should stay where it belongs. It¡¯ll never catch the future.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m already here and your future is oblivion. What do you think will happen, when I open my eyes in your body? Do you think your lover will know the difference? I wouldn¡¯t mind tasting her, one last time, before I finally pay her back, for what she¡¯s done.¡± He really knew, which buttons to push, but I wasn¡¯t going to play by his rules, not if I could help it. Swallowing my first response, which would have sent me straight back into his waiting wings, I managed a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. She¡¯ll know. You aren¡¯t me and you never will be. You can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m just more. I possess every second you¡¯ve lived, every breath you¡¯ve ever taken, but you can¡¯t even fathom, how much I have changed, since then.¡± He chuckled coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t fool yourself. You¡¯re just like me, only younger and far less powerful. You¡¯re an empty, vessel, filled with a life, you have yet to make your own. But why even try? There¡¯s nothing waiting for you¡­ you¡¯ve already experienced everything you¡¯ve got to look forward to¡­ there¡¯s only darkness left, darkness and bloodshed. Quit while you¡¯re ahead, let me take over and weather the wars, that are to come.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had your chance and you failed, miserably.¡± Insulting myself was probably one of the more severe signs of schizophrenia, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from adding: ¡°you¡¯ve already been beaten. What makes you think, it¡¯d be any different, this time around? You¡¯re still just¡­ you.¡± If he was able to, he would surely attack me, now. I couldn¡¯t remember a single instance, when Lucifer had allowed anyone to belittle him, but he simply stared. Maybe he really couldn¡¯t leave. Which meant¡­ I had not even the faintest idea. Was he guarding whatever was at the bottom of the crevice? Was he bound to my actions, could he only move, when I did? From one moment to the next, he turned into a streak of light, a silvery spear of undiluted energy, headed my way. Space itself blurred and twisted around him, like water, as he thundered forward, a trail of broken, distorted fragments of this reality in his wake. There was no time to think, I could only act. I wouldn¡¯t be fast enough to dodge, the split second I¡¯d need to envision my path, much too long to get out of the way. I raised my wings, a slithering, gleaming curtain of power, and pushed every last ounce of strength from my core. I couldn¡¯t see, nothing but the dancing, silver torrents around me, I couldn¡¯t hear, nothing but the deafening, hissing song of transcendent forces, while I tasted the swelling echoes of eternity. My breath caught in my throat and I waited. An unstoppable force met an immovable object and the word shuddered and groaned. The impact didn¡¯t blow me away, but I felt the calamitous consequences as light exploded outwards, a surge of power, that put a dying star to shame. 246. Of the past, the present and a little bit of trouble Cassandra Pendragon In the beginning, there had been only darkness. It is told, that light was the first creation, the first spark, something different, something that gave meaning to the infinite backness, since it wasn¡¯t absolute, anymore. Only when there¡¯s a distinction between what is and what is not, can existence flourish¡­ A wave of light spread outwards, from where he had slammed into me, and in the overwhelming whiteness, nothing else mattered. There were no shadows, no shapes, there was only a blinding glare and a small part of me wondered, if there even was a difference between day and night, darkness and light, or if it all came down to what we made of it. It truly was strange, what the mind could come up with, when it was reeling to make sense of something it couldn¡¯t comprehend and I was way out of my depths. Despite the unfathomable amount of energy, I was circulating through every pore of my body, I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand, what my senses were screaming at me. A brief, fluttering touch turned into an earthshaking assault, the crushing, colliding forces, set free, wherever our wings met, became a gentle breeze against my skin. I heard colours and saw sounds, when even the twisted and warped rules of this place shattered like frozen glass. For the fraction of a second or an entire eternity, I hovered somewhere in between, the raging storm of power the only real thing I could cling to. But it was more than just magic and energy we used to fight. His memories, his existence, and mine went to war. His countless years and my passion, his experience and my hope surged back and forth, like a bead, caught between two magnets. Sometimes, I didn¡¯t know where his consciousness began and mine ended. We were the two sides of a coin, tossed into the air, twirling and changing until we came back down and only one remained visible. For all intent and purposes, I should have lost, I should have been annihilated and become nothing, nothing but a minuscule bubble in a sea of time but I didn¡¯t, for there was one thing I had, which he lacked. I had something to live for, I had people waiting for me, counting on me and I wasn¡¯t going to allow a fragment of my past to get in the way. I wasn¡¯t going to give up and, by all the gods, I wasn¡¯t going to change. He was me and I was him and every ounce of strength he brought to bear, was already a part of me. When I felt the fabric of this flimsy construct groan and tremble under the onslaught, ready to break apart entirely, I ceased my struggle. Instead of giving him something to push against, to create a balance, I welcomed his frustration, his anger and his power. Like two kids, playing tug of war, I suddenly let go of the rope and the dead, desolate world was flooded with light. Ahri Arete Desperation and fear slowly settled in, as I numbly stared at the empty bed. A second before, a beautiful kitsune had writhed in pain, her wings ripping through stone and earth, but now, she was simply gone. Even the glowing sparks, she had vanished into, were winking out and only the sharp scent of ozone was left behind. ¡°Where¡­ where is she,¡± Reia whispered from behind me, her voice trembling with a growing dread, she couldn¡¯t hide. When Cassandra had first lashed out, I had used my wings to shield her family and the small space around them, was the only spot, which hadn¡¯t been cut to shreds. ¡°I¡­¡± I simply didn¡¯t know. She was alive, that much I could tell. I still felt her, the echos of her plight a constant thrum in my chest, but there was no way to tell, where she had gone to. With a thought, I made my wings disappear and scrutinised the still glowing gashes, where hers had burned through granite and marble, but it didn¡¯t seem like we¡¯d have to worry about the ceiling coming down. At least for the moment. Gods, that had been much too close. If she had continued her frenzy, I might not have been able to hold on. Her power couldn¡¯t harm me, but unfortunately, that didn¡¯t mean, I hadn¡¯t felt the pressure. My girl was becoming stronger, every day and she had nearly pried my wings apart, without even trying. ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± a cold, uncaring voice hissed in my ear. ¡°That¡¯s more than I expected. The rest is up to her. I upheld my end of the bargain. It¡¯s time for you to uphold yours. I¡¯m¡­ tired.¡± I was torn. I wanted to rush after Cassy, to find her, to make sure she was fine, but I couldn¡¯t. I wanted to blame someone, to lash out at the spider and sent her back to her dark, empty prison, but I couldn¡¯t. Forlornly, I stared at the burned out runes of the summoning spell. They had withstood the forces, channeled through them, just long enough for Shassa to work her magic. The charred spirals seemed like a mockery to me, now, a reminder of what I had pushed Cassandra to do and now, she was somewhere else, alone and fighting for her life. And I couldn¡¯t even reach her. ¡°You knew the risks,¡± Shassa snarled. ¡°Fulfil your promise now and fret later. The winged cockroach will return. Until then, you have work to do.¡± As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I had a little girl and her family to comfort, a fey to cure and a conspiracy to unravel. Gods, I hoped Cassy would be alright. ¡°I don¡¯t know, where she is,¡± I said firmly and turned around, a forced smile on my lips. ¡°But I know she¡¯s fine.¡± I touched my tattoo and added: ¡°I¡¯d know, otherwise.¡± I kneeled and hugged Reia tightly, my eyes travelling across the dejected group behind her. Mordred was biting his lip and nervously wringing his hands, while his mother was prowling up and down, her tails twitching, as if she was on the verge of pouncing. The warm, fluffy bundle in my arms was shaking, her quiet, muffled sobs sending shivers down my spine. Aurelia seemed merely tense, but when she turned her head, I thought I saw a bright shimmer in the corner of her eye. ¡°She¡¯s going to come back,¡± I continued, convincing myself, just as much as them. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt her. We¡¯ve done everything we could and I know, it¡¯s going to be enough. She will come back.¡± I caught the eye of everyone in turn and wrapped my tails around Reia. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt it for a second.¡± With more fire I added: ¡°But until then, we still have a friend to take care of and a debt to settle. Mordred, can you give me the crystal you¡¯ve prepared?¡± He stopped fidgeting and took a deep, calming breath. With a visible effort, he bit back his frustration and handed me the gem with an awkward bow. ¡°Thanks. Thanks for saving us and¡­ I¡­ I know how hard this must be for you,¡± he replied. ¡°I appreciate the effort and you¡¯re right. She¡¯ll be back.¡± Now, it was my turn to struggle with my tears but I managed a quivering grin. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I know she will. And we¡¯ll make sure, she doesn¡¯t return to one more dead friend.¡± ¡°Which means, we have to somehow save Erya¡¯s life,¡± Helena concluded, while she rubbed her back against my leg, a very feline thank you gesture. ¡°Will the spider¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Shassa immediately refused. ¡°Tell them I can¡¯t. I¡¯m barely holding on, as it is. I need time.¡± ¡°She spent most of her strength. This one is on us, but I¡¯m sure, we¡¯ll manage. It won¡¯t be nearly as difficult as what we¡¯ve done, just now.¡± I gently pushed Reia to arms length but kept my tails around her waist. ¡°It¡¯ll turn out just fine, you¡¯ll see,¡± I reassured her, before I straightened. ¡°I¡¯ve seen almost everything, Shassa has done. It¡¯s a risk, but I think I can emulate most of her magic.¡± ¡°How,¡± Helena asked, her fear for her daughter a grey, suffocating fog behind her words. ¡°I thought¡­ Cassy just got her magic and you have less tails than her. How can you¡­¡± ¡°I cheated,¡± I interrupted. A flickering flame manifested above my head, turned into a crown and vanished, while I explained: ¡°I can¡¯t really use magic, but I can control my flames. Like I said, it¡¯s a risk, but if she really suffers from the same curse, I think I can burn the damned thing right out of her. We have to know, though. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like you to take a look, while I deal with the spider. Ask Viyara for help, if you have to, or even one of the vampires. Just make sure, it¡¯s not something else, entirely.¡± The silver fox bared her fangs. ¡°It¡¯s not, I¡¯ve already seen it and it definitely is the same magic. Maybe less powerful, but still the same. But I¡¯ll make sure, don¡¯t worry. And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll try to find out what happened to¡­¡± ¡°Morgan,¡± I cursed. I hadn¡¯t really thought of the fey turned human, but she¡¯d, of course, have been with her grandmother. Stupid. As if on cue, I heard a soft knock on the door. ¡°Can I come in,¡± Viyara asked. She didn¡¯t wait for a reply. ¡°Did you¡­¡± he words caught in her throat, when she saw the destroyed, bloody bed and the smouldering cuts along the walls. ¡°Oh, no,¡± she whispered. ¡°Is she¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± I immediately interrupted her. I didn¡¯t even want to hear her ask, if Cassy was gone. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ honestly, I have no clue, but she¡¯s alive. You know her, she won¡¯t be bested by a curse, no matter who created it.¡± She blinked, a single tear running down her cheek. Before I could react, she took a few quick steps and hugged me tightly, the scent of molten gold ticking my nose. ¡°I know,¡± she breathed against my neck. I awkwardly patted her back, unsure of what to say. I really liked the dragoness, but I couldn¡¯t pretend like I didn¡¯t know how she felt. I wasn¡¯t insecure, at least not in that regard, but trying to console her, while we were both hurting similarly, was strange. Still, she was so young and if I allowed her to feel my hesitation, it would only serve to make things worse. I pulled her in closer and said: ¡°Good. Because we can¡¯t just wait for her to come back. Have you looked in on Erya, on your way here?¡± She tensed, but still disentangled herself from my embrace. She rubbed her eyes with her palms and managed to keep her composure, even her voice was steady, when she replied: ¡°I have, nothing¡¯s changed. But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. We have another problem. Xorlosh sent the messenger. The fleet, it has been ambushed. From the looks of it, not many survived and those who did¡­ the kitsune had to slaughter them, before they could turn. They had all been branded and marked¡­ there was no other way.¡± I could only stare. Damn it all to hell and back! Mordred, on the other hand, had an entirely different outlook: ¡°so, the self righteous prick has finally arrived and he even got his hands dirty. Who would have thought.¡± ¡°Self righteous¡­¡± it took me a moment to connect the dots. ¡°Arthur! Thank the gods.¡± ¡°Not the words I¡¯d have chosen,¡± he grumbled, but quickly amended, when his mother growled, deep in her throat: ¡°but we can really use the help.¡± He turned to her and added: ¡°you should head back to the ship. Ahri and I will join you, once we¡¯ve taken care of Erya. If we can, we¡¯ll bring Alassara and her lieutenants with us. I can¡¯t imagine we¡¯ve much time left, now that the first domino has fallen. The kids are already there, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Everyone is,¡± I interjected. ¡°It¡¯s only us and Morgan, unless Archy and Estrella came up with another glorious scheme, while we were away.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± Reia replied subduedly. ¡°I made them promise, before we left this morning. They¡¯re trying to learn as much as they can about the ship. We¡¯ve¡­ we thought it¡¯d come in handy. If we¡¯re headed to the Emerald Island, next¡­¡± ¡°We,¡± I echoed. ¡°The deal was for you to accompany us, not your partners in crime.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, does it,¡± she snivelled. ¡°We¡¯re not going either way. Not without¡­¡± tears welled up in her eyes again, as she began to cry silently, her fragile body quivering. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I tightened my tails around her waist and propelled her into my arms. ¡°She¡¯s going to come back to us,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know it. Do you really doubt her, after everything we¡¯ve been through? She¡¯s battled dragons and gods¡­ and she¡¯d sooner let the world end than be separated from you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she mumbled, her head buried in the nape of my neck. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°It happens much too often. Believe me, I¡¯m as fed up as you are with pulling her ass out of the fire. Why don¡¯t you tell her once she¡¯s back?¡± ¡°I will.¡± She rubbed her cheek against mine. ¡°Thanks.¡± I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent, my need for a bit of comfort just as great as hers. A moment later, I felt strong arms wrap around the both of us and a fluffy fox wiggle into our embrace. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, little one,¡± Mordred said huskily. ¡°And you¡¯ll never be.¡± I wasn¡¯t even sure, if he knew who she was, but his words struck a chord with her and she managed a small nod. Determined, she wiped her eyes and granted us a tremulous smile. ¡°So, what now,¡± she asked bravely. ¡°Now, you, Viyara and Helena go back to he ship and try to figure out, what¡¯s going on,¡± I answered. ¡°Mordred and I will patch up our fey and, if there¡¯s a chance, find out what happened to Morgan. We¡¯ll join you, as soon as we can.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay, as well,¡± Viyara added. ¡°You might need my help and I don¡¯t see, what I could possibly do, onboard. Besides, if you really intend to go after Morgan, I¡¯m sure my claws and fangs will come in handy.¡± ¡°If she really has been¡­¡± Mordred paused, massaging his temples. ¡°Of course she has. Fine.¡± He unceremoniously picked up Helena and placed the snarling fox on Reia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Time to go. We¡¯ll be right behind you. Don¡¯t take any detours, the gods only know, what kind of trouble is brewing in Free Land, right about now.¡± ¡°I might have an idea,¡± a silky voice came from the door. Without preamble, Alassara came closer, her eyes filled with worry. She turned to me and asked: ¡°remember the mercenaries, Cassandra tried to convince to help us?¡± When I nodded, she explained: ¡°one of then, the girl, Vanya, I think, is upstairs. She came knocking a few minutes ago. Apparently, Cassy wanted to meet with them, but she never showed. So¡­ they¡¯re here, now and they have news. Same goes for me. Silas has been out and about and he heard some worrisome rumours. Apparently, there¡¯s a civil war brewing and it¡¯s none of my doing, even though I¡¯m going to pick a side.¡± I groaned. ¡°Of course there is. Do you already know that your fleet is all, but gone?¡± Taken aback, she stared and mumbled: ¡°No, no I didn¡¯t. Blood and death, without the ships, we¡¯re sitting ducks.¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± Helena wanted to know, her anxiety clear in her thoughts. ¡°The Slave Lands, the islands, the slaves are taken from, they¡¯re rebelling. That¡¯s what Silas told me. The Captains¡­ they¡¯re busy trying to figure out, where they got their weapons and ships from and how they might yet squash them, but that¡¯s not all. Captain Kirena hasn¡¯t been seen for nearly a day and she was the only one, who had deeper connections than the fear of the whip. Without her, there¡¯s probably no chance to get to the bottom of this mess and without the ships¡­¡± she left the rest unsaid. From the looks of it, there was a storm brewing, in and around Free Land. Again, it seemed like we were enacting a well orchestrated play, only this time, we didn¡¯t have the luxury of an almost invincible angel, fighting for us. Somehow, we had to change the rules, without Cassandra¡¯s help. 247. Of stubbornness, hubris and a little pressure Ahri Arete ¡°No, no fucking way,¡± Erya cursed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave her¡­¡± ¡°No one¡¯s asking you to,¡± I exclaimed exasperatedly. ¡°For Christ¡¯s sake, will you shut up and listen? I¡¯m telling you, I will go! And if you manage to stand up, all on your own, I¡¯ll even take you with me, but if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll go with Mordred and you won¡¯t make this even more difficult than it already is.¡± We glared at each other, the soft, reddish light, emanating from the crystals, a fierce spark in her pitch black eyes. Breaking the curse had been tricky. My powers, as they were now, were much more suited to burn and destroy, which came in handy in regards to actually dispersing the magic but it had been one hell of a struggle to keep the fey alive. We had been fighting, ever since she had opened her eyes and I was seriously starting to doubt, if we were truly better off, with her awake and whole. Mordred and Viyara had left me, the very second Erya had woken and tried rushing off to save her grandchild. The cowards had only taken one fleeting look at her determined mien and excused themselves, claiming that they wanted to make sure, Alassara didn¡¯t need our help. As if, the vampire was mostly waiting for us, eager to be reunited with her daughter. We had planned to head to the ship, as soon as I¡¯d be done, but apparently, it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy. Erya closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath, but her anger and frustration were still simmering beneath the surface. ¡°She¡¯s my family, Ahri, mine! What would you do, if Cassy suddenly disappeared and¡­¡± she caught herself, eyeing me guiltily. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± she added in a rush, subconsciously pulling the covers up to her chin, as if to hide from me. ¡°Yes, you did,¡± I stated calmly, even though her words had managed to reignite my worries. ¡°Look at me, fey, I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I? There¡¯s no point in me going after her. Even if I could find her¡­¡± I touched my tattoo before I continued: ¡°she¡¯s fighting against her own past, at least I think that¡¯s what¡¯s going on, and I can¡¯t help her. Just like you can¡¯t do shit for Morgan, while you¡¯re as weak as a hatchling, who has fallen out of his nest. Unless you want to wait until you¡¯re hearty and whole, I¡¯m going and you¡¯re staying. I think I¡¯ve proven that I¡¯m more than your match, or have you forgotten, why you¡¯re bandaged up to your neck? What do you think you¡¯re going to accomplish, except for getting in the way?¡± ¡°Whatever it takes,¡± she hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯m grateful, Ahri, I really am, but I¡¯m not going to hide and sit still, while my child is in danger. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Your child? You know, she isn¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°She bloody well might be. Her mother abandoned her and I¡¯m not going to do the same.¡± ¡°Again, I¡¯m not asking you to. I¡¯m just asking you to trust me. Would you be as stubborn, if it was Cassandra asking?¡± She blinked owlishly and despite her anger, managed a smile. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have asked, would she? She¡¯d have made you or Viyara hold me down and be done with it. Incidentally, why don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s about damned time that we started working together and not against each other. We¡¯ve got preciously little friends as it is and if I can¡¯t convince even one of them to trust me, what am I even doing here, in the first place. Please¡­ I¡¯ll be back with her, before you know it and with a little luck, I¡¯ll even get my hands on whoever is responsible.¡± Her expression darkened and eerily glowing sparks manifested along her horns. For a moment, strange, unnatural shadows danced along the walls of the small, marble lined room and across the plush, colourful carpets, but she got a hold of herself quickly enough and extinguished her magic. ¡°Blackthorne¡¯s puppet, the alchemist. If I ever get my hands on either one¡­¡± ¡°You will. If you trust me. Now, do we have to keep going or will you allow me to save your¡­ daughter? I won¡¯t leave, if I have to fear you might come limping after me. What¡¯s it going to be?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she spat after a pause, that was much too long for my comfort. ¡°And Ahri¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If your guardian angel can¡¯t be here, I¡¯ll do what I can, in her stead. Her debts are mine, after all.¡± A plethora of emotions played across her face, rejection, fear, hope and a bundle more, which I couldn¡¯t recognise, but ultimately, she simply asked: ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± I rolled my eyes and took a couple of steps to reach her side. Ignoring her rising eyebrows, I hugged her tightly. ¡°If you want me to spell it out for you: no, you¡¯re just as much a part of my family as Reia, Mordred or Viyara. Do you really think, I¡¯d leave you high and dry, even if I wasn¡¯t tied to Cassandra? I¡¯m not doing this because of what she promised, I¡¯m doing this, because I want to.¡± She tensed but after a moment, her small hands circled around my neck and pulled me in closer. ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispered. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to get used to having a real family.¡± ¡°You better. Now, tell me what happened.¡± She sighed and I sat down at the edge of her bed. ¡°We were having lunch at the Silver Swan, it¡¯s a restaurant owned by one of the Captains. When we were almost done, she, Captain Kirena, that is, joined us and invited us to bring Cassy and you along in the evening, she wanted to get to know you. We agreed. When we were leaving, one of her servants intercepted us and asked us to join her again¡­ Erya of the Silent Glade ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± I whispered. ¡°Our assistance? That¡¯s some bullshit, right there.¡± ¡°Then why are we even going,¡± Morgan said, an ironic smile playing around her lips. ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± I shrugged, ¡°and if there is something going on, I want to know what it is. I don¡¯t think we have much to fear, but I want you to stay close to me.¡± ¡°No need to remind me¡­¡± she was breathing heavily, the flight of stairs we had to climb an arduous exercise for someone, who was used to supplementing her strength with magic. The inside of the Silver Swan was at least as impressive as the garden. The waiter had led us through a massive, carved double door, opening towards a reception area with a small but exquisite bar. Heavy, velvet curtains barred the way towards the main room but we had taken the curved flight of stairs to our right. A small army of empty but complete armours lined the walls, the steel shimmering in the midday light, entering through coloured windows. The worn steps creaked quietly as we slowly made our way past the first floor and towards, what I assumed must be, Madame Kirena¡¯s private quarters. At the top of the stairs, we stopped and our guide knocked. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Come in,¡± our hostess answered, her voice quivering ever so slightly. I tensed, my magic almost pushing through the flimsy disguise, I had created. This wasn¡¯t good. Whatever had a woman like herself on edge, didn¡¯t bode well for us. I was sorely tempted to simply turn around and make myself scarce, but my curiosity, as well as our dire need to know what might be going on behind the scenes, prevented me from skipping out. With an ominous scraping sound, that reminded me of nails scratching the inside of a coffin, the door opened. I squared my shoulders and entered before Morgan, a terrible mistake, as it turned out. The very second, I stepped over the threshold, I heard the whining noise of an unraveling wire and something cut through my wards and into the skin around my ankles. The world turned into a smear of colours and I lost my balance, as I was being hoisted up into the air. Immediately, I reached for my power, a deadly spell form, that would pulse out in an emerald, destructive wave, shaping up within me, but much more slowly than I would have liked, the wire was enchanted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, if I were you.¡± A wheezy, almost choked voice sounded from somewhere to my left. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait until the room stops spinning and reassess your options?¡± I couldn¡¯t concentrate on his words, the strangle cry from behind me, the only thing that mattered. ¡°Let me down,¡± I howled, but I kept a tight check on my magic, dreading what might happen, otherwise. A rasping chuckle was my only response. I blinked, the blood, rushing to my head, a constant thrum in my ears. When the dots and stars finally faded and my vision cleared, I could hardly suppress a gasp. We were in the Captain¡¯s private quarters, an airy, open space, flooded with light. The wooden walls, interspersed with floor to ceiling windows, were covered in expensive cloths, silk and brocade, mostly, and a crystal chandelier dangled close to my tied up feet. An exquisite screen, decorated with gems, shielded the back from view, but my troubles weren¡¯t hiding there. An oaken desk, large enough to pass as a dining table, dominated the room, papers and quills strewn around it. I got a glimpse of a tied down woman, a hunched over, hooded figure holding a serrated dagger to her throat. I was gradually spinning around, hot blood running down my legs form the clean cuts, the wire had inflicted. The door had closed, with two musclebound thugs standing in front. One had pinned the waiter to the wall, while the other was pressing Morgan tightly against himself, one arm around her neck, the other around her waist. She was shivering, but when our eyes met, I saw only fury in hers. She wasn¡¯t afraid, she was pissed and I knew exactly, how she felt. ¡°Now,¡± their leader said to my back, ¡°I¡¯m sure you understand what¡¯s going to happen, should you attempt to cast a spell or try anything equally silly. Barden over there is going to snap the pretty neck in his hands like a twig. And believe me, he will know.¡± I was completing another revolution. This time, I came face to crotch with the creepy old man and he even leaned forward to stop my circular motion. A bitter, metallic scent wafted up, a scent reminiscent of death, injury and sickness. He was an alchemist and not one of the gentle, healing potion variety. ¡°My business here is rather simple¡­¡± he was interrupted by a whimper, coming from Madame Kirena. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Excuse me.¡± With quick strides, putting the lie to his feeble voice, he returned to the desk and offhandedly pushed his dagger through her chest and into her heart, without so much as batting an eyelid. She convulsed, but whatever he had done to her, she didn¡¯t scream, she didn¡¯t even thrash about, she simply tensed, her fingers twitched and relaxed, as crimson slowly spread through the colours of her dress. Just like a sense of foreboding dread was spreading through my veins and sending shivers down my spine. I swallowed drily. Maybe fear was the more accurate description of how I felt, after all. ¡°Where was I?¡± With a sickening crunch, he retrieved his dagger and cleaned it on her dress. ¡°Right, to business. Like I said, it¡¯s rather simple.¡± He rummaged in the depths of his robes and produced a tiny, sealed vial. On a whispered command, the elixir glowed with an unnatural pink and a few sparks ignited along the expensive glass. ¡°You drink, or she dies. It¡¯s as simple as that. I don¡¯t really care which one it¡¯s going to be.¡± He pulled the cork and a rancid odour, similar to decomposing flesh, assaulted my nose. He shuddered and shook his head. ¡°Disgusting stuff, but that¡¯s nothing compared to its effects. Should you choose to drink it, you¡¯ll soon wish you were dead, but that doesn¡¯t change much, does it? I can already smell the chemicals pumping through your veins, your perceived love overruling every sound judgement you might have been able to make. Here, let¡¯s not drag this out any further.¡± He brought the disgusting liquid to my lips and I spat in his face. Sighing, he pulled out an embroidered handkerchief and dabbed at his cheeks. ¡°Break her arms,¡± he commanded, without ever turning his gaze away from me. ¡°No,¡± I cried out and struggled against my restraint, a searing pain and another wave of blood my only rewards. An ugly smile spread across his face, while a dry crack and a suppressed sob sounded from somewhere behind me. ¡°Coward,¡± I cursed. ¡°Let her go!¡± ¡°Why ever would I do something that stupid? You¡¯d turn my insides into worms or something similarly unpleasant and I don¡¯t intend to leave this beautiful world, just yet. No, my dear, I¡¯m afraid the precious child is going to stay right where she is. Someone as young as her¡­ it¡¯s a true pity I can take her back home. I¡¯ve got a whole variety of poisons I¡¯d like to test out, but alas¡­ last chance, fey. Kill us all and doom her or take your medicine. There really is no other option.¡± One of the thugs grunted in pain and I heard Morgan¡¯s voice, clear as a bell: ¡°don¡¯t! End them! Don¡¯t¡­¡± her words ended in a strangled cough before she fell silent again. ¡°Ah, youth,¡± the alchemist mumbled melancholically. ¡°Everything is so simple, when you¡¯re young. There is right and wrong and nothing in between. We are wrong and therefore should be killed, whatever the cost. But you and I, we both know it isn¡¯t nearly that simple. There are just some prices we can¡¯t pay, whatever the alternative. Now, enough dawdling.¡± He raised the vial in one hand and his dagger in the other. ¡°Choose.¡± Grudgingly, gradually I opened my mouth, my mind reeling. I didn¡¯t doubt for a second that whatever he wanted me to drink would ensure their safety and turn my life into a living hell. I was sweating profusely, by now, my heart thundering in my chest like a panicked beast. It really came down to a single choice, either attack now and risk my granddaughter¡¯s life or play along and pray to all the gods¡­ maybe I didn¡¯t have to pray. I knew two, already. If I managed to get a message to Cassy or simply tell her what had happened, there¡¯d be no stone for them to hide under. Carefully I sent the tiniest spark of magic outwards, carrying with it a command to¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to refrain from using your magic,¡± the alchemist snarled. The dagger shot forward, its serrated edge digging deep into my side. Red runes ignited on the surface of a black gem, attached to the hilt. The freezing, tearing sensation, that had driven the breath from my lungs, was replaced by blazing, red hot embers of pain, singeing every nerve in my body. I gasped, hot tears running down my cheeks while my vision flickered. He twisted his weapon and I felt bile rise in my throat, only to be replaced by a choking flood of blood. Coughing, I sprayed a fine, red mist through the room, my body convulsing in pure agony. I knew I should have moved, I knew I should have fought, done something, anything at all, but I could only close my eyes, as I shook and quivered, each spasm sending fresh, torturous waves through me. A coarse hand grabbed my hair and mercilessly forced my head back, while his raspy, venomous voice hissed in my ear: ¡°I missed your heart, fey, but only barely. Don¡¯t play games with me, if you want to fight, at least have the decency to kill us outright. You might be fast enough. Watch what happens, otherwise.¡± He cruelly twisted my neck, until I was forced to stare at Morgan. Grinning excitedly, the thug behind her slowly trailed his hand up her stomach, while he still kept a vice like grip around her neck. She wriggled and lashed out with a series of pitiful blows, the hulking brute simply ignored. Like a child tormenting a fly, he caught her wrist, pulled and twisted. Her screams were muffled against his meaty hand and when he deftly jerked her arm in the other direction, breaking the joint again, she closed her eyes, her lashes barely holding back tears. ¡°Stop, please stop,¡± I immediately relented. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Just don¡¯t hurt her.¡± 248. Of promises, pride and a new encounter Cassandra Pendragon I rose from my last kill like an old woman in the midst of winter. The past hours, days, weeks, years¡­ I didn¡¯t even know anymore, I had spent eradicating parts of myself, memories too tainted to keep alive. When I had taken in the curse in its entirety and allowed its power to rush through my veins, the world, my mind had created, had changed, mists and memories manifesting throughout the dead, desolate landscape. Ghosts from my past haunted, or rather hunted, me, an unending barrage of my failures, ready to tear me apart. Reflections of what I once had been lurked behind the hazy shadows of places I had cherished and every step of the way, the tormented cries of my former victims followed me like an accusing choir of doom. One moment, I was wading through the blood of my people, past the distorted face of the murdered kitsune, exchanging blows with a regal, towering figure, clad in silver and steel, the next, I was flying high above a burning planet, it¡¯s cities torn asunder by transcendent forces, still raining down from a glowing, silvery blue star, high up in the atmosphere. When his head finally rolled off his shoulders, his wings a burned out, twisted mesh between my own, the silvery blood, streaming from his neck, turned into a raging waterfall, that swept me away. I struggled free, only to be greeted by a crippled angel, mutilated and wounded but ready to challenge me again. I fought, I battled, long past, what I would have thought possible. My victories weren¡¯t even real, they were pyrrhic, in the truest sense of the word. Every mirage I struck down, every mirror I shattered left behind a gaping hole in my soul, an abyss I had to fill. By now, I wasn¡¯t only struggling against the corrupted pieces of my existence, but also against a deep set fatigue, that felt like death himself was slowly creeping closer. ¡°Not today and not tomorrow,¡± I promised myself, as I staggered to my feet, barely keeping my balance. Light exploded around me and pure silver, interspersed with translucent, blue flames consumed my surroundings. An awfully familiar sting shot through my chest and I had to bite back a scream, my already flayed insides curling up under the added pressure. ¡°Not ever,¡± I whispered. And then, louder: ¡°you hear me, never! I¡¯ve been there before, I¡¯ve survived and you won¡¯t see me cower!¡± The last part, I screamed at the top of my lungs, while tears streamed down my cheeks, born from powerless rage and pain. I had nothing left, I was about to break apart, but so was the world around me. Almost everywhere I looked, infinite towers of raging flames thundered to the heavens, cleansing, beautiful pillars of light, that burned my infliction to cinders for something new to sprout from the ashes. Sighing, I steeled myself and brushed away my tears. My hands came away bloody, silver spots interspersing the translucent liquid on my palm. One more, just one more memory and then¡­ no, I wouldn¡¯t fall into that trap. One step at a time. I raised my head defiantly and looked around, waiting for the next scene to break through the silvery mist around me. It was a hut, a small, rundown cabin in the middle of a clearing in a dark, foreboding forest, its trees old and gnarly. Their tops were almost touching and allowed only dim, greenish light to reach the ground. My steps were silenced by the thick moss blanket, the distant, pained cries of several crows the only sounds I could hear. Slowly, I made my way across and opened the creaking door, a swath of stale air, mixed with the sweet, gut wrenching scent of decay assaulted my nose. A trickle of power cleared my vision but also sent agonising trails of white hot fire through my core, the flimsy protection around my soul almost entirely gone. Inside, a young mother and her child laid on the floor, their faces distorted with fear and desperation. Small, cauterised holes riddled their bodies, wounds inflicted by my own wings. I gasped. This¡­ this was something else. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, whom Lucifer had been, but I knew he would never have killed the child, not in an eternity. ¡°Show yourself,¡± I hissed. An ominous laugh made my fur rise and from the dark corners of the room, creeping shadows flowed, coming together to form a blurry figure, while another, glowing warrior manifested at the centre. The temperature pummelled and my breath turned to fog as they spoke in unison: ¡°You failed.¡± From the darkness, a human soldier stepped forth, clad in blackened iron. His ugly, scarred face was drawn into a menacing smile and he added: ¡°despite your power, you were too late and they paid the price. She squirmed beautifully, before I killed her.¡± The faces of his victims changed to Viyara and Erya and then, to Ahri and Reia. From beneath his silvery visor, the other thundered: ¡°you might as well have killed them yourself. You¡¯ve never managed to protect anything you love. Look at you. Your home incinerated, your friends dying and you¡¯re stuck here, unable to break free. You¡¯re pathetic and unworthy of my mantle. Why don¡¯t you just die and give someone else a chance? Someone who might win?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t need your approval,¡± I whispered. ¡°Because I¡¯ll keep trying and to hell with you.¡± My wings flared, a translucent veil of power behind me, and the hut, the corpses even the very air around us ignited with silvery sparks. An inferno roared around me, its reflection ripping my soul apart, but I had gotten used to the excruciating pain, even welcomed it, by now. A delirious thought, a clear memory, untainted by the curse, surfaced: Michael, when he still had been my brother, leaning over me with a smile. ¡°Pain is weakness, leaving your body,¡± he had said. A pinched grin formed on my face as I waited and suffered, the glaring maelstrom nothing but a visible manifestation of the cleansing flames, thundering through my soul. In the beginning, I had tried to carefully remember each and every scene, afraid I might lose myself, if too much of me was consumed, but by now, I didn¡¯t care anymore. I was barely holding on as it was and while the faces of the woman and her child charred and burned, so did the grotesque figures, my mind had constructed around the vile magic, still holding me in its vice like grip. The flames petered out and I fell, panting heavily. ¡°One more, just one more,¡± I mumbled and forced my drained, shivering limbs to obey. Straightening, I screamed: ¡°I¡¯m still here and you won¡¯t get rid of me!¡± Colours appeared behind the silver veil, but I couldn¡¯t see clearly. ¡°He will not, but maybe¡­¡± I blinked and the distorted shapes came back together. An apparition stood before me, a breathtaking woman, whose image I had held in my thoughts, ever since I had been forced to fight against myself. Flowing, almost white hair with a tinge of ruby red, translucent eyes with interchanging colours, sleek but soft curves and long, white tails, the tips of which were gradually turning red made her agonisingly beautiful. The chiselled face with lush, pink lips, I could barely pry my eyes away from, would have been intimidatingly perfect, but the pointy, fluffy fox ears made her appear cute, almost vulnerable. She smiled, a sad shimmer in her eyes. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry, Cassandra.¡± She didn¡¯t move, she simply stood there, her gaze roaming over my body, taking me in. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this, but this is the end.¡± ¡°Why,¡± I croaked, unable to either lift a finger or look away. ¡°Why this face? Mercy? Love? You were too late. Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°One¡­ one of my promises?¡± She nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t hurt me, you can¡¯t break me and I can¡¯t let you go. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± I slurred, the tearing sensation in my chest gradually being drowned out by a mounting, irresistible pressure, that seemed to squeeze the life from my limbs. ¡°Is it done?¡± My knees buckled and I fell to the floor, hard, cold, unforgiving stone materialising around us. It was the entrance to Shassa¡¯s tomb, the place where I had died before. ¡°Apart from me? Yes. I¡¯m the last seed, but I¡¯m still your promise. You didn¡¯t waste me, you did well. If you had had a little more time¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Be proud, Cassandra.¡± ¡°Proud? Of what?¡± Despite the overpowering lethargy, my anger stirred. ¡°Everything I touched failed. I lost my home, I lost too many friends and now¡­ my world will burn, won¡¯t it?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Your friends, your family, they are strong. Maybe, they¡¯ll find a way, but you¡¯ll never know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never know¡­¡± I¡¯ll never see her again. Her face¡­ had been a mistake, because she was real, not in here, but out there and every second I looked at her reminded me of why I wouldn¡¯t die on my knees. Not now, not ever. I wouldn¡¯t cower. I struggled to my knees, blood dripping from my nose. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too. I never meant to even try to touch you, but if I¡¯m dead, I¡¯ll lose all of you.¡± Her smile didn¡¯t waver. ¡°I suppose you will.¡± A faint glow appeared on her chest, like a beating heart of molten silver. ¡°Here I am. We will die together. Poetic, since I am your promise to never leave me behind.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, but you¡¯ll never know.¡± My wings flared one last time and she opened her arms, as if to welcome my embrace, but it never came. Instead, I plunged the scintillating tendrils of power deep into my own chest, just like I should have done, the very moment I had been cursed, the very moment I had woken up in this godforsaken place. Everything shattered and the last impression that reached me, before the sweet embrace of oblivion carried away my pain and exhaustion, was that of a very real cave, a cave I had died in, not a week prior, a sea of silver blood spreading around me from the deep wounds, where my wings were still buried in my chest. I was spent, I was broken, I was hurting, but I was alone, alone and free, if even for a moment. I closed my eyes with a proud smile. Even if this was the end, I had proven that I was my own person and that I didn¡¯t have to hide. I was stronger than I had been and it gave me hope. ¡°Are you awake?¡± The melodious voice was quiet and stirred a memory, but I couldn¡¯t focus enough to place it. It hadn¡¯t been too long ago. Somewhere¡­ slender fingers lifted my head and I came to rest on something warm and soft, that smelled like roses and ginger. ¡°Here.¡± A spoon pushed against my lips and when I opened my mouth reflexively, a sweet taste exploded on my tongue. Wild berries, honey and a hint of mint. I was being fed. For a moment, I tensed but I was much too exhausted to even open my eyes. If, whoever was caring for me, wanted to harm me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him, anyways, and the tiny mouthful had tasted heavenly. Obediently, I swallowed, the movement sending shivers down my spine. I was still hurting and my chest felt, as if I had been flogged within an inch of my life. ¡°Slowly,¡± the voice admonished, somewhere above me. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re still alive.¡± I was offered another spoonful while a small hand stroked my hair and played with the fur on my ears. ¡°Eat and sleep. I¡¯ll keep watch.¡± I tried to make some sort of sound, but all I managed was a content but strained hum. A few bites later, lethargy spread through my limbs and I fell back into a deep, dreamless slumber. When I came to again, I was feeling better, at least in comparison. My body still ached but I didn¡¯t have any problems interpreting the sensations and sounds reaching me and the dried blood was gone. I could even open my eyes and move my arms, a skill I immediately put to good use. I wasn¡¯t in a cave anymore, but in a forest, resting on a soft bed of leaves and moss, birds chirping in the distance. To my surprise, the plants weren¡¯t dead, but seemingly grew in a shape, perfect to accommodate my body. They even had recesses for my tails. A campfire crackled merrily a couple of steps away and on a low hanging branch, the meat of a butchered animal hung to dry. A few steps to my left, a makeshift workbench held several wooden tools and the beginnings of a dress, made form cotton. The treetops above were entwined, forming a cave that kept away wind and weather and a small stream gurgled close by. Perplexed, I tried to stand, but my legs immediately gave out and I tumbled back down. Was I dreaming? How did I get here? A speck of colour caught my attention and when I had finally managed to turn around, I saw most of the things, I had stored in my stamp, neatly stacked between the massive roots of an ash. Memory crystals, my emblem, my plush toy, even Aurora¡¯s letter was there¡­ Ahri! Without hesitation, I reached for the spark of magic that tethered us together, but I immediately recoiled. It felt similar to touching glowing metal, a heat so intense, it almost seemed cold like ice. My stomach churned and I leaned to the side as I retched and spluttered, the few mouthfuls of food I had eaten leaving me much faster, than I had been able to gulp them down. My clenching muscles reignited the pain in my chest and for a while, there was nothing but the intense trails of fire below my skin. At one point, I realised that I was being moved again, but I just couldn¡¯t get myself to care. Only when the agonising waves were slowly subsiding, did I manage to focus on anything else. I opened my eyes blearily, but all I saw was a flood of sapphire blue hair, covering my face. A sweet voice, the same one that had called me back from the land of the dead, sang in my ear. I didn¡¯t understand the words, but the soothing, calming cadence reminded me of Aurora, when she had tried to comfort me and I relaxed. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered. The music stopped and with the feel of silk, gliding over my skin, the blue veil vanished and I blinked into a beautiful face, a mischievous smile etched around its lips. My benefactor wasn¡¯t human. The long, pointy ears at the sides of her head and the shimmering, aquamarine blue, slanted eyes belonged to an elven girl, on whose lap I was resting. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she laughed, her hands playing with my ears. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re finally talking. Can you sit up?¡± ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll have to try.¡± She grabbed me underneath my shoulders. ¡°Here, let me help.¡± I managed to struggle into a sitting position but immediately fell back against her. ¡°Maybe not yet,¡± she commented happily, as her arms circled around my waist and pulled me in closer. ¡°Just as well. How are you feeling, Cassy? Is the pain gone, at least?¡± Despite my exhaustion, I still raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know, who I am?¡± ¡°Of course. Cassandra Pendragon, a princess of some sort, a magical creature and friends to fey and dragons. You also snore like a drunken sailor and I might or might not have become addicted to touching your ears. That¡¯s about it. No, wait, you¡¯re also married, are you not?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± I sighed. ¡°Who are¡­¡± my gaze roamed over the impressive collection, that had spilled from my stamp and I suddenly realised, what was missing. ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Yep, in the flesh and as good as new. Never thought I¡¯d get out of that gem, never mind getting my body and magic back. You¡¯re blood is really potent¡­ I can still feel the magic thrumming in my veins, but it¡¯s dispersing quickly, now. I couldn¡¯t use it to heal you, though. I¡¯m sorry. No clue why, but unless you have another idea, I fear you¡¯re going to be like this, for a while.¡± I snuggled up against her unconsciously, relishing in her warmth. Somehow, I believed her every word. ¡°It could be worse, I didn¡¯t even expect to open my eyes again.¡± A spike of fear shot through me, when my mind finally caught up. ¡°I have to get back. How long was I asleep?¡± ¡°Not that long. A few hours, maybe? Probably a little less. But your wounds didn¡¯t close until just now. Back where? I don¡¯t even know where we are.¡± She patted my head. ¡°Do you?¡± 249. Of uncertainty, anger and a little bit of unleashed power Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I think I do. I¡¯ve been here before¡­ listen¡­¡± ¡°Lyra, my name is Lyra.¡± She granted me a bright smile, her eyes sparkling like gems. ¡°Lyra, I¡¯ve¡­¡± I paused, feeling dizzy. By now, I had learned to understand, what my body needed and I was most likely going to go back to sleep, any minute now. Damn it! ¡°I¡¯ll probably faint, again. You said, you¡¯re in control of your magic and still have some residual power in you?¡± She nodded and tilted her head to the side curiously. ¡°You¡¯ve been in that gem in Shafeer¡¯s hoard for years on end, right? Could you try and contact one of his descendants?¡± ¡°You mean the golden dragon girl, right? I can try, but I¡¯m not that good¡­¡± her words trailed off, or rather, my concentration wavered, as black spots started to blur my vision. ¡°It has to work,¡± I slurred. ¡°Tell her¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get any further. My head fell back against her chest and for a moment, I felt her slender fingers play with my ears, before I was gone. When I woke again, the red light of the sinking sun pierced the canopy and covered the grove with soft shades of gold. The dress was gone and a roughly fashioned pot simmered over the fire, the scents of the stew within making my mouth water. The elf girl was nowhere to be seen, but close to my bed, a few lines had been scribbled on a patch of earth. The interlacing runes were elegant and I recognised them from my short trip to the elven capital, but I had never learned to read their alphabet. The Emerald Island¡­ that¡¯s what Lyra¡¯s voice had reminded me of. She didn¡¯t look like her and she smelled differently but her cadence was eerily similar to Zara¡¯s. If the two of them were related? Possibly. But I didn¡¯t even know, how long she had been stuck in the gem or when she had been cursed into her snakelike body. It could have been hundreds or even thousands of years ago, which made any connection between them academically interesting, at best. Shrugging, I got to my feet and when my muscles didn¡¯t protest and my chest felt just fine, I quickly rushed to the fire. Two bowls and spoons had been placed close by and I immediately began shovelling down the hot meal. I felt slightly guilty for not waiting, but the taste of carrots, meat, onions and some fruits I couldn¡¯t recognise, washed the sensation away with the first mouthful. The first bowl was quickly followed by a second and a third and before I knew it, half of the stew was gone. Satisfied, I cleaned the dishes in the stream and scrutinised my reflection in the clear water. I had dark bags under my eyes, but they weren¡¯t quite as prominent as I had expected. My hair was a mess and my tails were matted as well, but at least I was still wearing my clothes. Admittedly, above my heart, a ring of tiny holes indicated where I had hurt myself but aside from that, I looked tired but healthy and surprisingly well dressed. Steeling myself, I placed the dishes on the ground and reached for my tattoo, prepared to let the magic go, the very moment I¡¯d feel any form of pain. Fortunately, nothing happened, my power rushed through my body, just like it always had. A sly grin tugged on the corners of my mouth and without pausing to consider the wisdom of my actions, I unfurled my wings. Silvery blue torrents of energy crackled behind me and filled the space with dispersing shadows and the scent of ozone. I was whole again, whole and free of the curse. Laughter bubbled up and before I knew it, I was hovering several metres above the ground, relishing in the smooth, velvety sensation, as my energy coursed through my veins, healing me more throughly than sleep alone ever could. ¡°Ahri,¡± I shouted jubilantly, diving into the stream of energy, flowing between us, but just as I expected to be embraced by her thoughts, I froze, nothing but a diffuse, undulated darkness reverberating within me. ¡°No, please,¡± I mumbled, my elation evaporating like mist under a midday sun. Where was she? Why¡­ dread rose in my chest, wrapping itself around my heart like bands of steel. After everything¡­ enough! Think, Cassy, think! Don¡¯t panic, act! She was alive, that much I knew, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have felt a connection at all. Was she unconscious, just like my family had been, when they had been taken by the Mask? Maybe. It didn¡¯t matter, either way. She was mine and no one would keep me away from her. Whether it was an injury or something else, I wouldn¡¯t leave her to fend for herself. With a thought, I shot upwards until I was far above the trees, my wings whipping through the air like agitated snakes. Whatever had happened, I would hold her in my arms again, even if Amazeroth himself had warded her off. A deep thrum filled the sky, lightning ignited all around me as I allowed my energy to circle freely, gathering momentum. The winds picked up and the setting sun vanished behind a blinding flash of light, before I sent an iridescent, pulsing river of power straight through my tattoo. I didn¡¯t summon her, what I was doing was closer to actually grabbing her and yanking her towards me. My fear made me callous and I used more power than I would have otherwise dared, trusting in the transcendent connection between us to keep her safe. Thunder rumbled and the first explosion was quickly followed by a second, even more powerful one, as the trees below me caught on fire. Silvery sparks filled the air and for a moment, I felt my body, just as well as hers. She was hurt and bound, kept somewhere dark, unable to see the sun. She was shivering violently and each spasm tore deeper wounds into her body, cruel, hooked barbs, used to tie her down, ripping through skin and flesh. As soon as she felt my presence, a tired smile formed on her face and I heard her whisper: ¡°I knew you¡¯d come.¡± ¡°Always,¡± I sent, chokingly, while my energies wrapped her in a scintillating cocoon and sped her away from her prison. Light surged between my outstretched arms, the winds and sparks around me turning into a vortex of magic and from one second to the next, her soft body pressed against mine, the scent of pine trees, flames and blood filling my nose. I didn¡¯t hesitate, the warm rivulets of crimson liquid, seeping from a myriad of tiny wounds all over her, a constant reminder of how much she had suffered. Even while I shot towards the ground, my precious burden held tightly in my embrace, I gently caressed her body with my wings and began pushing more and more of my energy into her, until I could feel her fluttering, weak heartbeat strengthen. The tears and gashes in her skin closed, colour returned to her pale cheeks and her eyelids fluttered, the iridescent shine behind them everything I had hoped for. ¡°Hi there,¡± she mumbled and snuggled deeper into my embrace, her head coming to rest on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you. What took you so long?¡± Despite the frozen knot of fear, deep in my stomach, which refused to melt, I managed a smile and kissed her cheek. ¡°I took a couple of wrong turns. Got lost in the past. The usual.¡± She tried to respond, but her answer was drowned out by a hackling cough. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t talk. Sleep. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I know, but there¡¯s,¡± she slurred, ¡°so much you¡­¡± in the middle of her sentence, her eyes closed and her breathing deepened. ¡°Nothing is as important as your safety,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°The world will still be there, tomorrow.¡± She didn¡¯t react, but her tails wrapped themselves tightly around my legs, as if she wasn¡¯t going to let go, ever again. I breathe another kiss against her lips and whispered: ¡°I¡¯ve got you. You¡¯re safe.¡± I raised my eyes to the raging heavens, where my initial outpour was turning into a fully fledged storm, as the clouds above began absorbing the swaths of power, I had unleashed. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, as the first raindrops fell and the darkness overhead spread out to meet the thundering gale, already raging in the east. Tonight would see a tempest, the likes of which I couldn¡¯t even remember. While I was descending, the rain extinguished the fires, but charred trees and deep craters remained, wherever my energies had torn through leafs and branches and struck the ground. Through sheer luck or maybe an unconscious process, the small grove, Lyra had created, had survived, except for a smoking, cleanly cut whole in the canopy. When I squeezed through the opening, I already saw her standing below, her eyes wide. ¡°Goodness gracious,¡± she greeted me, before I had even touched down. ¡°What happened, what did you do? I leave you alone for an hour and when I return, you¡¯ve turned into a star and¡­¡± she bit her tongue, when she saw the girl in my arms, a look of sincere worry blooming on her face. ¡°Is that her? It has to be. She¡¯s beautiful.¡± I landed and gently placed Ahri on the bed. The elf followed me, a continuous stream of question spurting from her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why is she looking like she¡¯s with one foot in the grave, already? Can you use my help? I can try healing her, but¡­¡± I had to bite back a harsh retort, my anxiousness making me even more short tempered than I usually was. While I brushed back Ahri¡¯s hair and made her comfortable, I replied: ¡°That¡¯s Ahri, my fianc¨¦e. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s been through or why, but she has been hurt. Gravely. I already took care of her wounds, but she¡¯s exhausted, she needs sleep and time. Something I fear we have very little of, considering what happened to her.¡± Sighing, I straightened and faced her. ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much for me, but can I ask another favour of you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she immediately agreed. ¡°Just name it.¡± She came closer, her eyes following Ahri¡¯s curves while she added: ¡°she looks a bit like you. Less intimidating, less regal, but cuter and maybe younger, but¡­¡± despite myself, I had to smile. ¡°Don¡¯t let her hear that, she¡¯s far older than me, at least in this body. But yes, in a very round about way, we¡¯re siblings.¡± She raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not related by blood, not in the slightest¡­ well, maybe we are, but it¡¯s a long story. Trust me, imagining us as sisters like you do now, would be far away from the truth. Anyways, would you watch over her for me? Not for long, but there are a few things I have to do, unless¡­ did you manage to reach Viyara? The dragoness, we talked about.¡± She shook her head, her blue hair dancing around her like a silky wave. ¡°I tried, but I couldn¡¯t get a hold of her. She¡¯s either too far away or I¡¯m just too weak. I¡¯m really not that good with telepathy.¡± ¡°No matter, I¡¯ll try to do it myself.¡± She had reached us, now, and had unconsciously placed her hand on my back. It wasn¡¯t a possessive gesture, but still surprisingly intimate. ¡°Are you really up to it,¡± she wanted to know. I smirked, my gaze wandering heavenwards. ¡°Do you even have to ask? I¡¯m not lacking strength, I¡¯m lacking skill.¡± Shrugging, she lowered her head to the unconscious kitsune and touched her ears, which elicited a frown from me. ¡°I can see that. Gods, she even feels like you¡­ of course I¡¯ll watch over her. Just¡­ don¡¯t take too long, please. I¡¯m feeling a bit out of my depths,¡± she admitted helplessly. ¡°Welcome to my world. You¡¯ll get used to it, much more quickly than you¡¯d like.¡± I already expected her to stay with us, even though we hadn¡¯t exchanged more than a few words, yet. It might have been my intuition or the simple fact, that she probably had nowhere to go, after being sealed for however long, but I simply didn¡¯t see her leaving, any time soon. She didn¡¯t seem to mind, though, her eyes sparkling at my words. ¡°I guess I will. Do you need to go somewhere else?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll stay right here, but I might not be able to hear you for a while. Should anything happen, pinch me.¡± She smirked. ¡°No need to tell me twice. Oh, and Cassandra,¡± for the first time, she seemed embarrassed, as she lowered her head, ¡°thank you. Thank you for freeing me from a diamond tomb.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. I¡¯m sorry I delayed for so long. I should have¡­¡± shaking her head, she interrupted me: ¡°I wasn¡¯t completely cut off, you know. That¡¯s why I know who you are. Considering what little I¡¯ve seen¡­ can¡¯t you just accept my thanks? It¡¯s not that difficult, honestly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°One day, you¡¯ll have to tell me, why anyone would want to curse you. You don¡¯t strike me as someone, who makes many enemies.¡± Her expression darkened, mirroring the sky above. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised¡­ in my case, being born was enough.¡± Oh, sister, you have no clue how much I can sympathise. ¡°But my tale isn¡¯t important, right now. It¡¯s far too late, anyways. Do what you can to help your friends, I¡¯ll keep watch over your lover.¡± ¡°She¡¯s much more than that,¡± I mumbled. While I said the words, I began to wonder, why I was even comfortable with leaving Ahri in her care. I didn¡¯t know her, I didn¡¯t even know anything about her, but yet¡­ oh, whatever, if I was going to feel even a hint of discomfort through my tattoo, I¡¯d make sure she wouldn¡¯t get a second chance to screw us over. With a last kiss for Ahri and a grateful smile for Lyra, I headed to the fire and sat down, cross legged, allowing its warmth to relax my tensed muscles and the wrath of the storm to fade away. I had never initiated a telepathic connection, but I knew I had the power to do so, it was simply a question of finding the right screw to twist, so to speak. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the foggiest idea of where to look. I was convinced, that I¡¯d find a solution, buried somewhere in the heap of memory crystal, but going through them all¡­ I could just as well wait until Ahri was going to wake up, there were so many of them. What had that useless demon been thinking? You want to learn magic? Here¡¯s all the knowledge you might ever need. Good luck finding whatever you¡¯re looking for, but I¡¯ve done my part splendidly. He was probably even expecting a medal, as soon as he was going to return, the self absorbed, arrogant prick. Shit, I was fretting. I might have more than enough reason to, but I wouldn¡¯t be helping anyone, if I couldn¡¯t get my shit together. Exhaling deeply, I forcefully pushed my gnawing worries away and concentrated on the task at hand. Considering everything I knew, which wasn¡¯t overly much, magical communication usually was restricted to a certain radius around the caster, depending on how strong he actually was. A pre established link, similar to the crystals or my connection to Ahri, circumvented this particular problem, since the magic could be focused on a predefined pathway. I was convinced, I was powerful enough to reach anyone on the planet, regardless of distance, but doing so would be similar to overloading my voice with energy and simply calling out a name. It¡¯d work, but I wasn¡¯t willing to test, how severely Amazeroth¡¯s wards would be damaged in the process. What I did have, was a spark of my power, resting within Viyara. I already knew, that I could sense it from far away, which meant, a constant stream of information was already flowing between us. Now, I simply had to figure out, how to send an actual thought or an idea through the link. At first, I toyed with the idea of emulating a message in a bottle. Wrap, whatever I wanted to tell her, up in a cocoon of power and dump it into the stream, fingers crossed. It might even have worked, but unfortunately, there was no cliff or river bank, form where I could throw my message. No, first, I had to figure out, how the link actually worked and then I¡¯d go from there. It was a damned pity that my stay in memory land had severed every spell placed on me, including the connection, Viyara had already established, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have had to anything, in the first place. As it was, I had to struggle through with barely any expertise and a good amount of luck. 250. Of rescues, executions and a little explosion Viyara Nameless When I had been younger, Barzuk had often said: ¡°when it rains, it pours,¡± or, another one of his pearls of wisdom: ¡°out of the frying pan and into the fire.¡± Both were rather fitting, right now. My day had turned from bad to worse and there was no light at the end of the tunnel, at least none I could see. We were buried in trouble to our very ears and the tide was rising. First, we had lost Cassandra and then¡­ ¡°Are you moonstruck,¡± I complained, barring the door with my body, so the nimble kitsune wouldn¡¯t simply slip through. ¡°Why ever would you want to go alone? I know what you are, better than almost anyone else, but that¡¯s just plain stupid. That¡¯s something Cassy would do and you¡¯d be furious with her, for days on end. Why won¡¯t you accept my help?¡± ¡°Damn it, Viyara, I told you! Because we don¡¯t have the power to spare, for now. If you were to come along, Aurelia would join you. Don¡¯t try to pretend otherwise. Erya is still recuperating and will be for quite a while¡­ who¡¯s left?¡± ¡°The dwarfs, Helena, Aspera and Astra, Alassara,¡± I began counting off, but she interrupted me. ¡°They¡¯re strong and I trust them unconditionally, but¡­ you¡¯ve lived through the attack on the vampire¡¯s home¡­¡± it was my turn to cut her off. ¡°What are you even saying? You know as well as I that none of us can counter divine magic, we don¡¯t have the strength. You might be able to push through, but you still can¡¯t break it, can you? What do you expect me to do? If I were to take you seriously, I should go and you should stay.¡± She opened her mouth indignantly, but after a moment, a smile broke through her stern expression and she chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re resembling Cassy more with every day, you know that, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, whether your complimenting or insulting me¡­¡± ¡°Neither am I, but if I had to choose, I¡¯d go with complimenting, considering I fell in love with her. Look, you¡¯re not wrong, but I just don¡¯t know, what I¡¯m supposed to do. The wheels are turning and I¡¯m willing to bet, we won¡¯t have another peaceful moment for a while. None of us should go. It¡¯s a trap of some sort, I know that, but we can¡¯t leave Morgan behind, can we.¡± ¡°We could,¡± I began, but immediately relented when I saw the flames, igniting in her eyes. ¡°No, I suppose you¡¯re right. But again, why won¡¯t you take anyone with you?¡± She sighed. ¡°Because there really is no other choice. Aurelia and you really are the only ones I¡¯d take along and I¡¯m much too scared of what might happen, if none of us were around. Viyara, Cassy and I are immortals. I swear, if you ever tell her, I¡¯ll skin you alive, but there¡¯s a good reason why she always runs in first and that¡¯s simply because her chances at surviving what needs to be done are so much better than anyone else¡¯s. She isn¡¯t here and considering our luck, she won¡¯t be for quite a while. Think, lizard, what would you have me do?¡± I ground my teeth, but did as she asked and really thought about our situation. Free Land was on the verge of civil war. In the early hours of the morning, Captain Blackthorne had appeared on the biggest market, a bloody bag in his hands. Silent as death himself, he had leisurely nailed Captain Kirena¡¯s head to a pillar and announced his claim on her estates. His first order of business had been stripping her church of his protection and ordering her fellowship to disband. Ever since, brutal fights had erupted all over the city, mostly between his supporters and Kirena¡¯s allies. The resolution was more often than not swift and final, a legit decimation of Free Land, since almost every outspoken advocate of Kirena¡¯s was killed on the spot. Meanwhile, the other Captains had to deal with the beginnings of a revolution on the neighbouring islands, but their hands were tied. Their fleet had never returned and if Xorlosh¡¯s message had been accurate, they most likely never would. As it was, the aerial superiority of Free Land was no more, while a pirate fleet, that had already proven its tactical prowess, was quickly coming closer. The only defence we¡¯d be able to muster came form the few ships under Arthur¡¯s command. He was hurriedly flying towards us, but since they had only found the battlefield, or rather, place of slaughter, in their wake, it stood to reason that our enemies were much closer. Alassara was rallying her friends, and appealing to the Captains, trying to get her hands on at least a few handful of functioning ships, but they wouldn¡¯t even be equipped for war. To top it all off, Vanya, the mercenary, Cassandra had met, had told us, that the church of the Broken Wheel was quietly rallying its bought soldiers. The why was anyone¡¯s guess, but another assault on the vampires was a distinct possibility. We had a hundred and one problems to deal with and now, the last angel in our midst wanted to walk alone into an obvious trap. And I wasn¡¯t even sure, if she was wrong. There were so many things to deal with and she really had the best chances at coming out alive. Still, I owed it to Cassandra to not let her go alone. She wouldn¡¯t have, if she had still been here and neither would I. Stubbornly, I lowered my head, my horns breaking through my human skin. ¡°You¡¯re right. There are too many things going on, we have too many places to be. Still, you¡¯ll take Helena with you. She can¡¯t run errands, she can¡¯t properly speak and she¡¯s probably one of the strongest mages in this world. Besides, you¡¯ll need her to even find Morgan, or does Erya know where she was taken? If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll transform and follow you through the streets myself.¡± She raised her hands in surrender. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go to the harbour first and pick her up. With her help, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to follow Morgan¡¯s scent, if we can get close to the ¡°Silver Swan¡±¡­¡± a soft cough behind us made us turn around. Liz, the girl from the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± stood there, her hair dishevelled, while she kept the folds of a nightgown tightly tucked together. When Cassandra had collapsed, we had still brought her with us, unconscious as she had been. She was decidedly pale and from the looks of it, she had just recovered from her encounter with Madame Sinis¡¯ guards. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting, but¡­ I¡¯ve been up for a while now and Tharos has brought me up to speed. I wanted to thank you and I¡¯ve heard the last part of your conversation. I might be able to help.¡± I cocked and eyebrow and Ahri seemed utterly perplexed. ¡°Help us,¡± she replied, frowning. ¡°How would you manage to do that?¡± The girl blushed but held her gaze. ¡°I¡­ you know my profession. I¡¯m not exactly proud of it, but there aren¡¯t that many of us, who can attract wealthy customers. Slavery renders most of our services moot, provided you have the coin to buy a pretty slave. I know a few girls who freelance at the ¡°Silver Swan¡±. If you want to, I can put you in touch. They might know something. And then¡­ one of my regulars, he¡¯s a lieutenant in Blackthorne¡¯s fleet and he likes to talk, afterwards. I¡¯ve never put much stock in pillow talk, but now¡­¡± she paused, apparently lost in thought. Ahri immediately grabbed her shoulder. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°And now? Come on Liz, we really need to know, right now.¡± She jerked. ¡°Sorry. He¡­ he claimed, that he¡¯d soon have enough money to provide for me. I always thought he was just boasting, but when I asked, he insisted that he¡¯d soon become powerful and wealthy enough to keep me safe and allow me to live in luxury. He said, he wouldn¡¯t be serving under a Captain for much longer, since he had found a powerful friend who¡¯d help him rise to the top. I never believed him, but considering¡­ is it really true? Is Kirena really dead?¡± I nodded and tried for a reassuring smile. She was tougher than she looked, her frail, doll like appearance masking a steely core. If I had woken in an unknown room, my former boss, or maybe even friend, having gifted me to the very people, whose identity she had wanted to keep secret, I wouldn¡¯t have been as composed. Enrage, distressed, maybe depressed, but not ready to help. ¡°At least that¡¯s what Silas told us. He has seen her¡­ head and Erya was there, when¡­¡± I was cut off, when the door behind me suddenly flew open and I was pushed into Ahri. She caught me and we both spun around, flames igniting at our fingertips, hers crimson and mine golden. Vanya, panting heavily, stumbled inside, her expression grim. Before we even had a chance to question her appearance, she blurted out: ¡°You¡¯ve got to see this. Get everyone and come with me. This day is becoming worse with every passing second.¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± Ahri hissed, while she pushed me back. ¡°What are you going on about?¡± ¡°An execution, they¡¯re executing Blackthorne, just as we speak. I don¡¯t know who, or why, but they¡¯ve dragged him into the market, where he put Kirena¡¯s head on display. They¡¯ve even erected a scaffold¡­ they got him, some of his men and a girl with green hair, I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± I paled and when I caught Ahri¡¯s gaze, I saw my fear mirrored in her eyes. She didn¡¯t hesitate, though and commanded: ¡°I¡¯ll go immediately. Viyara, rally the vampires, whoever will come and try to inform Xorlosh. We might need as many people as we can muster. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the market, but I¡¯m not going to let them touch a single hair on Morgan¡¯s head.¡± She was already halfway through the door and up the stairs, before she added over he shoulder: ¡°and please, hurry.¡± Then she was gone. Time was running out and I closed my eyes for a moment, organising my thoughts. The next second, I sent tendrils of energy outwards, searching for familiar minds. It didn¡¯t take me long to inform everyone. While I was already withdrawing, Helena and two dozen dwarfs were preparing to leave the ship, while the rest remained behind to protect Layla, Reia and her friends. The elves were going to stay, as well, unwilling to leave them without a capable caster. When I opened my eyes again, Vanya was trying to explain to Liz, that the poor girl had actually woken up in an underground mansion, filled with vampires. Apparently, Tharos hadn¡¯t bothered to tell her what he was. She was doing a better job than I could have, calmly answering her question while she reassured her, that she was, at the moment, safer than she had ever been. Her efforts allowed me to call out for Tharos, the only vampire I knew, who was still around. He wasn¡¯t thrilled, Alassara had entrusted the protection of her home to him, while she was gone, and he wasn¡¯t looking forward to withdrawing even more soldiers. 5 minutes later, I rushed towards the market, five of Tharos¡¯ underlings and Aurelia in tow. Mordred had taken it upon himself to escort Erya and Liz to the harbour, where they¡¯d board the ship. If everyone was there, we¡¯d be able to set sail within a few minutes, if it became necessary. He was going to join us again, as soon as possible, but he wasn¡¯t willing to entrust the recuperating fey to a girl, who had only fought between the sheets, up until now. Ultimately, Ahri, Helena, Mordred, Aurelia and I, supported by a small army of dwarfs and vampires were going to meet Vanya and her mercenaries to free Morgan, whatever the cost. None of us believed, that it¡¯d turn out to be as simple as walking there and taking her with us. Apparently, greed and the lust for power had driven several parties to act and, for now, we didn¡¯t even know who was orchestrating the spectacle, we were going to stumble into. We hurried silently through empty streets. The citizens were either hiding or watching the execution, which was already unfolding a few crossings further away. Jeers and cries echoed along the road, becoming louder, the closer we came to the market. The square was packed, a surging mass of heads and bodies, beast kin and humans, slaves and masters standing side by side, their eyes glued to a wooden platform. The smell was overwhelming, but still timid in comparison to the unbelievable noise. The voices of a myriad of shouting, laughing and cursing people resembled a powerful tide, enveloping us the very moment we left the flimsy protection of the houses. At least, we wouldn¡¯t be spotted. Searching for anyone was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. In this crowd, even Cassandra might have managed to remain unnoticed. As soon as Aurelia and I pushed past the first humans, I extended my senses and searched for Ahri and Vanya. Helena and the dwarfs couldn¡¯t be here, yet and a walking wall of steel would have stuck out like sore thumb, even in this throng. It didn¡¯t take me long to locate the kitsune. She was close to the scaffold and urged us to join her, her thoughts heavy with fear, as she watched the unfolding drama upon the platform. A line of prisoners was secured to a wooden post, Kirena¡¯s head still nailed to the top. Their hands and feet were tied with strong ropes, but I couldn¡¯t recognise a single person, except for Morgan. The poor girl was bound and gagged, her face swollen form a beating, that had split her lip and torn deep gashes into her dressed. She seemed to be in a stupor. Her eyes were open but unfocused and she wasn¡¯t paying attention to her surroundings, even though her life was at stake. A young, well dressed man stood, facing the crowd. He had no weapons, nor did he seem overly dangerous, but he was clearly in control. He gesticulated wildly, recounting the atrocities committed by Captain Blackthorne and his soldiers. By killing Kirena, they had violated the very foundation of their society, the pact between the Captains. There was only one possible answer to their outrageous crimes: a death, that would be remembered throughout the ages. A handful of armed men were keeping the prisoners in check, while he spoke and used their swords to emphasise every accusation thrown at them with a quick thrust to their exposed limbs. The platform was already slick with their blood. We had barely managed to barrel our way closer, when I picked up another sound from the distance. To our right, the heavy footfalls of a marching company thundered through the square, the gleaming tips of their spears appearing on one of the main roads. The crowd parted around them, like water, as they steadfastly made their way towards the scaffold. The clamouring voices were dying down and an eerie silence descended, broken only by the rhythmic impacts of studded boots and the curses around us, as we desperately pushed on. ¡°See,¡± the young man bravely shouted. ¡°Even now, when we are finally about to bring justice, the cowardly traitors are trying to stop us, to silence us. Brothers, will you stand by idly, while murderers, who have spent their day, flooding our streets with the blood of the innocent, are freed? No more, I say! No more! We will not waver, we will not cower and to prove our conviction,¡± he gave one of his soldiers a signal, ¡°we will do as we must!¡± Like striking snakes, the deadly weapons descended, severing the heads of the prisoners. Morgan had survived, but the warriors were already moving forward, ready to repeat their gruesome task. The freshly arrived soldiers screamed, as if a spell had been broken, the crowd came alive again and chaos ensued. Ahri, surrounded by crimson fire, shot into the sky, her wings a burning promise of wrath and fury. Aurelia manifested hers and I froze, an acrid, sulphuric smell assaulting my nose. The very next moment, when the angel had almost reached the platform, the vampire hot on her heels, enormous flowers of red and orange flames bloomed on the scaffold. 251. Of invasions, offers and a little distraction Viyara Nameless ¡°Ahri,¡± I screamed, my body transforming without conscious thought, just in the nick of time. A thunderclap sounded to my right, immediately followed by another explosion. I was thrown around like a doll, my forming scales barely strong enough to protect me. When I struck the ground, I buried several screaming onlookers beneath me, their bodies crushed into a sticky pulp. Shaking my head to clear my ringing ears, I scrambled to my feet and roared, drowning out the panicked shouts. For the fraction of a second silence reigned again, but then, another earthshaking detonation went off. Pillars of flame and debris rose throughout the square and when the shockwave hit me, I was knocked down again. For a few moments I was forced to contemplate the most complex questions in the universe, like who the hell am I and what are those two legged creatures doing, running around like headless chickens? It took me a while to regain my bearings, the return of my faculties accompanied by a dull, throbbing pain, where I had squashed my flying ruff under my weight. The scene, that greeted me, made me wish I had been somewhere else, far away. Deep, blackened craters had appeared all over the square, wisps of smoke dancing along their edges. Cobblestones and dirt had been thrown into the air, slaying people by the dozen on their way down. Between the initial explosions and the following rain of death, the unmoving, mutilated corpses far outnumbered the living and if I were to imagine how many of them would soon succumb to their wounds, there wouldn¡¯t be more than two hundred survivors. The scaffold was entirely gone, prisoners as well as guards had achieved the seldomly seen state of blown to smithereens. There was simply nothing left, not even a smear of blood on the ground. Torn off limbs littered the square, rivulets of blood carrying along pieces of flesh and bone, a macabre flood, rushing through the remains of shops and stalls. Shards of glass reflected the sunlight, the few rays, that managed to pierce the thick swaths of smoke, at least. They glinted like jewels, a mockery of the suffering and fear all around. Whoever was still able to run did so, a pressing, screaming tide of bodies, that claimed even more victims, when the weak and slow stumbled and were trampled underfoot. The cacophony of noises and smells nearly made me vomit. The gut wrenching stink of intestines, combined with the scent of cooked meat made my stomach churn and my ears couldn¡¯t pick up single sounds, the song of misery, streaming from every working throat, a suffocating blanket even my hearing couldn¡¯t pierce. Gradually, as my mind cleared further, a chilling sense of dread and fear bloomed, my slitted eyes darting from left to right, searching for a hint of white tails or the ageless vampire, but wherever I looked, I only saw death and destruction. With an Herculean effort, I convinced my aching muscles to move and climbed to my paws, terrifying the fleeing humans even further. I roared again and from one moment to the next, I was alone on an island of quiet in the midst of a chaotic sea. Like a hounded animal, I turned on the spot, my mind expanding, looking, searching, but for an agonising eternity, while the cold claws of regret and guilt dug into my heart, I feared there was no one left to find. Tears burned in my eyes, glittering specks of molten gold. It couldn¡¯t be¡­ first Cassy and now Ahri and Aurelia. Was I doomed to lose whomever I cared for? Why hadn¡¯t we simply left the fey behind? Why did they always have to¡­ ¡°This is not the time to cry,¡± a silky, powerful voice sounded from above and when I turned my gaze towards the heavens, I saw fire and flame, dancing around a beautiful, crimson apparition. Somehow, Ahri had managed to get to Morgan in the split second before the scaffold had exploded. Her tails were singed and there was an ugly wound on her cheek, a wooden splinter, at least as long as one of my claws, still buried in her skin. In her arms, she not only held the green haired girl, but also Aurelia. The vampire was a bleeding mess of cuts, bruises and burns, but even as I stared, her skin was knitting itself back together, the traces of her injuries disappearing like dust in the wind. ¡°You¡¯re alive,¡± I shouted jubilantly, my telepathic outburst strong enough to knock the closest humans down. Uncaring, I unfurled my ruff and took to the sky, eager to reach my friends. ¡°Of course I am,¡± she replied with a sly smile. ¡°Fire and flame aren¡¯t the best choice of weapon to hurt me. I¡¯m glad you made it, though. You had me worried, when you were sent flying.¡± We met several metres above the ground and without thinking, I coiled my body around the trio, shepherding them towards my back. When I felt their warmth on my scales I shot upwards, putting as much distance between us and the ground as I possibly could. I felt Ahri scamper towards my head, her mind in turmoil. ¡°Get us back to the ship,¡± she said, her thoughts racing, too fast to follow. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing,¡± I growled. ¡°We¡¯re not going to stay in the open longer than we absolutely have to. What in the name of all the gods just happened?¡± ¡°Beats me. It wasn¡¯t magic, that much I can tell, but I haven¡¯t got the foggiest idea¡­ there are several chemicals¡­¡± she paused, a single image expanding in her mind. I followed her line of sight and almost lost my balance. The market wasn¡¯t the only place, that had been ravaged. Clouds of dark, acrid smoke were rising all over the city and two of the mansions on the hills were burning merrily, the flames illuminating the ominous red lights, slowly spreading through the towering, black clouds. ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°Look, there,¡± Aurelia suddenly shouted. She had healed and was back on her feet, easily keeping her balance despite the raging wind and my slithering motions. I turned my head and felt like a pit had opened in the depths of my stomach. Ships, there were ships on the horizon. They weren¡¯t uniform, like an actual armada, but there were many of them, resembling a floating behemoth in the distance, advancing beneath a heavy fog, pouring from their furnaces. And behind them, the sky darkened, the edges of an oncoming storm followed them, like death followed war. ¡°Oh, to the abyss with all of them,¡± Ahri cursed out loud. I felt a quick burst of heat, as she took off again and added telepathically: ¡°if they reach the harbour, the ship will be in danger. We¡¯ve got to stop them.¡± The flames around her grew, the very air igniting, close to her wings. ¡°Or at least distract them. Buy enough time for our friends to flee.¡± I knew where she was coming from, but¡­ ¡°They won¡¯t. Not unless there¡¯s no hope and right now, it¡¯s still a city against,¡± I counted quickly, ¡°40 ships. There, they¡¯re even firing up the furnace. I bet they intend to join us.¡± We were rushing forwards to meet the fleet, the winds of our passage a growing storm. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Then we better not fail,¡± Aurelia hissed, the feathers of her wings sparkling with an inner fire, as she took off, while currents of power freely coursed through her, coming together in her hand to form a lance of pure magic. ¡°How I¡¯ve missed this,¡± she mumbled, her eyes glowing predatorily. I felt her consciousness expand, reaching out to every child of her line, as her mind covered the entirety of Free Land in the blink of an eye. ¡°Look eastward,¡± she thundered, ¡°the enemy is at the gates. Children of darkness, heirs of dawn, your home is in peril. Rise, the time has come to show your allegiance.¡± She called and the wrath of the undead answered. Below us, darkness creeped through the streets, intangible at first, it resembled a surging tide of shadows, but soon enough, I saw fangs and claws appear. Red, gleaming eyes pierced the eerie mist, and a bloodcurdling howl emanated from the streets. The vampires were on the hunt, their instincts commanding them to follow their progenitor and wherever they encountered an unlucky straggler, fresh, hot blood was spilled, further stoking their fury. Alassara, accompanied by a silver vixen, who easily kept up with the sprinting vampire, led them, her golden her billowing behind her like a cloak. As she nimble made her way towards the harbour, her mind linked with Aurelia¡¯s and consequentially, mine. ¡°We heed you,¡± she whispered, bloodlust and anger a constant thrum beneath her thoughts. ¡°I had hoped we¡¯d have more time¡­ we¡¯ll take the ships still in the harbour and join you as soon as we can. Only a few of us are capable of flight. We need transportation. You should also know, Captain Nightshade and his church are on the march. I don¡¯t know what they plan, but if we can¡¯t stop the fleet, it won¡¯t matter, anyways. What do you want us to do?¡± Aurelia looked at me and when I shrugged, Ahri replied: ¡°You¡¯re much stronger than whomever we¡¯re facing. Get your children airborne and try to board the ships. Kill whomever you might find. Don¡¯t hesitate and throw the ones you¡¯ve slain overboard. I¡¯ve seen too many underhanded tricks played on the dead and the dying¡­ if we can get them to turn around, we¡¯ve won. Afterwards¡­ it¡¯ll be time to put an end to this madness. Tell me, are you prepared to lead the people of this land?¡± ¡°I always have been.¡± ¡°Good. Helena, do you know where the mercenaries are?¡± ¡°They¡¯re behind us, far enough to not get devoured by accident. Vanya and her people have a ship as well. They¡¯re prepared to fight for their home and stand¡­¡± she was interrupted, when swaths of magic streamed towards the incoming fleet and an eerie voice, seemingly coming from everywhere at once, whispered: ¡°Hold! Hold your fire and your fury!¡± Even from afar, I saw the ships slow down, their looming shadows still a kilometre or two away from the harbour. ¡°We will not approach any further, unless challenged. Ahri, I¡¯m prepared to talk. If you¡¯re willing to listen, you¡¯ll come alone. There is no guarantee, but if you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll see how many of your friends can survive until nightfall. The choice is yours. I¡¯ll be waiting, but not for long. You have half an hour. When the time is up, we will sail and put your defences to the test.¡± When he finished, the crackling fires in the city and the howling winds were unnaturally loud in my ears, while we hovered on the spot, stunned. Before the vixen even had time to organise her thoughts, Helena and I began screaming at her, her decision to go along with his demands already formed, in the back of her mind. ¡°No, you won¡¯t, there¡¯s no way in all hells,¡± I began, but was cut short by her future mother in law: ¡°I won¡¯t let you. You can¡¯t¡­ have you completely lost it? Why would you even¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± I added heatedly. ¡°If we have to, we¡¯ll tie you down and¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± She hadn¡¯t raised her voice, but her words, dripping power, still hit us like a whip. When it came down to it, she was an immortal and we could do nothing, but obey. ¡°Don¡¯t you think, I know? Don¡¯t you think, I¡¯m well aware of what he wants? It¡¯s not me, he¡¯s after, but Cassandra, isn¡¯t he? And I¡¯m the best bargaining chip he could ever hope to get his hands on. But¡­ turn around, look, really look. It¡¯s happening again.¡± She was still bolstering her words with energy and we were forced to look in the direction of her outstretched arm. Free Land resembled nothing more than an anthill, into which a curious child had poked a stick. Desperate, disoriented people were clogging the streets, smoke still rose from the square, a handful of streets had turned into slaughterhouses, the vampires leaving behind nothing but corpses and on two hills, the mansions had become hellish bonfires. Not to mention the harbour, where unbeknownst to us, several ships had started to burn, their riggings catching on fire like tinder. One was even sinking, a smouldering hole torn into its sides, where the stone should have been. ¡°His pawns are in place, his minions are acting. Helena, you know where this ends, you¡¯ve seen it, you¡¯ve lived through it, as well as I. Let me ask you this, what would your daughter do, if she was here? Do you think, she¡¯d hesitate?¡± ¡°She¡¯d go. In a heartbeat. And if it turned out to be a trap, she¡¯d rain down all hells on those aboard. But Ahri, you¡¯re not her. You¡¯re wiser, at least I always thought so. You can¡¯t¡­ if you¡¯re allowing yourself to be extorted like this, where will it end? You asked me, what Cassandra would do. Let me ask you this: what would she want you to do?¡± ¡°She¡¯d tell me to stay where I am. Unfortunately, she isn¡¯t here, even though I¡¯m not so sure anymore, if that¡¯s a bad thing. Half an hour, Helena, plus, however much time I can make him waste. That¡¯s enough to do, what we should have done from the beginning, what Cassy always wanted to do¡­ it¡¯s enough time to raise an army. Free the slaves, untie everyone, who¡¯s willing to listen and have them take up arms. It¡¯s enough time, to stop that fleet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re moonstruck,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Even if you¡¯re right, why would you go? We can just as well try with half an hour and you with us. No, I won¡¯t play along, this time. I¡¯m so done with you immortals and you¡¯re obsessions. You always put so much stock in your promises. How about this one: I¡¯m not going to let you go, alone. If you want to risk your life and freedom for an absurd idea, I¡¯ll be there, right with you. How about it? Still think the risk is worth it?¡± She smiled slyly. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me, Viyara, and I can make you stay.¡± ¡°Try it,¡± I snarled, golden flames dancing along my maw. With a colossal act of will, I pushed the very essence of my carbuncle through my veins, allowing its magic access to every bone, every horn, every scale. My vision shuddered, a tinge of silver spreading through the colours of the world and the fires, licking at my lips, became much brighter, their centre turning solid silver. ¡°Try to command me, Ahri. That¡¯s not your place and I won¡¯t listen.¡± She was taken aback, her eyes going wide, but I was convinced, I saw a spark of pride appear in their scintillating depths. ¡°Damn it, you really are becoming more like her. Fine, what would you both have me do? Because if I¡¯m not going, there won¡¯t be enough time to do anything but fight with what we¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± Alassara chimed in. ¡°It might not be my place, by I wholeheartedly agree with those two. You shouldn¡¯t go¡­ you mustn¡¯t go. Just imagine, what would happen, if he found a way to use your power against us. We¡¯re in trouble, now, but that¡¯s nothing compared to where we¡¯d be, if that happened. Does mean we have to tell, does it? Half an hour is plenty of time. At least enough to get to the harbour and most of my children onboard one ship or the other. You were right, you now. If we can get close to them, we¡¯ll tear them to pieces. Aided by an angel, a dragon and a company of dwarfs, our chances aren¡¯t that bad, are they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget Arthur,¡± Helena added. ¡°He¡¯s close, maybe a couple of hours behind them. We should use the time we¡¯ve got and return to Xorlosh. He¡¯s in contact with my son¡­ I imagine there¡¯s no one stopping a hoard of vampires from taking whatever they want. If Alassara continues on with her children, we¡¯ll be ready to welcome the pirates most warmly, as soon as the times up. The hour or two you can get us by risking your life isn¡¯t worth that much. Even if we rallied every last person in Free Land, we still won¡¯t have the ships to bring their numbers to bear. We must and can fight with what we have.¡± 252. Of defiance, arrogance and a little diversion Ahri Arete The wind howled in my ears, as I rose from the deck of the dwarven ship, a golden, overgrown lizard on my tails, a winged vampire at my side and the scent of burning wood and hot metal in my nose. Our deliberations hadn¡¯t taken overly long and had basically boiled down to: there¡¯s the enemy, make them regret the day they had set sails for Free Land. We had managed to muster a surprisingly strong force, between the vampires, the dwarfs and the mercenaries, Vanya and her group had persuaded to help, we counted almost 100 heads and most of those were either battle hardened warriors or powerful mages. Even without the guards we had sent to accompany and protect the kids, who¡¯d be retreating to Alassara¡¯s home, our numbers were nothing to sneeze at. Still¡­ I was anxious. Something just seemed off. As far as I was aware Amon knew exactly where we were and what we were capable of. Why would he launch an open assault? 40 ships, as impressive as they might seem, weren¡¯t possibly able to stand up to an enraged dragon and myself, never mind the vampires and our friends. What did he hope to achieve? I couldn¡¯t figure it out and that made me nervous, as it had always meant I had overlooked something important. The last time, he had sent us running in circles while his curse had taken effect. If something similar was going on, I just didn¡¯t know whom we were supposed to be fighting. The force, Captain Nightshade and his church, led through the streets came to mind but ever since Alassara and her children had heeded Aurelia¡¯s call we had lost sight of them and even from high above, I just couldn¡¯t spot anything out of the ordinary. Except for the smouldering ruins, several blocks had become and the distinct lack of people on the streets. Even the markets were empty. ¡°Don¡¯t fret,¡± Aurelia said. Viyara had, once again, linked our minds, a colossal advantage, as we could communicate without delay. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy to finally have a target for your anger. Ever since Cassandra vanished, you¡¯ve become more¡­¡± ¡°Moody,¡± Viyara chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re trying to fill her shoes¡­¡± ¡°Am not,¡± I insisted, but quickly added: ¡°but I miss her and I catch myself, more often than not, wondering what she¡¯d do if she was here, instead of making up my own mind. I¡¯ve never¡­ it¡¯s always been her call, whatever we¡¯ve done. She has either forced my hand by making a decision or we didn¡¯t have much of a choice to begin with. I¡¯ve never wanted anything else¡­ ever since I can remember, and that¡¯s longer than even you are alive, Aurelia, it has always been like this. What she is¡­ can you imagine, why I¡¯ve never really questioned her? Sure, I might complain but ultimately, I always do as she asks.¡± They remained silent but I felt Helena¡¯s attention turn to our conversation, as she was prowling the deck of the ship, already far below us. I scanned the streets until I saw the hooded silhouettes of our people, quietly rushing towards the ransacked tavern. They had nearly made it and my tension eased, at least a little bit. I continued: ¡°Because she¡¯s the only person I know who actually owns up to her mistakes. She¡¯s the one who bleeds, in case she fucks up. Every time I try to share in her burdens I first have to convince her¡­ just remember how she acted in Shassa¡¯s tomb. Even though she was hurt and couldn¡¯t be healed, I had to force her to allow me to accept her injuries. She would have doomed us all, simply because she didn¡¯t want anyone else to suffer for, what she thought, was her responsibility. I¡¯ve never really understood why she¡¯s that stubborn, but I¡¯m starting to get there. I haven¡¯t accepted Amon¡¯s proposal and now it will be my doing, if you get harmed¡­¡± I was interrupted, a veritable flood of denial surging through their minds, but I still pressed on: ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t, but it sure feels this way. You asked why I¡¯m fretting? I¡¯m afraid, truly and utterly scared. Because I¡¯m leading my friends into a battle I could have prevented. Whatever happens to you, any of you, that¡¯s on me, only because I didn¡¯t have the courage to ignore your advice¡­ the longer I think about it the more convinced I am that I should have. Cassandra wouldn¡¯t have hesitated and I¡¯m beginning to understand why. Even if I had¡­ died, it would still have been so much easier than watching my friends and family get hurt.¡± They didn¡¯t respond, digesting my words, as we soared higher and higher, until we were far above the approaching fleet. We¡¯d wait, until the ships, the vampires had taken over, left the harbour and then attack from above and below, hopefully destroying most of their vessels before they even knew what hit them. We still had a few minutes, until the allotted time was up, after all. Maybe I was worrying over nothing but I still couldn¡¯t shake my anxiety. Something was wrong. ¡°If I were up there, I¡¯d rip your ears off cleanly,¡± Helena suddenly exploded. ¡°Is that really what she thinks and what you feel? Gods above, save us from the arrogance of immortals. Neither is it your responsibility nor is it your right to make decisions for us. We aren¡¯t children, who need your protection. Damn it, Ahri, get your head out of your arse! We¡¯re all in this together and I swear if you, both of you, don¡¯t start treating us as as equals, I really am going to sneak into your room one night and shear your fur! Your life isn¡¯t worth more than ours but it sure as all hells isn¡¯t worth less either simply because you¡¯re more powerful. And throwing it away to prevent us from getting injured is more than disrespectful, it¡¯s downright insulting. Now, could you please stop acting like a teen with fantasies of omnipotence and focus? We have more than enough real problems without your lunacy.¡± She was spiting mad and even though I couldn¡¯t see her I was convinced she was snarling. A small smiled tugged on the corners of my mouth when I realised that she was honestly worried about me. Not about how her daughter might react, should something happen to me, but simply about me and my problems. She truly was family¡­ and she was right. ¡°Thank you, I guess I needed that,¡± I admitted. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she replied, much more calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to boxing immortal ears over the last years and you¡¯re still a far cry less infuriating than Cassandra. Now, could we get back to the matter at hand? Time¡¯s almost up and you should give him your answer.¡± I took a deep breath, my flames, which had only been dancing among my feathers, grew until my wings seemed to be twice their normal size. Fires ignited in my eyes and my vision became painfully sharp as energy coursed through my veins, an irresistible stream of glowing embers that drowned out my fear and hardened it into a spear of fury. With a thought I summoned my favourite sword from the stamp Mephisto had fashioned, a gleaming katana, almost as long as me. Ever since my transformations had begun my strength had grown and by now I could easily wield the two handed sword with a single arm. It felt nimble and deadly. Dwarven steel with a coat of mithril reflected the rays of the setting sun and a crimson spark travelled along the blade. The edges became blurry in its wake until roaring fires erupted and turned the weapon into a lance of heat and light. A short dagger appeared in my other hand, a black, razor sharp core amidst a wave of flames, curved and deadly like a dragon¡¯s fang. The song of battle set my blood ablaze and the fires grew. I had turned into a small sun, even brighter than the golden dragoness at my side and when I saw thick, curling clouds of smoke spill from the ships below, I turned eastward to face the oncoming storm. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you, puppet king, and here¡¯s my answer!¡± I thundered and closed my eyes. The streams of power in my body flowed to my weapons and the blades vanished behind an explosion of crimson light. I brought the tips together and a heartbeat later, an enormous, crimson ball of fire grew where they touched. First, it was the size of a boulder, then a cart and finally, when it had reached the dimensions of a small house, I hurled it towards our enemies. Steam exploded around the missile, its heat evaporating the moisture in the air as it made its way across the sky like a crimson, unstoppable avalanche. And still it grew, absorbing heat and energy as it travelled. Ice crystals appeared in its wake, falling gently like actual snow, while the winds picked up to fill the void my spell had created. Like a catastrophe in the making, it drew everyone¡¯s gaze as it approached the foremost ship, becoming faster and faster the further it got. 500 metres, 300, 100¡­ frantic activity broke out on deck, tiny figures running hither and tither, but their doom was inevitable. My enhanced vision showed me every detail, their terrified faces, their numb limbs, as they realised that there was no escape. A few men raised their eyes to the heavens, whispering a silent prayer and then, hell was upon them. From one moment to the next they vanished, their bodies utterly annihilated in an explosion of transcendent flames that was palpable, even where we hovered. I had to shield my eyes, the brightness too much for me. My hair was blown back as a raging storm, accompanied by a thunderclap the likes of which I had never heard in this life, slammed into me, almost strong enough to blow me away. I heard Viyara¡¯s curses and her frantic movement to keep her balance, Aurelia¡¯s surprised gasp and the rusting of her wings and then silence returned. The wave had passed us and in its aftermath I finally saw what I had done. The ship was gone. No debris, no corpses, not even a soft rain of ash, there was simply nothing left. The only evidence of my attack were the vessels close by, the immense heat of the explosion had set their sails ablaze and the shockwave had utterly destroyed their riggings. Seamen desperately tried to righten their ships and put out the ravenous fires, but the ones who had been closest to my blast were fighting a losing battle. Even from far away my heightened senses picked up the creaking and groaning of tormented wood and the scent of burning cloth. If the fires wouldn¡¯t get them, their mast would break sooner or later, rendering them helpless. A grim smiled spread across my face and I shouted: ¡°I will not come alone but here we are, ready to put your men to the test. Another day of blood and violence, another feast for the crows. Are you prepared to face us, mortals? Has he even told you what we are?¡± Viyara had been listening intently and reacting to my thoughts, she curled around me, a golden armour protecting a crimson flower of flames. She opened her maw wide, her fangs shimmering, and roared. A gold and silver tongue of fire shot towards the ships, hungrily devouring the distance between us and even though a dragon¡¯s breath shouldn¡¯t have reached that far, another one of the ship was engulfed. Burning wood crackled, metal melted and the water barrels exploded as a wave of liquid light spread over the deck. This time the sailors had time to scream, even though it didn¡¯t last long. An agonising moment of shock and pain and then they were just as silent as their fallen comrades. In a rush of flaming glory they and their ship fell past the cliffs and towards the ocean. We didn¡¯t see them hit the water since we were finally flying, flying towards another battle and another day of death and destruction. I would probably never get used to the accompanying feeling but I couldn¡¯t deny that an ancient, scary part of me rejoiced at the chance to prove my strength. Gold and crimson thundered through the air, the dragoness¡¯ scales reflecting my flames with an overwhelming intensity bright enough to turn us into an unfathomable display of supernatural strength. And we weren¡¯t alone. To my left, a piercing cry shattered the sky as Aurelia¡¯s outline blurred and shifted, her elegant, beautiful face elongating while a sharp, deadly beak tore through her skin. Her wings grew until they were at least as large as my own and her body transformed. The skin on her long legs vanished, replaced by scales and her feet turned into three razor sharp claws. Feathers appeared all over her body and from one moment to the next, she turned into a magnificent bird with smouldering red eyes. She shrieked, the power of her voice unleashed raging torrents of air towards our enemies, a destructive wave of force that blew the ships apart. Reeling from our attacks the captains scrambled to return order to their crews, shouting commands while sailors frantically climbed over the felled bodies of their comrades, blood oozing from eyes and ears. Up the masts they went to save their damaged sails. While they were still trying to overcome their shock, our ships rose from the harbour. 10 small, crooked things struggled into the air, an almost pitiful sight but each and every single one had 10 vampires onboard, their fangs bared as their blood red gazes pierced their prey with an unearthly intensity. Faster than the others the armoured hull of the dwarven vessel shot out from underneath the harbour construction, sparks and smoke spilling from its furnace. On deck, three rows of crossbow men, protected by a walking wall of mithril, covered two ballistas, the tips of the lodged spears gleaming. Near the prow, the spell casters were already creating huge formations, the arcane patterns swelling with each passing second. As if to challenge the very storm behind the fleet they marshalled their power and released their first attack. Howling winds erupted behind the ships and propelled them forwards. Fast like an arrow they closed the gap and just when we crashed into the foremost vessel, wings, fangs, fire and claw against wood and metal, were they in range to shoot. Two massive, metal bolts soared through the air and when I saw Viyara open her maw to release another wall of flames they struck. But¡­ there was nothing to hit. The outlines of the ships in front of us became hazy and blurred until the sun broke through the weakening constructs. Illusions, we had been charging towards illusions for the most part and now they were vanishing. First one, then a second and finally almost all remaining ships became insubstantial. We were alone, surrounded by the smoking carcasses of the few vessels we had actually butchered, no more than 3, and for a second, I was starting to doubt my sanity. How? Why? A moment later, a claw of ice cold panic gripped my heart and I frantically whirled around, scanning the distant streets of Free Land. In our rush to confront the Emperor, we had stripped the city of practically everyone, who might have been able to stand up to him and his minions. We had been lured into a futile fight against mirrors and puppets, all the while¡­ ¡°Reia,¡± I screamed, my wings unfurling to their fullest. Faster than a thought I streaked across the sky. No one could keep up, their anxious question a constant thrum in my mind, but I didn¡¯t slow down, on the contrary, I pushed even more power from my core until I resembled nothing more than a crimson flash of light. Still, despite my desperate charge, I was too late. The air over Free Land flickered and from one moment to the next, the actual fleet appeared. It had been hidden behind a veil of magic and we hadn¡¯t even bothered looking for it. As I watched, my heart beating faster than the wings of a hummingbird, trapdoors opened and I saw a fiery rain of burning tar descend in excruciating detail. It hit houses, their roofs catching on fire like tinder, the markets, temples, guilds¡­but it wasn¡¯t only the infrastructure that went up in smoke. For a few, breathless seconds I didn¡¯t understand what was going on until the pattern emerged. The ships were also targeting the streets and dwellings between the still smoking craters the previous explosions had left behind. Fiery lines connected them now and I realised that they formed the points and angles of a flaming pentagram, at the very centre of which Alassara¡¯s mansion stood. The very place, where we had ignorantly sent Erya, Morgan and the children. 253. Of bargains, fear and a little sacrifice Ahri Arete Ash fell from the sky, a suffocating, acrid rain, obscuring my view of the quivering pirates on the other side of the square. I didn¡¯t blame them. Even though they were an impressive sight, a colourful, ragtag band of cutthroats and seasoned veterans, armed with cutlasses and daggers, crossbows and axes, they were facing a nightmare, come to life. An angel, a golden dragoness, a winged undead and a small army of vampires, mercenaries and dwarfs, all of them staring them down with hatred in their eyes, waiting for an opportunity to close the distance and rip them to shreds. Only the small, unprotected bodies in their midst and the blades, they pressed against their necks, kept them alive. No wonder they were scared. All of them, except for one. A girl, judging from the branded sigil on her chest, a former slave, stood at the front, a vacant expression on her dark, broad face. Only her eyes were moving. Never standing still, they roamed over our lines, bearing down on us with an intensity no human girl in her 20s could muster. ¡°Oh my,¡± she said laconically, ¡°what an exuberant reception. Have you come to greet me as your master? No? A true pity¡­ then we¡¯ll have to continue, won¡¯t we? Now, who of you can guess, what¡¯s happening here?¡± She¡­ or rather the creature behind her eyes, smiled sardonically, when we didn¡¯t react, our gazes shackled to Erya, Morgan, Reia, Layla and her friends. They hadn¡¯t been hurt, just yet, but one wrong move and their heads would topple to the ground. ¡°No takers? I expected a bit more, to be honest. Well then, allow me to enlighten you. You might have already seen the crude formation, my soldiers have so painstakingly prepared. I¡¯m sure, you¡¯ve wondered, why nothing has happened. Simple. A ritual on that scale needs something special to get started¡­ and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Once again, I¡¯m willing to offer a trade. One of you, whether it¡¯s the angel, the dragoness or the returned, ageless vampire queen, I don¡¯t really care, for the life of those, I¡¯ve taken. I guess even the silver vixen, who¡¯s trying to sneak around us, would do. Unfortunately, I can only return their protectors to you in pieces, but it should be enough for a proper burial. The thought counts, am I right?¡± I hissed involuntarily and took a step forward, my blood boiling with a barely restrained fury. Mordred¡¯s hand on my shoulder luckily brought me back to my senses, otherwise I might have done something stupid, I would probably have regretted for the rest of a very long life. ¡°Lo and behold, emotions running high,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Here are the terms.¡± She nodded towards one of her cronies, who lit a torch. A second later, one of the ships above descended, until it wasn¡¯t more than 20 metres above us. A black box was lowered on a contraption of ropes. When it came to rest near her feet, she continued: ¡°Speak without my permission and a child will die. Use magic and two children will die. Attack us and I¡¯ll behead the whole bunch of them. Now, what I want is for one of you to enter here.¡± Her slim hand thumped against the cold metal. ¡°It won¡¯t take long, a couple of minutes, at most. Once I¡¯m satisfied, I¡¯ll release my hostages and you can try to extract a pound of flesh. As you can imagine, it won¡¯t be that easy, though. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t allow you much time to contemplate, strong as my troupes might be, Free Land is stirring and I won¡¯t be in control for much longer. They don¡¯t care about innocents. If one of you is willing, step forward. Otherwise¡­ I¡¯m going to slaughter your precious younglings and then, you can kill us all. Even though I¡¯m not entirely convinced what kind of victory that¡¯d be¡­¡± she closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°Anyways, my priests are almost in place and¡­ Ah, there he is.¡± A hunched over, lonely figure appeared on one of the streets, clutching a wooden chest to its body. It took me a moment to recognise him, but when he came closer and raised his head, peeking owlishly from left to right, a strong smell of chemicals wafted around my nose. It was the alchemist, who had caught Morgan and Erya, in the first place. Seemingly without a care in the world, he made his way towards the waiting girl and placed the box in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s finished,¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t know, how much power it can handle, but the extraction process should work, whomever you decide to use it on.¡± Aware of the keen senses, most of possessed, the girl cut him off with a short gesture and opened the lid. Something sparkled in the dimming light, before she closed it again with a satisfied expression. ¡°Now, we¡¯re all set. Where were we? Right. Volunteers. So, what¡¯s it going to be? Death and carnage or a wiling sacrifice. Your choice, but make haste. The longer we dally, the greater the chance, the remaining Captains find their courage and act. Before I¡¯m relinquishing my advantage, I¡¯m going to start killing people. So¡­ what¡¯s it going to be?¡± I swallowed dryly, my thoughts racing. My flames weren¡¯t fast enough to reach them, before they could harm the kids and if I even appeared like I was channeling my power, they¡¯d die, anyways. We were so screwed and there weren¡¯t many paths left. For the fraction of a second, I toyed with the idea of simply shouting a command, but¡­ before I¡¯d have finished the first word, heads would roll. There wasn¡¯t much I could do, I was simply too slow, as were the others. Now I knew, why he had cursed Cassy. It wasn¡¯t her strength, that, we could have compensated for. It was her speed. If she had been here, she would by now be standing at Reia¡¯s side, chopped off limbs falling to the ground around her. But she wasn¡¯t¡­ and there was only one thing I could do. I wouldn¡¯t stand by, I wouldn¡¯t watch, while they were slaughtered. I couldn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t me. I took a step forward, but I wasn¡¯t the only one. Viyara and Aurelia hadn¡¯t hesitated and neither had Helena. All of us were prepared to bargain our life for theirs and I felt a sad smile appear on my face. It would have been heartwarming, if our circumstances hadn¡¯t been so dire. We looked at each other, determination, anger, frustration and fear reflected in our eyes. Our connection allowed the feelings to flow freely between us. There was no need to talk. We all had our reasons to go, but I was the only one who had a chance at survival, however slim it might be. Grudgingly, the others retreated, while their thoughts enveloped my mind caressingly, providing comfort and strength. A moment later, I was alone, my steps loud on the cobbled stones, as I made my way towards a grinning puppet. Sparks ignited in my eyes, but I squashed them, the very second they formed. Like a condemned prisoner, I put one foot in front of the other, shivers running down my spine, willing it to be over, but yet afraid of what was still in store for me. I held my head up high, stubbornly ignoring the rising jeers from the assembled crowd I faced. They were ecstatic, mocking me with every laugh, every whispered comment, eager to cover their own panic. To them, it was just another day, another cruel extortion and I was just another girl who had no choice, but to obey their leader, a creature who had once again proven, that there was nothing to fear, as long as they followed his orders and their courage stirred. I struggled to block out the disgusting proposals they hurled at me, convinced, that they had won. I could only pity the lot. I wasn¡¯t sure what magics the Emperor was planning to unleash, but I¡¯d have wagered, that his loyal subjects wouldn¡¯t live to see another day. My energy might start the fire, but the ravenous flames were sure to consume everyone within the pentagram. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Rallying my courage, I conveyed my assumptions as precisely as I could, urging my friends to act, as soon as they had a chance. Those, who weren¡¯t needed to protect the children, had to leave and once I was taken, the rest would have to grab Reia and her friends and fly, ensuring they¡¯d be far beyond the influence of the spell, before the magic could ignite. ¡°Not without you,¡± Viyara snarled, Cassy¡¯s magic thrumming in her veins. ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere, unless I¡¯ve got you in my claws, the consequences be demanded. Once they can¡¯t hide behind their breathing shields anymore, it¡¯s time for the reckoning. The vampires can take care of the kids, they¡¯re fast enough, but I¡¯m not going to leave you behind. Whatever. Happens.¡± I couldn¡¯t even argue, the approval of everyone I was in contact with as palpable as the ground beneath my boots. Everyone, except Helena. She had been on Boseiju, she knew what to expect. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of burning straw, unwashed bodies, blood and fear. Having a family was the most precious thing in the world, but sometimes, it was a pain in the ass. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I whispered, holding back unwanted tears. If I had allowed myself to confess how scared I was, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to go on. ¡°You¡¯ve never¡­ just get out of here. There¡¯s no point¡­ that magic will be different from anything, you¡¯ve ever seen. Don¡¯t repeat our mistakes. Leave me and run.¡± ¡°No,¡± the dragoness hissed. ¡°Why would you¡­¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no other way, unless you¡¯re willing to sacrifice, what she¡¯s risking her life to protect.¡± The emotions behind her thoughts put the lie to her words, but suddenly, a spark of hope rose from the grey, murky depths. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s been almost a day, now. Ahri, Viyara, Focus. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± I didn¡¯t understand, what she was getting at, but I still did as she asked. Shoving aside my own, twisted emotions, I tried to dig deeper but there was nothing, just the echo of my friends, their minds in uproar and¡­ I gasped. Deep down, near the very core of my existence, I felt something move. For what seemed like an eternity, every time I had focused on Cassy, there had been nothing but a dull, mute pain. She had been alive but so far away, hermetically sealed off, that it hadn¡¯t mattered. Now¡­ she wasn¡¯t awake, nor could I call out to her, but something was changing. Tendrils of white hot fire seemed to radiate outwards from where we were bound together and while her agony made me wish, there had been something for me to do, it also gave me hope. If she was hurting more, she was fighting and that usually meant, she was winning. I didn¡¯t know how long it¡¯d take, but sooner or later, she¡¯d be with us again and once that happened¡­ may the gods have mercy on those poor souls because I knew what their future held. Everything they had done to us, to our friends, everything they were going to do to me, would be paid back, tenfold. ¡°She¡¯ll come for me,¡± I stated. There was no question in my mind. ¡°As soon as she¡¯s awake, I¡¯ll be free. I can hold on for that long, I¡¯m sure of it. And you¡¯ll make sure, that we won¡¯t lose anybody else, between now and then, am I clear? We all have a role to play and we can¡¯t afford to make a mistake. None of us will die today and tomorrow, we¡¯ll try to undo, whatever the Emperor is planning. This won¡¯t be the victory he¡¯s envisioning, either, he won¡¯t succeed.¡± Truth be told, I was reassuring myself, just a much as I was taking to them. I sounded self assured and confident, but I couldn¡¯t shake the images, bubbling up at the back of my mind. Tortured and maimed friends, a burning paradise and the inevitable realisation, that the best we could hope to achieve was survival. We had faced the wrath of the Emperor twice before, each time escaping with singed tails and, however I looked at it, I couldn¡¯t convince myself to believe, that we¡¯d fare much better, this time around. We wouldn¡¯t understand his plans, until I¡¯d be caged and by then, it might already be too late. Another step brought me even closer to the waiting girl. By now, I could smell and see the magic circling around her, a vile miasma of deep, green colours, and the stench of decay, as if something long dead had been clinging to her back, like a disgusting parasite. My fingers trembled and I had to curl them into fists to hide how terrified I actually was. If it had been me, orchestrating the whole ordeal, I¡¯d have made sure, only a corpse would escape that box and there was no way in hell, Amon was in any way less thorough than I¡¯d have been. A small pebble moved beneath my boot, the sound overly loud in my ears. Another step, and I was much closer to the waiting, leering crowd than to my friends. Their thoughts were with me, though, quite literally, a warming blanket, which gave me the strength to take yet another step. My eyes darted to the black, metal coffin, its side covered with runes, painstakingly etched into the dark material to ensure their sturdiness. It was a crude contraption, the hinges closing with more than a finger wide gap between the individual sheets. What I saw on the inside made my stomach churn, row upon row of hooked, polished barbs shimmered in its depth. In essence, it was an enchanted iron maiden and I had volunteered to enter. Swallowing dryly, I forcefully pushed away the imagines, my imagination came up with. Darkness and pain, a never ending repetition of torture and false hope, while my own powers prevented me from escaping the prison, even death an unattainable mercy. Distracted, I didn¡¯t see the dagger, one of the pirates had thrown and with a sickening crunch, it pierced my shoulder. I gasped, more from surprise than the cruel pain, my hand covering the stream of hot, crimson blood. Behind me, I could hear my family mutter but none of them dared to act, afraid to seal the children¡¯s fate. It was a devastating moment, their minds filled with anger and despair, but yet, they couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t help and it tore them apart. Gritting my teeth, I allowed the searing agony to turn into hatred and anger. If I had to walk myself to the gallows, I¡¯d prefer angry over scared, any day of the week. Sparks ignited in my eyes again, but this time I didn¡¯t extinguish them. My gaze fell upon the culprit but before I could act, I heard the girl sigh. ¡°Useless idiots,¡± she mumbled and traced the outlines of a rune with her finger. The head of the zealot exploded in a shower of scarlet, that sprinkled me with warm, sticky drops. ¡°Come on, Ahri,¡± the girl continued. ¡°We don¡¯t have all day.¡± As if to emphasise her words, my ears twitched and I picked up different voices, still far away but closing in. Even though their attack had destroyed most of the infrastructure, someone had managed to quickly assemble a considerable force and their heavy steps were constantly approaching. By now, I could even hear their voices, spewing out an intangible litany of words, almost like a prayer. Exactly like a prayer. A flash of light diverted my attention, as the western horizon was suddenly illuminated by golden and red flames. The setting sun had erupted, growing to unbelievable proportions and the sad spectacle around us was drenched in light. Fearful muttering rose again and the invaders shuffled on their feet insecurely. Rolling her eyes, the girl was apparently done waiting and quickly strode towards me. She didn¡¯t dare touch me, but when she was close enough, she whispered urgently: ¡°I¡¯d have loved to give you enough time to stoically approach and maybe even say a few memorable lines, but apparently, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s so considerate. In five seconds I¡¯m gong to order my men to decapitate our hostages, unless you¡¯re already in that box.¡± Right at that moment I felt a tide of hatred surge, so strong, that I forgot my injury and almost reached out to burn the despicable creature to ashes. I didn¡¯t care that he was safe, somewhere else, I didn¡¯t care that it would accomplish nothing, I simply wanted to hurt the man who had subjected us to more misery than anyone could hope to cope with. But I goddamned couldn¡¯t. I blinked a tear away, my eyes locking onto Reia¡¯s. I smiled, trying to reassure her that she¡¯d be fine, that her ordeal was nearly over, but the terrified child could only stare blankly, her gaze empty. A few seconds later, cold metal closed around me and the torture began. 254. Of destiny, alliances and a little bit of hope Viyara Nameless My shaking limbs dislodged the roughly set stones beneath me as I helplessly watched one of my few friends vanish behind a curtain of black steel. Her pained gasp was cut off by the heavy thud, when the door closed behind her, sealing her in a cruel tomb. Thunder rumbled in the distance and lighting cleaved the sky, but I couldn¡¯t pry my eyes away from the softly dripping blood, that suddenly appeared at the base of the coffin. Neither the resounding chorus of voices, raised in prayer, nor the stunning display at the western horizon seemed to matter. ¡°What is he doing to her,¡± I whispered, anger and pity radiating through my mind. ¡°Harvesting,¡± Helena spat, her tails twitching. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± she was interrupted, when one of the mercenaries cried out: ¡°Look, they¡¯re coming!¡± He pointed to the Main Street, which led away from the harbour. A shield wall had appeared in the gap between two three story buildings and with them came the strength of their goddess. Even though it was already past nightfall, the sun didn¡¯t sink further, the last of its splendour hovering above the horizon, like a broken, burning wheel. It flared, turning their armour into glaring sparks, its rays reflected polished metal as their voices flowed over us, like a wave, praising the strength of their patron. ¡°Burn them all,¡± a young woman, clad in full plate armour, cried out. She raised her sword, the tip glowing ominously as sunlight danced along the blade. She pointed at the pirates and a translucent beam shot through the air, crackling with unbridled power. We watched in silent awe, as it sped across the square, targeting the woman, still standing vigilant at the side of the coffin. Just when it was about to hit her, her arm shot forward and she screamed: ¡°now!¡± The next few seconds turned into chaos incarnate. A ghastly, greenish shield flickered to life around the girl and neatly absorbed the spell, or whatever it was, the amazon had hurled at her. Without pause, she nimbly opened the box, the alchemist had brought and dropped the small instrument inside into the pool of Ahri¡¯s blood. The runes on the iron maiden activated, humming with power and the temperature plummeted, just as the raging storm clouds swallowed the sun on the western horizon. Darkness fell. The vampires, finally free of the painful light, seemed to grow, their fangs breaking through closed lips and their claws ripping through their skin, but before they could act, the darkness deepened even further and an icy, otherworldly, distant voice reverberated through the square: ¡°Arise!¡± Black fire ignited along the burned out paths, the ships had torn into Free Land, the pentagram coming to life with a deafening roar. From one moment to the next, we were surrounded by towering flames, flames without warmth, without life, flames that made my blood freeze in my veins, simply from looking at them. A silvery streak suddenly shot across the square, as Helena desperately tried to reach the hostages, their guards gazing numbly upon a world gone mad around them, their mouths going slack. ¡°Now,¡± she thundered, ¡°get to them now or we¡¯ll lose them forever.¡± A bell like sound rang out behind me, as the dwarfs struck their axes against their shields, their deep voices following a second later, sweeping away the murmured prayers like leafs before a storm. I felt, more than I saw, Aurelia move, her wings appearing, as she hurled herself forward, claws reaching. Another thunderclap made me turn involuntarily. Behind the wall of black flames, I thought I had seen a flicker of silver on the horizon, but I didn¡¯t have the time to look properly. A high pitched note followed the mighty drumbeat and the Emperor¡¯s vessel was hoisted into the air, dark swaths of energy circling around her. The pirates panicked. Stuck between a rock of mithril and a hard place of incoming zealots, the eerie magics of their supposed saviour swirling around them like living nightmares, they broke. And like every scared animal, they lashed out. The ones, who threatened their prisoners, raised their weapons while others already moved, sprinting towards the smaller alleys around the square. None of them made it. Before they could cut even a single hair, lightning incarnate tore through their ranks, followed by an explosion of moonlight. Gory bits and pieces rained down but a dome of red and golden flames had already closed around them. Before the fiery curtain came down fully, I briefly saw Aurelia¡¯s silhouette. They were safe, at least for now. Roaring, I finally managed to act, but instead of rushing the breaking line of pirates, I flung myself towards the cage and the hovering girl. I¡¯d break both of them. Flames spilled from my open maw, gold and silver, surrounding the dreadful prison and the Emperor with crackling streams of arcane fire, but I was already too late. The spell¡­ the ritual activated and the bone chilling voice from before jubilated: ¡°Undead and immortals it¡¯s time to even the score.¡± Flickering wisps rose from the ground, similar to mangled, warped flowers they bloomed, tendrils of death that had pierced through the veil and into the world of the living. From one heartbeat to the next, my flames petered out and my breath froze in my throat. Hoarfrost covered us like a white blanket and a strangled cry rose from pirates and mercenaries alike. They fell where they stood, the life sucked out of them to feed the ravenous hunger of the magic. I felt it crash against me, eager to devour my essence as well. I managed to resist, but the onslaught had driven me to the ground, where I remained, panting heavily. Seconds ago, I had been enraged and scared, but now, there was only a deep set exhaustion left. Grinding my fangs, I struggled to my feet, blearily trying to make sense of the chaos around me. The pirates were dying, consumed by the insatiable forces the Emperor had unleashed. While I watched, the conjured¡­ ghosts tore away from the ground and circled around the fallen, entering through their eyes. Mechanically, unnaturally, they began to move, frozen corpses rising from their graves. The newly arrived soldiers fared only mildly better, some of them were still standing, apparently protect by a golden shield that had flickered into existence, the very moment the wraiths had reached for them, but most only convulsed once or twice, before they fell, only to get back up again as mindless puppets. An eerie laugh, coming from everywhere at once, shattered windows and bricks, tiles and walls and I felt my magic react to another invasion. I trembled, unable to make sense of the scenes around me, when suddenly, the hovering girl growled, her voice far deeper and more powerful than it had been: ¡°blinded fools.¡± She gestured and the runes on the black coffin flared more brightly, turning crimson. ¡°This is my awakening, not yours.¡± In my mind, I heard Ahri scream, her voice filled with an all encompassing agony, as her very life was ripped from her, feeding a second spell, hidden within the first. The black flames around us roared, their core turning crimson and then, a flickering nimbus of light surrounded the girl. Her form blurred and she convulsed, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Magic surged and pushed us all back, only the shimmering dome around the hostages withstood the onslaught. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I have arrived,¡± a deep, masculine voice thundered through the darkness and the flames around us exploded, incinerating a good chunk of the city. Black and crimson fires battered against my scales and threw me through the air like a powerless toddler. ¡°Finally, it¡¯s the¡­¡± My thoughts were reeling, I was disoriented and barely felt the impact, as I crashed through a wall, rubble burying me under a heavy, suffocating blanket. Faint screams reached me, and I knew I had to get up, but before I could convince my aching muscles to do their job, a blinding silver light flooded over me and I felt every bit of magic wither and vanish. Something had changed. Blinking away the mucus of dust in my eyes, I rolled around, trying to make sense of what had happened. A good chunk of the square was gone, everything close to the iron maiden had turned into ash and glass, the fires around us had been extinguished and every soldier was on the ground, clasping their ears. Helena and Aurelia stood, snarling, above the unmoving forms of the children and the dwarfs seemed rattled but unharmed, quickly closing in to form a protective ring around the hatchlings. Behind their bulk of steel and mithril, the mercenary had escaped unscathed, more or less, and were now following their short rescuers, screaming at the top of their lungs, brandishing an assortment of weapons from spears to clubs. Alassara and her people were stirring as well, their regeneration already dealing with whatever wounds they had suffered. The vampire queen was the first to regain her senses and like an arrow, she sped towards her daughter. Whoever was unlucky enough to get in her way was pushed to the side, some flying for several meters before they slammed into hard, unforgiving cobble stones. For the moment, at least, the younglings were safe and I cast my gaze upwards, searching for the ships and the hovering form of the girl. Most of the fleet had caught fire, when the pentagram had ignited, but some were still overhead, frantically trying to keep their vessels aloft. As for the girl¡­ she wasn¡¯t there. In her stead, a black and green mass of energy crackled, slowly transforming into a humanoid body. The same, deep voice as before came from its depth, shouting at thin air: ¡°You¡¯re too late. I¡¯m here and I haven¡¯t lost my power, the bridge holds! I¡¯m the god¡­¡± I lost track of the words for a moment, as something stirred, at the back of my mind. Growling, I focused, expecting another strange assault, but the feeling vanished, as quickly as it had come. Shrugging, I heaved, broken timbres and splintered bricks rolling off of me. Ruff extended, I climbed through the hole I had made, on my way inside, and tried to reach my friends. Where was Ahri? A hackling laugh made me flinch and when I turned, I saw a ghostly figure hover above us, a hybrid of unnatural magic and corrupted flesh. The abomination cackled uncontrollably, but still managed to cast another spell. Cold winds, smelling of sulphur and decay, blew across the square, collecting a glittering essence, that was ripped from every dead body. From one heartbeat to the next, the figure vanished behind a vortex of splendour, but the energy changed, became corrupted, turning into a miasma of flickering lights and eerie colours. Without hesitation, I blew a stream of flames towards the thing, but my fires were extinguished, as soon as they came in contact with the whirling maelstrom. The Emperor had arrived and he wouldn¡¯t be thwarted this easily. Dread pierced my heart, like a needle made of ice, and I quickly threw myself forward, desperately trying to reach my family, but before I even managed to cover half the distance, the smouldering, spent pentagram, covering half the city, roared back to life and this time, his voice couldn¡¯t be ignored, thundering through every alley, every street: ¡°Free Land no more. Bow to me or perish, for the rule of the many is at its end.¡± Pressure started mounting around me, until I was forced back to my knees, unbreakable shackles of pure will restraining me as easily as I would have restrained a human. I heard the heavy thuds, when the dwarfs collapsed and the angry hisses, as the vampires were forced to obey a foreign will, but none of us could resist. Burning through the energies, unleashed by death and the manifestation of a god, the Emperor commanded forces, far beyond the scope of a mortal sorcerer. Still, deep within, I felt my own transcendent spark react, a behemoth, raised from its slumber by an impertinent hunter. Pain flared across my nerves, the unbridled power of an immortal tearing through my very mortal form. Hot, steaming, golden blood gushed form my eyes and I twitched uncontrollably. I wasn¡¯t strong enough, Cassandra¡¯s power was as much of a curse as it was a blessing. My scales ignited, silvery flames consuming gold, and I felt my life vane away, the nearly bottomless well evaporating in an instant, as the hunger of the transcendent onslaught ravaged me. I coughed up blood, my vision dimming, but as quickly as it had begun, it came to an end. The tendrils of power retreated into my carbuncle and I was left, shivering, on the ground. Stubbornly, I opened my eyes, the unyielding shackles, the Emperor had formed, had become brittle and while I couldn¡¯t cast them off entirely, it was enough to lift my head. I gasped, barely holding back another flood of tears. Everyone was on their knees, or worse, on their backs, their eyes empty and emotionless. Only Aurelia and Helena had managed to remain upright, their silhouettes outlined by silver or gold. They weren¡¯t unscathed, though, every bit of their strength consumed in order to withstand the crushing pressure in the air, as they kept guard, their power a living barrier against the Emperor¡¯s magic, protecting those at their feet. The dwarfs were suffering, but their enchanted armour allowed them to live, whereas vampires, mercenaries, soldiers and pirates collapsed by the dozens, their souls ripped away to feed the ravenous abomination above us. I saw Tharos bare his fangs and turn into dust, one of Vanya¡¯s friends managed a last, stubborn step, before he toppled over and died. She, herself, remained upright for another few seconds, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell. Mordred¡¯s magic protected him for a moment longer, but before I could even blink, he collapsed. Everywhere, my friends were dying, their agony nothing but fuel for the flames of war. Now I knew, what Ahri had meant. It had already been too late, when we had seen the first explosions. Desperation flowed through me and I lowered my head, a single, golden tear rolling down my cheek. It was all I had left. In a few minutes, everything had changed. We had lost. ¡°No, not quite yet. But next time, I¡¯d rather you wouldn¡¯t ignore me, when I call.¡± A voice, thrumming with barely restrained anger, cut through the whirling energies around me, like a hot knife through butter, and the pressure vanished. Gasping in surprise I opened my eyes and a real, unforced smile spread across my serpentine face. I should have known. She would never have left anyone of us behind and she had returned, just in the nick of time. Above me, 33 torrents of silver and blue cut through the falling night, illuminating the square with a pristine, unyielding light. Sparks ignited everywhere, as her powers began to move, her wings annihilating the cruel magic. The flaming lines of the gargantuan pentagram flickered and turned silver, just as Cassandra vanished in a shower of glowing embers and materialised in front of the looming figure, her wings a direct challenge to its spreading darkness. Above us they hovered and despite my heritage I felt like a small girl, caught up in the fight of two powerful knights. I coiled my tail around myself, but I couldn¡¯t pry my eyes away, no matter how scared I was. A goddess made of light and magic had come, her divine face set into harsh lines, her eyes glowing like shards of the full moon. A wave of liquid silver spread out behind her, her tails resembling nothing more than flowing streams of the precious metal. Lightning danced across her skin and when she raised her hand, a glowing, silver spear appeared within, its tip cracking with bluish flames. Her smile was cold and cruel, similar to a child about to rip the wings off a fly. That wasn¡¯t the girl I had come to know and love. What I saw didn¡¯t belong in the mortal realms. She was power incarnate and simply seeing her nearly broke me, desire and fear tearing my heart apart. I wanted to hide and I wanted her to notice me, I wanted to run and be tied to her for all eternity, her presence alone almost enough to shatter my mind. I had missed her. 255. Of power, flight and a little truce Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You harmed her,¡± I whispered, my voice carrying the weight of aeons. ¡°But still,¡± I quickly looked around, taking in the devastation. Ever since I had dealt with my past, the influx of knowledge, I had experienced sporadically, had become much more predicable and when I watched the unleashed magic I understood most of it. ¡°I can¡¯t hurt you without burning what you stole. Hiding¡­ always hiding¡­ What do you want?¡± The greenish miasma flickered, and slowly melted away to reveal the silhouette of a man, clad in flowing, shadowy robes. He smirked. ¡°Your life, your strength, to rule over all things¡­ so much, but for now I want you to let me go. I¡¯m surprised you can see what I¡¯ve done, but then again, I¡¯d be wasting my time if you couldn¡¯t and it makes everything so much easier.¡± He raised his hand, dark energies pooling within. They swirled and danced and finally formed several abstract bodies, one of them a dark furred kitsune. ¡°I¡¯ll leave and set them free in a day or two. You attack and I¡¯ll burn their souls to escape across the waves.¡± My eyes narrowed and my fingers tightened around my spear, its flames slowly expanding, mirroring the silver fires dancing along the pentagram. Below us, the dwarfs were slowly struggling to their feet and Viyara stared at us, her eyes wide as saucers. Aurelia had already regained her composure and was standing vigilantly above Erya, Morgan, Layla, Reia, Archy, Estrella and Liz. My mom, though, wasn¡¯t at her side. The silver vixen was nuzzling her son, a heap of lifeless flesh and unmoving tails on the ground, mewling softly. He wasn¡¯t dead, but his soul had been ripped out of his body. The same fate had befallen the mercenaries, soldiers, pirates and vampires and while the former might recover, should they regain what had been taken, the latter had already turned to dust, the magic that kept them alive crumbling without an anchor. Only Alassara and her child, who had been close enough to my mom and Aurelia, had been spared. I gritted my teeth, Ahri¡¯s wounds flashing before my eyes. A day ago, I would have attacked. I would have raged and lashed out and accepted the consequences, unable to weather the tremendous storm of anger in my chest, a perfect reflection of the furious heavens above us. Not anymore. I hadn¡¯t changed, the burning wrath and unbridled fury were still very much present, but I could choose to push them aside, just like I had always managed to ignore my fear. They were a part of me, but they didn¡¯t dictate my actions anymore. I hadn¡¯t forgotten my trip down memory lane. I wasn¡¯t a slave, neither to my past, nor to my desires. They were mine to wield, not the other way around. ¡°No,¡± I breathed, a soft smile playing around my lips, contradicting the luminous tears, that slowly rolled down my cheeks. Born from anger and pain, they were the one thing I couldn¡¯t suppress. Silence descended, absolute and heavy. ¡°You¡¯ve always used the people around me. No more.¡± My eyes flared brightly, dispersing the shadows he was trying to hide behind. ¡°I¡¯ll take them back and then you will die,¡± I added, almost wistfully. My wings flickered and I glided forwards. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt them. They aren¡¯t yours, anymore.¡± I raised my spear, a shimmering lance of light, burning with its own power, a cold, blue fire. ¡°Your curse set me free and now you¡¯ll reap what you have sowed.¡± Lightning flashed, tearing through the frozen scene. Thunder rumbled and a glowing, crackling bridge appeared between me and the raging heavens. My tails fanned out of their own accord, each one attracting yet another deadly torrent, until I resembled nothing more than lightning incarnate, gleaming silver and blue. My power filled the square and the scent of ozone became overwhelming. Our eyes met and I saw right through him. He was caught, his own ingenuity a deadly trap. He was here, his soul inhabiting the poor girl before me. Everything had worked, he had used Ahri¡¯s essence to bind a shard of a god to his vessel, burning its power to allow him to manifest. Once here, he had used the waning spell to harvest every soul he could reach, a safeguard and an almost infinite well of energy. Except¡­ despite the colossal scale and the complex incantations, it was still a summoning spell, at its very core, and I was in the middle of it. Without him even realising I had taken over, I had made the spell mine and now I could do whatever the hell I wanted to, without fear. My power would be contained by my own strength and prevent anything from escaping. Unless he entirely destroyed the souls he held, I could bring them back. His confident smirk crumbled, just as my mother screamed: ¡°kill him! By the Great Fox, end this, now!¡± I didn¡¯t turn around, but I was well aware of everything going on within the confines of the spell. On the ground, my friends were huddled together, their eyes filled with hatred. Viyara had wrapped her coils around them, a living fortress, but they weren¡¯t in danger. Not anymore. With a snarl on his face, the Emperor closed his fist, dark energies dancing between his fingers. ¡°No,¡± my mom howled, as the outline of her son vanished in an iron grip. Silvery light exploded outwards, tearing through the spectral presence like a rabid animal. ¡°They¡¯re mine,¡± I thundered, ¡°mine!¡± I swung my spear, its tip leaving behind a bluish, glowing cut in reality. My wings flickered and pierced the weakened veil, appearing out of nowhere around the Emperor. From one heartbeat to the next, he was shackled by forces, strong enough to kill immortals. ¡°Return,¡± I commanded, shattering his hold and allowing the souls to pass along my wings. A whispered chorus filled my ears for the fraction of a moment, before I was surrounded by wisp like apparitions, glowing orbs, dancing between the torrents of my power. I waved my tails and threads of liquid light appeared, bridges to the empty bodies below. Like falling stars, the souls sped back to where they belonged and when I saw the last, tiny star vanish behind Mordred¡¯s lips, I raised my spear again. The silver flames around us reacted, heeding my call. They flared and hissed before they suddenly seemed to collapse, shrinking, until they formed an impenetrable, roaring cocoon around us. He wouldn¡¯t get away and he wouldn¡¯t harm my people. Not this time. ¡°Your leverage is gone,¡± I stated, taking a small step in his direction, as if I was walking on thin air. ¡°Your magic is mine, your power spent. So¡­ what¡¯s the contingency? Have your priests summon the Broken Wheel again? I doubt he¡¯ll listen, even if they aren¡¯t soulless husks, by now. Not after what you did.¡± Slowly, gently, I extended my spear. A deep wound appeared on his chest, the lattice of energies, forming his body, ripped apart by the lightest touch. ¡°Cry for you demon? He won¡¯t help. You were never meant to be anything more than an object lesson. One I¡¯ve managed to grasp. Or will you beg for mercy?¡± I fell silent, my spear only a hair¡¯s width away from his chest. And despite his chains, the bastard had the audacity to smirk in my face. ¡°A contingency will only work, if it can¡¯t be stopped in the same place, at the same time. Do you know how many islands Free Land has subjugated? The slaves have always outnumbered the masters. And they¡¯re mine. Kill me, burn me, I¡¯ll return. I¡¯ve already spread my seed. You think this is me? This is just a small part of a bigger whole. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to stick around.¡± Slowly, carefully, he raised his hands and his body became transparent, showing the outline of the girl, underneath. The soul I had seen was actually hers, mutilated and warped to fit in an artificial cage. A cage that had been wrought with a spark of his essence. ¡°Before you arrived, I was long gone. You were quite fast, though. How did you manage? I was certain, you¡¯d be stuck for at least a couple of days, I even told you as much, when last we met. I had hoped, you¡¯d return to nothing but corpses and despair. A pity I couldn¡¯t deliver.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. My smile didn¡¯t waver. I hadn¡¯t expected to be able to end it then and there, but he himself obviously didn¡¯t know, what I could see, clear as day. He wasn¡¯t alone. Deep down, the very glue of what kept this vile construct alive was still a raging, burning spark of a god. From where I was standing, the black priests had called upon their deity and the Emperor had used his corrupted arts and Ahri¡¯s power to make it his, a medium for his own arrival. It hadn¡¯t vanished, though. It was still there, bound to his imitation of a soul and while I might not be able to freely follow the invisible link between this¡­ thing and its master, a deity surely could. I raised my spear again, its weight more comforting than I could have imagined. When I had first made contact with Viyara, I had, for the first time, experienced the consequences of my ordeal. I had understood what was happening to them, what magic was at work and what I would have been able to do, if I had been there. Information from my past was easily accessible and one of the perks came in an unexpected way, my spear. I had known how to repair it and it didn¡¯t even take much effort. The ritual, Mephisto had been going on about, would have allowed me to circumvent the gaps in my knowledge, but as it stood now, all I had had to do was ask. A silver spark ignited in my eyes, the flames crackled and hissed and I moved. Like a striking snake, a surge of ice cold light shot forth and my wings flared. The tightly woven net crumbled until all that remained was the pulsing, deformed cage, hovering between my wings. Disgusted, I scrutinised the mutilated soul, he had forced to mimic his own, the powerful strands of magic that kept it in place and the dark, almost invisible shadow, that allowed the whole thing to even exist. ¡°Grow,¡± I breathed, my wing with the crimson core slithering closer until it touched the glowing orb. Energy flooded my veins and I carefully coaxed the lingering spark to the fore, feeding it with ever so tiny amounts of power. It quivered and warped, but it flourished, slowly expanding, until it pressed against the confines of the cage. To my surprise, it didn¡¯t touch the remains of the girl, on the contrary, while I watched it began knitting tears back together and closing wounds, healing whatever the Emperor had done. A few seconds later, the body I had destroyed flickered back into existence. It had changed fundamentally, the regal man turned into a skeleton like husk with burning, black eyes. He¡­ it didn¡¯t struggle against my grip, but hung there lifelessly, only the spark in its eyes hinting at the alien presence behind the construct. Until it suddenly erupted: ¡°You!¡± A wave of force slammed into me, carrying with it the stench of death and decay, the weight of the end and the coldness of eternity. For a moment, the inside of the fiery prison was swamped by darkness, a ravenous vortex, hungry for life, but I remained untouched. The crashing wave parted around me, like water around an unbreakable bastion, and harmlessly dispersed against my flames. A crooked smile formed on my face and just as my brother struggled upright, my mom a bundle of disbelieve and happiness at his side, I laughed. I hadn¡¯t been too late. ¡°Me. Long time no see.¡± I retracted my wings and allowed my spear to vanish. ¡°Are you still grumpy? I didn¡¯t even do that much. From the looks of it, you¡¯ve just been humiliated much more thoroughly.¡± I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea how I was supposed to talk to a speck of an already abstract presence and since I was entirely fed up with saying yes and pretty please, I opted for honesty. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t appreciate my words. As soon as it wasn¡¯t bound anymore, it resumed its antics with renewed vigour. In a way, it reminded me of a child, throwing a tantrum. Utterly pointless, but still quite impressive, as the swirling mists and whispered promises around me showed. I didn¡¯t flinch and simply waited, curious when it¡¯d realise the futility of its efforts. Every onslaught consumed just a little bit more of the energy I had shared and since we were sealed in hermetically, there was no way for it to recharge its batteries. It didn¡¯t take too long for the raging storm to turn into a mild breeze and the overwhelming blackness to recede. Just when the mountainous clouds above us were cleaved apart by another lightning strike and heavy raindrops began to fall, did the chaos in my bubble subside. ¡°What do you want,¡± a disembodied, cold voice reverberated through the small space, but it had lost most of its eerie power. ¡°Not much, actually. We have a mutual enemy, don¡¯t we and whatever offence I might have caused, I¡¯m convinced it¡¯s nothing compare to what he did. I was simply wondering if there¡¯s a chance that we might help each other, instead of fighting. You swore revenge, the last time we met, but I thought we could, maybe, leave the past behind us. The enemy of my enemy¡­¡± my words trailed off. His futile attacks had consumed much. I wasn¡¯t speaking to a body anymore, whether constructed or real. By now, it was just a glowing orb, different colours rising from and sinking back down into its unfathomable depths, like sparks above a campfire. ¡°What do you propose? Most of my servants are dead, spent to fuel a treacherous spell. I am but a husk, clinging to the soul of this girl, kept alive by your power. The second either vanishes, I¡¯ll lose my influence here. My cults are far away¡­ and no match for a sorcerer of his prowess.¡± At least he was responding. For a glorified fraction of Gaya¡¯s presence, brought to life through the faith of thousands, he was surprisingly rational. After everything Mephisto had hinted at, I hadn¡¯t been sure, whether it was even possible for this existence to move past our earlier confrontation and I had half expected to hear some misguided claim, that the Emperor would spread death and destruction, thus strengthening him. It surely seemed like he had understood, that he wouldn¡¯t be gaining much from someone, who enslaved his people, even after their demise. ¡°Before you smothered his will, he let slip a part of his plans. The subjugated islands around Free Land are one of his targets. I imagine, a deity of death has quite the following amongst slaves. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°No. When life¡¯s cold, death becomes warm. But I can¡¯t intervene, unless summoned and none of the malnourished creatures he¡¯s been charming for years now is able or willing to do so. I can¡¯t act.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. But they¡¯re still praying, are they not? Wouldn¡¯t you be the perfect spy?¡± A tremor raced along the intricately woven matrices, that kept him anchored, indignant as he was. My proposal had hurt his sensibilities. Poor guy. A mighty deity reduced to a glorified drone. No wonder he was bristling. I had to bite back another wave of laughter. Ever since I had felt my family and friends hearty and whole below me, I had been hard pressed to keep a straight face. ¡°That¡­ spark you¡¯re still hosting,¡± I continued mercilessly, ¡°it¡¯s a connection you can use to find the source. From there, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to keep an eye on him, should it?¡± ¡°Provided some of my followers are around,¡± he admitted grudgingly, ¡°I¡¯ll be able to watch through their eyes. Every death will even give me the chance to do more than just watch, but I won¡¯t be able to challenge someone, who can control souls to almost the same the degree as me.¡± Almost¡­ probably a euphemism for much better than. ¡°That¡¯s a problem for another time. For now, it¡¯ll be more than enough to know, what he¡¯s planning.¡± It was still something we had to deal with, I had no idea how we were supposed to catch or kill someone, who could apparently move his soul freely, abandoning every endangered vessel. But preventing him from spreading his influence was more important, at the moment. ¡°Do you think you can work with me? I¡¯m not mortal and probably an existence that contradicts everything you stand for, but I¡¯m not an abomination. He is.¡± 256. Of wishes, consequences and a little bit of idiocy Cassandra Pendragon Cold rain drenched me to the bone. The fires had petered out and I was at the mercy of a massive thunderstorm, an unconscious girl in my arms. Lost in thought, I shook out my tails and gradually descended to the ground. The pentagram had turned into smouldering, black wounds, crisscrossing Free Land, and the former market had become a wasteland of ash and glass, almost like hell. A chorus of pain and despair rose from huddled together figures, even though they were the lucky ones, who had survived the carnage. An acrid smell remained in the air, slowly being washed away by the downpour. Just below me, the people I had come to protect waited, their expressions somewhere between wonder and fear. I sighed deeply, relief, sorrow and anxiety warring within my chest. Everyone I truly cared for had survived, but I couldn¡¯t shake the images of my brother collapsing and my mom crying at the feet of a monster, I hadn¡¯t been able to stop. If it had taken me even a minute or two longer¡­ and now, he was here. Beaten and bruised, I assumed, but still alive. How many cities would burn, how may people would die to stop the aspirations of a mad man? More than I cared to admit. I had taken away his magic, I had stopped the ritual, I had even known what he was trying to accomplish, but yet, all I had managed to do was protect my closest family. I hadn¡¯t even been able to prevent his arrival. At least the city hadn¡¯t burned to the ground. I turned my head and studied the horizon. The airships, which had survived the flames and magic, were hurriedly riding the storm to get as far away from Free Land as possible. While their shadows grew blurry in front of the pitch black sky, I toyed with the idea of going after them, but I didn¡¯t have the stomach for another killing spree and I was tired. They would run and they¡¯d rejoin the Emperor¡¯s forces, but right then, I didn¡¯t care. I wanted to retrieve Ahri and Lyra, retreat to either my cabin or underground room and simply sleep for a day. And then, I intended to spend some time with my family. We had earned it. I touched down lightly, my wings vanishing the very moment I stood on solid ground. A deafening silence greeted me. The few surviving mercenaries even attempted to limp or crawl away, but their behaviour only elicited a sad smile from me, while I gently lowered my living burden. What truly mattered were my mom¡¯s eyes, sparkling with gratitude and pride, my brothers arms, as they wrapped around me, the rising and falling chests of the children and the constant flow of reassuring dreams, that tickled the back of my mind, every time I focused on my tattoo. ¡°Sorry for being late,¡± I whispered and breathed in his scent. ¡°You scared me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to. Thanks for showing up, when you did. You saved me¡­ all of us.¡± ¡°Consider it a down payment,¡± I mumbled, fighting to hold back my tears. ¡°You have pulled me out of the fire often enough, it feels nice to return the favour, once in a while.¡± Blinking rapidly, I pushed him to arms length. Everyone else had come closer, forming a smiling ring around me. Before I knew what was going on, I was hugged and squeezed, pinched and prodded. Alassara, her daughter snoring in her arms, kissed my cheek, only to be pushed aside by a scaly head, as Viyara rubbed her snout against me and Reia hugged my waist, squealing. My mom had nimbly jumped onto my shoulder and made no sign of vacating her throne, anytime soon, while each and every dwarf insisted on shaking my hand. It slowly dawned on me, that I had actually done something I could be proud of. I might have been unable to stop the Emperor, but I had managed to protect, what I cherished. I had done well. Slowly, the throng of people thinned out, the ones who hadn¡¯t been hurt started to care for those, who had been less lucky. The pirates were dead, as close as they had been to the Emperor, their souls had been the first to be taken and burned to fuel the spells. Most of the mercenaries and soldiers had suffered the same fate, but some of them had made it. Sheer luck had allowed them to survive, but they were wounded and traumatised. They needed help, quickly. ¡°You didn¡¯t lie a single time, did you?¡± Vanya¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. She and Will were leaning against each other, dirty and bloodied but alive. ¡°And just so you know, I consider us even. Actually, more than, come to think of it.¡± I grinned happily and wrapped my arms around them, making them hiss in pain and surprise. ¡°That we are. Thank you for coming, thank you for¡­ just, thank you. If there¡¯s anything I can do to repay you, all you have to do is ask.¡± She smiled slyly, as her free arm went around my neck. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll think of something. Free Land has changed¡­ many are dead. I¡¯d like to have a say in how we rebuild and I¡¯m sure you can give me a leg up.¡± I felt her stiffen as she quietly added: ¡°once we¡¯ve buried the ones who didn¡¯t make it.¡± I squeezed her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do¡­ did¡­ Malique, is he still alive?¡± She trembled and sniffled. ¡°No¡­ there was nothing for us to do, we¡­ I don¡¯t even know, why we¡¯ve come. It made no difference¡­Lorian was right, we¡¯re courting death for as long as we are near you and he¡­¡± she fell silent and I expected her to push me away. I didn¡¯t agree, but I couldn¡¯t deny her unvoiced accusation. If they hadn¡¯t tried to help, he¡¯d still have been here and the result would have been the same, regardless. I could hardly blame her for holding me responsible. This had been a fight, where a dragoness had been out of her depths and I had, in a way, enticed humans to take part. Admittedly, I had always been honest about their actual chances in an open conflict, but I had still dragged them into this mess and his death was partly my fault. To my surprise, she didn¡¯t lash out, though. She held me even tighter and whispered: ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to feel like this again¡­ scared and useless. Will and I¡­¡± she paused and it took me a moment to make sense of her stiff posture and the quickening beat of her heart. She was embarrassed. Will came to her aide and, after clearing his throat, finished her question: ¡°We were wondering, if you could¡­ you know, help us along. I have no clue, what exactly you are, but judging for what I¡¯ve just witnessed¡­ damn it, I¡¯m just going to say it. We don¡¯t want to be deadweight, especially when it¡¯s our home at risk. We don¡¯t want to have to rely on vampires or gods or some other bullshit. We want to fight with our own strength and thought, you might be able to give us just that.¡± Holy hell, it surely seemed like I had underestimated them, a mistake I was repeating much too often for my liking. ¡°Just to be clear, are you asking me to train you or change you,¡± I wanted to know. Vanya stepped back and they shared a guilty glance, like children who knew, they were asking too much. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Both,¡± he finally replied. ¡°We¡¯re human and we don¡¯t want that to change, but¡­¡± he looked around the square, his eyes filling with determination, ¡°I¡¯m never going to hide, again. What we saw¡­ it was a wake up call. I¡¯m not going to risk my home to serve my pride. The world is dangerous and we are ill equipped to deal with it. So¡­ can you help us and will you?¡± I chuckled, more than happy to oblige. ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m not sure, what I can actually do. We¡¯ll have to see. Tomorrow¡­ no, make that the day after, we can take a few hours. Why don¡¯t we meet somewhere quiet? Maybe even out of town.¡± ¡°The forest,¡± Vanya immediately piped up. ¡°I know a few secluded spots, I can lead you there. We won¡¯t be disturbed and there¡¯s nothing to break close by, either.¡± I nodded. ¡°Sounds good, why don¡¯t we meet at the nearest market, say two hours after sunrise? You¡¯re, of course, also very welcome to stick around until then, by I¡¯m not yet sure, where I¡¯ll be, most of the time. There¡¯s still so much I want to¡­¡± ¡°Cassy,¡± my brother shouted, ¡°could you spare a moment?¡± My head snapped up, my energy stirred and my wings manifested again of their own accord, before I realised, that I was only making a fool of myself. Mordred was kneeling next to one of the armoured soldiers, her helmet lying next to them on the ground. She was a tall blonde, one I had never seen before, but I could still guess her identity. A second later, my hunch was validated, when Will hissed: ¡°Brightblaze. You better go, we wouldn¡¯t want another Captain dead, especially the one, who actually bothered fighting a foreign army. Do you think she¡¯ll make it?¡± I shrugged, retracting my wings. Truth be told, whether she lived or died was of little importance to me. She had already proven her character, when her church had helped in the raid on Alassara¡¯s home. ¡°I can¡¯t say. If she survived this long, she should have a decent chance, but there was so much going on¡­ I just don¡¯t know what might have happened to her or her soul. Best to find out.¡± I squeezed his shoulder and hugged Vanya one more time, before I made my way across the demolished square. Since the fires had been extinguished by the pouring rain, a few onlookers had appeared, peeking around a corner, but they had quickly decided to stay the hell away from a bunch of dead bodies at the centre of a calamity, none of them had ever witnessed, before. Distracted, I reached up and patted my mom¡¯s tails. ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet,¡± I projected, when we had just passed a veritable hill of bodies. Their colourful clothes assured me, that they had been pirates but the lifeless eyes amidst a contorted face, reflecting nothing but dread and despair, stills sent shiver down my spine. Whatever they had been, this was no way to go. Her claws scraped against my skin, while she moved from one shoulder to the other. ¡°What is there to say? You came, just in time. I¡¯m¡­¡± she hesitated and continued in a rush: ¡°I¡¯m scared, Cassy. I¡¯m scared for my children. If you hadn¡¯t¡­ Mordred would be dead¡­ worse than dead. I¡¯ve just been reminded, whom we¡¯re facing and I¡¯m lost. Aurelia and myself were the only ones who could withstand the magic, if only briefly. I¡­ I¡¯m torn. I said I¡¯d accompany your brothers, but I¡¯m not so sure, anymore. I¡¯m one of the few creatures, who can actually help you and I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want to leave you, but yet, I still think they¡¯ll need me more, than you do. I¡­ I should be the one protecting you, saving my children, but¡­¡± she mewled softly and rubbed her fluffy head against my neck. ¡°I¡¯m failing. I lost my kingdom and now, I almost lost a child.¡± I stopped, picked her up unceremoniously by her scruff and held her in front of me, glaring. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I hissed. ¡°I understand, truly I do. Every time¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t go down that road. You¡¯re doing more than anyone could expect of you and were still all here. I¡¯ve even got a new sister. Don¡¯t lament what we lost, cherish what we still have. You¡¯re not failing, not even close. Whatever the future brings, you¡¯ve done more for my brothers and me, than we could ever have hoped for. You¡¯re incredible, mom, you really are and I won¡¯t let anyone belittle your choices, even if it¡¯s you, yourself.¡± She granted me a crooked grin, full of teeth. ¡°Be that as it may, at least I¡¯ve manage to raise you properly. Don¡¯t take me too seriously, I¡¯m just exhausted and depressed. It¡¯ll blow over. I¡¯m proud of you, Cassy. You did what none of us could, thank you for that. Now, before I¡¯m going to embarrass myself completely and start crying, why don¡¯t you tell me where your lover is? You pulled her away, didn¡¯t you?¡± For a moment, I was tempted to not allow her to change the topic, but I knew her well enough to realise, that she¡¯d deal with her own problems. She¡¯d tell me, if she needed me. ¡°I did. When I woke up for the first time, my powers didn¡¯t work and I was back on the island, where we found Shassa. It took me a while to get through to Ahri, but once I did, I felt her pain. You know me¡­ I didn¡¯t hesitate. Afterwards, I tried to contact Viyara. When I was finally able to reach her, I understood bits and pieces of what must be going on. Amon¡¯s curse had forced me to confront my past, quite literally. As a side effect, the knowledge form my previous life had become much more tangible. I hurried back and the rest, you already know. Except¡­ remember the crystallised, winged snake I took from Shafeer¡¯s hoard? In reality, she¡¯s an ancient, cute elven princess named Lyra. I left Ahri in her care. They¡¯re waiting for my return.¡± I had stated the last bit rather casually. My mom reacted with her feline variety of laughter and commented: ¡°Just a regular day, then. Get cursed, nearly die, gain knowledge of aeons past, save a city and free an ancient elf from her prison. Seriously, one day, someone should write a book about your exploits. Provided, there¡¯s someone left, at the end, who can hold a quill,¡± she added much more sombrely. I¡¯d have liked to contradict her, but the rows of corpses, resting under a raging sky, as if they were waiting for the ferryman to descend and take them away, made the words wither in my throat. How many had died today? Hundreds? I shook the dripping water form my tails and quickly rushed to Mordred¡¯s side, eager for a distraction. Unless there was something I simply couldn¡¯t put off, I¡¯d stay busy for as long as I had to and leave, directly afterwards. Grief, revenge, plans and politics could wait for the morrow, for all I cared. Tonight, I was going to spend with Ahri. I really needed a moment of peace, even if it had been bought with blood and suffering. I¡¯d only make sure, the ones, who had been taken, hadn¡¯t been harmed, and then¡­ My brother was in a heated discussion with an armoured mountain of a man, both of them slowing getting louder and louder. If I hadn¡¯t been preoccupied, I¡¯d have long since heard their voices. As it was, I had almost reached them, before I realised, what was going on. ¡°¡­never going to let a filthy halfbreed touch her!¡± To Mordred¡¯s credit, he didn¡¯t punch him, but his fingers went white around the pommel of his sword, while he snarled: ¡°That filthy halfbreed is my sister and the only reason you¡¯re still alive! Insult me all you want, but if you ever look down on her again¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let a dirty beast kin, who should have been in chains, the moment she¡­¡± I had heard enough. I was too tired to deal with animosity, born from fear, desperation and an unhealthy amount of ignorance. Why had Mordred even called me over? The woman was obviously still unconscious¡­ maybe her soul had been damaged, but if her underlings didn¡¯t want our help, why would he insist? Her life could end right then and there, for all I cared. Still, I wasn¡¯t going to allow a stubborn, frightened boy to insult my brother. Without haste, I stepped up to his side, wrapped my tails around his legs and slammed my elbow straight into the thickest part of his plate mail, just above his chest. When he felt my touch, he whirled around, eyes wide. I granted him a dazzling smile, just as the metal of his armour deformed. For the fraction of a second, he hovered almost vertically in the air, his feet held by my tails, while his torso moved under the weight of my attack. A thunderous explosion sent droplets of water flying, as man and metal crushed into a shallow puddle, both groaning rather identically. I placed a foot in the dent I had just created and said: ¡°you¡¯re shit out of luck, boy. I don¡¯t know what your problem is and I really don¡¯t care, but you¡¯ll watch your tone, or I¡¯ll teach you to respect us. Now,¡± turning to my brother, without lifting my foot, I asked: ¡°why did you call me?¡± He grinned and completely ignored the gasping human. Pointing at the pale girl, he replied: ¡°she¡¯s getting worse by the second and I don¡¯t know why. Unless you want another headless faction in Free Land, we have to do something, fast. Curses have become something of a speciality of yours, have they not? Do you think you can help her?¡± 257. Of arrogance, convictions and a little bit of necessity Cassandra Pendragon Shifting my weight I made the troublesome racist squirm, until he finally looked up at me. ¡°Did you hear him,¡± I asked rhetorically. With a last push, I drove the air form his lungs and stepped back. ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave it up to you? Apologise and I¡¯ll see what I can do for your beloved mistress. Keep glaring at me and she¡¯ll die in the street, broken and discarded. But at least she won¡¯t have been touched by my filthy hands. I¡¯m sure, that must be a consolation for her, when she draws her last, choking breath. What¡¯s life compared to purity, am I right?¡± His eyes bulged, the veins in his face pulsed ferociously and his cheeks turned a surprisingly vivid red, almost as if he was suffocating¡­ or constipated. I bit back a smirk and walked to my brother¡¯s side, taking care to splash the downed soldier with water, when I whirled around. ¡°Are you really going to let her die,¡± Mordred asked quietly in our mother tongue. ¡°Over something this stupid? Kirena, Blackthorne, Dawn¡­ there aren¡¯t many Captains left and she¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± I cut him off. ¡°But she, or at least her church, helped the followers of the Broken Wheel in their assault and¡­¡± ¡°But you made peace with him, didn¡¯t you? What¡¯s the difference?¡± My mouth fell open. ¡°How do you even know?¡± He cocked an eyebrow and shook his head exasperatedly. ¡°I was there, in the beginning. I¡¯m knowledgable enough to retain the memories of my soul. I¡¯ve seen his spark and I¡¯ve felt your intentions¡­ since most of the town is still standing, I assumed the two of you found some common ground. You¡¯ll have to tell me, what happened, exactly. It¡¯s about high time we had a talk, anyways. I¡¯d much prefer to be on the same page, before Arthur arrives.¡± Mom was listening intently, her tails tickling the back of my neck. Somehow, I had a feeling, the both of them had an idea, I wouldn¡¯t like. I couldn¡¯t imagine, what scheme they had come up with, but their secrecy made me cautious. Luckily, I was spared a reply, when the spluttering human had caught his breath and managed to utter a few words: ¡°Do you think threats and your unholy strength will convince me? You belong in a cage¡­ you¡¯re an animal and I won¡¯t let you bewitch my mistress, while I still draw breath.¡± Panting, he struggled to his feet and added venomously: ¡°return to whatever hell you¡¯ve crawled out of, we don¡¯t want you here, you¡¯re not welcome in our lands.¡± I was taken aback and honestly more flabbergasted than actually offended. Maybe he had lost his mind during the ritual, having your soul sucked right out of your body can do that to some people, or he was just a plain and a simple zealot, whatever the reasons, I hadn¡¯t expected this level of idiocy. ¡°Our lands,¡± a soft, new voice flowed over us, like a warm breeze. ¡°There would have been no land left, if it hadn¡¯t been for her.¡± The newcomer was probably the second in command. Of course, I was guessing, but she looked so much like the unconscious girl, she simply had to be her younger sister. She wore the same, well crafted plate armour, was about the same height, with long, blonde hair and gleaming blue eyes, even though the former was caked with dirt and the latter red from unshed tears. Even the straight nose and luscious lips were similar. While I was still puzzling over whether or not I¡¯d be dragged into another fight, she suddenly turned to face me and kneeled. ¡°I am terribly sorry for any offence my comrade might have caused,¡± the comrade in question was paling and gesticulating for her to shut up, but she ploughed on, regardless: ¡°and eternally grateful for what you¡¯ve done. Still¡­ if it¡¯s not too much to ask, please, could you help my sister? Whatever it takes, whatever you want, I¡¯ll make sure you receive it in return, but please, help her.¡± I had a bunch of snappy retorts ready, but they all seemed rather inappropriate, considering her sincerity. Damn it, now I couldn¡¯t even properly shout at the knight in muddy armour. Sighing, I pulled her back up. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to kneel. I¡¯ll see what I can do, but I can¡¯t promise anything. I don¡¯t even know, what¡¯s wrong with her.¡± Her hands shook, when she took mine in hers and said tremulously: ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve seen¡­ thank you.¡± I squeezed her fingers and crouched down, turning my back on the fuming warrior. A nasty, little voice in my head even prayed for him to act, to throw a stone or tackle me. I¡¯d have loved a chance to continue his education, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t budge. Shoving aside my more violent impulses, I focused on the drenched girl. She was pale and her breath came in short, laboured bursts. Sweat appeared on her skin, before it was wiped away by the rain, time and again, and her eyes quivered beneath her lids. It seemed like she was having a nightmare, one she couldn¡¯t break out of. Grumbling quietly, I sent a trickle of energy into my eyes and placed my hand gently on her armour, just above her heart. Silver ignited between my fingers and the world became a mirage of light and shadows. I saw her strength, her vitality, a burning fire underneath my hand, a strong, pulsing force, that surrounded her like a corona. Deeper within, I saw the infinite spark of her soul, a glowing ember with a distinct golden sheen. It hadn¡¯t found its way back, yet, and was stuck somewhere in between, neither fully part of her, nor truly separated. All it needed was a tiny push and while I might not have been able to directly manipulate her soul itself, that much I could manage. It wasn¡¯t even difficult. I nudged the glowing orb gently with the most minuscule of touches and watched it settle back into her. Like a lock and its key, it fit snugly and once the two parts had reconnected, her whole body lit up, as her own energies and, to my chagrin, those of her chosen deity raced through her veins. She was hearty and whole but how she¡¯d react, once she opened her eyes again, was anyone¡¯s guess. If she continued in the same fashion as her faithful lackey, I¡¯d just put her back to sleep. One boneheaded moron had been enough and I couldn¡¯t very well punch one of the remaining leaders of Free Land. Better to let someone else burn their fingers. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± I stated, while I straightened with closed eyes and stretched my back. ¡°Give her few hours to rest and she¡¯ll be as good as new.¡± I turned and stared at her sister, weighing my next words carefully. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t forget, what I¡¯ve done and in case she does, I hope you¡¯ll remind her, once in a while. I don¡¯t need your gratitude, but the next time, I¡¯m being treated like an animal, I¡¯ll act like one. Make sure she understands, would you?¡± ¡°Are you threatening my¡­¡± the narrow minded tin can had decided to pipe up, now that his mistress had regained her colour and was breathing regularly, again. The younger sibling was on the verge of shutting him up, but I silenced her with a gesture. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Yes, I think I am.¡± I lowered my face until I was barely a handspan away from him. ¡°And what are you going to do about it? Go on, take a swing, see how it goes.¡± I raised my chin, offering him a clean shot. When nothing happened, I added derisively: ¡°thought so. Now, the next time you want to express your opinion¡­ just don¡¯t, otherwise, I¡¯m going to make sure you choke on it. Got it, pumpkin?¡± I patted his cheek and smiled sagely. If looks had been able to kill, I wouldn¡¯t have taken another breath. To say he was fuming, would have been the understatement of the century. When I glanced up, the survivors of the holier than thou order of knights had formed a ring of metal and muscle around us. Viyara and Alassara were eyeing them guardedly from across the square and a handful of dwarfs had strolled closer, their strong fingers wrapped around the handles of their axes, as if they were expecting a fight. And here I was, thinking I had done well. I was immediately cured of my assumptions, though, since most soldiers shared the expression of my humiliated friend. Murderous would have summed up their demeanour nicely. I clicked my tongue. ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you an impressive lot. Let¡¯s get this insanity over with, then, shall we? I bet you¡¯re just dying to call upon your deity and smite me with your righteous fury. No need to hold back. I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°You,¡± one of them erupted, a young man, not even 20 summers old, filled with conviction and pride. He took a step forward and spat at my feet. ¡°Here is, what I think of you! First your vile magic destroys our city and now, you even dare to belittle our faith?¡± His hand shot to his sword. ¡°I won¡¯t allow¡­¡± ¡°Allow,¡± a weak, quivering voice rose from somewhere close to my feet, followed by a hackling cough. Immediately, the assembled group fell to their knees, like well trained puppies. In a way, it was truly depressing. ¡°Mistress,¡± the one, I had already beaten up, mumbled, ¡°you¡¯re awake! We couldn¡¯t prevent¡­¡± She raised her hand and silenced him as effectively, as if she had used a remote. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± she went on, reaching for her sister to help her up. They struggled, the amour had probably doubled the slender woman¡¯s weight. When she finally stood upright, she still had to lean heavily on her sibling, but her eyes were clear and she looked much better than she had, barely a minute ago. Turning her back on her followers, she scrutinised me with a curious but guarded expression, until she extended her hand, a small smile tugging on her lips. ¡°Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for stepping in and thank you for your help. It was you, whom I felt, just now, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I took her hand and reciprocated her smile, completely ignoring the awestruck expressions all around. ¡°Unless you have truly vivid dreams, I assume it was. How are you feeling? You¡¯re not going to collapse on me again, are you?¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage. You¡¯re the kitsune, who has kept us all on our toes for the last few days, aren¡¯t you?¡± This time, I chuckled openly. She was much more levelheaded than I had expected. And more friendly. A pity she surrounded herself with a bunch of brainless bozos. ¡°Guilty as charged. And you¡¯re the mad woman, who helped orchestrate an attack against my friends and burn them at the stake, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her lackeys gasped but she didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°I am. Even though I can¡¯t quite wrap my head around, why you¡¯d help me, if you already knew.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Naivety, a bleeding heart, your sister¡¯s puppy dog eyes¡­ it definitely wasn¡¯t your men¡¯s charm. Maybe I even hoped, we would find a way to bury the hatchet, but judging from the loving looks your people are still throwing my way, I assume that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re mostly all bark and no bite. You¡¯d have to convince me, first and foremost.¡± ¡°Saving your hide and your city isn¡¯t enough, then,¡± my brother scoffed. ¡°Careful, Cassy, this one seems slightly demanding.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong, but it had been his idea, in the first place. From where I was standing, it was quite all right for me to snark, but if he wasn¡¯t happy with her behaviour, he should have left her alone. As if to emphasise my thoughts, one of the henchmen immediately reacted, aggressively closing in on us, unsheathing his weapon. Resigned, I shot my brother a withering glare and glided forward, ready to catch the clumsy strike.It never came, though. Somehow the sickly girl, who had just risen from the dead, managed to shove him back, positioning herself between us and her soldiers in the process. ¡°No,¡± she hissed, swaying ever so slightly on her feet, until her sister stabilised her. ¡°Have you lost your minds? What do you think you can accomplish, here?¡± I didn¡¯t like where this was going. She was warning them not to incur our wrath. She wasn¡¯t telling them, they were wrong. ¡°Whatever else, she saved our city and my life. That¡¯s a debt I can¡¯t ignore.¡± ¡°If she isn¡¯t in league with the sorcerer, in the first place,¡± someone new snarled. A woman, judging from the sound of her voice, but I couldn¡¯t be sure, encased in iron as she was. My nose wasn¡¯t much help either, the constant rain had washed away every last smell. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what they¡¯re after, our trust. And once they¡¯ve gained it, they¡¯ll¡­¡± I laughed mirthlessly. ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t need your trust. If I wanted to take your life, there¡¯d be nothing for you to do, but pray to your oh so mighty goddess. Anyways, I¡¯m tired of this nonsense.¡± I focused on the younger sibling, who couldn¡¯t quite meet my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome to seek us out, should you ever wish to do so. Gentlemen, if I never see you again, it¡¯ll be too soon. And as for you¡­¡± I caught Captain Brightblaze¡¯s gaze, as the silvery light around me brightened. ¡°If you ever get down from your high horse, I¡¯ll gladly let you buy me a drink and talk things over.¡± I wrapped my arm around Mordred¡¯s shoulders and pulled him along. The self righteous pricks melted away, allowing us to pass between them without incident, but I hadn¡¯t taken more than 5 steps, before I was called back. ¡°Wait,¡± the Captain blurted out. When I looked over my shoulder, her sister was insistently whispering in her ear and from the looks of it, she wasn¡¯t too happy. I cocked an eyebrow and stopped, but I didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°What,¡± I asked aggressively, my strained patience on the verge of snapping. The younger woman pushed her sister gently. Biting her lip, the Captain stared at a point somewhere near my feet and hurriedly said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t judge us too swiftly. Tonight has been a disaster and we¡¯re all reeling. Maybe¡­ would you be willing to visit me tomorrow? I¡¯m sure, once I¡¯ve taken a bath and slept, I¡¯ll be much more easy to deal with. I meant what I said, I¡¯m grateful and I didn¡¯t mean to insult you.¡± She squared her shoulders, as if she had come to a decision and limped towards me, hand extended. ¡°I¡¯m Serena, Serena Brightblaze.¡± My brother nudged me and I hesitantly turned to face her. ¡°Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon.¡± Her hand felt warm, almost as if she had a fever, but her grip was firm. ¡°If you can bear the company of a hybrid and sorceress, I wouldn¡¯t mind visiting.¡± She didn¡¯t blush, but her fingers trembled ever so sightly in mine, before she pulled back and fumbled with her heavy leather belt. A moment later, she produced a small, gilded dagger and handed it over, hilt first. ¡°Thank you. Here, take this as a token of my appreciation and apology. I¡­ I know, you aren¡¯t at fault¡­ I¡¯m not going to pretend, I like what you are¡­¡± she paused, when her sister stepped up to her and cleared her throat. ¡°But I do know we owe you¡­ I owe you.¡± She inclined her head, much lower than I would have expected, which prompted her minions to stare daggers at me again. ¡°And I won¡¯t forget, what you¡¯ve done.¡± Despite myself, I felt my mood soften. I didn¡¯t see us becoming friends, any time soon, there was just too much blood between us, but I¡¯d at least hear her out. Tomorrow. For now, all I wanted to do, was make sure the kids, Erya and Morgan were alright and afterwards return to a secluded and quiet island, where a beautiful vixen and a talkative elven princess were waiting for me. I accepted her gift with a small bow. ¡°There is no debt, in contrast to your people, us beast kin try to preserve life, wherever we can.¡± A not so gentle kick against my shin, curtesy of Mordred, shut me up, before I could even get started. ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Captain Brightbl¡­ Serena, it has been a long day. Don¡¯t take me too seriously, I¡¯m just as cranky as you are. Why don¡¯t we postpone everything else until tomorrow? Otherwise, one of us might say something truly regrettable.¡± 258. Of heroes, growth and a little bit of guilt Cassandra Pendragon ¡°No! You can¡¯t leave us again! I won¡¯t let you.¡± For such a timid girl, Estrella could be quite the handful, when she chose to be. ¡°Every time you¡¯re not with us, someone tries to hurt us or take us away!¡± She squirmed on my lap and stared me down, her eyes watering. ¡°Promise me!¡± I sighed, something I had been doing quite regularly, lately. I pulled her closer, her small body nearly vanishing amidst my tails. We were sitting in the shadows of a mostly undamaged house, a couple of steps away from everyone else. Drenched and dirty as we were, I hadn¡¯t cared too much about sitting on the ground. I had just wanted to sit for a few minutes. ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to get them back, I¡¯ve explained it twice, now. It won¡¯t take long, I¡¯ll return within a few hours. Tell you what, I¡¯ll drop by, when I¡¯m back. You¡¯ll most likely already be in bed, but you can wait up, if you really want to.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think, that¡¯s what she¡¯s getting at,¡± Reia whispered in my ear. After I had left Brightblaze¡¯s merry men, I had taken my time to talk to Erya and Morgan, which had gone over much more smoothly than I had feared. The both of them were spitting mad. Neither traumatised nor hurt, but infuriated, like a woman scorned. They¡¯d do just fine. The kids on the other hand¡­ they were grasping for anything to provide them with an illusion of safety and for Estrella, it had turned out to be me. Well, judging by how tightly Reia clung to my unoccupied tails and Archy had come as close as he could, without actually touching me, it might not have been her alone. I turned to face my sister, her pale complexion and red rimmed eyes made me feel guilty and angry at the same time. Without thinking, I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against me. ¡°Pray tell, what¡¯s she getting at, then,¡± I asked and gently nudged her closer, until her head rested against my shoulder. [ ¡°Take us with you,¡± she breathed, her eyes falling shut, her ears and tails twitching, as I began stroking her cheek. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know. You¡¯re like¡­ one of those heroes of old.¡± She had caught me off guard and I eloquently asked her, if she could please explicate her point: ¡°Huh?¡± At least I managed to elicit a giggle from her, even though I hadn¡¯t tried to crack a joke. ¡°A pretty dull one, but still,¡± she amended, snuggling deeper into my embrace. ¡°They always pulled everyone from the fire, as well and were surprised, when the ones they saved wanted to tag along, despite the perilous journey. We know what being close to you means, even an idiot would have understood the dangers by now, but it¡¯s still better than the alternative. I¡­ we feel safe, when you¡¯re with us and it¡¯s not just a sentiment. You¡¯ve saved us, protected us¡­ is it really that much of a surprise, that we don¡¯t won¡¯t to be without our hero, anymore?¡± My sighs evolved into a fully fledged groan, as I was beginning to understand, where she was going with this. ¡°This isn¡¯t about fetching Ahri and Lyra, is it,¡± I asked, torn between resignation and amusement. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Archy chimed in. The boy still had trouble meeting my gaze, despite our past exploits. He really was the most introverted of the bunch, even his sister had already gotten used to me. ¡°Not solely. We want you to take all of us with you, when you travel north, we don¡¯t want to go with Arthur.¡± His eyes went wide and he immediately added: ¡°of course, it¡¯d be an honour, he¡¯s our prince! I didn¡¯t mean to insinuate¡­¡± I placated him with a gesture and a smile. ¡°Calm down, I didn¡¯t think you meant to insult my brother, but still¡­ I¡¯m actually quite curious. What are the reasons, you came up with? Let¡¯s leave the whole I¡¯m running from one hell hole to the next bit aside, for now. You¡¯re still so young¡­ you need a place to learn, to grow, you know this.¡± His eyes lit up, as if I had fallen into a trap, they had laid out. ¡°You see, you¡¯re going to take Reia with you anyways, which leaves Estrella and me. I want to become a real mage, one who¡¯s capable and powerful, someone who can¡­ someone our people can rely upon. Our scholars, our traditions¡­ they¡¯re gone and while Viyara, Erya you and your mother are all incredibly powerful, I highly doubt you could teach me. The magic you¡¯re using, it would devour me. I need normal teachers and you¡¯re headed to the elven capital.¡± ¡°I see. What about her,¡± I wanted to know and used my tails to squeeze Estrella gently. She squealed, as she playful pushed against the fluffy walls around her. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, before her brother could react. ¡°That¡¯s already settled. Erya promised to teach me alchemy, whenever she finds the time. You see, I have to stick close to her and that means coming with you.¡± As if her words had settled the topic, she focused fully on catching one of my tails. She became completely immersed in her game, while I looked from one to the other. ¡°You¡¯re really determined, aren¡¯t you,¡± I asked rhetorically. ¡°Let¡¯s assume for a minute, I¡¯m willing to entertain the idea, which doesn¡¯t mean, I¡¯m saying yes. Everyone else is going to make themselves a home, built a new world. Are you sure, you¡¯d rather be running around with me?¡± Reia wiggled for a second, until she managed to produce the cherry stone, I had given her. ¡°This will be our home,¡± she whispered reverently. ¡°I¡¯m not going to accept anything else. Wherever you decide to plant it, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll be. A new world for us¡­ what about the one, we¡¯ve lost? I don¡¯t want to live anywhere else, if there¡¯s a chance for us to revive our legacy. This¡­ it has survived, just like us and I¡¯m not going to give it up for a bit of comfort. I¡¯m not saying the others shouldn¡¯t pounce on the chance they¡¯re offered, but I¡¯m not going to. None of us will.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if I¡¯m the adult or if you are¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m older, aren¡¯t I,¡± she giggled. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll soon become just as wise as me. Just keep trying and listen, whenever your big sister explains, how the world works.¡± I tickled her side, which shut her up effectively, as she began struggling against my grip. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m much too tired to make any decision, right now, but I will think about it. Incidentally, between being kidnapped and subjected to a heinous ritual, when did you even have the time to come up with your plan?¡± I was truly curious. Half an hour ago, they hadn¡¯t been able to move and now, they were back to making my life miserable. No, actually, they made it much more bearable, but also a goddamned mess. Archy rolled his eyes and took it upon himself to answer, since he was the only one, who wasn¡¯t distracted: ¡°that¡¯s what Reia has been trying to explain. Don¡¯t you see, because all of this is happening, we don¡¯t want to be left behind. You¡¯re¡­ Ahri and you were the ones, who came after us in the first place and this time, she allowed herself to be hurt for our sake and you saved us. We¡­ we still need you, Cassy. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re our princess and if we¡¯re really lucky, maybe our queen, one day. You shouldn¡¯t abandon us and neither should we abandon you.¡± If he hadn¡¯t been fidgeting the entire time, I¡¯d have been impressed. Still was, truth be told. The little rascal was backhandedly telling me, that I was responsible for them, in more ways than one. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. I absentmindedly allowed Estrella to finally take ahold of the tail, she had been chasing and took my frustration out on Reia, the culprit, who had probably been sowing the seeds of manipulation, which had bloomed so magnificently before my eyes. I¡¯d have loved to be, at least, slightly mad at her, but I simply couldn¡¯t and I even felt my smile widen. The girl was trouble with a capital T, but I couldn¡¯t imagine a world, where she wasn¡¯t close to me, barely two weeks after we had met. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve already told them, what they can expect?¡± I asked the meddlesome vixen. ¡°That we¡¯ll have to follow your orders,¡± Reia panted between bursts of laughter. ¡°That we¡¯ll have to be good little soldiers? They know. Cassy, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realised, but all of us are doing what you want us to. Mostly. Even among the grownups, you usually have the last word. We trust you. Don¡¯t worry, should you take us along, I promise, we won¡¯t become a burden.¡± ¡°You¡¯re never a burden,¡± I immediately stated. ¡°A nuisance, perhaps, but¡­¡± a few seconds later, both girls were doing their best to strangle me, while Archy was watching, his expression somewhere between longing and embarrassment. The boy really had a chip on his shoulder. ¡°I give, I give,¡± I mumbled hoarsely, a few minutes later, one of Reia¡¯s tails nearly strangling me. The girl herself was pinning me down expertly, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling. She was looking much better by now, almost like the unstoppable whirlwind, I had come to know her as. ¡°Does that mean, we can come with,¡± she inquired. ¡°That¡¯s not a price you can win and the answer is not now. I¡¯ll have to get there and back again, as fast as possible. I have no idea how the magic I¡¯m going to use might affect you. As for the rest¡­ we¡¯ll see. I¡¯m not going to promise you anything, tonight.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯ll be stuck, once there,¡± Archy piped up. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sure Ahri wouldn¡¯t have any problems, but didn¡¯t you mention an elf? What about her? Won¡¯t she be in just as much danger as us?¡± An inconveniently astute observation. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be forced to fly all the way back here. Which is another reason, why I can¡¯t bring you along. Between Ahri and myself, we should be able to carry one person, but definitely not four. Even though you¡¯re still rather tiny,¡± I added with a grin. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll let you go, this once,¡± Reia decided. ¡°But you better tell us, when you¡¯re back. I don¡¯t want to spend another night worrying about you. It should be the other way around.¡± ¡°Another night,¡± I asked, perplexed. She rolled her eyes at me. ¡°I was there, when you were cursed, remember?¡± She suddenly wrapped her arm around my neck and hugged me tightly. ¡°I never thought, I¡¯d have to fret for you,¡± she whispered chokingly. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ just don¡¯t scare me like that, ever again. Please?¡± Somewhat dumbfounded, I pulled her closer, wrestling with my own thoughts. I couldn¡¯t promise, it would be the last time, I¡¯d get hurt. Hell, judging from my record, it¡¯d be a miracle if I managed a whole month, without suffering through something similar. If she, or the whole trio, for that matter, wanted to stay close, they¡¯d have to get used to it, eventually. They might even be forced to let me go. I wasn¡¯t particularly happy at the prospect, but I couldn¡¯t deny the facts. I was leading a dangerous life. I had been lucky, more often than not, but that could change over night. One of the reasons, why I was so hesitant to let them come. They¡¯d be much better of with someone more stable as a surrogate parent, but¡­ there had been this song on earth: ¡°you can¡¯t always get want you want, but if you try, you might get what you need.¡± I wasn¡¯t even sure, whether they needed me or if I needed them, but the more time I spent with them, the more I realised, that I wouldn¡¯t deny their pleas. Tragedy had brought us together, but loyalty had turned us into a family. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± I reassured her, burying my face in her hair to hide the tears in my eyes. For a few minutes, we simply sat there, taking comfort in each other¡¯s presence. After a while, even Archy found the courage to timidly cling onto me. It¡¯d have been a beautiful, peaceful moment, if not for the pouring rain, the corpses being collected just a few metres away and Reia¡¯s whisper, just loud enough for all of us to hear: ¡°Told you she¡¯s sappy like that.¡± I stiffened, but when I heard Estrella¡¯s clear and carefree laughter, hopeful and free despite the ordeal she had been through, I couldn¡¯t help myself, I joined in. ¡°Maybe I am,¡± I finally pressed out and began disentangling myself from the heap of tails and limbs. ¡°But I¡¯ve been told, it¡¯s one of my more endearing qualities. Alright then, I¡¯ll have to talk to Viyara and Aurelia, before I¡¯m off. Don¡¯t do anything foolish or dangerous or¡­ you know, if you want to do me a favour, you¡¯ll simply do as you¡¯re told, at least for the night.¡± Reia yawned and stretched like a cat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m much too drained for anything exciting, tonight. Tomorrow, though, if you¡¯re not back¡­¡± she shrugged and grinned mischievously. ¡°Point taken,¡± I replied and got to my feet, wringing water for the frayed hem of my shirt. The poor garment hadn¡¯t endured the last hour nearly as easily as I had. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to look in on you, once I¡¯m back. Until then, stay close to mom or Viyara, would you?¡± ¡°Will do. Take care, Cassy. Every time I let you out of my sight, something happens,¡± she said with a smile and scrambled to her feet, pulling her friends along. ¡°Come on, then. Let¡¯s leave our princess to her own devices. We still have to find out, where we¡¯re going to sleep, tonight.¡± ¡°The ship,¡± I answered, while I was already striding towards the gleaming hill of gold, not too far away. ¡°So will Layla and her mother. I imagine Alassara will be busy. Why don¡¯t you look after the little vampire? I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to not sleep alone, tonight.¡± Archy frowned and the last thing I heard was his halfhearted complain: ¡°But she snores! Even worse than you, Reia.¡± Chuckling quietly, I left them behind. I wasn¡¯t sure if the three of them, four, if I was willing to count Layla, were in any way representative, but they were much tougher, than I had ever imagined a child to be. Or, the hour they had spent as hostages, however cruel and intimidating it had been, simply paled in comparison to the long days without hope, they had already survived. By the Great Fox, I really had to make sure, their life wouldn¡¯t become one gruelling experience after the other. I owed them at least that much. I shook my head, my wet tresses sending water flying everywhere. It¡¯d be a pain to get them untangled, tomorrow, but I was planning on spending a few hours in a bath, anyways. Preferably a private one, where I wouldn¡¯t be alone. I had told Ahri I¡¯d take her out and I meant to, even if I was a little late. Breakfast in bed, a bath and then, I¡¯d take her flying. It had been too long, since either of us had had the chance to spend a few hours in nature and the island was large enough for bits and pieces of untouched wilderness to survive. Caught up in my own thoughts, I almost walked straight into Alassara. The vampire still had her daughter on her arm, the little devil snoring happily, her hands buried in her mother¡¯s golden hair. I stumbled and when she caught me, our eyes met. I felt hot and cold, anxious and a worried. She had lost most of her family, tonight, and I had really hoped, that I¡¯d be able to postpone our meeting until the next day. I simply didn¡¯t know, what to say. Her people had payed the bloodiest price and there was nothing I could do to help. They were gone, the souls, which hadn¡¯t been devoured in the ritual, had already fled, their vessels dying a final death, when the delicate balance of energies, keeping them alive, had been destroyed. As I stared into her deep, blue eyes, I felt guilty, even though it wasn¡¯t my fault. I knew that much, but I couldn¡¯t ignore the lump in my throat, as I imagined, what she and her daughter would be forced to go through. They weren¡¯t alone, just yet, but practically everyone of their bloodline had died. I knew the feeling. Forcefully, I unclenched my teeth and took her delicate hand in mine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± we both said at the same time. My surprise was mirrored in her eyes as we quickly asked: ¡°whatever are you sorry for?¡± Despite my gnawing unease, I managed a crooked smile and she even laughed. Gesticulating for me to continue, she said: ¡°you first.¡± I took a deep breath and hurriedly uttered: ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this mess and vanishing, when you needed me the most. I¡¯m sorry, that your daughter has to grow up, without a home. I¡¯m just¡­ sorry.¡± 259. Of honour, pride and a little bit of warmth Cassandra Pendragon She pulled me upright, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth, when she realised how distraught I was. Without preamble, she hugged me tightly, trapping Layla between the two of us. The girl, of course, took this very moment to wake up, her arms immediately snaking around my neck. ¡°I missed you,¡± she breathed. I had to blink rapidly to stop my tears from falling. ¡°And I you,¡± I replied chokingly, as I gradually relaxed and returned their embrace. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry for,¡± Alassara whispered. ¡°You came back, just in time, to protect her. Thrice now, you¡¯ve saved her life. Everything else¡­ I don¡¯t care. Maybe I should, but I¡¯ve still got my child and that¡¯s all I want. Don¡¯t feel bad for us. This would have happened, sooner or later, with or without your interference. I¡¯m simply grateful you were here, when it did.¡± ¡°Still feels like I let you down,¡± I sniffled. ¡°Tharos, Silas¡­¡± Layla shut me up effectively, when she sealed my mouth with her small hand. With a serious expression, that didn¡¯t quiet fit her doll like features, she explained: ¡°Don¡¯t disturb the slumber of those, who have earned it. Don¡¯t belittle their sacrifice. If you feel sorry, it means you failed and that¡¯s not what happened. They triumphed. We¡¯re still here and their home still exists, because of what they and you did. Don¡¯t ever apologise for it. Be proud.¡± Today had turned out to be lesson in humility. First Reia and her friends and now Layla¡­ it wasn¡¯t particularly reassuring to receive life lessons from kids, even though I was about a million times older than them. Or maybe it was to be expected. Another proverb I had almost forgotten: while we teach our children all about life, they teach us what life is all about. Maybe I should start listening. I kissed the exhausted girl on the forehead, breathing in the scent of the two vampires. Most creatures would probably have panicked at the faint, dark taste, that surrounded them like lingering shadows, but I found it calming, similar to a warm embrace. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I mumbled. Layla nodded sagely, her fingers twitching in my hair, as if she was repressing the impulse to touch my ears. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said instead. ¡°For everything. You really are an angel.¡± I stiffened for the fraction of a second, I wasn¡¯t sure, if I had ever told her what I was, but, truthfully, I didn¡¯t care, if she knew. She was by no means a stranger, anymore. Alassara cleared her throat and caught my gaze. ¡°She¡¯s right. I¡¯m the one, who should apologise. I should have known¡­ this amount of black powder, the heresy of the Broken Wheel¡­ it¡¯s my city and I¡¯m the one, who failed. I¡¯m sorry for making you fight another one of my battles. The longer I know you, the more indebted I become,¡± she added helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t think you could have known and I fear, it¡¯s not even over. We¡¯ve barely scratched the surface. But tonight, it doesn¡¯t matter. The dead must be buried and the wounded must be healed, then we can think about the future.¡± Another thought struck me, as I watched the dwarfs and uninjured humans rush hither and to, providing aid and returning a modicum of order to the chaos. ¡°Has anyone invited you to stay with us, yet? I don¡¯t want you to return to an empty cellar, tonight. You¡¯d do me a favour. We could¡­ raise a glass to the fallen, once I return.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not staying,¡± Layla inquired anxiously. I patted her head and replied: ¡°I¡¯m not going to be gone for long, but I have to collect Ahri and another friend of mine. I¡¯ll be back before sunrise.¡± I focused on her mother and asked: ¡°what do you say?¡± ¡°We¡¯d love to. You¡¯re right, returning to my place seems just¡­ wrong. It¡¯s been a while, since I¡¯ve slept anywhere else. Do you have the space for my coffin?¡± I frowned, unsure if she was joking or not, but judging from Layla¡¯s snort, she wasn¡¯t being serious. ¡°I think we¡¯ll manage,¡± I replied with a smile, while I gently disentangled myself from them. ¡°Look after each other and my family, while I¡¯m gone, would you?¡± ¡°Of course. Good hunting, Cassy. May the darkness protect you.¡± She inclined her head and Layla took the chance to mess with my hair, one last time. ¡°Don¡¯t get lost, please,¡± the girl whispered, while her mom straightened. ¡°I won¡¯t, not this time.¡± I waved and turned away, heading towards the towering dragoness. As I slowly moved through the pouring rain, the relation of how many had actually died hit me full force. Up until now, it had been almost impossible to judge, the wounded and the dead being overshadowed by the efforts of the living to keep the former alive. Now though, I saw the macabre display, when dwarfs and soldiers snaked through row upon row of deathly still corpses. The dead outnumbered the living at least 5 to 1 and that wasn¡¯t even counting the poor souls, who had died in the burned out houses. None had left, which meant the occupants had all perished in the initial blast. How many had lost their lives in the fire? Hundreds? More? Morosely, I tried to keep my distance from the dead, the agony of their last moments clearly written across their faces. I didn¡¯t need another accusing, empty stare to haunt me. At least the injuries hadn¡¯t been too severe. Those, who had survive the hellish ritual, were bruised and hypothermic, but they¡¯d live, even without extensive medical care. They needed a good night¡¯s sleep, hot food and enough time to come to terms with the ordeal they had suffered through. Hushed conversations, curses, groans and occasional cries were a constant buzzing in my ears and I longed for a chance to be gone, run, fly from the insanity, if only for a few hours. I was done with watching life turn into memories and stardust, but I wasn¡¯t the only one who was hurting and I owed it to Viyara to face her, before I fled. Not tomorrow, now. I had taken her under my wing and I¡¯d be damned, before I allowed her to feel abandoned again. The girl had had enough shit thrown at her and I¡¯d make sure, she wouldn¡¯t feel like she was left alone. I had almost reached her side, when I picked up a sound, I couldn¡¯t quite place. I stilled and listened, my ears twitching. Close by, someone was crying, but in contrast to the open wails, echoing across the square, from time to time, this voice sounded choked, as if, whoever it was, was desperately trying to remain silent. I ground my teeth and before I even knew what I was doing, I had whirled around and was headed towards a charred and broken wall. Forcefully remaining quiet meant fear and fear implied loneliness. Bad enough on any normal day, but tonight, no one deserved to be alone. Whatever the reason. Quietly, I rounded the corner and there, between the wall and a still smouldering house, shielded from view but not the rain, sat a young girl, her body shaking. Her face was buried in her hands and her expensive looking dress was torn and tattered. Even up close, I could barely hear her, the downpour washing away the sounds of her mute agony. Still, despite her worn out appearance and the rivulets of water, running down her slender limbs, I thought I recognised her. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, this was the very same girl, whom Madame Sinis had caught eavesdropping on us. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I bit my lip, unsure of what to do. Usually, I¡¯d simply have approached her, but I wasn¡¯t convinced, she was very keen on seeing me, or anyone else from the group, who had destroyed her previous life, for that matter. Why would she be hiding, otherwise? My tails trembled, while I weighed my options, toying with the idea of asking Vanya to talk to her, but when another, muffled sob escaped her and she wrapped her arms around her knees, eyes closed and tears falling, I moved. Without saying a word, I sat down at her side and wrapped an arm around her neck, gently guiding her head towards my shoulder. She nearly jumped, when she felt my touch, and her eyes went wide, as she recognised me. Her gaze lingered on my tails and eyes for the fraction of a second but when I gently pulled her closer, she didn¡¯t resist. I felt her shiver, while her suppressed grief finally poured forth, her tears rivalling the flood from the sky. Still, I remained silent and simply held her, trying to provide consolation on a dark and deadly night. Soon, she cried openly, her head buried in the nape of my neck while her arms held onto my waist with astounding force. I stroked her back and used my tails to warm her, covering us both with a silvery blanket. Thunder rumbled and the occasional lightning strike lit up the sky. I closed my eyes, the warmth of the slender body much more comforting, than I had expected. Without meaning to, I began stroking her back and lowered my head, until her hair brushed against my cheek. It still smelled of soap and lavender, despite its messy state. I was truly getting sick of the words, but I figured someone had to tell her and I was the only one close by: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liz. I¡¯m so sorry for everything you had to go through.¡± She sniffled but when her grip tightened even further, I quietly added: ¡°I know, it doesn¡¯t look like it, but¡­ the dawn will come. Until then, cry. I¡¯ll be right here. Cry, until it doesn¡¯t feel like the weight of the whole world is crushing you, anymore. Cry, until your fear melts away.¡± She didn¡¯t reply, but suddenly, I felt her whole weight in my arms. She had pushed herself onto my lap, her hot breath tickling my ear, her legs pushing against my tails. I froze. I hadn¡¯t expected her to practically straddle me, but the jolt of unease passed just as quickly when I realised, what she was doing. The poor girl was freezing, her skin cold to the touch, and she was simply snuggling into the only bit of warmth, she was offered. I felt so sorry for her, that I even pulled her closer, wrapping my tails tightly around us. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not alone.¡± She shivered. ¡°Why,¡± she breathed, her voice hoarse. ¡°Why do you even care?¡± Because someone had to? ¡°Why does it matter? I¡¯m here. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± She stiffened, her fingers twitched and she suddenly blurted out: ¡°If there¡¯s no reason, you¡¯ll toss me aside, again. I need to know¡­ why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s dark and cold. Because none of this your fault¡­ because you¡¯re innocent.¡± ¡°Innocent,¡± she snorted, fear and pain lacing her voice. ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve even brought me along? Do you think I¡¯m some kind of damsel in distress? I¡¯m a whore, who¡¯s got nothing left! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t continue, her sobs choking off her voice. Oh, boy. I didn¡¯t reply and simply held her. After a while, she stopped shaking and I felt the tension gradually leave her, even though she was still crying. ¡°That¡¯s something I really don¡¯t care about,¡± I finally said. ¡°Liz¡­ I¡¯m not going to pretend like I know you, because I don¡¯t. I have no idea, why you were working in the ¡°Dream¡±, I have no idea, if you have a home or someone waiting for you¡­ I don¡¯t even know, who you are. But all of it, it doesn¡¯t matter, not in the slightest. Right here and right now, I¡¯m trying to comfort a beautiful and lost girl, who¡¯s crying over the rubble of a burned life. And guess what, she¡¯s not alone. Is it really so hard to believe, that I simply couldn¡¯t watch you suffer in the dark? I don¡¯t expect anything from you. I¡­ I¡¯m not trying to save you, I¡¯m simply trying to¡­ I know pain, inside and out¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want to be alone, on a night like this.¡± She chuckled weakly, but made no attempt to move away. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re making me feel even worse. It¡¯s been a while, since I¡¯ve met someone¡­ decent. Ever since I woke up, I¡¯ve been asking myself, what you could possibly want with me. There¡¯s nothing, I could¡­ but you really don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not used to¡­¡± she sighed and rubbed her palms over her eyes. ¡°You must think, I¡¯m a coward or a fool. Even the kids have held up better than me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing to be proud of. Becoming numb¡­ I wouldn¡¯t wish their past on anyone. I¡¯d feel much better, if they weren¡¯t so unbelievably calloused¡­ I don¡¯t know, if anyone has ever told you, but they¡¯re my people, literally. I belong to our last living royal family and I have to watch children act like seasoned veterans, because they had to go through more hardships in their short lives, than most people have to endure in a lifetime. Can you imagine how much that hurts? If anything, cherish your tears. They show, that you haven¡¯t adapted to violence and death, yet.¡± She squirmed to look into my eyes, just as the first mischievous spark reappeared in hers. ¡°Are you telling me, I¡¯ve been using a queen as a pillow?¡± ¡°Not quite, but if anyone at home would have seen you, straddling me in the dirt while we¡¯re both dripping wet, you¡¯d still have had a major problem. But proper etiquette is definitely one of the things I don¡¯t miss. You have no idea how stifling it can be.¡± ¡°Worse than pretending to fall in love with drunks and dullards, only because they have coin to spare? I¡¯m surely no noblewoman, but I know a thing or two about pretending. Cassandra¡­¡± ¡°Cassy, please call me Cassy. Everyone I like does. Besides, my mom always calls me Cassandra, when I¡¯m in trouble.¡± I smiled at her shyly and after a moment, she reciprocated the gesture, albeit tremulously. ¡°Does that mean you like me,¡± she wanted to know. ¡°No, I brought you into my home and allowed you to use me as a pillow because I hate you.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I thought you were clever. This much, you could have worked out on your own.¡± She tilted her head and bit her lip in a strangely endearing manner, the fire in her eyes transforming. Shit. I knew a bit about how people reacted to tragedy and fear and I didn¡¯t like where this was going, not one bit. Before she could utter a single word, I quickly stated: ¡°Liz¡­ don¡¯t.¡± She froze and I could practically see her mind return to the viscous circles, she had just escaped from. ¡°No,¡± I quickly added, ¡°don¡¯t¡­ that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m engaged.¡± ¡°And if you weren¡¯t,¡± she asked, studying me from beneath her bangs. I had to be careful. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I sighed, struggling to find the right words. ¡°We¡¯re both longing for something to cling onto¡­ I honestly can¡¯t say, but¡­¡± she gently placed her hand on my lips to shut me up. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I remember, it¡¯s the vixen you were with, when we first met, right? I¡¯m sorry, I just¡­ I just thought¡­¡± ¡°No need to apologise.¡± I smiled wryly. ¡°But if you¡¯re libido is stirring, you must be feeling better. Does that mean, I can get back up? I don¡¯t know, if you¡¯ve noticed, but we¡¯re sitting in the middle of a small river.¡± She chuckled and slowly rose from my lap, extending her hand to pull me to my feet. When we stood, she hugged me again. ¡°Thank you,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Thanks for your warmth and your respect. It¡¯s not often, I¡¯m offered either.¡± I returned her embrace and said: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Any time you need a hug¡­ which reminds me. Do you have a place you want to return to?¡± She shrugged as she stepped back. ¡°I live alone.¡± She looked around the destroyed, smouldering ruins and added forlornly: ¡°I don¡¯t even know, if my house still stands.¡± ¡°Do you want to stay with us? At least for a while. I don¡¯t know exactly how you got here, but if you want to, you¡¯re very welcome to spend a few nights onboard. No strings attached, if you want to, you can leave at any moment.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d like that. Very much.¡± A thoughtful look entered her eyes, as she added: ¡°you know, I can read and write and I know my numbers. Do you¡­ do you think you could use someone like me? I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t know, if I can return to my life, I don¡¯t know, if I want to.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll figure it out. In case you don¡¯t¡­ sure. Beforehand, though, there are a few people I¡¯d like to properly introduce you to, even though you¡¯ve already met.¡± 260. Of identities, courtship and a little bit of acceptance Cassandra Pendragon I felt my tension gradually drain away, as the warmth from Viyara¡¯s scales permeated my back. I leaned against her leg, her ruff keeping me almost dry. If it hadn¡¯t been for the soaked ground, I¡¯d have been plenty comfortable. The dragoness was taking her time sifting through my memories of what I had been through, before I had returned, and reestablishing our telepathic connection. I didn¡¯t plan on disturbing her concentration. For now, I wanted to speak to the primordial vampire, sitting beside me, at any rate. Aurelia possessed an imposing presence, her movements, her voice, her features, it all screamed power on an incomparable level. Unfortunately, it hadn¡¯t been enough to protect her mistress, which constituted a colossal failure in her book. To put it bluntly, the beautiful, nigh immortal being was sulking. She had gotten her ass handed to her and it didn¡¯t sit well with her pride. I could sympathise, I had been there often enough, but I still hadn¡¯t figured out what I could possibly say. Chin up, shit happens, was hardly appropriate, considering the devastation we were looking at. Pensively, I watched Reia, Archy and Estrella surround Liz, blabbering on and on without giving the girl a chance to get a word in. Their antics made me smile. I was convinced being harassed by the rascals would do wonders for her and having the three of them look after someone else would also make them feel better. Needed, in control. Control¡­ something all of us had been forced to accept as an illusion. We couldn¡¯t control the outcome, only our own decisions. The scene around us was a testimony to how little we could actually do, no matter, who we were. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying, isn¡¯t it,¡± I finally said, while my eyes roamed over the piled up corpses. Her head whipped around and she looked at me curiously but didn¡¯t respond, waiting for me to explain myself. I gesticulated vaguely and added: ¡°life¡¯s a fragile gift. The longer we survive, the more often we are forced to witness its destruction, but yet, somehow,¡± I pointed towards the children, who had managed to make Liz laugh, ¡°it never stops. No matter who we are, we are, but a speck of breathing memories, our deeds and our pain dust in the wind.¡± She exhaled deeply, unconsciously snuggling deeper into the golden warmth behind her. ¡°We are, but that¡¯s not true for you, is it? You¡¯ll still be there, watching, when this world has long since turned to dust.¡± I chuckled quietly. ¡°Have you met me? Chances are, I won¡¯t even live to see the other side of the century, never mind the far future. And even if I did¡­ one day, even my life will end. I won¡¯t be more than a memory, a cautionary tale, told to scare unruly children into obedience. No¡­ in this regard, we¡¯re all the same. Come to think of it, maybe it¡¯s not terrifying, but rather¡­ comforting.¡± ¡°How can you say that? Look around. Where¡¯s the comfort in that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in them,¡± I replied, jerking my head in the general direction of the square. ¡°It¡¯s in not being alone, no matter what the world holds in store for us. I¡¯d rather live and die with my friends than being separated and lonely as a true immortal. I thought you knew. Isn¡¯t that, why you¡¯re holding onto that dragoness of yours, even now.¡± In the depths of my mind, I felt Viyara¡¯s attention flicker, as she focused on us. With a gentle push, I shooed her away. If she wanted to know, she¡¯d have to ask Aurelia directly. The vampire closed her eyes and allowed her head to sink against Viyara¡¯s scales. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just¡­ living, no, fighting for your sister was excruciating and I thought¡­ but this is even worse. I¡­ it has never affected me before, but now¡­ I think I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared of what might happen, if I¡¯m not strong enough. I¡¯m scared of seeing her, or you, for that matter, lying in the dirt, lifeless, only because I couldn¡¯t¡­ all I¡¯ve ever been was a weapon and now, I¡¯m even failing in that regard. What does that make me? A broken instrument? A failure?¡± ¡°Neither. By the Great Fox, no offence, but I¡¯m older than you and I¡¯m even stronger, yet I couldn¡¯t keep them alive. It pains me, it feels like I¡¯ve got a pit filled with ice, somewhere within me. But yet¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same,¡± she hissed. ¡°You¡¯re not only an angel, you¡¯re a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife to be, whereas I am¡­ nothing but a blunted blade.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excuse. You can¡¯t hide behind what Sarai did to you. It might have been true, but ever since you asked for my help in that god forsaken cellar, you¡¯ve been free to do as you please. Friendship? It¡¯s offered to you left, right and centre. Family? Alassara and her child are your descendants, whether you accept them or not and as for love¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re as alone as you pretend to be, Aurelia. Let me tell you something I needed to hear, as well. You didn¡¯t fail. My sister owes her life to you, so does Layla, your own blood. You can sulk all you want, you can beat yourself up, but I¡¯m still grateful. To me, you, Viyara, Vanya, the dwarfs¡­ you¡¯re heroes.¡± ¡°A hero¡­ is that who I am?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Is it something you want to be?¡± She hesitated and then she laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, either, but I¡¯m going to find out. It¡¯d be a waste, if I didn¡¯t. Thank you, Cassy. I¡¯ve never even imagined, that, one day, I¡¯d feel better after talking to an immortal, especially you.¡± ¡°Why? You¡¯ve mentioned before that you feared me. Do you remember why?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve told you, my past is blurry, at best. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s real and what I made up, but the first time I saw your wings¡­ you might not be the same person, anymore, but every time I see you use your power, I can¡¯t help but feel like a rabbit, while the hounds are closing in. I think we¡¯ve met, before, and it didn¡¯t go too well. When you¡¯re angry¡­ you¡¯re still scary, even though I know, you¡¯d never willingly hurt me. This kind of deep seated fear doesn¡¯t bloom from a chance encounter. Why do you want to know? You¡¯re not him, anymore.¡± I took a deep breath, savouring the almost clean air, after it had rained for over an hour. ¡°I very nearly became Lucifer again, just a few hours ago. While I was gone¡­ my past isn¡¯t as dead as I want it to be. And I don¡¯t mean the consequences, which are constantly haunting me. Like you, I¡¯m still struggling to find out, who I truly am. A fallen angel, a loving immortal, a crazy royal,¡± I added with a smirk. ¡°But I fear, my time is running out. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t want to sound conceited, but I¡¯ve shown that I¡¯m stronger now, than I was. I¡¯m not talking about power,¡± I quickly explained, when I saw her doubtful expression. ¡°I¡¯m not even fully grown, yet, no I mean¡­ I¡¯m more resilient. I¡¯m not going to hide behind becoming a martyr, I¡¯m not going to isolate myself, ever again. I¡¯m going to own up to my mistakes, past and present ones. Which means¡­ I¡¯d like to know, if there¡¯s something in our past, I have to apologise for.¡± She blinked in surprise. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Apologise? The world we come from doesn¡¯t care for guilt or mercy. You were strong enough to do as you pleased, no apology necessary. I do prefer your new perspective, though. It suits you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ears and tails, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m not entirely fluffy and cuddly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. Cassandra, since we¡¯re speaking openly and more or less privately, for once¡­ all of this,¡± she pointed at the dead, ¡°made me think. Can I ask you a very personal question?¡± ¡°Sure. As long as you don¡¯t expect me to answer truthfully.¡± ¡°Actually, I do, or at least tell me that you don¡¯t want to answer. Will you?¡± When I nodded hesitantly, she asked: ¡°I¡¯d like to know what you plan for Viyara. The two of you are bound together, as tightly as I¡¯ve ever seen an immortal tether herself to anything. She¡¯s going to stay at your side for her entire life, whether she knows it or not. But yet, you don¡¯t see her as a lover or a toy. What is she to you?¡± I chuckled in relief. I had expected something much more problematic. ¡°Something between a little sister and a daughter? For now, it¡¯s closer to a younger sibling, but I imagine, that¡¯s going to change. It already has, partly, when we encountered her grandfather, has she told you the story?¡± She nodded. ¡°Then you know about the naming ceremony. When I agreed to protect her with mine, it felt like she was becoming something more¡­ I¡¯ve never really thought about it, but in a way, I already adopted her, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You know she doesn¡¯t see it that way, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯m not blind and she¡¯s already told me. What are you getting at?¡± To my surprise, she blushed and her voice sounded somewhat strangled, when she said: ¡°I¡­ I really like her and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to change. Which means, I¡¯m probably going to spend a very long time with you. I¡­ I wanted to ask for your blessing.¡± I was perplexed. ¡°My blessing? As in¡­ no way. Are you asking my permission to court her?¡± Her blush intensified until it almost seemed like her power was leaking though her skin, but she managed to incline her head. Seriously, the girl had nerves. In the aftermath of a battle, leaning against the one we were talking about, surrounded by death and destruction, she acted like a noblewoman from back home. Fighting for your life apparently made you realise what was important. I liked her priorities. ¡°By all means, go for it. I¡¯m definitely not going to hold it against you. I will, however, rain down heaven and hell on you, should you ever mistreat her.¡± I wasn¡¯t joking, either. ¡°As you so astutely observed, she¡¯s precious to me in ways I don¡¯t even understand myself and you might already have noticed, that I¡¯m a bit protective of those I cherish. As long as you make her smile, you have my support, but I¡¯ll stand by her, no matter how things turn out. Was that honest enough for you?¡± She swallowed dryly, apparently convinced of my sincerity. ¡°Plenty. In other words, if I make a mistake, I won¡¯t only be roasted by a crystalline dragoness but also by her transcendent rider. Somehow, I can¡¯t say, I didn¡¯t see it coming.¡± I interrupted her with a raised finger and added: ¡°Don¡¯t forget my fianc¨¦e. She might hide it, but everyone around here is as important to her as they are to me. And she¡¯s much more¡­ explosive than me.¡± At first her eyes went wide, but when she saw the mischief sparkling in mine, she chuckled. ¡°Understood. You enjoyed that, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking I¡¯m not being serious, though. I meant every word.¡± ¡°I know. Which is why I asked in the first place. Has she¡­ has she listened?¡± I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s engrossed in my memories. She wanted to, when we started talking about her, but I closed the door, so to speak. Oh, hell, I¡¯m really acting like a parent. Next thing you know, I¡¯ll order you to have her home by sundown. Which, incidentally, isn¡¯t such a bad idea¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even asked her out, yet. You can¡¯t set rules before then.¡± ¡°Watch me.¡± Groaning, I got to my feet and offered my hand. ¡°Take good care of her. I¡¯ll know, if you don¡¯t.¡± She shook it warmly, even though my threats had apparently diminished her enthusiasm, if only slightly. After a moment, she couldn¡¯t hold my gaze any longer and her eyes slid downwards, landing on my neck. Carefully, as if to give me all the time in the world to react, she extended her hand and brushed against the frayed shoulder parts of my shirt. ¡°It left a scar,¡± she whispered, scrutinising the silvery mark on my skin. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it, but now, I craned my neck to study the spot, where she had bitten me. The wounds, her fangs had left behind, were gone, or rather invisible, covered by an intricate web of crisscrossing scars. Ahri¡¯s flames had branded me with the outlines of a feather. For a second, I felt a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach, the scar a visible reminder of my mistakes. The flaw in my otherwise pristine skin was an apt metaphor for my deficiencies and I didn¡¯t particularly enjoy having it burned onto my body. ¡°It did,¡± I commented morosely and tried to hide the spot again, but somewhere along the line, I realised something. Not only was the little piece of scarred flesh another tie to Ahri, but I had also grossly misunderstood its importance. It didn¡¯t signify a failure or some such, it showed, that every wound could heal, that we could recover, as long as we lived. Grinning, I retracted my hand and allowed the cool, moist air to brush over my skin. I¡¯d probably never be proud of the mark, but I¡¯d didn¡¯t feel like I had to hide it, either. I was who I was and I had earned that scar. Gently, she traced the outer lines with her fingertips, murmuring: ¡°funny, isn¡¯t it. Most women would feel marred by this, but on you, it almost looks intentional, charming. Still, I¡¯m sorry for what I did. If I had had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t have touched you. I¡¯ve never told you, but do you actually know what my asking for your help meant?¡± ¡°Alassara told me, but I¡­ Aurelia, I¡¯m not a vampire and my help can¡¯t be bought or bargained for. I either offer it willingly or not at all. As far as I¡¯m concerned, the only debt between us stems from your aspiration to sweep Viyara off her feet. You owe it to her to treat her properly and that¡¯s a debt I¡¯m going to collect on. As for us,¡± without preamble, I hugged her tightly, ¡°we¡¯re even. I probably wouldn¡¯t even be here, if it wasn¡¯t for you. At least, I wouldn¡¯t be myself, anymore. Another thing I¡¯m grateful for.¡± I pushed her back and caught her gaze. ¡°I do have another question, though. You¡¯ve asked me what Viyara is to me. I¡¯d like to know what Sarai is to you. We¡¯ll meet her again, Aurelia. What are you going to do, once that happens? Will you stay with her?¡± She snorted. ¡°Are you moonstruck? No offence, but that bitch can lose all her feathers, for all I care. I¡¯m not going to go back to the way things were. Not now, not ever. Even without Viyara, I have no intention of serving another immortal, ever again.¡± She paused and a crooked grin spread across her face. ¡°Except, I already am, aren¡¯t I?¡± I frowned and she willingly explained: ¡°I don¡¯t mean a debt between us, even though I still feel like there is one. No¡­¡± she caressingly stroked Viyara¡¯s side. ¡°This girl¡­ whatever happens, she¡¯ll stick with you, she¡¯ll stay with her saviour and, whether you¡¯re willing to see it or not, she¡¯ll always do as you ask. Which in turn means I¡¯m going to do as you ask. Ironic, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Viyara commented, her eyes opening to allow a flood of golden light to wash over us. I had felt her mind return to reality a few seconds ago but hadn¡¯t bothered informing the vampire. ¡°It¡¯s not ironic. Sometimes I think it¡¯s Cassy¡¯s special power. Somehow, everyone around her seems to end up either falling for or bound to her. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not the former with you.¡± Aurelia jerked, clearly caught off guard, but she quickly hid behind a wry smile. ¡°And why¡¯s that? Afraid I might steal your guardian angel?¡± The dragoness rolled her eyes, the glowing golden orbs quivering in their sockets. I quickly covered my mouth to suppress a giggle. In a way, she looked very much like an oversized lava lamp. ¡°You can try, but I hope you¡¯ve prepared an epitaph. As far as I know, you¡¯d end up on the wrong side of a transcendent fire, if you ever got close enough to her. Where is Ahri, anyways? You summoned her, when that cruel trap was torn to shreds, didn¡¯t you?¡± I nodded and affectionately rubbed her snout. ¡°Of course I did. I couldn¡¯t very well leave my girlfriend stuck in a torture device, could I? She¡¯s on the island, where we encountered Shassa. I¡¯m going to fetch her now, but I wanted to wait until you had finished. You¡¯ve just seen all of that, haven¡¯t you? Why did you even ask?¡± 261. Of growth, regrets and a little bit of companionship Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Because I want to come. I know you think we¡¯d slow you down, but you aren¡¯t the only one, who¡¯s changed. I tried to use your gift to resist the magic and¡­ just watch.¡± Her eyes closed again with a resounding click, like metal hitting metal. Confused I shared a look with Aurelia, who seemed to be just as surprised by the dragoness¡¯ behaviour as I was. We didn¡¯t have to wait long for an explanation, though. In the centre of her chest, a flickering, silvery light appeared, just above her carbuncle. A moment later, intricately woven lines spread across her scales, like the growing roots of a tree. My mouth fell open and I couldn¡¯t suppress an awestruck yelp, when the light pooled near her ruff until it resembled nothing more than a pond of liquid stars, a shimmering halo surrounding her. Viyara growled deep in her throat, her muscles twitching beneath her scaly hide. A shiver ran along her spine, her tail nearly tearing down the burned walls behind her. From one second to the next, the glowing lines shifted and swelled until they resembled silvery rivers meandering through her ruff. The light dimmed but didn¡¯t vanish, as she opened her eye again and huffed with satisfaction and exhaustion. ¡°There. I might not be able to carry you anywhere you want to go, just yet, but a quick trip to a neighbouring island shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± As if in a trance, I extended my hand and traced the smoothly flowing currents of energy with my fingertips. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ do you¡­ what,¡± I stammered, unable to make heads or tails of her display. She grinned wolfishly, or rather dragonishly, apparently pleased with her efforts. ¡°I told you, I¡¯ve tried to actively use your energy. It didn¡¯t work quiet as intended, I couldn¡¯t cope with the amount I would have had to use to break the spells, but I can bolster my own magic, a little at least. Which means I can easily carry you there and back again within the hour,¡± she finished smugly. I felt the velvety flow beneath my fingers, the power radiating off her skin strong enough to make my fur rise. My lips twisted into a smile to match hers and when our eyes met, I simply said: ¡°well then, let¡¯s go.¡± A trickle of energy reached my legs and with a jump, I stood on her back, just behind the base of her neck. ¡°You coming or what,¡± I called down to Aurelia, eager to fly, to be gone and return, as fast as possible. ¡°The dwarfs will take care of everything around here, we¡¯re not needed for the moment. Or do you want to stay?¡± Suddenly, the vampire was behind me, her lips close to my ear. ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden a dragon before, without a battle waiting for us. I wouldn¡¯t miss it, not even for all the blood in the world. But what about your sister and her friends? Won¡¯t they skin you alive, if they see you leave without them?¡± ¡°Probably, but that sounds like a tomorrow problem. I¡¯m not going to oblige their every whim and despite their maturity, they¡¯re still kids.¡± The kitsune in question were by now happily dragging Liz along, searching for someone to tell them where to take her. ¡°Besides, they have someone to look after. They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll apologise in the morning.¡± A minute later, the flickering lights of Free Land, its sounds and smells vanished behind a curtain of darkness and rain, Viyara streaking through the sky like a golden spear. Her speed had improved tremendously and judging from the easy, almost leisurely movements of her serpentine body, she wasn¡¯t even trying, yet. Soon, the world became nothing but inky blackness, the continuous downpour the only indication we hadn¡¯t crossed over into another world. There were no stars, no moon, no source of light, as if we were the only beings in a lifeless void. I had settled down, my arms wrapped around Viyara¡¯s neck. My balance was good enough, that I didn¡¯t actually need the additional support, but I was longing for the physical contact, despite her presence in the depths of my mind. The evening had been¡­ devastating and I just wanted a moment of peace and quiet in the company of my friends. I didn¡¯t even feel the need to talk, allowing the constant stream of thoughts, flowing between Aurelia and Viyara, to pass me by. Instead, I turned my focus inward, caressingly embracing the fluttering images, trickling through my tattoo. I didn¡¯t invoke the link, I wanted Ahri to sleep and heal, but her presence, however faint, made me feel better, loved, like the embrace of the morning sun after a chilly night. ¡°Soon,¡± I breathed. ¡°Soon I¡¯ll be by your side, again.¡± While she dreamed, not of her past but our future, I gradually switched gears, the constant thrum of power in my veins, ever present since I had arrived, slowly abating. My eyelids became heavy, and the cold of the night suddenly seemed like a warm, velvety blanket. The whole ordeal was catching up to me and I knew, I wouldn¡¯t manage to stay awake for much longer, my body telling me in no unclear terms, that it had had enough and needed rest. Not yet, though. I wouldn¡¯t rest until I held her in my arms again and we were safely on our way back. Until then, I¡¯d push through. A couple of hours wouldn¡¯t kill me and I could deal with the discomfort. I had been exhausted before, come to think of it, it had actually become something of a regular occurrence. Smiling tiredly, I allowed my head to drop onto Viyara¡¯s scales and my mind to wander, imaging the scent of pine trees and the soft touch of the woman I loved. Before I knew it, I felt Viyara angle her body downwards, a minuscule light, somewhere in the impenetrable blackness her intended target. The smell of trees and grass, wild flowers and wet fur tickled my nostrils and with a yawn, I sat back up. Without the stars, it was impossible to judge, how long we had been in the air, but to me, it felt as if only a few minutes had passed. Dark shapes and even darker shadows appeared below us, the forest, I had woken up in, a silent, looming guardian of the small grove Lyra had created. Gently I extended my thoughts and guided Viyara towards a clearing I remembered close by, large enough for her towering, draconic form. As soon as her paws touched the soaked ground, the thicket rustled and a tall, beautiful elven woman broke through. She didn¡¯t show even the slightest sign of fear and uncaringly approached the gargantuan lizard, arms spread wide. ¡°You made it,¡± she cried and engulfed me in a hug, the very moment I jumped down from Viyara¡¯s back. A little surprised by her exuberant greeting, I chuckled quietly and returned the embrace. ¡°Of course I did. Did you doubt me?¡± She shook her head like a puppy, her long tresses sending droplets of water flying everywhere, just as Aurelia landed softly behind me. ¡°Never! And those are your friends?¡± She disentangled herself and gracefully bowed from the hip. ¡°I¡¯m Lyra. You must be Viyara, the child of Shafeer, am I right?¡± The dragoness knew, whom she was facing, a mixture of guilt, uncertainty and a bit of curiosity swirling through her mind. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°I am,¡± she replied telepathically, before her body shone a brilliant gold, like a miniature sun, and transformed. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said with her own voice, albeit a bit awkwardly, and returned the bow. ¡°Before anything else, please, I want to apologise. I never knew¡­¡± the elf princess interrupted her by grabbing her shoulders and unceremoniously pulling her into her arms. The girl was much too surprised to react. ¡°No need. You were a child, weren¡¯t you,¡± Lyra said, while she sought my gaze. I confirmed her suspicions with a nod. The elf laughed brightly and continued: ¡°you still are, in a way. I¡¯ve long since made my peace with what happened and your father wasn¡¯t even the one who trapped me in the first place. His only crime was never trying to free me and I¡¯m definitely not going to ruin my third encounter with a living being in ages over a pointless grudge. If you really want to, you can make up for it by carrying me, as well. If there¡¯s one thing I miss, it¡¯s my wings. I¡¯d love to fly again.¡± Perplexed, Viyara nodded mutely before she tentatively asked: ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ I didn¡¯t expect¡­ aren¡¯t you¡­ bitter?¡± The elf only chuckled. ¡°Why? I¡¯m alive, I¡¯m awake, I can talk and I can use my magic. I¡¯ve already outlived all those cretins who cursed me, in the first place. Plus, I¡¯ve met two beings, the likes of which I¡¯ve never seen before, an honest to god dragoness and¡­ you,¡± she gesticulated in Aurelia¡¯s direction, ¡°whatever you are.¡± I had to bite my tongue, the derogative way she spoke about the ancient vampire, who could probably tear her to shreds without breaking a sweat, was hilarious, after a very suicidal fashion. ¡°Why should I be bitter? But let¡¯s postpone the interrogation, I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t particularly enjoy the rain and you could dry yourselves off near the fire. I¡¯ve even made some more stew. You can ask Cassandra, my cooking isn¡¯t half bad.¡± ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t and I wouldn¡¯t mind another bowl,¡± I immediately confirmed. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from inquiring, though: ¡°anything happened? Did she wake?¡± ¡°Not once, come on, you can see for yourself. She¡¯s sleeping like a rock, but she has mumbled your name, a few times.¡± She was already moving and added over her shoulder: ¡°I¡¯ve kept her warm but that girl is hotter than flames, quite literally. I hope that¡¯s normal for her, otherwise she might be in trouble.¡± I smiled happily and said to her retreating back: ¡°No need to worry.¡± With a hand full of quick steps, I caught up to her. ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. Thanks, Lyra. Thank you for keeping an eye on her. I couldn¡¯t have left her alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. She might have been a bit boring, unless you¡¯re into snoring¡­ sleeping beauties, but I still very much enjoyed not being alone. You don¡¯t plan on leaving me on this rock, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ll take you back to a city, not too far from here. Once you had the chance to sleep in a real bed, we can talk about the future. If you want, we can leave you some gold and you can make your own way or you can stick with us. I gotta warn you though, I¡¯m going to head towards the Emerald Island, the home of the elves, pretty soon. I don¡¯t know much about your past, but I can imagine, that you¡¯re not overly keen on returning to the people, who,¡± I gestured vaguely up and down. ¡°Cursed and imprisoned me?¡± ¡°Yeah, that. Most of my family will probably be returning to where my brother made a home for himself. A small colony, but truth be told, I don¡¯t even know where it is, exactly. Can¡¯t be too far away, though. They¡¯ll gladly take you with them, but the decision is yours. No need to rush, though. It¡¯ll still be a couple of days before anything happens.¡± We trotted on in silence, side by side, the muffled footfalls behind us the only noise, until I smelled smoke and heard the cracking of a fire. A second later, a warm light illuminated the night, as we entered the protected, living grotto, Lyra had created, a cozy sanctuary, filled with the scent of flowers and nature. It hadn¡¯t changed much since I had opened my eyes, only this time, the pot on the fire smelled like thyme and rosemary with a hint of mint and a stunning kitsune with platinum hair and red highlights laid on the makeshift bed. Grinning madly, I dashed to her side, completely ignoring the knowing smiles of my companions. When the scent of pine trees enveloped me and the heat of her skin warmed me to my core, I felt a single tear run down my cheek. We had made it. We were still together. Everything else didn¡¯t really matter. I crouched down and tugged a strand of her hair behind her ear, caressing the soft, fluffy appendage in the process. Gods, how I had missed her. I closed my eyes and kissed her forehead gently, whispering: ¡°I love you.¡± For a few seconds, I remained still, cherishing the feel of her hot, smooth skin against my lips, her scent in my nose and the firm but subtle shape beneath my fingertips. She was perfect and she was whole, her wounds gone. My smile widened even further and when I opened my eyes again, I stared right into a translucent fire of emerald and azure. ¡°Hi there,¡± she whispered. ¡°Did you save the world while I was asleep?¡± I hung my head, the fire her gaze had ignited in my veins petering out, like a candle in the wind. ¡°No¡­ I managed to protect our family. They¡¯re safe, but¡­ Ahri, he¡¯s here. I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± she silenced me with a kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she breathed against my lips. ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know half of it,¡± I replied morosely. ¡°He¡­ so many died. Alassara¡¯s children, the mercenaries, who dared to help¡­¡± the improvised blankets, she was resting under, rustled, when she moved. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down into a heartfelt embrace, her tails encircling my waist. My eyes burned with unshed tears and I bit my lip to suppress a sob, but as soon as I felt her body nestle up against mine, I couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer. I cried like a child, who had finally found its way out of the woods and back home, the terrifying memories of what had been gradually giving way to bone deep exhaustion. For a while, I completely forgot where I was, cathartic tears obscuring my vision, while I snuggled into her embrace, the lingering shadows in my mind melting under her warmth, like snow under a midday sun. She held me tight, her hands tracing circles across my back, while her silky voice whispered words of encouragement in my ear. I didn¡¯t underhand much, but in the end, it didn¡¯t matter. She wanted me to know, that I wasn¡¯t alone, that I¡¯d never be, and I felt all she wanted to convey, all of it and more. By the Great Fox, I loved the girl and I had no idea how I could possibly have deserved her. She didn¡¯t even care what had happened, she believed in me and somehow she managed to convince me to believe in myself, with nothing more than a touch. To me, she was the saviour I had tried to become to others, except she didn¡¯t fail. ¡°You have no idea how much I needed that,¡± I finally whispered, my voice hoarse and cracked. ¡°Sometimes I think, you¡¯re the only reason why I even manage to go on. I¡¯m so sorry. After everything you endured, I still couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Shush, now. You did what you could and that¡¯s more than anyone else could have done. You don¡¯t have to save the whole world, Cassy, you can¡¯t, but I love you for trying. I love you so much it hurts, so please, don¡¯t make it worse. Just¡­ as long as you return to my side, we can figure everything else out. You did well, Cassandra. None of us would be alive without you.¡± I felt another soft touch on my shoulder and when I looked around, bleary eyed, I saw Viyara, Aurelia and Lyra surrounding us, the dragoness¡¯ hand caressing my skin. ¡°She¡¯s right, you know,¡± she said. ¡°Without you, I¡¯d be a slave or dead. I know, it¡¯s not my place to say, but I¡¯m proud of you and I¡¯m proud of belonging to your family.¡± She took my hand and chastely pressed her lips against my skin: ¡°whatever else you might be, to me, you truly are an angel.¡± ¡°And a saviour,¡± Lyra added, her beautiful face filled with understanding. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what happened, but I can tell you this: I was bound in darkness for more years than I care to count and within days of meeting you, I¡¯m free and whole, something I didn¡¯t even believe was possible.¡± Even Aurelia smiled at me: ¡°you already know, I owe you my life and more, but that¡¯s not¡­ Cassy, you comforted me, when I felt lost. You were there, when I needed someone to tell me, everything would work out, eventually. Allow me to do the same. As long as you¡¯re alive, we¡¯ll find a way, because all of us are with you, until the very end¡­ never doubt it, not even for a second.¡± 262. Of failures, stubbornness and a little bit of peace Cassandra Pendragon The early morning sun just barely broke through the smudged windows, painting the battlefield, I had turned the caboose into, in gold and crimson. Between pans and boards, knifes and pots, I placed my hands on my hips and inhaled deeply, nearly choking on the greasy smoke the galley had filled with. Sweaty and decidedly annoyed I tossed out the fifth burned omelet I had produced in well over an hour. I had risen early, sneaking out of our cabin like a burglar in the dead of night. Everything had gone well, I had managed to extract myself from Ahri¡¯s embrace without waking her and made my way through the ship, listening to the resounding snores, reverberating through the darkness. My intention had been simple: I had asked my fianc¨¦e out and had never delivered. To make up for it, I wanted to serve her breakfast in bed. Nothing fancy, eggs, bacon, fruit, maybe a bit of porridge, but as it turned out, if you had never swung a ladle before in your life, even cracking eggs and frying bacon became a demanding chore. Never mind baking bread. That particular undertaking I had abandoned almost as soon as I had started. I simply had no idea how to turn flour into something edible. Water? Milk? Yeast? Knead it? Beat it? No way in hell I¡¯d have figured it out within a week, never mind a few hours. Luckily, I had already expected a bit of trouble, hence the early rise. Determined but slightly anxious, I started over, adding copious amount of butter to a pan and strips of cured meat to another. The sixth time would be the charm. I was sure of it. Well, maybe not quite sure. Confident, or rather hopeful, might have been more accurate. My thoughts wandered while the fat started sizzling and drowned out the stench of my last, disastrous attempt. Who could have guessed, that one side could turn into charcoal while the other was still soggy? I grinned sheepishly, when I recalled the hour before turning in, when we had finally been alone. I had been determined to tell her everything I had seen, everything I hadn¡¯t had the chance to bring up, but as soon as she had slipped out of the dress, Lyra had made for her, my noble intentions had been nothing more than a blurry memory, nowhere near powerful enough to even delay the rush of heat and desire Ahri¡¯s presence had ignited in my chest. We hadn¡¯t spoken another word until we had finally dozed off, entwined like two ancient trees, growing side by side. Back on the island, the girls had offered me more warmth and comfort than I deserved, but it hadn¡¯t been until I had rested in her arms, that the spectres of the night before had finally left me alone. Today, I¡¯d spend with my family. We¡¯d finally begin the training routine we had promised Reia, which was going to be a golden opportunity for me to sift through the crystals, Mephisto had left behind, while the vixen was getting her fur tanned. I also wanted to make sure, the two barmaids I had saved were fine. Their house, fortunately, wasn¡¯t close enough to Alassara¡¯s home for the ritual to have reached them, but I still wanted to know. And then, there was Serena Brightblaze, whom I had promised a visit. I wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to a meeting with a bunch of racist bigots, but it was necessary. Even from the harbour, at this ungodly hour, I could hear the faint echo of strive and battle, the delicate balance in Free Land crumbling. Too many had died, too many leaders had been killed and now, the city was starting to tear itself apart. I couldn¡¯t allow it. But first, I somehow had to turn this mush of yolk and egg white into something edible, a task that, again, proved to be almost beyond my capabilities. Damn it, I had burned the batch, while I had been staring into nothingness. Cursing colourfully, I scraped the dark, smelly mass out of the pan and into a barrel, that already contained the remnants of my previous failures. The cats were going to have a field day. At least the bacon wasn¡¯t black, just yet. Oh, well. One more try, then. On the plus side, I had never gotten far enough to add the chopped vegetables, so there was that. Another embarrassing half hour later, I had finally managed to produce something that looked and smelled almost like an omelette, even though it wasn¡¯t pretty, by any stretch of the imagination. Once I had actually finished cooking, I had realised, getting the meal out of the pan and onto a plate without utterly scrambling it, was about as difficult as inventing temporal magic. By my estimation, I was better suited to the latter than the former, considering how much trouble I had had with assembling a half decent porridge. No wonder my mom had never really cooked. If I had inherited her skills, she would have killed us all during infancy, if she had tried. Should I ever get the chance to settle down, I¡¯d have to make sure to hire a proper chef. For all our sakes. Honestly, uncounted millennia of existence and I had never even fried an egg? Apparently, since there hadn¡¯t been the slightest bit of info during my ordeal and as I was now, I should have been able to access most skill related knowledge of my previous life. Not having to eat had its downsides. Torn between frustration, due to my obvious lack of talent, and a mild hint of pride, I marvelled at the final result. On a tray, I had managed to arrange two bowls of porridge, a teapot, a plate with crunchy bacon strips and an omelette, containing tomatoes, cheese and spring onions. I had even cut a handful of pears and blueberries without sustaining more than a shallow cut. Considering my efforts, it was a meagre result, but it didn¡¯t smell half bad and as far as I was aware, copious amounts of pepper and chilli powder could cover up most mistakes. I bit my lip and prayed to god, that I wasn¡¯t going to inadvertently poison the love of my life. That¡¯d make for a remarkable tale. Here lies the immortal, whose only mistake was trying Cassandra¡¯s cooking. A beautiful epitaph. I picked up the tray, my eyes roaming over the chaos, I had created. I had used more kitchenware than a professional would have needed to feed the entire ship and the amount of ingredients I had wasted was hilarious, sad but hilarious. Normally, I would have cleaned up after myself, but I wasn¡¯t going to allow the fruits of my labour to go cold and start all over again. With a little luck, we¡¯d be finished before anyone else woke up and I¡¯d have plenty of time to hide the traces of my folly. And if the stars truly smiled upon me, someone else would stumble in here and get started, beforehand. Call me lazy, but somehow I didn¡¯t believe I¡¯d turn out to be more skilful when it came to cleaning than I was in regards to cooking. I shook my head, grinning at my own expense and carefully tiptoed my way through a maze of stoves and cupboards. When I had nearly reached the door, it suddenly flew open. I jumped in surprise, contorting my limbs to prevent bacon and fruits from flying everywhere. In a truly artistic pose, almost doing the split, my tails wrapped around a counter, I stared at a wide eyed dwarf in a white nightgown with a pointy sleeping hat covering his hair. Xorlosh blinked, dumbfounded, his eyes gradually travelling from the tray I had saved to my body. Right¡­ I hadn¡¯t bothered putting on any clothes, beside a wide shirt, it had been the middle of the night, after all. I hadn¡¯t expected to be gone for more than half an hour. At least I had donned an apron¡­ This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. As if on cue, we both blushed simultaneously and he turned away, clearing his throat, while I hastily rearranged the coarse garment to cover everything essential. ¡°You can turn around,¡± I finally mumbled, still red like a beetroot. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had flashed one or several, for that matter, of our companions, but, usually, it was because my clothes had been torn to shreds in a fight. I didn¡¯t have that excuse now and it made me unbelievably embarrassed, which in turn irked me even more. It wouldn¡¯t have been half as bad, if I had been able to simply shrug it off. ¡°Lass,¡± he rumbled with a wink, ¡°I do appreciate your beauty, just as much as everyone else, who isn¡¯t blind, but if yah don¡¯t want us to keel over, one by one, yah should at least wear pants.¡± He theatrically folded his hands above his chest and added: ¡°me heart might just give out, otherwise.¡± I rolled my eyes, gradually regaining my bearings. ¡°And I thought I was doing you a favour. Get the blood pumping in the morning, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, well, that you did.¡± He took in the scene of devastation around me and asked: ¡°do I even want to know what you¡¯ve been up to?¡± I raised my tray innocently and replied: ¡°Breakfast?¡± I didn¡¯t know, why it sounded more like a question than an answer, but unfortunately, it did. Projected confidence could only get you so far. ¡°Did you kill, butcher and cure the pig for the bacon in here,¡± he wanted to know, while he slowly turned on the spot. ¡°No matter, you can tell me all about your epic battle, later. I just wanted to grab meself a slice of ham, anyways, before looking for you and yours. I just received message. Your brother will be here within an hour or two. The storm last night blew them off course, but they¡¯re close. They expect to see the island within the hour.¡± Momentarily stunned, I almost dropped my tray. Arthur¡­ I had almost forgotten that he was on our tails. It had been years since last I had last seen him and honestly, I didn¡¯t even know, what I was supposed to feel. I definitely wasn¡¯t the same girl anymore, who had cried, when her brother had left and I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine, what he¡¯d say, once we were going to meet. I wasn¡¯t even convinced he¡¯d recognise me. From his point of view, he had left a child and now, I was an adult. Not only that, but I had turned into something else, entirely. Would he even believe I was his sister? ¡°Lass,¡± Xorlosh asked, while a warm and heavy hand landed on my shoulder. ¡°Are you alright? You look like you¡¯ve just seen a ghost. Anything wrong?¡± I slowly shook my head. ¡°No¡­ not really. That¡¯s great news, actually.¡± I forced a smile on my face and continued: ¡°we dearly need the help and I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to seeing him again, him and the children. Did they run into any more trouble?¡± ¡°Nothing they¡¯ve bothered telling me. I¡­ right, you haven¡¯t heard, yet. They came across the wrecks of Free Land¡¯s fleet. It¡­ it wasn¡¯t pretty. They had to finish off the survivors.¡± My eyebrows rose but he only shrugged. ¡°Nasty business, as you can imagine. I¡¯ll tell you the whole story, if you want, but we¡¯ll have to bring each other up to speed, anyways. Why don¡¯t you carry that tray of yours to your girl, put on some clothes and meet me in an hour on deck? I¡¯ll wake me lads and you can knock on the other doors. It¡¯d be a shame to waste all of your hard work.¡± ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± ¡°Only a little, but you got to admit, it¡¯s not everyday, that making breakfast for two results in,¡± he gesticulated towards the chaos behind me, ¡°this. You¡¯ve never had to prepare a meal before, have you?¡± I nodded grudgingly. It was stupid, but my pride stirred. I didn¡¯t like being unable to spoil my girl and, if given the chance, I¡¯d try to learn. She deserved it. ¡°Pretty much. Is it that bad?¡± He paused for a moment, his jaw dropping to the floor, before he broke into rumbling laughter. ¡°Dunno about the meal,¡± he gasped, ¡°but turning the galley into a pigsty to fry a handful of eggs is remarkable. Why, even me gormless cousin wouldn¡¯t have managed and he¡¯s banned from the caboose for life.¡± Without asking, he snatched a slice of bacon and added: ¡°it¡¯s crunchy, though and not badly seasoned. Who knows? Give it a couple of years and you might even be able to cook a decent meal. Just¡­ don¡¯t practice onboard me ship, would you, lass?¡± A few minutes later, I snuck through the door to our cabin, still mildly irritated, but my mood improved tremendously, as soon as I stepped through. Ahri was still asleep, her long, pale, slender legs poking out from beneath the covers, her hair, sparkling in the morning light, a silky flood around her face, almost like a halo of molten silver. When I closed the door behind me, she stirred and her glowing eyes opened, mesmerising me as thoroughly as they had the night she had transformed. She stretched like a cat, causing the covers to slip and me to ogle her shamelessly. ¡°Good morning,¡± she smiled. My stares didn¡¯t bother her one bit, she even posed provocatively for me, before she sat up. ¡°Hmm, something smells delicious. Did you make breakfast?¡± ¡°Why do you sound so surprised,¡± I asked, as I strode to the bed, pushed the table closer, placed the tray on it and poured tea. I kissed her cheeks and added: ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m an amazing housewife.¡± Her eyebrows vanished under he bangs and a look of mild incredulity spread across her beautiful face. She caught my chin and stole another kiss. ¡°Alright, maybe I¡¯m not,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I try. And it¡¯s still warm.¡± With as much grace as I could muster, I filled her plate and handed it over. I waited on tenterhooks for the verdict, while she slowly chewed her first mouthful. Apparently, I hadn¡¯t done too badly, she was still smiling, after all. ¡°How is it,¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from blurting out. She sighed contently. ¡°As long as you¡¯ve made it, I don¡¯t really care,¡± she replied with a wink. ¡°Thanks, darling. I could really get used to mornings like this. If you want my honest opinion on the food, though, I really like it, but you went a little overboard with the spices.¡± ¡°Really,¡± I tasted a bite myself and my eyes began watering the very moment, the warm egg touched my tongue. A little overboard my ass. Volcanoes didn¡¯t hold a torch to my creation. Coughing, I swallowed a sip of tea and mumbled: ¡°I see what you mean. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have ignored the skull, someone painted on the box of chillies.¡± She laughed merrily. ¡°Does that mean I can have yours, as well?¡± Quietly, I pushed my plate over to her and focused on the porridge. It didn¡¯t taste like much, but after the fiery explosion from before, I didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Sure. You know, you don¡¯t have to pretend for my sake. How can you eat that?¡± Maybe I should have added spices gradually and tasted my concoction in between. ¡°I like hot food,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I know, with our senses, most don¡¯t, but it¡¯s still a kind of heat. The older I become, the more I even crave it. If it¡¯s up to me, I wouldn¡¯t mind eating like this regularly, but judging from the tears in your eyes, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°I can try getting my paws on the chilliest I used. You can just nibble on one or add them yourself, but I¡¯m not going to eat those things, ever again. They¡¯re evil.¡± I made the sign of the cross. ¡°May god protect us from their heinous presence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± she remarked dryly, without lowering her fork. ¡°Did you have another dream?¡± ¡°More than one, but could we not talk about our past, or our present, for that matter, right now?¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± She stole a blueberry from my plate and asked: ¡°where did you put the elf girl, anyways? I was pretty out of it, last night, I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°She¡¯s with Aspera and Astra. I asked and Lyra wasn¡¯t against getting to know two of her people. She¡¯s surprisingly chipper, considering what she¡¯s been through. I imagine she¡¯ll have made friends with them before the sun sets.¡± ¡°Probably. I didn¡¯t get to talk to her, I slept all the time, but she¡¯s caring enough, she even made me a dress.¡± My gaze roamed to the thoughtlessly discarded garment on the floor and I felt heat rising in my cheeks. Ahri had seen my reaction and she teased, her eyes sparkling: ¡°or do you prefer what I¡¯m wearing now?¡± She elegantly rose to her knees and placed her plate back on the table. I swallowed dryly, following her every movement. She came closer, until her breath tickled my skin, the soft light of the rising sun dancing around her, like a swarm of golden fireflies. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but, right now, I¡¯m craving something else,¡± she whispered huskily. 263. Of doubts, trouble and a little dream Cassandra Pendragon With my fingertips, I leisurely traced small circles on her back, relishing in the heat she still gave off. If I had been forced to describe how I felt in a single word, it would have been content. ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± I whispered, burying my face in her hair. ¡°And agonisingly beautiful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the only one,¡± she mumbled drowsily, squirming until her tails rested more comfortably around my waist. ¡°Do you think we still have time for a nap?¡± Judging from her tone, she was already halfway there. I would have liked nothing more than to oblige her, to close my eyes and drift off for a few more hours, but we, or at least I, couldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ll be lucky if I have the time to bathe. Arthur¡¯s arriving today.¡± She tensed and pushed me to arms length, her eyes glowing. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± I grinned sheepishly. ¡°Honestly? I forgot. You¡¯re pretty distracting, if you want to be.¡± I rolled onto my back and sighed. ¡°What is it,¡± she asked, while she snuggled into my side. ¡°I¡¯m nervous, maybe even anxious. It¡¯s been years, Ahri. What if he has changed?¡± ¡°Of course he has. We all have, but he¡¯s still your brother.¡± She kissed my neck and added: ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. What¡¯s really going on?¡± ¡°His arrival¡­ it¡¯s a harbinger of change, isn¡¯t it? Up until now, we¡¯ve only spoken about plans and possible courses of actions, but nothing really happened. We¡¯ve just been going with the flow. Not anymore. We either go with him or we don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t have much of a choice, I have to head north within a few days, but everyone else¡­ what if it¡¯s a mistake to leave them? What if I¡¯m wrong? Yesterday¡­ Archy said, they¡¯d be lucky, if I ever was to become a queen. They¡¯re my people and here I am, chasing after elves and fey and dragons. I know why I¡¯m doing it, but it still feels wrong¡­ it feels like I¡¯m hiding, cowardly running away, once again. Am I?¡± I felt her tails caress the inside of my thigh, causing goosebumps to erupt all over my body until the vixen pinched me. ¡°Ouch, what was that for,¡± I complained. ¡°Cassy, whatever you are, you are no coward, you never have been, but you are¡­ not only a princess of a kitsune tribe. I¡¯ve told you before, sometimes, you have to choose. No one can be everywhere at once, not even us. If you honestly believe, you can achieve more by staying, then you should, but somehow I don¡¯t see that happening, do you?¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± I replied morosely. ¡°But why does it feel so wrong, then?¡± ¡°Because they still are yours, by law and deed. After everything we¡¯ve been through, I¡¯d be astonished if you didn¡¯t have any doubts. Besides,¡± she added, smirking, ¡°it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ll have to leave your mom. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s terrifying all on its own.¡± She immediately became serious again. ¡°If you wanted to, we could take them with us, you know? No one would stop us.¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°No, they need a real home, a place to grow in peace and wherever I am, that¡¯s not something I can provide. It¡¯s bad enough, that¡­ right, you don¡¯t even know. Last night, Reia and her friends ambushed me, in a way. It¡¯s not only her, but the other two want to come with us, as well.¡± ¡°What did you tell them?¡± I shrugged. ¡°That I¡¯d think about it? I wanted to talk to you, before making any promises.¡± She smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re finally listening to me. That¡¯d be a first.¡± I pouted but she only laughed. ¡°You know it¡¯s true. Still, I think that¡¯s your call. I¡¯m with you, either way. I¡¯ve gotten attached to the rascals and since we already have to look after one child, two more will hardly make a difference.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not helping, at all. I¡¯m inclined to let them¡­¡± a knock on the door interrupted me and before either of us could say anything, Xorlosh¡¯s voice rang through the hardened wood. ¡°They¡¯ll be here in two hours, just received the message. Could you two join us in about 30 minutes? I¡¯ve already drummed up everyone else, didn¡¯t think you¡¯d find the time.¡± ¡°We will,¡± I called and when his heavy footsteps retreated along the corridor, I rolled around to get up. ¡°So much for a relaxing morning. I want a bath. Will you join me?¡± ¡°Definitely. There¡¯s¡­¡± again, we were disturbed. This time, the door opened all on its own, my mom strolling through a second later, two wrapped up packages hovering in front of her. She obviously hadn¡¯t felt the need to knock and even jumped unceremoniously onto the bed. At least we had already hidden under the covers when Xorlosh had knocked. ¡°Good morning. Here,¡± she projected. ¡°I¡¯m glad I still managed to catch you. I want you to wear these, or rather¡­ I want Cassy to wear them and I¡¯d feel honoured, if you did, too, Ahri.¡± I raised an eyebrow and fumbled with the coarse linen wrappings. The contents were squishy and heavy. ¡°And a good, undisturbed morning to you, too,¡± I grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ that¡¯s a dress.¡± ¡°Two, to be precise. Don¡¯t roll your eyes. First impressions are important.¡± ¡°First im¡­ are you kidding me? We¡¯ve been fighting for weeks on end and I still have to dress up like a doll? What for?¡± ¡°Because all of the adults will see you for the first time, since they left,¡± her words were accompanied by a low growl, deep in her throat. ¡°I¡¯ve overheard the last few sentences of your conversation. Think, young lady. Why do you think, it matters?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ll remember me as the person they¡¯re going to meet today,¡± I mumbled, somewhat resigned to my fate. ¡°If I was to wear my usual clothes, they¡¯d think I¡¯m a servant or a warrior. Even after they¡¯d realise their mistake, they might not change their opinion, which would make it that much harder to have them listen to me. Fine. Could you get out now?¡± ¡°Why? Do you have somewhere to be?¡± ¡°Yes and we¡¯re naked,¡± I mumbled exasperatedly. ¡°So please, don¡¯t make it more awkward than it needs to be. I¡¯ll wear it, I promise, but could you give us some privacy?¡± She showed her fangs in a very feline grin, jumped onto the floor and sauntered out of the room without so much as a glance over her shoulder. Just before her fluffy tails vanished around the corner, she said: This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Do hurry up, would you? Otherwise I¡¯ll have to drag you from the tub and that¡¯d be much more embarrassing for both of us than me walking in after you had sex.¡± To say I was blushing would be the understatement of the century and judging from Ahri¡¯s gasp, she didn¡¯t feel much better. Reflexively, I reached for the pillow and threw it after my mom, but the vixen had already disappeared around the corner. I could only grit my teeth and pretend like nothing had happened. Resolutely, I pushed off the bed and wriggled into my old clothes. The downpour last night had washed off the scent of the burning city and most of the dirt, but they weren¡¯t serviceable in any way, torn and singed as they were. On the plus side, with my figure, I looked less like a hobo and more like an adolescent, who was trying to show as much skin as possible. The little things¡­ ¡°Do we need to talk about what just happened,¡± Ahri asked, when I resurfaced from the black cloth. She had already put on the leafy dress, Lyra had made. ¡°By the Great Fox, no! I¡¯d much prefer to pretend like nothing happened, in the first place.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± She nimbly floated to my side and grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste anymore time, then. If we have half an hour, I want to soak for a while. Come on, I¡¯m sure, it¡¯ll be the last quiet moment for the day. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll even be alone.¡± ¡°Whatever do you have in store for me,¡± I teased, as I allowed her to drag me along. 30 minutes later, I stared in abject horror at the glittering mess of silver and black, shimmering in the dim light of the baths. Elaborate, elegant, sensual, beautiful¡­ there were a million and one adjectives to describe the abomination of embroidered silk and stiff velvet, but the only ones, I could come up with were heavy, unpractical and shameless. The thing was cut out deep, left my entire back, down to my tails, uncovered and had a slit along the left side, that went up to my hip. I wouldn¡¯t even be able to put on any undergarments without showing them off to the entire world. ¡°Crazy, that woman is simply crazy,¡± I complained. ¡°Most parents would forbid their daughter to go out, wearing something like this, and she forces me to! Where did she even get it?¡± ¡°Well, your family isn¡¯t normal, by any stretch of the imagination, but I must say, this time, I do appreciate her quirks. You¡¯ll look stunning, love. And I¡¯m sure, she¡¯s had them tailored, as soon as she had the funds to spare. Maybe she even asked Viyara for help. I¡¯m certain the dragoness will appreciate the amount of skin you¡¯re going to show.¡± ¡°Mock me all you want, I¡¯m sure, yours won¡¯t be much better. Let¡¯s have a look, shall we?¡± Without waiting for a reply, I ripped the second package open and instantly became conciliated with my mom¡¯s meddling. Ahri¡¯s dress was exactly the same, except hers was coloured white and red and slitted on the right. This time, I didn¡¯t have any problems, coming up with more flattering adjectives. To be precise, I didn¡¯t shut up, until she silenced me with a kiss. ¡°See? They¡¯re not that bad. I¡¯ll help you with yours and you¡¯ll help me with mine?¡± In the past, Ahri had always been the one to help me dress formally and, consequentially, it didn¡¯t take long until I was clad in silvery silk and dark velvet. I, on the other hand, had next to no experience and she had to guide me through the process. I didn¡¯t mind, though. Wrapping her up like a present had its own appeal and I thoroughly enjoyed the excuse to touch her freely. Not that I really needed one, but it was fun. Maybe I¡¯d soften my stance on elaborate clothes, at least a bit. When I had finally managed to tighten the last, hidden strap, I said: ¡°Would you spin once, darling? I just want to make sure everything stays in place.¡± Not entirely true, I also wanted to watch her move, but it wasn¡¯t a lie, either. I definitely didn¡¯t want her to show more than we already did on purpose. She obliged me, twirling round and round, her long tresses complimenting the soft, silken folds, dancing around her. I wolf whistled, mesmerised by the beautiful display. ¡°Gorgeous. And the dress doesn¡¯t look to bad, either,¡± I stated, grinning. She curtsied and faced me, her eyes smouldering: ¡°have you looked in a mirror? You¡¯re absolutely breathtaking. What do I have to do, to get you to wear something like this more often?¡± ¡°I¡¯m easy to bribe. Ask me nicely and I might comply. I expect you to return the favour, though.¡± She laughed merrily and hugged me. ¡°That¡¯s settled, then. I can¡¯t wait to reach the elven island. From what I heard, we¡¯ll have more than enough opportunities to dress up, then.¡± Despite myself, I had to smile. If it was for her, I¡¯d do anything and putting on a dress was a cheap price to see her happy. As long as she didn¡¯t insist on making it a daily occurrence, I¡¯d be fine. I leaned forward and caught her lips. A breathless second later, I whispered: ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left. I didn¡¯t want to ask, but how are you holding up? I know you slept soundly and you don¡¯t seem any different, but I need to know. You didn¡¯t even cry.¡± She didn¡¯t tense up, which assuaged my worries immensely. ¡°Cassy, I¡¯ve been hurt, nothing more, nothing less. It wasn¡¯t the first time and it won¡¯t be the last, either. As long as you¡¯re still by my side, I don¡¯t really care, same as you. Don¡¯t ask me to hide in a small metal box, though. That¡¯s not going to happen, anytime soon.¡± I smiled and pulled us closer together, until I could feel her warmth all over my skin. Still, I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced. ¡°Then I won¡¯t. Thank you, Ahri, thank you for protecting my family.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not only your family, anymore. They¡¯re mine, as well.¡± She touched her bracelet. ¡°There really is no difference, which¡­ by the way, where is yours?¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s actually¡­ give me a moment.¡± I closed my eyes, focusing on the distant thrum of power, connected, yet separated from my own. The bracelet wasn¡¯t damaged and a heartbeat later, fuzzy, but gradually sharpening images flooded my mind. I blushed furiously and immediately severed the connection. From the looks of it, the old geezer was much more¡­ vigorous than I had thought. ¡°Still where I left it,¡± I mumbled in response to Ahri¡¯s questioning look. ¡°But it surely seems like old Zuma isn¡¯t expecting to live for much longer. He¡¯s¡­ celebrating. If you can even call it that.¡± She raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t ask further, when she saw me shaking my head. Instead, she wanted to know: ¡°The zoologist? What happened in there, anyways?¡± I stared at the floor, feeling guilty. ¡°I think he helped make the artefact, the Emperor used on you.¡± I had been told the whole story, the night before, so I already knew what had transpired while I had still been stuck with Lyra. ¡°Not the cage, but the device, that allowed him to channel a spark of your power, without burning to a crisp. I¡¯m not sure, though. Something else we¡¯ll have to find out. But considering he is spending all of his money on booze and women, right about know, it¡¯s a safe bet to assume he¡¯s somehow involved.¡± I hung my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have let it go, or at least told you.¡± She touched my shoulder gently, waiting patiently until I lifted my head and met her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re feeling guilty, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t. But it¡¯s about high time we got a chance to properly catch up, don¡¯t you think?¡± I could only nod vehemently in agreement. ¡°Sure is.¡± I eyed the door cautiously and added: ¡°you know, we can fly. There¡¯s nothing stopping¡­¡± she tenderly covered my mouth with her fingers, the caring touch contradicting her exasperate expression. ¡°Cassy¡­ you can¡¯t just run away anymore, every time you don¡¯t feel comfortable. Are you really contemplating fleeing from your brother?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± I admitted. ¡°But it was worth a shot. Best to get it over with, then.¡± With a courtesy, I opened the door. ¡°After you, Milady.¡± ¡°Thank you, your Highness.¡± She waited for me in the corridor and offered me her arm. ¡°Would you grant me the honour of accompanying you for the day?¡± I giggled obligatorily, albeit entirely happily, and clung on. ¡°Please, I¡¯ll be in your care. I¡¯m not going to ask my angelic knight to protect me, though. The last time, I got more than I bargained for.¡± ¡°And you also did most of the protecting, if memory serves.¡± We made our way towards the deck, hand in hand. The smell of drying hawsers and seasoned wood had already become homely and I closed my eyes, learning against Ahri. If only¡­ ¡°I want a home,¡± I suddenly blurted out, surprised by the plethora of emotions that had swamped me without warning. I quickly covered my mouth, still puzzling over where my outburst had come from. It was true, it always had been, but I had never truly thought of it as a priority. More like a luxury, a, most likely, unobtainable luxury. Apparently, my subconsciousness disagreed. I expected Ahri to shrug it off or even smile indulgently, but she did neither. Instead, she pulled me closer and whispered in my ear: ¡°So do I. I never wanted to push you, but if you ask me, it¡¯s high time you started caring for the seed, Greta left you. Make it grow, make it flourish into a blooming tree. I know you can.¡± 264. Of families, fears and a little bit of stubbornness Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Are we expecting an attack or an invitation to a coronation,¡± I inquired, while I scrutinised the colourful gathering in front of us. The dwarfs were, to the last lad, clad in armour and they had polished every nook and cranny to boot. They resembled nothing more than a glittering army, ready to march into battle. But they weren¡¯t the only ones who had given in to, what I assumed, had been my mom¡¯s demands. Aspera was wearing her silver mail, but her sister, as well as everyone else, had dressed elaborately, as if we were all planning on attending a ball together. Even the fey and the kids had been shoved into formal and, frankly, audacious clothes. Seriously, what was it with that woman and her obsessions? Forcing our family to look the part, I understood, but this was too much, in my humble opinion. I was surprised, Xorlosh had played along. On the other hand, the dwarfs probably didn¡¯t need much coaxing, when it came to showing off their gear. Why then, were they looking grim? My brother, wearing a dark, flowing, embroidered robe, his trusted sword at his side, replied with a forced smile: ¡°maybe both? There¡¯s¡­ Cassy, you should listen to what mom¡¯s got to say. There¡¯s a pretty good reason for all the theatrics. The reunion with our dear brother might become a bit more troublesome than we expected.¡± I was starting to feel nauseous, the whole situation vastly different from anything I had pictured. Reflexively, I tightened my grip on Ahri¡¯s hand and spun around to face my mother. The worried looks I caught from the corner of my eye didn¡¯t help, either. What the hell was going on? And why were Ahri and I the only ones who didn¡¯t know? ¡°Care to explain what he means,¡± I confronted the silver vixen. ¡°Last we talked, I wasn¡¯t under the impression, there¡¯d be a need for¡­ this. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I guess, it¡¯d be for the best to start from the beginning,¡± Xorlosh¡¯s deep voice cut in, as he leisurely made his way across the deck, packing his pipe. ¡°¡®N that¡¯s me story, first and foremost.¡± He waved his boys away. ¡°Feed the prisoners ¡®n bring ¡®em sails up, would yah, lads? And stop ogling the girls. They¡¯re darn pretty, but this is not the time. Come with me then, ladies, gents. ¡®T might be best to show you.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response and called over his shoulder: ¡°Atosh, bring ¡®em crystals, would yah, laddie? Right.¡± He walked towards the quarterdeck, already beginning his explanation. ¡°I already told you, while you were under, I received a message from me lads. They had encountered a battlefield, which looked very much like the place, the fleet of Free Land met its end. Now, most of you have already heard this part, but bear with me, a few details I¡¯ve omitted on Her Majesty¡¯s request.¡± By now, our group consisted of the usual suspects and Lyra and Liz, who seemed a bit lost. Ahri stood on my right and Reia on my left, her indispensable entourage behind her. Even the fey and the vampires were with us, Layla clutching onto her mother¡¯s hand. From the looks of it, this wasn¡¯t solely a family matter. I swallowed dryly, glancing around. The sun had risen above the horizon, its warm light dispersing the remnants of last night¡¯s storm. A mild breeze carried soft, wispy clouds across the sky and brought with it the scent of salt and the faintest hint of smoke. Even though the wind was coming from the sea, the miasma, still clinging to the smouldering city, hung in the air like a bitter tang. The harbour hadn¡¯t been damaged, the few merchant vessels, docked along the wooden bridges, were groaning in the wind, a constant stream of wares and people flowed hither and to, as the captains prepared to take off, eager to leave Free Land behind. A prudent decision. From where we were moored, I couldn¡¯t see too much of the town, but the muffled sounds were enough to convince me of the brewing unrest. Distant screams, the occasional clash of weapons and the heavy drumbeat of studded leather boots shattered the illusion of a calm, busy day. Xorlosh cleared his throat, commanding my attention. ¡°Now then, me lads stumbled over mutilated corpses and tortured, half dead men, their bodies grotesquely carved up with heinous runes.¡± He sighed, his eyes darting off to the side, when he added: ¡°I told ¡®em to end their suffering. We¡¯ve already seen too much necromancy and vile arts¡­ Anyways, me warning came a tad too late. They had already brought the ones, they didn¡¯t deem lost, on board.¡± My wings manifested of their own accord and I took an involuntary step towards him, but he held me back with a placating gesture. ¡°No one died, lass, but some were injured. Your brother among them. Ever since, his wife has taken command and we¡¯ve been trying to deal with that hag, but¡­ I guess it isn¡¯t me place to tell. That part, your mother knows much more about.¡± The vixen strutted to his side, tails held high. ¡°It¡¯s not much to tell, but it¡¯s troublesome. Sylvia blames us, or rather,¡± she turned to face me. I already knew what was coming. ¡°You.¡± I hissed and my wings crackled in the air. What the fuck? ¡°I know,¡± my mom continued, ¡°but try to put yourself in her shoes. All she knows is, that ever since you were born, we¡¯ve had to face one disaster after the other. For the first time in centuries, we were attacked and we lost our home. Now, her husband is wounded and since she¡¯s had all the time in the world to talk to the remaining children, she¡¯s bound to have heard some unsettling rumours about what you are and what you can do. She had to protected her family and her people. Long story short, she doesn¡¯t want you anywhere near either. As for the rest of us¡­ she¡¯d like to talk, but I think she¡¯s mainly just reserving judgement. Now, it should be plenty clear, why I¡¯m so insistent on greeting them the right way.¡± ¡°Screw them,¡± Reia suddenly blurted out, blushing when she realised, that every gaze was settling on her. Still, she didn¡¯t back down. ¡°We don¡¯t need them, we¡¯ve manage well enough without their help. If they want to blame Cassandra, they can go right ahead, but I¡¯m not going to give them the time of day.¡± She grabbed my hand and added: ¡°if they want me to choose, I¡¯ll stay right where I am.¡± Gratefully, I squeezed her fingers, even though I knew, it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. She¡¯d come with us, anyways, but for my mother and brother, it was quite a different story. If I had understood correctly, they¡¯d have to choose between me and the survivors of their people. An impossible predicament. The only solution was for either me to cut ties with them, something I couldn¡¯t even imagine, or I had to find a way to make up with Sylvia. Waiting it out was also an option. Arthur would soon retake his position and I didn¡¯t believe, he¡¯d share her views. Unfortunately, that would only force him to solve my problems and I didn¡¯t even know, if he could. No, the easiest way would be to convince his wife to let go. My mom had probably arrived at the same conclusion, hence the elaborate getup, she had forced upon us. ¡°I agree,¡± Mordred said. He turned to me, smiling. ¡°You¡¯ve saved my hide, just as recently as yesterday. I¡¯m not going to exchange you for anything in this world. If it¡¯s up to me, she can take her demands, shove them, where the sun don¡¯t shine, and fly back to where she came from.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hear, hear,¡± Xorlosh rumbled. ¡°She hasn¡¯t exactly ingratiated herself to me lads, either. Say the word and I¡¯ll have her thrown overboard, before they arrive.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure, whether he was being serious or not, but I still appreciated the sentiment. That is, if he wasn¡¯t willing to go through with it. Otherwise, we were going to have a completely different discussion. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± my mom projected, ¡°but if we can¡¯t convince her¡­ I won¡¯t abandon my daughter for anyone, especially if they are audacious enough to demand it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± Alassara interjected, ¡°and I agree, wholeheartedly, but what exactly are we,¡± she included everyone, who wasn¡¯t a kitsune, with a sweeping gesture, ¡°doing here? It¡¯s a family matter, isn¡¯t it and our opinions should be evident. We¡¯ve never even met the people, you¡¯re talking about. For me, at least, there isn¡¯t much to contribute. Of course I¡¯m standing with Cassandra, whatever she wants to do.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Viyara added. ¡°But I¡¯d also be willing to scare them and demonstrate, what it might mean to ostracise Cassy. I¡¯m not above a little intimidation.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, touched by their words, ¡°but that¡¯d make everything so much worse and would only serve to prove her point. No, this is my problem, isn¡¯t it? But I¡¯m also curious, why didn¡¯t you tell me in private, mom, and instead decided to air our dirty laundry publicly?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re¡­ Ah, we can show you¡± Atosh came running, two crystals and a massive mirror in his hands. The panting dwarf skidded to a halt, offering his precision cargo to Xorlosh. ¡°Got ¡®em, boss, ¡®n they¡¯re already connected. Just gotta watch.¡± Nodding, he placed the mirror on the ground, gesturing for us to gather around. ¡°What you¡¯re gonna see,¡± he explained, ¡°isn¡¯t a direct feed, but a set of memories. Think of it as a memory crystal, except the scenes aren¡¯t stored, but transmitted.¡± He pricked his thumb and smeared his blood across the topmost part of the mirror, where tiny runes had been etched onto the glass. ¡°¡®Lo and behold, the reason for this little get together.¡± The smooth surface rippled and images appeared, fuzzy at first, as if the connection hadn¡¯t been established properly, but they soon became clear. I didn¡¯t have to wonder anymore, why they were making such a fuss. Battle ships, Arthur had come with honest to god battleships, filled to the brim with an army of many tailed soldiers, their weapons resembling nothing more, than a thicket of steel and mithril, shimmering coldly. I couldn¡¯t even count their number, the images were changing much too quickly, but judging from the spells alone, which constantly pushed the hulking behemoths forwards, filling their sails with supernatural winds, they had enough magic users with them to level a small island. They represented a force, much stronger than anything Free Land could muster at the moment, which explained, why my mom was so insistent on having everyone here. The woman was already a step ahead of Viyara. She had called us here to show our relatives exactly what they were dealing with and how much trouble they¡¯d invite, if they were to go against us. The presence of a dragoness alone could dampen everyone¡¯s urge to fight, after all. ¡°You already spoke with her,¡± I addressed my mom. ¡°I want to know what she said. She doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with me, yet she¡¯s heading here, instead of turning around and you¡¯re preparing for a battle, aren¡¯t you? Adding two and two together, I assume she¡¯s not coming here for biscuits and tea. What happened?¡± The mirror was now showing an impressive array of operational ballistas, many more than even the dwarven ship contained. ¡°No, she isn¡¯t. I¡­ I made a mistake and told her pretty much everything, she wanted to know. She¡¯s family, after all. Cassy¡­ you must understand, she¡¯s frightened and¡­¡± ¡°I know what scared people can do,¡± I snarled. ¡°Tell me.¡± She prowled up and down. ¡°First of all, she¡¯s keeping your brother in an induced trance, to speed up his recovery, she claims, but with the amount of magic at their disposal, he should already have healed. And then¡­ she wants to exile you, for all to see. She reckons, her people will be safe, from whoever is hunting you, if there are no ties between you and them. She wants everyone to choose, sever the cancerous limb, a clean cut after which they can live in peace. Someone already told her, that you were on the verge of being exiled, before we had to flee, and she intends to enforce the verdict.¡± ¡°Is Sylvia really trying to protect her people or is she afraid of me?¡± ¡°A bit of both, I reckon, but it doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. She¡¯s determined and has already made up her mind. The only way to avoid a complete disaster is to show her what she stands to lose, the allies she¡¯d alienate and the power she¡¯d miss out on.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on me and judging from their expressions, they were expecting an outburst of some kind. I chuckled dryly, grinning. Once upon a time, maybe, but right then and there, I couldn¡¯t get myself to take it all seriously. It seemed so¡­ petty. ¡°Maybe I should have worn armour instead of a dress. Right, I don¡¯t think this will work. She¡¯ll only feel cornered and a cornered fox lashes out. Wouldn¡¯t it be for the best, if we met on her terms, where she feels safe, in control?¡± ¡°You want to fly to her, before she even arrives, don¡¯t you,¡± Ahri asked. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it. Would you join me?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t the only,¡± Viyara interrupted. ¡°I want to be there, when she realises, whom she has been toying with. Nobody is stupid enough to ignore a dragon and her rider.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to intimidate her. Quite the opposite. Look, if we don¡¯t want to escalate our problems, Sylvia has to willingly let go. And a sister, rushing to her brother¡¯s aid is inconspicuous enough. It¡¯s not even a lie. But a show of force¡­ we can just as well wait for them, if that¡¯s what you want to do.¡± I felt a tug on my hand and when I looked down, Reia asked: ¡°Does that mean I can come?¡± ¡°If you want to. I¡¯d also take you along,¡± I indicated my mom and focused on her, ¡°but that¡¯s it. What do you think? Is there a chance to convince her?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± she replied slowly. ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try. Besides, we can still exchange pleas for threats, later, in case there isn¡¯t. When do you want to leave?¡± ¡°Now. I¡¯ll change beforehand, though. As imposing as we all look, it¡¯s a far cry from how I want to meet her. Give me minute. Unless there¡¯s anything else?¡± ¡°You want to try reasoning with her and if it doesn¡¯t work scaring her,¡± Xorlosh summed it up succinctly. ¡°What will happen, if neither yields the desired result?¡± Straight to the point. I sighed. ¡°If it¡¯s up to me, I¡¯ll accept whatever punishment she wants to dish out to assuage her fears. If it makes her feel any better, so be it, but I¡¯m never going to stop protecting my people. If not openly, then behind the scenes. I don¡¯t need a crown to know who I am.¡± ¡°No,¡± my brother growled, his voice a hoarse rasp. ¡°You won¡¯t. By the Great Fox, so help me, I¡¯m not going to stand by idly, while you¡¯re being blamed for something, you very nearly managed to prevent. If anyone has to take the fall, it will be me. It¡¯s my fault to begin with.¡± ¡°And what good will that do,¡± I hissed. ¡°Whichever way you spin it, this isn¡¯t solely about protecting what¡¯s left of our people. She¡¯s afraid we might undermine her power, hers and Arthur¡¯s, and she¡¯s picked me to make an example out of. I might be able to talk my way out of this, for reasons you very well know. No heirs. But if you get involved, it¡¯ll change. If there¡¯s half a chance for her to eliminate a rivalling line, she¡¯ll take it. As a mother and a queen. Don¡¯t give her an excuse to get what she truly wants.¡± ¡°So what? If everything goes downhill, as it most often does, you expect me to smile while you¡¯re being painted as a traitor, for all you¡¯ve done? No. Cassy, I love you and I¡¯ve learned to respect you, but that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± He turned around, including everyone present when he added: ¡°Sylvia isn¡¯t the only one, who apparently needs to understand what you mean to us. Everyone here has fought and bled for us. Go on, ask them, if they¡¯d still continue to do so, if you were banished. We need your friends, Cassy. You can¡¯t abandon us.¡± ¡°I never would. I just don¡¯t need to be recognised for it and that¡¯s all she can ever take from me.¡± 265. Of magic, promises and a little worry Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You know, this wasn¡¯t supposed to turn into a family outing,¡± I complained regretfully to the two butterfly winged women at my side, nestling with the straps of my dress. ¡°So we¡¯re family now,¡± Erya exclaimed cheerfully, summersaulting around me and Ahri, her horns glittering in the bright sunlight. Being kidnapped had done nothing to dampen her spirits. She had also changed Morgan¡¯s body to grow a pair of identical wings, so that the younger girl could join us. Flying side by side, the similarities between the two fey were striking, their delicate features almost identical. If it hadn¡¯t been for the colour of their hair and eyes, they could have been twins. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, as I replied: ¡°you¡¯re something like the crazy, out of town aunt, who comes by, way too often.¡± I focused on her granddaughter and asked, more seriously: ¡°how¡¯s she doing? She had one hell of a first week in the mortal realms.¡± Erya shrugged. ¡°In comparison to what we went through before, it wasn¡¯t that bad, but I couldn¡¯t pass on a chance to get her away from that place, if only for a day. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to meddle with your plans. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± My objections to the two fey joining us had been shut down rigorously, after Erya had convinced everyone, she¡¯d be more than useful. While I¡¯d speak to Sylvia and look after my brother, she¡¯d spend her time chatting with the soldiers they had brought. She¡¯d make them understand, how valuable my friendship could be. If I couldn¡¯t convince the leader, it would be enough to have the support of the troops, she had argued. Her idea had fallen upon eager ears, since that particular line of reasoning applied to Viyara as well, which prompted the dragoness to support it wholeheartedly and, I might add, outspokenly. She had even cajoled my mom into agreeing, by advocating for keeping our ostentatious getup. It¡¯d be far more impressive. Her words, not mine. Consequentially, she was carrying Aurelia, Reia and my mom, her golden coils slithering through the air behind us, like a magnificent, crystallised ray of light. I couldn¡¯t be sure, but I thought she had grown and her crown of horns now constantly exuded a faint, silvery glow. Remembering how she had looked, all dressed up in a golden gown, I had to admit, she had changed over the past weeks. I wouldn¡¯t have called her fully grown, but she definitely wasn¡¯t a child anymore. I shook my head with a wry smile and said: ¡°actually, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re with us.¡± For all my whining, I still enjoyed the flight through a clear, azure sky. Most of the people I cherished were close by and, despite the rather trying circumstance, I was looking forward to meeting my brother. It had been years and whatever else, he was a part of my family. Even if he had apparently married the kitsune equivalent of a Karen. Well, everyone made mistakes. Also, I probably shouldn¡¯t label her, before I even had the chance to meet her, especially if I didn¡¯t plan on ending up in a cat fight, as soon as we landed. With a thought, I sped up until I reached Ahri¡¯s side and took her hand in mine. ¡°It feels¡­ peaceful and I¡¯ve always wanted to fly with all of you,¡± I added dreamily. ¡°This¡­ I guess this is as close to a wish come true as I¡¯ll get.¡± Ahri squeezed my fingers and leaned over. ¡°You¡¯re easy to please,¡± she whispered and gently bit my ear, sending shivers down my spine. ¡°Not really,¡± Morgan mumbled, her hearing apparently excellent, despite her human form. ¡°Gilded towers and flying castles only get you so far¡­ a moment of peace in the company of friends is worth more than I ever thought and it¡¯s also more precious than I ever could have imagined.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re already becoming wise, you¡¯re too young for that,¡± Erya piped up. ¡°I know, a brush with death should make you focus on what¡¯s really important, but isn¡¯t there anything else you long for?¡± The younger fey sighed and closed her eyes, relishing in the sunlight, warming her cheeks. ¡°Long for? No¡­ I always thought¡­ last night, even when the magic made me crumble, I wasn¡¯t nearly as¡­ desperate as I had been, when I had been dragged in front of the court. Do you know why? Because I wasn¡¯t alone and for the first time in my life, I didn¡¯t feel like it either. You were with me and I knew, someone out there would fight for us. I¡­ I trusted you, all of you, and now, flying beneath the sun, the wind in my hair and the shimmering sea below me, I know exactly what you mean, Cassy. I¡¯ve always wished for my magic to return, for a chance to live life to the fullest again, but I never realised, that I haven¡¯t really lived a single day, before. Maybe that¡¯s why I was so susceptible to that elf¡¯s charm,¡± she finished morosely, her eyes shimmering suspiciously, when she opened them again. For a moment, none of us replied, an awkward silence stretching between us. What was there to say? ¡°Isn¡¯t that, why we¡¯re all here,¡± I finally asked. ¡°Shunned and hunted, we¡¯ve endured and we¡¯ve received something precious in return. I don¡¯t know where our path will take us, none of us do, but wherever we are, we won¡¯t be alone, ever again. This is our story and it¡¯s our choice, whether, we want to focus on the past or the future, on dusk or dawn. ¡± They stared, waiting for me to continue, but I had already said my piece, except¡­ ¡°oh, and since we¡¯re on topic, you might not have to wait for long, before your other wish comes true. I¡¯ve got an idea, how I might be able to return your magic to you.¡± That changed the solemn mood quickly enough. Morgan and Erya missed a wing beat and dropped several meters, while Ahri gasped, her grip tightening. Right, I had never told anyone, not explicitly, not even you. I chuckled and stretched out my awareness, calling my spear. A heartbeat later, Aiglos crackled in my hand, shining brightly, despite the glaring sun. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a thing or two, while I was away.¡± I swung it leisurely, the tip following a gentle arc, while dancing flames ignited along the shaft. They left behind an afterimage, a wound in reality, a window to another place. For the fraction of a second, we could glimpse the top of a bare, molten island, an island of ash and obsidian. An island, I had once called home. I willed the tear to close, hiding the devastated place from view. I already mentioned, that I had gained much easier access to my memories, or rather to my knowledge. It didn¡¯t do much for me, when it came to casting spells or fighting, only because you knew how to do something, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean, that you could actually follow through, but it had come with a variety of perks. First and foremost, I had been able to repair my spear, mending and replacing the damaged parts with my own energy. In a way, it had been similar to a casting process. The form had already been there and all I had had to do was fill it with power. Second, I had gained a much more thorough understanding of what magic actually was and what I could do, what I could learn and what I wouldn¡¯t be capable of, no matter how hard I tried. For mortals, there were two limiting factors, their knowledge and their power. The latter could be tweaked in various ways, ranging from absorption to training, all of which could increase the amount of energy, a practitioner could call upon. The same held true for knowledge, which would grow, for as long as the wizard in question strove to learn. The only thing that couldn¡¯t be altered was the very nature of the energy, they wanted to master. May it be mana, the forces of life or even of the soul, you were either able to feel them, to connect to them, or you weren¡¯t. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. For us, it was different. Every immortal had access to a practically infinite amount of power, fuelled by our cores, and we all grew into mastering every form of energy over time. Our limits were imposed by our very nature, rendering us incapable of learning spells or rituals, that didn¡¯t align with who we were. I, for example, had never been able to learn more than the most mundane healing arts. Even with access to my life force, I had never been able to make a limb regrow. Fortunately, I had a sweet, bodily workaround in the form of my transformed wing. My affinities had been centred around the very essence of magic, the nature of energy itself. I had been able to easily manipulate any kind of spell. Counterspells, barriers and the like had been right up my alley and while I had never been able to conjure as magnificent a fireball as Ahri, my control over the different elements had been nothing to sneeze at, either. Now, though, everything was different. Mephisto¡¯s proclamations had been spot on. Since my rebirth, I wasn¡¯t the same person anymore and while my underlying talents hadn¡¯t changed, my connection to my own powers was vastly different and so were the spells I could use, which meant I had to start from scratch. With a few exceptions. The spear, I already mentioned, but there was more. Every act of unrestrained, unshackled magic, magic, in other words, that hadn¡¯t been bound by a rigid spell form, but which had been invoked by an effort of pure will, didn¡¯t adhere to the same rules. My wings, what I¡¯d need to do to read the book Amazeroth had left me and the times, when I had transformed Viyara or my mom, were good examples. Again, it wouldn¡¯t be practical in a fight, it¡¯d take too long and the outcome was much too unpredictable, but when it came to reigniting an extinguished spark in someone else or even connecting a mind to the arcane stores within the body, it might just work. I planned on testing that theory with Morgan and Auguros, as well as Will and Vanya. I just had to make sure, I wouldn¡¯t blow their heads off in the process. ¡°What did you just do,¡± Ahri asked, almost reverently. ¡°I projected the memories of home into my weapon and struck through the membrane. Its similar to what I did, when we saved the children. Only this time, I used my spear, its enchantments and my memories instead of my wings and an existing spell.¡± A satisfied smile spread across my face, as I added: ¡°and the backlash doesn¡¯t hurt me anymore, either. I wouldn¡¯t recommend anyone but us to use a portal like this, though. The forces within might very well rip even a dragon apart.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Viyara interjected. She had drifted closer, her eyes wide. Even my mom and Reia were regarding me with awe and a hint of fear. I blinked in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually afraid of what I can do. You do know who I am, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­,¡± my sister mumbled meekly. ¡°Cassy, what you just did shouldn¡¯t be possible. Like, literally impossible. Without a focus, there¡¯s no way to form a connection like that. We know, who you are, but usually it¡¯s not as glaringly obvious.¡± She scrutinised me for a moment, her eyes tracing my form, before she added: ¡°maybe it is and we¡¯ve just gotten used to you, until you go ahead and do something¡­ it¡¯s one thing to watch you fight, but seeing you break the laws, we¡¯ve been taught since birth, as if it was nothing¡­ that¡¯s different.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± Erya piped up, but the way she was ogling me put the lie to her words. ¡°But I¡¯d still like to know, what you¡¯re planning. Why do you suddenly think you can help Morgan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I replied hesitantly, ¡°but I think I can use my energy to¡­ jumpstart hers. From what I¡¯ve learned, her powers aren¡¯t gone, they¡¯re just¡­ severed from her mind. Once they circulate again, she should be back to normal and I can provided that initial push. I hope.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong?¡± I shrugged and mumbled ¡°spray paint¡± under my breath. Out loud, I said: ¡°we¡¯ll immediately know, if there¡¯s a chance. In case I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll just stop.¡± I brandished my weapon again and added: ¡°I¡¯ve been tinkering with this thing for aeons. Aside from the rather nifty enchantments, which allow me to create a bridge to any place I¡¯ve already visited, it enhances my control over every bit of power I pour into it. It¡¯s also darn sharp, but that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Do you honestly plan on running me through or shoving a stick up my¡­ you get the picture,¡± Morgan complained, her projected nonchalance hiding a newfound hope. I chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to describe it. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to go that far. Why, channeling my energy through it should be enough. No need to harm you in the process.¡± ¡°Why wait, then? Couldn¡¯t we try right now?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± I replied hesitantly, her enthusiasm catching me off guard. ¡°But I¡¯d rather not¡­ there¡¯s always a chance I¡¯m going to mess up royally and I¡¯d rather not hover between heaven and earth, when that happens. Also, I wouldn¡¯t mind having most of our casters around, in case I¡¯m, you know, wrong. They could counteract whatever problem I might cause.¡± ¡°You mean my grandmother, Ahri, your mom or our resident dragoness should be present?¡± She inquired ironically. Twirling in midair, she feigned surprise and added: ¡°gosh, look whom I¡¯ve found. I wonder, where they¡¯ve suddenly come from.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty cocky, considering you were afraid I¡¯d hurt you, a few seconds ago.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just mention something like that and expect her to simply wait, until you feel like the time¡¯s right,¡± Erya explained, frowning. ¡°What did you think would happen?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think much,¡± I defended myself, ¡°I only meant to change the topic.¡± ¡°You succeeded there, darling,¡± Ahri interjected dryly. She whirled around, facing Morgan. ¡°Still, I understand where you¡¯re coming from, but Cassy¡¯s right. Something like this, however simple it may sound in theory, shouldn¡¯t be attempted halfheartedly. Are you honestly willing to risk your one chance, only because you¡¯re impatient?¡± ¡°Guess not,¡± the fey pouted. ¡°A day or two won¡¯t kill me, but¡­ it¡¯s so much harder, now that I know, there¡¯s a way.¡± ¡°And here I was, thinking you had left these lowly aspirations behind. Didn¡¯t you say, you weren¡¯t longing for your magic,¡± I teased. She smiled ruefully. ¡°Maybe I over exaggerated a bit,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I also didn¡¯t expect you to dangle that particular carrot in front of my nose. It¡¯s just¡­ I might not have made my peace with my predicament, but I accepted it. Knowing it could change¡­ hope can be cruel, sometimes,¡± she finished subduedly. Erya immediately flew to her side and took her hand. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to delay anymore than you do. Once we¡¯re back¡­ I¡¯m not going to promise I¡¯ll go through with it but I¡¯ll try.¡± A soft smile tugged on the corners of my mouth, when I saw Erya silently comforting the girl. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll help, as much as I can,¡± Ahri whispered, ¡°but for now, you should focus on what¡¯s directly in front of us.¡± My confusion lasted only for a moment, until I sent a trickle of energy towards my eyes. The world stuttered and the blurry shadows in the distance became clear. Not too far ahead, a handful of kilometres at most, looming shapes stately ploughed their way through the open sky. I saw masts and sails, shimmering metal and darkened wood. Eight ships, one of them obviously a dwarven vessel, were gradually making their way towards Free Land, carried along by a stiff breeze, defying the calm weather. They flew in a tight, diamond shaped formation, one ship hovering above and one below the small fleet. Six of the seven kitsune vessels were identical, sleek and armoured they shot through the sky, their sails billowing in the winds, their magicians constantly created. On deck, the soldiers who weren¡¯t busy calling the elements to their side, stood in full gear, weapons at the ready, almost as if they were preparing for an invasion. I swallowed dryly and focused on the last ship, the one at the centre. It was larger than the rest, a black flag with a silver full moon fluttering above its mast. Without a doubt, I was going to find Sylvia there and from the looks of it, she was already expecting trouble¡­ or us. I somehow doubted, she had bothered to prepare tea and cookies. 266. Of in-laws, introductions and a little bit of tension Cassandra Pendragon Being shouted at could be decidedly uncomfortable, but the silence, stretching between us, was far worse. Somehow the elegant kitsune, who leisurely reclined in a luxurious armchair opposite me, scowling, made me feel like a child, who had been caught with its hand in the proverbial cookie jar. She didn¡¯t even have to speak, her pointed stares were more than enough to convey her displeasure. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, I had already known that Sylvia didn¡¯t hold me in high regard, but I hadn¡¯t been prepared for this kind of reception. The woman was remarkable, to say the least. Slender and tall with four tails, her fur of the deepest blue, almost black, her dark, wavy hair tied back in a tight knot, she looked capable and beautiful, a queen through and through. Her large, azure eyes were narrowed as she scrutinised me over the small table between us, fiddling with the hem of her emerald dress. Even the warm, red tinted light, shimmering though the high windows behind her, did nothing to soften her harsh, stone cold expression. And my visit hadn¡¯t even started out half bad¡­ Before we had landed, I had asked Viyara to transform, which had made our appearance slightly less imposing. Still, I had been forced to bolster my voice with a hint of power to convince the soldiers to refrain from using their well kept ballistas the very moment they spotted our group, soaring through the sky. Consequentially, we hadn¡¯t been shot at, but the whole company had been present, when we had touched down on deck. Back then it had been entertaining to watch them shuffle on their feet, unsure of how to greet us. Some had immediately recognised who I was, my eyes a dead giveaway, even though I must have been a toddler, the last time they had laid their eyes on me. My current appearance, paired with my wings and the breathtaking, multi tailed kitsune at my side, had still made them uneasy, especially considering the orders, their mistress had probably issued. The fantastical menagerie of beautiful girls behind me, each one surrounded by a palpable nimbus of power, hadn¡¯t helped, either and despite their numbers, they had gotten anxious. Ahri and I had retracted our wings and I had introduced myself, demanding to see my brother. They had been hesitant at first but a surge of light, exploding from my eyes had convinced them to hurry up and play along. Only in hindsight had I realised, that I had already pretty much smashed every illusion of a meek, timid girl, I might have tried to create. Oh well, that ship had probably sailed, the very moment I had decided to allow a dragoness and an immortal vampire to tag along. I had left my friends in the gentle hands of the soldiers, or rather, the soldiers in the gentle care of my friends and followed two of them towards the sick bay, where my brother rested on a small cot, surrounded by softly glowing gems. He hadn¡¯t changed. Tall and muscular, with short cropped, almost white hair and silver fur, he exuded a regal aura, even in his catatonic state. The very moment I saw him, a lump formed in my throat and I again felt like a tiny girl, longing for the protection and embrace of her oldest brother. With an effort, I had shoved away the rising tide of emotions and silently taken his hand, allowing my senses to penetrate his body. I hadn¡¯t been able to suppress a grin, right then and there. Apparently, he had been hit on the noggin and while they had already healed his injuries, he¡¯d be better off asleep, his magic dormant, while his mind regenerated. If he had been awake, there¡¯d have been no telling, if he¡¯d have been able to keep his powers in check. Putting him under had been the right decision and while I had been worried for my brother, seeing the mighty Arthur Pendragon reduced to a snoring body, stuffed into a fluffy gown, had still lifted my spirits. Until his infamous wife had stormed through the door, demanding for me to leave her husband alone. Sighing, I had caressed his hand one last time and had risen to follow her, which had brought us to where we were, now. Alone in a room, an icy wall of silence between us, with neither tea nor cookies in sight. ¡°Usually I¡¯d introduce myself, but that seems superfluous,¡± I finally muttered. ¡°I imagine you¡¯d have greeted a stranger much more warmly. Still, the last time we met, I barely reached your knees, so¡­¡± I extended my hand hesitantly and added: ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra. Your husband¡¯s sister.¡± She eyed me like a rabid beast, her expression oscillating between weariness and a hint of curiosity, and she didn¡¯t take it. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said, while I retracted my hand resignedly. ¡°Of course I know, who you are. And I assume your mother already told you why you¡¯re not welcome here. Why did you come?¡± ¡°Because my brother was hurt and whether you like it or not, he¡¯s my family. I¡¯ve encountered the magic you were confronted with more often than I like to admit. If he had been cursed, he would have needed my help and no one will ever prevent me from protecting my family. No one.¡± And here I went again. I didn¡¯t know why, but every word she uttered irked me and I just couldn¡¯t swallow my pride, even though I had been told what would be coming. ¡°Are you threatening me,¡± she flared up. I dropped my head into my hands and sighed, again. ¡°No, of course not. Sylvia, I¡¯m not here to fight you, honestly, but you¡¯re trying my patience. Why do you suddenly hate me so much? When I was a kid, you played with me, you even tried to teach a crying toddler how to sing. Do you really believe I¡¯m some kind of devil in disguise?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe,¡± she snapped, ¡°but I do know, that death and destruction follow you wherever you go and I¡¯ll have no part in it. We¡¯ve built a home, Cassandra, and I don¡¯t want you to destroy what we¡¯ve created. Arthur might be your brother, but he¡¯s also our leader and my husband.¡± ¡°Then why did you come with him in the first place? I didn¡¯t even know you were here.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯d have gone, either way,¡± she erupted. ¡°This way, I can at least make sure he¡¯ll return home safely. Also, we¡¯ve a responsibility. The children¡­¡± ¡°The children I protected, you mean,¡± I interrupted her scathingly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about them. They¡¯ll be cared for, with or without your intervention.¡± ¡°By whom? You? Don¡¯t make me laugh. Ever since you¡¯ve stepped into their lives, they¡¯ve known nothing but strive and misery. Tell me, the little girl, you so proudly brought along, how many corpses has she seen, how many deprivations has she had to suffer through? Her posture, her gaze that¡¯s not the look of a child but a veteran. What have you done to her?¡± My hands twitched, the impulse to strangle her burned like a bonfire in my chest. I took a deep, calming breath through my nose and raised my head, my eyes filling the room with an eerie, flickering light. Sylvia tensed when she met my gaze, her eyes inadvertently travelling to the door. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°That girl¡¯s name is Reia and she¡¯s my sister. I don¡¯t mind your insults, but should you ever decide to make her a part of this, you¡¯ll regret it. You want to know what I¡¯ve done?¡± I rose, my wings manifesting behind me. Sylvia¡¯s composed and slightly haughty expression changed, as she contemplated whether or not she had gone too far. Yes, my dear, rabid animals can bite. ¡°I¡¯ve fulfilled my duties, I¡¯ve bled and I¡¯ve suffered for my people, more than you can imagine. If it hadn¡¯t been for me, you would have one day returned to a kingdom of fallen wraiths, if they wouldn¡¯t have come knocking on your door, long before. I¡¯ve earned my crown, not by birth but by the blood and tears I¡¯ve sacrificed for our people and the blood I¡¯ve spilled in their name. If you want to take it from me, go right ahead, but know this, I don¡¯t need to wear it to know who I am and I don¡¯t need your blessing to protect them.¡± My voice rumbled with a transcendent resonance, sparks igniting in the air between us. ¡°I¡¯ve done what was needed, what nobody else had the strength to do. I¡¯ve brought her back from the brink, I¡¯ve saved her from a fate you can¡¯t even imagine and I¡¯ve allowed her to become what she is now. I do regret that she had to grow up within a few weeks, but at least she had the chance to. So please,¡± I added much more calmly, while I retracted my wings, ¡°don¡¯t presume to know me, only because you¡¯ve pieced together bits and pieces of my past. It¡¯s far more complex than you know and I¡¯m not the cowardly princess, hiding behind others, you make me out to be.¡± She trembled, her eyes wide. I bit my lip, unsure if I had gone too far, but the moment she had hinted, that I might have harmed my sister, I had had enough. Especially since I had already had had similar thoughts, last night for example. ¡°What are you,¡± she breathed, white as a sheet, her fingers clasping her dress. I chuckled dryly. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s something you should have asked a teensy bit sooner. Before you went straight ahead and did your best to make me feel like a criminal.¡± I bowed form the waist, lower than would have been customary for a royal, and said: ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra Pendragon, a princess of our people and an immortal. I¡¯ve lived for uncounted years, I¡¯ve seen war and love, despair and success in equal measure. I¡¯ve walked between worlds. My enemies call me Lightbringer and they fear my name. I¡¯m a loving fianc¨¦e, a caring daughter and a doting sister. I¡¯m stubborn and defiant and I sometimes act without thinking. I could also be your friend, if you wanted me to.¡± She fell silent, her breathing shallow, her eyes fixed on mine with a newfound intensity. I remained quiet, openly answering her gaze, while I slowly sat back down. Seconds, minutes passed and neither of us spoke, the tension in the room slowly building up. This was it. If she was going to shun me, I wouldn¡¯t try again. A tight knot was forming in my stomach, but I didn¡¯t move, waiting for her to speak. Finally, after what seemed like hours to me, she closed her eyes, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. ¡°Whatever you are, it¡¯s clear as day, that you¡¯re Arthur¡¯s sister. You have no idea how much you remind me of him, just now. I swear, if it weren¡¯t for your looks and those wings of yours, you could be his twin.¡± She chuckled ruefully, but before I could relax, she added: ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted us to meet like this, but it doesn¡¯t change much. Tell me, after everything you¡¯ve just said, after everything you¡¯ve freely admitted, can you honestly look into my eyes and tell me, that you¡¯re no danger to my people, to everyone around you? You¡¯re an immortal you say¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean, you have immortal enemies? Cassandra¡­,¡± she paused, as if struggling to remember something, ¡°Cassy, can you honestly tell me, that we wouldn¡¯t be better off without you? It¡¯s an unfair question, but I need to know. Are you¡­ can I trust you with everything I¡¯ve got left in this world?¡± Her tone had changed. She was being sincere and she was afraid. Afraid of who I was, afraid of what it might mean. After a moment, I replied honestly: ¡°Danger follows me, it¡¯s true and I don¡¯t know what it might mean for you and yours, further down the road, but this I know: if you decide to trust me, I won¡¯t ever betray that trust. I never have and I won¡¯t change. The choice is yours and I¡¯ll accept it, whatever it¡¯s going to be.¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m going to try to enforce the verdict, you narrowly avoided on Boseiju?¡± ¡°Even then. I¡¯m never going to raise my hand against one of my people and you, whether you like it or not, are one of them. To be precise, ever since you married my brother, you¡¯re an in-law, you¡¯re family. If you want me gone, I¡¯ll leave and I¡¯ll stay away from your tribe, until they need me. This, though, is the simple truth. Whether I¡¯m a royal or an exile, I¡¯ll never stop protecting my people. Whenever they need me, I¡¯ll be there. This, you will have to accept.¡± She frowned, her gaze unwavering. Suddenly, the colour returned to her cheeks and she burst into laughter. ¡°Another thing you have in common with Arthur. Both of you suck at negotiations. You should have seen the mess he made, when we first settled down.¡± Still chuckling, she shook her head, her tresses dancing. ¡°You¡¯re still the same girl, who tried to skewer a merchant for mistreating his wife, aren¡¯t you? Well, you¡¯ve definitely grown up, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve changed that much. If it were up to you, what would you have me do?¡± ¡°Nothing. Believe it or not, I understand where you¡¯re coming from and I¡¯d even have played along quietly, if there had been the slightest chance your plan could have actually worked. If you¡¯re afraid of whom I might bring into your life, cutting ties with me won¡¯t help. You¡¯d have to convince the world, that I don¡¯t care about you and your people, not the other way around, because that¡¯s the risk you¡¯re inviting. Being used as leverage against me. Everybody, who knows me, won¡¯t ever buy that particular lie. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much for you to gain, unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless?¡± ¡°Unless you¡¯re not really trying to protect your people, but your power. Are you?¡± ¡°Partly. You¡¯re scary, Cassandra. Scary, beautiful and powerful, to an intimidating degree. Even what little you¡¯ve shown in the past few minutes... That¡¯s not a combination anyone would like to see in a person, who might, one day, become a rival. Will my kids one day have to fight yours for the throne? Do you plan on becoming queen, a title, you claim, you¡¯ve already earned?¡± ¡°No, Sylvia, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not a danger to your dynasty, I never will be. My mom obviously hasn¡¯t told you. I won¡¯t ever have heirs, I can¡¯t. As for myself, I don¡¯t strive for power, I seek only the strength I need to protect what I cherish. Unless there is no other choice, I don¡¯t want to sit on a throne and as long as my siblings, my mom or even you are alive, I won¡¯t have to take up the mantle.¡± I didn¡¯t explicitly state that I had included Reia as well. For me, the girl was by far the best choice, of all the available alternatives, but she didn¡¯t have to know that. She leaned back in her chair, her hair covering her face, and massaged her temples, an azure glow shimmering from behind the dark curtain. ¡°I should have expected as much,¡± she finally said. ¡°I assume a title doesn¡¯t hold that much appeal anymore, when you¡¯re more ancient than the kingdoms which grant them. How old are you, exactly?¡± ¡°Seven. I¡¯d love to say I¡¯m turning eight soon, but that¡¯d be a shameless exaggeration.¡± She chuckled quietly and pushed her hair back. ¡°Helena mentioned something like that. You were reborn, weren¡¯t you? Maybe I should have asked, how long you¡¯re¡­ how long the being you hide under all that beauty has existed.¡± ¡°Flattery? That¡¯s new, but I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t appreciate it. Anyways, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a word to appropriately describe my age. Even mountainous wouldn¡¯t begin to come close, since I¡¯m probably older than this world. I¡¯m old enough to remember a time before time.¡± She was again turning pale and I had to admit, I was throughly enjoying myself. ¡°Sylvia¡­ I¡¯m an angel, one of the originals on whose example the mortal races have built their definition of transcendence, of divinity. For all intent and purposes, I¡¯m a legend come alive, a breathing myth, except I¡¯m not shackled by your beliefs of what is and what should be.¡± It was my turn to lean back and scrutinise her, weighing my words carefully. In the end, I decided to tell her the truth. ¡°I¡¯m still the little girl you chased through the palace of the moon, but my essence, my core, is something that defies explanation. I¡¯m not telling you this to coerce or intimidate you, but rather to make you understand one simple thing: I¡¯m the strongest guardian our people have ever had.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I just hate my life,¡± she muttered. 267. Of zeal, anger and a little bit of consolation Cassandra Pendragon ¡°If I had known, what I was signing up for, I would have run, the very moment Arthur asked me to leave Boseiju. It¡¯s been nothing but¡­¡± I felt a surge of anger rush through my tattoo, followed by a flare of transcendent energies and the unmistakable sounds of an impending fight, echoing through the cabin. Somewhere on deck, something had gone very wrong. Planks groaned and the temperature spiked. I jumped to my feet, my ears twitching while I tried to make sense of what was going on. Were we being attacked? ¡°Ahri,¡± I thundered, my voice driving Sylvia to her knees. The poor girl had barely had the time to stand up and now she was flat on her ass again, but I didn¡¯t particularly care. What was going on? A second later, my questions were answered, when a furred body fell past the windows, tails and arms flailing. I could only stare in amazement, while a streak of gold followed behind, wrapping itself around the kitsune. Viyara had caught him, but I still didn¡¯t know, why he had been thrown overboard, in the first place. Decisively, I grabbed Sylvia¡¯s shoulder and pulled her along. ¡°Come with me. If your men are stupid enough to not heed the warning they just received, we have a real problem. I don¡¯t know what just happened, but if they managed to provoke my wife, there¡¯s no telling what she might do.¡± I didn¡¯t doubt her restraint, but she had already sent one of them flying, which meant she was brimming with anger. If she let loose, no one would be able to stop her and since we were on a flying hunk of flammable wood, we¡¯d be royally screwed. I tried to reach out to her, while I dragged Sylvia through the door, but I only encountered a burning wall of anger, tinted with darker shades of doubts and something like self loathing. What, in god¡¯s name, had they done to her? If there was even the sliver of a chance, they had tried to hurt her, being thrown overboard would soon become the least of their worries. My wings manifested again and without a second thought, I pulled Sylvia closer and sped up. It didn¡¯t take us more than a handful of seconds to explode onto deck, the massive gate, protecting the interior of the ship, reduced to so much as splinters, when I charged through, my wings a shimmering armour around us. Stumbling, I came to a halt, my eyes widening as I took in the scene. Aurelia, her wings unfurled, was trying to hold Ahri back, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to cling on for much longer. She was already being pushed back and just as we arrived, Ahri¡¯s wings materialised and a surge of heat and flames catapulted the vampire away. She was flung through the air until she crashed into the mast, her fangs bared. Snarling, she got back to her feet, her fingers suddenly changing into smouldering, black claws. Like an enraged animal, she hissed and prepared to jump again. Meanwhile, the burning angel took to the air. Her hair reflected the shine of her flames and became a molten corona of light, dancing around her magnificent silhouette. The only time I had seen her like this had been the moment she had found me, staked to Shassa¡¯s statue. Opposite her, a group of soldiers were cowering in fear, trembling uncontrollably. They stared at her, as if she was an incarnation of their most gruesome nightmare. In their panic, they had dropped their weapons, which were now clattered around them, like discarded junk. The only thing keeping them alive was a slim girl and a silver vixen, who stood between them and the wave of transcendent wrath, ready to drown them in sorrow and fire. Unflinching, Reia and my mom faced my fianc¨¦e, arms and tails spread wide. They didn¡¯t budge, their eyes shimmering defiantly, displaying a hell of a lot more courage than the so called comrades of the group, hiding behind Erya and Morgan, off to the side. ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Ahri whispered, her voice quiet but carrying with an eerie cadence I knew all too well. ¡°No,¡± my sister simply stated and then they all whirled around, as the smaller pieces, the door had turned into, rained down around them. ¡°What are you doing,¡± I screamed, rushing forward. Prudently, I had left Sylvia behind. ¡°Ask them,¡± Ahri snarled, her fur bristling. ¡°Ask them what they did.¡± Perplexed, I stopped in the middle of the mess, uncertainty written all across my face. ¡°They meant to take us, use us to force you into complying with whatever their mistress wanted. Not again, never again! They went after Reia! I won¡¯t let that happen! Last night has been enough.¡± Slowly, I turned to Sylvia. I didn¡¯t bother asking, if Ahri was telling the truth. She¡¯d never lie to me and as angry as she was, there weren¡¯t many things, which could have triggered her like that. A demand, mirroring the pain and helplessness she had had to suffer through last night, would have done the trick, though. ¡°Did you know,¡± I asked quietly, my voice thrumming with barely restrained power. ¡°Was this your intent? String me along while you gained an advantage? Tell me!¡± From the corner of my eye, I saw Reia and my mom glancing at each other, their postures stiff. They knew, that Sylvia¡¯s reply might very well put an end to this little endeavour. Permanently. Panting, she shook her head. ¡°No. I swear, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯d never¡­¡± she turned to her soldiers. ¡°Is it true? Did one of you brainless idiots really try to lay a finger on them?¡± When they didn¡¯t respond, their panicked gazes still stuck to the hovering menace before them, she hollered: ¡°answer me! Is she telling the truth?¡± From the sidelines, one of the kitsune, one of those, who had recognised me, suddenly cried out: ¡°It is.¡± He spun to face me. ¡°Princess, most of us didn¡¯t know. We¡¯d never raise our hands against you or yours, you must believe me!¡± He bowed formally, his hands crossed above his heart. ¡°Please, we¡¯re¡­¡± he fell silent, when a looming shadow sent specks of golden light dancing over the deck, accompanied by a bloodcurdling roar. In a display of splendour and might, Viyara appeared above the prow, her maw opened wide to allow a glaring wave of silvery flames to spill forth. In her paw, the soldier, she had saved, was curled up into a shivering ball of misery. ¡°Fools,¡± her telepathic outpour pushed the kitsune to the ground. ¡°If you valued your lives, don¡¯t move a muscle.¡± With a crash, that made the whole ship tremble, she landed behind my girl, like a gargantuan, sparkling shadow, showcasing the real strength, the winged kitsune was hiding. My wings flared and I vanished in a shower of sparks, reappearing right in front of Ahri, our faces no more than a handspan apart. I reached out to her, with my hand and my mind, and this time, she didn¡¯t wall herself off. She welcomed me and allowed the memories of the last few minutes to flow through our connection, while her slender fingers caressingly enveloped my own. She was hot to the touch, but her fires didn¡¯t harm me, the flames dancing around and between us, mimicking the constant stream of thoughts and emotions we exchanged. After I had left them, my friends had stuck together in a tight group, keeping their distance and eyeing the kitsune soldiers curiously. The warriors had done the same and gradually, the tension had evaporated until someone had called Ahri by name, pushing through the crowd. It had been a palace guard on Boseiju, someone we had regularly come across, back then. They had struck up a conversation and bit by bit, the others had joined in. Except for a militant group of troublemakers, who had kept their distance, muttering and whispering in hushed tones. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Nobody had minded them and slowly, inconspicuously, they had closed in. In the middle of a sentence, Ahri had heard Reia scream, the girl suddenly surrounded by a group of armoured, weapon bearing men, who had tried to push her along. Before she had been able to do more than open her mouth to protest, someone had struck Ahri¡¯s head with the pommel of a sword. A grave mistake. She hadn¡¯t collapsed, the gentle tap not even enough to cause much discomfort, but instead she had whirled around, reflexively catching the weapon. With a twist, she had thrown the culprit overboard, which had prompted his allies to draw their knifes and point them at my sister. With callous disregard for the consequences, Ahri had flooded her body with energy and had allowed the bottled up storm to break free, just barely suppressing the ravenous flames her powers had wanted to invoke. A thought had been enough to isolate the misguided zealots. If it hadn¡¯t been for Reia and my mom, who had immediately gotten in between her and the group, she would have incinerate the lot of them, then and there. As it was, she was still dead set on reducing them to ash and memories, but my appearance had returned a modicum of calm to her frothing mind. They wouldn¡¯t get away unscathed, but she had already broken free of the bloody fog, their actions had filled her with. Confusedly, she blinked, when she realised that we were already hovering close to a hundred metres above the ship. I had carried us higher and higher, afraid her flames might devour more than she was planning on. While her gaze cleared, I swiftly kissed her lips and smiled crookedly. ¡°Thank you,¡± I breathed, ¡°but I think that¡¯s enough, don¡¯t you agree?¡± She shook her head like a dog, trying to clear its ears. The heat, rolling off of her in palpable waves gradually diminished, while she stared into my eyes, lost somewhere in her own world. I had already suspected, that she wasn¡¯t dealing with her ordeal as easily as she had claimed, but I hadn¡¯t thought it possible for her to explode like that, the first chance she¡¯d get. Not to say I didn¡¯t appreciate her actions, but beating the hell out of one or two would have been more than enough to settle the matter, in a far less dangerous manner. This kind of stunt was more my thing, really, than it was hers. The harsh lines around her mouth softened and the deadly sparks in her eyes dimmed, until she seemed more scared than anything else. Without warning, she wrapped her tails and arms around me, nearly strangling me in the process. A hoarse cough, closer to a sob, escaped her and the next second, she was crying in earnest, her steaming tears drenching my dress. I held her tight, while we still rose through the sky, the ship reduced to a speck of colour below us. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m with you, we¡¯re not in danger,¡± I whispered. ¡°Reia¡¯s safe. You protected her.¡± ¡°Cassy? Why¡­ gods, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She was shaking, now. ¡°What have I done?¡± ¡°Nothing bad, nothing wrong and probably still less than I would have, had I been there. Still, we should probably try to not burn the last bridge. Will you dive down there and put the fear of god in them again, if I let go of you?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t, but could you still not let go of me? I¡­¡± she snivelled and buried her face in the nape of my neck. ¡°I just need you to hold me for a while. Please.¡± I caressingly slung my tails around her waist and pulled her closer, until our bodies were flush against one another. Silently, we hung between heaven and earth, like two lost birds, unsure of how to return to the nest. ¡°For as long as you want me to.¡± I felt her tension evaporate, her deep breaths hot on my skin. ¡°We might be stuck here for a while, then,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Gods, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d turn out to be like this. I don¡¯t know even know why, but when they pulled their weapons, I just felt like¡­¡± she hesitated, struggling with her words. I kissed her again and said: ¡°No need to explain, least of all to me. You could have told me sooner, though. I want to know what¡¯s going on with you.¡± I hadn¡¯t meant to sound reproachful, but she still took it that way. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± she hastily explained, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t. I¡­ of course I would have¡­ I was fine after I¡¯ve slept by your side. I thought I had¡­ I¡¯m not trying to push you away, I never would!¡± By the Great Fox, she really was a mess. I¡¯d never have thought for a second, she¡¯d intentionally keep me at arms length. ¡°Ahri, believe me, I know. All I meant is¡­ you don¡¯t have to pretend or lie to yourself for my sake. Whether you¡¯re an invincible immortal or a hurt girl, I¡¯ll love you just the same. You¡¯ve comforted me, you¡¯ve held me and yet¡­ why can¡¯t you ever show any form of weakness?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m here to protect you, not the other way around,¡± she whispered. ¡°For longer than I can remember, you¡¯ve kept me safe, you¡¯ve fought my battles. Even when you died, your last act was to spare me¡­ you deserve more.¡± I grinned wryly and patted her head, touched and amused. ¡°I guess we¡¯re both hopeless, aren¡¯t we? Truth be told, I¡¯ve also been hiding a few things from you. I¡¯ve always told myself, that it¡¯s mainly because there was never a chance to bring it up, but I guess I simply wanted to figure out a solution, beforehand.¡± Carefully, I shifted her around until our tattoos touched. ¡°Not anymore.¡± My next words reached her telepathically, while I offered her access to every part of my mind. ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll share our burdens, all of them. That is, if you want to.¡± For a moment, she seemed starstruck, but quickly enough, a watery, tremulous smile spread across her face, as I felt her presence slowly slip through our connection. ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± The last thing I felt were her lips on mine and then, the world shattered. Our memories combined and the final barriers between us were engulfed in silver and crimson flames. The next¡­ minutes or hours, I didn¡¯t know, were hard to describe. I was still me but I also wasn¡¯t, it was like I was carrying a breathing, living talisman in my chest, a warming presence, a manifestation of everything I loved and together, we soared through the scenes of our past, our minds wrapped around each other like Ying and Yang. Together, we relived what I had learned about the ring, about our legacy, Amazeroth¡¯s trickery, the seal he had placed on her and the war we had fought against our siblings, long before I had taken up arms again. We saw the death of Ancalagon and our assault on the Silver City, my transformation in front of its gates and my plans to return the ring to Amazeroth and seal the source again, whatever it was. I showed her my encounter with the Broken Wheel, my doubts about not having at least tried to rush after the Emperor, the very moment he had fled. I didn¡¯t hide my fears, that every death that followed was essentially my fault, since I had chosen to stay behind, having failed to put an end to it all, then and there. And lastly, we again listened to her, to Aurora, explaining, that our lives had been entwined, long before the universe had even been born. Again, I heard her words, comforting and hopeful, a reassurance that I¡¯d reach the source, since I had already changed it once before. I had refused to kill her and had broken the viscous cycle of eternal death, we had been born into. Just as I felt hers, Ahri was aware of my own emotions. Even back then, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to go on, if it hadn¡¯t been for her, her courage and her support. In exchange, she took me along on her journey, from the moment she had died during her first hunt to the very moment she had nearly incinerated Arthur¡¯s ship. She didn¡¯t hide her growing unease, as we saw time pass, her feelings of inadequacy, as my powers gradually changed and began to rival, even overshadow hers. She wasn¡¯t envious, she was only afraid that she couldn¡¯t fulfil what she had set out to do: keep me safe. It had finally come crashing down last night, when she had been imprisoned and all their hopes had hinged on my return. When I had set her free, she had been elated, her joy drowning out the lingering regret, the self loathing she had unconsciously carried with her. And then, when Reia had been threatened once again, she had snapped. Her anger, her frustration, her fear, had finally found an outlet and the poor group of kitsune had come within a hair¡¯s width of being consumed by a transcendent storm of fury and flame. Now, she was even more shaken than before, shaken and ashamed. 268. Of closeness, closure and a little bit of resolve Cassandra Pendragon I blinked, forcefully extracting myself from a world of mists and memories, until deep, shimmering ponds of azure, crimson, silver and green captivated me more thoroughly than the larger than life visions had. I had seen more than I had bargained for and while her doubts were something we had to address, what really made me squirm with guilt was her burning desire to see her family again, to hold her sister once more. She had never complained, never insisted, but what she wanted, more than anything else, was for us to visit them, for a chance to mend two different lives into a whole. But first, she had to let go of the ridiculously high expectations, she held herself to. ¡°You really are an idiot,¡± I mumbled, still caught somewhere between what was and what had been. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to bother pointing out how many times you¡¯ve saved my hide, but let me ask you this: if you think you¡¯re weak, then what the hell am I doing? You must take me for a complete and utter failure.¡± Surprised, she gasped. ¡°Never. Why would I¡­¡± ¡°Then why, in god¡¯s name, do you expect so much of yourself? If you held everyone to the same standards, you apply to yourself, you¡¯d soon be very lonely, because no one would be able to meet your expectations, least of all me.¡± I kissed her tenderly and added: ¡°do you not see? Even last night, you were the one¡­ you called me a heroine, once. Believe me, that¡¯s not who I am. I only act when there¡¯s no other choice, but you¡­ you¡¯re more. You always have and you always will be. If that¡¯s not enough¡­ I fear, despite your name, perfection isn¡¯t something achievable, only something to strive for. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s more than enough?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± she seemed lost, confused, which was admittedly my fault. It really was hard, though, to find the right words for what I was trying to convey. But I didn¡¯t really have to. Instead, I simply allowed her to see, to feel, what I couldn¡¯t say. Power and strength were passing, a fleeting, feeble description which didn¡¯t touch on what truly mattered. In comparison to mortals, we both were unbelievably strong, while we couldn¡¯t hope to hold a candle to our siblings, not yet, at any rate. But yet, despite or maybe because of our shortcomings, we had prevailed. To me, her determination, her faith, her love and her courage were much more precious, much more valuable than the unbound might, we would one day call our own. I didn¡¯t admire her fire or her prowess, I respected what she was, what we both were, but it was her unwavering will I was drawn to, like a moth to the flame. And last night, when she had put her life on the line, without knowing how it¡¯d turn out, without any reassurance, she had done something remarkable. It hadn¡¯t been her weakness, that had allowed the Emperor to succeed, but her strength, hers and everyone else¡¯s who had refused to give in, that had allowed them to see another sunrise. If anything, I should have been the one to feel guilty. In the end, it had been my carelessness that had put them in that position and to add insult to injury, he had escaped from right under my wings. All I had accomplished was to convince the embodiment of a very peculiar idea to side with us. Admittedly, considering how utterly messy Free Land had become, its support might yet become invaluable, but in comparison to how much stock Ahri put in my abilities, it was a rather bleak outcome. To tell the truth, I was decently sure, she¡¯d have done better, if our roles had been reversed. I knew her, she would have pushed through and returned much sooner, without losing half a day to exhaustion. She might have hurt herself in the process, but she wouldn¡¯t have collapsed, until she¡¯d have made sure, all of us were safe. ¡°You¡¯re just as much of a moron,¡± she quipped hoarsely, her eyes sparkling with tears and the first hints of pride. ¡°You¡¯re doing the exact same thing, you just chided me for.¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯m also telling you, before I¡¯m taking it out on the first asshole, asking for it. I¡¯ve shown you, I¡¯ve even kept my cool, when I was confronted by Brightblaze and her band of merry racists. For me, that¡¯s actually quite the step forward. A few weeks ago, I¡¯d probably have thrown a tantrum. Which, sweetheart, you¡¯ve done just now. I¡¯m not saying they didn¡¯t have it coming, but we should refrain from killing my brother¡¯s soldiers, if at all possible.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say, you¡¯d have done even more, if you had been in my shoes?¡± I nodded. ¡°I probably would have, but then again, I would also have counted on you to stop me, before I¡¯d have gone overboard. I¡¯m glad I could return the favour, though.¡± ¡°Well, actually, your sister and mother were the ones to protect the soldiers while Viyara caught the one I sent flying. What exactly did you do, again,¡± she added with a smile. ¡°I brought you here and talked some sense into you,¡± I pouted. ¡°If you¡¯re back to teasing me, I assume you don¡¯t want me to keep hugging you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± she quickly amended. ¡°Maybe in another minute or two.¡± ¡°I guess I can wait that long,¡± I replied wistfully. ¡°But for as long as you¡¯re in my arms, you¡¯re not allowed to make fun of me. Not today, at least.¡± In a more serious tone I asked: ¡°are you feeling better?¡± Instead of answering, she nibbled on my ear and breathed: ¡°Thank you.¡± Our closeness, the tantalising jolt of heat and the emotional ups and downs of the last minutes made it really difficult to keep my thoughts out of the gutter, but I managed, barely. I cleared my throat and pecked her forehead. ¡°I actually quite enjoyed being the levelheaded one, it¡¯s a nice change.¡± We were hovering closer to heaven than earth, by now, the horizon a perfect line, far away, the islands nothing more than small specks of colour. ¡°Look,¡± I whispered, ¡°from up here, it seems like a perfect world. Everything is small and tiny¡­ negligible. Once in a while, I enjoy towering above it all, but when it comes down to it, I much prefer the view from up close, where everything¡¯s huge, complex and ever moving. Our life is the same. It doesn¡¯t take much, a simple shift in perspective, and our troubles are nothing more than footsteps in the sand, before the flood wipes it clean. But then again, there¡¯s nothing more important, is there? I¡¯m glad I have the chance to fear and hate, love and cherish and that¡¯s all thanks to you. Alone, I¡¯d never have had the courage to change. So¡­ thank you, I¡¯m only able to understand what you¡¯re going through, because you never gave up on me.¡± She trembled and her grip tightened around me, as more tears steamed from her eyes. ¡°I did, once. I never should have. I learned my lesson. You¡¯re my world, Cassandra, and I¡¯ll never doubt you again.¡± Smiling crookedly, I replied: ¡°Oh, you will. And that¡¯s completely fine, I¡¯m a far cry from perfect and I need you to set me straight, once in a while, but I¡¯d very much appreciate it, if you didn¡¯t again drive your point home with the tip of a sword. I know I can be a pain in the ass, but that was a tad much.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°It didn¡¯t stick, though, did it,¡± she chuckled hoarsely, her head still resting on my shoulder. For a few minutes, we remained silent, marvelling at the vastness of our world. If it had been up to me, I would have remained there for hours. A moment of peace, my love in my arms¡­ I could hardly imagine descending into the madness of our reality again, never mind actually going through with it, but of course, my conscience wouldn¡¯t let me. ¡°We have got to go back, sometime,¡± she sighed regretfully. ¡°We do¡­ let¡¯s not wait forever, before we escape for a short while again, though. I want to see the sunrise from up here¡­ just the two of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that. Maybe you¡¯d even find it in you to prepare breakfast?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Sure, but you¡¯d have to find a kitchen for me, first. I¡¯ve been banned from the galley¡­ something about the chaos I created rubbed Xorlosh the wrong way. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Was it that bad?¡± ¡°You have no idea. My glorious battle against butter and eggs will be remembered for ages, especially since someone down there is probably still trying to clean up the mess and cursing my name while he¡¯s at it.¡± I became serious and added: ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to ease the panic of your new acquaintances. I bet their fretting over whether or not you¡¯re going to smite them like the wrath of heaven. You make for a pretty convincing avenging deity, if I say so myself.¡± She squeezed me one last time before we disentangled our tails and wings. ¡°I¡¯ve learned from the best. Should I apologise?¡± ¡°No, you were in the right, even though you might have overreacted. It¡¯s not a bad thing, that they¡¯ve realised what we are. I mean, the whole let¡¯s pretend we aren¡¯t dangerous idea was pretty much in shambles, the very moment they tried to lay a finger on you. It¡¯s just¡­ if anything, I¡¯m toying with the idea of demanding punishment. Technically, I¡¯m still their princess and they¡¯ve dared to attack my sister and my future wife. Back home, their lives would have been forfeited, but I think the least we could ask for is a flogging. I¡¯m seriously considering it.¡± We were slowly circling lower, hand in hand, like a gargantuan, strangely shaped bird. ¡°Don¡¯t. That¡¯d only cause strife in the long run. Let Sylvia decide how to deal with her people. That¡¯s her prerogative.¡± ¡°Hers or my brother¡¯s. I¡¯m wondering if he¡¯s awake. The power we both used might have disturbed the spells, keeping him under. If he is¡­ well, the last time I saw him, he would have been frothing at the mouth, if anyone had dared lay a finger on his family. I can¡¯t imagine he¡¯s changed that much. Who knows, maybe it¡¯s already decided, once we make it back. Anyways¡­ your memories from back then weren¡¯t very cohesive. Do you know why they did it?¡± She hesitantly shook her head. ¡°Not really. I truly believed what I told you, but that might have been born from my imagination, from my fears and not facts. I still think it likely, that Sylvia has mentioned more than once, why she doesn¡¯t want you around. They¡¯re warriors¡­ it wouldn¡¯t surprise me one bit, if they acted in, what they thought, was their mistress¡¯ best interest. Does it matter?¡± ¡°Somewhat. If you¡¯re right, we can still salvage our relations, but if they acted out of hatred, fear or spite, I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be much for us to do. It¡¯s impossible to overcome animosity like that in a single day, even a week, or a year. If her people are already dead set on me being some kind of devil, I fear going through with Sylvia¡¯s original plan might yet be the best alternative.¡± ¡°You mean enforcing your exile? Why in hell would that be a good idea?¡± ¡°My brother and Sylvia will have a scapegoat and consequentially far less trouble justifying whatever they might have to do in the future and uniting the different factions among their people. If they need someone to blame for the mess we¡¯re all in, it¡¯ll be much better if I¡¯m the one to take the fall. They need a leader they can trust in and it won¡¯t change much for me, either. I mean, I¡¯m not going to live with them and if push comes to shove, I won¡¯t give a damn about any laws.¡± ¡°Sounds just like the twisted reasoning in that movie you enjoyed so much. What was it called again? ¡°The Dark Knight rises?¡± I didn¡¯t really get it then and I don¡¯t, now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only because you¡¯ve always hated action flicks.¡± I laughed softly. ¡°I just remembered. It was a good movie, wasn¡¯t it? Damn, now I¡¯m missing the theatres. And popcorn. If we ever find the time, maybe we could recreate something similar with the memory crystals.¡± ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have to watch the entire library, you¡¯ve stored somewhere in your mind, I¡¯m all for it. But I guess it has to wait, like so much else. We¡¯re nearly there.¡± While we had been talking, we had almost made it back, the ships hovering below us like wooden whales of the sky. Reflexively, I bolsters my vision and scanned the decks. It didn¡¯t take me long to figure out, what had changed. The culprits from before were on their knees, facing a towering figure. Despite the fluffy gown around his shoulders, there was nothing even remotely cute about my brother. He was taller than me, by at least a handspan, and about twice my size. Muscles bulged on his arms and the scowl on his face wouldn¡¯t have been out of place in a fight to the death. His wife was whispering in his ear, while his four, silver tails were quivering with agitation. My mom had already taken her spot on his shoulder and my sister was standing on his other side, rigid and anxious. Judging from her expression, she didn¡¯t know what to make of the whole scene. Unsurprising, really, considering she was his half sister, even though I wasn¡¯t sure, whether he already knew. Behind them, our friends were watching the unfolding drama with curiosity and no small amount of satisfaction, while the soldiers¡­ well, the ones who were the target of his scorn didn¡¯t seem particularly happy and the others were doing their best to avoid his gaze. Like a bunch of children, who had been caught by their teacher. If the cause hadn¡¯t been as severe, I¡¯d have giggled at the almost comical tableau. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter was slightly more serious. With a thought, I sped up, pulling Ahri along. ¡°Arthur,¡± I shouted, when I was close. I let go of Ahri¡¯s hand and slowed down a notch. Just enough for him to catch me without being injured, as I dropped into his arms. His expression flickered though a series of emotions from surprise to anxiety and finally happiness and then, I slammed into his chest, as I had done so many times before. This time, though, I had a bit more mass behind me and just as my mom jumped to safety, spitting and hissing madly, we both went down in a tangle of silver fur and crackling energy. When his arms snaked around my waist, his laughter reverberating through his chest, I couldn¡¯t suppress a smile, a warm sensation of safety and home rushing through me. It had been far too long, but the very moment I was wrapped up in his bear hug, it didn¡¯t feel like any time had passed at all. Admittedly, by now, I couldn¡¯t expect him to cradle me in one arm, but when his scent, a mixture of leather and ivy, washed over me, I still felt protected, cared for, as if nothing in the world could touch me, just as long as he was there to keep me safe. His slanted, grey eyes were sparkling with joy and his wide grin revealed rows of pearly white teeth, as he gently brushed a loose strand of hair from my cheek. He was panting slightly, but when he spoke, his voice was still the same soothing, deep cadence I remembered, like the whispers of the wind, when it blew through an ancient forest. ¡°You¡¯ve grown quite a bit, haven¡¯t you? Let me have a closer look.¡± Despite my weak protests, he easily got to his feet, dragging me along. Once we stood face to face, he whirled me around like a dancer and caught me again, before I could do so much as complain. ¡°I guess I should have expected something like this, but I can hardly fathom what you¡¯ve become. Damn sis, tall, beautiful, winged and six tails to boot. What did they feed you, while I was away?¡± I knew he had already heard about most of our exploits, one way or the other, but I still appreciated the gesture. A little bit of normality, the reunion of two siblings after years apart, without the shadow of war, looming above us. ¡°Must have been your leftovers,¡± I jested. ¡°You¡¯re still taller than me. But first things first. Arthur, allow me to introduce you to my fianc¨¦e.¡± I beckoned for Ahri to come closer and took her hand again. Grinning to hide my mild embarrassment, I continued: ¡°a few things have changed, but she¡¯s the most important one.¡± I stole a kiss from her. ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t see that coming.¡± He chuckled and shook his head. 269. Of convictions, judgements and a little bit of acceptance Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I hate to burst your bubble, kiddo, but I did.¡± He glanced at my mom and shrugged. ¡°Or rather, I¡¯ve been told. It was the first thing she said to me, after I had opened my eyes. Well, maybe the second.¡± He bowed elegantly and added: ¡°welcome to the family. It¡¯s a pleasure to know my sister has found someone as beautiful and capable as you. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be just fine, as long as you¡¯re with her. Please, take care of her in my stead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, but it¡¯s not always easy.¡± Hesitantly, she stepped towards him but when he opened his arms, she hugged him tightly and added: ¡°it¡¯s good to see you again, Arthur. It¡¯s been too long. We¡¯ve missed you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really touching,¡± Sylvia interrupted impatiently, ¡°but it¡¯s neither the time nor the place.¡± Still, she managed a smile, as she continued. ¡°We¡¯ll have every chance to catch up, but for now¡­,¡± she turned towards the kneeling soldiers, her smile gone, ¡°we have to deal with this.¡± ¡°I,¡± Arthur corrected her calmly, ¡°I have to deal with this.¡± Sighing, he pushed Ahri back gently and turned to address his men. In all honesty, I had expected the ensuing scene to be somewhat ridiculous. Dignity and a fluffy gown usually didn¡¯t go hand in hand, but as soon as he opened his mouth, I was immediately disabused of the notion. His erect posture, the strength in his voice and the utter confidence, oozing from his every pore made it very clear, that he didn¡¯t need fancy armour or a crown to be a leader. His entire presence demanded obedience and it was heard. ¡°Make no mistake,¡± he began, ¡°this is a trial, nothing more nothing less. What you have done is treason, plain and simple. You have raised your weapons against your own people, against the companions of your princess.¡± He paused, catching the gaze of every single one of his kneeling warriors, but none could hold it for more than a second. ¡°We do know you, however, your loyalty, your pride and your conviction. We want to give you a chance to explain, especially to the ones you have attacked, why you acted. We hope there is a good reason for what you have done.¡± Squirming, they looked at each other hesitantly, anxiously, but none dared to speak. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sylvia said, her words carrying in the lingering silence. She looked at her feet, but her voice didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Tell him, I know I¡¯m partly at fault. The truth needs to be heard.¡± Ahri had already surmised, that her stance was one of the reasons for what had happened, but this sounded different, more like she had been involved directly. Discreetly, I tugged on Ahri¡¯s hand and we slowly moved to stand with my mom and Reia. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to linger close to Arthur. If there was one thing I wanted to avoid, it was the impression of me, trying to influence my brother¡¯s decision in any way. After another glance, to make sure no one else would speak up, one of them, a surprisingly tall and burly kitsune with three long, black tails, finally opened his mouth. ¡°My liege, while it¡¯s true, that the Lady Sylvia didn¡¯t hide her reservations, we acted of our own accord.¡± ¡°Reservations,¡± my brother rumbled, casting a sideways look at his wife. ¡°What reservations?¡± ¡°Your sister.¡± The speaker jerked, as if he had intended to face me but had decided against it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the rumours¡­ she was to be exiled and a day later, Boseiju went up in flames. We¡¯ve all seen it, she isn¡¯t¡­ one of us. Not entirely. The Lady feared, she might bring the same fate down on us, which has befallen our brothers and sisters. When Cassandra,¡± I wasn¡¯t the only one who picked up on the missing honorific, ¡°came here, we were¡­ concerned and we acted. We never meant to harm her or her friends, but we fully intended to force her away. We didn¡¯t follow orders, but we thought we acted in the best interest of our people.¡± ¡°And what lunacy has befallen you to think, you have the right to make such a decision,¡± my brother asked quietly, his voice holding a threatening cadence, sharp like polished steel. He turned to his wife and added: ¡°the same goes for you. You must have worked tirelessly, ever since we have been injured. Why would you focus your efforts on discrediting our family?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± she replied defiantly. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to do what you taught me to: protect our people. You¡¯ve heard the stories as well and she even admits it freely: she isn¡¯t just the little girl we watched over, while she took her first steps. I¡¯m not saying she did it on purpose, but the holy tree burned because of her.¡± She faced me and looked me squarely in the eyes. ¡°Or am I wrong?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t. If it hadn¡¯t been for me, our home would have survived.¡± Everybody seemed to hold their breath while I spoke, confusion, anger and even pity reflected in their eyes. ¡°Because of me, we have been attacked, because of me, many have lost their lives¡­ parents, siblings, loved ones¡­ I won¡¯t deny it.¡± I closed my eyes and my wings vanished. ¡°But it¡¯s also because of me, that there is still hope, that there¡¯s someone left to remember¡­ blame me all you want, but know this: a storm is coming and you won¡¯t stand a chance of weathering it without my help. Yes, without me, it might never have even reached you, but none of us can choose the skin they¡¯re born into. I never wanted to become a catalyst for war, but since I am, I¡¯m going to make sure my people¡­ my friends¡­ my family will survive.¡± I opened my eyes again and a harsh, silver light illuminated Sylvia¡¯s face. ¡°Unlike you, I never willingly left a single one of my people behind, whoever they are.¡± She squirmed under the weight of my gaze, unable to answer it, while a deafening silence descended upon the ship. No one moved, the only noise came from the creaking planks and the humming rigging until a heavy thud echoed across the deck. A heartbeat later, it was followed by a second and a third as one by one, the soldiers fell to their knees, their fists clenched above their hearts. Elated and a tiny bit embarrassed, I watched their salute in silent amazement, while their deep, resounding voices crashed into us like the tide. ¡°Long live the Crown, long live the Pendragons.¡± ¡°It seems like you have your answer,¡± my brother said to his wife, quietly enough that probably only Ahri and myself were able to pick up his words. ¡°I¡¯m not going to dissect your motives in front of every one, but you still owe me an explanation. Is that understood?¡± She nodded anxiously, the prospect apparently everything but desirable. Thrice, the assembled group hit their chests, thrice they iterated their salute, their promise, before they fell silent again. Stiff and rigid, Arthur raised his hands and said: ¡°You have spoken.¡± He faced the accused and continued gravely: ¡°you have acted against the royal family. The crime is treason, the punishment is death. However, considering your intentions, we feel obliged to soften the verdict. From this day onward, until my sister decides that you have payed for your crime, you will be hers to command, in body and soul. Her life and her orders will be yours to protect and uphold. We expect you to serve her, as you have served us, until the day you have atoned and can return with honour and pride. Do you accept this charge?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They exchanged glances and hesitant nods. While I was still puzzling over what I had just heard, they said as one: ¡°we will.¡± Wait. What? Fifteen minutes later I was reclining in a cozy armchair, sipping on a cup of steaming jasmine tea. The soothing, somewhat soapy aroma, that reminded me so much of home, did unfortunately nothing to improve my mood. I felt cheated. In one fell swoop, my dear brother had rid himself of his most troublesome soldiers, quelled any form of dispute within his ranks and had managed to delegate the entire bucket full of problems. To my chagrin, I was the one who had to deal with it, now. I should have insisted on a flogging instead, I really should have. ¡°Come now, Cassy, why the long face,¡± he dared to ask with a grin. As you might have expected, I wasn¡¯t alone. The entire entourage I had brought along, was with me, as well as Arthur, his darling of a wife and my newly acquired servants¡­ guards¡­ whatever. We were in the very same cabin Sylvia had used to question me, but this time around they had actually provided tea and cookies and a few spare seats. At least in that regard, my situation had improved. The little things. ¡°You know all too well, don¡¯t you,¡± I pouted. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± ¡°Why? You could have just declined. If it¡¯s that much of a burden, why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Could have declined my foot. You marked them as traitors in front of everyone, you blithering moron,¡± yep, I wasn¡¯t really giving a damn about my word choice anymore, a fact that earned me quite a few disgruntled stares. ¡°You¡¯d have had to punish them some other way and in the end, I would have been at fault, wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say, you wouldn¡¯t care, if you were ostracised,¡± Sylvia piped up in an obvious attempt to get back into her husband¡¯s good graces. Or maybe I was just cranky. I rolled my eyes, but as tempting as it was to simply ignore her, I still replied: ¡°I also said I wouldn¡¯t turn away from any single one of my people and that unfortunately includes this lot.¡± From the corner of my eye, I saw Reia wink at Ahri, who returned the gesture while my mom was watching contently from a large cushion, purring. Unsurprisingly, their exchange didn¡¯t exactly thrill me, either. Why, in god¡¯s name, was no one taking me seriously? ¡°If I may, Milady,¡± a slow, deep voice interjected. One of the five warriors, who stood on both sides of the door, like actual guards, had opened his mouth. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Milady now, is it,¡± I groused. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, honourifics won¡¯t be enough to wipe the slate clean.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think so, but the moment we accepted the verdict you became our Lady. It wouldn¡¯t do to address you in any other way. Still, would you listen, if only for moment? First of all, thank you. It can¡¯t have been easy to accept or maybe even trust us, after what we¡¯ve done. You¡¯re right, when our brothers kneeled before you and named you our princess, they sealed our fate. Treason can¡¯t be tolerated and we acted against the crown. Most likely, you saved our lives, or at least our honour. For that alone, we are indebted to you. However long it will take, we will stand by your side and try to prove, that we still are your Highness¡¯ most loyal subjects.¡± He bowed to me and to my mom. ¡°And your Majesty¡¯s as well, of course. Use us, however you see fit. We live a long life and maybe one day, we¡¯ll have proven, that the fate of our people is truly the only thing we strive to protect. You¡¯re one of the Pendragons, the manifestation of our strength and future. We¡¯ll gladly lay down our lives to keep you safe, for as long as you want us to. Please, give us a chance to prove our worth and rectify our mistake.¡± Damn, it didn¡¯t really get any better. Now, I couldn¡¯t even complain without sounding like an utter narcissist. Not to mention that the whole servitude thing didn¡¯t sit well with me, either. I understood, why my brother had made it into what it had become, he had had to make an example out of them to uphold the laws and protect his own position, but I still didn¡¯t want to become involved. Admittedly, forcing my greatest opponents to turn into my staunchest allies was clever in its own right, but still¡­ ¡°Oh, by the Great Fox,¡± I finally grumbled, ¡°fine.¡± I nimbly jumped out of my chair and strode towards them, my wings flickering in and out of existence. I wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose, I didn¡¯t even realise what was happening, until I heard the sharp intakes of breath behind me and the group of soldiers backed up, until their armour clanked against the wooden wall. I consciously suppressed the fluctuating flow of energy form my core, an erratic stream of power I had allowed to slip beyond my grasp, similar to a nervous gesture, like clenching a fist. The ominous, silvery glow vanished as I took a deep breath and studied my newly acquired underlings. The five of them were clad in identical scale armour, a heavy shield on their backs, a long sword at their side with complimentary daggers dangling from their heavy leather belts. My brother¡¯s coat of arms, a stylised moon, was engraved onto their shoulders guards and heavy, dark, woollen cloaks covered their backs. Two of them were women, three men. The magic in our blood made the physical difference between genders negligible, since one¡¯s prowess was mostly determined by one¡¯s talent in the arcane arts. Still, most soldiers were actually male, but that was more of a cultural bias. It was deemed better for a child to be raised by a mother than a father and consequentially, men were more likely to enlist, since couples were barred from entering service together. Should a romantic entanglement manifest between two soldiers, one of them would even have to resign. It might seem a bit harsh, but it was our way of ensuring that the crown wouldn¡¯t force children to grow up as orphans more often than was absolutely necessary. The two girls were about a head shorter than me with slender limbs and agile muscles, twitching with tension beneath their fair skin as I came closer. One was a typical fox, sporting two red tails with white, fluffy tips and corresponding ears. She was even a ginger, albeit with a darker, more lustrous hair colour than was usually associated with the term. Her bright, blue eyes were narrowed and with her pouty mouth and small nose, she truly reminded me of a fox, ready to dash away from a panting pack of dogs. Her colleague was lighter in colouration, her fur the same shade of whiteish grey as fog, shimmering silver wherever the sunlight touched her. Her eyes were a smidgen darker, almost like storm clouds with their interchanging shades of white, grey and black. She had three silky tails, longer than my own, and large ears with black tuft, matching her hair. In combination with her narrow mouth and straight nose, she was the more imposing of the two. More imposing but also distant, cold. The men were slightly taller, almost my height, and even though they still possessed the slender characteristics of our races, they were surprisingly broad shouldered, the years spent training clearly visible. Two seemed to be brothers, maybe even twins. I could hardly tell them apart, their short brown hair, slightly darker fur and two bushy tails were perfectly identical and even their features were similar to a disturbing degree. A strong chin, slanted, almost black eyes and a long nose dominated their faces. Their ears were surprisingly small but very nimble, quivering and rotating as I scrutinised them. In contrast to the others, these two didn¡¯t carry shields, but longbows, the tip extending over their left shoulder. The last one, who had also spoken up earlier, was probably the oldest of the bunch, with three pitch black tails with white crests. He was a tad taller than the other two and was the only one who wore visible battle scars. The tip of one ear had been cut off and one of his tails was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken and had mended imperfectly. His brown, surprisingly warm eyes sparkled with intelligence and weariness. He was also the only one who hadn¡¯t backed away and had managed to hold my gaze for more than a second, which led me to assume that he was the leader of the group. ¡°I¡¯m not going to bite,¡± I addressed them, ¡°and if you¡¯re going to stay with us, you¡¯ll have to get used to what I am quickly. For now, I want to know your names and I have a simple question: why? You can¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve suddenly experienced an epiphany and realised, that I¡¯m a Pendragon, only because your comrades kneeled. If you¡¯re just trying to fulfil the terms of your sentence, tell me now, but I have to know how much of your impressive speech was genuine.¡± 270. Of fealty, limits and a little bit of history Cassandra Pendragon I had to suppress a smile when they introduced themselves. The two brothers were named Aaron and Balthazar, Corvin was the black furred kitsune, the redhead¡¯s name was Diane and Evelyn completed the quintet. Reia caught my gaze and quickly hid her grin behind her hand. I wasn¡¯t the only one who had picked up on their initials. At least I wouldn¡¯t have much trouble memorising their names. Shrugging, I banished the thought to the back of my mind and focused on Corvin, who again had taken it upon himself to answer my question. ¡°For the family, the house, the crown,¡± he intoned solemnly, referring to the three instances, a kitsune owed loyalty to, one¡¯s own family, the noble house they were associated with and ultimately the crown. ¡°Our family has spoken, the wishes of our lord are clear. Before, there was a conflict between what might be best for our family, the people of our tribe and even the stance of our leaders was¡­ ambivalent. Not anymore. There is no doubt in our minds, where our duty lies.¡± My fur bristled, as I mulled over his words. Ambivalent¡­ Sylvia had conceded quickly enough, when she had been confronted by me and later on my brother, but what had she done, beforehand? Had she already made her decision to exile me public? Did it matter? ¡°Leave us,¡± Arthur demanded, shooing them off with a gesture. ¡°Remain close by, we¡¯ll call you in later.¡± They bowed from their waist and filed through the door, one by one. When the lock snapped in place, he turned to his wife, his demeanour calm, but his voice icy. ¡°Now then, explain. What have you done?¡± She swallowed dryly, her eyes darting from me to Ahri to my mom and back again. I would have pitied her, being forced to spill the beans in front of us was nothing short of a slap in the face, but she had made her bed and now she had to lie in it. ¡°I¡­,¡± to her credit, even though she struggled with her words, she didn¡¯t avoid his gaze, ¡°I did what I thought was right. Rising dead, soul eating curses, sorcerers from the ancient past? Arthur, this is bigger than us. We have a responsibility to our people, not the world. So yes, when we were confronted by magics of a bygone area and you were out of commission, I explored every option, even those you¡¯re too¡­ noble to consider. What more would you like to hear? That I¡¯ve made a mistake? You¡¯re right, I did.¡± She turned to me. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t apologise since I¡¯d do it again in a heartbeat. My mistake wasn¡¯t the seeming lack of loyalty to you, Cassandra, I¡­ we can¡¯t afford blind trust, but it was not thinking everything through properly. You¡¯re right. Blaming, even banishing you would not accomplish anything. I should have kept my mouth shut, until I had met with you, but I didn¡¯t. For that, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if she was referring to my admission, that I would never have a child, who might challenge hers, or if she had become convinced, that the danger they were in wouldn¡¯t diminish, even if they cut ties with me. ¡°An apology won¡¯t cut it,¡± my mom projected. As far as I was aware, it was the first time she had spoken directly to anyone but Arthur. ¡°I understand you Sylvia, probably better than you can imagine, but¡­ do you still see yourself as a part of the Pendragon family, a royal of Boseiju or are you the queen of something new?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not for me alone to decided,¡± she replied hesitantly. ¡°True, but I¡¯m asking you. Who are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer her,¡± Arthur interrupted. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re involved where your family is concerned, but that¡¯s something we have to decide for ourselves and not with all of you present. While I¡¯m willing to entertain you, for as long as it is about the slights you have had to endure by the hand of my people, I won¡¯t have you meddle in our affairs.¡± ¡°And there is my answer,¡± she replied snidely, her tails twitching, her eyes glowing. ¡°So it¡¯s actually been you. I¡¯d never have expected¡­¡± ¡°Choose your next words carefully,¡± my brother warned her. ¡°This isn¡¯t your palace and you only have as much power as I grant you. The time when you could lecture me is long over.¡± I chuckled softly, a resigned, almost sad sound. I detested politics. Everyone¡¯s attention snapped to me in an instant but I sought only Ahri¡¯s gaze. She nodded almost imperceptibly, her eyes filled with worry. ¡°You could have told me sooner,¡± I said, ¡°if I had known I was a thorn in your sight, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered coming here. So, those five,¡± I gesticulated towards the closed door, ¡°are actually there to keep an eye on me and report back to you? What are you playing at, brother mine?¡± ¡°Cassy¡­ I know what you must be thinking right now, but I¡¯ve never even thought about cutting ties with you or anyone else. You know very well that I didn¡¯t even leave of my own accord.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± I whisper hoarsely, quickly turning away to wipe my eyes. I was more hurt than I wanted to admit. ¡°Just as much as it was your decision to leave us behind, it was you who renounced our claims, wasn¡¯t it? Your affairs? Doesn¡¯t that mean, we¡¯re strangers?¡± ¡°I¡­ no, but this isn¡¯t Boseiju, either. This is my¡­ our home and while you¡¯re my sister, you¡¯re not the one who built it up from scratch, are you?¡± ¡°Then, maybe, you shouldn¡¯t have defended me, because from where I¡¯m standing your people don¡¯t agree. What are you going to do now?¡± He sighed. ¡°What I always have, I¡¯m trying to make the best of it. Could you please not make everything worse than it needs to be? I do want you, all of you, close to me, but neither you, nor my wife, nor my soldiers will ever take my decisions from me. I¡¯ve had enough of that with father and if it¡¯s this kind of power you seek, we truly have a problem.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t seek power,¡± I replied scathingly, ¡°but you¡¯re stance and your obvious desire to separate yourself from how things were has led us here! They would never have acted, if you hadn¡¯t given them a reason to! Sylvia, did you think you were acting in your husband¡¯s best interests?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes. I told you, I feared¡­ I still fear your intervention. The loyalty, the soldiers have shown you just now, only emphasises my point. This isn¡¯t the palace of the moon and it¡¯s not going to turn into its likeness. In that regard, I believe I¡¯ve acted in accordance with my husband¡¯s wishes.¡± Softly I said: ¡°then there is only one thing we have to talk about and that¡¯s the future of the children we¡¯ve sent to you. Because where they are concerned, our opinions still matter, don¡¯t they?¡± I raised my hand when Arthur wanted to interrupt and added: ¡°I¡¯m not angry, maybe a little hurt, but I understand your desire to protect what¡¯s yours. It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ look, you don¡¯t want us, none of us, to meddle in your affairs and you want to remain a part of this family, which basically means returning to the way things were for the last years, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s your prerogative and while I do believe that you¡¯re making a mistake, I¡¯m in no position to complain. Still¡­ to your people our titles might be empty, but to the kids, they are quite real. Which poses a problem, doesn¡¯t it? I would like to have them go with you and grow up in a normal and peaceful environment, but if it means that they¡¯re bound to your authority without us having a say in the matter, I¡¯ll find another way. They¡¯ve never sworn their fealty, nor do I want to command them, but I¡­ we have suffered and we¡¯ve fought to get them back. For me, this still means something.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Cassy, don¡¯t¡­ that¡¯s not what I intended,¡± Arthur said quietly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a bit unfair?¡± He threw a quick glance at mom. ¡°Both of you? There¡¯s a difference between wanting to stay in control of what I¡¯ve built and undermining our relations or your authority. Look, it¡¯s actually pretty simple, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t begrudge your titles as princess and queen mother, but it should also be plenty obvious that I¡¯m not going to surrender my crown, after I¡¯ve shed blood and tears to create a throne.¡± ¡°Nobody is asking you to, are they,¡± Ahri interjected sharply. ¡°All they want to know is, if our shared past is worth more to you than the prospective dangers of the future. Up until now, you¡¯ve done your hardest to get around an answer. Simply put, do you want us with you, as your family, or do you not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a stupid question, of course I do. But we can¡¯t go back to the way things were. You¡¯re my family, never doubt it, but¡­ I¡¯m not a prince anymore. I¡¯m a leader, I have been for the last years.¡± He massaged his temples, an uncharacteristic sign of exhaustion, before he added: ¡°here are the facts, the way I see them. We aren¡¯t of the same tribe, not really. I wouldn¡¯t have pressed my claims on Boseiju and I think it¡¯s only fair for you to do the same. We¡¯re related by blood and you¡¯ve suffered a blow, that has nearly wiped out your people. I¡¯m more than willing to help, I¡¯ve proven as much already, but of course I¡¯m worried about the future¡­ I¡¯ll freely admit, that I didn¡¯t hide my doubts as well as I should have, which makes what happened partly my fault. I fully support your involvement, otherwise I¡¯d never have allowed my people to kneel before you, but I also don¡¯t plan on sharing my authority. Is that really a reason to fight?¡± ¡°No,¡± my mom replied, ¡°but it became one, when your actions led your wife and her people to make a move. You¡¯ve solved the issue rather neatly, but it also changed everything. You might not regard us as your tribe anymore, but your soldiers do. They¡¯ve shown it. I don¡¯t think you can have it both ways, Arthur. If we stick around, in my case, maybe even literally, you¡¯ll have to accept us, which includes our support, our friendship and our loyalty, but also our right to meddle in what you deem your affairs. Is that something you can live with, son? Because if you can¡¯t, your sister is right. We¡¯ll have to find a solution for the kids, because those are ours, in every sense of the word.¡± He leaned back in his chair, brooding. ¡°What do you have in mind,¡± he finally asked. I tensed but relaxed quickly enough when he explained: ¡°not for the children, but how do you envision your role with us?¡± Before I could open my mouth, my mom answered. ¡°I¡¯m not fit to lead and neither is Cassandra. Maybe in a few years, when she¡¯s not forced to run across half of creation. I would gladly go back to the way things would have been, if you hadn¡¯t left. You were destined to follow your father. Why not make it official? For us, nothing would change, but you¡¯d become the king of our people¡­ a king with a family. You know yourself which privileges we would get. You¡¯d still be in charge, but you would be forced to listen to us.¡± ¡°He would, either way,¡± Sylvia said and turned to her husband with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s much too considerate. I think I could live with that, provided we can reach an agreement, especially when it comes to succession. Arthur, I know how it must sound, coming from me, but you shouldn¡¯t repeat my mistake. The future shouldn¡¯t be built on fear or cowardice but rather hope and loyalty.¡± She winked at me. ¡°Something you sister taught me, even though we haven¡¯t spoken for more than a few minutes.¡± She got up, facing me, and spread her arms. ¡°At any rate, this I should have done much sooner. Welcome. Welcome from the bottom of my heart. We missed you.¡± I hesitated, the invitation more than she had said. If I was to accept her hug, I would also accept what had happened. In a way, she was offering a fresh start, a clean slate. The question was, was I willing to let go? I quickly strode over and accepted her embrace, the scents of grapes and cinnamon wafting around my nose. If it was up to me, I¡¯d take her forgiveness and offer mine, any day of the week. ¡°Does that mean exile is, at the very least, off the table,¡± I asked with a lopsided smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t yet made up my mind,¡± she replied mirthfully, ¡°but you¡¯re doing well enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never understand women,¡± Arthur mumbled. ¡°A second ago¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not prepared to haggle over rights and privileges, so could we please leave it at that, for now? I haven¡¯t seen you in ages and¡­ there¡¯s much I want to¡­ I have to know. How my father died, for instance,¡± he finished quietly. I shared a look with my mom and when she shrugged, I sat back down and began talking. ¡°This might take a while¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± Ahri glided to my side and when she gently touched my shoulder, I closed my eyes and narrated our tale. I didn¡¯t include much of our past, only enough to explain, why I was hunted and why immortals cropped up around me like weeds. As far as the Emperor was concerned, though, I was thorough. I even admitted, that Mordred had been the first, who had fallen prey to his machinations. I told them about Greta¡¯s sacrifice, our flight and how we had encountered Viyara, only glancing over the connection she and I shared. That was something I¡¯d maybe share with my brother, if she was comfortable with it, but definitely not his wife. I talked about the island we had crashed on, about our encounter with Shassa and Amon¡¯s past, ending with a short description what had happened in Free Land and the mess the city had turned into. They listened silently, their disbelieve slowly turning into awe, it was a rather fantastic tale, after all. I spoke for over half an hour until I finally reached last night¡¯s fiasco. ¡°I was too late,¡± I admitted. ¡°He was already gone, leaving behind nothing but a spark of himself, an exhausted vessel and the power of a god, he had used to come here. I¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop him and now, he¡¯s somewhere out there, probably on one of the subjugated island close by, rebuilding his army and, if we¡¯re really cursed, opening gates to his empire, mobilising more resources than we can even imagine. The only advantage we have¡­ the Broken Wheel and I came to an understanding. He¡­ it will use its worshippers to keep an eye on every island, where it has a following. One of its avatars will contact me soon. I don¡¯t really know what to expect, but that¡¯s where we are.¡± Exhausted, I took another sip from my cold tea and shivered. It tasted awful. ¡°Cassy¡­,¡± my brother asked quietly, ¡°I simply have to know¡­ all of this¡­ is it true? Every word?¡± I nodded dejectedly. ¡°Unfortunately. The good and the bad and everything in between. I hope you now understand, why I said that a storm would be coming, whatever you do.¡± ¡°And you two,¡± he gesticulated vaguely towards Ahri and me, ¡°you really are¡­¡± ¡°Angels? Immortals? Crazy? All of the above. Look, Arthur, I know how incredible it all must sound, but it¡¯s the truth. No more, no less. You always knew there was something off about me, didn¡¯t you? Now you know, what it is. If you want, you can ask your wife. She¡¯ll surely confirm what I am.¡± Perplexed, he raised his eyebrows and turned to Sylvia, who answered willingly. ¡°I¡¯ve felt it, I believe she is what she claims, but¡­ won¡¯t it be better to show him? I wouldn¡¯t have been easily convinced, if I hadn¡¯t heard your voice.¡± ¡°Her voice¡­,¡± my brother began, but Ahri cut him off. ¡°Silence,¡± she whispered and silence there was, the pressure behind her words distorting the air. Wide eyed, Arthur stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish¡¯s on land, while his wife ogled at him, amusement sparkling in her eyes. After a moment, Ahri recanted her command and Sylvia said over my brother¡¯s spluttering: ¡°If at all possible, I¡¯d like to learn that trick. Satisfied, husband, or would you like to see what happens, should they order you to do something else?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I think I¡¯m fine. But¡­ how, by the Great Fox, could it come to this? What do you even have to fear?¡± I sighed helplessly, preparing myself for another longwinded explanation. 271. Of tasks, battles and a little bit of loot Cassandra Pendragon ¡°First of all, there¡¯s a limit to what we can do without stripping our world of its protection. I¡¯ve told you before, I¡¯m hunted. My siblings are waiting, just beyond the veil, and if they should find me here¡­ it would make our previous suffering seem like a walk in the park. Also, our cousin is protecting the Emperor for some ungodly reason.¡± I hesitated, but ultimately decided against divulging my suspicion, that most of his intervention had been orchestrated to influence my development. ¡°We aren¡¯t equipped to face a fully grown immortal. You¡¯ll understand, should you ever suffer the misfortune of meeting one. No¡­ for now, we have to make sure that he can¡¯t turn our world into the likeness of his empire. Since he¡¯s here, I think that means turning Free Land into something else¡­ a bulwark that can weather his might and greed.¡± ¡°And how are we supposed to do that,¡± Sylvia asked incredulously. ¡°From what you¡¯ve told us, the city is in shambles. What can we even do? We have seven ships filled to the brim with soldiers, tallying to 245. That¡¯s not enough and you and your friends are heading north within a few days. What is there to do?¡± ¡°Slaves,¡± I stated simply. ¡°There are so many slaves there¡­ setting them free will give them something to fight for and then, there are the vampires. Enforced loyalty and enhanced strength¡­ it¡¯s another thing we can consider.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also this,¡± a new voice was heard, as Viyara spoke up. Slowly, she extracted a golden scale from the folds of her dress. It wasn¡¯t hers, the colour was too dark and dull, but I didn¡¯t have to guess, whose it was. Ignus¡¯ coat had looked just like it. ¡°You¡¯ve already heard what I am and I¡¯ve still got some relatives left. My grandfather asked me to call him, should I ever need help. I¡¯ve been tempted to do so already, but I didn¡¯t want to summon a dragon and all the trouble it might bring, without your consent.¡± ¡°Whose consent,¡± my brother wanted to know. ¡°Surely not mine. I can¡¯t imagine a dragon would ask a kitsune for permission.¡± ¡°No,¡± she focused on me. ¡°Not yours, but Cassy¡¯s. As far as I¡¯m concerned, she¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s just say I owe her.¡± I chuckled. The girl had been walking around with a direct link to her old man and she hadn¡¯t bothered invoking it¡­ admittedly, it wouldn¡¯t have been of much use, yesterday, but still¡­ ¡°By all means, go for it, once we¡¯re back,¡± I replied. ¡°I imagine, if we could get a true dragon to settle here, most of our problems would be solved.¡± And without your father terrorising the neighbourhood, they might even be willing to, I added silently. A heartbeat later, I realised, that she could still hear me, thanks to the connection I had allowed her to establish. She smiled at me toothily and shrugged, apparently agreeing with my assessment. ¡°Fey, vampires, dragons, immortals¡­,¡± Arthur mumbled. ¡°You were right Sylv, this is much bigger than us¡­ and we were bickering about hierarchies and power. What, on Gaya, have we stumbled into? Is there even a point to us being here?¡± ¡°I believe so,¡± his wife replied. ¡°There¡¯s much we can do.¡± She looked at us, her eyes sparkling with curiosity: ¡°but I do wonder, what you have in mind. What do you think we can provide?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get involved, not directly,¡± I immediately said, before my mom could intervene. ¡°I¡¯ve lost enough and I¡¯m not planning on adding to the list. I don¡¯t want you to fight. If it¡¯s up to me, you¡¯ll take the kids and return home. Maybe use your influence to spread the word and support us, if necessary, but I don¡¯t want you anywhere near the actual conflict.¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh,¡± my brother commented. ¡°Do you trust us so little? Why? Because of¡­¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with what happened here. Arthur, your¡­ colony is all we have left. I won¡¯t risk any harm befalling it. You¡¯re what¡¯s left of our people, don¡¯t throw that away to play the hero. You¡¯ve said it before, you¡¯re not a prince anymore. You can¡¯t risk your life or the lives of your charges. Not without reason.¡± ¡°Protecting our home, avenging what happened isn¡¯t a good enough reason for you,¡± he retorted heatedly. Oh my, first they had been reluctant to even accept me and now this? What was it with misguided pride, that it always flared up in the most unwelcome moments? ¡°It is, but a wise dwarf once told me, that the needs of the living always outweighs the debts of the dead. Allow me to take care of our past, while you focus on our future. If you want to be king, that¡¯s what you¡¯ll have to do. I¡­ Arthur, whether you want to admit it or not, I¡¯m already much stronger than you. Ahri and I would be able to burn this whole fleet to cinders without being scratched and we¡¯re only getting more powerful with each passing day. I don¡¯t need you to fight, I need you to keep my¡­ our people safe, so I can actually do what is necessary.¡± He tensed and the muscles in his jaw worked. It was a bitter pill for him to swallow, but he knew I was right. ¡°All hells, you sound like a queen yourself,¡± he finally pressed out. ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°Somewhere between remembering aeons of war and battle, falling in love and accepting my responsibilities? It¡¯s a work in progress, though.¡± ¡°You can say that again,¡± Ahri whisper, only for me to hear. I grinned self consciously. But I hadn¡¯t done badly, had I? Considering where we were coming from, I¡¯d even say I had done pretty well. ¡°Do you want us to turn around,¡± Sylvia piped up. ¡°If so, you could have told us sooner.¡± ¡°No, not immediately. I want your helping returning a modicum of order to a city in turmoil. 250 magic using warriors could go a long way in that regard. Once everything has calmed down, though, yes, I¡¯d very much like for you to sail back home. Wasn¡¯t that the plan, all along? You didn¡¯t come here in the first place to join a war, did you?¡± ¡°No,¡± my brother said, ¡°we didn¡¯t, but I also didn¡¯t expect to stumble upon a conflict that might soon devour our entire continent. When we first saw the scope of the magic¡­¡± my mom interrupted him: ¡°You mean the destroyed fleet, don¡¯t you? Would you tell us what actually happened? All I¡¯ve heard are bits and pieces, most of them second hand. I¡¯m sure all of us would like to know the truth. I¡¯m glad you came out the other end unscathed, more or less, but I¡¯m wondering how you managed. I¡¯ve seen the power Amon can bestow upon his servants. How come no one died?¡± Arthur and Sylvia exchanged quick glances before my brother replied: ¡°luck, Xorlosh¡¯s warning and the strength of more than 200 mages. You¡¯re right, if we hadn¡¯t known what was coming, if we hadn¡¯t already started disposing of the corpses¡­ I don¡¯t think we would be having this conversation, right now. Let me see¡­ Stolen novel; please report. It was around sundown when the outlook alarmed us. Smoke was rising in the East. I didn¡¯t want to delay our arrival, but still decided to have a look around. We found an uninhabited island, small by local standards, but still large enough to support a verdant forest, only most of it was in flames. All over the island, amidst the burning trees, even close to the cliffs, we saw shipwrecks, more than I had thought possible. 50, maybe more and it¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess how many had fallen into the ocean below, only to be devoured by the creatures of the depths. The winds were already picking up, heralding last night¡¯s storm, stoking the flames even further. Soon, the island would be reduced to ash and dust. Billowing clouds of smoke obscured our vision, like a suffocating blanket. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to survive. A massacre like that usually means someone was thorough and meticulous, but there was something else on my mind. The stones. Of course, they might have been taken, but the sheer number of destroyed ships made it very possible, that some were still down there. You know how precious those things are. The flow of energy within them is quite unique and I ordered our most adept mages to search quickly. Not only did they find traces of still intact stones, they also found signs of life in the hellish inferno. Despite the risk, I wasn¡¯t willing to abandon whomever was down there and I was also determined to retrieve as many stones as we possibly could. Each one represents a new ship, after all, a chance to trade, to grow, but I digress. As fast as possible, I assemble every practitioner with an affinity for fire or air and led them into the ravenous fire, while the rest made haste to examine the ships, which had crashed beyond the edge of the forest. The heat didn¡¯t bother us and we could breath freely, but none of us were prepared for what we¡¯d find.¡± An almost imperceptible shudder ran up his spine, but he quickly pressed on. ¡°I believe you can relate when I say, there¡¯s nothing comparable to the heinously mutilated corpses we found. I imagine you¡¯ve seen your fair share of it on Boseiju, so I¡¯ll spare you a detailed description. Let¡¯s just say it was bad, real bad and the worst part, some of the tortured, desecrated souls still clung onto life. Empty eye sockets stared at us accusingly, while we worked to cut them loose from the improvised racks they had been nailed to and sent them to our ships for treatment. For a while, there were only the crackling flames and the agonised hisses of the survivors, until the dwarfs reached out to us through one of our telepaths. They had just communicated with Xorlosh and his message was simple: Burn the dead, kill the survivors without a second thought. Otherwise, we¡¯d soon come to rue the moment, we ever set foot on that island.¡± He paused, massaging his temples. ¡°I hesitated. I know Xorlosh, I¡¯ve known him for a while and I was convinced, he had a good reason to ask us to commit cold blooded murder, but I just couldn¡¯t get myself to give the order. Not immediately, at least. At the very least I asked my soldiers to hand the corpses over to the flames, but the survivors¡­ I didn¡¯t act, until the first one¡­ changed, for want of a better word. I don¡¯t know what initiated the transformation, maybe it was a threshold of magic we had crossed with our spells, or a certain amount of suffering they had to endure beforehand, but whatever the reason, a panicked cry reached me, as I saw one of my warriors collapse. A hollowed out husk of a man with burning red eyes and wriggling runes all over his body had suddenly broken free of his restraints, leaving behind bits and pieces of himself, as he had torn away from the spikes, driven through his limbs. Now, he was nothing but reaching claws and a frothing maw filled with needle like teeth. I charged towards them and flung the creature away, but even while his screams were silenced by the bonfire he crashed into, more and more of them rose. Even the dead refused to remain still. From one second to the next, we were engaged in a bloody struggle amidst a burning world, fighting spell and sword against claws and fangs. They didn¡¯t surrender, they didn¡¯t collapse, even when their legs were cut off or their arms became obliterated by a spell, they always got back up and continued to fight, until they were burned to a crisp. It was¡­ difficult and downright frightening. The smells, the sounds, their appearances¡­ like a nightmare come to live, they beset us, abominations, filled with venomous fury and unbridle hatred. Still, all of us are strong in their own right and we managed to hold our own after we had overcome our initial surprise. It was a gruelling task, slaughtering those we had felt pity for, not a moment prior. Strike after strike, spell after spell we drove them back and when their lines were starting to crumble I became careless. I was knocked out as a result.¡± ¡°Meanwhile,¡± his wife picked up the thread, ¡°the ones already on board were much easier to deal with. We simply chucked them over the sides, once we realised what was happening. When I heard, that Arthur had been injured, I took command. In the end, no one died, but some were injured, a few severely. Luckily, we have one caster among us, who can manipulate life energies. She managed to prevent the worst, but exhausted herself and our entire supply of potions in the process. She¡¯s still recovering. The rest you know. We came here as quickly as possible and we¡¯ve got six flying stones to show for our troubles. It might not seem like much, but we almost doubled the number of ships, available to us in the future. They¡¯re on the dwarven vessel, for now. It can hold the most cargo.¡± When she had finished we remained quiet, each of us wrestling with the demons, the Emperor had cursed us with. For me, even though Arthur had spared us any evocative descriptions, the images of Boseiju¡¯s fall had still cropped up, like twisted roots, blooming into poisonous, obscenely colourful plants. It took me a moment, another sip of the unsavoury tea and Ahri¡¯s caressing touch to push back the suffocating tide. When I returned from the murky marshes of painful memories, everyone was looking at me, their expressions somewhere between pity and worry. Great, now I even felt embarrassed. I cleared my throat and quickly said: ¡°Whatever else, that you managed to get away without the loss of life is truly remarkable. I wish we had done half as well. You even got your hands on a few flying stones¡­¡± ¡°Which makes absolutely no sense at all.¡± Erya blinked in surprise, when she saw us staring at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say it out loud,¡± she mumbled, ¡°but since I have¡­ doesn¡¯t it strike you as odd? A schemer, who¡¯s orchestrated the fall of a mage kingdom, subjugated an ancient dragon and has two immortals scared shitless, pardon my Common Tongue, even though he was on the other side of the world, suddenly decides to leave behind resources, worth thousands of gold coins? Furthermore, he went to all the trouble of instructing his people to carve the armies of Free Land up meticulously only to leave them behind? I don¡¯t buy it. That¡¯s not all there is to it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Viyara agreed hesitantly, ¡°it seems fishy, but what purpose could there be?¡± ¡°Beats me,¡± the fey replied, ¡°but considering how he played us before, I¡¯m willing to bet that you didn¡¯t find those stones by chance. Maybe¡­¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t been tempered with,¡± Arthur interjected. ¡°We checked.¡± ¡°No offence, your Majesty, but unless one of us,¡± she indicated Viyara, Aurelia, my mom, Ahri, me and herself, ¡°say so, I¡¯m not going to take your word for it.¡± Sylvia¡¯s tails twitched angrily, but Erya pressed on. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. I¡¯ve never met anyone as talented in the magical arts as him and I¡¯ve lived with¡­ served an ancient gold dragon for years on end. None of us are his equal in terms of talent or knowledge, not unless the lazy, hibernating, arrogant¡­ never mind. I don¡¯t doubt your intentions but your abilities. I have the experience and the rest of them the power to at least recognise, when we¡¯re being fooled. If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d like to have a closer look at the stones. If our dragoness and her immortal knight would join me, I¡¯m sure we can figure out what¡¯s actually going on.¡± Arthur and his wife shared a look, communicating wordlessly. ¡°If you believe it¡¯s necessary, you¡¯re welcome to,¡± he finally said. ¡°Do you want me to arrange transport?¡± ¡°We can manage. If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d like to get going, though. After being hoodwinked twice, I¡¯m decidedly paranoid, when it comes to him and his creations.¡± She lithely jumped to her feet and offered Morgan a hand. ¡°We¡¯re only in the way here, anyways. I¡¯m sure, you Pendragons have enough to talk about, anyways.¡± She winked at Reia. ¡°All of you.¡± She surprised me, when she bowed to my brother and his wife. ¡°Your Majesty, Your Grace. It has been an honour.¡± Her antics hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed and suddenly my sister was the centre of attention. 272. Of families, friends and a little bit of trouble Cassandra Pendragon Lost in thought, I stared out the window, pressing my forehead against the cold glass. The sun had already crossed its zenith and in the hot afternoon, the few feathery clouds had disappeared. With the brilliant, aquamarine expanse above and the glittering, emerald sea below us, it almost felt like we were gliding through a dream, if it hadn¡¯t been for the constant bickering behind me. I huffed indignantly. My patience had run out a while ago, somewhere between Sylvia¡¯s up tenths demand for prove, Reia was actually a Pendragon, and my brother¡¯s incredulity, that our mother was willing to accept her husband¡¯s illegitimate child. The girl was treated like a¡­ thing, a nuisance they had to deal with and it made me angry. She deserved better and while I was admittedly miffed, that Erya had taken it upon herself to make the circumstances of her birth known, I was also glad she had. Judging from their reactions now, there was no telling what would have happened, if they had found out by themselves, somewhere down the line. Still, I wasn¡¯t willing to listen any longer, otherwise I¡¯d be tempted to explain, in striking detail, how thoroughly I didn¡¯t agree with their assessment. ¡°She¡¯s a child, an unknown child who¡¯s got nothing to do with us,¡± Sylvia said, when I turned around. Her words trailed off, it had been the first time I had moved in a while. A cold smile played around the corners of my mouth, as I slowly made my way over to where Reia was huddled in a chair. I took her hand and propelled her to her feet. ¡°We¡¯ll join Erya and the others,¡± I stated. ¡°I¡¯m tired of listening to you compare her life to a threat to your oh so precious power. There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve got to say, though. Whatever you decide to do, she¡¯s my sister and I¡¯ll always stand by her side. You want prove who she is? How about a lonely, frightened child fighting for her right to lead, to protect her people? Remember, she overcame the Trials, she has proven her worth. More than once.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Reia mouthed, but before I could reply, my brother barked: ¡°What are you saying? Do you expect us to simply welcome a stranger into our family with open arms, no questions asked?¡± I sighed. ¡°No, Arthur. I¡¯m saying that she already is a part of my family and if you decide to deny her, you¡¯ll have to deny me, as well. Let me be very clear, if you force me to choose, I won¡¯t side with you. The only reason why I didn¡¯t speak up earlier is, that she hasn¡¯t yet stated clearly what she actually wants.¡± I squeezed her hand and added: ¡°what do you want?¡± She anxiously looked from one to the other, but when I wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively, she found the courage to say: ¡°I don¡¯t care what I¡¯m called or if I¡¯m a princess or a commoner, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to part with the last members of my family I¡¯ve left. If you,¡± she indicated Arthur and his wife with a nod, ¡°don¡¯t want me, that¡¯s fine, but please, don¡¯t take Cassy, Mordred and mom from me.¡± I bit my lip, my eyes stinging. ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen,¡± I whispered in her ear, before I added out loud: ¡°did you hear her?Call me naive, but to me, she sounds like the only one who actually understands what matters. Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse us. You coming Ahri?¡± ¡°And I was already beginning to worry, you expected me to stay,¡± she mumbled. With a few strides she reached us and took Reia¡¯s other hand. She caught my brother¡¯s eyes and said: ¡°I pictured our reunion differently. I know you have your responsibilities, but I never thought, the boy, who left because he couldn¡¯t stomach his father¡¯s compromises, would return as a man, who hesitates to embrace a child, only because it might turn out to be inconvenient in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­,¡± he spluttered but we had already turned around and left. Which of course meant, that we directly ran into the waiting group of soldiers, my brother had ordered from the room. ¡°Damn it,¡± I cursed under my breath, when the door clicked shut behind and five faces turned towards us, filled with curiosity. ¡°I take it, it didn¡¯t go too well,¡± Corvin asked neutrally. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend,¡± I snarled. ¡°You¡¯ve heard every word, haven¡¯t you? It seems like your prayers have been answered, after all. You might still get rid of me, quickly enough.¡± The infuriating imbecile simply grinned. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. When it comes down to it, neither His Majesty nor his wife would ever turn their backs on their own kin.¡± He crouched and smiled at Reia. ¡°And you, little princess, are their kin in more ways than one. Give them time. It¡¯s been a nightmarish day and I¡¯m sure the news you¡¯ve brought didn¡¯t make it any better. I¡¯m Corvin. It¡¯s an honour to meet you. Allow me to say, you look just like your mother. She was a remarkable woman.¡± Reia¡¯s jaw dropped and she whispered: ¡°Did you know her?¡± ¡°Fleetingly. But some of us were quite aware of the former king¡¯s¡­ interests.¡± He glanced at me and added: ¡°one of the reasons, why Arthur packed his things. We didn¡¯t know there was a child, but¡­¡± ¡°I see,¡± I said huskily. ¡°Then¡­ he knew. No wonder he couldn¡¯t look her in the eye. I just don¡¯t know, if I want to beat him up even more, right now.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t,¡± Corvin muttered resignedly. ¡°That¡¯d put us in an impossible situation and there are better ways to spend your time. Why don¡¯t we visit your young charges? They¡¯ve been clamouring to see all of you, ever since they¡¯ve heard you were on board. I¡¯m sure meeting them will also lift your spirits.¡± I was convinced, he was mainly trying to avoid a conversation about Reia¡¯s mom, but whether intentional or not, he immediately diverted her attention. ¡°Please,¡± Reia squealed, her eyes lighting up with glee. ¡°It¡¯s been so long¡­¡± ¡°A handful of days,¡± I commented drily. ¡°But so much has happened! I¡¯ve got so much to tell them.¡± ¡°Fine, but you¡¯ll have to promise, that you won¡¯t try to entice them into joining us. I¡¯ve already got my hands full with you and your two loyal followers. You don¡¯t need a larger entourage.¡± ¡°Whatever you say. Can we please go? Now? At least, they¡¯ll be happy to see me.¡± She was still smiling, but her words hit me like the proverbial truck. Gods, I shouldn¡¯t have brought her along. ¡°Of course. Where are they, anyways?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Also with the dwarfs,¡± the redhead, Diane, replied. ¡°Usually, it¡¯s a bit difficult to get from one ship to the other, mid flight. Could you carry us? We can¡¯t fly on our own.¡± ¡°Maybe, but you wouldn¡¯t enjoy the experience. It¡¯d be much easier and infinitely more comfortable, if Viyara was going to carry you. I¡¯ll ask her, give me a moment.¡± The dragoness wasn¡¯t difficult to convince, she was already getting bored. Apparently, staring at the sluggish flow of energy within a hunk of rock didn¡¯t hold much appeal. A few minutes later, a fresh breeze was ruffling my hair as I soared through the sky, a golden behemoth at my side. Corvin and his troupe, who were huddle together upon her back, didn¡¯t seem overly happy. A seat on a serpentine creature with fangs, longer than your arm, could have that particular effect. A wry grin tugged on the corner of my mouth, when I imagined how they¡¯d react, should she suddenly turn around and blow a bit of smoke into their faces, maybe accompanied by a low roar. ¡°Do you want me to,¡± she immediately asked, but I declined regretfully. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it. My reaction hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed, though, and the warm bundle in my arms squirmed. I had insisted on carrying Reia myself, partly because I didn¡¯t want her to be stuck with a bunch of strangers, but mainly because I wanted an excuse to hold her for a while. ¡°You¡¯re grinning,¡± she stated and wriggled around until she could face me. ¡°So¡­ I guess you aren¡¯t mad at me?¡± ¡°Mad? Why ever would I be mad? Especially at you?¡± ¡°Because¡­ everything was settled and then, as soon as they came to know who I am, it all started again. I never wanted¡­ I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have to¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Cassy,¡± she ended subduedly. ¡°I¡¯m only causing trouble, ever since we¡¯ve met.¡± Damn it. First, it had been myself, then Ahri and now even the little troublemaker was starting to doubt herself. A spark of anger ignited in my chest, when I recalled what she had been forced to listen to. No wonder she was rattled. If she had inherited my temper, she would probably already have told Arthur and his wife to go to hell. Or attempted to smack them into next week. I squeezed her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t ever apologise again for who you are. Reia¡­ there¡¯s so much I¡¯d like to say right now, but I think most of it you already know. But I¡¯ve never told you this: meeting you, getting to know you¡­ it has made everything bearable and even worthwhile. If anything good has come from the fall of Boseiju, it¡¯s been you and her,¡± I explained, my gaze fixed on Ahri¡¯s burning wings. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade either of you for the world. I don¡¯t care what it means or how it might be seen, but Ahri and I will always be there for you. Don¡¯t ever forget that and don¡¯t apologise. You¡¯re more than a title and I pity the fools who can¡¯t see it. For as long as we live, you¡¯ll always have a home, you¡¯ll always have a family. No one is ever going to take that from either you or us.¡± She trembled as she tried to suppress her tears, but when I wrapped my tails around her legs and pulled her closer, she willingly snuggled into me. ¡°You¡¯ll never be alone, little one,¡± I whispered. The silence, settling between us, wasn¡¯t heavy. We enjoyed each other¡¯s company, quietly gliding through the sky, savouring the few minutes between heaven and earth, but it didn¡¯t take long for the peace to be shattered. Faint voices reached my ears and when I raised my head, I saw the large, fortified, dwarven vessel looming in front of us. A behemoth of steal and seasoned oak, it was far bulkier than the kitsune ships. On deck, not only the children we had saved but also the short and burly crew awaited out arrival. They waved and cheered, a much warmer welcome than my own flesh and blood had provided. A funny thing, that. We were stuck with our relatives from the very beginning to the end, but our family we could ultimately choose ourselves and mine didn¡¯t have tails, for the most part. I landed lightly, Ahri at my side, while kitsune and dwarfs thronged tightly around us, making space for Viyara¡¯s bulk. I let go of Reia and she was immediately surrounded by a sea of twitching ears and multicoloured hair, her friends falling over themselves to be the first to hug her. Smiling, I tried to shuffle out of the way, but before I had taken more than a step, Ahri and I were swallowed by the giggling tide as well. Small hands pushed us along and a veritable flood of questions, more than I could hope to understand, crashed into us. ¡°Where have you been? Why aren¡¯t Archy and Estrella with you? Where did you get that scar¡­¡± on and on it went, like an avalanche, and neither Ahri, nor Reia, nor myself managed to get a single word in. A smile here, a pat on the head there was pretty much all we could do. We were entirely swamped, until one of the dwarfs, an exceptionally small one, who barely reached my waist, bellowed loudly: ¡°Oi, ye rascals! Git over here! Give ¡®em gals a chance to breath. That¡¯s a lad.¡± With a few affectionate shoves and less affectionate pinches, where they were needed, he whipped them in line and shook my hand, grinning. ¡°¡®S a pleasure to meet yah again, Your Highness. Now, before we get all chummy up here, Erya wants to see yah below deck. She¡¯s found somethin¡¯ strange. If it¡¯s all the same to yah, we¡¯d be happy, if yah could have a look, now. None of us want t¡¯ be sittin¡¯ on a strange artefact, which could explode at any mo¡¯.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± I exchanged a quick glance with Ahri. She shrugged, indicating she¡¯d stay up here. With her, Reia and Viyara, who hadn¡¯t changed back, yet, and was already being used as a glittering climbing frame, I wouldn¡¯t be missed. While Reia sat down between Viyara¡¯s paws and began telling her story, the other kids forming a surprisingly quiet ring around her, I snuck away from my guards and through a heavy door into the ship. A flight of stairs and the, by now, homely smell of seasoned wood and smoke greeted me. The murmured conversation behind me was cut off, when the door clicked shut and it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim, flickering light, provided by the low hanging oil lamps. I had never been inside the cargo hold, but I knew the access was on the second level and probably easily reachable from the main corridor. Also, if I concentrated, I could just about hear Erya¡¯s voice, muffled and distorted, but loudly enough to pinpoint her location. I descended the stairs and followed the wide passage, inclining my head, every time I met a dwarf. Most of them were busy, quickly dodging around me, their arms full of hawsers, metal, bundles of sailing cloth and nails. A few mumbled a greeting, but most only smiled in passing. Maybe the ship had been damaged in the skirmish. It didn¡¯t take me long to reach another fortified door, made from heavy, studded oak. It hadn¡¯t been closed properly and a reddish shimmer escaped through the remaining gap. I pushed it open with one hand, the ancient wood coarse against my skin. It creaked loudly, a cloud of dust billowing from the hinges, and the voices on the other side fell silent. I stumbled into an enormous, windowless room. It wasn¡¯t illuminated by burning oil but rather an eclectic variety of crystals, some set into metal casings, some simply placed on barrels. The floor was covered with bundles and boxes, heaps of cloth and metal ingots, stacked up against the walls. There were finished weapons, spare parts for the ship, dented armours and row upon row of quivers, filled to the brink with metal bolts, some of them engraved with runes, some plain and simple. Near the centre, nestled onto a pile of linen, the six stones were glowing slightly, the sparks of Erya¡¯s magic still dancing across their surfaces. Close by, Aurelia, Erya and Morgan had put their heads together until I had disturbed them. ¡°Cassy,¡± the former fey queen greeted me, ¡°just in time. I thought you might flee, the first chance you¡¯d get. Did you introduce your sister,¡± she added with a nonchalant grin. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave me much of a choice,¡± I replied stiffly and closed the door. ¡°My mom is still trying to talk some sense into my brother. Somehow, he and his wife didn¡¯t appreciate the surprise. Is there a reason, why you divulged Reia¡¯s identity or were you simply bored?¡± ¡°A bit of both. I was bored, but I mainly did it, because I know you. You¡¯d have chickened out and never mentioned who she is. And then¡­ well, I¡¯m sure you can imagine how well it¡¯d have worked out, if the two of them had come across the truth some other way.¡± In a more serious tone she continued: ¡°I know people, Cassy, and your relatives aren¡¯t half bad. They¡¯ll come around. Just¡­ give them a few days to get used to the insanity you¡­ we call everyday life.¡± ¡°One of my newly acquired security guards said pretty much the same thing. I can¡¯t do much about it, anyways, that ship has sailed. Now then, why did you call me down here? I hope we¡¯re not in mortal peril, are we?¡± They glanced at each other, more hesitantly than I would have liked. 273. Of fears, memories and a little misconception Cassandra Pendragon ¡°That¡¯s¡­hmm,¡± Erya began, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. Was she embarrassed? ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but¡­ go on, why don¡¯t you have a look? Maybe you can see more than us.¡± Undoubtedly, but then again, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make heads or tails of what I was going to see. Unless my newfound knowledge would prove to be much more useful than I expected. ¡°I can at least give it a try. Any hints what I¡¯m actually looking for?¡± ¡°Something¡­ odd,¡± Aurelia replied in the fey¡¯s stead. She gesticulated towards the stones and added: ¡°Erya won¡¯t admit it, but we¡¯re out of our depths.¡± Ah, so she had been embarrassed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have much experience with magic, but hopefully your sight will show you something we¡¯ve missed. It seems just like it¡¯s supposed to, but Morgan¡­¡± ¡°I can speak for myself, thank you,¡± the girl in question interrupted her waspishly. ¡°Look, I know a bit about those stones, I¡¯ve been with an elf for a while, after all. They¡¯re¡­ the flow of energy within should be smooth, equalised, but those are not. What¡¯s more¡­ just get near, you¡¯ll feel it.¡± I frowned but did as she asked. I didn¡¯t quite touch one of them, but hovered close by. At first, I was confused, but when I turned to face the former fey again, I realised what she meant. In the proximity of the stones the air was colder, as if they were actively taking in energy. ¡°Is that supposed to happen,¡± I asked, even though I already suspected the answer. ¡°No,¡± the elf explained. ¡°If heated, they will convert the thermal energy, but they shouldn¡¯t actively absorb it. What¡¯s more, they¡¯re too heavy. Considering how much power they must already have accumulated at this rate, they should be hovering, but they weigh around three tons, each.¡± ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± ¡°I lifted them,¡± Aurelia answered. ¡°It¡¯s by no means accurate, but I can tell you that they weigh about as much as normal stone would. I even bathed them in flames for a few seconds, and while they did become lighter, it was by no means equivalent to what you would expect.¡± ¡°I see,¡± a blatant lie. I had understood what they were getting at, but as to what it meant, I had no clue. Maybe there was a hidden enchantment that consumed the magic, like a strange parasite? But I was convinced, the girls would have found it. As talented as Amon was, Aurelia and Ahri, at the very least, wouldn¡¯t have been fooled by a cheap trick. Shrugging, I channeled a considerable amount of power towards my eyes and scrutinised the rocky enigmas. My vision was ablaze with silver and the intricate lines and matrices within the stones appeared before me, like a spiderweb. The very same second, I stumbled backwards, sweat drenching my brow. My heart beat as fast as it had, when I had been cursed and I hissed involuntarily, my tails quivering. I was scared, more scared than I had been in a while but I didn¡¯t know why. For the fraction of a second I was utterly confused, a part of me ready to turn tails and run while the other stood close by, shaking its head and rolling its eyes at the sudden antics. It didn¡¯t last long, though. A memory rose from the murky depths of uncounted aeons, sluggishly at first, but in pristine detail. I didn¡¯t collapse, but for a few moments, I wasn¡¯t exactly sure where I was, the cargo hold, my friends, the glowing crystals blurry and surreal, while another scene became superimposed on my vision. A fucking brutal moment, I would have loved to forget entirely, and with it came the pain of the past. I had fought countless times before, it was a part of me, just as much as my wings or my unyielding pride. Countless times I had won, countless times I had lost, but never before had I felt helpless. Helpless like a newborn foal, when the full moon rose and the wolf¡¯s hungry howls drew near. But these¡­ theses creatures¡­ they were different. They were¡­ dead. Not as in animated puppets, controlled by a flimsy spell dead, but completely and utterly empty. No electricity, no mana, no life, no soul¡­ there was nothing for me to burn, to absorb or to destroy. They could as well have been lumps of rock. Thousands upon thousands of lumps of rock, hard enough that I wasn¡¯t convinced anyone but me would have been able to cut through. In some forsaken corner of the universe, where nothing existed but those nightmares and a troubled angel, who had gotten lost, I bled like a pig from a million tiny cuts, my thoughts racing. I knew what they were. Pariahs, dangerous, nigh invincible pariahs I had thought extinct. Even one could be a threat in its own right but a swarm of this size¡­ if I ran, there was no telling if I¡¯d be able to find them again. They couldn¡¯t be tracked, they couldn¡¯t be spelled, they could only be squished by sheer strength and I wasn¡¯t doing great. A few hundred, maybe a bit more, I had ripped to shreds and the transcendent thunderstorm, raging around me for as far as I could see, had eroded more than I could count, but there were so many. They must have been breeding for centuries. I gasped, another one had made it through, protected by its brethren. Like a leech, it stuck to me and I coughed up blood, it¡¯s needlelike teeth tearing through skin and flesh. I swallowed a curse and sent a spike of pure, transcendent energy through its body, reducing it to a greyish pulp. The short distraction had been too much. A wave of rending fangs and lidless eyes surged forth, the edges disintegrating in the maelstrom I had created. A heartbeat later, I was swallowed and dragged along, my world reduced to searing agony, the ravenous darkness devouring me alive. I was so fucked. Somehow, I needed help, but there was no one left. No one but Chaleb. I staggered and fell. Panting, I buried my face in my hands, my whole body trembling. I ached all over, as if I had been used as a chewing toy by Cerberus himself. For a moment, I thought I still felt the insatiable hunger, with which they had dug into me, but when I opened my eyes, my vision blurry, I saw silvery trails of blood, where my nails had shredded my palms. I took a shaking breath and forced my muscles to relax. It was over, it wasn¡¯t real, anymore¡­ or was it? My head whipped around and I stared at the eggs, paling. No. Fucking. Way. How could they even be on this planet? Had they been left behind on purpose, disguised as flying stones? Why? Were they about to hatch? Bile rose in my throat, when I imagined them cracking open, right about now. With a shit ton of luck I might be able to kill them off, but I wasn¡¯t even sure, if I¡¯d manage, never mind the damage we¡¯d cause. ¡°Are you alright? What happened?¡± A small, warm hand landed reassuringly on my shoulder but Erya¡¯s voice was quivering with tension. Understandable, considering blood was still dripping from my hands, my wings had manifested and my tails were sparkling with energy. ¡°I¡­ no, I don¡¯t think I am. Those things¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯re stones, at all. Morgan, you said the energy within them wasn¡¯t flowing smoothly. It¡¯s pulsing, am I right?¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You saw it too, then?¡± ¡°No, call it an educated guess. Help me up.¡± Still unsteady, I leaned heavily on Erya and mumbled, my voice hoarse: ¡°those things, aren¡¯t stones, I think they¡¯re eggs. Eggs that shouldn¡¯t even exist, least of all here. I¡¯ve seen them before¡­ have you tried to damage one?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Aurelia said. She was standing close by, eyeing me worriedly. ¡°But when I picked one up, I accidentally allowed it to scrape against its neighbour. It didn¡¯t chip, but that might simply have been luck.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯ve already touched and used your magic on them, it shouldn¡¯t matter, if you did so again. Go on, try to scratch one.¡± She frowned but when I nodded encouragingly, she walked up and transformed one of her fingers into an ebony claw, red and gold sparks dancing across its surface. Lightly, at first, she pressed it against the rough, greyish shell, gradually increasing the pressure until the muscles in her arm bulged and her mouth twisted into a snarl. The only reward she reaped was a low rumbling noise, when she pushed the thing a few feet back. She stared at her hands incredulously, the tip of her claw blunted. ¡°That¡­,¡± she mumbled hesitantly, ¡°shouldn¡¯t be possible. It should have gone right through.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll need a hell of a lot more to damage them,¡± I replied darkly, ¡°if I¡¯m right. I think they¡¯re creatures from another world. Either they have been planted there or they were stored as cargo, which has been overlooked, but I¡¯m convinced no ship has ever flown, using these.¡± ¡°Let me guess, they aren¡¯t exactly herbivorous, fluffy butterflies,¡± Erya asked anxiously. ¡°How did you figure? Someone must have brought them here. An immortal.¡± I shuffled closer and whispered, more to myself: ¡°but why? A weapon? A mistake? Why would they¡­¡± a sharp sting distracted me. The black ring on my finger had become hot and it glowed faintly. ¡°What the¡­¡± it shrank, silvery blood welling from beneath the tarnished metal. I hissed in surprise and pain. ¡°Cassy¡­¡± Erya¡¯s grip on me tightened. ¡°Curse it, why are you bleeding? What¡¯s going on?¡± I heard the fear in her voice, but I was distracted, struggling with another memory, one that had risen from the ring. One that wasn¡¯t my own, a memory I shouldn¡¯t even have. ¡°The perfect creature,¡± I chuckled quietly, stretching for the first time in years. It had been hard work, but I had done it. Recreated a bloody miracle. The families had failed but maybe this would bring peace at last. Dark, silent, everlasting peace, incorruptible, eternal, the end of strive and folly. It was about time. My back creaked loudly when I rolled my shoulders and rotated my neck. In front of me a, a grey, rock like egg shone wetly under the greenish light, the flickering crystals illuminated the dark, lonely cavern with. Rivulets of blood still dripped from its surface, feeding the growing sea it rested in. Creating the thing had been difficult¡­ difficult and expensive. Many had lost their lives for this single creation. Maybe it was only one, but soon, there¡¯d be more. So many more. Contently, I allowed my lips to curl into a smile but the movement felt unnatural, strange, as if my body had already forgotten what it was supposed to look like. No matter, soon I¡¯d be able to rest. Just one more test. With a thought, I conjured a vial into my hand, filled with a glowing, silver liquid. Anxiously, I removed the stopped and sniffed the air. It was still potent. The blood of immortals quickly lost its power but the sample was still charged. Breathlessly, I pricked my finger and allowed my own black blood to drip onto the egg. It vanished immediately and the crimson pool at its base was sucked inside, the lives I had stolen providing nourishment for the awakening creature. With shaking hands, I tipped the vial. A single, glowing drop sluggishly fell and when it touched the coarse surface, light exploded outwards. Light, bits and pieces of a theoretically unbreakable shell and something squishy and wet, like hardened, greyish yolk. While hard, jagged projectiles ripped through my body, shredding my left eye, I screamed in frustration, my wrath tearing through the cave, the mountain above, the surrounding lands¡­ a growing thunderstorm of dark miasma, the perfect likeness of my failure. Stones turned into dust, animals and humans shivered once and collapsed, their corpses devoured by my spreading anger. Water vanished, trees corroded to nothing and soon, I was breathing heavily in the midst of a black cloud, only the shards of the egg, still embedded in my body had survived. And the vial. It had neatly neutralised my outburst, the shimmering liquid within churning sluggishly, as if to mock me, me and my failure. I raised it to my face, my enraged, scarlet eyes reflected in its depth. ¡°Next time,¡± I grunted. ¡°Next time, it¡¯ll work. I¡¯ll find a way.¡± I had been so close¡­ the corpse was the key, a monster, not tied to our world. While it grew, it consumed everything it came in contact with. Heat, life, even souls¡­ I had found out about the latter, when the souls of my victims, whose blood I had used, hadn¡¯t rejoined the cycle. When it hatched, it was born from what it had devoured, but the energy was gone, transformed into a completely unique matter, a matter that couldn¡¯t be converted into energy. It was¡­ dead, for want of a better word, dead to the world. And as such, it might just carry the key, that would allow the essences of two immortals to combine. Unfortunately, all I had managed was creating a transcendent battery, up until now. That was worth a ton in its own right but the creatures couldn¡¯t grow on a diet of transcendent forces and every time I had even tried to introduce a second strain¡­ scrambled eggs. Maybe I had to think in generations. Incremental changes over countless iterations until they could finally bear the pressure of two transcendent sparks, the pressure of an immortal child. I was on my knees. A glaring corona of silver light, so bright it seemed almost solid, surrounded me, like the halo of a star. I had raised my left arm, blood gushing from my hand. The ring, sitting on top a silvery fountain, had turned into a black hole, swallowing every stream of power around me, streams it was tearing from the eggs. Erya¡¯s cries faintly reached my ears and I felt the weak impacts, when Aurelia threw herself against my armour of light, but I couldn¡¯t even turn my head. Transfixed, I stared, while the shells turned into sparks, layer upon layer disintegrating before my eyes. At first, the torrents of energy were pure and undiluted, but soon I felt, more than I saw, something else, like a dissonance, a shrilling sound amidst a choir. Intent and purpose, a shadow of what had once been was there as well. The small part of my mind, which wasn¡¯t busy cursing or panicking, was wondering, if those were the traces of another immortal, stored and sealed, but the thought soon vanished. Gradually, the ring was absorbing every speck of power and as it did, it ripped more and more of my blood, of my life from my wound. I hissed in pain, still reeling from my visions. Disoriented and scared I tried to marshal my will to either destroy the rampaging magics or simply rip off my own finger, but a small voice in the back of my mind held me back. ¡°Don¡¯t! Cassy, whatever you do, don¡¯t damage that connection. I can feel it, the rune, the rune Amazeroth gave me, it¡¯s reacting! Just¡­ hold on, I¡¯m almost there!¡± ¡°Ahri,¡± I thought confusedly, ¡°what¡­ where¡­¡± Another nauseating flash of tearing pain, accompanied by another surge of blood, cut me off. I almost keeled over completely, but I couldn¡¯t move my hand. It felt as if it was stuck in a white hot, immovable vice. ¡°What should I do,¡± I asked weakly, slowly regaining my bearings. Damn it, it hurt! ¡°Endure, just endure. I¡¯m¡­¡± a heartbeat later, I heard splintering wood and a series of surprised shouts. Crimson flames mingled with the churning maelstrom, parting the silver curtain. Warmth spread through my back and a flood of white fur washed around my knees. Ahri hugged me from behind and pulled me closer, her outstretched arm supporting my injured hand, the scent of pine trees calming my nerves. Where ever my wings brushed against her chest, I felt the outlines of a glyph burn underneath her skin. It resembled the motive on Mephisto¡¯s coin, a growing tree and a bowing figure, but there was so much more. The individual strands of power trailed off into ever smaller fractals, describing laws and rules I had never even heard of. Some of them were dormant others teeming with light. They mirrored the complex storm of power around the ring, a carved counterpart, like a lock and a key. The more energy the ring took in, the more segments of the rune became active. ¡°Ahri.¡± I whispered hoarsely, my heart beating like a drum,¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°A battle that shouldn¡¯t happen, yet,¡± she grunted and her tails tightened around me protectively. 274. Of prices, pathways and a little bit of trust Cassandra Pendragon ¡°A battle,¡± I echoed weakly. ¡°Against whom?¡± My voice was shaky. It wasn¡¯t the pain, although it did hurt like hell, but I had been through much worse. My core was replenishing the energy I lost as quickly as it was siphoned off, but the more it provided, the more was taken away. I had become a vessel, a bottleneck for transcendent forces and I felt the strain. ¡°I wish I knew,¡± she replied, her warmth counteracting the creeping chill, settling into my bones. ¡°When the glyph activated¡­ I know bits and pieces. Amazeroth didn¡¯t lie, not directly. It can detect corruption but its actual purpose¡­ I think he sealed the ring and the rune can break it open. If it has enough energy. Those¡­ eggs, they contain a transcendent spark. I don¡¯t know whose, but right now, it¡¯s being converted and absorbed.¡± ¡°Is that even possible,¡± I breathed. ¡°I thought transcendent forces were immutable.¡± ¡°Yours is, but¡­ you have killed before, haven¡¯t you? If they truly were unchangeable, you couldn¡¯t have done it. Your missing the point, though. If even a single speck of energy escapes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll return and whoever put their essence there will immediately know what¡¯s going on.¡± I felt her nod, her hair brushing against my ears. ¡°And it wouldn¡¯t only mean exposing Gaya¡­ Cassy, no one knows you wear that ring. If you break the connection, the truth will come out. The entire host will descend upon us within days. We can¡¯t allow that to happen. Should we fail here, we¡¯ll have to run, we¡¯ll have to leave this planet. So¡­ whatever you do, don¡¯t ever let go.¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not planning to. All I have to do is supply energy until it¡¯s over, right?¡± A tremulous smile tugged on the corners of my mouth. ¡°Nothing will ever outlast my stubbornness.¡± ¡°I know and I¡¯ll be with you all the way. Just¡­ don¡¯t pass out on me and we will be fine.¡± ¡°Sounds easy enough.¡± It wasn¡¯t. Imagine your body oscillating between a massive, painful fever, when my power was taken, and jolts of ecstasy, whenever it was being refilled. The latter might sound desirable on paper, but trust me, it wasn¡¯t. If anything, it was worse. Pain, I could deal with, but this¡­ it felt overbearing, almost like a violation. I was already becoming lightheaded and the squeezing, tearing sensation in my hand didn¡¯t help much, either. It was something to cling on to, but I didn¡¯t know, if it¡¯d be enough. Not that I was going to tell Ahri the truth, but judging from the frantic strength she used to pull me into her, she already knew anyways. ¡°I hope it is,¡± she murmured in my ear. ¡°Cassy, this isn¡¯t a moment, when you can play hero. Tell me, if it becomes too much. Please, promise me.¡± I hesitated. ¡°Not before you tell me what you¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°Does it matter? Something desperate. I don¡¯t know, if I can actually help you directly but I¡¯m sure as hell going to try. Cassy, we really are in danger. Don¡¯t brush it off. Getting hurt is fine, for both of us, but we can¡¯t afford to lose, not this time. So please, promise me.¡± ¡°Fine, I promise,¡± I relented, the transcendent shackle a familiar surge of heat in my chest. ¡°For now, I can hold on, though. Just¡­ don¡¯t let go of me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She gently guided my head to rest against her shoulder. ¡°However long it takes.¡± The next minutes were challenging, to say the least. We were isolated, cut off from everyone else by an impenetrable wall of light, the energies thundering around us an insurmountable barrier. I still felt Viyara¡¯s presence, the dragoness prowling up and down, in her original form, circling the roaring storm. She was anxious, her tongue tasting the electricity in the air compulsively, but she didn¡¯t try to force her way through. She still felt my thoughts and she had heard enough to understand, that there was nothing for her or anyone else to do. This was a battle Ahri and I had to fight for ourselves. Our companions wouldn¡¯t even be able to reach us, never mind help. Time ticked on, agonisingly slowly, the seconds drawn into what felt like hours, while my body reacted to the ebb and flow of energy. One moment, I was freezing, the next a wave of heat washed over me, accompanied by a tantalising, tingling sensation, that struck straight to my groin and through it all, it felt like my hand was being ripped off. It was just about bearable, but what really got to me, was the amount of control I had. When my mind had calmed down, I had realised, that I could prevent my powers from being taken. I would have been able to stop it with nothing but a wish, but I couldn¡¯t, not unless I was willing to risk more than I had bargained for. Suffering was one thing, but enduring while you could simply walk away was different. It took courage, almost more than I could muster. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ahri¡¯s presence and her whispered words of encouragement, I wouldn¡¯t have made it. I¡¯d have called it quits halfway through and screw the consequences. The seemingly unending cycle of pain and pleasure was too much to cope with. My head was spinning and my vision flickered, my nerves alight with power. Every time Ahri moved behind me I shivered, the gentlest of touches setting my skin on fire. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to moan or cry and I ultimately closed my eyes, surrendering to the onslaught. I didn¡¯t resist anymore. The sensations consumed me, catapulted me from ecstatic highs to excruciating lows. Sweat drenched my dress and it took all I had to remain still, my body demanding to¡­ do something, to run, to fight or maybe even turn around and kiss her. Anything would have been better than remaining stiff and rigid, like a discarded doll. But I didn¡¯t give in. It wasn¡¯t conviction or strength that kept me going, it was a stupid thought. I wouldn¡¯t fail, not while Ahri was holding me in her arms. I¡¯d be damned before I¡¯d disappoint her. I wouldn¡¯t give in. I clenched my teeth and waited, gradually distancing myself from the ravaging energies. My perception became dull. Sounds, smells and thankfully even my sense of touch dimmed until I felt like I was in a trance, still there but somehow apart from everything else. In a way, it became a dream, real and terrifying, but yet far away and long gone. My muscles relaxed, my breathing deepened and I stopped shaking. Pain and pleasure were still surging beneath the surface but it had become muted, something I felt but didn¡¯t really care for, as if I had been drugged. For how long it lasted I couldn¡¯t say, but when I was already tails deep in my own little world, the jarring power slowly subsided. Each cycle was less¡­ consuming, less demanding until all that was left was a burning, stinging sensation on my finger, a deep seated lethargy and the thrum of unfulfilled desire. What the hell had those eggs contained? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°I think we¡¯ve done it,¡± I slurred, unable to open my eyes, even though I could finally lower my hand. Soft lips touched the crown of my head and gentle fingers curled around my injured finger. I heard footsteps and the slithering of a gargantuan body close by, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to care and neither did Ahri. ¡°You, you¡¯ve done it,¡± she whispered and kissed me again. I felt her navigate my hand towards her face. I wasn¡¯t sure, but I thought it was already regenerating. At least it hurt considerably less. ¡°You¡¯re healing, on the outside, at least. How are you feeling?¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡­¡± a mild blush rose to my cheeks, when I puzzled over the question. ¡°Tired, spent and¡­ hungry.¡± Relieved, she laughed, her tails caressing my thighs, which drove me mad. My skin was still overly sensitive and the light touch was almost too much for me to bear. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find something for you to dig into. It should be fine, as long as you don¡¯t have cook yourself. After the mess we¡¯ve already made, Xorlosh won¡¯t take lightly to us ruining even more of his ship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not quite what I meant¡­ wait. Ruining his ship?¡± Struggling, I opened my eyes and blinked blearily. Damn it! The air was filled with thick, dark swaths of smoke and between us and the place the eggs had rested, small fires were gnawing at the charred planks. Close to us, everything made of metal had melted, most wooden things had skipped burning and had directly turned into ash, their outlines visible as dusty smears on the ground. The crystals had exploded, leaving behind small, glowing craters. Fine lines on the ground indicated, where the power we had channeled had spilled over, the intricate web reminiscent of the glyph on Ahri¡¯s chest. Where the eggs had been, the floor was entirely gone, leaving behind a gaping hole. The acrid smell of the furnace wafted up from the lower floors and I could hear deep, gravely voices shouting in agitation. Not even the dwarfs had kept their cool, when the ceiling had suddenly turned into a bonfire and the storm of energy we had unleashed had meddled with the flying stone. Viyara and Aurelia were shielding the two fey with their wings, their magics mingling in a magnificent display, a multicoloured, crimson golden shield in front of them. They eyed us warily, wondering if the storm had passed. Aurelia was, aside from a few tears in her dress, unscathed, but Viyara was still bleeding from a myriad of shallow cuts, her steaming blood hissing wherever it dripped onto the ground. She hadn¡¯t been injured by whatever I had done, not directly, but when the crystals had exploded, the shards had turned into shrapnel and while her scales had resisted, her wings had not. It wasn¡¯t dangerous for a creature of her size, but it still hurt, I could feel it. Cussing, with more enthusiasm than actual strength, I tried to sit up, but my love wouldn¡¯t have any of it. She resolutely held me down, shaking her head in disbelieve. ¡°You¡¯ll stay right where you are,¡± she admonished me sharply. ¡°Unless an army of immortals is coming for us, the only place you¡¯ll go is a hot bath and a warm bed. And you won¡¯t be walking by yourself, either.¡± She lowered her head and added in an intimate, husky whisper: ¡°don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t understand you. We¡¯ve been linked through it all.¡± To emphasise her words, she nibbled on my ear. I bit back a moan, my blood thundering in my ears, especially where I could still feel her hot, teasing breath. ¡°Vixen,¡± I pressed out, ¡°you have no idea what you¡¯re doing to me.¡± She chuckled throatily. ¡°Are you sure? Listen, concentrate.¡± For the fraction of a second I was confused, but soon enough, I felt her presence through our tattoos. Only, the connection was much stronger, almost as if it had been reinforced. If I focused, I could not only hear her thoughts and sense her presence, but I could practically see through her eyes. I felt her warmth against my back and her tails around my waist, but I also felt my weight in her arms, my smooth skin under her tails and the caress of moonlight, wherever my wings brushed against her body. I swallowed dryly. ¡°Did you¡­ all of it?¡± I was already plenty red and sweaty but I quickly transformed into a tomato. ¡°More than enough,¡± she laughed. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been so fucking dangerous and you hadn¡¯t fought tooth and nail against it, I¡¯d have enjoyed it quite a bit. Imagine how it¡¯s going to feel,¡± her fingers were trailing down my side, ¡°when we¡¯re together. Just the two of us.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if steam had been whistling out of my ears. She wasn¡¯t as turned on as I was, yet, but she was getting there and our connection now even mirrored our desires. Damn it, I really liked Viyara and the lot of them, but right now I wished them to the moon. ¡°An explanation, then a bath,¡± I stated, my voice much firmer than before. ¡°You have two minutes to explain, I won¡¯t wait longer. Someone else can deal with¡­ this.¡± I gesticulated vaguely towards the large hole and the destroyed cargo. Chuckling, she replied: ¡°I fear that¡¯s not going to go over as smoothly as you imagine. Look¡­¡± she gently turned my head, bringing into view¡­ ¡°What in Angrosh¡¯s name have you done?¡± Viyara, Aurelia and the fey had come closer, the dragoness brimming with relief that I wasn¡¯t writhing on the floor anymore. What really cooled me down like a bucket of ice water, though, was the beet red dwarf behind them, tearing at his hair. ¡°What¡­ how,¡± he stammered, his eyes wide while he surveyed the scene of destruction before him. ¡°Five minutes. Five gods damned minutes! How can you even wreak that much havoc in five minutes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a really good question,¡± another voice added. My faithful protectors had also managed to make their way downstairs and judging from their expressions they weren¡¯t amused, not one bit. ¡°Would you mind explaining, why¡­¡± a deep, reverberating growl brought Corvin up short. Viyara knew how shaken I still was and she wasn¡¯t planning on letting them tear into me, while I was trying to figure out how to get to my feet. Over the last weeks I had gotten quite used to her, be it in her draconic or elvish form, but the kitsune and dwarfs didn¡¯t have that advantage. They had held up reasonably well, while she had appeared as a pretty, timid girl, even though they had known what slumbered beneath her alluring smile, but now, confronted with massive, slithering coils of sparkling gold and a maw, filled with teeth longer than my arm, it was a bit different. Corvin paled, swallowed and took a step back but to my surprise, the dwarf didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass. ¡°Now there, lass,¡± he rumbled, ¡°and what¡¯s that supposed to mean? Yah wouldn¡¯t be barking at me now, would yah?¡± The wall of shimmering scales moved, turning into a living fortress around Ahri and me. I gratefully stroked her ruff, glad for the few minutes she had bought me. ¡°Help me up,¡± I told Ahri. ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer them while I¡¯m in your arms or on the ground.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she mumbled a bit mulishly, ¡°but I¡¯m not going to let go of you. I don¡¯t think you can stand on your own.¡± Grimacing, I nodded and she pulled me to my feet. I staggered immediately and only her tails around my middle kept me upright. ¡°Told you,¡± she quipped. Meanwhile, Erya had taken it upon herself to assuage the worst of their worries. Even though the blood was still thrumming in my ears, I heard her retort sharply: ¡°What do you think happened? When Cassandra touched the stones they reacted. Don¡¯t ask me how or why, but I¡¯m quite sure it wouldn¡¯t have turned out for the better, if she hadn¡¯t done it. You should know as much about her by now.¡± ¡°I appreciate what she¡¯s doing,¡± I whispered, ¡°but I imagine nothing at all would have happened, if I hadn¡¯t come near those darn things.¡± Tentatively, I touched Ahri¡¯s mind, deepening our connection. It felt strange, having her actual sensations overlap my own perception, but it wasn¡¯t half as bad as it had been. With her fretting over my apparent pallor and me starting to feel tremendously exhausted, it was far easier to keep my thoughts on a less carnal track and I managed to quickly go through her memories from the last few minutes. When the glyph had activated, she hadn¡¯t had an epiphany, but the rune itself and the way it interacted with her own powers had taught her a thing or two. First of all, the sigil and the ring were linked, she had called it a key and a lock, it¡¯d have described it as two sides of a coin but however it actually worked, there was a constant, ever so minuscule, stream of power flowing between them. Secondly, glyph and ring only reacted to corrupted transcendent energies. They didn¡¯t even register anything else. Considering what I knew, that meant a mixture of demonic and angelic essences, either set free through mortal meddling without the necessary power to contain the forces, or through us. Unfortunately, we still didn¡¯t know, if the energy of a corrupted immortal had been stored inside, or if angelic and demonic powers had been introduced separately. Plus, we didn¡¯t have the foggiest, whose it could have been in the first place. 275. Of hell, help and a little alliance Lilith ¡°Are you sure, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± I asked tentatively. Usually tentative, hesitant, timid or insecure weren¡¯t descriptions I¡¯d use for myself, but when face to face with someone, who could order his companion to swallow you whole in the blink of an eye, a little humility went a long way to ensure your continued, unaltered existence. By the abyss, my life sucked¡­ I had spent a while roaming hell, or rather, what remained of it. A barren wasteland. That alone wouldn¡¯t have been anything new, hell hadn¡¯t exactly been known for its hospitality, beautiful sunsets and tropical beaches, but it had never been lonely. Now it was. At first, I hadn¡¯t been able to make much sense of Cassandra¡¯s warning. There was nothing¡­ nothing to trust in, nothing that could fool me, but after a while, a thought had begun gnawing at the back of my mind. What if the desolation itself was an illusion, or rather a lie? Once the idea had been born, it had kept bugging me, but I hadn¡¯t been able to figure out how to go about proving it. I had wandered aimlessly, from one deserted palace to the next, always cautious, always on guard, but all I had found were the abandoned testimonies to our former glory. Castles of black glass and blood red stones, burning crevices, filled with eternal hellfire, forgotten ritual sites and seas of blanched bones under a grey, lifeless sky. Wherever I had turned, nothing had moved, nothing had breathed and I had been prepared to call it a day, to return to the real world and Cassandra, but then the core, Delilah¡¯s core, had reacted. Even though I had placed it in a pocket dimension, I had felt its heat and without a second thought, I had summoned it. The thing had looked almost the same except for a tiny glyph, a silver rune, glowing on its surface. The sneaky angel¡­ demoness, whatever, hadn¡¯t simply given it to me out of the goodness of her heart, which I hadn¡¯t really believed in the first place, but she had obviously left me with a bit more than a chance to meet my sister again. I had hesitated, but ultimately, if she had wanted to harm me, she could have done so directly and much more thoroughly when last we had met. Still, when I had touched the rune, I had been anxious, dreading what might happen. And for a good reason, as it had turned out. The very moment I had made my decision and fed the sigil with a drop of blood, hell, or rather my perception of it, had changed. Energy had spread outwards, like ripples in a pond. In its wake, reality had become twisted, contorted, until it shattered. Underneath the flimsy veil something else had appeared, something I hadn¡¯t expected. A lattice of energy crisscrossed the pockmarked plane, like a power grid, a pulsing, almost living power grid, contorting like a disgusting, artificial heart. To me it had seemed like it was sucking every last bit of energy from the landscape. The remnants of transcendent spells, the lingering power of rituals and the magic imbued into the very essence of the realm were slowly eroded and devoured, channeled to a point not too far away. I had cursed colourfully, my every instinct screaming at me to stay away. Whatever lay in wait there, wouldn¡¯t take kindly to my appearance but I hadn¡¯t been able to simply let it go. Did I already mention that caring was a pain in the ass? Against my better judgement, I had carefully made my way across the plains, making slightly less noise than a prowling panther. Delilah¡¯s core I had stowed again, the silver rune spent and useless after it had unravelled the concealing enchantments. Step by step I had moved closer, my intuition telling me where I had been headed long before I had been able to see the place. It was an ancient temple, one of the earliest edifices we had created. A temple and a prison, a beacon of hope and the seat of our destruction. The crackling lines of power were converging towards the ruins of our pride, where Lucifer had killed Chaleb and taken the ring, the very same ring Casandra now wore on her finger. Somehow, even though she was an angel, the thought hadn¡¯t bother me as much as I had expected. Maybe it was her youth, her charm, her naivety or maybe the fact that she was going to save my life in her future, but I hadn¡¯t minded that she possessed it. To be honest, I still didn¡¯t and by now, I was even glad the ring was with her. If it had been here¡­ The building, the lava garden and even the cellar of the temple had been destroyed, leaving behind nothing but dust and fragmented stones, still burning with the forces they had once contained. At the centre of a massive crater, amidst the rubble, where the lines of power ended, a haggard, almost emaciated figure had kneeled. A coarse, brown robe had covered it entirely, except for the very humanoid feet, clad in sandals. It could have been an old human pilgrim, if it hadn¡¯t been for the carved primordial ashen staff at its side and the gargantuan, pitch black wolf, about the size of a truck, growling menacingly at me. That godless beast was one of a kind, the last survivor of a long forgotten race and it served only one master. The one eyed angel, the master of lore and forbidden magics. Odin, he had been called, others had named him Fenrir. Ironic, considering those were the names of mortal enemies in many a culture. Enemies that would bring about the end of the world, but in reality, they were one and the same: Odin and his faithful watchdog, two bodies driven by the same cruel, indomitable will. At least he had still felt like himself. An oppressive, crushing presence, calm at the moment but brimming with unspent wrath and fury, like a storm grey sea under a winter¡¯s sky. As much as I feared the crushing waves, I was still unbelievably glad he hadn¡¯t been changed. If that creature ever became corrupted, even the Cassandra I had met would have to fight spear and wings with all she had to best him. His magic was unique and deadly and he was one of the best fighters I had ever known. I had breathed in deeply, savouring the familiar odour of sulphur, magics¡­ and a wet dog. Wrinkling my nose, I had approached, ignoring Fenrir¡¯s rising growl. ¡°Get over yourself, pup. I¡¯m not here for a fight.¡± A hackling cough, or maybe a chuckle, had escaped Odin. Like the old man he pretended to be, he had climbed to his feet creakily. ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± he had commented. ¡°A demoness as an emissary of peace. And I thought I had already seen it all. Down, Fen.¡± He turned to face me, the lidless gap where his left eye had been filled with an eerie, bluish light, casting shadows over his crooked nose and waxy features. ¡°The little succubus isn¡¯t a danger. Who knows, she might even be a friend. Are you, Lilith?¡± I had shrugged. ¡°Honestly, there¡¯s only one immortal I¡¯d consider a friend and you¡¯re not her. She¡¯s much prettier and less cranky.¡± ¡°Her? Who¡­ Ah, he has survived, hasn¡¯t he? I should have known. Where is he?¡± With a gesture, he called his staff to his hand, the runes sparkling as if delighted to be reunited with the grumpy grandpa. I had licked my lips nervously, eyeing the prowling wolf, who had been trying to get behind me. I wasn¡¯t entirely convinced of his playfulness. The gleaming, ebony fangs, flowing mane and glowing eyes made him just a tad to imposing to ignore. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Far away and safe until he¡¯s fully grown. What are you doing here?¡± He raised a practically nonexistent eyebrow but let his question go. ¡°Salvaging what¡¯s left of this wasteland. Someone had to.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea,¡± I asked, slowly turning on the spot. The sickly veins of pulsing power didn¡¯t look healthy. For anyone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it is.¡± He absentmindedly called his companion over and began stroking the head of the massive wolf, which was about as large as I was tall. The freaking puppy really gave me the creeps. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Lilith. Too much has happened. Why have you come here? It¡¯s dangerous, you know that. Especially if you know where your feathered friend is hiding.¡± ¡°She sent me,¡± I blabbered, before I could stop myself. ¡°Told me to explore hell, what¡¯s left of it.¡± ¡°She? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He brushed his long, black grey hair back with hands that looked more like claws. ¡°You were told to come here and now I¡¯m telling you to leave. There¡¯s nothing waiting for you, they¡¯re all gone.¡± ¡°But you aren¡¯t? How, Odin? Why aren¡¯t you¡­¡± I gesticulated helplessly. ¡°Fallen? Disfigured, corrupted? I¡¯ve never bowed my head to anyone, Lilith, you should know best, and I won¡¯t start now. I¡¯ll neither become a pawn to be pushed around nor a servant taking orders. But you¡­ what happened to you? Last I heard, Delilah was tracking you down. Where is she?¡± I grinned smugly. ¡°Not too far away, but you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± I added immediately when I saw him tense up, ¡°she¡¯s¡­ clean.¡± I hesitated, debating whether or not to share more than I already had, but allies were sparse and if I could somehow convince him to stand with us, it¡¯d be worth so much. Sighing, I produced her core and showed it to him. ¡°That¡¯s her, fresh and innocent like¡­ well, a newborn. In a way, I think she really is.¡± Transfixed, he stared at the smooth orb in my hand, his spidery fingers reaching. He stopped himself before he made contact, a surprised, almost satisfied light burning in his eye. ¡°So there really is a way back. I¡¯ve always wondered¡­ Fen, stand guard, the Lady and I will have a long overdue conversation.¡± With a low howl, the dangerous beast quivered and turned into fleeting shadows, chasing after the last rays of light before they vanished. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not going to give me much of a choice,¡± I quipped. ¡°Afraid not. But I am willing to tell you what I¡¯m doing here in return for some answers.¡± ¡°Not like I¡¯m going to get a better deal. Fine, then. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°You said you were sent here. Why? What could anyone want in this abandoned place?¡± ¡°I could ask you the very same thing. Anyways, I don¡¯t really know either, but if I had to guess, I¡¯d say to meet you. Lucifer¡­ Cassandra, the one I met, she was from the future. I think she knew pretty darn well what I¡¯d find here.¡± ¡°Time travel? Are you serious? He has the power, but he shouldn¡¯t have the skill.¡± ¡°Well, I might have summoned her through a tear in time¡­ I gave her a beacon to focus on. It wasn¡¯t really by choice. Delilah¡­ she caught me. Do you know how strong she¡¯s become?¡± He nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t stand a chance. I needed help and Lu¡­ Cassandra is¡­ she was the only one I thought capable of defeating my sister and caring enough to actually come. You should meet her. She¡¯s quite the sight for sore eyes and sassy to boot. You¡¯d either be fast friends or at each other¡¯s throat within seconds. Both would be fun to watch.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it. I¡¯ve never been comfortable in his presence and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s changed that much. Despite his delirious meanderings about choice and free will he never really did. Change, that is.¡± I chuckled merrily. ¡°Trust me, you wouldn¡¯t recognise what she was, even if she kicked you in the balls. From what I¡¯ve seen, she¡¯s¡­ different. And I don¡¯t mean her reincarnation. She seems much more¡­ alive. As if there was a fire burning in her. A fire no one can extinguish. Odin¡­ I don¡¯t think she will lose, not this time around.¡± ¡°Are you willing to bet on that?¡± ¡°Already have. I haven¡¯t told her yet, but I¡¯m with her, every step of the way. Maybe I¡¯m just desperate but I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s¡­ here, let me show you.¡± I closed my eyes, my magic stirring. I felt it leave my body, the sparks marshalled into figures and forms, slowly taking on the shape of the breathtaking creature who had come to save me. Her armour, her spear, her wings and lastly her face and her crown, burning brightly, even in my memories. Odin hissed in surprise when I had finished, his eye reverently roaming over the illusion I had created. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s¡­,¡± he stammered, which was a first.It wasn¡¯t everyday you saw an immortal at a loss for words but an angel wearing a demon¡¯s crown was unheard of. Unheard, impossible and a bunch of other adjectives like preposterous, unbelievable or simply wrong, but still, she was there, just like she had appeared before me. ¡°Yup. Our little princess is more than a beautiful face, maybe even more than we first believed her to be. Humbling, isn¡¯t it? Remembering how much he made us squirm, even before he grew out his horns. And now¡­ by the abyss, the more I think about it, the more I become convinced we aren¡¯t actually the ones who should fear for their life. Facing that¡­ I think I¡¯d rather spend a few centuries in a convent. A strict one.¡± ¡°I see what you mean,¡± he mumbled while he circled the shimmering apparition. ¡°Even through your memories I can feel her power. No wonder Michel has tried his utmost to kill him off. Do you think he has always been like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but¡­. Yeah. He might have forgotten but it would explain why it took most of us to bring him to his knees. This time¡­ she will remember, Odin. This is what she will become. I¡¯ve seen it. No force in heaven can stop it and once she spreads her wings¡­ maybe the Pearly Gates aren¡¯t as impenetrable as we always thought.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯ll march on the Silver City?¡± ¡°Not today and not tomorrow, but sooner or later, she will remember why she fought us in the first place and when she does, I¡¯d rather be a friend than an enemy. You haven¡¯t seen it, yet.¡± I changed the flow of power and another silhouette grew from the shadows, hulking and distorted. With little effort, I recalled Cassy¡¯s fight against Delilah, if you could even call it a fight. In hindsight, a thrashing might be more accurate or maybe tough, parental love. The demoness hadn¡¯t had a prayer, her power burned to ashes in the blink of an eye. I felt a grin spread across my features. Like so many tyrants before him, Michael had created his own worst nightmare and one day, she would come to collect and I¡¯d be there, watching and laughing all the way. ¡°By the Nine Eyes, she could have ended her, just like we would squish a mortal. What will she become,¡± he asked reverently. ¡°The future? The past? Does it matter? All we have to figure out is on which side to stand, once the dust settles and I, for one, won¡¯t ever fight against that thing. I¡¯d rather make out with a cactus. Now, can I ask a question in return?¡± He paused in his tracks and gave me curt nod. ¡°How could that happen?¡± I indicated the empty parish around us. ¡°Michael promised, he promised us years. How could he¡­¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± he interrupted me. ¡°That¡¯s not the doing of an angel, even though I¡¯m sure many of my brethren rejoiced at the thought. No, hell was betrayed by its own people. We didn¡¯t lift a finger, Lilith. Demons, demons did this. I don¡¯t know why, but I can guess, probably as well as you. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s getting worse, ever since you¡¯ve been chased away, our people have changed. I¡¯m not even sure if we can rightfully call them that, anymore. That¡¯s also why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m looking for the truth. The last battle this place has seen must have left something behind. Magical residue, transcendent blood¡­ something must be here, but I haven¡¯t found it, yet. It looks almost like¡­ like your family simply packed up one day and vanished without a trace.¡± 276. Of anathema, hesitation and a little bit of loss Lilith ¡°Wait¡­ what? How¡­ could you start from the beginning? I already know that some of us were more than susceptible to Michael¡¯s proposals, but this? Why would they ransack their home?¡± ¡°I wish I knew. One of the things I intend to find out. I can tell you what I¡¯ve already figured out, but it isn¡¯t much¡­ Darkness wasn¡¯t something to be afraid of. It could be warm, comforting, a place to hide from the world, a place where we were reduced to what truly mattered. I had always liked the dark, watching in the shadows while everyone else made fools of themselves in the light. It made me feel in control, invincible, but it also meant that I hadn¡¯t been able to make anyone listen. Quietly I scrutinised the battered and beaten procession, proud, powerful creatures brought to their knees by their own kind. Looming, disfigured shapes, abominations, which had long ago lost their way, drove them forward, leading them to the Pearly Gates, tottering step after tottering step. I knew them all, I knew their names, their deeds. Theirs and those of their wardens. Demons forcing demons into servitude. If I hadn¡¯t been convinced something was fundamentally wrong before, every doubt would have been laid to rest, by now. ¡°It¡¯s not all of them,¡± a throaty, silky voice commented at my side. ¡°Aphrodite,¡± I acknowledged her. ¡°Have you come to gloat?¡± She shrugged, her flowing, golden hair dancing around her like crystallised light. ¡°Lilith isn¡¯t there and even if she was, I wouldn¡¯t gloat. We both know what this means, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Change,¡± I rumbled and spat on the ground. ¡°Change for us and all of creation. A new beginning, ain¡¯t it,¡± I added sardonically, echoing Michael¡¯s words. ¡°All without a single drop of blood spilled. Do you know where they¡¯re being taken?¡± She shook her magnificent head, her deep, blue eyes narrowing. ¡°No and I¡¯m not stupid enough to ask. Neither should you, unless you want to join them. Please, don¡¯t. I always liked you, Odin. It¡¯d be a pity to see you gone.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Goodness gracious, no. I¡¯m warning you. You¡¯ve been away¡­ when was the last time we saw you here? When Lucifer fell?¡± I nodded. ¡°And even that was a mistaken. I shouldn¡¯t have come. Do you regret it?¡± ¡°Regret? It¡¯s not in my nature and neither is it in yours. I¡¯m¡­ disappointed, maybe. I always thought, one day, if he became fed up with Aurora, I might convince him to spend a night with me, but other than that¡­ he¡¯s gone, just like the ones he¡¯s killed.¡± ¡°You really think he¡¯s dead, then?¡± ¡°If he isn¡¯t now, he soon will be. It doesn¡¯t make a difference. Why? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the one missing him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t miss him,¡± I snarled, ¡°I fear him¡­ I fear I might have misjudged him. Tell me honestly, do you believe in the world we¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re trying to build? Do you believe we¡¯re better off, now?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t mind not having to look over my shoulder, every time I feel an immortal presence, but I¡¯m not¡­ no, Odin, I don¡¯t think this is right. We need them. We need demons, just like light needs darkness. There can¡¯t be the one without the other. I like being an angel and I¡¯m not looking forward to the day I can¡¯t be one, anymore. Without our cousins, what even are we?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Can we even live without them is a better one. I¡¯ve made up my mind. I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ll ask only once. Would you like to come?¡¯ She tilted her head, her feathery, white wings quivering with tension. She studied me for a moment. ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll stay here. But visit me, once you¡¯re done. Are you¡­ will you be looking for him?¡± ¡°No. I want to know why our cousins have been brought here, why they¡¯re marched into the Silver City like cattle. It¡¯s almost¡­ I can¡¯t shake the feeling that we¡¯re only seeing the very tip of the iceberg and I¡¯m going to dig deep. I think I¡¯ll visit¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. The less anyone knows, the better. Still, would you do me a favour? You¡¯re well liked, by everyone. Ask around. Maybe someone¡¯s prepared to talk to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I will. It¡¯s dangerous enough to speak plainly with you and I only chose to risk it, because I¡¯ve spent more time with you than anyone else. You¡¯ve seen the changes in Thanatos and Hora¡­ they¡¯re becoming something else, like Delilah. I¡¯m not going to voluntarily put my head on the chopping block to satisfy your curiosity.¡± ¡°Is that what we¡¯ve become? Cowering children at the feet of a tyrant. Maybe Lucifer was right, after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± she hissed, ¡°where you can be overheard, or it could be your core, next.¡± ¡°Thrown into the Chasm, you mean? Bound and brutalised? What is it to you?¡± Without warning, she slapped me. The force knocked my head back and I felt my lips rupture under the impact. ¡°That¡¯s was uncalled for,¡± I apologised, while the wound sealed itself. ¡°Forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll return, Aphrodite. I¡¯ll return, once I know what¡¯s going on. I won¡¯t forget you, either. Just¡­ try to stay away from Michael until then. I don¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Neither do I. The best of luck, Odin. You¡¯ll need it¡­ we¡¯ll need it.¡± A moment later, my form disintegrated and collapsed into pitch black sparks, dispersing through the void, faster than a thought. There was only one place for me to go: hell. ¡°When I arrived,¡± Odin continued his story, ¡°I felt the emptiness call out to me. There¡¯s nothing here, no traces, no power, no purpose. After all the aeons you and your ilk have spent here, the plane should be brimming with transcendent powers, but it¡¯s empty. As if someone had not only taken your family but also scraped the place clean of any speck of energy tied to an immortal.¡± ¡°What if they have,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Cassandra told me¡­ she thinks what¡¯s happening to our people, what¡¯s corrupting them is a mixture of our powers. If she¡¯s right, Michael would need an almost infinite supply of demonic energy. What if he not only took the¡­ the batteries, but also the place they¡¯ve already charged?¡± He cocked an eyebrow. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°What for? Are you saying he¡¯s transforming angels by injecting them with demonic essences and vice versa? Don¡¯t be absurd, no one would survive.¡± ¡°Or, someone already has. Two someone¡¯s, to be precise.¡± ¡°Lucifer, Aurora,¡± he hissed. ¡°But they¡­ they never seemed¡­¡± ¡°Any different? No they didn¡¯t, did they? But trust me, Lucifer, at the very least, is partly demon. He¡­ he can be summoned.¡± His eye lit up with a predatory sheen, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Shit, maybe I should have kept my oversized mouth shut. ¡°Can you call him,¡± he rasped. ¡°Right here and now?¡± ¡°I¡­possibly,¡± I replied carefully, ¡°but I¡¯m not going to. He¡¯s safe, for now and I won¡¯t endanger him. If you want to meet him¡­ her, you¡¯ll have to come with me.¡± ¡°Come where? Where is he, Lilith?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling. It¡¯ll be her choice what to do with you, once you¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Her choice? Do you really think a newborn has the power to subjugate me, to decide my fate?¡± ¡°Probably not, but she wouldn¡¯t be alone. Also, I¡¯m fairly convinced you wouldn¡¯t fight her in the first place. She¡¯s¡­ I trust her, Odin, and I think you know how hard it is to win my trust.¡± He breathed out deeply and buried his head in his hands, a surprisingly exhausted and mortal gesture. Right now, he truly appeared like an old man who carried the weight of too many winters. ¡°I do know that, better than almost anyone. What made you believe in her? Her prowess? The fight you¡¯ve shown me? I¡¯m not buying it, there¡¯s got to be more.¡± ¡°There is, but I¡¯m not telling. It¡¯s her life, her story and if you want to know the truth, you¡¯ll have to meet her. Incidentally, why are you refusing so adamantly?¡± ¡°Because I never planned on getting involved,¡± he suddenly spat. ¡°I want, no, I have to know, but I never wanted to join the fight, any fight for that matter. As much as I¡¯m unwilling to bow to Michael and his schemes, I¡¯m just as reluctant to join forces with an angel, who, for all we know, is the very fulcrum this whole mess revolves around. Don¡¯t be daft, Lilith. You know the path you walk on will lead to either victory or death. Not the form of bargain you can profit from, is it?¡± ¡°Sometimes, it doesn¡¯t matter. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but there are some thing which are inherently wrong and it¡¯s worth trying to change them. Even if the price is higher than we¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Listen to you. You sound like¡­ like a mortal. That¡¯s not us! Right, wrong, good, evil¡­ since when do you care? And why, by the Abyss, should I?¡± ¡°Because you want answers, just as much as she does. Because we¡¯ve tried for countless aeons and look where it has gotten us. I¡¯m fed up with running in circles. If living means believing in something bigger than ourselves, I¡¯m ready to give it a try. I don¡¯t have much to lose, either way. I¡¯m hunted, shunned and probably as good as dead, should our sibling ever find me. Dead or even worse. My life¡¯s on the line and I¡¯m not going to spend, what could very well turn out to be my last days, hiding. That¡¯s why he fought, you know. He never really believed he¡¯d win, I¡¯m quite sure he knew he¡¯d fail before he even started.¡± I wasn¡¯t quite sure, I was certain. Lucifer had given the ring to Cassandra, which meant he had met her. He had met his future and consequentially seen his death. ¡°But he still tried. It¡¯s probably stupid, shortsighted and¡­ very mortal but he didn¡¯t regret it. Not even for a second. Is that something you can say, Odin? Looking back on your life, do you honestly feel no regret, no remorse? I do.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± he scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re not able to really regret. You can¡¯t shed tears, you can¡¯t love, you can¡¯t hate, why would you feel regret?¡± ¡°Because I choose to. That¡¯s what he always meant. Choice and change¡­ they¡¯re within us.¡± ¡°Now you sound like a fortune cookie. A cheap one. What¡¯s that even supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means,¡± a deep, rumbling voice answered while the shadows coalesced into a tangible form. Fenrir had rejoined us. ¡°It¡¯s time to grow up, old friend.¡± ¡°Grow up? I¡¯ve been old before the first of your race was born¡­¡± ¡°And still, you¡¯re a child, most immortals are. Why do you think I¡¯ve chosen to protect you? Age has nothing to do with it. Growth means understanding. Understanding who you are and what you believe in, what¡¯s worth fighting for. You¡¯re still searching, Odin. That¡¯s why I like you. You¡¯re always pretending to be a detached prick, but deep down, you¡¯re longing for something more.¡± Odin snorted, his fingers flexing on his staff. ¡°If you¡¯re so convinced, why don¡¯t you meet with her?¡± ¡°Maybe I will,¡± the pitch black mass growled. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me.¡± ¡°Or you could just get down from your high horse,¡± I interjected, ¡°clench your butt cheeks and get on with it. You said you don¡¯t want to become involved? Tough luck, you already are. Let¡¯s speak plainly. What do you fear, Odin?¡± ¡°Fear? I¡¯m an immortal. I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Cut the crap. You¡¯ve been playing coy, ever since we met. It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re desperately grasping for reasons to stay where you are, cozy, safe and irrelevant. If that¡¯s not fear, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°Careful, Lilith,¡± he snapped. ¡°Antagonising me won¡¯t yield the result you¡¯re aiming for, but you¡¯re right. You want to know what I fear? Waking up and realising that we¡¯ve been misled and used for the better part of existence. I fear the doubts that will haunt me, should Lucifer have been right.¡± The large wolf erupted in a hackling cough, a dark, twisted version of a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s a mortal sentiment, if I¡¯ve ever seen one,¡± he explained. ¡°Hiding until it¡¯s too late only because you fear failure. I thought you were above these things.¡± ¡°So did I, but apparently I¡¯m still learning. Alright, I¡¯ll go. But first, I¡¯ll finish up, here,¡± ¡°And why exactly are you trying to do? You aren¡¯t searching for transcendent traces, the spell is much too complex,¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m trying to weave an illusion, which should show me the last few years. Whatever transpired, we¡¯ll be able to watch. You¡¯re, of course, very welcome to stay. At the very least it should show us why this plane is emptier than the void. After that¡­ well, it sure seems like we¡¯re going on a road trip to wherever Lucifer is hiding.¡± ¡°Cassandra,¡± I corrected him, almost instinctively. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call her Lucifer. None of us want the Lightbringer to return. We¡¯re much better off as it is.¡± ¡°Are we,¡± he mumbled, while he turned back to the pulsing web of energies. ¡°He might have been an arrogant jerk, but I¡¯m starting to believe we might soon come to miss him. Attitude, wings and warts and all. At least he put the fear of god in Michael.¡± ¡°The fear of god,¡± I echoed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a deity under any sun Michael fears.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a figure of speech,¡± he said and rolled his eyes. ¡°One mortals use to indicate something above them, something that can pass judgement, when all else fails. In that regard, I think the shoe fits, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Probably. Which reminds me. Before you become entranced by your magic again, do you know why Michael fears him so much? I know how powerful he is, but a lonely angel can¡¯t be a threat to the heavenly host.¡± A bark like laughter made my hair bristle. ¡°A lonely angel¡­ hah. You¡¯ve what? Spent close to an hour in her company and you¡¯re already willing to march wherever she points you. If Michael hadn¡¯t put in the work beforehand, quite a few of us wouldn¡¯t have joined his crusade. Lucifer has always been able to ignite something within the people he met. Hatred, love, fear, trust¡­ I¡¯ve never met anyone who simply didn¡¯t care. No, Lilith, he wouldn¡¯t have been lonely, if he had just bothered to explain himself, but I imagine his magnificence never even considered the possibility he might need help.¡± ¡°She does know. Another reason why you should meet her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already agreed, haven¡¯t I? Incidentally, whom am I going to meet? You said she wouldn¡¯t be alone. Who¡¯s with her?¡± ¡°I am, for example, but there are a few more. Aurora and Mephisto and¡­ well, the rest you¡¯ll have to figure out by yourself.¡± ¡°Thought so. Can you at least tell me how many immortals are close to her?¡± ¡°I could, but why does it matter?¡± ¡°I want to know if everyone who¡¯s gone missing is tied to her or if some have simply disappeared.¡± ¡°Six, including her, at least as far as I know. How many vanished?¡± He sighed. ¡°More, many more. Close to fifty. I wonder where they are¡­ and if we¡¯ll ever know.¡± 277. Of servitude, defiance and a little bit of trust Lilith Lost in thought I watched the swelling and ebbing flow of energy as it rushed through the intricate formations Odin had created. Like the tide the power swirled and pulsed, gradually spreading throughout hell. When I had first seen his magic it had seemed ugly, parasitic, but in truth it was nothing more than a very powerful and complex scrying spell. Powerful enough to draw unwanted attention, which was why he had sent his lapdog away again, patrolling the borders. In hindsight, we maybe should have done a little more. It might have saved us quite a bit of grief and trouble. After hours, his spell was close to completion, the lattice of energy glowing with untold strength. All he had to do was activate it and we would finally know, know how hell had become a lifeless wasteland. In theory, at least. Reality, though, had other plans for us. It began with an eerie howl, reverberating in the air, echoing through the ruins, shaking the very ground we stood on. Immediately, Odin raised his gaze from his work, his eye narrowing. ¡°Fenrir,¡± he breathed. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Wait here, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± I sighed. ¡°Tough luck. I¡¯m not going to stay back like an obedient child. Whatever is going on, you might just as well take me with you. Who knows, maybe I¡¯m even able to help out.¡± He scrutinised me for a moment, before he nodded curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll have to learn to trust you, anyways. Come on then, try to keep up.¡± Without another word, he changed, his body transforming into a towering raven, almost as towering as the wolf he called a pet. A single, beady, black eye blinked slowly above a polished, ebony beak, large enough to rip a human into pieces. He cawed defiantly and rose into the ash grey sky amidst a storm of shimmering feathers. Leathery wings sprouted from my back and I followed suit, the speed of our passage ripping through the plane as we rushed towards his companion, a tight knot of worry twisting my insides. There weren¡¯t many beings in creation who could measure up to Fenrir¡¯s strength¡­ except us. Odds were one of our beloved siblings was knocking on the door. It didn¡¯t take long until we knew. One moment, we were thundering across a lifeless landscape and the very next, I squirmed and shivered, my essence compressed from all sides. Droplets of a warm, sticky, dark red, almost black liquid clung to me like raindrops and I felt disorientated, lost, while I tried to figure out which way was up. A maniacal, cold laugh assaulted my ears, when I finally regained my bearings and dropped below the cloud of blood, a coppery taste in my mouth. Before me, wrapped in glowing bands of power, another angel stood, Fenrir¡¯s tongue in hand. ¡°There you are,¡± Hecate sneered, the snakes in her hair spitting venom, her golden eyes sparkling. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you all over. Who¡¯d have thought I¡¯d find you here, amidst the rubble? Long time no see, Odin.¡± She threw the still bleeding tongue at him and added: ¡°your pup is a bit rash. I had to teach him some manners, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± The large raven transformed back and Odin caught the piece of flesh, his face like stone, distant and unreadable. ¡°But where are my own manners,¡± she continued, turning to face me. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lilith. How did you manage to get away from Delilah? Don¡¯t tell me you beat her, weak as you are. Did you bribe her? You¡¯re plenty pretty, if you put your mind to it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you find out for yourself,¡± I asked, feigning confidence. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a kiss or a thrashing you¡¯re looking for, I¡¯ll gladly provide both. Or maybe a good spanking? We could try to pluck the stick from your ass but I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± her face twisted into a snarl and she raised her hand. The constant pressure I had felt, ever since we had gotten close to her, intensified, like a vice it clamped down, silencing me mid sentence. I coughed up blood, spluttering. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me demon, you¡¯re not going to enjoy playing with me.¡± A faint shimmer enveloped her body, ugly, translucent blue lines spreading across her skin, almost like an infection. Her alabaster skin rippled, her muscles bulged and long, snakelike fangs pierced through her lips. She was turning into a lamia before our eyes, her elegance replaced by a swelling rush of strength, her golden, feathered wings crumpling until they resembled my own. ¡°I¡¯m going to drag you to the Silver City either way, but it¡¯s up to you how much you¡¯re going to suffer before you kneel in front of the throne. Please, do continue. I¡¯d love to tear into you until your defiance turns into fear.¡± Cradling the tongue of his friend, Odin looked up. ¡°Throne? Since when is there a throne in the Silver City?¡± ¡°Much has changed,¡± she cackled. ¡°Michael has seen to that. We¡¯re stronger and we¡¯re united. There¡¯s isn¡¯t anyone who could stand against us. But for you, my darlings, it¡¯s too late. The only worth you¡¯ve left is the strength, flowing through your veins, and we¡¯ll take that from you, as well.¡± ¡°Will you, now,¡± he mumbled, his eye igniting with dark red flames. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try. Rise!¡± His last word carried with it the strength of an immortal and the fires of retribution. The lord of ravens called and Fenrir answered. A bloodcurdling howl cut through the shadows, the lifeless piece of flesh in Odin¡¯s hand vanished and from far away, the drumbeat of oversized paws thundered closer. Hecate flinched, her eyes widening, as she whirled around, golden blue fire wreathing her arms. Her distraction cost her. Like a black lightning bolt, Odin charged, the runes along his staff shimmering with transcendent power. Grunting, I ordered my body to heal and reached for the seat of my strength, flooding my limbs with energy. The incapacitating pressure vanished, dark flames danced around me and my outline blurred, massive, black tendrils erupting from my back. I didn¡¯t know if we could beat a corrupted immortal, but I sure as hell knew we had to try, otherwise this misadventure would end before it even started. There was no room for doubt, we didn¡¯t have that luxury, we either prevailed or we¡¯d come to understand what had happened to our siblings, first hand. A fight between immortals baffles description. The framework we use to categorise our world, language, concepts, ideas, they all don¡¯t even come close to the forces we unleashed in the first few moments. Space crumbled, time bled, hell screamed in agony while we battled. There was no time for thought, no basis to build on. One fractured moment we were charging towards Hecate and the next, my world was turned into singing colours, glaring noises and visible pain. I felt her, I felt Odin at my side and Fenrir¡¯s heavy pants when he finally arrived. The three of us, two creatures at the pinnacle of existence and one that was as close to it as a mortal could ever get, allied in a desperate struggle against just one lonely being, suffered. I had known, I had seen Delilah, I had felt her strength, but I had still managed to lie to myself, convinced it had been a fluke. Not all of them could be this strong. I had been wrong. They were and Hecate, the Lady of the Mist, was a far cry more dangerous than Delilah had ever been. My sister had fought with overwhelming strength, assured of her power. Hecate was different, more cautious, cleverer. She didn¡¯t try to beat us into submission, she altered the very reality around us, making us fight mirrors and mirages while she slowly guided us deeper into a maze of memories. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. One second, we were fighting a swarm of flying flames, each one smiling at us with her face, the next we were chased by an army of angels in battle garb, their voices calling for our destruction, their magic hot on our heels, like dogs out for blood. From the deepest chasms to the farthest reaches we fought, always changing, always adapting. A bone shaking scream cut through the flimsy walls of space around us, when Odin¡¯s staff struck home, the force of a descending star behind the blow. He tore through the heart of a world, a construction of Hecate¡¯s magic, but real nevertheless. Billions perished in an instant, their deaths fuelling his attack. Light exploded outwards, brighter than a dying star, ripping away the torrents of power encircling us. Her concentration wavered and the gaping maw of a nightmare turned real closed around her body, pearly white teeth shredding her form. Then she was gone and the scene shifted. Mist swirled around us, a suffocating presence, cutting us off from reality. Everything turned white and became muted, even Fenrir¡¯s voice vanished behind a soft but unyielding wall. I gritted my teeth and allowed the shadows to spill forth, a dark maelstrom in the midst of a contour less wasteland. Black veins permeated the lifeless, freezing white, golden and blue sparks igniting along the way. I felt my power falter, the shapeless nothingness swallowing everything I had to offer, but my companions didn¡¯t simply stand by. From somewhere far away, a raven¡¯s cry pierced the tranquility of death, a rallying command, answered by a rumbling growl. Silhouettes and sparks flickered into existence, the mist thinning around me, while the strangling pressure diminished. I whirled around, my pitch black wings whipping through nothingness. A whirlwind of colour howled around me, fuelled by anger and desperation. At the edge of my perception, a gargantuan shadow leaped and another piercing cry tore through reality. The mist surged, closing in on me like the embrace of death and then it vanished, blown away by an immeasurable strike. Before me, Fenrir had managed to clamp down on Hecate¡¯s neck, his bite strong enough to turn worlds into dust. At his side, Odin was wrapped in an armour of glimmering feathers, his staff embedded in her chest. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Her golden eyes flared, blue light breaking through the glare, and with a simple command she marshalled the power of her corrupted core and blew them away like autumn leaves in the wind. The strength of her voice made me trembled, but it hadn¡¯t be directed at me and I could act. Desperate, I conjured a whip of roaring hellfire into my hand. With a twist of my mind, I appeared behind her, my smouldering weapon digging deep into the marks Fenrir had left behind. Hellfire wasn¡¯t normal fire, it had changed, transformed over the aeons, saturated with transcendent forces and it couldn¡¯t be extinguished. It burned forever. Or so I had thought. With a more annoyed than pained grunt, Hecate¡¯s wings rippled with translucent, blue flames, and the red black collar around her neck vanished without a trace. ¡°You,¡± she thundered, the strength of her voice pushing me back. ¡°You can¡¯t win!¡± Something slammed into me, breaking bones, rending flesh, suppressing my power. Like a scared child, I was flung away, a trail of black blood marking my passage. My insides had been turned into a disgusting pulp, slowly trickling from the corner of my mouth. Whatever she had done allowed me to use just enough energy to stay alive and conscious but not enough to repair the damage she had inflicted. With a bone jarring impact, I crashed into the ground, obsidian daggers piercing my skin as I rolled over the jagged, volcanic stone. I coughed up another gush of my intestines and barely managed to open my eyes, my heart hammering, my nerves alight with pain. My vision was blurry but what I saw still made me grin manically. His eye glowing, his lips stretched into a snarl, Odin had cast another spell. A rift appeared above Hecate, a shimmering tear in reality through which I could briefly glimpse slithering shapes and teeth filled maws, before a swarm of greyish creatures broke forth like an avalanche. I had never seen them before and even though the winds of their wingbeats flipped me over like a doll, I still couldn¡¯t sense them. It was as if they weren¡¯t really there, as if they weren¡¯t¡­ real. With a bloodcurdling shriek, they charged at the corrupted angel, fangs bared, talons reaching and for the first time since we had confronted her, she seemed scared. A ripple travelled along her wings and they pulsed with an unnatural light, a cone of blue flames turning several into ash. Then, they were upon her, a wriggling, biting, hissing mass of limbs and teeth, driven by a demonic, ravenous frenzy. Her screams battered against my already broken shell, but the power, which had constrained my core, was gone. I turned into a shapeless mass of shadows and reconstructed my body in the blink of an eye, reappearing at Odin¡¯s side. ¡°What did you do,¡± I asked reverently, my thoughts barely able to break through a wall of ironclad concentration. ¡°What I had to. Lilith¡­ run! I won¡¯t be able to hold her for long. Run to Lucifer, tell him¡­ tell him I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, no way. I¡¯ve been running most of my life and I¡¯m done leaving¡­ friends behind. Tell me what I can do.¡± He shivered and the colour slowly drained from his face. ¡°Stupid demon, if I falter, they will devour you whole and in contrast to her, you won¡¯t survive!¡± ¡°Then you better don¡¯t. What are those things?¡± ¡°A misguided dream¡­ a weapon¡­¡± he was cut short when the greyish, spasming hill suddenly exploded. Bits and pieces of wet, still wriggling limbs were thrown in every direction, drenching us to the bone with disgusting, acidic fluids. I cursed and blinked the viscous liquid form eyes. Where the slithering mass had been, only a crater remained, Hecate at the centre, breathing heavily. Her dress was gone, her wings ripped to shreds, her body covered in deep, bleeding wounds. Blue flames surrounded her like a visible aura, crackling with power. The stench of burned flesh and gasoline assaulted my nostrils and I felt my skin disintegrate, the greyish blood biting deep into my body. My own power exploded outwards, cleansing Odin and myself. A deep groan escaped him and he dropped to his knees, as if it had been his own life, which had been consumed by her last attack. ¡°You fools,¡± she shrieked. ¡°Did you really believe a swarm of insects could stop me?¡± I trembled, uncertainty and fear coursing through my veins. What was I supposed to do? She had shrugged them off like a knight would toss aside an impudent kid and I was no match for her on my own. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Odin coughed. ¡°But they did what they were supposed to. They¡¯ve laid their eggs, Hecate. Your time has come.¡± Surprised, I narrowed my eyes and squinted at her flaming form. On first glance, I didn¡¯t see what he meant, but a moment later, I realised her wounds weren¡¯t closing. Her fires even petered out, wherever they came close to the bleeding cuts and with every passing heartbeat, it seemed like something below her skin was slowly devouring her strength. ¡°What have you down to me,¡± she hollered, staggering. ¡°Returned a favour,¡± he replied weakly but with satisfaction. Unfortunately, he was lying. We were still connected, thoughts and images flowing between us freely. Those¡­ creatures, they were powerful but not strong enough to subdue or even kill her. We had gained a few moments until she¡¯d figure out that she could simply burn them away or even disperse her body to get rid of them. For a few seconds, though, she was weakened and we had to make it count. Without another wasted thought Odin, Fenrir and I charged, every ounce of power, every drop of magic at our disposal hardened and forged into a single, devastating strike. Hell shook, the already strained edges of the plane crumbled under the onslaught. The void bled through the gaps, reality became distorted and all that remained were four dancing flames, black, blue, red and grey, bound together in a wavering cycle of destruction and creation. In the end, one of them had to be extinguished or all of us would burn. 278. Of closeness, anger and a little bit of intimidation Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Nghh¡­¡± alright, let¡¯s try this again. ¡°Need to get up.¡± Better. Not yet as concise as I would have hoped but we were getting there. It had taken an astonishingly short time to convince everyone to give me a break. My pallor, slurred speech and the fact, that I had been leaning on Ahri the entire time might have had something to do with their consideration as well. Not that the dwarf in charge, Ivar, had really let me off the hook but he had swallowed his complaints, aside from a foreboding declaration along the lines: ¡°that¡¯s not the last we¡¯ve talked about our destroyed ship, young lady.¡± My brother, at least had been a bit more understanding, when I had told him that the supposed flying stones weren¡¯t the precious treasure he had expected them to be. Long story short, after I had, once again, proven my aptitude at blowing things up, I had quickly been escorted to the baths and from there to a surprisingly remote cabin, where Ahri had taken care of me. Two hours and a short nap later, I was feeling much better, relaxed and recharged, it didn¡¯t mean I was eager to move, though, and the naked vixen at my side wasn¡¯t exactly helping, either. To be precise, she lazily opened a glowing eye, snuggled deeper into my embrace and wrapped her tails around my waist, effectively boycotting every chance of me ever getting up. ¡°You¡¯re not helping,¡± I grumbled half heartedly and pinched her thigh, eliciting a cute squeal. ¡°Just a few more minutes, or do you have somewhere to be,¡± she asked, still half asleep. ¡°Unfortunately, yes and so do you. It shouldn¡¯t be long now, before we arrive.¡± ¡°You think they need you for the landing? You don¡¯t even know how to steer a ship!¡± I rolled my eyes, which would have been a tad more effective if hers hadn¡¯t been closed, again. ¡°No, but I¡¯d rather be around when my proud brother meets the queen of the night, not to mention the rest of our merry band of misfits.¡± ¡°Your mom will be there and she¡¯s a bit more diplomatic than you are. Plus, he¡¯s already met the fey and our resident dragoness. What could possibly go wrong.¡± A cry from above made us flinch. ¡°Smoke, smoke ahead! The harbours burning!¡± I sighed, clinging to her warmth for just another second, while I silently cursed our luck. ¡°You had to jinx it, didn¡¯t you,¡± I mumbled exasperatedly and reached for my dress. I didn¡¯t have any other clothes with me and while I loathed the idea of stumbling into a conflict, dressed like a silver and black peacock, it was still a far cry better than going naked or having to ask Sylvia for help. She¡¯d be crowing for days to come. ¡°Sorry,¡± Ahri whispered playfully in my ear. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you, tonight.¡± Somehow it felt like she didn¡¯t take the alarm very seriously. I couldn¡¯t really blame her, considering what we had already been through, but I¡¯d still have appreciated a bit more¡­ poise. ¡°Mordred and some of our friends are down there,¡± I complained, while I shrugged into my dress and threw hers onto the bed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past them to be stuck in the middle.¡± ¡°You mean you wouldn¡¯t put it past them to act like you? Neither would I, but they can take care of themselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but if there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned over the course of the last weeks, it¡¯s this: bad luck trumps strength, any day of the week.¡± ¡°Are you really worried,¡± she asked much more sombrely while she hurriedly dressed. I nodded. ¡°Their fleet is destroyed, we don¡¯t know where the Emperor¡¯s remaining ships have disappeared to, Serena Brightblaze has already made it plenty clear what she thinks of beast kin, not to mention vampires, Alassara has lost almost all of her children, I don¡¯t even know how many humans died last night and now the harbour is in flames? Of course I¡¯m worried. I don¡¯t expect us to run into a dangerous fight, but the whole town has turned into a powder keg. And we¡¯ve seen first hand, what those can do.¡± She touched my shoulder apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ we should probably be dealing with whatever transcendent bullshit just happened. In comparison, everything else seems so¡­¡± ¡°Inconsequential? It probably is, on a wider scale, but it¡¯s still our life. Or do you want to quit?¡± ¡°Never. I¡¯d run away with you, if you wanted to, but I don¡¯t want to abandon our home. There¡¯s¡­ you haven¡¯t even met my family, yet. There¡¯s so much I¡¯m actually looking forward to.¡± ¡°So am I. Which means we probably shouldn¡¯t start looking at the world through a transcendent glass. Otherwise we might as well call it a day.¡± She kissed my cheek briefly and helped me close the last straps. ¡°You¡¯ve always been beautiful but now you¡¯re even getting wise. So, what do we do?¡± ¡°Get down there, find whoever is responsible and start squeezing until they see reason?¡± ¡°I take it back. You¡¯re still a hot head. Let¡¯s try to figure out what¡¯s going on, beforehand, shall we?¡± ¡°If you insist. Turn around, I¡¯ll help you fasten yours.¡± Not even two minutes later, surprisingly fast considering how long it had taken me to help her dress the last time around, we quickly made our way upstairs. The crew was already assembled, Viyara, in her human form, clad in clothes Erya had probably conjured for her, Aurelia and the fey among them. When the dragoness saw us approach, she gesticulated for us to join them, shooing away the dwarfs and my newly acquired guards. We hurried over and when the sea of backs parted for us, I drew in a sharp breath. The harbour of Free Land was hidden underneath a thick, black cloud, dancing lights illuminating it from below. The wooden posts, walkways and stalls had caught on fire, a crackling noise cutting through the swaths of smoke every time something combustible went up in flames. We were quite far away but the acrid stench still made me cough when a gust of wind blew the heavy fog in our direction. I closed my watering eyes and listened intently, trying to ignore the curses, heavy breaths and groaning sails. At first, I couldn¡¯t hear a thing over the roaring flames but after a few moments, I thought I could barely make out muffled shouts and the sharp, bell like strikes of swords. ¡°They¡¯re fighting,¡± Viyara explained, her eyes shimmering with her innate magic. ¡°Several groups. It seems almost like they¡¯re battling over the few remaining ships. Your friend, Captain Brightblaze, is down there. Believe it or not, she¡¯s joined Xorlosh and his dwarfs. They¡¯ve kept the others at bay, at least for now.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m really surprised,¡± I replied and sent a trickle of energy towards my eyes. Immediately, the obscuring mist vanished and I saw the spectacle in all its stupid glory. Chaos, utter chaos reigned in the harbour. From the looks of it, the remaining Captains of Free Land had decided to restock their fleets with the ships, anchored in their harbour. One of them had, presumably, decided to take action. Considering their vessels had been destroyed, the additional ships, even if they had been built for trade, would bolster their power immensely. The other Captains had probably gotten wind of his plans and had marched their people to the harbour as well, either to prevent a shift in power or to seize the vessels for themselves. As a result, several squadrons were battling it out in a wild frenzy with no apparent rhyme or reason. Somewhere along the line, a stall had caught on fire, either on purpose or because one bumbling idiot had dropped a torch, and since no one had had the time to extinguish the flames while they had still been manageable, the whole area was in danger of burning down. The only place where I could at least discern who was fighting whom was the pier, where Xorlosh¡¯s ship was anchored. The gods only knew why they hadn¡¯t simply set sail, the very moment weapons had been drawn, but as it was a wall of glittering mithril prevent everyone from setting a single foot onto their small, wooden kingdom. And they weren¡¯t alone. Behind them, protected and safe, I saw not only a tight knot of warriors wearing Brightblaze¡¯s colours, but also a throng of pretty women, led by an ancient hag. Somehow, Madame Sinis and her girls had found their way to the harbour. Again, I couldn¡¯t possibly guess why they would even be close to a fight, their prowess and elegance between the sheets would in no way translate into swinging a sword, but there they were, sticking together like frightened kittens. ¡°By the Great Fox,¡± I mumbled, ¡°if I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say they¡¯ve been cursed. What insanity has overcome them?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t got a clue but we can figure it out later,¡± Ahri replied quietly. ¡°For now, we have to stop this madness. They¡¯re going to destroy whatever little is left of the city.¡± Her wings whispered into existence and mine followed suit. I glanced around, catching the eyes of Aurelia, Viyara and Erya. A second later, a gargantuan, golden serpent rose into the air, surrounded by specks of green, crimson, gold and silver. Faint shouts reached my ears, but the raging winds of our passage carried them away before I could puzzle out their meaning. It was plenty obvious, anyways. I¡¯d have been screaming my lungs out as well, if I had been stuck on deck, while my comrades were fighting for their lives. We were about four kilometres away, a distance my voice could easily cover but I hesitated. The last time I had used my power like that, I had been in an artificially created space and Mephisto¡¯s warnings about me destroying Amazeroth¡¯s wards still rang loudly in my ears. Viyara didn¡¯t have the same problem. A gold and silver cone of flames, more silver than gold by now, shot from her maw, accompanied by a thundering roar that caught the attention of everyone fighting down below. The dwarfs raised their axes in an impromptu salute and the human warriors¡­ well, they did what most people would do when a towering lizard was approaching, fangs bared. They fled like mice before a hunting hawk. Most of them, at least. From one second to the next, the chaotic melee transformed into a race, weapons and shields clattering onto the walkways. Scared men ran and callous ones stabbed, hacked and thrusted at exposed backs and necks. The deep grunts and pained screams of battle were replaced by obscene gurgling sounds, when fallen warriors drowned in their own blood and the quiet moans, when hearts rushed through their last, fluttering beats. The walkways became slick with crimson, the treacherous footholds dooming even more to a swift but brutal end. A single misstep and their kin, their brothers were upon them like vultures, ending yet another life. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± I whispered. ¡°They¡¯re animals, rabid animals.¡± ¡°No,¡± Erya mumbled. ¡°They think they¡¯re right. There¡¯s nothing more cruel or dangerous than a righteous man, fighting against his own reflection. Nothing else matters anymore.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± I hissed. With a thought, I sent a rush of power to my wings, the silvery blue torrents expanding like the corona of a star. At first, the light of the sun still overshadowed my own brightness but quickly enough, I stood in the air like a shimmering full moon, my wings extended to their fullest. Tentacles of crystallised light grew around me, a maelstrom of energy, of pure will and still my wings grew until each one was longer than Viyara. I didn¡¯t have to shout, I didn¡¯t have to use my magic, the glittering display in the sky was enough to make everyone pause, even the most fearless warrior froze in place, sword raised high for a devastating strike that never came. ¡°Damn girl,¡± the fey breathed, ¡°when have you learned that trick?¡± ¡°When I conquered my past,¡± I pressed out, the surging tides within me demanding my fullest attention. ¡°Don¡¯t come near,¡± I added. ¡°Ahri and Viyara should be fine, but the rest of you¡­¡± ¡°No need to tell me twice,¡± Aurelia said reverently. ¡°The last time I¡¯ve seen something like this¡­¡± As much as I had impressed my friends, it was nothing compared to the terror, spreading through the ranks below us. It had been a while, since I had annihilated the Mask but everyone in Free Land remembered what had happened. They remembered who I was and what I could do and right then and there, I was burning with more energy than I had unleashed before. Silence settled in, weapons dropped form slackening grips and then, the first one fell to his knees, but he wasn¡¯t the last. Like a wave, the movement rippled through their lines, seasoned warriors and scared adolescents alike bowed before me, their hatred and ambitions forgotten in the face of a creature so much older than their world. The dwarfs began to move. Like an avalanche of shimmering steel they marched, the steady drumbeat of their studded boots a resounding reminder of their discipline and strength. They marched and they sang, their voices drowning out even the crackling of the flames. While we were still soaring towards the harbour, they gradually pushed forward, collecting weapons and prisoners. Whoever resisted was quickly disabused off the notion, an armed fist to the noggin could have that effect, especially when you were already being bound tightly while you still tried to spit out the remains of your broken teeth. In their wake, Brightblaze¡¯s army followed, making sure no one was overlooked. And then, we were above them, Viyara¡¯s shadow slithering over the wooden planks, blocking out the sun. She angled her body and came crashing down amidst a shower of splinters, dancing sparks and ravenous flames. Again, she opened her maw and roared, her thunderous voice convincing even the last, stubborn cutthroat that the fight was over. The spell of my appearance broke and they fled, head over heels. Aurelia and Erya joined her, touching the ground on either side of the dragoness, while Ahri and I glided a bit further, lightly landing in the centre of the entrance to the harbour. A few isolated soldiers had already vanished into the maze of the city behind us but the bulk of them was still streaming towards the exit. When they saw us waiting, they stopped in their tracks but the pushing crowd behind them, eager to get away from the seemingly enraged dragoness, forced them towards us, step by reluctant step. Eyes bulged and the few patches of skin I saw underneath thick beards and helmets paled, while they were inexorably carried along. I would have pitied them, if their armour hadn¡¯t been sprinkled with crimson drops, one or two were even decorated with macabre trophies, bloodied scalps and the like. For the first time, I was thankful that the heavy, suffocating smoke cancelled out almost every other smell. I had already had to endure the stench of battle more than once and however bad the fires might be, they were still a far cry better than the alternative. Our wings flared, silvery blue and crimson mixing in a breathtaking display of power as we took a synchronised step forward. Light spilled form our eyes like water, blinding the first row as effectively as if they had stared into the sun for too long and when I finally spoke, my voice reverberating with transcended strength, they threw themselves to the ground, cowering. ¡°Enough. Have you lost your minds? The blood of your brothers, spilled last night, hasn¡¯t even dried yet and you¡¯re already eager to shed more? I¡¯ve just about had it with all of you. The first one to move will die an instant later. Good. Now, tell me, who, in the nine hells, is in charge?¡± 279. Of introductions, differences and a little bit of support Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Somehow I pictured our meeting differently.¡± My voice reverberated with a confidence I didn¡¯t really feel but the whole assembly before me reminded me of a hunting pack of hyenas. Wild animals in general, and those specifically, didn¡¯t react well to weakness or hesitation. Calmly I pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, my eyes travelling from one to the other. If there was anything comparable to a citywide meeting of power, this would be it. For convenience sake and also because I had wanted a more or less neutral place, we were gathered around the entrance to the harbour. At first, I had planned to only include the Captains themselves, but one thing had led to another and now, they were standing before me with quite the handsome entourage of warriors. Mean looking, calloused fellows, but considering I had another immortal, an nigh transcendent vampire, a dragoness, a fey and a plethora of kitsune and dwarven warriors behind me, I didn¡¯t feel overly threatened. If things went south, I wouldn¡¯t be the one facing an arcane army. To my left, Captain Brightblaze and her armoured soldiers resembled an unmoving wall of sparkling steel, their faces hidden behind their helmets. Metal scraped against metal, every time they moved and I had to admit, they made for an intimidating display, their cloaks fluttering in the wind, like flags. On my right, Alassara stood alone, her cold, detached beauty more than enough to make up for the lack of servants. She looked like a queen, graciously allowing us poor plebeians to bask in her presence. That kind of aura wasn¡¯t easy to exude and one of the things my mum had tried to teach me, but even with my innate advantages, I still couldn¡¯t. My wings and looks easily made up for my weaker charisma, though, and I might still learn¡­ one day. Facing us were the Captains Asra and Nightshade with their people and the last of the Seven, whom I knew absolutely nothing about. By now I could tell he was an imposing man, somewhere in his forties, but if I had met him on the streets, I¡¯d have thought he was just another sell sword or maybe the owner of a ship. I would never have associated his broad back, gleaming, tattooed, black skin and practical clothing with a position of power. As far as first impressions went, I really liked him. Down to earth, no time for decorum and judging from the sly smile playing around his full lips a good head on his shoulders. Also, he was the only one who had had the courage to come alone. Maybe if all of this blew over, we¡¯d have the time for a drink. Asra and Nightshade looked just like I had imagined. One obese like a fattening pig without a neck and clad in expensive clothes. His jewellery alone would have been enough to feed most of Free Land for a year and the two almost naked, pretty girls at his side, one a wolf kin, just served to emphasise the impression of a cutthroat trader, used to pay for anything that caught his fancy. Nightshade was different, lean and muscular, his face hidden underneath his long, black cloak. The only visible part of him were the hilts of two swords, protruding from his belt and his scarred, strong hands, leisurely resting on the pommels of his weapons. If I hadn¡¯t already had more than enough trouble with him and his church to last for several lifetimes, I would have been intrigued. And then, there was my dear brother, who had decided this little gathering would make for the perfect opportunity to showcase his power. Consequentially, a good third of the people present were kitsune soldiers, standing lined up in order behind him and Sylvia, weapons sheathed. They were the perfect reflection of Brightblaze¡¯s men, except for the shimmering veil of magic, flickering around them. A cheap parlour trick, but effective, none the less. Without powerful casters of their own, it would be utter madness for anyone to raise a hand against them and the torrents of power, slithering through the air, ensured no one present would ever forget that little fact. Silence greeted my words and I closed my eyes for a brief moment, focusing on my nose. I still smelled the blood on the walkways, the acrid stench of burned cloth and the disgusting odour of the dead, but there were also traces of fresh sweat, oil and leather, aside from the more familiar scents of pine trees, molten gold and wildflowers. Combined with the racing heartbeats all around me and the creaking of wood, whenever someone shifted their weight from one foot to the other, I was decently convinced that everyone present was nervous. Good. Nervous meant cautious and cautious meant it was much less likely to end in another bloodbath. Even though I wasn¡¯t yet convinced Captain Nightshade would be walking away on his own two feet. I had a few questions for him and depending on his answers, this might very well turn into his last day on Gaya. When I opened my eyes again, they glowed ever so lightly and a spark of transcendent power leaked into my voice. ¡°I assume you already know who I am but for those of you who don¡¯t, I¡¯m Cassandra Pendragon, a princess of the kitsune and an immortal. I¡¯m the one who killed the Mask and ended last night¡¯s fight. I didn¡¯t save this city to watch it devour itself. I want to know what madness has gotten into you to fight amongst yourselves, while your enemy is out there, preparing for yet another assault. I¡¯m sure some of you are wondering why you should even explain yourselves to a stranger, so allow me to refresh your memories. I¡¯m not here to negotiate or waste anymore of my time. I¡¯m here to get some answers and by the gods, you will provide them or I¡¯ll take them by force.¡± With each word, my power had swelled, until my voice drowned out even the crackling fires below us and my wings materialised. The smell of ozone overshadowed the suffocating smoke and I added softly: ¡°In case you don¡¯t believe me, I invite you to step forward. I¡¯ll gladly provide an example for everyone else.¡± I waited a few seconds, the silence deafening, my glaring gaze travelling from one Captain to the next. No one spoke up and, just when I was about to repeat my words, quiet laughter reached my ears. The unknown Captain was chuckling merrily. He raised his hands in a gesture of goodwill and gradually came closer. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to put your words to the test,¡± his deep, sonorous voice reminded me of cinnamon, smooth and full with just a hint of spice, ¡°I merely want to return the favour. As far as I¡¯m aware, we haven¡¯t met, yet. Of course your exploits have caught my attention, but you probably don¡¯t know who I am. In contrast to my colleagues, I¡¯ve never felt the necessity to adopt a glamorous moniker. I¡¯m Nenyo, the only one of the Seven who has inherited his title. Like my father before me, I¡¯m taking care of Free Land¡¯s stability. A task I haven¡¯t managed quiet as well as I would have liked but I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to explain how difficult it has been. Before we start to threaten, bribe and trick each other, allow me to say: thank you. You¡¯ve done more than we could have expected and certainly more than you were obliged to do for a city, which has shown you and yours nothing but teeth and claws.¡± He was standing before me now and extended his hand, his scent, a mixture of spices, oils and leather wafting around my nose. I took it and we shook warmly. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to put me on a pedestal. What I¡¯ve done, I¡¯ve done for my family, but I¡¯m glad I could help out along the way. Nenyo¡­ I¡¯ll remember your name.¡± He smiled crookedly. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Oh my, what an honour. I¡¯d say the same, but your name won¡¯t easily be forgotten around here, anyways, Cassandra Pendragon. Now, I¡¯m sure most of us are dying to know what you¡¯ve got in store for us. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, why don¡¯t you go right ahead and spill the beans?¡± With a last nod and a surprisingly coquettish wink, he stepped back and returned to his spot. I took a moment to sort through my thoughts and allow the muttering to fade away. Calmly, I began: ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that I want answers, most of them from you, Captain Nightshade. However, I do believe that I owe you the same. I¡¯m going to tell you my story, which should hopefully explain why there¡¯s an army of kitsune in your midst and why you¡¯ve had to face magics, mostly unheard of in the mortal realms. You already know my title and my name, even though I¡¯ve been known as someone else, for most of my life. And when I say most of my life, I don¡¯t mean decades or even centuries. I¡¯m old, far older than anyone else you¡¯ll ever encounter.¡± I smiled at Ahri. ¡°With one exception. Now, listen closely, because you¡¯ll want to hear what I¡¯ve got to say and I¡¯m not going to repeat myself.¡± I paused, making sure I had their attention. ¡°It all began about 5 years ago, when I was first introduced to my own people as their new princess. I was two years old, at the time. At least in this body¡­¡± I spoke for several minutes, maybe even half an hour. At first, I saw some puzzled looks from the corner of my eye, but they understood quickly enough what I was getting at and even the most thick headed soldier became interested, once I started explaining how I had first met Amon, or rather his magic. I didn¡¯t talk about my past, but I narrated my experiences on Gaya in detail. With two exceptions. I didn¡¯t divulge, what had happened in Shassa¡¯s tomb and I skirted around our dealings with Ignus. Those had no impact on our current situation and it was a tad too personal, in my opinion. A few times quiet whispers floated through my audience but not even once did they interrupt me. While I spoke, I tried to gauge their reaction, but I didn¡¯t get very far. It was hard to tell if they believed me, those who didn¡¯t hide their faces behind solid steel were wearing mask like expressions, almost like professional gamblers, who didn¡¯t want to give away their hand. I might have come across as a lunatic or a hero, I just couldn¡¯t tell. Once or twice I was sorely tempted to pry, to listen to the surface thoughts fluttering through their minds, but I¡¯d have had to touch them with my wings and I wasn¡¯t willing to risk anyone overreacting. Being bundle up in a cocoon of iridescent energy might just be the straw that would break the camel¡¯s back and if one was to draw a weapon, the others would surely follow suit. ¡°¡­finally managed to reunite with my people. The tall, handsome fellow over there is my brother, Arthur, who has brought most of his warriors along.¡± Sylvia flinched at my nonchalant introduction, but I ignored her thoroughly. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn. Would one of you kindly explain what in the hells you¡¯re doing here? I expected some¡­ aggression, but this?¡± They remained silent, save the occasional murmur, staring at me as if I was some kind of monster. Which, admittedly, wasn¡¯t even that far from the truth. I had to suppress a smile, when I remembered how the thought had shaken me two days ago, but now it felt almost reassuring, the bitter scent of their fear a soothing tingle in my nose. After a moment, Nenyo was the one who spoke up. Not much of a surprise, really, considering how he had behaved before. ¡°I¡¯d like to pose a question in return. Assuming everything you¡¯ve said is the truth, do you believe we even have a chance? To me, it seems like we¡¯re a fruit, ripe for the picking. Shouldn¡¯t we just grab everything that¡¯s dear to us and make a run for it?¡± I pondered the question for a few moments, actively blocking out the fearful whispers her words had evoked. ¡°Boarding which ships, exactly,¡± I mumbled to myself. Out loud, I said: ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m the best person to give advice. I¡¯m not in the habit of throwing in the towel, even when it seems utterly justified. It really depends on you, doesn¡¯t it? If you think your home is worth fighting, worth killing and dying for, you should stay. If it¡¯s not, then leave. If you¡¯re willing to do so, it wasn¡¯t much of a home to begin with. From where I¡¯m standing, it doesn¡¯t look that way, though. You¡¯ve formed and changed this place, partly by the strength of your hands but mostly with the blood of the people living here, who still have nowhere to go. If you leave, it will all have been for naught. Your achievements and their suffering will be carried away by the tide and in a few weeks no one will remember your name, except the victims of what is to come, when they curse it with their last breath.¡± I locked eyes with Asra, before my gaze travelled to Nightshade. ¡°Some of you won¡¯t be bothered by this kind of legacy, I¡¯m sure, but if you ask my opinion¡­ don¡¯t. We¡¯ll all become rotting flesh sooner or later, but the decision you make today may very well turn you into something more. You have a chance to earn the titles you¡¯ve taken by force. Don¡¯t squander it.¡± ¡°The thing about martyrs is, that they don¡¯t get to enjoy the laurels they¡¯ve earned,¡± Asra scoffed, his voice a reedy whisper. ¡°Why would we choose a fight we can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s coming, either way. Wherever you go, the winds of war will reach you, unless others choose to stand where you faltered.¡± ¡°Let them,¡± he replied, smirking. ¡°I¡¯ll sell the survivors food and bandages. For a decent price, of course.¡± My eyes narrowed but before I could reply, Arthur¡¯s hand landed on my shoulder. He squeezed lightly and pushed past me. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why you, of all people, are entirely unfit to rule.¡± He raised his voice, speaking to the anxious soldiers around us. ¡°Did you hear him? Did you hear what your blood, your death actually means to the people you follow blindly? Have you¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not all the same,¡± Brightblaze¡¯s scathing cry interrupted him. ¡°Don¡¯t lump us all together. We¡¯ve fought last night, even after the whole scope of the vile magic became apparent and we¡¯ll fight again. Against anyone who tries to invade our home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± my brother replied, grinning. ¡°Save your praise, fox. From where I¡¯m standing, you and your soldiers are nothing more than invaders yourself. Or is there another reason why you¡¯ve come with an army?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t come for you,¡± I explained quietly, ¡°but for us. While you¡¯re arguing about whether or not to protect your home, we¡¯ve already lost ours. Arthur has come to take our younglings far away. Somewhere safe.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re actually going to hide while you¡¯re asking us to fight,¡± Asra commented sardonically. It wasn¡¯t entirely on purpose, but when I felt my power stir, I didn¡¯t exactly struggle to reign it back in, either. My wings flared and I vanished in a shower of silvery sparks. A moment later, I was face to face with the self righteous trader, my eyes glowing, my lips twisted into a snarl. ¡°Say that again,¡± I whispered, my voice silencing every last noise in the square. ¡°Look me in the eye and tell me again how we¡¯re using others as our shields. I¡¯ve endured more pain, I¡¯ve lived through more suffering than your addled, twisted mind could even imagine.¡± Without conscious thought I raised my hand, my skin shining like the full moon. The air crackled with tension and the beads of sweat, running down Asra¡¯s sickly pale face were more satisfying than I had thought. The coward even tried to slink away, hiding behind the two girls he had brought along. Pathetic. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, human. I won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Cassy, don¡¯t.¡± Ahri was the only one who could still move and she quickly glided to my side, her fingers gently closing around my arm, pushing it down. ¡°You¡¯re right, but that¡¯s not helpful.¡± For a second, I was still tempted to at least scare the living hell out of him, but I reluctantly allowed her to pull me a few steps away. The flickering light receded and I heard the collective intake of breath, when the pressure I had exuded slowly vanished. ¡°Fine,¡± I spat. ¡°Thank your lucky star she¡¯s here. Insult me all you want, but should you ever question our willingness to fight and bleed again, it will be the last thing you ever do.¡± 280. Of fears, necessities and a little bit of history Cassandra Pendragon Lost in thought I swirled the surprisingly good wine around in my glass and took another sip. It tasted fruity with just a hint of saddle leather, the rich, dark red liquid reflecting the rays of the setting sun like a puddle of blood. It could also have been my mood, though. Considering what I had seen, it wasn¡¯t exactly astonishing that I couldn¡¯t come up with a brighter simile. I sat at the edge of the harbour, far away from the entrance where I could still hear the others argue back and forth, my feet dangling over the abyss. Ahri was by my side and Captain Nightshade was agitatedly prowling along the walkways behind us, coughing quietly in the thick, smoky air. Oh, and my five quiet, obedient shadows were also somewhere close by, far enough away to give us an illusion of privacy, but close enough to act, should it become necessary. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t have willingly put up with the situation, especially turning my back on the dear Captain seemed like a colossally stupid idea, but the large, pitch black raven on his shoulder had changed much. I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, though. Whatever else my outburst from before might have provoked, at the very least no one had openly questioned my motives again. Not that I had particularly cared about their approval, but it had made the ensuing conversation much more¡­ amicable. Even Brightblaze and her lot had dialled down on the aggression. Consequentially, they had quickly realised that there really wasn¡¯t much of a choice but to stay and fight, especially since they didn¡¯t even have enough ships to get the Captains and their treasures off the island. Which, of course, had meant a long, boring and quiet pointless discussion about responsibilities, resources and power. Well, I say pointless but in reality it had been necessary as well as informative. I just hadn¡¯t felt like I could add anything of value. There were others who were much more capable when it came to logistics, not to mention interested. My whole family knew what was at stake and my brother had already proven that he was more than willing to step up. With Xorlosh, my mom, Mordred and Viyara around he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to go overboard, either. Madame Sinis, Vanya and Will, who had tagged along with the dwarfs, had quickly closed ranks with Alassara. I hadn¡¯t forgotten their aspirations to play a role in the future of Free Land and together they represented a force to be reckoned with. For good measure, I had hugged the vampire queen before I had left, though, emphasising my allegiance quite visually. Not that the savvy woman needed my help, but it had still felt appropriate. A few quiet words had reassured her and her newfound allies that we¡¯d only be a single shout away, a promise I had made sure everyone had heard. In return she hadn¡¯t complained too much about us ushering Captain Nightshade away. I was pretty convinced she¡¯d visit him on her own, sooner or later, but that was his problem, not mine. As to why I had been so intent on having a word with the good Captain¡­ it should be plenty obvious, considering the role he had played. In all honesty, I had been prepared to throw him over the cliffs without much decorum, but before we had even taken more than a few handful of steps, the dark feather duster had appeared out of nowhere and settled down on his shoulder. I hadn¡¯t needed an explanation, the raven was practically oozing the strange magic of the Broken Wheel, and the message had been equally clear: this one is out of bounds. Touch him and our deal is off. I had cursed colourfully, the few words of the demon tongue I actually knew somehow finding their way into my tirade. While I had explained to Ahri what the raven meant, I had rummaged through the few unburned stalls along the way until I had found a bottle of wine and a few glasses. Which brought us to where we were, me sitting on the edge of a cliff, sipping wine and trying to puzzle out if the support of a god was actually worth sparing Nightshade¡¯s life. ¡°Talk to him,¡± Ahri whispered and clanked her glass against mine. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s an explanation you can stomach.¡± I snorted. ¡°Right. And what would that be? The devil made me do it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny. You¡¯ve always hated that particular idiom. I¡¯m serious. Not much has changed. You wanted to speak to him, anyways.¡± ¡°When I could still simply kill him. Now, I¡¯m probably going to have to swallow my pride as well as most of my anger.¡± I took another sip, or rather a huge mouthful of wine and lamented: ¡°if we could get drunk, this would become so much easier.¡± She nudged her shoulder against mine. ¡°And you¡¯d be well on your way towards an addiction. Come on, Cassy, you probably wouldn¡¯t have killed him anyways. All he¡¯d have to do is mention a wife or a child or some story about trying to do the best he could and you¡¯d be all bark and no bite.¡± ¡°Am I really that¡­ mawkish?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Reia already call you sappy?¡± ¡°You saw that in my memories? Yeah, she did. Oh, whatever. How bad can it be?¡± Even while I said the words, I knew I was asking for trouble. Still, I emptied my glass and got to my feet, trying to ignore the acrid swaths of smoke playing around my body. ¡°Well then,¡± I began without turning around, my eyes locked onto the setting sun, ¡°let¡¯s have it. Why shouldn¡¯t I end what you¡¯ve started, all those weeks ago when you sent your people to aid in the ransacking of my home? Or has it been years? Have you already been planning our demise, when your merchants first arrived on Boseiju?¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I didn¡¯t even know they were there?¡± His voice was soft and raspy, almost a whisper, with an unyielding, harsh core of steel. ¡°A few days ago I wouldn¡¯t have, but now¡­ are you saying the church you¡¯ve founded, you¡¯ve protected has turned on you years ago, without you realising? That¡¯s hard to swallow, especially with that raven perching on your shoulder.¡± The bird cawed in response, flapping its wings once. ¡°Is it really?¡± I heard the rustling of cloth behind me and when I turned around I saw Nightshade opening his coat and lowering his hood. Piercing grey eyes gleamed in a broad, dark face, marred by ritualistic scars on each cheek. His ears were heavy with golden rings and ornaments but I couldn¡¯t get a good look, as he quickly spun on the spot, showing me his entire neck. ¡°You said you¡¯ve encounter our enemy before. Tell me, if I had known, would I still have the ability to make my own decisions?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°The mark doesn¡¯t have to be on your neck.¡± With a thought I sent a trickle of energy to my eyes, scrutinising the intricate web of energies within him. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re wearing it. Let¡¯s assume for a second that I believe you. Why are you still alive? Shouldn¡¯t you have been the first one to die? If what you say is true, you should have become a puppet or a corpse, long before we¡¯ve even set foot on Free Land.¡± He shrugged. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ambition. I didn¡¯t mean to, but ultimately I¡¯ve done everything he¡­ Amon, you called him, could possibly have wanted. Not to aid him but out of my own volition simply because I wanted what most of us strive for: power.¡± He was nestling with his cloak, closing the clasps. ¡°I¡¯m not a good man but I would never willingly endanger this place. It¡¯s my home. Make of it what you will, but all I ever wanted was to grow my influence and fleet. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve played directly into his hands. Why would he bother killing or enslaving me, if I already was a most handy tool?¡± ¡°And how did that happen? Why don¡¯t you tell me what you actually know and afterwards¡­ well, I guess we¡¯ll see.¡± He smirked. ¡°You¡¯re still considering whether or not to kill me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course. Your people burned my home and took my children, whether by negligence or intention, you¡¯re still responsible. And then, there¡¯s also the attack on Alassara¡¯s home. Something I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± ¡°But yet you saved Brightblaze. Brought her back.¡± I frowned. ¡°Yes, I know what you did. Why is she worthy of redemption, of your forgiveness and I¡¯m not?¡± He pointedly looked at Ahri and added: ¡°Because she¡¯s a woman and much prettier?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to goad me, don¡¯t. You want to know why I didn¡¯t even bring it up with her, yet? Because she, as well as her people, fought, when yours were still trying to conduct a ritual that would have destroyed this whole island, if it hadn¡¯t been for me. They risked their life, their souls, everything they have, even when they knew how utterly outmatched they were. She¡¯s stubborn, misguided and arrogant but she¡¯s also loyal, brave and determined. What are you redeeming qualities again?¡± ¡°Assuming I¡¯m even going to see another sunrise, you might just find out. If you¡¯re willing to listen, I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡± He moved towards us and sat down, his face turned towards the sun, eyes closed. A soft smile tugged on the corners of his lips and for a moment, I thought I saw something like regret flutter across his features. Or the raven might have pinched his shoulder. ¡°To understand what I¡¯ve done, you need to know where I¡¯m coming from. I wasn¡¯t born here and I wasn¡¯t born with a silver spoon up my arse. I had to fight every day of my life and I don¡¯t trust people.¡± Grinning, he added: ¡°Mortals, that is. The two of you¡­ we¡¯ll see. I came here like most do: in chains. It¡¯s not widely known, but I was a slave, once. In contrast to Blackthorne, I wasn¡¯t destined to fight in the pits but to labour away until my heart would have given out. Do you know why I even bothered founding a church? Because it was all I had left. My wife, my son, my livelihood, it had all been burned to the ground until nothing had remained but ashes. Only my faith, the warm embrace of death remained. Funny thing, that. If you take everything from a man, he becomes a monster. Once you¡¯ve hit rock bottom, you don¡¯t fight to not lose anymore, but to win. You fight with everything you¡¯ve got, until the bitter end. I didn¡¯t expect to survive when I broke my chains, stole a sword and started killing everyone within reach. I simply wanted to make them suffer and then see my family again but somehow¡­ I survived. And there I was, bleeding, wounded, surrounded by corpses I myself had cut to shreds. I was hurting, exhaustion and blood loss made my vision flicker and when I collapsed, I closed my eyes with a smile, expecting my son to wake me up in the next life.¡± A romantic sentiment but far from the truth. Rebirth wasn¡¯t strictly imaginary but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work like that. ¡°Instead, I woke in pain, surrounded by a swarm of flies, feasting on dried blood. I had a decision to make. Either curl up and die or face the agony of getting to my feet. I chose the latter and when I finally stood, I vowed to never kneel again, I vowed to die on my feet, I vowed to take revenge. What happened over the next year you can easily imagine. Slowly, methodically, I butchered my way towards the Captain who had ordered the attack on my village and when he finally stood before me, I repaid every drop of blood, every iota of pain tenfold. I was baptised by his screams, reborn through the beating heart I cut from his chest and when he finally became still, Dakarai, the man I had been, was dead and Nightshade took his place. I¡¯m going to spare you the details of how I consolidated my power. It took me another handful of years but ultimately, I became one of the Seven and my first act was making sure the one thing I had left, the one thing that hadn¡¯t been taken from me would survive. My faith.¡± The raven puffed up his chest and clacked his beak proudly as if to say: I¡¯m just that awesome. I was sorely tempted to sent the creature flying or at least give him a piece of my mind. From where I stood, he had forsaken one of his most loyal followers more than once. There really was no reason to preen. But I wanted to hear the rest of the story and attacking the creature, if only a part of it, Nightshade had just called his one remaining sanctuary would put an end to it quickly enough. ¡°I¡¯m telling you all of this so you can understand who I am. I was an outcast, alone and wounded, with a lingering hatred for everything this town stands for. I didn¡¯t care for much but my own power, squeezing every last coin, every drop of blood from this place until the anger in my chest would finally peter out, until I would finally feel whole again. The church was my anchor, the one thing I was proud of. I knew my choices had shaped me into a man incapable of building something lasting. So I stayed away, I allowed them to do as they pleased and only made sure they were protected, they had the chance to¡­ help, to flourish and maybe undo some of the travesties I had committed. A grave mistake, as it turned out.¡± He sighed and buried his face in his hands. When he continued, his voice was muffled and somewhat strained, as if the big, bad, untouchable Captain Nightshade was struggling to reign in his emotions. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of your tribe, before I met the Mask, someone I supported from behind the scenes. His¡­ rise to power allowed me to glance behind the curtain. I became aware of the monsters prowling our streets at night and the old wounds reopened. Creatures thriving on blood, humans turned into cattle¡­ is it that much of a surprise that I thought them responsible for my fate? In my mind, the vampires were the source of all the suffering Free Land has brought to this region. Of course, I didn¡¯t dare to act but I waited and I kept my eyes and ears wide open, trying to find out as much about our bloodthirsty neighbours as I could. Now, before I bore you with a tale you already know, I¡¯d like to ask how much you¡¯ve already heard about who they are and where they come from.¡± I glanced at Ahri and she replied for the both of us: ¡°Not too much, to be honest. The present has been demanding enough to keep us busy. We know of Alassara and Captain Dawn¡¯s origins and their feud but she never told us much about their dealings in Free Land.¡± Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, he raised his head again. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not really surprising. From what I¡¯ve heard, they were¡­ the reason why the Captains even came to rule this town in the first place. In the beginning, Free Land wasn¡¯t much more than a secure harbour, far enough away from any major settlements to appeal to anyone who wasn¡¯t keen on encountering soldiers or guards. Over time, a wooden landing stage and a few huts turned into a small city without regulations or even the structure to enforce them. A paradise for pirates and brigands and¡­ vampires. They stalked the night, they hunted whomever they wanted, they spilled blood and dominated humans wherever they found them. For a few years, long before my time, this town was nothing more than their feeding ground.¡± I had seen what they were capable of and I could just about picture how life must have been. What he hadn¡¯t mentioned, though, was that neither Captain Dawn nor Alassara were responsible. As far as I knew, it had been their progenitor, someone they had killed with their own hands. Maybe he didn¡¯t know? ¡°But as it always is,¡± he continued, ¡°sooner or later, oppressed humans will always reach for torches and pitchforks. They rallied behind seven captains and their crews and they fought back, staking and killing every single vampire they found. It was a horrendous fight and in the end, barely anyone survived. They thought they had ended them all, but in reality, they had simply forced the survivors underground, where they still existed, living amongst them unnoticed.¡± 281. Of gods, convictions and a little promise Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Fascinating as your tale might be,¡± I said, ¡°what¡¯s your point?¡± He smiled crookedly. ¡°I¡¯m getting there. Just imagine for a second how you¡¯d have reacted, if you had found yourself in my shoes, when suddenly a creature of light and legend appeared on your doorstep, reducing one of your pawns to stardust and memories in the blink of an eye. And to top it all of, you even killed Captain Dawn and openly supported the Queen of the Night. I was convinced the two of them were keeping each other in check, ensuring a treacherous balance that kept us mere humans alive. Once you destroyed it¡­ I wasn¡¯t willing to go back to the way things had been all those years ago and I acted. It wasn¡¯t hard to convince Brightblaze to help out. You already called her brave¡­ she is more than that, she¡¯s zealous. All I had to do was point her in a direction.¡± He sighed deeply, ogling the half empty bottle of wine. I pushed it towards him and he gulped it down like it was water. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I had been played all along, though. Unknowingly I caused enough chaos for Amon to move. The church of the Broken Wheel is almost finished, the priests are dead or worse, their souls consumed in the ritual. Half of the Captains are gone and our fleet has been reduced to splinters. Now, I¡¯m not arrogant enough to claim all of it is my doing, but I helped. A lot. Had I not been blinded by my fears, by my hatred, I might have considered talking to Alassara beforehand. Who knows how things might have turned out?¡± I remained silent, pondering his words, until Ahri asked: ¡°That¡¯s recent. The merchants came to Boseiju years ago. In all that time, you never, not even once, became suspicious of what might be going on behind your back?¡± He chuckled quietly. ¡°It almost sounds like you believe me. Of course a few things cropped up, but they never seemed important enough to deal with. There are a few hundred followers of the Broken Wheel all around Free Land and there were close to fifty priests and acolytes involved. I always knew some of them were pursuing their own agendas, but I never expected them to be working towards¡­¡± he gestured vaguely, indicating the devastation last night had caused. ¡°Also¡­ you¡¯re royalty but, as far as I¡¯ve come to understand your past, you¡¯ve never really had to lead people. I¡¯m not talking about a small group of friends but tens, hundreds of men who don¡¯t really share anything but a common goal. It¡¯s different. You can¡¯t be everywhere at once, so you delegate, you put in place a structure and as long as it works, you stay well away from it. Which brings us to what I think happened. I don¡¯t know for sure, but given a bit of time, I might be able to squeeze the truth from some of the survivors. Anyways, it¡¯s not just the church of the Broken Wheel¡­ you¡¯ve been there, Ahri, haven¡¯t you? Blackthorne¡¯s pet alchemist was involved as well. Considering the Captain himself is a head shorter by now, I don¡¯t think he knew anything, but the snake he nurtured for years has finally shown its fangs.¡± He rubbed the crown of his head tiredly. ¡°Most of what I¡¯m going to tell you already know, but it scared the living hells out of me. When¡­¡± he was cut short when the raven on his shoulder suddenly moved. With a flap of its wings, it jumped from its perch, a black mist obscuring its figure for a moment. A young boy, maybe eight or ten summers old, with pitch black eyes and long white hair, landed lightly between us. A loose robe fluttered around his ankles and despite his rather cute appearance I felt a chill creeping down my spine when our eyes locked. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you in the flesh, Cassandra,¡± he said, his voice cold and distant, like a frozen river in the night. He inclined his head in my direction and even offered Ahri his hand, a curtesy he didn¡¯t extend to me. She took it hesitantly, glancing at me for reassurance. ¡°And your lovely bride, of course. I feel like I owe you an apology. Our last two encounters were¡­¡± ¡°A fiasco,¡± I cut in. ¡°I don¡¯t want to dwell on the past, otherwise I might be tempted to continue where we left off.¡± Nightshade hissed in surprise, my indifferent tone and the almost respectful way the boy talked to me catching him off guard. I ignored him completely. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve used the last hours to ensure you won¡¯t be used as a godly dynamo again?¡± The boy chuckled, sitting down at Ahri¡¯s side, almost as if he was using her as a buffer between us. ¡°It¡¯s not an easy task but I¡¯ve started sifting through dreams and memories. I didn¡¯t appreciate being captured, a travesty facilitated by my own children. While I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve gotten to the bottom of this mess, I¡¯ve surely stumbled across a few intriguing pieces of the puzzle. Would you like to hear them?¡± I snorted, wishing the bottle hadn¡¯t been empty. ¡°No, I actually simply came here to enjoy the lovely sunset.¡± To my surprise, he smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone who¡¯d dare talk to me like that. It¡¯s refreshing. Well then, before I strain your decidedly short temper even more, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve found out.¡± He paused, swallowing visibly. ¡°I don¡¯t often interact with mortals. I listen to prayers and sometimes nudge the world into a more convenient path, but I don¡¯t show myself, I usually can¡¯t. Even now, if it weren¡¯t for the presence of the two of you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest a body. Your presence skews or even shatters most laws around you, giving me a bit of leeway¡­ it doesn¡¯t really matter, suffice it to say, I¡¯ve never directly interacted with my followers¡­¡± ¡°He impersonated you,¡± I breathed, adding two and two together. He nodded slowly. ¡°For someone as powerful as Amon, it¡¯s a piece of cake to flit in and out of dreams and pretend to be something else, even from far away. For years, some of my followers received revelation after revelation, only¡­ they weren¡¯t mine.¡± I closed my eyes, the ramifications felt like an actual weight settling onto my shoulders. If it had happened to him, then¡­ ¡°The worst part, I can¡¯t be sure how many priests, acolytes and believers of different faiths have been tricked the very same way. For all I know, every church in Free Land, nay, every church on the islands could as well have become a cesspool of the Emperor¡¯s influence. Even now, chances are that some of the people over there,¡± he gesticulated towards the entrance of the harbour, ¡°are following a holy mission, implanted by a vile creature from another continent.¡± ¡°Damn it all,¡± I groused, ¡°I knew there was a reason why I¡¯ve never seen the appeal of religion. Blind faith is fucking dangerous and now we have to deal with a bunch of idiots on a holy mission. Better yet, if what you say is true, every single person who puts their trust in a god, or even an idea, can become an enemy over night.¡± I glanced at Nightshade and asked: ¡°what is with humans and their need to place their responsibility on someone else¡¯s shoulder? If I had a dream of a strange being telling me what¡¯s right and wrong, I¡¯d be pissed at best and murderously enraged at worst.¡± He laughed dryly. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I don¡¯t think you could even understand. You¡¯ve seen so much¡­ you know so much¡­ and even you feel insecure, from time to time, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but that only means I have to try harder.¡± ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s so much easier to simply¡­ let it all slip away, let someone else decide. If it goes downhill, you¡¯re not at fault.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not religion, that¡¯s a death sentence.¡± I replied heatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how often I had this discussion, but you can¡¯t live, hiding in the shadows.¡± I exhaled deeply, trying to calm my mind. ¡°I remember different cultures, different religions and the only ones that can, if understood correctly, enrich a person¡¯s life are the ones where gods don¡¯t take away your choices. As long as you still have to decide for yourself how you¡¯re going to live your life without the actual threat of heavenly retribution, without an almighty father who punishes you, you can still grow. Those religions show you a door, they don¡¯t make you step through.¡± Ahri cleared her throat and wrapped her tails around my waist tightly to shut me up. ¡°I know you¡¯re just warming up, but that¡¯s hardly the point, now, is it?¡± I bit my tongue and swallowed the flood of remarks spinning through my mind. ¡°What¡¯s the point, then,¡± I asked grudgingly. ¡°Why,¡± she stated simply. ¡°Why the church of the Broken Wheel? Think¡­ even you, if you could be spelled, could have been taken in. Imagine Amon had access to your memories, to your desires, your most guarded secrets, because that¡¯s what invading a dream means¡­ in your case, or in mine, he could simply construct a memory, disguise his schemes as a plea I, or rather Aurora, made you listen to in the past. If done slowly and carefully enough, you¡¯d be eating out of his hand in no time, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± I admitted slowly. ¡°Which means he could pretty much turn anyone he desires to, if he¡¯s willing to put in the time and effort. Now, why would he focus on this particular church? You¡¯re right, blind faith would make it much easier to manipulate true believers but it still doesn¡¯t explain why it¡¯s only the Broken Wheel, which has been targeted,¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know,¡± the boy piped up grumpily, ¡°and who says it¡¯s only been my following? We only know about the traitors in my church, doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t more, somewhere else.¡± ¡°Great, just friggin great,¡± I mumbled. ¡°So, now what? We can¡¯t even try to figure out who¡¯s been turned and who hasn¡¯t. There¡¯s no lasting magic involved, no mark¡­ I still think churches are the most likely target.¡± I raised my hand to keep Ahri from interrupting. ¡°You¡¯re right, it doesn¡¯t have to be that way, but it¡¯s not that easy to convince someone with self asserted morals to suddenly do anything overly crazy. It¡¯d take much more effort to mould them into a functioning tool. Why bother when there are already more than enough people lining up, who are practically waiting on tenterhooks to do their patrons bidding, whether it¡¯s fake or not. No¡­ it¡¯d be a waste of time to go fishing someplace else, when there¡¯s already a well stocked pond right in front of you. Amon wouldn¡¯t squander his resources.¡± ¡°Unless he expects us to follow your line of reasoning,¡± the vixen said darkly. ¡°There¡¯s that,¡± I admitted hesitantly. ¡°But either way, I haven¡¯t got the foggiest how we could possibly try to fight against a subversive idea, an implanted desire¡­¡± I paused, an idea forming in the back of my mind but before I could fully wrap my head around it, the youngster said nonchalantly: ¡°A cleansing. Burn it all down and allow something new, something stronger to grow from the ashes.¡± Appalled I hissed: ¡°They¡¯re your people as well for god¡¯s sake! I¡¯m not going to let you burn a forest of innocents, just so you can prune the few infected trees.¡± He smirked and opened his mouth only to shut it again immediately after with a decidedly sheepish look on his face. Wise move. Something along the lines of what are you going to do to stop me might have resulted in the first beating he had received in centuries. ¡°What then,¡± he asked aggressively. ¡°Tell me then, oh wise one, what we can do.¡± ¡°Tell the truth,¡± Ahri stated calmly. ¡°It can become their armour. If everyone knows who Amon really is and what he is capable of, it will become all the harder for him to play his games.¡± ¡°You put quite a lot of faith in the people of Free Land,¡± Nightshade commented. ¡°In my experience, your trust isn¡¯t necessarily justified. I¡¯m not going to blame them, I¡¯ve been there myself, but once you hit rock bottom there isn¡¯t much you wouldn¡¯t do for a better life. As the saying goes morals are expensive. You have to be able to afford them.¡± (Author¡¯s remark: it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m actually explaining a quote but this one is taken from a fragmented drama called Woyzeck by Georg B¨¹chner. It¡¯s about 40 pages. If you find the half hour to spare, you won¡¯t regret the investment. It¡¯s not an easy read, though.) I snorted derisively. ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that? You and your fellow captains have shaped a society where crime is tolerated, even endorsed. And now we¡¯re all at risk because you felt entitled to squeeze the last ounce of gold from the still warm bodies of your people.¡± He spread his fingers wide and closed them into fists again. Shrugging, he replied: ¡°I won¡¯t deny it but there isn¡¯t much we can do, is there? We have to play the hand we¡¯ve been dealt. Should I, by some miracle, still have some power, once this all blows over, I¡¯ll be more than happy to listen to any suggestions you might have but until then¡­¡± ¡°I should can it. I know¡­¡± I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose. ¡°There isn¡¯t much we can do tonight, anyways. We¡¯ll have to wait and see what the lot of them,¡± I jerked my head towards the square, ¡°come up with. It¡¯s hard to figure something out when we don¡¯t even know who¡¯ll be in charge.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not gong to stake a claim,¡± the disguised raven wanted to know. I shook my head. ¡°I neither have the ambition nor the time to get involved in politics. I won¡¯t be staying for much longer, anyways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving us in this mess,¡± Nightshade erupted but he couldn¡¯t quite meet my eyes when I frowned. It was hard to tell, but I even thought he was blushing. ¡°First of all, while I may have forced the matter, the mess is yours, not mine. Second, do you really believe your small island kingdom is the only one in peril? You¡¯ve seen the scale of his power. His ambition isn¡¯t to subjugate some rundown pirate village. He¡¯s here for our world and¡­ me. Trust me, even if I could, you wouldn¡¯t want me to stick around. It would only get worse. Once I¡¯m gone, you can be sure your little paradise won¡¯t be the focus of his attention anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not,¡± he stammered, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°What my aphasic friend is trying to say,¡± the not so almighty god intervened, ¡°is this: we need help. I can¡¯t provide it, even this manifestation is almost more than I can handle and I¡¯m already utilising the disturbances you two cause. Are you really going to forsake them¡­ to forsake us?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve friends here, even though they might not be alive, strictly speaking. Just because I won¡¯t be living here, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll be far away. We can travel pretty fast, if the need arises. Also, I truly believe you¡¯ve already got everything you need, right in front of your nose. The only question is whether or not you¡¯re capable of putting aside your prejudice and pride and actually share your power with the ones you¡¯ve always pushed to the side. Damn it, you¡¯ve got a vampire queen in your midst who has lost most of her¡­ children. Allow her to do what she has always done form the shadows. Protect her home. Turn your slaves into willing subjects, shatter their shackles and within a few days the most prominent source of Amon¡¯s power will be yours. And, for the love of god, limit the power the churches hold. It might take a while but I¡¯m convinced this place could become something¡­ more than a cesspool of depravity.¡± ¡°And if he returns,¡± Nightshade asked with a barely suppressed tremor in his voice. I shared a look with Ahri and she replied for the both of us: ¡°Wherever he appears, we won¡¯t be far behind. This much, I can promise.¡± 282. Of families, marriage and a little bit of embarrassment Cassandra Pendragon I had never expected to see Arthur at a loss for words but there he stood, awkwardly fidgeting while he looked everywhere but the small girl in front of him. It was becoming harder by the second to stop myself from laughing out loud and I buried my face in the nape of Ahri¡¯s soft neck to hide my smile. In the end, it was Sylvia who cleared her throat and finally got him to speak up. ¡°Reia, listen, it¡¯s not¡­ Damn it all, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± she showed much more poise than him, smiling toothily before she hesitantly touched his arm. ¡°Acted like a pompous prick? No, you shouldn¡¯t have but I understand, you didn¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°I did,¡± he sighed. ¡°Or at least I suspected¡­ but that¡¯s no excuse.¡± His gaze travelled over our little family, Mordred, lounging in a comfortable armchair close to a merrily burning fire with a glass of wine in his hand, my mom, lazying around on a fluffy pillow, her eyes closed, and Ahri and I, sharing a surprisingly modern bean bag, our tails entwined. We were in one of the more luxurious rooms in the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, Madame Sinis¡¯ personal quarters to be precise and for the first time today, no one else was around. Even my five dedicated shadows had been told to simply enjoy the night. Judging from the muffled sounds, drifting through the floor, they had taken their orders quite literally. I couldn¡¯t fault them, though. Once the dwarfs, most of whom were staying with us as well, began to drink, there was no turning back. After our conversation with Nightshade and his¡­ patron deity we had quickly made our way back, just in time to listen to the last bit of one of Brightblaze¡¯s tirades. I hadn¡¯t known what had set her off, but she was cursing each and everyone present colourfully. Her fellow Captains, that is. Somehow us beast kin and the dwarfs had either managed to get on her good side or she had simply deigned us unworthy of her attention. Whatever the reason, it had been abundantly apparent that there wouldn¡¯t be much to gain and an awful lot to lose by letting them continue and since I had already been branded as a more¡­ lawful version of the boogeyman I had firmly put an end to their dispute. Which had pretty much boiled down to telling them to care for the wounded and the homeless before they¡¯d incite another fight. Once everybody had calmed down we¡¯d meet again at the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±. The Madame had immediately offered to organise a feast and invited them for the following evening. Since most of us had already seen more than enough of tight cabins, my family and friends had decided to spend the night there. Now, you might be wondering why I had let Captain Nightshade off the hook, the story he had told was, after all, not much of an excuse. Truth be told, I hadn¡¯t, not really, but the heart of the matter was unfortunately rather simple, we still needed him and his feathered friend. And then¡­ I wasn¡¯t the most consistent person when it came to dealing with people. My anger mostly got the better of me in the heat of the moment but once I had a day to cool off, I usually didn¡¯t follow through and revenge, if there even was a real reason for me to feel wronged, wasn¡¯t something I wanted to exact from him. Once I wasn¡¯t seething with fury anymore. Long story short, for now I had resolved to keep a close eye on him and act, in case he rubbed me the wrong way. Arthur knelt and opened his arms to hesitantly hug her about as awkwardly as I had expected. Even Reia felt his tension and the little troublemaker smirked at me over his shoulder. ¡°You know, if you¡¯re uncomfortable, a hand shake would have been enough,¡± she quipped, smiling brightly. ¡°Not really,¡± he said and straightened again. ¡°I should have welcomed you with open arms the very moment we met. Cassy¡¯s right. Whatever else I might be worrying about, first and foremost you¡¯re my sister, a sibling I¡¯ve never had the chance to meet as such. As it turns out, the youngsters often teach the elders how the world works, at least in our family.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to me,¡± I interjected, ¡°I¡¯d like to point out that I¡¯m probably older than all of our ancestors combined and then some. Just saying.¡± ¡°And yet, you¡¯re the youngest of the bunch,¡± my mom projected without opening her eyes. ¡°And the most troublesome. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯ve found someone who¡¯s willing to put up with your quirks. Tough luck, Ahri, I ain¡¯t going to take her back.¡± The vixen in my lap laughed softly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to. Admittedly, she¡¯s a handful, but she¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°A handful,¡± I asked, cocking an eyebrow. ¡°More like two or even several,¡± she giggled while I felt her snuggle deeper into my embrace. ¡°But that¡¯s fine, I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡± Sylvia was watching us interestedly, her eyes darting to Ahri¡¯s bracelet from time to time. While Arthur was shepherding Reia over to a table and poured tea for the both of them, she asked: ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard the two of you have been together for a long while¡­¡± ¡°You could say that,¡± I whispered, quietly enough to not interrupt her. ¡°¡­are you planning to get wed any time soon?¡± Alright, I hadn¡¯t seen that coming and to make matters worse I could feel myself blush. Not to mention the sudden spike in Ahri¡¯s temperature. ¡°Uh,¡± I began eloquently, ¡°I¡­¡± I tried to catch my mother¡¯s eyes, we had already had this talk after we had escaped from Shassa¡¯s tomb and she had been pretty outspoken on the matter. This time, though, she didn¡¯t even flinch, contently fanning out her tails to catch more of the fire¡¯s warmth. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. I¡­¡± my blush intensified when I added quietly: ¡°I¡¯d actually like that very much but not right now. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never been officially married before,¡± Ahri explained for me when she realised how much trouble I had putting my feelings into words. ¡°And we won¡¯t, again. Neither of us wants a memory that¡¯s overshadowed by the crap we¡¯re dealing with. Maybe it¡¯s naive, but we want something special, without the shadow of war or imminent death looming above us. It should be¡­ perfect.¡± ¡°You might have to wait for a pretty long time, then,¡± Mordred snorted. ¡°If you want my advice, tie the knot. Sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember asking for advice,¡± I mumbled, rather unsettled by the more than private topic. Not that I minded sharing with my family, but this was something the two of us had to figure out for ourselves, wasn¡¯t it? Stolen novel; please report. ¡°The privilege of family, little sis,¡± he replied, grinning crookedly. ¡°Whether you want to hear it or not, you¡¯ll always get our advice. Besides, watching you act all shy is a nice change of pace. Which reminds me, has either of you ever been with anyone else?¡± I spluttered, taken entirely off guard. ¡°Heavens, no,¡± Ahri immediately replied. She sounded certain but neither of us had yet regained all of our memories. How could she know? I didn¡¯t understand her conviction until I almost inadvertently tried picturing being intimate with or even passionately kissing anyone else. My stomach clenched and goosebumps erupted all over body. Nope, not going to happen. Ahri chuckled quietly, apparently all too aware of where my thoughts had been going. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me, it¡¯s none of my business,¡± I sent through our tattoos, ¡°but I¡¯m curious. Before all of this, before we started changing, did you ever¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous,¡± she sent incredulously, ¡°even though you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help it.¡± She turned around and kissed me. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite sweet and the answer is no, never. My first kiss was also yours.¡± She paused and I felt a series of images flutter through her mind while she was still puzzling over whether or not it¡¯d be worth to share them. ¡°Even before I¡­ died during my first hunt, I always dreamed of¡­ someone. Before you began evolving I always thought it was just the normal infatuation every girl goes through¡­ a mighty warrior, waiting for me, but I¡¯m not so sure anymore. Here, see for yourself.¡± It was remarkable how her earlier memories even felt different, less acute, less powerful but I could still easily discern the figure she was trying to show me. A many tailed kitsune without much in terms of recognisable features, even the number and colour of tails seemed to change from one moment to the next, hovered above her, the face hidden beneath a white hood. Two things were clear as day, though. One, whoever it was, was standing in front of her, hand extended while a crushing darkness churned behind, kept at bay by the imposing presence, seemingly unable to pass through a distorted veil of silver and blue flowing from the knight¡¯s back. And two, there was a spear, the end buried in the ground. A spear I knew all too well, I could call it into my hand any time I wished, after all. The wheels in my head started turning and she chuckled quietly, observing where my thoughts were going. She had surely been there before, trying to figure out how an abstract likeness of myself had invaded her dreams, long before we had been connected. She allowed me to struggle for a bit, before she explained: ¡°Time¡¯s the key Cassy. You¡¯ve already seen that we can manipulate the streams, even if we don¡¯t fully understand what we¡¯re doing. I think my rebirth, as well as yours, sent ripples into the past and future. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d have experienced something similar, if you hadn¡¯t been fresh out of diapers, when you suddenly became an adult.¡± ¡°But¡­ didn¡¯t Aurora, didn¡¯t you tell yourself that our feelings weren¡¯t born from what we are,¡± I stammered. The idea didn¡¯t sit well with me. Luckily she didn¡¯t take it the wrong way and immediately replied: ¡°She¡­ I did and I didn¡¯t lie, either. It was a dream, Cassy, a young girl¡¯s dream I never truly expected to become real. Our decisions, our actions turned it into something more. I wouldn¡¯t change a thing, even if I could. Would you?¡± ¡°Never¡­ I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, anyways. We are, who we decide to be.¡± I felt her nod, her attention drifting back to Mordred, who was still talking. ¡°I¡¯d usually tell you to be cautious¡­ marriage isn¡¯t something to be rushed, especially when you don¡¯t have anything to compare your current relationship to, but I guess, in your case, that¡¯s pretty much a given. I¡¯d say don¡¯t wait. You can only truly regret the things you haven¡¯t done.¡± Shit, I had really hoped he¡¯d have dropped the topic when we had spaced out. I shook my head slowly, fumbling for a half decent reason to change the subject but, to my surprise, it was Sylvia who cut him off. ¡°I meant to ask them, you know, not instigate a discussion. Your sister¡¯s right, it¡¯s none of our business. I¡¯m surprised she hasn¡¯t yelled at you, already. Judging from the way I made her acquaintance, I¡¯d have expected some fireworks by now.¡± She turned to me, smiling: ¡°are you feeling all right, dear? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually becoming shy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been shy, I¡¯m just not timid,¡± I mumbled under my breath. It was true, to a certain extent. I didn¡¯t trust people very much and if given the choice, I¡¯d always prefer the company of those I already knew and treasured. Unfortunately, life hadn¡¯t provided much in terms of choice, lately. ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Ahri whispered telepathically. ¡°You¡¯re tired and angry and hurt but you always reach out to others. You might be cursing all the way, but you¡¯ve never, in none of my memories, actually shied away from people. Even now¡­ you¡¯re itching to go downstairs and convince yourself that everything¡¯s fine, that everyone is fine, aren¡¯t you? You just won¡¯t admit it. Let me tell you a secret. Aloof and untouchable aren¡¯t nearly as charming as vulnerability and genuine care.¡± I was tempted to brush her off but before I knew it, I was grinning self consciously. ¡°Where did that come from,¡± I asked instead. She shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve been raised as a princess and you¡¯re an immortal, fighting to save the world¡­ worlds. Literally. It doesn¡¯t take much to figure out that you¡¯re trying to distance yourself from anything you regard as a weakness. And, sweetheart, you¡¯ve always seen your ties as shackles or a vulnerability to be exploited. Even our bond. I¡¯m not even saying you¡¯re wrong, but denying what makes you¡­ mortal and happy isn¡¯t worth it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Aurelia there are no psychologists in this world? Should I call you Sigmund from now on?¡± Chuckling, she moved her tails around until they lay more comfortably against my thighs. ¡°Only if you want me to start speculating on how your father¡¯s death might have sparked a hidden desire to fill his shoes, leading you to reject the female role you are expected to play in politics and when interacting with strangers.¡± I bit my lip, frowning. The part about my dad was bullshit but the rest was¡­ let¡¯s just say too close to home for me to take it as a joke entirely. ¡°Relax,¡± she continued, ¡°as far as loose screws go, we all have them and yours are actually rather endearing.¡± ¡°Then where are yours?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve a thing for spicy food,¡± she immediately shot back, ¡°otherwise I¡¯m completely perfect, of course. Seriously, though, don¡¯t you know?¡± I sighed. ¡°You¡¯re still feeling guilty and as long as you can¡¯t forgive yourself for what you¡¯ve supposedly done to me, you¡¯ll always be a guardian angel, even when you¡¯re at risk of losing yourself. You¡¯re living more for me than for yourself¡­ maybe even for our friends or my family.¡± I felt her nod. ¡°That and I¡¯m also becoming a tad obsessive where you¡¯re concerned. We share that trait, though, so it doesn¡¯t matter very much.¡± ¡°You know, it¡¯s rude to whisper behind people¡¯s backs,¡± Reia interrupted my train of thought before I could reply. Ahri and I shared a smile, the small vixen was empathic enough and had gotten to know us well enough to figure out when we were talking privately, but the others looked at her questioningly. She caught herself before she rolled her eyes, like she would have done with her friends, and explained: ¡°It¡¯s harder to tell with Ahri but Cassy always goes glossy eyed when she talks to her. They have this telepathic connection¡­ I can¡¯t listen in, though,¡± she ended dejectedly. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that she had been trying to spy on our conversations but I still felt indignant. ¡°Is that so,¡± Arthur rumbled. ¡°Then, pray tell, what were the two of you talking about?¡± Miffed, I answered: ¡°if it had been any of your business, we wouldn¡¯t have kept it quiet, now, would we?¡± I caught Reia¡¯s gaze and tried to convey how utterly unamused I was that she had tried to eavesdrop, but my efforts only yielded a cheeky grin and a stuck out tongue. ¡°Now, could we please change the subject? Our personal life has been scrutinised quite enough, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°The last time I¡¯ve seen you, you were a toddler. Now you¡¯re all grown up. I¡¯ve missed all the good bits in between when I could have embarrassed you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not alone,¡± Mordred added darkly, ¡°but we¡¯re going to make up for it, as well as we can.¡± 283. Of games, revenge and a late night visitor Cassandra Pendragon A soft smile played around the corners of my mouth while my hand vanished entirely in the iron hard, vice like grip of a dwarf. He stared at me bleary eyed and barked with a heavy slur: ¡°Give it yahr all, lass. Ah ain¡¯t gonna go easy on yah.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± With our free hands we raised our mugs, filled with a strong spirit distilled from wheats, I¡¯d have called it vodka, had we been on earth, and downed them in one go. The stuff actually didn¡¯t taste like much but it burned all the way down my throat. Ignoring the slight discomfort I smacked my lips, my smile unwavering, while my opponent swayed heavily on his chair. Now, you might be wondering how we had even gotten here in the first place. Truth be told, I had fled. True to their word, my brothers hadn¡¯t spared me for the rest of the night. Every little thing I had ever done, as well as the not so little ones, had been turned into an hilarious anecdote for everyone¡¯s amusement. I hadn¡¯t particularly enjoyed the reason but all of us together, laughing and joking had felt nice, homely¡­ safe. Still, after the umpteenth iteration of how I had gone to town with scissors and leather straps on the first dress my mom had ever given me, turning myself into an underaged version of a veritable dominatrix along the way, I had had enough. Without so much as an excuse, I had grabbed Ahri and headed down the stairs, determined to end the day on a festive note, one where I wouldn¡¯t be the sole source of entertainment. On the ground floor, the dwarfs and Madame Sinis¡¯ girls had already started a valiant fight against most alcoholic beverages she had had in store and from the looks of it, they had been pretty close to a resounding victory. In a dark corner I had glimpsed Viyara and Aurelia, whispering intimately over a bottle of wine while Erya and Morgan were dancing with two handsome chaps I might have seen before but hadn¡¯t been able to remember properly. Our trio of elves had somehow adopted Liz and the four of them were having fun with a complicated looking board game I had never even heard of, the human girl the only one who had been indulging heavily. Judging from the assortment of bottles around her, she had tried her hardest to make up for her sober companions and considering her still bright eyes and precise movements, she was no stranger to excessive drinking, either. In an alcove close by Vanya and Will had been having a heated discussion with another pair of the Madame¡¯s employees, two beast kin, in case you¡¯re interested, and despite their flushed cheeks and grande gestures they had seemed like they were entirely enjoying themselves. Every once in a while I had spotted a set of fox ears or tails, weaving through the crowd. Some of Arthur¡¯s soldiers as well as my very own strike team had been mingling freely with the others, toasting, laughing, drinking and dancing to their hearts¡¯ content. They had had me a bit worried, since most kitsune were neither used to nor very tolerant of alcohol, but I had wholeheartedly appreciated the chance to see them enjoy a night of¡­ well, debauchery. With pretty much everyone accounted for, I had relaxed. The only ones I hadn¡¯t been able to see were Layla and her mother but I had know they were safely tugged away upstairs, spending some much needed time together in a room adjacent to Estrella¡¯s and Archy¡¯s. Which left only Pete, whom I had honestly expected to be in the thick of it but the native Free Lander had probably been trying to figure out how much of his usual haunts had still remained standing after the fire. Grinning happily, I had descended the stairs, my tails wrapped tightly around Ahri¡¯s waist. A blue haze had been hovering over the scene, fuelled by the ever present pipes the dwarfs had been smoking and the smell of sweat, spilled drinks and burned tobacco, laced with a variety of more potent herbs, had made my eyes water. For a moment I had been wondering how they could party this freely despite what we had been through only a couple of hours ago, but then I had realised that the ordeal had actually been the reason why everyone had been trying their best to celebrate a simple fact: we were still alive and we still had the chance to enjoy ourselves, an opportunity none of us wanted to waste. Which had prompted me to drag Ahri along and head directly towards the open space, where kitsune, dwarfs and humans were dancing together to the quick, rhythmic music a quintet of dwarfs played on their drums and violas. I hadn¡¯t gotten far, though. After a few steps, someone had playfully but sharply smacked my rear. Ahri had immediately tensed but before I had been able to do more than frown and tighten my grip on her to prevent an unfortunate accident, a loud, deep voice had slurred: ¡°Oi, Cas, you¡¯re the strongest of the tailed bunch, aren¡¯t yah?¡± Utterly perplexed by the new nickname as well as the rather preposterous greeting, I had only managed to shrug, still occupied with restraining the seething vixen at my side. ¡°Then Ah¡¯ve got a pre¡­proposition t¡¯make. How ¡®bout a friendly game of knockin¡¯?¡± Which had led us to where we were. Me sitting across a burly, exceptionally broad dwarf, an unending array of mugs between and half the room¡¯s occupants behind us, wagering more than they probably had to their names. The rules were rather simple. Drink, arm wrestle, repeat and as soon as someone threw in the towel, we¡¯d move on to stage two, an all out knuckle fight, no magic allowed. The one who had managed to down more mugs would have a free shot for every additional empty glass. The last man standing would win. Usually I wouldn¡¯t have taken the whole thing seriously, but when I had heard that most were betting on my opponent, claiming I wouldn¡¯t be able to do much without my magic, I had reconsidered. Plus, the only way I had been able to stop Ahri from teaching him a stern lesson then and there had been my assurance that I¡¯d make him pay for touching me. And that meant going for his wallet. His and most of his colleagues¡¯. Only my closest friends knew how little poisons affected me, after all, and judging from their growing smiles, they were expecting a nice, oversized payday. And so was I. His muscles twitched, the pressure around my fingers increased, the veins stood out on his arm and with a deep, reverberating groan he started to push, but just like the last nine times, I didn¡¯t budge. I closed my eyes, concentrating on my core to suppress the involuntary rush of energy. It wasn¡¯t needed, either way. Ever since my body had changed, my tissue was saturated with enough energy to rival¡­ well, pretty much anything I could come up with. It might not have been sturdy enough on its own to withstand a powerful attack but I could easily hold my own in a battle of strength. Low murmurs and rather loud curses rose up behind me, the truth slowly dawning on the spectators. I held my position for a few seconds longer before I leisurely started to push. Like a falling tree, slow at first but with increasing speed, his hand neared the heavy table, hammering down with a wet thud, a shower of spilled alcohol splashing all over the place. I pushed another mug towards him, the punishment for losing yet another round, and chuckled: ¡°drink up. Or are we done already?¡± He went cross eyed for a moment when the smell hit him but like the seasoned veteran he was, he shook his head, similar to a dog drying itself off, and downed his 18th drink. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°No¡­ not yet¡­ ah¡¯ve still got¡­ another¡­another round in me.¡± He burped, clasping his hand over his mouth to make sure nothing but air escaped him, before he reached out again. ¡°Less go ¡®gain, yah damned su¡­ sup¡­ wretched creature¡­¡± trembling with suppressed mirth at his frighteningly lopsided posture I agreed. Unsurprisingly the outcome wasn¡¯t any different, except that I was starting to feel excessively bloated. If the drunkard should manage to punch me in the stomach later on he¡¯d be getting much more than he¡¯d have bargained for. I seriously had no idea where he was storing the copious amounts of liquid. He had already been drunk when he had challenged me and he must have downed close to five litres by now, about twice as much as I had drunk. Truly impressive. If he managed to keep it up, he¡¯d win the first round, simply because I was running out of space, my stomach apparently not half as sturdy or flexible as his. Also, I really had to visit the ladies¡¯ room, another sensation I hadn¡¯t been forced to deal with for quite a while. Maybe this hadn¡¯t been such a good idea, after all¡­ A resounding crash marked the end of my worries and our spiced up version of Popeye, my opponent¡¯s head hitting the table with dull finality. ¡°Game over,¡± Ahri commented dryly into the lingering silence and used two fingers to gently push the unconscious dwarf off his seat. When he crashed onto the floor it seemed as if a spell had been broken, the room erupting in cheers and, for the most part, groans and curses. Grinning I rose from my chair and hugged Ahri. ¡°Would you collect our winnings,¡± I whispered. She cocked and eyebrow and asked: ¡°and where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Somewhere private. Causality, my dear. Even our bodies can¡¯t cope with that much fluid.¡± She nodded with a crooked smile and kissed me caressingly. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long or I¡¯ll have to go looking for you.¡± She playfully smacked my rump, perfectly imitating the poor, delirious dwarf and shooed me away. I had to dodge several attempts to draw me into a conversation as I weaved my way through the crowd, carefully sidestepping the most disgruntled onlookers. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to go, exactly. For clarification, sanitary accommodations weren¡¯t as well developed as I would have liked. Bath tubs were the norm and toilets were usually nothing more than thunder beams, directly opening into the streets. I had become quite pampered, back home running water had been easily accessible with magic and even aboard the ships dwarven ingenuity had provided miraculous solutions for the more distasteful consequences of biology. Now, though, I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled at the prospect of visiting a primitive latrine which had been frequented by a myriad of drunk mortals over the last few hours. Consequentially, I decided on the spot to simply look for a quiet place outside. Not exactly prim and proper but still the best I could come up with, considering the slow moving queue I could glimpse in front of the restroom. I might have managed to sneak my way to the front, but simply imagining how it might look and smell in there¡­ With a few apologetic smiles I managed to duck outside. As soon as I left the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± the crisp night air invigorated my senses like a cold shower. The sky was still cloudy with only a few lonely stars blinking down on me. The rain had stopped, though, and for the first time since I had arrived the air tasted sweet and clean, the lingering scents of human civilisation had been washed away, if only for the night. Even the thick, oppressive smell of burned wood was gone. I closed my eyes when the door slammed shut behind me. Faint noises still reached me through the thick wood but muted as they were I managed to listen to the quiet music of the night. Birds flapped their wings in the distance, a soft breeze rustled through open windows and along slated roofs, here and there someone was singing drunkenly and I even thought I could hear the creaking of wood and sails from the harbour. Something else caught my attention, though. Not too far away I heard someone recite what seemed like a sermon and even though I couldn¡¯t understand the foreign language, the grief and anger resonating in the slow, stately voice were strong enough to send shivers down my spine. I slowly turned towards the noise, which unsurprisingly came from the square where the Emperor had conducted his ritual. Someone was either paying their respect or they were mourning the dead. Either way, I couldn¡¯t imagine I¡¯d be welcome. I felt my mood shift, sadness rising in my chest as the images of our last battle rose in my mind. With a sigh I opened my eyes again, mouthing a silent prayer for the poor souls I hadn¡¯t been able to save. My gaze travelled along the street while I searched for a secluded place or at least a bit of cover. I blinked. By mere chance I had spotted a hooded figure, half hidden in the shadows of a narrow alley close by. I couldn¡¯t see the face, a heavy woollen hood obscured everything beneath, but I had the distinct impression that I was being watched. My suspicions were confirmed about a second later when a slim, pale hand emerged from the dark depths beneath the cloak and beckoned for me to follow. With a single step the creature vanished into the impenetrable darkness between the windswept houses, as if it had never even been there. For a split second I hesitated, all too aware of how many times I had paid for my unjustified trust, but I wasn¡¯t alone. I hadn¡¯t been for a while. With a thought, I shared what was going on with Ahri, asking her to keep our link open in case I was about to stumble into another unpleasant situation. She moaned a little, urging me to wait for her, but in the end she accepted my decision to go alone. If, whoever was hiding underneath that hood, had wanted to talk to all of us, they would have simply walked in through the door. Of course, that line of reasoning also posed a whole plethora of different questions, like why had they even known I¡¯d be coming out, why tonight, why here, why me and so forth, but ultimately, and you might very well call me conceited for it, I didn¡¯t expect anyone on this planet, save maybe Amon, to be able to threaten me, no matter what kind of trap they had dreamed up. As long as my friends were safe and sound, there wasn¡¯t much anyone could do to me unless they planned to shoot me in the head from afar or were immortals themselves. In either case they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to lure me outside, beforehand. I squared my shoulders, tried to ignore my complaining bladder and confidently strode across the street, carefully avoiding the deep, murky puddles and smelly heaps along the way. A moment later I found myself in an almost dry lane between surprisingly sturdy buildings, the roofs almost touching above my head. The meagre light was entirely blocked out and I sent a trickle of power towards my eyes. They lit up with a silver sheen and the outlines of closed doors, abandoned crates and a waiting figure, sitting leisurely on a porch a few metres away, became clear. Most of my questions were immediately answered when I saw a shock of golden hair, the shimmer of gilded threads underneath a dark green cloak and bright, blue eyes, staring at me with a mixture of curiosity, caution and fear. Maybe even a bit of¡­ admiration? ¡°If it isn¡¯t the younger Brightblaze,¡± I said while I slowly approached the waiting girl. ¡°Did you get lost? If you need me to, I can show you the way back home. It¡¯s not the best idea for a pretty girl to be caught alone out here in the middle of the night. Free Land isn¡¯t the most savoury place, as you should very well know.¡± She frowned but her voice remained polite when she replied: ¡°Hello Cassandra. Must you be antagonistic from the start? As far as I¡¯m aware, I¡¯ve never wronged you. I always thought fairness and politeness were virtues even the beast kin valued.¡± ¡°Touch¨¦, even though you¡¯ve just proven that you¡¯re not above a little ribbing yourself. Even us beast kin?¡± I had reached her porch by now and carefully sat down next to her. ¡°Still, you don¡¯t deserve to be treated like your sister, at least not yet.¡± I fell silent, allowing her a moment to organise her thoughts. After a while she extended her hand with a shaky smile and said: ¡°I just realised I haven¡¯t even introduced myself, yet. I¡¯m Emilia and I wanted to thank you again.¡± 284. Of cowardice, proposals and another sleepless night Emilia Brightblaze I had waited for ages and thought of many things to say but when I looked into her eyes my mind felt empty, squeezed dry. It was hard to describe but something in her gaze just made me feel¡­ vulnerable, tiny, like a child. Of course I knew about her power, I had seen it first hand, but I had long since gotten used to facing bigger and frankly badder people, some of which had seemed much more frightening. On first glance, that is. On the second, though¡­ It wasn¡¯t her beauty either, even though it was distracting and possibly a bit insulting, nor her voluminous tails. Even the distant smile she wore, as if the world couldn¡¯t touch her, didn¡¯t really matter but the look in her glowing, gem like eyes¡­ filled with an iridescent, unwavering light they showed compassion and anger, weariness and hope in equal measure. The eyes of a child and those of a warrior stared at me from a painfully perfect face and, for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t even remember why I had come here. And then her expression changed. Her smile widened as she took my hand with genuine warmth, laughing softly, almost like a cool summer breeze. ¡°There really is no need, Emilia. I need your sister just as much as she needs me. If you really want to thank someone, get in there, head upstairs and tell my brother. He¡¯s the one who stopped me from walking away.¡± I still hadn¡¯t let go of her hand and I felt her steady heartbeat beneath my fingers. She seemed so¡­ real, alive. ¡°Would you truly have left us,¡± I asked quietly. She tilted her head, the soft glow of her skin illuminating her frown in the pitch black night. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think so. Your sister doesn¡¯t deserve to pay for her men¡¯s behaviour either, but, so help me, the lot of you really managed to pull my strings. Stubborn, shortsighted, idiotic¡­¡± she paused and laughed again. ¡°Oh, listen to me curse like a seasoned sailor. I probably shouldn¡¯t spend this much time with the dwarfs.¡± Her tails moved, almost like water, when she rearranged them into a more comfortable position and leaned back. Her hair covered the side of her face like an ebony river with a solitary silver streak and I felt her squeeze my fingers lightly before she let go. ¡°It¡¯s been a long night, Emilia. Why have you come? We would have met soon enough. Has something happened?¡± ¡°No¡­ yes.¡± I sighed, the burdens of the last days weighing heavily on my shoulders. Why had I come? To escape, even for a night? To feel safe again? To postpone the decision I had to make? ¡°Maybe¡­ can I ask you a personal question?¡± She shrugged and smirked. ¡°The last time someone asked me that they wanted my permission to court a dragoness. If your trying to chase after Viyara as well, you¡¯ll have to get in line.¡± It wasn¡¯t an answer but she seemed like she was waiting for me to go on. ¡°No¡­ but it¡¯s not even that far off,¡± I mumbled forlornly, her words barley registering. I hadn¡¯t intended for her to understand me but her large, fluffy ears twitched cutely, reminding me again that I wasn¡¯t dealing with a human. ¡°Do you hate us,¡± I suddenly blurted out. I had to know. ¡°You as in your family, your fleet or your race? It doesn¡¯t matter, the answer is no. It¡¯d take much more than a few insults and poor decisions to make me hate you. Why? Should I?¡± ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know, anymore,¡± I sighed. ¡°But I just thought if anyone could tell me¡­¡± I fell silent, completely aware that I wasn¡¯t making much sense. How could I? I was drowning, my mind in turmoil. I needed someone to throw me a raft, to show me a way and my sister, as much as I loved and admired her, she couldn¡¯t. She had brought up Captain Asra¡¯s proposal, after all. ¡°I think I do,¡± I continued quietly. ¡°Our struggles, our machinations¡­¡± I turned to face her, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. ¡°Would you sacrifice your happiness for your people? For power?¡± She tilted her head, her tails quivering. ¡°There¡¯s a difference, I think,¡± she said after she had studied me for a few seconds. ¡°My happiness is a person and I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice her for anything. My own ambitions and desires, though? To bring back those I¡¯ve lost? To return the stolen days of peace to my people? Probably. But¡­ Emilia, whatever you were asked to do, I can¡¯t imagine it will bring peace to this island, or you for that matter, if you¡¯re in tears and¡­ feel the need to seek my advice. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think I can tell you,¡± I whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should even be here. I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± I clenched my teeth, cursing my cowardice, cursing my indecision. Here I was and I couldn¡¯t even get my self to admit the truth, to admit my selfishness, my weakness. I simply didn¡¯t want to¡­ I couldn¡¯t spend the rest of my days tied to that monster. A plaything without a life, without hope. I just couldn¡¯t. No matter the price. ¡°But yet, here you are,¡± she replied, equally quietly. ¡°Do you want me to stay with you for a while?¡± I nodded hesitantly. ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯d like that. And I¡¯m sorry. This should have been a celebration. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± ¡°Have I?¡± She jerked her head towards the square, where the battle had taken place, her long tresses dancing. ¡°I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t agree.¡± Puzzled, I wanted to ask her what she meant but when I opened my mouth I heard the faint rumbling of voices, my own breath almost enough to drown them out. I couldn¡¯t make out more than the palest ghosts of words, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what was going on. ¡°There¡¯d have been many more, if you hadn¡¯t been there¡­¡± she cut me off with a gesture. ¡°Or none at all. It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve already had to deal with more than enough introspection for the day.¡± Sighing, she closed her eyes and the alley immediately got much darker, colder. We sat in silence for a while, before she asked: ¡°Did you grow up in Free Land?¡± I nodded, before I realised she couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°I did. My parents died when I was still a toddler, no more than 6 months old. Serena, she took me away and raised me here. It wasn¡¯t easy, for the both of us, but we somehow managed.¡± ¡°More of a mother than a sister, is she? That makes an uncomfortable amount of sense.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°To become as prickly as her¡­ you were either born that way or you had to fight fangs and claws for every little thing in your life. I¡¯m glad she did, though. She chose well.¡± I felt my tears well up again. How could I even consider not helping Serena with everything I had? I dropped my head into my hands, stifling a sob. I owed her everything. If I could somehow lighten her burden¡­ a warm touch brought me back to reality. Cassandra had placed her hand on my shoulder, her expression full of¡­ pity? Understanding? Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What has she asked of you,¡± she wanted to know, a hint of anger thrumming through her words. ¡°How do you know,¡± I whispered, not trusting my voice to hold. She shrugged. ¡°Age, experience and¡­ I can smell your tears, I can hear your heartbeat.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much of a point in lying to you, is there?¡± ¡°Not unless you¡¯re really good at it.¡± She squirmed uncomfortably, stretching out her long, slender legs. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯ve come all this way to see me. Lying wouldn¡¯t be such a good idea, anyways, would it?¡± ¡°Probably not. Cassandra, I¡­ I just don¡¯t know what to do. If I tell you, I¡¯ll already have made a decision, but if I don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m lost.¡± I chuckled ruefully, my throat constricted. ¡°I imagine that¡¯s something you can¡¯t really understand.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. Most of the days I don¡¯t even know which way is up. I get by because I¡¯m too stubborn to quit and have the strength to push through. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m very confident in what I do. But I have friends who set me straight, once in a while. That¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for, isn¡¯t it?¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°And maybe a bit of comfort. Which is most likely just the same thing. Could you¡­ would you tell me a story of your home? A story your children listen to when they can¡¯t sleep at night?¡± I didn¡¯t know why, but the thought, no, the desire had suddenly welled up in my chest. Listening to what had made her find the courage to face gods and monsters and even comfort a stranger in the dead of night seemed¡­ consoling. ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s a first. Let me see¡­¡± a frown appeared between her eyes as she collected her thoughts. A moment later she began to speak and even though I had never been trained in the arcane arts, I felt something stir while her power seeped into her voice. ¡°A long time ago, when my race was still more numerous and far spread, there was a small village in the mountains. A quiet, peaceful place surrounded by pure, white snow in winter and magnificent, red cherry petals in summer. The village consisted of a few families and a seven tailed elder, who had stumbled upon the place when he had tried to flee from his darker memories of a live he had left behind. One day, a young boy, no more than 15 summers of age, got hurt while working the fields. A storm had taken him by surprise and he had burned his left leg to the bone with a fumbled spell. Everyone pitied him, the ghastly wound far beyond their humble healer¡¯s capabilities. But the wizened elder took one glance at his leg and murmured a spell. Fresh, rosy skin covered the charred flesh in an instant and to top it all off, he even offered to teach the boy from then on. And now, those who had pitied him became envious, since the ancient fox had never before offered to share his secrets. A year passed and under the tutelage of his new master, the boy even gained a third tail. He became the first of the youngsters who could claim such a thing. And then, the king called. Their country had been attacked and he was ordering every kitsune without a family who had at least three tails to join the ranks and repel the invaders. Again, the boy was pitied for his bad luck. He was the only one who would have to go. He left with a heavy heart but to his surprise, he didn¡¯t get father then the capital. The invaders had mostly perished in a deadly storm and the rest had been handily defeated in a bloody but single battle. All that was left for him to do was to collect his dues as a member of the victorious army, part of which included an item from the king¡¯s personal belongings. When he returned, four short months later, laden with riches, and told his story, the people again envied his good fortune. Anyone could have done that, they reasoned. The very next night, a heavy storm brought enough rain to cause an avalanche of mud to bury the treasures he had stored in a hut outside the village. And envy turned into pity again. Unbeknownst to the boy, one of the treasures, a simple golden box, contained a long forgotten seed of the first cherry tree. It had slumbered in the king¡¯s treasury for ages and the boy had chosen it on a whim. When the storm finally subsided, he returned to find the largest tree he had ever seen, blooming where the shack had been. The tree brought him fame and power and the people again envied his good fortune. Only the elder remained quiet and thought to himself: ¡°we shall see. The sky is darkening, a storm is brewing. It is for us to toil and for the gods to judge.¡±¡± She fell silent, her gaze distant, as if she was lost in her own, darker memories. Sparks ignited in her eyes but she rubbed them away quickly. Following a sudden impulse I asked: ¡°Is it your story? Are you the elder?¡± She smiled crookedly, the fire in her eyes subsiding. ¡°No, Emilia, if anything, I am the storm. But it isn¡¯t my story. I wonder, though, if it could be yours.¡± ¡°Mine?¡± I puzzled over her words before I added: ¡°how? I don¡¯t¡­¡± she shook her mesmerising head. ¡°It¡¯s a story. I always thought the good ones speak to all of us¡­ just differently. For me, this one has always been a reminder to try your best, knowing well enough that it might not matter. But if you don¡¯t try, you¡¯ll never know. As for you¡­¡± she sighed deeply and buried her head in her hands. ¡°Clearly you¡¯ve been asked to do something that makes you¡­ desperate, even though you understand why it might be necessary. If you came here, expecting me to tell you everything will work out just fine¡­ I can¡¯t and I won¡¯t. In the story¡­ I believe there¡¯s a reason why everything turned out for the best, at least as far as we know. The boy¡­ we don¡¯t know much about him, but he never once tried to shy away or run from his future, from the challenges he had to face. Now, before you get any funny ideas, I¡¯m definitely not saying you should go through with¡­ whatever, but I assume you already know as much. What I¡¯m trying to say is this: I think you already know what you should do. Everything else be damned. If you face it head on, you¡¯ll be just fine.¡± ¡°Will you help me,¡± I breathed, my voice quivering. ¡°I¡¯d have to know what exactly we¡¯re talking about, before I can answer your question.¡± I fidgeted, mulling over her words. Maybe she was right. If I had truly considered marrying Asra, I wouldn¡¯t have come here. It might be a neat solutions, uniting our forces, cementing our power, especially now, but we simply couldn¡¯t trust that sorry excuse of a man. This much, I knew. ¡°Asra is working to confront you with a changed power structure tomorrow,¡± I stated quietly. ¡°He¡­ the remaining Captains want to settle everything between themselves and get you to back off. A united Free Land wouldn¡¯t need foreigners. He intends to tie our two families together. Money and actual strength combined would make us nearly untouchable even if Alassara finds more servants overnight. He¡­ he has asked for my hand in marriage.¡± ¡°Son of a¡­ not even a single, measly night!¡± Despite myself, I felt my face light up with a smile. Hearing the elegant, royal woman cuss was almost like witnessing my sister swear. It didn¡¯t fit, like seeing a queen stumble or a king fall off his horse. She took a few deep, calming breaths through her delicate nose and scrambled to her feet. ¡°You had better come with me. I¡¯m not the only one who should hear this.¡± Suddenly cautious, she added: ¡°I take it you wouldn¡¯t mind if I tried to present your sister and her newfound friend with accomplished facts, as well?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know? I didn¡¯t expect¡­ what are you planning?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact terms of Asra¡¯s proposal, but¡­ as it stands the dwarven soldiers, my brother¡¯s warriors, they all command more actual fighting strength than anything you could muster, except maybe for your sister and her ill begotten deity. They won¡¯t stay, though, and everyone knows it. We have to work with whoever will be in charge afterwards. I originally thought there would be another balance between several factions, but apparently that¡¯s not supposed to happen.¡± She extended her hand and helped me stand. ¡°But what are you going to do? Without that alliance, there¡¯ll be chaos. No one will be strong enough to make Free Land stand up to the hellish nightmare we¡¯re facing. ¡± ¡°Have another sleepless night, even though for different reasons than I had hoped. Emilia, Free Land is its people and almost anyone who¡¯s left has only known suffering and despair at the hands of the Captains. I¡¯m done bargain for support from that stubborn lot. After tonight, their support will be worth as much as their empty promises. I may not like it, but I¡¯ve been taught a thing or two about power, as well. But first, you¡¯ll have to excuse me. I really need to pee.¡± 285. Of gambles, uncertainties and a little party Cassandra Pendragon Heavens, I was drained. It had been worth it, though. With a tired smile I rose from the last artefact, the elves had prepared, a single silvery spark dancing through the tightly woven strands of energy until it dissipated. With a sigh, I dropped the enchanted, blood red gem into the clear, blue waters and watched it sink to the bottom. How long it would last was anyone¡¯s guess but I¡¯d have put my money on¡­ eternity. Long enough to outlast Free Land, at any rate. Now all I had to do was face the crowd, most of us had been trying to whip up, ever since last night. ¡°You¡¯ve done well,¡± Ahri mumbled at my side, her eyes drooping. She was just as exhausted as I was. ¡°We, we have done well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have managed without you.¡± I pulled her closer and kissed the dome of her head gently. ¡°One last effort¡­ will you stay with me?¡± ¡°Until the end. You¡¯ll simply have to carry me, should I fall asleep.¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°If you start snoring, I¡¯ll follow suit. I can¡¯t remember ever feeling this tired.¡± ¡°Mental exhaustion,¡± she slurred drowsily. ¡°We¡¯ve been using our powers for hours on end.¡± Bleary eyed she looked around, a faint smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. ¡°But so help me, we¡¯ve created a paradise, haven¡¯t we?¡± Indeed we had. What had been a desolate, charred square with crumbling houses a few hours earlier had turned into¡­ sluggish as my mind was, I couldn¡¯t come up with a proper simile, but it sure looked like a place from a fairytale to me. Under the rising sun, lush emerald green grass spread out around an azure pond, overshadowed by a ring of tall, ancient looking cherry trees. The sweet and earthy smell of herbs tickled my nose while I watched stands of rosemary and thyme, cilantro and feverfew rustle in the gentle breeze. They had grown overnight, quite literally, the waters of the pond easily potent enough to coax a healthy plant from a seed within a few hours. Which should also explain why the both of us were this close to keeling over. While our friends had spent the rest of the night searching for the wounded and the desperate, inviting everyone from malnourished slaves to maimed soldiers to come to the square at midday, Aspera, Astra, Lyra, Aurelia, Viyara and Erya, alongside the most capable spell casters my brother had brought along, had toiled away, creating the shells for a myriad of artefacts to produce¡­ well, water. It wasn¡¯t exactly the garden variety, though. With a bit of ingenuity, hourlong discussions, the combined knowledge of kitsune, fey, elves and dragons, the deep blue liquid, lazily feeding the plants around the pond, had become something more. It could heal and invigorate, restore and cleanse, almost like the fabled elixir of life. It couldn¡¯t bring back the dead, though. None of us were knowledgable enough to even guess what kind of magic would be necessary for such a feat. Maybe one day. As long as the soul hadn¡¯t rejoined the cycle, it should be possible. Anyways, after a longwinded explanations of dos and donts, which had been even more tiresome, thanks to the copious amounts of alcohol most of us were still dealing with, the verdict had been unanimous. Creating a structure to theoretically facilitate what I had had in mind was possible, but there wasn¡¯t enough magic on this continent to fuel the artefacts needed for any extended period of time. Even Viyara had been forced to admit that the hunger of such a creation would devour her within minutes. Luckily, Ahri and I were a bit more¡­ resilient. Hence, while our friends had prepared the spells, we had provided the necessary energy, which, in turn, had also meant that we had been forced to douse the materials in our blood. Otherwise they would have shattered the very moment we¡¯d have tried to activate them. Long story short, we had spent the last hours either being cut to the quick or pouring our considerable stores of power into one gem or the other. By now, all of them rested safely at the bottom of the pond, imbuing the waters around them with fantastic, almost unimaginable properties. Now, all we had to do was wait until it had spread far and wide. And make sure the rules we had in mind wouldn¡¯t be ignored. My idea had been a simple one, really. If the Captains weren¡¯t willing to play fair, than we¡¯d have to change the game. If they weren¡¯t needed anymore, they could go swim with the sharks, for all I cared. In my mind, emancipating the subjugated people of Free Land, giving them a chance to survive and fight on their own, would be enough. For that, they¡¯d need food, water, a way to cure their diseases and a chance to grow. The grove we had created would provide all that and more. Unfortunately it¡¯d be worth squat, if someone simply took over and utilised it as another leash to get the people to heel. Someone would have to guard it, protect the source. Luckily, I knew just the woman, old, wise, tough as nails and without scruples to shed blood, should it ever become necessary. And, with more than half of Madame Sinis¡¯ boys and girls, lining up with a pretty smile to be turned, Alassara had everything she¡¯d need to make it happen. ¡°How do you think my brothers and the dwarfs fared,¡± I asked while we allowed ourselves a few minutes of rest beneath the blooming branches. When I closed my eyes, I almost felt at home. The verdant earth beneath my fingers, the rustling leaves overhead, the peaceful, quiet atmosphere and the smell of magic and nature, it all reminded me of Boseiju. Tired as I was, I couldn¡¯t quite suppress the melancholic warmth, tinged with sadness, rising in my chest. A lazy smirk appeared on Ahri¡¯s face as she replied: ¡°I imagine the better question would be how those fared, who tried to deny them.¡± She was referring to the slave owners. While most soldiers had been lost, either when the fleet had been destroyed or during the ritual, the rich and powerful still kept uncounted men, women and children in chains. Not anymore, though. In the middle of the night they had been roused from their sleep, either facing a disgruntled wall of mithril, looking for an excuse to vent some of their frustration, a result of having been called to duty in the middle of a celebration, or bushy tailed kitsune warriors, all too eager to discuss the finer points of morality and mortality with them. I laughed softly. ¡°You¡¯re right. Do you think they had to kill some of them?¡± She shrugged uncaringly. ¡°Probably. Not too many, though. I¡¯m sure most understood the position they are in without excessive use of force. I¡¯m more curious how your newest lady friend fared. It couldn¡¯t have been easy for her. I was quite surprised you allowed her to return back home on her own.¡± ¡°She volunteered and if I had gone with her, there wouldn¡¯t have been a chance in hell for her sister to listen. As it is, she might convince her.¡± ¡°And if Serena decided to blame her? She¡¯s got as much of a temper as you.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°If she had touched a single hair on Emilia¡¯s head, she¡¯d have been in for a rude awakening. She didn¡¯t, though. She loves that girl. More than her own life, maybe. Which makes me wonder how she could even consider Asra¡¯s proposal. Something doesn¡¯t add up¡­ we¡¯ll find out soon enough, though. The Captains are bound to have heard what we¡¯re doing. They¡¯ll come calling long before the sun reaches its zenith.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll tell them to return right back to the holes they¡¯ve crawled out of, won¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡°It depends, but most likely I will.¡± I sighed, the tension gradually leaving my limbs. ¡°You know, I had toyed with the idea of visiting the bat tamer, you know, the one who has worked with Amon¡¯s alchemist. I just don¡¯t see myself getting up in the next hour and by then it¡¯ll be too late.¡± ¡°Your bracelet is still with him, isn¡¯t it? He won¡¯t get away from us. No need to rush.¡± ¡°Actually, there is. I don¡¯t have that much time left. Three days, provided we can reach the Emerald Island within one.¡± ¡°You left a bit of your power behind, didn¡¯t you? If push comes to shove, we can just go there on our own while everyone else either uses the gates, Captain Dawn mentioned, or simply takes a ship. You promised to return, not to bring an army. We¡¯ve enough problems as it is, there¡¯s no need to conjure them from thin air.¡± She leaned against me, her silky hair tickling my cheek. ¡°What do you think will happen now?¡± I leisurely caressed her back and took my time to answer. ¡°We¡¯ve done the best we can to spread the word. They¡¯ll come. Everybody will. I never thought I¡¯d say this, but it¡¯s actually a stroke of luck that the Captains mistreated their own people¡­ badly. If they¡¯re faced with the choice of returning to how things were or live by themselves, with enough food, medicine, water¡­ and power to last for several lifetimes, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll willingly accept their shackles, once again. And there aren¡¯t enough warriors left to make them, even if we weren¡¯t around. Truth be told, I even expected some to have arrived, already.¡± She chuckled into my shoulder. ¡°Once they were done with the templates our friends closed the streets leading here. Otherwise we would already have been swarmed by your sister and her friends¡­ or your personal entourage. I think they mean to give us a couple of hours to recharge.¡± ¡°Do they, now? A pity I¡¯m too tired to take advantage. This much, I can manage though.¡± With an Herculean effort, I manifested my wings and pulled her head into my lap. ¡°Better,¡± I asked. ¡°Much, but I don¡¯t think I can keep my eyes open like this.¡± Indeed, I could already feel her breath deepening, her heartbeat slowing down. ¡°Then don¡¯t. Sleep for a while. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± She managed to turn her head and open one heavy lidded eye. ¡°And you haven¡¯t? They¡¯ll call for us, if it becomes necessary. Morgan will be here soon, as well. She¡¯ll be the first. Join me, Cassy.¡± Almost as an afterthought, she added: ¡°I love you,¡± before she buried her face against my stomach. A moment later she was fast asleep. ¡°I love you, too. Always have, always will.¡± Against my better judgement, I allowed my head to sink against the trunk behind us and closed my eyes. Only for a second, I reasoned, but before I even knew it, my surroundings melted and changed. The cool darkness turned into swirls of light and sound as I quickly slipped into a world of dreams and memories. A godsdamned frat party? For the love of god¡­ what was that muscle headed demon up to? First, a bar in space and now¡­ And why the fuck was he on earth again? Admittedly, I owed him for coming when I had called, but this felt like a slap in the face. With a gauntlet. I almost lost it when a pair of steroid munching blockheads stumbled into me, dumb and drunk as they were. Their insincere apologies, paired with mocking smiles, had me itching for my spear, if only to scare them, but I simply waved them off and made sure to bump into them on the way past. While they were still trying to figure out how they had come to know the floor more intimately than ever before, I congratulated myself wholeheartedly. A few million years and I was almost well mannered. Another few million and I¡¯d even learn how to keep my mouth shut and head down. Gods, I hated the third millennium. The Renaissance had been something, but this¡­ even the music sucked. A thrumming baseline with mangled melodies, simple enough that even a drunk chihuahua could have played them, blindfolded. Once I entered the¡­ let¡¯s call it house for want of a better word, even though pigsty might have been more appropriate, I was reminded why those songs were immensely popular, though. Just imagining a young, pretty girl grinding away to Mozart or even System of a Down was hilarious. Too bad I wouldn¡¯t indulge. Judging form the looks, thrown my way, it might have turned into an entirely lovely evening, if I hadn¡¯t felt sick to my stomach even thinking about it. Shrugging, I relieved the closest boy with a bottle of whiskey of his next bad decision, silencing the impertinent pup with a gaze, and allowed my awareness to spread. About 50 humans and one other immortal, hiding in the basement with an entourage of seven, all of them female. Figures. He was hiding, at the very least, so I wouldn¡¯t walk in on an orgy. But still¡­ What the hell was Chaleb up to? ¡°You¡¯ll see in a moment,¡± he sent, well aware of my arrival. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a countdown, then you can come down. 98, 97, 96¡­¡± if I hadn¡¯t been seething already, this surely would have done the trick. I took a deep, calming breath through my nose and iterated my new mantra: you owe him. Don¡¯t explode. When I looked up again, I found myself on an island of quiet, the crippled instincts of those around me still acute enough to tell them to stay well away from the pissed off angel. Grinding my teeth, I made my way towards the stairs, snaking past tables, laden with beer, and flirting youngsters, while the irritating voice in my mind still counted down. Once I passed the flimsy door and it clicked shut behind me I felt better, less¡­ exposed. I had never been a huge fan of college parties, even though I had gained more than one diploma in the past. One couple had decided the thrill of exposure was worth more than the comforts of a bed and were happily making out behind the door, their lips parting with a wet sucking sound when I simply pushed the man¡­ boy out of the way. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I grumbled, prepared to leave it at that, but the young buck had to mark his territory, of course. He possessively placed his hands on his friend¡¯s waist and turned to me. ¡°What the,¡± he cursed. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± 48, 47, 46¡­ ¡°Someone who¡¯s in a hurry. I¡¯ll make it easy for you. You have¡­¡± the intoxicated idiot didn¡¯t even think twice before he was in my face, our noses inches apart. I sighed. ¡°Sorry, lass. You¡¯ll have to find someone else to spend the evening with. It¡¯s not much of a loss, though, if you ask me.¡± Before my words could pierce the veil of drugs around the brain dead bozo¡¯s mind, my eyes flashed pure silver and I dumped enough mana into him to give a unicorn a headache. He crumpled without a word, his eyes rolling back into his head. The girl stared at me, horrified, her mouth working silently. ¡°Here,¡± I offered her a heavy gold coin conjured from thin air. When she didn¡¯t take it, I dropped it on the boy and added: ¡°he¡¯ll be right as rain in a day or two. If you¡¯re half as clever as beautiful, you¡¯ll have found someone else¡­ someone better by then. If not¡­ well, that¡¯s your problem.¡± 24, 23, 22¡­ I glided down the stairs, the old wood creaking beneath my feet. ¡°What about you,¡± she called after me, her eyes wide as saucers. I chuckled quietly. ¡°I¡¯m taken and way too old for you. Even for your granny. Ask me again in a couple of centuries.¡± Even though I enjoyed her newest rendition of a fish on dry land immensely, I didn¡¯t stay. 15, 14¡­ I reached the bottom of the stairs and another lacquered door. This one came with a plaque, which read: beware, the gates of hell have opened. As if. There was decidedly too little screaming, crying and flying intestines around. Still, my curiosity stirred and I listened for a moment. A clear, sweet voice, which made me picture a pretty girl with wire rimmed glasses, recited: ¡°¡­ from the earth, we ask for the strength to be heard. From the sea, we ask for the protection to guard our immortal souls and from the moon, we ask for the power to grant our wish. Show yourself and enter the light, spirit we command thee!¡± 2, 1¡­ oh, fuck me! ¡°No need to fly off the rails,¡± Chaleb immediately said. ¡°I just want you to pretend to be the summoned entity. At least for a while. See how the other side lives. It¡¯ll be fun.¡± 286. Of familiars, lessons and a little bit of justice Cassandra Pendragon I was tempted to turn around and maybe fry the delusional demon to boot, but¡­ you owe him, don¡¯t explode¡­ damn it! A second later I opened the door, my appearance much closer to what I actually looked like. Silvery light flooded the dimly lit room when I entered with a cold smile. ¡°Oh my¡­ and I was already expecting an ouija board and a bowl of chicken blood. That¡¯s much nicer, actually,¡± I quipped and slowly stepped over the threshold and into a scene that wouldn¡¯t have been out of place in one of those cheesy supernatural flicks. Seven girls looked at me, mouths open, surprise and maybe a bit of confusion sparkling in their eyes. In the shadows behind them Chaleb lurked, completely invisible to anyone but another immortal. Asshole. We were in a run of the mill cellar, a large, plain room with two doors leading to what I presumed were either storage units and or a heating system. Insulated pipes crawled along the ceiling like intestines in an open wound and the walls shimmered wetly, patches of mould growing every few inches on the tainted, white-yellow plaster, like pockmarks. The hum of electricity and possibly a large fridge or a generator filled the warm, moist air, nearly drowning out the loud music and scuffling steps from above. My hosts were seated around a heavy, old looking table covered with books, booze, a variety of handbags and several, more or less, recreational drugs. I smirked when one of them reached for a bag of colourful pills, trying to shove them out of sight, but she immediately froze when she felt the weight of my gaze. All of them were young, early twenties at the most, but aside from this one commonality, they couldn¡¯t have been more different. One looked like a model, blonde, blue eyed and busty, while her neighbour resembled a typical nerd with wide, unflattering clothes, an unruly mop of hair and large, intelligent, brown eyes. Another, who was hiding behind a bottle of beer, seemed like an athlete, sleek and trim, clad in a short summer dress. Two were obviously twins with similar, large green eyes and red hair. I could only tell them apart because they had chosen to wear different colours, their resemblance almost perfect in any other way. The last pair was¡­ strange and probably the reason for this little get together. They weren¡¯t strong, magically speaking, but I could still feel their powers stir and churn within them like a bottled up storm. One was tall and willowy with dark, almost black hair and matching eyes while the other was petite with a cute, childish face. Judging from their smell, the former was a witch from a decently powerful line while the latter probably had some supernatural genes mixed in, possibly from a strange union a few generations back. A cherub, maybe, or one of the indigenous fey species. Unsurprisingly, those two were also the ones who had small pentagrams, sketched on ancient paper, in front of them and a summoner¡¯s bell in their hand. When their eyes had adjusted to the flash of light, I heard them gasp, their gazes fixed upon my glowing eyes. For the fraction of a second I thought about materialising my wings, but I discarded the idea just as quickly. Who knew how they¡¯d react and I mainly wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. Plus, I was quite curious why there was an unopened bottle of my favourite whiskey sitting on the table, as well as a pretty expensive cigar. Loads better than chicken blood, but I couldn¡¯t imagine Chaleb going through the trouble of informing them, one way or the other. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be hiding like a coward, after all. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not,¡± the black haired girl stammered. ¡°A sprit? A servant, ¡± I asked and glided deeper into the room, tasting their scent. Most of them were ecstatic but the two I expected to have deeper ties with the magical world were scared. Not scared enough to have realised what I was but they knew their little ritual hadn¡¯t worked as they had intended. With a cursory glance I took in the sigils and runes around the pentagrams and snorted. ¡°A familiar¡¯s binding,¡± my eyes drifted to Chaleb¡¯s corner and I added: ¡°you¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± He shrugged nonchalantly and gestured vaguely for me to do as I pleased. With a sigh I discarded the cheap bottle and picked up the fresh one, taking care not to touch any of them. ¡°Move,¡± I ordered the witch, who promptly obeyed, nearly falling over her feet as she scrambled out of her chair. ¡°Anna,¡± the blonde stammered, slowly starting to realise how panicked her friend actually was. ¡°Shut it, Nance,¡± she hissed in reply, rightening herself. I promptly sat down in her chair. With a thought I made the cork pop out of the bottle and took a long, deep gulp. Heck, that was the real deal. Distilled around 150 years ago in Scotland and about 5000 quid a bottle. Someone had to have deep pockets. Not much of a surprise, really, the gifted families tended to do rather well. ¡°I¡¯m quite curious,¡± I began, ¡°why would you prepare offerings for a lesser spirit? Assuming that¡¯s who you wanted to call as a familiar, in the first place.¡± ¡°We¡­¡± the little witch tried to explain but her petite friend cut her off as she blurted out: ¡°What are you? I can¡¯t even see your aura. Are you dead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a courtesy. Didn¡¯t want to blind you, but if you insist¡­¡± I slowly relaxed the iron hard grip around my core and allowed a minuscule trace of power to shimmer through. The effect was immediate. Both of them recoiled, the taller girl falling to the floor for good this time around. With a smile I suppressed my core again and looked up. ¡°Satisfied?¡± While five of them seemed utterly confused, the remaining two were white as sheets with beads of sweat running down their cheeks. ¡°I¡­we¡­,¡± Anna tried to explain but her voice wouldn¡¯t quite work as she wanted it to. Turning to her friends I asked: ¡°Could someone help the blithering idiot out? What are the lot of you doing down here? Shouldn¡¯t you be up there, doing something you¡¯ll regret tomorrow?¡± The blonde¡­ Nancy or some such, was the first to actually meet my eye. ¡°I¡­ it seems like we managed as much down here, easily enough.¡± Alright, maybe they weren¡¯t as stupid as I had thought. ¡°We¡­,¡± her eyes darted to her mute compatriots, clearly looking for advice, but the witch as well as the hybrid were busy staring at me. ¡°They wanted to¡­¡± she swallowed dryly and went on in a rush: ¡°they wanted to show us real magic, call for a servant we could use. I¡­ you¡¯re not a familiar, are you?¡± My eyes almost vanished beneath my hairline and the two actually gifted ones started trembling, gradually edging away from me. ¡°I¡¯d be more careful, if I were you,¡± I said after I had taken another sip, directly from the bottle. I sought Chaleb¡¯s gaze and to my surprise, he willingly explained: Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Just play along, do as you wish. That¡¯s how most contracts are signed, ineptitude and arrogance mixed with a burning desire. I just want to know what you¡¯re going to do. I won¡¯t swoop in, the only thing they have to fear is you. You have my word.¡± ¡°Whatever that¡¯s worth,¡± I grumbled. What was he getting at? I¡¯d be walking out the door, as soon as I had finished my bottle and maybe tried the cigar. Louder I added: ¡°a familiar is not a race or even a creature. It¡¯s a title for a being shackled to someone else. So, to answer your question, I¡¯m not yet, but I could be, if one of you had the guts and the strength to try.¡± Her eyes lit up with a greedy fire I didn¡¯t like but before she could dig a hole for herself the witch found her voice again. ¡°Nance, whatever you¡¯re thinking about, just don¡¯t. Remember when you met my granddad? He¡¯s worse, much worse.¡± ¡°But he has taken the offering, shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± I frowned and took another sip. Right, beneath the tantalising aroma, there was something else. Myrrh and aconitine and something else I couldn¡¯t quite place. Those girls had tried to slip me an arcane roofie. Seriously, the sheer audacity¡­ no wonder Chaleb was grinning like a mad man. ¡°Does he look stoned to you,¡± Anna whispered, terrified. Her eyes darted to me, trying to gauge my reaction. I flipped her off and she fell silent. Whiskey¡­ probably an imp. But why hadn¡¯t it appeared? The sigils seemed alright and the two of them had enough juice to call one. Chaleb waved at me, his smug grin widening. Son of a bitch. I placed the bottle down and rubbed the bridge of my nose. Should I tell them off? Scare them straight? Play along? What was I even doing here? Right¡­ a burning desire. Jesus, my curiosity would one day be the end of me. ¡°Ladies,¡± I continued jovially, ¡°something is rotten in the state of Denmark. You¡¯ve gotten a bit more than you¡¯ve bargained for, but, since I¡¯m already here, why don¡¯t you tell me what your little coven is all about? Depending on your answer, I might even overlook the poison you¡¯ve tried to slip me. Is the cigar laced as well?¡± The hybrid nodded hesitantly. ¡°No matter.¡± I took it between my teeth and lit it with a thought. Unfortunately it tasted like crap, the burning herbs entirely ruining the flavour. I pulled a face and pushed it away. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t Cuban. Would have been a waste. Alright, I¡¯d quite like to know whom I¡¯m dealing with, but I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s quite rude to ask a charming girl for her name, unless you¡¯ve already introduced yourself. I¡¯ve got quite a few monikers, but I imagine the one you¡¯re most familiar with is Lightbringer, or Lucifer, for those of you who know a bit of Latin. Congratulations, the devil went down to Georgia and I¡¯m not here to play the fiddle.¡± The last reference might have gone over their heads but when I manifested my wings, I managed to get my point across. Anna and whatever the timid halfbreed was called were close to fainting, their eyes bulging, wet with tears, while their friends looked thunderstruck. A moment later, the former two were on their knees, urging the latter wordlessly to follow suit. After another quick peek at the crackling apparition of light and power, I had turned into, they did so immediately. Huh, I could get used to this. If only they hadn¡¯t spoiled the cigar. Or not. On second thought, I didn¡¯t think I appreciated grovelling all that much. Pride was important, at least to me. ¡°Get up,¡± I hissed, my voice thrumming with barely a hint of strength. They couldn¡¯t resist. ¡°It¡¯s much too late for apologies. You prepared a slave circle and were willing to use it. Why?¡± ¡°An initiation,¡± Anna replied tremulously, staring at the floor. ¡°Whose?¡± ¡°Mine. The blood of seven would have allowed me to bind a stronger spirit. Please, let them go. I¡¯m the one at fault. Except for Ceci, they don¡¯t even know how to draw a circle.¡± I breathed in deeply, savouring the acrid scent of fear. The supernatural duo was almost paralysed, while the rest were only now slowly starting to feel a shadow of the truth. My wings vanished and the light dissipated, only my eyes retained their fire. With a quiet chuckled I replied: ¡°Let them go? Why wouldn¡¯t I? Oh, right, bad publicity. Don¡¯t worry, worst thing to happen will be me feeding you a tiny bit of your own medicine.¡± I tapped the bottle thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm, maybe it would kill you. Humans are so fragile¡­ let¡¯s make a game out of it. You¡¯re into bondage, right?¡± Judging from their expressions they took my words just a bit too literally. What I was actually referring to was the familiar¡¯s bond, Anna had been trying to establish. It was a chain that allowed the summoner to dumb the backlash of powerful magics, magics that would kill or cripple them otherwise, onto his familiar. Newton had taken his inspiration from a simple magical fact: for every action, there¡¯s a reaction. If you intended to create a mountain, you¡¯d have to make sure you could withstand the pressure, otherwise¡­ unless you were an immortal or had a handy sacrifice at hand, you¡¯d turn into a bloody smear on the ground. Simply imagine having the strength to lift said mountain but nothing else. Your body would implode. A familiar was an easy way out of that bind. For the one in charge, that is. For the summoned entity¡­ not so much. Consequentially some practitioners had taken to evaluating the strength of a magician through the strength of the familiar they could control. Others, more advanced schools, had found different means. A dragon¡¯s carbuncle for example. A nigh indestructible construct that could contain the feedback. Skill and strength were also options. It didn¡¯t really matter for most mundane spells, but if you were aiming to cross a certain threshold, you¡¯d have to find a solution, one way or the other. Laughing softly, I explained myself: ¡°I¡¯m not referring to your sexual proclivities. But this,¡± I pointed at the sketches, ¡°is what I¡¯d call binding. Now then, how many of you actually know what¡¯s supposed to be happening here?¡± Unsurprisingly Anna was still unable to meet my eye, while the others seemed slightly confused. Scared but confused. ¡°In that case, allow me to enlighten you. Your¡­ friend, if you can call her that, meant to borrow your strength to force another being into servitude. We¡¯re in America, right? What you¡¯ve heard about the slave trade is a mere pittance in comparison to the fate the summoned entity would have to endure, until it would one day perish under the strain.¡± Despite her shaky voice, the witch managed to whisper: ¡°They aren¡¯t sentient. I¡¯ve been told they can¡¯t even feel pain.¡± ¡°Have you, now? Let me the first or disabuse you of the notion. Here.¡± I took another look at the runes and extended my hand. A moment later, a small, human figure with bat like wings materialised in my palm. It looked almost like a darker version of tinker bell, with black skin, glowing red eyes and ruby hair. She took one glance at us, saw the pentagrams and pressed herself against my thumb, shivering uncontrollably. ¡°Does that look like a¡­ a thing to you,¡± I wanted to now. In a different language, I added: ¡°don¡¯t fret, little one. I¡¯ll release you shortly, there¡¯s nothing to fear. If you¡¯d be willing to talk to them, I can even feed you some power before you return. I promise.¡± ¡°My lord,¡± was her only reply, but she relaxed visibly, curiosity slowly drowning out the flickering panic in her gaze. She knew what my oath was worth. Most magical creatures did instinctively. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a,¡± the hybrid, Cecilia, stammered. ¡°That¡¯s an ancient imp,¡± I explained. ¡°The same type of creature you meant to call, isn¡¯t it? Go ahead, talk to her. She can understand you. Talk to her and tell me again how she doesn¡¯t feel.¡± It took a while before one of them scraped together the courage to look up. In the meantime I focused on Chaleb. ¡°What are you getting at? Usually you¡¯d have swooped in here and tricked them, maybe even for valid reasons. That much I¡¯ve understood.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Not at all. You¡¯ve been mostly in contact with mortals when you¡¯ve either killed or saved them. I want you to see what they truly are. For example¡­ do you believe her excuse?¡± ¡°That she didn¡¯t know? No. She must have seen familiars before, maybe even talked to them. She knows exactly what she¡¯s trying to do. It¡¯s a lie, like a child caught with its hand in the cookie jar.¡± ¡°Exactly. They lie, they cheat, they resort to any means necessary to get what they want and circumvent the consequences. But you don¡¯t have to take my word for it. Just¡­ play along for a while and I¡¯m willing to bet, however much you want me to, that you¡¯re going to force one or several of them into a familiar¡¯s contract. And that¡¯s only because you can¡¯t do anything else. If you were able to, you¡¯d¡­ feed them a bit of their own medicine. You¡¯d make a demonic pact.¡± 287. Of insecurities, debts and a little bit of compassion Cassandra Pendragon As I blearily opened my eyes, the scenes from my past still superimposed upon my surroundings, I felt a tiny bit lost. Usually my dreams had some kind of connection to what was going on. Another piece of a puzzle or an explanation for some strange occurrence but this¡­. Unless I really had forced a familiar¡¯s curse onto them, I didn¡¯t understand the impact of the memory. Could I call one or several of them? Maybe, but even if I could, I¡¯d have to know the names I had bound them to, which I didn¡¯t. Why, then, had I remembered this particular scene? With a cute snort Ahri snuggled deeper into me, her hair a flowing curtain of light on my lap. She didn¡¯t wake and judging from the position of the sun I hadn¡¯t slept for longer than half an hour. There was still plenty of time. Distractedly I started combing through her sparkling tresses, the smooth, silky feeling enough to calm my mind. Greed¡­ in essence, it had been a warning. Grant someone an inch and they¡¯ll take a mile. Gods¡­ had I made a mistake? The pond we had created would slowly feed into the groundwater, effectively turning every mouthful into an arcane remedy and maybe even a catalyst to awaken hidden powers. Who knew, with the sheer amount of energy we had used it might even allow the ungifted to become fully fledged mages over time. As to why I had opted for this drastic measure, my reasons had been simple, maybe a bit too simple as it turned out. Firstly, a city filled with mages and even magical creature, ranging from rats to birds, would pose much more of an obstacle to Amon. Secondly, the differences in power within Free Land mainly stemmed from the city¡¯s structure. If each and every one living here became a practitioner in their own right, it stood to reason the structure would crumble, hopefully making way for a more equal form of society. Ordering slaves around was only fun as long as they couldn¡¯t throw a fireball your way, after all. Thirdly, with powerful individuals bargaining and compromising was much more efficient than force or duress. This much I knew from personal experience. Lastly, playing around with their newfound abilities should, in theory, quell the thirst for even more strength, at least temporarily. Long enough for this city to change, to evolve. All in all I had thought elevating the population of Free Land would solve most of our problems in one fell swoop and I had even managed to convince the others of my scheme. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t quite sure if they had taken my arguments to heart or if I had inadvertently used a tiny bit of my power to bolster my voice and make them more¡­ susceptible to my ideas. Well, Ahri and Viyara were an exception but, as much as I valued the two of them and their opinions, they were about as well educated as me when it came to the human condition, which is to say not at all. I groaned and buried my face in my hands. Was everything going to become even worse? A chaotic battlefield, fuelled not only by mortal desires but now also arcane arts? Was I condemning this city to a swift and bloody end in a magical explosion? Gods, never, in all my different lives, had I striven for power or responsibility and I was slowly starting to understand why. I was even beginning to sympathise with my oh so misguided brother. Maybe Michael¡¯s mistaken hadn¡¯t been the compromises he had made but rather his ambition to become involved at all? There was a balance to the world, to existence. Mortal problems should be solved by mortals. If we got involved, our might, our strength would make everything worse in the long run. No matter our intentions, immortal solutions would only warp the mortal world, turn it into something it was not. Like a city waking up to magic running rampant through its streets, exacerbating differences instead of solving them. But then again, it hadn¡¯t been me who had started to meddle. Gaya was already changing and I was simply trying to pick up the rags my family was leaving behind¡­ or fighting the spectres, their arrival was already casting back through time. Jesus Christ, reincarnating as a spoiled kitten or a sloth, a wish once uttered in jest, was truly starting to become appealing. Especially with the sneaky listener, hiding behind the crumbled walls, just beyond the verdant grass. With another heartfelt, but admittedly quiet, groan I carefully disentangled myself from Ahri and stood up, making sure I didn¡¯t disturb her sleep. At least one of us should have the chance to recuperate fully. ¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are,¡± I whispered and vanished in a shower of sparks. Perched on a blackened pediment high above the street I watched an adolescent boy squirm, his head moving from left to right, like a dog searching for a scent, while he tried to figure out where I had gone. There was no nimbus of power around him, no magic setting his blood ablaze. Truth be told, he looked just like another street urchin, unkempt and dirty with a mop of unruly, dark brown hair. He didn¡¯t wear a shirt or shoes and his trousers had already seen much better days but the maze of crisscrossing, faint scars on his back told a story of hardship and pain. Which, unfortunately, didn¡¯t come as much of a surprise. His smell I¡¯ll leave to your imagination. Still, I was intrigued. Somehow the little creep had snuck past our friends and had managed to spy on us for quite a while without me noticing. An impressive feet, all on its own, but I didn¡¯t plan on congratulating him. Quiet like a whisper I glided down and landed behind him without so much as moving a pebble. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for me, you¡¯ll have to turn around,¡± I said and folded my arms below my chest. He flinched and swallowed audibly, slowly raising his hands in an I-surrender gesture. His left pinky was missing and more pronounced scars circled his wrists, hinting at a prolonged time spent in chains. Hesitantly he straightened from his crouch and faced me. Intelligent, lively, brown eyes, squinted against the light, roamed over my figure to finally settle onto my wings, still dancing in the warm breeze behind me. He didn¡¯t pale, instead his lips twisted into a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± he replied, his voice a grating bass, unbefitting his young appearance. Maybe he had caught an untreated cold in the past. ¡°The useless scoundrel hasn¡¯t lied.¡± As if remembering his manners, he bowed awkwardly and added: ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Pete¡¯s. Jimmy¡¯s the name. A pleasure to make your Highness¡¯ acquaintance.¡± Another inconsistency. His vocabulary didn¡¯t fit his state and mannerism in the slightest. Somehow he reminded me of Richard, the burly fighter who had led us to John and whom I still had to tell of his brother¡¯s fate. ¡°Really, now? From where I¡¯m standing you didn¡¯t seem too keen on actually meeting me. Or is there another reason why you¡¯ve been hiding?¡± He scratched his head embarrassedly and even blushed a little. ¡°Shyness and a healthy amount of paranoia? I mean¡­ have you looked in a mirror, lately?¡± ¡°Cut the crap,¡± I snorted, even though I could feel the corners of my mouth twitch. ¡°If you¡¯re Pete¡¯s friend you already knew what to expect. How did you even get here without a trashing?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t get caught? Maybe I convinced your¡­ guards to let me through?¡± ¡°Right¡­ shall we go ask them?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not¡­ fine. Some parts of the city are riddled with tunnels. Escape routes, abandoned plans for a sewer system, tunnels for smuggling, you name it. If you know your way around, are small enough and not afraid of dirtying your clothes, you can easily get from one side of the city to the other without so much as ever setting foot in the sun. It just so happens that the building behind you is connected to the harbour in a very roundabout way. I even had to crawl through a¡­ anyways, aren¡¯t you even a little bit curious why I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°Not really. You seem like the kind of person who¡¯d simply try to see us for the fun of it. I imagine Pete has told more stories about his travels than I¡¯d like and you came here to make sure he isn¡¯t full of shit. Incidentally, was it worth it?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Depends. If you¡¯re going to turn me into an ant or a spider, probably not, but I wouldn¡¯t mind getting spanked for my troubles. You¡¯re not really thinking about hurting me, are you?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t made up my mind, yet. Still depends on why you¡¯re here. Why are you?¡± ¡°Like you said, curiosity¡­ maybe a bit of ambition and a pretty old debt. I¡¯ve been watching you for a while.¡± His expression changed, turning pensive. ¡°You and your sweetheart. I¡¯m not a peeping Tom,¡± he added quickly and defensively when I cocked an eyebrow, ¡°but I had to know¡­ care like that can¡¯t be faked. You¡¯re not like the other people with power I¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. Even an evil bastard can fall in love. Still¡­ assuming I¡¯m not a cold blooded, power crazed pariah, are you going to tell me what kind of debt you owe and to whom, assuming that¡¯s why you¡¯re here?¡± He sighed like an old, tired grandfather. ¡°To a friend and¡­ Pete. He¡¯s saved my life, more than once. I¡¯m here on his behalf.¡± ¡°Really? And why didn¡¯t he come himself? No offence, but his chances of persuading me to do him a favour are much better than yours. He should know that.¡± ¡°He does. And he already thinks he¡¯s so deep in your pocket that he won¡¯t ever find his way out. He¡¯d¡­ Ah, hells, I¡¯m not good with beating around the bush. Look¡­ one of my friends, one of our friends, she¡¯s dying. Quickly. It¡¯s dumb luck that Pete even had the chance to meet her again. When he told us about his exploits I wanted to know why he doesn¡¯t simply ask for help, yours or one of your friend¡¯s. He reckons you¡¯d say yes in an instant, if it was him coming to beg. Don¡¯t ask me why, but he doesn¡¯t want that. He wants you to think about your answer because there is nothing he¡­we could offer you in return. And he also says you don¡¯t owe him. If you agree, there won¡¯t be much of a bargain. We don¡¯t have anything.¡± My temper stirred, vehemently. ¡°And he thinks that¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m helping out, in the first place, does he? No wonder you¡¯ve been hiding. Has he painted me to be some kind of detached, winged monster?¡± ¡°Quite the contrary¡­¡± he blushed again, ¡°he said if there was anyone he¡¯d willingly follow, even into the depths of hell, it would be you. You and yours. To tell you the truth, I think he expects you to come with me, either way, he simply didn¡¯t have it in him to ask you for yet another favour. You know, after saving his life and even his soul. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but actual courage isn¡¯t a common commodity. Plus, I don¡¯t think he could leave Brianna¡¯s side, even if he wanted to.¡± ¡°So you volunteered? What does that make you? The knight in shining armour?¡± He blinked and his gaze traveled down to his bare chest and over his filthy trousers. ¡°Rather the curious bastard who couldn¡¯t stay away from a princess and an angel to boot. Just¡­ don¡¯t go all heavenly wrath on my ass, please, even if you¡¯re feeling insulted.¡± I chuckled, my anger gone and my mood much better than it had been just a few seconds ago. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Alright, scurry along, then, and get her here. I¡¯ll¡­¡± I paused when he shook his head defeatedly. ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s bad, really bad. Making her move¡­ she won¡¯t arrive here alive.¡± ¡°Of course she won¡¯t,¡± I sighed, ¡°and you still wasted some of her precious time ogling us¡­ Fine. Come along. You¡¯ve got to meet my better half.¡± So much for her refreshing nap. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault,¡± he complained, falling in step behind me. ¡°Honestly, do you know how you look, especially when you¡¯re with her? I mean, I¡¯ve seen my fair share of pretty girls, but¡­¡± he shrugged helplessly and spread his hands. ¡°Like I said, not my fault.¡± ¡°That¡¯s debatable at best. Still, for a juvenile delinquent you¡¯re surprisingly well spoken. Are the others just as¡­ mature?¡± ¡°Others,¡± he asked hesitantly. I smirked. ¡°The rest of your gang. Brianna I already know of and I assume Pete is something akin to an older brother. How many more are there?¡± ¡°Quite a few, but I think you¡¯ve got the wrong end of the stick. We aren¡¯t a gang¡­ we simply try to watch out for one another and get by as well as we can. Which isn¡¯t all that great, to tell you the truth. We¡¯re¡­ friends, I guess, and there are five of us. And Pete. Does it matter?¡± ¡°No¡­ probably not. Alright, what can you tell me about your friend¡¯s condition? You said she¡¯s dying. Anything more specific?¡± He remained silent long enough for me to turn around. He was rubbing his eyes furtively, the first real emotion I had seen him display. To preserve his pride I pretended I hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ withering away,¡± he finally replied, his voice a little strained. ¡°I don¡¯t know how else I could describe it. A while ago, maybe a week, she stopped eating and within a day she couldn¡¯t get up anymore. At first we thought she had caught just another bug, the way we live isn¡¯t exactly healthy, but when it became worse by the hour¡­ there isn¡¯t much left of her. She¡¯s pale and clammy, her skin has become almost translucent, except for her veins. They¡¯re dark, almost black, and she¡¯s constantly whimpering¡­ all of us can deal with a little pain but she¡¯s almost screaming as soon as we even try to touch her. And¡­ she smells like candy. Or lilies, maybe. Not like, you know, stale sweat or sickness but sweet and somehow¡­ heavy? Does it ring a bell?¡± ¡°No,¡± I answered slowly, ¡°but I don¡¯t think it should matter. If she¡¯s really sick, I think we¡¯ll be able to help her¡­¡± I felt his hand touch my shoulder hesitantly, his fingers trembling. ¡°This sounds an awful lot like there¡¯s a but coming. If so, please tell me.¡± I sighed. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if it truly is an illness. I¡­ do you know what lilies stand for?¡± ¡°Death,¡± he replied quietly, unable to meet my gaze. Gently I took his hand and squeezed it. ¡°That¡¯s not all. They also symbolise purity, even fertility and rebirth¡­¡± my words trailed off. I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to voice my concerns but I owed it to the kid. Man up, Cassy. ¡°Look, Jimmy, I don¡¯t know anything for certain but a young girl, withering away while she reeks of lilies¡­ to be completely honest, it doesn¡¯t sound like an illness to me. It just fits too darn well. If it¡¯s something else, I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen. I¡­ as much as I¡¯d like to, I simply can¡¯t promise you everything will be fine. I can, however, tell you that I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to get her back and if you¡¯ve listened to Pete, you¡¯ll know what that means.¡± I didn¡¯t promise him that, either. As much as it pained me to admit the truth, I simply couldn¡¯t afford to spend as much time and energy as I might have to to make good on that particular oath. He granted me a smile, tremulous at first but it widened quickly enough. ¡°I know. Or at least I can imagine. However much it may be worth to someone like you, whether you¡¯re able to help her or not, I¡¯ll never forget that you tried, when you could have simply walked away. It means the world to me¡­ to us.¡± ¡°Are the two of you an item,¡± I asked in a blatant attempt to change the topic. He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. We like each other but we¡¯ve never¡­ you know, done anything. Maybe, if we even get the chance¡­¡± he fell silent again, wrestling with a rising tide of fear. ¡°She¡¯s one¡­¡± I had been on the verge of saying lucky girl, but it would have sounded cynical at best and plain nasty at worst. ¡°She¡¯s lucky to have a friend like you,¡± I finished lamely. ¡°Is she? You¡¯ve got to meet her. She¡¯s¡­special. She could have her pick, maybe even among the bigwigs, but still she¡¯s staying with us. If something happens to her¡­ it would be my fault.¡± 288. Of wounds, sensibilities and a little bit of good fortune Cassandra Pendragon For once in my life I had been worrying for naught. I had racked my brains for an explanation, a sickly young girl smelling of lilies wasn¡¯t normal, after all, but I hadn¡¯t been able to come up with anything even remotely convincing. Except for the metaphorical connections I had already hinted at. To tell the truth, I would have wagered quite a decent sum on some strange curse or, even worse, some form of magical metamorphosis that was going rather poorly. In case of the former I might have been able to do something about it but if it had been the latter¡­ Luckily, the explanation turned out to be far less arcane and even heartwarming. I didn¡¯t mean to belittle the girl¡¯s troubles, she was in severe pain, after all, but she was simply sick. To make her feel better one of her friends, a young, timid boy named Amos, had stolen a whole bunch of the flowers and hidden them underneath her bed. They were her favourite and he had simply wanted to make her feel better. Unfortunately he hadn¡¯t told the others, which had led Jimmy to believe she was smelling of lilies and me to curse our luck, once again. But all in due time¡­ Ahri hadn¡¯t exactly been brimming with joy when I had woken her, but she had quickly stowed her attitude, once I had told her why. A few whispered sentences later, I had deftly grabbed Jimmy around the waist and risen into the air, unwilling to waste another minute. I had meant to bring the girl back with me while she¡¯d stay put, calling for me in case it¡¯d become necessary. I had had to give it to the little miscreant, he had held up much better than I had expected, even when the city had shrunk to a chessboard of different colours below us, the winds shrieking in our ears. He hadn¡¯t even cursed overly much, the only indication of his fear his trembling limbs and the almost frantic way he had clung to me. A few seconds later I had already descended again, headed for the rundown house my living burden had pointed out. In reality, it was more of a hovel than a house, a tiny, windswept place near the outskirts of town, but smoke had risen from the rusted pipe, serving as a chimney, and despite the piteous appearance it was surprisingly clean. With barley a sound we had landed and Jimmy had rushed off the very moment I had let go of him. Like a triumphant general he had stormed the entrance, screaming at the top of his lungs: ¡°I¡¯ve got her! She¡¯s here and she wants to help! Where are you guys?¡± He had already reached the door, if you could even call it that, before someone replied. Pete had been pulling it open the very moment Jimmy had meant to shoulder through and they both had gone down in a stunning display of curses and flailing limbs. Chuckling quietly, despite the circumstances, I had followed only a few steps behind and sought Pete¡¯s eye while he had tried to disentangle himself from the panting boy. Cocking an eyebrow I had said: ¡°You owe me an explanation but it can wait. Where is she?¡± Without further ado he had simply lifted the kid off of him, ignoring his indignant protests, and gestured for me to follow. While I had entered a shabby corridor, filled with the sounds of creaking wood and the smell of mould, he had already begun mumbling under his breath. ¡°I do and you¡¯ll get it. She¡¯s at the end of the hall, the only room we have that doesn¡¯t become flooded when it rains. Follow me. I know you¡¯re not exactly a healer but I just didn¡¯t know¡­ I thought you could at least tell me whom to turn to and if you were already onboard, no one would dare to object.¡± He had smiled sadly. ¡°Seems kind of silly, I know none of them would have denied us but old habits die hard and old fears die even harder. Still, before anything else: thank you.¡± I had brushed his words away with a gesture and tiptoed my way past an impressive collection of garbage, ranging from old but clean boots to something that resembled a very strange saddle. ¡°Save your thanks. You know as well as I that I wouldn¡¯t have turned the boy away, even if he hadn¡¯t been able to toss your name around. How bad is it?¡± He had shrugged, his eyes clouding over with worry. ¡°Bad, as in hours or minutes bad, she¡¯s hardly breathing, anymore. Do you have an idea?¡± ¡°Not without seeing her, but if anything can be done¡­ you really are one lucky bastard, you know that? While you¡¯ve been visiting old friends, Ahri and I have worked through the night to¡­ you¡¯ll see. If she can be healed by any means, she will be.¡± Much more quietly, so his words wouldn¡¯t reach the trailing boy behind us, he had asked: ¡°But you don¡¯t expect her to, do you?¡± I had hesitated, maybe a bit too long. ¡°I really can¡¯t say, but looking at our track record¡­¡± I had been interrupted when we had neared the end of the corridor, the door flying open, revealing a small, red headed dervish who had stared at us with a mixture of sadness, hope, fear and tiredness gleaming in her red rimmed, blue eyes. The look on the girl¡¯s face had stirred something in me and I had found myself questioning my resolve to keep my involvement to a minimum. So what if I only had precious little time left? If I had to choose between spending it saving a life or playing games, it wasn¡¯t much of a choice to begin with, even if it came back to bite me in the tails, later on. They needed me and in contrast to the other malfeasants I had already met, they were entirely innocent of the shit they had to deal with. Goddamn, I would really make for an awful queen. Saucer wide eyes had stared at me and I had practically been able to hear the girl¡¯s mind stutter to a stop as she took in my appearance, her lips working without producing so much as a whisper. With a gentle smile I had dropped into a crouch and extended my hand. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Cassy, a friend of Pete¡¯s. I¡¯m here to have a look at Brianna. Would you mind if I entered?¡± She had eyed me like a deer caught in the headlights, struggling to flee, to run, but still frozen in place. It would have been endearing if I hadn¡¯t already been able to smell the stale, sickly sweet scent, wafting through the door behind her. Fortunately I hadn¡¯t been forced to shake her from whatever world she had been stuck in. ¡°Get a grip, Vi,¡± Pete had hissed at my side. ¡°I¡¯ve told you what to expect. Now, either get moving or out of the way but stop staring at her. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t mind talking to you, once she¡¯s taken a look at Bri, do you Cassy?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest. He¡¯s right, though. Would you let me through? I¡¯m not going to hurt your friend. Trust me.¡± Her expression had changed instantly, me mentioning the dying girl apparently more than enough to remind her of what had been at stake. With an almost regal nod she had shuffled out of the way, allowing us access to the door behind her. I hadn¡¯t hesitated, brushing past her with a grateful smile. Once through I had immediately relaxed. In contrast to my human hosts my nose had immediately told me exactly what had happened. The scent of lilies was flowing from underneath the ragged covers of a creaky bed, it wasn¡¯t coming from the girl on top. No need to panic. She hadn¡¯t been cursed, she wasn¡¯t transforming¡­ she was simply sick. Admittedly, she wasn¡¯t in a good place and I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what she was suffering from, but, all in all, I was much more confident than I had been a second before. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I felt a smile tug on the corners of my mouth when I took in the scene. A surprisingly clean but small room, filled with nothing but a wooden, ancient table, supporting a vast variety of dried herbs and fragrant concoctions, most of them probably stolen, and a cobbled together frame, stuffed with a myriad of blankets and cushions. And lilies, a whole bunch of them, judging from the smell. Upon the makeshift bed, a deathly pale adolescent shivered ever so slightly, her eyes quivering beneath closed lids. She wasn¡¯t overly tall nor decidedly petite, her hair a dark shade of blonde with lighter highlights. Her blossoming figure was hidden beneath the veritable flood of cloth and to me she even seemed a bit¡­ exceptionally haggard, emaciated but that was most likely a consequence of her current predicament. At first, I couldn¡¯t quite understand what Jimmy had meant, she couldn¡¯t exactly compete with the prettier girls I had seen on the streets, not to mention the ones Madame Sinis called her own, but the longer I stared, the more I realised how wrong I was. There was something like an aura around her, a smell or something else entirely, that made me feel¡­ welcome, at home, even though she was obviously in pain and fighting for her life. There was no telling how strong it might be, once she actually opened her eyes. Which reminded me of why I was here in the first place. Without another word or explanation I strutted over to her and kneeled, my hands groping in the dark for a second or two before I produced a bouquet of white, dry, disheveled lilies and turned to Pete with a widening grin. ¡°Look what I¡¯ve found. There¡¯s the source of most of my worries. Why don¡¯t you try and find out which one of the little rascals actually planted these? In the meantime I¡¯ll make sure to bundle her up nicely for a short trip downtown. I might be able to heal her, but I¡¯d rather not resort to flooding her with energy and as I¡¯ve said¡­ you¡¯re one lucky bastard. It just so happens that we¡¯ve spent the entire night creating a pond that will put her right in a heartbeat. No need to worry. I¡¯ll have her back before you know it and she¡¯ll be as good as new. If you want, you can even bring your¡­ family along, but I¡¯m not carrying them.¡± He eyed me coyly before he asked through a smile: ¡°promise?¡± I shook my head exasperatedly. ¡°No¡­ doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t believe what I¡¯ve told you. Now, chop chop, off you pop. The longer we dawdle the higher the risk that something really unpleasant happens. I¡¯m not a doctor but your little errand boy has been right in one regard: she doesn¡¯t look good and I¡¯m not sure how long she¡¯s got. It¡¯s not as bad as he thinks, I hope, but I wouldn¡¯t want to wait another hour. But¡­ has anyone actually looked at her?¡± ¡°I¡­ of course,¡± he mumbled, confusion written all over his face. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Examined, as in, get her naked and really look for what might have caused this.¡± To my surprise he blushed and couldn¡¯t quite meet my gaze. ¡°Thought so,¡± I huffed. ¡°You know, for a street urchin you have a very strange sense of propriety. You don¡¯t have a problem staring at my ass every once in a while but when it matters you can¡¯t strip down a girl? Men¡­¡± Without giving him the chance to respond, I shooed him from the room and focused my attention back on the girl. I didn¡¯t expect it to matter much, the magic we had created would heal her, whatever she was dealing with, but I still wanted to know if she had something unpleasant embedded in her. An infected sliver or something similar. An open wound they would have found, I assumed, or rather hoped. Considering Pete was too bashful to even look, one had fallen for her head over heels and the last one I had seen was a child, they might just as well not have bothered. Barely a minute later I was already convinced that I was dealing with a bunch of idiots. Seriously¡­ the girl had a tiny piece of wood stuck in her upper thigh. That alone could easily have been missed but the angry red welts around and streaks of infection leading away from it shouldn¡¯t have been. Unless they hadn¡¯t found the courage to remove her clothes. Which also explained the smell that had hit me, as soon as I had taken away her outer garments. They had only washed her superficially. I cursed under my breath and yanked the tiny sliver out, immensely grateful she wasn¡¯t really conscious. That would have hurt. Majorly. Even by my standards. It was followed by a flood of greenish yellow pus and the smell of gasoline. Again I cussed. She could have been right as rain a few days ago, but no¡­ sissies, the lot of them. But what about her? Shouldn¡¯t she have felt or seen the thing, long before she had collapsed? I brought the sliver closer to my face, the glow from my eyes intensifying. It was an inconspicuous thing. Wood, I thought, soaked through and decomposing slightly along the edges. A frown appeared on my brow and I smelled it gingerly. Gasoline, I thought again, blood, the stench of an infection and something else. Something sweeter but not sickly or¡­ wrong, rather fresh and earthy. Maybe it was the wood itself? I wasn¡¯t much of an expert when it came to plants, anything, really, but I was pretty sure I shouldn¡¯t have smelled it underneath the clumps of pus and half coagulated blood. Strange. Better to not throw it away, then. Another thought weaselled its way to the front of my mind while I scrutinised the bloodied piece of wood. I didn¡¯t quite know how long it¡¯d take for anyone to develop that kind of symptoms, but I¡¯d still have put my money on quite a while. How long had it been since I had burned the Mask? 9 days? I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but I had an inkling feeling that she might have gotten hurt around that time, give or take a few days. If she had already been sick back then, she should have healed already, her blood cleansed by the sparkling wave I had turned the Mask¡¯s soul into. It wouldn¡¯t matter in any way if she had sustained the injury afterwards, if it had been before, though, and she hadn¡¯t healed¡­ that¡¯d be an entirely different story. Most likely a much more sinister one. Oh well, this much Pete and his miniature street gang should be able to tell me. As well as why they hadn¡¯t already heard how we had spent our night. But first I had to make sure it¡¯d even matter. I stashed the sliver and looked around until I spotted a bowl of water. My wings materialised with a flash of light and the sound of ripping silk, the silvery torrents of energy slithering around the earthen container. A cloud of steam rose from its surface as I brought it closer. After a minute or two the liquid had cooled sufficiently and I quickly cleaned out the wound, pressing ever so lightly on the edges to squeeze it dry. It was neither pretty nor overly hygienic but it didn¡¯t have to last for long, either. With a thought I flooded a piece of checkered cloth with enough power to deep fry¡­ well, basically anything and pressed it firmly onto the still leaking, small incision. A second piece of cloth followed a moment later, wrapped tightly around her leg. I was apparently unable to properly fry an egg but the basics of tending to a wound were but a wish away. I wondered briefly what that said about my previous life, and maybe even the current one, but with a shrug I bundled her up in a handful of surprisingly clean blankets and rose to my feet. ¡°Come on, Brianna, we¡¯re leaving,¡± I whispered. ¡°You¡¯re going to fly. That¡¯s gotta be worth something, right? A few sentences, a skip and a jump and we¡¯ll have you back to normal. You¡¯re not going to leave me hanging in the meantime, are you?¡± I didn¡¯t quite know why I was talking to her, but it just seemed¡­ natural, fitting and I even thought I felt her relax, her breathing a bit more regular, the clammy sheen of sweat on her skin a tiny bit warmer. She felt weightless in my arms, a smelly slip of a girl with protruding bones, grating against my ribs every time I moved. With a few quick steps I reached the door and pushed through, directly into the arms of the vigilant, red headed guard, still waiting on the other side. When she saw my reassuring smile she squealed and screamed loudly enough to wake my breathing burden but Brianna slept on soundly, her head buried against my chest. ¡°Pete, Amos, Jimmy, Kali,¡± she shrilled jubilantly, her childish voice a ringing call, filled with hope, ¡°she¡¯ll make it! Do you hear me? Bri will be fine!¡± I hadn¡¯t said that, I hadn¡¯t said anything to be precise, but her relieve was palpable, her good mood infectious and I just couldn¡¯t get myself to speak up. Instead, I squeezed her shoulder and headed for the door. 289. Of homes, consequences and a little present Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Could you start over again,¡± I said, my eyes never leaving Ahri and Brianna, who were submerged in the azure waters, barely a stone throw away. ¡°From the beginning, please.¡± Pete smacked his lips in visual appreciation of the food Ahri had organised while I had been flying all over Free Land. We hadn¡¯t talked but she had simply gone ahead and assumed I¡¯d return with a bunch of famished strangers, which had turned out to be spot on. Well, I had only returned with one, but the rest of the posse hadn¡¯t been too far behind. They could truly be quick on their feet, if they wanted to, and by now Violet, Amos, Jimmy and Kali were slowly but noisily munching their way through strips of cured meat and fresh fruits, courtesy of my winged darling. The fragrant cherry blossoms behind them even managed to drown out the rather acquired smell, wafting around my nose every time a soft breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. While they were filling their bellies and Brianna was slowly regaining some colour, her pain and weakness washed away while Ahri made sure she wouldn¡¯t drown, I pulled Pete to the side. There were a few questions I wanted answered and since we were simply waiting for his young charge to open her eyes again or the first of the Captains to arrive, now was probably the best time to get to the bottom of this mess. I was mainly interested in when she had been hurt, something more accurate than ¡°about a week ago¡±, why he had chosen to contact me through one of his little friends and how he had managed to remain oblivious to what we had done. As far as I knew most of the dwarfs and kitsune had spent their night and most of their morning drumming up Free Land and inviting them to our little corner of peace, quiet and magic. Unless he had been stuck under a rock he must have realised something was up. Also, I simply couldn¡¯t imagine that he had just visited them for the first time after returning. We had been in town for almost 10 days by now but the first time I had heard about his miniature troops had been today. Why would he keep them a secret, especially if the needed help? With a content smile he watched as blue, iridescent waters swirled around his prot¨¦g¨¦e, her head held aloft by an elegant hand while tiny sparks materialised, dancing across her skin for a moment, before they vanished into her. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re a bit slow on the uptake, aren¡¯t you,¡± he replied, chuckling. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve visited them before, while you were under, dealing with whatever magical nonsense your body went through after you defeated the Mask, but they were fine, back then, and as soon as you woke up¡­ Well, I don¡¯t have to tell you how many hellholes we¡¯ve had to wade through, since then, do I? It was only yesterday, when you decided to take a night off, which has turned into another friggin disaster, I might add, that I thought I had the time to spare. When I arrived¡­ you¡¯ve seen her yourself. I was decently sure you or one of the others would be able to cure her, but I wasn¡¯t going to leave her side. Hells, I¡¯ve pulled the girl from the gutter when she was nothing more than a handful of bones, bundle up in filthy skin. If she wasn¡¯t going to¡­ you know, make it, I wanted to be there, if only to hold her hand. I owe her that much. Luckily Jimmy is a tad more pragmatic and quite a bit bolder than me. It didn¡¯t take much to convince him to carry a message to you, especially when I had told him what you look like. I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d have to sneak past bearded guards in mithril armour, though. I thought you¡¯d still be hauled up at the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, maybe even sleeping though the day.¡± ¡°No¡­ something came up.¡± ¡°It always does, at least where you¡¯re concerned. Wanna tell me what, exactly?¡± I shrugged and used one of my wings to steal a small strawberry from the basket behind us. Chewing slowly I mumbled through the sweet taste: ¡°Brightblaze. The older one is trying to wed the younger one to Asra, uniting their resources. I expect they think we¡¯d support them, considering they¡¯d represent the strongest force around here, combining his money and her soldiers. I wasn¡¯t particularly keen on being blackmailed, even though I do see the appeal, especially with Amon already knocking on the doors. Anyways, we¡¯ve¡­ well, to be fair, I¡¯ve decided to try something else. Even while we speak the waters over there are slowly dripping through the earth, infusing everything they touch with magic, potent enough to cure wounds and maybe even ignite the spark within some. I¡¯m just not sure if that¡¯s actually brilliant or about as shortsighted as it can get.¡± He whistled through his teeth. ¡°Are you telling me this¡­ spring can do something even the most powerful mages of old thought impossible?¡± ¡°When have you become that educated? I thought you¡¯d have trouble reading a book, never mind actually memorising its contents. But yes¡­ don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re surprised. By now you must have gotten used to our special brand of insanity.¡± ¡°I do take offence, I¡¯ll have you know. I¡¯m just as literate as the next guy you pick up in the streets. And I¡¯ve probably read more than you, considering how much you actually hate doing anything that¡¯s even remotely boring. I¡¯m not surprised, though, not really, but I¡¯m just as doubtful as you are. I¡­ truth be told, while I¡¯m glad like all hells that you can just cure Bri with a bath, I don¡¯t think that was one of your brighter moments. Back where you¡¯re from it might have worked, but here¡­¡± his words trailed off and he shot me a quizzical look from underneath his stringy hair, urging me to explain what I had been thinking. Unfortunately, by now, I wasn¡¯t so sure anymore myself. ¡°I know¡­ do you think they¡¯ll tear each other apart to control the pond?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Maybe¡­ most likely. What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°Have Alassara stand guard? Her and a bunch of her newly turned. The Madame and her girls seem more than eager to join her and if she¡¯s willing¡­¡± ¡°Which would bring my town under the yoke of vampires¡­ again, I might add.¡± ¡°Well, if you can¡¯t play nice by yourselves, someone has to keep the peace. Honestly, she isn¡¯t half bad. In comparison to some of your race I¡¯ve already met she¡¯s even full of sunshine and rainbows. In a very dark, you should better do what she says, kind of way. Have you even talked to her?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ but it doesn¡¯t matter, either way, does it? She could be a saint, all hugs and kisses underneath her fangs, and it still wouldn¡¯t fly. I¡¯m going to be blunt. Putting her in charge of,¡± he gesticulated vaguely, ¡°this is pretty much the same as putting a crown on her head. Don¡¯t know about you but us humans don¡¯t tend to play nice, as you put it, if we¡¯re forced to bow our heads to a stranger, especially if it isn¡¯t her strength but yours that made it possible.¡± He shrugged and added: ¡°she¡¯s probably powerful enough to meet the challenges but the way I see it, there¡¯ll be blood and pain and suffering until she¡¯s proven her own mettle. Is that what you want?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Of course not, but what am I supposed to do? She¡¯ll be a far cry better than an obese trader who only thinks with his wallet or his groin.¡± ¡°You could¡­ you know, settle down. I¡¯m pretty sure all of this would end, if everyone knew you were going to stick around.¡± I sighed, just as much from frustration as a gnawing feeling that I had already known. It wasn¡¯t exactly rocket science, I just hadn¡¯t wanted to face the truth. ¡°He¡¯s right, you know,¡± a new, somewhat leafy voice reached my ears. I had already heard and smelled Auguros a while ago but preoccupied as I had been, it hadn¡¯t truly registered. The best part, he wasn¡¯t even alone. Now that I actually focused on my senses I could clearly discern Erya¡¯s scent and Morgan¡¯s light steps. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a while and¡­ well, do you even want to listen to what I¡¯ve got to say?¡± ¡°Sure, why not? When has your advice ever turned out to be anything but flawless,¡± I asked with the faintest hint of trepidation in my voice. I wasn¡¯t exactly keen on another, self proclaimed prophet to meddle with my life. ¡°Ouch, but I guess I deserve as much. Just so we¡¯re clear, though, this isn¡¯t some convoluted scheme of mine, but I truly think you¡¯ve forgotten an important part.¡± He had reached us by now and was settling down, a ripe, red apple in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the portals Alassara and her late brother mentioned, on more than one occasion. What I¡¯m getting at¡­ does it truly matter to you where that seed, you¡¯ve been lugging across creation for a while now, actually blooms?¡± I hesitated and before I could muster a reply, someone else joined the conversation. ¡°You know,¡± Morgan said through a smile, her arm wrapped around her grandmother. Was everyone going to say their piece? I could hardly blame them, somehow, somewhen the whole bunch of nosy misfits had become my family. ¡°Before you answer, there¡¯s something else I¡­ we want you to know. Wherever you¡¯ve gone, whatever you¡¯ve found, you¡¯ve still managed to pull everyone around you closer, step by step. It¡¯s about time you stopped hiding. You¡¯ve said it yourself, on more than one occasion. Why are you still afraid of¡­ claiming a throne?¡± I was already marshalling a bunch of arguments why that would never happen, when I felt a soft, warm hand on my shoulder. Erya was smiling at me mischievously and hurriedly explained: ¡°What my granddaughter wants to say, even though she hasn¡¯t found the right words, is this: you might not be able to use your magic to change this world or even this town, but you sure as all hells can use it to reclaim what once was yours. Boseiju might have burned but what he stood for is still alive¡­ thanks to you.¡± ¡°Have you been conspiring behind my back,¡± I asked exasperatedly without turning around. ¡°Behind your back? No. But that scheme of yours, you presented last night, had all of us thinking. Even your royal brothers. Why do you think they aren¡¯t here? And before you get your tails in a twist, the two of them are, right now, at Brightblaze¡¯s mansion, explaining politely why she will be shit out of luck if she decides to cross them, or you for that matter. You had the right idea, but it needed some tweaking and since you¡¯ve been busy bleeding all over the place, once again, I might add, the rest of us decided to¡­ let¡¯s say make sure you¡¯re not going to crash and burn. Cassy¡­ if you want to change something, you¡¯ve got to stick around, you¡¯ve got to be there, you¡¯ve got to live and breathe with the people you¡¯re fighting for. Luckily you¡¯ve got the means to be almost everywhere at once, at least as soon as you get your magic to work properly. Why not start here? You¡¯ll have much less trouble with a decapitated city in turmoil than you¡¯ll have with an ancient society at war with my people. Do you really think a tree, grown from the essence of two immortals and fed by an ancient kitsune, who taught you, won¡¯t be able to dig its roots into more than just one place? Once it blooms, I¡¯m sure you can just¡­ plant another seedling. There won¡¯t even be the need for manmade portals. You¡¯ve got all the answers you need right in your pocket. Why are you so reluctant to use them.¡± I huffed indignantly but answered truthfully, never the less. ¡°Because there¡¯s much more tied to it than you can imagine. The seed, just as much as everything else form my past¡­ if I fully embrace it, I¡¯ll be running down a rabbit hole the likes of which you can¡¯t even fathom. I¡¯m scared, scared that I won¡¯t be able to¡­¡± ¡°Keep us safe,¡± the infuriating fey laughed. ¡°Honey¡­ do we really have to jump through the same hoops you already went through with your brother? We¡¯re not your toys, nor your children, even though I must say I¡¯d quite like to call you mommy, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re all here? To talk some sense into me?¡± I chose to ignore her ribbing. ¡°Well, Auguros and I have also come for a bath,¡± Morgan quipped, ¡°but seeing the tub taken we thought we could use the delay. In all seriousness, though, do you think we¡¯re wrong?¡± I sighed deeply and moved my tails into a more comfortable position. I even closed my eyes for a moment and concentrated on the smell of herbs and cherry blossoms. Damn it, I already felt at home in this little grove and while I had never admitted as much, not even to myself, I loathed the idea of letting it go, of allowing someone else to decide what would happen with the first real piece of magic we had ever created. This was ours, Ahri¡¯s and mine. ¡°Unfortunately no. In that case there¡¯s something else that might help and I should probably show you, once Ahri is back¡­¡± while I had been talking the vixen in question was just leaving the pond, a drenched but entirely healthy and snoring girl in her arms. ¡°No need to wait, then,¡± she said with a smile and handed her living burden over to Pete who, tears pooling in his eyes, was accepting her shakily. She cut his stammered thanks off brusquely and add: ¡°I can also do it, if you want me to. I think your magic will listen to me.¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± I asked, slightly taken aback. But then again, she was a wee bit cleverer than me. Most of the time, at least. She leaned into me and stole a kiss, water dripping onto me while her energies flowed through our tattoos and she breathed against my lips: ¡°open sesame.¡± We only received a couple of blank stares but they changed quickly enough when I felt power rushing through my core, my eyes ablaze with silvery light. Damn it, all I could do was pray that I actually had known what I had been doing when I had enchanted the little gizmo. Otherwise this might yet blow up in our faces, quite literally, and judging from the amount of energy I was losing with every heartbeat it wouldn¡¯t be a minor explosion. Luckily I had been a tad more capable in my past and without so much as a wasted spark a cube made from silver materialised between Ahri and me, revolving around itself for the fraction of a second before it fell into my lap with a soft thud. Breathlessly I picked the little thing up, marvelling at its sparkling lustre and surprising weight while our friends exchanged worried glances. They had seen my magic but they couldn¡¯t know what had happened since I had only told Ahri what I had crafted, all those years ago in the far reaches of the Himalaya. That they didn¡¯t bombarded us with questions was a testimony to how much they had actually come to trust us. Or they simply didn¡¯t care since all we had apparently done was conjure a shiny box from thin air, an impressive magic trick for sure, but hardly worth much attention. Until filigree, almost imperceptible runes started glowing all along its sides, their complexity easily rivalling anything I had seen before. This time, though, they weren¡¯t fiendishly intricate to compensate for a lack of strength but rather to contain the swelling, transcendent forces circling through the runes. For the first time in my life I saw a formation created by an immortal at the peak of his power and it was humbling. To realise how far I still had to go to even approach this kind of knowledge, of understanding, never mind the sheer, undiluted strength contained in each and every stroke, was daunting but, at the same time, exhilarating, a glimpse at what I might once become in the future, should I have the time to truly get to know my own abilities. With a sound like breaking glass the runes pulsed ones, twice and receded into the pristine metal, as if they hadn¡¯t even been there to begin with. Only the scent and taste of unspent power, still lingering in the air, like a haze after a warm summer rain, and the wide eyed look on the faces surrounding me proof of what had happened. I had finally claimed a part of what was mine. 290. Of risks, revenge and a little bit of morals Cassandra Pendragon While Pete and his friends were noisily celebrating the return of their wounded comrade, the poor girl had turned into a breathing, sleeping snuggling pillow by now, we marvelled at the silver cube, sparkling in the bright sunlight. ¡°Impressive, ingenious, breathtaking¡­ and what¡¯s it supposed to be,¡± Erya blurted out, almost perfectly mirroring what Asura had said to me, when I had first created the thing. ¡°A portal,¡± I explained, carefully turning the cube around to get a good look at each side. ¡°A portal to¡­ other worlds. You all know this isn¡¯t my first life and whatever I have left behind for myself will be waiting for me on the other side. There¡¯s only one tiny problem.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to return, do you,¡± Ahri asked, even though it wasn¡¯t really a question. I nodded silently, still enthralled by the display before me. The runes weren¡¯t active anymore but the reflections and shimmering sparks still seemed to follow their outlines. I could also faintly see the cherry trees behind us, a faint trace of colour in its iridescent depths. Whatever else, it truly was beautiful. Which also meant it was most likely dangerous as all hells. But I had already known as much. Considering what I had seen, there was no telling what might be waiting for me on the other side. It could be a treasury or an armoury¡­ hells, even a prison wouldn¡¯t surprise me. A deafening silence was spreading around us, broken only by the joyful and entirely oblivious sounds behind us, where Pete and his friends were doing their utmost to wake up Brianna. The realisation that a gateway to places they had thought nonexistent or, at the very least, unreachable, had appeared was a palpable weight settling down on to the less preoccupied members of our group, while the kids simply celebrate the return of one of their own. Yeah, dealing with immortals could truly turn your life upside down. I just hoped it wouldn¡¯t become another entry in the growing list of Cassy¡¯s most memorable mistakes. After a few second I forcefully raised my gaze and looked at Ahri. ¡°I think I know how to use it, all I have to do is apply a little energy, but I haven¡¯t got the foggiest how I can tether this little thing to my current location. I might be able to return on my own, leave a speck of power behind and use it as safeguard, but I fear I might either tear Amazeroth¡¯s wards to shreds in the process or even worse, I might not make it all, which would leave me stranded somewhere¡­ hells, maybe even somewhen far away. If only Mephisto was awake¡­ he might be able to make heads and tails out of the formations but, even though I¡¯ve created them, I have no clue how they actually work. And I imagine it¡¯s going to take a bit more than some reading up to change that.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Ahri replied hesitantly. ¡°You knew all this¡­don¡¯t you think you might have included a work around?¡± ¡°Maybe? Probably. But I¡¯m not willing to bet my life on it¡­ or rather yours, for that matter. Lucifer even warned me, in a round about way. From what I remember, he expected me to find a solution. If I go it¡¯s a question of how long I¡¯m stuck in the farthest reaches of space, but if I¡¯m gone¡­¡± I left my sentence unfinished, the implications were obvious enough. While my family might leave us alone, if I wasn¡¯t there, the same wouldn¡¯t hold true for our lovely friend from the neighbouring continent. And as much as I trusted them, believed in them, it had never been much of a question to me that I¡¯d be the one who¡¯d face Amazeroth and his lapdog, in the end. There wasn¡¯t even much of a choice. The breadcrumbs he had left behind would lead me to him, one way or another. ¡°So, basically, it¡¯s useless,¡± Morgan mumbled under her breath. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re telling us?¡± I slowly shook my head, my tresses sparkling like polished ebony. ¡°It really depends. Chances are it¡¯s going to create a portal, quite literally. In that case, I could simply step through and return. But there¡¯s a risk. If I¡¯m wrong I might be teleported¡­ and since I was the one to create it my immunities won¡¯t save me either. The question is, was I clever enough in the past to realise how restricted I¡¯d be in the future? I just can¡¯t say and the risk isn¡¯t worth it, at least I don¡¯t think so.¡± We fell silent again until Ahri chuckled softly and shook her mesmerising head. ¡°That¡¯s all well and true,¡± she explained when I cocked an eyebrow, ¡°but you aren¡¯t the one who has to go, are you? Your magic¡­ I can use it, partly at least. Let me go and if I get stuck, you can simply call me back. I¡¯m pretty sure, ever since the¡­¡± she paused before she continued in a roundabout way, ¡°ever since you burned your way through the dwarven ship, you can easily call me back without destroying Amazeroth¡¯s wards. The bond between us¡­ it has grown. I don¡¯t think my transition would even register.¡± I frowned while I stifled my first impulse to deny her on principal. If anyone had to step through an unknown portal it wouldn¡¯t be her, if I had my way, but that kind of thinking hadn¡¯t served me overly well in the past. ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± I replied softly, ¡°but I fear you might be right.¡± ¡°I usually am. Do you want to try?¡± ¡°Want? No. But maybe we should. Just so we¡¯re clear, though, if anything goes wrong I¡¯ll follow you, no questions asked.¡± ¡°And, at the same time, render this whole stunt pointless,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Not really,¡± Erya interjected. ¡°The point is to have you both back here, once everything is said and done. Incidentally¡­ why not wait for a bit longer? You¡¯ve kept that thing under wraps for a while, you don¡¯t have to use it now. Maybe we could skip the uncontrollable, immortal magic part and stick to the¡­ half immortal, uncontrollable magic part?¡± I shrugged, still fiddling with the cube. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ but I¡¯m also not going to simply toss the seed into that pond and cross my fingers. Which reminds me¡­ where are Reia and my mom?¡± ¡°They should be here any minute,¡± Morgan explained. ¡°Helena took Viyara, Aurelia and Reia out for breakfast.¡± A lopsided grin formed on her face. ¡°Seeing a tiny, silvery vixen and a child leading around two imposing women like they were their pets was quite funny, but I don¡¯t actually know what she¡¯s up to.¡± ¡°I think I can guess,¡± Ahri chuckled softly. Without much prodding she willingly elaborated: ¡°they¡¯re the ones who are coming with us. Aspera and Astra, as well as all of you¡­ you all have very personal reasons to return to the Emerald Island. They don¡¯t¡­ except for you, darling. I¡¯m pretty certain Helena simply wants to question her daughter¡¯s first knights and make sure they¡¯re actually up to the task. I don¡¯t envy them,¡± she added with a mock shudder. ¡°Because of me or because of her,¡± I asked distractedly. When she had mentioned the ancient vampire I had remembered Alassara¡¯s vow to punish those who were responsible for the attack on her home. Considering what had happened since then I hadn¡¯t given it much thought, but now I couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling that she might just be preparing a nocturnal visit, one that might very well turn out to be the last thing the Captains Brightblaze and Nightshade would ever experience. I couldn¡¯t even fault her for it, I wouldn¡¯t have let it go either, if I had been in her stead. Still, while I could sympathise, I wasn¡¯t thrilled at the prospect. We still needed Nightshade and his patron and while I didn¡¯t care overly much whether or not the older Brightblaze kept on breathing, I just couldn¡¯t imagine that her sister or her people, for that matter, would take kindly to finding her bled dry and very much dead one morning or the other. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°A bit of both, I guess,¡± Ahri answered my question and pinched my side playfully. ¡°Having to deal with her only to follow you around as a reward doesn¡¯t sound like much fun.¡± When I didn¡¯t react to her teasing immediately she asked in a more serious voice: ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, yet,¡± I replied and inadvertently reached for one of her tails. The silky feeling between my fingers calmed me down and I shrugged noncommittally. ¡°Just thinking¡­ does Alassara strike you as the forgiving kind?¡± She immediately understood where I was going with this as her sharp intake of breath confirmed. ¡°No, no she doesn¡¯t. But she didn¡¯t say anything, you know, back when we confronted the Captains in the harbour. I thought¡­ do you think she¡¯s still dead set on making them bleed?¡± I sighed deeply, quickly shuffling through my memories of the vampire queen. ¡°Yes, I fear she is. Otherwise she would have said something, anything really, simply to remind the two of them how close they actually came to drowning in the tide, they themselves have unleashed. She didn¡¯t and that tells me she¡¯s still very much planning on enlightening them some other way. More permanently, I¡¯m afraid. Does anyone know where she is? Last I¡¯ve seen her, she was hauled up with her daughter in the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±. Any ideas where she is now?¡± Ahri shook her head hesitantly and shot a quizzical look towards the others. Erya and Morgan shrugged and Auguros even answered: ¡°No¡­ there¡¯s been so much going on since last night¡­ but come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen her.¡± He swallowed visibly before he added: ¡°but I¡¯ve seen Layla before I left. She was with Archy and Estrella, pestering the dwarfs about some thing or the other. Which probably means her mother isn¡¯t there, otherwise she¡¯d be with her, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Great, perfect,¡± I mumbled while I stored the cube in my stamp. ¡°So, to sum it up, the second most powerful vampire is most likely on the hunt while my brothers are talking to one of her would be victims and the other one is only the gods know where.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not stupid,¡± Erya interjected. ¡°I don¡¯t think Alassara would spill their blood now. She knows you still want to make use of them.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right,¡± I replied. ¡°After everything Amon has done, the city is¡­ in turmoil would be an understatement. Now is her best chance to get rid of the two of them without any lasting repercussions. Two more corpses¡­ it wouldn¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things.¡± ¡°Do you really believe she values her revenge more highly than¡­¡± Morgan tried to ask but I cut her off. ¡°More highly than what exactly? I don¡¯t think she cares overly much for their factions and since we¡¯ve already shown that we¡¯re headed towards a confrontation, that might very well end their influence once and for all, she doesn¡¯t really have to worry about the fall out, does she? What we¡¯ve done¡­ we might have given her the perfect excuse to go through with it. She might have decided to act the very moment I returned with Emilia last night. From a different perspective she would even be doing us a favour, especially if she decides to snuff Asra right alongside them. Shit, now what? In case she really is on her way to bloody vengeance, should we even try to stop her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Erya immediately stated. ¡°It¡¯s her right and frankly good riddance. Ultimately we only stand to lose the support of the Broken Wheel and I don¡¯t think he¡¯d turn against you. Not after¡­ well, I¡¯m quite sure he wouldn¡¯t willingly cross you, ever again.¡± ¡°Pragmatic to a fault,¡± I commented, ¡°except¡­ denying his support isn¡¯t the same as turning against us. Plus, that¡¯s not what I was getting at.¡± I sighed and added: ¡°if, and I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s going to happen, but if we should really make ourselves a home here, we won¡¯t need them as direly as before and then there¡¯s also Ignus, Viyara¡¯s grandfather. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s already contacted him but he might very well know a dragon, willing to settle here. That¡¯d do, for the most part. No¡­ I¡¯m not really thinking about the practical ramifications but rather¡­¡± Erya rolled her eyes and dropped to the ground at my side. ¡°Let me guess¡­ you¡¯re worried about whether or not it¡¯d be right, aren¡¯t you? You know, for someone who¡¯s probably spent most of her life as a literal boogeyman for mortals and immortals alike you sure tend to make a fuss.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember you complaining when it was your arse on the line,¡± I replied heatedly. ¡°Or your granddaughter¡¯s for that matter,¡± I added with a sidelong glance at Morgan. More calmly I continued: ¡°it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been told. If you really want to know why I¡¯m running in circles, every time I have to make a decision with another life on the line, maybe this will help. Years¡­ maybe even centuries or millennia ago, on a different world, I was wandering around aimlessly, looking for¡­ I can¡¯t even remember. I stumbled across a small village, a peaceful, beautiful place, hidden away from the world. I spent some time there, getting to know the people, their desires, their dreams. I found some friends, got into a handful of fights¡­ all in all it was an amazing vacation. Anyways, years later I returned, only to find the earth scorched, the people killed, the village burned and amidst the ruins a weeping creature waited for me.¡± I closed my eyes, the anger and insecurity of a time long gone swirling through my mind like the tide crashing against a rocky shore. My memories still held much sway over how I actually felt. ¡°A bloodthirsty, imprisoned creature I myself had freed, ages ago. It had followed me, like the night follows after the sun, and there, it had finally caught up. Now, before I get lost in my own memories, let¡¯s cut to the chase. What would you have done? Taken revenge? Killed it?¡± Nobody replied and I shook my head sadly. ¡°It hadn¡¯t killed them. Quite the contrary. It was weeping because it couldn¡¯t save them. After I had left it had lived there peacefully and known happiness for the first time. What I¡¯m getting at is this: there is no coming back from taking a life. You might be sorry, you might regret your actions, but it¡¯s simply too late. Unless you think you¡¯re infallible, you¡¯re god himself, it¡¯s not your place to judge¡­ it¡¯s only your right to protect and to defend.¡± Silence followed my words, broken only by the decidedly inappropriate giggles behind us, where Pete and his family were still trying to coax Brianna into opening her eyes. ¡°What did you do,¡± Ahri asked quietly. A self deprecating grin tugged on the corners of my mouth. ¡°That¡¯s not really a part of the story, but¡­ I searched far and wide for the noble who was responsible and, together with my newfound friend, rained down heaven and hell on him and his soldiers. If god was to judge them, I wanted to make sure they¡¯d meet their maker soon enough for the verdict to actually matter. I¡¯ve told you before, I¡¯m a bloody hypocrite. Reality more often than not screws our convictions over more thoroughly than we can even imagine.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s even the point,¡± Morgan asked, confusion clearly written across her face. ¡°That we try¡­ I¡¯m not above murder, as you all very well know, but I¡¯m never going to accept it blindly. Second guessing, quarrelling¡­ it¡¯s important and in essence, I think it¡¯s what differentiates us from my siblings. They simply don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve lived it before and I¡¯m not going to ever again.¡± Erya shook her head, her obsidian horns glowing in the sun. ¡°So you¡¯re going to fret and doubt but, in the end, still strike those down who are in your way? Doesn¡¯t that mean we should simply let Alassara do as she pleases? And why did you even bother with that story?¡± ¡°You wanted to know why I¡¯m always making a fuss, or rather, take avoidable risks instead of¡­ a clean cut. That¡¯s why. I¡¯m no god and I make mistakes. I¡¯d like to stick to rectifiable ones and this one might just not be one of them.¡± 291. Of doubts, homes and a little decision Cassandra Pendragon Despite my gloomy predictions and rather sour mood it didn¡¯t turn out to be half as problematic as I had expected. Alassara was still of Aurelia¡¯s line and the ancient vamp didn¡¯t have much trouble figuring out where her, probably, blood thirsty descendent was. Since Viyara was munching her way through eggs, bacon and fruits at the side of her favourite relict the queen of the night was as good as on a leash. But we didn¡¯t even need it. She wasn¡¯t sneaking her way towards gory revenge but rather¡­ shopping. As it turned out, she had very well listened the night before, not only to me but also to the ensuing discussions Erya had already shared in bits and pieces. She hadn¡¯t taken it as a green light to extract a pound of flesh, though, but rather as a chance to start repaying the debt she owed us. Her words, not mine. Long story short, the market we had turned into a verdant paradise had belonged to one of the Captains, Kirena to be precise, and with her dead the land was up for grabs. In a display of much more foresight than I had given her credit for she hadn¡¯t tried to punish Nightshade and Brightblaze but rather impressed on them that she might yet decide to do so, in case they wouldn¡¯t accept her proposal of buying the patch for an apple and a hug. Literally. As common sense would dictate the two of them hadn¡¯t even toyed with the idea of denying her to her face, or rather her fangs, especially with my brothers and a selected handful¡­ maybe a bit more than that, of kitsune at her back. So, while we had played in the mud and strolled around Free Land she had actually put aside her grievances and acted like a goddamned grown woman or maybe even a queen. And I say acted on purpose. We hadn¡¯t had the chance, yet, to talk face to face but reading between the lines of what Viyara had conveyed, Alassara hadn¡¯t truly buried the hatchet. She was simply postponing judgement to a more convenient time. Anyways, while I had spent quite a while in my own mind, talking to the golden dragoness, our little garden of Eden was slowly beginning to fill up. It was yet too early for the bulk of people to arrive and the dwarfs and some of my brother¡¯s soldiers were still keeping the streets closed, but our extended family was arriving bit by bit. First it had been the kids, lead by Layla, whom her mother had sent here after our chat, then Vanya and Will, to my surprise accompanied by Serena, the younger Brightblaze sister, and Liz, as well as our growing ensemble of elves and my personal guard. Consequentially, the peace and quiet of before were nowhere to be found and once Brianna had opened her eyes, blearily proclaiming to be hungry, it was slowly starting to feel more like a garden party than anything else. Not that I wanted to complain. I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled at the prospect of the coming talks and still slightly worried what might happen to Morgan and Auguros, the first ones who¡¯d be using the pond for anything else than an ambient light show. Before I could simply relax, though, and maybe find out why Serena was here, I, or rather Ahri and me, still had to figure out one thing: whether we actually wanted to go along with Erya¡¯s proposal and plant the seed, Reia was still carrying around, here. There probably were a couple of others who¡¯d have liked to put in a word, as well, but truth be told, this was something we had to decide for ourselves. I had already told her that I was longing for a home, a place to call our own, but somehow I had always thought it¡¯d be a gradual process, one where circumstance would play a much more prominent role, but, in the end, it was just that: a decision. And that scared the hell out of me. I had gone on a long winded rant about rectifiable mistakes before and while the stakes were nowhere near as high as a life, it still felt¡­ daunting. Once the seed would bloom and grow its roots there most likely would be no turning back. And the prospect of becoming a citizen of Free Land was¡­ well, strange, to say the least, especially with how friendly and welcoming the place had been. Still, the fey had been right. If we wanted to make a difference, we couldn¡¯t just run away after the first battles had been fought. The real challenges were still to come. Once everybody was standing or sitting around the pond and engrossed in one conversation or the other, I silently gesticulated for Ahri to follow me. We could just as well have talked telepathically but I wanted some privacy and to actual voice my thoughts out loud. We didn¡¯t have to go far until we found a secluded spot between the roots of one of the larger cherry trees, the strong, vibrant smells of blossoms and earth a calming reminder of the home we had lost. I slumped down and leaned against the trunk, patting the soft grass beside me. ¡°Please, sit with me for a while.¡± She granted me a dazzling smile and caressed my ears while she lowered herself to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not like you to beat around the bush. What¡¯s the matter? Getting cold feet?¡± ¡°How do you always do this,¡± I complained. ¡°Every time¡­ am I that easy to read?¡± She only laughed in response and pecked my cheek. ¡°Only to me, but I think I know you better than you know yourself. Besides, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to guess.¡± She wrapped her tails around us before she continued: ¡°So¡­ planting a tree¡­ let me guess, you do see the appeal but you¡¯re hesitant to entrust something, that might very well turn into a home for all kitsune, to a city like Free Land. I¡¯m going to ask straight away: why? Amon is as much of a threat here as he would be anywhere else and as far as the dangers of this town go, I think we¡¯ve already either burned them to ashes or made friends with them. Also¡­ with everything that has happened, you¡¯ll have a far easier time doing as you please and you, sweetheart, have never been one to abide by society¡¯s rules. Any rules for that matter.¡± I had nodded along, Erya had pretty much said the same things, after all, and then I added: ¡°I¡¯m also worried about the logistics. Even if we decide to plant the seed here, I¡­ we still have to go to the Emerald Island in a few days. Who¡¯s going to look after¡­ our home? I can¡¯t imagine that it¡¯ll grow quickly enough for Erya¡¯s other predictions to come true. You know, the picture she painted of natural gateways forming between the original and a seedling. I just¡­ while I¡¯m honestly fond of the idea, having a place of our own,¡± I spread my arms to illustrate my next point, ¡°living among the first real piece of magic we¡¯ve ever created, I fear it¡¯s going to bite us in the tails, later on. I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to curse our impatience in a handful of weeks. So¡­ what do you think?¡± She tilted her head and threw me a quizzical look from under her bangs. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who told me that you can only truly regret the things you haven¡¯t done? I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong, but I imagine you¡¯ll find good reasons to wait even longer every time the topic comes up. In essence¡­ Cassy, do you want to start shaping the future or do you want to keep on running?¡± I exhaled deeply, thinking about what she had said. ¡°You¡¯re right, I think, as far as we are concerned. But what about the kids? Wouldn¡¯t they be much better off, if we planted the seed on the Emerald Island and a seedling here, provided it really works that way, instead of the other way around?¡± She laughed softly and kissed me again. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You¡¯re sweet. So there¡¯s the rub. Darling, they¡¯ll be fine, especially your sister, for as long as they can remain at your side. I know they might have a more¡­ conventional childhood among the elves, but I fear that particular ship hasn¡¯t only sailed but rather crashed and burned. Truth be told, I think they¡¯ll be much happier here than they will be in an ancient, strict society. None of them, and us as well for that matter, will have an easy time abiding by foreign customs. Just remember how much of a fuss you made back on Boseiju, every time you had to take part in an official event. It won¡¯t be much different on the Emerald Island, probably even worse, considering who and what you are, and the children will be smack down in the middle of it. They¡¯re a part of your family, after all, and one even carries your name. Wouldn¡¯t it be much better to have somewhere else to return to, somewhere we¡¯re known, accepted¡­ maybe even liked? You¡¯ve become quite fond of telling stories. I think I remember one you might enjoy. Once, there was a prisoner in an empty room. There was also an open door, guarded by the most fearsome warrior you could ever imagine. Day after day the prisoner looked at him and tried to find the courage to pass by the warden and leave his prison. Day after day he tried and day after day he failed. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. Finally, when the prisoner had already become old and wizened, the guard suddenly moved. He took out a key, turned around and locked the door. Desperate, the prisoner called after him: ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°What I am supposed to do,¡± the guard replied. ¡°This was your door, for you to leave at any time, but the time is up, now. You will die in here and never see the sunlight again.¡± ¡°Kafka,¡± I commented quietly. ¡°Truth be told, I never liked him, but I guess I understand what you¡¯re getting at. Still, you haven¡¯t answered my question, or maybe I¡¯ve been asking the wrong ones. What do you want to do?¡± She sighed, her gaze travelling over the roofs of Free Land, past the still lingering swaths of smoke and towards a deep, blue horizon. Her fingers caressingly encircled mine and I felt her tension as she haltingly replied: ¡°I want¡­ to be free, free of our responsibilities, free of grief and strive, free to choose the battles I¡¯m fighting and free to roam this planet, this universe with you. Free to marvel at creation without the duty of protecting it. And as paradoxical as it may sound¡­ this means free to choose my own burdens. And your¡­ our family, our home, is a burden I want to carry. Wherever it takes us. Yes, I want you to plant that seed right here. Amongst the chaos, but also amongst¡­ our friends. We¡¯ve only been here for a few days, but there are already more people in this town I¡¯d consider friends than there ever were on Boseiju. Alassara, Layla, Vanya, Liz¡­ maybe even the Brightblaze sisters, you know, sometimes I think it¡¯s not you who¡¯s got a problem with letting go, but rather us, our race. Living for as long as we do¡­ it makes loss and death not an eventuality but a certainty and that¡¯s scary. No wonder we do everything in our power to cling to whatever we cherish for as long as we can. I just feel blessed that the one thing I couldn¡¯t live without is as resilient as me.¡± She kissed me passionately after she had ended, her desire, her hope and fear all compressed into one tiny gesture. I understood her perfectly, though, and I felt the same. When we separated my gaze travelled past the shimmering, dark trunk and over the emerald grass. The ruins, still surrounding the garden, seemed different to me now, less like skeletons or reminders of a lost battle and more like the cornerstone of something new that might yet grow from the devastation. The faint murmurs of lively conversations, broken only by outbursts of laughter and the occasional, playful scream, while our friends talked, ate and, in case of the younger ones, even played around the pond, made me smile. None had yet entered the sparkling waters, probably waiting for us to return, but judging from the way Layla, Archy and Estrella, as well as the boisterous band Pete had brought along, eyed the azure waters it was only a question of how long they actually managed to control themselves. Not to mention the two former fey and mercenaries who were eyeing the blue depth with hardly veiled longing edged onto their faces. Combined with the sweet, fruity smell of cherry blossoms it felt¡­ already like a home to me. Beyond the almost festive gathering and the burned out husks of erstwhile stately mansions the roofs of Free Land trailed off into the distance, a chessboard of brown, red and black under a clear, endless sky, broken only by the ugly, pitch black scars the emperor¡¯s ritual had left behind. Tiny swaths of smoke rose up where dwarfs and kitsune had barricaded the streets, almost imperceptible in comparison to the acrid clouds still billowing towards the sky further away. The ships, which had caught fire the day before, were still smouldering and the wooden fortifications around the harbour provided further fuel for the fires the Captains had ignited in their stupidity. What would remain, once the flames had finally petered out, was anyone¡¯s guess. In a way the city was on a knife¡¯s edge. It could go either way, towards a brighter tomorrow that might yet heal the wounds of the past, or towards darkness, the lifeless, crisscrossing reminders of the cruel magic Amon had unleashed spreading until they devoured everything I could see. I shook my head to clear my mind and when I turned to face Ahri again, I saw her scrutinising me with an unexpected intensity. I raised an eyebrow in a silent question. ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything,¡± she willingly explained. ¡°I¡­ what do you think?¡± I smiled at her and stole another kiss. ¡°I think that I¡¯d willingly move to hell if it made you happy and while this place shares some of its qualities, it¡¯s not comparable¡­ yet. Seriously, though, it sounds like you¡¯ve already made up your mind and I wouldn¡¯t deny you, even if I was truly opposed to the idea¡­ which I¡¯m not. Not really.¡± ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re going to announce our plans to the wide world, come noon?¡± ¡°Most likely. It has always been about setting boundaries, hasn¡¯t it, and with us staying here there are going to be quite a few. There is one more thing, though. I meant what I said, I¡¯m worried what might happen when we have to leave for the Emerald Island. I wouldn¡¯t have minded entrusting this place to Alassara, but if it¡¯s going to become our home, I¡¯m not so sure anymore.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that? She¡¯d be inviting trouble whichever way you spin it and I think she¡¯s more than capable enough to hold her own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ asking her to house sit feels like an invitation to move in with us. Hon, we¡¯re going to have to deal with quite a few guests anyways, Erya, Viyara and Aurelia, my sister¡­ to name only the ones I¡¯m completely sure of, but I¡¯m still hesitant to¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get any further, her soft laughter cut me off just as effectively as a remote. ¡°Oh, darling, how long did it take you to convince yourself that you don¡¯t want them with us? I¡­ look, if it¡¯s about the two of us having enough privacy I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t have to worry. The vampires are much less intrusive than the nosy bunch you¡¯ve mentioned before and that¡¯s without even considering what your sister and her friends might be up to.¡± She paused and titled her head to the side, the reflected sunlight turning her hair into a crimson waterfall. ¡°Or did I just make an absolute fool of myself and you actually meant something else entirely?¡± It was my turn to laugh, even though she hadn¡¯t made a mistake. It might sound stupid but I really had entertained the hope of having a place to retreat to, just the two of us. I didn¡¯t really want to share¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t it. Actually I wanted them close, all of them, but Ahri and I hadn¡¯t had that much time, none, if I was completely honest, yet, to work out what it actually meant to be together. Call me selfish but that was one of the things I wanted to make time for and I had somehow always thought it¡¯d coincide with moving in together. Probably because I had always believed we wouldn¡¯t be running for our lives anymore, once we had a place to call home. Not sure how I had arrived at that conclusion, but it was the truth, none the less. ¡°No, no I didn¡¯t. So¡­ the gist of it: we¡¯ll try to make the tree grow as fast as possible?¡± I could tell she tried, but she still couldn¡¯t suppress her mirth and chuckled softly. ¡°Which might be a bit quicker than you seem to believe. Cassy¡­ you changed quite a bit in the last weeks. With that new wing of yours, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to go much faster than you imagine.¡± 292. Of preparations, speeches and a little bit of humiliation Cassandra Pendragon The sun was burning mercilessly, its white hot glare a palpable weight on my shoulders. If I hadn¡¯t changed so much over the last weeks I¡¯d have been well on my way towards a bright red, boiled lobster like colouration. Luckily I wasn¡¯t stuck with the usual unpleasantries of the southern climates anymore and could even feel a bit of schadenfreude when I glimpsed Asra, his flabby body literally standing in sweat while he was trying to wipe away the veritable waterfall, dripping from his forehead. He wasn¡¯t the only one, though. Our little paradise had turned into a melting pot of everything Free Land had to offer. Wolf kin and humans lingered in the sparse shade, provided by the burned out ruins, rich traders stood side by side with cursing street urchins, glamorous courtesans gossiped freely with workers and shop owners, they would never have even extended a second glance to under normal circumstances while mercenaries laughed and cussed with seamen they had never met before. Throngs of slaves were huddled together, unable to comprehend how they had gotten here, without chains or whips, while others were sobbing freely in the embrace of long lost relatives, basking in the glow of a reunion they had never thought possible. Laughter and tears, jokes and curses mixed together in a cacophony of sounds and in between the kids and dogs made their way through the crowd, looking for morsels of food or spare coins, even though I couldn¡¯t exactly tell which one they actually preferred. If it hadn¡¯t been for the expecting, almost nervous atmosphere, I¡¯d have been reminded of a festival or a reunion. The last hour had passed in a blurred, even though I hadn¡¯t done much. Ahri and I might have made a decision but, aside from the little hiccough that my little sister still had the seed, we weren¡¯t going to put on a show with most of Free Land sitting in the front row. The closer noon had drawn, the more people were clogging the winding streets, crushing against the living wall of dwarfs and kitsune, like waves thundering against a rocky shore. For a while they had still managed to hold them back but in the end it had simply been too much, the throngs of beast kin and humans slowly but inexorably pushing closer. With our guests well on the way I had realised that I might have made a tiny mistake. As large as the former market turned garden was, it was by no means spacious enough to accommodate thousands of people and it surely felt like every single inhabitant of Free Land, as well as their trusted pets and extended families, had made their way here. Heartening, on the one side, but a true pain in the ass on the other. Luckily some of my friends hadn¡¯t been as shortsighted as me and they had somehow managed to prevent the whole thing from turning into a rowdy brawl. Anyways, while we had postponed every personal errant, a decision that hadn¡¯t exactly ingratiated me to Morgan and Auguros, the both of them were waiting on tenterhooks to have their magic returned, after all, there were a couple of things I had been forced to deal with. One, we had had to inform our family and two, I really had wanted to know if the two girls, I had saved, back when Alassara had been attacked, and Zuma, the creepy zookeeper, had been amongst the crowd. Complicated as it may seem, akin to finding a needle in a haystack, it hadn¡¯t been that much of a problem. When I supplemented my sense with energy they didn¡¯t only become much more acute than usual, somehow I also developed a knack for looking in the right direction or picking up on the essential conversations. To cut a long story short, once I had sent a trickle of energy towards my eyes, it hadn¡¯t taken me long to find the people I had been looking for. The two girls had seemed confused and frightened, which wasn¡¯t much of a surprise, but they hadn¡¯t appeared¡­ distraught or broken. And Zuma¡­ well, considering how he had spent his money I had been surprised to find him able to unscrew his eyes but he had still been close to keeling over, caught somewhere between exhaustion, intoxication and plain tiredness. For the moment I hadn¡¯t planned on confronting either of them, but I still wanted to catch up, once everything was said and done. Which brings us back to the present. Ahri and I were standing atop a golden mountain of scales, wings and horns, Viyara¡¯s imposing presence and the tightly packed group of our closest friends, who had brought most of our food and mead reserves, enough of a deterrent to guarantee nobody would venture close by accident. We were clustered around the pond, a living, breathing barrier that protected the supernatural well from the sea of bodies, surging back and forth as far as I could see. A few places weren¡¯t as tightly packed, the remaining Captains and their entourages had claimed a bit of space close by for themselves, but that didn¡¯t mean they were happy, by any stretch of the imagination. From what little my brothers had hurriedly told me when they had arrived, Serena Brightblaze hadn¡¯t been surprised by their and Alassara¡¯s appearance, not even by their thinly veiled threats. Quite the contrary. Somehow she had seemed¡­ satisfied, as if everything had developed just like she had expected. Another question I wanted answered. If she had been banking on us, disrupting Asra¡¯s plans, there would have been a million and one easier ways to get us on her side, but at least it explained why she had pretended to entertain his ideas, at least for a little while. In a way she had turned her little sister into an emissary I wouldn¡¯t have denied in a thousand years. A repeated occurrence¡­ Maybe that was the reason for her, admittedly, strange and inconsistent behaviour but I still wanted to hear her say it. And maybe complain a little bit. Nightshade and Nenyo weren¡¯t as exposed, their people freely mingling with the locals while they themselves flitted in and out of the crowd, apparently more than happy to remain unrecognised. A few times someone pointed at them and whispered words started spreading, like ripples on a pond, but they dispersed again quickly enough to not cause a ruckus. Which left Asra. The obese trader had apparently decided to leave his prettier toys at home, exchanging their beautiful faces for quite a few hardened and battle worn mercenaries, clad in steel despite the sweltering heat. Judging from his angry, almost crazed expression he had already grasped the gist of what was going to happen, even though he didn¡¯t know the details, just yet. So far everything had turned out as I had expected, with a few minor and one major deviation. While we were stared at openly, none of the gazes lingering on us held fear or anger. Curiosity and admiration I saw, as well as a healthy amount of caution, but hatred or even contempt? Not at all. If I had been forced to find a fitting simile, I¡¯d have gone with meeting the new neighbours, who just so happened to have moved in with a tank and a few guns to spare. I had been convinced we¡¯d be confronted by an angry mob, calming them down one of the most problematic aspects of what I actually wanted to do, but it surely seemed like I had been mistaken. If we didn¡¯t blunder royally, it wouldn¡¯t turn into a fight, at least I hoped so. Provided Asra wasn¡¯t going to pull another trick from his sleeve. But then again¡­ Alassara was keeping a close eye on him, Brightblaze and Nightshade and I could just about picture what would happen, should one of them even think about crossing the line. Not to mention the clusters of bad tempered dwarfs and kitsune, who were eager to find an outlet for the accumulated frustrations of an exhausting night filled with work, where they had actually expected a celebration, drowned in booze. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A soft hand ran down my back and Ahri whispered in my ear: ¡°I think they¡¯re all here. Stalling for much longer wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. We¡¯ve never talked about it, but I assume you want to address them personally?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Not really, but this was my idea and I¡¯m not going to make anyone else face the music. Unless¡­ are you volunteering?¡± ¡°If you want me to I will but you¡¯re only trying to delay, aren¡¯t you?¡± I nodded. ¡°Guess so. Well, then, if we¡¯re not forced to slit some throats in the next few minutes, I guess I¡¯ll have done well. Still¡­ want to come with me?¡± She kissed me tenderly and I could already feel her answer. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be with you, should you need me, but Cassy¡­ this isn¡¯t only your idea, but also your party. Ever since you¡¯ve taken down the Mask you¡¯re the one who has been on everybody¡¯s mind. Show them who you are. Me holding your hand would just undermine what you¡¯ve got to say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like my mother,¡± I retorted in mock outrage. ¡°One of us had to grow up,¡± she replied with a twinkle in her eye, before she kissed me again only to shoo me away a second later. ¡°Go now. Enough stalling. You¡¯ll be just fine.¡± I really hoped she was right. With an inaudible sigh I closed my eyes and gradually allowed the infinite currents within my core to spread through my body. My wings materialised in a sparkling display of power and before I knew it, I was hovering several metres in the air, my tails aglow with an iridescent light. A single wingbeat catapulted me into the sky, the sun framing the raging torrents around me in red and gold. When I opened my eyes again, a soft wave of scintillating silver painted the scene below me in fleeting shadows and harsh contrasts while every single head turned in my direction. Silence fell, absolute and heavy, only broken by the crackling of energies as my wings whipped through the sky in a mesmerising display of strength and grace. ¡°Brothers, sisters,¡± I began, my voice carrying with an eerie quality, far beyond anything they had ever heard. ¡°Some of you may know me, others don¡¯t but all of you have come here, united by the horrors this city has been forced to endure. All of you have come because you¡¯ve had to watch your home, your families, your friends, your neighbours suffer more in a single day than you¡¯d ever have thought possible. You¡¯ve come because there is no turning back, the atrocities we¡¯ve been a part of have changed us, have changed Free Land and you¡¯ve come because there¡¯s still a glimmer of hope left within you, a hope for a brighter tomorrow far away from pain and despair. A hope you can either bring to fruition or extinguish today.¡± I spread my arms wide and continued: ¡°I¡¯ve called you here because I¡¯ve decided to act. Ever since I¡¯ve come to this town and faced the Mask, I¡¯ve been torn. Torn between what is and what could be. Each day I¡¯ve witnessed you sorry lot tear at each other, fight over the merest pittance, and each night I¡¯ve seen you toil and sacrifice, prepared to give, even though you already had nothing left.¡± That might have been a slight exaggeration, let¡¯s call it artistic freedom. I paused, trying to catch as many gazes as I could. They were listening, some with excitement, others with trepidation. ¡°No more. No more will the hunger, the greed of a few devour the hopes of many. Today¡­ today is a new beginning. What you see before you isn¡¯t only proof that something new, something living can grow from the ashes of war, as long as we¡¯re prepared to fight and bleed for it, it¡¯s also a gift. A gift we¡¯ve decided to share with all of you. Our magic has brought something to life at the heart of Free Land that will slowly change this city. It might take weeks, even months, but this place will eventually become filled with light and maybe, one day, it¡¯ll be free of its own darkness. The waters you see before you will spread, they¡¯ll keep you hearty and whole and could very well ignite a spark of its magic in your own chests. So much for what has already been done.¡± I hesitated again and lowered my gaze. They were still completely and utterly silent, not even a suppressed cough reached my ears. I continued quietly: ¡°As for the future¡­ I¡¯ve said it before, this town will change and I know as much because we, my family and I, will be here, for every single, arduous step of the way. Whether you want us to or not, we¡¯ve earned the right to call this place home. We¡¯ve earned it with every tear we¡¯ve shed and every drop of blood we¡¯ve spilled. Which means from now on, whether you¡¯re a Captain or a slave, rich or poor, you¡¯ll always have someone to turn to, someone to call upon. The fiend, we¡¯ve battled last night, said Free Land no more. I intend to make sure his words are proven to be just as fallible as him. I want to make sure this city can finally live up to its name. So¡­ for better or for worse, you¡¯re stuck with us and the first thing that¡¯s going to change is the abominable fate that has befallen most of you. As of today, none of you are slaves, tied to another¡¯s will and should your freedom ever be challenged, should you ever be threatened with chains or the whip again, know this: I won¡¯t be far away and I¡¯ll always be prepared to fight for your freedom, for the freedom of my home, of my neighbours¡­ of my brothers and sisters.¡± I cast an inconspicuous glance at Asra from under my bangs. The poor blighter was quickly circling through a plethora of colours, from white to green to red and back again. Served the pompous prick right. I inhaled deeply, my next words carrying as much power as I dared to use. ¡°You¡¯ve lived and died, rejoiced and suffered at the whims of others. Hear me now. No more. For those of you, who have nothing left to lose, this day will mark a new beginning and for those, who have thought themselves untouchable, above the pain they¡¯ve caused¡­,¡± the glow from my eyes intensified, my wings crackled with power and the scent of ozone descended on the silent crowd like a suffocating blanket. My outline vanished behind a surge of inexorable light and a disembodied voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, while the star, that had already devoured the Mask, burned brightly in the sky, once more. ¡°I invite them to step forward and renounce my claims.¡± I moved slightly, the ever present light drawing closer to the place where Asra stood, shaking and afraid. ¡°And as for you, former Captain, you will either kneel or you¡¯ll learn I¡¯m more than willing to use my power. What shall it be? Your death or your compliance?¡± Every eye turned towards him, a precious few filled with pity but most were looking at him with grim satisfaction that he¡¯d finally have to pay his dues. Me¡­ I only pitied the soldiers he had brought along. They were truly in a tight spot but¡­ in for a penny, in for a pound. To my surprise, they were the first to kneel, a hollow thump was followed by even more as the seasoned veterans fell to their knees, leaving Asra alone and abandoned, surrounded by nothing but a silvery glare. Seconds ticked by and I was truly curious what he¡¯d do. I had expected him to topple over immediately, what little I knew of him painted him as a coward, always prepared to stab me in the back but much too weak to actually face me. I had to give him credit, though, he truly seemed prepared to stand up for what he believed was his. That was until I commanded a minuscule trace of my power to manifest and a blinding flash of light scorched the earth at his feet, leaving behind a smoking, hellishly deep crater. He didn¡¯t hesitate afterwards. A cold smile spread across my face while his mouth twisted into a frustrated snarl. Despite his wealth, despite his influence, there was nothing for him to do and I had to admit, I quite enjoyed the feeling, when he finally realised that he had been challenging the wrong people. The higher you thought yourself to be, the deeper you were going to fall and judging from the look on his face, he was still scrambling to see the bottom of the pit, he had tumbled into. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± I said softly and gradually descended toward the waiting crowd. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure you have a million and one questions, but I¡¯ve been told introductions are best made over a tankard of mead and we might just have a few barrels to spare,¡± I added with a genuine smile. 293. Of reassurances, trouble and a little outburst Cassandra Pendragon We wouldn¡¯t have had enough, not by a long shot. Even though Mordred had convinced Xorlosh to part with almost everything the dwarfs had left, from mead to cured meat and pickles, we couldn¡¯t begin to hope we¡¯d be able to feed the whole town. Even with the soldiers¡¯ rations Arthur had magnanimously shared we were still about a ton short¡­ or maybe several for that matter. Luckily enough another gamble payed off quite handsomely. Once they had seen what we were up to, the remaining Captains, aside from Asra, were more than willing to share their own supplies, if only to ingratiate themselves to the people they hadn¡¯t even spared a second thought before today. As sordid as their behaviour was, I had still banked on it, otherwise this might have yet become a rather embarrassing exercise in finding appropriate but entirely unfounded excuses. Quite similar to elections, really. Anyways, with their support we managed to at least provide everyone with some bread and either cheese or meat and once the citizens, who still had something left after the fires, had warmed up to the idea they gradually joined in. After half an hour, several enormous, earthen pots were bubbling merrily under the sun and a thick broth with unrecognisable ingredients filled the square with the smell of cooked onions and wheats. Between all of our contributions and the fruits, that had already begun flourishing among the cherry trees, I was pretty confident that everyone would get their share. It still wasn¡¯t enough but it sufficed for the gesture I had intended it to be and judging from the gradually lightening atmosphere it actually worked. All over the lawn and on the adjacent roads people were mingling, talking, gossiping, some were in tears, being consoled by friends or strangers, others were laughing and quite a few simply marvelled at the paradise, grown from dust and ashes. A few children had already found the courage to scale the trees, some elderly had taken in interest in the plants after their strong, almost magical smell had drawn them in. Most of the dwarfs were manning the pots, making sure everybody had a chance to get a bowl of warm broth without returning for seconds, the kitsune and my faithful soldiers in particular strolled through the crowd, apparently without much of a purpose but in reality prepared to extinguish every spark of violence. Their presence worked wonders, but it was still impossible to keep the peace with that many people in one place. In the beginning we, that is me and my friends, hadn¡¯t had much time to do anything but scamper back and forth with the sweat on our brows, trying to prevent fights from breaking out and organising the distribution of a veritable mountain of food. If the charming inhabitants of Free Land hadn¡¯t been scared out of their wits that some of us might either swallow them whole or take supernatural revenge, in case they didn¡¯t comply with out wishes, we wouldn¡¯t have managed, not at all, but Viyara¡¯s size and Alassara¡¯s and my reputation had made them surprisingly docile. At least as soon as they had come face to face with one of us and once Arthur¡¯s soldiers had resolutely broken up a scuffle, we hadn¡¯t managed to prevent, throwing the culprits unceremoniously out on the streets, it had become almost quiet, pleasant. By now I was facing an unkempt, dishevelled group, or rather army, considering there were around 500 of them, of slaves, trying to explain what I had been planning and to ignore the pitiful appearance and rather offensive smell of some of them. Truth be told, those were probably still the luckier ones. It didn¡¯t take much imagination to picture why some of the prettier girls and boys looked clean, well fed and¡­ jaded. One thing they all had in common, though, was their expression. Somewhere between hope and anxiety they seemed hardly able to comprehend what I was saying, or rather they couldn¡¯t believe it to be true. Not much of a surprise, really, but it still made me thankful for the support I had brought along. At my side Pete, Madame Sinis, some of her girls and Vanya, accompanied by a handful of her mercenary friends, did their best to reassure them, but it still felt like an uphill battle. Especially since I¡­ might have profusely underestimated what it actually meant to organise and somewhat care for several hundred people. If it hadn¡¯t been for my powers, I wouldn¡¯t even have gotten them to listen to me, for starters and that was even without the uncertainty and hard work that would surely follow, should they decide to take me up on my offer. Also, some of them were clearly less than happy at the prospect of having to fend for themselves and all the trouble it would bring. ¡°Yes, like I said, we will try to buy every burned down house in the city. You¡¯ll have the chance to rebuild and make a home for yourselves,¡± I iterated for the umpteenth time. ¡°Until then, you¡¯re more than welcome to stay here. It might not be overly comfortable, especially when the monsoons are going to hit, but you¡¯ll be safe and you won¡¯t starve. Also¡­ if you truly want to go back to how things were, you¡¯re more than welcome to return to your masters. I¡¯m not stopping you, I¡¯m simply offering you a chance to live your own life and maybe a little help along the way. I meant what I said. We¡¯re in this together and for better or worse, we need each other.¡± ¡°And how¡¯s that going to turn out for us,¡± a girl close to me inquired. She had already posed some rather dicey questions before and considering her challenging tone, she wasn¡¯t enamoured with me and my proposal. At first she had been nothing but another face in the crowd but now I actually took the time to truly look at her. She was pretty and well dressed, a human girl in her early twenties with long, blonde hair and large, green eyes. She wasn¡¯t overly voluptuous but rather trim and fit, almost like a dancer¡­ or a fighter. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t trust her much. For one, I was still expecting one surprise or the other, courtesy of Asra the trader, I wasn¡¯t going to call him Captain anymore, to bite me in the tails and two¡­ she didn¡¯t fit. She was too self assured, too confident for a slave and her looks simply fit the picture. If she had been bought for the bedroom, she wouldn¡¯t have had shoulders almost as wide as her waist and if she had been used for chores, she wouldn¡¯t have been as immaculately groomed as she appeared. To stick with my favourite Shakespearean quote: something was rotten in the state of Denmark and I had a feeling my new acquaintance was at the centre of it. Maybe she had been planted among the slaves to sow resentment? Possible but shortsighted. Oh well, in a way she was doing me a favour, voicing the doubts, her compatriots were too timid to even acknowledge, out loud. ¡°That¡¯s entirely up to you,¡± I replied and slowly sashayed towards her, catching her gaze with quite a bit more intensity than before. For a few moments it was as if we had been alone amongst the flourishing garden. ¡°But also not really what you want to know, is it? Tell me, what are you afraid of? You¡¯ve already seen the dangers you will face. Hells, you¡¯ve lived through them barely a day ago. Most of you have already lost their home. It¡¯s only a question of how lucky you¡¯re going to get with who will pick you up in the end. If you¡¯re so scared of what a future without chains might bring, why are you even here? It¡¯s almost like¡­ you actually don¡¯t want me, don¡¯t want us, to meddle, even though we can hardly make it any worse for any of you. So tell me, what¡¯s truly going on here?¡± I had reached her by now, but the lure of my voice, bolstered with just the tiniest spark of energy, kept her rooted in place. She didn¡¯t even appear as antagonistic anymore but rather¡­ docile, entranced, her gaze clouded as she looked at me with an almost dreamy smile. The ruckus of so many people, compressed into a tiny space, died down and in the ensuing silence it¡¯d have been possible to hear a pin drop. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Do you even belong here,¡± I added, almost as an afterthought, our faces no more than a handspan apart. She smelled of strawberries and cinnamon underneath a blanket of perfume. ¡°I¡­ no¡­ I was sent here, I was sent to cause as much trouble as I possibly could,¡± she said, her voice muffled as if she was half asleep. ¡°Really now? And by whom?¡± I gently placed my hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not angry, not even surprised, but I¡¯d really like to know whom you¡¯re answering to.¡± A pink tongue darted out from between her full, red lips and I could practically smell her struggling against the urge to tell the truth, to answer my questions without a second thought, while beads of sweat slowly started forming on her brow. She fought for quite a bit longer than I had expected, but finally she answered honestly: ¡°I don¡¯t know his name, but¡­¡± in the middle of her sentence I felt something stir within her, a cruel and all too familiar spark of magic. Without pause I manifested my wings, surprised yelps and gasps greeting the bright display. The sound of ripping silk tore through the silence and a wave of light exploded around us. The ones close by staggered and fell while the rest reeled backwards, the allure of my voice turning into a crushing tide of undiluted power while every single eye in the square landed on me and the raging thunderstorm around us, but I didn¡¯t care. I froze, the thought of what would happen, if I didn¡¯t intervene, rooting me in place. I had seen it much too often and the last time around I had even been cursed. But I had changed since then. With callous disregard for her safety I enveloped her in a cocoon of crystallised light, a hermetic seal that would suppress every single form of magic within. My senses expanded, her slim, all too frail figure vanished behind a glare of silver and there I found it. A tiny ember, a black, frothing thing of dark desires and an inexorable will, a parasite, nestled into her life force and her soul, sucking her dry to fuel its own, twisted purpose. For a moment I faltered, the memories of how many times I had failed when it came to the Emperor¡¯s magic a suffocating pressure on my shoulders but I wasn¡¯t the little girl anymore, who had been forced to run and sacrifice all she had had to even come close to this kind of power. I was so much more, uncounted aeons coursing through my veins, providing me with the knowledge of how to break a puny, mortal curse. ¡°No more,¡± I whispered softly, echoing my words from before, and my core reacted. Guided by my past I carefully dug into her until I could feel the foreign spell under my wings and with nothing more than a wish made real, I turned it into yet another spark amidst an infinite sea. The girl collapsed, the light receded and silence returned. When the slaves around me looked up from the ground, blinking owlishly, all they saw was a beautiful but pale kitsune who had just caught a falling girl in her arms, just before she would have hit the ground. Shit, that hadn¡¯t gone as planned. Not in the slightest. I had always suspected that Amon still had a few pawns in Free Land but I had never dreamt of encountering one the very next day after we had sent him packing. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, now, was it? Knowledge was power and the small bundle of flesh and bones in my arms might have the answers to some of my questions, whether she actually knew them or not. But first, I had to deal with the spreading panic all around me and maybe get rid of most of our uninvited, remote controlled guests. While my theatrics from before might have been more impressive I had still been hovering far above the crowd, almost like a real star. This time around, the outpour of power had happened mere inches away from the closest slaves and they weren¡¯t taking it in stride. Most of them were prostrated on the ground, almost as if they were expecting some kind of punishment to follow. Ingrained habits at their finest and seeing them squirm and inadvertently push their heads against the soft, fragrant grass, unable to even meet my eye or run away, even though they were trembling with suppressed fear, made me feel sick to my stomach. It had never been easy for me to accept even as much as a formal bow, but this was on a completely different level and I had to swallow my first impulse to shout and rage at them, ordering them to stand tall. With a silent curse I looked away, my ears ringing with the much less silent curses, pouring from Pete¡¯s and Madame Sinis¡¯ mouths. Close to me, nothing moved but only a few handful of meters away the braver, or rather less broken, ones of the bunch were scrambling to get some distance between us, their eyes wide with fear. To them it must have seemed like I had simply struck her down with nothing but a few words and they were understandably less than eager to become the next victim of the strange, erratic, magical creature. Unfortunately they didn¡¯t even know which way to turn, since my outburst hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Close by, the air was hissing violently as majestic wings, made of pure fire, manifested and Ahri rushed towards me. She hadn¡¯t seen what had transpired but my actions might have given her a tiny clue as to what was going on. Further away, a golden mountain of scales, teeth and claws was slithering towards us, the earth shaking with each of Viyara¡¯s serpentine movements while silvery and golden flames danced around her opened maw. Aurelia was at her side, her wings unfurled for the first time since the battle we had fought and together with her burning gaze and the long, slick canines that poked through her lips I could quite understand why nobody was overly eager to get in her way. Behind them, the kitsune and dwarven warriors were reaching for their weapons, arcane chants and gravelly orders overlapping in a cacophony of sounds while our trio of elves was standing at Erya¡¯s side, magic dripping from their fingertips. Mordred and my mom were already half way across the lawn, not headed for me but rather for Reia and her friends, their magic already marshalled into a protective formation that was flickering into existence around the kids. And my personal entourage of five highly trained fox kin was charging at me, weapons drawn and spells at the ready. I chuckled ruefully, reigning my own energies back in. When I spoke it was as much for the benefit of my friends as it was to calm down the terrified humans, who were sitting ducks between us. ¡°It¡¯s over, we¡¯re safe.¡± My voice still held a tinge of power but it wasn¡¯t oppressive or even palpable to most but it served nicely to shake the slaves from their stupor and relax my overeager guardians. ¡°At least for now.¡± With at thought I rose into the air again, my wings spread wide while the rush from my core intensified and the timeless cadences in my voice swelled to new heights. My eyes ignited with transcendent fires, the world turned into a mirage of silver and blue while I searched for the remaining sparks of the vile magic I had just absorbed. It was still swirling through me, I hadn¡¯t eradicated it completely, just yet, and with that much of a focus it wasn¡¯t overly difficult to search for similar, related specks of energy. Bit by bit they appeared before my eyes, sixteen distorted dots in an otherwise pristine landscape. ¡°Hear me, what you¡¯ve witnessed wasn¡¯t an accident. The fiend we¡¯ve driven away, we¡¯ve beaten with the sacrifices we¡¯ve made, isn¡¯t yet entirely gone. Some of his soldiers are still living and breathing among us, unseen, unnoticed, even they themselves don¡¯t know whom they¡¯re shackled to. The girl is fine, she¡¯ll wake within the hour, but until then¡­ there is still work to do.¡± I raised my arms and fanned out my tails, sparks of light dancing along my outstretched limbs. Lightning flared and sixteen torrents, sparkling with transcendent forces, thundered from my finger and tail tips. A heartbeat later, sixteen bodies fell to the ground, as if they were puppets whose strings had been cut. I could already feel the rising tide of terror, while everyone around me began to wonder if they would be next. Until a dark, sickly green fog rose from my targets, a disgusting miasma that didn¡¯t leave much room for doubt. But I wasn¡¯t finished, yet. Not even close. 294. Of shortcomings, fears and a little bit of pride Cassandra Pendragon With a thought I commanded the vile, wicked swaths of will and power to rise, to come together in a base, corrupted patch of utter malice. A quick glance at the people below revealed open mouths and wide, glossed over eyes, the strength of my voice, combined with the uncontrolled streams of energy, I had unleashed into the air, enough to render the spectators almost insensible. Oh well, for as long as they were breathing everything was peachy, at least where I was coming from. Also, the ones I truly cared for had already gotten used to the scope of my abilities and were about as hampered as they would have been by a mouse chittering at them. Consequentially the area around my flickering shadow had become sealed off hermetically, a furious angel and an enraged dragoness were more than enough to keep the citizens of Free Land at bay and ensure the meek compliance of everyone around. While Ahri and Viyara, the both of them were privy to my thoughts, after all, did their best to guarantee me a few moments without having to worry about anyone stumbling into my spells and being torn to shreds as a result, the rest of our merry band was encroaching upon the unconscious bodies I had just dropped. On a superficial level their action might have come across as caring, but considering they were surreptitiously pressing a wide variety of cutting implements against exposed necks, that might have been a tad too much credit to their names. Even the Captains Brightblaze and Nightshade had joined in, ordering their men to support us in anyway they could. I didn¡¯t think for a minute they were acting out of loyalty or friendship but the both of them had already understood that I wasn¡¯t easily spooked. With the visible remnants of my actions still eerily dancing through they air, the smell of ozone still heavy around them, they had decided to better be safe than sorry. Her sister whispering in her ear, probably with as much venom as actual arguments, considering what had transpired between them, might also have had something to do with Serena¡¯s decision. Once I had the chance to, I really wanted to have a chat with them, but first, I had a much more pressing matter to attend to. A whispered command marshalled the sparks of my power and they flowed towards me, carrying with them the Emperor¡¯s magic. So far so good, but now I was at a loss. What I held between the tendrils of my magic was a minuscule, detached part of him, one I knew I could use but still I hesitated. In the past I had always acted which, in this instance, would mean trying to build¡­ a bridge, for want of a better word, and while I was decently convinced I could, considering how much knowledge was hovering just behind the flimsy wall of my consciousness, I wasn¡¯t sure. Even if I managed, sending the equivalent of a transcends thunderstorm through the link might have been impressive and probably even devastating for whoever was lurking on the other side, I still had a feeling that Amon would survived. Maybe not unscathed but he wouldn¡¯t be killed that easily and I¡¯d still probably blow up whatever island he was hauled up on. In all honesty, I was well past the point where I¡¯d have mourned the dead, if their sacrifice had allowed me to get rid of the Emperor once and for all, but I just didn¡¯t see it and I wasn¡¯t willing to act¡­ like an immortal again and simply wager uncounted lives on the possibility it might actually work out. Which meant¡­ I¡¯d simply postpone the whole dilemma. I already knew that I wasn¡¯t the most talented when it came to magic and only because I couldn¡¯t come up with a neat solution from the top of my head, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean everybody else would be equally slow witted. Ahri had much more knowledge and probably even a quicker mind when it came to the arcane arts, not to mention my mortal companions. Between Viyara, Mordred, Erya, the elves and the vampires I was decently sure they¡¯d come up with something. As long as I managed to seal and store the¡­ ball of doom. Maybe not the most eloquent description, but it simply fit, in more ways than one. This much I could do. Hopefully. Lost in thought I twiddled the dark, crystalline flask between my fingers, while the heated, almost explosive atmosphere slowly calmed down. Inadvertently I snuggled deeper into Ahri, her warmth a protective blanket, insulating me from the turmoil. Surprisingly, my little stunt hadn¡¯t served to endear me to the spectators and that my friends had bundle and tied up the ones I had apparently smote had done the rest. To sum it up, the veiled gazes thrown our way were much closer to what I had expected in the beginning and the whispers I heard over the rustling leaves, when I concentrated, weren¡¯t much better. Anxiety and fear mixed with the smallest amount of curiosity. Funnily enough, the lure of a free meal still had convinced most to stick around but they were giving us a wide berth, as if we were a leper colony in the middle of their oh so perfect town. Figures. Even though, if I had been willing to get over my darkening mood, I would have been forced to admit that I wouldn¡¯t have reacted any differently. I had already been starved a few times and knew how one¡¯s priorities could change when truly hungry. Still, at the moment I only felt disgusted. I mean, ostracising us for what we were and had done, but at the same time accepting our gifts and relying on our protection, was just hypocritical to a nauseating degree. The thought made me snort derisively since it was also human, oh so very human. Unfortunately most immortals I remembered weren¡¯t any better. Come to think of it, they were even worse. Gods, the older I became, the more trouble I had with taking any of them seriously, be it mortals or immortals. Powerful they might be, in their own right, by they still acted so¡­ childish. And that was already generous, considering how Reia and her friends comported themselves. Most of the time, at least. Still, maybe I shouldn¡¯t judge too harshly. When push came to shove, I wasn¡¯t much better, really. I simply had to remember my adamant stance on settling in Free Land barely 48 hours ago and now I was already prepared to plant the seed and call it a day. I just wasn¡¯t entirely convinced if that proofed I was a moron or rather able to adapt and learn. Oh well, time would tell. I kissed Ahri¡¯s neck and whispered in her ear, entirely oblivious to the conversation she was already having with Erya: ¡°Arthur and his soldiers are doing a fine job, all on their own, and the good Madame has the slaves well in hand. I don¡¯t think my presence is very much appreciated, at the moment. The way they¡¯re looking at me¡­ If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯ll make myself scarce for an hour or two.¡± She closed her eyes and leaned into me. ¡°Where are you going,¡± she wanted to know. ¡°Not far, just somewhere out of sight. There are still a couple of conversations I want to have. Brianna,¡± I began counting off with my fingers, ¡°the Brightblaze sisters, Lyra, Liz, Vanya, Will¡­ I¡¯ll probably take our fey with me, as well. And then there¡¯s also Nightshade and his deity and the two girls from Alassara¡¯s place. Come to think of it, maybe it¡¯s more than just a couple.¡± She chuckled quietly. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°It always is. Just call me if you need me. I¡¯ll stay and keep an eye¡­¡± Erya interrupted her before she could finish: ¡°I¡¯d like to come, too, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I smiled at her and asked: ¡°Afraid I might lead your granddaughter astray?¡± ¡°No, I can mange as much myself,¡± she laughed, ¡°but I¡¯d still like to hear what you¡¯re going to tell them and in contrast to your fianc¨¦e or your noble steed I don¡¯t have a direct link into your mind. Or is it a secret?¡± ¡°No, by all means, join me. Why don¡¯t you wait here? I¡¯ll see whom I can find and talk to Arthur on the way. Make sure the ones I¡¯ve cleansed aren¡¯t treated too badly. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to remember much, but in case they do, I¡¯d rather have them tell us willingly.¡± The fey looked around pointedly and interjected: ¡°Cassy, no one around would dare deny you, whatever you¡¯re asking for. To say it bluntly, you¡¯ve scared them to hell and back and honestly, they aren¡¯t the only ones. When did you learn to use your magic like that?¡± I shrugged, my gaze roaming over the crowd. No one except for my friends could meet my eye, they looked away as soon as they realised where I was staring. Almost like children who didn¡¯t want to be called upon by their teacher. In a way it was funny but also mildly depressing. Somehow I had again become a princess, the insecurity of how to deal with me, fuelled by equal parts of longing and fear, just as palpable as it had been on Boseiju. Great, just frigging great. And I had even truly hoped I had left that particular nonsense behind. ¡°It wasn¡¯t overly complicated. Ever since I¡¯ve returned, I¡¯ve become much better at controlling my innate abilities. Don¡¯t ask me to use any spells, unless you want me to erase the whole town, but as long as I can touch the magic I want to manipulate there isn¡¯t much I can¡¯t do.¡± Her eyes went wide, comprehension slowly dawning on her face. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ the book, you¡¯ve brought from the Emerald Island and the cube you¡¯ve summoned¡­ can¡¯t you¡­?¡± ¡°Use them? Probably. But not right here and now. And there are still some risks. Both have been created by immortals. I¡¯ve already told you what might happen should I go ahead and try to activate the cube¡­ the same holds true for the book. In a way, it doesn¡¯t depend that much on me but rather on what the creators actually wanted to happen. Transcendent magic¡­ it doesn¡¯t play by same rules and I¡¯m not overly confident in my ability to control those forces. Destroy them, maybe, but actually make use of them? It¡¯s still a gamble¡­ a bad one.¡± I was slowly getting to my feet, my tails wrapped around my waist. It didn¡¯t help much but at least I didn¡¯t stick out as much as a two legged peacock anymore. I leaned down and kissed Ahri¡¯s forehead swiftly before I sauntered off towards the impressive silhouette of my dear brother. Over my shoulder I added: ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few. Why don¡¯t you already collect your child and her grumpy guardian?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a reply and made my way through the crowd. Which wasn¡¯t overly complicated, considering they were practically falling over their own feet to get out of my way. I sighed, so much for not sticking out. In a way I truly felt like a leper, people shuffling away from me when I approached, unable to meet my gaze. Even the bustling conversations grew quiet and finally died down while I walked by. The youngsters with families were pulled out of the way and the orphans gave me a wide berth, afraid I might suddenly erupt again in an explosion of light. Yeah, a leper or a cruel queen. Either shoe fit perfectly. At least the similarities made me smile sadly but I was truly looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet and feeling less like a contagious outcast or a wrathful deity. Damn it all, no wonder Lucifer had always tried to keep his distance. If I had taken their behaviour to heart I¡¯d have been fighting back my own tears, right now. Fortunately I had already understood one simple truth: most people changed their attitude and opinions much more regularly than their underwear. Which was appalling enough, in both regards, but at least I could hope to be treated slightly better tomorrow. Unless I managed to provide another otherworldly spectacle. Which wasn¡¯t improbable. Come to think of it, I¡¯d most likely have to get used to it. Either that or I¡¯d have to show them that I wasn¡¯t to be feared. The thought made me snort loudly. I was an immortal, living amongst humans. It would be akin to expecting a mouse not to fear a lion. Sure, usually the mouse wouldn¡¯t be hunted, but if the lion was bored, or angry¡­ what had Ahri sad? To have a place to return to. One where we might even be liked? Fat chance. If my current situation was any form of indication we¡¯d be lucky if we weren¡¯t shunned. But then again¡­ When I looked around, truly looked, I also saw something else. Of course nobody was approaching me, but every once in a while I recognised gratitude in the way a child was shuffling on its feet, unsure whether to run away from or towards me, I perceived curiosity in the sparkling eyes of a few girls who were lingering close by beneath the cherry trees, I became aware of faces I had seen during our last battle, their expressions reflecting more than just appreciation. Maybe it wasn¡¯t as bad as I had thought. Sure, most humans, and the beast kin as well, for that matter, still regarded me as an oversized pariah, but some¡­ some where different. I remembered a conversation Lucifer had once had with Aurora, telling her that a good life could just as easily be measured by the countless enemies we made, as well as the few friends we gained. If you weren¡¯t willing to bow your head, to deny your own convictions, you¡¯d always have more people who feared you, who envied or mistrusted you than you¡¯d have allies, but the few true connections, we could still make, were worth so much more than the superficial opposition we¡¯d run into. It didn¡¯t matter much, either way. I wasn¡¯t going to change and I¡¯d always fight for what I believed in with all I had. If that scared the neighbours, they¡¯d have to deal with it. But maybe, just maybe, I might be able to find a few people around here who weren¡¯t as easily cowed. A real smile tugged on the corners of my mouth this time, when I realised that I had already met more than just a few. Serena Brightblaze was a zealous idiot, but she was also honest and despite her apparent disgust with what I was, what we all were, she hadn¡¯t turned away from us. Her sister had sought me out, knowing full well what I was capable of. Alassara was regularly entrusting her precious daughter to me and mine, no questions asked, almost as if we were¡­ family. Maybe we actually were. And I had to admit, a few friends made up for a whole lot of unpleasantries along the way. I didn¡¯t need the world to love me, I already had an astonishing vixen who kept me more than occupied in that regard, I didn¡¯t even need it to like or appreciate me, as long as I had a few people I could count on and this town had provided amply. With my spirits restored I managed to ignore the more offensive stares and held my head up high, my tails fanned out wide. I closed my eyes and focused on my other senses for a few moments. The verdant, freshly grown grass beneath my boots, the soft caress of the wind, the warm, invigorating sunshine on my skin, the subtle smell of cherry blossoms in the air lightening the heavy, almost aggressive scent wafting around a myriad of sweating, cooped up people and the chittering of a thousand voices, all meshed together into an almost musical cadence, covering the entire garden. It was lively and yet almost serene, the rising and falling sensations a mirror of my own thoughts, torn between weariness and a growing spark of happiness. Until I felt my ears twitch and rotate of their own accord, a high pitched, youthful voice, I¡¯d have recognised anywhere, crying out in anger. ¡°You¡¯ll apologise or I swear, I¡¯m going to make you,¡± Reia exclaimed, her words almost lost in the cacophony of noises, even to me. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try,¡± I heard the sneering reply much more loudly since I had already whirled around. Close to one of the burned out ruins my little sister and Layla were towering protectively over Estrella, who was sobbing on the ground, Archy at her side. In front of them a handful of youthful thugs, around 16 or 17 summers old, were laughing menacingly while their apparent leader was closing in on them. Sparks ignited in my eyes and my world turned silver, once again, while a grim, frothing wave of anger emptied my mind. They wouldn¡¯t touch them. 295. Of lessons, plans and a little punishment Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Trust them, they¡¯ll manage just fine.¡± I hadn¡¯t even seen nor smelled Alassara, seething with anger as I was, until she had timidly placed her small hand on my arm. My head whipped around but she withstood my glare, smiling softly. ¡°Allow them to solve their own disputes. In case they¡¯re going to bite off more than they can chew we can still intervene.¡± With an effort I stopped myself from simply bulldozing past her and breathed in deeply. It didn¡¯t help much, the furious flames in my veins didn¡¯t diminish and my eyes remained locked onto the spectacle, burning with a bright, silver fire. At least I hadn¡¯t unfurled my wings. Yet. Still, I must have looked like retribution incarnate, judging from the distance everyone was keeping and the glaringly anxious, almost frightened glances I received. If it hadn¡¯t been obvious before, it would have been clear as day now that I was feared. It didn¡¯t bother me anymore, though. ¡°Have you been watching all the time,¡± I hissed, my voice barely more than a whisper. I might have inadvertently used more energy than would have been advisable, otherwise. She nodded. ¡°Of course and I¡¯m not the only one. Look, over there.¡± She gesticulated and when I followed the line of her outstretched arm I could just about make out my five guardian kitsune and my brothers,surreptitiously closing in on the group. ¡°They¡¯re as safe as they can be but you won¡¯t do them any favours if you don¡¯t allow them to fight their own battles.¡± I ground my teeth but her words made an uncomfortable amount of sense. Still, I wasn¡¯t overly eager on making my sister¡¯s life more difficult than it already was. On the other hand¡­ the handful of boys didn¡¯t even know what they were getting themselves into. Reia¡¯s magic was well developed and what Layla could do, when cornered, I had already experienced first hand. Come to think of it, I should probably have worried more about them killing the unlucky lot by accident. Served them right, though. I mean, how stupid did you have to be to pick a fight with a vixen after everything that had transpired over the last hour? ¡°So what,¡± I asked, still more aggressively than I meant to sound. ¡°We just watch?¡± She nodded. ¡°Unless they become injured or start ripping throats out we¡¯ll stay where we are.¡± She smiled sheepishly and added: ¡°judging from Mordred¡¯s expression Arthur is telling him pretty much the same thing. He¡¯s grimacing just as beautifully as you. Cassy¡­ it might seem preposterous for me to give you advice, but you¡¯ve never been a parent, have you? And for Reia¡­ you¡¯re more of a mother to her than a sister, even though she¡¯d never admit it. Raising a child is just as much about freedom and allowing them to make mistakes as it is about guidance and protection.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not preposterous,¡± I admitted grudgingly. ¡°And it also seems warranted. I just¡­¡± ¡°You want to keep them safe. Believe me, I understand. I¡¯m a vampire¡­ it¡¯s in my blood to care for my offspring, even the ones I¡¯ve only turned. Still, if I can manage to restrain myself, so will you. It¡¯s most likely going to end with a couple of bleeding noses anyways.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure about that. While we had been talking Reia and Layla had shared a quick glance and a nod. When the fearless leader of the pack had stepped up, smirking like the Grinch on Christmas, my little sister had embarked on a mission to teach him the very same lesson the adults had had to suffer through by my hands. Don¡¯t underestimate the cute vixen. With a gliding step she slipped past his outstretched arms, a flickering green light igniting around her fingertips. The fraction of a second later he was already on the ground, his eyes bulging. Reia was on him within a heartbeat, her mouth drawn into a snarl, her arm wrapped suffocatingly around his neck while her tail snaked around his right leg. I had to channel a bit of energy towards my ears to pick up her next words, but when I did, I had to smile. There was no denying we were related. ¡°A little more pressure here,¡± she tensed slightly, choking him, ¡°and you¡¯re going to blackout in a few seconds. A little more pressure here,¡± I saw her move her tail only a smidgen, but since she had wrapped it twice around his extended knee he still groaned in pain, ¡°and you¡¯ll never walk again. Now, are you going to apologise, pumpkin, or do we have to keep on playing?¡± He was frantically looking for a way out, the realisation that he wouldn¡¯t be able to scamper free with his own strength slowly dawning on his brutish face. When he desperately turned to his companions for help another shock awaited him. They were slowly backing away, white like sheets, while a frail slip of girl was keeping them in check with nothing more than a sweet smile. A smile that revealed long, pointy canines and might have been a bit more sinister than expected, considering her eyes were glowing with a foreboding, red fire. On second thought, it might not have been sweet at all. Rather more in line with the smile a butcher would throw at his most succulent pig while he was already sharpening his favourite knife. Damn, they really didn¡¯t need me. If anything, I had to worry about their assailants making it out in one piece. Alassara whistled through her teeth quietly and murmured: ¡°they¡¯re working together. Maybe we should¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re leaving soon, anyways.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not set in stone, not anymore,¡± I replied without taking my eyes off of the humiliation in progress. ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen to me? And I had thought it would¡¯ve been impossible to ignore me. You know, fireworks, a light show and all of that.¡± She chuckled quietly and finally removed her hand from my arm. ¡°I thought you were just stringing them along, have them cower until the worst of it would have blown over. Are you really going to stay?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Most likely. I won¡¯t be able to be here, all the time, but you¡¯re probably going to have to deal with a new, erratic and impulsive neighbour. Which reminds me¡­ I¡¯d like to purchase this patch of land. I know you haven¡¯t payed much for it, but I¡¯d still like to settle on a reasonable price.¡± Her eyes went wide and she almost spluttered. ¡°Don¡¯t insult me. I always meant to hand it over to you anyways.¡± She thought for a moment, her expression turning into a lopsided grin. ¡°But if you¡¯re really going to stick around I¡¯m not so sure anymore. It would be unbelievably charming for you to call me landlady.¡± I huffed indignantly. ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me. Otherwise I might be forced to have you call me your Highness.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± she laughed, ¡°but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯d drive you up the walls within a day or two. I¡¯ve always wondered¡­ you¡¯re a royal, no, you¡¯re a being above mortal titles and yet respect or admiration make you feel uncomfortable. Why?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t, if they¡¯re earned. I don¡¯t mind being recognised for what I¡¯ve done, but being swooned over for what I am or into which station I¡¯ve been born is¡­ unsavoury. At least to me. If you¡¯re carrying as much baggage from the past with you as I am, being your own person becomes much more important. Just imagine how you¡¯d feel if you were reduced to the heritage your progenitor left behind. Doesn¡¯t seem overly appealing, does it?¡± By now, the big, brutish brigand was kneeling in front of Estrella, stammering through a badly worded and probably entirely insincere apology, but it was enough to assuage the two seething girls who had him and his cronies shit their pants. Metaphorically, at least, literally I wasn¡¯t so sure but I also wasn¡¯t overly keen on finding out. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°No, no it doesn¡¯t,¡± the vampire admitted. ¡°One last thing before we rush over there and pretend like we don¡¯t know what¡¯s been going on: Layla and Reia are getting along splendidly. I don¡¯t know why but my daughter is taking to your people like a fish to water. If you, all of you, are going to stick around I¡¯d like them to¡­ have a chance to become friends.¡± I eyed her dubiously while the two girls in question were high-fiving in the background, laughing openly after the boys, slinking away with their tails between their legs. ¡°Somehow I got a feeling you¡¯re already a tiny bit late. Still, what do you have in mind?¡± As if she and only waited for me to ask, she immediately answered: ¡°They could be taught together. Not necessarily magic, since ours works entirely differently than the magic of the living, but everything else¡­ you probably haven¡¯t had the time, yet, to even think about tutoring the bunch of them¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I have,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to work out like that but most of my friends seem convinced that I¡¯m going to be able to form some kind of portal between the Emerald Island and this place. If that¡¯s the case¡­ they have a pretty amazing academy there, at least as far as I know. I¡¯d like Reia, Archy, Estrella and the rest of the pups to enrol. Would you like to send Layla as well?¡± She hesitated, clearly anxious about her daughter¡¯s nature and what it might mean if she was to live somewhere else. ¡°They won¡¯t be gone for a semester or even a whole day,¡± I quickly amended. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on sending them away. Simply have them attend school in the morning and come back home in the afternoon. What do you think?¡± She smiled shyly. ¡°That would actually be pretty amazing. But I can¡¯t imagine an eleven school would be suitable for a vampire. Our astral bodies are destroyed when we awaken. We can¡¯t use spells or magic, powered by mana. I don¡¯t know if Layla would be able to take much away from the lessons, never mind fit in.¡± ¡°Oh, in that regard I¡¯m not overly worried. Your daughter is a treasure, if she¡¯s not being overwhelmed by her instincts, that is, and I¡­ I¡¯ve given it a bit of thought what I¡¯m actually going to do once I get there. Again, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s going to turn out like that, but I¡¯ve been toying with the idea of becoming a teacher, at least for a little while. I need to learn a few things as well and, at the same time, keep an eye on Zara, the elven girl who summoned me. I¡¯ll also have to somehow get to know the people around her. Becoming a teacher seems like an easy solution. Like I said, it might turn out entirely differently, but if it doesn¡¯t, I could keep an eye on them and make sure Layla stays safe. I could even make sure she gets the education she needs.¡± ¡°A teacher? You,¡± she inquired sceptically, but, before I could even muster a reply, her expression changed from doubtful to intrigued and finally turned into understanding as she added softly: ¡°You¡¯d do that for her? For us?¡± ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t even have to ask,¡± I reassured her with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m offering.¡± I didn¡¯t say another word and simply hugged her before I turned around and headed for the celebrating troupe of troublemakers. They had done well, but I still wanted to know what had happened in the first place. Seriously, who could have been dense enough to pick a fight with them? My own antics aside, they still had the very same ears and tails as the soldiers, keeping the grownups in check, and the undersized brigands had decided to try and bully them? Moronic hardly began to cover it. They wouldn¡¯t become much older, if they hadn¡¯t learned their lesson today. I gesticulated towards my private army, wordlessly asking them to keep an eye on the most recent winners of the Darwin awards, before I crossed the remaining distance with a few steps. By now Reia was trying to console Estrella, pretty effectively, I might add, since the girl was already smiling again, while Layla helped Archy off the ground. The flustered boy was blushing again, unable to look the vampire princess in the eye. I shook my head exasperatedly, wondering when he¡¯d finally grow up, and hugged my sister tightly. She squealed beautifully, caught entirely off guard. She even tied to break my hold and struggle out of my grip, before she realised who I was. ¡°Have you been hiding close by,¡± she accused me, once she had regained her breath. I shrugged noncommittally. ¡°Not really, I haven¡¯t been hiding, that is. But I must say, I¡¯m pretty impressed. Not only did you stand up for your friend, you also managed to get out of it without a scratch and the ones you sent packing aren¡¯t that much worse for wear, either. Maybe I really have to start listening to your advice. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have done have as well as you.¡± She laughed openly and tried to flick my ears but I was still taller and quite a bit faster than her. When I caught her wrists, she pouted: ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have had the guts to act like they did, if you had been around.¡± Her tail drooped and she added subduedly: ¡°I hate being a child. No one takes you seriously. Well, no one I¡¯m not related to,¡± she quickly amended when I cocked an eyebrow and released her hands. ¡°What happened, anyways,¡± I asked while I allowed Estrella to get a hold of my tails, she still hadn¡¯t tired of that particular game, and breathed a kiss against her forehead. With another hug for Layla I straightened and waited for her reply. Archy would have to be content with the smile I gave him. The poor boy would probably exploded, anyways, in case I showed the same amount of affection towards him. ¡°I don¡¯t think they even realised what we were until it was too late,¡± Reia replied with a smug grin. ¡°And by then, their pride wouldn¡¯t allow them to back out. They insulted Estri. The usual stuff¡­ nothing too bad, but when she didn¡¯t react they pushed her¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not quite how I remember it,¡± Layla chimed in, but before she could go on, my little sister glared at her rather nastily. Unfortunately, the little vampire was about as easily intimidated as her mom. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call them all of sorts of names before they actually pushed Estrella? Almost as if you wanted them to do something stupid?¡± I had to bite back my laughter. As little as I appreciated her antics, and I was decently convinced Layla was telling the truth, I would have done the exact same thing, if I had been in her shoes. Except¡­ I probably wouldn¡¯t have let them go without a few broken ribs or a dislodged shoulder. Reia lowered her head defeatedly and asked subduedly: ¡°are you mad?¡± I probably should have told her that provoking anyone wasn¡¯t what she was supposed to do, considering who she was and what might be waiting for her, somewhere down the line, but I just didn¡¯t have it in me. Instead I allowed my laughter to bubble forth freely and tousled her hair: ¡°mad? No. But I take back everything I¡¯ve said about listening to you. You¡¯re just as bad as me¡­¡± I turned towards Layla and asked her pointedly, while I pinched my sister¡¯s side: ¡°is there anything else she¡¯s forgot to mention? A corpse you¡¯ve buried, for example?¡± ¡°Nothing quite as sinister,¡± the blonde girl chuckled merrily, while she was walking towards her mother, who had appeared behind me, arms spread wide. ¡°But she has promised to find them again, should they ever so much as look at another kitsune the wrong way. Don¡¯t worry, though, I would have done the same. They weren¡¯t very nice people, were they? And her promises aren¡¯t as binding as yours, at least I hope so.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on it,¡± I replied gloomily. ¡°As stubborn as she is, they might as well be. All right. Seeing as I can¡¯t leave you alone for more than few minutes, you¡¯ll have to come with me. It¡¯ll probably be for the best anyways, if you¡¯re out of sight for a while.¡± ¡°And where are we going,¡± my sister wanted to know. ¡°Oh, since you¡¯re already well versed in protecting your people, you¡¯ll have to get used to the more boring aspects of being a princess. We¡¯re going to talk to people. For quite a while.¡± 296. Of new arrivals, similarities and a little bit of relatives Cassandra Pendragon I was distracted, even though the conversation was anything but boring. Still¡­ something felt strange. I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it, but every time I sent a trickle of power rushing through my body, a familiar but yet alien, maybe forgotten would have been the better description, sensation tickled the back of my mind and I just couldn¡¯t figure out what the hells was going on. We, that is my sister, her friends, Alassara, our three fey and elves, the Brightblaze sisters, Captain Nightshade, Vanya, Will and Liz, were seated in the deep shade, provided by one of the cherry trees, the farthest away form the centre of the square. Brianna had still been wholly occupied with her friends and the two girls, I had saved during the raid on Alassara¡¯s place, had been deeply engrossed in a conversation with a handful of others. Long story short, I hadn¡¯t planned on forcefully dragging them away. After the first awkward round of hesitant introductions, we had pretty quickly managed to get to the more juicy topics, namely our plans for the immediate future. Since most of them hinged somewhat on my participation, I had already been talking for quite a while¡­ which made my lack of concentration all the more embarrassing. By now, I could hardly focus on my words anymore, my eyes darting back and forth, my ears and tails quivering. Consequentially I wasn¡¯t surprised when Reia gently touched one of my tails and whispered: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Still torn between whatever was bugging me and the need to answer somewhat coherently I hesitantly replied: ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s¡­¡± I included everyone with a quick gesture. ¡°Do me a favour and focus for a moment. Does any one of you sense anything¡­ strange?¡± The humans among us looked at each other dubiously, apparently at a loss, but the rest did as I had asked. Unfortunately my troubles were rewarded by nothing but noncommittal shrugs and questioning glances. Alassara even said: ¡°I hear and smell people, trees, quite a few animals, the magic of your people, a bit of blood from one scuffle or the other, unwashed bodies¡­ but that¡¯s about it. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­,¡± even while I was struggling to form the words for my reply, it suddenly clicked. I knew the feeling because I was dispelling an illusion. Someone out there was trying to hide with magic and I had automatically protected myself. Distraction and curiosity immediately turned into weariness and I slowly got to my feet, my eyes shimmering much more pronouncedly. The rather amicable chittering ended in a nervous silence, the ones who knew me well enough tensed up while the rest grew even more confused. Faintly I heard Erya explain that I was most likely using my powers to search for whatever had caught my attention but I didn¡¯t really listen. Instead, I took a few steps to the right to get the cherry trunk out of my line of sight and scanned the crowd, my magic swelling in my veins with every heartbeat. I wasn¡¯t scared but an illusion, strong enough to make me use a noticeable amount of energy, wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. There weren¡¯t that many mages powerful enough for this kind of stunt and I was decently convinced I had made friends with all of them around here, except for one. And since I had already ousted Amon¡¯s puppets, the emperor probably wasn¡¯t the culprit. Who, then? A dragon? I had never asked Viyara what her grandfather had said, but I just couldn¡¯t imagine that one of them had already arrived, even if they had immediately agreed. A powerful fey? Maybe one of Erya¡¯s children? Seemed equally unlikely. As far as I knew they were busy up north and there wasn¡¯t even a portal to their realm close by. My eyes travelled from left to right and I breathed in deeply again, but just like Alassara I couldn¡¯t smell anything out of the ordinary. I couldn¡¯t even see anything overly strange. Sure, kitsune mingling with humans and other beats kin was a bit odd and a fairy-like garden, filled with cherry trees where palm and citrus trees should¡¯ve grown, wasn¡¯t an everyday occurrence, nor were the brigands populating it, but that was my fault. What I wasn¡¯t responsible for, though, was amicably conversing with Sylvia, close to the pond, while I was, at the same time, staring at myself, my jaw slowly dropping to the ground. I blinked but the scene didn¡¯t change, not much at least. True, on second glance I realised it wasn¡¯t me, big surprise, but someone who looked uncannily similar. She was about my height, had the same, raven black hair with silver streaks and an almost identical figure. Her face was slightly different, she looked older, somewhere in her thirties, her eyes were a bit smaller and grey instead of silver, her nose was a tiny bit longer and ever so slightly crooked, as if it had been broken and healed sloppily, and her lips were narrower, which gave her a more strict, distant air. But the overall form, her fur colour, her tails... By the Great Fox! Whoever that girl was, she had eight silvery tails and they looked just like mine! Flowing silver, the only difference were their glittering golden tips. And the small fact that she had eight of them! And nobody cared? I blinked again and swallowed audibly. The illusion¡­ somehow I would have bet most of my worldly possessions, which had become much more numerous in the last few weeks, that I was the only one who could actually see her for what she was. Ahri probably could, as well, but she would have to focus. Hard. And there was no reason to, was there? After all, she was just another elderly, human woman, the flickering outline of the phantasmal body had appeared before my eyes, once I had actually looked for it, who was genuinely friendly towards my people. One of the few, I might add. Most still treated us either with fear or, at the very least, mistrust. Why ever would she scrutinise the gentle granny? I whistled through my teeth and whispered: ¡°I¡¯ll be damned¡­ would you look at that? That plait really looks good on her¡­.¡± With a self deprecating grin I said over my shoulder: ¡°pray, give me a few moments. I¡¯ll soon be back.¡± More sharply I added: ¡°Reia, you¡¯ll stay here. Don¡¯t follow me.¡± Quickly and quietly I made my way over, ignoring the indignant protests behind me, while my mind was scrambling for an explanation. I came up with quite a few, one more outlandish than the next, ranging from conspiracies to long lost relatives, but guessing was ultimately futile. I¡¯d have to ask her, resolutely but most nicely of course. Unless she wasn¡¯t willing to talk. Then we would have to have a different kind of conversation. It¡¯d probably be for the best to hope she wouldn¡¯t share my character traits, as well. Otherwise I¡¯d soon provide Free Land with the next intimidating spectacle and that would most likely turn out to be more than the town could handle. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t quite keep my approach a secret, people rushing out of my way, like ripples in a pond, made it rather obvious, which prompted Sylvia and the¡­ not so elderly lady to turn around. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Cassy, we¡¯ve just been talking about you,¡± my brother¡¯s wife greeted me with real warmth. ¡°Have you, now,¡± I mumbled distractedly while I crossed the last few metres, my eyes glued to my counterfeit twin. Up close it was slightly better, but her appearance still made my fur stand on edge. Still, I forced my lips into a bright smile and said: ¡°pray tell, how badly have you exaggerated?¡± I turned towards the ominous imposter, looking for a reaction, and added: ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m not half as dangerous or temperamental as I¡¯m made out to be.¡± I inclined my head ever so slightly. ¡°I simply protect what I cherish and I¡¯ve developed quite the dislike for being manipulated.¡± Sylvia was showing the same expression as the people I had left behind, which is to say a mixture of exasperation and befuddlement, but the one I was taking to smiled, the illusion perfectly mimicking the movement underneath. ¡°I see,¡± she croaked in her old lady¡¯s voice. Another spell. ¡°But that¡¯s understandable. I try to do the same, unfortunately I haven¡¯t been around my family for quite a while. Quite a long while.¡± ¡°Quite a long while,¡± I mused. ¡°Decades?¡± More quietly I asked: ¡°or even longer?¡± ¡°What,¡± Sylvia spluttered. ¡°Cassandra, what are you¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t quite follow her words, as the angel and dragoness on my shoulder picked that precise moment to make themselves known. They had probably already felt my rising anxiety but when I had come face to face with my veiled twin, the spike of uncertainty would have been pretty hard to ignore. ¡°Cassy, what¡­,¡± ¡°who¡¯s¡­,¡± I could feel them brushing through my memories like a soft breeze, their incredulity rising with every glimpse they got. ¡°I haven¡¯t got the foggiest,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I do intend to find you who she is, one way or the other.¡± ¡°No need to become overly dramatic,¡± Ahri replied distractedly, most of her attention still focused on the image of the beautiful vixen, sluggishly floating through my thoughts. ¡°I think I know who she is, even though I haven¡¯t met her, yet, and neither have you. Do you want me to ask your mom? She¡¯ll know for sure.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can¡­¡± follow, I meant to say, but the scenes in Ahri¡¯s mind cut me off. She was rushing through the royal wing back on Boseiju, the tattered remains of a dress I had managed to ¡°improve¡± sadly dangling from her arm. She was taking the stairs, three at a time, but she still manage to cast a sideway glance at the statues of our deceased ancestors, her eyes quickly roving over my grandfather and the empty pedestal at his side, where his wife should have been depicted. Except¡­ the woman was still alive, for all we knew, even though she hadn¡¯t been seen for over two centuries. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be¡­ do you really think,¡± I stammered, which was pretty impressive, considering we were talking telepathically. ¡°Who else could it be? I¡¯ve heard your parents say more than once that you look like her, even though you were hardly more than a toddler, back then¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we include Helena? If I¡¯m right, she¡¯d want to know and if I¡¯m not, she has to.¡± ¡°Talk to her, but make sure my brothers don¡¯t overhear. She¡¯s got eight tails. If this goes south, I don¡¯t want anyone but us and my mom to be involved.¡± I could practically see her nod. ¡°Probably for the best. If her magic is strong enough to trigger yours¡­ what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Keep her occupied. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan on starting a fight.¡± ¡°You rarely do, but yet¡­ fine, try to get her away from Sylvia, depending on how your conversation goes, I imagine we don¡¯t want anyone close by.¡± ¡°While you fetch my mom, could you, Viyara, make sure that my sister doesn¡¯t get any stupid ideas? She¡¯s still where I left her with the others. Just tell them I¡¯ll be gone for a few more minutes. Shouldn¡¯t come as much of a surprise to most of them.¡± ¡°And if they want to know why,¡± the dragoness inquired sceptically. ¡°Invent something, anything, really, but I¡¯ve got to go. Judging from the looks they¡¯re throwing my way I¡¯ve been quiet for too long already. See you soon. And keep the connection open.¡± Reaffirming thoughts fluttered through my mind before their presence drifted away until it was nothing more than the ghost of an idea, somewhere close to the edge of my consciousness. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said out loud with a pinched smile. ¡°I became distracted¡­ and I didn¡¯t mean to sound cryptic, I was just taken aback by your friend¡¯s appearance, is all.¡± ¡°Her appearance,¡± Sylvia echoed, still trying to make sense of my behaviour. The veiled kitsune raised a hand, her benign smile transforming into something more¡­ complex. I was decently convinced she knew I could see her for what she really was, if the curious glimmer in her stormy eyes was any indication, but for the time being she still played along. Her raspy, hoarse voice made her chuckle sound more like grinding rocks when she turned to face me fully. ¡°Surprised a human can become as old as me and still walk without a cane? Sometimes there¡¯s more than meets the eye, isn¡¯t there? And you don¡¯t have to worry¡­,¡± she paused, eyeing me strangely before she added: ¡°the fantastic tales your sister in law told me haven¡¯t painted you as anything but a true treasure¡­ someone I¡¯d be proud to call granddaughter.¡± By now Sylvia was utterly confused, her eyes darting form her to me while her mouth worked silently. I shrugged and chose to ignore her entirely. One, I was still a tiny bit miffed, when I thought back on how she had greeted me the first time we had met, and two¡­ what was I supposed to say? That old crone is, in actuality, an eight tailed vixen you couldn¡¯t possibly hope to match in terms of strength and probably your grandmother in law? Somehow I didn¡¯t see the appeal¡­ instead I stuck out my hand and offered it to my¡­ grandma? Well, it was either that or she was some kind of genius imposter. Which I didn¡¯t think likely. I mean, I had taken her for my twin when I had spotted her from afar. Speaking of familial resemblance, it didn¡¯t get more glaring than that. My smile widening I said: ¡°you¡¯ve probably already heard, but I¡¯m Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± She took my hand without a second¡¯s hesitation and I could feel the illusion melt away around my fingers until her smooth skin brushed against mine. ¡°Likewise. Say, would you mind sacrificing a bit of your time to speak with an old woman?¡± Mimicking the reaction perfectly, her eyes suddenly went wide as she turned on the spot and added timidly in Sylvia¡¯s direction: ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but after everything you¡¯ve already told me¡­¡± The blue furred vixen only shrugged, still trying to make heads or tails of the unfolding play. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from giggling. One thing I already knew, the both of us shared a common sense of humour, at the very least. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± the elderly woman exclaimed with quite the surprising amount of energy and joy. She grabbed Sylvia¡¯s limp hand and shook it enthusiastically before she retook mine with astonishing strength. I allowed her to lead me away like a child while I casted an apologetic glance over my shoulder but my dear sister in law was much to occupied to even see it. She stared after us with an almost vacant expression on her face and this time, I couldn¡¯t stifle my laughter. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± My companion¡¯s voice had changed. It had become softer, silkier¡­ entirely unbefitting of her hunched over posture and tottering steps. ¡°Nothing much, really, but you have to admit, the whole situation is comical, especially since I¡¯m probably the only one who can see whom Sylvia has been talking to.¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°But yet, you didn¡¯t tell her. I wonder why¡­¡± ¡°I thought you might have a reason for your secrecy. Also¡­ I¡¯m still trying to figure out if you¡¯re friend or foe. In case of the latter, I thought it would be much easier if I simply had to tell everyone you vanished back to where you came from instead of explaining what happened to the eight tailed kitsune. Which begs the question¡­ are you a foe?¡± I felt her fingers tense around mine. ¡°I guess that depends on the answers to some of my questions. And while I can already tell you that I don¡¯t appreciate being threatened, I¡¯m not stupid enough to take it personally. Still¡­ this I might take personally. I want to know what happened to my son, your father.¡± 297. Of grievances, fate and a little duty Cassandra Pendragon ¡°That¡¯s a long story,¡± I sighed morosely, the memories of Boseiju¡¯s fiery end rising from the depths like a pale, living nightmare¡­ and with them came a wave of anger, ¡°and not a happy one. I also won¡¯t tell, not right now. You have a right to know¡­ but I don¡¯t care. Where have you been? Why is this the first time I¡¯m ever laying my eyes on you? Do we matter so little to our own elders?¡± I felt her miss a step, the accusation in my voice as cold as ice. Her reply, though, was calm. ¡°Careful, Cassandra. I¡¯m not only an elder but also a grieving mother. Don¡¯t make the same mistake you always chastise others for. You know little of me, even less than I know of you.¡± ¡°And whose fault is that,¡± I hissed. ¡°You might have gathered a few glimpses of what I am, while you rummaged through Sylvia¡¯s mind, but, Lady Pendragon, you haven¡¯t even scratched the surface. Excuse me for being blunt, but all I see is a stranger, wearing my fur. A stranger who wasn¡¯t there when our world burned to the ground. If you are here to find an outlet for your guilt and look for someone to punish, I¡¯m more than willing to lead you to the next mirror and leave you there.¡± My voice hadn¡¯t risen but it didn¡¯t matter, the foreboding resonance behind my words had made her flinch, as if she had been whipped. ¡°Why have you come,¡± I added quietly. I felt her anger stir through her tightening grip, her self loathing in her halting steps and her insecurity in her short, trembling breaths, but again she managed to remain civil and even chuckle softly. ¡°I¡¯d warn you not to overestimate the bond between us, but you¡¯ve already made it plenty clear that you neither fear nor respect me. Maybe you don¡¯t need to. Fine, I¡¯ll answer your questions but in return, I want you to answer mine. You wanted to know why I¡¯m here? I¡¯m trying to fill a hole that¡¯s been growing in my chest ever since I¡¯ve left and I¡¯m trying to somehow stop my heart from bleeding out, the wounds I sustained when I saw what has become of my¡­ of our home are just as real to me as they are to you. I might have left, but I¡¯ve never turned my back on our people.¡± ¡°And protected us from afar,¡± I scoffed. To my surprise, she inclined her head. ¡°Indeed, but if you want to know why and how, you owe me an answer, beforehand. How did my son die?¡± I halted and felt a tug on my hand when the elderly woman stumbled. I closed my eyes and swallowed my first reply, while I tried to place myself in her shoes. I wasn¡¯t the only one who had been hurt. Through clenched teeth but with a bit more warmth I said: ¡°The same way he lived. Protecting our tribe with everything he had¡­ what little we¡¯ve left we owe to the dead, to the ones who have given everything they had and more. But¡­ that¡¯s not really what you want to know, is it? I¡¯ve seen Sylvia¡¯s eyes¡­ you know everything she does, you¡¯ve wrung her dry, and I¡¯ve heard you well enough, from the very beginning. You might take my answers personally? You want to know if it is my fault, don¡¯t you?¡± For the first time she turned around, the illusion flaking away form her eyes while our gazes met. Sparks ignited in the air between us as she whispered: ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I stated simply. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been born, you would have met your son again, a king with a crown and a country. If it hadn¡¯t been for me, our people would have been safe. That¡¯s my burden to carry and it weighs just as heavily as yours. Why did you leave us?¡± A myriad of emotions shimmered through the cracking mask she wore. Anger, pity, understanding, pain¡­ and longing. ¡°Because I had to, otherwise Boseiju would have burned in dragon¡¯s fire, long before you were even born.¡± The golden tips on her tails! Did she¡­ before my eyes the illusion melted away entirely, leaving behind the very same old woman, but this time, she was real, real enough that not even I could have seen through her. She truly had changed, just like Reia had when she had turned into an eagle, but it didn¡¯t stop there. Another layer of magic poured from her, hiding her from everyone but me, and underneath, her feline grace turned into raging strength as scales appeared along her body, a golden fire igniting within her stormy eyes. For the fraction of a second I saw the outline of an imposing dragoness, much larger than Shafeer had ever been, before it drifted away again, like a hazy dream when the sun rose in the east. ¡°Because our family has more enemies than you know, Cassandra, and I never meant for my children, my grandchildren to suffer for what they are. So I left, convinced that no one would bother looking for us, if I wasn¡¯t there. Apparently I¡¯ve been mistaken. What are you?¡± I smiled coyly, two could play that game. My wings manifested and my eyes lit up like stars, the glaring burst of light enough to make everyone around avert their gaze and stumble away, everyone but her. My voice turned into the soft whispers of eternity as I stated: ¡°more. I am your granddaughter, Cassandra Pendragon, but I¡¯m also a creature much older than the dragons we call our ancestors. Oh yes, I know who and what we are¡­ look.¡± While I had been busy showing off, a golden monstrosity had taken to the sky, her shadow blocking out the sun. ¡°We¡¯ve lost much but we¡¯ve also gained a few things in return. We haven¡¯t been broken, we haven¡¯t fallen into despair and we will survive, we will rebuild. Which makes me wonder¡­ where will you be, this time around?¡± She stared into my eyes, her mouth open in a silent exclamation. A second passed, then another and when the people around us were already wondering what insanity would befall them next, she smiled. While the winds of Viyara¡¯s passage already tousled our hair, her stern expression melted and I felt her other hand gently enfold mine. Years of hardship seemingly left her features and she exhaled deeply. Without the stern pull on her lips and the tension around her jaw she truly looked like my mortal twin, even though I could already smell a rising tide of molten gold. ¡°Where I should have been from the start¡­ with my family. I regret so many things, but some I can still make up for. Hello Cassandra, I¡¯m Sera, your grandmother.¡± Before I could react she let go of my hand only to envelop me in a heartfelt hug. ¡°I¡¯m so very sorry that it has taken death and despair for us to finally meet, but seeing you, seeing all of you before me¡­ it almost makes it worth it. I¡¯ve missed my family and I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know you. That is¡­ if you¡¯ll have me.¡± I hesitated, but there really wasn¡¯t much of a choice, was there? While Viyara landed close by, scaring away the last, lingering humans, I returned the hug and replied, with only a slight tremor in my voice: ¡°Of course¡­ hello Sera, or should I rather call you granny?¡± ¡°Not if you want to become much older,¡± she mumbled chokingly, her arms tightening around my neck. ¡°By the Great Fox, I never expected to¡­¡± she shook her head, her fluffy ears brushing against my skin. With a suppressed sob she disentangled herself from me and held me at arm¡¯s length, scrutinising my face with an almost intimidating intensity. And then she laughed, a melodious, hopeful sound, like the first rain in spring. ¡°Gods, I don¡¯t mean to sound conceited, but you truly are a sight for sore eyes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard it often enough, but I can¡¯t even remember when last I saw someone as beautiful as you. And I¡¯ve grown up with quite a few mirrors around.¡± She wiped her eyes energetically and forced a more cheerful expression on her face. ¡°I still have so many questions, but they can wait. Except for one¡­ where is the rest of my family?¡± Chuckling softly, I placed my hands on her shoulders and said: Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°They¡¯re coming and there might be a few more of them than you expect. The flying furnace over there, for example, is something like your great granddaughter,¡± she seemed surprised but didn¡¯t interrupted me. Quickly I added: ¡°and¡­ Arthur has married, you already know, but so have I, or at least I¡¯m going to.¡± Ahri had been listening in the whole time and was now slowly making her way towards us, my mom at her side. I gesticulated in their direction and said: ¡°that¡¯s her and the creature with even more tails than you is my mom, your daughter in law.¡± Her eyes went wide as she looked towards their approaching figures. ¡°By the gods, how much have I missed,¡± she whispered shakily. Much more chipper she added: ¡°I still have to congratulate you¡­ she is astonishing. Are the two of you¡­?¡± ¡°Of the same race,¡± I completed her question through a growing smile. ¡°In more ways than one. To satisfy your curiosity: we are angels, reborn in the skin of two kitsune. Now, I know that¡¯s not an explanation, but there are more important matters to attend to, aren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Indeed there are¡­¡± She lowered herself to the ground, her constructed body vanished entirely and she spread her arms wide, her tails and ears quivering. For the fraction of a second I was confused but when my mom turned into a silver lighting bolt and the two of them fell into an embrace, like mother and daughter, reunited after years apart, I had to blink rapidly, the palpable joy radiating off my mom more than enough to bring tears to my eyes. She deserved it. This and so much more. I could only hope she wouldn¡¯t be disappointment, one way or the other. Of course I didn¡¯t get a chance to join my family when they retreated into one of the burned out ruins, unwilling to have anyone close by as they sat down for, what I expected to be, a long overdue talk about the past and the present. As curious and, in all honesty, entitled as I felt to being a part of their reunion, there was simply too much I had to deal with. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t even postpone most of it. After my boastful proclamations I had to deliver and in essence that meant I had to make sure around 500 slaves, minus the craziest ones who actually wanted to return to their masters, would have a place to sleep, once the sun was going to set, and a chance to fill their bellies, once it was going to rise again. And preferably not stab one another or someone else in the meantime. Getting them to listen hadn¡¯t been overly challenging, hardly surprising after my numerous and intimidating outbursts, but actually organising the lot of them¡­ I had thought providing enough food for the town¡¯s little get together had been a chore, but let me tell you, trying to provide accommodations for people too shy to speak their mind while a veritable flood of curious strangers were bustling around us, eager to listen in without incurring my wrath, was something else. Luckily I wasn¡¯t alone. In the beginning I had thought Alassara would prove to be my biggest boon but in reality it was the good Madame Sinis and her girls who gave the whole endeavour a chance to succeed. Them and the smelly, underfed, grumpy and slightly miffed pirates, whom the dwarfs had finally released form the brig. In all honesty, I hadn¡¯t even thought of them for quite a while but when Clovis, the seasoned veteran who had surrendered to us, walked up to me, grimacing like a noblewoman in the sewers, I was more than glad to see him. Truth be told, if Ahri hadn¡¯t stayed by my side through it all, I would already have lost my mind at that point. ¡°One of the short, hairy monsters told us to go looking for you,¡± he rumbled without preamble or a handshake. ¡°Not that we¡¯ve seen much of you lot, lately, but considering how we¡¯ve met, I assume we should be thankful that you didn¡¯t leave us to starve. So¡­ we¡¯ve been brought up to speed, already. What can we do to help?¡± I eyed him shyly, torn between a bad conscience and quite a bit of relief at the sight of the stringy haired seaman. Fortunately I didn¡¯t have to puzzle over whether or not to apologise, his brusque manner and the chaotic noise around us rendered any form of lengthy conversation mute and judging from his the devil may care attitude, it wouldn¡¯t have been welcome, either way. ¡°Several things, actually,¡± I replied and inadvertently leaned into Ahri, the smell of pine trees taking the edge off the olfactory assault I was subjected to. And I didn¡¯t only mean my newest partners in crime. I had been suffering quietly ever since the garden had begun to fill up. The aroma of cherry trees and fresh herbs could only cover up that much. Not to mention the damned noise. Hopefully the elves would turn out to be quieter and more appreciative of regular baths. ¡°For now, we¡¯ve to make sure everyone will have a place to sleep, come nightfall, and something more to eat than a few cherries in the morning. Look, over there, the girls you see, who are talking to the slaves, they¡¯re trying to get them to move out of the way and prepare spots for the night. Some of the dwarfs are out and about, buying every piece of bread and every bottle of ale they can get their hands on while the ones you see in the crowd are trying to clear the area. Sooner or later we¡¯ll have to get them all together again, but it¡¯s been more than enough for a day and everything else can wait until the morrow. Take your pick. You¡¯ll probably be the most useful helping the girls out, but if you prefer to go with the dwarfs or even join Alassara, the tall blonde over there, be my guest. She¡¯s talking to Nightshade and Brightblaze, trying to convince them to help us organise a different form of leadership¡­ you know, scratch that. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much you could do to help her.¡± He slowly spun on the spot, taking in the chaotic scene. With a gruff nod he whirled around and said over his shoulder: ¡°we¡¯ll stick with the girls. They seem like they could use someone to hand out a few clouts when it becomes necessary. Something comes up, just cry out for us. Even though¡­ if you¡¯re in over your head we probably won¡¯t be of much use.¡± With his last, ominous words still lingering in the air he marched off. I stared after him and sighed. ¡°Did I bite off more than I can chew,¡± I mumbled without expecting a reply but Ahri still answered with a soft chuckle: ¡°Which part exactly? Freeing an enslaved army, turning Free Land into a magical city, usurping the Captains, finding a way to keep Amon out of everybody¡¯s minds, trying to lay the groundwork for the election of a mayor, reconnecting with your grandma or integrating the feared and almost forgotten vampires, who¡¯ll probably turn the most renowned brothel in the city into a monastery or a mercenary guild, into human society? Or is it the mere fact that you only have two, maybe three days left, if we¡¯re being generous? I¡¯m not entirely sure what your referring to, darling.¡± I felt a frown form on my face, but then I joined in her mirth and added, with a self deprecating grin: ¡°All of the above¡­ also, don¡¯t forget the promise¡­ or rather assurance I gave to Will, Vanya and our fey. I¡¯ll have to make time for them tomorrow. And then, there¡¯s also Reia and her friends, whom we should at least talk to, if we don¡¯t find the time to train them, the veritable mountain of memory crystals I need to go through and the long overdue conversation I, or rather we, need to have with our elves, considering we¡¯ll be in their capital in less than 96 hours. Oh¡­ it would probably also be advisable to have Alassara show us the portals, she and her brother mentioned multiple times, and figure out how close to the Emerald Island they can actually get us. I¡¯d rather not appear in a locked cellar, stark naked, if past experiences are anything to go by. And then there¡¯s the whole trifle with Pete and his band of brigands. But that¡¯s about it. Oh, wait, we also have to collect our armours, sooner rather than later. They should be finished by now, shouldn¡¯t they?¡± She shook her magnificent head and kissed my forehead, still smiling brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll also want you to make some time for me, every night¡­ it¡¯s a good thing you don¡¯t need to sleep, anymore. I can¡¯t imagine how you¡¯re going to pull through, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a way.¡± She closed her eyes coquettishly and added sweetly: ¡°do wake me when you¡¯re done, will you?¡± 298. Of sacrifices, pride and a little bit of acceptance Sera Pendragon I wasn¡¯t young or inexperienced, by any stretch of the imagination, but the last half hour¡­ or rather the last few weeks, if I wasn¡¯t being honest, had been much more taxing than I would have thought possible. It had begun on a mountain top, far to the north, a lonely, barren place where the light of the stars and the howling winds were the only distractions, a place I had grown quite fond of in the 200 years since I had left my home. Also¡­ ever since I had added my own decorations, the heads of two dragons, a Blue and a Red, who had stumble across me and the secrets of my family, I had always felt confident that no one on the side of my scaled relatives would ever dare disturb the peace. Surprising, really, that the presence of a winged, golden serpent, measuring over 100 metres from snout to tail hadn¡¯t been enough. I had been resting, or maybe dreaming. Once we reached a certain size, dragons either had to spent most of their time hunting and gobbling up everything they could get their talons on, or they had to sleep, our flames reduced to a smouldering spark buried deep within. It wasn¡¯t hibernation or even real sleep, our minds remained active and our senses and magic still allowed us to perceive our surroundings, but our metabolism slowed down enough for us to sustain our bodies with a single hunt for a few years. As to why I even spent most of my time in my golden hide when I could have circumvented most of the drawbacks by changing into my original skin or even another humanoid creature¡­ I simply liked it. When I had first stumbled across my ability to change, I would never have dreamed of one day turning into a dragoness, but after years of playing around with the magic, I had, by happenstance, transformed for the first time. And even though it had spelled the end of my life on Boseiju, it had still felt right¡­ like coming home after a long and arduous journey. As content as I had always been with my tails, once I had grown wings and fangs, long enough to give most whales nightmares, I had spent most of my time in my draconic form. Being able to flatten hills and crush mountains with nothing but my strength was an added bonus. As were the golden, scintillating flames I could produce and the astonishing amount of magic I commanded. Still, for years and years I had felt¡­ hollow. The love and longing for my home, my child, my family had slowly chipped away at my conviction to never return, to keep them safe. Another reason why I mostly appeared as a dragoness. During my slumber, the memories of what I had given up mixed freely with the impressions my senses provided and from time to time it almost felt like I was back home, surrounded by the fox like figures I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to forget. And then, during one of my extensive naps, my world had shattered as the enchantments I had left behind had activated. I hadn¡¯t been able to make heads or tails of what little I had been able to see, the thunderstorm of power and hatred that had consumed our island had blown away my feeble spells in an instant, but what little I had been able to understand had set my blood ablaze with rage while an icy dagger of fear had pierced my heart. Death and destruction, fire and flame had devoured what I had tried to protect and I hadn¡¯t even known how many of my descendants, if any at all, had made it out. Like an enraged star, I had taken off from my lonely mountain, leaving being nothing but molten rock and burned bones, and thundered south, the urge to extract bloody, raw revenge just as strong within me as the need to make sure my line hadn¡¯t been extinguished. Th following days had been filled with despair and hope in equal measure as I had made my way towards Boseiju, a barren island, covered in glass, as if to immortalise the mocking reminder of what verdant life could turn into in the blink of an eye, and rushed after the specks of energy, I had still felt, just beyond the horizon. If they had belonged to my child or my grandchildren I hadn¡¯t been able to tell, but I had been sure that there was still something left, that there was still someone alive, and, for the life of me, I had sworn that I¡¯d find them, one way or the other. Which had turned out¡­ not quite as I had expected. From the ravaged lair of another dragon to an ancient fortress, ground to dust, I had rushed after them, always too slow, always a step behind, but while I had been fretting over their safety, I had also realised that I hadn¡¯t been chasing after battered and bruised refugees. The traces of their magic, I had encountered once in a while, had been humbling. I hadn¡¯t known how anyone of my tribe could have commanded forces that would have made me shiver and choke, but somehow the bloodied, defiant troupe had run into one hazardous encounter after the next and still manage to stay alive. More than that, in all honesty. They had grown and once I had finally seen a new island on the horizon, the cutting, overwhelming taste I had come to associate with their magic already covering the town like a suffocating blanket, I had found out just how much¡­ at the hands of my very own granddaughter. As embarrassing as it had been, when I had finally come face to face with the child, who should have still been crying over stolen candy or her chores, I had felt tiny, for the first time in ages. I had known who she was ever since I had laid my eyes on her, our resemblance too much to ignore, but I had also understood one simple truth: whatever I had seen in Sylvia¡¯s mind, whatever fanciful conjectures I had come up with, they had not even been close to the truth. Before me a creature had stood, to whom a dragon meant about as much as a mouse would mean to a lion. And she hadn¡¯t been brimming with joy at my appearance, either. Luckily Cassandra had been much too busy to spend more time with me, which had given me a a chance to figure out how to actually deal with her later. Less lucky, this also meant I was, by now, standing alone in a burned out room, facing a silent wall of unspoken accusations from a myriad of people, most of which I had never seen in my entire life. Well, I say people, but in reality it was closer to a magical menagerie, ranging from a true and tried nine tailed vixen, the only one of them who had known me before I had left, to a shape changing dragoness, a girl without any ties to our line but who had still joined us as if it had been the most natural thing in the word. Truth be told, I was rather convinced that she was more welcome to my own flesh and blood than I was. At least the rest of my family looked more or less like I had pictured them, with a few exceptions. Namely their decisively uncaring reaction when they found out that one of their ancestors was actually a living, breathing dragoness who could turn into any creature she so desired. Underwhelming, for sure, but when they told me that their youngest, Reia, had already stumbled through her first transformation at the tender age of twelve, it had made a bit more sense. The fact that Viyara, the dragoness, had shared some of the myths surrounding the Pendragons might also have played a role. As well as her heritage. Still, instead of explaining what I was and reassuring them that I meant no harm I rather felt like the strange, slightly crazy aunt, who had finally returned from her stint in prison. And now everybody was trying to figure out how to deal with me. At least Helena had welcomed me with open arms but the rest of them¡­ retrospectively, Cassandra¡¯s greeting might not have been as cold and detached as I had first thought. Well, she still was the only one who had threatened me openly, but that could also simply have been her temper and her apparent disregard for decorum, something I could sympathise with wholeheartedly. Or the fact that the others weren¡¯t all too eager to pull my strings while she wasn¡¯t around. Considering my granddaughter had been a child until a few weeks prior, a tidbit of information I had gained when I had rummaged through Sylvia¡¯s mind, they surely held her abilities in high regard. But then again, so did I and I had only met her for barely a minute. Frankly, looking into her eyes and hearing her voice had been more than enough. Our family seriously seemed to be cursed¡­ or blessed, depending on your point of view. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°That¡¯s an awful lot to take in, even for us,¡± Mordred, my younger grandson, spoke pensively into the lingering silence, which had slowly crept through the room after I had told my story. A brief summary, at least. ¡°And as far as I¡¯m concerned, I do believe you. There isn¡¯t much that would still surprise me, when it comes to our family, but¡­ Gods,¡± he shuffled nervously, trying to catch his mother¡¯s eye, ¡°our mother is the only one who has ever seen you before today and I just¡­ forgive me, but I can¡¯t simply pretend like you¡¯re some long lost relative I¡¯ve been dying to meet. In all honesty, I haven¡¯t thought about you for years before you tumbled, or rather barged, into our life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°We might share blood but I¡¯m still a stranger¡­ wearing Cassandra¡¯s fur,¡± I added with a crooked smile, echoing her words from before. ¡°Some of it, at least. I don¡¯t expect you to embrace me as your grandmother or even as a friend¡­ for now, there is one simply truth you¡¯ve got to wrap your heads around. Despite your own abilities you¡¯re still stuck deep inside the rabbit hole and I can help you out, in more ways than one. I¡¯m strong, I¡¯m old, I¡¯m wily and I¡¯m prepared to finally do what I should have done centuries ago. Stand by your side with everything I¡¯ve got.¡± With a meaningful glance in Viyara¡¯s direction I added: ¡°considering you¡¯re already dead set on playing with dragons, our heritage and an ancient, cruel sorcerer there isn¡¯t much to lose but an awful lot to gain. Who knows, in time, we might even be able to get to know each other and finally become what I¡¯ve always dreamt of: a family. Make no mistake, to me, the lot of you already are but I fully understand that you can¡¯t see me in the same light. I¡¯d like the chance to change that, though. And honestly¡­ what¡¯s the downside? If I¡¯m not egregiously mistaken, your sister can take me down with nothing but a whispered command¡­ you don¡¯t have to fear me but you could gain an awful lot if you were willing to¡­ let me in.¡± He massaged the bridge of his nose, clearly thinking about what I had said, but before he could muster a reply, his brother, Arthur, said firmly: ¡°That¡¯s not his decision to make and¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not yours, either,¡± Viyara interrupted him softly, her eyes shimmering with golden sparks, even in her elven form. The more I got to know her, the more I understood why she was here. ¡°Whose, then,¡± the uncrowned king of our people demanded to know. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It¡¯s Cassy¡¯s strength that allows us to even talk to her as equals. Consequentially it¡¯s also her decision and she¡¯s already stated what she wants, hasn¡¯t she? For me, that¡¯s enough. It should be the same for you.¡± With a bright, genuine smile she took a few steps in my direction, hand extended. ¡°I, for one, am truly happy for the chance to meet you. There¡¯s so much I¡¯d like to know, especially when it comes to dragons and your past with them. I wasn¡¯t born a Pendragon and I¡¯m mostly here because of what I am,¡± her serpentine form shimmered through her aura, ¡°but I¡¯d still like to learn from you and get to know you¡­ just as if I had been.¡± I returned the smile but instead of shaking I pulled her into a tight hug and deliberately ignored her surprised hiss. ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± I said, the tremor in my voice almost imperceivable. ¡°Cassandra even introduced you as something like my great granddaughter. Care to elaborate on that particular story?¡± She chuckled quietly, genuine happiness mixed with a tinge of disappointment reverberating through her mirth. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but it definitely seemed like she had hoped for something else. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you weren¡¯t supposed to tell me that,¡± she finally explained. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡± She cocked an eyebrow and turned towards Helena. ¡°How do you think she¡¯d react, if I were to suddenly call her mom?¡± The silver vixen winked at her and I felt a stream of thoughts pass between them. I didn¡¯t pry, though. I wasn¡¯t even sure I could have, in case I had truly tried. A soft touch distracted me. Reia had approached us, her expression stuck rather funnily somewhere between glee, curiosity and reverence. At least one of them took my eight tails seriously. Which suited me just fine, I had had to work my ass off to get them, after all. I presented her with a, what I hoped to be, reassuring smile but she didn¡¯t need more encouragement and immediately babbled away: ¡°you said you can change, just like me? Can you show me? Can I also turn into a dragon? Can we also become really small, like a flea, or even smaller? I tried but I can¡¯t get my mass to change much, I¡¯m always stuck with something¡­,¡± while she chattered on, Arthur¡¯s expression was darkening by the second. For a moment I was puzzled, until I went through Sylvia¡¯s memories again. Right. No one had told them what our bloodline actually was. They didn¡¯t know and the boy was adding two and two together mentally. Probably figuring out what the dragoness was actually doing here, along the way. Hurray¡­ While Viyara was disentangling herself from me, I had already slung one of my tails around the small vixen and pulled her closer. I had hoped to shut her up but, to my chagrin, she took being wrapped up in the tails of an enigmatic, powerful, dark haired kitsune entirely in stride. I didn¡¯t have to puzzle over this, though. Dealing with people was decidedly easier when they weren¡¯t already used to a prettier and even more mysterious version of myself. Damn it, what in the hells even was an angel? In all my years I had never heard a whispered rumour, not even a half forgotten legend. And something like her wouldn¡¯t have stayed a secret, if anyone had known. Sighing, I pushed the thought away and steeled myself for another explanation. This time concerning the birds and the bees and how we had come to exist. What little I knew, anyways, and however much Viyara could add. Admitting that I had killed the only two dragons, to whom I had ever spoken about what I was, would probably go over amazingly well, too. And that I had never formed anything comparable to an alliance with another fire breather. It had simply been too risky. Telling them that I had mainly lazed around for years on end, at least in comparison to what I could have done if I hadn¡¯t been too scared, while they had been fighting, suffering and bleeding for our people wasn¡¯t likely to ingratiate myself with them, either. Still, it wouldn¡¯t become any easier if I hesitated and they had to know. Our past wasn¡¯t as much of a danger anymore and considering what my family had been up to, their hidden abilities might even save their lives, somewhere down the line. I covered Reia¡¯s mouth with my hand, effectively stopping the outpour of words while her eyes became wide as saucers, but I simply tightened my tails around her and began to explain. Haltingly at first I rushed through the few facts I had cobbled together and the veritable mountain of conjectures I had added over the years. Once or twice Viyara chimed in, reaffirming some of my suspicions and flat out denying others. What remained, in the end, was a rather simple summary. We were descendants of a powerful draconic bloodline, that had once, for all intent and purposes, ruled over dragons. And while most of our people had been growing ever closer to the forms we had taken on to hide, our family still retained most of its powers. Powers that could be awakened, either by accident or on purpose. What I didn¡¯t know though, and neither did Viyara, for that matter, was why we had even decided to become something else, all those years ago, and why the truth behind our lineage had been forgotten or maybe even sealed. ¡°I think I can answer that,¡± a new voice cut in. Scales immediately erupted along my arms and the room shrank until I could feel cold stone press against my hide, but I didn¡¯t care. All I cared for was the large, talking raven who stared at me mockingly from the destroyed, blackened rafters. 299. Of family, history and a little death Ancalagon III. Ascension¡­ a dream and a curse, like most ideas which managed to develop a life of their own. Just like our lives could engender legends and factually immortalise us and our deeds, an idea could survive, evolve, until it became more¡­ a belief, a conviction, sometimes even faith. And while that usually wasn¡¯t a problem, the minuscule spark of immortality, we still carried within us, unbeknownst to most, turned the whole endeavour into something akin to plunging head first into a dying star. Should our far distant relatives ever find out that we were still alive, the millennia my grandfather, my father and I had spent fighting would have been for naught. We would burn, consumed in transcendent flames that would ravage this part of the galaxy only to ensure our destruction. Immortals¡­ immortals and their gods damned pride. If only¡­ ¡°My decision is final,¡± the words seem to come from everywhere at once while my magic took hold of the cave and shook small rivers of dust from the holes and crevices. ¡°One day, you will understand. The trust, no, the beliefs of our people, as flattering as they might be, are dangerous. More dangerous than you could ever imagine. You¡¯ve been born on this world, Kayla, you¡¯ve never seen what lurks beyond the stars. It¡¯s not worth it. And don¡¯t think, even for a second, that the power we would gain could protect us. Nothing can, except ignorance. Our cousins were right. Don¡¯t you remember what the matriarch of the Arete¡¯s told you? No amount of power, whether it stems from a single planet or a whole universe, could protect us from them. They¡¯re¡­ unfathomable, petty and their memories cover all of time and space. I can¡¯t¡­ we can¡¯t risk them ever finding us.¡± ¡°But,¡± my daughter tried to intervene, her golden scales glowing with barely suppressed anger. ¡°No,¡± I thundered, my outburst shaking the whole mountain range. If it haven¡¯t been for a hastily erected barrier, the ancient, unyielding walls surrounding us would have crumbled to dust. Much more calmly I continued: ¡°I¡¯ve met him. The being my aunt became a part of. Trust me, little one, that¡¯s a game we cannot win. Nobody can. If we continue like this, our essence will ascend, we will become a part of this world, our magic merging with its nature, and the immortals will know. There will be nothing left to mourn for, not even memories, only ashes will remain. I won¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯m old¡­ far older than you can imagine. I¡¯ve lived a good life, I¡¯ve loved and I¡¯ve hated and I was blessed enough to see my daughter grow into the magnificent creature you are. It has been plenty and I don¡¯t begrudge the universe its share, if it¡¯ll keep you and the rest of our family safe. It is my time and I will let go. It¡¯s up to you, now, to make sure we have a chance to live.¡± She stared at me, anger and sorrow warring behind her eyes until she finally breathed: ¡°I can¡¯t, I simply can¡¯t¡­ I still need you.¡± I sighed. She didn¡¯t, but the pain was real, never the less. I felt it, as well. I didn¡¯t want to leave her, but there was no other way. Just like Aurora had promised our cousins, Lucifer had guaranteed our safety. If we managed to remain hidden. They would forget, he had said, and they wouldn¡¯t look for us, but should we ever give them a reason to¡­ For uncounted years we had lived like nomads, never staying for long, always running, but we couldn¡¯t, not anymore. We needed a place where we belonged or we¡¯d wither and vanish, just like a plant without its roots. It was a part of who we were. We needed to belong, to have a home. Freedom only mattered when you could forge your own chains, otherwise it became meaningless, worthless¡­ irrelevant. Just like we would. And for that to never happen¡­ we needed to become less. Less powerful, less imposing¡­ less likely to change our home through our mere presence. It had taken barely 1000 years and the dragons of this world already hailed us as their masters, their magic, paired with their unwavering conviction, almost enough to make us ascend, to make us become gods, a beacon for angels and demons alike. It had to stop but the hunger of the magic I was going to use to conceal us, to make us appear like our cousins and hide the burning spark of corrupted transcendence within us, would devour me whole. I was neither immortal nor god but I still meant to change the world and that came at a price. In this case everything I had. My life¡­ and probably my soul. Well, that wasn¡¯t true. I still had her. My child. Our future. The last direct descendant of Ancalagon, the dragon born from stolen immortality, whose daughter, my aunt, became a minuscule part of the very creature who had threatened heaven and hell for us to live. She had given up everything¡­ everything and more. How could I hesitate to do the same? I exhaled deeply, golden light flowed from beneath my ebony scales and from one moment to the next I had turned into a humanoid fox with pitch black fur, the only race of beast kin which hadn¡¯t already sprung forth from our magic and the only one that wouldn¡¯t be associated with us. Turning into a pure blooded human never even crossed my mind. Not after I had spent the better part of my life running from omnipotent creatures who looked just like them, when they didn¡¯t show their wings or crowns. At least I had never heard of an immortal who had come from the beast races. Somehow they all ended up rather similar. An otherworldly expression of what mortals could never become. Beauty and power cast into a perfect, human shape. Maybe it was because humans made up most of the races and peoples, maybe it was for another reason entirely, but there had never been a winged slime or a crowned dragon, for all I knew. I took a step towards her and wrapped her up in my arms, even while the last embers of her magic still danced across her newly formed body. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, too,¡± I said quietly, the tremors, running along her limbs, mirrored in my quivering voice. ¡°No matter how long we live, in the end the few years we¡¯re allowed to spend with our family are gone like leaves in the wind. Cherish each moment, Kayla, live each day to its fullest. That¡¯s all the advice you¡¯re ever going to need. I know you¡¯ll make me proud. Now, enough of the tears. Show me a smile and bid me goodbye. For all we know, this might very well not be the last time we¡¯re going to meet. We live long lives and the universe is full of wonders. Who knows¡­ maybe we¡¯ll see each other again. In this life or the next. And if not¡­ know this: I always have and I always will love you. You¡¯re not alone, Kayla Pendragon. Should you ever doubt it, look up at the stars. You will see me there.¡± I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent, her whispered ¡°I love you, too¡± the last sound to ever reach me before my body became insubstantial and the world was swallowed by darkness. Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Would you look at that,¡± I mumbled to myself, unable to suppress a smirk while red, hot blood was still dripping sadly from the mutilated corpse in front of me. Asra hadn¡¯t made it far, all things considered. Barely two hours after I had humiliated him and shattered his hold on his slaves, he had been gutted like a fish. Well, maybe less professionally but what the two girls had lacked in skill they had made up for with enthusiasm. It was just a damn shame that they hadn¡¯t run. If nobody had seen them, this would have been just another unfortunate accident, one most of Free Land would have found amusing, but as it stood, I was faced with a rather pretty dilemma. Making up a half decent excuse while Asra¡¯s mercenaries were breathing down my neck, clamouring for revenge. Usually I would have told them to stick their complaints where the sun don¡¯t shine and maybe added a threat or two for good measure to make sure they wouldn¡¯t try and extract a pound of flesh themselves but considering I was trying to get the whole town to listen to reason instead of strength, that probably wouldn¡¯t fly. Well, it most likely would, most people still couldn¡¯t meet my eye, after all, but I¡¯d have an even greater mess on my hands, come tomorrow. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Groaning like an old woman I straightened and allowed my glowing gaze to roam freely over the two culprits, or vigilantes, depending on your point of few. Unsurprisingly, those were the same two girls he had brought along to the harbour, the same two who had been forced to suffer his dishonouring, dehumanising advances for years on end and now they had taken their dues, had quite literally cut them out of his still breathing body. They even seemed satisfied, detached, as if whatever was going to happen now couldn¡¯t hurt them, towering above their kill proudly, like bloodied deities of vengeance, gracing the world with their presence for a single night. Another irony. Whatever we could possibly do to them would pale in comparison to what they had called their life and they knew it. Not that I would allow any more harm to befall them, but judging from the prowling pack around me, they couldn¡¯t know that. It mostly looked and sounded like they¡¯d be hanged within the hour. Hanged and abused for a deed I couldn¡¯t find fault with. ¡°No,¡± I finally stated, the first word I had spoken in several minutes. Silence settled over the restless crowd, the ones who had come to satisfy their curiosity eager to hear the announcement of the next spectacle they could drool over while the ones who had still some sort of misplaced loyalty left for the former Captain were waiting on tenterhooks to have their thirst for misguided retribution satisfied. My smirk widened when I thought about how utterly disappointed they¡¯d be. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before¡­ whoever dares to yank another chain in this city to serve their own interests will answer to me.¡± The setting sun peeked through the narrow alley behind me and painted my silhouette in burning red. ¡°I wasn¡¯t here to make my words come true but I can still ensure that those who believed me won¡¯t suffer for their actions. Let me make it simple.¡± I spun around, my back turned on the two girls while my wings whispered into existence and my tails fanned out. ¡°To get to them, you¡¯ll have to go through me. They didn¡¯t commit murder, they butchered an animal and as far as I¡¯m concerned, that¡¯s not a crime.¡± Most shuffled on their feet self consciously but some didn¡¯t appreciate my words. The disembodied reply was proof enough: ¡°So¡­ instead of seven Captains we now cower before a single vixen? Doesn¡¯t seem like much of a change to me.¡± My lopsided smirk turned into an honest smile. ¡°Take it whichever way you want to. I don¡¯t really care. If you think stopping you from raping and killing those two is the same as casting them in chains and abusing them for years on ended, only because it¡¯s possible, be my guest. Just¡­ don¡¯t expect me to listen. Or rather¡­ pray that I won¡¯t. Otherwise you might find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation. But you know as much, already, don¡¯t you? Did you really think I couldn¡¯t smell you, I couldn¡¯t see you hiding?¡± I pointed at a well dressed, middle aged woman, probably a merchant. ¡°Why don¡¯t you step up and tell them exactly what you mean? I¡¯m sure their answer will be as polite as mine.¡± She gasped in shock and fear as almost every eye landed on her, most of them filled with much less compassion than they had shown, when they had first seen the two girls and their kill. As satisfying as it was to see a spark of decency ignite here and there, the stubborn crone had already tipped me over the edge. I had been tired and frustrated before, now I was angry. ¡°What¡¯s it going to be,¡± I asked mockingly. ¡°Not prepared to run your mouth without the safety of anonymity? That¡¯s pretty pathetic¡­ but then again, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± An idea had suddenly struck me and while it definitely posed a risk, the rewards might just be worth it. ¡°Fine,¡± I continued, my eyes darting back and forth among the 50 or so people who had come to gawk. ¡°Each one of you who thinks they should be punished, raise your hand. If it¡¯s more than half, I¡¯ll take the two of them with me and leave¡­ for good. I won¡¯t bother bleeding for a city which doesn¡¯t even have the will to fight when it¡¯s necessary. And what they did was necessary. For them, as well as for all of those who would have been unlucky enough to meet the bastard somewhere down the line. Come on then, this has always been about power, hasn¡¯t it, who wields it and what to do with it. I¡¯m returning it to you. Make me leave, if that¡¯s what you truly want.¡± ¡°Cassy¡­,¡± Ahri made herself known in my thoughts but I silenced her quickly. Unbelievably as it was, I actually knew what I was doing. I hadn¡¯t stared at them for nothing. If I wasn¡¯t as sorely mistaken as the short sighted idiot who had proclaimed the world was flat for the first time, they wouldn¡¯t turn on me. The infuriating hag, though, might be less lucky. Indeed, the last words had barely left my mouth when movement spread through the assembled people. Their heads turned towards the woman in a single wave of angry glares and some took a step in her direction, the willingness to settle the matter less¡­ communicatively palpable in every line of their rigid bodies. I took a step backwards and whispered: ¡°leave, now. Come find me in a few hours, I¡¯ll be in the garden. Don¡¯t let anyone see you until then.¡± They heeded my advice, judging from the quiet rustling of soft boots on cobbled stones behind me. To ensure they¡¯d have a few seconds, I sent a trickle of energy towards my wings and rose into the air on a shimmering wave of light, entirely obscuring the view of what was going on behind the scintillating curtain. ¡°Well,¡± I continued amicable, the cruel fire in my eyes putting the lie to my jovial tone, ¡°it truly seems like your friends have spoken. That¡¯s a pity¡­ now, run. Should I ever see you again, once the sun has set, I¡¯ll personally fly you to the cliffs and throw you over. And make no mistake, my memory is good and I now have your scent. You have until night fall, afterwards I¡¯ll be on your trail like a bloodhound¡­ unless you¡¯re gone from this town.¡± She tuned white like a parchment, her legs trembling but she remained rooted in place. Until I glided closer, my wings raised like a forest of glowing spears. She broke, she broke and she ran, leaving behind a wet, disgusting trail. ¡°Courage really is a lost virtue,¡± I scoffed while I landed, my wings still obscuring the alley. The girls would be gone, I fervently hoped. Telepathically I added: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? We might even be liked around here.¡± ¡°I¡­you¡­ sometimes, you¡¯re just as infuriating as the woman you¡¯ve just exiled,¡± my angel complained, although without much fire. ¡°Not bad,¡± she admitted grudgingly. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that there are only 50 of them around you.¡± I chuckled merrily. ¡°Oh, right you are, but they¡¯re the most inquisitive and curious of the bunch, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have been here. Trust me, what has happened and what they¡¯ve decided to do will become known before the night has run its course. I¡¯m even convinced that we¡¯ll soon have quite a few approach us, maybe even today. Those who can sympathise with what Asra¡¯s slaves had to go through won¡¯t fear us anymore. They¡¯ll come, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± She hesitated before she said: ¡°Are you willing to bet on that?¡± ¡°Whatever or however much you like, darling. But don¡¯t pout if¡­ when you¡¯re going to lose.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Winner gets to decide the other¡¯s clothing for a month. All of it. In public¡­ and private.¡± Shit, unless I¡¯d make her walk around naked, which I wouldn¡¯t, she hadn¡¯t much to fear. Me, on the other hand¡­ ¡°Fine,¡± I sent before my feet could get any colder. ¡°Until sunrise.¡± ¡°Oh no, you said today. Midnight, sweetheart. And the two you¡¯ve just rescued don¡¯t count. I¡¯ll play fair, though, and refrain from walking around behind you all the time, wings unfurled. But I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t set my hair ablaze, once in a while. You know how emotional I can be.¡± 300. Of chores, familiarity and a little education Cassandra Pendragon I actually felt much more agitated with my pants and shirts on the line than I had ever expected to. And that was only on the surface. Depending on how the next hours were going to go, I might just find out how much effort had gone into developing sophisticated lingerie on this little world of ours. Gods, she¡¯d probably even take me shopping to add insult to injury. In a town filled with prostitutes and, until recently, pleasure slaves, mind you. Me and my damned oversized mouth. Luckily it wasn¡¯t midnight, just yet, but the sun had set quite a while ago and while I hadn¡¯t spent much more time with the late Captain, it still felt like an hour or several had passed unnoticed. I hadn¡¯t bothered with his corpse, the vultures, bipedal and flying ones, would take care of the problem without my intervention but still¡­ There was just too much happening, most of which wouldn¡¯t make for a thrilling tale but I had to run hither and to, breaking up minor scuffles between the former slaves, convincing Asra¡¯s minions to count their blessings and rob his place, instead of causing even more trouble, making sure no one entered or rather fell into the pond and exchange a few hurried words with the handful of people I cared about, whenever I stumble over them. And then, there was also my family, of course. At first I had been pretty glad that they hadn¡¯t needed me, but once they had emerged from the ruin they had retreated to and started avoiding me like the plague, I had become suspicious. It didn¡¯t take much to figure out that they had stumbled across something tied to me or my past, but, truth be told, I was just as prepared to leave it for the morrow as they were. Otherwise I might have taken a peek at Viyara¡¯s memories since the dragoness had never bothered severing the link between us. Which probably meant she actually wanted me to, but I had no intention of sticking my head into yet another rabbit hole. Tomorrow, or maybe even the day after¡­ Petty complaints aside, for the moment, at least, I didn¡¯t have much to gripe about. Most of the crowd had returned home, except for the slaves, of course, and I was enjoying a few minutes of tranquility, far enough away from the makeshift camp, that had started forming around the trees, to ignore the noise and the smell. I wasn¡¯t alone, far from it, but the company I was keeping was actually making me feel much more at ease, even though they could be quite¡­ boisterous, from time to time. Ahri, of course, hadn¡¯t left my side but when we had finally settled down for a cup of tea on the banks of the pond, our friends had appeared out of the darkness, one by one. My mom and granny, I thought with a smile, had been the first, followed by Mordred and Reia. Soon Archy and Estrella had found their missing leader and since Layla had been with them, her mother hadn¡¯t been far behind. Those four would have been enough to shatter the peace, but they were soon joined by Pete¡¯s family and the ensuing, joyful laughter, as the kids had begun playing around and in the scintillating waters had drawn Aspera, Astra and Lyra in. Barely five minutes later our trio of fey had appeared as well, with Liz, Vanya and Will tagging along. Like I said, I wasn¡¯t alone, by any stretch of the imagination. Only the dwarfs hadn¡¯t joined us but judging from the gravelly voices, floating around a campfire not too far away, and the impressive number of casks, haphazardly placed around it, they were having their own private get together. With the former pirates, no less. Viyara and Aurelia were also missing but judging from the few glimpses I gained, whenever I focused on the dragoness, they were obviously quite happy to have a bit of time to themselves and wouldn¡¯t join us, any time soon. Oh my, she truly had grown up fast. ¡°With the whole lot of them around I stand about as much chance of winning our bet as a pig stands of learning how to fly,¡± I complained whisper quiet to Ahri. Her tails snaked round my waist and her ears tickled my cheek as she leaned her head against my shoulder, the light of the stars reflected in her mesmerising eyes. With a content sigh she extended her long legs. ¡°I¡¯d love to say I told you so, but¡­ look, over there, behind the closest tree. Can you see them? It¡¯s only a question of time before they find the courage to come closer. As much as I¡¯d like to make you wear dresses for a few weeks, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve much to fear. I must admit, I forgot about those two.¡± I curiously followed her line of sight and immediately saw what she had hinted at. Beneath the blossom laden branches two girls were shuffling on their feet, almost hidden behind the mighty trunk. For the fraction of a second I puzzled over their identities until a warm gust of wind carried their scent over to us. They were the two barmaids who had survived the massacre at Alassara¡¯s place. ¡°Do you admit your loss, then,¡± I asked teasingly and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°Not quite,¡± she chuckled, her gaze raised to the sky. ¡°It¡¯s an hour to midnight, maybe a little less. Chances are they¡¯ll still be struggling whether to come over or not when the time¡¯s up. And you going over there won¡¯t count. You¡¯re not out of the woods, yet.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you particularly care about losing, only winning. How come?¡± She wriggled around in my embrace and kissed my cheek. ¡°What are you going to make me do? Unless you expect me to walk around in a gambeson in the sweltering heat, there really isn¡¯t much that would make me uncomfortable. And I somehow don¡¯t see you buying a chastity belt, either,¡± she added with a laugh. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t already have one? I¡¯m royalty, after all.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ unfortunately I know your wardrobe much more intimately than you do. I was your maid, after all. I have to admit, though, if you still had all your clothes from back then, you might manage to make me blush. Unfortunately you don¡¯t and I know you¡¯re much too self conscious and much too much of a prude to buy anything truly spicy. A shame, really, since I won¡¯t have the same problem, if the two over there don¡¯t find their spines within the next hour.¡± ¡°What about calling out or waving them over, would that count?¡± She puffed up her cheeks. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it would. But by all means, go ahead. I already have my eyes on a short and slinky summer dress I¡¯ve seen the last time we were in town. Provided the shop still stands, that is. A month is a long time, though. I can¡¯t wait until we get to the Emerald Island.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe they¡¯ll approach us, do you? Not anymore, at least. Why?¡± ¡°Listen. You can hear their heartbeat, if you concentrate. They¡¯re much too nervous, at least for now. Let¡¯s see how long it¡¯s going to take them to get over it. Time¡¯s ticking, after all.¡± I did as she had said and focused on my hearing. For a moment, the sensations were almost deafening, the distant flapping of wings a thundering drumbeat, the quiet scurrying off tiny feet in the grass a concert I could have danced to, but quickly enough I managed to focus on the explosive, roaring staccato their hearts thundered in their chests. I couldn¡¯t listen for long, though, since the impact of a giant, falling close by, nearly ruptured my eardrums. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I hissed and pressed my hands against my ears, blinking away the stinging tears. A moment later I relaxed. It was no giant, but rather a lithe and dark haired kitsune. Her smile, though, wouldn¡¯t have been out of place on a true monster, when it spotted its succulent pray hiding in the dark. ¡°Sera,¡± I grumbled, while the pain in my head slowly abated. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡¯ ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± she chuckled. ¡°I just thought you two could do with a reminder of how acute my hearing is. Really, Cassandra? A prude? At least in that regard we aren¡¯t very similar.¡± Damn it! The second conversation I was ever having with my grandmother and I was blushing from head to toe within a second. To make matters worse, she wasn¡¯t even finished. With a coquettish grin she turned to the petrified vixen in my arms and added: ¡°if you want me to give her some pointers, just say the word. Looks aren¡¯t everything, after all, not even in the bedroom.¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± At least Ahri was looking almost as embarrassed as I felt but she managed to regain her composure quickly enough. No idea where she had learned that trick but from one heartbeat to the next the colour vanished from her cheeks and she even smiled slyly. ¡°Oh, I think you misunderstood. When we¡¯re alone she doesn¡¯t lack imagination, nor confidence. It¡¯s just¡­ look at her, now. She has been parading around in front of our friends, butt naked, often enough, but she still acts her age, whenever anyone else is around.¡± Before I could muster any form of protest she kissed me passionately and added: ¡°not that I¡¯d want her to change. I think it¡¯s rather adorable.¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± I spluttered, ¡°I¡¯m right here! If the two of you want to bind over pillow talk, please do so when I¡¯m not around. I know I¡¯m an immortal, but you still might just make my heart stop.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Sera said while she moved her tails into a more comfortable position and leaned back. ¡°I think I see what you mean. Really, there isn¡¯t much either of you could tell me that I haven¡¯t tried¡­ although, I¡¯ve never really been that interested in women.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t need to hear that,¡± I exclaimed exasperatedly. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else we can talk about? Please?¡± ¡°Sure and you¡¯ve already mentioned it. I¡¯d really like to know what exactly an immortal is, who you are, aside from my granddaughter and granddaughter in law, and why I¡¯ve never even heard of creatures like you. If that¡¯s nothing you want to share, we can, of course, always return to the topic at hand. Whichever you prefer, honey.¡± ¡°Heavens, no,¡¯¡¯ I quickly stated. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know, but please, let¡¯s never again talk about the birds and the bees.¡± She laughed throatily. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Well, then¡­I¡¯m all ears.¡± I looked at Ahri, her expression mirroring mine, safe my still scarlet colouration. Had the old bat just tricked me? Probably. Not that it mattered. I had never planned on keeping her in the dark. Besides¡­ the way I was flaunting my powers, pretty much everyone and their trusted pets could have figured out that I wasn¡¯t your run of the mill kitsune, by now. Again, not that it mattered, much, considering we were most likely going to settle down in Free Land, but I¡¯d have to be careful, once we reached the Emerald Island. ¡°Ask away, then,¡± I mumbled defeatedly. ¡°What exactly would you like to know?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± came the immediate reply. ¡°But for now¡­ how much control do you have?¡± And there she went, surprising me again. Wily, clever¡­ she really was more than just a pretty face. ¡°That¡¯s not easy to answer,¡± I explained haltingly. ¡°I¡¯m no danger to myself or others, neither of us is, our abilities don¡¯t suddenly manifest. But¡­ both of us are still unbelievably far away from what are going to become, from maturity. From what I¡¯ve heard, this usually takes hundreds of years. We¡¯ve come pretty far, already, though. Keep in mind, I¡¯m only seven.¡± She nodded slowly. After a moment¡¯s pause and a deep breath she continued: ¡°I¡¯ve never really seen you cast a spell. Sure, what you¡¯ve done was impressive, at least the power you used was, but the actual magic? That¡¯s something most beginners can accomplish, on a much, much smaller scale, of course. Same with your voice. It¡­ conveys what you are, its an expression of yourself, but it¡¯s not really¡­ controlled, filled with intent. I know you have more power than I can imagine but can you actually use it?¡± I shook my head sadly, my eyes glued to a shimmering dragonfly buzzing across the pond. Its carapace glowed a soft blue whenever it darted from one mosquito to the next, hunting the flying pests. They had appeared, once the sun had set, even though this place had been a market, barely a day ago. Luckily they didn¡¯t seem overly interested in us and stuck to Pete and his orphans. Maybe it was the magic in our blood or something else, but for whatever reason none of the rest had to fight against the bloodsucking army. I wouldn¡¯t complain, but seeing our vamps being harassed by their miniature kin would have been hilariously ironic. Or I was simply blessed with a very strange kind of humour. Hopefully the stinging vermin wouldn¡¯t turn out to be the first to transform. A supercharged mosquito, or several thousand for that matter, would surely make for a horrendous neighbourhood. ¡°Yes and no,¡± I finally said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ you¡¯ve been right, before. I really am a novice, in some ways. My magic actively changes me, which means I¡¯m quite skilful with anything I can¡­ feel, but I don¡¯t know much about what I¡¯m actually doing. Hmm¡­ thinking of me as untrained with a ungodly amount of power at my disposal isn¡¯t such a bad metaphor. Maybe it¡¯s not even a metaphor.¡± ¡°Would you like me to change that?¡± I shared a quick glance with Ahri and she replied for the both of us. ¡°We¡¯ve been puzzling about how to train for a while, now. It¡¯s¡­ usually training takes time, much time. A sparse commodity,¡± she added wistfully. ¡°I just don¡¯t see us studying books in the morning and practicing spells in the afternoon for days on end.¡± Sera only shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. Spells are¡­ oh well, maybe it¡¯d be for the best to start at the beginning. Look, I assume you know that magic is just a fancy word for manipulating energies most people can¡¯t even perceive. Power, on the other hand, usually refers to the amount of energy you actually have at your disposal.¡± Her expression changed as she adopted a pose, quite similar to how Mephisto always looked when he was beginning a lecture. ¡°Now, whatever you yourself can¡­ produce, for want of a better word, is directly linked to your mind, your will. You can form it, change it, manipulate it with your thoughts and wishes alone. Whether it stems from your astral body, your life or your soul, that part is basically just about knowing how to marshal the power into a specific pattern, a spell. It becomes more interesting, once you try and use the energies already present in the world.¡± She paused and ordered her thoughts. ¡°Power is constantly leaking through your skin, generating an aura. If you actively push more of it into your surroundings, your aura grows. Your own energies carry your intent over to everything they touch and thus allow you to control forces which actually aren¡¯t yours. Once that¡¯s happened, you can use them just in the same way you use your own energies. Now, the more power you have to begin with, the easier this obviously becomes, but your intent, your will, is just as important. Think of it as tug of war. Your energy is the mass you can bring to bear but the actual strength also comes from your movements, your ability to convert that mass into force. That¡¯s where your mind, your knowledge and will, come into play. Let¡¯s look at an example.¡± She frowned and raised her hand, where a tiny, red hot spark ignited. ¡°That¡¯s me, channeling a bit of my own mana into a confined space. I converted the pure mana into fire, thus producing an ember. Now, watch.¡± Her frowned deepened and tiny motes of light manifested around the glowing orb, lazily travelling towards it until it grew to the size of a fist. ¡°Now I¡¯ve allowed my intent to leak out, attracting matching energies. For most, the path to mastering magic mainly circles around maximising the power within you and the control over external energies. From what I¡¯ve seen, that¡¯s not something the two of you have to worry about. For you, it¡¯s mainly about learning how to actually change the energies at your command into whatever form you wish. And that¡¯s where spells or spell forms matter. They¡¯re¡­ shortcuts, allowing you to bypass gaps in your knowledge. If you actually understand the change you want to facilitate, you don¡¯t need them. But that¡¯s true mastery, something rarely achieved.¡± 301. Of magic, spells and a little bit of familiars Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I know quite a bit about heat and fire,¡± she continued, ¡°and most fire magic I work doesn¡¯t need a spell form anymore. When it comes to earth, though, I still need to work through them. I can easily enough convert my own powers into most expressions of earth but they¡¯re¡­ loose and can¡¯t attract the energies around me without a little help. Let¡¯s get back to the two of you. I¡¯m pretty sure you can fuel your spells simply with what you already have within you and that¡¯s the first step. Let¡¯s leave the energies of the world out of it for the moment. Sure, being able to lock down someone else¡¯s magic, a feat you¡¯ll surely be capable of in the future, is handy but not necessary, at least for now. For you, it¡¯s all about how to convert your own stores into an expression, suiting your desires. I assume you¡¯re capable of handling ever esoteric form of energy? Mana, life and soul forces?¡± I smiled slyly and replied: ¡°Not exactly. First of, you forgot one, and second¡­ not yet. I can use my mana freely and Ahri can use it to generate or manipulate fire in any way she likes but that¡¯s it. The rest¡­ will come.¡± ¡°I forgot one,¡± she parroted. ¡°Which¡­¡± ¡°Transcendent energy. Don¡¯t ask me what it is, but the ability to generate and shape it makes us what we are. In a way, I think, it¡¯s the¡­ primordial expression of energy. You know, what once was before reality, existence, happened. As far as I¡¯ve come to understand it, the elements around us are all a small part of mana, which in turn is a part of the next¡­ higher form, life energies, which in turn is a small part of the soul. Transcendent energies are all of that and more. They¡¯re like¡­ the very building blocks that constitute our reality.¡± ¡°Which means spells cast with transcendent forces can¡¯t be altered or stopped unless you have the same power,¡± she slowly concluded, paling with every word. ¡°Oh my¡­ no wonder you had me cowering when you allowed your aura to expand. It would have swallowed me whole, if you had wanted it to.¡± She clapped her hands, forcefully shoving the thought aside. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter much, I think, the principle remains the same. For you, it¡¯s all about finding a fitting expression that allows you to marshal your mana to fit your desires. Which brings us back to spells. Usually, novices train so much because they need to find a way to make generalised spell forms compatible with their own way of¡­ thinking, I guess. Searching for a¡­ language that just resonates with them. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to follow but here¡¯s an example: a master knows that heat is mainly just an expression of movement within a confined space. Instead of creating fire they can simply use their powers to either rip apart the elements, generating heat, or to make them¡­ oscillate. While you need a whole bunch of knowledge to make that happen, a spell form would convert your desire into a fathomable expression, like a spark or a fireball. In the end, it¡¯s nothing but a crutch, allowing you to achieve outcomes you don¡¯t yet fully understand. Once you have gained the knowledge, you don¡¯t need them anymore.¡± She rubbed the bridge of her nose before she continued: ¡°Usually spell casting works like this: you access your own reserves and either use them to change the already existing forces around you or you convert them directly. We¡¯ll only focus on the latter, since I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need the former, anytime soon. Once we have the time, we can get to that. From what you¡¯ve said, you¡¯ll mainly have to learn how to split your mana into the elements and then, how those elements can be applied to achieve a certain outcome. Creating a fire is easy, creating a jewel from sand using heat, not so much. Now, one last thing. While it¡¯s true that the higher expressions of energy are more potent, it¡¯s still possible to achieve the desired outcome with lower forms. The difference mainly matters in terms of how much you need and if you¡¯re opposed. A spell, fuelled by life forces, won¡¯t easily be changed by mana, while a regular spell will mostly wither once it comes in contact with life energies. So¡­ if you want me to, I can try teaching you. Depending on your aptitude and considering we can skip most of the actually complicated parts, like strengthening your own reserves or using your intent to manipulate your surroundings, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to take long until you can at least wield the basic elements. A few days, at most. Doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to create an elemental or heal an injury, but conjuring water or throwing around a fireball should very well be possible. If you want to, that is.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be great if you could teach Cassy,¡± Ahri interjected, ¡°but I can¡¯t use my mana, just yet. Not like this, anyways. You¡¯ve talked quite a bit about fire¡­ I already know what I need to in that regard but I can¡¯t channel my mana into anything else. It¡¯s still going to take me¡­ more time to get there. For now, I don¡¯t think I can learn, but I know the basics, anyways. In contrast to Cassy, I¡¯ve already spent quite a while studying magic and runes.¡± I hugged her tightly. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d mind, at least she didn¡¯t sound like it, but I had always thought we¡¯d be taking each step together. Unfortunately, that might just be an unreasonable waste of time. Once she caught up, I¡¯d be able to teach her what she didn¡¯t know, if there even was anything at all to teach. ¡°That¡¯s not a half bad idea,¡± I new voice chimed in. Unbeknownst to us, focused as we had been on our conversation, Mordred had settled down close by and he wasn¡¯t the only one. Reia had apparently taken a liking to the topic as well, at least if her half opened mouth and wide eyes were any indication. ¡°Considering you¡¯re large enough to swallow a sky ship, you might even get out unscathed,¡± he added with a grin and a gentle slap on Sera¡¯s back. ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean,¡± my grandmother asked, eyebrows raised. ¡°Well, the two of them are known to blow things up, once in a while,¡± he chuckled. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. Wouldn¡¯t want to swap places with you, though. When my sister plays around with her abilities, more often than not she just punches through whatever is in her way¡­ and a few things that aren¡¯t. Like any magic around her¡­ or reality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that bad,¡± I huffed. ¡°A little overeager, from time to time, maybe.¡± I craned my neck and studied the group around us, engrossed in their own, quiet chats. The soothing cadences of their mixing voices flowed over me like a homely smell and I added with a smile: ¡°I always try to keep you lot safe, at the very least. Which reminds me, where is our overbearing king of a brother?¡± ¡°Returned to his ships with most of his soldiers,¡± Reia replied. ¡°He said something about clearing his head. The ones he handed over to you are still keeping an eye on the slaves. Better safe than sorry, Corvin said, but they¡¯ll join us once they¡¯re convinced nobody is going to wake up with a dagger in their stomach. Why? Do you miss them.¡± A cheeky grin spread across her features when she added: ¡°have you already gotten used to having servants, your Highness?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you volunteer for the position,¡± I shot back, ¡°or did you expect anything else, when you insisted on accompanying us? That you¡¯re going to carry our luggage should be a given. Especially if you¡¯re going to grow and sprout wings and scales.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°She won¡¯t, not just yet, anyways,¡± Sera quickly interjected. ¡°The forms we can take on are bound to¡­ well, our overall ability and without three of four tales she stands no chance of turning into a dragon. For now, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be able to change her mass¡­ which you¡¯ve already figured out by yourself, haven¡¯t you,¡± she added with a proud smile and a glance in Reia¡¯s direction. The vixen in question shrugged and said: ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure, but it felt like it. I can become a really large bird or a surprisingly small horse, but it always seems like I¡¯m about the same weight. A pity, really. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to becoming a humongous, fire breathing lizard, no offence,it two are more than enough. No¡­ but turning into a normal falcon or even an ant would have been¡­ interesting.¡± I bet. Considering how adapt she already was at sneaking around, she¡¯d become a veritable invisible man if she managed to shrink herself down to that degree. Not to mention that she¡¯d probably become impossible to find¡­ more impossible than she already was, that is. At least a giant, golden eagle was hard to miss, even high up in the sky. ¡°It is,¡± Sera explained, ¡°with due time you¡¯ll even be able to become something much smaller. Like¡­ hmm, I don¡¯t know how much you actually know about parasites, but¡­¡± ¡°Gross,¡± I interrupted her immediately. ¡°You don¡¯t mean to tell me that you¡¯ve actually made someone sick through your mere presence, do you?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Once or twice. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stupid enough to try it with you, even though it surely would be enlightening to see how you look¡­ from the inside.¡± I shuddered. ¡°Phrasing, Sera, phrasing,¡± Mordred chuckled. ¡°That sounded just¡­ wrong.¡± ¡°You had to go there, didn¡¯t you,¡± Reia complained. ¡°I¡¯m 12 and I didn¡¯t¡­ you know, never mind, the less said, the better.¡± ¡°Ah, take it from your brother, the way we¡¯re living you should cherish any chance you get to laugh, even if it¡¯s inappropriate or at the expense of your sister. Especially then, come to think of it.¡± ¡°Sure, playing the clown for you, every time I¡¯m not trying to pull your asses from the fire, sounds terrific,¡± I griped. ¡°Still, before we get back to your favourite game of let¡¯s see who can annoy Cassy the most, there¡¯s¡­ Sera, I¡¯ve told you before, we¡¯ve lived different lives before. No need to interrupt, I¡¯ll gladly tell you anything you want to know, but¡­ I recently regained a couple of memories. Back then I was talking to a bunch of girls, mostly about familiars. I¡¯ve never heard the term, well, that¡¯s not true, entirely, I¡¯ve heard it before, but I¡¯ve never much cared. Do you know what they are?¡± Her blossoming smile, which had been getting wider while my brother had been taking the Mickey out of me, flickered and vanished and she replied most seriously: ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ I mean before this, you didn¡¯t have familiars, did you?¡± I immediately and resolutely shook my head. ¡°No, but I think I punished people for trying to bind one. Why? Is it that bad?¡± ¡°You have no idea¡­ but I think I¡¯d have liked you in the past. Let¡¯s see¡­ we¡¯ve talked about using your own energies to manipulate the weave, another fancy term for the energies of the world, before. Now, one of the drawbacks is the backlash. It doesn¡¯t matter for most spells, but once you try to, let¡¯s say to conjure a lake, it does, very much so. I¡¯ve used the metaphor of playing tug of war¡­ when you succeed, the pressure vanishes and all that force needs to go somewhere. For dragons, it¡¯s their carbuncle, which is simply tough enough to contain it, but for most mages they need to either deal with an absurd headache or, if they aren¡¯t strong enough, they might even snuff it on the spot. A familiar is a creature shackled to your will. One you can use to act like a buffer between you and the repercussions of you magic. It also works the same way in a fight between magicians, for example. Anyways, while such a safeguard is immeasurably useful for a mage, the practice is simply vile. Like¡­ enslaving someone to use as a punching bag, day in and day out, until one especially potent strike kills them. There aren¡¯t many schools which resort to this special brand of unpleasantry anymore, mostly because it doesn¡¯t really work with non sentient creatures, magical or mundane, and slavery is still prohibited in most parts of our world, but the few who still do are dangerous and cruel.¡± ¡°Which might be as good a time as any to tell you that our people still use them,¡± Lyra mumbled. Aspera, Astra and her had been watching the anarchic water fight, which was close to turning into a fully fledged sea battle, but when we had started talking about, or rather when I had mentioned the term familiar, they had turned to us with an expression of guilt on their faces, not unbecoming of someone caught red handedly. Before I could even ask, though, she hurried on in a rush: ¡°I¡­ We never participated and for me it¡¯s even one of the reasons why I was transformed. I¡¯m¡­¡± she sighed deeply and stared at the tips of her boots, swaying lightly form left to right. ¡°All those years ago, around 1400 hundred as I¡¯ve found out by now, I wasn¡¯t anything overly special. The third daughter of our king, born to a pretty but lowly concubine without much standing. I¡­ I told you before being born was my only mistake. That¡¯s true, for the most part, since my whole family wasn¡¯t overly thrilled at the prospect of having to share with someone who was, in their eyes, nothing more than a mistake, but it might yet have worked out if I had kept my mouth shut and simply played along. I didn¡¯t, though, and the final nail in the coffin¡­ see, back then the royal family used to turn debtors into familiars. A way to pay down whatever they owed, whether they wanted to or not. When one of the servant girls I had used to pay with was handed over to my brother because she had broken an ancient artefact she¡¯d never be able to pay for, I spoke up¡­ openly. My last mistake in that life, since my father took offence and used the opportunity to get rid of me.¡± I was stunned, unsure whether to stand up and hug her. The way she talked seemed¡­ detached, uncaring, probably not that surprising, since she had had more than enough time to come to terms with her people¡¯s cruelty, but her words still made me shiver. Damn it all to hell and back, from the looks of it, elven royalty hadn¡¯t changed much since then and if the brutal bastard who had turned Zara¡¯s life into a living nightmare was in any way related to the sorry excuse for a king Lyra had just mentioned, my whole bouquet of good intentions to keep my head down, once we got to the Emerald Island, had just gone up in flames. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep my temper in check for a single day and probably turn myself into even more of a spectacle than I already had. At least if the sparks, igniting in my eyes, were any indication. Lyra timidly touched my shoulder and asked, her voice shaking for the first time: ¡°are you¡­ are you angry with me? You look like you¡¯re about to strangle me.¡± With quite an effort I banished the snarl from my face and even manage a wry smile while I stood up and hugged her tightly. Her sweet, earthy smell tickled my nose and I managed to calm down. ¡°I am angry, but not with you. Not at all. If anything, I¡¯m angry with myself for having allowed you to rot in that blasted gem for longer than I had to.¡± I addressed the elven sisters over her head. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me sooner?¡± Astra shrugged. ¡°It didn¡¯t matter and¡­ we¡¯ve gotten to know you pretty well over the last few weeks. We didn¡¯t expect you to take that particular tidbit of information overly well and our people¡­ they aren¡¯t bad, all things considered. We thought telling you might set you on a warpath before you even arrived, which we didn¡¯t judge as a desirable outcome. Cassy¡­ if you go to the Emerald Island with the explicit intention of showing our leaders the errors of their ways, you¡¯ll incite strife and conflict on a large scale, whether you want to or not. Considering our people are already at war or only a small step away from it, we didn¡¯t mean to turn you into yet another enemy. We¡¯ve already got more than enough of those. Shouldn¡¯t you see for yourself before you make up your mind?¡± ¡°What do you take me for,¡± I hissed and disentangled myself from Lyra, while I still kept one tail wrapped around her waist to make sure she knew this wasn¡¯t about her. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to play judge, jury and executioner but if you expect me to tolerate an even worse form of slavery there, after everything that¡¯s happened here, you¡¯re in for one hell of a rude awakening.¡± 302. Of punishments, preparations and a little bit of fate Zara Dawnheart I cried silently. My tears formed a wet patch on the silky linen while I shivered, the night air a cold caress against my bare skin. Only in between my shoulder blades, where the outlines of an intricate mark still oozed droplets of blood, did it feel soothing, like the numbing kiss of death. I couldn¡¯t even muster the strength to slip beneath the covers. I felt empty, hollow¡­ broken and alone. Gods, why? Why had I trusted a spirit? I should have kept her at my side¡­ or at least tried to. Maybe¡­ probably she would have killed me, but death didn¡¯t seem as daunting anymore when your life had turned into agony and orders, the shackles carved into your very own skin. With a shudder I remembered the last days¡­ After I had released her, the glowing, winged creature vanished without a trace, leaving us behind, twiddling our thumbs in the middle of a spent pentagram and then, the door burst open revealing one of the two people on Gaya I truly hated. My soon to be husband and his faithful lapdog had appeared, for all intent and purposes worried sick at my disappearance and while they managed to keep up the facade, they also immediately recognised the charred runes for what they were. A summoning ritual and an immensely powerful one at that. His eyes hardened when he looked at me and the fake, benevolent smile he tried to present us with couldn¡¯t hide his consuming anger. He knew I had meant to defy him and in turn, he would make my life even more of a living hell than it had already become. I just didn¡¯t know how thoroughly he¡¯d be able to do just that. We were escorted back to ours rooms in the academy, superficially examined to ensure we hadn¡¯t taken any permanent damaged, and ordered to rest for the day. Defeatedly, but with a lingering spark of hope, I went to bed and when I woke up, my world had changed. Truly and utterly changed. Martial law had been invoked partially, our people preparing for war against they fey. With their new powers, the royal family had revived an ancient, cruel edict. The forceful binding of familiars to strengthen the royals and their abilities in the battles to come. Each family would have to send at least one volunteer and with me being the last survivor of my line, that dubious honour was irrefutably mine. Even worse, with our pending marriage, once it¡¯d be consummated, chances were the seals would transform and bind me to that monster for as long as I lived. I searched for my friends desperately, the few people who actually knew what had happened, but I wasn¡¯t able to find them. Their rooms were deserted and no matter whom I asked, the answer always remained the same, uncaring lie: with war looming on the horizon they were undergoing the necessary training at the hands of the prince himself, preparing them for the responsibilities they¡¯d have to shoulder soon enough. Superficially, it made sense. They were in their last regular year and would only be able to stay for another, joining me in choosing a speciality. If we were really going to have to fight, they probably wouldn¡¯t be allowed to waste their time in school, while battles waited for us. Too bad no one else had been taken out of class or had even heard about any form of extracurricular training. In essence, they were either held as a means to make me comply quietly or they were already dead. I was devastated and I didn¡¯t even have the time to regain my balance before the next, debilitating strike had landed. In preparation for the coming challenges, the familiar¡¯s binding was to take place barely two days after I had woken. Deep within the palace I was strapped to an alter, my limbs bound by magic, and while my blood was slowly trickling down my sides, the abominable sigil on my back bloomed until its magic evoked and the connection to my royal tormentor snapped into place. I hadn¡¯t been able to cope and lost consciousness, only to wake up again in my room, in the middle of the night, with an alien, overbearing presence hovering at the edge of my thoughts. Disoriented and scared I wasn¡¯t able to understand much, until the first, excruciating wave of pain had shot through my mind, setting my very being ablaze. Ever since, I was forced to endure tides of agony, whenever my demon of a master had played around with one powerful spell or the other until I didn¡¯t even have the strength left to move my aching limbs. I was empty, hollow¡­ broken and alone. A week, she had said, a week I would have to survive but as it stood my chances were slim, negligible. I could feel my heart stutter through every beat, my lungs quiver arduously with every breath, my only, meagre hope the fact that I wasn¡¯t betrothed to the royal family, just yet, and they wouldn¡¯t want to kill me before they had gained control over our estates. For while I might be bound by magic, my assets were still mine, even though I couldn¡¯t control them, not with the safeguards in place to ensure I couldn¡¯t inherit fully until I had come of age. Which wasn¡¯t until my next birthday and consequentially about as useful as a third leg. My depressing musings were interrupted by another assault. This time it felt like a hole was being drilled through my skull, deep down until it reached the seat of my magic, which was then ripped from me excruciatingly slowly, as if the will on the other side was deliberately trying to prolong my torment. I didn¡¯t even have the strength left to scream. All I could do was bury my head in the drenched pillow and bite down on it as hard as possible until it¡¯d be over. My sensations dimmed, the cold night air, the quiet song of a nightingale beyond the walls, the smells of evergreen and lotus, it all vanished behind a curtain of burning pain. I lost myself, caught between desperation and mutilation, I hovered at the edge until¡­ the storm abated from one second to the next and a soothing, earthly warmth spread through my shivering body, returning strength to my trembling limbs. Something had changed. Blearily I opened my eyes and looked around but nothing seemed out of place. The same nightly silence, the same small room, the same curtains, billowing in the breeze, the same cupboard and table with the same flowers on top¡­ except they were moving ever so slightly, as if beckoning me to come closer. For a second I thought I was hallucinating, my tired, overburdened mind grasping for anything that could have helped me but the longer I stared, the more I knew I wasn¡¯t mistaken. The white roses were moving, almost dancing, waving their petals and wriggling their leaves like dust in a ray of light. Groggily I pushed off the wet covers and slowly made my way over to the vase. I wasn¡¯t particularly worried, whatever was going on, whether benign or hostile, couldn¡¯t faze me anymore. I didn¡¯t have much to lose, anyways. I felt old while I limped my way across the room, like an elder in the middle of winter. Finally I tumbled into a chair and closed my eyes for a moment, the tiny exertion almost too much for my exhausted body. When I opened them again the movement had slowed down, but the largest flower was¡­ transforming ever so slightly. With every passing second the blossom itself took on the resemblance of an archaic, female face, rough and craggy, like an unfinished sculpture. Yet it seemed¡­ peaceful, almost kind, when deep, green brown eyes opened at its centre. Well past the point of amazement I hesitantly extended my hand and brushed against the petals with the softest touch I could managed, barely disturbing its lazy movements. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A wave of pure, undiluted life force thundered through me like lightning, suppressing the sigil on my back and clearing my thoughts in a storm of nourishing heat. Trembling from excitement instead of pain and fatigue I whispered the first word that had popped into my mind: ¡°Gaya?¡± The eyes blinked slowly, a spark of recognition and amusement igniting in their fathomless depths but there was no reply, to be honest, there was not even a mouth to reply with. I didn¡¯t need to hear it, though. I knew what she was, just as much as I knew my own name. Mother Earth had come to me in my darkest hour. Maybe I wasn¡¯t as alone as I had feared. Questions rang through me in an unending flood. I wanted to know what she was doing here, why she hadn¡¯t come sooner, why I had never even heard of anyone meeting her before and, above all, if she could help me escape form the trap I was stuck in. If the apparent ease with which she had blocked the engraved runes was any indication it wouldn¡¯t pose much of a challenge to her to set me free, but I was still dying for some kind of assurance, some kind of acknowledgement. And thus I began babbling, voicing every doubt, every thought that fluttered through my mind. Unfortunately the sprit of our world wasn¡¯t very talkative, her only reaction to my unending pestering the brightening glow in her eyes while she listened. She listened until I felt the weight of my burdens lighten, just as if I had confessed them to the stars. And then something in her gaze changed, her eyes turning into bottomless tunnels that invited me to¡­ step through to see with my own eyes what she couldn¡¯t tell me, for the way us short lived creature communicated was as alien to her as she seemed to me. I took a deep, calming breath, which didn¡¯t help much, but I had already decided to jump at any chance I¡¯d get and this, whatever else, was a chance. One that wouldn¡¯t return, should I squander it. I nodded, once, and from one heartbeat to the next the dark pathways widened and I felt myself fall from my chair and down a long and warm tunnel. At its end was¡­ nothing. A confusing cacophony of scenes, smells, sounds and impressions form all over the world, some even showing warped images of times long gone, but while I was still reeling to make sense of this new, brave world, my heart hammering in my chest with equal parts of fear and hope, the scene shifted and became quite clear. I saw the very same spirit I had tried to bind, but the perfect mask it had worn to hide was flaking away, revealing something¡­ terrifying. A creature towered above me, uncaring and beautiful like the sun, its face hidden behind the reflection of its infinite wings, steaming from its back in an eternal dance of light and darkness. I cowered, the terror I had been subjected to paling in comparison to how insignificant I felt, even though I knew she wasn¡¯t here. But yet I was convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I¡¯d wither and vanish instantly, should see truly see me, perceive me lurking close by. The power of her gaze would kill me just as easily as I¡¯d kill a fly, but her attention was directed elsewhere, somewhere beyond the confines of this small space. In the shadows, other beings lurked, not quite her equal, but there were so many, hundreds of them, and they were closing in, her spread wings the only barrier between us and the nightmares from beyond the stars. But she wasn¡¯t alone. A second creature, made of fire and flame, stood at her side and together they kept the encroaching horrors at bay, protecting what I came to understand was our world. And with that knowledge I had another epiphany. I had to chose. Gaya couldn¡¯t help me, a minuscule part of her own essence was what kept me shackled, but those two¡­ they were different. To them the chains I had been cast in were nothing more than a thread they could break with a thought, annihilating, consuming it with their own powers. I simply had to decide if I preferred being tied to an abominable elf or one of those two¡­ titans. And while it might not sound like much of a choice at all, I also knew that my current predicament impacted my life, while the one I might rush towards might impact who I truly was¡­ forever. And once formed, that connection wouldn¡¯t break, it would hold for all eternity unless they decided to set me free. Oh well, in for a copper, in for a gold, my mother had always said and judging from our last meeting, one of them wasn¡¯t too bad, maybe even benign. While it might sound straight forward, it really wasn¡¯t. My perception didn¡¯t work as usual, my mind was mostly occupied with making sense of the unending tides of chaos, changing and warping the little space I called my own and the jumbled up mess time had become, my emotions were oscillating between amusement, at the absurdity of it all, anger and despair, every time I remembered where I had come from, and a growing spark of hope that I might yet find a way out. A way that most likely went straight through a being so much more powerful than anything I had ever dreamt of that it made me dizzy just thinking about it. And to top it all off, I even had a decision to make. I didn¡¯t know why, but I was convinced that all I had to do was touch either of them¡­ and I would change, or at least the horrendous magic on my back would. And while I was as sure as I could be that I¡¯d try, the question remained: which one? A tiny voice in my head kept whispering: stick with the devil you know, but I wasn¡¯t convinced, not by a long shot. Seeing them both before me¡­ didn¡¯t help, either. I just couldn¡¯t comprehend what they were, who they were, the glare of their power obscuring anything I could have understood. In a way it felt like deciding between which way to turn at a crossroads in a darkening forest. There wasn¡¯t much to go on and even if I tricked myself into believing anything else, it would still amount to a leap of faith. In all honesty, if I had been able to, I would have tossed a coin, but unfortunately I wasn¡¯t even really here, at least my body wasn¡¯t, never mind my purse. All I had was the brief encounter I had already lived through and whatever I might make of it¡­ which, come to think of it, wasn¡¯t as little as I had believed. The lines from the book I had stumbled across fluttered through my thoughts. A spirit of freedom, which can be called upon when opposing an unjust fate. The shackles of fate¡­ freedom¡­ nothing had changed and I had already summoned her once. I felt my resolve harden and I took a metaphorical step toward the creature wreathed in silver and blue but then I hesitated again. The closer I got the more I felt her power thunder against my weak shell, threatening to tear me apart in the maelstrom of inconceivable strength. I stumbled and paused, hand already reaching out toward the closest torrent of energy, but I didn¡¯t take the final step. Instead I whirled around and focused on her counterpart, on warm, burning flames that reminded me of the first light of dawn, just peeking over the horizon. She felt¡­ less intimidating, warmer, younger and inadvertently I had already changed my direction, limping on like a drunkard, my back turned on the silvery cataclysm. Both were made of unfathomable light and infinite power, but one seemed warm, welcoming and the other¡­ cold and distant. One was the beginning and the end, darkness and light all wrapped up into an enigmatic presence, while the other was¡­ everything in between, alive, bright and full of hope and that was what I needed. I needed something alive to cling onto, not the distant comfort of a star. Before I could change my mind again, I closed my eyes and ignored the whispering voices of eternity around me. With a leap I catapulted myself forward, my fingers reaching until they closed around soft and warm feathers, the caressing touch all I needed. A smile bloomed on my face and while the imaginary world around me crumbled, spewing me back out into a brutal reality, I felt safe for the first time in months. Just as safe as I had felt when my mom had picked me up and carried me home. I took a deep, shaky breath, my instincts telling me that I had been under for far longer than I had believed, but before I could puzzle over the past or the present the sigil on my back manifested before my mind¡¯s eye. The name cartridge at its centre, which designated the master, was gone, replaced by a depiction of four fiery wings, burning brightly on my skin. I wasn¡¯t his anymore. 303. Of differences, values and a little cheekiness Cassandra Pendragon My first ever shouting match, since I had become more than a wailing toddler, wasn¡¯t as much fun as I had believed it to be. Astra and I¡­ we hadn¡¯t exactly found common ground when it came to abstract ramifications of power and responsibilities, never mind the far more personal aspects, like where to draw the line that¡¯d allow me to slow roast someone¡¯s arse over an open fire. For me, the elven royals had already crossed it, something my pointy eared friend simply couldn¡¯t understand after all the leniency I had shown before. I don¡¯t intend to repeat every, increasingly loud, argument we exchanged but maybe you might just get where I was coming from. Every leader we had so far encountered was a self made king, their power granted through fights they had won and the strength they had shown. Surely not the best basis for an inclusive, rational society, but something I could respect, none the less. The royal family of the Emerald Island was different. They had inherited the throne, their only challenges and therefore their only responsibilities tied to the people they were sworn to protect. Which, in my eyes, made it blatantly obvious that they had to be judged by different standards, namely their designs for their people, and nothing else. I had already heard plenty to get an idea of how horrendously they were actually doing and my consideration, which would have been immeasurably more pronounced if they had been force to unite their country against the adversities of a cruel world, was close to zero. Sure, I wasn¡¯t going to hold children and relatives responsible for the acts of a very few individuals, but the king, who had condoned the experiments on Astra and Aspera and the deeds that had led to the brewing war, as well as his power hungry son, were as good as dead. The reason was simple: they had had a choice. Much more of a choice than the Captains around here, who would have been devoured whole, if they had shown even the slightest sign of weakness, had been given. Perhaps even more so than Amon, who, despite his cruelty, had never done anything the world hadn¡¯t taught him before. If I was willing to burn his soul to ashes, which wasn¡¯t much of a question, there really wouldn¡¯t be a reason to treat the elven leaders differently. I don¡¯t mean to imply that I was already dead set on executing the bunch of them openly, but my willingness to¡­ make a mistake I couldn¡¯t rectify, to use my own words, was very much there. Truth be told, if Ahri, or someone else I truly trusted, had asked me to, I would have been prepared to take flight this very instant and make sure the girl, who had summoned me, wouldn¡¯t suffer anymore. But that was mainly my anger speaking, which had had a field day ever since I had heard Lyra¡¯s story. I couldn¡¯t even begin to describe how much her plight had touched me. My last life had ended for the very same reason, after all. Maybe on a larger scale, but when it came down to it, she had turned against her family because they thought themselves above everyone else. A sentiment I had given my life to rectify and apparently, so had she. Lucky for her, a diamond tomb wasn¡¯t the same as being thrown into the chasm of souls. Less lucky for her distant relatives, I was quite on edge and entirely unprepared to even budge an inch. Which meant Astra and I were by now standing nose to nose, faces flushed, screaming at the top of our lungs, while everyone else was watching curiously, their eyes darting from left to right, just as if they were following the finals of the Australian Open. Considering what I was, my friends surely had lost any form of inhibition when it came to pushing my buttons. Only my grandmother had seemed slightly worried at first, but after a whispered explanation, courtesy of my little sister, she had relaxed as well and strapped in to enjoy the show. With quite an effort I swallowed another tirade and forced my voice into a calmer register. ¡°Look, you¡¯re right, it¡¯s in no way my place to forcefully change how the lot of you live your lives. Usually I¡¯d simply steer clear of the whole conundrum all together, but that¡¯s hardly an option, now, is it? One, I¡¯ve already been called to help and two¡­ do you really want me to stay out of it? Considering what we¡¯ve had to suffer through in the last weeks, or even days, do you honestly believe that we¡¯d be better off if I¡­ if we didn¡¯t get involved? It sucks, it honestly does, but all of us¡­ we¡¯ve become strong enough that our decisions aren¡¯t as straight forward anymore as they used to be. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you,¡± with a gesture I included her sister and Lyra, ¡°all of you think your people would be better off if I kept my hands clean, then, by all means, let¡¯s forget the whole debacle. I¡¯ll go and collect Zara and leave the rest of your people to their own devices. Sure, they¡¯ll most likely be ground to dust between the fey and whatever else might happen¡­ at the very least you can expect your royals to cement their rule with an iron fist, but it won¡¯t be my doing. Damn it, if it wasn¡¯t for Amon, breathing down our necks, I would have even suggested as much myself, but unfortunately there is no compromise. If we try to¡­ help, we¡¯ll clash with your nobles, one way or the other. Why do you even defend them?¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ve held our society together for longer than anyone can remember,¡± she almost screamed. ¡°What good does it do if you protect them from their enemies only to have them drown in chaos?¡± I chuckled derisively. ¡°Bite me. You¡¯ve seen what has happened, is still happening, here. I don¡¯t run, Astra, I never do. Do you really think I¡¯d simply walk into the palace, tear apart the king and his posse and march out again? I¡¯ve already told Zara but apparently I¡¯ve got to tell you too: I¡¯m no one¡¯s hangman. But¡­ whether for good or ill, I¡¯ve got the power to do exactly that. If you want to secure it for your people, it comes with a whole bunch of consequences, one of them is me acting how I see fit and damn the consequences. Honey, I¡¯ve been ancient when your king was still in diapers. Yes, I think I know better. Either you want me to help, with everything it entails, or you don¡¯t. Make up your mind. You said you¡¯ve come to know me¡­ tell me this, then: aside from your blabbering about peace, stability and rights, where am I mistaken? Let¡¯s make it really simple. To me, Lyra is the only one I¡¯ve met and heard of who is, in any way, by blood or deed, deserving of a royal title. If anything it¡¯s her decision to make. If you¡¯re so set on defending your traditions, why not ask her what she actually wants?¡± More gently I added: ¡°what do you think? We¡¯ve been going in circles¡­ it¡¯s your home as much as it is theirs. Do you want to risk its past to secure its future?¡± She hadn¡¯t expected me to involve her, judging from her panicked expression, but she still took a moment to think about everything she had heard. ¡°I don¡¯t think I truly understand the problem,¡± she finally answered hesitantly. ¡°There are no safe choices. Either way our people will have to cope with strife and the madness our world is descending into. I¡¯d much rather have two immortals on our side than not, especially if it means we might change our ways¡­ I owe you, all of you. You¡¯ve freed me, sheltered me, welcomed me with open arms. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my decision to make but if you want to know what I think¡­ I¡¯ve already risked my life to go against our traditions. I won¡¯t shed a single tear if they have to die for us to live. Also¡­ I¡¯ve come to know the two of you,¡± she focused on the elven sisters, ¡°quite well. You¡¯re not really voicing your convictions, but rather your fears. You fear that you might make everything worse for our people and you feel responsible, seeing as you¡¯re the only ones present who could possible convince Cassandra to¡­ accept what we have become. Don¡¯t. You¡¯re right, our people aren¡¯t bad, but our obsession with power and age is. That¡¯s no way to rule or prosper. If we can¡¯t change, it won¡¯t matter much what happens with the fey or even Amon. Sooner or later, our society will crumble anyways. You can mistreat a creature only this often before it fights back. And when that happens¡­ your own concerns pale in comparison to civil war.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Are you moonstruck,¡± Astra exclaimed. ¡°Civil war is exactly what we¡¯ll get, if two angels suddenly decide to dethrone the king! There¡¯ll be the ones in favour, the ones scared and the ones eager to dish out revenge and everyone else will suffer! How can we possibly¡­¡± ¡°Like this,¡± I sated quietly, spreading my arms. ¡°Just like this. Free Land isn¡¯t drowning in its own blood, is it, and we haven¡¯t exactly been careful with how we treat the Captains. Hell, most are dead, anyways. Why do you think it¡¯s going to be so much worse on the Emerald Island?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re old, stubborn and prideful. And while I do think that most elves will actually share your view, they¡¯ll still side with their monarch and in contrast to the pitiful lot we¡¯ve encountered here, they¡¯ll rather die, fighting against you, then sit by idly while you destroy what they¡¯ve built over the years.¡± She sighed, and pleaded quietly: ¡°please, why does it always have to be all or nothing? Can¡¯t we just¡­¡± ¡°What,¡± I interrupted her, even though I felt slightly bad about it, ¡°what exactly is the alternative? Pretend like everything is just shiny while we try to facilitate a truce with the fey? Maybe grab the ones who are suffering on the way out and let the rest be? How do you imagine that¡¯d work out?¡± ¡°Gods, give me patience. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to hammer through that thick skull of yours! You haven¡¯t lived there, you don¡¯t know shit about us, except for a few tales and the handful of stories we¡¯ve shared! But yet, here you are, huffing and puffing like an enraged bull only because you can¡¯t distance yourself from your own past! Yes, our nobility is failing, our royals have lost their way, but that¡¯s our problem, not yours. I don¡¯t begrudge you your right to help the girl who summoned you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can simply waltz in and change our way of life over night! Unless you intend to wear the crown yourself and deal with every little problem that¡¯s going to crop up, it¡¯s not your place to do so! And you, my feathered, stubborn friend, are much too scared to make mistakes to ever take up the mantle! As long as you¡¯re not prepared to weather the flames you have no right to light the fire!¡± ¡°Are you calling me a coward,¡± I flared up again, my eyes igniting with silvery sparks. ¡°By the gods, no, but I¡¯m telling you: the only way you¡¯re going to achieve anything even remotely sustainable lies with going there to stop a war and fulfil your promise, your obligation. Anything else will lead to even more suffering. I do know you, Cassandra. As riled up as you are, you¡¯re going to see one tiny little thing that rubs you the wrong way and you¡¯ll lose it, you¡¯ll explode and when the dust settles, there probably won¡¯t be much left, aside from ruins! We¡¯re an old people¡­ when you live long enough, you make mistakes. Where will you draw the line? Will you kill anyone who has ever bound a familiar or simply the ones who are responsible? If that¡¯s the case, why bother at all? From what you¡¯ve said, you¡¯re not exactly on the side of the fey, either. Why not let them kill each other? The outcome would probably be the same.¡± ¡°Keep it up and I just might,¡± I snarled. ¡°I can always mop up the ashes, afterwards, can¡¯t I? If you¡¯re¡­¡± good intentions aside, I was on the verge of actually exploding. Her comments about my past and also my hesitancy to step up, even when it might be advisable, had stung and I was already preparing a long rant on how much I valued her opinion and where she could shove it for all I cared, something I¡¯d probably have regretted not an hour later, but I never got that far. ¡°Enough,¡± Ahri said, her voice yet devoid of any actual power but I could already feel the thrumming echoes building deep within her. She turned to me, her expression stern but her eyes twinkling. ¡°Cassy¡­ why don¡¯t you take a walk?¡± ¡°Are you fucking kidding me,¡± I erupted, flabbergasted. I had never expected her to side with Astra, but after a few moments of me trying to stare her down, unsuccessfully, I might add, she smiled brightly. The vixen nimbly jumped to her feet and stole a kiss, while I was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. ¡°You¡¯re right, entirely,¡± she whispered against my lips, ¡°but with your power leaking out of your every orifice you can hardly expect her to listen, can you? Let me try while you cool off. As you are now I wouldn¡¯t manage a single sentence without any interruptions.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s the epitome of self control, isn¡¯t she¡± I mumbled mulishly. ¡°Not really, but you¡¯re mine and I can tell you to cool your heels without a bad conscience. Not so much with her. Trust me. Half an hour. Also¡­ if you¡¯re alone, chances are your timid fan club might just find the courage to talk to you. Wouldn¡¯t that be worth it?¡± She was bribing me openly, but I had to admit, it worked. Well, coming from her mostly anything would have¡­ she was also right. If we were left to our own devices, we would still be arguing¡­ screaming around in circles come dawn. Damn it, I was really starting to grow up. ¡°Fine.¡± I kissed her again for good measure and turned to the agitated elf. ¡°Maybe she can get through that thick skull of yours. And just so you know, I haven¡¯t forgotten your comments about my past nor that you¡¯ve called me a bull. You¡¯ll either have to explain what you meant or you¡¯ll have to buy me a drink. Both would also be an option. Anyways, I¡¯ll act like the grown up here and leave it at that.¡± My entire family snorted merrily at my words and I had to bite back another flood of rather inappropriate remarks. Head held high I whirled around on the spot and walked off into the night, still fuming like a chimney on Christmas. The musical laughter of my sister, joined an instant later by the deeper, more sonorous sound of my gran¡¯s voice and my mom¡¯s mirthful barks, didn¡¯t help, either. Damn it! Either people feared me or they didn¡¯t take me seriously! What was wrong with this stupid world? Aside from the obvious, lethal and immortal problems, that was¡­ Without even realising I had headed away from the dwarven celebration, the improvised camp, the raucous laughter and subdued conversations. I wasn¡¯t overly eager on talking to anyone and it had been quite a while since I had last had a moment to myself. Not that I missed it but since I had been told to take a hike I wouldn¡¯t squander the chance. Which¡­ damn it! If I went to hide somewhere, I¡¯d lose my bet and be wearing outrageous dresses for the next month. I just couldn¡¯t catch a break, could I? Resignedly I turned my steps away form the beckoning quiet and inviting shadows on the other side of the garden and headed instead towards one of the largest cherry trees. The quick walk over soft, luscious grass, while the fragrances of thyme, basil, rosemary, lavender and chamomile tickled my nose, improved my mood significantly. Not enough to actually make me smile but at least I didn¡¯t feel like I had to beat up a mountain anymore. A tree, perhaps, or one stupid, shortsighted, stubborn hag of an elf. Alright, maybe I wasn¡¯t yet as calm as I had thought. Which was rather ironic, come to think of it. I was pretty convinced that Astra was feeling the same way about me, right now, and yet we¡¯d be able to hug one another once we had cooled down. She truly was a friend. Which made it rather ironic, since the people you truly cared about were also the ones who had the easiest time of driving you up the walls. Sighing I collapsed against the trunk, the gnarly roots spreading around me like a craggy, brown skirt. I leaned my head against the weathered bark and closed my eyes, savouring the scents on the wind and the low, almost orchestral sounds of the night. Birds and bats dancing through the air, mice and squirrels scurrying through the darkness, soft words, spoken in hushed tones, coming from the camp beds¡­ and the steps of a wolf kin and a human girl coming ever closer. 304. Of slaves, confessions and a little bit of recognition Cassandra Pendragon Eyes still closed I tried to puzzle out as much about them as I possibly could. They didn¡¯t reek of Asra¡¯s blood anymore, nor of wounds or pain. Apparently they had managed to wash without encountering one of his stauncher supporters. The wolf girl smelled surprisingly¡­ wild despite her captivity. A faint tinge of sweat mixed with something earthy, like freshly sawed wood, reminded me of a sunlit clearing in spring. The human was more in line with my expectations, a hint of expensive oils and soap, still present beneath the sweet aroma of a young woman. Considering what they had been through, calling them girls didn¡¯t seem very appropriate anymore. A handful of steps away they slowed down until they stood, stock still and silent, just beyond my reach. ¡°I don¡¯t bite nor do I usually incinerate people on the spot,¡± I reminded them dryly. ¡°There really is no point in keeping your distance, is there? I think I¡¯ve already proven that you¡¯ve got nothing to fear from me. Why don¡¯t you come closer and sit with me? Conversing on your feet always feels like the prelude to a fight and I don¡¯t intend to harm you. So¡­ unless you mean to gut me like your previous benefactor why don¡¯t we make ourselves comfortable?¡± I heard their surprised intake of breath, the quickening beats of their hearts and the growing tension in their contracting muscles but after a moment they moved. ¡°Thank you for saving us,¡± a warm, slightly raspy voice mumbled while I felt them sit down, arm in arm to provide each other with some comfort. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to¡­¡± I opened my eyes and the silvery glow brought the wolf up short, her gaze immediately dropping away from my face. Damn it, she should be proud, self assured and confrontative, not nervous and timid. I sighed, for the umpteenth time today. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You had every right to make him pay. I¡¯m just glad I got there before your time was up.¡± They had changed from their elaborate, revealing attire into something much more normal. Worn and comfortable leather pants and cotton shirts made them look less like courtesans and more like the pretty girl next door. I didn¡¯t know how they had gotten their hands on different clothes but if someone was willing to help them out, I wouldn¡¯t complain. A tiny bit of consideration and decency already went a long way. I was just baffled that a hint of a smell I had definitely caught before was still clinging to the garments, even though I couldn¡¯t place it. The wolf¡¯s grey, fluffy ears twitched cutely, almost like ours did when we were embarrassed, but she still managed to raise her red, smouldering eyes and meet mine openly. ¡°So are we,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Faelan, this is Anna. We¡¯re¡­,¡± she struggled with her words until her companion jumped in. ¡°Desperate,¡± she finished the sentence, her voice a husky, inviting whisper. Paired with her long, flowing black hair, grey eyes and enviable bust she truly was¡­ had been a catch for the late Captain. ¡°Truth be told,¡± she quickly added, uncomfortable under my scrutinising stare, ¡°we didn¡¯t expect to see the sunrise again when we killed that monster and now¡­,¡± I missed the next part, my attention diverted by another set of approaching footsteps. These, though, I could easily place. As well as the scent accompanying them. For one reason or the other the Brightblaze sisters had decided to go looking for me, even though I had already expected them to have returned home. They didn¡¯t join us, though, and remained hidden behind the trees, just out of sight. For a moment I was puzzled but it clicked quickly enough when I realised that it had been their smell I had recognised on the the two women at my side. ¡°¡­don¡¯t even know why he was suddenly alone, but when his mercenaries ran off we took the chance. We don¡¯t have anywhere to go and¡­ I¡¯m, we¡¯re scared. Everywhere we turn someone might recognise us and now that we actually might live, we don¡¯t¡­¡± I raised my hand to shut her up, which worked like a charm, for the first friggin time. Adding two and two together, Serena and Emilia had probably bribed, threatened or lured Asra¡¯s soldiers away and even helped his two slaves afterwards. But why? Why had Serena first considered handing over her precious sister and then turned around, more or less killing the man she had been prepared to hop into bed with, or at least send her sister to do just that? And why were they hiding now? Oh well, speculating was about as satisfying as trying to ice skate uphill and about as sensible. ¡°You¡¯re not as alone as you think,¡± I said. Much more loudly I added: ¡°are they? Why don¡¯t you join us? Otherwise I might just come to believe you actually have a reason to hide.¡± Faelan and Anna stared at me as if I had just lost my mind, a bit surprising, considering the she wolf should have been able to smell and hear the two humans just as easily as me, but their expression quickly turned into guarded weariness when they saw two silhouettes appear from the shadows. ¡°Your senses really are as good as you claimed,¡± Emilia said through a bright smile. She came closer without hesitation and dropped down against the trunk, hugging me from the side. I cocked an eyebrow and asked: ¡°did you expect me to lie to you? I have no need of that.¡± ¡°No, probably not, but you should still try it, some time. Maybe then you wouldn¡¯t have most people running away as fast as they can, once they see you.¡± She chuckled quietly and stretched out her legs, the metal threads in her trousers glimmering in the dim moonlight. The two former slaves had taken her appearance in stride, focused as they were on her older sister. I didn¡¯t know if they had met before, but judging from their expression they knew all too well who she was and they obviously didn¡¯t see her as a friend. Which was rather funny, since the two of them were probably the first people Serena had ever helped without compensation. I shrugged and replied: ¡°doesn¡¯t make much of a difference to me. But¡­ you seem to have buried the hatchet and even decided to put an end to Asra¡¯s aspirations all together. It was you, who got the mercenaries to run, wasn¡¯t it? Why?¡± I turned to Faelan, her wide eyes reflecting dawning comprehension since her nose was giving her a decent head start in comparison to her human friend, and added: ¡°and why do you act all shy? You¡¯re wearing their pants, after all.¡± Now Anna finally caught up and I heard her gasp, while Serena slowly lowered herself to the ground, a bit further away than I had expected. ¡°That¡¯s actually a pretty long story and the reason why we¡¯re here. The burying the hatchet part. That we were able to provide Asra with a decent sent off was just luck,¡± she explained hesitantly. ¡°There¡¯s a bit more to it than you may think and¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s afraid you¡¯ll turn her into a toad or simply kill her outright, if she tells,¡± her sister interrupted her merrily. She still hadn¡¯t let go of me. ¡°And you don¡¯t,¡± I asked emphatically, while I tried to convey to the two nervous and confused women that they had nothing to fear. No one would harm them while I was around. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°No,¡± Emilia chirped, ¡°you¡¯re much too similar¡­ you might even have done the exact same thing, if you had been in her place. Just listen to her and try to keep the boisterous displays of outrage to a minimum, will you? Otherwise this might take until dawn.¡± I could feel my mouth opening. I mean, I knew her, somewhat, but this form of informality, dare I say intimacy, was something my family used when they talked to me. Not a girl I had spent less than two hours with. ¡°And don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± With a mischievous smile she added: ¡°otherwise I might get scared and then you¡¯ll have to console me. Again.¡± So much for me becoming the local boogeyman. I felt more like a damned fairy godmother by the second. But, truth be told, she still elicited a smile and a grudging nod from me. ¡°Good,¡± she said and leaned against my shoulder. ¡°Serena even brought some food for the both of you,¡± she continued for the benefit of Anna and Faelan. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat while my sister talks? I guess some parts of her story might interest you, as well. Also¡­ I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally free. For a while I thought I¡¯d have to join you and that¡­¡± she shuddered and added quietly: ¡°you have my heartfelt adoration. I don¡¯t think I would have held on for as long as you did.¡± Perplex wouldn¡¯t even come close to how the two former slaves looked and honestly I wasn¡¯t faring much better. What in hell had gotten into Emilia and what was going on? Had I missed a day or maybe even several? For the first time since I had met her I saw Serena smile genuinely, the love she held for her sister sparkling in her eyes as she watched her antics. When she realised I was staring at her she cleared her throat and quickly turned away. She was already talking while she extracted a bundle of bread and cured ham from a bag and threw it at the she wolf. ¡°Now that I¡¯m actually here, I don¡¯t even know where to begin,¡± she admitted quietly. ¡°But¡­ when we first came to Free Land might be a good start. Let¡¯s see¡­ Back then I was young, barely 15. Emilia is ten years younger. I imagine you can picture how welcoming Free Land can be to two lonely, lost girls. We had run from our home and we didn¡¯t have a copper to our name. The only ways I saw to earn money were¡­ repulsive. I couldn¡¯t get myself to go through with it. Long story short, we were broke and desperate¡­ just like the two of you are now. Maybe we were even worse off, considering I had a child to care for and was still half of one, myself. That was 12 years ago. The first months were¡­ cruel. No roof above our heads, not enough food, running from thugs whenever they realised that there would be no one to take revenge should they mistreat us. We¡­ survived, in no small part thanks to my gifts, my faith.¡± An almost imperceivable shudder raced through her and her fingers twitched towards the pommel of her ever present sword compulsively. She took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to organise her thoughts. From the corner of my eye I saw the former slaves exchanged a quick, confused glance. An expression I probably shared since I wasn¡¯t too sure myself where she was going with this. Most of it I had already known and the few parts I hadn¡¯t didn¡¯t matter much, at least in my opinion. Before I could interrupt, though, Emilia pinched and shushed me¡­ What the hell? ¡°See, the island we come from,¡± Serena continued, oblivious to the affront of transcendent proportions her sister had just committed, ¡°is vast. Our capital, Gryffinhorst, its inhabitants number in the millions, not thousands, and there are several cities which are nearly as large. I don¡¯t know how many people live on Aurus in total but it doesn¡¯t really matter. What matters is that our deities are far stronger and much more present than the ones you¡¯ve already stumbled across. We live under a theocracy, which is also why we left in the first place. Emilia was picked as a vessel for the manifestation during the spring equinox, a tremendous and, more often than not, lethal honour. So¡­ we hid on the first ship leaving the harbour, without a coin to our name or even an idea of where we were headed.¡± She chuckled dryly and rolled her eyes. ¡°Gods, I¡¯m sounding like I want you to pity us, but that¡¯s not the case. I simply want you to understand what it means, when I tell you that Asra helped us, back then. He gave us a place to sleep safely and provided us with enough coin to get back on our feet. Not out of generosity, mind you. I¡¯ve said it before, our gods are powerful and mine, the Eternal Flame, has the largest following. We were running for our lives, chased by a bunch of beast kin, when I stumbled into a dead end, a crying child in my arms. I drew my sword,¡± she caressingly touched the blade at her side, ¡°the very same one I¡¯m still wearing, put down Emilia behind me and made ready for what I believed to be my last stand. Until the wolfs chasing us dropped down dead, their throats pierced by metal bolts. Asra had had his eye on us for a while, he had seen my abilities and he was intrigued. He offered me a deal. If I swore on my deity to never lift my sword against him, he¡¯d help us out.¡± She smiled melancholically and met my gaze head on for the first time. ¡°What would you have done? There really wasn¡¯t much of a choice, was there? With his help and the power of my Lord we turned our life around, but ever since we have always lived in the shadow of that beast¡­ that is until recently.¡± She raised her hands and nestled with the clasp of her cloak, producing a burned out amulet. With a flick of her wrist she threw it at me. The metal felt cold and dead between my fingers but I could still guess at the magic it has once contained. ¡°When you killed the Mask, my oath broke. Through sheer luck we were close to you and the magic you unleashed shattered my binds. Not that I knew, back then, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have treated you as I did, but for the first time I could act how I saw fit. And well¡­ why don¡¯t you tell the rest, Emilia?¡± The girl in question stuck out her tongue at her and grinned. ¡°Afraid she might yet lose her temper? Scaredy-cat. Fine. Look, Cassy, truth be told I didn¡¯t know most of it until last night, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have gone looking for you. Which was¡­ exactly what my sister had counted on. I imagine you didn¡¯t have the chance to actually hear it, but the people have been talking about you for a while, now. In the beginning, no one knew who you were, but over time¡­¡± She too a deep breath and lowered her head, staring at me from below her bangs. ¡°In a few sentences: after we met you, first during the battle and then again in the harbour, I came to trust you. Don¡¯t ask me why, I just did and Serena knew. She thought I might seek you out if she confronted me with Asra¡¯s proposal. And¡­ she counted on you to treat me just like you treated those girls over there and everyone else who has come to ask for your help. Like a friend.¡± Her expression changed, becoming more serious, almost sad. ¡°My sister expected you to kill Asra and probably her, as well. She¡­ the Eternal Flame is a god of law, order and purity. She made sure I would inherit her titles, her power, beforehand and then she cast the dice. But instead of executing one or two Captains you went right ahead and did¡­ this.¡± She spread her arms wide, the smile returning to her face. ¡°And now neither of us is dead and we¡¯re still free of our past. Which brings me to the last bit. When you¡­ turned into a star and made us remember why we fear gods and devils, Serena acted. Quickly. She bribed Asra¡¯s soldiers while he was busy wetting his pants and,¡± she turned to the two women, ¡°you did what we still couldn¡¯t. Even though the amulet was already destroyed, Serena and I would have lost our magic, if we had become oath breakers. Oaths are sacred and binding, at least to the followers of the Eternal Flame. And now, we have come here to tell you the truth, ask your forgiveness, for using and mistreating you, you and your people, and maybe¡­ become friends. I¡­ we do understand, though, if you never want to see us again. But I don¡¯t think so. Am I wrong?¡± I blinked, I stared and then I chuckled. No wonder the wily woman was still clinging to me like a puppy. Would I have done the same? Hardly, but then again, I hadn¡¯t been stuck between an unbreakable promise and the nightmares I had brought to Free Land. On second thought, I actually had and I had fought tooth and nail until I had been free. Just like Serena. A smile spread across my face and I winked at Emilia, before I nimbly got up and offered her sister my hand. My tails fanned out behind me and I caught her gaze, sparks igniting in my eyes. A warm breeze, carrying the scent of sizzling fat and the sounds of hearty laughter, tousled my hair and when a distant, gravelly voice started singing we shook. 305. Of courage, mistakes and a little tree Cassandra Pendragon Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice¡­ first Alassara and then Serena. I really was turning into a fairy godmother. Albeit a reluctant one with a temper. I might have already decided to let bygones be bygones but I wasn¡¯t going to tell them that, just yet. While I took Serena¡¯s hand, my wings manifested for the fraction of a second and flooded the garden with cold, unyielding light. The proud woman closed her eyes reflexively against the glare and I pulled her into me. ¡°You¡¯re playing a dangerous game,¡± I whispered, only for her to hear. ¡°And I haven¡¯t forgotten your reservations, either. How come you suddenly decided to trust a beast, walking on two legs? Everything else I understand but I thought you¡¯d never get over me having tails. Aren¡¯t you an advocate for human supremacy¡­ or rather purity? Am I not an abomination in the eyes of that patron deity of yours?¡± She hissed in surprise when she felt my arms and tails wrap around her, their suppressed strength easily palpable even though I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt her. Make a point and maybe intimidate her, sure, but nothing more. Despite my best effort, I had only managed to catch her off guard, but once the first moment of fright had passed I felt her relax, her arms snaking around my middle. Without a second thought she had turned my postering into a friendly hug and her quiet reply was warm, even cordial. ¡°Maybe,¡± she breathed, ¡°but that¡¯s none of my business, not anymore. If he has a problem with what you are, he can take it up with you directly. But considering how things turned out the last time around, you know, when you effortlessly annihilated one of my strongest priests, I don¡¯t expect it to happen. As for me¡­ you¡¯re right. I was raised to hate beast kin and my own experiences when I arrived on this island only served to make it worse, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to ignore what I¡¯ve seen. You¡­ all of you have acted with more compassion, with more decency than anyone I¡¯ve met before. Maybe I¡¯ve been looking in the wrong places but I¡¯m not going to forget the lessons I¡¯ve been taught. If you can find it in you to give me, to give us, another chance, I promise I won¡¯t repeat the mistakes of the past. I would really like to get to know you, you and all of your people. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll embrace every demi human I¡¯m going to meet openly, but I¡¯m never again going to judge someone for,¡± she moved, her hands slowly trailing up my back and timidly brushing against my ears, ¡°having fur or tails. I really am sorry.¡± Damn it all, now I even felt like a jerk for trying to scare her. Genuine apologies were truly a fearsome weapon. While I honestly was a little miffed that I couldn¡¯t even vent anymore, I felt the corners of my mouth twitch and soon I was laughing openly. The tension evaporated with my rising mirth and I heard the collective sighs of relief behind me. I might not have managed to intimidate Serena, but our audience surely had taken me seriously. Especially the two former slaves, who were white like parchments, the colour only now slowly returning to their cheeks. ¡°Was that really necessary,¡± Emilia huffed. ¡°For a second there I thought you were going to turn us into stardust and memories.¡± She stretched and jumped to her feet lithely, uninvitedly turning my intended demonstration of power into a group hug. ¡°Don¡¯t do that anymore, please. I¡¯d like to keep believing that you¡¯re¡­ more, that you¡¯re better,¡± she added, her voice barely audible over the two heartbeats I felt against my skin. My laughter turned into quiet chuckles and I retuned her embrace, my eyes still locked onto Serena¡¯s. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in anyway better than most humans, as I¡¯ve just proven, but still¡­ thank you. I¡¯ll try. Now, to answer your question, as far as I¡¯m concerned, we can start over.¡± With a little force I pushed the two to arm¡¯s length and spun us around. ¡°Five are a great number to share a bottle of wine, or maybe two, if I can manage. What do you say, why don¡¯t we return to the pond. I¡¯m sure everybody else would also like to get to know you,¡± catching the gaze of Faelan and Anna I added: ¡°and we have to find a place for the two of you to spend the night. I¡¯m not going to make you sleep on the ground after everything you¡¯ve been through. Unless you want to?¡± They shared a look and the she wolf said for the both of them: ¡°Thank you. Really. We¡­ I don¡¯t know if we can repay you, but¡­,¡± I cut her off again and shook my head. ¡°Will you stop it now? You¡¯re very welcome. Truly. You don¡¯t have to thank me for every little thing. We¡¯ll have a nice, hopefully quiet, night and tomorrow we¡¯ll try to figure out what to do. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed but I, more often than not, don¡¯t think things through completely. If you really want to, we¡¯ll definitely find a way for you to return the favour.¡± Surprise and anxiety made them blush but they didn¡¯t try to dodge my gaze anymore, instead they answered it openly and when they saw the truth behind my words, they even managed a shy smile. ¡°Your will, your Highness,¡± Faelan purred, her tail wagging excitedly. Of course it didn¡¯t turn out to be quite as uneventful as I had hoped. On the plus side, the two barmaids had found their courage, while we had leisurely been making our way back, and timidly approached us. On the other side¡­ while Ahri had tried to explain to Astra and Aspera what I had been trying to say, with considerable less shouting and cursing involved along the way I might add, my mom had decided to chime in, which had left my little sister more or less unattended and to her own devices. Which meant she had managed to resist the temptation of joining Pete¡¯s kids frolicking in the waters for about half a minute. Consequentially I had just about answered the first, nervous greeting the younger girl had offered, when my ears twitched violently, a surge of power close by thundering through my perception. Which a silent curse on my lips I whirled around, frantically searching for the source. Once I found it, though, I could only groan exasperatedly while I was already running, head over tails, my wings streaming through the night behind me. The juvenile vixen had rallied her own army of troublemakers and Layla, Archy, Estrella and her had plunged into the pond, ready to challenge the newcomers to an epic water fight to the very last droplet. Unfortunately she had forgotten the seed she was still carrying around and my, oh my, what a surprise, it had become submerged the very second she had thrown herself into the azure waves. Would you believe it, the reaction between two nigh transcendent artefacts was nothing to scoff at and while the enchanted waters began glowing like a descending star, the seed pulsed and grew¡­ in Reia¡¯s gods damned pocket. If it hadn¡¯t been so fucking dangerous, I would have laughed at her petrified and guilty expression wholeheartedly. But that had to wait. First I had to make sure she¡¯d come out the other side unscathed and stop myself from strangling her, afterwards. My body vanished in a shower of sparks and my heart leaped into my throat while I appeared at her side. ¡°Out, get out,¡± I screamed, my voice giving the kids a swift kick up the arse. Before the rest of them even understood what was happening, they were already moving, streaking towards the banks as if in trance. As for my sister¡­ that, unfortunately, wasn¡¯t as straight forward. As luck would have it, the friggin cherry stone had latched onto her presence like a leech and even though I couldn¡¯t interpret every little strand of energy that was freely flowing between her and the arcane plant, I had a rough idea of what was going on. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The thing was supposed to react to my powers, feed off them, and while it was doing exactly that, gobbling up everything the pond contained, the consciousness it was binding to wasn¡¯t mine. And Reia, as powerful as she was for her age, was no immortal. She crumbled, confusion turning into pure agony as her tail convulsed and reflexively wrapped itself around my middle. I heard her heart stutter, her breathing ceased and her eyes rolled into the back of her head when she collapsed into my arms and I, despite my age, froze, uncertainty and fear paralysing me instantly. Why? Why was there always a price to pay for the people closest to me? My thoughts became a jumbled up mess, the ones I had already failed marching in an endless line before my inner eye, my father, my first teacher, my friends, and as much as it shamed me to admit it, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to help her, had I been alone. But I wasn¡¯t. Warmth spread through me when Viyara¡¯s thoughts mingled with mine, supporting me just as I had supported her when her home had burned. My own guardian angel didn¡¯t rely on anything as flowery and found quite a few choice words while she was already stampeding towards us, a cloud of steam billowing around her burning figure. ¡°Get your head out of your arse,¡± she hollered, ¡°and do something! Anything! You had heaven and hell trembling at the thought of facing you and now you crumble? Cassy, I swear, if you allow your insecurities to kill Reia I¡¯m going to personally clip your wings! It¡¯s just magic, for Christ¡¯s sake! Take it, devour it, if you have to, but done let it change her!¡± I blinked and with an Herculean effort shoved the suffocating tide of pain away, focusing on the warm body in my arms. She was right. Even if I failed, I still had to try, the consequences be damned. My wings flared, sealing us behind a scintillating barrier of silver and blue while I allowed my perception, my consciousness to expand, to carry me along on the intricately woven web of energies surrounding us. Like a leaf thrown into a raging river I was propelled along, the world vanishing behind a veil of magic and purpose. The blurry silhouettes of those whose power had allowed the seed to become what it was bloomed around me, ghostly images of the past but real, none the less. There was an old and bent kitsune, her care and strength the core of what they had created, an overburdened fey, who had stumbled into a preordained play, so much bigger than he had ever imagined, a powerful spirit, the beating heart of Gaya, her unfathomable will channeling the forces of creation into something that wouldn¡¯t tear her, our world, apart and lastly¡­ an old and wizened man, wearing a burning crown of molten silver. His deeds, his drive, spanning aeons into the past and into the future, made the seed what it was: a bulwark that might be able to weather even a transcendent storm, but it also turned it into a death sentence for any mortal. And my baby sister was trapped in the middle of it, her frail form a fulcrum for forces that were supposed to be mine. Luckily she had the same advantage I had, she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Greta¡¯s voice suddenly filled my mind, but it wasn¡¯t hoarse or cracked. She sounded like a young woman, a perfect blend of the girl I had seen in my memories and the ancient mentor I had come to know so well. ¡°Now show me that I didn¡¯t waste my time. Nothing will escape this place, I promise. Cross the threshold, make us real and free your sister. You can do it¡­ I know you can, I¡¯ve seen it before. Let there be light!¡± There was no doubt, no fear in her voice, only certainty. She knew who I was, she always had known, much better than anyone else. I didn¡¯t question why she was here, I didn¡¯t burden myself with what I couldn¡¯t control, anymore. Her trust was enough to calm my mind and with a twist of my awareness I relaxed the iron hard grip around my core, the infinite torrents thundering forth as if a dam had been broken. The surreal apparitions dispersed and I found myself at the centre of a raging maelstrom, silver and blue dancing around Reia and me in an infinite circle of power. I raised my gaze to the heavens, a silent scream twisting my mouth into a snarl. Light erupted from my eyes and my wings became solid, unyielding bands of silver, anchoring me and my precious burden. I might not have been able to free her, not without tearing asunder the complex spells around us, but I could very well take on her burdens, just like Greta had taken on mine in the final hour of Boseiju¡¯s fall. I just hoped neither of us would have to pay the same price. Even though the wily vixen had apparently cheated. What happened to me, to us, is almost impossible to put into words. Up was down and down was up, colours became sounds and sounds turned into smells as reality went to war, confined by a translucent barrier of dubious origins. But I didn¡¯t care. There were only two things on my mind: providing enough energy so that the ravenous cataclysm wouldn¡¯t consume what little Reia had to offer and wrapping myself around her soul, her life to, ensure she wouldn¡¯t be harmed or transformed by magics, not meant for the mortal world. My power became her armour, my will her shield, and while the thundering tides of eternity tore through her I felt them divert, gravitating to the only source that could satisfy their transcendent needs. From the outside it must have looked serene, maybe even hallowed. A storm of light, hazy images flickering across its surface, surrounded by frothing waves of pure azure, sparks rising to the surface and vanishing into the depths in an endless cycle. A soft glow pulsed, igniting the magic in the waters and with a spherical sound the waters rose, enveloping us in a soft cocoon of life. Only the flaming outlines of four fiery wings didn¡¯t quite fit, but there wasn¡¯t a force in heaven or hell strong enough to prevent Ahri from reaching us. She would be too late, though. By then, I would either have succeeded or I would have lost my sister. I was reminded of the time when I had been forced to transform my mom, my power pouring into an endless, insatiable void, but since then a few things had changed. One, I was much stronger, my magic willing to do my bidding and two, however impressive the whirlwind of living light might have seemed, it was in no way comparable to what I had done, back then. I wasn¡¯t trying to create or animate a creature born of a transcendent spark and an undying wish to protect. All I had to do was fill a mould, which had been created for that very purpose¡­ and make sure the precious conductor wouldn¡¯t suffer any damage. As much as I had panicked in the beginning, the daunting task reminding me of the many instances where I had played with forces beyond my control and had been reduced to a praying child stumbling along, as easy, as natural it felt once I had overcome my insecurities. Reia would survive, I¡¯d make sure of it. At the centre of the shining sphere, torrents of energy swelled around the seed, its dark lustre becoming streaked with veins of silver. While my power, taken from the pond and my core, raged through me and by extension through Reia, my presence still wrapped around her like a shimmering blanket, it grew. Quite literally, at first, it expanded, swelling to take in everything it was offered but quickly enough it cracked, its skin flaking away to reveal scintillating roots that shimmered and vanished, drilling deep into the weave. A tiny leaf unfurled, green and silver with the faintest hint of golden spots, resting on a delicate seedling. From one heartbeat to the next the seedling turned into a small tree, its shining bark reminiscent of Galathon¡¯s black scales, impenetrable and unyielding. Branches grew before my eyes, laden with flowers of the palest red, their stamps apparently made of solid silver with streaks of gold. The trunk shot up, growing several metres in the blink of an eye. Real roots exploded outwards, digging deep through the azure waters and into the earth of Free Land below. A sweet smell, a mixture of ozone, cherry blossoms and molten gold, enveloped the garden. I felt a tug on my awareness and a last torrent of power was drawn from my core before the light receded, leaving me, dripping wet and panting, in the middle of a pond, form which a cherry tree grew, an unconscious vixen with two tails snoring in my arms. 306. Of security, confessions and a little honesty Reia Pendragon If you¡¯re really exhausted, there is this moment when you¡¯re still awake but everything, your worries, your hopes, your aspirations, it all just vanishes behind a curtain of tiredness, as if you were already asleep, your soul and mind detached from your body. That wasn¡¯t even close to how I felt. I wasn¡¯t unconscious, not really, I could still hear and smell but I just couldn¡¯t get myself to open my eyes or to care about the horrendous mistake I had made. All I cared for were the strong arms cradling me and Cassy¡¯s soothing voice rumbling through my body whenever she took a few moments to answer questions and¡­ well, order people around. I didn¡¯t know where she was taking me, nor did it matter much to me. Not even the new tail I felt seemed very important. I just didn¡¯t want her to let go of me, her warmth slowly spreading through me, driving away the lingering cold. Time passed, minutes, maybe hours and I dozed off a few times only to be shaken awake again whenever she readjusted her grip. I had the impression that she was carrying me somewhere, somewhere with quite a lot of stairs in the way, and with the low murmurs of voices that simply didn¡¯t go away, some of which I knew others I didn¡¯t, I was decently convinced we weren¡¯t alone, either. Which, and it was the first more or less coherent thought I was capable of, was a pity since I fully expected her to tear off my ears once she was done fretting over me. I wouldn¡¯t have minded some privacy for the impending scolding, but on the other hand¡­ I truly deserved it. She had given the seed to me to take care of and I had managed about 10 days without a major fuck up. At this rate, I¡¯d be lucky if she ever again entrusted me with anything more valuable than a water skin. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from groaning, which would have made it plenty obvious that I was awake and I wasn¡¯t prepared for the conversation that would surely ensue. Not yet. It seemed so much easier to simply snuggle into her and forget the whole disaster. Which I did, as thoroughly as I possibly could. She had to feel my tails tightening around her but she didn¡¯t comment, her only reaction a content hum while she caressed my ears and I drifted off again. When I next woke up I felt better, still a little drowsy, as if I had been sick and had just slept through the night for the first time, but definitely more like myself. Unfortunately it also meant that the memories of the night before returned in a rush. Inadvertently I turned around and buried my head in the pillow, eliciting a soft complaint from someone next to me. Surprised I opened my eyes but I couldn¡¯t see much, the room and most of the bed I was on hidden behind black and platinum tresses and a veritable sea of silver and white tails. Before I could do more than blink, some of them moved, wrapping themselves around me like fluffy chains and pushed me back down, without a word spoken, while sparks of silver and azure ignited on the pillows next to me for the fraction of a second. Neither Cassy nor Ahri woke fully, their eyes closing as quickly as they had opened, and I couldn¡¯t do much but surrender. If they didn¡¯t want me to get up I wouldn¡¯t and I didn¡¯t really mind, either. Hiding here seemed like a great way to start the day, any day really. My resolve to act like a good little girl lasted for about five minutes, then I became bored. I mean, listening to two immortal creatures snore softly was fun, for a while, but I couldn¡¯t even see where I was and judging from the golden glare, filling the room, it was already close to noon. Also, the ceiling, the only part of the chamber I could actually see, had me intrigued. There were no lines or boards, it was made of unbroken, dark cherry wood and even though I wasn¡¯t sure, I was prepared to hazard a guess as to where they had taken me. Maybe my thoughtlessness hadn¡¯t been all bad. I couldn¡¯t remember what had happened, not exactly, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that the cherry stone I had carried had actually bloomed, despite my mistake. Suppressing my first impulse to tickle Cassy awake, I slowly began the arduous task of wiggling out of their fluffy embrace without disturbing them. That was until I saw a familiar face staring down at me, mirth and excitement sparkling in young, whole eyes I had only ever seen blind and useless before. I froze and without meaning to I blurted out: ¡°Greta?¡± The face winked and disappeared into the wood again while my two guardians moved in their sleep, entirely nullifying my stealthy efforts to disentangle myself from them. What the hells? I hadn¡¯t seen it but I had heard the story often enough and the ancient kitsune shouldn¡¯t be here. She should have been dead¡­ worse, she should have been gone, but even though it had been only for the fraction of a moment, I was sure it had been her face. A younger, less grumpy version but still her face, imprinted on the dark, gleaming wood. I fell back onto the pillows, pushing deeper into Cassy¡¯s embrace, my restlessness gone, evaporated like a cloud under the midday sun. And then another thought struck me. Tails. I had two of them now! ¡°I swear, if you don¡¯t stop fidgeting I¡¯m going to hand you over to mom,¡± Cassy grunted sleepily. ¡°You might have slept for eight hours straight but I haven¡¯t and I have one hell of a day to somehow get through.¡± Her arms snaked around my chest and pulled me even closer. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, at least pretend. We¡¯ll be up in an hour or two. Call it a punishment.¡± Her velvety voice was already becoming slurry when she added: ¡°for almost giving me a heart attack. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still in one piece, little one.¡± And that was that, at least if her deep breathing was any indication. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in luck, then,¡± Ahri whispered from my other side, her multicoloured eyes opening slowly. ¡°I haven¡¯t had as much of a turbulent night as her and I¡¯m very prepared to have a chat with you while she¡¯s recuperating. And don¡¯t count on her stopping me. If it comes down to it, she¡¯ll do as I say even if it means clipping your tails. So¡­ what have you been thinking?¡± Uh oh. I knew I¡¯d have been able to get around any real repercussions with my sister, an apology and a hug usually turned her into a winged teddy bear but her soon to be wife was a different matter. Ahri liked me, but that unfortunately also meant she wouldn¡¯t simply write me off and make sure I¡¯d understand what I had done. Not that it was strictly necessary, my stomach still felt like it was filled with stones every time I thought about my carelessness, but I could very well do without her hammering home the point. Don¡¯t ask me why, but if I had to come up with a simile I¡¯d have called Cassy a caring mother, as strange as it may seem, while Ahri felt more like a strict, protecting father to me. Whatever the reason, I wouldn¡¯t manage to wrap her around my finger with a teary eyed gaze and a heartfelt apology. ¡°Not much,¡± I tried hesitantly but the way her eyes flashed told me exactly what kind of reception this line of reasoning would yield. I sighed and lowered my gaze, squirming reflexively until Cassy¡¯s tails became a silvery wall between me and Ahri¡¯s fierce stare. ¡°I forgot,¡± I finally admitted. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You forgot,¡± she parroted. ¡°Reia¡­ are you fucking kidding me? You forgot that you were carrying the last seed of Boseiju with you? Are you serious?¡± ¡°What do you want me to say,¡± I hissed quietly, my temper stirring. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but yes, I forgot.¡± She blinked and grimaced but I could still see the flickering smile she tried to hide. ¡°You really are like her,¡± she finally groaned. ¡°There was this one time¡­ no, you¡¯re not getting out of it this easily. Do you know why I¡¯m actually angry? And before you answer, it¡¯s not that you endangered your life. As much as it pains me to admit it, that¡¯s just a part of the job description¡­ being close to us is dangerous and I doubt there is anyone closer to Cassy than you.¡± I felt tears burning in my eyes and quickly tried to blink them away. I had known before but having the one creature who truly understood her tell me that I was important to Cassy, maybe even as important as she was to me, felt¡­ elating and crushing at the same time. How could I have been so unbelievably stupid? I had gone and begged them for their trust, which they had given me unconditionally, and the first chance I had had, I had thrown it away like¡­ the child I had promised I wouldn¡¯t act like. Oh. And there was the snag. ¡°Because I¡¯ve proven you were right when you didn¡¯t want me to come with you,¡± I mumbled demurely. ¡°I¡¯ve disappointed you.¡± Ahri¡¯s expression changed but she didn¡¯t get another word out, as we were both suddenly smothered in a tide of silver. ¡°Which part of pretend to be asleep was in any way unclear,¡± Cassy grumbled. ¡°But seeing as you¡¯re adamant about getting everything out in the open, that¡¯s not it. Neither of us expected you to act like a soldier. I knew fully well what I was doing when I gave you that seed. No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m not¡­ we¡¯re not disappointed. She¡¯s not angry because you made a mistake, happens to the best of us,¡± I felt her chuckle softly before she continued: ¡°she¡¯s angry because you¡¯re actually clever enough to realise what you¡¯ve done. Look, Reia, you didn¡¯t show any indication of joining Brianna and her friends while we were still watching you. You already knew we wouldn¡¯t allow it, even though you didn¡¯t take the moment you would have needed to figure out why. Instead, as soon as we turned our backs, you went right ahead and simply jumped in, head first. Quite literally. You¡¯re pretty similar to me in that regard. I usually also prefer to ask for forgiveness than permission, but¡­ if you want to act like that you¡¯ve got to be able to clean up your messes. And, I¡¯m sorry for being blunt, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to, this time, not without my help. She¡¯s angry because your priorities are still skewed. You want us to treat you like an adult but yet you act like a child, expecting others to fix your mistakes in case you can¡¯t and that doesn¡¯t fly. You¡¯ve got to choose and stick with it, one way or the other. Which means,¡± her hand snaked around my head and she pinched my ear, firmly, ¡°we expect you to use that noggin of yours in the future.¡± ¡°Thanks for undermining my lecture, darling,¡± Ahri huffed but I could hear the smile in her voice, even though she quickly added: ¡°and as far as I¡¯m concerned I actually am disappointed. You should have either stayed put or at the very least asked¡­ and you knew as much, which is why I¡¯m angry.¡± ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll have to stay here with the others,¡± I asked subduedly, fully expecting them to draw the consequences my actions implied. That we wouldn¡¯t leave with Arthur, now that the tree had grown, wasn¡¯t much of a question where I was concerned. I couldn¡¯t see Cassy¡¯s face but when Ahri¡¯s eyes darted to a point somewhere behind my head I knew they were communicating silently. ¡°No,¡± my sister finally said, ¡°but you¡¯ll have to work for it. I¡¯ve been talking to our grandmother for a while last night and she¡¯s prepared to take you under her wing. You¡¯ve got two days to prove to us that you¡¯ve decided to shoulder some responsibility. Convince her and we need not talk about it anymore. I hope you¡¯ve slept well because from what she¡¯s said you won¡¯t be having another quiet minute in the coming days. We¡¯ll even join you for some of the fun,¡± she finished with an ever so slight shudder in her voice. Despite myself I blurted out: ¡°That¡¯s it? No screaming, no punishment?¡± Ahri shook her head, the light dancing across her red white tresses. ¡°You scream at and punish a child to make it remember¡­ if we have to resort to that, we might as well call it a day. Besides¡­ you¡¯re going to remember what happened last night anyways, every time you look in a mirror.¡± For a moment I was confused. Was she talking about my second tail? But when I saw her gaze travel over my ears and hair I panicked. With trembling fingers I pulled a few strands in front of my eyes, my mouth opening wide. The spell I had always used had broken but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Instead of ebony locks, I stared at waves of black and gold, interspersed with silvery highlights. ¡°Your ears and tails are the same,¡± Cassy explained quietly. ¡°I think it looks good on you but I fear you might not be able to change them again. That¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s just say you¡¯ve become more like me and it might take a little more effort to transform than you¡¯re used to. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I paused and then I laughed loudly. ¡°You¡¯re sorry? Whatever for? If anything¡­ that¡¯s a wish come true,¡± I ended in a whisper. ¡°Wait until you try to light a candle and blow up the house,¡± she replied darkly. ¡°Another reason why I want you to train with Sera. She might actually be strong and knowledgeable enough to stop you from hurting yourself¡­ or anyone else for that matter. Still,¡± I felt her tighten her grip as her head came to rest on my shoulder, ¡°would you mind? I don¡¯t have to meet our fey and the mercenaries until noon and that¡¯s still an hour away.¡± ¡°More like 20 minutes,¡± Ahri chuckled. ¡°If you want a chance to bathe and eat, you¡¯ll have to get up. Now.¡± ¡°And they call me the devil,¡± she complained. I had heard her say it before, but I had never understood what she was referring to and considering I was tugged in between them like their actual child, a better opportunity to ask might never come. ¡°Uh,¡± I began hesitantly, ¡°aren¡¯t you an angel? Why are you called the devil and by whom? Shouldn¡¯t that be a title for a demon?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t that much of a difference,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°An angel to some is a demon to others and vice versa. Just imagine how Asra¡¯s friends, provided he had some, are talking about me right now. You know I¡¯m old¡­ and I¡¯ve never been particularly good at staying out of trouble. A trait we share, isn¡¯t it? As to why I¡¯m called the devil¡­ it¡¯s just one world, some place I¡¯ve spent quite some time in during my previous life and that vixen over there just loves rubbing my nose in it. Anyways, some of my visits didn¡¯t work out splendidly, in fact most of them didn¡¯t. Let¡¯s see¡­ there was this city, Rome, maybe it still exists. I had a run in with one if its rulers, a nasty piece of work.¡± A chilling coldness crept into her voice, a stark contrast to the warmth I felt. ¡°Flavius Valerius Constantinus. He wasn¡¯t a bad politician but an atrocious human. We clashed over his son. He wanted him gone, as in dead, but when the executioners came¡­ as luck would have I was around. I had met Crispus before by happenstance. We weren¡¯t friends, not exactly, but I liked him. He was witty, caring, brave¡­ Anyways, I returned the heads of his soldiers to Constantinus with a friendly reminder that his son would leave and should he ever try to find him again it wouldn¡¯t be the blood of his henchman I¡¯d use to paint the throne crimson. As far as I know he took my warning to heart and never looked for him. Crispus spent his remaining years in another country, Greece, under a false name and when his dear father became the most influential figure of, what would turn out to become the most prominent religion for centuries, I was painted as the devil, my name tantamount to evil incarnate. A petty squabble, but it stuck and I never cared enough to try to change it.¡± While I was still puzzling over her words Ahri interjected: ¡°Also, my love, if you¡¯re honest you¡¯ll have to admit that you¡¯ve always enjoyed it, haven¡¯t you?¡± I felt the vibrations of Cassy¡¯s laughter against my back. ¡°Guilty as charged. If you¡¯re already called evil incarnate there isn¡¯t much you can¡¯t do. It¡¯s¡­ liberating. On Earth I never felt like I had to pretend. Who knows, given enough time I might even manage the same around here.¡± 307. Of surprises, friends and a little challenge Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I thought I won our bet,¡± I complained while I stared in abject horror at the bundle of cloth Ahri had somehow smuggled into the bath. Which bath, you might ask. Well, the one with running water and heated floors. Don¡¯t ask me how a tree can heat up in some places, since ¡°it¡¯s magic¡± would be my only answer. So much for my aeons encompassing, arcane knowledge. ¡°Not my doing,¡± she replied smoothly and seductively lolled around in the tub we had shared until a few moments ago. I found it pretty difficult to concentrate, the clear water left nothing much to my imagination, after all, and I couldn¡¯t help but remember her boastful claims of being too ashamed to handle the attention, should she ever have to parade around naked in front of our friends. Well, in this instance it was just one but the way she moved would have made me blush like a ripe tomato. Luckily Reia was still too young to fully understand what the vixen was doing to me. I shook my head and had to replay the last second in my mind before I stammeringly replied: ¡°right¡­ they just appeared out of thin air, didn¡¯t they?¡± To add a little context to my moaning, the piece de resistance was nothing more than gauze wrappings for my thighs and chest, paired with a few bands of grey silk I was supposed to somehow tie around my waist. If I was ever going to wear it. Which I didn¡¯t see coming, not by a long shot and not even in private. Probably. Ahri shrugged and finally got out of the tub without missing the chance to strike another provocative pose when my sister had turned her back, trying to comb out the waves of ebony, gold and silver she now called her own. ¡°Believe what you will, but I didn¡¯t buy them¡­ I didn¡¯t even have the time to get anything practical, never mind shopping for lingerie. But¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind if you tried them on. Tonight. I¡¯m not going to let you leave the house¡­ tree, wearing these.¡± ¡°That much we can agree on,¡± I said reflexively, still puzzling over where the garments, if you could even call them that, had come from. Admittedly, it might seem like a silly notion, considering we had just spent the night in a tree, that had grown from a tiny seed within a few heartbeats, but magic usually didn¡¯t simply happen. And even if it did¡­ this felt somewhat personal, like an ironic welcome home present from someone who knew me and my decidedly masculine fashion sense rather intimately. Especially since there wasn¡¯t a second set and my own clothes had miraculously disappeared. The longer I thought about it the more certain I became that either Ahri was having her fun with me or my mom had decided to celebrate us moving into a new home by acting like a leprechaun with an impish sense of humour. Mordred and Sera wouldn¡¯t have bothered with a prank and since no one else was staying with us for now, at least no one who¡¯d have dared to make fun of me, I fervently hoped, there weren¡¯t many alternatives to choose from. ¡°You¡¯re not pulling my tails, are you,¡± I still asked to make sure. She shook her mesmerising head, sending sparkling droplets of water flying everywhere. ¡°I¡¯m not. But who¡­¡± ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know,¡± Reia interrupted and turned around with a bright, happy smile on her face. She looked good, healthy. The ordeal she had put herself through last night hadn¡¯t left any lasting marks except for her changed fur and a tiny, almost invisible, silvery flaw on her alabaster skin. I hadn¡¯t yet pointed it out, it was nothing to worry about, simply a sign of the forces she had come in contact with, and I didn¡¯t want to have her fret over something inconsequential while she already had a boatload of real challenges to deal with. ¡°Don¡¯t know what,¡± I wanted to know, even though it might have been a stupid question. We were taking a bath about 50 metres above the ground in a room grown from a living tree, had slept in beds that had manifested from thin air and judging from the quick peek I had hazarded last night there was still quite a lot to discover, without even considering the vast network of roots, hidden behind a glowing door at the deepest point of the trunk¡­ which incidentally was hollow and served as a central walkway. Like I said, it might have been a stupid question considering where we actually were. If it had been a leafy robe or something similar I wouldn¡¯t even have wondered about its origin, but something so ostentatiously¡­ decadent just reeked of someone trying to provoke me. In a very informal manner¡­ quite like my family. My little sister covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hide her laughter, but it soon enough bubbled forth freely. Between her joyous outbursts she still managed to press out: ¡°oh boy, you¡¯re in for one hell of a surprise. I¡¯m not going to spoil it, though. You¡¯ll see her when she wants you to.¡± ¡°Her? Who¡­,¡± Ahri wondered aloud, her eyes igniting with crimson sparks as she channeled a bit of her power to augment her vision. ¡°There¡¯s¡­¡± she paused, her mouth slowly opening in a silent exclamation and then she joined Reia, their melodious voices reminding me of a fresh summer breeze. A moment later she nodded, as if to reply to a question I couldn¡¯t hear, and began dressing. To my chagrin her clothes hadn¡¯t changed or rather disappeared while I was stuck with that grey, silky monstrosity. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into the two of you,¡± I snarled, my irritation slowly growing. ¡°Nothing much,¡± my angel replied, still chuckling, while she pulled up her pants. ¡°Or rather nothing to worry about. You¡¯ll see¡­ maybe. Depends on how long she¡¯s going to enjoy toying with you.¡± I had had enough but when my eyes flared silver Ahri immediately covered them with her delicate hand. ¡°No cheating,¡± she admonished. ¡°It¡¯s nothing dangerous, at least for us. Trust me.¡± ¡°I always do,¡± I replied while I shoved away her hand. ¡°But I¡¯m also curious¡­ fine, whatever. But what am I supposed to do now? I¡¯m not going to wear this,¡± I nudged the bundle of straps and see through cloth with my foot, ¡°and my other things are gone.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you store a few spares in your stamp?¡± ¡°Right, I almost forgot.¡± Well, I had forgotten, to be honest. By now I had stuffed so much in there that I was mainly trying to keep track of the things that could potentially change our world. Like the cube, the ring I was wearing, the emblem Mephisto was hibernating in, Shassa¡¯s gem or the goddamned book Amazeroth had planted for me. Speaking of which, once I had visualised the interior of my stamp, said tome immediately drew my attention. Even in the subspace it was stored in it was glowing and pulsing with suppressed energy, almost as if a seal had been broken. ¡°Sure, there isn¡¯t enough to do already,¡± I growled under my breath but truth be told, I had been expecting it. For all intent and purposes Amazeroth was the architect of the magic within the seed, now tree, and he had enchanted the book as well. That the two of them were somehow linked wasn¡¯t that much of a surprise but I wouldn¡¯t have minded a few days, or rather weeks, to deal with the much more mundane insanity I was already drowning in. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°What is it,¡± Ahri asked anxiously, picking up on my changing mood while sparks ignited in her hair and she inadvertently moved to hide Reia behind her back. ¡°This,¡± I mumbled while a decent set of clothes and an old, leather bound tome, burning with an inner fire, manifested in front of me. ¡°I guess the first seal broke when the tree bloomed. So much for me pouring my energy into it. If Mephisto had been awake, I could at least have laughed at him and called him an idiot.¡± I shrugged into a comfortable shirt and tapped my chin thoughtfully, murmuring: ¡°to read or not to read¡­ how long do you think it¡¯d take?¡± ¡°Watching a memory,¡± Ahri asked hesitantly. ¡°Not that long but you might be out of it for a while, if past experiences are anything to go by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the book the elf girl used to summon you, isn¡¯t it,¡± my sister piped up, peeking around Ahri¡¯s leg. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just open it? Maybe then we¡¯ll know more.¡± ¡°If only it were that easy,¡± I sighed. ¡°Once I open it chances are I¡¯m going to be sucked into whatever lunacy is hidden in there. I¡¯m not so sure if that¡¯s¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get any further, a soft, greenish glow near the door silenced me as effectively as a gag. My wings manifested and I glided in front of my family only to recoil a second later, my jaw dropping to the floor. In the midst of the green light a figure materialised, tall and slender with brown skin, almost like a smooth bark, and an undeniably leafy texture to her hair. A dryad, I thought, but that wasn¡¯t what had me stunned. A powerful magical plant was bound to attract or even create elemental spirits, but this one I knew, at least I thought so. When she opened her mouth every doubt I had was put to rest immediately. I did know her but I had never expected to see her again. ¡°You¡¯ve really got a talent to put a dent in my plans. Here I was, imagining a hundred and one different ways to surprise you but now I¡¯ve got to simply appear and tell you that you shouldn¡¯t ignore the fucking transcendent message the guy, who¡¯s been pulling the strings behind most of your troubles, left for you. Seriously, I thought you learned a thing or two under my wise, tender and insightful tutelage, yet, apparently, you¡¯re still about as clever as you were, when you saved a scared girl from a dying world,¡± Greta complained, while I simply stared at her, flabbergasted. ¡°What,¡± she continued, ¡°no tears of joy, no jubilant expressions of astonishment? You could at least offer me a hug, you know? After all I died trying to keep that rock, you call a head, on your shoulders. I mean, I didn¡¯t expect a banquet, but¡­¡± her tirade ended in spluttering since we both went down, my tails wrapped around her like a silvery cocoon. When she had first appeared I had felt a bubble of churning emotions, ranging from anger to delight, rise in my chest and when her half mocking half caring words had penetrated the haze of confusion, it had exploded. Before I had known what I had been doing I had tackled her, laughing and crying at the same time. ¡°I missed you,¡± was all I managed to say in between strangled hiccoughs but apparently it was enough. I felt her smooth, gentle fingers brush through my hair as she whispered hoarsely: ¡°And I you. Have you¡­ do you remember who I am?¡± I nodded without letting go of her. ¡°Which makes the shit you pulled all the more infuriating,¡± I finally pressed out. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to protect me, it¡¯s the other way around!¡± I felt her move, her breath, smelling of cherries and leafs, tickled my fur as she whispered: ¡°I¡¯ve grown up. Sometimes its okay to need help, even when it comes from your children. I¡¯m sorry for never telling you, but just imagine how you¡¯d have reacted back then if you had known. Still, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to call you dad again.¡± ¡°You did,¡± I asked, taken by surprise. I couldn¡¯t imagine I had ever allowed her to refer to me as dad but she only shrugged. ¡°It took a few decades but I think you came to enjoy it. That ship has sailed, though. Especially if I still have to hammer some wisdom into you. From what I¡¯ve seen, and trust me, I¡¯ve seen enough, even though I was stuck in a pocket for most of the time, you need it dearly. How often did you almost die in the last weeks? Five times and then there¡¯s also the little fact that you actually kicked the curb, once. So, from now on, you¡¯ll listen to me again and maybe we can manage to avoid most unpleasantries, which surely are waiting for us further down the road. First order of business: get off me!¡± I chuckled quietly and scrambled to my feet. Scrutinising her through a stubbornly lasting veil of tears I offered her my hand and pulled her up. She had changed tremendously, becoming a nature spirit without any tails was a far cry removed from the cranky kitsune I had come to know and love... twice. Somehow her fox ears had survived, though, but the fur had a decidedly green tinge to it. Her face was still the same, minus the scars around her eyes, which were a startling shade of purple, and the wrinkles on her cheeks. She looked¡­ ageless, an ancient soul staring at me from a young face. In a way she looked like us, like an immortal. Her appearance and her age didn¡¯t match. Still, her crooked smile and the way she tilted her head, as if she was waiting for me to stumble or blunder, were just as infuriating and endearing as I remembered. So was the coarse sack she called a dress. That particular item hadn¡¯t changed at all, even though I was decently sure she could just wish for anything she so desired to appear. The gaudy strands of silk she had conjured were proof enough. ¡°What,¡± she interrupted my reverie. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you expected me to look like my old self. I¡¯ve spent more than enough time with aching bones. A little compensation for my selfless sacrifice isn¡¯t too much to ask for, is it?¡± She hesitated before she added, much more sincerely than I had expected: ¡°do you like it?¡± I laughed and finally managed to brush away my tears. ¡°I do. It¡­ suits you. Have you always had purple eyes?¡± ¡°You mean before that¡­ shit, I can¡¯t even curse him with real venom anymore. Before your cousin took them? No, but there isn¡¯t much I can do about it. Well, I could use a spell, but I quite like them, to be honest, and they work.¡± It was her turn to stare at me intently, her smile widening with every passing second. ¡°You¡­ still look like I remember, for the most part. I just hope I¡¯m not going to get burned.¡± For a moment I was confused until the memory of her asking me to fly closer to the sun resurfaced. ¡°Thanks for the compliment but didn¡¯t you listen to me, back then? I said most beautiful things are dangerous and while I won¡¯t deny what I am, I will never again put your life at risk.¡± ¡°No promise,¡± she snorted. ¡°Figures.¡± Her expression changed, becoming softer, almost serene. With a quick step she stood in front of me again and wrapped me up in a heartfelt embrace. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how hard it was on me to listen while I was unable to help. Still¡­ should anyone ask I¡¯m going to deny ever having said anything of the sort but you did good. Better than I would have expected. You¡¯ve grown.¡± ¡°Literally or figuratively,¡± I wanted to know. ¡°Both. The angel I met all those years ago would have left behind a trail of corpses and ash and the little girl I taught would have curled up and died. I don¡¯t know when or how it happened, but you¡¯ve finally become the person I¡¯ve always seen in you.¡± ¡°Unfortunately I still feel like a moron, most of the time,¡± I replied and breathed in her scent. ¡°Ah well, between your grandmother and me I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get you sorted out. Which reminds me¡­ I should probably introduce myself to our other guest. And you, my dear, have a memory to explore. Don¡¯t worry, should you get lost I¡¯ll make sure to wake you up before noon.¡± ¡°And how are you gong to manage that?¡± Her smile became even more pronounced. ¡°Like I always have. With a lot of fun for me and an equal amount of lovingly administered injuries for you. Cassy¡­ this tree is me and I am the tree. There isn¡¯t much I can¡¯t do here and jolting you awake with a spell is but child¡¯s play. The artefacts you used to create the pond¡­ they were saturated with your blood. I¡¯m never again going to need a focus to spell you. My¡­ heart, core, wood, whatever, is imbued with a minuscule part of your strength, as well as yours, Ahri.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a cause for celebration or if I should fear for my life.¡± I said, shuddering. 308. Of births, existence and a little gift Cassandra Pendragon A world of ash and soot, suffocating underneath a blanket of acrid smoke, greeted me. For the first time I wasn¡¯t really there, for the first time I wasn¡¯t a part of the scene, the memory belonged to someone else after all, but I couldn¡¯t even see the hunched over form of a crowned human lurking close by. For all intent and purposes I was alone, truly and utterly alone. There were no plants, no animals, nothing lived upon the sea of broken stones and fading light. The sun, a bright green ball of spiteful heat, was setting over a jagged line of looming mountains, reaching for the tormented sky like the fingers of death. Sheets of dirty glass cracked beneath my boots, which was also a first. Somehow I had a body, somehow I could move and consequentially enjoy all the amenities this lovely world had to offer, from a searing pain in my throat, every time I breathed in the noxious fumes, to a cutting ache, whenever one of the razor sharp rocks pierced through my boots. It surely seemed like I had been transported to a different world, a dead, forgotten place, even though I had been standing in front of a gleaming mirror a handful of seconds ago. As far as surprises went, this one was rather on the unwelcome side. I grabbed a handful of my hair, pressed it against my mouth, trying to elevate the growing pain, and channelled a considerable amount of energy through my body. The relief was immediate and, blinking against the dim but cruel light, I spun on the spot with renewed vigour, searching for something, anything even remotely arcane. Hell, I would have been content with anything alive, to be honest, but there was just nothing. Not even an ugly bug scurrying away to hide between the rocks, nor the flapping of scaly wings in the distance. I couldn¡¯t even taste a hint of moisture in the air. If I hadn¡¯t already been there, I would have thought I had stumbled into hell but this place was even less hospitable. Hopefully it¡¯d turn out to be less lethal as well, but I wasn¡¯t going to jinx myself since I didn¡¯t even know if I was in a transcendently stored memory or if I had really been sent to the most godforsaken place in the universe. Almost as soon as the thought had formed, the earth trembled and the sky ignited with scintillating blue flames. My complaints were forgotten in a heartbeat, my wings hissing in the heavy air as they formed a dome around me, a protection that would keep me safe from anything magical. My heart thundered in my chest and I felt a sheen of sweat on my brow as I rose a metre into the air, unable to keep my balance on the shaking ground. Scowling I focused on my vision, the silvery glare overshadowing even the coiling flames, tearing the sky apart. I gasped, the sheer amount of power racing through the heavens incomparable to anything I had ever seen and I had already remembered the day when I had stood before the Pearly Gates, ready to challenge my siblings. The planet, or whatever else it was, groaned but it didn¡¯t break despite the horrendous display above me and it really should have. Whatever was going on made the cataclysm look like a toddler¡¯s tantrum and, aside from myself, there shouldn¡¯t have been a creature or a thing strong enough to withstand the crushing pull of the magic above. Even I felt its insatiable hunger while everything was drawn towards the cosmic maelstrom but despite the visual cacophony, there were no sounds, the silence almost as oppressing as the aeons shattering storm. The glow from my skin intensified as I was forced to pump more and more power through my veins, my gaze glued to the reality defying promise of death and destruction. Fear stirred in my chest, the colossal, incomprehensible scale made me wonder if it might actually kill me, even though I shouldn¡¯t have even been here. My fur rose, tiny charges exploding between the silvery flood, and still the thing grew, an electric blue ring of planetary proportions. It flickered and shifted, almost like a living ouroboros and then I saw a mote of silver ignite at its centre. ¡°That¡¯s you. Your first transformation, your first birth,¡± a decidedly androgynous voice suddenly reached my ears. I whirled around, my fear sending icy spikes through my heart, but nothing was close by, the only movement the dance of loose rocks as they quivered and trembled while the planet shook. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve lived through it once, you can do so again. Also¡­ if you ever want to return to your time, your home, you¡¯ll have to reach the centre. Unless you want to take the long way around. Which should take around 15 billion years, give or take. Again, quite doable, you¡¯ve managed once already, but I wouldn¡¯t try. It¡¯s going to take you about 13 years to open your eyes up there. Once that happens you should better be back in your own time. If the two of you were going to meet¡­ you can only ever exist once.¡± I had no idea if I was able to strangle thin air but I¡¯d surely find out in a minute or two. I couldn¡¯t even wrap my head around half the preposterous claims Amazeroth, maybe, had just sprouted but what little I did understand had me already foaming at the mouth. And maybe trembling in my boots. A little. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste your energy on me,¡± he¡­it continued, ¡°I¡¯m not really here. In fact I¡¯m just about now fighting for your oh so precious friends. The very few immortal ones you still have. No need to thank me. Now listen: the book I sent you contains seven¡­ gateways. They aren¡¯t memories, not really. They were yours and mine but they have been saturated with so much transcendent power that they became real¡­ish. They contain the seven instances in our lives where we came across powers so vast that their mere presence turned even the thought of them into something more. This is the first one. Your birth. There is much to see and even more to learn, much of which I myself do not know. I can only guess, but you can watch. Do so Cassandra and maybe you¡¯ll find your light before you wake up again. Who knows, at the very end, you might even find your darkness.¡± The voice vanished and I screamed, anger and frustration easily drowning out anxiety and fear. I let loose without restraint, my aura turning into a solid sphere of silver and blue that raced away from me. There were no flames, no explosions, there was only light, bright enough that it could as well have been darkness. Utterly impenetrable darkness. Everything vanished, or maybe I did, behind a ravenous tide of nothingness while a single thought circled through my mind: if I became stuck here, I would use the small eternity until my birth to hunt down Amazeroth and dine on his core. If he trapped me in the past I would have all the time in the universe, quite literally, to become strong enough to devour him whole with Michael and his cronies for desert. And then my fury flickered. Please, please tell me this wasn¡¯t the plan. Please tell me I wasn¡¯t supposed to take my place here, living my life twice! The light petered out while I wrestled against the tide of renewed fear. I was left hovering, white faced, in the middle of a crater, spanning several hundred kilometres in every direction. From the corner of my eye I saw the reddish glow in the shadows below me, but I didn¡¯t care. I had destroyed the planet, the structural damage would sooner or later make it crumble, but I truly had more pressing problems. I didn¡¯t even bother with the superficial stuff like how is this possible or what¡¯s the point of seven memories if I can¡¯t get out of this one. I even managed to push away my panic and the lingering anger. There was only one thing to do and I didn¡¯t even have to think much. I had to get up there, one way or the other, or I¡¯d regret it. Dearly. At least my outburst had cleared the sky. Flying through poison would have added insult to injury. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I closed my eyes and reached for my core. Imagine an infinite river, churning somewhere within you. The real tricky part wasn¡¯t to use my power, it was making sure that I wouldn¡¯t overdo it and shatter anything I held dear in the process. This time, though, there was nothing close by I wanted to protect, no wards I had to keep intact and I welcomed the thundering sensation when my being was filled to the brink. My wings expanded, each torrent swelling and pulsing until they touched the sky and filled the hollow darkness below me with light. A thought, a wish, and I was carried along, dancing beyond the edge of reality. I wasn¡¯t even sure anymore whether I moved or if the sparkling cataclysm above was rushing towards me, but the closer I got, the more the pressure battered against my wings. It felt strange, since I could somehow also sense the will, the intent behind the suffocating forces. It wasn¡¯t yet awake, it wasn¡¯t yet¡­ born, but the sparkling well of eternity at its centre had already formed and it was just like mine¡­mostly. I heard, more than I saw, another¡­ layer, like a hidden melody. It was there and changed the¡­ meaning of the piece, but you couldn¡¯t really hear it on its own. Only that the song sounded a bit different in its absence. Another wish brought me even closer and I opened my eyes again. By now I was hovering in nothingness, the planet below me a small speck of dust in an endless sea of black. There was nothing else around, only a sickly green sun, a wounded planet, cracks already forming all over its surface, and a spectacle of blue with a core of silver looming in the void. I couldn¡¯t tell how far away it still was but I didn¡¯t dare teleport much closer in case I ended up touching even the smallest part of the construct. There was no telling what would happen then, since the only thing I truly believed out of everything the voice had told me was: that thing over there was truly me. And then a thought struck me. If this was my beginning, my birth, why then was there already more of the blue, corruptive miasma surrounding me then I had ever seen before? I had been born just like I was know¡­ well, considering it felt like I had been even¡­ more back then, I couldn¡¯t have come in touch with the Corruption afterwards. Of course I had never changed. I had always been like this, from the very first moment I had opened my eyes. As gratifying as it felt, it also made me worry. I wasn¡¯t anxious about my identity, if you¡¯re already used to being one of a few hundred, knowing you¡¯re even different from those doesn¡¯t come as a tremendous shock, but I did wonder if I was somehow the source or at least in integral part of the Corruption. Would it exist for as long as I did, or was it the other way around? Or maybe neither? Maybe that was why I was here. To watch, to learn, to understand who I was, where I had come from. There wasn¡¯t much else to do anyways, unless I was prepared to force my way back. The misadventures I had suffered through in Shassa¡¯s tomb had, at least, provided me with the vaguest sense of how to navigate between the most basic building blocks of our world. But to try could just as well backfire. What if this wasn¡¯t my universe, so to say, but an idea come to life through cosmic powers, or better yet, even if it was, what if I destroyed Gaya¡¯s wards in the process or simply got lost along the way? The risk was too much to bear and I wasn¡¯t yet cornered. I could still play along without endangering my existence or anything else I treasured. With a sigh I focused on the¡­ egg, for want of a better world, because that was exactly how it looked like. A pulsing sphere of silver surrounded by clouds of bluish light, so powerful they seemed almost solid. While the thought of strangling Amazeroth to death, slowly, made me smile bitterly I tried to really take in everything in front of me. As I mentioned, there was nothing much around, a somewhat sickly sun and a dying planet, stuck between two different versions of myself. Which begged the question¡­ where were the stars? With how much energy I had to channel through my limbs to simply stay untouched in the transcendent press I had stumbled into, I should have been able to see even a shadow of the creatures, crawling across the surface of distant planets, never mind the flickering light of the stars they orbited. Another memory resurfaced, a much more recent one. Approximately 15 billion years¡­ It had been quite a while since I had last attended a lecture on the history of our universe but that number rang a bell. Simply put, it was too large. The most precise estimates placed the beginning at around 13.8 billion years before modern Earth and if I lived in any way still within the approximate timeframe of my last death¡­ I wouldn¡¯t find the stars I was looking for around here. I wouldn¡¯t find anything, to be precise. Which meant¡­ time shouldn¡¯t even have existed. Shit, the pieces were coming together. I knew we, as a race, had existed before time, before structure had turned the universe into something alive, and this was a scene form before even then. I was stuck in a place were there were no rules, no governing principles. Which also explained why I had to channel more energy through my body, by now, than I had even used to heal my mom. Without my own peculiar nature, I wouldn¡¯t even have had the chance to perceive my surroundings, I would have crumbled, the order my existence brought a stark contrast to the chaos I felt gnawing at my very essence. It also meant that it didn¡¯t matter whether it was a memory or real¡­ those distinctions came from order and purpose, things that didn¡¯t exist, yet. In other words¡­ I was royally screwed. Except¡­ it probably also meant that my past, my future and my present were arbitrary boundaries, at best. With just a little luck I might be able to¡­ The dancing sparks around me coalesced into the hazy outline of a much larger body. There were tails and wings, scales and fur, but it wasn¡¯t distinct, stuck somewhere between an idea and reality as it shifted and changed. At least the pressure subsided and I felt much less like a pig in a slaughterhouse but rather as if I somewhat belonged. My perception also shifted, the greenish light of the sun turning into a scintillating nova of colours and force, the broken planet suddenly becoming an amalgamation of possibilities, the civilisations that might have crawled across its skin, if I hadn¡¯t wounded it beyond redemption, as real and flourishing as the explosion that would consume it in a matter of¡­ even that much I couldn¡¯t tell. Maybe it had already been ripped apart, maybe it would happen sometime in the future but to me, it died and lived at the same time. And then, there was my very own shadow, a looming, bleeding tear, through which¡­ something thundered into this lifeless, hopeless place, still stuck somewhere between what it was and what it could become. Flowery descriptions aside, it seemed like my presence was actually a wound, allowing whatever existed on the other side to cross over, just as if I had once been a part of it and now it was trying to claim me again, pouring more and more of its essence into a reality that was only now beginning to form, mirroring the desires, the intent of whatever lurked beyond the flimsy veil my birth had apparently torn asunder. The more it struggled and reached for me, the more of its energy was pumped through the gap and slowly, gradually, distinctions appeared. What was and what had been became different from what would become, left and right, up and down were as definable as the colours that poured out of the sun. Or maybe it was my perception that was slowly adapting to the insanity around me. In the end, it didn¡¯t make much of a difference. Whether I changed or the world did, ultimately it was the same thing and that gave me a way forward. With a thought I took hold of the spreading purpose, of the crushing tides of light, and twisted them to fit my own design, to link what I was and what I had been and propel me into a future where it would actually matter. Panting and on my knees I blinked away my tears, Ahri¡¯s arms wrapped around me to keep me from slumping to the floor. I couldn¡¯t have been gone for more than a second, but something had changed and judging from her widening eyes, I wasn¡¯t the only one who had noticed. 309. Of powers, crowns and a little bit of home Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Cassy,¡± a tremor of fear raced through Ahri¡¯s velvety, hoarse voice while she smothered me in a hug that could as well have qualified as an assault. ¡°Still alive,¡± I croaked, not minding the loving strangulation one bit. Her scent of pine trees and the smell of roses from our bath entered my nostrils, drowning out the lingering memory of ozone and acrid smoke. ¡°Help me up, please, I need to see¡­¡± she ignored me entirely and instead busied her self touching and kissing every part of me she could reach. ¡°How long was I gone,¡± I added forlornly, almost as an afterthought. Her reaction was a bit too pronounced for me to have been whisked to the past for merely a second or two. Judging from the tears she was trying to hold back, I had truly been stuck and for much longer than I had thought. Come to think of it, that was actually a blessing in disguise. There was no telling what would have happened if my body had been here. Would I have annihilated Free Land and a good chunk of my world? Now I was the one feeling anxious, maybe even a little nauseated. Definitely nauseated but that could also have been a result of my spinning head and the taste of times long gone I still carried around with me. ¡°A few minutes,¡± she snivelled, her tails becoming reddish white shackles around my limbs that wouldn¡¯t allow me to move an inch. ¡°I sent Reia packing and you disappeared! Our connection broke! I didn¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± and those were her last coherent words for the next few minutes. She broke down completely, whispering unintelligibly into my ear, an unending torrent of half spoken promises but I still got the gist of it: don¡¯t ever leave me again, don¡¯t you dare. It struck me as rather odd how strong and detached she could be, for as long as there was work to be done, but once the moment had passed she often crashed. Sometimes even more so than I usually did. I caressingly patted her head, my own tears stinging in my eyes. For the umpteenth time I wished that we could simply live a different life, a life filled with sowing and harvesting, building a house and squabbling with the neighbours, a life, in short, we wouldn¡¯t have. One day, maybe, when our world, all worlds, weren¡¯t on the brink of a transcendent war but for the foreseeable future we would be stuck with this insanity. On the plus side¡­ at least we already had a few kids to call our own. They weren¡¯t well mannered and quite the handful, but they made everything worth it. ¡°Ahri, you know I¡¯ll always find my way back to you, I have to,¡± I finally pressed out. ¡°Promises and everything else aside, even if I have to cross the universe, even if I have to wait for aeons, I¡¯ll always find my way back home. You know me. I¡¯m more stubborn than anything else and you, my love, have long since become as much a part of me as my own heart. In fact, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a difference. I might get lost once in a while, but I¡¯ll always return. I need you. Always have, always will. And trust me, since I can find my way back from where I was within a few minutes, there isn¡¯t much that can keep us apart.¡± Her arms tightened around my neck even more, choking off my last words, but I didn¡¯t mind. Instead I tried to put everything I hadn¡¯t said into a single kiss and judging from the way her tails quivered, her ears twitched and shudders raced up her spine I managed to get my message across perfectly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she whispered. ¡°I know how strong you are but when you were sucked into a tome, made by him, I just¡­¡± with a visible effort she forced a smile on her face and continued, much more cheerfully, ¡°but you¡¯re back, that¡¯s all that matters. Also, before you ask, I do like it. It seems a bit¡­ unfinished, though, as if an integral part is missing.¡± Like it? Unfinished? Oh, hells! ¡°Let me up,¡± I said while I already struggled to my feet, my wings whispering into existence. I whirled around, Ahri¡¯s tails still wrapped around my middle, and stared into the large, damp mirror. Jesus Christ, was my first reaction, followed instantaneously by: that shouldn¡¯t be possible and but it doesn¡¯t look too bad, does it? I shook my head to get rid of the intrusive thoughts. Around my forehead a band of thorns or rather the picture of tiny horns had appeared, almost like a silvery blue, stylised tattoo of a crown, the edges vanishing underneath my hairline. With trembling fingers I lifted away my tresses, making sure the thing actually circled my whole head. Which it did. The next thing I realised, maybe because I was freaking out just the tiniest bit, was that it reacted to my core. The more power I channeled the more pronounced it became, vanishing entirely as soon as I cut off the stream of energy. In a way it behaved just like my wings¡­ or a demon¡¯s crown. I bit my tongue, another jolt of anxiety racing up my spine. Ahri had placed her head on my shoulder, which made my reactions easy enough to read. ¡°I guess we both know what it looks like¡­ what happened to you, in there,¡± she asked, nudging the tome on the floor. I could only shrug, enthralled by the impossible, maybe even surreal, sight. ¡°See for yourself. I can feel you again, our connection is working. In a single sentence, I don¡¯t have the foggiest, but apparently I¡¯m not just an angel,¡± I lamented quietly. ¡°That¡¯s,¡± she replied while I felt her presence rummage through the depths of my mind. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ how old are you?¡± Again I shrugged. ¡°I could ask you the same. Do you remember your birth?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, no I don¡¯t. But¡­ gods, Cassy, what does it mean? What are you?¡± ¡°Confused and slightly scared,¡± I admitted, even though I was starting to relax, my perspective shifting, ¡°but that¡¯s not the answer you¡¯re looking for, is it? Honestly. I don¡¯t know but I also don¡¯t see the point in guessing or fretting over it. I mean¡­ adding two and two together that¡¯s exactly what Amazeroth wants me to figure out. He¡¯s left six more memories for me to explore. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make heads or tails of the whole story until I¡¯ve seen them all. We can speculate, we can even start guessing how the rest, the sigil he marked you with, my ring, all of it, fits into the picture, but¡­ what¡¯s the upside and what do we stand to lose if we just let it be?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to wonder if you might suddenly vanish, for starters. Everything else I don¡¯t really care about but as far as upsides go¡­ I don¡¯t think I can ever let you out of my sight again if I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much of a problem from where I¡¯m standing,¡± I replied with just a hint of humour while I played around with my hair, trying to decide whether I wanted to hide the glowing crown or not. I felt her tense and with a sigh I brushed my bangs over my forehead and mumbled: ¡°You¡¯re not going to let this go, are you?¡± ¡°Would you, if it were me,¡± she immediately shot back. ¡°Probably not. Fine then, what do you propose? A bottle or two of wine and a few hours to try to make sense of all the shit we¡¯ve been through, in this life and the last? That¡¯s the best I can offer for I really don¡¯t have the answers. You¡¯ve seen it. I¡¯m not hiding anything from you, I simply don¡¯t know. If you want to, I¡¯d be down to running away for half a day, the world won¡¯t end without us around. But¡­ I¡¯ve always preferred to deal with the stuff I can actually change and this, my love, just seems like one of the instances where you just have to accept that we¡¯re not quite there, yet. Even together we haven¡¯t yet reached 30 years¡­ there¡¯s still time.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°How can you be so detached? It¡¯s your life, for crying out loud.¡± ¡°Not really. My life is you,¡± I breathed and kissed her cheek. The cool, silky softness against my lips made me smile. ¡°A few minutes ago I thought¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. At first, I was terrified, it¡¯s true, but the longer I think about it... I am who I am, apparently I always have been. And so are you. Whether I¡¯m an angel, a demon or the devil, my origins, my abilities, my heritage¡­ they don¡¯t define me. My mistakes, my desires¡­ my love, that¡¯s what¡¯s important and I won¡¯t allow anyone, not even my past, to take them, to take you away from me. When I was in there I didn¡¯t care about what might happen to me or even the universe. I only cared about finding a way back to you¡­ apparently I¡¯m partly demon,¡± I tapped my fingers against my temple, ¡°which also explains why the Corruption doesn¡¯t bother me. It¡¯s a part of who I am. So what? You already said you liked it¡­ as long as that doesn¡¯t change I honestly don¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°Not even about what it might mean,¡± she whispered subduedly. ¡°Ahri, I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯m never going to die, but I can promise you that I¡¯m not going to sacrifice myself. Yes, for a moment I was worried, but¡­ maybe the Corruption was, once, tied to me but it¡¯s not, not anymore. I know it, I felt it. Sure, I¡¯m curious and I¡¯d love to figure out what¡¯s going on, as well as how Amazeroth fits into the picture or how he even got that memory if I, myself, didn¡¯t even have it. But that¡¯s it. I¡¯m curious. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll impact what we are or what we have to do. If anything¡­ I¡¯m even slightly relieved. Chances are that sigil on your core is somehow another piece of the puzzle, which means it won¡¯t suddenly explode or influence you.¡± Her breath tickled my fur when she exhaled deeply, the fear in her eyes, the panic in her rigid limbs slowly giving way to anxiety and a lingering frustration. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it. The last transcendent surprise had you squirming on the floor and¡­¡± I delicately placed my fingers on her mouth, my smile becoming impish while I felt my ears twitch and a slight blush rise to my cheeks. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ ever since our connection deepened we didn¡¯t have a moment to ourselves. Not one. As unbelievable as it seems, we¡¯re alone and if I was only gone for a handful of minutes¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get any further. She pushed herself up against me, deepening our embrace while I felt the heat rise in her veins with every beat of her heart. The last coherent thought I had before much more important things banished it to back of my mind was a happy one. I hadn¡¯t lied to her, I hadn¡¯t even deceived her. It had simply taken a while before I had realised how little my past actually still mattered to me and even that much was diminishing by the day. Which lead to another, probably unique, experience. Growing out a tail while much too busy to realise it had happened. Suffice it to say, the inadvertent control I suddenly gained over her body and mine was a pleasant surprise and¡­ I was over an hour late when we finally left the bath. While we slowly made our way down the flat, gleaming steps on the inside of the tree, which incidentally reminded me that we really had to come up with a proper name, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when I realised how circumstantial most of our emotions were. At first I had been scared, the colossal weight of my past turned into palpable shackles around my limbs, then I had been elated, for obvious reasons, and now, I was again anxious and even though the reason wasn¡¯t quite the same, having to worry about whether or not Greta had had the decency to not listen in and if I was still flushed felt just as important to me. Lost in thought I brushed over the smooth, almost black core wood that made up the interior of the trunk. The gargantuan tree had grown exactly where Reia had jumped into the magical waters, its roots turning into a cage or a dome protecting the arcane well. By now, the garden we had created had become covered in a maze of dark, gleaming tubers, the smaller, almost tiny in comparison, cherry trees somehow turning into living, breathing extensions of the main plant. A single entrance, a door, if you so will, where the thick, iron hard wood had formed an arch, like a supernatural gateway, surrounded by glowing, ever moving branches, was the only way to reach the well. Once through, a few steps led down into a shimmering cavern, the glow of the spring illuminating the natural alcove and the hollow trunk above. The steps we were descending connected the crown and the cavern but they also led further down, towards the network of roots underneath the spring. A massive door, covered in ornaments and runes barred the way. I hadn¡¯t yet had the time to investigate but I already knew it reacted to my touch, the sigils and marks swirling chaotically whenever I came close. I didn¡¯t mean to get ahead of myself, but Erya¡¯s proclamation, that the tree would serve as a gateway between different places where one of its seedlings had sprouted, didn¡¯t seem very far fetched anymore. The crown itself was massive and while the main branches weren¡¯t yet as wide or thick as Boseiju¡¯s had been, I didn¡¯t doubt that they¡¯d soon become even larger. The stairs ended at the top of the trunk, opening onto a wide, open square surrounded by green leafs and dark wood. There was only a single blossom, yet, though. Human sized doors led into adjacent rooms within the thicker branches, most of which were still just bare, undecorated chambers but some already contained beds and one had turned into a bath¡­ obviously. There was also a pantry, filled with cherries and the herbs we had coaxed into growing the night before, but mostly it was just empty space, ready to be filled with life¡­ which we had already provided amply. For now, my family, save Arthur and his wife, our fey and elves, as well as Viyara, Aurelia, Alassara and her child had claimed a place to sleep. Of course, Archy and Estrella as well as my own personal entourage had decided to stay, too, and then there was also the variety of humans I had somehow invited, ranging from Liz, who was bunking with our elves, to Asra¡¯s former slaves, who had a room to themselves, and Pete and his kids, who had claimed one of the larger branches and the three rooms it had sprouted for themselves. Somehow, even the two barmaids had ended up here and since they were the sole reason why I was still wearing pants, I hadn¡¯t begrudged them the chance to spend the night when they had asked. Since it was already well past noon, it was surprisingly quite despite the colourful menagerie which called, or was going to call, if I wasn¡¯t egregiously mistaken, this place home. On our way to the stairs I had glanced a few belongings, hazardously strewn across one alcove or the other, but the only persons we had actually come across had been Faelan and Anna, who had been fast asleep, snuggling into their new, soft beds like toddlers. The rest were probably out and about, maybe even in the cavern below, waiting for me to arrive. I had promised to try and return Auguros¡¯ and Morgan¡¯s magic after all¡­ 90 minutes ago. Either that or Greta had assembled them to make sure they understood on whose grace they were actually depending on for as long as they stayed here. ¡°You look¡­ happy,¡± Ahri suddenly remarked while I could already discern the moving shadows below us, milling around the pond. There were quite a few of them, more than I had expected. I didn¡¯t bother enhancing my vision, though, I¡¯d find out soon enough. Also, it wasn¡¯t overly difficult to guess, since my royal brother, the Brightblaze sisters as well as Nightshade and his deity had a profound interest in being here, to name just a few. Then there was also Madame Sinis and her girls who would surely try to either corner me or Alassara and demand that we¡¯d make good on our promises. I wasn¡¯t yet sure if I was comfortable with someone as crafty as the Madame blessed with blood thirst, strength and something resembling immortality, but we¡¯d have to see how it was going to go. Also, Alassara could probably keep her in line easily enough, especially if she became one of her own kin. ¡°Of course I am.¡± I quickly stole a kiss and explained: ¡°and it¡¯s not only because of us. Well, that¡¯s probably the main reason but this still feels¡­ right. Like coming home, like we¡¯ve finally managed to escape from the shadows and found a place where we can simply¡­ live.¡± 310. Of responsibilities, prospects and a little bit of politics Cassandra Pendragon ¡°No, I refuse.¡± My voice was reverberating with a hint of eternity, but the sly vixen¡­ former vixen, now dryad and apparently architect behind my newest bit of trouble, had apparently used my distraction to the fullest and I wasn¡¯t amused. Not one bit. Especially since I seemed to be the only one who took any offence at her proposals. Sera, back in her draconic form, the living cavern around the pond was large enough to accommodate even her oversized body, produced a sound like grinding rocks in her throat and filled the dimly lit grotto with the scent of molten gold and flames, overshadowing the sweeter fragrances of cherries and a few herbs I had never seen before but which were now flourishing along the banks of the magical spring. ¡°You can¡¯t have it both ways,¡± she interrupted me with more mirth in her voice than I thought appropriate. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lead you¡¯ll have to live with the decisions others make.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just mean,¡± I complained. ¡°So either I place myself on the throne or you lot push me onto it?¡± Somehow I was reminded of an old movie I had seen a few times. The Life of Brian. There was this scene where he was hailed as the messiah, trying to get out of it, but the more he struggled the more adamant his so called followers became. ¡°Cassy,¡± Mordred, of all people, intervened, ¡°why do you have to make a mountain out of a molehill? Nobody is asking you to take a crown or become a queen, but¡­ first of, I thought you¡¯d be glad that no one asked why you suddenly have seven tails or where you¡¯ve been for the last two hours and secondly¡­,¡± he sighed while I blushed, ¡°it doesn¡¯t change a thing. Come now, you know as well as I that you¡¯d only humour anyone else for as long as they¡¯d act just like you want them to. Once you¡¯d be at loggerheads you¡¯d just do as you please and none of us could stop you. Ahri, maybe, but she¡¯s so besotted that she¡¯d simply support you, no questions asked. We¡¯re simply trying to prevent more trouble in the future since we do need some structure. I mean,¡± he spread his arms wide, ¡°have you seen the size of this thing? For now we might get away with simply discussing everything we intend to do, but if you keep on adopting strays left right and centre, soon we¡¯ll simply be to many to make that work. Someone has to make decisions.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Greta added to my chagrin, a wide smile plastered on her face, ¡°I simply won¡¯t listen to anyone else, so there¡¯s that.¡± I huffed but deep down I already knew that I was fighting a losing battle. In case you haven¡¯t yet figured out what we were arguing about: the future, mainly how to organise a place that would, most likely, turn out to become a haven for a myriad of people. Someone had to make up the rules and while I was all for active participation, Mordred was right. If it came down to it, someone had to make the call and I wouldn¡¯t accept anyone¡¯s judgement, provided I didn¡¯t agree in the first place. But that was still a far cry removed from¡­ I couldn¡¯t even finish my thought before my mom decided to speak her own mind. ¡°And you¡¯re thinking about it the wrong way,¡± she explained. ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t about politics or power, it¡¯s about practicality. Cassy, whatever else, this is your¡­ house and while most of us would like to stay, it will always remain yours. Your power made it grow and its stubborn spirit has already made it plenty clear where she stands. So, simply put, your house, your rules. It¡¯s just unfortunate that you¡¯ll have to deal with more than a handful of people, considering how everything is developing, but in essence, you¡¯re just a¡­ landlord. Is that really too much to bear?¡± ¡°Depends, are you going to pay rent,¡± I scoffed. For a bit of context: ever since the tree had grown, every notion of Mordred and my mom leaving had been abandoned unanimously. The few kids, and it really were just a few, who would go with Arthur, as they were fed up with adventures, dangers and chaos, would be fine on their own. At least that¡¯s what my family claimed. In truth, I thought they simply didn¡¯t want to leave a place that looked just like Boseiju and was going to harbour a host of magical creatures. Also, I assumed they preferred dealing with me, who had no political ambitions, whatsoever, to my brother who had already shown his willingness to play games. ¡°Also, do we really have to discuss this with everyone around,¡± I added. ¡°It concerns all of us,¡± Alassara replied, grinning. ¡°Besides, technically speaking, we¡¯re still on my land, so¡­¡± I just about managed to suppress a curse and massaged my temples. ¡°Fine. You all realise how much of a bad idea this actually is, right? I¡¯m impulsive, emotional, easily distracted and, to top it off, won¡¯t even be here for extended periods of time.¡± A few more smiles and quiet chuckling was my only response. Screw it. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what I¡¯m willing to do. Neither will I pretend to care about what you get up to, nor will I busy myself with any form of hierarchy. I will, however, get involved if anyone living here wants me to. On my own terms. That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get. And I swear, the first one to ask for my permission or about titles, rights, rules and some such nonsense is going to have a very rude awakening. I¡¯m prepared to lend my help, to all of you, which should actually be a given, but I won¡¯t shoulder the responsibility for how you live or what you make of your lives. This isn¡¯t a kingdom and I¡¯m not a queen. I never will be.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Arthur replied, his grin the widest of all. ¡°I pretty much shared your views when we left Boseiju, but life, more often than not, has its own plans. For now, and that¡¯s actually the question at hand, we can agree that it¡¯s you decision who actually lives here and who doesn¡¯t, yes?¡± When I nodded hesitantly he immediately continued: ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like to ask¡­ well, not your permission, since I don¡¯t plan on finding out what you meant by a rude awakening, but your blessing to leave some of my people here. We don¡¯t need them to communicate but I¡¯d still like to make sure we won¡¯t drift further apart in the future. Quite the opposite. Maybe we can even find a way to move between Free Land and our home without having to sail for days. It¡¯s about 2 weeks, depending on the winds, to reach our island from here. I¡¯d like to change that. If you¡¯re in agreement, of course.¡± The infuriating ignoramus even bowed form the waist. God. Damn. It. I should have seen it coming, but I really hadn¡¯t. If it had been up to me I would have simply delegated the whole mess to my mom and Mordred, but the two of them had already made it plenty clear that they wouldn¡¯t budge. My mom wasn¡¯t able to properly interact with people, just yet, and my brother simply didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Your magic, your problem.¡± His words, not mine. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Of course I am¡­ as far as I¡¯m concerned, everyone¡¯s welcome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Alassara chuckled. ¡°I was already afraid I¡¯d have to ask your permission and incur your wrath.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to rebuild your own home,¡± I wanted to know, taken by surprise. She slowly shook her head, her eyes flickering towards the hollow trunk with a look of wonder. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but¡­ I¡¯d like to start anew and, well, pretty much everyone I care about is here, so if you¡¯ll have us,¡± she wrapped her arms around her daughter, ¡°we¡¯d be glad to stay.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯d be glad to have you. Same goes for all of you. If you want to, that is.¡± My gaze traveled over the assembled circus but I was in particular trying to give the ones who didn¡¯t know that much about us, namely the two barmaids, whose names I had unfortunately already forgotten, Pete¡¯s little family and Madame Sinis and her enticing entourage, a chance to escape before it was too late. The two sleeping beauties upstairs¡­ they wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere, not if their soft snores, which had told me that they had fallen asleep without fear for the first time in forever, were any indication. ¡°We, or I, won¡¯t live here,¡± the Madame immediately stated, ¡°I¡¯ve only come because we have unfinished business. Besides, I don¡¯t plan on changing my occupation and I don¡¯t see you appreciating me offering my services in your home. You¡¯re, of course, always invited, I¡¯ll even grant you a discount, the first time, at least, but I don¡¯t want to live anywhere where I¡¯m forced to play by someone else¡¯s rules. But that¡¯s just me.¡± She turned around and focused on the six girls she had brought along and added: ¡°I can¡¯t speak for them, of course.¡± The one at the front, a tall, busty blonde whose face might even have given Serena a run for her money, timidly asked: ¡°are we even invited? We¡­ we¡¯ve never much talked and you don¡¯t know us. We simply came along because of what the Madame has already told us¡­ she hasn¡¯t been very clear but she hinted at a chance to change our lives¡­ I, for one, would gladly take it and I¡¯d also love to live somewhere where I don¡¯t have to hide or fear for my life. But of course, we all understand if you don¡¯t want us close by, especially with all the baggage we will bring along. I¡¯m also¡­ pardon my honesty, but while I¡¯m quite used to hopping into bed with strangers, moving in with them is another matter. Could we¡­ it seems like you¡¯re going to decide on your own plans for the future. Could we just listen in? Depending on what we hear it might yet go either way. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I am¡­ we all are grateful for what you did for this town and also for us, we probably wouldn¡¯t have survived, neither the fight against that demon nor the struggles that followed, if it hadn¡¯t been for you, but still¡­¡± she spread her hands helplessly, too shy to meet my eyes. I tried for an encouraging smile but since the whole situation was grating on my nerves I wasn¡¯t sure how well I managed. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s probably the first reasonable bit I¡¯ve listened to since I came down here.¡± I turned slowly on the spot, searching for Morgan and Auguros, whom I found close to Vanya and Will. ¡°I owe you four, but if it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯d like to get everything settled beforehand. A bit of privacy might be better for what we intend to do, don¡¯t you agree? I can hardly throw this lot out the door before we¡¯ve agreed on what¡¯s going to happen now.¡± The two mercenaries shared a look and Will blurted out: ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ shouldn¡¯t we, that is all of us who haven¡¯t arrived here with you, leave? Don¡¯t you mind us listening in? I¡¯m usually not shy but¡­¡± he shrugged noncommittally. ¡°Don¡¯t be daft,¡± Greta grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s your town as much, if not more, than it is ours. Whatever is going to be decided here is going to impact your life. Why ever would you want to run?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s way above my pay grade,¡± he admitted helplessly and I really regretted that we didn¡¯t have a dwarf among us. By now, one of them would have put an end to the entire nonsense about privileges and responsibilities since we had a few real decisions to make without encumbering ourselves. Ah well, maybe I could manage as much myself. I didn¡¯t have an axe nor a shield, which I could use as a drum, but getting everyone¡¯s attention was well within my capabilities. That part I might even manage better than our bearded friends. ¡°Enough,¡± I hissed, my words whistling through the room like a whip. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I meant¡­,¡± I turned towards Will, my eyes glowing, ¡°I didn¡¯t come to know you as a coward or a moron but that¡¯s exactly how you¡¯re acting. Do you want someone to shoulder the weight so you can later on point at us and blame us for everything that went wrong? I¡¯m not going¡­¡± Ahri¡¯s hand on my arm made me pause before I could even get truly started. ¡°Not helping,¡± she whispered. ¡°I know you¡¯re miffed that you¡¯ll probably be the one held accountable for all the shit that¡¯s going to come, but, darling, you would be either way. It¡¯s not his fault and,¡± she added loudly enough for everyone to hear, ¡°we¡¯re all pretty much out of our depths. Look, it¡¯s pretty simple, isn¡¯t it? By happenstance or design we¡¯re now faced with a city without a leadership, a city that has been exploited and has suffered for years on end. Cassy has already agreed to keep an eye on everyone who¡¯s going to live here,¡± I hadn¡¯t, quite the opposite, but interrupting didn¡¯t strike me as the best idea, ¡°which includes some, if not most, of the people with any real power left. And¡­ well, neither Serena, nor Emilia, nor Captain Nightshade are going to oppose us. Again¡­ mostly thanks to her. We shouldn¡¯t squabble about who¡¯s allowed to and who¡¯s barred from making decisions. We¡¯ve got to find a way forward that works for everyone and power is by no means the same as wisdom. We¡¯ve proven as much ourselves.¡± ¡°Pretty words,¡± Greta said while she made an opulent chair grow from the verdant earth and settled down. ¡°But what¡¯s your point?¡± I felt a jolt of heat against my skin when Ahri¡¯s temper stirred but she remained admirably calm. ¡°There¡¯s a simple question we have to answer: where do we go from here? This town needs structure, a leadership, someone to turn to. If we do nothing we¡¯ll return to how things have been. Might makes right, isn¡¯t it? With the 500 former slaves camping outside and the last vampires of Free Land assembled here, this place would become a sanctuary, a last resort but the way people live wouldn¡¯t change. Not really. The whole idea behind creating the spring was to emancipate the people of this town, to give them a chance to defend their home against Amon but also the dangers they¡¯ll have to face from within. And for that, they need a leader they can unite behind and that surely won¡¯t be one of us. One of their own has to step up.¡± ¡°Richard,¡± Mordred quietly interjected. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ good natured, knows everyone around here, is respected and has a pretty solid head on his shoulders. Let¡¯s face it, whoever we¡¯re going to push will most likely end up governing the place. He¡¯s got my vote, for sure.¡± ¡°And what about me,¡± Madame Sinis croaked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind taking the reins.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have a decision to make,¡± Alassara replied quietly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve misunderstood our guardian angels but to me it pretty much seems like they want to separate personal and political power.¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about it like that, but truth be told, she had hit the nail on the head. ¡°The ones who can pose a danger to this community individually shouldn¡¯t be the ones to guide it, otherwise strife and bloodshed will surely follow. If you¡¯re still interested in becoming a vampire, you¡¯ll have to act from the shadows. That¡¯s nothing new for you, anyways, is it? But it does beg the question¡­ what about us, I mean pretty much everyone here. Dragons, vampires, mages¡­ immortals. What are we supposed to do? Stay at the sidelines and watch? Protect this tree and only intervene when it¡¯s absolutely necessary?¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°We can¡¯t remain apart¡­ this is our home as well now. But we don¡¯t need to rule to offer assistance. Tell me, even you and your brother, would you have dared to endanger this city with your war if you had known that you¡¯d have been held accountable by us?¡± She smiled crookedly. ¡°Considering how he died, probably not. So we side with Richard or anyone else who¡¯s appointed to lead and march wherever he points us?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t do,¡± I replied. ¡°But¡­ what about a city guard? It would even balance the scales. I mean¡­ none of us would take to orders kindly. I know as much about myself and I¡¯m pretty sure you aren¡¯t any different. What if we simply formed a¡­ militia. No, that¡¯s not right¡­ a guard probably fits best. I don¡¯t think we should make the rules but we can make sure they¡¯re followed.¡± ¡°And if we don¡¯t like the rules,¡± my grandmother chimed in. ¡°We¡¯ll have to make compromises either way but I have enough faith in each and everyone around here that I¡¯m not overly worried. If push comes to shove¡­ we¡¯ll simply look for a new leader.¡± 311. Of offers, changes and little bit of magic Cassandra Pendragon The only good thing about our midday meeting was that it didn¡¯t drag on for much longer. We all had more than enough to do, especially with our departure looming ever closer. In the end, we had decided to organise another feast or gathering tonight with the explicit purpose of providing everyone with a chance to either make a proposal or at least listen in. Sure, in the end only a very few would have the opportunity to speak and push their opinions, but at least no one would feel left behind. Also, I quite liked the idea of an assembly to make major decisions. I had already seen quite a few different societies and those that worked, albeit far from perfectly, had always included a modicum of self-determination and participation. In the mean time my brother and Sera were out and about, looking for Richard, after which they would provide my sister with some dearly needed education, Alassara had retreated to her room in the tree with the Madame and her girls, intent on explaining what she could offer, our trio of elves had volunteered to visit Serena, her sister and Captain Nightshade to warn them about our plans and I¡­ I would try to return Morgan¡¯s and Auguros¡¯ magic and, depending on the result, help Will and Vanya along to boot. And maybe the two barmaids who were still lingering close by, looking somewhat lost. Afterwards, I¡¯d visit Arthur and talk to the people I had freed of Amon¡¯s magic and, if I found the time, sit down with Pete, Brianna and their friends. I hadn¡¯t forgotten about the sliver I had pulled from her leg and I was still serious about getting to the bottom of the mess... Also, somehow I had to come up with an idea that would prevent Amon from infiltrating dreams and minds but ever since Greta had appeared, I felt much more confident in that regard. Once her roots had truly taken hold, I didn¡¯t see any malevolent magic invading Free Land without her knowing. ¡°Alright,¡± I began hesitantly, my gaze travelling over the surprisingly large group. Ahri hadn¡¯t left me, of course, and neither had Reia. Our soon to be patients were a given but my troupe of five, Archy, Estrella, my mom, Erya, Viyara, Aurelia and Alassara¡¯s former barmaids made for a crowd almost large enough for a banquet. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing so we might as well make ourselves comfortable beforehand and talk it through.¡± With a coy smile I turned to the two human girls and added: ¡°that goes for you, too. I didn¡¯t expect you to stick around but I¡¯m glad you did. I¡¯m really sorry, I remember you introduced yourselves last night but with everything my little sister caused,¡± I shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡¯d really like to now what your plans are and if, since you¡¯re still here, they somehow involve us¡­ or what¡¯s going to happen here. You¡¯ve heard most of it, you know what we¡¯ll attempt. I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Are you interested?¡± Their expressions oscillated between a deer caught in the headlights and a child with its hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Surprise and no small amount of guilt mixed with pride in other words. They shared a look and the older one, I¡¯d have put her around her 28th summer, even got up from her seat near the swirling, azure waters before she replied: ¡°before anything else: thank you, all of you. The others might not have come for us that night, but we¡¯ve heard enough to¡­ just thank you.¡± She bowed deeply and caught each of our gazes in turn, which I thought to be rather admirable. Not many could meet mine or Ahri¡¯s, after all, and the ancient vampire and half transcendent dragoness were surely intimidating enough in their own right. ¡°I¡¯m Florentina,¡± she continued steadily, ¡°this is Cecilia. We¡¯ve worked for Alassara for a few years now. We¡­ we didn¡¯t know, not exactly, what was going on but with time we, of course, realised that something was¡­ different about that place. Anyways, what I¡¯m trying to say is this¡­ we¡¯ve been talking about what we¡¯d do, if we were ever asked to¡­ dive deeper into the rabbit hole for years and it looks like the time has come. I¡­ both of us don¡¯t want to become vampires, no offence but the thought of¡­ never mind. If there¡¯s a different path we can take, though, we¡¯d be more than happy to take it. That is¡­ if you would even extend your offer to us. We haven¡¯t fought with you, we didn¡¯t stand at your side when that monster descended on our town, but, and that¡¯s the truth, we would have done, if we had been able to.¡± She really believed it herself, but I already knew from experience that resolve and reality were two very different things. Simply put, whether you¡¯re a coward or a hero, you won¡¯t know until you look death straight in the eye and either smile or turn tails and run away. Admittedly, though, considering how well they had coped with the nightmare they had been subjected to, I¡¯d have put my money on a big grin and maybe a hidden dagger at the ready. Probably an advantage of having been raised in a veritable colosseum. ¡°Ask and you shall receive,¡± I quoted dryly, the irony of the devil sprouting verses from the bible lost on everyone but Ahri who, at least, granted me a lazy smile. ¡°There¡¯s a condition, though. If¡­ when we¡¯re done, I want you to work for us.¡± My eyes travelled to Will and Vanya. ¡°All of you.¡± ¡°Are we getting paid,¡± the red bearded mercenary immediately inquired. ¡°Sure, depending on what you¡¯re willing to do. Consider what¡¯s going to happen a signing bonus.¡± ¡°A what?¡± ¡°A signing¡­ never mind.¡± One day I¡¯d have to write a book about modern colloquialisms, idioms and sayings. ¡°Basically it means it¡¯s a present¡­ with a catch.¡± I could feel, more than see, Vanya puff herself up. I immediately raised my hands placatingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to ruffle your feathers, you¡¯ve done more than enough. Besides, as unlikely as it may seem, I¡¯m just speeding up what would happen anyways.¡± I frowned and added in my mother tongue: ¡°or would it?¡± Greta¡¯s face appeared on the closest root before it became more substantial. Her body followed a moment later as she stepped out of the gleaming wood. ¡°Depends. I can keep the waters from spreading and a good junk I use myself anyways, but, if I don¡¯t intervene, it will. More slowly than it would have if I hadn¡¯t grown but still¡­ I guess the newborns will already become mages within a few weeks, maybe even a few toddlers but for the older ones it¡¯s going to take a while. We can also help out. I¡¯d need some of your strength but if you want to we can make it happen overnight. It¡¯s a bad idea, though, don¡¯t do it. The slower the change the smoother it will be.¡± I switched back to the Common Tongue and replied: ¡°makes sense, where was I? Right, what might have seemed like a great boon, after the battle against Amon, isn¡¯t much more than a favour by now. You¡¯d¡­ change in one way or the other, probably according to your desires or maybe your character. Back then you asked me to work a miracle, now I¡¯m just giving you a choice as to what you will become. I think¡­ I¡¯m decently sure I can influence what the magic of the pond will do to you. Or¡­,¡± I fanned out my tails, ¡°we could try something truly marvellous.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly so confident,¡± Viyara asked sceptically and leaned her head on Aurelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The last time it sounded like you doubted whether our not you can even succeed.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a new trick since then. Trust me, I can ignite their magic¡­,¡± I turned to the fey, ¡°I can even return your wooden body to you or make you younger¡­¡± ¡°Can you return my wings,¡± Morgan blurted out her mouth open, her eyes wide, while Erya stared at me rather menacingly. Her message was clear: don¡¯t fuck it up. Hesitantly I nodded. ¡°If you let me¡­ I think I can even turn you back entirely. If that¡¯s what you want. Look,¡± I moved my tails in a shimmering wave of silver, ¡°I¡¯ve gained more control. With the way I could heal before, you know, my wing, I¡¯m pretty sure I can do whatever the hells I want for as long as you let me.¡± She cradled her head between her hands and swayed a little. She wasn¡¯t distraught, though, she was thinking. And since I suddenly found myself as the target of quite a few curious, maybe even exasperate, stares, she had all the time in the world to do so. ¡°Mordred didn¡¯t ask,¡± I explained, ¡°but¡­ seventh tail,¡± I flourished the appendage in question, ¡°and the ability to control the forces of life. I might be wrong, but I really don¡¯t think I am. I¡¯ve been able to form a connection with anyone for a while. Now I think I can control exactly what¡¯s going to happen.¡± ¡°And if you can¡¯t,¡± Greta added, ¡°I can still guide you. I probably should, anyways, otherwise you¡¯re going to make them grow a second head. Or fox tails. If memories serves your understanding is still abysmal and I highly doubt it¡¯s going to be as straight forward as you think. When it comes to someone else¡¯s life, feeling your way blindly isn¡¯t good enough.¡± ¡°Thank you for your wisdom, senpai,¡± I snarled, albeit rather quietly. I wasn¡¯t exactly dying to find out if she still had a fetish for throwing burning things. ¡°That being said, maybe you should spend a few minutes to figure out what you actually want. I don¡¯t think I can fundamentally change who and what you are¡­ I probably won¡¯t be able to turn you into a dragon, unless you¡¯ve already been one before, but adding wings or tails¡­ or a second head should be doable. Not that I¡¯d recommend the latter. As well as reigniting or granting you the ability to interact with magic¡­ life and astral energies, at least.¡± The reply that came forth wasn¡¯t what or from whom I had expected: ¡°Uh,¡± Archy began, blushing heavily once everyone turned towards him: ¡°are we, my sister and I, also included?¡± ¡°Why,¡± I shot back. ¡°You¡¯re already talented, probably more so than we even know, and I¡¯m not going to turn you into a girl, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re after.¡± Maybe I had gone too far, the poor boy looked like he was close to hyperventilating but he didn¡¯t back down. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ can you change our skin? Make it more resilient? Like an armour?¡± Huh¡­ ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m not going to try, not on you, at least. You¡¯re too young to,¡± before I could be interrupted by a wave of juvenile fury I raised my voice and ploughed on mercilessly: ¡°even know what you truly want. I¡¯m not going to change a child who¡¯s still growing. Who knows how badly this might turn out¡­ or would you like to stay a scrawny kid for the next couple of centuries, maybe with a coppery complexion to make you really stand out? Thought not. No¡­ as long as you¡¯re still developing I won¡¯t meddle. Ask me again in a few years¡­ a dozen or so.¡± He was quite satisfied with my answer, Reia though¡­ ¡°I can already transform,¡± she complained, ¡°if anything goes wrong I¡¯ll just change back.¡± ¡°No,¡± Viyara came to my aid. ¡°If it was a normal spell, you would be right, but it¡¯s not. Don¡¯t be fooled into thinking your ability could save you from the repercussions. The magic your sister is going to use won¡¯t be broken by you, nor me, for that matter. I thought you knew what she is.¡± ¡°I do, maybe not as well as you,¡± she replied mulishly, ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± my mom made herself heard, her fur rising ominously. ¡°That¡¯s not up for debate. You, none of you, will play around with this kind of magic before you¡¯re of age. I don¡¯t care whether you take it as an order from your mother or your queen, but you will listen to me. Have I made myself clear?¡± A spark of defiance ignited in Reia¡¯s eyes but she extinguished it just as quickly, a wry smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. ¡°Yes, mom,¡± she said instead, her voice barely trembling but I heard her happiness none the less. And so did my mom, if her purring was any indication. ¡°What about you though,¡± the little troublemaker added. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­¡± the silvery vixen fanned out her tails. ¡°Maybe.¡± She turned to me, her eyes glowing enigmatically. I couldn¡¯t even sense the faintest hint of her thoughts. ¡°What do you think? Can you turn me back into a kitsune?¡± I shook my head sadly. ¡°Technically, you¡¯ve never been one¡­ there¡¯s no blueprint I can use, but¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Greta interjected. ¡°It won¡¯t work like you might imagine but it shouldn¡¯t be impossible to¡­ if Reia is willing, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to¡­ use her own magic to ignite a different part of yours. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to transformed freely, like Sera or Reia, but a humanoid body shouldn¡¯t be too hard to produce. It won¡¯t change what you are, though. The transcendent energies within you will make that impossible. You¡¯ll still remain a vixen but you¡¯ll be able to take on a humanoid form, whenever you want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough,¡± my mother said, revealing her canines through a very toothy grin. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to being spoiled and lazying around for most of the day, anyways. It¡¯s about time the youngsters stepped up, don¡¯t you think, old friend?¡± ¡°And what have we been doing for the last weeks,¡± I mumbled exasperatedly. ¡°Before this evolves into another lengthy discussion, have you,¡± I focused on Morgan, Auguros, Will and Vanya, ¡°made up your minds?¡± The former treant was the first to speak up: ¡°I¡¯d like to have my magic returned and I wouldn¡¯t mind losing a few years, but I¡¯m not eager to turn into a tree again, nor another kind of fey, if that¡¯s even an option. I¡­ I don¡¯t mind being human, the world is much more interesting if you can choose your own path, few of the laws and restriction that govern our race.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty much the same for me,¡± Morgan added quietly, ¡°but I want my wings back. I miss flying on my own, I think you can imagine how frustrating it is¡­ but like him, I don¡¯t want to return to what I¡¯ve been. I like being able to laugh and cry. It¡¯s a gift I don¡¯t want to lose, ever again¡­ still, you said you can change our age. Can you also slow down aging? I don¡¯t want to become a wrinkled hag within a few decades.¡± I chuckled, which promptly earned me a smack on the head form Greta. ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± she grumbled. ¡°In all your years you¡¯ve never experienced an aching back in the morning and the necessity to pee every few hours.¡± She cleared her throat embarrassedly and continued: ¡°anyways, that shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. Aging is, in essence, nothing more than your life force running dry. With time the vessel becomes cracked and you can¡¯t stop it from leaking. Either that or you use it up on purpose, like I have. Elves have a very sturdy vessel, which is to say, the magic in their blood makes their bodies more or less immune to deterioration. Same with our people. Strengthening yours to the same degree is something I could even accomplish without Cassy¡¯s help. I think. Luckily, we don¡¯t have to find out.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Vanya blurted out excitedly, ¡°does that mean you can make us immortal?¡± ¡°No, if someone shoves a pointy stick up your arse you¡¯re still going to bleed to death. On the plus side, you¡¯ll do so without any wrinkles, even if it¡¯s going to happen a few hundred years in the future.¡± ¡°Should¡¯ve told the Madame and her girls as much beforehand,¡± I commented quietly. ¡°She¡¯ll be furious if she finds out after she¡¯s been turned.¡± The dryad shrugged. ¡°Alassara won¡¯t turn them right away. She¡¯ll give them time to think it over and we can always explain the alternative later. Which¡­ have you actually thought about what you might do to a vampire? Curing them, maybe even suppressing their thirst, should be possible, should it not?¡± ¡°No, the curse, or whatever you want to call it, fuses their life force and their astral bodies. However you look at it, that¡¯s an imbalance. Unless I can disentangled the warped mess I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much I can do. They¡¯d probably die, if I tried.¡± 312. Of dreams, advice and a little present Cassandra Pendragon My mind was wandering. Probably not the best disposition when you¡¯re trying to change the fundamental structure of a living, breathing being but I wasn¡¯t really needed. At least my thoughts and ideas weren¡¯t. Ultimately I had become a glorified battery, or maybe an adapter, my changed wing and my core allowing Greta to perform magics she wouldn¡¯t have been capable of on her own. But it also meant that I had been getting bored only a few minutes after we had started and that had been almost an hour ago. True enough, watching the magic grow within the dryad had been interesting and instructive, in a way it had almost felt like a lesson, but once I had grasped the fundamental structure, the nuanced changes she made every few seconds hadn¡¯t held my attention for long. Also, even though I knew how idiotic it was, I didn¡¯t feel overly comfortable, standing naked in a pond with a variety of equally clothe-less people entangled in my wings, one after the other, while the love of my life was watching with hawk eyes from the sidelines. And while she had still been smiling when the first of them, Auguros, had joined me, her expression had transformed quickly enough when the, by now, middle aged man had been replaced by a beautiful girl with green hair. Icy or maybe murderous would have been an appropriate description when Morgan had lost consciousness and I had been forced to catch her. Luckily Ahri had realised just as quickly as me that I didn¡¯t truly care. I could appreciate beauty in men, women and even creatures to the fullest, but it wasn¡¯t¡­ longing or lust I felt, rather some kind of detached admiration, almost as if I was incapable of feeling true attraction. Which was rather funny, considering what we had done an hour ago. Still, the whole situation was weird and by now I had to forcefully stay on track or I¡¯d get lost somewhere within my own mind, just like I did now. Auguros, Morgan, Erya nursing her frantically, and Will were snoring happily on a bed of moss, Greta had conjured close by, while Vanya was timidly shrugging out of her robe, her ears getting redder with every passing second. The impromptu exhibitionism wasn¡¯t only to keep our clothes dry and conserve their integrity, magic and garments didn¡¯t match well in my experience, but, as unlikely as it was, they could even pose a risk, considering the forces at play. Simply put, what I, or rather we, were doing was intricate enough that every minuscule disturbance could, in theory, have disastrous consequences. Which meant everything foreign had to be removed, otherwise I might have inadvertently turned their skin into cloth, an outcome I wanted to avoid dearly. Once she was done she quickly hurtled into the pond, trying to hide by submerging herself in the crystal clear waters, which went about as well as you might imagine. I just about managed to stop myself from laughing, which would probably have made the poor girl die of embarrassment. In all fairness, she didn¡¯t have to hide but complimenting her would have been only marginally better. Judging from her expression she simply wanted to get it over with as quick as possible. Come to think of it, her predecessors glowing, groaning, changing and ultimately collapsing might have also made her anxious. Still, she didn¡¯t back down and clumsily stumbled towards me while she awkwardly tried to cover her breasts. I was pleasantly surprised that the onlookers, even the kids, showed enough decency to turn around while she was making a fool of herself. With Auguros and Will it had been a different story but the good natured catcalls hadn¡¯t bothered them one bit. ¡°Ready,¡± I asked as neutrally as I managed. ¡°Not really,¡± she replied subduedly, unable to meet my gaze. ¡°But chances are I¡¯ll run away if I have more time to think.¡± She inhaled deeply and whispered, only loud enough for me to hear: ¡°Will it hurt?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, no it won¡¯t. You won¡¯t feel a thing. As soon as the magic takes effect your mind will shut down. It¡¯s safer that way. Before we start, though, what do you actually want?¡± Morgan and Auguros had had a pretty solid grasp on their wishes and Will had simply grunted: ¡°do as you please, I just don¡¯t want to have to run anymore.¡± Even though we wouldn¡¯t know for sure until they¡¯d open their eyes again, from the outside at least it seemed like it had worked. Morgan looked the same, except for the enticing, emerald glow of her hair, which just screamed magic, and the huge, white, feathered and almost translucent wings on her back. That part had been rather tricky since we didn¡¯t know whether or not she¡¯d be able to hide them on her own and I had been adamant about her ability to do so. In the end, Greta hadn¡¯t formed the appendages from her tissue but rather as an extension of her life force. In theory, she should have been able to retract them, just like Ahri and I were, but again, we wouldn¡¯t know until she woke up. Auguros looked just the same, with a few less wrinkles, maybe, and Will hadn¡¯t changed either. For the most part. The flames igniting in his hair and beard from time to time had been a surprise, though. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ you can read my mind, can¡¯t you? Could you just see for yourself?¡± By now her blush was spreading to every corner of her face. Intrigued I shrugged and gently enveloped her in my wings, listening to the distant echoes of thoughts I immediately felt behind the flimsy barrier of her mind. A wave of embarrassment and anxiety swamped me but with a twist of my awareness I pushed past until I saw the image she didn¡¯t want to describe openly. This time, I couldn¡¯t quite suppress a grin. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear: ¡°they¡¯ll know soon enough, everybody will. Why¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m unconscious I won¡¯t care,¡± she answered equally quietly. ¡°And tomorrow seems like a long way off. Can you do it?¡± ¡°In a way. It won¡¯t be¡­ real, so to say. You¡¯ll still be human, only your looks and whatever else we do will change. If that¡¯s good enough for you I won¡¯t mind but¡­ can I ask why?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pry. I¡¯m merely curious, you don¡¯t have to answer, either, but¡­¡± her breath tickled my fur when she chuckled quietly. ¡°Seems only fair to tell you. It¡¯s not vanity, not purely, at least. I¡­ do you know how many friends I¡¯ve made in my life? 3, maybe 4. Two are dead, one doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with me because he¡¯s scared and the last one is snoring over there. I¡¯ve watched you closely Cassandra, you and your people. You make enemies easily, it¡¯s true, but you also make friends¡­ true friends. I want that, too¡­ I want to belong and after everything that¡¯s happened, that¡¯s going to happen today, I don¡¯t¡­ I just don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fit in with my own people anymore.¡± I shook my head sadly. ¡°Vanya¡­ becoming a kitsune won¡¯t change that, it¡¯s not a question of having tails or fur or fox ears. If you want to change like that¡­ there¡¯s no magic that can help you. That¡¯s something you have to do yourself. Every morning you get up. Believe me, magic can¡¯t change who you are, only what you are. I won¡¯t deny you, it¡¯s your choice, but¡­ if that¡¯s the only reason I¡¯d beg of you to reconsider. Otherwise you might very well wake up someday and regret what you¡¯ve done. Maybe I make it sound more serious than it is, you can transform back, after all, but¡­¡± I sighed and studied her anguished expression closely but still decided to add: ¡°look, what you want has to come from within you and that¡¯s hard. If you want my advice¡­ don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know enough about you to be certain but to me it sounds like you¡¯re trying to run¡­ but some things you can¡¯t escape from. You¡¯ve got to face them. I don¡¯t want you use this as an excuse you might regret later on. If you want a place to belong, you¡¯ll have to work, to suffer for it, whether your human or kitsune.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She bit her lip endearingly, which already counted as a win in my book. Somehow I had expected her to stubbornly insist, like most people would have, but she really thought about what I had said. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± she finally admitted, almost too quiet for me to hear. ¡°I feel lost. Ever since we¡¯ve met you, ever since that abomination killed Malique¡­ maybe I really am running.¡± She caught my gaze for the first time and asked: ¡°what would you do?¡± I thought for a moment, the silence pressing against my ears. The low murmur of conversations and the occasional outburst of laughter had ceased since everyone present and awake was staring at us curiously. ¡°Take it for what it is. In a way¡­ you¡¯re at a blacksmith¡¯s, looking for new gear. You don¡¯t go there to craft a new identity but to find a staff that suits you. Or maybe an armour. Don¡¯t ask yourself what you want to become, that¡¯s a path you¡¯ll have to walk alone. Instead, ask yourself what tools you might need to do so. You¡¯re an exquisite fighter. If it was me, I¡¯d build on that. We can strengthen your body and connect you to the powers within you, pretty much the same as Will.¡± Winking I added: ¡°with a little luck you might even get a set of glowing eyes out of it, or maybe sparks dancing in your hair, depending on your affinities.¡± A tremulous smile was tugging on the corners of her mouth as she breathed: ¡°And what about wings? I¡¯d love to fly.¡± ¡°A set like Morgan¡¯s I can¡¯t promise, she was a fey and her magic is incredibly potent, I can¡¯t yet tell if you could sustain them. We can try, though. If it doesn¡¯t work¡­ normal wings are surely possible but to carry a human sized body through the air you¡¯d have to divert a considerable amount of your power to stay aloft and they¡¯d be large enough to get in the way. In battle as well as in your daily life. Also¡­ if you¡¯re afraid of being shunned by your friends and peers I¡¯m not so sure if sprouting wings is the best idea.¡± Her smile became more pronounced. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have to worry that much anymore¡­ what you said¡­ that¡¯s not something I¡¯d expect a stranger to tell me, but a friend. I think I¡¯d like you to try, either way is fine with me. Just one last question. Would you mind if I stayed, afterwards¡­ at least for a while?¡± On impulse I hugged her, rather awkwardly considering we were both naked. ¡°I would have asked, if you hadn¡¯t. You¡¯re always welcome here, with fox ears or without.¡± ¡°Thank you, once again. Shall we get this over with before I get cold feet?¡± ¡°I thought you already did,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Close your eyes, when you feel my presence, let me in. We¡¯ll do the rest.¡± With considerably more grace than I would have managed she smiled, albeit a bit tremulously, and did as I had asked. Greta¡¯s old, unyielding will brushed against my thoughts, about as caressingly as a battering ram, just as my changed wing glowed brightly and turned into a burning bridge between Vanya and myself. I immediately reached for the glaring, frothing seats of her power, a bright green flame and a bluish veil, surrounding her like a coat. There was also a faint, golden shimmer but I knew I had no business meddling with that, just yet. It would still take a while before I could do more than destroy a soul and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d try even then, my own experiences with soul magic had made me quite cowardly when it came to influencing what a person was at its very core. Vanya let out a prolonged breath, her eyes rolling up into her head while her aura became visible, a sparkling blanket of green and blue that flickered between my wings. I felt Greta reach for the amalgamation of energies that was slowly revolving around my core but this time I didn¡¯t plan on giving her control. ¡°My mom is going to be up next and you can¡¯t get involved there. Even if I¡¯m trying to keep you safe, what slumbers within her might burn you to a crisp. We¡¯ve both been there and I think we can agree that¡¯s not going to happen, ever again.¡± ¡°A nice way of calling me weak. So this is a trial run for you,¡± she wanted to know. ¡°More or less. If I mess up, you¡¯ll intervene, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ but do you really think that you can do it on your own? Those weren¡¯t spells, Cassy. I know a damn lot about life¡­ I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll be able to replicate what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. Just¡­ stop me before I hurt her. Can you do that?¡± I felt her thoughts meander, flickering quickly through different calculations I couldn¡¯t quite follow. ¡°I think so. Go slow, take your time and don¡¯t use any force. If you get stuck you can¡¯t burn your way out of it without killing the girl. I know that¡¯s something new for you, but ask me, in case you¡¯re in doubt, alright?¡± If we had been talking normally I would have grunted. ¡°I taught you most of your magic anyways, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No¡­ you¡¯ve always sucked at anything intricate. What I know I learned from Aurora¡­ and a few others. But that¡¯s a story for another day. Focus now. And don¡¯t block me out.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Fine, here I go.¡± The first part, which I imagined would have been the most difficult for another magician, was actually pretty easy. With nothing but a wish I enveloped Vanya¡¯s mind and inserted my own energies into every steam of power that sluggishly flowed between her life force and her astral body. In a way it became my own, a malleable piece of clay I could form to my heart¡¯s content. Before Greta had always taken over at this stage, coaxing my power into patterns that would slowly transform the complex web of energies, but now she simply watched, carefully gauging every change I made. Luckily it wasn¡¯t the first time I was consciously playing around with someone else¡¯s body, the rather steamy experience I had shared with Ahri this morning had given me a pretty solid idea of what worked and what didn¡¯t. Watching Greta had also helped. Connecting Vanya¡¯s mind to the churning forces within her was the easy part. All I had to do was show her the way, so to say. I simply pushed a minuscule tendril of power into her mind until I felt her latch onto it. Then I slowly coaxed her thoughts towards the seat of her power, creating a lasting channel. I had to repeat the process several times until the connection became strong enough to stay stable on its own but once her mana and her life force flowed freely between her mind and their origins, I was done. Changing her physiological makeup was another matter. Within each creature there¡¯s a delicate balance between body, mind, astral forces, life energies and the soul. Altering the one without simultaneously safeguarding the other is a bit like playing Jenga. Everything seems shiny until the whole tower collapses on you with one tiny but wrong move. In fact, it was even more difficult, since I couldn¡¯t very well go step by step. I had to facilitate the changes all at the same time and then hold her stable until she could reach a new equilibrium. Still, I had to start somewhere and from what I had seen Greta do, the best choice was dispersing her life force throughout her body, filling every nook and cranny until her body became its veritable extension. I could even help out, bolstering her energies with my own to make sure she¡¯d have enough, but in that regard, I didn¡¯t have to worry. Vanya¡¯s mana capacity wasn¡¯t very pronounced, something I¡¯d try to change later on, but her life force was burning brightly, maybe even more so than Morgan¡¯s had. Which also meant I should be able to grant her wish and give her a pair of wings that wouldn¡¯t hinder her in any way. Mentally I quickly iterated what I planned to do. First I¡¯d enlarge her astral body, pushing it beyond its limit with my own energy, than I¡¯d do the same to her life force and finally, while her power was thundering through her veins, I¡¯d channel it into a fixed expression, hopefully granting her strength and wings to fly on her own. 313. Of worries, hopes and a little explosion Viyara Nameless Maybe I hadn¡¯t gotten over her quite yet. Not entirely. The last night, at least while I had been alone with Aurelia, had been amazing, unexpected, reassuring and a bunch of less prim and proper adjectives but even back then¡­ I hadn¡¯t severed our connection the entire time, had I? I hadn¡¯t thought much of it but once I had seen Cassy shrug out of her garments and intimately embrace a whole plethora of people I had to school my expression, otherwise I would have stared at them just like Ahri, except¡­ I didn¡¯t have the right. Also, while I was feeling jealous, or maybe envious since there was nothing going on between the two of us, I was also experiencing a sharp pang of guilt. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have allowed Aurelia to kiss me the night before. Considering how I was feeling right now, it might have been more than just a bit unfair. And now, I had to seriously think about whether or not I wanted her advances to continue. Don¡¯t get me wrong, she was beautiful, kind, a little awkward from time to time and unbelievably sweet, considering she was an ancient, blood hungry, almost immortal vampire, and I liked her, I truly did. Her warmth, her dry humour, her knowledge, the way her presence enveloped me like a comforting, protecting blanket, but¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she suddenly spoke up and wrapped her arm around me, pulling me closer. ¡°I knew what I was getting myself into. It took me ages to realise I wasn¡¯t in love with Sarai and she treated me like a thing. I can¡¯t even imagine how hard it must be for you.¡± ¡°You know¡­ about that and what I was thinking,¡± I breathed and snuggled up against her shoulder, her scent mixing with the smell of verdant earth and wet rocks. She chuckled quietly. ¡°Well, the first even a blind man could see, considering how intently you¡¯re staring, and the second¡­ I¡¯m an old vampire who¡¯s fed on transcendent blood. Don¡¯t tell them, but I¡¯m pretty sure my sense are even better than those of our angels, at least if they don¡¯t cheat. It¡¯s¡­ Viy, I know it¡¯s not my place, especially with my memories jumbled up as they are, but¡­¡± she paused, her fingers twitching nervously. ¡°Go on,¡± I urged, ¡°you can tell me. Whatever it is, I couldn¡¯t possibly get mad with you.¡± I felt her relax as she kissed my neck chastely, her eyes wandering over the mossy bed where Cassy was just now depositing a sleeping Vanya and shooing away her sister, who had crept closer with her friends to examine the changed fey under the pretence of looking after them. ¡°Do you see that,¡± she finally spoke up. ¡°She really cares for them, not as much as for you, but that¡¯s who she is. And it¡¯s also the best you¡¯re ever going to get. Viyara¡­. You carry a part of her in your chest but you¡¯re no immortal. They¡­ they don¡¯t love, at least the ones I¡¯ve met don¡¯t. And there¡¯s a good reason for it. She¡¯s different but she¡¯s also an angel. Whatever else¡­ one day she¡¯ll bury us. You, me, Erya, even Helena, Sera and Greta¡­ one day, we will be gone like dust in the wind and she knows it. Even a creature like her isn¡¯t above fear. I don¡¯t know if she realises it herself, but¡­ until death do us part. That¡¯s not a promise she¡¯s ever going to make to anyone who can¡¯t possibly live as long as her. Even if she wasn¡¯t in love head over heels, she wouldn¡¯t entertain the thought of marrying a mortal. Spend a night with them, sure, but more? I don¡¯t know if it helps, but that¡¯s what made me realise that Sarai wasn¡¯t my future, nor my life.¡± I wasn¡¯t sad, not even disappointed, but I still felt tears burning in my eyes, even though I didn¡¯t know why. Maybe it was pity? Did I really pity an angel? Or was it anger? Anger at myself for my naivety? ¡°I think I already knew,¡± I whispered into her shoulder. ¡°Why do you think she hasn¡¯t run, then? Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to leave us behind before she became too attached?¡± ¡°Probably but she, both of them, they are no cowards and enjoying every moment we have together, knowing how it¡¯s going to end, is still better than living alone and isolated. It took her several lifetimes to figure that out, but that lesson she has learned long before you met her. They have raised Greta, haven¡¯t they? Why do you think they¡¯re prepared to always help out, to support us, even if it costs them? Sera told you last night¡­ to them, we¡¯re children, some of us are their children, you included. Yes, parents shouldn¡¯t have to bury their kids, but that¡¯s the price they¡¯re prepared to pay and I imagine that¡¯s the farthest they can go without risking their sanity.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re basically saying I should get her out of my head if I don¡¯t want to become the one going insane? Thanks, but I figured as much already,¡± I replied with a pinched smile. ¡°That¡¯s not it, but you should see her for what she is. She might look like the most beautiful girl you¡¯ve ever met, but that¡¯s not her. She¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°The sun,¡± I whispered, remembering a snippet of conversation I had picked up when Cassy had talked to Greta. ¡°Dangerous and unapproachable.¡± I felt her nod. ¡°I¡¯d have gone with the moon, considering how she looks, but you¡¯re still right.¡± ¡°And where does that leave us,¡± I wanted to know, even though I dreaded her answer. I didn¡¯t want to lose her, but it had to be her decision. Everything else would just be wrong. ¡°Viyara¡­ I love the stars as well. And the night, the sun, the ocean, the distant light of worlds I¡¯d one day like to show you. But that¡¯s not the same. I¡­ I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯re longing for something you can¡¯t reach, it allows you to dream, to grow, to change¡­ but I need you to understand,¡± she moved, her lips finding mine, ¡°that this is between us and nobody else. If you can promise me as much, I¡¯ll willingly wait until you¡¯re sure where you stand.¡± I took a shaky breath. ¡°Of course, but¡­ don¡¯t you want something¡­ more?¡± ¡°Definitely. But it doesn¡¯t have to be now and I¡¯d rather share it with you in the future than anybody else in the present. To put it bluntly: I¡¯m not going to sleep with you until you¡¯ve made up your mind but I¡¯m gladly going to wait until it happens. Even if it doesn¡¯t¡­ I¡¯d still like to find out. Do you?¡± A warm shiver ran down my spine and for the first time it was me who stole a kiss. ¡°Of course I do, I¡¯ve simply been afraid of hurting¡­¡± she didn¡¯t let met finish and tenderly placed her fingers on my lips, while the dim, greenish blue light turned her eyes into smouldering coals. ¡°I know, that¡¯s one of the reasons why I want to be with you. Scales, wings, immortal godmother and all.¡± For the next few minutes we forgot our worries, finding solace in each other¡¯s arms, even though the occasional giggle, not to mention the frequent outbursts of magic only a few steps away, ensured we didn¡¯t get entirely lost. Only when Helena nimbly jumped into her daughter¡¯s arms, eyeing the sparkling waters dubiously, just like a cat would stare at a bath, did we separate. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Ever since the first successful transformation the atmosphere had been relaxed, almost chatty, the kids curiously snooping around between the roots while the two human girls Cassy had brought along watched the proceedings with wide eyes, their jaws dropping always closer to the ground. Her personal entourage, the five kitsune her brother had made her take along, were keeping their distance, apparently satisfied with guarding the entrance. The oldest of them, a strong, silent soldier type by the name of Corvin, had been engrossed in a conversation with Helena while Cassy had cared for the fey and former mercenaries, but now they were anxiously watching their former queen, fear for her safety written clearly all over their features. I might even have struck up a conversation and tried to calm them down but the first time we had met still lingered in the back of my mind and truth be told I didn¡¯t like them much. It wasn¡¯t only the far from perfect first impression, they were just too¡­ distant, too absorbed in their mission to truly care for anything else. I did know how much of a boon their behaviour could eventually become, but in comparison to the unceremonious, cordial way the rest of us interacted they simply stood out like a sore thumb and I had had more than enough decorum when I had still been living with my father. As a true dragoness and his heir I had always been treated, well, like a princess and I just couldn¡¯t get myself to warm up to their formal, militaristic behaviour. I had only seen them laugh and curse openly once and that had been during the celebration at the ¡°Gilded Dream¡± when they had already drunk more than their fair share. Shrugging I turned away and focused on the pond, where Cassy¡¯s wings were once again obscuring my vision. The waters frothed and surged around the sparkling, silver curtain, bubbles rose from their depths in a constant stream only to pop with an explosion of scintillating sparks once they reached the surface and the heavy, acidic smell of ozone slowly crowded out every other scent. It was much more overwhelming than before, the immeasurable forces Cassy used to create a mirror image of Reia¡¯s magic within her mother a palpable, suffocating presence I could taste and feel. Without a spoken word Aurelia and I got to our feet, expressions taunt. She went straight to the unconscious fey and humans while I headed for the kids and the two barmaids. My body was already glowing when I reached them and the fraction of a second later a living, breathing, golden wall protected them from the magic within the pond. I had only spared them a cursory glance, enough to make sure they weren¡¯t already swamped by the energies the angel was pumping into the air, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. Ahri had already made her way to the very edge of the waters, her wings spread wide, collecting every stream of magic that was thrown our way. Reia, Estrella and Archy were taking the whole spectacle in stride but the two human girls were close to collapsing, their gazes wandering along my glittering body. Once they met my eye, the last bit of strength left them and they slumped to the mossy ground, just in time for the magic around us to reach new heights. Figures¡­ A deep, humming noise filled the cavern and I inadvertently wrapped my shimmering coils around us while the eerie, unearthly tone made my scales itch and tingle, almost as if the torrents of power were running directly through my heart. I bared my fangs and growled deep in my throat, drowning out the sound for a mere moment. The very next second a wave of flickering light exploded from Cassy and I felt her energies batter against my hide while Reia¡¯s small hands closed around the tip of my tail. I could feel them shaking but whether it was from fear or excitement I couldn¡¯t tell, not until she screamed against the arcane storm: ¡°Let me out! She needs me, she can¡¯t replicate the pattern without me, I need to get to them! Damn it, Viyara, move your oversized ass!¡± I blinked, still trying to make sense of how our cozy, protected cavern had suddenly become the centre of a transcendent, dangerous maelstrom but the tiny vixen didn¡¯t even allow me enough time to comprehend the impressions drowning me, never mind organising my thoughts. ¡°Fine,¡± I grunted, as well as I could manage telepathically. She squealed shrilly when my iron hard scales enveloped her completely but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to her antics and instead slithered forward, already reaching for Cassy¡¯s mind. Unfortunately the forces she controlled had sealed her off hermetically and I felt like a fly, bouncing of an iron gate when I tried to get through to her. ¡°By the Great Fox,¡± I cursed, the foreign idiom drifting as naturally through my thoughts as if I had been born on Boseiju as well. I knew we weren¡¯t in danger, neither immortal would allow any one of us to get hurt, but knowing something and believing it were entirely different matters and despite my own heritage, my own powers, I felt threatened, like a bird caught in the eye of the storm. I was safe, for as long as I wouldn¡¯t move, but once I stumbled into the ravaging forces, thundering around us, I¡¯d be torn to shreds in an instant, my strength counting for naught. I snarled, as much to bolster my courage as to show it and pressed my precious burden more tightly against my stomach while a shimmering fog began rising form the pond. My awareness spread, my senses and my telepathy enveloping every nook and cranny of the grotto. I felt the deep breaths of the unconscious fey and mercenaries, I tasted the rising, almost unbearable panic, consuming the barmaids, I heard the building tension in the limbs of the five kitsune soldiers, I saw the spectacle of light and power, a blue and silver storm revolving around a scintillating core of pure magic and my own transcendent spark reacted. From one heartbeat to the next it roared to life, a behemoth stirred from its slumber, the terrifying onslaught a delectable feast in its eyes, a succulent buffet it couldn¡¯t resist. For a moment I lost control, my mind torn between the rising tides of power and the fragile sense of self I still retained. As shameful as it was, I wouldn¡¯t have managed to resist, I would have been buried underneath the raging wrath of aeons past if it hadn¡¯t been for a small, almost negligible bundle of flesh and fur I still held in my paws. Reia squirmed and screamed and when that didn¡¯t yield the desired result she changed. The massive, golden beak of an enormous eagle pierced my scales with ease, golden blood with a hint of silver spurting from the wound in a steaming waterfall of molten metal. ¡°Viyara,¡± she hollered, her mind forcefully tearing into mine. ¡°Focus! That¡¯s not for you nor me, neither of us can survive this, not yet! Just¡­¡± she seemed to drift further away, the awakening forces within me eroding her will, but she didn¡¯t falter and, without hesitation, reached out in a different direction. The next moment a cleansing whirlwind of flames and sparks thundered through my mind and freed my thoughts. The blessed silence didn¡¯t last long, though. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, come back to us,¡± Ahri ordered and I obeyed. ¡°Now, throw her. Cassy knows, she¡¯ll catch her. Just throw her in, she¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± ¡°Are you¡­¡± I began but Reia immediately shot me down. ¡°It¡¯s my decision and I trust my sister! Now do as she says! Please¡­¡± ¡°Goddamned stubborn kitsune,¡± I cursed but there was no real heat behind my words. All of us were strong willed, defiant and arrogant, after all. My muscles, steely tendons as large as trees, twitched beneath my skin, a deep groan, lost in the cacophony surrounding us, escaped me and I flung the tiny vixen forward, her multicoloured tresses fluttering through the air behind her like a veil. Barely a heartbeat later she vanished behind the glaring curtain of light and our connection broke, torn asunder by the powers of an immortal. ¡°One day, just one single day without any of this,¡± I whispered into the silence that had taken hold of my thoughts. ¡°You¡¯d get bored before noon,¡± Aurelia¡¯s velvety voice replied. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, you actually enjoy it, just as much as I do.¡± When I turned my head I saw her at my side, wings unfurled, eyes ablaze with an inner fire that seemed to be pulling me in. The way she looked, surrounded by a corona of whirling flames and streaming power, she reminded me so much of an immortal that I almost wanted to cower but instead I felt¡­ tempted, her allure as pronounced as her glistening fangs. ¡°Maybe I do,¡± I admitted. ¡°Or is the company we keep,¡± I added, my thoughts laced with an unspoken invitation. A smile spread across her face like the break of dawn. ¡°That too,¡± she answered, her blood red tongue darting out from between pink lips as she studied me from beneath her bangs. ¡°Viyara, I¡¯m truly grateful you decided to hold my leash. There¡¯s no one else I¡¯d rather belong to.¡± 314. Of legacies, oaths and a little disturbance Cassandra Pendragon Fourteen unconscious, one swearing fey, a dragoness and a vampire close to making out and the dryad had dematerialised as soon as it had started. ¡°Could have been worse,¡± I breathed against Ahri¡¯s neck. I felt a bit shaky, even my fingers were trembling, and I was grateful for her support. ¡°I guess it could have. The decorations suffered, though.¡± ¡°And the roots. That one¡¯s still smouldering,¡± Reia added and wrapped my free arm around her neck. I was feeling better with every passing second but her caring offer I¡¯d never have rejected. ¡°So are my tails, at least it feels like it,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Who¡¯s going to carry her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s you mom, even though¡­,¡± Ahri began without finishing her sentence. ¡°Hmm, she looks about Reia¡¯s age, doesn¡¯t she? Maybe a bit younger.¡¯ ¡°Not exactly what I meant, but¡­¡± I understood her perfectly. While we would never be taken for siblings, her hair was just as silver as her tails, her face was¡­ not quite immortal but close enough and with the similarities we had always shared she looked even more like me than Sera. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a pain,¡± I groaned. ¡°My mom the adolescent¡­ may the god¡¯s have mercy.¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± Reia asked hesitantly. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ aren¡¯t you happy she¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Of course I am, it¡¯s just¡­ look, with the way her mind works, her magic and that face¡­¡± Frankenstein¡¯s experiments were a joke compared to what I might have unleashed on the world but I could hardly say that, now, could I? ¡°Just wait until she wakes up or, better yet, give it a week or two. You¡¯ll see. I¡¯m wondering if she¡¯ll be able to make herself age. From what I¡¯ve seen, she doesn¡¯t have a pure spark of transcendent power but it¡­ somehow exists in her own reservoirs. Even the magic you shared with her, Reia, became... infected. Can¡¯t wait to find out what she¡¯ll be able to do with it.¡± I kissed Ahri and squeezed my sister¡¯s shoulder before I carefully retracted my wings and caught my mother in my arms. ¡°Welcome back,¡± I whispered. The last unfortunate series of events had ensured that we were all drenched to the bone. There wasn¡¯t a dry spot left in the whole cavern and the pond had lost a good half of its water, enough to reveal the dimly glowing crystals on the bottom. A lot of their lustre was gone, their power consumed by the cataclysmic magic I had unleashed. In a day or two they¡¯d be back to normal, as would the cavern itself, but for now it looked more like a battlefield than anything else. Charred and blackened lines crisscrossed the ground, almost like scars, in an intricate pattern, mirroring the flow of energy, and the roots closest to us had been burned to a crisp. Where the concentration of power had been highest some of the wood had even crystallised, glowing, pulsing, silvery veins meandering through the gleaming pillars. Despite my best efforts Greta hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed, assuming the entire tree was actually her body. I breathed in deeply, savouring the complex scents of magic, life and fire, while the slow, sluggish gurgling of the waters and saps, flowing through the roots, filled my ears. For a moment it remained quiet, a serene second we shared, trying to wrap our minds around what had happened. Considering I had only added a fixed pattern to my mother¡¯s innate magic, something much less complex than the changes I had inflicted on the others, the outcome surely had been volatile. But then again, playing around with a partly transcendent existence was bound to have consequences. On second thought, maybe I should have considered myself lucky that I hadn¡¯t blown us all to smithereens¡­ us and most of Free Land. If I had tried a stunt like that before I had been able to manipulate more than just mana, Ahri and I would probably have been the last ones standing in a lifeless, burned out crater. Luckily, all was well that ended well, wasn¡¯t it? The thought prompted me to look down and study my mom closely for the first time. I tenderly brushed a silvery, almost white tress from her face while I felt Ahri and Reia snuggle up to me, eager to see what she had become. If you had known her before, you would still have been able to recognise the woman she once had been under her new mask, but there was no denying that she resembled an angel more than a kitsune. Her alabaster skin exuded a soft, healthy glow, a little less pronounced than mine but she¡¯d still stand out, especially at night, even though I wasn¡¯t overly worried in that regard. Her features were almost surreally perfect with an elegant but pronounced jawline, a straight and slightly upturned nose, full, curved, deep red lips and large eyes, surrounded by long, white lashes. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure but I thought her ears had grown as well¡­ and so had her tails. This much, I knew for a fact. The nine fluffy appendages looked almost like the train of a wedding dress, swinging gracefully below her. Silvery sparks ignited within her fur from time to time while her eyes moved behind closed lids, her body acclimatising to its changed form and the torrents of magic, racing through its veins. She wasn¡¯t entirely perfect, her nose was ever so slightly skewed and I thought I saw a handful of freckles but she was as close to what an immortal looked like as I had ever seen before. Not even Aurelia resembled us to that degree, even though her draconic girlfriend might, once she was fully grown. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± my sister breathed and I felt a rush of gratitude and warmth for the stupidest reason. Most people¡­ almost all of them, would have sounded envious or maybe bitter, especially a growing girl, but all I heard in her voice was gratitude and happiness. Not even for a second did she feel the need to compare herself to our mother or me. Come to think of it, she never had before, in contrast to my oh so wise, grown up and royal brothers. With stinging eyes I pushed deeper into her and kissed the top of her head which elicited a confused stare. ¡°You don¡¯t know how precious you are,¡± I whispered. ¡°I know I have never said it, but I hope you realise how much I actually love you.¡± Now I wasn¡¯t the only one trying to hold back her tears, even Ahri looked decidedly shaken when she gave us a tremulous, watery smile and wrapped her tails around us. ¡°Where did that suddenly come from,¡± Reia inquired but the lump in her throat, she had had to talk around, made the question superfluous. Instead of answering I kissed her again and felt, more than I heard, her add: ¡°I love you, too.¡± Then she giggled softly. ¡°With her looking like that I might really have to start calling you mom,¡± she willingly explained. ¡°Not going to¡­¡± I paused and shrugged. ¡°Oh, whatever. I still prefer Cassy, though.¡± Ahri¡¯s tails and Reia¡¯s arms tightened around me and when I looked up, I found Viyara¡¯s gaze lingering on us, filled with joy. A bubble of happiness rose in my stomach and I didn¡¯t even try to suppress the bright, genuine smile, forming on my face. ¡°Now, let¡¯s have a look how the rest of the world fared, shall we? Come on you two, the day is far from over and I¡¯m pretty sure neither mom nor the rest of them will wake up before dusk.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± I was interrupted brashly when Greta materialised close to us, her eyes roaming over the burned patches and along her crystallising roots. She whistled through her teeth, patting the sore, reddish spots along her legs, and grinned crookedly. ¡°No pain, no gain, wasn¡¯t it? Girl, you really have gotten powerful. I¡¯d take my hat off to you, if I was wearing one. You needn¡¯t worry, though. They¡¯re all perfectly healthy, just knocked out cold. Once their minds have gotten used to the new sensations they¡¯ll be right as rain. Helena might even be up in a few hours but until then, let them just rest here. I¡¯ll take care of them and call you, in case something happens.¡± ¡°Thanks. And what about the ones who passed out? My soldiers, Archy, Estrella, the barmaids?¡± ¡°Magical overload. I¡¯m surprised there is even anyone left standing, aside from Ahri, Aurelia and Viyara. Your sister and Erya are really made from stern stuff.¡± ¡°Have to be, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t even have arrived here in one piece,¡± the fey in question piped up, while she finally rose form her granddaughter¡¯s side and glided towards us, tears of joy brimming in her eyes. ¡°And¡­ thank you.¡± She had reached us by now and with utter disregard for Ahri¡¯s threatening hiss and Reia¡¯s cocked eyebrows, she took my face between her hands and kissed my cheeks. ¡°For everything.¡± She laughed throatily and added, without letting go of me: ¡°Remember how we met for the first time? It took me a while to realise but I guess you appearing in my prison was the best thing that has ever happened to me. You¡¯ve given me so much¡­ a family and now a child. Cassandra, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Whatever the future brings, know that I¡¯ll never abandon you.¡± She released me and focused on Ahri and Reia, she even included Aurelia and Viyara with a glance. ¡°None of you. My promises might not be as precious as those of our angels, but this one I¡¯ll treasure until the day I die.¡± She lowered herself to her knees, the depleted waters reaching up to her navel, and before I could do even more than blink in surprise she bowed her head and added: ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I could offer you in return and I know you don¡¯t even want me to, but this I¡¯m doing for me as much as for you. Cassandra Pendragon, I¡¯m offering you my oath and everything it entails. Are you willing to take it?¡± I was torn. Torn between amusement, a heartwarming fluttering that almost felt like nervousness and plain confusion. ¡°Ahri,¡± I sent, ¡°what¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be daft,¡± she replied, her thoughts meandering through different episodes from our past with Erya merrily. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time someone has pledged themselves to you, is it? Only¡­ it¡¯s been ceremonial before and you were a bored child. This is real. I¡­ it¡¯s your decision, but I don¡¯t think you should reject her. I know what you¡¯re going to say, you¡¯re looking for friends, not servants, but¡­ Cassy, she¡¯s offering you everything she has, that¡¯s more of gesture than anything else. If you don¡¯t accept her, she¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Feel worthless. I know, I just don¡¯t want this to change anything between us.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t. Honestly. She¡¯s¡­ I guess as far as she¡¯s concerned this is just a token to show you how she¡¯s been feeling for a while, now. Honey, whether you want to admit it or not, you¡¯re an immortal and a princess. You don¡¯t wear a crown,¡± the image of my newly acquired headdress fluttered through her mind, ¡°most of the time, but that doesn¡¯t mean others don¡¯t see it on your head.¡¯ Sighing I awkwardly balanced my mom on my arms and placed a hand on Erya¡¯s head. I felt her jerk, but otherwise she didn¡¯t move. Viyara¡¯s and Aurelia¡¯s gazes seemed to burn a hole through my skull but I only focused on the kneeling fey in front of me and the caressing touch I felt deep in my mind, when Ahri¡¯s presence enveloped me completely. ¡°Willingly given, willingly received,¡± I intoned. ¡°From this day forward your deeds will be mine, my will will be yours...¡± I felt my voice change, becoming deeper, heavier, words that were much older than the customs of Boseiju suddenly tumbling over my tongue. ¡°Arise, Erya of the Silent Glade, arise. A queen in exile doesn¡¯t bow to anyone, not even to me. Rise and see who you are.¡± I didn¡¯t know why, nor did I entirely understand how, but once her eyes met mine and she elegantly came to her feet, my magic stirred. Just another unexpected blossom of the madness we had been getting used to for a while It wasn¡¯t comparable to what I had done to Viyara, not to mention my mother. In both instances I had purposefully used my powers to facilitate a change that would allow them to live. This time, it felt like¡­ something, maybe the world itself, maybe something else entirely, had heard my words and acknowledge my decision. A solitary spark ignited in my left eye, obscuring my vision as it lazily travelled from me to her but she didn¡¯t flinch and when it touched her forehead, the same sign that had appeared on Viyara, when I had saved her, flickered to life. For the fraction of a second a depiction of my wings burned brightly on her forehead until it vanished into her skin. Her eyes rolled up and she staggered, as if in a daze. Ahri reacted immediately and before the fey could fall, she caught her in her arms, a bright smile on her face. ¡°It surely seems like your soldiers have a new Captain, darling.¡± With a flurry of movements she was at my side again and tenderly kissed me. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± she breathed against my lips. ¡°What for? I didn¡¯t do much and what little I did doesn¡¯t merit praise, does it¡± I lamented. ¡°You accepted a burden you¡¯d have run from, screaming, not a week prior. You did something you don¡¯t like for someone else. That¡¯s¡­ not exactly new but without a knife at your throat it¡¯s still impressive. Given a few years you might yet become the nightmare Michael has always seen in you¡­ the angel I always see in you.¡± I reciprocated the kiss, cleared my throat and whispered: ¡°Keep on flattering me and I¡¯ll have to knock out the ones still standing. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± ¡°By all means,¡± she laughed. ¡°I never knew you were this insatiable.¡± Before I could reply, Reia stamped on my foot, more forcefully than she would have had to. ¡°Gross¡­ we¡¯re related and I¡¯m still a minor, you know? Could you at least wait until I¡¯m not in the middle of your flirting?¡± Ahri cocked an eyebrow and shot back: ¡°You were in the middle of our bed and you didn¡¯t mind. What¡¯s changed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± she answered smoothly but immediately paled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions you don¡¯t want to hear the answers to,¡± I grumbled, even though nothing had happened while she had been around. ¡°Now, as fascinating as it is to see your imagination run wild, could we get out of the pond and preferably somewhere dry?¡± ¡°You know, for a mythical creature you surely don¡¯t use magic a lot,¡± Greta interrupted and lazily waved her hand. The droplets of water rose from the wet walls and puddles of mud the earth had turned into, a cloud of steam billowed from our clothes and with a creaking sound, like old hinges turning, the wood glowed and reformed, covering the crystalline veins in the blink of an eye. ¡°One day I really have to teach you something less destructive and more useful,¡± she continued, ¡°but for now I think we¡¯re done. You can leave the snoring lot down here, I¡¯ll keep an eye on them.¡± ¡°Not quite yet,¡± I mumbled. ¡°First I want to know what they¡¯ve become and then¡­ I think I¡¯m going to continue. Those two girls, the barmaids, whatever they decide to do, they¡¯ll need something more to take care of themselves, considering what this town might turn into.¡± ¡°Do you plan on meddling with them without their knowledge,¡± Ahri inquired tensely. ¡°Not meddle¡­ but I do plan on awakening their magic. Nothing more. Maybe I¡¯ll give it a tiny push, but that¡¯s it.¡± Greta sighed. The demolition of her grotto didn¡¯t seem to bother her one bit. ¡°If you meant little push literally, don¡¯t do it. It might be helpful short term but it could hinder their development. If you don¡¯t plan on breaking mortal boundaries like you did with the rest of them, just connect them to their reservoirs. If they want to, I¡¯ll teach them. Within a year they can get pretty far on their own, plus if you don¡¯t flush them with your energies they should be alright once they wake up. No visible changes and all that. Just imagine how you¡¯d feel if you went to bed and woke up with glowing eyes or¡­ alright, bad example. But I think I¡¯ve still made myself plenty care, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. No unnecessary showing off. Still, let¡¯s check on our other patients first, shall we?¡± ¡°I told you, they¡¯re fine. So is your mother, I think, even though I can¡¯t see past her aura. If you want to check on something head outside and try to find out what¡¯s going on. I can feel people moving around like ants, but I haven¡¯t grown enough yet to perceive the entire square above.¡± 315. Of powers, limits and a little ruckus Cassandra Pendragon Thinking back I probably should have expected something out of the ordinary when Greta had asked whether or not I intended to break mortal boundaries with the two barmaids. The implication had been as clear as day but I hadn¡¯t caught on. Not until I had kneeled down in front of Vanya and had carefully placed my hand on her middle had the penny dropped. ¡°By all the saints at the backside door of purgatory,¡± I cursed, ¡°what have I done?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a new one,¡± Greta remarked dryly. ¡°From earth? Anyways, that wasn¡¯t you. Cores develop naturally within most mages, once they cross the threshold. Dragons are even born with a carbuncle, aren¡¯t they? It¡¯s pretty much the same here. If the saturation of power, be it mana or something more complex, becomes too high, the energy, more often than not, coalesces into a physical organ. That¡¯s what you see. It collects the energy and allows the body to function properly. It can be accessed like your own, to cast spells or simply flood your body, but it can also be destroyed, which mostly results in an explosion. Not that it really matters. Once someone impales you, your life expectancy usually takes a nosedive anyways.¡± To put her remarks into perspective: on the right side of Vanya¡¯s chest, mirroring the placement of her heart, a glowing, slowly revolving orb of mana and life energy had appeared, a small, maybe fist sized lump of pure power. On first glance, it might not have seemed as important as the translucent, purple wings on her back, flickering in and out of existence, but since I had planned to create the latter and had never before heard of the former I was inclined to disagree. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean everyone can turn into an immortal, given enough time,¡± Ahri inquired nervously while I was still absorbed in studying the peculiar organ Vanya had sprouted. ¡°No¡­ but I assume there are similarities. If there was a mortal who could generate transcendent forces and managed to form a core out of them, they would probably become an immortal. But even Helena can¡¯t create that kind of energy, nor can Viyara. They have a spark but it doesn¡¯t grow, it only¡­ infects. If I were forced to guess, though, I¡¯d wager that¡¯s what happened to you, aeons ago. Your core was formed during your first life and since it houses forces, not meant for the mortal world, it¡­ evolved, it started living on its own. But, of course, I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± ¡°You said it happens most of the time,¡± I interjected. ¡°What did you mean?¡± ¡°Well, for most it¡¯s quite the pain in the ass to collect enough power to even be able to form a core. It¡¯s something that happens after years, nay, centuries, of meditation and enlarging your own astral body or whatever else you try to use. But it¡¯s just one way, the most natural, I might add, to allow your body to contain more energy. It can also be bound to your blood, for example. Which, again, is something you should be familiar with or do you think it¡¯s a coincidence that Ahri¡¯s blood is crimson and yours silver? Anyways, changes are needed to accommodate this amount of power and channeling it all into a single, pretty sturdy object has another advantage. I¡¯m talking about the backlash of higher magics, of course. A core absorbs it. If you decided to go down another path you¡¯d have to make sure your body can withstand the reaction of more advanced magic by some other means. Familiars, for example¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t elves also develop cores,¡± I asked, pondering why they would stoop low enough to implement a much less elegant solution when there was a neat alternative. Greta laughed croakily, a sound that didn¡¯t quite fit her new body but which immediately reminded me of my old mentor. ¡°I think you¡¯re underestimating how much power a core actually needs to form. True, there might be the occasional, ancient elf, who has managed, but one, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯d guard the secret to their last breath and two¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°Those four,¡± she indicated Morgan, Auguros, Will and Vanya with a jerk of her head, ¡°can probably give most fully grown dragons a run for their money, when it comes to magic. They won¡¯t be their match in a confrontation, considering how young they are, but when it comes to sheer arcane strength¡­ Cassy, you didn¡¯t create mages, you¡¯ve made monsters. I know it doesn¡¯t mean much to you, but those four aren¡¯t normal, by any stretch of the imagination. If I hadn¡¯t changed into what I am now, they would have had me shitting my pants and I lived with the two of you for years. Admittedly, I never allowed you to play with my magic, even though you offered, but still, even as a kitsune, I was no slouch. To put it into perspective¡­ some schools train their disciples in forming cores as soon as they can walk. It doesn¡¯t even take long to form a first spark, a few years, maybe. To get something usable, which would probably be pea sized, would take a decade. To rival the normal output of a mage, they¡¯d need almost a century. To form something comparable to what you gifted your friends with would take¡­ millennia, at the least. Or someone powerful and capable enough to simply ignore the whole conundrum. What you did¡­ you flooded them with enough power to rival a¡­ I can¡¯t even come up with a proper comparison. If they had tried on their own, they wouldn¡¯t have survived and they would never have found a source powerful enough to even scratch the surface of what you did. Only because you didn¡¯t destroy the town or the planet in the process, it doesn¡¯t necessarily follow that the forces couldn¡¯t have, if they had been wielded by anyone else. I¡­ for all our sakes, you should really stop underestimating what you are.¡± ¡°So all their magic is condensed into that little thing,¡± Viyara asked. ¡°No, only the amount that would have poisoned them otherwise, whatever Cassandra left them with, in other words. If she had only connected their minds to their magic nothing would have happened. Their cores contain whatever their natural reservoirs can¡¯t hold.¡± ¡°How strong are they,¡± Aurelia wanted to know. Greta shrugged. ¡°Compared to what or whom? You and that dragoness of yours? Quite weak but not negligibly so. Compared to a human sorcerer? They¡¯re titans. Compared to an elf, I wouldn¡¯t call them titans but¡­ maybe demigods?¡± While everybody else seemed either impressed or positively gleeful I was starting to feel anxious. How badly had I fucked this up? I mean, power crazed fantasies aside, it couldn¡¯t be healthy to suddenly wake up with the ability to raze a town with nothing but a wish. Neither for the town nor for the person in question. Damn it all, I had thought I¡¯d be done, but apparently there was a whole plethora of problems still waiting for me. Convincing Greta to teach them, for example, and if she wasn¡¯t willing, finding someone else to do it. ¡°Don¡¯t pout,¡± the dryad reprimanded me. ¡°What did you expect, anyways?¡± Her gaze drifted towards Erya, who was still asleep in Ahri¡¯s arms. ¡°You acknowledging her has changed her. Don¡¯t you think actively using your powers might have a more pronounced effect?¡± ¡°I might not have thought about it as much as I should have,¡± I admitted. ¡°But what¡¯s done is done. Do we have to worry about them using their magic? Is it likely that they¡¯ll blow themselves up, or their surroundings?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Again, no. You should already know. Accessing your core is a conscious act, it doesn¡¯t happen by accident. I imagine they¡¯ll need a while before they can do it, anyways. For you, it¡¯s been different. You¡¯ve already used yours for aeons before you woke up in your current body. They don¡¯t have that particular advantage. It might as well turn out to be a tedious process. Like learning how to walk.¡± ¡°Except, if they stumble, they won¡¯t scratch their knees but fry the neighbourhood, won¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Better to not let them stumble, then, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t fret, I¡¯ve taught a real immortal, haven¡¯t I? I¡¯m not overly worried when it comes to a cheap imitation. I¡¯ll make sure to whip them into shape,¡± she added with a nasty smile. ¡°The poor souls,¡± I chuckled ruefully. ¡°Thanks. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡± ¡°Not that it matters. Without me you¡¯d be a crispy corpse on Boseiju. Now that you¡¯ve made sure they¡¯re all hearty and whole, your mom included, would you mind taking a look around upstairs? They aren¡¯t calming down and, for the life of me, I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± When I flinched she quickly continued: ¡°they¡¯re not fighting, but something has them agitated like a beehive with a honey badger at the door. Some idiot even tried to force his way down here. He¡¯s still breathing, I¡¯m not a monster, but he won¡¯t be getting up for a few hours. So¡­ unless you want to keep staring at a bunch of unconscious people, I¡¯d suggest you get moving. I¡¯ll call you, should they wake up. Your mom will probably be the first. Except for her body nothing much changed within her. Just leave her with me, I¡¯ll look after the lot of them.¡± ¡°Since when have you become so suspiciously charitable,¡± Ahri inquired, her raised eyebrows conveying her disbelief perfectly. ¡°Since I¡¯ve apparently turned into a guardian deity for our people. And so help me, I¡¯m going to do a much better job than the idiotic tree we¡¯ve been forced to burn to ashes. I mean, royal challenges¡­ come on, how archaic can it get?¡¯¡¯ For once, we were in perfect agreement. ¡°Also¡­ Helena has been my friend for much longer than the two of you are alive. She means quite a lot to me, as well. As for the rest¡­ as long as they don¡¯t sully themselves we shouldn¡¯t have a problem.¡± I grinned lopsidedly and replied: ¡°I thought you¡¯d be grateful for some fertiliser.¡± ¡°Very funny, almost hilarious. If we¡¯re back to trading slow witted quips, it¡¯s time for you to go. Or is there something of importance I¡¯ve forgotten?¡± ¡°Florentina and Cecilia, the two barmaids,¡± I explained, while I gently lowered my mom to the ground and shuffled over to where the two girls rested... had passed out. ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯m not going to repeat what I¡¯ve done but connecting¡­ there, that should be good enough, for now. Fine. Come on, girls. We¡¯ve got a crowd to entertain and probably some arses to kick.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± Ahri stated gloomily. ¡°What about Reia? Can she come?¡± Before the vixen in question could do as much as protest I quickly said: ¡°For now. She¡¯ll stay with us until Sera returns. Then you¡¯ll be in the tender care of your draconic grandmother. You¡¯ll stay close to either Ahri or me, though, is that understood?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± she iterated my own words with a cheeky grin. The flickering light from the pond vanished entirely when we entered the staircase. A few glowing patches along the smooth bark provided just enough illumination to see where we were going and highlight the black, yawning tunnel that led towards the maze of roots down below. With a regretful sigh I suppressed my impulse to investigate and instead climbed the smooth stairs. The smell of ozone and burned plants mixed with the scent of living cherry wood and the faint traces of sweat, wafting down the stairs. Reia¡¯s fingers tightened around mine and I heard her swallow dryly when the serene dripping of water, Greta¡¯s mumbling and the regular breathing of our friends was overshadowed by the yet distant sounds of curses, screams and trampling feet. With every step we took it felt like we were leaving a safe haven, even though I had already done my utmost to introduce a wee bit of chaos, and returning to the usual mayhem I had already come to associate with our new hometown. I wasn¡¯t exactly worried, my confidence in my own abilities, not to mention my family, had taken a massive boost ever since I had sent Amon packing in person, but I was¡­ weary or maybe tired. I just didn¡¯t want to become involved personally anymore with every little problem that might arise. It was high time to delegate but even thinking about implementing structures that could actually work gave me a crushing headache. I mean, a guard as a failsafe mechanism? Please¡­ I hadn¡¯t been able to come up with anything better on the spot, but if I didn¡¯t want to make everything worse I¡¯d have to put some serious thought into it. At least I wasn¡¯t alone. I couldn¡¯t quite count on Aurelia, with her memories all jumbled up, but Ahri and Greta were bound to have some interesting recollections. Maybe we could open a bottle of wine and actually put together a plan that might have a chance to succeed. Preferably before the scheduled gathering tonight, otherwise it¡¯d become a rather moot point. My musings were cut short when we rounded the last corner and the bright sunlight suddenly warmed my face, accompanied by a veritable flood of noise. I squeezed Reia¡¯s hand and whispered: ¡°don¡¯t let go of me until we know what¡¯s going on.¡± She nodded but her eyes were fixed on the scene in front of us, or rather the swollen face of a boy who lingered close to the exit, a sullen, frightened look on his face while his gaze darted fearfully to a well dressed man at his side from time to time. A single step closer, an unconscious man laid spread eagle, his hair standing on edge. Probably the one who had tried to force his way into the tree unsuccessfully. ¡°That¡¯s the one I beat to a pulp yesterday,¡± she explained quietly and jerked her head towards the boy. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re here because of me?¡± Most likely, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have been waiting for us in the immediate vicinity of a half fried idiot while a storm was brewing close by. ¡°Only one way to find out. I¡¯m more worried about what we can¡¯t see, though,¡± I explained while we took the last few stairs. ¡°Listen, behind them you can already hear the ruckus the slaves are causing and I¡¯m decently confident our new found friends aren¡¯t the reason.¡± Actually I was sure since I already heard Liz¡¯s and Lyra¡¯s voices, both of them arguing agitatedly. If it had been about the nervous father and his wayward offspring, provided I wasn¡¯t wrong in assuming they were related, the girls wouldn¡¯t be screaming their hearts out somewhere to the side. Once we had passed through the opening I had to blink in the blinding light until the hazy silhouettes around me became clear. Aurelia, Viyara, Reia, Ahri and I were standing on a polished patch of wood the tuber like roots had formed around the entrance. The patch itself was clear of people, the unfortunate imbecile, who had tried to reach the tree, had collapsed as soon as he had touched the gleaming branches and served as a warning to anyone who was toying with the idea of trying their luck. A single step behind the invisible boundary father and son were staring at us with an embarrassing mixture of adoration, fear and uncertainty etched onto their faces while a wriggling, moving sea of bodies sprawled off into the distance, held back by four beautiful women, who were doing their best to prevent the roused tide from crashing against our home. Our elves¡¯ magic was still enough to keep them at bay, for now. The glittering barrier they had erected hadn¡¯t even been tried, just yet, the scintillating curtain of energy paired with the grim figures of several dwarfs, brimming with weapons, and a handful of pirates under Clovis¡¯ command, only waiting for anyone to get close enough to demonstrate their willingness to settle matters physically, enough to hold them back, but I could practically feel the tension in the air. On first glance I couldn¡¯t understand what had them riled up like this but when I channeled a trace of power towards my eyes my gaze immediately snapped to a dark, hunched over figure in the back, half submerged in the tide of angry humans. For a moment I couldn¡¯t quite place the girl¡¯s face but when her eyes met mine, a flame of madness flickering in their depths, I suddenly remembered. She had been the pirate Amon had possessed and tried to turn. She was the girl I had saved from his clutches but had never spared a single thought for afterwards. 316. Of wounds, mistakes and a little bit of acceptance Cassandra Pendragon Another trickle of energy made her light up like a Christmas tree while the dazzling auras around her, laid bare before my changed perception, faded away. A single glance told me all I had to know. She was gone and there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it. The heinous atrocities her soul and mind had been subjected to had been healed by the Broken Wheel but the echoes of her torture were still circling around her presence, like a strangling shadow. She was broken, the strain had been too much for her. With time, plenty of it, she might yet heal, but for now she was an empty doll, animated by her own anguish and whatever remnant Amon had left behind. And I just couldn¡¯t imagine how we could give her the time she¡¯d need, considering she had whipped up a mob in a single night, despite everything we had done for the slaves. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply while I allowed my vision to return to the mundane spectrum. ¡°Damn it, I hope the others aren¡¯t as badly maimed,¡± I whispered while I tried to extinguish the smouldering flame of guilt I felt dancing in the pit of my stomach. If I hadn¡¯t left her on the street back then, she might have had a chance but now¡­ I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe that enough of her was left. Even though Amon was gone, she was still clinging to what little she remembered of him, the only real thing in a suffocating sea of pain and fear. ¡°Oh my,¡± Ahri mumbled at my side, her eyes ablaze with crimson sparks. ¡°Why is it always the crazy ones who turn out to be this talented?¡± I couldn¡¯t fault her logic, I didn¡¯t yet know what she had done but the result sure was impressive. ¡°Should I kill her?¡± I shook my head hesitantly, even though I was pretty convinced it¡¯d turn out that way, whatever we were going to do. ¡°Not without knowing what¡¯s going on. Look at the slaves¡­ it¡¯s not only fear I see but also hatred. Hatred and¡­ pain. Snuffing her outright might be the straw to break the camel¡¯s back. Let¡¯s first figure out what gift she¡¯s prepared for us.¡± Sweating under a merciless sun around 500 people were staring at us as if we were the devil incarnate, a comparison I could draw with full confidence, seeing as it wasn¡¯t the first time I had ever been scrutinised like that. Fear, awe, envy, maybe a touch of defiance, but I hadn¡¯t expected the mutinous, veiled and guarded glances that seemed to convey some kind of¡­ disappointment, as if we, or rather I, considering most of them were cast my way, had broken a promise. Since we had emerged from the darkness, the heated swears and suppressed threats had died down. The dwarfs and pirates still remained facing the crowd, protected behind the barrier the elves had erected, but Aspera, Astra, Lyra and Liz were heading our way, their eyes scrunched up with worry, their postures tense with indecisiveness. I breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the acidic smell of fear and anger, the sweet, almost sickly stench of longing, I had come to associate with us getting near mortals for the first time, and the usual fragrances of an unwashed, agitated throng of people, searching for something hidden, something deeper and while Lyra finally climbed onto the patch of roots, I found it. Blood and terror and pain, a bitter, yet almost imperceivable poison I would never have been able to smell if I hadn¡¯t still been cycling my energies. I narrowed my eyes, silvery sparks ignited in my hair and fur and a flash of light, lost under the sun¡¯s glare, raced through the Garden. My focus snapped past the restless crowd, circled the cherry trees and surged against the ruined mansions, only to return and flicker through the trampled grass, the deserted fireplaces and improvised camp beds. And then¡­ there, close to where the girl was leering at us, two half veiled shapes laid on the ground, wrapped in coarse, dark cloth. Bodies, my nose told me, and they hadn¡¯t died peacefully. Judging from their size they were adolescents, a boy and a girl, probably siblings, who had been bled dry, the coppery scent of blood as faint as the touch of an angel¡¯s feather. To make matters worse, I also smelled burned flesh mixed with a minuscule trace of ozone and¡­ fox hair. An ugly picture formed in my mind, one where predators had feasted on the helpless in an uncontrolled, unjustified frenzy. To prevent rumours from spreading the ruthless kitsune, who had been talking about right, wrong, honour and pride, had helped their friends to cover it up, so the 500 human pigs, who had been led to the slaughter, wouldn¡¯t realise how tight the noose was already strung around their necks. Out of the frying pan and into the fire¡­ A convincing story, especially if you had no scruples to produce the evidence needed. It would also explain the guarded expressions of the boy and his father. He had probably dragged his son here to make sure we wouldn¡¯t hold what had happened with Reia against them and now he was wondering if he had made a life threatening mistake and even pulled his son into it. There was only one tiny problem: it was a lie and I had a pretty good idea of how to prove it. Being able to command mortals to tell the truth surely was a boon. So was the deterring effect of ordering someone to kill themselves. With a spoon. Provided I hadn¡¯t gotten the wrong end of it and it wasn¡¯t something else all together. I didn¡¯t think so, though. It lacked his fitness but the basic idea was so similar to something I¡¯d have expected from Amon that I was prepared to bet, well maybe not my pants but at least my shoes, that his unwilling puppet had arranged something along those lines. Which probably also meant that there was more in store, since she had to know how unlikely it was for her to succeed. I mean, even an apprentice mage could probably have proven how ridiculous her claims actually were. Ahri and Viyara had been privy to my thoughts and two suggestions immediately popped into my mind. ¡°Another diversion,¡± the angel commented, while the dragoness stated: ¡°she doesn¡¯t have to succeed now. Sow first, harvest later.¡± Shit. Both options weren¡¯t exactly a cause for celebration. A diversion would mean more trouble now, while Viyara¡¯s explanation made me wonder if the girl or Amon had something else planned for the slaves, something that would require them to be wary of us. Weary and afraid, even though we had managed the latter well enough on our own. ¡°Reia,¡± I hissed, just before Lyra reached us, ¡°you will go back, you will stay with Greta and you will not argue. Not a word. Go. Now.¡± I even gave her a push, the mutinous gleam in her eyes withering away when she met mine. She nodded curtly and whirled around. A moment later I saw the tips of her two tails vanish around the bend in the tunnel and felt Lyra¡¯s hand close around my arm. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Thank the gods,¡± she spoke in a tense rush, ¡°what took you so long? Doesn¡¯t matter, listen, they¡¯re going mad! They think you¡¯ve killed two of them last night, when everybody was still in a stupor from your magic. We¡¯ve seen the bodies, it looks like you pierced them with your wings. They¡¯re this close to taking up torches, despite the threats from the dwarfs! If they¡¯re going to be killed by you, they¡¯d prefer dying on their feet.¡± ¡°Now they find their courage,¡± I groaned. ¡°Two weeks earlier and most of this mess wouldn¡¯t even have happened! Fine. Who¡¯s the culprit,¡± I asked, even though I already knew. The elf shrugged. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure, but¡­¡± ¡°Several,¡± Liz interjected out of breath while she granted us a forced, tired smile. ¡°It¡¯s always another one who speaks up. Astra tried to keep track of them with a spell but they always vanished too quickly. I know a few of the girls over there, though. If I could just talk to them¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Ahri said darkly. ¡°Look¡­¡± the walking psychosis was moving, slowly approaching the massive wall of bodies that surrounded the barrier. I couldn¡¯t remember much from the last time we had met, I had been the tiniest bit preoccupied after all, but I was quite sure she hadn¡¯t looked this¡­ brutish. Dark skinned, broad shouldered and clad in a sturdy, brown robe, she walked with an almost intimidating purpose, a predatory grace, back straight and head held high. Her dark eyes sparkled with a maniacal intensity above high cheekbones, disfigured by a maze of coloured tribal scars. The scent of blood clung to her like an evil shadow. Surprised, I searched for the source and realised she kept her right arm hidden in her robe. The smell was flowing from underneath like water, dripping down her sides and pooling at her feet. I focused another bit of power around my nose and the faint fragrance of ozone and burned flesh made me shudder. Another one of our imaginary crimes? ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this,¡± I hissed, my voice thundering through the green square. It was probably better not to hesitate. If we were about to face trumped up allegations and meant to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, we¡¯d have to be in control and talking was, at least in my experience, as good a way to get there as any other, provided there even was chance to do so in the first place. An uncomfortable murmur rose but no one spoke up, even the father and son couple stared at the ground and took an inadvertent step away from me. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯d like to know,¡± a firm but subtle voice suddenly answered. The broken creature had picked up the bodies and made her way to the barrier, shoving her comrades aside with more than a little force. With a flourishing gesture she removed the wrappings and dropped the two corpses. Like a wave parting around a rock the crowd shied back and revealed the meticulously prepared puppets. With burned out eyes, a circle of tiny, black holes above their hearts, two children stared at us accusingly. Before I could take in much detail, she continued: ¡°why do they look like they¡¯ve been the victim of divine retribution? And while you¡¯re at it, care to explain where these come from?¡± With a flick of her wrist she tossed a bundle of glittering silvery hair on the ground. I sniffed inconspicuously. Sera¡¯s fur. Not mine. Maybe she had lost it when she had transformed. The baited murmurs swelled like a creek in spring and the deep, gravelly voice of the dwarfs rose to keep the peace, but I was too focused on the two dead kids to pay much attention. Terror and pain had distorted their features, not to mention the arcane fire they had been blinded with, but what truly got to me was the way they were wrapped around each other, as if they had wanted to shield their friend with everything they had had. For a moment their faces blurred before my eyes, turning into Archy and Estrella, then Viyara and Aurelia. The wavering flame of guilt in my chest flickered and was instantly consumed by a raging, ravenous bonfire of fury. Tormented victim or not, there would be no turning back. She¡¯d pay. ¡°No,¡± I growled, the single syllable evoked complete and utter silence. The light breeze died down, the barrier disappeared and the sun seemed to darken. ¡°But I¡¯ll show you,¡± I added quietly, the anger in my voice a crushing pressure that drove even the dwarfs to their knees and made the gargantuan tree behind me tremble and groan. ¡°Rise,¡± I thundered into the deceptive quiet while my wings manifested. And so they did, all of them. Like puppets they jerked, the dead and the living, and scrambled to their feet, facing me, mouths clamped shut and eyes wide. ¡°The court is in session,¡± Ahri commented dryly, even though the palpable waves of anger, rolling off of her, contradicted her jovial tone. The roots closest to her became charred as her flames grew, her mane turning into a sea of dancing sparks. Our minds merged, streams of ideas flowed freely between us, blocking out Viyara, as we tried to figure out how we could possibly refute the accusations sustainably before we silenced the messenger. Our most recent outburst had actually been the first mistake, cementing our imagine as tyrannous, cold hearted invaders who didn¡¯t care one bit for the people we had pretended to protect. ¡°The allegations are clear,¡± I took over, ¡°but we didn¡¯t touch a single hair on their heads. We could make you believe us easily enough, but¡­,¡± my gaze travelled over the petrified, terrified crowd and landed on a handful of faces I recognised from the day before. They had witnessed Asra¡¯s death and the ensuing confrontation between me and the bloodthirsty onlookers. ¡°We¡¯re not going to. If we want to live together peacefully we have to abide by the same rules, which means someone else has to decide if we¡¯re the cruel, corrupt monsters we¡¯re made out to be.¡± I released my hold and retracted my wings. The fire in my eyes petered out and I took a step back. ¡°Any volunteers,¡± I asked quietly, my eyes never leaving the unfortunate, quivering lot from before. As soon as my power wasn¡¯t crushing them anymore, whispers rose and quickly enough turned into murmurs and hissed exclamations. Like a single creature they shied back from the mute, deathly pale corpses I had commanded to rise despite the shackles of death. A few exclamations like ¡°monsters,¡± or ¡°blasphemy,¡± reached my ears, while the pirate girl was grinning at us with a mixture of hatred, satisfaction and¡­ anxiety. At least we had managed to surprise her, but she wasn¡¯t bad at thinking on her feet and the deck was still stacked in her favour. The first words out of her mouth were: ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± hardly perceivable through the swelling ruckus but when the dwarfs slammed their axes into their shields and bellowed for order she spoke up again, her voice loud and clear this time around. To my surprise I didn¡¯t have to intervene since an elderly, well dressed man, probably a slave who had been used for more elevated tasks, beat me to the punch. ¡°No,¡± he stated, his voice calm but loud, his eyes filled with weary curiosity, even though his gaze flickered to the eerily stiff but upright bodies from time to time. ¡°You¡¯re involved as well. You claim to have seen everything which means you cannot be the one to pass judgement. This much even I know.¡± He turned to me and added: ¡°if what you said is true, we will be the ones to decide, all of us. Are you honestly going to abide by our will? You have the power to make the dead rise, to challenge gods and demons. Why does it even matter to you? You could simply take what you want.¡± ¡°Because I, because we don¡¯t want to retake the bloody thrones the Captains have left behind. If this town wants to see its futures there can only be one law for all. It¡¯s your home, as much, if not more, than it is ours. Make no mistake, I¡¯m not going to let you lynch us, but if you want us gone, if you trust us so little to fear what we might do to you, it would be best, for all of us, if we left. If you think us capable of committing crimes I¡¯ve accused you of before, then, by all means, we will find another place to live. Somewhere where we can just¡­ be, where we¡¯re trusted even though we¡¯re more powerful than our neighbours. You fear us because we¡¯re wielding more strength than the devils you know. It¡¯s up to you to decide if this makes us the same as them or if you believe that we are different, that we are¡­ also living, breathing beings who long for a place to call home, to belong. Let me be very clear, this is the last time I¡¯m going to entertain your reservations. You, all of you, know what we have done, what we can do. You can¡¯t have it both ways¡­ either we¡¯re a part of the place we¡¯ve bled for or we aren¡¯t. Should you come to believe that we didn¡¯t, that we would never, raise our hands against children, I also expect you to treat us with the same courtesy you¡¯d extend to your neighbours and should you condemn us without proper reason, without hearing us out, the next time around,¡± my wings flickered back into existence and my eyes burned brightly, ¡°I¡¯ll respond accordingly.¡± With quite an effort I bowed my head and forced my power to dissipate. ¡°Now then, what would you like to know? I won¡¯t lie. I promise.¡± 317. Of drugs, distractions and an ambush Richard Tudor ¡°They just can¡¯t catch a break, can they,¡± I mumbled around a mouthful of cured ham. ¡°And you seem to have misplaced your accent,¡± Mordred observed, entirely unconcerned that his little sister was facing a veritable army of frightened humans. In my experience, those were the dangerous ones. They could run, snivel or attack, depending on where the wind was blowing from. Attacking seemed unlikely, though. Slaves had to develop pretty dependable survival instincts, otherwise they weren¡¯t long for this world. A true pity I had them as well, and mine were screaming, nay hollering, at me to get the fuck away from here. ¡°Forgot it at the tavern, alongside my pride and my common sense. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t even be here. Tell me again why I am?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re too clever for your own good, too idealistic to become a king and too naive to turn a blind eye? Or maybe because you like us,¡± the intimidating vixen, my buddy had brought along, replied. ¡°I should never have told you that, none of it,¡± I grumbled, thinking back on how I just hadn¡¯t been able to keep my mouth shut whenever the black haired demon had asked a question. With a sigh I threw away the last bit of crust and added: ¡°you know, I still haven¡¯t quite gotten over the fact yet, that dear Cassandra didn¡¯t have the balls to face me personally. She promised my brother wouldn¡¯t get harmed and yet, he¡¯s dead as a door nail¡­ worse, if we¡¯re being honest.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t, only that she wouldn¡¯t kill him,¡± Mordred quickly interjected, ¡°and you know as well as I that he had it coming.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth. I guess we have to get up there, don¡¯t we? Most of the miserable lot I know. Come to think of it, that¡¯s not the problem, though.¡± ¡°What is it, then?¡± ¡°This,¡± I said and walked off to the side. We hadn¡¯t yet reached the market turned garden and were still lingering in the shadowy alleys close by. The narrow street was deserted, the ruins on either side silent but something had been bugging me for a while and now I could place it. I might not be a beast kin but the sweet, flowery odour of Pleasureheart, wafting through a closed door on my right, I¡¯d have recognised anywhere. I had had the misfortune of trying the vile concoction once and the taste it had left in my mouth for days I¡¯d never forget. Somebody had to have deep pockets, very deep pockets indeed. A single gram could fetch up to 100 gold coins. Either that or it was stolen, which come to think of it, wasn¡¯t that unlikely. Captain Kirena had had her thumb on the trade for years and since her property had been up for grabs for a while¡­ I felt the hair on my neck rise and mid-step I crumbled. Faint thuds behind me signalled that neither Mordred nor Sera had fared any better but for the moment I couldn¡¯t have cared less. It felt as if my whole body was stuck in a vice, the pressure mounting from second to second, as if a giant was slowly crushing me underfoot. My ears rang, I saw stars and felt my heart miss a beat but before my surprise could turn into fear or panic, the sensation vanished and I took a deep, shaky breath. My vision cleared as I stared into the infinite blue expanse, framed by windswept, charred roofs, above me, my limbs still trembling. ¡°Fuck mages,¡± I cursed, quietly, my voice not yet up to the exertion it would have taken to yell. ¡°Fuck magic and the whole supernatural bullshit,¡± I croaked, slowly rolling onto my stomach and rising to my knees. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± Mordred complained, hands pressed to his ears while his grandmother was already on her feet, moving towards the verdant treetops further away. ¡°That was Cassandra,¡± she explained. ¡°Follow me as fast as you can.¡± Her last words were barely audible anymore, her tails vanishing behind the closest cherry tree. When her grandson pushed off the ground, groaning, and made to rush after her, I held him back. ¡°Wait. Come with me, there¡¯s something I want to check, first, and I imagine the both of us won¡¯t be of much help, for now, either way.¡± Suppressing another colourful curse I rose and headed for the door I had spotted earlier. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you,¡± the fox inquired curiously, stumbling after me while massaging his throbbing ears. Enhanced senses weren¡¯t always a boon, especially when a powerful sorceress was losing her shit close by. ¡°Ever heard of Pleasureheart? No? It¡¯s a drug. I don¡¯t know myself how it is made but it¡¯s got a plethora of uses. Diluted it¡¯s an aphrodisiac and can make people susceptible to suggestions, concentrated it can turn them into mindless puppets and, at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard, the effect can even be changed with magic. A blood sacrifice supposedly turns it into a poison.¡± ¡°What kind of poison.¡± He was listening. Good. I mulled over my reply while I pressed my ear against the coarse, brittle wood of an erstwhile imposing door. At least the roof wasn¡¯t burned enough to have me worry it might come crashing down any minute. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure, it¡¯s a rumour, after all, but supposedly it can¡­,¡± I paused, a faint, terrified whimper had reached me. Without hesitation I slammed my good shoulder into the door, the concentrated impact of a hundred kilos too much for the strained wood to take. With a resounding crash, surrounded by a cloud of splinters, I tumbled through and slipped on polished, wet marble. The atrium must have been grande, not too long ago, but right now it looked more like a dungeon. Blood was splattered all across the floor, unmoving bodies, at least half a dozen, were piled up against the walls, a feast for the flies, the expensive, gaudy decorations had been torn to pieces and suppressed, tortured moans were flowing down a wide, oaken staircase. ¡°What the¡­,¡± I began but I clamped my mouth shut when Mordred stalked past me, eyes narrowed and his overly large sword held at the ready. The sounds from upstairs ceased, leaving behind an eery silence. A second later it was shattered when the heavy echoes of studded boots drew closer. Without another sound I gestured for the kitsune to hide behind a desecrated statue of one deity or the other and began cursing at the top of my lungs to cover his movements. A few heartbeats later, while I was still trying my best to get to my feet as noisily as possible, two men appeared at the top of the stairs and my heart sank past my toes and deep into the ground. Free Land had always been a melting pot of factions, families, guilds and Captains, some of themmore influential, more feared, than others and while nobody would ever have dreamed of challenging the Captains or the Cabal, a handful of organisations still held comparable influence. The Soul Catchers among them. They weren¡¯t many and they weren¡¯t well known, but if you wanted someone¡­ gone, be it Captain or slave, they were the ones to turn to. Word on the street had it, that they had once been the following of an obscure goddess, a goddess of revenge and pain, but they had lost their way, turning into assassins for hire. The best there were. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Never before had I been unfortunate enough to cross paths with them, but the black, linen robes, crested with a silvery web above the heart, were unmistakable. So were the scars around their necks, where they had destroyed their voices to serve in eternal silence. ¡°Hello, fellas,¡± I began, hiding behind a bright smile, ¡°you don¡¯t happen to be inclined to let me use your bathroom, do you? I think I¡¯ve gotten lost somewhere¡­¡± luckily my partner in crime wasn¡¯t as slow witted as the usual imbeciles I had to deal with and as they descended the stairs and drew their swords, just when their blades were halfway out of their sheaths, a dark shadow flickered from behind the destroyed effigy and thundered into them with considerably more force than its ethereal composition would suggest. A second later I threw myself forward, covering the distance in barely a handful of seconds but I was still too slow. Much too slow. When I got there, Mordred was already getting to his feet, his blade bloodied and the bodies at his feet unmoving. I gave him a thumbs up and drove my dagger through their hearts for good measure. Better safe than sorry, especially with those kinds of lunatics. We shared a glance and crept up the stairs, the fox hiding in my shadow in case we would run into another pair of our gracious hosts but for now, everything remained quiet. Too quiet. If nothing had been amiss, the song of pain should have resumed. Most likely we were making our way towards a steely, bloody welcome and I wasn¡¯t even yet sure why I was here to begin with. Heroism wasn¡¯t usually my cup of tea, but after everything I had said to Mordred, the first time we had met, it hadn¡¯t been too difficult for him to convince me to tag along. To have a talk with his sister, mind you, not to storm a ruin, inhabited by human monsters, but in for a copper, in for a gold¡­ and, in all fairness, I wasn¡¯t exactly mad that it was staring to become more common around here to not turn a blind eye, even though I would have preferred to deal with something less dangerous the first time I had left my tavern. Just before we reached the top of the stairs, which led into a wide corridor with a plush, bloodstained carpet and ugly pictures along the walls, I whispered: ¡°can you disguise yourself?¡± ¡°Turn around,¡± he grunted, but there was nothing to see. From the corner of my eye I thought I saw a moving shadow but every time I tried to get a glimpse of my companion I came up short. Satisfied I nodded and focused on my hearing, even though I knew my senses didn¡¯t rival his, and neither did my prowess when it came to actual combat. The main reason why I was walking in front. Whatever or whomever we¡¯d come across would most likely be focused on the big brute of a man holding a dripping dagger. Hopefully the last mistake anyone could ever make. When I felt the soft carpet underneath my boots I also heard faint steps and hissed, quiet orders in a foreign language, followed by the almost imperceivable noise of something sharp cutting through cloth¡­ or skin. Shit. It was now or never. I took one last, deep breath, roared like a wounded elephant and followed the blood trail towards another door at the end of the corridor. This one, I didn¡¯t have to break open. Just as I was about to turn sideways and employ my trusted shoulder, once again, it opened and I stumbled through, barley able to keep my balance. Disoriented I tried to make sense of the moving shapes and crimson images my perception provided but the suffocating smell of blood and Pleasureheart made it almost impossible to focus, not to mention that I was more than occupied with keeping my balance. Especially when someone decided to check the colours of my insides with a long, pointy piece of metal. Luckily the years I had spent as a human punching bag had turned me into a mixture of muscles, bones and spite, with barely an organ in between, and the gentle prick wasn¡¯t much more than a nuisance. Less lucky, whoever was wielding the weapon apparently had friends and as soon as I changed my direction to slam into the culprit, they decided to act. But I hadn¡¯t come alone, either, and my friend apparently was the bigger threat, considering a warm shower of blood wetted my face when the zealot closest to me collapsed, his veiled head tumbling to the right and his body to the left. It was just a pity that there were at least ten more of them. We had barged into what I would have called the master suite, with a large four poster bed at the centre. Three girls and a boy were tied down upon the covers, two of the girls bleeding to death while a cloaked figure was about to slit the throat of the boy. A large window, the shades had been destroyed in the fire, allowed an ample amount of soft sunlight to illuminate the scene, painting the violent display in warm, surreally cheerful colours. Some of our hosts were just done with assembling the largest crossbow I had ever seen, each arm at least a metre long, while others were mixing the fresh lifeblood they had collected with a glittering, pinkish substance I recognised immediately. At the centre of a pentagram, adorned with evil looking runes, they were tempering with the drug I loathed so much. My entrance had, of course, put an end to their efforts but not a single syllable had been spoken until a sharp, raspy voice sounded from the bed: ¡°kill them,¡± the wannabe grim reaper hissed in the common tongue while he already threw his bloodied dagger towards Mordred. The fox whirled around with a fluid motion, caught the blade between his thumb and index finger and threw it right back at the sender, where it found a comfortable, new home, lodged between his ribs. A shallow stream of blood gushed from his mouth, dousing his victims in a crimson shower, as he swayed drunkenly before keeling over. As if it had been a signal, we moved, all of us, and the already cramped room was swamped by chaos, violence and flying limbs. Without a care in the world I reached for the closest enemy, my right hand closing around his wrist and my left clamping down on his shoulder. An almost animalistic hiss, a dry crack and a shower of blood later he collapsed and I used his arm to beat the living shit out of the next one in line, whose weapon unfortunately became stuck in my squishy, improvised club. I yanked, disarming him swiftly, while my free had found its way to his neck. For reference, I could easily crush nuts and bend steel between my fingers and a soft, pliable piece of meat didn¡¯t offer much resistance. He went down, his life gushing from a gaping hole where his already cut throat should have been. Meanwhile Mordred, the show off, was enveloping the two dying girls in a cocoon of magic while he was elegantly sidestepping everyone in his way to reach the ones who were still trying to get away from the crossbow or had their hands full with vials of blood and drugs. He was fast and before I had the time to blink, the poor blighters, who hadn¡¯t managed to draw their weapons, would never again have a chance to do so, death claiming most of them before their bodies hit the floor. ¡°Goddamn, you really went easy on me,¡± I complained and offhandedly picked up the body of my last victim. He flew in a beautiful arch as I threw him into two of his comrades. It wouldn¡¯t hurt them but they¡¯d be out for the count, trying to get up, long enough that they wouldn¡¯t matter anymore. I raised my stolen arm, turned cudgel, high above my head and hollered at the top of my lungs: ¡°fire and earth, death and despair, may the dead rise!¡± For clarification: I didn¡¯t have an ounce of magic in me, but they didn¡¯t know that and one or two were bound to look at the corpses, trying to figure out what I had done. Humans were just weird that way. When the first turned around I moved, ploughing through his comrades like an enraged bull. On the one side, I received two shallow cuts and a rather nasty stab wound in the stomach for my troubles, but then again, slamming the heads of the two dullards, who had been stupid enough to take me seriously, into the ground with enough force to splatter brains, blood and bone splinters all across the room was a reward in its own right. Barely ten seconds had passed and we had already killed or incapacitated eight, including the leader. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately they had now regained their bearings and four desperate, heavily armed and excessively trained men were still nothing to scoff at, especially since I wasn¡¯t a truly talented fighter. But, as mentioned earlier, I wasn¡¯t alone and four measly humans without any magic weren¡¯t much of a challenge for a determined kitsune, as we all found out the very next moment. 318. Of regrets, consequences and a little bit of bravery Mordred Pendragon Battling against opponents made of flesh and blood was a fucking joyride. For the first time in for ever I felt like fighting was something I was good at, really good at, and I enjoyed every last second of it. The swelling tides of blood, slowly creeping across the floor, the rising stench of disembowelled, self righteous pricks, the rattling breaths of the dying, fused into an cacophonous but entrancing song, it made me feel alive, it made me feel powerful¡­ it made me feel free. I hadn¡¯t planned on sullying the moment with the use of magic but when one of the remaining culprits pulled a short, one handed crossbow from underneath his robe I knew the time for fun and games was over. With more than just a little regret I commanded: ¡°deflagro!¡±, marshalling my magic. My aura expanded, a white red streak of power thundered across the room and the crossbow, as well as the attached arm, went up in flames. A heartbeat later only ashes remained, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Like a living, enraged snake my spell slithered on, latching onto everybody I so desired. Flesh charred, blood boiled, eyes popped out of their sockets, but yet, it wasn¡¯t enough. With a defiant growl the last one standing pulled the trigger of the ballista before his shrivelled up body hit the floor and turned into charcoal. With an angry hiss, like a swarm of bees, the bolt raced through the window and vanished in the glaring sunlight. ¡°Shit,¡± I groused, already dashing across the room. The weapon hadn¡¯t been angled downwards and considering the draw strength, provided by two massive, reinforced arms made of oak and and twisted steel, it really should have, even if they had been aiming at my sister. ¡°The bolt is aimed for the sky, isn¡¯t it,¡± Richard asked, while he was tearing strips from the expensive sheets to bandage his side and made sure the abducted kids were still alive. ¡°Out cold but breathing,¡± he commented a second later. ¡°I think¡­,¡± I began but I was cut off when a small explosion distracted me. The bolt had detonated several hundred meters above ground. If I hadn¡¯t already been following its trajectory I would never have seen the minuscule flames against the bright light. ¡°It just burned up,¡± I stated, barely able to believe in our luck. ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± the fighter grunted and pulled the improvised dressings tighter. ¡°Poison, remember? Supposedly it can turn anyone it touches into a bloodthirsty berserker. A few hundred meters you say? Considering there are about¡­ nine empty vials, that¡¯s¡­ over a kilo. Do you see a pinkish cloud or maybe a haze?¡± Indeed I did, even though it was faint enough that I¡¯d have overlooked the colourful shadow if I hadn¡¯t searched for it. The best part, it was hovering directly above the impromptu gathering in the Garden. ¡°Shit,¡± I repeated, my thoughts racing. Distance mattered when it came to magic and while my mother or sister wouldn¡¯t have had any problems working their arts from here, I didn¡¯t expect my own spells to reach that far. Thus, instead of futilely wasting my energy I pushed out my aura even further and turned it into an oversized resonance body for my voice. ¡°Look up,¡± I screamed with everything I had to the chagrin of the humans still stuck in the same room as me. Richard groaned and pressed his hands against his bleeding ears but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Burn it, by the Great Fox, one of you has got to burn that cloud!¡± And burn it did. I was too far away to recognise faces but when a flurry of flame and fire suddenly erupted in front of the tree and two gargantuan, golden serpents raised their heads to the sky, the knot of worry in my chest loosened. Viyara¡¯s silvery breath and Sera¡¯s golden flames caught Ahri and she was propelled upwards on a tide of crystallised light, her four burning wings growing with every second. Crimson flames coalesced around her until she resembled a living fireball and like the wrath of heaven incarnate she thundered into the slowly descending cloud. A blinding explosion followed and I had to avert my eyes, blinking rapidly to clear my vision. When the tears were gone I stared at a clear sky, a shower of soot gracefully falling to the ground like dirty snow. ¡°Well done,¡± Richard croaked, still unable to unscrew his eyes. ¡°I think, but could you heal my bloody ears? I think you broke them.¡± I didn¡¯t move for another handful of seconds but aside from the distant screams, two dragons usually provoked, nothing seemed out of order. With a sigh I whirled around, my gaze darting form one downed human to the next to make sure they wouldn¡¯t provide us with another nasty surprise, but they were all out for the count. Dead, dying, or simply unconscious. Not everyone was blessed with Richard¡¯s dwarf like constitution. A few steps brought me to the bed, the necessary spells already forming in my mind. A greenish haze enveloped him and the lucky quartet, fixing their eardrums and the bursted blood vessels. I could have also patched up our prisoners but if one or two of them were to go west I wouldn¡¯t lose any sleep over it. They had sowed the wind and had reaped the whirlwind. ¡°Better,¡± I asked. ¡°Much. And out there? Did they hear you?¡± I chucked softly. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll know in¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even get to finish my sentence, as a streak of silvery light shot through the window. Half a heartbeat later Cassandra was surveying the scene, her tails fanned out, her wings crackling in the air. ¡°What the¡­,¡± she whispered, taking in the corpses and the ritualistic display. ¡°That¡¯s a darn good question,¡± Richard grumped while he shakily got to his feet, ¡°as well as what happened to my brother. Still, it¡¯s good to see you, Cassy. From what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯ve been busy since last we met.¡± The silvery flames in her eyes petered out and she grinned lopsidedly at the colossal man. ¡°You could say that. I¡¯m sorry about John. I tried to save him, but¡­¡± He raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard the story. Don¡¯t sweat it, but next time, you could at least tell me yourself, couldn¡¯t you? So¡­ what¡¯s gonna happen now? Squeeze the ones who are still breathing until they talk?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Depends. Care to tell me what¡¯s actually going on?¡± The burly fighter looked at me. ¡°You talk. I¡¯ll go look for a bottle. There¡¯s bound to be something tasty stashed somewhere around here, considering how posh the place once looked.¡± He was already moving, rummaging through the bedside tables and when that didn¡¯t yield the desired results, he expanded his search to the downed assassins and the cupboards. ¡°Hah,¡± he finally exclaimed, clutching a bottle in his hands. When he pooped the cork the strong smell of rum drowned out the lingering stench of sizzling meat and opened bowels. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Well,¡± I began while I busied myself checking the vitals of our underaged friends. ¡°There isn¡¯t that much to tell. We were just about to return when your lovely voice drove us to our knees. Sera took off as if she had ants in her pants and I was left with that hulking behemoth. There was a strange, somewhat sweet smell but I didn¡¯t think much of it. The whole town reeks like a drunkard after closing hours, as you very well know. Luckily Richard knew what it was. It¡¯s a drug, Pleasureheart,but I guess he should be the one explaining that bit, since I don¡¯t have the foggiest what it actually is. Anyways, the smell led us here¡­ it¡¯s not changed that much. Just imagine all those guys still breathing and on the verge of using their blood,¡± I gesticulated towards the bed, ¡°to meddle with the drug. The pink cloud your lover annihilated consisted of everything they had already produced. The stuff on the floor hasn¡¯t been tempered with, I think. That¡¯s about it.¡± While I had been talking my sister had come closer, her eyes flaring with silvery light as she studied the unconscious, would be sacrifices. ¡°Sometimes I just hate my life,¡± she lamented quietly as she whirled around and headed for one of the brigands who was still breathing, even though he wouldn¡¯t be for much longer if we didn¡¯t stem the flow of blood, gushing from a hole where his shoulder should have been. With a look of explicit contempt Cassy used her wings to cauterise the wound. ¡°I can¡¯t stay, believe it or not, I¡¯m on trial right now.¡± ¡°Again,¡± I interrupted with a groan, remembering the trial on Boseiju that had pretty much started the whole insanity we had been stuck in ever since. She smirked. ¡°A few things have changed since then but I still have to go. I¡¯ll take this one with me, he might yet come in handy¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I interrupted and reached for the only one I knew who could actually speak. He wasn¡¯t dead, just yet, only very close to it. While my magic swelled I continued: ¡°that¡¯s probably the only one you can use, I¡¯ve stabilised him and a sip from the pond should have him right back to his disgusting self. I assume you want him as a witness? Is there a connection?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure but I¡¯d bet on it. By the way, have I already thanked you? I think you just saved us an incredible amount of grief, if not worse. Thank you, both of you.¡± She hugged me briefly and smiled at Richard who raised his bottle in response. ¡°One last thing before I go. Pleasureheart?¡± ¡°Bad stuff,¡± Richard immediately replied. ¡°Makes you go all crazy for a while¡­ the stuff they used makes you go crazy until you die.¡± ¡°Not the best effect for a drug, is it,¡± she mumbled while she hoisted the unconscious man up. ¡°It doesn¡¯t kill you, it turns you into a bloody berserker until someone chops your head off. At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. By the way¡­¡± he pointed at a corpse still coiled around two vials, ¡°I think that¡¯s already prepared. Don¡¯t open the vials, don¡¯t sniff it, don¡¯t touch it. It can be absorbed through the skin and I really don¡¯t want to fight either of you, ever again.¡± ¡°Duly noted,¡± I said while my sister was already climbing onto the sill with her knocked out burden. ¡°We¡¯ll still collect everything. I¡¯ll keep those four unconscious until we¡¯re back. Say¡­ half an hour? Could you send someone who could help us carry the lot of them? A few dwarfs or maybe Sera? Also¡­ why in all hells are you on trial?¡± ¡°Supposedly killed two kids. Slaves. A few strands of Sera¡¯s fur were close by and someone made quite the effort to make it look like I burned their hearts out. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she added, when she saw my expression change, ¡°it¡¯s not half as bad as it sounds. I¡¯ve got two very reliable witnesses and with this one, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not the one going to be hanged. In fact, I¡¯ve already got a nice, sturdy tree picked out myself. Don¡¯t dawdle, will you?¡± Her last words were already lost in the rushing wind as she threw herself out the window, her wings carrying her further into the sky. ¡°You know,¡± Richard mumbled, ¡°some would even consider taking your head simply because you can look at her every day. I¡¯m not a child but every time I meet her I feel like a schoolboy who¡¯s got to deal with his first crush. Might even be a stroke of luck that she has me shitting my pants every time she opens her mouth.¡± I chuckled mirthlessly. The rush of battle was gone I was feeling rather disgusted with the whole episode by now. ¡°Indeed, should you decide to try to get close to her you¡¯d be in for one fiery surprise. Probably the deadly kind. Come on, let¡¯s make sure none of our captives are pretending and then we¡¯ll have to start moving them. The ones still alive, at least.¡± I craned my head when I heard a dry crack for a reply. ¡°That one¡¯s dead,¡± Richard stated innocently, his hands still wrapped around a head, lolling freely on top of a broken neck. ¡°Ah well, no point in crying over spilled milk, is there,¡± he added while he already moved to the next one, his steel rod like fingers reaching. A short yank later we had one less to worry about... again. ¡°A true pity,¡± he lamented and took another swig from his bottle. ¡°I don¡¯t think a single one made it out alive, aside from their leader, that is.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Not yet, but,¡± another swift movement followed by another toe curling pop, ¡°soon enough.¡± Macabre would probably be an appropriate description for his actions but I had never been opposed to dark humour. A pinched smile formed on my face when I got off my ass to help him. A handful of seconds later there wasn¡¯t much left to worry about. Corpses were, for the most part, undemanding and the four kids wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem. At least I hoped so. ¡°Now what,¡± my companion mumbled as he collapsed onto a fancy chair, entirely oblivious to the stream of blood his weight pressed form the soaked upholstery. With a sad expression he shook his bottle and, with a Herculean effort, offered me the rest. ¡°Enjoy yourself,¡± I replied distractedly while I listened to the distant sounds, wafting through the open window. There was some commotion but it definitely wasn¡¯t enough of a ruckus for anything truly regrettable to have happened. Oh well, I¡¯d know soon enough if Cassy lost it. So would the pitiful crowd outside. ¡°Even the few sips you left in there would have me flat on my ass. I can¡¯t even remember the last time I¡¯ve eaten properly. Must have been yesterday, I think.¡± ¡°Your loss,¡± he said through a bright smile and downed the rest of the amber liquid. Smacking his lips he continued: ¡°should we carry those four downstairs? Your gran won¡¯t be able to fit through the window, anyways. The larger dragon was her, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It was. You¡¯re taking all of this in stride. Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± He shrugged nonchalantly and rose to his feet with a suppressed curse. ¡°Motherf¡­ nothing¡¯s broken but it still hurts like a bitch. Goddamned weapons¡­ not really. You¡¯re decent people. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m comfortable with knowing the pretty vixen could swallow me whole but on the other hand¡­ I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve been around the block. Sera did exaggerate when she called me too idealistic to become a king but it would have sufficed for a dukedom. Not gonna tell you where, but the name Tudor is pretty famous on some islands. Anyways, what I¡¯m getting at is this: one of my first drinking buddies was a hangman and my first real friend my father¡¯s torture master. Doesn¡¯t get much scarier than that, in my opinion, even though wings, scales and fangs like spears do seem quite imposing. People are strange¡­ they fear what they can¡¯t understand. I fear what¡¯s out to get me and you and your lot don¡¯t really seem like the bloodthirsty type. Sure you could probably wish me to death, but why would you? I¡¯m not¡­ I can¡¯t ever be a threat to you and I like to delude myself into thinking you actually like me for my calm and level personality. Also, a poisoned knife to the gut has the same effect as turning into a chewing toy and it¡¯s usually even more painful for a longer period of time. So¡­ nah, I¡¯m not scared. Colour me intrigued. Besides, the girls you brought along are the finest I¡¯ve ever seen. So there¡¯s that,¡± he finished with an impish grin. ¡°That¡¯s my next headache in the making,¡± I groaned. ¡°You realise they¡¯re either underaged or spoken for?¡± ¡°Even the fey,¡± he shot back, even though he quickly gave in when he saw my expression darken. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not suicidal and I¡¯ve listened well enough. I¡¯d never touch a girl a¡­ friend of mine is still interested in. Even if it¡¯s over.¡± 319. Of farewells, regrets and a little bit of acceptance Cassandra Pendragon ¡°That went rather well, don¡¯t you think,¡± I whispered while I tightened the noose around her dark, gleaming neck. ¡°In a way, you even did me a favour¡­ also, while it¡¯s not going to change a thing, I still want you to know that I¡¯m sorry. It didn¡¯t have to end like this.¡± ¡°Yes, it did,¡± she spat. ¡°Save your hollow words, angel, and get on with it. I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± I took a single step back, reached for the dangling end of the rope and pulled, with more force than I would have needed. I didn¡¯t want her to suffocate, her life had been filled with enough misery already and I didn¡¯t plan on having her suffer even more. Her neck broke immediately and her feet twitched, once, before I hoisted a corpse into the air. Not a single sound wafted through the Garden, every eye was glued to the macabre display of so called justice as wretched creatures watched in righteous outrage while one of their own became a sad memorial of withered dreams and misguided aspirations. I had to suppress a cruel sneer when I thought about how easily they would have seen me hanging there as well, if things had turned out just slightly different. Fortunately it was pretty hard to argue with the victims of a crime and the testimony of the two poor souls, whom she had killed, had been condemning enough, even without the additional evidence the leader of the assassins had provide. After some mild persuasion, that is, the traces of which were still dripping from my fingers, drop by bloody drop. I could have ordered him to tell the truth as well, if I had wanted to, but the desperate, anguished look on the faces of the younglings he had taken had made me opt for a more honest, more brutal approach. You might call me a hypocrite for trying to save the one, who had engineered the whole affair, from pain while I had willingly tortured a tool and you¡¯d be right but then again, you neither touched her mind nor his. She hadn¡¯t had much of a choice while he had succumbed to the cruel lure of becoming hatred incarnate, of becoming a mindless weapon willingly. Actio libera in causa. With a twist I turned and fastened the cord around another green branch. Her body swung slowly in the light breeze, a mesmerising pendulum of sorrow, measuring not time but the broken promises of a people stuck between hope and revenge. I shuddered, unable to keep the flood of memories, the sad spectacle was threatening to evoke, at bay. Rows upon rows of crucified bodies, decaying underneath a burning sky along the grande road between Rome and Capua, filled the deserted alleys, the strangled cries of an innocent people, slaughtered in a single night because their king hadn¡¯t been able to see the doom, hiding inside a wooden horse, and their prince hadn¡¯t been able to keep his hands off a married woman, thundered against my ears and the desperate echoes of frightened children, hiding from the hail of steel and fire, disgorged by faceless monstrosities, sailing quietly through the London night, drowned my mind. My wings manifested on their own accord and while I was succinctly aware of what was real and what was a shadow of my past I still felt like I was being smothered by the accumulated grief of aeons, brought forth by my disgust with my own actions, my inability to do what I wanted but rather what I was forced to. When it came down to it, I didn¡¯t mind fighting, I didn¡¯t mind killing, but what I hated, more than anything in the world, was judging, was condemning others. I had seen so many examples of good intentions paving the road to hell, a common saying, for sure, but there was so much truth in it. And now, staring at the bare legs of a girl, who would have been able to live a normal, peaceful life, if she hadn¡¯t been forced to take up arms, to fight to fill her belly, who would have been a mother if she hadn¡¯t met Amon, while her vibrant skin slowly turned pale in death, I felt dirtied. This much, at least, I could do for her. She wouldn¡¯t become a feast for the crows, she wouldn¡¯t remain stuck here for eternity. I¡¯d set her free, even if she didn¡¯t deserve it. My powers swelled in my veins, my wings flickered and hissed like an enraged dragon, the pressure I exuded surged and with a single step I was at her side again. A glaring flame, the taste of aeons torn asunder in the air and a heartbeat later the wind carried away her ashes, carried them to distant shores and a new tomorrow. May you find peace and may your next life be more forgiving, I prayed silently, even though I knew no one was listening, at least not to me. What was the saying again? If you want something done, better do it yourself. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, pushing the rising murmurs and the stench of the city to the back of mind. Far away I smelled the sea, I heard the whispering of ancient tress and the flight of birds, soaring in the sky. It wasn¡¯t much but it was enough to lighten my melancholic, somewhat destructive mood. I really had to pull my shit together. I had always been prone to pointless reminiscence but this was honestly a tad much. If I began fretting over every life I¡¯d have to take without a fight, I¡¯d soon become unable to move my sorry ass out of bed in the morning. A self deprecating smile formed on my face as I squared my shoulders and opened my eyes again, the ghosts of my past no longer tormenting my present. They were dead, gone, and buried, just like her. I had seen to that. A sea of faces stared up at me, some of them reflecting awe, others fear, but there was no hatred,no lingering desire for revenge or punishment. In a way her death had washed me, had washed us clean, which was rather ironic, considering how I had felt not a minute ago. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± I stated quietly, the eerie cadence in my voice easily silencing the rising whispers. ¡°And it¡¯s also been the last time. Never again am I going to become your hangman or an outlet for your frustration. My word is good, I won¡¯t leave you out in the cold, but hear me, should this scene play out again, you¡¯ll soon find out what it means to face the wrath of someone who has your gods cowering. Take it to heart, for the next idiot who comes to our door, bearing arms or accusations, won¡¯t leave. Slaves you are no more, but you are still guests upon our land and I expect you to behave as such. Have I made myself clear?¡± They shuffled on their feet, bated murmurs rising but no one had the courage to look up, never mind answering. ¡°Have I made myself clear,¡± I repeated, my voice slashing through the air like a whip. ¡°You have,¡± the man, who had brought his son here, finally spoke up. He bowed deeply form the waist, prompting his child to do the same. Like the first domino falling their actions spread, until Ahri and I were the last ones standing upright, even the dwarfs and the elves had joined in. She had never left my side and I jerked when she caressingly placed her hand on my lower back. Sorrow, grief and pride reverberated in her thoughts as she sent two images: Lucifer alone and crushed under the burdens, she had been too blind to see, and the two of us, prevailing together where he had faltered. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, when I realised she had been privy to the whole plethora of idiocy I had had going through my mind. Knowing that she¡¯d be there to catch me, even if I fell, was enough to finally rid myself of the last lingering doubts I hadn¡¯t been able to banish. She accepted me for who I was, coward, hero, murderer and saint and that was all I needed. That was all I had ever wanted. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Smiling genuinely I said: ¡°rise. There is no need to bow before me. I¡¯d rather have your trust than your obedience. Come on then, the day is still young and there is much to do, in case you don¡¯t want to keep sleeping on the ground.¡± Chuckling quietly I added: ¡°now, that we¡¯ve established that none of us are bloodthirsty monsters, I¡¯m sure we can come up with a solution that provides you with a roof over your head and ample food in your bellies. But first, I guess it¡¯s about time for you to meet your friendly neighbourhood dryad.¡± I was leaning over a bloodied, mangled face, the mouth swollen, the eyes burned out by silvery flames, a tortuous contrast to the cheerful, almost boisterous sounds I heard in the distance. ¡°Should have stayed with your family and become a farmer,¡± I murmured to no effect. He couldn¡¯t hear me, the loving administration of his own medicine, I had subjected him to, had robbed him of his senses. Not that it mattered. When last we had¡­ talked I had realised that my awakened life force allowed me to read minds more easily. The brain was a living organ, after all, and my control had increased immensely. I wouldn¡¯t yet call myself a telepath but I was well on my way to get there, even without any tedious practice. To cut a long story short, Sarkhan¡¯s, life had started like most tragedies: almost boringly normal. A young man, longing for something more, had left his small village and some ugly turns and twists later I was staring at a broken shadow of a man, his hope and sense of self eclipsed by a cruel reality and a handful of stupid decision. Did I pity him? No, but I did understand him. It wouldn¡¯t change much, but I intended to keep on sending a few coins back to his hometown each month. He had never told them what he had become and they didn¡¯t need to know now, either. I went down on my haunches and patted him down, searching for the key I new I¡¯d find. His clothes were already soaked, the wounds I hadn¡¯t bothered to cauterise were still oozing blood, and I had to suppress a disgusted shudder, when I felt the wet, warm, reeking dark robe part around my fingers. A few seconds later I produced a heavy bronze key with an intricate bit, half coagulated blood turning the metal almost black. It belonged to a guarded door, not too far from here. Behind it I¡¯d find an ancient temple, a carved cavern that stemmed from a time when Free Land had still been a small town, paralysed in fear of the vampires, who had stalked its streets at night. It was there, where the fallen angels of vengeance met every new moon and there I¡¯d find the trophies and accounts of their misdeeds. Incidentally, it was also on the way to the harbour, where Arthur and his prisoners, the townsfolk I had liberated from Amon¡¯s control, waited for me. I could only hope that they¡¯d turn out to be less insane, less twisted, than the puppet I had hanged, but since he hadn¡¯t possessed them personally, I was confident they wouldn¡¯t try to frame me for murder. At least not on their first day. ¡°Do you have a minute,¡± a deep, raspy voice interrupted my thoughts. A middle aged man stood before me, fidgeting like a nervous school boy, while Greta, with some help from the dwarfs, was dividing the former slaves into groups of twenty in the background. With her magical assistance they¡¯d start repairing the mansions around the square. With a little luck some might even spend the night in their own, new home. A little further away, our elves, Liz, Alassara, the Madame and her girls as well as Ahri were engrossed in a conversation with the Brightblaze sisters, lounging in the shadow of a cherry tree. Another stop I¡¯d have to make on my way to the harbour. ¡°Sure, what¡¯s on your mind,¡± I inquired while I rose and my hands became engulfed in silvery flames. The crimson gloves I wore burned and a shower of ash rained to the ground. He shrugged timidly, his eyes darting everywhere without ever meeting my gaze or lingering on the maimed body at my feet. To his credit, he didn¡¯t seem to have much of a problem with what I had done, though. An eye for an eye, and considering the plan had been to force the slaves into a blood crazed frenzy, where I wouldn¡¯t have had much of a choice but to kill them, which would have painted me and my family as tyrannical usurpers, he had still got off easy. Especially with the inciting screams of his would be victims still ringing in my ears. Even I had had cold shudders running down my back when I had listened to their incredibly creative suggestions. ¡°I¡¯ve come here to apologise for my sons actions. He¡­ I don¡¯t know if you remember but he started a fight with one of your people. An uncalled for fight.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he be the one apologising, then,¡± I interrupted softly. ¡°And to my sister, Reia, instead of me?¡± ¡°Probably, but since I can hardly find the courage to face you I don¡¯t expect a kid to do it,¡± he mumbled. ¡°He¡¯s young and a fool, like most boys his age, but he didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Mean it? Don¡¯t lie to me. We both know he did. He was just unlucky enough to target a beast kin girl who can actually fight back and now you¡¯re scared, dreading we might hold a grudge, aren¡¯t you? No need to worry, he wasn¡¯t the first and he won¡¯t be the last. If that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°No! Look¡­¡± he exhaled slowly and met my gaze. That, more than anything else, prompted me to listen. ¡°You¡¯re right. He acted like a spoiled brat and apparently I¡¯m not doing much better. Yes, if I wasn¡¯t scared he might have pissed off the most powerful creature in Free Land I probably wouldn¡¯t even be here, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m condoning what he¡¯s done, nor does it mean that he usually acts like this.¡± ¡°Why did he, then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ probably something he should tell you himself. In case you¡¯re even prepared to listen.¡± ¡°I am, but again, I¡¯m not the one who needs an explanation. Why don¡¯t you fetch your boy while I go looking for my sister? I can¡¯t promise she¡¯ll be willing to accept an apology but that¡¯s the risk you¡¯re going to have to take, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And what happens if she doesn¡¯t,¡± he asked anxiously. ¡°Nothing much, but I guess we won¡¯t be seeing each other again.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Will you¡­ do we have to meet here? I¡¯d rather not have him see¡­ this,¡± he jerked his head towards the unmoving body on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve sent him packing when you¡­¡± ¡°Burned out his eyes? Don¡¯t sweat it, I know what I¡¯ve done. You can bring him to the entrance.¡± I closed my eyes and reached for Greta¡¯s rugged, coarse thoughts. My own ability to touch someone¡¯s mind was still limited to the range of my wings, unless I tried really hard. Something I wasn¡¯t prepared to risk with my baby sister. ¡°Reia will be out in a minute,¡± I continued a heartbeat later. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go on ahead and fetch your boy? I¡¯ll be with you shortly. I just have to¡­ clean up.¡± He nodded curtly, still trying his utmost to avoid looking at the mangled man. After he had wheeled around and vanished behind a tree, I hesitated. At first I had thought about keeping the wreck in front of me alive, but he was neither the leader of the cult nor was there a lot of information left I could have extracted. Allowing him to keep on breathing would simply add another burden to the already crushing pile I was trying to squirm out from underneath. Sighing I gently placed my hand above his heart. The soft touch made him shiver, as if he knew what was about to happen, but before the tremors could even spread, I allowed a wave of power to surge from my core and channeled it through my hand and into the warm bundle of flesh at my feet. Light flashed between my fingers, the empty sockets of his eyes glowed in silver and blue, the scent of cooked meet rose and his limbs became still. The Soul Catcher seemed to relax, but there was no presence left in the burned out husk and when I removed my hand, the charred edges of the hole, his chest had become, crumbled silently, a black shower of ash and soot that was carried away by the soft breeze. For a moment I toyed with the idea of incinerating the corpse, but his people buried their dead and I wasn¡¯t willing to hold a grudge against a piece of meat. I didn¡¯t believe, no, I knew it didn¡¯t matter what became of a body once the soul had passed on, but I still respected his faith. I¡¯d pick out a nice place to put him to rest once I¡¯d return. 320. Of responsibilities, apologies and a merchant Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Do I have to,¡± Reia complained. ¡°Make up with him? No. Listen? Yes.¡± She wasn¡¯t overjoyed with my reply and glared at me from underneath her bangs, scathingly enough to make my fur bristle, which constituted quite the accomplishment considering I was leading her along by the hand. Greta had called her back and now I was ushering her past groups of busy people, engrossed in varying degrees of work. Some were already starting to form lines and transport the rubble from the mansions while others, mostly the well dressed, pretty crowd, were still arguing about which side of a spade actually belonged in the earth. Those were also the ones who had dwarfs or some of Clovis¡¯ men close by, most of them busy yelling, cursing or simply giving in to desperation. Apparently a quite comfortable life between bedsheets didn¡¯t prepare you overly well for menial labour, a task they¡¯d have to get used to quickly enough. It would, most likely, have been possible to solve every problem they encountered with magic but I was decently convinced that they¡¯d have to put the work in themselves, if they actually wanted to make themselves a home. ¡°But why? We¡¯re even, as far as I¡¯m concerned, and we¡¯re not going to become friends, either way.¡± ¡°You never know, but that¡¯s not the point. Look, if someone apologises you listen. You don¡¯t have to accept neither the apology nor the person but you need to listen. Do I really have to explain why?¡± ¡°Probably not,¡± she finally relented. ¡°But I really don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Tough luck. Why are you making so much of a fuss? Worst case it¡¯s going to take 10 minutes.¡± ¡°Because I thought I¡¯d be done with the whole social trifle. I mean, looking back at what we have been through I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to play nice with people I don¡¯t like, ever again.¡± Even though it probably wasn¡¯t the best reaction from a didactic point of view I couldn¡¯t quite suppress my laughter. Ahri, still engaged with the colourful troupe I mentioned before, heard me and waved me over, but first I had to make sure the little troublemaker at my side wouldn¡¯t run away, as soon as I tuned my back. ¡°Believe me, I understand,¡± I pressed out chucklingly. ¡°But you¡¯ve got the wrong end of it. The more we accomplish, or rather, the more we become recognised for it, the more we¡¯ll have to make sure we treat everyone else with respect. You¡¯ve already figured out what happened when I sent you away, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s a perfect example. Humans¡­ most people, actually, fear us for what we are, you included. If you want a chance to be treated like a person, you¡¯ll have to show them that you¡¯re willing to do the same. Which means¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to smile and make sure the stupid boy doesn¡¯t run away, thinking I¡¯m a brute who uses her strength to lord her power over him. I know¡­ but I still don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but life¡¯s not a walk in the park. More often than not you just have to clench your butt and get it over with. I imagine that¡¯s one of those instances for you, even though I think it¡¯s about time to have Sera start your education if you honestly believe that listening to an apology is worth moaning over.¡± ¡°Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?¡± ¡°Neither. Just telling the truth. I¡¯m not going to dive into that whole growing up stuff again, but Reia, as much as I still want you to be a child, you aren¡¯t one anymore. That means you can make your own decisions but it also means I expect you to do what¡¯s necessary and this is, as you very well know, necessary. Unless¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± she immediately interrupted with a growl. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave. I want to stay with you and if that means playing nice with a stubborn human I¡¯ll do it. That was below the belt, Cassy¡­ could you do me a favour and not threaten to send me away every time I¡¯m getting on your nerves?¡± She wasn¡¯t feeling hurt, I could hear as much, but I still took a moment to think about her words. I knew she had some abandonment issues, but I still didn¡¯t like her jumping to the very same conclusion every time she was getting agitated. I let go of her hand to wrap my arm around her shoulders and gently kissed the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯d never and I have never considered sending you away. I¡¯m just trying to point out that you actually have a choice, here,¡± I finally replied, ¡°and I wasn¡¯t even going to suggest that you¡¯d have to leave Free Land¡­ I might have made it sound like much more of a problem than it actually is. I want you to face him, not because of him, but because of you. Look, if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡­,¡± she hesitated but suddenly continued in a rush: ¡°are you trying to turn me into a royal? Sometimes it feels like you¡¯re expecting much more of me than anyone else.¡± I was taken aback but I was also done with lying to my family. ¡°Maybe I just think you can do better than anyone else? And¡­ yes, I am. Reia, you are my sister and whether you can see it now or not, that¡¯s going to matter more than your last name. It already does, at least around here.¡± Quietly I added: ¡°you¡¯ve been around for most of it and I¡¯m quite sure you¡¯ve figured out the rest with that devious mind of yours¡­ I¡¯m not a leader, I never was. I¡¯ve had more time than anybody else to figure that out. I¡¯m playing along, for now, because it¡¯s the best option, but that¡¯s going to change. And when it does¡­ I do wish for you to take over. Not immediately, but in a few years. Maybe I¡¯m a bit selfish, but that¡¯s the reason why I want you to act¡­ decently. Whatever you do. Even if it¡¯s something as inconsequential as listening to an apology.¡± To my surprise she remained silent for quite a while, long enough for us to reach the shadow of a tree where two humans were waiting for us. I had already raised my hand in greeting when she whispered: ¡°I want to know more. When we¡¯re done here, I want you to take me somewhere where we can talk in peace. And maybe have something more elaborate to eat than bread and dried meat.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command, but today is going to be a hustle. Still¡­ I¡¯ll see what I can do. An hour should be possible. Do you¡­ should I invite mom, as well?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, but I¡¯d love for Ahri to join us. You haven¡¯t been the only one who has been thinking, but that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say for now. I¡¯ve got an apology to listen to and accept,¡± she ended with a smile while her tails trailed up my legs and wrapped themselves around my middle. While her acting all cuddly always made me melt like ice in the desert, I couldn¡¯t deny that her insinuations had made me slightly uncomfortable. What the hells had the little vixen come up with now? Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t very well question her while father and son were already rising from the trunk like root they had been sitting on and with a regretful sigh I banished the thought to the back of my mind. I¡¯d find out soon enough and somehow I was convinced that, once I had, I¡¯d prefer to have remained ignorant for a whole while longer. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. In the soft, greenish light, spilling though the canopy, it was glaringly obvious that they were related. They weren¡¯t overly tall, maybe a quarter of a head shorter than me, but stockily built with broad shoulders and toned, long arms. Their beige, expensive cotton robes were cut off at the shoulder but dropped down to the ground, only revealing their leather sandals whenever they took a long step. Their skin was of a healthy, nut brown complexion, their foreheads shimmering with beads of sweat in the sweltering heat. Both wore their hair in long, braided, black plaits, the tips of which almost touched their lower backs, interwoven with golden threads. The boy was probably too young to grow out a beard, up close I¡¯d have put him around his 14th or 15th summer, and the father was clean shaven. Broad, golden earrings, adorned with colourful gems, sparkled in their left ear and, to my surprise, I could smell a faint tinge of ozone, sticking to the gaudy pieces of jewellery. Some kind of artefact for sure, but a weak one. Aside from that they weren¡¯t in any way blessed with the gift of magic. Some people, like Richard or the two barmaids, for example, did possess reservoirs of arcane powers in varying degrees, their minds had simply never been connected to them. Usually it took either a powerful teacher or some kind of traumatic event and a boatload of luck for that to happen, but in the case of those two, there simply wasn¡¯t anything worth connecting to. The energies their bodies contained couldn¡¯t even have filled a thimble. It wasn¡¯t as unusable as I might have made it sound, most humans, probably around 99%, were born like this, a fact that didn¡¯t only hold true for Gaya but every world I had ever visited, but considering that everybody else, who had stumbled into my path before, had been an exception, I had somehow expected the two of them to share that particular trait. What I could tell from their glowing, dark eyes, their nimble, controlled movements and, first and foremost, from the hilts of two long, exceptionally thin rapiers, dangling form their cordlike belts, though, was they possessed an excessive amount of martial prowess, paired with a quick, calculating mind and a nasty temper. The last one was more of an educated guess, taking into consideration how the boy had behaved towards Reia. Layla had already confessed that they hadn¡¯t been entirely innocent, but for him to raise his hand against Estrella, who truly looked and acted like a small, timid girl, wasn¡¯t exactly a sign of a balanced, patient character. As soon as they stood they bowed from the waist, the father prompting his son with a not so subtle kick to the shin. When they had straightened again, he repeated the exercise, causing his offspring to wince before he managed to tear his gaze away from my face and focus and Reia. With the blood rushing to his cheeks, turning his complexion even darker, he awkwardly stammered with another, insecure bow: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m Abdur al Kh¡¯Assim. I am deeply ashamed of how I treated you. I should never have touched you or your friends and I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡¯ve come here to atone and ask for your forgiveness. Whatever it is I can do to repent, I¡¯ll gladly oblige.¡± Formal, a bit excessive and probably a sentence his father had made him commit to memory but still acceptable. At least I thought so, but it was Reia he had to convince. Judging from the pinched smile playing around the corners of her mouth, his chances weren¡¯t too bad but I also didn¡¯t expect him to like what he was going to hear next. I wasn¡¯t disappointed, not in the least. ¡°It¡¯s not me you insulted and hurt,¡± she stated¡­ regally. ¡°Estrella, my friend, is the one whom you brought to tears. Make it up to her and we need not talk about it anymore.¡± Surprised he mumbled: ¡°and how do I do that?¡± Reia¡¯s smile became more pronounced. ¡°You called her ugly, a halfbreed, a monster. Make her believe you didn¡¯t mean it. Make her feel like she belongs. Take her and her brother out on the town with your friends, show them around and if they return with a smile, I¡¯ll be satisfied. Think you can mange that much?¡± ¡°Will you come as well,¡± he suddenly blurted out. When I felt Reia hesitate I pinched her tail behind my back. She rolled her eyes almost imperceptibly but still said: ¡°Of course. Provided you can explain why you thought it¡¯d be a good idea to pick a fight with the very same people who bled and fought for your city while you have been hiding under your beds. With everything that happened, you must have known how stupid it actually was.¡± To be fair, she hadn¡¯t done much fighting herself but being held as a hostage surely qualified as taking part, in some way or the other. Her overwhelmed admirer blushed even more, his eyes darting from Reia, to me, to his father and back again. For a few seconds, which might have seemed like a small eternity to the embarrassed boy, I allowed the drama to continue until I intervened: ¡°to me it seems like you two still have a few matters to settle. Why don¡¯t you take a handful of minutes to figure it out? Your father and I will stay right here. Just¡­ don¡¯t wander off too far, will you?¡± While the boy, Abdur, seemed grateful, I could feel Reia¡¯s displeasure resonating though her tails as they tightened around my waist. To her everlasting chagrin I might suffer from the occasional lapse of judgement every time I tried to stay angry with her, but that didn¡¯t mean I had any qualms with ordering her around. I pushed her away gently but resolutely and added, smirking: ¡°go on. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to be¡­ enlightening.¡± When the boy begged her to follow him with a shy smile, she stomped on my foot and lumbered after him, head hung low as if she was walking towards the gallows. While the two of them sat down on a broad, gleaming root a couple of metres away I lowered myself to the ground and closed my eyes, relishing in the warm sun light on my face that felt like the gentle touch of a butterfly¡¯s wing. If you wanted to keep your sanity in an environment like ours, it was savouring the beauty of the little things, hidden in plain sight, that would allow you to do so. No matter how ugly it became from time to time, our world was still a marvel. It was only a question of knowing where to look. I felt the stir in the air and smelled the cloud of sweat and perfume when the father took a seat close by. I had a shrewd idea of what he wanted to say but I didn¡¯t plan on making it any easier for him by starting the conversation myself. After a few moments the constant, regular drumbeat in his chest sped up, as if he had finally found his courage, and half a heartbeat later he said: ¡°Are you listening in or do you already know what he¡¯s going to say?¡± ¡°The latter,¡± I replied lazily without turning around. ¡°He¡¯s an adolescent boy¡­ believe me, I¡¯ve had my fair share of experiences when it comes to unwanted, even possessive attention. I just don¡¯t get why he picked a fight with Estrella, if it¡¯s Reia he¡¯s interested in.¡± He chuckled dryly. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. I¡¯m close to fifty with a beautiful wife at home and I can¡¯t even count the number of inappropriate remarks I had to swallow, even though I¡¯ve seen you torture¡­ never mind. What he did¡­ wouldn¡¯t have been half stupid, at least from a child¡¯s perspective, if he had had the strength to enforce his will. Just imagine him graciously accepting the pleas of her friends¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure if I should be impressed or disgusted. Did you teach him that?¡± ¡°No. I taught him how to get what he wants as a merchant in Free Land, but I guess there isn¡¯t that much of a difference, is there? Sure what he did would have been shortsighted and bound to fail, even if he hadn¡¯t gotten his ass handed to him, but, as a teacher, I¡¯m still kind of proud. At least he used his brain, somewhat. As a father¡­ not so much.¡± ¡°How many people have you talked to to figure out what to say to ensure I wouldn¡¯t have stayed angry, provided I had been in the first place?¡± ¡°Four dwarfs, seven slaves and I might or might not have have eavesdropped on a conversation between the elves you brought along. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ you must be incredibly successful. Which reminds me¡­ as meticulously thorough as you appear, I¡¯m wondering how you were tied to Asra. He was the crowned king of the merchants around here, wasn¡¯t he? You don¡¯t happen to be a contender for his throne, are you?¡± ¡°Nah, a crown is bad for business. I¡¯ve always preferred the spot behind the throne. Which should answer your question. Whatever you need to know, I¡¯m pretty confident I can tell you.¡± ¡°Without any compensation? I¡¯m not buying it. What do you want?¡± 321. Of offers, trials and a little bit of gallantry Cassandra Pendragon He smiled genuinely and replied: ¡°I¡¯m tempted to ask for a kiss but I¡¯m also quite attached to my life, so how about this: you need money, goods, ships, weapons, resources, food,¡± all true, except for the money part, ¡°and I can provide. Sure, some of your friends can do so as well, but, without sounding too conceited, I¡¯m better and probably more devious. If you wanted, my talents could be yours. As for compensation¡­ I¡¯m sure you can figure out yourself what I stand to gain, should you accept my proposal.¡± I nodded thoughtfully and finally turned my head to face him. ¡°And I assume protecting your hide is a given?¡± He shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯d be up to you but I¡¯m confident my services would entice you to do so, anyways. Why not¡­ go for a trial run? Tell me what you need, information, wares, whatever. Pick a few things and I promise I¡¯ll provide within a day. Whatever. It. Is.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Look around. My needs are more in line with those of a kingdom.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Holy hells, I at least had to applaud his confidence. ¡°Fine. I need armour and weapons, made from materials that can be enchanted, ships and I want to know who in Free Land still holds power. Especially those I haven¡¯t met, yet. Also, I¡¯d really like to know who you are. Still think you can provide?¡± He smirked. ¡°I¡¯m Rachmahn al Kh¡¯Assim, a humble trader and sometimes broker. Shall we say 5 ships, 100 sets of equipment and a list? Shouldn¡¯t be a problem, but¡­ do you know how much a sky ship is worth? I said I¡¯d provide and I¡¯m not going back on my word, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mean to ruin a potential partner. Do you want gold in return?¡± He shook his head slowly and squinted at me calculatingly. ¡°I would take money, but there¡¯s something else I¡¯d much prefer. Word on the street is you managed to turn normal humans into mages this morning.¡± Oh my, he was even better than I had thought. Who could even have told him that? The ones I had changed weren¡¯t up yet and as for witnesses¡­ maybe he had figured it out himself, some hints Vanya or Will might have dropped here and there could have been enough. ¡°Go on,¡± I urged, intrigued. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already figured out that none of my line has a talent for the arts. If you could change that, it¡¯d constitute something of more than equal value. I¡¯d even consider myself still in your debt, afterwards.¡± ¡°Change that as in change you or your entire family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite old and already planning my retirement. I¡¯ve actually had my son in mind, but of course, I wouldn¡¯t say no if you were willing to extend your grace to a few others. I have four children, all in all, and then there¡¯s my wife, of course. How about I put in the preliminary work and,¡± his smile widened, ¡°depending on how deeply impressed you are, you can decide yourself how much my services have been worth.¡± ¡°Sound surprisingly fair. I just can¡¯t wrap my head around why a merchant would be willing to leave his payment up to the customer.¡± ¡°Ah well, I¡¯ve dealt with enough people to whom money is nothing more than sand in the desert. Ample and just not worth much attention. You strike me as the same type. Those usually don¡¯t bother with haggling and more often than not they¡¯re prepared to give with both hands if treated properly. Plus¡­ I¡¯d still prefer paying a little extra and have you and yours consider me as a useful tool, if nothing else, over making a quick coin and insulting you along the way.¡± ¡°I see. Who are you Rachmahn? How can you be so sure to acquire five airships over night, if you don¡¯t already have them stashed away somewhere?¡± Especially since you apparently hadn¡¯t even considered bringing your power to bear when your city had been under attack. ¡°Now, that¡¯s my business, isn¡¯t it, and as much as I¡¯m willing to tell you anything you¡¯d like to know about me, my trade is off limits. I¡¯m sure you can understand.¡± I nodded hesitantly. ¡°Unfortunately I do. Fine, I don¡¯t see what I stand to lose. Five ships, a hundred sets and a list. Get it done until noon tomorrow and I will consider how to repay you, depending on the quality of the items in question. Sounds fair?¡± And maybe I could figure out who or what he was, somewhere along the way. Considering what he had told me, I had a hunch that he was actually doing business with and around Free Land, as well as the Pirate Islands. In a generalised context I wouldn¡¯t have cared, it¡¯s what a good merchant was for, after all, but in this particular case¡­ let¡¯s just say I didn¡¯t mind to get to know him more intimately, or, better yet, to gain a modicum of control over his actions. Keep your friends close but you enemies closer, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Not really,¡± he replied with a chuckle, ¡°but it is what I asked for, isn¡¯t it?¡± He extended his hand. I eyed him wearily for another heartbeat or two before we shook. Just when he wanted to let go I strengthened my grip and pulled him closer. ¡°You know what¡¯s going to happen, should I come to regret this, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I do,¡± he replied quietly, his dark eyes withstanding my gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, whatever I was, whatever I am, I¡¯m not a fool. I¡¯m not going to sell you out. This much I can guarantee.¡± Through a pinched, cold smile I said: ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to your word,¡± before I let go. For a second longer he eyed me wearily, the soft rustling in the canopy, the faint song of birds in the distance and the echoes of a myriad of voice, arguing, singing and cursing, the only distraction, until he finally gave a curt nod and inclined his head. ¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less. There is one more thing before we part ways again. I¡¯ll need all of my resources to stand a chance to make good on my claims. Could you make sure the children are protect while they wander the city? Normally I stick a guard or two on Abdur¡¯s tail but today and tonight I¡¯m going to need them.¡± Through a crooked grin I replied: ¡°Reia doesn¡¯t need much protection and I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t allow your son to get seriously hurt, but I¡¯ll see what I can do. I¡¯m curious, though¡­ if you had him tailed, didn¡¯t you know fully well what he¡¯s been up to?¡± He shrugged nonchalantly. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Guilty as charged, even though I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d try to start a fight and get beaten to a pulp for his troubles. I have to admit, though, I wouldn¡¯t have done anything differently, even if I had known. In a way it worked out perfectly, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to see. Now I have one last question, or rather two. Do you know a man by the name of Zuma? Zookeeper by profession and meddling alchemist by nature. And then, there¡¯s this¡­ I¡¯d call it a cult of glorified cutthroats. Goes by the name of Soul Catchers. Ever heard of them?¡± Again I was surprised by his reaction. Neither did he flinch nor did he seem overly worried, even though he apparently had a good grasp on what I was talking about. ¡°Well, after seeing you fillet one of its lieutenants I can comfortably say that I haven¡¯t only heard of them but have also seen them squirm and bleed. Your questions aren¡¯t really two but one, though,¡± he explained. ¡°Zuma¡­ is a well known idiot. Don¡¯t get me wrong, he¡¯s a prodigy in his area, a true genius, as far as I can tell, but when it comes to street smarts or the most basic survival skills he¡¯s just an imbecile. Which is a dangerous combination, especially around here. Ever since he started making a name for himself with that weird bat obsession of his it has always been a matter of time until someone picked him up and used him for less scholarly goals. The Soul Catchers were simply the first. Even though I¡¯ve heard rumours that he has been recruited by someone much more dangerous, much more powerful. Powerful enough, in fact, to have the Soul Catchers back off¡­ powerful enough to succumb to the illusion of being able to challenge you head on, if you catch my drift. Alas, that was a gross misjudgement, as you¡¯ve proven. Now, for the Soul Catchers themselves¡­ they¡¯re a relict of a bygone age, clinging to life through superstition, cruelty and fear. I have to admit, they¡¯re splendid customers, though. Do you want a list of names?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t exactly instil trust to see you willingly sell out your business partners. Are you going to do the same to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you I won¡¯t, but if you want to become technical here¡¯s what I meant: I¡¯m not going to sell you out unless I¡¯m confronted with someone who¡¯s powerful enough to make me think of you as the less deadly party. And I¡¯m not talking about a willingness to shed blood, I¡¯m talking about undiluted strength. Is there anyone in this world who could hold a candle to you in that regard?¡± ¡°Two someones to be precise. One I¡¯m married to and the other I¡¯m probably going to either kill or, at the very least, shake until he tells me what he¡¯s been up to. So¡­ you¡¯re basically opportunistic to a fault?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a merchant, that simply comes with the territory. If you want true loyalty¡­ my children aren¡¯t married, yet, and family is the only thing that trumps profit, at least in my book.¡± I didn¡¯t even try to suppress my grin. He was a true piece of work but a likeable one. ¡°I don¡¯t marry off my relatives, but if your son is charming enough, I won¡¯t be the one standing in his way. Honestly, though, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s got much of a chance.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°A pity, that. It would have been interesting to boot. Has there ever been an offspring between a human and a kitsune?¡± By now I was chucking openly. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. We don¡¯t mix too well. Our age¡­ and then there¡¯s also¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure if he¡¯d take offence with my next words. ¡°The way we look and probably smell in comparison to your people. No need to sugarcoat it, I¡¯m not blind and I¡¯ve dealt with beast kin before. Like I said, a pity, even though I¡¯ve already expected as much. Anyways, about that list of names¡­?¡± ¡°If you were willing to provide, I¡¯d gladly take it and I¡¯d make sure to forget who gave it to me the very next second.¡± ¡°Much appreciated, but that¡¯s hardly necessary. You plan on visiting them, don¡¯t you? They¡¯ll probably be much too preoccupied to even bother with such minutiae. Still, I¡¯d like to ask you to not advertise where you¡¯re getting your information.¡± He had already produced a roll of parchment from the depths of his robe, with the corresponding piece of coal, and was scribbling away furiously. ¡°That¡¯s a given. Now¡­ one more thing. Richard Tudor. I assume the name rings a bell as well?¡± ¡°Indeed it does,¡± he replied without looking up. ¡°But¡­ not for free. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d mind terribly if I were to spill the beans but his father is another matter.¡± He underlined the last name he had written down and handed me the scroll. ¡°As another token of my good will, why don¡¯t you ask around? I¡¯m sure there are quite a few people who could tell you a story or two about the ¡°Black Duke in a land of gold¡±. Just¡­ if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m headed towards a confrontation with that particular¡­ human.¡± ¡°Ominous¡­,¡± I glanced down at the list of maybe twenty names. ¡°Thanks. That¡¯s already more than I expected. Would you¡­,¡± I was interrupted when Reia and his son made their way back. She was looking exasperate and he was grinning from ear to ear. With a thought I stowed the parchment and smile at my sister. ¡°I assume, your afternoon plans have changed?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± she mumbled and leaned in closer to whisper in my ear: ¡°I think I¡¯ve earned a reward. Did you know what he¡¯s been up to?¡± ¡°Know? No. Did I guess? Very much so. It¡¯s half a day. Play along and I¡¯m sure you can find a decent excuse to make yourself scarce quickly enough.¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, you wouldn¡¯t even have entertained him for an hour,¡± she complained. ¡°Didn¡¯t you cause a scandal when you slapped a suitor from the fourth palace?¡± ¡°I was 6 at the time¡­ do you really want to compare?¡± ¡°Probably not. Still¡­ you better pick out a really fancy restaurant when I get back.¡± ¡°I will, even though the best one is currently without an owner¡­ I wonder if they still serve there, though. I¡¯ll find out. Now, chop chop, off you pop. Enjoy the day.¡± ¡°Bite me,¡± she growled and rearranged her facial features into something resembling a smile. Or a toothache. ¡°I¡¯ll fetch my friends,¡± she explained graciously, more or less. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. Don¡¯t run away.¡± If she had been looking at me like she glared at Abdur, I¡¯d have run for the hills, but the poor boy only nodded enthusiastically. Stopping myself from facepalming was about the only think I managed when she rushed off and her admirer stared after her wide eyed. ¡°Ah, to be young again,¡± his father lamented while he slapped his son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Where are you taking them,¡± he added jovially. ¡°Out of town,¡± he immediately answered. ¡°I thought they¡¯d like to see something less¡­ you know¡­ cluttered, something clean and growing.¡± Surprisingly thoughtful. Maybe his chances weren¡¯t as bad as I had thought, once she had calmed down, that is. ¡°Good idea,¡± I commented while I looked up at the sun. It had long ago crossed the zenith and the weather was changing, fluffy clouds billowing on the horizon. Around 3.30. I really had to get moving. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d give her some space, though. Take her somewhere¡­ beautiful and don¡¯t pester her. Also¡­ don¡¯t dawdle, the winds are picking up. Just a bit of advice. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to talk to our elves and ask for a favour. It won¡¯t take long.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a reply but I still heard Rachmahn¡¯s quiet words: ¡°I¡¯ll also be off. Much to do. I expect you to be home before nightfall but, whatever happens, you¡¯ll escort your guests back here, am I clear? I won¡¯t mind if you¡¯re late for that reason. Anything else and you¡¯ll be chopping firewood for the rest of the week. One last thing: try to act your age, once in a while, won¡¯t you? You¡¯re not that young anymore and I think you understand pretty well what¡¯s at stake here, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve seen what they can do.¡± Even more quietly, barely more than a whispered breath, he added: ¡°should I hear that you¡¯ve shown anything but the utmost respect towards the lot of them I¡¯m going to devise a fitting punishment and believe me, chopping wood won¡¯t suffice. That woman is dangerous and she loves the girl. Should you truly manage to anger her I doubt there¡¯s much I can do to keep you safe and, in all honesty, I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯m going to try.¡± That was a lie. I could hear his heartbeat just as easily as I could followed his murmured instructions and whatever he was trying to accomplish, it was plain as day that he loved his son. If push came to shove he¡¯d protect him with everything he had, which just made me like him more. Unless the juvenile Casanova would try to abduct the lot of them, there wasn¡¯t much he could do to incite my wrath. Not that I was going to tell. I¡¯ve mentioned before how I had come to enjoy my devil persona in the past and slowly but surely we were getting there again. 322. Of mothers, daughters and a little bit of peace Cassandra Pendragon At least Lyra had been as keen as mustard to accompany the kids on their trip to the countryside. Astra and Aspera¡­ not so much. For the ancient elf anything was still an adventure and running after them without being seen had ignited her interest like a wildfire, but the other two saw it for what it truly was: an exhausting chore I had simply dumped on them without even asking properly. Oh well, cosmic powers that defied description had to come with an upside, didn¡¯t they? By now we, that is Ahri, Sera, Xorlosh, the dwarf had finally made his way back here from his ship, the Madame and her girls as well as Alassara, Aurelia and Viyara had made themselves scarce as soon as the initial ruckus had calmed down, were sharing a platter, or rather a wooden plate, of goat cheese, figs and sourdough bread while we watched our elves prepare a handful of spells and tried to suppress our smiles at their consternated expressions. Some of us, that is. The dwarf wasn¡¯t as tactful and grinned openly while the Madame and Liz were much too occupied exchanging dirty glances when they thought nobody was looking and otherwise acting like they were walking on eggshells. Not much of a surprise there, considering how the young woman had ended up in our midst. If it had been me, I would have probably been at the old hag¡¯s throat already, demanding an apology or, at the very least, an explanation. She had practically sold her off, after all, and even though it hadn¡¯t ended badly for her, it very well could have. While Alassara was waving her daughter off, the little vampire had decided to tag along with Reia and the rest, I had finally had enough. Half seriously and half in jest I commented: ¡°you know, if there¡¯s so much bad blood between the two of you, you could always settle it with a duel,¡± which didn¡¯t have the desired effect. Instead of making them laugh, they actually took my suggestion to heart eyeing each other like rabid dogs or hyenas on the verge of pouncing. Well done, Cassy, exceptionally well done. A few more insightful remarks like that and I would have done Amon¡¯s job for him, without him ever lifting a finger. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being serious,¡± I immediately added. ¡°Too bad,¡± Liz replied wistfully with a sidelong glance at the Madame. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have minded beating you black and blue. It would have been¡­ what was the word again? Cathartic?¡± ¡°No need to hold back,¡± the older woman croaked. ¡°But if you think I¡¯m just going to sit still and take it you¡¯re going to be surprised. Girl, I¡¯ve been dealing with thugs and murderers when you were still a twitch in your daddy¡¯s pants. Don¡¯t think I couldn¡¯t handle you only because my ass has become all wrinkly. And since that¡¯s probably going to change soon as well, I¡¯d take my chances now, if I were you.¡± ¡°Is that an invitation,¡± she asked innocently, her blue eyes sparkling. ¡°If you want to take it as such. But don¡¯t go tattling to mommy when you¡¯re on the ground, bleeding, will you?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m the mommy in this scenario, I have to object, most strongly,¡± I interjected dryly. ¡°Call me that again and the both of you will be grounded in the same room until you¡¯re friends again.¡± ¡°Which would probably have the same result,¡± Liz stated confidently, her gaze never wavering from her former employer. ¡°How about it Madame Sinis? A good, old fashioned catfight. You won¡¯t even have to apologise, seeing you in the dirt will be good enough for me.¡± ¡°Sure thing, kiddo, but I¡¯ve never, in all my life, risked anything without a reason. What do you have to offer? I know you¡¯re broke and I¡¯m too old to be enticed by your figure, even though I know how skilled you are. If you want to see me bleed, there¡¯s got to be something in it for me.¡± Damn it, this wasn¡¯t exactly how I had pictured the conversation going. We had more than enough to do without adding to the already steaming pile of¡­ ¡°Are you for real,¡± Xorlosh interrupted, his eyes wide. ¡°I mean, sure, me and me boys would love to watch, but is this really the time? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m with you, Liz, but now?¡± She shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re only going to invite more trouble further down the road, unless we settle this.¡± ¡°Settle what, exactly,¡± the Madame inquired snidely. ¡°You snooped, you got caught and you paid the price, end of story.¡± ¡°Which gives you the right to sell me like a worn out glove, doesn¡¯t it,¡± Liz shot back, her voice rising with every word. ¡°Yes, yes it does. That¡¯s the world we live¡­ lived in. Honey, I¡¯m not saying you still are, but you were a commodity, your trust, your body, your life a thing to barter with¡­¡± I really intended to stay out of it, but this¡­ it took all the self control I had to keep my mouth shut but apparently my eyes and wings didn¡¯t bother with my good intentions. The former started glowing and the latter whispered into existence while silence settled over the group, Ahri, Alassara and Xorlosh the only ones who were still smirking. Hardly surprising, they knew me well enough to figure out where this was headed from the very beginning and the good Madame had managed to push almost all of my buttons with a single sentence. Quite the achievement, even though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was something to brag about. ¡°And you made her join that life, didn¡¯t you,¡± I hissed, barely able to keep my power from leaking into my voice. The old woman blinked owlishly, but didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Yes, I took in a half starved, dirty, infected child, gave her a place to sleep, food, medicine and a modicum of security. Excuse me for not being a Good Samaritan. In my book, this means I own her. Would you rather I had left her in the streets? Because if I had, we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation and you, my dear, would be dead as a doornail.¡± ¡°So I should be grateful, is that it,¡± the black haired beauty erupted. ¡°Grateful? I don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass if you¡¯re grateful, resentful or something in between, but don¡¯t go running around all high and mighty, looking down on me, only because you can afford to, now, by the grace of people who have come into your life because of me. You don¡¯t owe me, Liz, but neither do I owe you. So, unless you¡¯ve got something to offer, I¡¯m not going to participate in a pubescent display of outrage and so called honour.¡± ¡°Honour, outrage, debts,¡± I growled, my voice, in contrast to Liz¡¯, becoming quieter with every syllable. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve understood what this is about. Maybe you can¡¯t, in which case I can only pity you, or maybe you don¡¯t want to, in which case¡­ I¡¯ll make you. You don¡¯t own her, that¡¯s true, but you also never have. She¡­ they, all of your girls, they trust you, they depend on you and that¡¯s how you repay them? Tread carefully or it might be me next, who demands a fight and then, my dear, the tricks you¡¯ve learned won¡¯t matter. I can guarantee as much.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Spoken like a princess,¡± she spat, ¡°but unfortunately this ain¡¯t no fairytale and I don¡¯t bow to a hollow crown¡­,¡± she didn¡¯t get any further. A wave of light surged from my wings to the dome of my head, painting me in silver and blue for the fraction of a second. They had to close their eyes and when they had blinked away their tears a tiara of scintillating fire danced across my brow. My tails fanned out behind me, sparkling like molten metal, and my wings framed me in eternal flames while my temper rose and liquid anger thundered through my veins. So much for my self control. I wasn¡¯t close to losing it, but I was still done. Done with having to explain what every goddamned human should have learned while still in diapers. Anxious cries were followed by a hushed silence while the whole square paused and turned towards me but I didn¡¯t really care. I had already paid my dues today and played along. No more. Liz was one of mine and this time I wouldn¡¯t comply, I wouldn¡¯t lower my head. The scent of ozone rose like a tidal wave and I snarled: ¡°Hollow? Oh boy¡­ make no mistake, Madame Sinis, my crown is hollow because I choose not to wear it, not because there¡¯s anything or anyone that could stop me. I would have looked the other way, I would have simply ignored your past, but don¡¯t ever defend what you were, what you still might be. Don¡¯t you dare. There is right and wrong, even if you can¡¯t see, can¡¯t understand it. Don¡¯t make me teach you or, by the gods, I will.¡± The infuriating bat simply grinned, her yellow teeth on full display. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I¡¯ve always wondered where you would draw the line. Now I know.¡± Much more nimbly than I would have expected she got to her feet and leaned in closer, entirely unfazed by the crackling energies surrounding me. She whispered four words into my ear and the very next moment my wings vanished and my eyes went wide. With a cheeky grin she leaned back and continued loudly: ¡°or why do you think I¡¯ve been so adamant about her coming with you? As a punishment or to keep her quiet¡­ did you really buy that?¡± Truthfully, I had. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think you¡¯ll be the one in dire need of some education. Now, do you still want to step in?¡± I shook my head demurely and sat down, caught somewhere between amazement and embarrassment. I should have seen it, I should have smelled it, but with the friggin perfumes they wore¡­ still, now that I knew, I could hardly fail to see the resemblance, even though one was old and the other young. Ahri¡¯s thoughts raced through my mind like a whirlwind and when she stumble across the simple sentence, her jaw dropped to the ground. In all fairness, I hadn¡¯t fared any better, but on the other hand, would you have expected her to say: ¡°she is my daughter¡±? ¡°Why¡­,¡± I stammered forlornly, but the Madame interrupted me without delay. ¡°That¡¯s none of you concern and not something I¡¯m going divulge here. If you want to know, you¡¯ll have to buy me a drink or several dozens. Now, could we skip the whole act and get back to business? Liz, if you want a fight, make me an offer, if not, let bygones be bygones. Your choice. I don¡¯t mind either way. What¡¯s it going to be, dear?¡± The person in question was staring at me and her, confusion written clearly across her face, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. Most of our visitors had already gotten somewhat used to my outbursts but it still took quite a while for them to return to their activities and for the casual background noise of work and chatter to resume, even though the dwarfs were doing their best to push them along. They, at the very least, weren¡¯t one bit intimidated by what I was and had already experienced my mood swings. The others¡­ would eventually get used to them. ¡°I¡­ I just¡­ what the hells did you just say to her,¡± the girl stammered. ¡°That your mom was a real piece of work and wouldn¡¯t have minded what I¡¯m doing,¡± The Madame replied. Flabbergasted Liz whispered, her anger apparently forgotten: ¡°you knew her? Why did you¡­¡± ¡°Fleetingly. I promised her never to tell. Your birth wasn¡¯t¡­ it was a blessing but it couldn¡¯t have come during a more inconvenient time. Still, believe me, she¡¯s done everything she can to keep you alive and in one piece, even though it might have been too little, but that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say on the matter. If you want to know more, you¡¯ll have to find her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still alive?¡± Liz¡¯ voice caught as if she was having a cold. ¡°More or less. I haven¡¯t met that person for¡­ oh, quite a while, but she was tough as nails. Chances are she¡¯s still around.¡± ¡°But she never cared enough to go looking for me, did she?¡± The complicated mess of emotions in her voice was gradually turning to anger, maybe even loathing. If I hadn¡¯t known the context, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pick up on it, but the Madame looked¡­ hurt. ¡°Oh, she did. Only because you didn¡¯t see her, doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t there. I didn¡¯t¡­ oh, what the hells, her decisions, her life made her a danger to you so she stayed away and by now, I think she¡¯s just¡­ afraid of meeting you again, afraid of the blame you might rightly lay at her door. If you want my advice, let it rest. There¡¯s nothing to gain, only old wounds to be opened. You¡¯re your own person, as I¡¯ve just been forcefully reminded. You don¡¯t need her, you never have.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, just don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to listen to you, of all people, talk about her.¡± Damn it, by now I was starting to feel sorry for the Madame. That had to sting. Especially with the tears pooling in her daughter¡¯s eyes and her inability to do what every mother would have wanted: hug her child. Instead she cleared her throat and croaked: ¡°then I won¡¯t. Does this also mean we can forget the whole idiocy about clawing each other¡¯s eyes out? Look, I do understand that you don¡¯t like me, how could you, but, at least for the foreseeable future, we¡¯ll have to work together. We¡¯ve already managed quite well in the past. Is it too much to hope that we can go back?¡± ¡°It is,¡± came the sniffling answer. ¡°And you¡¯re wrong, I didn¡¯t only like you, I respected you for most of my life, but those days are gone, dead and buried. You¡¯ve seen to that. Still, I don¡¯t mind working with you, but I won¡¯t ever trust you again.¡± Again, my resolve to keep my mouth shut was put to the test, but this time I at least managed to catch the Madame¡¯s gaze before I made a fool out of myself. When she shook her head ever so slightly I sat back with a huff and reached for Ahri¡¯s hand, intertwining our fingers. Just as well, I had already blundered enough, might as well enjoy the show without putting one on myself. ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± the old besom said after a moment. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s probably even better this way.¡± Her eyes travelled to mine while she added: ¡°I think you¡¯ve found yourself a new home¡­ a better one¡­ even though I have to admit I¡¯m going to miss you. You were a right pain in the ass, down to the last moment, but, occasionally, you were a real joy to have around. I¡­we,¡± she indicated the other girls around her who were still busy either gawking at me or trying to to puzzle out what in the hells had just happened, ¡°wish you all the luck in the world. Just¡­ even if you should one day become a true and proper lady I truly hope you won¡¯t forget where your journey has begun.¡± Superficially it might have sounded heartfelt and sincere but I had my qualms with her word choice and apparently, I wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°A proper lady,¡± Liz erupted, her subdued, melancholic composure cracking with a hint of real anger. ¡°How could I ever become one after everything I¡¯ve done, after everything you¡¯ve made me do? I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± For Christ¡¯s sake, I simply couldn¡¯t let that slide, could I? ¡°Confused, angry but also beautiful and precious,¡± I stated quietly. The hushed silence, spreading as soon as I had opened my mouth still made my voice carry further than I had intended. ¡°Liz¡­ we¡¯ve been there before, except it rained and the both of us were rather out of it. This time I¡¯m calm, despite how I might have appeared a moment ago, so let me tell you this: the chains you see, they¡¯re in your mind, they aren¡¯t real. You aren¡¯t¡­ spoilt. Whatever you might think now, in time you¡¯ll come to realise that you¡¯re future is yours to live and by no means is it determined by your past. You are who you want to be, every single day of your life.¡± ¡°How do you know,¡± she asked chokingly, the flame of anger already extinguished. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been there¡­ because I am there. You don¡¯t know much about me but trust me, what I was, the world I come from, that¡¯s not something I¡¯d wish on anyone. Still, I can either cry over it, I can wallow in self pity over the shadows my past still casts into my future or I can try to make the best out of the days I have. And if I can do it, so can you.¡± 323. Of decisions, consequences and a little bit of callousness Cassandra Pendragon On the plus side, I didn¡¯t feel as pressured anymore to get a move on. By now I had dawdled long enough that the inglorious end of that particular branch of Soul Catchers must have reached their higher ups, provided someone from within their ranks had been watching. On the other side, if someone from within their ranks had been watching¡­ I¡¯d probably only find an emptied out cellar anyways, once I finally got around to using my newly acquired key. Oh well, I had their names. Realistically, there wasn¡¯t much they could do to hide, especially since Rachmahn had even bothered with writing down a handful of addresses. The ones of said higher ups, presumably. Consequentially I wasn¡¯t overly panicked when Mordred, Richard and a few dwarfs I had asked to help out finally appeared from the maze of narrow alleys. Each dwarfs was carrying a snoring child and my brother and his friend had their arms full of vials, daggers and other bells and whistles, including the odd bottle of what I assumed to be a rather pricy liquor. Up until now I had resolutely clung to the notion of postponing every administrative problem until the planned gathering tonight, but it just didn¡¯t seem feasible anymore. There was so much to do, time was running short and, truth be told, I had already become convinced that the best I¡¯d be able to manage before I had to leave would turn out to be implementing some kind of structure, never mind tackling the myriad of actual tasks that demanded attention. I had to prioritise and delegate and that meant I had to sit down with the people who actually had a modicum of experience when it came to leadership. Which, come to think of it, was a rather uncomfortable prospect. Arthur, his wife, my mom, Alassara, the remaining Captains, Sera, Greta, Xorlosh, the Madame¡­ to name only a few I could think of from the top of my head. Getting them to sit down together wouldn¡¯t be tremendously difficult but for them to sing from the same hymn sheet might turn out to be an entirely different ball game. And then, of course, there were the more practical things I couldn¡¯t ignore anymore. Trying to figure out if there really was a possibility to link Greta¡¯s roots to another place, finally having a look at the infamous network of gates the vampires guarded, collecting my armour, which should have been finished, by now, and, probably the most important bit, ensuring the chaos we had inadvertently sowed wouldn¡¯t bloom into another bloody conflict while we were away. Considering I had about 48 hours left my plate was sufficiently full and everywhere I turned something else seemed to crop up. Like the family drama in the making I had just witnessed. As much as I¡¯d have loved to take the Madame up on her offer and listen to her story over a few bottles of wine, I simply couldn¡¯t. Not now. Instead I suppressed a heartfelt groan, when I imagine how the next day was going to turn out, and got my sorry ass off the ground as soon as the elves vanished among the winding streets, tailing our youngsters. Liz was still wrestling with what I had told her and the Madame¡¯s girls had finally overcome their fear, slowly but surely inserting themselves into the less heavy conversations, blooming among our group. When I moved they died out, though, and this time, I didn¡¯t even try to hide my groan. Ah well, being the centre of attention was still a far cry better than being ignored but I could have done without either. At least the former slaves were occupied. The dwarfs and Clovis¡¯ men kept them busy and from the looks of it, some would manage to spend the night with a roof over their heads. Just a pity that I didn¡¯t know whom the roof actually belonged to. Another thing I¡¯d have to find out. Come to think of it, I should probably have asked Rachmahn, when I still had had the chance. Lost and tired I stared into the distance, trying to order my thoughts, at least somewhat, before I was drawn into another escapade. Without really realising I tasted the complex scents around me, most of which I had already started getting used to, otherwise I might have struggled to keep my last meal down on top of it all, and focused on the slowly setting sun, a golden ball of fire gradually sinking towards the horizon. A flock of birds was flying towards Free Land, their shadows a speck of darkness, surrounded by a burning sky, already streaked with red and a hint of violet. An hour, maybe two, and the night would claim the city once again. Maybe the gathering wasn¡¯t as far away as I had believed. Getting everyone together would probably take until nightfall, anyways, and I could just as well use the few hours I still had. The question was: what for? Visit the Soul Catchers? Try to figure out what happened to Amon¡¯s puppets I had cleansed? Visit Zuma? Ask Alassara to show me the gates? Pester Greta about a way to possibly link Free Land directly to the Emerald Island¡­ did I even have to partake in the meeting tonight? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have someone else sit in in my stead, while I used the night to finally do what needed to be done? Without anyone else around, Ahri being the exception, I knew I might just be able to sever a few of the knots I was struggling with. ¡°The trouble is, you think you have time,¡± I quoted quietly, even though I was decently sure the beast kin could still hear my every word. Without paying much attention to the quizzical looks thrown my way, I closed my eyes, wrestling with a different question altogether. Wouldn¡¯t it even be better if Ahri and I stayed out of all the official trifle? Immortal solutions for a mortal world and all of that¡­ I had already begun meddling and the results were questionable, at best. Objectively, all I had managed was throwing a¡­ at least functioning city into turmoil. If Amon had had any kind of resources left, this town would have been ripe for the picking as soon as Ahri and I left. Calling that a victory was optimistic to the point of foolishness. Also¡­ wasn¡¯t it the devil¡¯s greatest trick to convince the world it doesn¡¯t exist? I made a decision and the lethargy vanished form my limbs. It was time to act. The same way I had always done. During the night and behind the scenes. I had walked uncounted worlds and only one still remembered my name, a name that was already infamous enough around here to grant me influence with the people that mattered. The rest could happen without my direct involvement. I had other things to take care of. And should it become too bad¡­ the body had burned but the noose was still dangling from the tree. If push came to shove I¡¯d use it again. ¡°Ahri, Sera, would you join me,¡± I asked while I purposefully strode towards my brother. The latter was taken by surprise but the former had been privy to the meandering of my thoughts and got to her feet with a bright smile. ¡°Finally,¡± she commented silently. ¡°You¡¯re quite cute when you¡¯re fretting, but I¡¯ve missed that part of you.¡± ¡°You could have simply said something, you know,¡± I complained. She shook her magnificent head, her hair turning into burning waves in the reddish light. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Not really. Both of us are still trying to figure out who we are. I didn¡¯t know¡­ who you are is your choice, yours alone. I¡¯ll love you all the same, but the path you want to take is yours to walk. Just like I have to decide who I want to be.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s that?¡± She didn¡¯t even need to think. ¡°What I should have been the last time around. Someone who stays with you until the end and makes sure you don¡¯t get lost. Cassy¡­ I¡¯ve told you before, I¡¯m living this life as much for you as for me. You sacrificed everything for us to have a chance and I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t do the same, now.¡± ¡°In a way that¡¯s unbelievably sweet, but honestly, every time you say something like that I feel like tying you down somewhere safe and throwing away the key until everything¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Right back at you. Tough luck, in that regard, we won¡¯t get what we want.¡± Smirking, she added: ¡°but if we try, we might just get what we need.¡± The Stones had much to answer for, but she wasn¡¯t wrong and despite all my nagging, I wouldn¡¯t have changed a thing about her, even if I had been able to. I needed her to challenge me, otherwise I¡¯d end up in the void again, alone and dying. Been there, done that, wouldn¡¯t recommend it to anyone. I wrapped my tails around her, even though it was getting harder to fit the seven fluffy appendages around her slim waist, and pulled her closer. I kissed her cheek and whispered: ¡°I have everything I need right here. I¡¯ve promised you a date a while back. Are you free tonight? I can even entice you with fine food and wine, at least in the beginning, but there will be an occasion or two to¡­ dance.¡± Her breath caressed my ears when she chuckled. ¡°Translation: we go out with your sister, listen to her crazy ideas and then we cause carnage and mayhem while everybody else is talking in circles?¡± I bit my lip, not liking her description overly much. ¡°Something like that. Maybe with a little less gloom and doom. Carnage and mayhem aren¡¯t exactly what I have in mind, quite the opposite. If we stay within flowery metaphors, Free Land is a snake pit. A hissing, snarling, poisonous cesspool where the strong dominate the weak. Chaos only serves to exacerbate the problem. The only reason why we aren¡¯t drowning in a tidal wave of blood is our own strength. If they are snakes we are dinosaurs and in their shadow, even a cobra wouldn¡¯t dare move. Take that away and we¡¯re right back where we¡¯ve started.¡± ¡°But how do you intend to change that?¡± I sighed. ¡°Expose the ones who can¡¯t be tamed. Remember our talk with the Broken Wheel? I nearly lost it back then, when he mentioned cleansing the churches. I¡¯m not willing to endanger innocent lives, but I¡¯m not opposed to the general idea, not anymore.¡± ¡°I¡­ but how? How can we be sure where to strike?¡± I smiled coldly. ¡°Snake pit. Where one body ends, the next begins. It¡¯s like¡­ a carpet. To disentangle the whole thing we have to pull on a single string first and I have an idea where to begin.¡± ¡°So¡­ you want to spend the night slaughtering your way up the food chain until nothing remains? I hate to burst your bubble, but that¡¯s chaos incarnate.¡± ¡°Only if something¡­ independent is left behind, afterwards,¡± I replied more morosely than I would have liked. ¡°Assassins, cults¡­ they¡¯ll always be there, no matter what we do. For that to change the people have to change and that takes time. What we can do, however, is making sure they have a chance to. I¡­ oh to hell with it, I don¡¯t mean to kill my way through the town, I mean to turn those who are the greatest danger into cowering, trembling husks. I mean to steal a page out of Amon¡¯s book. We need¡­ fear, the fear of god¡­ or the devil. I know how it must sound, but it¡¯s temporary.¡± She remained quiet for a moment, her thoughts racing. ¡°That¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve heard that excuse,¡± she finally breathed. ¡°I know. We¡¯ve even already talked about it¡­ It¡¯s a slippery slope. But I¡¯d rather hate myself than bury another friend. On the morrow¡­ a few things will have changed. Rachmahn, he promised me a list of everyone in Free Land who still holds power. That¡¯s going to be our first stop. I want it now. And then¡­ they will either play along willingly or we¡¯ll make them, whatever it takes. There really is no other option. We just don¡¯t have the time. Guilds, associations, families¡­ it¡¯s time they knew their place. This is not their playground anymore to do as they see fit. To establish rules, we first have to have a clean slate. I¡¯m not deluding myself into thinking this is in any way sustainable, but it doesn¡¯t have to be. If I have to, I¡¯ll become the nightmare that finally shakes this place from its slumber.¡± Except for a few whispered words we had been communicating telepathically but enough time had passed for us to almost reach Mordred. Time was up, in more ways than one, but a last, ambiguous thought still fluttered through our connection. ¡°I am with you, but Cassy, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t let the needs of today devour your tomorrow. Up until now you¡¯ve always defended yourself or provided others with the tools to fight for what they believe in. This¡­ is different. Please, make sure it¡¯s what you actually want.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I replied while I already moved my tails and spread my arms to hug my brother. ¡°Far from it. But I¡¯m also done hiding. Today, when I killed a girl who had known nothing but cruelty in her much too short life, I realised something. What we want matters very little, for mortals and immortals alike. Our ideals, our convictions, they matter for as long as we live in luxury. Once the blood starts flowing, it¡¯s not a question of who we want to be anymore but of what is needed. And this town doesn¡¯t need a saint, a benevolent guide or even an angel. It needs¡­ someone who stalks the street at night so the people can sleep safely in their beds. It needs the devil, someone to remind all those bigots and cowards that no one between heaven and earth stands above retribution. I¡¯ve always thought of them as children, needing guidance and a firm hand, and maybe I was right, but I¡¯m not going to preach anymore.¡± Mordred¡¯s arms circled around my neck and when I breathed in his scent I added: ¡°A funny thing, that. Back on earth people always thought the devil punished the wicked, made them choke on their own atrocities but that wasn¡¯t the point. I never meant and I still don¡¯t mean to punish, to judge. This isn¡¯t about the past, it¡¯s about the future. We won¡¯t get there if someone with a large crossbow threatens to poison us every second day. Let me be very clear: tonight, we¡¯re going to drag every single one their leaders from their beds and towards their sentencing. I won¡¯t be the one to sit above them, passing judgement, but the town they¡¯ve sucked dry for years will. The people they¡¯ve threatened, extorted, killed will be the ones to look down on them and decide their fate.¡± Out loud I said, a cold smile playing around the corners of my mouth: ¡°Bother mine, thank you so much, again, but I fear I¡¯m going to need even more from you.¡± He frowned and mumbled: ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that expression before. Cassy, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Change of plans. I¡¯m going to need your help, yours and Richard¡¯s and Sera¡¯s. Tonight is going to be eventful and we have to prepare.¡± ¡°Sounds ominous enough. Care to explain what you¡¯ve come up with,¡± my grandmother wanted to know. ¡°Simple, really. The plan has been to decide on some form of structure, maybe even elect a leader, hasn¡¯t it? That part hasn¡¯t changed but I fear it might mean nothing without a clean cut¡­ wash away the sins of the past with the blood of the guilty, if necessary.¡± Sera and Mordred exchanged troubled glances, which didn¡¯t surprise me much. In a way I sounded like the villain in a cheap production and paired with my abilities that surely was a reason to become anxious. To soothe their worries I didn¡¯t beat around the bush: ¡°Look, you¡¯ve just handed me the evidence that there are still plenty of people who think they can elevate themselves by confronting us. If we don¡¯t drag them into the open it¡¯s going to last for ages. So, while you do everything in your power to gather the townsfolk and whatever else you can come up with, Ahri and I are going out. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a couple of lovely, civilised conversations and some which will be less¡­ amicable. In the end¡­ everyone who¡¯s got a modicum of power will be here. Whether in chains or of their own free will.¡± 324. Of armours, presents and a little bit of joy Cassandra Pendragon Old timbers creaked as the winds picked up, the sails sang in the encroaching darkness and the acrid smoke, blowing from the furnace in a thick, greyish stream, tickled my nostrils. The sun was sinking ever closer to the horizon, setting the sky ablaze with light and fire, painting the moored ships in crimson and gold. Only a few people were still milling about, repairing the maimed, burned out husks of wooden pathways and improvised landings to the point were a few of them were again usable. It wouldn¡¯t have sufficed in any way for the fleet Free Land had once called its own but it was more than enough for the few slim trading vessels and haphazardly restored ships they still had left. Muted curses in different languages wafted through the air, accompanying the last, rushed tasks the respective crews tried to complete before the sun would finally set. On our way to the harbour we had been given a wide berth, the two slightly crazy kitsune, who were friends with dragons and could turn into power incarnate on a whim, already commanded a certain amount of respect, dare I say fear, and consequentially were firmly established in the do not mess with category. Our trip had been closer to a relaxing stroll and sometimes we had even been greeted in passing, a quick smile or a raised hand a show of acceptance that had felt much more gratifying than it should have. Some had even looked like they were genuinely glad to have us around. At least as far as the regular townsfolk were concerned we weren¡¯t treated like an obstacle or a danger anymore. And the others¡­ well, they would learn. Tonight. We¡¯d even look the part, which brings us back to why I had decided to spend some of my precious time meandering through the streets with Ahri and Xorlosh, while Serena was trying to figure out if the ¡°Silver Swan¡± still welcomed guests. She¡¯d pick us up in half an hour. Meanwhile her sister would be waiting for Reia to return and lead the little troublemaker there as well, provided said establishment still had a cook and the silverware hadn¡¯t been stolen. With the turmoil we had caused and the spontaneous appropriations of the dead Captain¡¯s belongings, that had happened all over town, it was a decently justified concern. But for now, I just couldn¡¯t get myself to care as a sense of wonder was slowly spreading through me. I whistled softly through my teeth while I ran my fingers along the clean, cold, intricate scales of a shimmering breastplate, sprawled out on a bed of satin in the middle of the deck, surrounded by a group of grinning dwarfs and two speechless vixens. Before I could get lost in my reverie, engrossed in the subtle details the craftsmen had added to every single piece, a calloused, heavy hand landed on my shoulder and I heard Xorlosh¡¯s deep, gravelly voice in my ear: ¡°didn¡¯t promise too much, now, did I?¡± ¡°No, no you definitely didn¡¯t,¡± I mumbled subduedly. I had been raised in a palace, our guards had had the best equipment centuries of expertise crafting mithril had provided and my parents had been able to afford almost any kind of artisan but never before had I seen anything comparable. Even the armour the dwarfs wore themselves didn¡¯t come close, at least not to me. I couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom how much the¡­ masterworks they had created must have been worth. The two sets were uncannily similar, flowing lines of gleaming, silvery metal, glowing softly in the reddish light. The sheen scintillated almost imperceptibly between gold, green and an earthy brown, similar to verdant soil, a visible reminder of the people who had been involved in the forging: Viyara¡¯s flames, Erya¡¯s magic and dwarven ingenuity. I was well aware that it was just a piece of equipment, an amazingly crafted and breathtakingly beautiful one at that, but still a tool. Nevertheless, while I stared at the priceless armour, I couldn¡¯t deny that I saw much more in its metallic lustre. It had been forged during the most tumultuous time of our lives and yet, it was perfect, a seamless amalgamation of what our friends could accomplish, of what we all could accomplish, if we worked together. And it had been made for us. No tradeoffs, no compromises, a gift much more precious than I had even dared hope. The smiths really had outdone themselves. ¡°Yah know, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s going to look even better once you wear it,¡± Xorlosh continued jovially but I still heard the pride and joy in his every word. ¡°Yah don¡¯t even have t¡¯ deal with the tedious process of putting it on. See those runes? They aren¡¯t ours¡­ the fey made ¡®em. If yah add a drop of your blood to them, they¡¯ll activate and bind the magic to you. Yah should be able to summon and stow the whole contraption with a thought. If she didn¡¯t fuck up, that is. Couldn¡¯t very well test it, now, could we? Whaddaya say? Wanna give it a spin?¡± I shared a quick glance with Ahri and replied for the both of us: ¡°We¡¯d love to.¡± My wings manifested with a quiet whisper before I added: ¡°thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you all.¡± The following pinprick on my thumb I hardly felt while Xorlosh said: ¡°Don¡¯t thank us just yet, lass. Let¡¯s see if it works. If it does, I¡¯m sure me and the lads, who actually swung the hammer, wouldn¡¯t say no to a hug.¡± If it came as advertised I wouldn¡¯t even begrudge them a kiss. Not that I was going to say as much out loud. I¡¯d rather avoid having to christen our new armour in the blood of its makers and judging from the grim thoughts Ahri had tried to suppress at Xorlosh¡¯s comment, it¡¯d have been a very real possibility, if I had made that particular mistake. I felt a wry smile tug on the corners of my mouth, flattered as I was, but that kind of jealousy just couldn¡¯t be healthy. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t much better, when it came to her, and consequentially decided to ignore the rather ominous images she couldn¡¯t hide entirely. ¡°The hug you can have anytime you want,¡± I still replied, winking at my fianc¨¦e to calm her down while I smeared a smidgen of my blood on the runes he had indicated. The silvery liquid was almost invisible among the gleaming mithril but after a second it began frothing and bubbling and vanished into the armour without even leaving a trace behind. I braced myself, past experiences had made me wary when it came to comparable experiments, but the runes were drawn perfectly and the dwarfs apparently had known what they had been doing. No explosion tore the deck asunder, not even a single speck of light escaped the intricate formations, and after a few heartbeats I felt the tension leave my muscles, just as the interwoven sigils flared brightly and the magic activated. The sensations that followed were akin to how I had felt when the bracelet, Ahri had given me, had activated. A fuzzy, underwater kind of connection I could only grasp when I focused on it. In contrast to the precious keepsake there were no blurry images waiting for me, though. Instead my mind expanded, my power surged for the fraction of a second and one of the two armours was engulfed in a flash of light before it vanished. The very next moment a cool, comforting weight settled around my shoulders and my vision shrank, limited by the visor of a comfortable helmet. The first, hesitant step was the most difficult, my mind still hung up on how jarring it had been to move when I had tried it on for the first time, but not a single joint chafed against my skin. Truth be told, it was even easier to wear than the more flamboyant, extravagant dresses I had been stuffed into in the past. It wasn¡¯t a lightweight, by any stretch of the imagination, but each part was tightly bound to one of my limbs with hardly any play. Consequentially it felt more like a second skin than actual armour and when I was convinced I wouldn¡¯t suffer any unwelcome stings or bruises, I began moving, slowly at first but with increasing enthusiasm. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I laughed happily while I glided across the deck, following the steps of a simple dance I had learned as a child. The metal soles of my boots beat a quick staccato on the seasoned oak, my wings whirled around me like the train of a dress and when I had gathered enough momentum I jumped as high as I could, soaring into the sky effortlessly. The torrents of power on my back slithered freely through a large V, cut through the armour, and carried me into the vast expanse of blue and black, another speck of light amongst the rising stars. The wind whistled against the scales around my torso, caught in my black tresses, escaping from beneath my helmet, and extinguished the smouldering anxiety I felt whenever I thought about the future and what I still had to do. Joy, pure undiluted joy was thrumming in my veins, the exhilarating moment, caught somewhere between heaven and earth, a precious second without worries, without fear and when I saw a star of crimson rush towards me I couldn¡¯t help myself, I simply let go. For a few moments or a short eternity we simply¡­ lived, relishing in the feeling of freedom, basking in the glow of a million worlds, slowly appearing on the horizon. Our wings became entangled and still we rose, ever higher into the sky, until the shadows of Free Land below us were nothing more than a memory of times long gone, hazy and distorted. What mattered, what was real, was the pleasure of flying, of moving without restraints, the person I loved the most at my side. From one second to the next the simple trial run had become so much more, another chance for us to escape, if only for a few heartbeats, and we made use of it to the fullest. Amongst the stars we danced, we soared and fell, we frolicked and chased each other through the clouds, the thick metal around our bodies somehow sensitive to our touch. Every time her wings brushed against me, every time her hands caressed my body, I felt them just as if had been wearing nothing, my skin, protected by enchanted metal, as eager for her warmth as it had always been. Lights flickered to life in the streets below us, the distant echoes of songs and conversations, curses and laughter became an entrancing melody we moved to, always changing, always fascinating, giving substance to our dance. My laughter had never ceased and by now I heard Ahri¡¯s velvety voice as well, the unending circles we followed becoming a path of mirth and joy we willingly walked. Somewhere between dream and reality we hovered, the gift, our friends had made for us, a token, a sign, of what we could become, what we could be without the trials we had been subjected to. Protected yet free we flew until the moon rose in the East and it was time to return. It hadn¡¯t been much, it hadn¡¯t been for long, but the few moments we had been granted had been enough to restore my spirit and judging form the bright smile Ahri wore when she removed her helmet, it was exactly the same for her. I was still grinning like a lunatic when we landed and so were the dwarfs, pride emanating from every wrinkle, every pair of eyes. ¡°Looks like it works, doesn¡¯t it,¡± Xorlosh greeted us. ¡°Yah sure as hells can move, I¡¯ll give yah that. It¡¯s been a while¡­ after that, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s you, lass, who has to thank us. Ah don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen me work put to finer use. ¡®T was an honour working on something that¡¯ll keep those pretty necks safe. How do they fit? Anything left to change?¡± I shook my head, Ahri mimicking the gesture. ¡°Perfect, in every way, even though I¡¯m not wearing anything resembling a gambeson underneath.¡± I had just remembered his last lecture on the disadvantages of plate armour and as far as I had come to understand it, some kind of cushioning was needed, otherwise it was just bound to hurt with every step, never mind the¡­ rather rattling outcome, should someone actually take a swing at me. ¡°Yah don¡¯t need to. You can store all of it in your stamp, but you can also remove parts manually. Why don¡¯t you take off the shoulder guards? You¡¯ll see.¡± Intrigued I fumbled with the hidden straps I felt underneath the metal but it wasn¡¯t until Etosh lent me a stubby hand that I manage to detach the securing bolts and leather cords. The armour consisted of seven parts. Filigree, yet sturdy scales, each and every single one engraved with blackened runes, made up the main protection around my torso, a bulwark of mithril that could still move and bend freely, accommodating my every movement. Around my waist the scales transformed into bands, or rather thick threads, of woven metal that dropped down my thighs and almost reached my knees. Shoulder guards, bracers and greaves competed the ensemble. In a way it looked like a mixture of Ancient Greek and scale armour, maximising mobility while only a scant few places remained unprotected. Explicitly, my heels, the backside of my knees and my upper thighs were hidden behind a delicate mesh of woven mithril threads, but a heavy blow there would still cause major damage. Add the two slit like openings along the back to the equation and it became quite obvious that the armour was designed to face opponents head on, not keep me safe while running away. When I had fumbled out of a shoulder guard, a layer of silk and leather appeared underneath the shimmering metal, about a centimetre thick, which provided just enough padding to weather a blow. Should I ever take an axe hit to the chest, though, or, god forbid, the bolt of a ballista or a gunshot, it would still drive the breath from my lungs and probably break a rib or two to boot. I couldn¡¯t see any weapon actually penetrating the more massive parts of the armour but bludgeoning attacks were still a real problem, even though I wasn¡¯t overly worried. As long as I wouldn¡¯t get knocked unconscious I could easily deal with a bruise or fractured bones. Xorlosh and his boys had apparently thought along the same line, since I now saw that the shoulder guards, and the helmet as well, presumably, consisted of the most sturdy, unyielding sheets of metal, nearly a centimetre thick in some places. Short of a blow from a dragon or maybe a really angry dwarf, I just didn¡¯t see anyone breaking my neck, never mind actually taking my head off or piercing my skull. As far as I was concerned, that was the most important part, everything else I could deal with. Reluctantly and with a bunch of accompanying curses for sure, but I¡¯d manage. When I reverently ran my fingers over the black cloth I realised that even the inner lining was embroidered with glyphs and sigils, threads of mithril glowing softly whenever they caught the light of the setting sun. ¡°Keeps it clean,¡± Xorlosh explained as he leaned in closer, his lads a preening crowd of grinning faces behind him. ¡°Blood, sweat, nothing will stick. Most runes we use are centred around nullifying magical attacks but we could skip most of that part with you and your girl. We only added a few to ensure no mage could turn your armour into a golem or some such nasty nonsense while you¡¯re wearing it. Your blood didn¡¯t only bind the runes to you, it also imbued the entire amour with a fraction of your power. For as long as you¡¯re wearing it, it should be about as hard to spell as you are. Same goes for your lovely lass. Ain¡¯t much yah gotta worry about in that regard. Now, your friends also insisted on including some other¡­ let¡¯s say less than necessary, enchantments. It won¡¯t get overly cold or hot, we¡¯ve reduced the weight as much as possible, even encased a small fragment of a flying stone in every part. Now¡­ it¡¯s mostly there so you don¡¯t become encumbered while flying but you can also freeze it, which would make the weight skyrocket. As it is, the whole thing clocks in at around 8 kgs and it should have twenty. If you cool the stones down it can get up to over 200 kgs. Not sure how you can use it, but I guess if you have to stop an enraged bull or a carriage dead in its tracks it¡¯ll prove handy.¡± He didn¡¯t get further. I stored my armour in my stamp and threw my arms around his broad neck. Without a second thought I kissed his cheeks and stammered over his rising blush: ¡°thank you. Thank you so much. You¡¯ve no idea what this means to me, to us. Just¡­ thank you.¡± 325. Of plans, transformations and a little offer Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You don¡¯t have to invite us,¡± I complained, even though without much fire. Mostly I was just fed up with mooching off of others and now that I finally had the funds to pay my own bills I actually wanted to start doing so. ¡°I know I don¡¯t have to,¡± Serena retorted, ¡°but I want to. If it makes you feel any better, consider it me making amends for my behaviour and, trust me, since they didn¡¯t lose their cook, their cuisine can make up for pretty much anything.¡± I could hardly contradict her since I was still practically salivating from the hors d¡¯oeuvre we had been offered. Cold, tiny slices of meat and vegetables wrapped in a variety of fragrant doughs, served with at least three different sauces each, some of them spicy enough that Ahri had been the only one to truly enjoy them. She had made up for it, though, by practically licking the bowls clean. A slight exaggeration, for sure, but every plate had still been empty despite the kitchen¡¯s best efforts to have us filled up before the main course. In case you haven¡¯t figure it out, the ¡°Silver Swan¡± was still up and running and we had made it here without much trouble. The tavern hadn¡¯t gotten around a few¡­ small changes, though. The numerous guards at the entrance, for example, and the not so hidden daggers each and every single one of the waiters wore. Aside from those rather martial improvements it still looked the same, at least if Serena and Alassara were to be trusted. I had never before had the pleasure of visiting and consequentially could hardly draw a comparison, but the food was excellent and so was the wine. Best of all, it actually worked. I hadn¡¯t had any alcohol since my last transformation but as luck would have it, I could choose to disable my immunity to poison with the control I had gained. To be clear, I wasn¡¯t indulging, I still had a long night ahead of me, but a glass or two I could deal with. ¡°It surely can,¡± Alassara chimed in, swirling a dark, almost blood red liquid around in her glass, ¡°but I¡¯m still not completely sure why we¡¯re even here. Shouldn¡¯t we be in the Garden? It¡¯s past sundown and mostly everyone will have arrived by now. I think I even saw Arthur and a squadron of his soldiers on the way. As much as I enjoy spending time with you, is this really the moment?¡± Her eyes travelled along our illustrious group, catching on her daughter, who was whispering something in Reia¡¯s ear, skipping Serena and her sister to finally come to rest on Ahri and me. ¡°At leats the two of you should be there, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± I shook my head and took another sip from my own goblet. Berries, vanilla, cinnamon and just a hint of saddle leather. Pretty similar to an old Bordeaux I had once tasted, even though the bottle had probably only cost a measly fraction of what I had payed back then. Ahri took it upon herself to answer for the both of us, seeing as I was still occupied. ¡°An hour won¡¯t make much of a difference and Cassy and I¡­ we¡¯re not going to come with you, either way.¡± Eloquent and graceful, showcasing her years of experience, the vampire replied: ¡°Huh?¡± I had to swallow quickly, otherwise I might just have managed to flood the table with wine. Her round-eyed surprise was just a smidgen too much. Chuckling, I explained: ¡°long story short, it¡¯s not the best idea for us to be around when the town decides on what to do. Everything we¡¯d say would go unchallenged, most likely, which would probably result in resentment later on, and make the tasks at hand, especially when it comes to organising some form of leadership, much more difficult. You don¡¯t need us to figure out how you want to govern yourselves, do you? Besides, there are a few other matters we have to attend to. That¡¯s the main reason for this little get-together. I actually meant to wait until we had eaten but we can just as well get it over with now¡­¡± I didn¡¯t intend to pause but a waiter was approaching us and the scent of the girl accompanying him I would have recognised anywhere, even over the myriad of smells wafting from the kitchen. Making their way past the handful of occupied tables and the elaborate stage, where a quartet of musicians, probably the ones the late Captain had tried to entice us with, did their best to entertain a handful of people who had seen their city bleed and suffer, a stunningly beautiful girl in her teens drew the eyes of everyone in the room, the flood of silvery tails behind her swinging like a hypnotising pendulum. Admittedly, it had been worse when Ahri and I had arrived, but taking into account she was actually an adolescent, I still felt¡­ uneasy. Considering the looks of wonder, admiration and plain surprise, I hadn¡¯t been far off the mark when I had compared her to Frankenstein¡¯s monster. And she wasn¡¯t even trying, the wide, dark, comfortable clothes she wore were something I¡¯d have chosen myself and a far cry away from the gaudy getup I knew she was very much capable of putting together. Her long, silvery tresses were bundled together in a pony tail, that flowed past her lower back in a sparkling, silky wave and constituted the only piece of jewellery she actually wore. If my mom was in any way aware of the commotion she was causing, she didn¡¯t let it on, smiling brightly when she saw me staring. She waved and even winked, seemingly oblivious to the dropping jaws and moonstruck gazes she left in her wake. ¡°Would you mind if I joined,¡± she asked brightly, her voice¡­ almost identical to my own. For Christ¡¯s sake! If she could channel her powers like we could, she¡¯d be a queen again in no time. With a lopsided grin, ignoring the astonished expressions on Alassara¡¯s and Serena¡¯s faces, I replied: ¡°would it make a difference if I said no?¡± The waiter was already pulling up a chair for her and she settled down elegantly, her years in court clearly showing. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it would.¡± She tossed back her hair, her smile becoming even wider, and added: ¡°what do you think? I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever looked like this, but I must say I do like it. Thanks a lot, hon, I didn¡¯t know what to expect when I opened my eyes, but it wasn¡¯t¡­ this.¡± ¡°Neither did I, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡± Sighing, I continued while I got to my feet: ¡°everyone, I¡¯m glad to finally introduce you to my mother, Helena, a nine tailed fox by nature and apparently my next headache in the making by choice.¡± I glided over to her chair and hugged her tightly, whispering: ¡°It¡¯s good to see you on two legs again. How are you doing?¡± She shrugged and returned the embrace, breathing into my ear: ¡°Much better, I didn¡¯t know how much I missed my thumbs until I lost them. Thanks, Cassy. Even though¡­ shouldn¡¯t I be looking older than you? Was that on purpose?¡± ¡°No¡­ but you are a child, at least in this body. How do you think I felt, when I came to as a toddler with the experience and memories of a being, more ancient than this world? If you can¡¯t alter your age with your magic, you¡¯ll just have to suck it up. Can you?¡± ¡°No, I can only change¡­ my race, if you so will, but I always look like a youngling.¡± ¡°Race? Can you transform like Reia?¡± I felt her fluffy ears brush against my cheek. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°More or less. This body and the vixen you already know come pretty natural to me, for everything else I need time and quite a bit of energy. It works, though. I¡¯ve already turned into a pigeon, once, and there was a rather unappetising scene when I inadvertently became a newt. Don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°Whispering is rude,¡± my little sister protested. ¡°Especially if you¡¯re talking too quietly for me to listen in.¡± Despite her words she was grinning and quickly got up to join us. ¡°Welcome back¡­ mom,¡± she said and kissed her cheeks. Laughing at the two girls, who appeared around the same age, even though one was calling the other mom, I settled back down and reached for Ahri¡¯s hand. At least I hadn¡¯t fucked this up. More or less. ¡°Are the others awake as well,¡± I wanted to know. ¡°No, they¡¯re still out cold. Greta¡¯s with them. She reckons they¡¯ll need the night for their minds to get used to their new abilities. Apparently awakening your magic is quite taxing on the brain.¡± The waiter cleared his throat quietly, reminding me he was still there. ¡°Should I bring another set of cutlery,¡± he wanted to know. ¡°Please,¡± my mom immediately replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have the same as them, but no wine.¡± He bowed with a smile and scurried off, while the rest of our table was still entranced by her appearance. After a few moments Alassara finally brought herself to speak up: ¡°Allow me to congratulate you, you look absolutely stunning. I can¡¯t help but wonder, though, are you still mad at me? I¡¯ve never taken you lightly, but I have to admit, I wouldn¡¯t want someone who can probably persuade my own blood to turn against me to run around harbouring a grudge. We¡¯ve never really had a chance to make up and I¡¯d like to know where we actually stand.¡± My mother grinned, revealing, pointy, long canines. ¡°I¡¯ve cooled down considerably and you¡¯ve done more than enough to make up for your mistake, if you can even call it that. The Mask didn¡¯t act under your orders, did he? Back then¡­ I was distraught. I¡¯m not, not anymore. As far I¡¯m concerned, I¡¯d rather have you as a friend than anything else.¡± She extended her hand, her pleasure at the simple gesture radiating from her every pore. ¡°What do you say?¡± The vampire didn¡¯t think twice and when they shook I felt a sense of accomplishment I hadn¡¯t earned. Still, our family slowly making friends, becoming a part of this place, was reason enough to celebrate. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to enjoy even a single sip,¡± I muttered. ¡°If there¡¯s ever been a reason to touch glasses, you being finally able to hold one yourself again surely counts, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And the bottle would even be on the house,¡± a new voice interjected, as a well dressed, middle aged man stepped up to our table. His whole demeanour, not to mention the penguinesque ensemble of black and white he wore, just screamed management and if that hadn¡¯t been enough, the expensive bottle he cradle in his arms would have been a dead giveaway. So was the name tag. ¡°Lavian, head waiter,¡± it read in the Common Tongue. ¡°How ever did we earn such treatment,¡± Ahri asked cautiously, thinking along the same lines as me. Gifts usually came with the steepest price tag. ¡°Saving the city, granting us your patronage¡­ and possibly your protection,¡± he replied smoothly. With a flourishing gesture he filled a set of fresh glasses, one of his colleagues had brought, and even offered half a mouthful to the minors, who, after Alassara and I had nodded, promptly took the chance and after a split second¡¯s hesitation, so did my mom. While I raised the wine to my nose and savoured the heavy, aged smell, I realised that the tavern had emptied out, the guests probably heading to the gathering I had called for and intended to skip entirely. Only the staff and the minstrels remained, all of them trying their best and failing pitifully at listening in inconspicuously. ¡°Two of those have already happened, the third is still in the future,¡± Ahri continued, after she had raised her glass in thanks. ¡°Am I to assume this is a bribe?¡± ¡°That would be a grossly inadequate gesture. No, the wine is for what you¡¯ve done and I¡¯m here for what might yet happen. It shouldn¡¯t come as much of a surprise that the death of Lady Kirena has left us¡­ struggling like a fish on dry land. Half the staff hasn¡¯t turned up for work and those who have come can¡¯t help but wonder what¡¯s going to happen tomorrow or the day after. We were¡­ safe, more or less, but without her it¡¯s only a question of time until someone waltzes in here and claims this place as their own. If it was up to me, I¡¯d rather have one of you to answer to than an unpleasant, upstart mercenary who gropes the servers and tries to press as much coin out of this place as he possibly can before our reputation is entirely ruined. I know how busy you must be, especially tonight, but since you took the time to come here, I thought I¡¯d give it a try.¡± ¡°Are you speaking for everyone working here,¡± my mom interjected. He blinked, surprised at her authoritarian tone, which just didn¡¯t fit her youthful features. ¡°More or less. Kirena never had slaves working here, but, as I said, some of the girls and a handful of gardeners and waiters never showed up. The rest¡­ well, someone has to make decisions and I¡¯ve been working here for the longest, by far. We¡¯ve talked about this, though, when we saw you arrive. I¡­ would you mind if I spoke freely?¡± Serena, Alassara and I all shook our heads. ¡°This place¡­ it¡¯s a gold mine. Kirena has always done her best to prevent rumours from spreading but she was making more than fortune around here. As an example, the girls she had working the tables, if they knew what they were doing, would rake in about a gold in tips alone. Now, the business side of things we¡¯ve covered¡­ we might need to replace a few staff members but over all we can simply keep going. In case we don¡¯t run out of gold to buy ingredients and make repairs before the end of the month, that is. What we can¡¯t do ourselves is provide the necessary safety, for us as well as our customers. I mean, look at us. None of us has ever swung a weapon before, those daggers are just for show, and the few mercenaries we hired over night to guard the door are about as likely to rob us blind as they are to do what they¡¯ve been paid for. We need someone with enough power to discourage anyone from even trying, which brings us to why I¡¯m here. If one of you, anyone really, would allow us to use their name, most of our problems would simply vanish. I mean¡­ who¡¯d be dumb enough to challenge the Queen of the Night, the Golden Lady or the mages who kept us alive and breathing, despite the appearance of a devil?¡± ¡°More than you¡¯d think,¡± I retorted, but immediately added: ¡°but I know what you mean. As far as I¡¯m concerned you¡¯re very welcome to toss my name around. As long as you don¡¯t expect me to actually follow through, it won¡¯t even cost you.¡± As if on cue my mom cleared her throat and frowned, urging me to shut up wordlessly. Fine, whatever, she could just as well have her fun, but if she was going to negotiate, she¡¯d better make sure to provided what she¡¯d promise all by herself, because I wasn¡¯t going to waste my time playing the bouncer or backer for a tavern. ¡°What my dau¡­¡± she hesitated, the preposterous claim that I might be her kid withering in her throat when she saw the perplexed expression on dear Lavian¡¯s face. More neutrally she continued: ¡°what Cassandra is trying to say is, there¡¯s not much point in pretending, even though you¡¯re of course welcome to try. For your plan to have any chance of success someone would have to be here, from time to time, if only to keep up appearances. Now¡­ that might be possible, but it surely is time consuming and warrants a bit of¡­¡± ¡°And warrants a share is what you meant to say, isn¡¯t it,¡± he finished her sentence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, like I said, we¡¯ve talked about it when we saw your group enter. Kirena payed us wages, but we¡¯d rather not go back to how things have been. She¡¯s built this place up from the barren ground and has poured more gold into it than I can even imagine. It wouldn¡¯t be the same with you, but we¡¯d be prepared to part with a tenth of what we earn, excluding tips, of course.¡± I barely managed to suppress an appreciative whistle. If what he had said was true, that would still amount to a small fortune in no time. My mom, though, didn¡¯t share my views. ¡°Isn¡¯t half or a third customary,¡± she asked innocently, ignoring his questioning looks, thrown Alassara¡¯s and my way, when he realised that he was negotiating with a child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t intend to take as much, but two tenths don¡¯t seem overly greedy to me, especially since you apparently can¡¯t keep this place running smoothly without our help.¡± 326. Of negotiations, trails and a little bit of bears Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you get a room¡­ to talk numbers of course,¡± I remarked dryly. ¡°Why ever not,¡± my mom replied through a pronounced smirk. With a coquettish wink she added: ¡°I won¡¯t bite, unless you ask really nicely, that is.¡± Lavian¡¯s feature seemed to develop a life of their own, his lips trembling, his eyes quivering while a sheen of sweat began forming on his brow. The conversation wasn¡¯t going like he had imagined and I couldn¡¯t fault him there, not one bit. ¡°Are you¡­ serious,¡± he finally stammered, still unsure whether to address Alassara, Serena, Ahri, my mom or me. The resulting half-pirouette he performed to include us all was quite impressive. I shrugged and explained: ¡°I don¡¯t mind, she can look after herself and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out soon enough that underestimating her might just be the most idiotic mistake you could possible make. Still¡­ we actually have quite a few topics to address and I¡¯d rather not have your extended family listen in while we discuss them. Somehow I don¡¯t see that happening while you still have a stake in our conversation. Why don¡¯t you¡­ I¡¯m sure Helena would like to see the premises she¡¯s already negotiating for. If you show her around we¡¯ll be finished by the time you get back.¡± My mom was already halfway out of her chair, which didn¡¯t leave our waiter much of a choice, but she still said: ¡°I¡¯d love to. If you¡¯d be so kind, that is.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he mumbled, more of question than a statement really, seeing how he was still reeling, entirely overwhelmed by the whole, bizarre situation. Years of swallowing his own opinions and putting on a good face still made it possible for him to act professionally, even going so far as to offer his arm to my mother. She took it gracefully and allowed him to lead her away, winking at me over her shoulder as if to say: watch and learn. ¡°The poor man won¡¯t know what hit him,¡± Ahri whispered after them, shaking her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past her to return with the keys and a chest of gold on top of it.¡± ¡°Or an indenture of servitude for him and the next generations of his family,¡± I added while I had to suppress a shudder. Ages ago¡­ well, more like four weeks, I had unsettled Mephisto by making him imagine what kind of monster I might become, combining Lucifer¡¯s powers and my beauty. My mother might not have been as strong as me, nor did she look entirely like an immortal, but, from a mortal perspective, the difference was negligible and she, in contrast to myself, was calloused and self assured enough to to actually make use of her advantages. A grin spread across my face when I toyed with the idea of simply retiring. Tell her everything I knew, hand over my ring, add another few sparks of transcendent energy to her reservoirs and watch with a big, fat, happy smile while Michael¡¯s carefully laid out and immaculately prepared plans went up in smoke around her nine tails. What sobered me up quickly enough, though, was the fact that she would have actually been much more suited to the task, if I had been able to turn her into a real immortal. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t. That was a feat even I wasn¡¯t capable of¡­ yet. Call me conceited but with the way I was changing, was evolving, especially considering the crown I had suddenly manifested, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to rule out the possibility entirely. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t take it the wrong way, please,¡± Emilia asked hushed tones, ¡°but is there anyone¡­ normal in your family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that bad,¡± Reia immediately piped up. ¡°Give it time,¡± Ahri retorted. ¡°It¡¯s not even been a month since you found out who your family actually is and yet you¡¯ve already caused enough trouble to last several lifetimes. In a few years¡­ if you¡¯re not as much of a menace as Helena by the time you turn sixteen then I¡¯m a monkey¡¯s uncle.¡± My little sister frowned confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s a monkey?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t serious¡­ you are,¡± Emilia exclaimed. ¡°Have you never¡­ of course not. If you want me to, I¡¯ll show you. They¡¯re pretty cute and clever animals. The bigger ones are even common around here, even though they are very shy. Some walk on two feet, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the young vixen interrupted, ¡°I might have seen their tracks. You know, when you made me stumble through the jungle,¡± she added scathingly in my direction. ¡°There were paw prints near a spring I couldn¡¯t quite place. Pretty large and deep with five talon like claws.¡± ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound like a monkey at all,¡± I murmured, scarcely preventing myself from imagining what kind of creature she might have disturbed. And why the hells hadn¡¯t the elves told me? Hadn¡¯t they seen the imprints? ¡°Can you describe them? How large were they?¡± ¡°Like this,¡± she said and indicated a length of maybe 40 centimetres and a width of at least 15. Holy hells, had she stumbled across Bigfoot? ¡°And maybe 5-10 centimetres for the claws,¡± she added innocently, twirling her multicoloured tresses around her fingers. ¡°So that¡¯s no monkey?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s no monkey,¡± I echoed dully. ¡°That sounds more like a living nightmare. And it was walking on two legs?¡± She nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Pretty sure it was. There was also something like the trail of a¡­ sled, maybe, but I didn¡¯t have a look around. I was pretty exasperated by then.¡± ¡°Might have been for the best,¡± Alassara replied. ¡°I¡­ I have no clue what it could have been and considering how long I¡¯ve already lived here, that doesn¡¯t exactly instil trust, does it?¡± ¡°See? Enough trouble for a lifetime,¡± Ahri, who wasn¡¯t taking the whole incident overly seriously, quipped. ¡°At least you didn¡¯t start another fight with your human friend.¡± ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t? Maybe I buried him right there at the spring.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± I reprimanded her distractedly. Walking on two feet, large, a sled, claws¡­ some kind of beast kin? A race either sneaky or terrifying enough that nobody wanted to know, that nobody had found out or, at least, survived the tell the tale in all those years? Great¡­ ¡°That¡¯s what he said,¡± my little sister chuckled and I was perplexed enough at the approximation of an Earthly idiom to let it slide. The youth seriously was about the same, everywhere and always. ¡°Bears,¡± Emilia stated quietly and blinked in surprise when she suddenly became the centre of attention. ¡°I¡­ Serena, remember, a few weeks after we arrived, before we met Asra, I fell sick?¡± Her sister nodded slowly. ¡°It was bad, how could I forget? Right¡­ one day you suddenly became better. Am I finally about to find out why? Over a decade later?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A slight blush rose to Emilia¡¯s cheeks but she met her sister¡¯s gaze evenly. ¡°More or less. Truth be told, I¡­ I ran away while you were out, scraping together a few coins. I thought¡­ you know, if I could just find some food¡­,¡± when Serena was on the verge of interrupting, her jaws tense, Emilia took her hand and placated her with a smile. ¡°No need to yell at me now. I was a feverish child who didn¡¯t want to cause even more trouble for her hero. Anyways, remember where we lived? That run down hovel close to the outskirts? It wasn¡¯t far to the edge of the woods. I got there without any incidents, but¡­ I was shivering and sweating at the same time, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. My limbs felt leaden but I couldn¡¯t very well turn around. If Serena kept on spending everything she earned on useless potions and meals for me, she too would soon fall ill and then¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to think about what would happen to us and the more desperate she became¡­ last night, when I had pretended to be asleep, she had prayed at my side. Her voice had cracked towards the end and she had feverishly promised to keep me alive, whatever the cost. I hadn¡¯t been entirely sure what she had meant, but when I had seen her cry silently, I had become scared. The suffocating dreams that had followed had been enough. I had always loved the woods and I knew my way around nature. There was a huge jungle, directly in front of our door, and I¡¯d put it to good use. A handful of berries, maybe some roots and we¡¯d be set for at least a few days. I didn¡¯t know why, but the natives rarely went there, almost as if they were afraid of what they might find but I was well past the point of caring by now. Like a wraith I made my way through the winding streets, stumbling and panting. The few people who actually stopped in their tracks, eyed me with a mixture of pity and disgust. I hadn¡¯t bathed in a week and only the gods knew how I must have looked or smelled, but none even offered so much as a mouthful of water. Even if I had collapsed, they¡¯d simply have gone on with their lives, the weak girl forgotten as soon as they¡¯d have turned a corner. I gritted my teeth and tottered on until the last houses disappeared and the cool shadow of the trees lured me closer. As soon as the miasma of the town laid behind me I felt better. Clean air, the song of birds and the rustling of leaves in the canopy made me relax and even though I couldn¡¯t smell a thing with my clogged up nose, I could still remember and imagine while I finally made my way through the first brushes and in between the towering, ancient, green giants. For a second I closed my eyes, allowing the soft earth underneath my boots and the soothing shade to invigorate my exhausted mind, but however long I stood there, I was still sick and my body felt more like a prison with every passing second. I¡¯d have to rest soon and I at least wanted to look for a spring or something edible before I had to sit down. Determined but weak I squared my soldiers and tried to listen, hoping to hear the gurgling of a hidden stream or the voices of a few animals, quarrelling over berries or nuts, but this close to the edge of the jungle I could only hear the birds above. Cursing under my breath in a way that would have made Serena wash out my mouth I continued on, stubbornly ignoring the rising fatigue in my legs until, from one step to next, I simply couldn¡¯t anymore. I hadn¡¯t gotten far, maybe a few hundred steps, but suddenly I felt like I had hit a brick wall. The tide was surging in my ears and the world spun around me. Before I knew what had happened I fell, scratching my cheek on the hard bark of a trees. My heart fluttered and at the very edge of my consciousness I realised that I had probably reached the end of the line. Chances were I wasn¡¯t going to get up anymore. Unfortunately I was much too exhausted for even the ice cold panic to penetrate the veil of lethargy and pain and I simply closed my eyes, my last thoughts directed at my sister. She would grieve and she¡¯d miss me, but ultimately she¡¯d be better off without a useless child to look after. And who knew, with a little luck, I might even see her again. It¡¯d hopefully take years, but I¡¯d wait for her, for as long as it was going to take. A small smile tugged on the corners of my mouth and then darkness came. When I opened my eyes again I felt much better than I had any right to, the shivers were gone and I was warm, my belly full and the thrumming ache in my limbs a distant memory. Surprised and giddy I tried to get up but the small movement was still too much and, my head spinning, I slumped back down on the heavy, woollen blanket I had been resting under. It took me a second to blink away my tears and get used to the bright, greenish light, permeating the clearing I was in, but I didn¡¯t have the time to fully understand where I was. A deep, grating hum made me look around and the very next moment I froze, my elation forgotten. A giant, no, a monster, was making its lumbering way towards me, its massive paws cradling a wooden bowl close to its chest. The thing was enormous, at least 2 and half meters tall with limbs as thick as tree trunks and claws that could have pierced armour with a single swing. It walked on two broad, stubby legs, each one as wide as I was tall, and was covered in a fluffy, soft, greyish green fur. Its arms were quite long and ended in dexterous fingers, each adorned with another intimidating claw. Its head was large with two small, quivering ears on top and almost human features except for the tusk like canines, jutting from its narrow mouth. When it saw me stare it paused and scratched its behind, hidden underneath coarse, short leather pants, the only garments it wore, in an almost embarrassed gesture. ¡°You¡­awake,¡± it said haltingly in a broken Trader¡¯s Tongue, its, or rather his, voice a deep, surprisingly soft bass. ¡°Good. Moha was¡­ worried.¡± Moha, maybe, raised the bowl, his ears twitching like crazy and added: ¡°Rest. Eat. Better soon. Sickness gone but still¡­ weak. Need time and food. Honey and nuts and herbs make you¡­ healthy, strong. Water there.¡± He pointed at a large sled close by, laden with furs, pottery, dried herbs and blankets, I had completely overlooked. ¡°Can Moha¡­ come closer. No bite. Moha big but friendly.¡± He emphasised his words with a, what I assumed to be, ingratiating smile, but the gesture lost some of its appeal, considering it revealed teeth easily able to grind smaller stones to dust. ¡°I¡­¡± didn¡¯t really manage to think clearly and nodded when I realise that the words just wouldn¡¯t come. A stubby, wagging tail came into view when he turned around on the spot, almost like an excited dog and lowered himself down on four paws. With astounding speed he cavorted closer, the bowl precariously held between his fangs. Once he reached me he¡­ spat into the thick, golden brown broth within and mixed it around with one of his claws. ¡°Eat,¡± he urged, entirely oblivious to the disgusted look that must have already spread across my face. ¡°Back up when the sun¡­ sets. Moha promises. Baramune¡­ medicine good for everyone.¡± He brought the bowl close to my lips and as soon as the enticing smell of nuts, honey, rosemary and thyme hit me, I reflexively opened my mouth. Without a second thought he gently fed me, his spade like hands supporting my head when my muscles tired. ¡°Good,¡± he mumbled when I had almost finished. ¡°Now drink and sleep, Moha¡­ watches. You safe here. No predators come close to Moha. Moha strong.¡± His blackish lips twisted into something like a grin and he even flexed his arms, the bulging muscles easily as large as my head. ¡°No worry. When sun sets Moha will bring you to¡­ the place without trees.¡± With an almost elegant movement he tucked me in and reached for his sled, producing a small earthen container. ¡°Drink all, then close eyes.¡± I was well past the point of amazement by now and simply did as he had told me. The water tasted spicy, almost tangy, as if the essence of a myriad of herbs was contained within, but I just couldn¡¯t smell a thing, even though my nose wasn¡¯t as clogged anymore. When I sniffed the air, I could only sense a faint hint of something musky, probably his fur. ¡°Thank you,¡± was all I managed before I gulped down the few mouthfuls. My eyes immediately became heavy and while a dreamless slumber was already claiming me I heard him rumble: ¡°No thanks. You ill, Moha helps. That¡¯s how it¡¯s¡­supposed to be.¡± When I woke for the second time it had gotten considerably colder but a small fire was burning close by merrily, warming my face. My hairy, oversized saviour was cooking some kind of meat on a stick but immediately turned around when I moved. He smiled in his slightly terrifying way and asked: ¡°better? Can return home?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± hesitantly I tried to stretch but I didn¡¯t feel sick or even weak anymore, in fact I felt better than I could even remember. ¡°Very much. Thank you again. I think you saved my life.¡± ¡°That I did, but no thanks. Only¡­ don¡¯t tell people about Moha. Shouldn¡¯t¡­ interact with humans. Great Mother has¡­ forbidden. Moha carry you back to human people, now. You no walk, yet.¡± 327. Of races, connections and a little bit of Latin Cassandra Pendragon Unbelievable. Of all the races¡­ if I had been able to close my eyes and wish upon a star, the ursine, as I had come to know them, would have been pretty high up on the list of people I wanted to meet again. Now, I don¡¯t mean to bore you but it¡¯s as good a time as any to add a little context and explain why I was so interested in that particular race. Life is¡­ complex, sometimes irrational, always surprising, but evolution is actually a thing, which means adaption often produces similar traits in similar circumstances. Basically, when it¡¯s got fangs and claws, you can¡¯t expect it to eat veggies. Straightforward enough but it has some surprisingly far reaching consequences, especially when it comes to beast kin. Culture, heritage, education, they play a dominant role in what and who we are, my own people, for example, were superficially much closer to city dwelling humans than they were to Ahri¡¯s tribe, who still lived in a small, much more archaic community. Still, at the heart of the matter there were so many similarities between us, our magic, our looks, our age, that the values we had developed were almost identical. The same held true for elves, dwarfs, giants, dragons¡­ you name it. I¡¯m not saying nature trumps nurture but we don¡¯t exist in a bubble and nature influences nurture. A simple example: dragons, on whichever world you came in contact with them, were pretty much always the same. Hardly surprising, an apex predator remained an apex predator, which means most of their culture was centred around personal growth and commitments. The naming ceremony I planned to attend for Viyara was unique in its own way but a rite of passage that added value and weight to one¡¯s promises wasn¡¯t. To cut a long story short, the ursine were strong enough to be gentle. They always had been. The first time I had come in contact with them, or rather, the first time I remembered, had been on a core world, a world even closer to the river of souls than Gaya was. The magical traditions there had been superb, energy a more than abundant commodity, which had elevated the people to a point where some of them even considered themselves immortals, only because they had been cultivating their strength for a few measly millennia, but I digress. For me it had been mostly fun and games, a world where I had been able to¡­ mingle more freely. Plus, the expression most of the ancient masters had made, whenever they had realised that their accumulated power amounted to naught when it came to actual immortality had always been hilarious. Just imagine a mortal, who had lived for thousands of years, who had been able to alter the world with a simple gesture, coming face to face with an angel who could disperse their essence, their might, with nothing but a whispered command. Like I said, fun times. For one reason or the other they had never managed to leave their planet, probably because there had been no reason to. Resources hadn¡¯t been limited or even scarce, even sub realms had existed in abundance, so why bother? Anyways, during my travels I had stumbled across a tribe of ursine, living peacefully and hidden in the mountains. Some of them had been older, which meant more powerful as they had had more time to amass their stores of energy, than even the strongest human but still they hadn¡¯t intervened, they had never tried to conquer or even trade. They had simply lived and helped out, whenever a wary or hurt traveler had come across them. Aeons later, when I had met the first ursine on a space station, several hundred thousands of parsecs away, he had been¡­ almost the same. Gargantuan, gentle and without a care in the world. Being able to punch through the shields of a fully functioning cruiser barehanded had its advantages. To close the circle, Xorlosh and I myself had been pretty insistent that heroism and mercy need a colossal amount of firepower to back them up, otherwise it¡¯s mere stupidity, and the ursine had always had those in abundance. Which means I had come to know them as laidback, forgiving and kind and I was prepared to bet that the ones around here wouldn¡¯t turn out it be even a iota different. Only the remark about their Great Mother ordering them to stay away from humans had rubbed me the wrong way. That was¡­ strange. In all honesty, I wouldn¡¯t have expected them to even care. An arcane colossus with their strength simply shouldn¡¯t be threatened by short lived species. And ursine¡­ they tended to become old, in a way where even I would have called their elders¡­ decently mature. The oldest one I remembered had seen the better part of several millennia, when last I had met her, and the old girl might have still been up and kicking. Now, to finally get back on track, Emilia¡¯s story had made me curious in ways only Ahri could understand. Aurora had never been as involved with the mortal races as I had been, but she had known a few ursine herself and from the look on Ahri¡¯s face, she was thinking along the same lines as me. Unfortunately, as curious as we were, now wasn¡¯t the time to indulge¡­ unless: ¡°I want to meet them,¡± Reia blurted out as soon as Emilia had closed her mouth. With pleading eyes she turned to me and immediately added: ¡°they can¡¯t be too bad, can they?¡± I sighed. ¡°Probably not¡­ not from what we¡¯ve heard, but¡­ have you considered what it might mean that the people of Free Land steer clear of the jungle? And then there¡¯s also the bit about their ¡°Great Mother¡±¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be so sure if I was you, especially since each and everyone of them could probably swallow you whole.¡± I turned to the Brightblaze sisters and asked: ¡°is it still like that? Do the people still avoid the jungle?¡± ¡°Whenever they can,¡± Serena replied. ¡°We always need wood, but it¡¯s only cut near the very edge and nobody goes hunting, as far as I know. Now that you mention it, I¡¯ve always wondered why, but after a while you simply accept it.¡± Come to think of it, I had also asked myself, when we had first arrived, why the people remained cooped up here, even though they had a veritable paradise just outside their doors. ¡°Hunters don¡¯t return,¡± Alassara explained quietly. ¡°It has always been like this. I¡¯ve never particularly cared, we need different¡­ sustenance, after all, but even in the very beginning, the few groups who tried to explore the jungle never came back and after a while nobody wanted to try anymore. I just can¡¯t bring myself to see a connection, though. If the¡­ what did they call themselves? Baramunes? Killed the hunters, why would one of them save a sick child?¡± ¡°Because she was a sick child,¡± I mumbled. ¡°He said so himself. That¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be. Doesn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t turn a group of armed men into a bloody smear on the ground.¡± I whistled softly. ¡°How I¡¯d love to go¡­,¡± from the corner of my eye I saw Reia fidgeting and immediately added: ¡°no. Not without me. And that¡¯s not up for discussion. When¡­ if you enter that jungle it will be with Ahri and me or not at all.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That might take ages,¡± she complained, ¡°and you said so yourself. They don¡¯t hurt children. Why would they? Also¡­ I could have a look around as a squirrel or a pigeon, they¡¯ll never even know.¡± ¡°And neither will you, because you¡¯re not going to try.¡± I was quite proud of myself that I still sounded calm, but this was a point I had to drive home. I didn¡¯t know anything at all about the bear kin on this world, I hadn¡¯t even heard of them before today, but if they were in anyway similar to the ones I knew, trying to meet them was only marginally better than walking into a dragon¡¯s den only because the dragon in question was said to be benign. Might be true, but it could still eat you as an appetiser in case you rubbed it the wrong way. ¡°I mean it, Reia. I forbid you to enter the jungle without Ahri or me.¡± As stilted as it might have sounded, the thrum of eternity in my voice made her realise just how serious I was. Not to mention that it was a direct order she wouldn¡¯t be able to disobey. Yeah, sure, hypocrite and all that, but I wouldn¡¯t allow her to get hurt when I wasn¡¯t around to make sure she¡¯d come out the other side in one piece. ¡°Spoilsport,¡± she uttered under her breath but still inclined her head. ¡°Fine. So we¡¯re just going to ignore the neighbours?¡± ¡°What else is there,¡± Alassara asked. ¡°They¡¯ve probably been around for ages, they¡¯re not going to suddenly disappear or become involved. I wouldn¡¯t poke the bear, quite literally. Once everything¡¯s settled down we can still decide whether or no to go looking for them. Honestly, I don¡¯t see the appeal, though. Live and let live¡­ we¡¯ve got more than enough problems already.¡± ¡°Quite so,¡± I agreed, ¡°which brings us back to what we actually have to do. Even as we speak most of the town is gathering in the Garden and with a little luck there¡¯ll be a structure that will allow us to pull in the same direction, come midnight. After this afternoon¡¯s spectacle I¡¯m decently sure the slaves, at the very least, won¡¯t pose any more problems, but¡­ I¡¯m also convinced the attempted attack won¡¯t be the last, unless we put an end to the backyard machinations that have ailed this place for far too long.¡± ¡°And how do you intend to achieve as much,¡± Serena asked doubtfully. ¡°You might have the power but the problem with conspiracies is¡­ that they¡¯re hidden. You won¡¯t know where to strike until you¡¯ve got a knife in your back, already.¡± ¡°True, if you assume innocence until proven guilty. I¡¯m a firm believer, no, I actually know that that¡¯s the way to go, but I¡¯m also fed up with feeling threatened in my own goddamned home. Tonight, Ahri and I are going to visit each and everyone of them in their houses, while they¡¯re surrounded by their families, the things they hold dear, and we¡¯ll make sure they understand a simple fact.¡± My eyes glowed and my crown slithered into existence. ¡°They aren¡¯t safe, they aren¡¯t hidden. We know their names, we know their faces and they will comply, they will participate like everybody else or, by the gods, we will erase them from existence.¡± ¡°How do you know,¡± Emilia, whispered, her eyes wide and glued to harsh light dancing around me. ¡°How do you know whom to threaten?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where we need your help, yours and that of a wily merchant by the name of Rachmahn al¡¯Khassim.¡± She seemed lost but a spark of recognition ignited in her sister¡¯s gaze. ¡°The father and son you talked to,¡± she mumbled reverently. ¡°It was them, wasn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t believe it, no, I actually can.¡± ¡°It sure sounds like you know him,¡± I commented. ¡°Care to share?¡± She tilted her head and frowned. ¡°There isn¡¯t much I can tell you that¡¯s more than rumours and speculation but I¡¯ve indeed heard the name before. Asra,¡± a deadly chill crept into her voice when she spat out the name, ¡°mentioned him a few times, mostly when he was seriously pissed. Let me think¡­ as far as I remember Rachmahn¡­ isolated him. Whenever he tried to get his dirty hands on something outside of Free Land he was already too late. Either the people knew of him and didn¡¯t even give him the time of day or the goods he was after had already been sold. To me it was just a chance to see him squirm and I¡¯ve never bothered with finding out more. I mean, I¡¯m not a merchant and it was simply a delightful sight to see him fail, over and over again.¡± She shrugged helplessly. ¡°Sure, it would have been interesting to know, we might even have worked together, but I had¡­ still have my own problems. My people¡­ you¡¯ve met them. Cosying up to someone of a different faith, a different culture, wouldn¡¯t have gone over smoothly. I never thought it¡¯d be worth it. Maybe I¡¯ve been wrong.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied slowly. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have worked with you, either way. Too many restrictions, too many convictions¡­ at least I can now understand why he¡¯s been so confident. He¡¯s living here but his¡­ business surely covers a few more islands. I¡¯d just like to know where he¡¯s keeping a small fleet of airships. A day isn¡¯t too long¡­ are there any islands close by with cities large enough to hide¡­ oh, let¡¯s say a dozen ships?¡± ¡°A dozen¡­,¡± Alassara stammered. ¡°What did he promise you?¡± ¡°5 ships, equipment for 100 people and a list of anyone in Free Land who stills has some power left. The latter I¡¯d love to go over with the two of you. In case he missed something or at least to make sure he isn¡¯t sending me after his own enemies. I¡¯m pretty sure he isn¡¯t that stupid, but better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to worry, much,¡± Serena explained. ¡°As much as I despised him, I still learned a thing or two from Asra. The word of a merchant is his bond, anything else would be bad for business. Us Captains never cared much about our reputation but for a merchant it¡¯s tantamount to keep it intact, especially if he¡¯s trying to deal with several different parties. It¡¯s not about trust, per se, but¡­ Pacta sunt servanda, Asra often said. It means¡­¡± ¡°Treaties have to be honoured,¡± I translated, my eyes going wide. Latin, it had taken me far too long to realise but why the hells was Latin a thing on Gaya? It wasn¡¯t only the idiom she had used, even most spell forms, at least the ones I had heard others scream, had been Latin. How? Why? Most importantly¡­ did it matter? ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± Ahri asked quietly. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not too far from the truth. Think. Pacta sunt servanda¡­ why do you know what it means?¡± ¡°Because¡­ oh. Shit. But¡­ how, why?¡± She was echoing my own thoughts to the T and probably meant it as a rhetorical question, but I still answered. ¡°Beats me. Also¡­ why haven¡¯t we realised earlier?¡± ¡°Realised what,¡± Reia interjected exasperatedly. ¡°Do you know how irritating it is to listen to you two when I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the language, it¡¯s not from here. Incidentally¡­ it¡¯s the same one my name originates from. Not Cassandra, but Lucifer. It¡¯s from a different world, a different time maybe. Why is it used around here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably our fault,¡± my mother explained, while she silently walked up to our table again and shooed her dejected looking companion away. She smirked slightly at my dumbfounded expression but quickly continued when she saw sparks, manifesting along my tails. ¡°I¡­ no one has told you yet, but our family¡­ when Sera appeared, the Broken Wheel revealed a bit of our past. An infuriatingly incomplete bit, but still¡­ look, does the name Ancalagon ring a bell?¡± I nodded, my surprise turning into disbelieve and anxiety. ¡°We¡¯re¡­,¡± she fell silent but I immediately felt her mind push against mine. Apparently she wasn¡¯t willing to voice her thoughts out loud and once I had seen the memory she shared with Ahri and me I could understand why. I slumped back in my chair, my head spinning. Holy hells! All thoughts of merchants, politics and the future forgotten, I tried to make some sense of a simple fact: the creature I was still carrying around with me in my core was the daughter of our progenitor. Pendragon indeed¡­ and I couldn¡¯t even refute the claims, it just made too much damned sense. No wonder dragons and kitsune were using Latin spell forms¡­ Ancalagon¡¯s child had probably taught them, all those years ago. 328. Of protections, truths and a little bit of succession Cassandra Pendragon Now, you might be wondering how he could have known Latin, considering Earth was just a burning piece of rock when he had been around, but¡­ this part of the story I knew myself. It shouldn¡¯t come as much of a surprise by now, that a battle, involving immortals and their creations, wasn¡¯t necessarily tied to a single time. Time travel was possible. Sure, it was convoluted, risky, almost impossible and more often than not deadly, but still possible. Otherwise Ancalagon¡¯s descendants wouldn¡¯t even have made it here, considering Gaya hadn¡¯t even existed, back then. No wonder we had thought them dead, the future was a terrific place to hide, it seemed. A few hazy memories resurfaced. Reality torn asunder, the future and the past bleeding through wounds defying description, the desperate struggle of a lost, forgotten people, finally crumbling before the wrath of immortals. In their darkest hour they had fled, seeking refuge behind the walls of a cosmos that was trembling in the vice of transcendent forces. To Earth they had run, whether by chance or design, and there they had lived for a few, peaceful years until they had been yanked back callously, angels and demons unwilling to give up their most precious toys. And now, I also remembered what I had done to keep them safe. Not only had I made our siblings forget, even though I still didn¡¯t know how, I had also closed the veil, once the Aretes and the Pendragons had been sent to Gaya. I had used my own power to strengthen the flimsy membrane around their destination, guaranteeing that each and every one of my brethren, even if they should somehow regain the knowledge, would find nothing but ravenous flames waiting for them. Which begged another question¡­ I had never quite understood why Amazeroth had tied his wards to Gaya¡¯s weave. I mean, superficially it might seem like he didn¡¯t want me to use my transcendent abilities to put an end to the whole farce he had meticulously constructed but the risk wasn¡¯t worth it, for should they fall, we would all burn. But what if Gaya herself was already saturated with a presence that allowed her to withstand an immortal attack? What if he had made use of my own spells, spells I had cast aeons ago, and had used them to guarantee his wards wouldn¡¯t falter? What if¡­ he was the only one, aside from Ahri, who could manipulate my powers, channeling them into a much more complex, much more hermetic protection than I had ever managed? On the one hand it felt¡­ comforting. I had come to trust in my abilities quite a bit and the idea that it was my own strength that kept us safe was, even though it might sound conceited, reassuring. On the other, it meant that I was somehow tied to Amazeroth much more intimately than I had expected and that didn¡¯t sit well with me. Plus it also meant that I had to be extremely careful. If I was right, my own spells, my own intent, might leech the energy from the wards much more easily than I had thought. It wasn¡¯t about manipulating the weave on a global scale, the problem was my will, spreading through Gaya and attracting the motes of my energy Amazeroth had used to facilitate out protection. If my conjectures were right, that is. ¡°I fear they are,¡± Ahri¡¯s thoughts interrupted mine. ¡°I¡¯ve listened¡­ it just fits, doesn¡¯t it? And it¡¯s also the kind of ironic circle Amazeroth loves. You, creating a barrier in the past that would keep you safe in the future. I¡¯m¡­ pretty sure you¡¯re right and I¡¯m also wondering if he had already seen it all, back then. If he had known, long before the war tore our world apart.¡± I groaned, which made the whole table flinch. When I blinked in surprise, I realised that my wings had manifested and my crown had appeared, framing me in silver and blue, my figure and my face hidden behind a veil of eternal light. The minstrels and servers has taken refuge behind the counter, eyeing me fearfully from behind their oaken bastion. At least they hadn¡¯t fled, yet. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled embarrassedly and released the tide I felt rising in my chest. I really had to be more careful, especially now that I knew what was at stake. Again, we might just as well have been wrong, but the longer I thought about it, the less likely it seemed. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Was it something I showed you,¡± my mom asked hesitantly. ¡°Not¡­ directly. Rather what it might mean.¡± ¡°Want to share with us,¡± my sister inquired nonchalantly, the only one entirely unfazed by my reaction. I sighed. ¡°Yes¡­ and no.¡± I raised my head and caught their eyes, one after the other. ¡°There¡¯s been much going on of which you know very little, if anything at all. For Ahri and me, as cruel as it might sound, the squabbles with Amon, the brewing war to the north¡­ it¡¯s all just a¡­ journey, but not the destination.¡± I chuckled coldly. ¡°At the end of the road a conflict is waiting for us, the shadows it casts through time enough to make our world tremble and despair. Do you really want to know? There¡­ might be no turning back. Eventually, if we don¡¯t fuck, life on Gaya will resume, we will be gone and this whole nightmare will be a legend of the past, the story of how two immortals woke and grew up. Knowledge is dangerous and what I¡¯m referring to might be deadly. If you know who and what we are¡­ I fear it might be like opening a door and I won¡¯t be able to slam it shut again.¡± ¡°Honey,¡± my mother quietly said, her solemn gaze conveying that she wasn¡¯t taking what I had said lightly, ¡°I fear it¡¯s already too late for that. I¡­ I think I know more than you imagine. I can even prove it to you, or how else do you think I¡¯d know the following: we¡¯re already well past the point of no return, simply because we love you. That¡¯s something even immortals don¡¯t understand, is it, or why else would you need to take in a mortal soul to grow¡­ stronger?¡± I gasped like a fish on dry land and Ahri didn¡¯t fare much better, but she, at least, managed to press out: ¡°How? When?¡± My mom shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a transcendent hybrid who¡¯s been linked to your minds more than once. I¡¯ve seen more than you obviously expected me to. I¡¯ve never made a fuss because I didn¡¯t see the point but ever since my daughter called me back from death I¡¯ve known where this journey ends and I¡¯m not going to leave my child. It¡¯s as simple as that. Love, be it the one you share, or the love of a mother for her daughter, it turns you into a reckless fool but it also allows you to survive when you really shouldn¡¯t have. All of us are living proof of that. I can¡¯t speak for the others but I¡¯d really like to finally hear your story.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead already, anyways,¡± Alassara added. ¡°But,¡± she turned to Layla, a sad, almost melancholic smile playing around the corners of her mouth, ¡°I¡¯m not going to order you to leave, I¡¯d like you to, though. They¡¯re your¡­ friends, even more so than mine, but I still think you shouldn¡¯t yet make a decision that might impact the rest of your life.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°I want to know,¡± the girl whispered. ¡°They¡¯re more than friends to me. Cassy¡­ you came for me, you saved me from the darkness. Even if I can¡¯t do the same, I¡¯ll still try.¡± Despite myself I felt a genuine smile spread across my features, even though my eyes were stinging. She couldn¡¯t really know what she was talking about, but that made her words all the more precious, at least to me. I had always had a soft spot for children and that was the reason why. To them, the world was much less complex, the pitfalls of right and wrong, strength and weakness, much less relevant than the simplicity of friendship and care. Another irony of the world that we were born with a deep understanding of what truly mattered until it became buried underneath experience and rationality. Afterwards we had to struggle all our life to regain it. Age and youth truly were very similar, but not in a derogative way. It was us, stuck in the middle, who should actually aspire to learn, either from the grace of our childhood or the unbound wisdom of our elders. ¡°I know,¡± I replied, my voice only a little hoarse but I wasn¡¯t fooling anyone, at least if the emphatic sheen in Ahri¡¯s and my mom¡¯s eyes was any indication. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not going to exclude you either, but your mom is right. Do you really want to¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She pointed at Reia, who was looking entirely unconcerned. ¡°She¡¯s not even bothering with a reply because all of you already know what she¡¯s going to say and that¡¯s despite, or maybe because of, everything she¡¯s already lived through. I¡­ we might be young, but we¡¯re no strangers to pain or hardship. We know what we¡¯re bargaining for. I haven¡¯t forgotten what Amon has done and I understand that it¡¯s probably going to become much worse, once your¡­ other family finds us, but I don¡¯t care. And neither does she. I¡¯ll always prefer a world filled with demons to a world without angels.¡± I was already halfway out of my chair to hug her but my little sister beat me to the punch. Her arms and tails wrapped around the small vampire she looked directly at me as if to say: didn¡¯t I tell you? A smile turned into a self depreciating grin while I focused on the Brightblaze sisters. ¡°And what about you,¡± I wanted to know. ¡°Now that I¡¯m going to retire I wouldn¡¯t mind another adventure,¡± Serena immediately retorted, ¡°and Emilia has been clamouring about the two of you ever since she met you. I assume you¡¯d have to knock her down to get her out of this room now.¡± The girl in question nodded enthusiastically, apparently satisfied that the gesture had conveyed everything there was to say. With another sigh I leaned back and twirled the obsidian ring around my finger until I finally took it off and placed it on the table. Their eyes went wide and my mom even breathed: ¡°where did that come from?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story. Where to begin¡­¡± ¡°When I killed you, probably,¡± Ahri interjected quietly, the simple statement travelling along our group in a series of shocked, incredulous expressions, my mom being the exception. ¡°Hmm, as good a time as any. Years ago, around 30, I think, I died¡­ killed by own flesh and blood. My brother pulled the strings. He¡¯s a¡­ his name is Michael and he makes Amon look like an indecisive toddler throwing a tantrum. Back then¡­¡± and so I began to explain. It didn¡¯t even take too long, even though there was quite a bit to tell. By now I had rehashed my past often enough to turn the meandering, convoluted story into a rather concise report. Of course I didn¡¯t share every detail, first of all I still had things to do tonight and I also wasn¡¯t very keen on divulging the aspects I myself was still struggling with. Who I actually was, for example, and the rather ominous connection I shared with Amazeroth, provided the epiphany I had had a minute ago wasn¡¯t a mere fantasy. While I was talking, Ahri, who already knew the whole conundrum as well as I did, got up and gently but resolutely prevented our hosts and the musicians from edging ever closer. As far as I could tell she didn¡¯t scare them overly much but I also couldn¡¯t spare the concentration to listen in. In the end, I saw her ushering most of them out the door, probably to have them join the rest of Free Land in the Garden, with the exception of the outspoken head waiter, Lavian. He was busying himself behind the bar, preparing a handful of goblets, the contents of which smelled strongly enough of alcohol and lichee juice to make me wrinkle my nose. Still, judging from the incredulous, amazed and sometimes terrified expression around me, the strong beverage was exactly what my audience would need to digest my tale. A true pity I had already had two glasses of wine. I wouldn¡¯t be able to properly try the concoction without getting tipsy. I was still very much a lightweight without my magic. When I had finally closed my mouth, Ahri sashayed back over to us, her newly acquired, faithful friend trotting after her like a dog on a leash, or maybe that was just me. On second thought he seemed less like an eager puppy and more like an intimidate human. Surprising, really, how those two things could come across as about the same. I just managed to catch myself before I drifted off onto another ludicrous rant about human nature and put my ring back on. The damned thing looked exactly the same, even though it felt slightly heavier, now that I had just gone over parts of its rather bloody history. How many had died, had fallen, in the pursuit of an object I wore as jewellery? The thought was disturbing and I had to suppress a shudder when the cold, unyielding metal touched my skin. ¡°So,¡± I added with a lopsided smile, while Ahri settled down at my side and Lavian distributed his liquid presents, ¡°still convinced you¡¯re better off knowing what we are?¡± ¡°I never thought so,¡± Alassara said distractedly, when nobody else spoke up. She raised her goblet in a salute and continued: ¡°but I¡¯m still glad you told us. Bits and pieces I had already figured out, but¡­¡± A pinched smile spread across her face. ¡°I might have been a tad more careful manipulating you, if I had known that you had your whole race banding together to get rid of you. Honestly, I¡¯m terrified, but I also feel blessed, considering whom I¡¯m talking to.¡± ¡°And we treated you like an animal,¡± Serena mumbled. She had turned the palest of them all. ¡°I¡­ why didn¡¯t you just¡­ end us?¡± I chuckled ruefully. ¡°I never would have but the main reason why I didn¡¯t even care much is your sister. You owe her quite a bit. If she hadn¡¯t been there, I might have left you to die in the streets. Well¡­ probably not, but I¡¯d have been a lot more bitchy afterwards and the two idiots who insulted my brother and me might have suffered a tad more. Incidentally, how are they doing? Do they still see themselves as god¡¯s gift to mankind?¡± Despite her pallor she managed to grin. ¡°Not my problem, anymore,¡± she replied with a sidelong glance at her sister, ¡°why don¡¯t you ask her?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve actually walked away, just like that,¡± I asked incredulously. I knew she had planned to and she had even said something along those lines before but I had never imagined that she¡¯d throw her sister into the deep end form one day to the next. ¡°More or less. We¡¯re¡­ if you include the church we¡¯re around 300 people. That¡¯s enough to give anyone a headache, but Emilia has been my right hand for the last years and everybody knows her. They even like her, at least more so than me. But I guess she can tell you herself how it¡¯s been going.¡± The younger Brightblaze was still lost in her thoughts but when Serena gently touched her arm, she jerked back to reality. ¡°Right. For now it¡¯s not even that much of a change. I¡­ there aren¡¯t that many priests among us and the ones who died in the ritual plus the ones you killed has robbed us of about two thirds. I¡¯m mainly trying to put out fires and reign those back in who are clamouring for revenge, even though they don¡¯t know against whom. That¡¯s something I¡¯d have done anyways. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed but my sister isn¡¯t the best when it comes to¡­ let¡¯s call it diplomacy,¡± she explained with a brave attempt at sounding jovial. Unfortunately her voice was shaking ever so slightly and she just couldn¡¯t keep her eyes away from Ahri and me. ¡°In a way it¡¯s a stroke of luck. I didn¡¯t have to explain much up until now and when this whole nightmare is dealt with, I can¡¯t imagine that I¡¯ll have to. People are weird like that, but once they¡¯ve gotten used to taking orders, they mostly don¡¯t question why anymore.¡± 329. Of closeness, relationships and a little bit of family Viyara Nameless ¡°A day, two at the most,¡± Ignus¡¯ voice rumbled through my thoughts like an avalanche. ¡°They¡¯re already on their way and they can travel fast.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± and then it clicked. Of course the damned scale was more than just a device to communicate. ¡°Have you been spying on me?¡± I tried to sound indignant but I didn¡¯t believe I actually managed to pull it off. For one it was pretty difficult to hide the rush of contentment, surging through me every time I moved and felt Aurelia¡¯s warm skin brush against mine, and two, dragons were control freaks. My father would have done much more and I could hardly fault my gramps for keeping an eye, or rather a scale, on me. Especially after he had already confessed how invested he was in my decisions. ¡°Course I have. Doesn¡¯t really work when you¡¯re close to your guardian angel, even her aura is starting to suppress magic around her, but when you¡¯re¡­ say more than a few hundred metres away, I have a pretty good idea of what¡¯s going on around you. Also¡­ don¡¯t moan. You¡¯re going to like them. They¡¯re both young, not even three centuries old, and unbound. Who knows, maybe you¡¯re even going to fawn over them, once you¡¯ll have gotten to know them better.¡± His presence wavered when he tried to make sense of the blurry stream of impressions, meandering through my mind, and sighed. ¡°Or not. You really have a thing for different species, don¡¯t you?¡± Aurelia and I were cozied up in the tree, Anna and Faelan still sleeping the sleep of the just on a neighbouring branch, but the little wooden alcove we were in we had all to ourselves. Consequentially we weren¡¯t exactly dressed for a formal occasion. I¡¯m not going to indulge you with a detailed description but I am going to say that the vampire really was breathtaking, with or without her gowns. I made sure Aurelia wasn¡¯t listening in, but her eyes were still closed, her breathing deep and regular, before I replied: ¡°just one, I think. Somehow I¡¯m drawn to immortals like a moth to the flame. Hardly surprising, is it? I¡¯m becoming more like them with every passing day.¡± I caught a glimpse of him spreading his wings, a sure sign that he wasn¡¯t enamoured with the topic at hand. Despite his age, the colourful menagerie of angels and demons I was surrounded by gave him the creeps and I wasn¡¯t shy to rub his snout in it, every once in a while. He could use the reminder that he wasn¡¯t the only one whom I could turn to in a pinch. Not even the most scary one. ¡°Be that as it may,¡± he barked in a brave attempt to cover up his unease, ¡°Narros and Quenda have left the north a day ago. I reckon they¡¯ll be knocking on your door tomorrow or the day after. I told them to disguise themselves once they¡¯re close. They¡¯ll probably arrive during the night and take on a human skin. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not going to fool your friends but they won¡¯t be recognised by anyone else. Maybe another dragon but since there are none in Free Land¡­¡± ¡°Right, about that¡­¡± he groaned exasperatedly but didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°See, I¡¯ve met Cassy¡¯s grandmother. I think you might have heard of her. Does the name Sera ring a bell? Gargantuan, sleek, golden, close to twice your size with a pretty nasty temper when it comes to protecting the kitsune? She might have killed an ancient Red and Blue a few years ago. A decade or two, I¡¯d say¡­¡± ¡°By all the flames in all the hells,¡± he finally erupted. ¡°Of course I know of her. There aren¡¯t many places where our people don¡¯t dare venture and her little island is one of them. Are you honestly telling me that flying menace is a transformed kitsune and¡­ living with you?¡± ¡°Yes and no¡­ rather the kitsune you¡¯ve met are younger, smaller version of that flying menace. The legends about the Pendragons¡­ I know them to be true. I¡¯ve speculated and so have you, but by now I¡¯m certain. Also, she¡¯s pretty tame, once you get to know her.¡± ¡°Do you mean to tell me that I¡¯ve insulted our gods damned queen,¡± he mumbled and I could practically feel the shudders racing along his tail. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure there, I just can bring myself to see Sera as the head of the Pendragon family, but¡­ wait. Insulted? What did you do?¡± He was probably coiling in around himself if the hazy echoes of his emotions were any indication. ¡°Nothing much. I¡­ look, I tried to court her, decades ago. It didn¡¯t exactly go as planned and she may have chased me off, quite literally. I wasn¡¯t the only one, though,¡± he quickly explained defensively. ¡°A golden dragoness the size of a small island with enough magic to raise one from the depths of the ocean, all by herself? Yes, I tried my luck and I might have been¡­ a little too insistent.¡± Almost as an afterthought he added: ¡°did she mention me?¡± I snorted loudly, which made Aurelia complain softly in her sleep. I ran my fingers through her silky mane and she immediately settled down again, snuggling up against my stomach. ¡°No, no she hasn¡¯t. And that might just be a stroke of luck. If she had, it wouldn¡¯t have been a warm, glowing reminiscence about the dashing dragon she met, once upon a time. Truth be told, I don¡¯t think she likes us much. She¡­ I should probably tell you the whole story, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my place. Do you want me to ask her?¡± ¡°By the eternal flame, no,¡± he immediately snapped. ¡°We¡¯ll meet sooner or later, anyways. No need to rouse the sleeping dragoness, is there. Still¡­ maybe you should talk to her, at the very least about the two younglings I¡¯ve sent. It wouldn¡¯t do if she was to see them the first time and immediately rip their heads off. Come to think of it¡­ maybe I should call them back. As far as they know they¡¯re to keep an eye on my granddaughter. I haven¡¯t told them anything about the Pendragons or the immortals you associate with. But then again, knowing them, they¡¯d have wanted to go even more. I don¡¯t see Cassandra or Ahri killing them before they¡¯ve had a chance to explain but Sera is another matter. If she thinks they¡¯re there for her, she might just burn them to hell and back and deal with the fallout later.¡± Now it was my time to shiver, the image of the towering, golden serpent, tearing off wings and feasting on my kin¡¯s flesh, a nightmare I could too easily see becoming real. ¡°You¡¯re right, but you haven¡¯t told me much except for their names. What can I expect?¡± ¡°Young dragons¡­ which come to think of it might not have been the stroke of genius inspiration I thought it was. Quenda and Narros are siblings from the same clutch. They¡¯re Silvers and I know their mother pretty well. A few decades back, when they attended their Naming, I helped them out. Their¡­ I guess the term bastard would be a suitable one here, but it doesn¡¯t have the same meaning for us. Depending on the circumstances it¡¯s not that unusual for a dragoness to sent the sire packing after they mated, but it also means the clutch can only count upon their mother¡¯s influence. Nytha¡­¡± he sighed deeply. ¡°She¡¯s small. Clever and cunning but still small. That might not sound bad, but it is. Our strength, arcane and mundane is determined by our size and a few other things. Simply put your carbuncle stores your energy but your body provides it and the smaller it is, the less it can generate. Sure, what you call your own, your hoard, your influence, your family, it all bolsters your strength, quite literally, but a dragon who¡¯s smaller will always be at a disadvantage. One of the reason why golden dragons are usually unopposed. We grow faster than almost every other race, but I digress. Nytha didn¡¯t have the standing nor the power to provide her clutch with the opportunities she wanted them to have, so I helped out. Consequentially they owe me and I thought this might be a good chance for them to get rid off the mark and grow at the same time. I mean, you¡¯ve turned into a Crystalline barely an hour after you met Cassandra. Just being close to two angels might give them the boost they need.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°That¡¯s interesting and explains a lot, but what I actually meant is: who are they,¡± I interrupted impatiently, the lecture on draconic society entirely lost on me. They weren¡¯t my people anymore. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ arrogant, boastful, think they¡¯re on top of the world, confrontative, but they¡¯re also kind, curious, interested in different races and determined to make their name grow and finally start amassing a hoard. In short, they¡¯re young and not that different from kitsune or human adolescents. Still, since they¡¯re about 25 metres long, their tantrums tend to be on the more serious side.¡± ¡°And you thought it a good idea to send them here?¡± My thoughts were brimming with incredulity. He was right, the angels wouldn¡¯t harm them, but the the others? My mind immediately conjured up a scene where the two newcomers became enamoured with Xorlosh¡¯s baubles and tried to help themselves to some dwarven possessions. Never mind Sera, they¡¯d end up as a bed rug or a new drum, if they rubbed the dwarfs the wrong way. ¡°I might have suffered from a lapse of judgement there,¡± he admitted embarrassedly. ¡°Like I said, maybe I should try to call them back but I doubt they¡¯ll listen. Curious, remember?¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± I groaned. ¡°So, basically, instead of help you¡¯ve sent me two troublemakers I have to keep in line?¡± His thoughts were racing and even though I couldn¡¯t follow, I realised that he had known all of this beforehand, except for Sera, but had still decided that the risks were worth it. ¡°Worth what, exactly,¡± I asked scathingly. ¡°Viyara¡­ I¡¯ve talked to quite a few of our people in recent days. Once you reveal yourself you¡¯ll need more than strength, you¡¯ll need allies, draconic allies. Those two¡­ they can become valuable, to you, to your angels and to your cause. They¡¯re¡­ well liked among the younger generation and they¡¯re already taller than their mother. Sure, they might become a headache but I think they¡¯ll also make up for it in the long run. Just¡­ give them a chance, will you?¡± ¡°And by giving them a chance you mean I should make sure they survive the first week?¡± ¡°More or less. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re dumb enough to challenge Cassandra, Ahri or Sera but¡­¡± ¡°I see. Great. Why would they even listen to me? In their eyes I must be a toddler, a small toddler with a running nose. What am I even supposed to do? Ask nicely?¡± ¡°Show them they¡¯re wrong,¡± he replied, more of a question than an answer, really. ¡°If all else fails¡­ show them what you are or ask your angels. I¡¯m sure they can scare them straight.¡± As if. Once you got to know them, they were about as threatening as a friendly uncle with a bad temper. I could only hope it¡¯d take the dragons longer to realise than it would take them to make a mess. ¡°You still have me,¡± Aurelia whispered throatily, her voice vibrating against my skin, sending goosebumps down my spine. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with lizards before, as Sarai¡¯s pet. If push comes to shove I know what I have to say and I can also put on a show. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Since when have you been listening in,¡± I asked, looking down to see her smouldering eyes staring at me. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t been asleep in the first place, but I didn¡¯t want to get up. It¡¯s been¡­ I can¡¯t even remember the last time I was this comfortable. Maybe I never was.¡± Every time she made a nonchalant comment about her scarring past I wasn¡¯t quite sure if I should hug her or abuse Sarai in every language I knew. This time I opted for a chaste kiss which of course prompted my grandfather to comment. ¡°Could you at least introduce us before I¡¯m forced to listen to this?¡± A few weeks ago I might have been embarrassed but now I could only take it as a compliment. Aurelia apparently shared my view, since she immediately used our connection to insert herself into the conversation: ¡°Is that really necessary,¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few stories about you already and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already picked everything essential from Viyara¡¯s mind. Still, it¡¯s a pleasure to, well, not meet you, but at least talk to you directly. My name is Aurelia, I¡¯m an ancient vampire who¡¯s spent most of her life on a leash, held by an angel, and now I¡¯m one of your granddaughter¡¯s friends.¡± ¡°A bit more than a friend,¡± I added, smiling, and kissed the top of her head again. ¡°Thanks for clarifying,¡± Ignus grunted, ¡°I¡¯d never have guessed. The pleasure is all mine. When I first got a glimpse of what you are, I have to admit, I thought you¡¯d be much less¡­¡± ¡°Cuddly,¡± Aurelia interrupted jokingly. ¡°Civilised, but it might come down to the same thing. I¡¯m glad Viyara has found someone she can¡¯t trust, she can rely on, even though I can¡¯t say I¡¯m thrilled that she¡¯s apparently surrounded by living legends on all sides.¡± ¡°That ship has probably sailed when I became one myself,¡± I mumbled, half in jest and half seriously. ¡°Immortals are walking among us¡­ again, from everything I¡¯ve heard. We can¡¯t resist them either way, we have to adapt and play the hand we¡¯ve been dealt, otherwise we won¡¯t survive. I know that¡¯s a hard pill to swallow for our¡­ for your people, but there really isn¡¯t much leeway.¡± I felt him bristle when I referred to dragons as his people but he didn¡¯t contradict me. ¡°Which reminds me, how¡¯s it going on your end? You mentioned before that you¡¯ve talked to some dragons but you didn¡¯t go into detail.¡± He sighed and I again received an image of him fanning out his wings. ¡°There isn¡¯t that much to tell, yet. We¡¯re¡­ time has a different meaning for us than it does for the short lived races. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to kick in the door and spill the beans right from the start, but there are hopeful signs. For one, your exploits haven¡¯t gone unnoticed. A few days ago someone, I assume it was Cassandra, released a spell that covered a good chunk of the surrounding islands. It was strong enough that even the dragons, holed up in their hoards, felt it. It got them curious, especially the older ones who were able to gauge the power behind it.¡± My stomach tightened up, a cold wave of anxiety rushing through me. If they were curious, they¡¯d come looking, wouldn¡¯t they? ¡°No need to fret. The ones who realised aren¡¯t stupid enough to volunteer their wings for a clipping and come snooping around but their curiosity is something I can use. At the very least it makes them listen. Still, once you get to meet them, you¡¯ll have to live up to their expectations.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that,¡± Aurelia wanted to know. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be enough for Cassandra to acknowledge her?¡± ¡°If Viyara was just another dragon, probably. But she isn¡¯t. Look, from their¡­ from our point of view, she¡¯s a treasure, a treasure that has been stolen from us. Once the two of you, or the two angels you travel with, have proven what you are, it won¡¯t matter too much. Nobody is going to risk incurring your or their wrath easily, but that¡¯s not what you want, is it? You want them to help, to help protect a continent that¡¯s much too large for you to be everywhere at once. For that¡­ you¡¯ll have to show them that you still care about your people¡­ no, that¡¯s not it, you¡¯ll have to show them that they stand to gain something from siding with you. Your allure might be enough but for that to happen they¡¯ll have to see your worth. That¡¯s easier said than done, but I think you¡¯re doing good. That Sera has suddenly appeared out of the blue and apparently shares the blood of the family you intend to join doesn¡¯t hurt, either. When the time comes¡­¡± he paused, his thoughts racing. ¡°Maybe I should hear the whole story, after all. Is she close by?¡± 330. Of magic, changes and a little bit of loyalty Erya of the Silent Glade Drenched in sweat I opened my eyes, my heart hammering in my chest. The last echos of a nightmare, filled with angels and demons, still held me in their clutches until the soft breath of my granddaughter chased them away like the sun banished the darkness. Disoriented and shivering I sat up, the soft grass and the smells of herbs, cherries and life something real I could cling on to. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± a melodious voice complained. I knew that voice but for the moment I couldn¡¯t place it. Every time I tried to remember a towering, foreboding figure with wings of steel rose form the depths of my mind and I recoiled. ¡°Who¡­what,¡± I stammered, blinking in the dim, flickering light. A cavern, I was in a living cavern underneath a tree and that voice¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Cassy has scrambled your brains. That¡¯d be a nuisance.¡± Long, slender legs came into view, covered by a threadbare robe of an ugly brown. Slowly I raised my gaze, past a slim waist and an ample bosom until it came to rest on burning, violet eyes that twinkled with mockery and just a hint of concern. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it, though. How are you feeling, Erya?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± and suddenly it all came back in a rush. The last weeks, Greta, Morgan¡¯s transformation and my promise. I jolted upright, reaching for my granddaughter¡¯s arm but she was only asleep, a serene smile tugging on the corners of her mouth while she snuggled deeper into the translucent wings she rested on. I released the breath I hadn¡¯t realised I had been holding but before I could do more than caress her soft, vibrant skin, the old dryad continued: ¡°If you¡¯re strong enough to fuss over her, you must be alright.¡± She shuffled closer, her eyes covered in a haze of magic. ¡°Gods damned immortals,¡± she cursed a heartbeat later, ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing. What has the girl done to you, I wonder. No matter. Are you well enough to talk? I¡¯ll get you something to drink. You¡¯ve been out of it for hours, you must be thirsty.¡± Now that she mentioned it, I truly was. And famished like I hadn¡¯t eaten in years, even though fey didn¡¯t really need sustenance. ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it, that¡¯s an exception because I promised to look after the lot of you. Next time, you can get your own bloody drink.¡± I could barely hear her last words over the soothing song of dripping water and the creaking of living wood, since she had already marched past eerily glowing plants and shimmering veins of rock, seemingly growing from the roots of the gargantuan cherry tree. Close to the sparkling pond she lowered herself to the ground and conjured an earthen goblet from thin air, which she filled to the brink. Barely a handful of seconds later she was at my side again and pressed it onto me. ¡°Drink,¡± she ordered. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better and afterwards we can talk. I have a few questions and I¡¯m sure you have even more. To get the most important bits out of the way: your kid is fine, exhausted and knocked out from the sheer amount of magic in her system but she¡¯s perfectly healthy. Same as the others. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯d ever get the chance to say it but our angel didn¡¯t mess it up, at least not this time.¡± She blabbered on but I was only listening halfheartedly while I gulped down mouthful after mouthful. The liquid looked like softly scintillating water but it tasted different, almost like something to eat. Nourishing and invigorating at the same time and I could practically feel my strength return with every passing moment. When I had emptied the goblet I put it down gently and grinned lopsidedly. ¡°You were saying?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Your magic. Does it work? Do you feel any pain when you reach for it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know yet, but,¡± I began while I already marshalled my will to conjure a small flame into my hand. It worked. Sort of. With a few minor setbacks. One, it wasn¡¯t a small flame but rather a glaring fireball the size of me, two, it wasn¡¯t orange or even red but a bright silver, and lastly it didn¡¯t radiate heat but a chilling cold that seemed to actively suck the life out of its surroundings. The smaller plants close by withered away within a heartbeat and with a curse I released the spell. ¡°I guess it does,¡± I finished my sentence haltingly. ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Greta mumbled, staring at the now empty space where my magic had reigned. ¡°Did you mean to do that?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t even know what ¡°that¡± was.¡± ¡°A primordial flame, I think. Hot enough that it transcends the meaning of heat. Oh, crap, or rather congratulations. It surely seems like your new mistress has taken your oath to heart and rewarded you for it. You magic hasn¡¯t changed, it has evolved. If I¡¯m not mistaken you carry your own transcendent spark by now, or at least can access Cassy¡¯s stores. Try something else. Something you¡¯re good at.¡± She was trying to sound unconcerned but she was nervous, I could smell it. I, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t. I knew where it had come from and that was good enough for me. While my grin widened I reached for the plants around us, trying to make them grow, carefully avoiding the roots and parts of the tree Greta was bound to. There was no resistance and before I knew it, a stalk of feverfew bloomed into a bush, at least as tall as the dryad herself. Its leafs rustled without a breeze and shimmered silvery in the dim light. A strong, almost overbearing smell wafted through the cavern and with a ominous creaking sound its roots dug deeper into the earth while the trunk quivered and widened. My jaw dropped to the ground and with a yelp I released my magic, staring at the glowing herb suspiciously. ¡°By the Great Fox,¡± Greta breathed. ¡°That¡¯s impressive, if I do say so myself. Was it taxing?¡± I shook my head. I had barely used any energy and the tiny bit I had channelled had already refilled. ¡°Not at all. I could probably do this all day.¡± Laughing softly, I added: ¡°would you look at that. Here I was, thinking I¡¯d do something for her for a change and that¡¯s how it turned out? By the gods, by now I¡¯m quite glad she didn¡¯t accept my offer when first we met. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have survived.¡± The dryad was studying the newest anomaly in her kingdom with professional interest, even plucking a leaf and grinding it between her fingers. ¡°What was that,¡± she asked distractedly. ¡°The first bargain Cassy ever struck with me. I actually asked for her first night but she shot me down. I¡¯m pretty glad she has, don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be here otherwise.¡± ¡°I can tell you for a fact you wouldn¡¯t be. I don¡¯t even think you¡¯d survive her touch. Not like that, at least, and not while she¡¯s still struggling with her powers. Take it from someone who¡¯s lived with them when they were fully grown. Some things are just not meant to be and some mistakes you can only make once.¡± A decidedly impish grin spread across her face as she tilted her head and studied me form underneath her bangs. ¡°Just between the two of us, are you still trying to get in her pants, or rather theirs? Can¡¯t have one without the other.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°After that little revelation I¡¯m not so sure anymore but on the whole¡­ yes. Not right now, but if there¡¯s a chance somewhere down the line¡­ wouldn¡¯t you? I mean they could reignite the loins of an eunuch, couldn¡¯t they?¡± She shuddered visibly. ¡°They raised me. Maybe they wore different faces but it¡¯s still them. Even the thought is¡­ odd. Didn¡¯t they tell you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Half veiled innuendoes but nothing explicit. It¡¯s enough to figure out you¡¯ve known them in their last life and taught Cassy in this one. Enough to trust you with my granddaughter¡¯s life and mine. How far I¡¯ve come,¡± I added laconically while I was already returning to Morgan¡¯s side. I lowered myself to the ground and took her warm hand into mine. The steady heartbeat I felt through her skin calmed me down and I asked contently: ¡°Do you think her magic will be like mine?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know what yours is like. Keep in mind I¡¯m guessing as much as you are, but probably¡­ maybe even worse. There¡¯s a connection between Cassy and you and it flared to life when she accepted your oath. With them she took it a few steps further. Just¡­ I¡¯m not so sure if her subconsciousness might have provided more than her conscious will. We won¡¯t know either way until they wake up. Shouldn¡¯t take too long now, a few hours. But I fear you won¡¯t be able to stand here in silent, useless vigil.¡± With an almost regretful expression she finally tore herself away from her newest toy and continued: ¡°the world hasn¡¯t stood still while you were sleeping. There¡¯s much to do and I dare say we need your help.¡± With a nasty chuckle she added: ¡°the best part, you don¡¯t even have much of a choice, anymore. Cassy points and you march, that¡¯s what you signed up for, isn¡¯t it?¡± If she had been trying to provoke me, she¡¯d have failed miserably but I was pretty convinced she was simply direct and honest to a fault. With not much of a filter in between her brain and mouth. A bit like me, really, as I went on to prove immediately after: ¡°That¡¯s not much of a change, for none of us, is it? From what I¡¯ve heard you sacrificed yourself for her willingly and without a second thought. If one of us has been whipped, I¡¯d be you, my dear.¡± She grumbled something unintelligible under her breath before she replied: ¡°Be that as it may, the two of us have work to do. The targets of your unbound lust¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s less lust and more curiosity, maybe a bit of both, but do go on,¡± I interjected innocently. She glowered at me darkly but chose to ignore my quip. ¡°Of your base aspirations then, they have been busy. Look, they¡¯ve decided to¡­¡± in the next few minutes she gave me a surprisingly detailed report of what I had missed. ¡°So for tonight it¡¯s all hands on deck, trying to keep a city filled with curious, egoistic and scared humans from turning a peaceful gathering into a massacre. Viyara and Aurelia I¡¯ve already thrown out of bed and Sera is already out and about. Between them, the dwarfs, you and me we should be able to manage, even without our immortals and Helena. Alassara will probably return in time, she¡¯s got a profound interest in the decisions made tonight.¡± ¡°And Cassy and Ahri don¡¯t? They are going to live here as well, aren¡¯t they, and anything anyone comes up with will be worth the dirt under their boots if they disagree.¡± ¡°True, but¡­ they won¡¯t. Unless it¡¯s about legalising the slave trade again or sacrificing a few souls the angels won¡¯t interfere. They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯ve decided to take a step back. They won¡¯t play by other¡¯s rules, any rules, really, anyway, so why bother?¡± ¡°And since they¡¯ll be the ones to drag the reluctant reprobates from their beds, it¡¯ll seem like they¡¯re handing over the reigns while they actually become the glue that holds everything together, the presence behind the throne,¡± I mused. ¡°Was it on purpose?¡± Greta tilted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. For Cassy it¡¯s mainly about returning to the shadows where she can act as she sees fit. The rest is just a bonus. Ahri might have understood the implications but she doesn¡¯t really care, either.¡± ¡°Why are we even bothering with this charade at all, then? Wouldn¡¯t it be much simpler to let dice fall as they will and cut off a head or two whenever it becomes necessary?¡± ¡°For now? Sure. For the next couple of years? Probably not. It¡¯s a balancing act between what has to be done and what could maybe still come to be. In the end¡­ I think it¡¯s about Amon. I don¡¯t know how much you have heard but I¡¯ve been privy to a conversation Ahri and Cassy had with the Broken Wheel, you know, the stunted god who has caused you quite a bit of grief. Reia wasn¡¯t around back then, but when Cassandra made my seed bloom, I caught glimpses of what I had missed. Anyways, as it stands, the Emperor seems to be manipulating the beliefs, or rather the dreams and aspirations of the people. To continue down a path of violence and duress would only serve to open the door for him. I¡­¡± she massaged the bridge of her nose, bringing order to her thoughts. ¡°Look, my roots are slowly spreading through the island and I¡¯m pretty sure I can tell when someone uses magic to influence what¡¯s happening around here, but I¡¯m not sure I could detect the echos of dark whispers, implanted to poison minds. For that, the people themselves need to understand, need to know that they shouldn¡¯t listen, which means they have to willingly protect the city they¡¯re living in and that¡¯s only going to happen if they truly think it¡¯s their own home to begin with. Otherwise their desires are just¡­ seeds that can be coaxed into sprouting deadly flowers.¡± I took a moment to digest what she had said while I busied myself with gently running my fingers over Morgan¡¯s wings. They felt almost ethereal but even the surreal softness wasn¡¯t enough to chase away the gnawing anxiety in the pit of my stomach. ¡°Let me get this straight. Amon can manipulate any and everyone through their dreams?¡± ¡°More or less. Most people don¡¯t really listen to what they hear in the cold hours when the night is darkest, but if it¡¯s a repeated message which might just align with what they already believe? That¡¯s different. If they already see their home as a corrupt place where the strong prey upon the weak, it won¡¯t be too difficult to simply¡­ stoke the fires until they find the courage to act where they would otherwise have suffered in silence. If they feel protected and appreciated they¡¯ll simply forget his message as soon as they wake up. Just imagine what it would take to make you turn against Cassandra in comparison to picking up arms against¡­ say someone who¡¯s threatened your family. The former is barely perceivable while the latter could be accomplished easily.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean we have to keep them unconditionally happy until this war ends?¡± ¡°No. Happiness and loyalty are by no means the same thing and also¡­ Amon isn¡¯t the only one who can play this game. For now, there is no patron who can keep watch over their dreams but I imagine that¡¯s going to change. The Broken Wheel and Captain Nightshade haven¡¯t been idle for the last day, either. They¡­ nobody will be able to change what this city is over night, but given a bit of time, a fair, equal society and a functioning church¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s going to rob Amon of his influence quickly enough.¡± I had nodded along. ¡°One step at a time. But isn¡¯t he going to thwart us every chance he gets?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s what makes it interesting but I¡¯m pretty sure we have a bit of time. For now, he¡¯s probably busy trying to open a portal back to his homeland and won¡¯t bother with any veiled machinations. Once it¡¯s established, though¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll not only strike with the forces he can muster but also try to sow chaos, fear and doubts in our ranks. If we aren¡¯t able to defend what¡¯s ours by then, we¡¯ll be in for one hell of a fight and I know what that means. I have been there, once. To hell, that is.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself, I had to chuckle, even though the prospect was far from heartwarming. ¡°You¡¯ve been to hell? How come?¡± ¡°An object lesson. If you think Cassy has a bit of a temper you should have met her a few hundred years ago. Let¡¯s just say¡­ there wouldn¡¯t have been a war, nor would you have had to deal with any of it. The moment you would have tried to bargain with Lucifer he would have wrung you dry and taken what he needed. Provided he¡¯d even have been there. I¡¯m pretty sure he would have tried to fly across the ocean the very moment he¡¯d have regained his wings, the consequences be damned. At least she isn¡¯t that stubborn anymore.¡± 331. Of memories, demands and a little bit of frustration Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have it. It¡¯s only our family left, which crazy idea have you been hatching?¡± The door creaked on its hinges and Emilia¡¯s farewell had barely faded away when I broke my sister¡¯s concentration, causing her to cough over the last morsels of shaved ice and tropical fruits she had been devouring for the last 15 minutes. ¡°You said you had something to tell us. Go on.¡± Eyes steaming she regretfully pushed the empty bowl away and took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s about the future, my future,¡± she finally began, fidgeting like a nervous schoolgirl on her first day. Oh boy. That couldn¡¯t be good. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ before I make a fool of myself, could you answer one question?¡± I shared a look with Ahri and my mom before I nodded hesitantly. ¡°You won¡¯t be staying here for long, will you? Not here as in Free Land but here as in on Gaya.¡± ¡°Depends on what you mean by long, but probably not, at least not for centuries, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± She nodded slowly, as if she had been expecting my answer. ¡°Thought so. And when you leave, you¡¯ll be headed for a confrontation with your¡­ other family, right? A fight where none of us can actually help you. I¡¯ll just come out and say it, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to yell at me regardless¡­ you¡¯re trying to groom me for when you¡¯re gone, right?¡± My mom blinked in surprise but didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°That¡¯s not going to work, because one way or the other, I¡¯ll be coming with you. Bottom line, you can either waste your energy on trying to dissuade me, pointlessly, I might add, or we can start figuring out how I can become strong enough to actually be of some help. That¡¯s it. Now, the faster we get your futile temper tantrums out of the way, the faster we can do something productive, because on this I won¡¯t budge.¡± Dumbfounded wasn¡¯t even close to how I felt. I was entirely taken off guard and when I opened my mouth I could only gasp like a fish on dry land. Ahri didn¡¯t fare any better. Reia wasn¡¯t asking, she wasn¡¯t even begging. She was telling. Stunned into silence I apathetically reached for the parchment Serena and Alassara had used to scribble down every influential family they had been able to come up with before it went up in flames. The sparks, dancing along Ahri¡¯s fingers, were a sure sign that it wouldn¡¯t have taken long otherwise. ¡°Come again,¡± my fianc¨¦e finally stuttered, her lustrous mane glowing with crimson embers. ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated,¡± the little devil explained nonchalantly. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get rid of me, not now, not ever. I¡¯m not delirious, I know what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m pretty much asking you to turn me into an immortal myself and there shouldn¡¯t be a way¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t,¡± I muttered. ¡°There isn¡¯t one. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for being blunt but do you have any idea what I did when I transformed mother? You can¡¯t even begin to fathom what it took and she¡¯s nothing more than a¡­ vessel for my own powers. Honestly, she¡¯s probably leagues beyond any other mortal creature but that¡¯s still a pittance compared to what she¡¯s lacking when measured up against a real immortal. Reia¡­ we¡¯re barren and there¡¯s a good reason for it. There are only so many of us and it can¡¯t be changed.¡± ¡°Really,¡± she asked innocently. ¡°What about the ones you¡¯ve killed? Or better yet¡­ the ones you¡¯re still carrying around with you?¡± Gradually my confusion turned into annoyance. First off, how did she know and second¡­ what was she referring to? ¡°By the Great Fox,¡± I erupted, ¡°what are you even¡­¡± She smiled sagely, her eyes travelling from my face to my ring and then to Ahri¡¯s¡­ chest? No, she was staring at her very centre, at her core. ¡°I,¡± she began hesitantly, her voice shaking for the first time. ¡°I¡¯ve had a¡­ dream? No, rather a vision? Something in between. This morning, when Ahri threw me out the door and you¡­ whatever happened to you, I¡­ heard whispers. At first I thought it was just an echo of the voices down below but they called my name¡­¡± ¡°And you followed, didn¡¯t you,¡± I interrupted scathingly. Apparently curiosity was as likely to kill the fox as it was to kill the cat. She only shrugged. ¡°Of course. The whole damned tree is a part of Greta, isn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t think anything bad could happen. Until I stood at the door that leads to the roots. I felt a¡­ presence seeping through the wood, blocking out everything else.¡± Ahri groaned and mumbled: ¡°And you went right ahead and opened the door. Shouldn¡¯t it be locked for anyone but Cassy?¡± ¡°Probably but I was invited so I simply passed through. I don¡¯t think¡­ I know I didn¡¯t arrive where I was supposed to. There was¡­ nothing, actually, a foggy, hazy void, filled with¡­ ideas, concepts.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I think I was in someone else¡¯s mind or maybe memories. Someone old¡­ as old as you Cassy.¡± The way she said it made me shiver. ¡°There was¡­ too much, I couldn¡¯t¡­ I feared¡­ but just when my head felt like it was about to explode I was back, my hand still pressed against the door. Truthfully¡­ I think I saw something that was meant for you, Cassy, and I¡¯m sorry. There was so much in there but I can¡¯t remember, it even hurts to try. Except for one thing. I saw a¡­ sigil, a rune, more complex and powerful than anything I¡¯ve even ever heard of. I think that¡¯s why I can remember¡­ it¡¯s strong enough to persist when everything else just wanes and I know what it does. It¡­ cleanses, it purges.¡± She closed her eyes, a solitary tear running down her cheek but before I could reach out to her she continued in a rush: ¡°It removes the past, the present and the future of any immortal and you, Ahri, have it engraved on your core. Just like you, Cassy, hold the corrupted essence of a fallen angel in your hand. Don¡¯t ask me how I know,¡± I didn¡¯t have to, I had a pretty good idea of who was pulling the strings here, even though I was prepared to bet that Amazeroth hadn¡¯t banked on my little sister disrupting his schemes. That¡­ message had probably been meant for me but somehow, maybe because we were related, she had managed to trigger it. ¡°But¡­ you can use the sigil to purify and bind¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± I immediately growled. ¡°Stop right there. I know where you¡¯re going with this and it¡¯s not going to happen. You have no idea what you¡¯re asking. Reia, even if, and I¡¯m not so sure that¡¯s the case, everything you¡¯ve seen is nothing but the truth, you¡¯ll still¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t change,¡± she whispered, her eyes dull, as if she was far, far away. ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s for, but not now.¡± She became still, tilting her head as if she was listening to whispers we couldn¡¯t hear. My wings manifested and I was on the verge of sealing her in a desperate attempt to sever the connection she obviously still retained with whatever she had seen, but before I could act she added monotonously: ¡°you need more. The burning past and future of two immortals will allow you to crack the seals and return to hell, but the cores you can use. Bind them, Lucifer, bind them to people you trust, bind them to people you love. It¡¯s about time we became a family¡­ once again. It¡¯s been much too long.¡± She jerked and her head almost hit the table. She barely managed to righten herself in time, panting as if she had just sprinted across the entire island, and blinked at us owlishly. ¡°See, there is a way. Now¡­ could we get the yelling over with? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all dying to tell me how much of a reckless fool I¡¯ve been, but once that¡¯s done, I¡¯d still like to volunteer and since you¡¯re the only immortals I can talk to right know, I¡¯d like to know what I have to do to make sure I don¡¯t combust or lose myself entirely when it¡¯s time.¡± With a satisfied grin she leaned back, apparently waiting for the outburst she was sure would follow. And it did, but not in the way she had expected. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. While I was still struggling to make heads or tails of of her half cryptic blabbering and figure out if a small spark of Amazeroth was still lodged within my sister, my mom didn¡¯t bother with the theoretical ramifications. She simply got to her feet, pulled her hand back and knocked Reia from her chair in one fluid motion. ¡°What was that for,¡± the young vixen complained, holding her already reddening cheek. ¡°As if you don¡¯t know,¡± the other little girl retorted sharply. ¡°Why, by all the gods, didn¡¯t you come to your sister or me before you followed a creepy, disembodied voice into the bowls of a tree, grown from transcendent forces?¡± While the two of them were going at it, I quickly glanced around but Lavian had, once again, sought refuge behind his trusted counter. Judging from the quivering tips of his boots, I saw sticking out at the side, he was much too scared to listen in. I didn¡¯t have to puzzle long over why, since I could still feel my energies churning through my body, a cold, cruel light distorting my features. Just as Reia stumbled her way through a contrived explanation I bit my lip and forced the infinite currents back below the surface. I was spitting mad, and maybe scared, but my anger wasn¡¯t directed at Reia. Amazeroth¡¯s tally was growing by the day and now he hadn¡¯t only hurt Greta but he had even dared involve my sister. If he brought harm to her in any way somewhere down the line, I¡¯d be done listening, I¡¯d be done guessing. He¡¯d die, as soon as we were going to meet. I didn¡¯t care anymore if I still needed him, if the universe as a whole still needed him. I¡¯d take a page from the book of my past and shove it down his throat until it¡¯d come out the other end, the consequences be fucking damned. Everybody has their line in the sand and mine was pretty small. The handful of people I truly loved were off limits. There weren¡¯t that many, Ahri, of course, my mom, my sister, Mordred, Greta and Viyara. Given enough time a few others might also weasel their way into my heart, especially Erya, Layla and her mother, but aside from that I was pretty tame. Still, the fortune telling imbecile had already managed to cross it twice. He wouldn¡¯t survive a third time. ¡°Enough,¡± Ahri commanded, her voice silencing the bickering vixens as effectively as a gag and tearing me from my introspection like a bucket of cold water, poured over my head. ¡°Helena, I¡¯m sorry, but this isn¡¯t your decision, nor is it fair what you¡¯re doing. Reia couldn¡¯t have resisted and neither could you have, if you had been in her shoes. As to how to deal with it¡­ that¡¯s on Cassy and me, no one else.¡± With a lopsided grin she turned to me and added: ¡°lock and key, remember? I just never thought it¡¯d turn out to be this¡­ literal. Do you think it¡¯s the truth? Did he¡­ or someone else truly send you a corrupted immortal, wrapped up in an egg? How?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Beats me, but he doesn¡¯t lie. Not directly. He also rarely tells the full story. I do believe it¡¯s the truth but there¡¯s so much gibberish in there¡­ crack hell¡¯s seals? Which seals? Also¡­ he¡¯s telling us to merge the cores with mortals but I still believe we¡¯d need a demonic counterpart to an angel and vice versa, otherwise they¡¯d be stuck like Sarai¡­ Crap, he said two, didn¡¯t he? An angel and a demon. Goddamned, power hungry morons!¡± I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. I felt a headache building, which should be impossible, and my heart was beating like a war drum. ¡°So¡­ does this mean we¡¯re going to try,¡± Reia chimed in, still holding her throbbing cheek. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± I spluttered. ¡°But you are, of course. Grant me patience! No, no we¡¯re not and do you know why? Because you kept it a secret for a whole fucking day! Do you¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± she objected quietly. ¡°I only managed to recall bits and pieces when I told you I wanted to talk. Before it was just¡­ blank. I knew I had visited the cavern and stared at the door but that was it. Everything else, what little I can remember, just slowly came back to me over a few hours.¡± Rolling my eyes I got to my feet. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this right now. Ahri and I are heading out and you¡¯ll return with mom and take that poor blighter, hiding over there, with you. End of discussion. Tomorrow we¡¯ll talk but I swear, if you so much as think about playing around with those memories, I¡¯ll not only put an end to this whole endeavour, I¡¯ll also leave you behind when we go to the elves. You know how dangerous my family is, how dangerous Ahri and I are. You¡­¡± I shook my head, suddenly exhausted. ¡°Please, just do as I ask. I¡¯m only seven but ever since I¡¯ve met you, I¡¯m aging about a century every single day. At this rate I¡¯ll become white haired and wrinkly before the year¡¯s over and I can¡¯t even age.¡± Without another word I whirled around and went outside. The cold light of the stars and the crispy night air soothed me as I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Judging from the hushed, tense murmurs I heard Ahri still had few things to say but I didn¡¯t bother with listening in. She¡¯d tell me if I had to know and right now I didn¡¯t care overly much. Instead I fumbled the piece of parchment from my pocket and cursed fervently when I heard it rip in two. I had chosen my trousers when I had still been recovering from my ordeal in Shassa¡¯s tomb and since then I had regained my curves. Consequentially the pants had become skintight. Frustrated, I punched the wall but instead of the expect jolt of pain I felt the the oaken planks splinter under my hand. A bit of energy had escaped my less than secure grip and I had put a decently sized dent into the facade. Perfect, just friggin perfect. Groaning, I curled my fingers into fists, closed my eyes and took a few, deep breaths through my nose. Everywhere I turned something or someone seemed dead set on ruining my day and the disguised devils I had come to call family didn¡¯t make it any easier on me. At least I was starting to understand how much trouble I had caused Ahri over the years, considering my little sister was doing her best to pay me back tenfold. What was I even supposed to do? For now nothing, as much was obvious, but the whole conundrum wouldn¡¯t simply disappear only because I wished upon a star. Sooner or later I¡¯d have to make a decision. Reject her and the possibility that she might become mine¡­ one of mine, forever, or allow her to take a dive off the deep end that might either end her life or turn it into something else entirely. I knew enough about her to realise that she¡¯d never let this go willingly, she had even told us as much. Either way, the girl I had come to know would be lost to me, whatever I decided to do. If I closed the door on her, she¡¯d run away and if I didn¡¯t, she¡¯d become¡­ that was the question, wasn¡¯t it? What would she become? Something new? The future? Or would she be ground to dust under the weight of eternity, her precious spirit warped into something different? Holy hells, how was I even supposed to make a decision? Gods, I felt like someone had put my heart in a vice and was slowly squeezing every bit of life from it. How had I put it in the past? Love was a fucking nuisance. I hadn¡¯t even been close to the truth. If I just didn¡¯t care so much, it¡¯d be so much easier to act¡­ but then again, what would I even be fighting for? The icy darkness of solitude might have been a great shield against pain and insecurity but it wasn¡¯t enough to stay alive, truly alive. I jerked when I felt soft fingers brush against my cheek and the smell of pine trees enveloped me like a blanket. ¡°You¡¯re close to a heart attack, aren¡¯t you,¡± Ahri whispered in my ear. ¡°Of course I am. She¡¯s my sister, for Christ¡¯s sake. Not only did his Creepiness pull her into one of his schemes, no, he even gave her an idea she has taken to like a fish to water and which might just as well kill, corrupt or outright erase her from existence.¡± Tears stung in my eyes when I buried my face in the nape of her neck and breathed in her scent. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do. Ahri I need help. I need someone to tell me it¡¯s going to be alright, even if it isn¡¯t.¡± 332. Of families, advice and a little recognition Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I won¡¯t lie,¡± she breathed, ¡°but I can promise you, we won¡¯t let anything happen to her, whatever fate holds in store for us. You might not like what I¡¯ve got to say, though¡­¡± I snorted and the rush of hot air made goosebumps erupt all over her neck. ¡°Let me guess, you think we should try, don¡¯t you?¡± I felt her nod, her hair tickling my ears. ¡°I do. Cassy¡­ I never thought there would be anyone who could cherish, who could trust in you as much as I do, but I¡¯ve come to doubt it. It¡¯s not been long¡­ compared to our age it¡¯s only been a single stroke of a hummingbird¡¯s wings, but¡­ Reia and Viyara, they have proven time and again that they don¡¯t care about power, that they don¡¯t really care about what we are. Well, the dragoness might but that could also be some weird fetish,¡± she added with a brave attempt at making me smile, ¡°but you know as well as I that they won¡¯t leave¡­ that they won¡¯t forsake you for as long as they draw breath. Why can¡¯t it be forever?¡± My tears were running down my cheeks freely and wetted her pristine skin as I chokingly replied: ¡°Because they might not be who they are afterwards, because their souls might crumble under the weight¡­ and even if it works, because they might come to hate us for it. Reia is so young¡­ I fear she only sees the deceptive glamour on the surface. You know what she¡¯d be giving up. And I¡¯m not only talking about having children, even though I think she¡¯d regret never being able to have them. I¡¯m talking about the endless years ahead of her, provided she doesn¡¯t even¡­ falter against our brother, when she¡¯ll be forced to watch everyone she loves wither away and die. You¡¯ve been there, you know what I mean. It nearly broke you before and you were born an immortal, you always knew what laid in store for us. Death¡­ isn¡¯t something to fear. Sooner or later it becomes a gift, the mercy of the cosmos. One day, she¡¯ll be alone¡­¡± her tails circled around my waist and pulled me closer. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. She will always have us¡­ and I think you didn¡¯t really listen to what she said, did you? Use them. Bind them to people you trust¡­ it¡¯s about time we became a family again. Darling¡­ she won¡¯t be the last, only the first. This¡­ whatever it is, it will change our race. When everything is said and done, we will either be dead for good or we will have evolved. For uncounted aeons we have fought a war we can barely remember. When it¡¯s finally over¡­ I¡¯d very much like for your sister to influence where our people are going afterwards. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m longing for so many things, doesn¡¯t mean I should chase after them,¡± I snivelled before I forcefully pushed down the suffocating tide of fear and sorrow, threatening to drown me. My thoughts were in turmoil and I wouldn¡¯t be able to make heads or tails of the entire dilemma until I could clear my mind. My fingers tightened around the torn, crumpled pieces of parchment in my hand. Fortunately I had the perfect target to take my anger out on. I stepped back and placed my hands on her shoulders, smiling coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re right, even though I want you to be. I¡¯m going to need some time to think about it. For now, we still have work to do and I need to vent, otherwise I might just keep on sobbing on your shoulder for the entire night. Would you like to join me?¡± The fire in her eyes changed, compassion and care turning into something much more domineering. ¡°You¡¯d have to tie me down to keep me here. Where do you want to start?¡± I shrugged, an icy smile spreading across my face. ¡°Rachmahn¡¯s residence. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be there but I¡¯m sure his wife can help us out. After that¡­ whatever is near by.¡± Our wings whispered into existence and before my last words were carried away by the wind, we already rose into the night sky, a sea of velvety blackness and sparkling lights welcoming us with its eternal embrace. Barely half a minute later we landed quietly in front of a seemingly dilapidated mansion, close to the harbour. I hadn¡¯t known what to expect, I had used the term address before for convenience sake, even though in reality there weren¡¯t street names or numbers only directions, but when I stared at a wooden gate, embedded in a sandstone wall, the tip of an ancient chestnut tree and the worn out facade of an erstwhile imposing mansion peeking over the yellowish, soft stone, I realised I had been here before. It was the very same estate that had ignited my curiosity when I had made my way back to the dwarven ship from Alassara¡¯s home. Maybe I should have trusted my instincts back then and simply knocked on the door. A few morsels of information could have saved us all a veritable ocean of grief. I whistled softly through my teeth as I approached the gate, my arm linked with Ahri¡¯s. For all intent and purposes we looked like a young couple out on a nighttime stroll. As long as no one had seen us arrive, that is. Not that it mattered, but I still wasn¡¯t overly comfortable flaunting my wings or powers when it wasn¡¯t strictly necessary. ¡°Somehow I expected a tidy but modest house,¡± I mumbled, ¡°not a run down palace.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the inside, yet. It¡¯s probably just a facade. I wouldn¡¯t want the neighbours to become jealous or even curious, if I had to live in this town and wasn¡¯t able to burn them to cinders.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± I admitted while I looked around for a knocker or something similar but almost as soon as we reached the gate it creaked loudly on hidden hinges and swung open, revealing an uneven path of tinged marble slabs, leading to the main entrance, and a figure in a woollen cloak, holding a lantern. Dark, muddy brown eyes sparkled with interest above narrow lips and a broad nose. The young, beardless face was covered with old, crisscrossing scars but I saw nothing but honest curiosity reflected in the widening smile. ¡°You have been expected,¡± a surprisingly deep voice stated, while he opened the gate completely with a quiet grunt. ¡°The mistress is waiting for you. Please, follow me.¡± Without so much as a second glance he marched off down the path, his lantern bobbing up and down. I raised an eyebrow and whispered: ¡°That¡¯s a first.¡± Ahri giggled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re disappointed that he didn¡¯t stare or drool.¡± Truth be told, I might have been. A little. I had gotten used to being fawned over, but he hadn¡¯t even flinched. ¡°Not disappointed, only surprised,¡± I immediately defended myself but I couldn¡¯t quite suppress a faint blush rising to my cheeks. To cover it up I turned around and closed the gate. ¡°Whatever you say,¡± she chuckled and pecked my cheek before she ushered me down the path. Nothing much had changed since my last visit. The gnarly chestnut tree still towered over a badly kept garden overrun by weeds and tiny bushes, as if it hadn¡¯t been cleared in years. Last time I had failed to identify the plants, though, and on closer inspection I realised that the haphazardly growing stalks and stems were actually herbs and poisonous plants, only a few of which I recognised. Their smell was overshadowed by wild flowers, roses, violets and lilies, rustling in a soft breeze, and the disorderly, almost arbitrary, arrangement made it difficult to spot them, but once I took a closer look, I realised that the whole place was a paradise for any herbalist. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I didn¡¯t know a third of the species but the few I recognised were rare and some even nefarious. Widow¡¯s Grief, a small, black, deadly flower, grew side by side with Balm Weed, the basis of any healing potion I knew of. Shimmering lotus petals, some of them opening up under the star light and glowing with a faint, silver or golden light, were hidden behind mighty ferns and at the very edge, peeking over the stalwart roots of the tree, a pale red flower caught my attention. I had never seen it before but from a few illustrations I remembered form my studies it had to be Moonshine, an aphrodisiac for almost every kind of beast kin, strong enough to have them howling at the¡­ well, moon, if they so much as even licked a petal. Silently I tugged on Ahri¡¯s hand and pointed at the various plants, commenting telepathically: ¡°if I wasn¡¯t immune to poisons I¡¯d be walking right back out the door. If they offer us anything, I¡¯ll try it first.¡± Her clear, musical laughter washed over me and she squeezed my fingers. ¡°It¡¯s sweet that you¡¯re worried, darling, but there¡¯s no need to. My body might not yet be a construct of magic, but the fire in my veins doesn¡¯t allow anything foreign to survive. Unless it¡¯s a toxin that¡¯s tailored to my magic I don¡¯t see much happening to me and I¡¯m not going to watch you munch your way through cookies and tea while I fast. Sorry to say, but you¡¯ll have to share.¡± I huffed indignantly and asked: ¡°Am I really that much of glutton? I¡¯m just looking out for you, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s also about time you realised I¡¯m not that far behind anymore, at least when it comes to the mortal world. Yes, I can¡¯t control my mana freely and I don¡¯t have access to my life force, yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean I need you to jump in front of every bullet. Should I burn down the garden to prove my point and soothe your worries?¡± ¡°That would be quite a show, wouldn¡¯t it? But I¡¯m afraid we¡¯d have to pay for it. I¡¯m not sure but if I guesstimated, I¡¯d say the whole medicinal marvel is worth more than an airship. I¡­,¡± was interrupted when we reached the door and our tour guide produced a heavy, silver key form the depths of his cloak. With a fluid movement he opened the lock, bowing to ask us inside. ¡°The Ladies Pendragon,¡± he intoned like a herald, ¡°welcome to the Al¡¯Khasim Residence. The mistress will be with you shortly.¡± I crossed the threshold with a smile, taking in the opulent atrium, stuffed with comfy armchairs, mirrors and small tables, laden with fruits and sweets. Apparently my fianc¨¦e had been right. The neglected facade was hiding a truly marvellous decors that might have given most aristocrats a run for their money. Also, our nigh omniscient trader didn¡¯t know we weren¡¯t married, yet, and hadn¡¯t stumbled across Ahri¡¯s last name. Something else to be grateful for. ¡°Would you like to enjoy some refreshments in the meantime?¡± He was gesturing towards the tables and quickly added: ¡°If the ladies are partial to it, we can also offer a selection of fine wines.¡± My eyes lit up and I nodded fervently. I couldn¡¯t indulge any more tonight, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t enjoy the taste of a glass or two without the side effects. ¡°Please,¡± I replied while I gracefully lowered myself into a heavy leather armchair, Chesterfield would have been the modern description, and reached for a ripe passion fruit. He clicked his heels and vanished though a small door, hidden behind a carved, wooden screen. I fiddled with the fruit for a few seconds before I put it back, without a spoon I¡¯d only have made a mess, while Ahri was already nibbling on a petit four. ¡°Not bad,¡± she remarked and offered half of it to me. I took it reflexively and smiled in thanks. While the taste of hazelnuts and honey made my mouth water, I carefully looked around for anything that might tell me a bit more about our enigmatic hosts. Unfortunately they weren¡¯t that stupid and the expensive but generic items didn¡¯t reveal much. ¡°At least they have a cook,¡± Ahri commented. ¡°That¡¯s almost perfectly baked.¡± I nodded silently, cherishing the subtle taste. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s got a brother or a cousin,¡± I said after a moment. ¡°We could use someone like him.¡± ¡°He,¡± she asked and arched an eyebrow. I shrugged. ¡°Stereotyping. Most professional cooks were male, back on earth.¡± My ears twitched when I heard muffled footsteps approaching. By the sound of it, the¡­ butler had retuned with the lady of the house. A second later my suspicions were confirmed when he led a willowy, tall redhead, clad in a light, blue summer dress, into the room. A northerner, I thought, my gaze roaming over her freckles and sea green eyes, but ultimately got stuck on the silver tray she carried, filled with an expensive looking bottle and three glasses. Ahri and I rose and inclined our heads while the newcomer even bowed from the waist. ¡°Welcome,¡± she greeted us warmly. ¡°My husband has already told me to expect two exceptional women tonight, but I¡¯d never have guessed that he actually understated what you are. It¡¯s an honour to welcome you in our home.¡± I shared a look with my fianc¨¦e and when she shrugged, I replied for the both of us: ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Exceptional would be a fitting description for everything I¡¯ve seen since we¡¯ve passed your gates. Allow me to compliment your magnificent garden as well as your hospitality. We don¡¯t mean to trespass for long but I¡¯m still honoured you would indulge us to this degree.¡± She laughed softly and indicated for us to sit while her servant brought a third chair over and uncorked the bottle. ¡°It is my pleasure, even though I dare say you aren¡¯t here to pay me a visit. Rachmahn has left instructions. He,¡± she fiddled with her dress and produced a sealed scroll from a hidden pocket, ¡°asked me to give you this, should you end up here. Please, take it and if it isn¡¯t too much to ask, why don¡¯t you join me for a glass or two before you head out into the night again? So much has been happening around here and whomever I ask, your names always seem to be tied to the thick of it. Hopefully I¡¯m not imposing, but I¡¯d really love to hear of your adventures.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stay long but I¡¯m sure we can entertain you with a story or two. And please do call me Cassandra. The Lady Pendragon is my mother,¡± I replied and stored the scroll in my stamp. Her bright smile made her resemble an excited girl much more than a dignified lady. ¡°Only if you call me Fira.¡± She raised her glass and added: ¡°to new friends.¡± We parroted her words and sipped, the sweet taste of cherries, cinnamon and grapes perfectly merging with the echos of hazelnuts and honey. ¡°Now then,¡± she continued, ¡°forgive me for being blunt but I¡¯ve never met royalty before. You¡¯re a princess of your people, are you not?¡± She turned to Ahri and asked: ¡°which would make you a princess consort?¡± My love took another mouthful,swallowed slowly and retuned her smile. ¡°Only if there still was a country where it would actually matter. Our home has been burned, as I assume you very well know. For now¡­ we¡¯re just a family, trying to find a place to live and maybe avoid being cursed or lynched by the neighbours. As far as the latter goes, we¡¯ve encountered a few problems. But your husband has told you as much, hasn¡¯t he?¡± She inclined her head. ¡°He has and I¡¯m sorry for the reception you had to suffer through but this town has always been¡­ rough around the edges. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against us, for most of the people I¡¯ve spoken to are actually delighted to have you around. Much has changed in the few days since your arrival and most of it for the better. At least where the less fortunate citizens are concerned.¡± ¡°You sound like someone who¡¯s well informed, Fira,¡± I interjected. ¡°I thought your husband was the information broker.¡± ¡°We work together. He¡¯s¡­ someone as involved as him can¡¯t simply partake in gossip. I, on the other hand, visit the markets every weekend and take my time to listen. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many people already whisper your names with awe and, dare I say, admiration.¡± 333. Of compliments, messages and little star Cassandra Pendragon I was as partial to flattery as the next girl but the way she buttered us up over the next 20 minutes had me worried I might just slip and fall flat on my ass as soon as I¡¯d try to get up from my chair. At least I wasn¡¯t blushing, the exaggerated compliments I had heard in court had still been worse by a landslide, but I couldn¡¯t say I particularly enjoyed our conversation. Don¡¯t get me wrong, she was a gracious host and never even put a single toe across the line but her subtle submissiveness and insinuated admiration reminded me of how I had felt when I had attended formal banquets as a princess and, as you might imagine, that grated on my nerves like the proverbial sledgehammer. After the umpteenth iteration of how blessed she felt that we¡¯d honour her with our presence I had finally had enough and slowly but surely brought the conversation to a close while I deliberately ignored Ahri¡¯s widening smirk. She knew exactly what had me riled up and apparently my plight wasn¡¯t something to be taken seriously. Figures. I couldn¡¯t even fault her, excessive niceties were in no way comparable to the atrocious welcome I had already been getting used to in Free Land, but that didn¡¯t mean I had to like it either. Seriously, was it too much to ask to meet someone normal, once in a while? The wine had been delicious, though. Sighing, I downed the last mouthful and forcefully put down my glass. The resulting click interrupted her longwinded flattery and she even blinked I surprise when I got to my feet. ¡°I fear we¡¯ve trespassed on your hospitality long enough,¡± I explained. ¡°It¡¯s truly been a pleasure but the night is growing older by the second and we still have much to accomplish. We¡¯ll hopefully have the chance to continue where we¡¯ve left off, once we aren¡¯t as pressed for time, but until then, I fear we must bid you good night.¡± She was taken aback by my sudden interruption but her impeccable manners wouldn¡¯t allow her to voice her surprise. ¡°Of course. Anytime you please you¡¯re more than welcome here.¡± She gracefully rose from her chair and bowed again. ¡°Before you set off, there is one last thing. My son has taken a liking to your sister. Pray tell, would you mind if he imposed on you and visited, once in a while?¡± My mood brightened considerably when I pictured Reia¡¯s reaction and since the little demon had thoroughly earned it I answered with a blossoming smile: ¡°Of course not. Any member of your family is always welcome.¡± She returned my smile with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. ¡°In that case, I might accompany him. I¡¯d very much like to get to know you better.¡± Bollocks. Should have seen it coming¡­ my expression might have become a little strained but I still managed to replied with some form of dignity: ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, Fira. Once again, thank you for your hospitality.¡± I was already halfway across the room when I added softly: ¡°there¡¯s no need to see us out, I¡¯ll close the gate behind us. Good night.¡± Once the door slammed shut behind Ahri¡¯s back I exhaled deeply and massaged my temples, savouring the myriad of smells, wafting through the garden. I was really looking forward to what was to come. No formalities, no decorum and, if I was really lucky, a chance to take out my frustration on someone who had thoroughly earned it. From the cursory glance I had managed, the scroll contained quite a few names and it stood to reason that at least a few of them wouldn¡¯t cooperate willingly. The more the merrier, I was tempted to utter, but I didn¡¯t mean to jinx it. A warm hand pressed gently against the small of my back and I felt Ahri¡¯s tails caress my middle. ¡°Was it that bad,¡± she whispered as we made our way over the marble slabs. ¡°Probably not,¡± I mumbled defeatedly, ¡°but we have precious little time as it is and I don¡¯t plan to waste it on people I don¡¯t genuinely care for. I mean¡­ what has she been blabbering on about for the last 20 minutes? A few sentences would have been enough¡­¡± her warm breath tickled my neck when she chuckled. ¡°You know, sometimes you¡¯re threateningly perceptive but then again¡­ when you¡¯re moody you¡¯re just a child. There weren¡¯t many wasted sentences in her tirade. If you had bothered to truly listen, you would have gained quite a bit of information.¡± ¡°Really? Pray tell, what did I miss?¡± ¡°How about: especially the guild heads can¡¯t compete with your generosity. They have always had influence and money to spare, but they never bothered to do as much for this town in my lifetime as you did in a single night. Or the kindness and loyalty you¡¯ve shown¡­ if the Ironhands had even a fraction of your integrity we could only thank the heavens.¡± Once she had pointed it out, it seemed obvious enough but I was still mulish and shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°So? More pointless flattery.¡± She rolled her eyes and lightly smacked my behind. ¡°She¡¯s told us where to go first and what to expect, seemingly without uttering a single word about politics or misdeeds.¡± In that case I hoped she had listened because I hadn¡¯t. ¡°Maybe you should take it as a lesson in subtlety, darling. She even went a step further. Want to hazard a guess what I¡¯m referring to?¡± I was fidgeting with the heavy bolt which bought me a few seconds. When the gate opened creakily I replied: ¡°The whole charade. Why would she bother hiding and veiling her words in easily missed innuendos? Either she thinks there¡¯s a chance we might be¡­ interrogated and rat her out, which is quite unlikely, considering what she herself knows and what her husband has told me, or she thinks there¡¯s someone in her home who might.¡± I paused, looking back at the mansion, a pitch black blot in front of the rising moon. ¡°Should we return?¡± She shook her magnificent head and explained: ¡°If she had known who it was she¡¯d already have dealt with them herself. I think that¡¯s what she¡¯s mainly been trying to tell us. She¡¯s asking us to find the¡­ how did you put it, rat.¡± ¡°Quite the task in a pristine town like this,¡± I huffed and closed the heavy, wooden gate. ¡°Did she at least drop another useful hint I missed?¡± ¡°I think so. She never used the word loyalty except when she talked about the Ironhands. That¡¯s probably where she expects the culprit to hide. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t dare ask who they are and I¡¯ve never heard of them before. Judging from their name I¡¯d say they¡¯re smiths of some sort or the other, but that¡¯s just a guess.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Or hangmen, torturers, assassins, carpenters, masons¡­ Ironhands could mean a damned lot of things.¡± I had already produced the scroll Fira had given us and the torn parchment Alassara and Serena had painstakingly put together. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± I mumbled while I quickly skimmed through the list of names. ¡°Ironhands¡­ there they are. Would you look at that, it¡¯s not that far from here. Hmm, Serena even added a short description. Listen: an old family that dates back to the earliest years of Free Land. Weapon smiths and¡­ slave traders. They were close with Captain Blackthorn and ran the arena in his name. Since your brothers liberated the slaves they¡¯ve been looking for fighters. Rumour has it they¡¯ve upped their game to blackmail since no one willingly fights in the pits. They¡¯ve probably sent an emissary to the gathering but their patriarch has always valued his privacy. They¡¯re rich, well connected, ruthless and probably spitting mad. There¡¯s also a decent chance that they¡¯ve hidden their most valuable slaves when your family barged through the door. If they rub you the wrong way, nobody will shed a single tear for them.¡± Without realising I had begun to smile again, but judging from Ahri¡¯s expression it wasn¡¯t an inviting or even nice expression. ¡°This night might yet turn out to be fun.¡± I felt her sigh as she disentangled her tails form around my waist. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bank on it. They have to know that we¡¯d come knocking on their door, sooner rather than later. I¡¯m sure they have all kinds of nasty surprises in store for us. Provided they really are the heartless tyrants they¡¯re made out to be. Maybe we should come up with an idea or two before we waltz in?¡± ¡°Are you worried? They¡¯re human for crying out loud. What do you expect them to do? Knock us unconscious with their smell?¡± She smacked my rump again, less gently this time. ¡°Think, Cassy. What do you expect them to do, considering everything they must have heard about us¡­ or rather you. How about human shields? If they really kept back their most valuable slaves who¡¯s to say they didn¡¯t hide them elsewhere as a bargaining chip? It¡¯s even probable, seeing as they can¡¯t expect to keep them for long ¡± Gods damned cowardice but I couldn¡¯t refute her logic. I could, however, imagine a different scenario. ¡°Maybe we should head to the harbour first,¡± I mused. ¡°Chances are that they¡¯ll at least try to secure their assets and that would mean getting them some place safe. Hell, maybe they¡¯re even trying to flee themselves.¡± ¡°Let them,¡± Ahri retorted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about the ones who are trying to run. Why would we? Good riddance. No¡­ the problem lies with the ones who aren¡¯t willing to give up their power. Those we¡¯ll have to deal with.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. On both accounts. So¡­ any bright ideas? We could just break in the front door and repay them for every dead hostage. An eye for an eye.¡± By now we had reached a small square where the Main Street, coming from the harbour, split into three smaller ones, leading deeper into the maze of rundown buildings. Empty taverns lined the deserted streets and the dark windows stared blindly into the night. Almost everyone had followed my invitation and the city laid in silence, like a ghost town. ¡°True, but I¡¯d rather avoid any sacrifices. You don¡¯t happen to have learned a scrying spell or two, yet?¡± I shook my head regretfully and focused on my hearing for a moment. Scurrying rats and a few, distant heartbeats but there weren¡¯t more than 5 people close by. ¡°No¡­ and they¡¯re also not that easy to understand in their entirety so I won¡¯t be able to come up with something on the spot. We could ask granny for help, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not. She might eat them before we get the chance to ask a single question. Besides¡­ they¡¯ll need her in the Garden more than we do, don¡¯t you agree?¡± I puffed up my cheeks but they deflated quickly enough. ¡°Probably. We really should learn some spells, shouldn¡¯t we? Brute force can only get you so far.¡± ¡°Why do you sound like you just unravelled an unfathomable mystery? Still¡­ I don¡¯t see either of us suddenly having an epiphany and as much as I¡¯m tempted to simply burn down everything in our way, that¡¯s not going to help, either. We could split up, though. One goes knocking on the door and the other hides. Depending on what they have to say we can go from there.¡± I tilted my head to the side. ¡°Not the worst idea. Better than anything I can come up with on the spot. I¡¯m faster than you, I think. Does that mean you¡¯ll do the talking and I¡¯ll do the hiding?¡± ¡°Fine with me. I¡¯m also not as¡­ popular, I hope. I can¡¯t hide my tails but I could just as well be one of Arthur¡¯s soldiers.¡± Fat chance. One glance at her and nobody would take her for anything but what she truly was and it wasn¡¯t even my love for her talking. True, I didn¡¯t much care about her looks but objectively she¡¯d still make any deity I could imagine appear like an ugly duckling. ¡°If you say so,¡± I smirked. ¡°Come on then, it¡¯s not far. Best if we don¡¯t fly, especially if you really want to try that preposterous charade.¡± ¡°A nighttime stroll with my sweetheart,¡± she sighed contently with only a minuscule trace of sarcasm in her voice. ¡°Whatever else could I wish for?¡± She intertwined our fingers and sauntered off, pulling me along. ¡°A better venue,¡± I mumbled and absentmindedly kicked a curious rat away. The poor rodent was apparently more brave than clever. ¡°Your company makes up for a lot of things, darling, but I¡¯d still prefer a beach. Or a forest.¡± ¡°No beaches on this world,¡± she replied and shook her head sadly. ¡°At least not on this continent. Did you even realise you used a different language because there is no word for beach?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Maybe we should start speaking French or English, anyways. I¡¯m a bit rusty but it¡¯d still be fun.¡± ¡°Seven and already forgetful¡­¡± I silenced her with a quick kiss and complained: ¡°Why do you always have to make fun of me? Sometimes I feel less like your lover and more like¡­ your child or sister,¡± I pouted. She only arched an eyebrow. ¡°But you are, are you not?¡± When she saw my expression darken she quickly pulled me in and made sure I wouldn¡¯t run away with the wrong idea stuck in my head. ¡°There, that should make it clear,¡± she whispered breathlessly against my lips a few moments later. ¡°But you have to admit, you enjoy it, don¡¯t you? There aren¡¯t that many people left who even dare take the Mickey out of you. Come to think of it, it¡¯s just your family and Erya. Viyara wouldn¡¯t mind but that¡¯s not who she is. I can¡¯t even remember her cracking a joke. Not even once. The poor girl is really uptight.¡± ¡°I guess that happens when you see your family getting slaughtered directly in front of you. Considering where she¡¯s coming from she¡¯s holding up admirably well. Aurelia might also be a huge part of it.¡± ¡°And you. Her falling for you has kept her sane, I think. Do you know if she¡¯s gotten over it, yet?¡± ¡°No¡­ I mean I don¡¯t know. But the closer the two of them get the less worried I am. I¡­ truth be told I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever forget but she¡¯ll move on.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so. I¡¯m not going to share.¡± She paused, her gaze travelling to the shining carpet of silver and black above us. ¡°Do you remember their names,¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°Some. But I don¡¯t know where they are. I don¡¯t even know where we are. We could be anywhere close to the centre. I guess we¡¯ll have to find out.¡± ¡°Something to look forward to. Cassy¡­ I¡¯m only going to ask once. Michael has been toiling away for aeons, a few hundred years would hardly make a difference. Once Amon is dead and Amazeroth¡­ whatever you¡¯ll do to him, do you want to take a¡­ break? Just live, explore this world, before we reach for the stars?¡± I didn¡¯t have to think twice. ¡°Very much so. But I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have that much of a choice. Up until now we¡¯ve played our roles in an intricately orchestrated act, but once it¡¯s over¡­ I fear the cosmos won¡¯t wait for us to be ready. When the curtain falls another one will be raised. If we get the chance¡­ I¡¯d love to spend a few centuries with you without anything to drag us along. If I could, I¡¯d forget it all and return my wings. Growing old with you, raising a family, building a home¡­ that¡¯s what I long for but it¡¯s not our lot. Funny, isn¡¯t it? Most people would kill to become what we are but once you¡¯re there¡­ the grass always seems greener on the other side. A pity we don¡¯t know until we live it.¡± 334. Of visits, resistance and a little bit of hell Cassandra Pendragon Blood dripped quietly from my clenched fist and sprinkled the ground like crimson rain. So much for talking. With a decisive shove I buried my hand in a still heaving chest and crushed the squishy heart I felt uselessly beating against my fingers. ¡°You should have run,¡± I mumbled without an ounce of pity when his eyes glazed over and the smell of death and charring bodies wafted through the chamber. With a wet sucking sound that made my tails curl up I yanked the fistful of flesh from the gaping wound, showering my arms and face with hot, sticky blood. My tongue darted out from between my lips, the waning sparks of life force a delectable, gruesome treat I didn¡¯t even care for. The cold fire in my eyes surged when I turned my gaze towards my dripping hand, my fury rising with every passing moment. Amidst the gory pulp on my palm a small, translucent bead shimmered softly in the dim light. It didn¡¯t look like much, a strangely coloured pearl or gem, maybe, but it still was the reason why I acted like an Aztec high priest, revelling in decadent, deadly debauchery. The inconspicuous thing contained the stolen essence of uncounted lives, their youth, their purity burned to fuel the cruel aspirations of a family far beyond redemption. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Without hesitation I rose from the desecrated corpse, not even sparing a single glance for the burned out husks I had turned his guards into. Not all of us needed complex rituals to steal what should be sacrosanct, after all. I hadn¡¯t touched those souls, they had escaped to the river as soon as I had snuffed out their life, but everything else I had taken without remorse, without a second thought. While Ahri¡¯s voice reverberated through a distant corner of my mind, still engrossed in a meaningless conversation with a mindless puppet, I whirled around and focused on the dark, glistening door on my right. The old man didn¡¯t know what was coming, none of his drones had been able to utter so much as a whisper before I had sent them west. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t return what they had taken, but I wouldn¡¯t forget. Neither the tortured expressions of their victims, nor the ingenious tools of atrocious greed they had created. I wouldn¡¯t forget and I was going to even the score. The silky crackling of reality torn asunder filled the room when my spear appeared in my hand. A single step brought me in front of the enchanted metal, the runes and sigils evaporating as soon as Aiglos brushed across their surface. And I had thought our visit would turn out to be suffocatingly boring¡­ ¡°Are you sure,¡± I asked while I finally disentangled myself from her tails. ¡°It¡¯s not much of a problem to call for help. We don¡¯t have to do it on our own.¡± Ahri shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, if push comes to shove I can still yell at them, can¡¯t I? Your voice might be a danger to the seals but mine isn¡¯t.¡± Apparently she was taking my suspicion, that my power was what kept the immortals at bay, to heart, even though we couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Where are you going to hide,¡± she added, her gaze roaming over the dark, deserted street. We were halfway between the harbour and one of the markets. I wasn¡¯t yet overly firm when it came to our new home¡¯s roadmap but since the fight pits, a plain open square about a kilometre further east, were practically attached to the backside of the uncountable stalls, booths and shops it was a safe bet to assume that slaves, weapons and armour were the prime commodities. Sturdy and well kept houses formed neat lines to our left and right, the domiciles becoming ever more impressive the closer to the market they were, but the huge complex, arranged around a central, open yard, directly in front of us still stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn¡¯t unusual for larger families or even clans to share a homestead but the mansion in front of us could easily accommodate a hundred people, maybe even more. A veritable army could live there without anyone being the wiser and I had an inkling that the cellars were at least as impressive as the granite and ironwood construction above ground. In a way it reminded me of ancient Roman or maybe even Japanese architecture, with a square main building surrounding the yard. From my vantage point I couldn¡¯t get a glimpse of what laid behind the three storied monstrosity with its shingled roof but I assumed that facilities like a smithy, baths, stables and a well were either incorporated into one of the wings or built within the courtyard. The outer facade only included a scarce few windows, heavily barred and on the top floor, while a broad, reinforced gate loomed before us like the waiting maw of some forgotten abomination. Well, that might have been a tad over dramatic but I still had an eerie feeling while I scrutinised the silent, dark residence. Not even the flicker of a torch was visibly behind its dead windows, staring soullessly at the star strewn sky. ¡°A gate this size¡­ shouldn¡¯t we smell or hear some animals,¡± I mumbled. Ahri nodded and added: ¡°Or at least some heartbeats but either the thing is warded, there are far less people living here than I thought, or they already manage to build soundproof walls. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the latter.¡± My eyes flared silver for a moment. ¡°Neither is it the former. There are wards but they won¡¯t be a problem. Just keep in mind that they might serve more than one purpose. Maybe the whole thing is rigged to blow up.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t matter too much, I don¡¯t fear explosions and neither do you. What should I do if they simply don¡¯t open the door?¡± ¡°Knock again with a little more enthusiasm until the gate breaks,¡± I suggested while I pulled out my white cloak and shrugged into the enchanted garment. ¡°They¡¯ll come running before long, trust me.¡± She inclined her head with a small smile. ¡°Where will you be?¡± ¡°On the roof unless something catches my fancy.¡± Before I could pull down the hood she stole another quick kiss and shooed me away. Without another word I bent my knees and jumped, a trickle of energy from my core reaching my legs. The wind howled in my ears as I rose into the night, easily covering the distance in a single heartbeat. Quiet like a whisper I landed on the warm terracotta slabs on all fours, my tails fanned out to keep my balance. Below me, Ahri approached the gate quickly while I wiggled my tails back under the hem of my cloak. Just when the last silver shimmer died out, I heard a resounding knock. A grin spread across my face when I imagined her yelling: open up, police, but it faded away almost instantly when I bolstered my senses. A faint tinge of spilled blood, muffled groans, the quick beat of hurried footsteps and hissed commands, uttered in a foreign language, reached me. We had definitely come to the right place. A silver glow entered my eyes as I gracefully turned on the spot, looking, searching, listening. For a few heartbeats I could only hear the broken echos below me and the shuffling of thin soled boots towards the entrance but when I concentrated, I also detected an almost imperceivable rustling sound, like heavy wheels turning on a cobblestone street. It was coming from below a small alleyway behind the mansion and when I followed the implied direction with my gaze, I saw a rundown storage hall. Guards were hiding in the shadows around the entrance but once they had caught my attention they could just as well have been prancing around, butt naked. ¡°I¡¯ve found something and someone is coming your way.¡± I felt her presence brush through my memories and could almost see her sneer. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°One hidden tunnel and the gate. No one is leaving on my end.¡± ¡°Meet you there soon, I¡¯ll take the long way round,¡± I sent and glided closer to the edge of the roof. Best to come at them from another direction. A quick jump and my fluttering cloak vanished behind a corner. It didn¡¯t take me more than a handful of seconds to circle around, my senses taut, my muscles twitching with suppressed tension. In the narrow alleys my vision wasn¡¯t useful and I mainly focused on my hearing but aside from the scurrying of small rodents, the cry of a lonely bird and the increasingly loud, steady heartbeats of the guards the night remained silent. When I had reached a narrow passage between two houses I paused and sniffed the air. The scent of blood had become stronger and I also smelled something¡­ sweet, something I had come across only recently. Pleasureheart. I hissed quietly in surprise and fumbled for the list of Soulcatchers Rachmahn had given me. My eyes darted down the neat columns until I found the name I had been looking for. Alec Ironhands. Apparently our newfound friends were a thorn in our sight in more ways than one. ¡°Careful,¡± I warned Ahri. ¡°They might be more dangerous than I thought. You can¡¯t be poisoned but if something seems off, don¡¯t hesitate to use your flames.¡± ¡°Understood. Someone¡¯s at the gate, it¡¯s opening as we speak. I¡¯ll keep you in the loop.¡± I closed my eyes and sent another wave of power to my ears, trying to figure out what was going on in the warehouse as well as underneath my feet. Over the rumbling of iron studded wheels I now also heard the choked, shallow breaths of at least four people, the steady steps of a warden and an ominous crackling I immediately associated withsurging magic. Too bad I hadn¡¯t seen a hint of mana, except for the less than professional wards around the mansion. Fine. First order of business get rid of the guards. Second order of business prepare a warm welcome for the carter and his living load. We¡¯d go from there. I sped up, my feet beating an almost silent staccato on the cobbled stones. A heartbeat later I reached the back wall of the storage hall, but I didn¡¯t slow down. My wings whispered into existence, weaving a net of pulsing blue and silver in front of me. Granite hissed like water when it turned to ash, the stones seemingly parting around me like a curtain. Framed in eternal light I soared through the hole, my wings already reaching for the gaping guardsmen. For a moment the hall was filled with living lighting, a bottled up thunderstorm beyond human imagination. Before they could do as much as blink in surprise I had wrapped my wings around their necks. A tide of power surged in my chest, the scintillating torrents of light flared and they crumbled, twitching and insensible. I caught them before their heavy armour could clatter thunderously against the wooden floor and quietly lowered them to the ground, my eyes darting from left to right, my wings dancing around me like a swarm of agitated snakes. I wasn¡¯t anxious or scared, I was excited. The hall wasn¡¯t empty, crates and wagons, coils of rope and dusty sacks cluttered the floor while large arcades provided just enough light to puzzle out distinct shapes, but my eyes immediately darted to an haphazard arrangement of junk, apparently forgotten in a corner. I wouldn¡¯t have paid it any attention if it hadn¡¯t been for two of the guards, whom I had interrupted in their arduous task of clearing away boxes and even a small anvil. Their efforts had revealed a sturdy, oaken trapdoor, maybe 4 on 3 metres, and judging from the increasingly loud rumbling I heard through the heavy wood, the caravan of bodies was drawing closer. Well, I couldn¡¯t keep them locked in, could I? I rose a handspan into the air and quickly removed the remaining obstacles. I didn¡¯t touch the door itself, though, and simply positioned myself close by, presumably behind whoever would come stumbling through. I didn¡¯t have to wait for long, the click clacking of studded hoofs drew ever closer and the suppressed whimpers of either delirious or hurting creatures turned into a cruel backdrop against the soft, tuneless whistling of an oblivious guard. Blood thundered in my ears, nearly drowning out the cacophonous song, but I didn¡¯t move. My wings swelled, mirroring the tides of fury I felt thundering through my veins, but I didn¡¯t act. My crown manifested, its cold glare extinguishing the last, fleeting shadows, but I didn¡¯t strike. Not yet. A heavy key crunched inside a hidden lock and I heard a hoarse, cold voice call out: ¡°Orim, Zeisam, why the fuck didn¡¯t you open the gods damned door? It¡¯s difficult enough to keep the fucking things in a stupor. One of them beasts is already at the door!¡± A heavy grunt reverberated through the hall and the slabs of hardened oak trembled and opened. ¡°Help me, damn it! If we don¡¯t get the goods out the old man will skin us al¡­¡± Silvery light was flooding through the widening gap and I heard him gasp before I wrapped my wings around the door and tore it straight from its hinges. It shattered against the wall, sending splinters everywhere, some of which left bleeding gashes on the bodies of the downed guardsmen. Not that I cared. A deathly pale, wide eyed face stared at me from the mouth of the tunnel, his broad shoulders, hidden underneath a blackened chainmail, trembled with fear while he was trying to hide behind a closed top wagon, pulled by a lizard like creature as tall as a horse. ¡°Two,¡± I whispered, my voice slicing through the silvery light like a hot knife through butter. ¡°There are two of us at your door.¡± He backpedaled, stumbling over the hem of his wide linen trousers. To keep his balance he grasped for the walls of the wagon, rattling the whole thing when his armoured back slammed into the side. A somewhat squishy sound, accompanied by another bloodcurdling groan, floated towards me and I felt my teeth grind when I realised that I hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Whatever load he had been ushering through the darkness, by now even a blind squirrel could have figured that at least a part of it consisted of bound and hurt slaves. The scumbag had even called them goods. Like a harbinger of doom I glided forwards, my wings dancing along the tunnel, flitting over the wagon and lashing out towards the paralysed human. The sharp smell of urine assaulted my nose when a wet patch spread across his crotch and my lips curled up in disgust. Cowardice and cruelty often went hand in hand but this was just pathetic. ¡°And we¡¯re looking for an explanation,¡± I continued nonchalantly, as if we were exchanging a few insignificant words at the local tavern. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice. Tell me what¡¯s going on here willingly or I¡¯ll rip the information straight from your mind.¡± By now my aura was expanding, bearing down on him and the lizard with the weight of a world. They crumbled, unable to move, unable to even blink or think. ¡°Self-service it is,¡± I answered myself with a cute smile. ¡°Relax, this is going to hurt. A lot.¡± I had never before forcefully extracted memories, I had always stuck to surface thoughts, prompted by questions or impressions, but this time I didn¡¯t really care if he¡¯d turn into a salivating zombie. Was it just? Probably not. Still, caught together, hanged together, and I wasn¡¯t the darn angel of justice, either. It didn¡¯t take much, not more than a soft caress, and the walls around his mind shattered like hot glass caressed by ice. He convulsed, his eyes rolled up into his head and blood gushed freely from his ears and nose. Without a care in the world I lowered myself to the ground, a part of my wings already reaching for the wooden cover of the wagon. Just when I ripped it apart, carefully shielding the precious burden hidden underneath, a tendril of pure, undiluted power invaded his thoughts, suppressing his will and rendering him as helpless as a newborn kitten, mewling before an ancient dragon. Memories and images, tainted by a deep seated bitterness, flooded my mind while the bodies of four emaciated youngster, beast kin and human alike, shivered in the glaring light, a first spark of hope in the darkness that had claimed them for months. A heartbeat later my disgust turned into unbridled fury and the still breathing corpse went up in eternal flames. 335. Of grudges, anger and a little transformation Cassandra Pendragon Necromancy. Foul, imperfect, atrocious necromancy. In the broadest sense, true necromancy was a very specialised school of magic that focused solely on the life force and its limits. As such there weren¡¯t many true practitioners. First off, access to and control over your life force was a mandatory requirement, to achieve true mastery even the soul had to be used, and second it was unbelievable difficult. Quite the given, actually, since true necromancers didn¡¯t raise the dead, they changed life in all its complexity. Even a lich was nothing but an amateurish attempt, a cheat, if you so will, used when the caster was either too dumb or too weak and had to resort to keeping a small spark of life hidden and safe while the body ran on tainted energies. The same held true for mindless puppets like zombies or skeletons, where corpses were used as a mould for a golem of sorts, animated by complex but still pathetic spells. The only real, or higher, undead I knew of were vampires and I couldn¡¯t even tell how much knowledge and power had been needed to create their progenitor. Long story short, necromancy in and of itself wasn¡¯t evil and one of the very few ways I knew of that could lead mortals to transcendence. Genuine un-death and immortality weren¡¯t the same but close enough to generate a transcendent spark. The actual problems manifested when practitioners realised that they were neither skilful nor powerful enough to walk the path. As soon as they started¡­ meddling, scamping, resorting to shortcuts and cheap tricks, the very nature of their magic turned them into vile mockeries of what a necromancer actually was. Cruelty and stubbornness led them down a path that could only end in suffering, for them as well as their victims, and I had been lucky enough to stumble across a true piece of work. The Ironhands, even though I didn¡¯t know why, had begun to bolster their lacking strength with the most commonly available and cheapest resource, the life of sentient species. Their suffering, their dreams, their lives¡­ their very existence became fuel to artificially make up for what they lacked. Their nightmares and pain, their hope and love was meticulously distilled into a physical form, a sort of core the family used to achieve greater heights. As for why I knew¡­ My salivating, mumbling and broken friend had had the good fortune of being blessed with one of their treasures, ensuring that their depraved lieutenant was strong enough to protect them, even against powerful mages. To top it off, the growing seed of despair in his chest was still linked to the unfortunate creatures it feasted upon, slowly devouring their life to fuel him with stolen power. I¡¯m not going to describe what they had done to the wretched beings he had been logging through the tunnel like pieces of meat but when the memories of his last half hour poured into me like a poison I put an end to his ambitions. Eternally. In the silvery flames that consumed his body his soul burned like a matchstick, writhing and charring while his own strength, as well as the warped, twisted energies from his victims, finally left him. I reached for the cursed tethers that bound them together, my changed wing flared, substituting the crumbling pathways and with a deep groan, reverberating through the tunnel, I pushed it all back, filling the almost empty husks on the wagon with life and hope, but also pain. The pain of a life lost in darkness their mutilated existences hadn¡¯t been able to comprehend¡­ until I plucked them from the abyss and propelled them into a glaring sunrise of agony and freedom. My teeth ground loudly and I felt tears brimming in my eyes as the muffled moans, torn from raptured throats, turned into howls of pure, undiluted misery, the comprehension of what they had suffered through, what they had become, almost breaking them on the spot. The only thing that might keep them sane, that might allow them to prevail, was the unbridled flood of warming strength I kept pushing through the connection. When the ill begotten stores ran dry, I used my own powers to supplement the waning lifeline, the strand of multicoloured light, that ran from the burning corpse to the wagon, slowly transforming into a roaring river of silver and blue. An eternity or a heartbeat later the thundering light petered out, silence returned and I found myself standing close to a blackened wagon, my chest heaving, while a cloud of dust danced around my feet before it was carried away by the cold breeze, wafting through the tunnel. I spat at the glowing outline on the ground, where my power had imprinted the last moments of a miserable existence into the unyielding granite, and snarled: ¡°I hope even the memory of you will be erased before the night has run its course.¡± Squaring my shoulders I rallied my courage and carefully approached the wagon. I clung to the desperate hope that my actions had been more than a punishment, that I¡¯d find something worth saving, worth protecting, but I simply didn¡¯t know. When I hesitantly peered over the shattered walls of the wagon I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from falling freely. There they laid, nestled up against one another like puppies searching for a whisper of warmth. Their eyes were empty, their bodies motionless, but a small, relieved smile was playing around their lips. It hadn¡¯t been enough, their hearts had given out, their broken spirits had failed when they had begun to feel again. I bowed my head, a translucent stream running down my cheeks while Ahri¡¯s and my own voice thundered through the grey void that was threatening to drown my thoughts. ¡°They will pay.¡± Fire and ice, her burning wrath and my own deadly cold fury, mixed and cleared my mind. The earth trembled as I took the first step of a bloody journey. ¡°They will be erased and forgotten within the hour,¡± we promised. A thought set the wagon ablaze, cleansing flames devouring the traces of inhumane agony, while my wings extended and slithered back through the trap door, yearning for the sweet lives of the unconscious guards. They wouldn¡¯t wake again. ¡°Keep them occupied on your end,¡± I said, my thoughts unyielding and icy. ¡°Once I reach the mouth of the tunnel join me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± she replied distractedly while most of her concentration was used to keep her from turning into a transcendent wildfire. ¡°They will burn and I¡¯m longing for the flames.¡± Without another word I raised myself into the air, a glowing, sparkling spider surrounded by a web of transcendent energy, and flew along the tunnel. Gashes, oozing molten rock like blood from a wound, marked my passage and before I knew it I arrived in front of a sturdy steel door, as mighty as the gate to an ancient fortress and covered in runes, the reason why I hadn¡¯t seen the magic. A lazy smile played around my lips and slabs of shredded metal thundered to the ground, the smell of ozone and heat surging like a spring flood. ¡°Come out, come out, wherever you are,¡± I breathed as I stepped over the tormented, ravaged threshold and into a world of nightmares made real. The gruesome, macabre scene in front of me froze when my aura flared, a piece of eternity made tangible that held reality in its vicelike grip. Only the quiet, sad song of dripping blood and the agonised rasps of the dying disrupted the almost serene silence just until the sound of aeons torn asunder swelled and, hissing like a swarm of enraged hornets, my wings expanded. An infinite cycle of splendour and might claimed my surroundings, sealing us in hermetically and turning the sturdy foundation of space and time into a vague memory of order long gone. I wasn¡¯t lost, I didn¡¯t drown, in a churning sea of broken concepts and fluttering ideas I was the only pillar, even though the waves of crushing insanity that turned the world upside down were gushing from my wings like an endless river. My cold smile became cruel, the predatory instincts of my race, half forgotten under the strangling constraints of right and wrong, of societal ideals and misguided dreams, were in tune with how I felt for the first time in my life and I didn¡¯t even try to reign them back in. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A golden nimbus fuelled by the idea of my sister¡¯s magic, surrounded me, the soothing, gentle colour slowly swallowed by a growing flame of deathly cold silver and transcendent blue. My tails quivered, my fur bristled and from one heartbeat to the next I was on all fours, my fangs bared, my claws extended. In a frozen moment, held on the brink between the present and the future, I transformed and chaos incarnate claimed the room when the last laws of creation were torn asunder, their unfathomable weight carried away like a dry leave in a storm. Before me a dark hall, illuminated by flickering torches and glowing braziers, was frozen like an ant in ember, the pale, panicked faces of a dozen people, rushing from one terrifying tableau of pain to the next, turned into a disgusting still life of human depravity. Wolf kin, humans, members of the cat tribe, lizard men and even a hybrid with huge, white wings on its back, were tied down on tables, their limbs pierced and shatter, just like mine had been in Shassa¡¯s tomb and I still remembered the pain. Some were almost gone, reduced to a barely shivering husk, hollow except for the cruel flame of agony that kept them alive, others were still fighting, trembling and struggling while a huge, rune covered apparatus at the centre tore the life from the terrible wounds the guards were inflicting on them. But be it guard, victim, artefact or magic, they all froze when my powers claimed the pillars of reality and brought them crashing down. Leisurely, as if I had all the time in the world, which I did, I strolled deeper into the maze of spilled blood and shed tears, my wings a comforting caress for those who suffered and a suffocating vice for those who revelled in the atrocities they were committing. ¡°I am the wrath of god and if you hadn¡¯t sinned, god wouldn¡¯t have set me upon you,¡± I intoned, echoing the words of a man I had killed myself. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°You are past redemption, your souls are stained forever and the reckoning is nigh.¡± Each syllable shook the foundations we all stood on, made them tremble and despair like a frightened animal but I didn¡¯t relent, I only redouble my grip and held the frayed edges together with nothing but my will. In silent, frozen panic the human monsters watched as the strongest, the cruelest among them, the younger heir to the Ironhands, turned into crimson mist, his essence, his soul laid bare, a scintillating shadow of what he once had been, smothered under a miasma of stolen dreams. I inhaled deeply, breathing in more than just air, and he was gone. Lightning raced through my fur, my tails turned into rivers of molten silver and my wings vanished back into my skin, a maze of glaring, silvery blue veins that formed sigils on my body the likes of which this world hadn¡¯t seen since Amazeroth had changed Gaya and brought on the cataclysm. If it haven¡¯t been for my own powers, confining my energy to this single moment, to this single space, the wards around our world would have melted like ice in a furnace, but as it stood, I could do whatever the fuck I wanted and what I wanted was carnage. I wanted to make each and every one of those perverted reflections of humanity feel what they had done before the end and I wanted their end to be... remarkable. ¡°Agony,¡± I whispered caressingly, my gaze burning with transcendent flames, and even though time stood still I saw the changes in one of the guards as the torments he had inflicted over a lifetime became nothing more than a gentle memory, incomparable to the infinite abyss that swallowed him whole. He broke, even his soul started to crack under the pressure. But his I wouldn¡¯t take. Five, five would perish eternally tonight. Two already had. Only the mother, the older son and the patriarch were left. With a derisive sneer I let go and his life ended when his soul fled blindly, carrying a mark that would haunt it forever. I turned to face his master, the last heir of the family. Another wave of ozone surged, a ramified flash of light tore through the frozen scene behind me and the remaining guards became smouldering corpses, silvery sparks filling the holes in their chests where their hearts should have been. I tilted my head, long, silvery whiskers quivering in the storms of a crumbling reality, my tongue lolled from my mouth as I tasted despair, broken dreams and just a tinge of hope on the horizon, and then I pounced. It wasn¡¯t graceful, it wasn¡¯t controlled, but it was final. The runes on my skin swirled, the maelstrom of power collapsed back into me, my wings tore free from my body and I landed, panting heavily, on his chest, my hand buried deep in his flesh. The fluttering caress of his beating heart, ephemeral and fleeting as it cut itself to pieces against my claws, felt almost intimate and when a stream of blood gushed from his mouth, I knew the world was back to normal. Dull thuds behind me signalled wherever a corpse had finally fallen to the ground and the cacophonous music of tortured moans and fearful whimpers resumed. Sighing, I leaned back, the silvery mist that had enveloped me once again already dispersing, and tore the handful of dead meat free, carefully keeping the flimsy connections intact that poured ever more pain, ever more strength into the hard, warm pearl I felt between my fingers. ¡°The Lady of the house is on the second floor,¡± I sent calmly. ¡°Bring her here. She will be judged by her victims, as will her husband. Their children and their most faithful servant are gone¡­ forever.¡± Ahri didn¡¯t reply but just as I felt a last convulsion race through the body under me a surge of heat touched my back and the silvery landscaped I had delved into as soon as I had reached the door lit up with crimson flames. It didn¡¯t last longer than half a heartbeat but I was still convinced that the mansion had turned into smouldering rubble above my head. I tightened my grip and closed my eyes, shattering the reservoir of stolen life, and felt the energy return to where it belonged. I already knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. A scarce few of the unwilling donors would maybe manage to return to the light but for most of them the merciful darkness that already loomed above them was the only way out. When the stores had finally been depleted I used my own power to supplement the flow until I heard the first rattling breath of the dying and a single, steady heartbeat behind me. At least one would survive. Gradually I rose back up, unable or unwilling to turn around and face the aftermath of what they¡­ of what we had done. I knew enough about myself to realise that I wouldn¡¯t be able to do what was necessary, to do what I had promised, if I became lost in the atrocious sights and there was still another door to be broken, another vault to be raided, another life¡­ another soul to be taken. I extended my hand and opened my eyes again, their silvery sheen mirrored in a wave of translucent light that flooded through the room and turned the smell of blood and violence, of pain and despair into ash and memories. Cold, unyielding sparks travelled along Aiglos¡¯ shaft, as if the weapon itself was longing to finally taste battle again, to wash away the memories of its last defeat with the blood of the guilty. It shook ever so slightly in my hand, urging me to move, to allow it to devour and cut, to burn and tear, and when my gaze settled on the hidden door, barring the way to the inner sanctum, its defences already breaking under the weight of my stare, a warm, gentle breeze ruffle my hair. Ahri had appeared at my side, her wings extended, her multicoloured eyes ablaze with transcendent flames. She dropped the wriggling body she was carrying to the ground and struck out. A tired sigh escaped broken lips and the elderly woman became still, only her wounds kept oozing blood where they hadn¡¯t turned into charcoal. 336. Of failures, ideals and a little bit of desperation Alec Ironhands Dignity and the courage to see it through. The only two things I had left in the world that might make me look like a human, like a man. Through everything, over all the years, those were the only values I had preserved. Love? I had turned my family and my so called friend into the same amalgamation of stolen dreams I had become without a second thought. Loyalty? Even them I would sell if the prize was right. Honour? A welcomed weakness to be exploited. Everything was just another tool to be used but I had honestly believed that I¡¯d uphold my dignity and my focus until the very end. Oh, how wrong I had been. As soon as I had heard of the so called gathering I had known our time was up. Free Land had always been an appropriate hunting ground, even though the competition was high, but time had run out. If servants of the gods had come here personally we wouldn¡¯t survive. Still, we hadn¡¯t been able to leave, just yet. Too much had hinged on the few days or hours I¡¯d have still needed to complete the last transfer. The thorn had done its work, despite the meddlesome vixen. She might have removed it, but she had been too late. Why the girl hadn¡¯t died I couldn¡¯t fathom but it didn¡¯t matter, either way. The next gate would break and if not for me, then for my sons. Or so I had thought. Maybe the gods were a bit more resourceful than I hade given them credit for. When one of the kitsune, the second of the apostles no less, had knocked on our door, I had made a decision. Abandon ship, run and never look back. While my servants squirmed and moved I had retreated to my chambers, sealed the door and begun the last ritual. Slowly, the pristine statue of living wood, depicting an orphan girl in her teens, utterly unremarkable except for the calming, profound aura I had been able to feel even through the artificial connection I had created, was turning grey and cracks appeared along her body, radiating out from her thigh. Not too long and she would decay, forcing her essence through the link and into my waiting hands. I took a deep breath. A few minutes. They only had to stall the apostle for a few minutes. And then my magic withered. From one second to the next the intricate spells, half of which I didn¡¯t understand but had memorised, were torn apart as if¡­ as if they had never existed. The backlash thundered through my meridians and would have killed me, if not for the pulsing bead in my chest. A life taken, a life preserved. The outer layer went up in smoke and I felt a short jolt of the pain I had inflicted to extract that precious keepsake but by now it wasn¡¯t more than a single drop in a sea of misery. My concentration wavered and I slowly got to my feet. With a sharp command I emitted another wave of mana that spread out like ripples in a pond, until it crashed into something¡­ terrifying. For the first time in decades my heartbeat turned into a reverberating drum roll, a sheen of sweat glistened on my brow and my knees shook. I fell, a silent scream of fear tearing from my convulsing lips. Outside my door chaos reigned. My magic hadn¡¯t been destroyed, it had been devoured, but before the connection had failed I had seen it. A creature of light, brighter than the sun, with tails of molten silver had laid in ambush, waiting like a cat in front of a mouse hole. When our eyes had met she had bared her fangs and her gaze had fallen upon me like a death sentence, crushing my courage, annihilating my dignity. She hadn¡¯t spoken but I had still heard her command. Pay your dues. I thrashed around on the cold, uncaring stone floor while my eyes burned, the memory of what I had seen a white hot spike of undiluted terror that dug its tendrils ever deeper into my mind. Scenes and images of times long gone mixed with the feeling of blood on my hands from only an hour ago. I ran across a silent meadow, the hounds of my master hot on my heels, only to stumble and find myself at the bottom of a well, filled with the still bleeding heads of the people I had slain. Their empty eyes stared at me accusingly and from their rigid throats whispers flowed like a silent choir of the damned. The sun rose, golden and warm, but as my memories turned to ash a bright moon devoured the sky to feed the hunger of a ravenous beast. Burning eyes, a sleek body, covered in gleaming, silvery scales, soft like molten light, slashing, voluptuous tails and infinite wings that seemed to cover my whole world appeared before me. I lost myself, I was carried away and I was forced to watch as even the foundations of who I was shook and crumbled. I cried and I whimpered while the fruits of my labours became engulfed in searing light. ¡°Are you sure my liege,¡± Cadmus asked respectfully. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just take her like all the others?¡¯ ¡°Because some creatures need the light to grow. If we try to harvest her now, the spark will never bloom. Trust me, I haven¡¯t worked this long to watch it fall apart at the last moment. When the time has come, we will plant a seed, but until then¡­¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her.¡± He saluted and left while I stared after him, contemplating my luck. After years I had finally found a trace, a glowing speck of living divinity in a swamp like Free Land. Luckily nobody had realised what the girl was. She was still living on the streets with a few other children for company and not a single coin to her name. Not even the vampires had stumbled across the truth, but I wouldn¡¯t complain. Captain Dawn and his sister were the only two beings I had to fear after all. For now, all I had to do was to ensure she wouldn¡¯t be snatched away by a slaver or killed in the dark alleys. Years later I knelt in my chambers, the gleaming, living tree in front of me trembling under the pressure of my spells. Slowly it transformed, its lustre developed an eerie glow and the dark scent of death rose from the bark, only to be replaced by a fresh, invigorating smell. A grin spread across my face. I had succeed. Her lineage would be mine, mine alone. Now all I had to do was plant a single sliver in her body and make sure it¡¯d stay there for a few days. And luck was on my side again. Free Land became engulfed in the flames of war, the winds of terror blew across our island as the remnants of a sorcerer, far above my own skills, descended on us. As much as I feared the end of my endeavours, it still gave me a chance to act unopposed. The vampires had retreated into the shadows, the Captains were busy with their own internal struggles and I was free to do as I pleased. Until the gods themselves made an appearance. Seemingly out of nowhere a bunch of kitsune had arrived but how anyone could mistake their intervention for a coincidence was beyond me. At least two of them didn¡¯t even look¡­ mortal, not to mention that they commanded a dragon and a fey as if they were their toys and had turned a living, breathing being into a wave of magic. There was only one explanation. My meddling had been detected and the gods had acted, sending their puppets, their apostles, to thwart me. But they wouldn¡¯t succeed. I had come too far, I had done too much to allow fate to snatch my ambitions form my clutches. I was just too close. Only a few more days¡­ This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. And time passed. Our family laid low, we allowed events to unfold as they might. The few drones I had placed with a handful of the more influential people kept me in the loop and when the tides of foreign might dispersed against a bastion of divine will in a single night I rejoiced. Admittedly, I was concerned with the frightening display. Should the apostles ever get wind of my machinations it¡¯d be my head, the heads of all of us, on the chopping block, but soon we¡¯d be gone, we¡¯d vanish like footprints in the sand and we¡¯d be all the stronger for it. For now, we couldn¡¯t rival their power but once the girl was mine, we might return. Even a servant of the gods had to tremble before the real thing and my ascension was nigh. The thorn had almost done its work and the statue was growing, changing to mimic the source. Once the process was done she¡¯d be mine. But those few days, those meagre hours I¡¯d have needed¡­ Free Land changed over night. Freedom, the rule of the strong and the servitude of the meek, were toppled, slaves were freed and my resources dwindled. I had to act, I had to make sure my legacy would survive, even if our work was eradicated under the thumb of divine oppression. Grudgingly I gave the order: ¡°convert them all. Squeeze our stock dry and run, my wife and I will stay behind and see it through.¡± A night and a day we toiled, breaking our cattle, siphoning off every last drop of energy we could squeeze from their fragile forms. Most died immediately, the pain, the despair, too much for them to cope but the ones who endured¡­ they were true gems, valuable enough that I even ordered Cadmus to take the strongest four away with them. I had enough reserves to fulfil my own role and whatever happened afterwards was none of my concern. Once the statue would break I¡¯d have done my part. Death and retribution could come, I didn¡¯t care. ¡°There is one at our door,¡± my wife called out to me. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Keep it busy. A few more minutes. Tell Cadmus to move the donors. Our sons will assimilate the rest. It won¡¯t be deterred for long. It¡¯ll be up to you to keep it occupied while I pass on our heritage. Tonight¡­ we can¡¯t afford to fail or our dreams will turn to ash.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we try to kill it? Imagine the power we could tear from it, once it¡¯s been secured to a rack.¡± ¡°No! Haven¡¯t you watched? We can¡¯t match it. Not yet. Do as I say.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send Aaron then. He always had a way with words. He¡¯ll be able to buy us a few more minutes. But husband¡­ hurry.¡± ¡°I will. The best of luck. We will need it. Dearly.¡± Alas, luck could only get you so far and that night, I finally found out how gravely I had misjudged our opponents. They weren¡¯t servants to a deity, nor were they gods themselves. The glowing, feline creature, whose mere gaze had burned me within an inch of my life, defied descriptions. Not even in the old legends had I come across something comparable. All my power, all my safeguards, amounted to naught as my world was consumed by silvery flames and my aspirations turned to dust. My life waned away, the hot puddle of blood around me the only sensation I could focus on for my world had been consumed by darkness. Pain, the pain of my victims, the desperation of their plight, the inconsequential sparks of power I had chased after futilely, it all came crushing down. I lost control, the statue I had been kneeling in front of shook, the magic I had channeled into it withered and my silent screams of terror turned into the wail of the vanquished. It was over. And then the door cracked open, allowing two creatures of light to pass through. I couldn¡¯t see them, they had already taken my eyes, but I could still feel their presence like the looming shadow of the executioner¡¯s axe, caressing the back of my neck. I wanted to get to my knees, to at least face death with the few shreds of dignity I had left, but I couldn¡¯t. I felt like a mountain was bearing down on me, its weight crushing my will, my thoughts, but somehow I could still hear them. ¡°Take him,¡± one said icily. ¡°Take them both to the Garden. I¡¯ll¡­ clean up here and follow you shortly. That statue and the ones who are still breathing¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t follow, the tides surged in my ears and I lost track of their conversation. Only when I was engulfed by a searing heat, seemingly ravaging my body through tendrils of pure agony without ever leaving a mark, did I manage to push back the encroaching darkness. I shouldn¡¯t have. My wife and I weren¡¯t bound but we could as well have been for all the good it did us. Wisps of crimson flames held us in their unyielding embrace, burning brightly enough to even illuminate the eternal darkness I had been thrown into, but the glare didn¡¯t warm me. Instead it felt¡­ cold, like the soft touch of death, sucking everything I was from my very bones. My fingertips were tingling, my legs were numb and while blood gushed form my destroyed eyes I felt my body shutting down. It wasn¡¯t terrifying but rather a form of kindness, a way out before the charade could continued. More of a mercy than I had ever shown my victims for sure, but still a last humiliation. At the end I hadn¡¯t been strong enough to meet my doom on my feet and now I didn¡¯t even have the strength left to see it through. I would fade away, unsung and unnoticed, a speck of misery before a canvas of uncaring stars. My wife reached out to me, her shaking fingers closing around my wrist but there was no consolation to be found in her touch. I didn¡¯t love her, I didn¡¯t love anyone but my precious ambitions and once they had turned to dust¡­ but no. I had laid the foundation, hadn¡¯t I? The spells had been cast and whether that¡­ monster had destroyed the statue or not mattered very little. The spark of divinity I had stumbled across all those years ago would be tin form the unworthy vessel it inhabited and once free¡­ maybe someone else would finish what I had started. Of course I would have loved for my own flesh and blood to harvest the fruits of my labours, but if not us, then someone else surely would take up the mantel. As for the so called vixen that was still rampaging through my home¡­ she wouldn¡¯t, she couldn¡¯t see it. What was a well of unending strength to us was just another morsel to her, barely worth the effort. She¡¯d have to look, she¡¯d have to care, and why would anyone like her even bother with us mere mortals? A content smile crept across my mutilated face. Yes, this wasn¡¯t the end, we could still¡­ ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± a velvety voice thundered through my mind like a burning whip. ¡°Just so you realise that all that will be left of you and yours will be salted earth, I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret. The girl didn¡¯t die because that monster, as you call her, carried her in her arms and nursed her back to health. We know her and your little experiment is over. You can¡¯t see it, not with your meridians burned up like they are, but right now your¡­ home is turning into a vortex of forgotten dreams and crushed memories. The spells you cast¡­ she¡¯ll devour them until nothing is left, until they won¡¯t matter. It¡¯ll be like they never even existed. Can¡¯t you feel it? Somewhere in the depths of your mind you should sense her as she tears through what you wrought. Once she¡¯s done¡­ only this husk of a life will remain and before the night runs its course even that will cease to exist. Your end, the end of all you achieved, is nigh and it will be¡­ eternal.¡± Her last words were accompanied by a flood of images from times long gone, almost forgotten but for a scarce few creatures who still remembered. It was¡­ torment, exquisite, unending torment that showed me how inconsequential, how shortsighted all my aspirations had been. There would be no legacy, no achievements to remember. For the second time in a single night I broke, but as if it had been a signal the creature carrying us had waited for, the assault on my mind stopped, just as I gave in to desperation. I felt her flames peter out, her thoughts, more powerful than before, raced through the aether, vanished and then¡­ we fell. Like abandoned birds, thrown from the nest, we hurtled through the air, its cold touch a welcome caress on my blistered skin. My wife¡¯s screams echoed in my ears, drowning out even the thunderous wind, her hot tears wetted my face and I felt her press her body against mine but before I could react, darkness finally came¡­ only to be replaced by silvery, ravenous light. 337. Of cruelty, protection and a little plan Zara Dawnheart ¡°You stupid whore,¡± he growled in my ear while his fingers dug ever deeper into my neck. My breath was choked off, tiny stars erupted in my vision and I felt his long nails tear through my skin. Crimson blood and hot tears wetted the linen as I tried to struggle free, to squirm out from underneath the suffocating weight but he only redouble his grip. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough,¡± he hissed. ¡°You¡¯re a bigger pain to deal with than those ancient cowards in the council. I¡¯d rather deal with them than spend another day pretending.¡± His fingers loosened and I managed a single, rattling breath before his fists came raining down. My ribs broke, I convulsed when he hit my stomach and darkness claimed my world when he flipped me over and pressed my face into the pillows. ¡°You would have survived, you know,¡± he continued quietly, even though I could barely hear him over my own, thundering heartbeat and the creaking of the mattress. ¡°But now even my father understands that you¡¯re too stubborn to be kept alive. The only reason why you haven¡¯t been buried yet is your magic. Tell me, what did you do? How did you break the familiar¡¯s bond? It shouldn¡¯t be possible, especially for a child like you. Tell me the truth and all of this will be over. Tell me what you did and the pain will stop.¡± To emphasise his point he grabbed my left wrist and pulled until the joint in my shoulder jumped from the socket. A strangled, muffled scream tore from my throat but the soft silk turned it into a pathetic whimper. I could almost picture his cruel sneer as he wrapped his arm around my neck and forcefully arched my back. Numbness raced through my legs and I could hear my tendons groan. ¡°Tell me whom you turned to, tell me who helped you and I¡¯ll make it quick. Or you can keep resisting. Please do, the night is still young and I¡¯ve got a whole plethora of ideas what I could do to you.¡± Snivelling I tried to wriggle my legs into a less torturous position but as soon as I moved he bit my ear and tore the upper part clean off. Another trail of blood trickled down my face, joining the crimson streaks, dripping from a myriad of lacerations. I was so fucked. I had thought, I had believed that they¡¯d come for me. I had offered everything I had, I had pledged myself to a dream come true and now I was alone, alone and forsaken and at the mercy of a monster in elven skin. It was too late. I wouldn¡¯t survive the night and there wasn¡¯t much of a point in prolonging my suffering. But still¡­ a stubborn, unyielding voice in my head kept insisting, kept pushing. Just a few more minutes. Just a few more minutes and it¡¯d be alright. Ever since I had bonded with a creature of light and flame I had felt her warmth on my back, radiating out from the centre of the slave tattoo that had been forced onto me, and she wasn¡¯t prepared to let me go. I knew it was futile, they, both of them, they weren¡¯t here. The week was almost up but I wouldn¡¯t make it to the end. I would die in this room, either as a mutilated, broken piece of meat or with my dignity intact. At least that was what our so called prince wanted me to believe. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t. Once I¡¯d have told him what I knew he would lose every bit of restraint. My only chance was to hold on long enough to pass out but with his magic healing the worst of my injuries that was just a pipe dream, about as likely to come true as me walking out of here alive. I was hurting too badly to become enraged but I promised myself to keep my mouth shut, whatever he¡¯d do to me. The agony shouldn¡¯t have been bearable but every time I recalled the day of my engagement I found another speck of courage, the lifeless, empty expressions of my family, as their intestines slowly dripped from their mouths, a rallying call that allowed me to push through another wave of searing pain. ¡°Fine,¡± he whispered in my ear. ¡°Have it your way. You think you can last?¡± His slim fingers travelled down my side almost caressingly until they found the delicate protrusions of my broken ribs. ¡°Think again.¡± I screamed, blood and spittle a disgusting pink foam in the corners of my mouth, as his nails dug deep and his grip tightened around the fractured bones. I lost consciousness for a moment, the tide of torturous agony too much for me to cope with, but when I opened my eyes again blearily, blinking away bloody tears, my chest was whole again. Only the faint tickling of spent energy and the slightly red look of newly grown skin remained as a reminder of where he had torn me open like a butchered pig. He was straddling me, his cold eyes only a handspan away from my face, an insane fire burning in their fathomless depths. ¡°Oh, not yet, Zara,¡± he cooed, ¡°we aren¡¯t finished and you haven¡¯t told me what I need to know. Who? Who would dare come into my palace and undo my own work?¡± For the first time since he had stormed into my chambers ten minutes ago I answered, even though my voice was slurred and barely louder than a broken whisper: ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t want¡­ to know. Should she see¡­ what you¡¯ve done¡­ she¡¯ll make you pay¡­ for every little thing¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t go on, a punch to the liver silenced me as effectively as a gag. ¡°Make me pay,¡± he snarled. ¡°Here? In my own home? You¡¯re delusional. You couldn¡¯t even put up more of a fight than a scared kitten and you¡¯re from one of our strongest lines. Even if there was someone stronger than me¡­ no one can reach me here, no one can even come close to me¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t they? I¡¯d be more careful when it comes to courting death. Not that it matters. Not anymore.¡± We froze, entwined upon the bed, almost like lovers in a caring embrace, as a wave of heat surged through the room and crimson light illuminated my chambers. I still couldn¡¯t move, his weight held me in place like shackles of flesh and blood, but over his paling face I saw the first sparks and tiny flames gnawing at the ceiling. While his expression quickly cycled through disbelief, anger and just a hint of fear I felt¡­ safe. The very same feeling that had come over me when I had invited a goddess of ages past into my life engulfed me again and despite my injuries, despite my pain I smiled. I couldn¡¯t see her but the warming, pulsing feather on my back told me exactly who had appeared in my darkest hour, who had come for me when the Grim Reaper had already extended his cold, bare hand. The very next moment the pressure vanished and my tormentor was flung through the room, slim, fragile fingers wrapped around his ankle. Blood welled up around her grip and joined the rivers from his nose and ears, which had started gushing as soon as his head had collided with the floor. A resounding thunderclap shook the room, an explosion of light blinded me and when I had blinked away the crimson stars, the scene had changed. Just like I had been pinned down, he sprawled on the ground, his back arched, his neck held in the vice like grip of an elegant hand. A creature of fire and might towered above him, her face hidden behind a veil of scintillating flames. Two pairs of wings, one larger, one smaller, covered her back and a flood of tails surged around her legs. Without a care in the world, without an ounce of pity, she straightened her back, exerting ever more pressure on the writhing monster at her feet. Bones creaked, muscles tore and an inhumane, animalistic cry thundered through the night, the cry of a beast who was confronted with its own mortality for the first time in a wasted, degenerate life. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Panting I watched in silent astonishment as she lowered her head, the wreathing fires setting his hair ablaze and devouring his skin. ¡°Me,¡± she whispered, her ethereal voice silencing his tormented scream. ¡°It was me she called and I don¡¯t forsake my people. I don¡¯t punish, I don¡¯t exact revenge, but I protect what¡¯s mine for all eternity.¡± She had become quieter with every syllable but when the last word wafted through the flames she lit up like the sun, the light coalescing around her tails. From one moment to the next a new one appeared, slithering through the air like an enraged snake. ¡°Would you look at that,¡± she commented, ignoring his boiling face. ¡°New tools when you need them. This is going to be fun.¡± A wave of mana exploded from her, sealing the room more hermetically than the great vaults of the royal family. ¡°Now no one will come to interrupt.¡± The fires receded and revealed her face, drawn into a stern, uncaring expression that emphasised her divine appearance. I gulped, torn between joy, hope and a new, different kind of fear. That¡­ being was all I had seen. All of it and more and I could only pray that she wouldn¡¯t lose herself to the burning anger in her veins I felt as a palpable pressure, even though it wasn¡¯t directed at me. With an almost imperceivable movement of her hand she conjured ropes of coiling flames that bound my abusive wannabe husband in searing heat. I had never thought of myself as a vindictive or overly cruel person. Even after my family had been murdered I had never really imagined the excruciating death of those responsible, their suffering prolonged far beyond elven endurance, but when my saviour, my angel, pinned him against the wall, her flames an agonising caress, when his flesh started to char and his eyes turned into empty holes filled with the fires of retribution, I longed for his suffering to continue. I longed¡­ for the chance to inflict on him some of the pain he had subjected me to. But it never came. Despite the incomprehensible power that bore down on him, his death came quietly, almost like a whimper. One second he was still struggling, his burning legs thrashing, his face contorted and the next he slumped down, broken and discarded like a doll. Silence returned to the room, even the smell of blood and pain was gone, burned away in a hellfire of vengeance. Only ash remained, swirling around six tails as they slowly ceased their endless dance. Haltingly, as if opposed by another will, she straightened and turned around, the flames in her eyes gone, except for a smouldering fire at the very bottom, ready to roar back to life at any moment. And then¡­ a pinched smile formed on her face as the charred body finally came to rest with a dull thud. ¡°You must be Zara,¡± she said, the oppressing force in her voice gone, turned into a soft, velvety cadence. ¡°I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you but I¡¯d never have imagined that I¡¯d be the first to meet you. Not after you summoned my fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m Ahri, another¡­ how did that book put it, great spirit. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an explanation why I¡¯m suddenly finding myself on the Emerald Island with your life in my hands. I¡¯d love to hear it and we¡¯ve got the time to spare.¡± She sauntered over to my table and dropped elegantly into one of the chairs. She closed her eyes and tilted her head as if she was listening to someone I couldn¡¯t see before she said: ¡°If you could stop staring at me and start talking we might be able to get to the bottom of this mess. That¡­ boy was the source of your troubles, wasn¡¯t he?¡± I tried, I really did, but no words came out. I gasped like a fish on dry land, unable to tear my eyes away from her. It wasn¡¯t just her beauty but the unearthly swaths of power that still surrounded her like a nimbus of crimson light. They made any reply I could think of wither in my throat. ¡°You¡¯re cute,¡± she continued, ¡°but we really don¡¯t have the time to be dallying. In a short while someone will be knocking on that door and by then we should better have an explanation. So¡­ why are you bound to me, what happened since Cassy left you and why was a powerful mage in your room, screaming bloody murder? I¡¯d really like to give you the time to grasp what just happened, but I¡¯m afraid others won¡¯t be as considerate. Considering I¡¯m about half a world from where I was a few moments ago I think you could at least provide an explanation. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not mad at you. Cassandra, maybe, she really should have hurried up.¡± She paused, again seemingly enraptured by words I couldn¡¯t hear and her smile became more pronounced before she nodded, once. With an Herculean effort I finally managed a strangled reply. ¡°Thank you.¡± That wasn¡¯t what I had wanted to say but the words just came. ¡°Thank you so¡­¡± she raised her hand to cut me off. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Could we skip that part? I don¡¯t even know what you did but you¡¯re mine, in ways I can¡¯t even understand. There really is no need. I¡¯d be much more helpful if you could tell me why and how. But before that¡­¡± she closed her eyes and a warming spark ignited in her still raised hand. Before I could react it lazily travelled through the air and melted into my skin, just above my heart. My aches and bruises vanished, even the tip of my ear grew back, and I took a deep, liberating breath. Grinning like a child she added: ¡°how I¡¯ve missed my magic. Now, my questions. You can answer them, can¡¯t you?¡± I nodded and rallied my courage. Over the next few minutes I told her everything I knew, from how I had found out that my family had been slain so that the royals could take control of our assets, to my desperate summoning, and finally how my life had become a grotesque nightmare ever since. I could hardly suppress my tears when I told her about the familiar¡¯s bond and my brief encounter with our world¡¯s spirit. I even had to close my eyes when I recalled what had happened upon my return, the last minutes still alive and well in my memory, even though the abomination of an elf was but a dark smear on the ground. I jerked when I felt warm, fluffy tails circled around my waist. At one point she had joined me on the bed and wrapped me up in a gentle embrace I hadn¡¯t felt in ages. After that, there was no way in all hells that¡¯d I¡¯d be able to stop my tears from falling freely. I cried in her arms like a child but still continued my story. It was liberating, almost like I managed to spit out all the anger, all the fear I had carried with me. She didn¡¯t say a word but simply held me until the tears ran dry and my choked voice finally broke. On impulse I snuggled up against her and leaned my head against her shoulder. She didn¡¯t seem to mind and even caressed my head. Her skin was hot to the touch. ¡°Oh boy,¡± I felt her voice rumbling through me, ¡°out of the frying pan and into the fire. This has been one damned long night already and it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s going to be over any time soon.¡± Close as we were I felt a tendril of her magic turn inwards and this time I knew she was talking to someone else. The other¡­ angel I had summoned, presumably. Barely a second later she sighed. ¡°Zara, I don¡¯t think I can take you away from here. Not without fighting my way through half your capital. We are in your capital, aren¡¯t we?¡± I nodded. ¡°In the middle of it. We¡¯re in the academy. It¡¯s been built on a gargantuan flying stone and tethered down closed to the palace.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that might even make things simpler, but I don¡¯t think I can get you out of here without a lot of bloodshed. Then again, as soon as someone realises I¡¯ve just turned their prince into a barbecue, bloodshed will become unavoidable either way. Best to get it started on our own terms, then. We could¡­¡± I didn¡¯t listen, my overstimulated mind was wandering, conjuring up images and ideas with every word she uttered and one of them didn¡¯t even seem that bad to me. ¡°No one knows, do they,¡± I interrupted her quietly. Surprise was clearly written in the crease of her eyebrows but she indulged me and replied: ¡°They shouldn¡¯t. All anyone outside should have been able to see was a tremendous spike of mana and maybe a crimson sheen in the windows. Why?¡± I collected my thoughts before I asked: ¡°Who¡¯s to say he died? Everyone expected him to walk out of here and leave behind my corpse. Who¡¯s to say he didn¡¯t succeed?¡± I felt her tense slightly, confusion and incredulity slowly turning into understanding. ¡°It might work,¡± she mumbled, still wrestling with the idea. ¡°An illusion wouldn¡¯t cut it, but you¡¯re from the same race¡­ maybe I could change your appearance. We¡¯ll have to try, won¡¯t we?¡± 338. Of succession, privileges and a little bit of geography Cassandra Pendragon My mood had definitely dropped to a new low, which was quite the achievement, considering how I had spent my last hours. ¡°No,¡± I growled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay and hold your hand. You¡¯re a bloody grown man and you¡¯re going to do what you can, god damn it! You¡¯re a prince, for Christ¡¯s sake, Mordred. Get your head out of your ass and start organising. You have a city to take care of and a foreign army to sniff out.¡± ¡°Cassy, they won¡¯t listen to me. I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Make them,¡± I hissed exasperatedly. ¡°You know how it¡¯s done.¡± I jerked my head towards the sadly swinging, squished corpses, hung from the closest tree. ¡°Get a few more of those sick fucks up there and the rest will fall in line. There shouldn¡¯t be a shortage of volunteers any time soon.¡± ¡°Listen to yourself,¡± he almost screamed. ¡°I¡¯m neither an immortal nor a dragon. I can¡¯t and frankly I don¡¯t want to do what you¡¯ve done. Why would you ever want me to take the reins?¡± ¡°Do you really think I wanted this,¡± I erupted, scaring the workers close by from their thoroughly earned sleep. We were weaving our way towards the great tree, past improvised beds and campfires, where the former slaves had drifted off after the gathering. They, at least, could boast some progress on reconstructing their new homes. A few more days and the buildings, surrounding the Garden, wouldn¡¯t look like ruins but more like decent homesteads. ¡°Do you really think I like what I have to do, every single day of my life? You want to know why I want you in charge? Because you¡¯re neither an immortal, nor a dragon, share my name and you¡¯re the only one who can call our new mayor a friend.¡± The warm, breathing bundle in my arms squirmed and I took a deep, calming breath, staring up at the stars. Please, give me patience. More amicably I continued: ¡°Look, trust me, I understand why you don¡¯t want this to happen, I really do. You¡¯re afraid, you¡¯re lost and the last thing you want is the responsible to care for others¡­ guess what, I feel the same. Unfortunately nobody gives a damn. If you can name a better alternative I¡¯m all ears but who¡¯s it going to be? Mom? She looks like a¡­ like a goddamned child,¡± not the word I had wanted to use but lolly would probably have had him scratching his head in confusion, ¡°our dear grandmother would rather eat anyone in her way than listen, Alassara is a vampire who¡¯s got most of the population quivering in their boots and the others are going to come with me. Who¡¯s left? Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to govern the place.¡± ¡°No¡­ you only want me to make decisions for a tree and its inhabitants, who could face an army, or several for that matter, all on their own. That¡¯s not anything too impactful, is it?¡± ¡°Spare me your snark. First off, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t be around. I¡¯ll probably return every single night in case Greta gets her roots to merge with the existing portals, and second, all you really have to do is keep the peace and arbitrate in case things go south and I¡¯m not there. Damn it, grow a spine! What¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ let¡¯s think. Deities are apparently roaming this city, one of which is sleeping in our own damned home, utterly clueless about what she really is, surrounded by equally clueless orphans, we have to somehow start fighting Amon, unless you want to wait until he¡¯s had the time to rally his troupes and prepare a whole bunch of nasty surprises and then there¡¯s the town itself, which, according to the list you gave me,¡± he waved the parchment under my nose, ¡°is still chock full of assholes who deserve to be hanged. What could possibly go wrong?¡± ¡°Fine, it¡¯s a friggin ungrateful task. Still, whom would you rather have? I haven¡¯t yet heard an alternative. You¡¯ve only been whining. Tell you what. I¡¯ve got to talk to Reia anyways. Or yell at her, depending on how it¡¯s going to go. If you come up with a name by the time I¡¯m done you¡¯re off the hook. If you can¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to hear another word of protest. Deal?¡± He nodded grudgingly, almost like a petulant child. When had I become the damned adult in this family? As soon as my mom was taller than 1.5 metres she could have her job back. Unfortunately that might as well turn out to take the better part of a century. I granted my dear brother a pinched smile and kissed his cheek before I scurried off and vanished into the soothing darkness underneath Greta¡¯s roots. My living burden stirred but didn¡¯t wake. Which reminded me, the young dryad with an ancient heart would also have been a great choice to keep our little family together while I was gone, but since she had looked ready to strangle me, as soon as I had brought it up, I hadn¡¯t pressed the issue. Considering I wasn¡¯t that scared of my brother but the lessons Greta had beaten and sometimes burned into me were still very much alive it had seemed only reasonable. If she said no I¡¯d have to accept it. Him¡­ not so much. While I made my way up the spiralling stairs I allowed the last hours to pass before my inner eye. Ever since Ahri had vanished it had been one bloody nuisance after the other. That she had dropped our prisoners from a height that had turned them into broken puppets on the ground, parts of their entrails squirting over the closest bystanders, hadn¡¯t helped much. As soon as I had managed to return with another barely breathing child, leaving behind nothing but a smouldering ruin, it had been one series of explanations followed by irrelevant and honestly stupid questions. To sum it up I had been forced to explain what we had been doing while the whole town had been listening. That part I wouldn¡¯t have minded, except for a tiny little problem. Our captives had been dead as door nails, even their souls had crumbled as soon as they had snuffed it, thanks to the damage I had already inflicted beforehand, and the kid had been out cold in my arms. That little snag had made most of my assertions seem like fantastic tale and I had been forced to repeat my earlier stunt, using my voice to tear the necessary answers straight from the dead bodies. Which had returned a modicum of credibility to me but also emphasised how easy it¡¯d have been for either Ahri or me to simply ignore anyone and do as we damn well pleased. In and of itself that hadn¡¯t been much of a surprise, but the resulting debate, raised by none other than my dear friend Serena Brightblaze, had still been utterly exhausting. Now, in the long run she had done me a favour, dragging everything out into the open, but while I had sat there and endured an unending litany of superficial bullshit, all the while itching to run after Ahri or at least look after Brianna, Pete¡¯s friend who incidentally bore a striking resemblance to the statue I had burned, or care for the little hybrid I had carried from the flames, it had taken almost all of my, admittedly meagre, self control to not storm away. If Ahri hadn¡¯t contacted me as soon as she had arrived, I wouldn¡¯t even have bothered to return to the Garden after all. In the end the continuous bickering had at least yielded a few results. As my brother had prophesied Richard had been nominated as mayor, an entirely new position, the duties and privileges of which had yet to be decided. Furthermore yours truly had somehow been granted the honour¡­ the task to take care of her patch of land. At first I hadn¡¯t thought much of it until Alassara had revealed that she hadn¡¯t just bought the market and the neighbouring, devastated buildings, but a good chunk of the city, namely the streets surrounding it, which she had already signed over to me without so much as asking. Long story short, by now I didn¡¯t only have to worry about a bunch of creatures who might as well have crawled from the pages of a fairytale, oh no, I also had to deal, respectively govern, order and protect, a considerable part of Free Land, which had somehow turned into prime real estate over night. Judging from the few conversations I had overheard, everybody, their relatives and their trusted pets had been interested in purchasing a small patch of land or a building close by. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. If it hadn¡¯t been my time on the line I would have laughed at it all. I mean, at first they had been scared out of their wits, then mistrustful and now they were lining up to live close by. The sheer fucking hypocrisy was on entirely different level. Still, I had never thought of myself as greedy but when I had imagined how much money, and I mean that in a very metaphorical way, more in line with favours and influence, I¡¯d be able to make, a smile had crept across my face. In that regard I wasn¡¯t as different from my mother as I had always believed. Bottom line, the town had been divided into several sections which would each elect a hetman, who in turn would sit in the city council, where most decisions would be made. Every hetman was going to have a single vote while the mayor himself held three. Considering how influential Captain Nightshade and Captain Brightblaze still were, they were almost guaranteed to earn the seats of their respective neighbourhoods. Alassara would also have been a given if she hadn¡¯t signed over most of her land. Now that dubious privilege probably rested with me, but since I didn¡¯t plan on being here all the time whomever I¡¯d put in charge would find themselves on the chopping block. One of the reasons why Mordred had no intentions of playing ball. In theory I was quite enamoured with the idea but its practicability was an entirely different matter. While elections could be organised by simple meetings and open hand signs, the money and power the council would need to actually enforce its decisions, especially if they weren¡¯t in line with what the more influential hetmen wanted, had to come from somewhere. We¡¯d need a true city watch, probably a treasury and the means to fill it. And the way I saw it, the only people who could provide were living in my gods damned treehouse. Whichever way I spun it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay as detached as I had hoped. Sure, I had probably already dipped my toe over the line when I had gone ahead and eradicated the Ironhands without asking, but I truly wasn¡¯t looking for anything official. Especially nothing resembling the local executioner or vigilante. Oh well, for now I intended to pawn the whole trifle off anyways. There were two more things, maybe three, I really had to take care of, but afterwards, by the morrow if I had my way, I¡¯d be off. But first I had to talk to the people who wanted to come with and to Rachmahn, make sure Greta could merge her roots with the portals the vampires controlled and deal with the dragon-ish bomb Viyara had dropped on me. Her dear grandfather had sent her two young dragons to protect her and keep her company. That would have been enough of a headache all on its own but apparently there was quite a bit of history between Sera and the overgrown lizards in general. Which, of course, meant that I had to ensure that my granny wouldn¡¯t bite them in two, as soon as they arrived, and that the two of them wouldn¡¯t in turn transform our home into a furnace. Oh¡­ and I¡¯d also have to tell the centuries old vixen-dragon hybrid that I hadn¡¯t even considered handing over the keys to my kingdom to her. Since my argument truthfully boiled down to: I don¡¯t know you well enough and I don¡¯t really trust you yet, I wasn¡¯t really looking forward to that particular conversation. What I had told Mordred had just been me making a point. The old lady was surely wily and experienced enough to keep her temper in check. She was probably much better at it than I was myself, which rendered any point concerning her tantrums rather moot. ¡°And here I was, thinking you¡¯d be glad for a reason to abandon ship,¡± a soft voice wafted from a cloud of sparks, materialising on the wooden platform, halfway up the stairs, I had just vacated. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything better to do,¡± I snapped when the dryad fell in step behind me. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m an entirely magical creature now, connected to every little part of this tree. Which means I can harass you all I want and still have my roots grow and merge with the weave.¡± To emphasise her words she tugged on one of my tails, forcefully. I hissed in surprise and whirled around but the infuriating elder only smiled innocently. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s going to work. Not as quickly as you¡¯d like but sooner or later I can use the lattice to spread to different islands. All I need is an anchor. The portals will do nicely but you can also use my seeds. Erya was right, once they bloom they can become gateways.¡± Torn between grudging amusement and indignation, since I couldn¡¯t even move properly and strangle her with the sleeping child in my arms, I had only listened half heartedly but now she had my full attention. ¡°So basically I have to get to the Emerald Island once and we can travel there on a whim?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ even though the getting there part might be more onerous than you think. I can already feel how far the ancient network spans and you won¡¯t be able to get there directly. It¡¯ll be at least two days with an air ship, provided you can find one. As far as I know the closest island you can reach is uninhabited.¡± I frowned. ¡°Why? What¡¯s the point of a portal leading to the middle of nowhere?¡± She looked at me with a peculiar glint in her eyes and I managed to lower my head just in time, otherwise she would have smacked me... for old time¡¯s sake. She nodded almost approvingly before she explained: ¡°Think, Cassy. The portals aren¡¯t new, they¡¯ve been around for ages. Once upon a time the place wasn¡¯t desolate but ruins won¡¯t help you much, will they. Luckily you can fly by yourself and so can the others you intend to take along¡­ I hope.¡± ¡°You hope?¡± ¡°Well, the elves live far to the north¡­ you¡¯ve never been there but the weather is different. If you fly into a blizzard¡­ I¡¯m sure you, that dragoness of yours and her vampire will be fine but the rest¡­ maybe you should leave them behind until you can establish a direct link.¡± ¡°Reia will be delighted,¡± I replied haltingly, her complaints already ringing in my ears. ¡°For her it shouldn¡¯t matter too much. There are enough birds that have evolved to live in the north but you should still make sure she knows what she¡¯s doing. I can help you out. I¡¯ve seen her magic and I¡¯m sure I can guide her towards the necessary changes. You can leave that to me. What you¡¯ve got to do is make sure you can actually use the portals without destroying them.¡± ¡°And welcome our newest bunch of dragons in the morning,¡± I added with a groan. She cocked an eyebrow, silently urging me to continue. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Viyara¡­ she¡¯s got family left, a towering, golden grandfather to be precise. He¡¯s sent two dragons here. Considering my luck they might just as well insist on accompanying us and I¡¯m not even sure if that¡¯s such a bad idea. That way I can at least make sure they won¡¯t get into a fight with Sera and burn the town to the ground. Which reminds¡­ I should probably tell her about¡­ why are you grinning?¡± ¡°No reason, except I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t have to worry much about spreading the news. She already knows.¡± ¡°She¡­ damn it.¡± I sent a trickle of power towards my eyes and one of the fireflies, dancing across the pond below us, lit up like a Christmas tree. Ever since I had gained control over my life force my vision had also changed. I could not only see spells and magic but the innate life within a creature, which meant that, even though I still wasn¡¯t able to spot the transformations of our family, I could very well tell that a bug wasn¡¯t supposed to have enough energy to light up a continent. Not to mention that the insect in question was slowly making its wobbly way towards us. ¡°How long have you been listening,¡± I asked more annoyed with myself than her. I should have seen this coming. The traits our family shared were curiosity, a pronounced disregard for personal affairs and a slight over abundance of magic after all. From one second to the next the firefly pulsed and was enshrouded in a golden mist, only to reveal my granny, grinning at me toothily. 339. Of plans, homes and a little awakening Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You¡­ why?¡± I wasn¡¯t angry anymore. I was tired and overwhelmed. My ages older twin only shrugged, albeit with an aloof flair that clearly conveyed something. Embarrassment maybe? ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to leave but I also don¡¯t feel very comfortable living here and I assumed it¡¯s the same for you. That¡¯s simply personal. With another two dragons coming it¡¯s also practical. We, dragons that is, don¡¯t make for the best roommates, we¡¯re just too¡­ possessive. I¡¯m old enough to suppress my urges, even when I¡¯m transformed, but trust me, you don¡¯t want two youngsters housesitting, especially while you¡¯re away. This island is large. We¡¯re bound to find a suitable place out of town. Somewhere we can hunt and have some privacy.¡± I didn¡¯t quite buy it. ¡°And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s got nothing to do with you not being in charge?¡± She sighed, her gaze travelling from my eyes to the winged hybrid in my arms. ¡°It has, but not in the way you think. I never expected to call the shots after I¡¯ve seen you and your soulmate. I also don¡¯t think I should. I¡¯m too¡­ old, too calloused. Bite first, ask questions later is a marvellous maxim when you¡¯re alone but it doesn¡¯t quite work when you¡¯re a part of society. But that¡¯s the point¡­ Viyara might be different, she¡¯s more of¡­ she¡¯s closer to an elf than a young dragoness, your doing, I presume, but for the rest of us¡­ there¡¯s a reason why dragons are loners. In a few years or decades we might change, maybe, but for now it¡¯d be for the best if we lived somewhere else.¡± I stopped only a few steps shy of exiting the trunk. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to be around for family gatherings and leave us high and dry the rest of the time?¡± She snorted. ¡°Please¡­ it only means I¡¯ll scampered off somewhere isolated to cool down whenever I feel like I can¡¯t reign in my temper anymore. And we,¡± she shot a side way glance at the dryad, ¡°have to talk about how much I can manipulate the weave around here without hampering your growth. Besides, do you still want me to teach¡­ not you, as you won¡¯t be here, but the rest? If that¡¯s the case, some place where we don¡¯t risk burning down houses or scaring the neighbours is a necessity. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure most of us will have to start flying hither and to anyways. You don¡¯t plan on allowing your friendly sorcerer from across the waves the time to really dig in, do you? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone, not even you, who¡¯s better suited to pay him a visit, once in a while, and return some small part of the affection he¡¯s shown us than me.¡± ¡°No, there probably isn¡¯t. You¡¯re pretty well informed, even though we¡¯ve barely spoken. How come?¡± ¡°I sleep about as much as you do and there¡¯s always someone willing to talk for a while. I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m a rather good listener.¡± ¡°Sure. And well versed in plucking everything else form people¡¯s minds,¡± I scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing, not necessarily,¡± I quickly added when I saw a vein in her temple begin to pulse fervently. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ it¡¯s going to need some getting used to. You being here and, well, you being you. So¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop you anyways, even if I wanted to. What¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use the night to look for a suitable place. I¡¯m pretty sure we can dig ourselves a few cozy caverns along the cliff side. But I¡¯d rather have them finished when the other two arrive. It¡¯s going to be much less of a hustle that way. So, for now I¡¯ll have to abduct your dryad. She¡¯s still merging with the arcane lattice around here and I don¡¯t want to mess that up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Greta interjected, ¡°so I can keep an eye on your spells.¡± ¡°Can you even leave the tree,¡± my granny wanted to know. ¡°Sure. The island is a different matter. I¡¯m convinced I can exist wherever my seeds will bloom but for now I can¡¯t leave Free Land. It would¡­ not kill me, but this body would disintegrated and I¡¯d have to grow a new one. Which would take¡­ decades.¡± ¡°Splendid,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Which means if I need anything from either of you I have to tell you now or it¡¯ll be too late.¡± I closed my eyes and racked my brains, which fortunately didn¡¯t provoke an uncalled for comment along the lines of hurry up, it shouldn¡¯t take too long. ¡°Air ships,¡± I finally said. ¡°In the morning Rachmahn is supposedly delivering five airships. I don¡¯t have the foggiest how to tell a good from a bad one. I guess you¡¯re going to look at the cliffs underneath the harbour?¡± ¡°Rather close by,¡± Sera explained. ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid anyone dumping their waste onto my doorstep every single day.¡± ¡°Could you carry a message for me? Tell the dwarfs to send some of their craftsmen to have a look at the ships and the equipment, if the big mouthed trader can even deliver. They should be able to spot anything he might try to hide from me.¡± ¡°Will do. Anything else?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t eat, burn or squash anyone?¡± I didn¡¯t like that it sounded more like a question than anything else but after the escapade with the Ironhands I didn¡¯t quite have it in me to frame it differently. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see how it goes,¡± Greta replied with a cheeky grin. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t be the one to judge anyways, should you? If that¡¯s all, we¡¯ll be back come sunrise.¡± I nodded distractedly, the winged hybrid in my arms was stirring and would probably wake soon. Perfect timing. In a way I had hoped she¡¯d stay in dreamland for a while longer. ¡°Before I leave we¡¯ll have to sit down together one last time,¡± I called after their retreating backs. ¡°But first my brother has to find his backbone.¡± They only waved and vanished down the stairs. ¡°Great, now what,¡± I asked the snoring girl. ¡°Look for Reia or Alassara or place you somewhere where you can sleep in peace?¡± The smell of sizzling bacon, fresh eggs, tomatoes and onions interrupted my musings. ¡°Breakfast, or rather a midnight snack, also sounds lovely. Is that why you¡¯re suddenly moving?¡± I didn¡¯t get a reply but a trickle of drool dripped from the corners of her mouth. ¡°Food it is,¡± I commented and took the last few steps. The stairs ended at a curtain of freshly grown ivy, which wouldn¡¯t serve as any kind of protection if the vines didn¡¯t radiate magic like the sun did light. Greta¡¯s doing, I presumed. Without dallying any longer I stepped through the living drapes and felt my eyes going wide in surprise. The expanse of green leaves and dark brown branches had changed. I didn¡¯t know who had come up with the idea but the implementation had surely been Greta¡¯s work, which also explained why no one had told me. Around the top of the trunk, a wide, circular space, reminiscent of a large courtyard, the branches had been elevated slightly to provide enough room for massive, living gates. To me it looked like those colossal doors led to central walkways, running along the whole length of a branch. Only one was open right now and in the lingering darkness behind it I saw smaller doors aligned left and right, almost like the cabins on a ship, presumably leading to a variety of rooms and chambers. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The central square, for want of a better word, had turned into a cozy backyard, filled with the smell of cherries and food. The soft night breeze rustled among the leaves and turned into a calming song that reminded me of the distant waves, far below us. Close to the open gate a fireplace had been constructed, a few stone slaps provided enough protection to keep the tree from charring, and the colourful amalgamation of races I had somehow¡­ adopted over the last days sat there, laughing, joking but mainly cooking. Not much of a surprise there, most of them had just had their magic changed and they had been asleep ever since. At least I was decently reassured that there hadn¡¯t been any complications, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t be this relaxed. Morgan and Auguros were sitting with Erya, chatting merrily and chopping veggies, while Alassara and her daughter were engrossed in a conversation with Reia, Estrella and Archy, dutifully taking care of the eggs they were cooking in an improvised pan, nothing more than a flat piece of stone they had heated in the flames. Vanya and Will were taking meticulous care of a copious amount of bacon while the latter was gesticulating wildly, apparently emphasising the most important bits of a story he was telling to Faelan and Anna, the two slaves who had killed Asra, and Cecilia and Florentina, the former barmaids who had worked for Alassara. Pete and his ragtag band of rascals were also there, playing some sort of card game with our elves, while my mother, in her kitsune form, and my personal guards were leisurely talking to Liz and two more of the Madame¡¯s girls, whose names I couldn¡¯t quite remember. I shook my head and stayed in the shadows for a few seconds longer, savouring the moment. The whole scene, the amicable atmosphere, the closeness between them¡­ it truly felt remarkable, considering where we were coming from. Still, I felt my eyes sting, when I realised that the one person I actually wanted to share it with wasn¡¯t around. ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± she whispered in my thoughts. ¡°I might not be able to touch you right now, but I¡¯m always with you, for as long as I live.¡± ¡°I know, but the not touching part is a problem.¡± ¡°Two days¡­ weren¡¯t you the one who insisted that she has been fine for years sleeping alone?¡± ¡°I might have over exaggerated. I miss you already and it¡¯s been¡­ two hours? Maybe three?¡± ¡°Try it form my end. I¡¯m alone in a room on a flying fortress and the girl, you brought into my life, I might add, is out there, transformed into a prince I¡¯ve killed, trying to convince her¡­ father to take me in, either as a bride to be or a servant. She¡¯s even come up with a reasonable explanation why I¡¯m not with you and the other kitsune.¡± A dark, rather violent impulse surged through me while I digested her words but her silky laughter extinguished it just as quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she knows what will happen if she goes too far. No one but you will ever lay a finger on me. I like your jealousy but this time it¡¯s uncalled for.¡± ¡°Bride to be doesn¡¯t sound like it,¡± I retorted, but quickly added, ¡°still, I trust you.¡± ¡°As you very well should. I¡¯m not the one collecting pretty girls like baubles, am I?¡± ¡°Not by choice. It just¡­ happens and you can hardly fault me for the newest one. What was I supposed to do? Leave her there?¡± ¡°No¡­ but you could have handed her over to someone else instead of cradling her in your arms for hours, as if she was your own daughter.¡± ¡°She¡¯s got wings. At least I know how to carry her without hurting her,¡± I mumbled lamely. The thought hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind. Don¡¯t ask me why, but just¡­ leaving her with anyone but Ahri, before she even knew what had happened to her, seemed just wrong to me. ¡°Sure,¡± she replied, hardly bothering to conceal her mirth. ¡°A perfectly reasonable explanation. But¡­ why are you blushing? Remember, I can feel your body just as well as mine.¡± ¡°Bite me,¡± I sent but there was no heat behind my words. ¡°Soon¡­,¡± when I caught a glimpse of the images, swirling through her mind, I blushed for real. ¡°By the way, our bet. Once you get here you might reconsider taking it lightly. I was bored and I¡¯ve just rummaged through Zara¡¯s wardrobe. Elves really have an interesting fashion sense.¡± I tried to peek at her memories but she shut me out. ¡°Not yet, you¡¯ll have to wait and see. Let¡¯s just say¡­ less is more around here, at least where clothes are concerned.¡± I came up with quite a few images, most based on the rather frivolous pictures I had seen in this life and the others, on the spot. A good thing I had won. Depending on how bad it actually was, she might have turned the next month into a living hell for me. As it was I couldn¡¯t stop grinning rather lecherously. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see for myself¡­ I think I¡¯ve been noticed. Gotta go. Love you. Stay safe.¡± ¡°Same goes for you. Love you too. If you have some time on your hands, don¡¯t hesitate to call out. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have much to do tonight, tomorrow might be different.¡± ¡°Will do. Until later, then.¡± I severed the connection reluctantly, but not before I had shared a memory of the warmth I felt, every time I held her in my arms. Shrugging off the dull ache in my chest, I was just about to leave the shadows, surrounding the entrance, when I finally felt a small hand grip tightly on my arm. ¡°Where am I,¡± a low, trembling voice sounded from somewhere below my shoulder. Mesmerisingly clear, purple eyes stared at me with an equal measure of hope, fear and confusion, when I turned my head. In response I moved my arms and brought her face closer to mine. She was young, younger than I had thought. I would have put her in the middle of her teens but the flickering nervousness, that couldn¡¯t quite hide her growing curiosity, told me that I was truly carrying a child, maybe ten or even less summers old. She had sharp feature, with a straight, slightly, upturned nose and a softly curving jawline. The time she had spent in captivated had bleached the colour from her face and turned her slightly visible cheekbones into perceivable protrusions. Her pale but full lips were pressed together into a straight line and underneath her wavy, matted, dark hair, the tips of pointy ears peeked out. Despite the filth, still clinging to her like a second skin, she was truly pretty, in an innocent, immaculate sort of way. If it hadn¡¯t been for her smell, that reminded me of a butchery in summer, I¡¯d have called her appealing. ¡°Safe, that¡¯s the most important bit,¡± I smiled. ¡°More accurately, you¡¯re in my home. I¡¯m Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon. A¡­ friend.¡± ¡°I¡­ am I dead,¡± she stammered. ¡°Are you a goddess?¡± My smile turned into a smirk as I gently pinched her leg. Her Common Tongue wasn¡¯t perfect but I could understand her easily enough. ¡°Thanks, I guess, but the answers are no and no. Does my touch really feel that ethereal? I¡¯m a kitsune, a hybrid race, just like you, and you are¡­ well, not as far from death as I¡¯d like but we¡¯re going to rectify that soon enough. A warm meal in your belly and some clean water to wash away most of the dirt and you¡¯re going to feel much better. Trust me.¡± She seemed to relax, at least some of the tension left her muscles and she leaned back against me. ¡°Then¡­ why?¡± ¡°Why you¡¯re here? I couldn¡¯t very well leave you where I found you, could I? As for the rest¡­ that¡¯s difficult to answer since I don¡¯t know the first thing about you. How about we start off with a name?¡± I hadn¡¯t moved. Alassara and my mom had surely heard my voice, but they hadn¡¯t yet made a fuss. Only the glowing, silvery weight of her gaze told me the latter was watching. ¡°I¡­ I,¡± tears pooled in her eyes and a shiver raced through her limbs before her voice broke. For half a heartbeat I froze, unsure of what to do. Would she shy away from a real embrace? Unlikely, considering she hadn¡¯t struggled yet, but I still had no idea what those bastards had done to her and I didn¡¯t mean to scare her even more. Oh¡­ to hell with it. With the utmost care I moved her again until her head rested on my shoulder. My tails snaked up and enveloped her like a living blanket just when the dam broke and a hot stream of tears wetted my cheek. She cried and I held her, for as long as it was going to take. 340. Of strays, wounds and a little payback Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Another one? No matter, at least we¡¯ve got the space to spare.¡± Judging from her words alone my mother was anything but enamoured with our newest stray, but her sparkling smile and her wagging tails, similar to an excited dog, even though I would never have dared voice that particular comparison out loud, put the lie to her words. She was trotting closer, sniffing the air, while the rest of the merry menagerie simply stared. ¡°Kana, my name is Kana,¡± the small, winged girl piped up and peeked at the approaching vixen curiously from the safety of the fluffy fortress she had rearranged my tails into. ¡°Kana,¡± my mom echoed, her smile widening. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it. I¡¯m Helena.¡± She had almost reached us by now but came to a halt a few arm lengths away. Her gaze travelled over the large, tainted white wings the girl had wrapped around me, lingered on her purple eyes and shot to her tummy when it growled audibly. Despite the circumstances I felt the hybrid squirm embarrassedly, as if to drown out the sound. My mom¡¯s fangs shimmered in the moonlight, flowing through the canopy, when her smile widened. She quickly took a scarce few, elegant steps until she stood before us, her tails swinging mesmerisingly from left to right. She barely reached my chest in height, which put her at eye level with my breathing burden. ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra¡¯s mother,¡± she continued, ¡°and if you refrain from pointing out how much younger I look than her I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll soon become friends.¡± Kana¡¯s wings brushed silkily against my cheek, the feeling eerily similar to the touch of another wing I was quite used to, as she squirmed, pushing away one of my tails that threatened to block her view. ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯d like that,¡± she mumbled, her insecurity audible in her shaking voice. Considering she had been crying for the last ten minutes, I thought she held up rather admirably. ¡°But it¡¯s been so long¡­ I don¡¯t think I remember what a friend is.¡± This time around it was me who had to swallow dryly around a rising lump in my throat and my mom didn¡¯t fare much better, at least if the bright sheen in her eyes was any indication. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she replied, while she slowly extended her hand, as you would when encountering a shy animal. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come back to you in no time. Until then¡­ why don¡¯t we start by feeding you? Or would you prefer a bath first?¡± To my surprise she didn¡¯t immediately get a reply. Instead a set of softly glowing eyes turned towards me, as if asking for permission¡­ or maybe advice. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± I whispered in her ear. ¡°I¡¯ve carried you for long enough to not care either way but truth be told a bath might be¡­ let¡¯s say appreciated.¡± It was a paltry attempt at humour but apparently it was received even more poorly than I had imagined. She immediately tried to wriggle out of my arms and put some distance between us. In response I held her more tightly and pulled her even closer: ¡°don¡¯t,¡± I breathed, ¡°it really doesn¡¯t matter. But we can¡¯t have you feeling uncomfortable. I¡¯ll show you something. You¡¯ve been asleep on the way up, but if you can hang on for a few more minutes without starving we¡¯ll have you all cleaned up. Trust me?¡± She tensed again, the question probably about as inconsiderate as my comment before but before I could do as much as scold myself she nodded hesitantly. With a brightening smile I added: ¡°close your eyes.¡± When the purple shimmer vanished I winked at my mom and took a few steps back until we passed through the ivy curtain again. A heartbeat later we fell, my tails still wrapped around her. Kana shivered, her fingers digging deep into my arms. I felt her wings push against my back but before she could even comprehend what had happened, my own wings materialised and our fall turned into a soft glide, the winds a caressing whisper against our skin. ¡°You can look now,¡± I said and her soft exclamation as she took in the sea of sparkling lights, mysterious plants and glowing waters beneath us told me I hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Some surprises were just worth a little anxiety. I drew out our descend for as long as I could but the closer we got to the sparkling pond the more I felt her elation evaporate. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± I asked. She fidgeted for a second but when my toes already sent ripples across the azure surface she confessed in a rush: ¡°I can¡¯t swim.¡± Laughing I dipped even lower, until the water reached my waist and my feet stood on solid ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s too shallow to drown or even swim. Even if it wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to you. Do you want me to stick around or would you rather have some privacy? I can leave you with some fresh clothes and pick you up in a few minutes.¡± She hesitated but her smile returned when she felt the soothing energies swirl around her feet. ¡°Could you stay with me,¡± she finally asked, or rather pleaded. ¡°Of course. Truth be told, I could also do with a bath. It has been a long night, for the both of us.¡± She didn¡¯t reply but I felt her desperate embrace loosen until she staggeringly stood on her own two feet. I turned my back and shrugged out of my stained garments, the stench of blood and flames a palpable miasma, still clinging to them like a spider to a wall, I couldn¡¯t wash off. Better to get an entirely new set. Maybe the dwarfs were right and I really was a splurge. When I was just about to regretfully throw the dark cotton aside I felt a warm, small hand between my wings, pressing against my shoulder blades. ¡°What are you,¡± my companion whispered. Her fingers trailed across my skin but stopped before she could touch one of the silvery torrents, sprouting from my back. I didn¡¯t move and replied equally quietly: ¡°That¡¯s a long story, but the most important part I¡¯ve already told you. I¡¯m a friend, if you want one.¡± Her hand dipped lower until the gap between the bands of energy became too narrow for her to continue. ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ you weren¡¯t¡­ does your race also stem from Ephesus?¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°Never even heard the name. I was born on Boseiju and I can tell you for a fact that there weren¡¯t any winged hybrids around. Well, except for my fianc¨¦e and me, but that hardly counts.¡± Her warm fingers lingered on my skin for a moment longer before she stepped back. I slowly turned around and gently placed my hands on her shoulders. ¡°I know how difficult it must be for you. If you don¡¯t want to, you don¡¯t have to talk.¡± A trickle of power reached my eyes and for the first time I tried to see her, truly see her. Flickering, silvery spots travelled lazily across her face as my vision changed. A heartbeat later I swallowed dryly and took a step back, my wings slithering around me warily. Her demeanour changed instantly as she tilted her head, curiosity and something much¡­ darker, something more pronounced, glowing in her gaze. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°You know,¡± she simply asked, her body rigid. More precisely, she had transformed into an entirely different person, cold, detached¡­ untouched, within the blink of an eye. ¡°No,¡± I answered slowly, ¡°but I can see. Did¡­ did they break you?¡± She shrugged uncaringly and turned her back on me, slowly combing out her matted tresses. With graceful motion she dropped to her knees, her body vanishing in the azure waters with only her wings peeking out. ¡°The pain surely didn¡¯t help but I was born like this. That¡¯s why I was even caught. It¡¯s much easier to abduct an exile far from home. Does it change anything?¡± ¡°I... Did you lure me here? To sate your hunger?¡± ¡°You? No. I¡¯m not stupid enough to incur your wrath. Same goes for most of the people I¡¯ve seen in your home. But¡­ killing is in my blood, it is my nature. I take what I want. Always have, always will. I don¡¯t¡­ feel like you do. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have made it and we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation.¡± ¡°Why hide then,¡± I mumbled, my thoughts racing. She shrugged again. ¡°Experience? With my¡­ disposition you have to know whom not to mess with. I¡¯ve done quite well, except for one mistake. I don¡¯t intend to repeat it.¡± I groaned audibly. ¡°So, you¡¯re¡­ the Black Knight in a princess¡¯ skin?¡± She rose back up in a fluid movement and faced me fully, a slight smirk tugging on the corners of her mouth. ¡°More like¡­ the Black Knight¡¯s axe. Do you want me to leave?¡± ¡°And what would you do? Your soul¡­ it¡¯s nearly depleted. What happens if you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Fill the hole with the essence of others? I¡¯ll die. What they took from me over the last months was all I had. I need to¡­ eat. Soon. Or I¡¯ll wither away. I don¡¯t have to take it all, though. You feel like you could nourish me for centuries without ever suffering. Then again, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d survive. What are you?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m going to tell you now. I don¡¯t even know if I shouldn¡¯t just incinerate you on the spot.¡± ¡°Your call. But if I may, that¡¯d be stupid. Even my own people kept me around until I¡­ overstepped. I can be quite useful, you know.¡± ¡°Does it look like I need any help when it comes to killing?¡± ¡°No¡­ but you surely look like you could use a hand when it comes to anything less¡­ tasteful. I don¡¯t feel, I don¡¯t care and I¡¯m clever. Which means I¡¯ve learned to value my oaths. It¡¯s the only thing that allows me to live freely¡­ to prosper. Like I said, I¡¯m a weapon. Toss me aside or use me. The choice is yours.¡± A bead of sweat merged with the droplets of water on my forehead as I studied her silently. I wasn¡¯t afraid of her but cautious. That girl had been born with a tiny vortex in her soul, a dark wound that kept on swallowing anything close by. It had allowed her to survive, where the others had perished, forcefully holding her life together while it had been stripped away, but it also meant she was a certified sociopath, a predator. And not the dragon, I can do what I want, type of predator. She had to hunt, she had to feast, because she was forced to and also because she wanted to. Even vampires weren¡¯t as damaged. For them it was their life they had to replenish, for her it was something much more fundamental. If she had thought she¡¯d have a prayer, she¡¯d already have attacked me the moment we had been alone. And idiot that I was I had carried her in my arms, her teeth at my neck. Luckily she had spared me quite a bit of pain and herself a rather¡­ illumined end. She snapped me out of my reverie when she gracefully moved her dripping tresses to the side, revealing her slim, tender neck. Again she lowered herself to her knees and bowed her head, her face only a mere hairs width away from the pond. ¡°So, what shall it be. Will I live or die?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you care,¡± I asked, bewildered. ¡°Not in the way you would. Sure, I¡¯d love to see another sunrise, to feel the fresh morning breeze on my skin, but if I won¡¯t¡­ then I won¡¯t. I can hardly cling to life, considering what I am, can I?¡± ¡°Hypocrisy isn¡¯t unheard of,¡± I croaked. She intrigued me, I had to admit, but I still didn¡¯t know what to do with her. She sure as hell was dangerous but she didn¡¯t seem unhinged.¡°Get up, even if I¡¯m going to strike you down I won¡¯t do so while you¡¯re on your knees.¡± ¡°Seems like quite the loophole,¡± she chuckled but obediently did as I had asked. And then, there we stood, both dripping wet and naked, me staring daggers at her and her smiling benignly. ¡°It can¡¯t ever be easy, can it,¡± I grumped. She wouldn¡¯t die, not now and not here at least. ¡°What would you do if you were in my shoes?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯d suck myself dry, wash off the blood and come up with a decent excuse why my heart gave out while we were alone. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to help you much, is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the second creature I¡¯ve met who¡¯s¡­¡± I paused. ¡°Tell me, what do you think of spiders?¡± ¡°Spiders? What¡¯s that got to do with anything?¡± ¡°Nothing much but you remind me of one I met a few weeks ago. In fact,¡± I conjured the pulsing gem from my stamp, ¡°here she is. I¡¯d like for you to meet her. I¡¯m sure the two of you will get along splendidly.¡± She eyed the jewel suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than be imprisoned again, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re suggesting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. But I can hardly let you be. It¡¯s not going to mean much to you, but I care about this place, about the people¡­ most of them. I can¡¯t simply allow you to¡­ prey on them.¡± ¡°And what about the ones you don¡¯t care about? I don¡¯t mind a few rules. Where¡¯s the line? Murder? Theft? Rape? I¡¯ve heard enough whispers in the dark to figure out that there¡¯s going to be an abundance, either way.¡± ¡°Not for much longer, if I can help it. Kana, just to be clear, I¡¯m never going to allow you to feast on anyone¡¯s soul.¡± Probably. ¡°You can kill me right now, then. It¡¯s going to be much less painful for me than being torn apart from the inside out. But, like I said, I don¡¯t have to devour them completely. Souls are¡­ unbelievably potent. Just a¡­ taste can sustain me for months and most don¡¯t even feel it.¡± ¡°Why kill, then?¡± ¡°Growth? I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not completely sure how long they kept me in that cellar but I¡¯m around thirty years old. One day I¡¯d like to grow up.¡± ¡°Which brings us back,¡± I tapped the gem with my finger nail, ¡°to her. Look, I don¡¯t mean to imprison you, basically I just want her to meet you. She can probably answer my questions and some of yours as well. As for the future¡­ that entirely depends on what she¡¯s got to say.¡± ¡°Judgement adjourned, then,¡± she asked coquettishly. Despite myself, I grinned. ¡°Something like that, except¡­ whatever happens, I¡¯m not going to judge you, how could I? I still won¡¯t hesitated to strike you down, though, if I have to.¡± ¡°All the same, but I have to admit, I didn¡¯t expect you to even bother with a conversation. The privilege of the powerful, I assume. Or is it the desperation of the weak?¡± I collected my thoughts for a moment and twiddled the gem between my fingers. It was warm to the touch. ¡°Is there a difference? Strength and weakness aren¡¯t absolute as you¡¯re about to find out. The creature we¡¯re going to meet is powerful beyond the darkest dreams of most mortals but yet¡­¡± my voice trailed off and I shrugged, ¡°she¡¯s but a speck of dust, floating in an infinite sea.¡± ¡°Most mortals¡­ does that mean there are¡­ you¡¯re holding her like a toy. Does that mean you are different?¡± She was sharp, I had to give her that. But then again, if a mind wasn¡¯t weighed down by emotions it could probably accomplish amazing things. Too bad it wasn¡¯t worth the dirt in the streets. Strength without purpose and all that. A silvery nimbus manifested around me, my wings grew until they resembled a descending star, burning brightly behind my back, my crown whispered into existence and my tails turned into rivers of molten silver, hissing in the air. I slowly raised my gaze until it fell on her and, for the first time since she had decided to reveal herself, her expression changed. It wasn¡¯t fear, nor was it envy or anger, though. She looked¡­ happy. ¡°I guess it does,¡± she mused. ¡°Oh, this little escapade might yet turn out marvellously.¡± Again she tilted her head, like a cat scrutinising a scrumptious mouse. ¡°Is your offer still valid? I don¡¯t know much about friendship, but I¡¯d be more than willing to learn, if you were willing to teach.¡± 341. Of lectures, changes and a little bit of responsibility Cassandra Pendragon Clasping the jewel close to my chest, I allowed the minuscule currents of energy within to carry me along. Glowing wood and azure waters turned into roughly hewn rock as my vision shattered. When it came back together I stood at the centre of a natural cave, filled with crystals, tomes and strange apparatuses I had never seen before. It was cold and the air smelled of acid, a permanent reminder who the elegant woman, smiling at us from over an ancient tome, really was. ¡°Oh my, that was quick. Two visitors for the prize of one. And whom have you brought me? A treat, a prisoner, a student or a friend?¡± I shook my head, suddenly doubting my decision. I was tired and I hadn¡¯t thought it through. Coming here with her hadn¡¯t been the brightest idea. I hesitated for a moment, pondering how much to tell, how much to hide. More on impulse than actual conviction I decided to simply act as if Kana wasn¡¯t even there. Whatever she¡¯d hear¡­ in the end it wouldn¡¯t matter. One way or the other she¡¯d take the secrets to her grave. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ I have a question for you. When last¡­ we met Amazeroth showed you bits and pieces of your future. What did you see?¡± She snapped the book shut, her nostrils flaring as she tasted the air. To my surprise I felt Kana¡¯s hand snake into mine. I didn¡¯t buy her act, though. Not again. ¡°What makes you think he even did? For all you know, I could have been lying through my fangs.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t. I know that much and I also suspect that was the moment when you decided to betray me. I want to know why.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all? You¡¯ve disturbed me, entered my magical prison with a stranger, to ask me this?¡± ¡°No¡­ but the rest hinges on your answer. What did you see?¡± She sighed. For a few moments, she simply stared at us, weighing how much to share, until she finally replied: ¡°I didn¡¯t see my future¡­ but yours. Parts of it, at least. You¡¯re dangerous, Cassandra, even more so than your siblings. Whether you want to or not, you¡¯re a harbinger of change, a catalyst. A part of me wanted that power, it still does, but that¡¯s not the reason why I turned on you, at least not the only reason. I am¡­ insignificant, compare to the challenges you¡¯ll have to face. If you had died by my hand, you wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to face what¡¯s coming. I wasn¡¯t going to allow you to ignite the flames of war, without making sure you could actually save my world. For this is my world. I might hate it, I might try to change it, but I¡¯m as much a child of Gaya as anyone, who lives. Well, you and your wife are an exception.¡± ¡°Was it worth it,¡± I snarled. ¡°The pain, the humiliation, the tears, the deaths you caused? Becoming a pawn in someone else¡¯s game,¡± I added quietly. She shrugged uncaringly. ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me, Lightbringer. Death follows you, just as much as I invite it. Now, are we done? Because I¡¯m still not going to share the details of what I saw and I have to say, you¡¯re little puppet is looking more delectable by the second. And with her¡­ I even can.¡± I grinned. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, not now.¡± A slight tremor raced through Kana¡¯s finger but she remained silent. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. Are you going to tell me why you came, or do we have to continue playing?¡± ¡°Several reasons. I told you I would, Amon is¡­ in the wind and I¡¯ve found someone whom I want you to have a look at.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Someone? She looks more like a broken toy than anything else.¡± A shadow of her true form shimmered through her pretty face and I heard Kana stifle a yelp. Some emotions apparently weren¡¯t beyond her. ¡°Or should I say a sharp weapon? It¡¯s hardly alive, at least not by any definition I know of. Careful Cassandra, not everything can be fixed.¡± ¡°You almost sound like you cared for me¡­ or her.¡± ¡°Maybe I do. It doesn¡¯t matter, does it? We are, who we are. Have you ever heard the story of the frog and the scorpion?¡± I nodded hesitantly, the memory of Michael and me in the Silver City emerging in my thoughts. As the story goes, a frog and a scorpion met at a raging river. They wanted to cross the water and the scorpion asked the frog, if it would carry him to the other side. The frog refused, at first, afraid the scorpion would sting it. ¡°Why would I,¡± the scorpion explained. ¡°I¡¯d die seconds later, I can¡¯t swim.¡± Finally the frog agreed and when they reached the middle of the river, the scorpion stung the frog. ¡°Why,¡± it asked with its dying breath. ¡°It is my nature,¡± answered the drowning scorpion. I had never liked the story. Only cowards hid behind higher powers, commandments or their nature and I definitely didn¡¯t like where this was going. What was she trying to tell me? Was it about her or Kana? Or maybe about me? ¡°Good, keep it in mind and now listen. That¡­ creature,¡± she sniffed the air again while a new set of eyes opened on her forehead and stared at my companion with cold curiosity and barely suppressed hunger. Most would have tried to hide or flee but the winged girl only tightened her hold on my hand and returned the stare with the same intensity. ¡°Has been wounded long before she was even born. She isn¡¯t like me, she¡¯s¡­ worse. Her soul¡­ I can¡¯t be sure with just a cursory glance but I believe it¡¯s been maimed in one of her previous lives.¡± Whatever else she was going to say, I now knew that she was very much aware of the river and the journey of souls. A secret not many, aside from the immortals, knew about. ¡°To damage a soul beyond repair¡­ if I had to hazard a guess I¡¯d say one of your ilk did that to her. Maybe as punishment, maybe for entertainment. It doesn¡¯t really matter, though. Ironic, really, considering I tried to do the same, when I¡­¡± ¡°Staked and tortured me? I remember.¡± The memory still made me shudder. ¡°Precisely. Even though the damage would have healed, even if I had been able to complete the ritual. For the wound to last and fester¡­¡± ¡°It had to have been an immortal.¡± I added hesitantly, before I erupted: ¡°No. Way. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice¡­ whatever you¡¯re trying to imply I know I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Truth be told, it was more bravado than anything else, though. Hadn¡¯t I done the exact same thing a few hours ago? The soul of the guard I had tortured had been wounded and marked, a stain it would carry for all his lives to come. Was Shassa right? Had I done this to Kana in the distant past? Had I had a reason? My mind spun in circles and I inadvertently squeezed the warm fingers in my hand. The spider hadn¡¯t missed my reaction and chuckled happily, a sound like fingernails on a blackboard. ¡°Oh, you really are one bundle of joy. Your reaction makes me wonder, though, why are you even here? It can¡¯t have been to ask for advice. You already knew my help is a double edged sword. You can¡¯t have expected me to lighten your burden. So, I ask again, what do you want? Is it to tempt me into attacking either of you? What do you stand to gain?¡± I didn¡¯t have an answer. I had acted on impulse, grasping at straws, when I had been confronted with something I couldn¡¯t understand, unable to help. I had hoped the spider might have¡­ changed? Listened? Gods, I was still naive. All I had gained were doubts and a lingering feeling of guilt when I imagined that I might have just created something awfully similar to Kana. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°The knowledge you didn¡¯t,¡± I mumbled, defeatedly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know. I just couldn¡¯t stand, doing nothing. I hoped¡­¡± I wouldn¡¯t be forced to kill the girl. To my surprise, Shassa didn¡¯t mock me. Instead, she came closer, a thoughtful, understanding look on her face. ¡°You really try, don¡¯t you? Power doesn¡¯t necessarily corrupt. At least, it didn¡¯t corrupt you. I just don¡¯t know, if that¡¯s a good thing. You¡¯re so¡­ gods, fine.¡± She massaged her temples and explained: ¡°soul magic is¡­ nearly impossible to alter. It definitely is for mortals. It works in different ways, depending on the caster, but every spell has a unique property: it changes the target in ways, that aren¡¯t¡­ natural, that aren¡¯t supposed to be. Does that ring a bell?¡± For a moment, I was confused. Was she telling me soul magic was evil? Again, nothing I didn¡¯t already know, and the growing ache in my chest, spiking every time I recalled the tortured expression of the guard when his essence had cracked, served as a reminder, every goddamned second. What was she getting at? A corruptive change, that could alter the very essence of who we were¡­ oh. ¡°Do you mean¡­ but how would you even know? What have you seen,¡± I asked breathlessly. ¡°Enough, I¡¯ve seen just enough. And yes, what Amon does, what I do, what happened to your¡­ puppet, is very similar to what ails your people. Your core, your essence, is nothing more than an immortalised soul, isn¡¯t it? Now, what you need, is a way to find the source of such a change and undo it, don¡¯t you? I think I might be able to help. One of my first inventions was a spell to make sure I wouldn¡¯t run into a trap, every time I consumed a soul. As it stands, it doesn¡¯t help you much, since none of you could use it. I, on the other hand, can. If I was to create an artefact, imbued with the spell, you¡¯d have a tool to single out the source of your companion¡¯s ailment. And, by the by, maybe even track Amon¡¯s magic. Provided he didn¡¯t come up with a way to isolate his spells. The cost, though¡­ I¡¯m sure, you¡¯ve already figured out what I have to pay for magic like this. Now, since it might even help you with your family, further down the road, and alleviate your conscience, I¡¯m offering something of real value, something I have to pay for with pain. What are you willing to provide, in return?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Kana¡¯s fingers twitched in mine before she spoke up for the first time: ¡°Wait a second. What if I don¡¯t want you to change me? I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m alive and I can exist as I am. I don¡¯t understand most of what you¡¯ve said but I sure as all hells know you¡¯re talking about my life, my soul, as if it were a¡­ a toy!¡± The spider blinked in surprise, her cold stare falling on the girl. A sweet, enticing smell poured out of her, probably an instinctive reaction to calm her prey. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend,¡± she hissed. ¡°You don¡¯t feel fear as we do and you know very well that this is a chance for you to evolve. Don¡¯t try to manipulate me, child. I¡¯m not an angel and I might even have been around when you sustained that wound. Why not try for an open approach? I know how strange it must sound to you, but trust me, with the beings you¡¯ve found yourself with, the truth, more often than not, gets you further that the most intricate lie. So¡­ what¡¯s this about?¡± For a moment I thought the hybrid would remained silent but then she spoke without a hint of fear in her voice. Still, she never left my side and her fingers remained intertwined with mine as if she was really looking for some sort of reassurance, something to cling on to. In a way it was really sad, considering I was the one who might have to end her, judging from the weird direction our little chat had been going, while the spider might hold the key to her salvation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to suffer,¡± the girl stated, much more detachedly than her words would suggest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel remorse or pain or guilt for what I¡¯ve done. Why should I choose to become¡­ weak, to get hurt?¡± She turned to me, her eyes hard and cold. ¡°If that is your intention I¡¯ll prefer a clean death. Some doors shouldn¡¯t be opened.¡± ¡°How would you know,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s more than pain waiting for you. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d be willing to learn if I was willing to teach? Maybe this is your first lesson. A lesson you have to learn, otherwise there¡¯d be nothing else for you to achieve.¡± I had expected her to shrug off my words but she took a moment to digest them. ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong? What if I can¡¯t¡­,¡± she finally asked, actually sounding like the helpless child she had portrayed perfectly before. She even had the crocodile tears down to a T. ¡°Then you¡¯ll most likely die,¡± Shassa answered indifferently. ¡°Either now, by her hand or mine, or later, by your own, when you crumble under the burden. It¡¯s still better than the alternative. Child, what you carry with you isn¡¯t as much a wound as it is a cancerous sore. It will grow and the more you feed it the faster it will mature. Even to you the thought of a warped, ravenous soul should be reason enough to pause. If you continue like you are, you will vanish, you will be erased. Like you said, a clean death, or even one filled with fear and anguish would be preferable. At the very least your soul would remain and it would be whole. Provided the angel at your side doesn¡¯t fail.¡± Great. I didn¡¯t even know yet what she actually expected me to do but the pressure was already real. Kana abandoned her pretence when she realised it wouldn¡¯t get her anywhere. A thoughtful gleam appeared in her eyes as she turned to me, entirely ignoring the spider, who supposedly had had her cowed until a moment ago. ¡°That¡¯s not what I imagined,¡± she said, her head titling to the side. Combined with her expressionless face the gesture felt quite intimidating. ¡°Usually I¡¯d politely ask you to go to hell and deal with the consequences, but¡­ Cassandra, tell me honestly, do you think that ludicrous scheme has any chance of actually working?¡± I sighed and immediately bit my tongue. I really had to stop doing that. ¡°Yes¡­ and no. Look, that eight eyed menace over there knows more about souls than anyone I know of. Well, maybe there¡¯s someone else but him we definitely can¡¯t ask. If you want to know whether or not I believe we can close the hole in your soul the answer is yes. I know enough about my own powers to tell you that much. If you¡¯re going to survive is an entirely different matter. And even if you do, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll change in the way she,¡± I jerked my had towards the lurking spider, ¡°implied. You¡¯re not going to suddenly develop a conscience or feel the weight of what you might have done. It only means you could¡­ learn to, if you wanted to. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve come across enough people who had their souls intact and still acted like monsters without ever shedding a single tear. You would simply¡­ have a chance to change.¡± ¡°And I assume me trying is the prerequisite for my continued existence?¡± ¡°No. But it is the prerequisite for you actually living. I¡¯m not going to waste my breath trying to explain, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re capable of following.¡± ¡°And why would you do that for a stranger you obviously don¡¯t, or rather can¡¯t, trust? I don¡¯t understand¡­ you¡¯ve made it clear that you don¡¯t think you need me. I¡¯ve been pretty out of it but I still remember bits and pieces of what you¡¯ve done in that cellar. You¡¯ve¡­ erased them for something I wouldn¡¯t lose any sleep over, something I might have done myself for all you know. Why am I different?¡± ¡°Choice. They had one, you didn¡¯t. You called yourself a weapon. A tool isn¡¯t¡­ evil or righteous or passionate, it just exists. It can still be dangerous, though. If I understand the implications entirely, you¡¯ll turn into a starving abomination sooner or later, one I¡¯ll have to put down, for all our sakes. Until then¡­ well, I¡¯ve got enough friends who are capable of keeping an eye on you and making sure you don¡¯t¡­ how did you put it, overstep.¡± I lowered myself to my knees and caught her gaze. ¡°You¡¯ve been dealt a shitty hand and apparently my family is to blame. I do feel some sort of responsibility but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to risk anyone getting hurt only to assuage my conscience. So¡­ your choice is actually pretty simple. Try¡­ evolving or face slow starvation. I know it isn¡¯t fair but that¡¯s the reality you have to deal with.¡± ¡°Why? You took a few souls yourself. Why can¡¯t I do it in your stead?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ll live long enough to regret and pay for my mistakes and you probably won¡¯t.¡± 342. Of curses, healing and a little memory Cassandra Pendragon While we had been talking a memory had surfaced at the edge of my perception. I had come far since I had been a wailing toddler dominated by my past and it wasn¡¯t all encompassing anymore. It was just a memory but I still relived a part of it while Kana stared at me, lost in thought. The sun was burning down mercilessly, turning dust and sand into a spiteful, charring expanse of nothingness where a second ago a bustling city had been. I had underestimated her and it had cost me, had cost this world. I should have struck her down the very moment I had seen the foul leech sucking on her soul. Goddamned demons and their pettiness. ¡°How can you still be alive,¡± the hovering figure hollered, her magnificent, blood red robes billowing around her like a visible reminder of her consuming wrath. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not a mage or a cultivator or whatever else you call yourselves.¡± My wings materialised, framing me in unyielding silver and blue. ¡°Because I¡¯m not bound by your laws and because I have a promise to keep.¡± I rose into the air, the pressure she exuded, strong enough to grind mountains into dust, a gentle breeze against my glowing skin. A single flare of light exploded in my hand and my spear appeared, its tip crackling with transcendent flames. ¡°Because the immortality you achieved isn¡¯t real.¡± My next words were barely a whisper but they still cut through her aura like a hot knife through butter. ¡°Because you shouldn¡¯t have listened to the darkness and now it¡¯s up to me to reignite the light. This is the end, Bea. I¡¯m sorry. I should never have left you.¡± She laughed but I still saw the shimmering tears in her eyes. ¡°The end? You have no idea what I¡¯ve become. This world is mine. I can annihilate it on a whim, I can¡­¡± A simple wish brought me close to her, her defences crumbling like paper. ¡°Never go back,¡± I finished her sentence while Aiglos pierced her heart, his own magic reaching for the growing parasite within her, a parting gift Atlas had left behind. ¡°You should have known,¡± I breathed, my own eyes stinging. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you¡­,¡± the ugly, twisted thing burned and withered, leaving behind a bottomless pit her soul was slowly vanishing into, ¡°wait for me?¡± I choked. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had been forced to kill someone I had watched grow up, but it still hurt like a bitch. A few thousand years and I still hadn¡¯t gotten used to my emotions, especially pain, real pain. Her expression transformed, the sneer vanished and despite the streaming tears she seemed¡­ at peace. ¡°Because you weren¡¯t there. I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know. He promised¡­¡± ¡°He lied,¡± I spat, my wings circling around her, holding her one last time. ¡°And I can¡¯t save you. You¡¯re¡­ that wound is beyond me and you¡­ we don¡¯t have the time to wait for my sister. I¡­¡± ¡°Are you crying,¡± she whispered, her cooling fingers brushing over my cheeks. A single tear clung to her skin and she stared at it, as if it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. ¡°That¡¯s a first. But you don¡¯t have to. You kept your promise, you kept me safe. Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡­ Beatrice, you¡¯re not simply dying, you¡¯re vanishing.¡± A silvery glow danced across her paling face as my eyes ignite with transcendent flames. ¡°I might be able to do something about the latter, though. Trust me?¡± She smiled faintly, her eyes already dimming. ¡°Always have, always will,¡± she slurred. ¡°Will I see you again?¡± My power surged, the heavens were torn apart and the devastated plains turned into cracked glass while silvery blue flames devoured the horizon. I didn¡¯t care, there was no one left, all that matters was the dying girl in my arms. ¡°I promise,¡± I swore. ¡°One day we will meet again. But until then, you¡¯ll have to hold on. I don¡¯t know how many cycles it¡¯ll take, but I¡¯ll find you again and when I do, I hope I¡¯ll be¡­¡± my last words were carried away when my energy swirled through her and the world shuddered. I grabbed the disintegrating edges of her soul and fortified them with the only thing that could halt the decay, that could turn the widening chasm into a hole that might one day be filled again. I knew I was condemning her to a bleak future, but yet I couldn¡¯t let her go. That was my weakness, my fault, but where there¡¯s life there¡¯s hope and I always kept my promises. Always. I blinked, the transparent scene dissolving before me. ¡°Fuck.¡± Not exactly the most eloquent description but it summed up how I felt perfectly. I didn¡¯t even have to guess. Even though she had wings now, even though she had a different name, her eyes hadn¡¯t changed. There was still an echo of the exuberant, vivacious girl there, despite the glaring emptiness she had lost herself to. Still, what were the chances? Well, considering how old I actually was and that most of my past misadventures might have been meticulously arranged to culminate on this very world¡­ not as low as it might seem on first glance. Unfortunately that didn¡¯t help me much. Now there was no way in hell I could simply let her be. I had¡­ a promise to keep, I had to keep her safe. ¡°What did¡­ why¡­,¡± Kana stammered. She had seen the change in my expression and heard my muttering. ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I,¡± the spider cackled, a throughly unpleasant, unnatural sound. ¡°I thought I smelled a hint of eternity on her. What did you see?¡± As if I was going to tell her. ¡°Silence,¡± I growled and they became rigid, frozen in a single instant. I focused on a friend I hadn¡¯t even recognised up until a moment ago and allowed my wings to seal us in, to entomb us in light and splendour. ¡°You wanted to know what I am, didn¡¯t you,¡± I whispered, my gaze glued to her widening eyes, ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to show you. Don¡¯t be scared. Watch, watch and remember.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if she actually trusted me or simply accepted her fate, but a small smile tugged on the corners of her mouth and she inclined her head. The air between us became heavy, laden withenergy. Small discharges tickled my skin and the scent of ozone welled up, drowning out even the lingering stench of acid and poison. My power surged, the veil of reality crumbled and I had to exude more and more energy to keep Kana in one piece, to prevent her from simply vanishing in a maelstrom of time and space torn asunder. The future, the past and everything in between started to bleed through the flimsy walls I was tearing down and I felt the strain. Despite my changes I still wasn¡¯t built to control the entire might of my heritage, at least not in this flimsy form. A deep, resounding groan tore from my throat, the only sound that wasn¡¯t swallowed by the cacophony of melting boundaries. I dropped to my knees but instead of hands I came to rest on my paws, sparkling silver and blue, covered in minuscule, dancing scales that resembled my soft fur. My back elongated, my teeth turned into fangs and I grew, just as my wings retracted into my hide to form swirling glyphs of truth and power, glowing with an unimpeded light. A sea of tails surrounded me, slithering through the glare like anchors, calming the thundering waves of power in their wake. Another movement, another reflection of eternal light and I felt Kana¡¯s body fall into my soft embrace, kept safe and sound in the eye of the storm. Now I could act. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As to why I was letting lose without the tides of fury singing my veins¡­ there was no other way. I couldn¡¯t heal her and I knew I wasn¡¯t going to let the spider try. I couldn¡¯t fix the mutilated shell her soul had become, not without filling it to the brink with transcendent forces, something I could have done ages ago, but that wasn¡¯t a solution either. I¡¯d turn her into a thrall, bound and consumed by my own power, a fate almost worse than the one she had been fighting against for who knew how many lives. No, I couldn¡¯t undo what had been done, but I could tear apart the rules of what was and what would be and maybe, just maybe, I could restore her smile, a smile I still saw clearly before me, filled with curiosity and hope, born from a deep seated love for everything alive I couldn¡¯t possibly comprehend. A soft, warm, crimson sheen appear in the oppressive tides of blue and silver, the runes on my skin transformed into something nourishing, something gentle and just before the shattering maelstrom reached its peak I felt her relax in my embrace, a caressing, unbound thought drifting through the void: ¡°always have, always will.¡± It was all the reassurance I needed. I pounced, my claws extended as I reached through her, her body nothing but a fleeting idea I could use as a beacon, a beacon to rip her past, her soul right out of the realm of memories and into the light. Eternity sang in my veins, an infinite expanse opened up before me, swirling around a single moment. The tides of the cosmos branded against my skin but they couldn¡¯t touch me. I felt the echos of aeons dance around my tails, ravenously reaching for the minuscule speck of dust and purpose I tried to keep safe but I didn¡¯t falter, I didn¡¯t yield and with an earth shaking scream that would have blown our world to smithereens, if it hadn¡¯t been contained, I forced my mind down a path that hadn¡¯t been trodded since Amazeroth had brought upon the cataclysm. Silence greeted me, silence and darkness. I had run against a transcendent wall, the traces Atlas had left behind when he had cursed my friend a tangible presence I had to overcome, but I knew I could. Without a conscious thought my weapon, my spear manifested in a realm beyond ideas, beyond imagination, its bluish flames more real than anything around me. It urged me to strike, to unleash the pent up forces it contained but I hesitated. Despite my power crazed stupor I still realised a simple truth. If I was to devour what laid before me, Atlas would know. Maybe not where or when I was, but he¡¯d know who I was and that I was still alive, alive and awakening. A simple decision, an almost boring distinction. A risk to take or a friend of days long gone to bury. Back then I hadn¡¯t had the strength to let her go. Did I have it now? Did I want to? I couldn¡¯t say. All I knew was that it hadn¡¯t been me but my family who had been forced to pay for my transgressions and this time wouldn¡¯t be any different. It wouldn¡¯t be me who would succumb, but I would be there, weeping bloody tears at the graves of those I loved. Was it worth it? Was another second, another moment of hiding worth a life? A life and a legacy I had promised to protect¡­ and then my crown manifested. But it wasn¡¯t the hollow, broken thing I had been getting used to. It was alive and full and from its prongs a cold, detached voice, strong enough to shake the void, erupted. A voice I thought I had heard before. ¡°We don¡¯t cower. We don¡¯t falter. The future and the past aren¡¯t set in stone for us. Spread your wings, Cassandra, spread your wings and fly. Don¡¯t repeat the mistakes of the past, don¡¯t lose yourself. Don¡¯t hide behind what¡¯s necessary, finally do what you always wanted but never had the strength to. Do what¡¯s right.¡± And before the last, foreboding syllable was carried away, lost in the all encompassing flood, I acted. Fire tore my back apart as the runes ignited and reformed, turning into silvery blue, feathered wings. A single beat shook the transcendent fortress and when my spear extended, the walls finally broke and light, clean, uncorrupted, glaring light filled my vision. I opened my eyes, shaking, sweating, more exhausted than I could even remember. What I had done was the act of a grown immortal but I had survived and from the looks of it I hadn¡¯t failed either. With an almost imperceivable sigh the girl fell into my arms, the flood of tails that had kept her upright long gone from this world. I blinked away silvery tears, mixed with even thicker blood, and raised my gaze only to look at a towering spider, her eight eyes nothing but smouldering ruins, still filled with dancing flames. Despite the pain, her fangs were appeared behind a brightening smile and her words, dripping from her parched maw like venom, sounded satisfied¡­ even reverent: ¡°Oh my, you really are something special.¡± I swayed, barely able to keep my footing. ¡°Close your eyes, Cassandra. I¡¯ll take care of the both of you. Trust me, I¡¯ll never again raise my hand against you. You¡¯re¡­ everything I hoped for and even more. Sleep, I¡¯ll see to it that you can return to your family safely. Sleep and recover. Even for you, this was too much.¡± I really meant to curse her or at least tell her how much I thought of her reassurances but before I could open my mouth the lingering darkness at the edges of my vision expanded and I fell down a long, winding tunnel. ¡°The runes are prepared, master. You only need to activate them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me master,¡± I mumbled, resolutely refusing to look at the stunning entourage of seven I shared the back of the limo with. The dark haired witch grinned and retorted: ¡°would you prefer Devil, or maybe Lightbringer? We¡¯re not going to call you by name, as you very well know.¡± How about Santa Klaus, then, I wanted to ask but managed to bite back the words just in time. My humour was surely an acquired taste and even though they had come far since that memorable night in the middle of nowhere, when I had almost killed them over a familiar¡¯s binding, they probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate the irony. They¡¯d need at least a few more decades. Besides, it was an idle conversation anyways, one we had had plenty of times. I smiled when I remembered that they had no qualms with calling me Lucifer whenever they were angry, aggrieved or simply agitated. A condition they had been in quite frequently over the years. Being taught could hurt, especially if your teacher didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about your physical integrity. Or your nightmares. Growing up was tough. Most didn¡¯t, after all. I simply sighed and focused on the slowly expanding sea of lights we were heading towards. We¡¯d reach the city in an hour, maybe less. I could have flown or teleported there easily, but I had never been one to turn down a ride in a well stocked limousine, courtesy of Anna¡¯s family. The presence of seven pretty girls was an added bonus. As far as decorations went, they didn¡¯t have to hide, at least in comparison to other mortals. Over the years the insecure, gangly youths had developed into breathtaking women, each and every single one special in my eyes. It could also have been my growing attachment speaking, though. Considering the only other human I interacted with regularly on this planet was a wrinkly, old monk it shouldn¡¯t come as much of a surprise that I preferred their company, from time to time. At least they showered daily and knew how to dress. They also still had all their teeth. ¡°Why does it have to be Rome,¡± I mused. I didn¡¯t have many happy memories attached to this place. Most were drowned in either blood, pain, corpses or a dizzying mixture of all three. ¡°Because the manifestation of enough spiritual concentration can influence¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± I interrupted the brains of the septet, Vivian. ¡°I taught you how it works, remember? Still¡­ I never thought I¡¯d have to visit the Vatican again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been centuries,¡± Nancy interjected. She had become a fully fledged, well payed model last year and ever since she had lost whatever little restraint she had had beforehand. She didn¡¯t even flinch when I glowered at her. ¡°They can¡¯t possibly remember how you look.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. I haven¡¯t changed since then, still the same skin. Why are you even here?¡± They exchanged a few glances that might have conveyed pity if I hadn¡¯t been convinced that they wouldn¡¯t dare pity me. I mean, who¡¯d be stupid enough to pity the Devil? ¡°Because you need us,¡± Anna replied quietly. When I cocked an eyebrow she immediately explained: ¡°if you want to avoid trouble, or rather bloodshed, that is. You aren¡¯t known for your subtlety, are you? We can get you in, without anybody being the wiser. Don¡¯t you trust us?¡± 343. Of Rome, secrets and a little foreshadowing Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t,¡± I huffed. ¡°Unfortunately I do. More than you can imagine. Fine. So, what¡¯s the plan? The celibate penguins won¡¯t fall for your womanly wiles.¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± Anna replied with a charming smile, ¡°but they¡¯re greedy and I¡¯ve just donated a few million. To be handed over in person to the Camerlengo. Don¡¯t worry, someone will be waiting for us at the gate, ready to show us around. The church isn¡¯t different from any organisation in that regard. It just needs more to excite them.¡± ¡°And if you rub them the wrong way, they won¡¯t pout but rather call for a crusade. Or the inquisition. They¡¯re still around and kicking, you know. The inquisition. Are you sure you want to mess with them? They can as easily reach you in the States as they can in Rome.¡± Laughter was the only response. Admittedly, considering they had been taught by me, they were already heretics in the truest sense of the word. As far as I was concerned, that constituted a reason to not get within a hundred miles of the Holy City, but apparently they disagreed. Wholeheartedly. Just as well, if I had been on my own I would have been forced to lurk in the shadows or simply kick down the front door which would have been another illustrious example of how despicable the Devil truly was. No one knew what I had buried deep underneath the hallowed ground after all. The rest of the trip was filled with merry chatter I didn¡¯t partake in. A new boyfriend or their planned trip to Greece was, at the most, marginally interesting, even though I was tempted to warn them about the ruins of Delphi. But then again, pain and struggle, more often than not, were the best teachers and I¡¯d probably be there as well. I had always been a firm believer in applied lessons and facing an ancient, arcane serpent would do wonders for their growth. As powerful as they had become they wouldn¡¯t die and everything else could be dealt with afterwards. Consequentially I used the time to fiddle with my appearance. I had a few blueprints at the ready but for the life of me I couldn¡¯t remember which ones I had already used when dealing with the church and presenting my own face at the entrance was out of the question. It had taken the girls a few years to stop blushing whenever they saw me and that was without even considering that there probably were some murals in the catacombs that showed my real face. When my students realise what I was up to they ceased their blabbering and instead opted to provide me with some crucial insights, most centred around turning me into either a boy group singer or a distinguished gentlemen from the Victorian age. I do paraphrase, but the result would have been close enough to warrant the comparison. If I had listened, that is. Instead I turned myself into the epitome of a butler. Thin and tall, immaculately dressed and groomed with a subservient demeanour. As far as disguises went it was a damned good one, if I do say so myself. Aside from my family there was no one who¡¯d take me for anything but the loyal lapdog. Unfortunately my entourage were still too young to properly hide their feelings and since they, more often than not, waited for me to make a decision no one with half a brain would be fooled for longer than a few minutes. Another reason why I preferred to work alone. Sighing, I reworked my body again. Maybe I was overly paranoid but I didn¡¯t intend to invite more scrutiny than necessary, since I basically planned on breaking into the vaults. Preferably without alerting the guards, mundane and supernatural ones alike. In the end I swallowed my pride and actually followed their advice, turning into a tall, middle aged man with a cane. A square jaw line and black hair, peppered with grey, gave me some gravitas and a rich, eccentric bon vivant, out and about to impress his collection of pretty faces was much more in line with our natural dynamics. Aside from the strict no touching policy I had religiously employed ever since one or the other had try to come onto me, mostly when they had been euphoric from a breakthrough they had thought impossible before. When the Castel Sant¡¯Angelo flashed past us in an impressive display of grace and strength I called it a day, even though my beard was itching. Usually I didn¡¯t wear one and the sensation wasn¡¯t particularly pleasant. Ah well, it wouldn¡¯t take much to disguise my scratching as a meditative gesture. ¡°That should do,¡± I finally muttered and put an end to the lively discussion about whether or not I looked like the handsome brother of an actor I had never even heard of before. ¡°We¡¯re nearly there. Once we¡¯re through the gate, I¡¯ll make myself scarce as soon as possible. You¡¯re not coming with me, not this time. I want you to leave when I¡¯m gone and make sure someone sees you on the way out.¡± ¡°Should we wait for you,¡± Anna asked. ¡°No. Spend the night at the opera or some other public place and board your flight in the morning. I¡¯ll see you in Athens at the latest.¡± ¡°And if you don¡¯t,¡± Nancy asked quietly. ¡°Are you worried?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± ¡°A well aimed stone can end the greatest mage,¡± Vivian mumbled. ¡°Your own words.¡± ¡°I know what I said but I¡¯m no mage. I¡¯m not even human. Except for our first, unfortunate encounter you¡¯ve never seen anything but a measly shadow of what I truly am. And you shouldn¡¯t wish to, with your awakened senses you probably wouldn¡¯t survive.¡± I massaged the bridge of my nose before I continued, the warmth in my voice contradicting my words: ¡°I appreciate your concern, I truly do, but it¡¯s no different from fretting over the sun or the stars. If I should truly run into trouble the last thing I¡¯d want is to have you around. You¡¯ve come a long way but you¡¯re still¡­¡± ¡°Mortal,¡± Anna finished the sentence dejectedly. ¡°No need to remind us. We know we can¡¯t help you in any meaningful way but we still have the right to care, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°The right? Of course. But you shouldn¡¯t.¡± I took a deep, calming breath before I added: ¡°I¡¯ve never told you but this life, my life, it¡¯s coming to an end. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s going to take but one day soon I¡¯ll have to change. If you truly want to burden yourself with the games of immortals, worry, care for her. She might yet profit from it. I won¡¯t.¡± Watching their expressions change was fun in its own way until I realised that they truly liked me. They were¡­ sad, something I hadn¡¯t expected, truth be told. Then again, after Aurora had left me behind I hadn¡¯t really payed much attention anymore. I could smell their growing fear, hear their unvoiced denial but before I even had the time to console them Cecilia, the half cherub, blurted out: ¡°her? Do you mean¡­¡± Right. Of course. That¡¯s the most important bit. Humans and their weird priorities. The tails were the real problem. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I nodded. ¡°Not only that, I¡¯ll even turn into a different race. None you¡¯ve seen before,¡± I added before they could ask. ¡°I can show you, if you want me to.¡± Funny, really, how they could switch from frightened friends to exuberant fangirls in the blink of an eye but the few minutes we still had, until the car slowed down near the entrance to the Vatican, were filled with them fawning over the illusion of a young kitsune I had conjured from thin air. I really tried to keep a distant facade but the praise they heaped on a creature that wasn¡¯t even born yet almost had me blushing. And I also came away with the distinct impression that their¡­ orientation wasn¡¯t as set in stone as they had led me to believe. Straight as an arrow my ass. But that was something Cassandra would have to deal with herself, if she ever managed to reach earth. A short while later I leisurely strolled towards an impressive, gaudy altar, the echos of my cane hitting polished marble the only sound in the empty church. The air smelled of dust and age, the intricate frescos, depicting scenes from the bible, almost invisible in the tainted moonlight, flowing through painted windows, made me feel like I was being watched. Despite my best efforts, I couldn¡¯t get the image of seven retreating backs out of my mind. I wondered how often I¡¯d see them again, at least with this old face, and whether or not they¡¯d somehow be linked to what I was about to do. Best to not get caught then. It¡¯d make everything so much easier. I didn¡¯t exactly mind a tussle with the church but I wasn¡¯t keen on pulling my students into a conflict they weren¡¯t yet equipped for. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t have much of a choice when it came to my plans. My goal was simple. I knew I¡¯d die and it¡¯d take years for me to get anywhere near my current power. I had kept Earth safe from my family and its own little problems, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to do so in the future. Which meant I had to make sure that none of my so called relatives would accidentally sniff around. If they did and I wasn¡¯t there to distract them, they were bound to find the wards I had erected underneath the Holy City. Another irony. The main reason why nothing supernatural could ever hope to infiltrate the Vatican was the Devil himself. Oh, how the higher ups would curse if they ever found out, but I wouldn¡¯t be the one to tell them. As amusing as it¡¯d be, the risk wasn¡¯t worth it. Still deep in though I arrived in front of the towering slab of stone and gold, decorated with masterfully crafted reliefs of smiling angels and rejoicing humans. The youthful, almost chubby faces of the heavenly servants weren¡¯t in any way similar to how we actually looked but from time to time I quite liked to imagine that they were somehow based on what we were supposed to be. Distant guardians, watching over mortals without an agenda of their own. Unfortunately we were about as far removed from that naive description as could be possible. If anything we were much closer to the fallen followers of Lucifer, rejecting their duty to revel in their own, unopposed power. Most of us, that is. Some still tried which had led a dead angel walking to kneel before a monument of the very thing he had fought against for most of his life. Not faith, mind you, but the blind obedience the church demanded wasn¡¯t my cup of tea. Dogma of infallibility, I ask you. What utter nonsense. If there was anything infallible in the cosmos it was the persistence of mistakes. Man fails for as long as he aspires. Absolute truth was the realm of¡­ well, god. If there even was one. Personally I would have liked to believe in something bigger, something to validate our suffering, our strive, our failures, but I didn¡¯t know. No one did. ¡°In the name of the father, open this door,¡± I commanded, the syllables of the heavenly language heavy and almost bitter on my tongue. The phrase itself I had chosen deliberately. When in Rome¡­ The altar became translucent before it shimmered out of existence entirely. A dark, winding staircase appeared, similar to the gaping maw of a vile beast, but even the impenetrable darkness couldn¡¯t disguise the flickering light, enticing me with the promise of warmth, peace and the memory of a towering, black dragoness. How long had it been? Aeons, but I still remembered her. How could I not, her presence was what kept me going, what had allowed me to live. Ancalagon¡¯s child was still safe and sound within my core but the last time I had seen, I had felt her, I had held the jewel, waiting at the bottom of the stairs, in my hand and I had made my family cower. A feat I was sorely tempted to repeat, but I couldn¡¯t risk it. Should I fail, everything would be lost and despite the promise of power I didn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d be able to face angels and demons alike. Not without the ring and it was beyond my grasp. At least for now. No, I wasn¡¯t going to claim the Gem of Eternity again, but I would use it to seal this planet. Until, one day, I would return. Preferably with less baggage and a bit more hope but that wasn¡¯t up to me. That¡¯d be up to her. The morning sun warmed my face while I enjoyed a cup of cappuccino on the banks of the Tiber. I¡¯d still have the time to reach the airport but I wasn¡¯t overly keen on spending a few hours in an airplane. I would catch up with the girls once they were going to land and until then I was going to enjoy a few peaceful hours without hiding, without running. The night had gone much better than I had expected and my work had been done without bloodshed, screaming or flying body parts. It had to be a first, at least I couldn¡¯t remember ever leaving Rome without a trail of corpses in my wake. I closed my eyes and relished in the exquisite scent of freshly ground coffee beans, gelato and gasoline. Morning traffic was still a bust and the bluish grey clouds of smoke, wafting around the piazza, were as deeply ingrained into the city as the ancient churches and history laden monuments. In a way it was still progress, considering that I had been forced to inhale the lovely odour of manure and human fecies a few hundred years ago. ¡°Le tue uova, signor,¡± a waiter interrupted my musings. With a grateful nod I accepted the steaming plate filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, freshly baked bread and several cream cheeses. ¡°Gracie, tenga il resto.¡± He scurried off, happily grasping the 20 Euro bill as if it was his firstborn. Probably a student. They were always pressed for money. With a shrug I drowned out the flood of impressions my senses provided and tucked in, savouring every mouthful. At least until an aggressively sweet perfume and the shapely shadow of a well endowed woman broke my concentration. For a moment I toyed with the idea of simply ignoring her, I had changed back to my original appearance the second I had left the Vatican and chances were she simply wanted to ask me out, but that wishful fantasy went up in smoke as soon as she opened her mouth: ¡°Oh my, fancy meeting you here.¡± Perfect King¡¯s English with a touch of haughtiness. Groaning inaudibly I raised my gaze to find an attractive woman in her twenties staring down at me. The worst part, I knew her. We weren¡¯t friends, not even acquaintances, but over the years I had run into the world¡¯s most accomplished cat burglar quite regularly. Mostly when I had forced her to hand over one artefact or the other I had deemed too dangerous for private use. ¡°Jane. A pleasure as always. Is there a reason why you¡¯re here or did you simply miss me?¡± She smiled but I¡¯d have wagered quite a decent sum that her sea green eyes, hidden behind reflective glasses, were as cold as ever. ¡°Can¡¯t it be both? But if I were forced to choose I¡¯d call it a professional meeting. I have¡­ business in town and I¡¯d rather know beforehand if I¡¯m allowed to keep my prize. Otherwise I won¡¯t even bother.¡± ¡°Depends, what are you after?¡± ¡°Oh, a little white gem, rumoured to be hidden in the catacombs.¡± I almost choked on my coffee. ¡°Come again,¡± I spluttered. Her smile widened. ¡°So it is there. Marvellous. Pray tell, would you mind if I borrowed it?¡± I deliberately set down my cup and fixed her with a stare that would have had most mortals running for their lives. With her it only yielded a half amused shrug. ¡°Listen to me,¡± I whispered urgently, ¡°whomever you¡¯re working for, whatever they pay you, it¡¯s not worth it. If you manage to get your hands on it, which I highly doubt, you¡¯ll die. I¡¯ve drawn the wards myself. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting anywhere near that gem for as long as I¡¯m alive.¡± ¡°Interesting. Does that mean I would be getting near if you were dead?¡± 344. Of immortals, battles and a little realisation Cassandra Pendragon I opened my mouth to spat a well deserved reply at her but before the first syllable could form in my throat, a strange, pulling sensation enveloped my forehead, as if I was being sucked in by a crown I didn¡¯t yet carry. I swayed, the figures around me dimmed and a heartbeat later I felt the scene dissolve as I was thrown into a song of colours, a painting of sounds¡­ except, it wasn¡¯t my memory I was cast into, I wasn¡¯t even sure if it truly was a memory. A heartbeat later I was myself again, a tall, slender, ghostly kitsune hovering in the void and I wasn¡¯t alone. At my side six pearly white tails with a tinge of crimson cleaved the aether, dancing in the reflection of four burning wings. Without a conscious thought I drifted closer, my fingers caressingly encircling hers. I leaned over and breathed in her scent, the memory of pine trees and flames as comforting in this dream as they were in reality. ¡°What are you doing here,¡± I whispered, entirely oblivious to the carnage below our feet. ¡°I¡¯ve been with you ever since you turned yourself into a bonfire of transcendent forces. You simply didn¡¯t see me.¡± She breathed a kiss against my cheek and added forlornly: ¡°The better question is, where are we? This isn¡¯t your memory, is it?¡± I shook my head, taking in the mind boggling scene for the first time. The black void was trembling, the realm beyond reality shaken by forces that were too great to comprehend. Around us a battle raged, the likes of which I had never wanted to see again. At the cusp of existence, fully grown immortals fought tooth and nail, wings and crowns, two against one. Lilith and an angel I had never met but remembered all the more clearly tried to preserve their lives, tried to escape from a maelstrom of corrupted blue and golden magic. And they were struggling. Time dilated, seconds turned into years and decades passed in an instant as worlds were created and snuffed out, the imprint of their demise further fuel for the transcendent war. Between the past and the future Lilith and Odin fought for their existence, the corrupted noose around their necks ever growing tighter. My wings manifested of their own accord but before I could move Ahri¡¯s hand closed tightly around my arm. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she hissed. ¡°Even if we really are here, we won¡¯t be able to help. This is beyond us, Cassy. For now, at least. All we can do is watch and pray that we aren¡¯t discovered.¡± I trembled, my muscles taut, the unleashed power in my veins demanding for me to act, to do something, but I knew she was right. Even in the fraction of a second she had needed to speak, death and destruction had claimed another part of the realm as dreams made real crumbled and turned into dust. The powers of dying stars, of withering worlds, of annihilated matter were unleashed and even though they couldn¡¯t touch us, I still had to close my eyes when the final ripples branded against our presence and nearly condemned us to oblivion. Grudgingly I relaxed as my wings formed a scintillating cocoon around us, a barrier that would, hopefully, keep us safe in the eye of the storm. ¡°Holy hell,¡± I mumbled when the darkness lit up with golden flames and the silence was torn asunder by a world ending growl. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ are they losing?¡± Ahri only shook her head helplessly, her gaze never wavering from the confusing, surreal display. Was it happening now? Did we come here to bear witness to the end of immortality? What was even going on? A strike, that would have pulverised Gaya and her sun as easily as I would crack open a nut, suddenly erupted from the cacophonous amalgamation of splendour and might. I felt lost as the fleeting concepts of reality vanished, the cosmos quivering under the onslaught of a fully grown immortal, but just when I thought this had to be the end, a circle of towering candles, each as large as a planet, appeared. The insurmountable force simply vanished and from the flaming glyph the maw of a beats appeared, sparkling gold and blue, large enough to devour a star system whole. Without hesitation it pounced, the glowing, upright shadows of Odin and Lilith fled but they weren¡¯t fast enough. Teeth, as large as worlds, closed around them and my heart skipped a beat. There was no coming back, at least I thought so, until something changed. A fourth presence had appeared, shrouded and cold, nothing more than a speck of dust in an endless sea, but when the death trap was about to devour the strange pair, it flared, it came to life with the echos of uncounted aeons, of true eternity, brought into the light. The behemoth froze and shattered, the motes of its existence further fuel for Amazeroth¡¯s freezing flames. ¡°Is he¡­ is he protecting them,¡± Ahri stammered. ¡°I¡­ I think so. He¡­ he told me, remember? That¡¯s his memory, I think. He told me he was fighting for my friends when I relived my birth. But why has he brought us here?¡± ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t on purpose? Maybe he lost control?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Was it possible? Was a single corrupted immortal able to make the Lord of Mirrors, aided by an angel and a demon, falter? Usually I¡¯d have said no, but this¡­ A scream, filled with more rage than I had ever felt in my lives, tore through the void and blew Ahri and me away like leaves in a raging river. The only reason we survived were my wings, which dispersed the inherent power of the voice, but the sheer force still made me tremble as I fell, head over tails, through the darkness, my fingers desperately wrapped around Ahri¡¯s hand. If I let her go, she¡¯d disappear, this much I knew. ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± I grunted and flooded my veins with light. ¡°Never again.¡± A single moment was drawn into a lifetime as I struggled on the brink, my body quivering as it demanded to transform into something that could withstand the pressure. I almost gave in, the fear of losing her much too prevalent to worry about consequences, but when I felt the infinite tide from my core expand and envelop me like a searing blanket of heat, I hesitated. As ludicrous as the incomprehensible display seemed, I still had a gnawing suspicion that it was very much real and as I had learned before, where transcendent forces were concerned, the lines between dreams, memories and reality weren¡¯t as reliable as I wanted them to be. If I was to change, my own power would anchor me, my¡­ gravity enough to make an illusion become something more. They would see me, they would feel me and I dreaded what would happen then. When Ahri¡¯s fingers slipped through my grasp, it didn¡¯t matter, though. To hell with the consequence, to hell with my worries, this had become a fight I couldn¡¯t afford to lose but before I could do something utterly stupid, the pressure vanished. I blinked and immediately pulled her closer, my tails circling around her as I felt her raspy breath against my cheek. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. An unimaginable surge of cold, frozen purpose had taken hold of the void and wherever I looked my surroundings had turned into fractured mirrors. Ghostly, terrifying shadows moved in their depths, pieces of the past and the future, rallied when their master called them to battle. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± I hissed, my own gaze glued to the shattered reflections as they clawed their way through the veil and manifested. Echos of pain and torment, of victory and defeat flooded through the cracks and drowned out the flickering light around the immortals. Darkness and silence descended upon the battlefield, a frozen moment when everything held its breath, the calm before the storm. And then, the fragile illusion shattered and chaos incarnate claimed us all. A twisted, corrupted shadow, wreathed in golden and blue flames, expanded, pitting its power against the flood of what it had been, what it could have become. It wavered, its strength barely enough to contend with the onslaught. For the fraction of a moment or an eternity it hovered on the brink, cloaked in possibilities that would never come to pass, drowned by mistakes it couldn¡¯t even remember. Still, it¡­ or rather she, Hecate, the Lady of the Mists, didn¡¯t go quietly into that sweet, silent night. She couldn¡¯t win, Amazeroth had turned her past and her future into her doom. Whichever way she turned she was hounded by the spectres of her own actions, the atrocities she had committed in the name of something she hadn¡¯t understood, the empty victories she was to gain for a cause that wasn¡¯t hers an insurmountable wall that slowly cut her off from everything she was. In the end she withered, the golden motes of her essence entirely consumed by flames of blue and I¡­ I panicked. Without restraint, without the mould of an immortal to contain it the Corruption would spread, it would grow, and not even the Lord of Mirrors would have a prayer to subdue it, for there was no reflection left to mirror its weakness, no fleeting phantom to get a hold of. Corruption was empty and it was eternal, a force that couldn¡¯t be cowed or turned against itself for it spanned everything that ever had been, from the very moment we had opened our eyes to the last, torturous breath we all would take. It was infinite and it was broken, free of a sense of self, devoid of any weakness. But Amazeroth wasn¡¯t alone. At the precise moment when Hecate¡¯s essence vanished, consumed by an all encompassing, ravenous hunger, something insignificant, something small changed. A creature, a living, breathing being, a mortal thing, almost entirely eroded by the sheer magnitude of what it had been forced to witness, pounced. With another eerie, defiant growl a giant, shadowy wolf, larger than life, threw itself into the centre of the maelstrom. It vanished immediately, its soul, its life, no more than a drop in an ocean that was carried away, that was assimilated by the infinite whole. Still, for the merest fraction of a moment, for a minuscule, frozen second, there was purpose, there was life and the Lord of Fate didn¡¯t hesitate. He took what had been offered and his grip was unrelenting, unbreakable. With an inhuman scream he tore through the growing cloud of eternal blue and forced it into a living form, a form he could manipulate, he could mould, for it had a past and a future. With callous disregard he compressed her¡­ them into a single speck of light and entombed them in a relict of the past. Grey, indestructible matter rose around them, forming a cocoon I knew all too well, for I had seen it, I had touched it and I had absorbed its essence. The ring on my finger burned and I couldn¡¯t suppress a tortured scream. My vision dimmed and the last thing I felt before I fell through time and space was Ahri¡¯s caressing touch as she took on a part of my burden to allow us both to live. When I woke up again, I wasn¡¯t anywhere I¡¯d have expected. It was a small, homely room, filled with a cupboard of rosewood, a table with a few chairs and a bouquet of roses, a rather large, soft bed and a few blood spatters on the floor. The moon was just dipping below the horizon behind a large, open window while the faintest hint of crimson and gold already peeked over white clouds. The quiet whispers of the cold wind carried the scent of winter orchids, oaks and pines into the chamber and in the bed beside me, Ahri was just struggling from her dreams. She was pale and sweating, her tails wrapped around herself as if to protect her from the chill she normally would never have felt. I wanted to touch her, to kiss her, the questions, fluttering through my mind, about as consequential as the proverbial bag of rice in China but when I extended my hand to brush her sparkling tresses away, my hand simply passed through her like a dream. I wasn¡¯t really there, I was still asleep somewhere far to the south but after the ordeal we had been through my desire to be close to her had been strong enough to allow me a few precious minutes between sleep and wakefulness when I could feel her again. Contently I waited, busying myself with taking in her changing expressions while she slowly rose from the dark depths of the immortal battle we had just been subjugated to. I knew she¡¯d be alright, but as much as I still felt the looming dread so did she and it¡¯d take a while for the both of us to process what we had seen. ¡°Rise and shine,¡± I whispered huskily. ¡°The shadows are gone, the dawn has come.¡± A small smile tugged on the corners of her mouth and her eyes opened, deep, multicoloured ponds of warmth and desire that drew me in like a moth was drawn to the flame. ¡°What are you doing here,¡± she mumbled sleepily. ¡°You can¡¯t have arrived, yet.¡± Instinctively she reached out for me but just as I hadn¡¯t been able to touch her, her tails couldn¡¯t caress me. ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± she pouted, her brow furrowing cutely. I laughed softly in response and snuggled up to her as closely as I could without brushing against her pristine skin. ¡°It truly is, but I¡¯m still grateful. I think I need something¡­ precious, something that makes me happy to deal with what we¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°A dream to chase away the nightmare,¡± she breathed against my lips, the warmth in her voice more than enough to compensate for the lack of sensation. ¡°Something like that,¡± I replied through a smile. ¡°I still can¡¯t wait to hold you again, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to hurry up, then. If you hadn¡¯t dawdle for too long in the first place, I wouldn¡¯t even have been here. Not without you, at least.¡± ¡°I know, no need to rub it in. There are a few things I have to take care of come sunrise and then I¡¯m off. Shouldn¡¯t take more than two days¡­ I hope.¡± ¡°Are you going to bring her along?¡± ¡°Her¡­ Kana, you mean? How do you even know about her?¡± ¡°Told you, I¡¯ve been with you ever since you dragged her soul from the past, even when you couldn¡¯t see or hear me. Which reminds me, your form¡­¡± My ears perked up. ¡°Have you seen it,¡± I immediately asked. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure myself how I looked when I transformed and I was curious as hell. Who wouldn¡¯t be? ¡°Not directly, only a few glimpses here and there. It¡¯s hard to make out any details when your obscured by your power. It¡¯s not as large as I first thought and decidedly feline. A winged fox, maybe?¡± With soft scales instead of fur, if memory served. ¡°Oh well, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure it out soon enough. Thanks, by the way.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Stopping me. I don¡¯t think we¡¯d have escaped if I had transformed.¡± Her expression darkened. ¡°Right. Do you want to talk about what happened?¡± ¡°Not really. In a few days, maybe. When I¡¯m not feeling nauseated anymore by the thought of having absorbed the essence of my sister, corrupted or not.¡± She jerked, as if to grab my shoulder but thought better of it at the last moment. ¡°That wasn¡¯t you,¡± she whispered urgently. ¡°It was the ring.¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°Ahri¡­ it really wasn¡¯t. I¡­ why do you think I¡¯m the only one who can wear it? I¡­ we have hid behind our youth for long enough, don¡¯t you think? After everything we¡¯ve just witnessed they still needed us to finish what they¡¯ve started, didn¡¯t they? We put an end to Hecate¡¯s existence and considering what Reia has seen in that ill begotten memory she probably won¡¯t be reborn, at least not the way she was. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to keep on pretending. For you and me. We are a curse on our race,¡± I mumbled, echoing choked words I hadn¡¯t heard yet, but somehow felt. 345. Of fears, trust and a little bit of love When I opened my eyes in my own home to the crisp light of the rising sun, the song of birds and the sweet smell of cherrywood I felt lost, lost and alone despite the warm body breathing regularly at my side. Somehow my sister had decided that I wasn¡¯t to be left unsupervised and had taken it upon herself to keep me company. Either that or she had remembered how easy it had been for her to get around a scolding when she had been sleeping in my bed. Not that I felt particularly eager to tell her off. After that foreboding dream her antics didn¡¯t seem as important anymore. Still, if I didn¡¯t want to invite more trouble further down the road I¡¯d have to at least talk to her. In a few minutes. For now I simply pulled her closer, breathed in her scent and closed my eyes again, relishing in her warmth. Or so I thought. ¡°Are you awake,¡± she whispered, the sound more felt than heard. ¡°Hmm,¡± I mumbled drowsily, ¡°now I am. Have you kept me company the whole night?¡± ¡°The whole night? Try a few hours. Honestly, don¡¯t you need to sleep?¡± ¡°Usually no, but when I do something really stupid I need a bit of time to bounce back.¡± ¡°So¡­ wanna tell me what happened and why you suddenly appeared on our door step, unconscious, with a winged girl who¡¯s now camping outside this door, as if to guard you?¡± ¡°Not particularly but I will if you tell me what¡¯s gotten into you last night.¡± ¡°You mean why I opened the door and saw a memory meant for you?¡± She was anxious, I could hear it in her voice. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you could have done much there. Once the magic invoked for you¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. What I mean is why you¡¯ve acted like it¡¯s a foregone conclusion that you want to use the knowledge you gained. You always whine that we don¡¯t include you in our decisions but this time you went right ahead and did the same. Do you trust Ahri and me so little?¡± I could only see the top of her head but I felt her stiffen in my embrace. ¡°No, why would you even think that,¡± she immediately mumbled and turned to face me. Dark circles marred the skin under her eyes but they weren¡¯t as pronounced as mine must have been last night. I still didn¡¯t like it. The girl had been through enough and yet she was always looking for more. How was I supposed to care for her when she was determined to run, head first, into every wall she could find? ¡°If I tell you, you won¡¯t blab to anyone else, will you,¡± she added quietly. I couldn¡¯t quite suppress a grin. ¡°Why? Is it embarrassing?¡± Probably not the most thoughtful thing to say but I was still struggling with the images of warring immortals and I simply hadn¡¯t thought much before I had opened my mouth. With my family I rarely did. ¡°Not really,¡± she replied and chewed on her lips. ¡°But mom might take it the wrong way, if she knew.¡± When she called my mother mom, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, I felt a lump rise in my throat and had to blink rapidly. The little devil hadn¡¯t missed it either, judging from her growing smile. ¡°Then I won¡¯t,¡± I croaked with as much dignity as I could muster, which wasn¡¯t a ton considering I was on the verge of tears and clung to her like she was my teddy bear. ¡°Good enough.¡± She puffed up her cheeks and stared at the ceiling before she explained in a rush: ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­ we never talked about my childhood, did we? When I was around six I realised I looked different, hence the change to my fur colour. It took me a while to figure out that I was probably not from the same lineage as my siblings. My¡­ father knew, of course. He tried, but he never treated me quite like the others and my¡­ birth mother¡­ I think she was ashamed. Not of me, but of what my birth meant.¡± Tears had begun pooling in her eyes while she spoke and I wrapped my tails around her, trying to tell her wordlessly that none of us would ever treat her like that, no matter what would happen. She pecked my cheek before she continued: ¡°Long story short, my parents were great, considering our circumstances, but I never felt as¡­ loved as my siblings. In a way it was like... I didn¡¯t really feel like their child but rather like a¡­ like a cousin. I guess that¡¯s the main reason why I didn¡¯t break when those slavers killed our families and took us away. And then you saved us. You and Ahri. You sheltered us, no questions asked, even though you didn¡¯t know who I am, and when you found out, you took me in without a second thought. So did¡­ mom. I¡¯ve never before¡­ I don¡¯t think you can understand what that means to me. For the first time I feel like I¡¯m truly a part of something more¡­ a family. That¡¯s¡­ precious and I¡¯m not going to give it up. Never. I¡­ Cassy, you and Ahri and Helena, you are the only people in this world I think I love and you¡¯re all¡­ so very different from what¡­ us mere mortals can ever hope to become,¡± she finished with a smirk, even though tears were running down her cheeks freely. Before I could even begin to form a reply, rattled as I felt, she quickly added: ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to be left on the outskirts anymore. If that means I have to risk my life, my soul, or anything else to get closer to you, then so be it. I¡¯m done with being the odd one out.¡± She faced me again, insecurity and fear written plainly in her trembling lips, her shining eyes. ¡°Is it too much to ask? I¡­ I want to¡­ I just want to be¡­,¡± she choked and couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. I, on the other hand, kept my composure and detachedly thought about¡­ oh, whom am I kidding? I didn¡¯t fare a single smidgen better as I leaned in, kissed the top of her head and caressed her cheeks, hardly suppressing the waterworks myself. ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I whispered hoarsely. ¡°I¡­ we love you, too, little one. Never doubt it. But that¡¯s the crux, isn¡¯t it? We want to protect you and you want to be close to us¡­ I just wish we weren¡¯t¡­¡± I took a deep, calming breath through my nose. ¡°You want to know what happened? I¡¯ll tell you and maybe afterwards you can understand why this is getting ever more difficult for me. I don¡¯t want to put anymore distance between us than is necessary but despite everything that¡¯s happened, Ahri and I are probably the most dangerous people you¡¯ll ever meet. Simply being close to us¡­ and now, you want to become like us? Reia, I don¡¯t think you truly understand what that means. Maybe¡­ definitely you can¡¯t. Here, let me show you.¡± I gently placed my fingertips on her temples as my eyes began to glow. Instead of taking something away I wanted her to see, to share my memories, at least the ones concerning Kana. The rest¡­ well, me having nightmares was quite enough, I didn¡¯t have to burden her with visions I, myself, couldn¡¯t comprehend in their entirety. It didn¡¯t take long, a single heartbeat at the most, but the change in her demeanour was quite pronounced. She gasped for air, her eyes going wide like saucers as a trickle of sweat formed on her brow. Her tails squeezed me almost painfully tightly and for a moment I thought I had managed to change her mind until a curious, almost adoring gleam appeared in her eyes. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Is it real,¡± she breathed, her limbs trembling with excitement. ¡°Every last bit of it. Don¡¯t tell me you actually want your life to turn out like that. Haven¡¯t you felt¡­ didn¡¯t you see how it almost tore me apart when I had to condemn her to the half life she has been living for uncounted years? Only because she stumbled across one of my siblings. And you want to court that fate, to become like them? Is it really worth it?¡± Her answer wasn¡¯t quite what I had expected. ¡°For me alone? Probably not. For¡­ us? Can you¡­ you can just as easily read my mind, can¡¯t you? I don¡¯t have the right words, but maybe you can see. Please, just take a look.¡± With a shrug I extended my senses and dove into a scintillating whirlpool of hazy images and vivid, glaringly powerful emotions. At first I only saw chaos, half formed connections and links that somehow cumulated in her wish to stay with us¡­ to become like us, but I quickly enough realised that it stemmed from a single idea, a single conviction buried deep underneath. As gently as I could I dove deeper, caressingly brushing past half realised thoughts and wandering wishes, to find what she wanted to show me. It was a bit like a puzzle box where I had to peel away layer after layer but there was no resistance, no matter how far I had to go, she welcomed me with open arms. I saw her doubts, sprouting from her loneliness and her fear that she might never find a place to truly belong, I heard her unvoiced regrets for all the headaches she had caused along the way, I felt her desire to simply be a part of something more and there, close to her very centre, close to what made her the vivacious girl I loved so much, I finally found what I had been looking for. A single image, a powerful longing that had driven her to embrace the dangers of becoming an immortal, no matter the cost. Deep down she still felt¡­ alone, for she might be able to spend the rest of her life with us but we wouldn¡¯t be able to spend the rest of ours with her. The discrepancy hurt her, made her desperate, even though she didn¡¯t know why, but I could see it. In the end, reassurances and hollow words didn¡¯t mean much to her, she had heard them all before. Only when she could face us as an equal would she be able to believe that she really was a part of our lives, otherwise it would just be another iteration of meaningless promises, given to keep the unwanted child quiet. And for her no price was too steep, no danger too threatening to ensure she¡¯d never have to feel that way again. I trembled, caught between pity and a gnawing doubt that she was heading towards a different kind of pain and heartache for all the wrong reasons, but in the end, it didn¡¯t really matter. No one could know the future¡­ almost no one, and for me, for us, the decision was rather simple. Either we allowed her to try to become one of us, with all the life ending or altering consequences it might entail, or we could act like the people around her always had. Keeping her at arms length, taking away her dreams to confine her to a life we thought would make her happy. But to her, it would never be enough, she¡¯d always feel rejected for as long as she wasn¡¯t the same as the people she had come to love. Her¡­ parents, even though they had tried their best, had scarred her deeply and she had to change, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. She needed this to finally leave behind her fear, her hidden anger. There really was no other option. If we hadn¡¯t been immortals, if I hadn¡¯t changed my mom, there might have been another way, but as it stood, as she had been unlucky enough to finally find what she had been looking for with us, she had to take this step or she¡¯d never be able to heal¡­ to hurt and laugh and live without the echos of her past haunting her. Just as much as we had needed a spark of immanence to live, she needed a spark of transcendence to finally bury her past and face the future¡­ with a family that would never leave her behind, that she would never have to leave behind, no matter the cost. Our tears mixed when I pulled her face into my chest, unable to prevent myself from weeping, and when I finally broke down, so did she. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± was all she managed before she started to cry. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± I whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t ever apologise for who you are. Not to me, not to anyone. If anything¡­ I¡¯m the one¡­ it¡¯ll be alright. Trust me, it¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°How can you be sure? I can¡¯t let it go and if¡­ if I don¡¯t make it¡­,¡± she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence but there was no need to. I had seen enough. She wasn¡¯t afraid of dying but she dreaded leaving us. The few centuries she would have naturally at our side were collateral she had to put up for the chance to enter our world and stay with us until the end. ¡°You will,¡± I promised, without realising what I had done. Close as we were she felt the stir of transcendent powers beneath my skin and when a silvery circle shimmered into existence above my heart we both froze in surprise. ¡°What have you done,¡± she hissed, her tears forgotten as the colour returned to her cheeks in a rush. ¡°I never wanted you involved! That¡¯s my decision, my burden and now¡­¡± I brushed the tears from her cheeks and smiled lopsidedly. I didn¡¯t mind what I had done. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± I pressed her hand against my chest so she could feel the steady beat of my heart. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ just a sign, a reminder, but Reia, did you honestly think I¡¯d have left you to face a trial like that on your own? With or without my promise, we would either have made it through together or not at all.¡± ¡°But¡­ Ahri, mother, they need you. It¡¯s not only your life you¡¯re putting at risk. What do you¡­¡± I smacked the back of her head lightly, my mood much improved. In a way it had felt much more liberating than it should have, when I had made sure that I wouldn¡¯t have to bury her. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re such an idiot,¡± I said with a half choked chuckle. ¡°Do you honestly think that either would have done anything else if they had been here? I¡¯ve told you before, you¡¯re ours and we are yours, for as long as you¡¯ll have us. Considering the last few minutes that might be a long time. A really long time. Now, there¡¯s no point in crying over spilled milk. If you¡¯re determined to risk your¡­ existence, then you¡¯ll have to live with us doing the same to keep you safe. Which means the boastful proclamations about your training have to become a reality. It might yet take years until we know how to use that devilish¡­ demonic sigil and the ring properly but when we do, you¡¯ll have to be prepared. I haven¡¯t got the foggiest what might happen but I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re as capable as a mortal can be by then. Make no mistake, you won¡¯t be learning or studying with Sera or Greta. You¡¯ll be coming with Ahri and me wherever we go and you¡¯ll¡­ curse yourself for your stubbornness every single night.¡± She breathed a thank you, before she smirked. ¡°I¡¯m a tough cookie. What are you going to do?¡± I returned her grin and tousled her hair. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll take a bath, then I¡¯ll have a corpse to bury, a brother to sweet talk or scream at, a few ships to inspect, a lost girl to console and a network of portals to fire up. In the meantime, you, my dear, will be staying here. I reckon I¡¯m going to need about 2 hours. Your task will be rather simple. Leave the room and pack your bags, if you even have any, and go collect your two faithful cronies.¡± Her red rimmed eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound too bad. Where¡¯s the catch?¡± My grin widened and I exerted a minuscule amount of power: ¡°I forbid you to leave this room without me.¡± She opened her mouth, her jaws working furiously but silently. ¡°That should do nicely. Don¡¯t pout. In all honesty, I don¡¯t expect you to succeed. Not now, at least. Sooner or later you¡¯ll have to, though, otherwise you can kiss your aspirations goodbye.¡± I extended a finger and gently closed her mouth. ¡°And that¡¯s just the beginning. Before I let you anywhere near transcendent powers that aren¡¯t my own, you¡¯ll have to be able to deal with mine.¡± I might have forgotten to mention that mine were probably the last thing she¡¯d ever want to struggle against, but if I was to watch her risk her very existence, she¡¯d better have a fighting chance, even without me. ¡°Are you moonstruck,¡± she yelped. ¡°I¡­ I can feel your damned command! What am I even supposed to do?¡± ¡°How should I know? But I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure it out. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to take a bath. That and because I want to. Ask whatever questions you can think of and then put that brain of yours to better use than to make my oh so peaceful life even more miserable.¡± 346. Of gifts, necessities and a little bit of magic Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± I mumbled in sheer amazement. The ships Rachmahn had brought weren¡¯t small. Neither were they shabby, old, damaged, rotten or even scratched. They were goddamned beautiful and, as far as I could tell, almost new. Distractedly I rubbed the last crumbs of earth from my fingers as I watched the elegant constructions sway in the wind. Before I had come here, I had taken half an hour to bury the Soulcatcher, I had burned, on a small outcropping close to the harbour. A beautiful place above the waves, surrounded by bright red tulips, and much more peaceful than he deserved. Still, his debts had been payed. The few quiet minutes had done wonders for my stability, too, even though the occasion had been rather dark. If I had been alone it would probably have become another chance to start brooding, but Viyara, Aurelia and Kana had kept me company and had made sure I wouldn¡¯t fall prey to another bout of self pity. The dragoness and her vampire had said goodbye afterwards, they¡¯d join me again when it¡¯d be time to try out the vampire¡¯s infamous network of portals, but until then I had to contend with Rachmahn, my mother, my brother, a moody, truly ancient dwarf I hadn¡¯t seen before, a struggling, winged reminder of my past and the surprisingly small crowd of curious onlookers, who had been drawn to the harbour by the sight of five stately ships. My personal entourage was busy preparing our trip. ¡°You better,¡± the trader replied merrily and lit a long, carved pipe. ¡°I told you I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ how,¡± I stammered, my gaze glued to the gleaming behemoths of oak and metal. The bitter, almost acrid smell of burning vanilla tickled my nose despite the hellish smoke of five burning furnaces, darkening the sky with blackish clouds. Three of them were even larger than the one on the dwarven ship, their heat turning the air into a hazy veil above the maze of masts, sails and¡­ a flag, which was just about to disappear into the labyrinthian array of hawsers, shrouds and creaking wood. Most men had already vacated the decks, but some had apparently been tasked with cleaning up and had forgotten that little piece of fluttering, incriminating cloth. ¡°So that¡¯s how,¡± I stated suspiciously and turned to the tired merchant. ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s a private flag and not the one of a country.¡± He grinned sheepishly and replied: ¡°for a small fee I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to hear, but if you want the truth¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure myself.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that even possible?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I trade, I don¡¯t procure.¡± ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯ve just flown a whole gaggle of stolen ships here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hardly the question, is it,¡± my brother interrupted darkly. ¡°I¡¯m more curious if someone is looking for them and if we have to expect unwanted visitors, soon.¡± ¡°Ah, in that regard, my cranky comrade, I can assuage your worries. Three of them I¡¯ve had in my possession for years and the other two are from up north. Even if they have been procured under dubious circumstances, there¡¯s no need to fret. Nobody is going to knock on your door, holding a grudge. On my honour, the goods are clean.¡± ¡°Whatever that¡¯s worth,¡± Mordred scoffed, but I could tell that he was at least as impressed as me. 12 hours weren¡¯t much and no matter how you looked at it, his aptitude was unquestionable. Rachmahn folded his hands above his chest theatrically and sighed: ¡°a merchant¡¯s honour is his most valuable possession. Everything else can be rebuilt, but once your reputation is ruined¡­ I would like to caution against sailing too far north, though. The consequences might be more dire than I hope.¡± ¡°And what exactly is too far,¡± my mom interjected. I hadn¡¯t seen much of her since last night, but her dress was new and so were the silvery bracelets and the necklace, adorned with either crystals or maybe even diamonds, she wore. Her negotiations must have gone well. Really well. ¡°Oh,¡± Rachmahn answered and raised his heads nonchalantly, ¡°let¡¯s say¡­ the Southern Central Cluster? So¡­ maybe 500 miles, give or take?¡± ¡°You do know where they¡¯re coming from, don¡¯t you,¡± I asked. ¡°If you have to know¡­ there¡¯s a¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call it war, but a conflict brewing on the central islands. The regents share blood ties and they¡¯re squabbling over the succession to an unimportant, tiny island. They¡¯ve found a new metal of some kind and now everybody is trying to get their hands on it. They aren¡¯t fighting openly, but sometimes¡­ small contingents venture too far into foreign lands and disappear, never to be seen again. The bounty is sold off and I know someone, a few someones to be precise, who inform me when anything interesting is up for grabs. I¡¯ve had my eyes on these beauties for a while and now I finally had a reason to splurge. Seeing as they got here within 12 hours, probably even less, you can also estimate how fast they are. They won¡¯t outrun a dragon, but anything else¡­ Satisfied?¡± ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell us from the beginning,¡± my mom wanted to know. ¡°Secrets of the trade. But since this is about proving my usefulness I¡¯m willing to make an exception. Now, while the esteemed dwarf makes sure I¡¯m not trying to hide anything from you, why don¡¯t we have a look at the rest? I must say, I¡¯m quite proud of what I¡¯ve managed to cobble together. You asked for 100 sets of equipment, probably for a small fighting force. They¡¯re in storage, all right, but I think you¡¯ll like my additions. Why don¡¯t we take a look?¡± While he had finished his explanation and cleaned out his pipe a narrow wooden plank had been lowered to the walkways from the closest ship. Two sailors secured it nimbly before they moved out of the way and bowed from their waists. ¡°Your people,¡± I asked. ¡°Most of them. A few are my brother¡¯s. It¡¯s not easy to man and fly five ships. I couldn¡¯t find the necessary crews in time.¡± I nodded along as I placed my feet on the cranking plank. In all honesty, if I hadn¡¯t been able to fly, I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed the moment one bit when there was nothing underneath me but a finger¡¯s worth of wood and an seemingly endless drop to the azure waves below. A stiff breeze tousled my hair as the smell of coals and flames was drowned out by the scent of seaweed and salt. I swallowed dryly but before I could even think about whether or not I was actually afraid of heights, I had already reached the deck. My soft soled boots produced barely a whisper when I jumped and landed close to the wooden lattice, barring the way to the storage below. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. My family followed swiftly and when Rachmahn joined us, his workers had already installed the large pulleys, needed to open the humongous hatch. A few shouted commands later the heavy timbers rose into the air and the acidic odour of rotting hemp wafted around us. Three ropes, easily as wide as my wrist, were lowered into the belly of the ship from massive beams, anchored to the central mast, and a few seconds later a wooden platform rose form the darkness. Row upon row of gleaming armours shimmered in the bright sunlight, surrounded by neatly stacked heaps of halberds, swords, shields, crossbows, spears and daggers. ¡°The weapons,¡± I began, but the trader cut me off. ¡°That¡¯s what I meant. I imagine you¡¯re going to need these for many an occasion. I took the liberty of providing enough that your people can take up arms and storm a castle or simply patrol the streets at night. I didn¡¯t add any more armours, though. While these aren¡¯t the most expensive, I already had to liquidise more than I wanted to to fill the remaining ships.¡± ¡°Fill the¡­,¡± Mordred stammered, but he didn¡¯t fare much better than me. ¡°Of course, a vessel is only as good as its cargo, isn¡¯t it? This is what you asked for and that¡¯s what I added of my own volition. This one is stocked with uniforms, cloth, cured leather, iron ore, ropes and every other kind of material I could think of. The rest¡­ four storages filled with food, seeds, wood, blankets and even a few barrels of sugar should solve most of your problems for the next few weeks. After that¡­ my services will always be available to you, for a small commission, of course.¡± I was stunned and I wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°With that, I might even reconsider,¡± my brother mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± the merchant asked jovially. Mordred ignored him, sought my gaze and said: ¡°If I do this, I won¡¯t be acting as a surrogate. If I¡¯m going to keep¡­ to start building something even remotely resembling a city and spend my time running from the tree to the city council and back again I won¡¯t indulge your every whim and I won¡¯t stop doing so only because you suddenly change your mind. Can you live with that?¡± I blinked, perplexed. ¡°Honestly, I thought I¡¯d have to threaten you. What changed your mind?¡± ¡°You did¡­ and maybe a talk to and a smack from Richard. You¡¯re right. Mom can¡¯t, you can¡¯t and the rest¡­ it¡¯s up to me, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve¡­ believe it or not, I¡¯ve already talked to Greta. As long as I don¡¯t shit the bed, her words, not mine, she¡¯s willing to work with me. And with those goods and someone as well connected as your new friend, I think I won¡¯t need¡­ the kind of power you have to make it work. That is,¡± he turned to Rachmahn, ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact terms of your agreement with my sister, but I, for one, would love to fallback on your expertise, once in a while.¡± The reply was immediate and delivered with a broad smile. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem at all. I do wonder, though,¡± his bright, inquisitive eyes turned to me: ¡°Will I be acting as a simple merchant or will it be something more¡­ personal.¡± Right, he had delivered and now it was my turn. ¡°I haven¡¯t yet heard what the dwarf has to say but you¡¯ve definitely proven what you can do.¡± I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. ¡°Two. Two people. Chose wisely and quickly I¡¯m not going to stay here for much longer.¡± ¡°Two,¡± he asked sceptically, his eyebrows cocked. ¡°Consider it an investment. Besides I don¡¯t like being in debt. Also¡­ I have another favour to ask. This little girl here,¡± I gently placed a hand on my mom¡¯s shoulder, ¡°will also need your help.¡± ¡°Will I,¡± she questioned me with a frown and pinched my arm savagely in revenge. I only smirked. ¡°I¡¯d think so. Or are you not going to¡­ renovate the ¡°Silver Swan¡±?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to, just yet, but since you¡¯re asking¡­¡± she paused when Kana cleared her throat, the first time she had ever made a sound when we hadn¡¯t been alone. She had joined Reia and me in the bath but she hadn¡¯t spoken, only when I had sealed my sister in my room had we exchanged a few words, which basically boiled down to ¡°don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine but I¡¯ll need some time. Everything seems different and I simply don¡¯t know which way is up, for now. Just, don¡¯t leave me alone, please.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have, either way, but having a mute shadow, staring at everything from butterflies to flowers in undiluted amazement, had been decidedly strange, especially when I had met a few of the others on my way here. I hadn¡¯t minded with the kitsune soldiers, but having her hover close by in silence, her eyes glued to my friends¡¯ faces while I had talked to Erya, Morgan, Will and Vanya about their magic had been unsettling. In case you¡¯re wondering what they had turned into¡­ so was I. It didn¡¯t take much to tell that their minds had been connected to the stores of mana and life force within them, stores, I might add, that could have put most dragons to shame, but aside from that¡­ my own peculiar nature had meddled with the process, tainting, changing their magic. They could learn spells and work their arts like any other sorcerer but I was pretty convinced that they¡¯d find themselves gifted in some areas while others would always remain outside their reach. Similar to any immortal, really. Now, my own deficiencies and talents hadn¡¯t influenced theirs, as far as I could tell, who they were, what they desired, what they treasured¡­ who they wanted to become had been much more important in moulding them, but that also meant they had to simply try out different forms of magic until one would¡­ simply click with them. Which isn¡¯t to say that there hadn¡¯t been some hints. The flames, spontaneously igniting in Will¡¯s beard and hair when he became agitated, or the ethereal, airy hue Vanya¡¯s wings had taken on while she had been asleep were a bit of a giveaway.So were Morgan¡¯s eyes. The smouldering green gems had transformed into intriguingly black, unfathomable ponds, her gaze almost impossible to escape from. Quite literally. Aside from her granny I had been the only one who had been able to look away, once she had focused her attention. Florentina and Cecilia, the two barmaids, hadn¡¯t even figured out yet that they had become mages in their own right, but judging from the hushed conversation with Greta and Asra¡¯s former slaves, I had found them engrossed in, they were going to, really soon. Which would probably also lead to another interesting discussion with Faelan and Anna about their future. I wasn¡¯t willing to hand out arcane powers left and right, but considering how the entire town was about to change, I didn¡¯t mind giving them a leg up. Provided they found their courage and actually asked. I wasn¡¯t going to offer. I didn¡¯t know why, but the distinction somehow seemed important to me. Volition, dedication, courage¡­ to me those were paramount values and I wanted them to show that they had managed to retain their spirit despite the degrading atrocities they had been subjected to. Huh, maybe I did know why I wanted them to ask, after all. Kana blinked shyly when she found herself at the centre of attention. Her warm hand snuck into mine for reassurance but when she spoke she did so clearly and without hesitation: ¡°there¡¯s more. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong but this is mainly about precious resources. I¡¯m¡­,¡± she turned to me, wordlessly asking for permission. I nodded, curious what she was going to say. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure but I had a hunch where she was going with this. Provided my assumptions about her memories weren¡¯t baseless. In essence, when I had torn her unblemished soul from the past, she had probably regained a jumbled up mess of memories from the lives she had lived as a whole being, or at least the last one. Since the magic she had been taught and been practicing back then was entirely different from anything on Gaya, she had to be interested in whether or not parts of it could be replicated. As far as I recalled, much of her strength had been based on tempering her mind and her body to accumulate and use the inherent mana of her planet. Quite a lot had hinged on complex rituals that could change the flesh and elevate the spirit, but for those she¡¯d need herbs and crystals, most of which probably didn¡¯t even exist on our world. If anyone could tell her if she stood a chance of collecting what she needed it¡¯d be Rachmahn. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a few arcane ingredients,¡± she continued quietly, reaffirming my suspicion. ¡°Rare plants and a variety of gems.¡± The merchant frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not very precise. I can get my hands on an impressive collection of either but I¡¯d need names.¡± ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t provide. I can only describe their properties. Would that suffice?¡± ¡°Depends. Tell me and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± 347. Of receptions, friendships and a little bit of trust Cassandra Pendragon On the plus side, Kana had thawed considerably ever since she had opened her mouth in public. As if a knot had been severed she had begun to act normally after her little chat with Rachmahn. That her knowledge and the skills she had gained from a life, which had been much longer than the few years she had spent in this body, weren¡¯t useless might also have played a role. On the other hand, for her to try out the fancy ceremonies and rituals she remembered fragmentarily she¡¯d need a whole plethora of rare ingredients, some of which were expensive as all hell while others didn¡¯t even exist on our world. She¡¯d have to experiment and each failure would be equal to more gold down the drain than I wanted to imagine. Guess who¡¯d most likely be footing the bill. Nevertheless I quite enjoyed her changed demeanour as she was merrily talking to my mom while Mordred and I trotted after them on our winding way back to the tree. The two girls were bonding over the stupidest thing, but apparently living your life as an emotionless psychopath came with its perks, one of which was an uncanny knack for appearances, manipulation and hierarchies. Seeing as my mom planned on becoming a culinary entrepreneur and probably an information broker to boot she was more than interested in what Kana had to say. Which left me with my brother, discussing our immediate plans for the future. As he had finally agreed to keep an eye on our home and I¡¯d probably be gone for a while, depending on how fast I¡¯d be able to persuade one of Greta¡¯s seedlings to take roots on the Emerald Island, we still had a few topics to address. For him it mainly boiled down to persuading me to stay at least a day longer, which wasn¡¯t going to happen. For me it was about what I still had to do in the few hours I had left. Fulfilling my promise to Rachmahn was a given but, aside from the purely necessary endeavours, like figuring out how to use the goddamned, never to be seen until now portals, I had quite a few people to say my goodbyes to and I intended to present them with a gift. Something that would allow us to stay in contact, even if the circumstances turned out to be far from ideal. I was mainly thinking along the lines of boosted memory crystals. One for the dwarfs, whom I probably wouldn¡¯t be seeing for quite a while, one for Alassara, one for Pete and one for my mom and brothers each. As a further token of his gratitude Rachmahn had promised to deliver the blanks in person when he¡¯d be collecting his¡­ payment. Unfortunately my plans were put on hold, once again, when a very familiar voice reverberated through my mind: ¡°they¡¯re coming. I¡¯m flying out to meet them with Sera and Aurelia,¡± Viyara sent, barely able to hide her growing curiosity. ¡°Do you want to come along?¡± I groaned quietly, having all but forgotten the two dragons who¡¯d be joining us. When my brother threw me a questioning look I mouthed the word ¡°dragons¡± and massage my temples. Somehow I always ended up with much too much too do in much too little time. ¡°I guess so,¡± I replied. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Still at the tree but we¡¯re leaving any minute now. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t miss us. Sera said she¡¯d be transforming directly. She reckons it¡¯s about time for the humans to get used to her size.¡± ¡°Great¡­ I¡¯ll keep an eye on the sky then and join you when you¡¯re overhead. My sister still locked in my room?¡± ¡°The door isn¡¯t locked but she doesn¡¯t leave and she¡¯s cursing like a drunken sailor. What did you do to the poor girl?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± A pretty nasty grin was spreading across my face. ¡°If it works you and your girlfriend will enjoy the same pleasure, soon, so I don¡¯t want to spoil the fun.¡± ¡°Is that a promise or a threat?¡± ¡°Take it whichever way you prefer. See you in a minute.¡± I severed the connection and cut off the myriad of questions, bubbling through her mind. When we entered one of the broader streets, leading to the former market turned garden, the crowd around us thickened and so did the smell and the noise. Sweaty workers were carrying seasoned timbers and pushing creaking wheelbarrows, laden with stones, along the cobbled path, baskets of food and coils of rope were transported in a seemingly endless stream towards the new construction sites, and amidst it all wily vendors had already jumped at the chance to sell and extol fresh juices or fragrant snacks for a few coppers. A few tailed soldier could be seen, keeping an eye on everyone, and from time to time I even spotted a dwarf, hustling hither and to, presumably cobbling together the last few things they¡¯d need before they left for their home. The lively, exuberant display made me marvel at human resilience. Not a week prior the whole city had been on the verge of falling prey to Amon and now they were going about their lives as if nothing had happened. Truly impressive, but what really made me smile was the way they reacted to us, or rather me personally. Up until now people had either stopped in their tracks and stared or they had given me a wide birth. Not anymore. They accepted me and some even extended a greeting in passing, a friendly nod or a few, mumbled words. All in all I felt welcome¡­ at home and despite our misadventures I was looking forward to how the city would change while I¡¯d be away. I whistled sharply to drown out the noise and get Kana¡¯s and my mom¡¯s attention. When they looked around I waved for them to wait. ¡°Change of plans,¡± I immediately explained. ¡°Viyara¡¯s honour guard is on their way. I¡¯m going to join the welcome committee.¡± With a sidelong glance at Mordred I added: ¡°so should you. Sera will probably look after them, if they¡¯re going to stay, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt if they knew you from the start.¡± He thought for a moment before he shook his head. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not going to make a fool of myself and try pretending like I¡¯m on par with a dragon. I¡¯ll invite them over one of these days, that¡¯ll do nicely.¡± ¡°Can I come,¡± Kama asked shyly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a dragon before. Not in their original skin at least and I can fly on my own. I¡¯ll stay quiet, I promise.¡± ¡°Sure, if you want to,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°What about you, mom?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay as well. Im curious what the dwarf has to say after his inspection and I¡¯m not overly eager to deal with a bunch of boisterous lizards while I¡¯m either looking like a pet or like this. Also¡­ someone has to get everyone together for your farewell.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m leaving for a long time, you¡¯ll see me again soon enough.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°True, but neither Arthur nor the dwarfs will be around, then. You owe it to them to say goodbye properly¡­ don¡¯t pout, I¡¯m not even going to make you wear a dress. You know, even when you¡¯re not with Ahri you could still smile, once in a while.¡± Unfortunately there wasn¡¯t that much to smile about, but if she managed, so would I, even though I feared the first try might have been closer to a grimace than the real thing. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll try. And thanks. I wouldn¡¯t have thought of it.¡± ¡°No thanks needed, I¡¯m still your mother. It¡¯s not¡­,¡± she paused when a palpable wave of anxiety gripped the people around us as two shimmering golden behemoths took to the sky, their wings billowing like sails while they blotted out the sun. A few shouts rang out here and there but they were stifled quickly when whispered explanations ran up and down the street. Most had already seen the dragons more than once and returned to their tasks but quite a few stopped dead in their tracks, their necks craned to keep the scintillating serpents in sight. Kana was no different, her mouth opening in a mute exclamation, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and adoration. A hill, in Sera¡¯s case mountain, of jewels and gold, exuding a tangible aura of power and grace, slithering through the sky was a dream come true¡­ or possibly a final nightmare. This time I didn¡¯t have to force my smile as I stepped up to her side and said: ¡°they¡¯re beautiful, aren¡¯t they? Come on, it¡¯s about time you had a chance to see them up close.¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not so sure if I still want to.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happened to the untouchable demon queen who negotiated with an immortal?¡± ¡°You broke her. I¡­ I think I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Scared? Trust me, it¡¯ll only get worse the longer you remain glued to this spot. Unless¡­ do you want to stay here?¡± She shook her head slowly. ¡°No¡­,¡± she grinned sheepishly before she tore her gaze away from the sky and threw me a rather peculiar look form under her bangs. ¡°I still remember what you are and I¡¯d rather stick to you. You¡¯re not going to let them eat me, are you?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± I chuckled, ¡°how many skeletons are dancing in your closet?¡± ¡°More than you know. Do you want to meet them?¡± ¡°Probably not. Otherwise I might really be tempted into letting them take a bite out of you. Best to save your confessions for another day.¡± I unfurled my wings, which prompted the sluggishly moving throng around us to part like a wave, crashing against a rock. I rose a handspan into the air and offered her my hand. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting. They might get hungry and who knows what¡¯s going to happen then. You do look very¡­ delectable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not taking me very seriously, are you,¡± she pouted and took my hand. I waved at my family and pulled her along until the breeze caught her wings. With a sound like tearing silk she soared higher into the sky, the city turning into a colourful chessboard beneath our feet. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling¡­ something, but I don¡¯t find it particularly easy to adjust. Especially since you don¡¯t want to talk about your¡­ our past and what¡¯s going on with you. I sympathise, I truly do, but you can¡¯t expect me to ignore what you¡¯ve shown me when we¡¯ve met for the first time in this life. It¡¯s hard to forget that look in your eyes, dead and distant, almost like a shark.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a shark?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ an animal, a predator, which isn¡¯t know for its impeccable manners. Kana¡­ we were friends, a long time ago, and I still feel some of what you meant to me, once upon a time. But that¡¯s not us anymore. I¡¯ve¡­ changed and so have you, many times. We barely know each other and until we do I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be overly considerate when it comes to your feelings. I just don¡¯t know if they¡¯re genuine.¡± The winds were howling around us as we picked up speed, but I still heard her reply. ¡°Fair enough¡­ does that mean I¡¯ve got to pull down my pants for you to trust me?¡¯ ¡°You didn¡¯t wear any when I found you, remember? Unfortunately I don¡¯t think you can. You don¡¯t even know who you are, who you want to be. Until that changes, there isn¡¯t much you can do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ aren¡¯t you going to try and influence me?¡± ¡°By the Great Fox, no. You¡¯ve already got enough baggage without my meddling. Besides, if there¡¯s still a spark of the girl, I knew all those years ago, left in you, I¡¯ll know and so will you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± she answered quietly, barely more than a whisper, carried away as soon as she had spoken. ¡°I just feel¡­ hollow. Like a mouldable lump of clay. I¡¯ve never before¡­ Cassandra, there are memories that aren¡¯t my own, but they still feel more real than anything I¡¯ve lived through as a¡­ as a machine and they hurt. They hurt me every time I think about my life, about what I¡¯ve done. I just don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve got the strength to¡­¡± I hesitated for a moment before I tightened my grip around her fingers. ¡°I said I¡¯m not going to influence you. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to help, in case you want me to. You¡¯re not alone anymore, if you don¡¯t want to be. I¡­ look, you already know I¡¯m about to leave this place. Why don¡¯t you come with me? If you want to, we¡¯ll have ample time to deal with our past. I can¡¯t promise you¡¯re going to like what I have to say, but at the very least I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± I felt her tension but after a few heartbeats she squeezed my hand and leaned in to whisper: ¡°I think I¡¯d like that. But I¡¯m also afraid you¡¯re going to turn away once you know what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Kana, trust me, considering whom I¡¯m related to, there isn¡¯t much you can do or say that¡¯s going to appall or even surprise me. Take your time and when you¡¯re ready, we¡¯ll just have to see, won¡¯t we? So¡­ in a way it¡¯s not so much a question of whether or not I trust you, but if you trust me.¡± Her next words were barely audible, no more than a fleeting breath, even to my ears. ¡°Always have, always will.¡± I felt a melancholic smile tug on the corners of my mouth as I turned around in midair and hugged her. ¡°That¡¯s a start. Now, wipe the gloom off your face, we¡¯re nearly there. We don¡¯t won¡¯t to spoil the first time you¡¯re ever going to meet two dragonesses in all their glory. Also¡­ the smaller one is pretty friendly but if you want my advice, don¡¯t play any games with the flying mountain. From what I¡¯ve heard she isn¡¯t exactly known for her patience.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t plan on opening my mouth anyways, but.. didn¡¯t you say she was your grandmother?¡± ¡°Have you met me? I¡¯m not exactly known for my patience, either.¡± ¡°Right¡­ unless it¡¯s a damsel in distress or a crying child.¡± ¡°Whom did you talk to? I¡¯ll have you know my sister tends to over exaggerate.¡± ¡°No one told me. But¡­ you haven¡¯t changed that much. Pretend all you want but deep down you¡¯re still the same person.¡± Not that I had much of a choice there. Deep down, at my core, I¡¯d always be the same¡­ more or less. I had a gnawing hunch that I might have to¡­ evolve drastically before the end or I¡¯d be rushing down the same, dark path that had already led me to my doom, once before. Either that or the fragmented crown I now called my own had shaken me more thoroughly than I wanted to admit, even to myself. ¡°Maybe I am and if you are, too, we will get along just fine.¡± I had hurried through my last words, very much aware of how astute a dragon¡¯s hearing was and equally unwilling to continue our conversation within earshot. Aurelia and Viyara I wouldn¡¯t have minded, the dragoness had probably picked up on some of my thoughts anyways, but Sera was a different matter. Back on Earth there had been¡­ probably still was this famous saying: blood runs thicker than water. Unfortunately it had become grossly mutilated over the years. The original read quite differently: the blood of the covenant runs thicker than the water of the womb, which basically meant the opposite of what it had been turned into and I quite agreed with the earlier version. Shared blood meant very little in comparison to the people we willingly sacrificed for. A decision, the chance to walk away and the commitment to stay nonetheless, were precious. I shared all of those things with my family, which included Viyara, but my connection to Sera was born from a frail kinship and her desire to turn it into something more. But it hadn¡¯t happened, yet. Maybe it would but for now, she was the one who meant the least to me out of this little airborne gathering. Even the strange patchwork of a girl at my side was more important to me than my own grandmother. I might have been a bit nuts, but that was how I saw the world, or maybe it simply described the world I wanted to live in. It was hard to tell. 348. Of receptions, challenges and a little bit of pride Cassandra Pendragon The first glimpse was nothing more than a reflective speck of silver in an endless expanse of blue. The cliffs of Free Land had long since vanished behind the horizon and we were hovering between the emerald green, fathomless sea and the infinite sky, a no man¡¯s land where even Sera¡¯s incomparable bulk meant nothing. The silence, only broken by the dragons¡¯ wing beats, was daunting and for the first time since we had taken off I was truly glad that Kana hadn¡¯t let go of my hand. The sheer vastness, filled with nothing but water and air, made me feel tiny, inconsequential, almost like the starry night sky, except there were no sparkling lights to adore. Most sailors I had talked to appreciated the loneliness between heaven and earth but to me it felt disquieting¡­ bleak. At least without the noisy ruckus of a ship to keep me occupied. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± I said, my voice weak and almost lost in the empty void despite the power, coursing through my veins, ¡°and they¡¯re fast. You¡¯ll be able to see them any minute now.¡± I blinked in surprise when my vision was blocked by a wall of glittering gold. Instinctively, Viyara and Sera had herded Aurelia, Kana and me into a single spot and had begun circling us. If they had been human I would have felt flattered but the protectiveness I felt in Viyara¡¯s mind was tinged with more than just a streak of possessiveness, clamouring to keep the intruders away from what was hers. I could only assume it was the same with Sera. Oh boy, dragons really had their issues but now was hardly the time to confront them. Also, deep down I was decently confident that they already knew I was nobody¡¯s toy. Well, not theirs, at least. ¡°You can see them,¡± Sera rumbled, her voice distorted by the magic she used to speak. ¡°Your senses must be phenomenal. I can¡¯t discern a thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m cheating,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°Trust me, they¡¯re there.¡± ¡°I can see them as well,¡± Viyara sent while her mind was already busy creating links between all of us. ¡°And they aren¡¯t small, by any stretch of the imagination,¡± she added, almost as an afterthought. She had shared her chat with Ignus on the flight here, so I knew what she meant. ¡°He said their mother was small,¡± Sera corrected her. ¡°Size is not purely hereditary. If she invested enough during their first years, they were bound to overtake her.¡± When she turned around and faced us again I felt her thoughts, old and jagged like a broken mountain ridge, brush against mine. ¡°Can you already¡­ ah, there they are. Hells, what has she fed¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t quite follow the rest since an explosion of light, accompanied by a slightly delayed, earth shattering roar, seized my attention. Twin torrents of silver, almost the same colour as my tails, thundered through the air like intertwined lightning bolts and for a split second I entirely forgot who I was and that I didn¡¯t have much to fear. My jaws dropped as the scintillating flames crested and turned into a glowing, rolling wave that almost touched the horizon. I heard Kana¡¯s sharp intake of breath as she drifted closer, almost like a frightened puppy, and pressed herself into my side. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright,¡± I mumbled, as much for her benefit as mine, ¡°it¡¯s not the first time I had to face a flying lizard,¡± but they sure took me by surprise, every time I met a new one. Quenda and Narros shared the inherent grace, the dangerous beauty of their race. They almost looked like the stereotypical dragon, with four sturdy legs, huge, bat like wings and long, slender necks, supporting triangular, serpentine heads with glowing eyes, shimmering like pools of molten silver, and much too impressive fangs. One of them had a row of horns, jutting from a ridge along its back, while the other¡¯s head was adorned with sleek, reddish protrusions, like the prongs of a crown, most likely a gift from its sire. Their scales weren¡¯t as reflective as Viyara¡¯s or even Sera¡¯s. They looked less like gems and more like a silvery alloy, polished steel or maybe even mithril, and radiated a cold, dangerous glow, palpable even from the distance. Their fangs had a silvery sheen to them, which made them look like chunks of ivory dipped in metal, and their bright eyes with slitted, catlike pupils were narrowed as they scrutinised our group with curiosity and respect. At least as far as our dragonesses were concerned. The rest of us they barely spared a glance. When the flames had petered out, they spread their wings wide, a cloud of mana gushed form their bodies, the gentle breeze turned into a raging gust and they allowed the storm to carry them along, their bodies stiff, their long tails rigid like arrows. ¡°Maybe this wasn¡¯t such a good idea,¡± Kana whispered at my side, her gaze glued to the approaching thunderstorm. I squeezed her hand before I replied with more bravado than I felt: ¡°Too late to chicken out. Let¡¯s just hope Ignus exaggerated when he called them confrontative. I¡¯m so not looking forward to a squabble.¡± Seriously. You¡¯d expect I had become quite used to facing worse things, but there just was something bone rattling about a gargantuan, winged snake, heading your way, with teeth larger than your body. Especially if you didn¡¯t know the snake in question. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I hissed scathingly. ¡°It won¡¯t change a thing if you fight my battles.¡± A deep, reverberating sound, like grinding rocks, tore through the air, as the two sparkling, winged bats circled around me like sharks in the water and started laughing. I was standing still, my wings spread wide, while Aurelia was hovering near Viyara¡¯s head, the fire, surrounding her, becoming hotter by the second, guarding Kana who had slumped on the dragoness¡¯ back in a daze. As you might imagine Ignus hadn¡¯t exaggerated, they really were a handful, and I¡­ oh well, judge for yourselves¡­ The draconic duo made their way towards us, but the closer they came, the less they seemed like the stately, imposing figures I had expected. They were¡­ frolicking, rising and diving through the air like playful dolphins and my anxiety dissipated. How bad could they be when they were acting like kids? My question was answered almost immediately, their voices resounding in the back of my mind, courtesy of Viyara¡¯s telepathy. Without it I would have been entirely oblivious to their entire conversation, which, in hindsight, might not have been the worst thing to happen. As soon as they had come close enough for their thoughts to cover the distance, without an unreasonable expenditure of energy, they greeted Sera demurely, even reverently, and bombarded Viyara with an unending stream of questions. The poor girl couldn¡¯t even answer properly before they interrupted her again. At first I was amused and entirely content with leaving the dragons to figure everything out on their own. I even felt a lazy smile spread across my face as I pulled Kana closer to Viyara, planning on finding a comfortable seat near the base of her neck¡­ and that was pretty much when everything went downhill, fast. Again, in hindsight, I probably should have known, considering Barzuk¡¯s insistence that his mistress shouldn¡¯t carry me, but in all honesty, I had simply forgotten. When I attempted to settle down and pulled the winged hybrid along, the buzzing at the edge of my thoughts stopped immediately, only to be replaced by an icy silence that made Viyara¡¯s last reply wither in her mind. Perplexed I looked up, blinking owlishly, only to find myself as the new centre of the lizards¡¯ attention. And then, a deep, decidedly masculine voice, I still couldn¡¯t tell to whom it belonged, thundered through the telepathic connection, filled with outrage and a growing, flaming hot fury I simply couldn¡¯t understand. Kana froze and toppled over, the strength of the assault too much for her to bear directly. Even Aurelia hissed I surprise, her feathers ruffled, as she drifted closer to Viyara, her entire body tense. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°You dare,¡± Narros rumbled, while another tongue of silvery fire spilled from his opened maw, this time close enough for me to feel the heat. On the plus side, I now knew he was the one with the crown like protrusions on his head, on the other, I didn¡¯t have the foggiest what I had done. ¡°You dare ride your mistress?¡± His smouldering eyes turned to Viyara as he continued indignantly: ¡°even if you value your slaves, you can¡¯t ever allow them to¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± I growled, immediately pulling away from the dragoness and the gaping girl on her back. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± A heavy silence descended, broken a heartbeat later when my grandmother roared and sent a pillar of golden fire through the sky, easily twice as large as the previous outburst of heat and flame. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I hissed, ¡°it won¡¯t change a thing if you fight my battles.¡± Reluctantly she obliged and flew out of the way, exposing me to the two dragons, who weren¡¯t further than a hundred metres away by now. Their laughter set my teeth on edge and made my tails curl up, but it only served to make me madder. If I had been rested and relaxed I probably wouldn¡¯t have cared that much, but with Ahri gone, the shadow of the battle I had witnessed still looming above me and the general state of tension I was in, I just about had had enough with a single sentence. And if I had to beat some sense into them, I¡¯d rather do so with nothing breakable around. Before, I had felt a bit like a rabbit, when the wolfs were breathing down its hole, a most natural reaction when face to face with a winged furnace, but as soon as my temper stirred, my faint anxiety turned into anger, my muted nervousness into a burning desire to knock them down peg or two. And this time I didn¡¯t have to worry about collateral damage, hurting my friends or simply screwing up. It might even turn out to be quite fun. As much as I had been taken by surprise by their words, it was nothing compared to their reaction when Sera erupted on my behalf and I reigned her back in with nothing more than a few words. A tiny, bite sized morsel advancing on them with a rigid expression and not a spark of fear in her eyes also gave them reason to pause. I¡¯d have wagered that they weren¡¯t used to humanoids challenging them openly but in this particular instance they¡¯d have to learn. ¡°What did you just call me,¡± I repeated while I quickly closed the distance between us. Surprisingly I didn¡¯t mind their fangs, which became larger with every inch I moved, nor their looming bulk, which was close to covering my entire field of vision. Over the weeks I had gotten used to Viyara and up close the two of them couldn¡¯t match her. Neither did they possess her arcane aura, nor her nigh transcendent presence. They really were just overgrown lizards. I felt an incoherent stream of thoughts travel between the two of them, as their gaze flickered from Sera to Viyara to me and back again. Before they had a chance to figure out what was going on, though, I continued: ¡°I¡¯m sure I must have misheard. You didn¡¯t call me a slave, did you?¡± I wasn¡¯t yet allowing any trace of my power to escape my grasp, even though I was decently sure I could have put an end to this whole charade, if I had. Unfortunately it wouldn¡¯t do me any good. For one, they wouldn¡¯t see me as a normal creature anymore and thus would treat every other being they came across the same way, no matter what I was going to do now. So much for rationalisations. To be honest, I also felt like picking a fight. When neither golden dragoness interrupted, the newcomers stilled and I felt their magic brush against me, searching, prodding for the reason why I was confident enough to face them. When they came up blank they shared a single glance and spread out, making sure that one was always behind me, no matter where I turned. I couldn¡¯t have cared less, their billowing breath, the scent of smouldering silver and the gusts, created by their wings, more than enough to know when they would close in. Instead of making a fool of myself and trying to keep them in my line of sight I focused on Narros and waited for an explanation. I didn¡¯t have to wait for long. ¡°I did. What else could you be? Your wings don¡¯t make you special. You¡¯re still just an earthbound, tiny creature and if Viyara has failed to put you in your place, I¡¯ll gladly teach you how to address us properly.¡± ¡°By all means,¡± I smirked, ¡°don¡¯t hold back. But don¡¯t go tattling to mommy when your tail¡¯s in a twist. Although¡­ from what I¡¯ve heard, she¡¯s probably not much taller than me and wouldn¡¯t be of much help.¡± I had struck a chord, proven by his enraged roar. They truly were young. Still, to their credit, they didn¡¯t rush in blindly. While the male tried to distract me with another boisterous display of fire and sound his sister rushed at me from behind, claws extended. She didn¡¯t try to kill me and consequentially didn¡¯t attempt to bite off my head but the impact would still have broken my bones and properly turned me into a groaning doll in her grasp. Unfortunately I wasn¡¯t that easy to get a hold of. The much larger, much older and rather more terrifying specimen I had danced with could have told them a thing or two about it, if he had still been around. A flash of light, a wave of magic enveloped me and I was gone, only to reappear behind Quenda, my wings a scintillating curtain behind me. Disoriented the dragons swerved, searching for me. With a broadening grin I spoke up again: ¡°put me in my place, you say. Why not? You might just be surprised where it actually is. Watch, watch and learn. Some ponds are deeper than you can imagine and it¡¯s not always healthy to stick your nose in.¡± Before my last words had reached them I moved. With a twist of my mind I allowed the power from my core to surge forth, to dance across my skin and turn me into a spectre of light and magic. ¡°It might just get bitten off.¡± I felt the hidden streams of mana in the air, tasted their presence, their life on the wind and heard the flickering, inconsequential swirls their wills caused in the lattice of the world as my vision turned into a reflective landscape of silver and blue. With another thought my own will expanded and clamped down on the weave, shutting them off completely, as if a vice was squashing their carbuncles. They froze, they froze and they fell, the magic they needed to keep their gargantuan bodies aloft nothing but a memory they still clung to frantically, while the crushing waves below came ever closer. Arrogance, curiosity and pride turned into confusion, quickly followed by fear when they realised that they couldn¡¯t even move properly, their tails swaying sluggishly from left to right. The distance they gained by the second didn¡¯t help either. My will simply wouldn¡¯t weaken as they tumbled away from me, a pitiful roar the only trace they left behind. I counted silently in my head, watching with satisfaction a they grew smaller and smaller, almost like sparkling coins, vanishing into a well. ¡°You¡¯re not going to let them die,¡± Sera asked. The others knew me well enough to already know. ¡°No¡­ but it¡¯s a good 25 seconds until they reach the ocean and that¡¯s without the resistance their wings provide. I reckon we have a minute. Plenty of time to think I would.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll tear their wings off if they¡¯re forced to break the fall without much space to navigate.¡± 17,18,19.. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll still have a few hundred metres¡­ I just want them to remember that feeling. Helplessness. That¡¯s how most of us feel when they¡¯re faced with a dragon, especially when they act like this, and it sucks. A few more seconds will do wonders for their character.¡± 36,37,38¡­ ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re going to hold a grudge?¡± I shrugged. ¡°No¡­ do you? Dragons respect power and I¡¯m not going to hurt them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know them. Not all dragons act like Viyara and her family. Some are downright nasty and cowardly.¡± ¡°Ignus wouldn¡¯t have sent them here, if that had been the case. But I guess we¡¯ll know soon enough. I just released them. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going to happen.¡± 349. Of honesty, motivations and a little bit of disappointment Cassandra Pendragon Dumbfounded, spitting mad and cautious. Five words to describe a sight rarely seen on this world: two dragons who had just gotten their scaly asses handed to them by a creature so much smaller that she wouldn¡¯t even serve as a proper breakfast. Maybe I should have had a shirt made with the line small but mighty written across my chest. On the other hand, their expressions, when they finally managed to wing their way back up to us, were truly priceless. ¡°Do you want to try again,¡± I asked innocently and with a cute smile when Quenda reached us, a few body lengths ahead of her brother. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to go differently, this time around.¡± For a split second I thought she¡¯d take me up on my offer. Her barrel like chest expanded, an ominous glow appeared at the back of her throat, her tail coiled up with tension and I was already marshalling my energy, this time to literally beat some sense into her, when she raised her head to the clouds above and¡­ laughed. ¡°By Gaya¡¯s glowing blood, I¡¯ve had enough,¡± she huffed, her voice projected by the same spell Sera had used. Apparently she wasn¡¯t all to eager to link her mind to mine again. ¡°The golden puss bucket didn¡¯t exaggerate. I assume you¡¯re Cassandra?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± was at a loss of words. Sure, aggression, defiance, maybe even a small tantrum I had expected but her jovial tone had caught me entirely off guard. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± her brother chimed in, still breathing laboriously from his climb. ¡°No wonder Ignus wasn¡¯t very keen on describing you. Did you do the same to him?¡± ¡°No,¡± Viyara replied in my stead when I still acted like a fish on dry land after a moment or two. ¡°He got away without a scratch. Back then she was tired and younger. Plus he¡¯s related to me. Now she¡¯s antsy and in a hurry.¡± ¡°Younger,¡± the silver dragoness inquired. ¡°It¡¯s not even been a month.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t age like you do,¡± I answered almost reflexively. ¡°Wait. That¡¯s hardly the point. You already knew of me? What, in the name of all the gods, have you been doing just now?¡± ¡°Pulling your strings,¡± Narros chuckled with a sound like breaking rocks. ¡°New island, new rules. Gotta know the pecking order. And I was curious if you really are as bad as Ignus claimed.¡± ¡°Satisfied,¡± I growled while my wings hissed threateningly behind me. Proving yourself time and again could get tiresome really fast. Maybe I had to get that shirt made after all. ¡°Not quite,¡± his sister replied, curiosity and mirth sparkling in her deep, silvery eyes. When she turned to Sera I felt my jaws drop again. Surely they wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to¡­ ¡°we¡¯re still wondering who the hells you are. Considering your size it seems more prudent to ask, though.¡± The monstrous dragoness blew a cloud of smoke from her nostrils and revealed her fangs in a rather entertained than offended manner. ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra¡¯s grandmother and,¡± her body was enveloped by a golden hue and a second later my eerie twin hovered at my side, ¡°also a kitsune.¡± If they had been flabbergasted before, they were now quickly approaching the seldomly achieved state of having their brains shut down. They even spluttered, which would have been funny if their coughs hadn¡¯t been accompanied by sparks and tiny, at least in comparison to their size, fireballs, shooting from their nostrils. When Sera struck up a conversation, I shook my head and drifted back to Viyara¡¯s side. ¡°Told you,¡± I said smugly to Kana, albeit in a low voice, ¡°they aren¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she stammered, ¡°if you¡¯re an angel or a friggin shapeshifter. Honestly, what kind of family have you been born into?¡± ¡°A pretty crazy one,¡± Viyara mumbled in my stead, her eyes still glued to the two dragons who were carefully circling around my granny. ¡°And you haven¡¯t even met them all,¡± she added. ¡°Just wait until you find out whom she keeps in her pocket.¡± Her words, of course, prompted Kana to ogle me questioningly. ¡°She knows about my immortal family, they¡¯ve done her pretty dirty in the past.¡± With a thought I produced Mephisto¡¯s emblem from my stamp. I hadn¡¯t touched the thing in quite a while and it had gotten heavier. Heavier and hotter, as if the fires of hell were roaring in its depth. A theatrical description for sure, but considering what was going on within the silver pendant, it was surprisingly accurate. ¡°Kana, meet Mephisto. A demon and a friend. Not the one who cursed you all those years ago, mind you. Which reminds me¡­ Atlas. Once our hibernating prince returns to the world of the living we might be able to figure out what happened to your tormentor. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love to have a word with him.¡± She stared at the emblem forlornly, an echo of her plight rising begin her purple eyes. ¡°Not particularly. Not alone, at least. Been there, done that. Never again.¡± I touched her arm and stated quietly: ¡°you won¡¯t be alone, not this time. My family has quite a lot to answer for. You aren¡¯t the only one who has suffered at their hands. Why do you think I look like this? They killed me, not even a century ago, and if I hadn¡¯t been really lucky, we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation.¡± A few images of my last stand appeared in my mind, accompanied by a surge of anger I barely managed to control. If it hadn¡¯t been for a new voice, suddenly whispering into my thoughts, I might not have. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Ahri breathed, her presence enveloping me like a comforting blanket. ¡°I truly am.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, not more than mine, at least,¡± I mumbled, my fury extinguished as soon as I felt her pain, her remorse. ¡°It wasn¡¯t on you and I really don¡¯t blame you. How often do I have to tell you?¡± ¡°Until I believe you,¡± she replied. ¡°Maybe in a century or two?¡± ¡°At least we have the time to work on our little problems¡­ speaking of which, how are you doing? Did anything happen I need to know about?¡± A series of hazy images fluttered through her mind, none clear enough to make out any details. ¡°We haven¡¯t been found out, if that¡¯s what you mean. Still, you might want to hurry. A gateway has been opened last night and the first skirmishes have been fought. If nothing changes there¡¯ll soon be a full blown war raging across the island. From what little I¡¯ve heard, the elves and fey are reasonably well matched. It¡¯s going to get bloody, really soon.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Figures. Is there even a chance to stop the madness?¡± ¡°Not with the current king. I haven¡¯t met the man but what I¡¯ve seen through Zara¡¯s eyes hasn¡¯t been heartening. He¡¯s a¡­ a stubborn, prideful, tired, old man and he¡¯s grieving for one of his few friends. Aspera and Astra didn¡¯t exaggerate. Their father truly was someone important. There¡¯s hope, though. Especially the younger generations, those born after the Cataclysm, they don¡¯t see the appeal of throwing away their life when there¡¯s very little to gain. The lands of the fey aren¡¯t hospitable to other species. I haven¡¯t been around long enough to say for sure, though. Traditions are important to these people, they make the elders on Boseiju look like the epitome of progress and they won¡¯t stand against their leaders without ample reason.¡± ¡°Lovely. Can¡¯t wait to meet them. Have you already thought about what story we¡¯re going to tell once I get there? I¡¯m not so sure the truth is actually a good idea.¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯ll talk to Zara once she returns. She¡¯s trying to keep out of the way as well as she can but her disguise comes with a bunch of disadvantages. Political stuff, mostly. Right now she¡¯s attending her own funeral. That must be unsettling.¡± ¡°Could also be rather fun¡­ maybe. I wouldn¡¯t mind having a peek to see who¡¯s actually jubilating and who¡¯s crying, once I¡¯ve kicked the curb¡­¡± I immediately felt her mood darken when she pictured the scene and hurried to add: ¡°if your ward is out and about, what are you up to?¡± She hesitated for a moment but decided to let it go. ¡°Sightseeing, in a way. I¡¯m strolling around the city, trying to talk with a few people. It¡¯s not that easy, though. They¡¯re either treating me like a cute pet or a leper. It¡¯s pretty infuriating.¡± ¡°I bet. Is it because you¡¯re a beast kin?¡± ¡°Rather because I¡¯m not an elf. I imagine it¡¯d be even worse, if I were completely human. I haven¡¯t even seen anyone without pointy ears ever since I got here. They aren¡¯t big on cultural exchange. Who knows, getting their faces kicked in by a bunch of fey who look like trees or even monsters might yet do them some good.¡± ¡°In my experience it¡¯ll only make it worse. Still, as long as your teeth are still in place I don¡¯t care that much. You don¡¯t plan on joining any frays, do you?¡± ¡°Darling, I¡¯m an angel. I might not be able to challenge an entire empire on my own, just yet, but, as sweet as it is, you really need to stop treating me like a fragile doll.¡± Not exactly an answer¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t rush after you immediately, did I? From where I¡¯m standing that¡¯s already a tremendous improvement.¡± She laughed but immediately sobered up again as I felt her cheeks reddening. ¡°Damn, now they think I¡¯m nuts. Gotta go. I¡¯m standing in the middle of a shop and the keeper is already staring at me suspiciously. So are a few of the patrons.¡± ¡°Same here, except it¡¯s four dragons and a reincarnated soul¡­ one last question. Kana¡­ do you remember her?¡± I felt her going through my memories before she replied: ¡°No. I¡¯ve never met her, I think. You might have mentioned her, though, the name surely rings a bell. How many of your prot¨¦g¨¦s are out there?¡± ¡°Beats me, but most should have turned into dust by now. Well, the seven girls from Earth excluded, but I don¡¯t see us running into them any time soon.¡± ¡°A pity, I liked what I saw. Love you and hurry up. I miss you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. Love you, too. Call for me, if anything happens, will you?¡± ¡°Same goes for you.¡± I clearly felt her reluctance but with a sigh she served our connection. ¡°Everything alright,¡± Viyara immediately asked. ¡°More or less. There¡¯s been a fight but Ahri would have told me if it had been bad. I guess she¡¯s feeling a bit lonely.¡± So was I. Now more than ever. ¡°After a single day?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be doing much better if you lot didn¡¯t force me to stay on my feet the whole time. Speaking of which¡­¡± I threw a glance at the two dragons chatting with a nine tailed kitsune in the middle of the sky. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more interested in what they¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s scared,¡± Aurelia explained with a grin. I cocked an eyebrow and despite Viyara¡¯s complaints the vampire pressed on mercilessly: ¡°like a girl who¡¯s been gone for weeks with her friends and now comes home to find mom and dad waiting for her in the living room.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± I exclaimed but when the dragoness only lowered her gaze I added: ¡°why? Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t care about your scaly relatives anymore?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Viyara justified. ¡°I¡­ look, they¡¯re¡­ Ignus has told them who I am, presumably even what I am, otherwise he¡¯d never have bothered to mention you to them. And now I just don¡¯t know how¡­¡± ¡°Are you feeling pressured? For real? Oh boy. Who cares what they think. If they rub you the wrong way we¡¯ll just send them packing. Or plummeting, that¡¯s been entertaining.¡± ¡°Sometimes I just wish you weren¡¯t so goddamned¡­¡± ¡°Wise,¡± I interrupted her smugly. ¡°Thick.¡± That stung. She paused and collected her thoughts before she explained: ¡°look, Lilith is probably going to return with some of your family in tow, is she not?¡± If they had managed to survive, but I wasn¡¯t going to say that out loud. ¡°How are you going to feel when they suddenly turn up on your doorstep?¡± ¡°Probably depends on what they¡¯ve got to say, but aggrieved, enraged or frustrated are most likely decent bets.¡± She rolled her eyes, a pretty impressive gesture, considering their size and smouldering glow. To be perfectly clear, I did understand where she was coming from but I just couldn¡¯t find it in me to take her very seriously. ¡°Why do I even try? I¡­ what are you doing,¡± she hissed when I smacked her head. ¡°Showing that I care?¡± I bolstered my voice with a fraction of my energy and shouted: ¡°are you done chatting up my grandmother? Our young dragoness is feeling neglected and I¡¯m sure we all would like to know what your plans are. Why don¡¯t we return to Free Land together? Circling the entire time can¡¯t be comfortable. We can address the most pressing matters on the way.¡± Mentally I added: ¡°just talk to them. In a few minutes you¡¯ll feel at ease, trust me. If that doesn¡¯t work, try imagining them without their scales¡­. or wings. You have already seen them fall, haven¡¯t you?¡± She grumbled something inaudibly but still managed to put on a jovial mask before Quenda and Narros turned around gradually and came to face us, while Sera transformed behind them. ¡°Sure. Do we have to transform before we reach the city,¡± the male dragon inquired. ¡°I think the people have already gotten used to dragons,¡± Sera replied. ¡°At least they didn¡¯t scream too much when last I transformed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something,¡± his sister chuckled. ¡°In comparison we must seem like the friendly neighbourhood bats.¡± Wasn¡¯t it your friendly neighbourhood spider? Oh well, they probably hadn¡¯t heard of neither Spider- nor Batman. I also had to admit, aside from the pretty rocky start, the two of them didn¡¯t seem difficult or aggressive. Then again, if I had been in the company of people who either towered over me by the margin of a hill¡­ maybe several or could drop me from the sky with nothing but a thought, I¡¯d have put my best foot forward as well. Either that or I¡¯d have thrown a tantrum for the ages. One of the two. Quenda beat her wings once and soared over to Viyara¡¯s side, a broad smile, at least I hoped it was a smile, displaying her impressive fangs. She gently nudged the side of the smaller dragoness and said, almost gently: ¡°no need to pout. Age before beauty. On a more serious note, once you meet more of our kin, always treat the eldest, or rather largest, with the most care. They usually aren¡¯t as easy going as the disguised vixen over there and while we don¡¯t have a strict hierarchy it¡¯s usually better for your health to pretend they¡¯re the most intimidating creature you¡¯ve ever met. As well as the most handsome, richest, wisest¡­ you get the picture.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that,¡± Sera complained. ¡°And while I¡¯m not going to eat you, I¡¯ll still break your wings if you continue to call me either old or ugly.¡± I almost facepalmed when the dragoness shot back: ¡°It¡¯s true, though, isn¡¯t it? You look almost like a less imposing version of her,¡± she jerked her head in my direction, ¡°and you¡¯re the oldest creature among us.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Kana piped up for the first time, her voice surprisingly steady. ¡°Cassandra has been ancient when Sera hasn¡¯t even been born, yet. You really don¡¯t know what she is, do you?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you enlighten us, little one,¡± Narros replied curiously, his eyes sparkling. 350. Of ambitions, motives and a little bit of consequences Cassandra Pendragon ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your favourite dance?¡± I jerked and fell a couple of metres before I managed to regain my balance. Quenda¡¯s question had caught me entirely off guard, I hadn¡¯t even realised she had approached. For the last couple of minutes the four dragons had been chitchatting, Aurelia a grudging, more or less involuntary participant, who hadn¡¯t been given much of a choice. As for me¡­ after I had managed to weasel my way out of talking too much about my past, I had distanced myself from the group, flying ahead with Kana at my side. I hadn¡¯t fled, not exactly, but I hadn¡¯t felt up to mimicking the interested, approachable companion, either. The others had been doing a bang up job anyways and since I wouldn¡¯t be seeing too much of our scaly friends in the future, I hadn¡¯t felt the need to ingratiate myself with the two dragons. The quiet void, which had felt oppressive before, had become a soothing balm, a precious illusion of peace that had calmed me down. Ever since my last dream my mind had been frothing, even though I had been too busy to realise, and the infinite expanse of the blue sky above and the emerald sea below had given me perspective. No matter who we were, no matter our struggles, in the end it would be over and the sky would still be there, staring down at someone else¡¯s plight with the same uncaring distance. I had been dealt a shitty hand from the start, but it was up to me to make the best of it and no one would be able to do it for me, even if they wanted to. Considering what I had been contemplating, call it self pity if you must, it shouldn¡¯t come as much of a surprise that I had been oblivious to my surroundings, aside from Kana¡¯s warm hand in mine, a small reminder that, no matter how long it took, sometimes everything just worked out¡­ after a while. A long while. The salty wind, tussling my hair, the distant roar of crashing waves and the almost imperceivable song of birds, migrating to another, small island to the east, had slowly cracked open the labyrinthian convolutions my thoughts had been stuck in and it had almost felt like meditation, until the dragoness had called out to me from behind. At first I had simply been startled but when I finally managed to wrap my head around her words I was also surprised, surprised and a little amused. I slowed down a notch, an unspoken invitation for her to join us, which she accepted immediately. ¡°Can¡¯t say I have one,¡± I admitted. ¡°Up until now I¡¯ve only ever been forced to dance with people I neither truly cared for nor knew all that well. Truth be told, it¡¯s always been a chore. Are you trying to strike up a conversation or do you really want to know?¡± ¡°The former. I¡¯ve never spent more than a few hours in a different body and I¡¯ve only learned how to transform a couple of decades ago, anyways. Neither do I care overly much for human customs nor do I know the first thing about recreational movement or music, for that matter. I just didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ I¡¯ve been flying behind you for a while. That¡¯s the best I could come up with. Was it that bad?¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°Probably. Unless you¡¯re trying to fill an awkward silence it¡¯s mostly better to simply ask what you actually want to know. Which begs the question¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mean to pry, I¡¯m simply curious. The way Aurelia, Viyara and Sera talk about you¡­ it baffles me, at least when it comes to the latter. You saved and protected Viyara and her vampire, that often leads to a skewed point of view, but Sera, even though she is related to you, doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s driven by gratitude or even pride. She also doesn¡¯t strike me as prone to exaggerations. Still, I can hardly fathom what she makes you out to be. Is it true?¡± ¡°Which part? That I¡¯m older than her, even though I¡¯m her granddaughter? Or more powerful?¡± ¡°All of the above. I¡¯m also wondering why, if you really are¡­ she called you an angel, even though I¡¯m not entirely sure what it means, you¡¯re even here.¡± ¡°Talking about customs, you¡¯ll have to buy me dinner, first, before I¡¯m going to tell you my life¡¯s story,¡± I replied tartly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind indulging you and your brother when it comes to what I am, but if you want to know who I am, you¡¯ll have to try a little harder.¡± Her scaly lids clicked loudly when she blinked. ¡°Are you inviting me to get to know you better or trying to deter me from doing so?¡± I sighed. ¡°Neither, I¡¯ve just been honest and it¡¯s a bit of a sore spot. You wouldn¡¯t want to share your personal burdens with me, either, would you?¡± ¡°On the contrary. I admit it¡¯s difficult to see you for anything but another ant, but I wouldn¡¯t have come here if I hadn¡¯t been prepared to¡­ let¡¯s say learn. Do you know why Ignus sent us?¡± ¡°Politics? You¡¯ve already forged a name for yourselves and I assume he wants you to settle here, which would place this island clearly out of bounds for other dragons. Also, I suspect he wants you to keep an eye on Viyara¡¯s development. Make sure we don¡¯t¡­ turn her into an ant.¡± ¡°Mostly. He also hinted that we, as in my brother and I, could profit immensely from getting to know you.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you picked a fight, the first chance you had?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve talked about it beforehand. You didn¡¯t listen in the beginning but the few questions Viyara actually answered convinced us that you wouldn¡¯t try to kill us for insulting your pride. After we¡¯ve felt your magic we can at least tell that he didn¡¯t directly lie to us. So, here I am, trying to, what was the idiom again, mend the fence?¡± ¡°Which makes me wonder why you¡¯re alone. Shouldn¡¯t Narros be here with you, then?¡± Despite the distance between us I felt her warmth when her body heated up. I wasn¡¯t sure but I thought she was blushing in embarrassment. Profusely. ¡°That was actually my idea,¡± she admitted after an awkward silence. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered you like to surround yourself with pretty girls and considering what I know about the behaviour of short lived races I expected my chances to be better than his.¡± I had to appreciate her honesty but I really didn¡¯t like the insinuation. ¡°Was I wrong?¡± I would have loved to answer with a resounding yes, but once I actually thought about it, I had to admit she wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t her gender, not really, but rather the ramifications it entailed. To cut a long story short, medieval societies weren¡¯t what you¡¯d call equal. There were valid reasons for it, but they didn¡¯t matter much, the result was rather simple. Maybe I suffered from helper¡¯s syndrome, maybe it was just my own upbringing, my core or my past, whatever the cause the likelihood of me feeling sympathetic to the plight of a woman in our times was much higher. It could also have been nothing but pure chance that had thrown a bunch of people I was drawn to into my path. But whether it was the former or the latter, neither held true, in any way, for those two dragons. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. While I was still struggling with my reply, trying to decide how much to share, Kana cut my musings short: ¡°you were,¡± she stated resolutely. For a moment I thought she¡¯d elaborate but her attention had already been gobbled up by a particularly interesting cloud formation, as if there was nothing more to say. Quenda, though, wasn¡¯t satisfied and simply demanded an explanation. With the air of someone who was trying to convince a slow pupil that two and two indeed equaled four she returned her focus to the dragoness and continued: ¡°you¡¯re neither asking for help, nor advice. You want to form a personal connection, without the head start a shared conflict or a mutual past provides. That¡¯s not easily done. Trust me, I know, I¡¯ve been forced to plenty of times. If you mean to supplement commonalities with attraction you¡¯ll have to understand where it actually stems from and you don¡¯t know the first thing about her. She isn¡¯t drawn to women, she¡¯s drawn to people in need, and the two of you are many things but powerless isn¡¯t one of them.¡± As much as I disliked having my personality dissected right in front of me, I could hardly contradict her. I wouldn¡¯t have phrased it like she had but the gist of it wasn¡¯t far from the truth. ¡°One of the lessons a walking machine had to learn,¡± I still asked scathingly, even though I had to bite my tongue a moment later. It had been uncalled for but Kana didn¡¯t seem to mind. She only shrugged and even managed a pinched smile. ¡°One of the more boring ones. Most people know as much instinctively but I guess dragons have to have it spelled out for them. Just like I had. By now it seems almost trivial.¡± When she realised that I was still fidgeting she gently touched my arm and added: ¡°no need to feel bad. I was who I was and we¡¯ll both have to come to terms with that, eventually.¡± ¡°You¡¯d have to tell me first,¡± I mumbled subduedly. ¡°I will, one of these days. Just not yet. It¡¯s an open wound and I need to keep it hidden¡­ bandaged for a while longer. You¡¯ll be the first to see the scars, though.¡± Damn it, now I felt even worse. In a way she was like a convalescent patient and I had just pointed out her disfigurements. Way to go, Cassy. Why not ask her if she feels the urge to mutilate or murder, the next time you have the chance? At least I didn¡¯t have the time to ponder my own ignorance for long, since Quenda used the moment¡¯s pause to interject shamelessly: ¡°You know Cassandra pretty well, don¡¯t you? What would you do, if you wanted to get to know her from scratch?¡± The winged girl shot me a sideways glance, unsure if she should answer. I nodded with an encouraging smile, I was pretty curious as well what she was going to say. ¡°Honestly, she¡¯s one of the easier people to get along with. Don¡¯t lie to her, don¡¯t try to manipulate her and you won¡¯t have many problems. If you want her to like you, don¡¯t focus on her. Focus on her friends and family, help them, get them to trust, to appreciate you and you¡¯ll be set. She¡­ we will be leaving Free Land soon for quite a while. Make sure it flourishes and prospers.¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress a smirk when I envisioned the young, pretty girl raising her hand and stating sombrely: live long and prosper, but I still managed to keep my mouth shut. ¡°Don¡¯t treat the people living there like cattle, show some empathy and restraint and I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have much to worry about. It might take a while but she¡¯ll come around. It¡¯s quite surprising but despite her age she¡¯s still trying to see the best in everyone. Don¡¯t give her a reason to doubt you.¡± ¡°Is that you or your past speaking,¡± I asked quietly. She tilted her head and thought for a moment. ¡°A bit of both. Like I said, you haven¡¯t changed that much, but you aren¡¯t as bitter. Back then you needed a reason to even look at mortals properly. You¡¯re different now. Younger¡­ more hopeful.¡± ¡°Or rather more naive,¡± I commented. With a flourish I whirled around and asked the dragoness: ¡°now, that¡¯s been more than you could reasonably have hoped for. Are we done?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have questions yourself,¡± Quenda asked suspiciously. ¡°Not really, but I do have a few things I want to tell you. You wouldn¡¯t have come here if you hadn¡¯t deemed it worth your while. I imagine you have a considerable interest in Viyara¡¯s choices and you¡¯re equally intrigued by the opportunities you might encounter for as long as you stay here. You¡¯ve made sure I wasn¡¯t just an imposter, the very moment we met, and Sera¡¯s presence must seem like a windfall, provided she doesn¡¯t suddenly feel like eating you. That¡¯s great and I don¡¯t mind if you do your own thing, as long as you stay within bounds. There¡¯s a reason why none of us even blinked when it came to inviting, please, excuse my candour, two hotheaded, young dragons, without any ties to us, into our midst.¡± I could tell she didn¡¯t appreciate my honesty by the soft growl, building in the back of her throat, but since she didn¡¯t interrupt me I pressed on: ¡°I don¡¯t know how much Ignus has actually told you about our plight but I¡¯m planning on using you just as much as you intend to use us. The gist of it is actually pretty simple. We¡¯re at war and we need allies. If you truly mean to stick around it¡¯ll become bloody, probably much sooner than you expect. Unless you¡¯re prepared to risk your scaly necks right alongside us, there really isn¡¯t much to say.¡± I was speaking to Kana just as much, if not more, as to the dragoness. She didn¡¯t, she couldn¡¯t possibly know why we had suddenly appeared on Free Land¡¯s doorstep and it was about time for her to realise what she was getting herself into. So much for my intentions, but the winged hybrid didn¡¯t even flinch. In all honesty, she acted like it didn¡¯t even concern her, or maybe she wasn¡¯t listening, relishing in the sensations of flying above the waves, as if it were the first time in her life. Maybe it was. Not the flying part but the actual enjoyment. ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to answer without knowing the full story,¡± Quenda replied slowly. ¡°Ignus made it sound like you were on the run from some sorcerer or the other, but I have to admit, ever since I felt you take away my magic I¡¯ve started to have my doubts. Who is he?¡± ¡°That story can¡¯t be told in a few sentences, but we also have a bit of time.¡± I massaged my temples and bought a few seconds, trying to figure out if there was any harm in sharing our past. Ultimately, I thought it¡¯d be much more dangerous to keep them ignorant. Even if they wanted nothing to do with us and our struggles, we¡¯d still be better off with them in the loop. ¡°Alright, listen closely, I¡¯m not going to repeat myself. I guess it all started¡­ probably when I was born. Across the ocean lies another continent and it¡¯s ruled by a truly magnificent despot. He¡¯s been after me ever since I¡¯ve opened my eyes. When I turned seven, a couple of weeks ago, he¡­¡± In the end I talked for a few minutes, I had gotten faster over time, and provided her with a pretty detailed account of what we had been up to. I skipped the usual suspects, like Amazeroth or my past in general, but as far as Amon was concerned I was quite thorough. Now, you might call me a hypocrite for demanding a dinner first and then spilling the beans without a second thought but in my defence, I didn¡¯t share anything personal¡­ mostly. A few examples were necessary, in my humble opinion, otherwise the thick headed lizard would never have believe that a mere human could pose a threat to their oh so mighty race. Ignorance truly was bliss. Until it nipped you in the butt. When I had finished my mood was again oscillating between a fully blown depression and plain anger at the whole world, the time I had spent with Kana, soaring through the sky, utterly gone to waste. When Ahri wasn¡¯t with me I was apparently pretty prone to whining. I also wasn¡¯t very eager to continue our chat and ended rather gruffly: ¡°there you have it. Think it over, talk to your brother and decide if you want to become involved. Not that you have that much of a choice, but I¡¯m sure you can still hide for a decent while before you¡¯re drawn into this mess, whether you want to or not.¡± The dragoness hadn¡¯t interrupted me once and even now she showed more restraint than I would have, when she let my last remarks slide without a response. Instead she shook herself, almost like a dog drying off, and exhaled a small tongue of silvery flames. ¡°There isn¡¯t that much to think about. Our islands aren¡¯t large enough to hide forever¡­ provided what you told me is the truth.¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d lie about¡­¡± I erupted but she silenced me with a single glance. ¡°No, but I do think it¡¯s possible that you¡¯re mistaken. From where I¡¯m standing some parts don¡¯t make sense¡­ Answer me this: are you really more important to him than an entire continent?¡± 351. Of offers, debts and a little misconception Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I¡­ maybe?¡± To answer her truthfully I¡¯d have had to dive into the whole conundrum surrounding Amazeroth and I wasn¡¯t prepared to open that particular can of worms in front of the dragoness. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong but I imagine there are some similarities between my own race and yours. I¡¯m not saying they are the same but dragons have been hunted by a few brave and mostly stupid humanoids over the years. Usually they simply end up as food but some managed to kill or even capture a hatchling. What I¡¯m getting at is this: in the beginning all those wizards aspire to make our power their own, to somehow suck us dry and become a mage on par with any dragon. It never works. In the end they¡¯re always forced to kill us and turn our bodies into powerful ingredients. I¡¯m not saying the ground up carbuncle of a dragon can¡¯t elevate a human sorcerer to unknown heights but it¡¯s still a far cry removed from what we are. If this¡­ Amon is as learned as you make him out to be, he¡¯s got to know as much. Furthermore, from what I¡¯ve seen, your power¡­ transcends the normal limits of magic, which makes it even more likely that he won¡¯t even be able to touch, never mind harvest, your spark. In essence, even if you were to play dead and allowed him to do whatever he wanted, he couldn¡¯t possibly hope to turn into what you are. So¡­ do you think your blood, your body and whatever ritual he can power with it, are worth the expenditure of waging war across an ocean?¡± The short answer would have been yes, without even considering Amazeroth¡¯s influence, but I was still intrigued. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t possibly say, I don¡¯t even know what you are. Provided I¡¯m not delusional it does seem odd, though, that¡¯s why I asked. Power as a motive for cruelty and conquest is nothing special but it has to be tangible and I don¡¯t quite think it is, in this case. He could also be insane or stuck in a hole he can only imagine escaping with your help, whether voluntarily given or forcefully taken. In the end it probably doesn¡¯t even matter that much. Whatever the reason, it has become apparent that he has set his sight on our continent and we¡¯d be fools to let him do as he pleases.¡± Glimpses of Amon¡¯s past fluttered through my mind, fragmented scenes from the journey of a young, desperate man who had become a monster, wearing human skin. Maybe he wasn¡¯t insane, but thorough. He had vowed to never again be helpless, to never again be at someone else¡¯s mercy. It was the only oath he hadn¡¯t broken, as far as I knew. When he had learned that immortals existed, he must have felt threatened. Wouldn¡¯t it be logical to grasp for that power, especially with Amazeroth whispering in his ear? Even a taste, a small token he could reap from me, would have been enough to continue¡­ doing what, exactly? I managed to come up with quite a few ludicrous ideas, none of them desirable, ranging from a devious trap for my kin, powered by my essence, over a desperate attempt to rid himself off the Lord of Mirrors, to a bid for immortality, but I simply didn¡¯t know. Knowing Amazeroth and my gnawing suspicion that he wanted to change, if not eradicate, our race the former seemed much more likely, a sort of fail safe in case I wouldn¡¯t survive, but it was guesswork at best and preposterous hubris at worst. Still, Quenda had impressed me. She was fast and clever and she wasn¡¯t too lazy to use her gifts. Considering I hadn¡¯t told her anything about Amazeroth and my personal history her speculations were surprisingly well reasoned. ¡°It does make a difference,¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°It changes what we can expect of him. Up until now I always thought of him as a cruel warmonger, a greedy, power hungry abomination, whose ambitions know no bounds. If you¡¯re right he might also be a man with his back against the wall. It would explain his obsessiveness, his singleminded focus. I guess we¡¯ll have to find out, one way or the other.¡± The dragoness took her time to digest my words while Kana was entirely content to simply fly, her joy, when she dove and rose, pirouetted around or hid behind feathery clouds, almost infectious. Like a bird, she danced to the music of her own, carefree laughter and the silky whispers of her wings, caught between rays of soft, golden light I had almost become convinced that Quenda wouldn¡¯t utter a reply, not today at least, and had been on the verge of following after the exuberant hybrid, when the dragoness spoke up again: ¡°through the battles you¡¯ve won you¡¯ve earned yourself a short reprieve. The losses he sustained must have hurt but it can¡¯t be too long before he will manage to replenish his resources, especially if he can open a gateway to his empire. What are your plans for thwarting him?¡± I bit my lip. It was a damn good question and one I didn¡¯t have a satisfying answer to. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I mumbled after a short pause. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to running, to reacting. I¡¯ve never had the time to strategise and truth be told, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that good at it. I¡¯m too impatient, too impulsive. In all honestly, I still hope someone else comes up with an idea. My brother has a devious mind and so does my mom. You¡¯ve heard before that I¡¯m about to leave¡­ maybe one of them can figure something out in the mean time.¡± ¡°I see. In that case¡­ I¡¯d like to volunteer. Think about it, but keep in mind that I¡¯d need a pretty detailed account of everything you know, not the watered down version you shared before. If you¡¯re willing to provide, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to cause Amon much more than a few headaches.¡± ¡°He¡¯s thousands of years old,¡± I stated doubtfully. ¡°What makes you think you could ever outsmart him?¡± ¡°Simple. Chances are I¡¯m cleverer. I¡¯m not overly powerful, in comparison to my kin, I¡¯m not overly large or strong. I¡¯m intelligent. It¡¯s hard to prove but if you want me to, I¡¯ll be glad to undergo any challenge of the mind you care to come up with. Give me little information and I¡¯ll give you a strategy. Provide me with more and I¡¯ll give you a solution.¡± Cocky. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t tell if it was her draconic pride speaking and I surely wasn¡¯t able to test her. I wasn¡¯t a genius, at least I didn¡¯t think so, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out how smart the silvery serpent actually was. But I knew someone who could. A misanthropic, eight legged someone who just so happened to have regained a bit of my trust when she had delivered Kana and me, safe and sound, to our doorstep. Provided I actually wanted Shassa to meet a young dragoness who was obviously quite enamoured with her own mental prowess. If she put her mind to it, the spider might just trap her like a fly in her web and while I, despite the rather painful lessons of the past, was prepare to believe she wasn¡¯t after my life anymore, it still felt like leading a lamb to slaughter. ¡°You must be awfully sure of yourself,¡± I said, simply postponing the decision. ¡°How come?¡± ¡°How old do you think I am? You¡¯ve been told my brother and I are young and we are, by the standards of our race, but ever since¡­ suns and stars, it would be so much easier to show you¡­¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°But,¡± I questioned when she didn¡¯t continue. ¡°But I¡¯m scared like a new born, alone under the winter moon. It probably doesn¡¯t even matter much, I doubt I could stop you if you wanted to violate my mind, but I¡¯m about as eager to invite you in as a¡­ as a human would be to invite a dragon for supper.¡± A snort escaped me before I managed to regain control over my faculties. Still smirking I replied: ¡°Tough luck. The nosedive you took still rattling your bones?¡± ¡°Less the fall and more the presence I felt. Cassandra¡­ I know you don¡¯t mean us any harm but if you meant to make us aware of how dangerous you are, you succeeded, maybe even more throughly than you intended¡­¡± ¡°Would you get on with it,¡± Kana suddenly, piped up. Unbeknownst to either the dragoness or me she had tired of her game and rejoined us. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see a silvery, flying fortress stall for time, but here you are, acting like a juvenile idiot.¡± She titled her head to the side, as if trying to recall a hazy memory. ¡°Do or do not, there is not try¡­ damn, I can¡¯t remember where I¡¯ve heard that before.¡± I could, but I wasn¡¯t very eager on telling her that she was quoting a movie. For all I knew I might have made her believe that particular pearl of wisdom was one of my own. Quenda wasn¡¯t enamoured with her bluntness but it had the desired effect. After only a little more prodding I felt a tendril of thought hesitantly brush against my mind, like an extended hand, inviting me to follow. Shrugging I allowed the world around me to disperse as her memories became real to my touch, her past unraveling before me like a canvas. ¡°You can¡¯t, I won¡¯t let you!¡± Even telepathically my voice sounded weak, childish, a perfect match for the thin, gangly body I was stuck in. Mother only sighed tiredly, a stream of sparks flowing from her nostrils. ¡°There is no other way, you¡¯ll understand once you have children of your own. I won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± my exclamation was accompanied by a pitiful growl, reminiscent of a wolf and not a dragon. ¡°I don¡¯t need¡­¡± ¡°Quenda, I¡¯m not asking for your permission. I¡¯m telling you why I¡­ might not return.¡± The little pause had been everything I had been waiting for. She wasn¡¯t struggling with her words, she was losing her concentration. I tilted my head to the side and grinned toothily. ¡°On that we can agree. You won¡¯t return because you¡¯re not going to leave.¡± ¡°I have¡­ why¡­ what¡­ have you¡­¡± I shrugged when her magnificent head hit the floor of the cavern with a resounding thud. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before they became still and her body relaxed. Even though she couldn¡¯t hear me I still answered: ¡°I¡¯ve drugged you. It¡¯ll wear off in a few weeks, provided I didn¡¯t miscalculate. You¡¯ll be blessed by the mother of all hangovers but you¡¯ll be alive and no one¡¯s debtor. You can thank me later. Right now, I have a boatload of work to do.¡± I squared my shoulders and slithered towards the exit, already calling for my brother. We had much to do and very little time¡­ ¡°Gods forsaken, stubborn, golden pus bucket,¡± I cursed, the intricate runes blurring into meaningless scrawls, the vial filled with golden blood slipping in and out of focus. I needed sleep. I had been at it for days. I should never have struck a deal with a dragon, shunned by most of his peers. ¡°A life for a life,¡± Ignus had said. ¡°Your mother¡¯s obligations and my protection for a single ritual. Seems fair, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Indeed it had, but back then I hadn¡¯t known what he was up to. The golden, ancient dragon had helped my mother when we had hatched. He had provided our first meal, the most important piece of sustenance in every dragon¡¯s life. Depending on the quality it could impede or accelerate our growth and the old lizard hadn¡¯t been stingy. I didn¡¯t know exactly what he had given us, but since my brother and I had almost overtaken our mother, a scarce few years after we had crawled form our eggs, it had to have been something special. Unfortunately there was no such thing as a free meal and he had come calling again, demanding for her to pay her dues. He had asked her to ingratiate herself with his son, a task as likely to cost her life as it was to succeed, going by Shafeer¡¯s reputation alone. Instead of idly sitting by and letting her protect us, as she had since the beginning, my brother and I had decided to act, to clean up our own mess. Which had meant taking her out of the picture for a while and trying to negotiate with Ignus. Unfortunately he had been rather insistent on his price. He had obtained a vial, filled with dragon¡¯s blood, a very peculiar dragon, as much I had been able to tell with the first sniff, and he had been insistent that it held the key to true transformations, transformations that would allow a dragon to sire children with a different species. He hadn¡¯t been able to distill the knowledge he longed for, though, and he had placed it as the price for our request. At first I had been thrilled, I loved puzzles and my brother was no slouch when it came to magic either, but after ten days, my enthusiasm had turned into fear, my curiosity into frustration. What was he going to do if we failed? I didn¡¯t want to find out, but no matter how insistently I begged the blood simply wouldn¡¯t budge, each spell thrown at it dispersed like fog under the midday sun, and by now I was too tired to even focus. Grumbling I carried my stiff bones over to the corner where we slept and broke down beside my brother. He had already thrown in the towel around noon, yesterday. As soon as my head came to rest on the hard stones, I drifted off, but my mind wouldn¡¯t come to rest properly. Ever since I had been born, I had had a peculiar knack of visualising my problems in my dreams and while it meant I often slept less soundly than I was supposed to, it also allowed me to come up with pretty marvellous solutions, literally overnight. If I had been forced to hazard a guess I¡¯d have said it stemmed from the peculiarities of dreams. For one, our mind wasn¡¯t occupied with anything else while asleep and two, the usual boundaries we applied to our thoughts didn¡¯t matter, either. Whatever the reason, sometimes I had found myself unable to make heads or tails of a magical conundrum or a difficult question mother had asked only to wake up the next morning with the solution at the ready. And this time was no different. I dreamt of the hidden world, of the energies that defined the reality we lived in and their limitations. Which simply wouldn¡¯t allow me to understand why I had felt a shadow of a power, or rather the echo of a shadow, in the sample, that had contained a speck of soul energy, life force and mana, all jumbled up into a confusing whole, even more complex than the parts it consisted of. It wasn¡¯t feasible, it shouldn¡¯t be possible, but yet, the key to truly and utterly change the essence of a creature seemed to rest within. I woke up, barely two hours after I had passed out. I didn¡¯t feel refreshed, I didn¡¯t feel particularly enthusiastic, but I had a plan. Provided my assumptions were correct I would stand here until the end of days without a chance to understand the magic at work. I did have a blueprint, though. Maybe I could form a mould, probably single use, to mimic what I couldn¡¯t create¡­ ¡°Do you think it¡¯s her,¡± Narros asked, when the speck of gold turned into a breathtaking dragoness, almost larger than life. We had been in the air for days on end but his curiosity was undiminished. No wonder, we both had been fantasising about the ominous dragon Ignus had never again mentioned, after we had succeeded, and now we wouldn¡¯t only meet her but also come to see the fruits of our labour for the first time. Viyara¡­ a beautiful name. Befitting of what little I had seen in her thoughts. ¡°Probably. Ignus doesn¡¯t usually beat around the bush with me. It¡¯s not her I¡¯m worried about, though. How many auras do you feel?¡± He hesitated a moment as his power stirred. ¡°Four. But¡­ Viyara is seeing four around her. I¡­ I can¡¯t feel the vixen. How¡¯s that even possible?¡± ¡°I have a suspicion. That energy back then¡­ it must have come from somewhere. Didn¡¯t you listen to him? If we were prudent we might yet come to find out more about our race than we dare hope. We might yet come to realise that the world is larger than we know. What if¡­¡± ¡°That lying bag of scales knew who Sera was, all along. And he stole her blood,¡± I thundered. 352. Of identities, aspirations and a little bit of families Cassandra Pendragon The warm, gentle breeze of our flight ruffled my hair, almost like the lingering memory of a loving, caressing touch and a stark contrast to my shitty mood. ¡°I just so happen to know two dragons who might be willing to help out¡± my lily white ass. Not only had the senile serpent used my own grandmother¡¯s blood to facilitate Viyara¡¯s birth, he had even had the audacity to swipe it under the rug and act like nothing had happened. ¡°I tried to court her once,¡± he had said. Sure. Apparently court was a draconic euphemism for tapping a pint of blood when you weren¡¯t looking. True, the more likely scenario was that she had slapped him seven ways to Sunday and he had collected what she had left behind on his body but I wasn¡¯t really interested in being reasonable. As far as I was concerned he owed her¡­ and since it was my fucking own blood he had been after he also owed me. Big time. Provided the essence Quenda had tried to distill had truly been Ancalagon¡¯s waning line. The only silver lining that kept me from throwing a tremendous tantrum was Viyara. No wonder I had always felt connected to the girl. In a very roundabout way she was¡­ mine. Just imagining her face when she¡¯d find out lightened my mood considerably. Luckily she wasn¡¯t listening right now, as she was engrossed in a conversation with Narros and Sera. ¡°Should we¡­ are we safe,¡± I heard Quenda¡¯s urgent whisper behind me, as far as oversized monsters were capable of whispering, at any rate. ¡°Perfectly,¡± Kana immediately replied. ¡°Her anger isn¡¯t directed at us. We would know, if it were. What did you show her, anyways? She isn¡¯t looking too happy.¡± A warm gust propelled me along when the dragoness snorted. ¡°Did the lighting give it away or the fact that her wings have swelled to twice their usual size? Nothing much, I thought. An example of how good I actually am when it comes to riddles and the reason why my brother and I have a connection to Viyara and Ignus that¡¯s slightly more profound than she might have imagined. I didn¡¯t expect her to become riled up, though.¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t know me very well,¡± I growled without turning around, still seething. ¡°I¡¯d never have imagined that the genius ritual, facilitating Viyara¡¯s birth, was nothing more than theft.¡± ¡°And what is it to you,¡± Quenda inquired. ¡°It happened long before you were even born.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap. If you¡¯re as clever as you want me to believe, you¡¯ll already have figured it out, don¡¯t you? You even voiced your suspicions to your brother.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true,¡± the dragoness immediately replied and, despite the small discharges in the air around me and my crackling wings, accelerated to reach my side. She wasn¡¯t a coward, I had to give her that. ¡°It really was a memory of your magic?¡± More like the memory of a stolen dream, watered down over generations, but yes, Ancalagon had been created from my very own spark. ¡°More or less, more than I care to admit and less than you make it out to be. I¡­ damn it, I never actually intended to even mention it, but chances are¡­ tell me, Quenda, do you know my name?Has Ignus told you?¡± ¡°Sure? It¡¯s Cassandra, isn¡¯t it?¡± I sighed. ¡°My family name.¡± I titled my head to the side and focused on her glowing eyes before I continued: ¡° I¡¯m Cassandra Pendragon and the flying mountain behind us is called Sera Pendragon. Now, can you add two and two together?¡± Apparently she could. Her eyes went wide, her smooth wing strokes stuttered and she fell a few metres, surrounded by a cloud of acrid, thick smoke, streaming form her nostrils, before she regained her balance. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± she stammered breathlessly, ¡°you¡¯re¡­ your family¡­ how?¡± ¡°Stubbornness and bad luck?¡± It wasn¡¯t even a lie. ¡°But that¡¯s not really important right now. Have you ever told a living soul? Your mother or another dragon you meant to impress?¡± ¡°Of course not. Ignus would have skinned me alive. I only showed you because I thought it wouldn¡¯t matter¡­ and I was right, wasn¡¯t I? Are you¡­ how can you be the ancestor of thePendragons, if you¡¯ve been born into their family only recently? It¡¯s an echo of your magic that turned them into what they were¡­ what they are, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I think so. At least if the creepy feather duster didn¡¯t lie,¡± I added quietly under my breath, recalling what my mom had told me about the story the Broken Wheel had shared with my family. ¡°I¡¯m old, really old. Old enough that my age would grind anyone to dust. Once in a while I need a¡­ fresh start. During my last¡­ incarnation I didn¡¯t always see eye to eye with the rest of my race. My essence was stolen as a consequence and the first Pendragon was born.¡± ¡°But then¡­ if even our monarchs are nothing but a shadow of your strength, what are you really?¡± ¡°Sera already told you, I¡¯m an angel. I¡¯m¡­ a remnant of what once was, long before the idea of life was even born. I¡¯m not a part of this world, any world really. I¡¯m¡­ a guardian.¡± ¡°A guardian? Against what or whom?¡± ¡°Against the darkness, against the silent oblivion, lurking behind the veil. And if I have to, against my own people,¡± I added in a whisper before I continued: ¡°but right now I¡¯m simply trying to wrap my head around you. You expected this from the start, didn¡¯t you? Let me ask plainly, what are you after?¡± I whirled around in midair and spread my arms wide. ¡°A drop from the source? A chance to use the magic you developed for yourself?¡± With a sidelong glance at Kana she replied: ¡°I thought you said she was more hopeful. That¡¯s actually pretty cynical. Can¡¯t I just be curious?¡± ¡°If you were a pigtailed, blue eyed farmer¡¯s daughter, sure. Somehow I don¡¯t buy it, coming from a self proclaimed genius amongst dragons.¡± She blew out another cloud of smoke, interspersed with silvery sparks. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t want to grovel anymore when a towering dragon with the cranial capacities of a slug tells me what to do. I want enough power to live freely, apart from the rotten, one dimensional customs of our race. I want to achieve what Sera has and I thought my chances wouldn¡¯t be that shabby if I managed to get into your good graces... or hers, for that matter. Satisfied?¡± ¡°Partly. What do you mean, exactly? Provided we¡¯re going to get along, what¡¯s waiting for us down the line?¡± She shrugged. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Ignus told me about your plans concerning Viyara¡¯s naming ceremony. I¡¯m neither after your blood nor your strength. I simply want to be the first to offer you an alliance, once you¡¯ve achieved your goals.¡± ¡°And if you had been mistaken? If neither I nor Sera had lived up to your expectations?¡± ¡°Honestly, I would have done what¡¯s necessary and made myself scarce as soon as possible. But that¡¯s idle speculation, now, seeing as you¡¯re even more than I dared hope. So, can you live with who we are? You¡¯re right, neither my brother nor I are magnanimous saints but we aren¡¯t blinded by our nature, either, and I do think we¡¯ve quite a lot to gain by helping out to the best of our abilities.¡± ¡°Works for me, but I¡¯m not the one you¡¯ve got to convince.¡± She seemed surprised and looked at me questioningly. ¡°Talk to Viyara, tell her the truth. It¡¯s her decision, not mine.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t she ask me to hash it out with you, anyways?¡± ¡°Once upon a time, maybe. Not anymore. She¡¯s grown up since she¡¯s met Ignus. You¡¯re going to be surprised how headstrong the frightened girl has become. But you don¡¯t have to take my word for it. Talk to your brother. He¡¯s had the pleasure of her company for a while now and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s desperate to be rescued.¡± She craned her long neck doubtfully but as soon as I felt her presence reach out to him she reconsidered: ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. I guess we won¡¯t be seeing much of each other in the coming weeks, but please think about my proposals. Both of them. I can help you with Amon and I¡¯m still very much eager to forge a bond, in the draconic sense, once you¡¯re able to.¡± ¡°Like I said, talk it over with Viyara. As for appointing you as the general of a non existing army¡­ I will think about it. You might have my decision sooner than you expect.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll wait. Cassandra¡­ it¡¯s not exactly been a pleasure but I¡¯m still glad I had the chance to meet you personally and, since I¡¯m still in one piece, I¡¯m prepared to call it a success. Fair winds and good fortune during your travels.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t goodbye, not quite yet. Still, thanks and the same to you. Before we part ways for now, one more thing. Your mother. I¡¯d like to meet her when I return. Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°Of course. She¡¯ll want to visit anyways. Or do you have something more permanent in mind?¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe not. It depends on her. We¡¯ll have to see. When next you talk to her, please extend an invitation in my name, I¡¯ll make sure she won¡¯t have any troubles, whenever she decides to visit.¡± The dragoness inclined her head while she was already swerving around with slow, measured wing strokes. ¡°Much appreciated. Until later, then.¡± I watched her rejoin the sparkling group behind us, my mind stilled wrestling with our conversation. Call me crazy, but I liked the girl. Arrogance, brains and confidence mixed with an healthy amount of caution. Maybe¡­ ¡°We¡¯re not going to get rid of them, any time soon, are we,¡± Kana piped up and grabbed my hand, pulling me higher into the sky until my tails danced in a stiff, cold breeze, smelling of seaweeds and electricity, and goosebumps erupted all over my arms. We were carried along without the need to fly on our own, the feathery white clouds and the sparkling sea an ever changing, soothing canvas before my eyes. A single, dark spot in the distance was slowly getting larger, the first sign of Free Land, appearing on the horizon. We¡¯d be there within half an hour, provided the dragons wouldn¡¯t slow down too much. I imagined they had quite a lot to talk about, some topics rather unsuitable for human ears. ¡°Do you want to,¡± I asked and cocked an eyebrow, even though the effort went to waste entirely. The playful girl was much too busy admiring our surroundings again. ¡°No, not really,¡± she finally replied and tore her gaze away from the jagged coastline, still hazy in the distance. ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern me much, I won¡¯t be here, will I? But I still think you should know¡­ Quenda feels a bit like my old self.¡± I stiffened and immediately felt the pressure of the winds against my tails. Kana turned to face me when my hand slipped through hers and chuckled. ¡°Maybe I didn¡¯t phrase that quite right. I didn¡¯t mean to insinuate that she¡¯s broken in any way, but the peculiar nature of dragons, their disposition to objectify and hoard people, mixed with her¡­ let¡¯s call it intelligence, at least for now, makes her much more predictable than anyone else I¡¯ve yet met. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have too much trouble with the pair.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± I mumbled while I allowed the chilly stream of air to propel me further. ¡°In case you¡¯re not¡­ it has always struck me as ironic that, of my entire family, I am the one with the most blood on her hands, by far, yet I¡¯m also the one who¡¯s least prepared to spill even more. The two of them should better be on their best behaviour around Sera or my mother.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already on topic, what about your brother? He¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t quite understand him. Sometimes he seems apathetic, maybe even broken, but then again he was willing to step up, when you asked. It doesn¡¯t make much sense to me.¡± ¡°People are rarely simple or one dimensional,¡± I explained. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ growing but it¡¯ll take sometime before he can put his demons to rest. If I thought sitting on his ass and stewing would do him any good I wouldn¡¯t have asked. He¡¯ll be fine. And once he actually sees something grow from the fields he has tilled, he¡¯ll be more than fine. Might be the same for you. Often we need something new to focus on for the wounds of the past to heal.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°But I do have something to focus on. There¡¯s so much to learn, so much to see, so much to feel¡­ I¡¯m slowly starting to realise that even pain is precious, in its own way.¡± ¡°It lets us know we¡¯re still alive, doesn¡¯t it? Kana¡­ do you want to tell me what you¡¯re running from?¡± She hung her head, but the smile remained on her face. ¡°I do and I will, but not now. Let me¡­ I want to dream, I want to see what awaits me in the dark. Afterwards¡­ I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be the one to beg for you to listen.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you dream last night?¡± ¡°No, the spider enchanted me. I slept soundly and in absolute silence for a few hours. Who is she, anyways?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story. A trusted enemy? I don¡¯t mean to¡­ still, the best comparison would be your past. She¡¯s powerful, clever and old. She knows revenge, evening the score, inside and out, but I¡¯m not so sure if she understands hatred, never mind friendship or love.¡± ¡°Less like me and more like you, once upon a time, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°You¡­ you know of my past? Did we meet before I¡­¡± she shook her head slowly. ¡°You probably can¡¯t remember, who knows how many there have been over the aeons, but when I¡­ when the me from the past was little you told me stories. It took me a while to figure it out, but you often spoke of your life. Except¡­ I¡¯ve never quite understood why you always used yourself as the villain of your tales. Now, I think I know. You¡¯ve come to hate what you once were.¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t hate my past and I don¡¯t think I ever did. It¡¯s just¡­ we all have our convictions, our enemies, our heroes. I¡¯ve always pitied who I was before and I never want to go back. The stories I told you were probably as much for me as they were for you. A reminder to never forget and to cherish¡­ even the pain. Now I want to ask you something. I remember you fell in with Atlas and payed for it, dearly. Why? Because I left? Why did you need that power?¡± ¡°Selfishness. I wanted to survive long enough to see you again, it¡¯s true, but I also wanted to¡­ you¡¯ve shown me much, destroyed the limits of what I believed possible. All that¡­ knowledge, the power I had already gained, I wanted to use it, to make a difference. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, isn¡¯t it? I guess I¡¯m the perfect example. I couldn¡¯t stand against the guilds, never mind an empire. You taught me to think and I wanted to share that gift.¡± She shrugged. ¡°He found me and offered me a deal¡­ in your name. He said he was your kin, so¡­ Cassandra? Are you alright? You look like you¡¯ve swallowed a frog.¡± I really wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t the most underhanded trick I had been forced to deal with, but using my name against the people I cared for was personal. The more I got to know them, the more I came to mistrust my immortal family. Ever since my very first dreams I had known that some of them were rotten to the core, but the off handed cruelty of a demon I couldn¡¯t even remember felt¡­ suffocating. We were just so different. To me, mortals were children, to be guarded, protected and nourished, maybe guided when it became necessary. To them¡­ they themselves were infants, playing carelessly with their toys and if they broke one in the process, it didn¡¯t matter one bit. They didn¡¯t need guidance. They needed punishment. 353. Of soldiers, skirmishes and a new arrival Ajax Silvermane ¡°Spread out. Archers, stay behind. Laras and Oron, with me.¡± With the grace of and slightly less noise than a wildcat nine shadows moved through the snow covered, eerily silent forest like a gentle breeze. I smelled the cold on the air, heard the sad creaking of branches, bending under their white load, but my gaze never wavered from the small, curling trail of smoke, slithering through the trees, the only trace that one of our farmyards was hidden behind the canopy. A family of seven should have lived here, nourishing and harvesting the mighty oaks to deliver precious timbers to the court, but I didn¡¯t expect to find them alive. Unless I was sorely mistaken only corpses were waiting for us behind the curtain of powdered snow and dark, frozen bark. Half an hour ago we had felt¡­ a hiccup in the weave, the likes of which usually accompanied a powerful ritual. With the first battle against the fey already fought we had been sent to patrol the borders to the north of our capital, far away from the well maintained roads that connected our larger cities. At first I had thought it to be a waste of time, but apparently I had been mistaken. I couldn¡¯t yet smell the stench of their magic, but I knew, deep in my bones, that it was already around us, like a hidden miasma I felt but couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Oron, transform,¡± I ordered. ¡°If we¡¯re attacked, you will run. Don¡¯t look back. Report to the garrison. The king needs to know that the shield has already been breached. They¡¯re here.¡± The quiet, dark mountain of an elf only threw me a disgusted glance. ¡°With all due respect, sir, no. I¡¯d never make it out of the woods. If anyone should play the messenger it should be you. Even the wind can¡¯t catch you when you really try.¡± A shiver ran down his spine and his already impressive girth more than doubled. While dark, matted fur covered his face and his mouth transformed into the gaping maw of a gargantuan black bear he rumbled: ¡°but I will change my skin, if you don¡¯t mind. Are they here?¡± In most units this kind of insubordination would be met which either the whip or even an execution, but after more than 150 years of service discipline had gone to shit. Those weren¡¯t my soldiers, they were family. ¡°You can bet your hairy ass they are,¡± the last distinguishable words I¡¯d utter for a while. Heat singed my veins, my bones elongated and a second later I was on all fours, warily shaking out my long, silver mane. The freezing air suddenly felt warm and cozy against my bulk, as the strength of a lion set my blood ablaze. With the whispers of torn silk I extended my claws and tasted the air, my tail slowly moving from left to right. Fire and ash, the faintest hints of baked bread and lavender incense but most dominantly blood. Freshly spilled blood and the traces of elven magic, gone like a dream. A growl built in my throat but I immediately suppressed the sound. No need to alarm our hosts. My mind reached out to Reva, the only other telepath in our unit. ¡°The locals are dead, the fey are probably still here. Set up a circle, we will go in. Funnel your strength to Laras or me, as soon as we encounter the enemy. If it looks like we¡¯re losing, you will seal the circle and run for the hills. Someone has to reach the Marshall.¡± ¡°Understood. Four minutes. Take care, Ajax.¡± I didn¡¯t bother with a reply. We had known each other for literal centuries. The best thing I could do, we all could do, was getting out of here in one piece with the bodies of our brethren on our shoulders. I wouldn¡¯t leave them to fertilise those abominable plants the fey had brought. I raised my paw, four claws unsheathed. Oron hunkered down, his unbelievable bulk of over five metres capable of surprisingly nimble movements. With a shrug he turned himself into a breathing wall, sheltering Laras from sight. In contrast to us he couldn¡¯t transform, his family hadn¡¯t had the resources when it had been time for his consecration, but he was the best spellslinger I knew. While our comrades would etch their runes into the ice, he¡¯d prepare his signature enchantment, a glowing armour, almost like a second skin, that would keep us alive against a few powerful spells. The magic of the fey was, unfortunately, strong enough to overcome the ethereal protection, but we¡¯d gain a few moments, enough time to show them what an enraged, mythical animal with the mind of an elf could do. While he worked, his mana condensing into a steady stream around us, he whispered: ¡°that¡¯s the third time we¡¯ve come across our butchered kin. Why do you think they¡¯re still here, this time?¡± Because the fey didn¡¯t use rituals for fun and games and the forest was much too quiet. If they had been gone, the birds would have sung again. While my throat was capable of devouring men and beasts alike, I couldn¡¯t form words coherently and was reduced to crude gestures. Still, I got my message across well enough. Laras swallowed dryly, the stream of mana thickening while he added an extra layer of protection. ¡°Understood. All set.¡± We didn¡¯t have to wait for much longer until the lonely cry of a star owl sounded from the thicket. The runes were ready. With barely a sound I jumped to my feet as Laras carefully climbed onto Oron, a long, pearly white spear manifesting in his right hand while his left clasped a small, ruby talisman to his chest. I bent my legs, gathered my strength and with a single jump scaled the closest tree. The iron hard wood groaned under my weight but held firm, allowing me to peek over the greenery. Behind a thicket of leafs the top of a small cottage, erected on the branches of a massive oak tree, were just about visible, the chimney still smoking. It would have seemed peaceful, homely if it hadn¡¯t been for the dark droplets of blood marring the front porch. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see them over the distance but my cat eyes and my sense of smell made them stick out like a sore thumb. I closed my eyes and held my breath, listening for anything out of the ordinary but aside from the distant, mournful caw of a winter crow the forest laid in silence, almost as if it had sustained a wound. With another jump I quickly soared over the gaping abyss and landed in front of a sturdy door, swinging sadly on its hinges, but otherwise there was no reaction. Maybe they had left after all? Should I try to get through the door? Probably not. Who knew what surprises awaited me on the other side. Instead I gathered my breath and let out a deafening roar, powerful enough to blow the fresh snow off the closest trees. That should get their attention and also¡­ With barely a moment to spare I managed to leap backwards, just as a several tons of muscle and spite thundered against the trunk. The tree trembled and creaked but it withstood the first onslaught. The second one not so much. With the sound of exploding rocks the thick, almost black core wood broke and eighty metres of crushing weight tumbled towards the forest floor, obliterating everything in its path. I pressed my eyes shut against the rain of splinters while I listened for a sign of movement or a surprised exclamation, but silence was my only reward. What was going on? Had they spread out? No, the others would have found them, or at the very least put up a¡­ This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A long drawn, bloodcurdling scream made me clench my fangs, and when a desperate image, accompanied by Reva¡¯s final plea entered my mind, I bit threw my tongue. She was on her knees, a dark, fuzzy creature, reminiscent of a gnarly tree, towering in front of her. Spear like protrusions covered its body and with an almost serene sigh, it drove a whole bunch of them downwards and through Reva¡¯s torso and neck. Her heart was pierced in an instant and our link fizzled out, her spirit no longer tethered to this world. Just like that, one of my friends had died. Another roar cleaved through the silent cold, this time filled with grief and anger. Without a second¡¯s hesitation I whirled around, ghostly, almost translucent streams of mana accumulating around my maw. A blinding flash of light thundered through the frozen air, leaving behind nothing but charred debris and smouldering holes where it had cut through the towering trees. Oron didn¡¯t yet know what had happened but my actions were all the incentive he needed. Like mayhem unleashed he barrelled forward, blindly forging a way towards the target of my magic. On his back Laras was chanting softly, occasional discharges around the enraged bear the only sign he was working his arts against whatever magic the fey had conjured. An angry hiss, like an agitated swarm of wasps, surrounded us as a solitary streak of black struck through the pale sky. The arrow multiplied, turning into a deadly blanket that covered the entire section of the forest. With a low growl I protected my eyes, the enchanted tips not much of a threat to my silvery hide. Once the volley had passed I took another deep breath and this time I could smell them. Over a dozen fey lurked in the shadows, the magic they were channeling the only reason why I could finally sense them. Most of them were busy keeping the cresting tides of power at bay, but the rest were on the hunt, moving through the forest like dreams of a bygone age, chasing my people. The faint, almost intangible scent of blood turned into a suffocating blanket as another one died, unable to even utter a curse. There had been a reason why I had told most of our unit to remain behind, their prowess in an actual fight much less pronounced than their ability to manipulate the weave, and the lifeless bastards were taking full advantage of my mistake. While Oron, Laras and I had been distracted they had struck and now we were too far away to help immediately. Or so they must have thought. Trunks exploded, trees toppled and whenever our strength might have been insufficient, a crimson red blast from Laras talisman burned us a path to reach our comrades within seconds. Just as the despicable coward withdrew its needle sharp appendages from the bloodied corpse of my friend, Oron¡¯s jaws closed around his body and, with a resounding crack, snapped it in two. Meanwhile I vanished, my own spell bending the light around me to make me almost invisible. A moment later I appeared behind another creature, ethereal and graceful with a humanoid shape and long, flowing hair, to tear her head off with a single bite. The acrid, almost poisonous taste of fey blood filled my mouth and I took care to spit it out immediately. Sylleth breathed a thank you, her face white as she laid on her back, staring at the spot where a second before her doom had lurked. The resigned, accepting expression on her features fuelled the burning anger in my veins and without pause I allowed my senses to spread out and guide me to my next victim. The fey were powerful and I didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen, if their magic reached its conclusion. We had to kill them all before they could complete the spell. Somewhere to my right a breathing, black thunderstorm tore through wood and flesh alike, leaving behind broken branches and rendered limbs, his maw caked in green, blue and red blood, while his rider had turned into a shimmering apparition of pure mana, bolts of energy and more complicated spells thundering from his outstretched arms like raindrops in a storm. The circle my friends had etched into the ground activated and my vision shifted, the outlines of our enemies appearing before my inner eye like a map. Eight, eight of them were left. With a little luck we might just get out of this one with only two casualties. A red haze drowned out my vision as I allowed my instincts to take over, a bitter, metallic taste filled my throat as I tore through strange, almost plantlike bodies, a dull ache invaded my limbs as poisonous darts and weak spells peppered my hide but I never stopped. Through the lofty canopies, between the towering trunks we clashed and battled and every bite, every sweep of my paw saved another life and condemned one of our foes to oblivion. Oron¡¯s rage became louder when he misjudged and thundered past an animalistic fey, a panther with a wooden crown, only to whirl around and find one of our friends on the ground, pale and bleeding, his hands clutched to a jagged cut on his stomach, his entrails marring the white snow like wriggling, crimson snakes. With astounding speed for a creature of his size he threw himself backwards and simple squashed the murderer underneath his bulk, drops of a teal liquid squirting left and right. Four, four were left. The edges of the circle glowed ominously through the tree line, arcane glyphs rising into the air as the pressure of an unfinished spell bore down on us. A heartbeat later two of the fey, those who hadn¡¯t managed to erect a barrier in time, were incinerated on the spot, their ashes drifting away on a cruel, biting breeze. Two more to go and they weren¡¯t far away but neither was the completion of their spell. I could feel it in my bones, almost like the chilly breath of death on my neck. Side by side Oron and I tore through the thicket, claws extended, blood red tongues lolling form gaping maws. It was a race, either we managed to reach them quickly enough, or¡­ We got to them, the fragile neck of a fey, a cross between a beautiful boy and a swan, breaking under the force of my paw. Lifeless, azure eyes stared at me with a look of surprise unseeingly before he fell, a mute sigh escaping his torn lips. His brother joined him on the death bed of crushed leaves and broken bodies, their emerald blood dripping form the lacerations Oron and I had inflicted. Breathing heavily we stood side by side as silence returned to the forest, broke only by the suppressed whimpers of the wounded and the quiet flow of multicoloured liquids as they nurtured the ground. I shivered, never before had I lost a soldier in battle and now three were dead. Despite the tasks we still had to accomplished I bowed my head, a soft whine escaping my clenched jaws. With an Herculean effort I swallowed my bitterness, my anger, and took a deep, calming breath, only to freeze where I stood. Ozone, thick and heavy like it had been poured over me drowned out every other smell. Panicked I looked around, searching, praying for an explanation but as my wandering gaze fell upon the destroyed cottage, almost buried underneath the fallen tree, I despaired. Tendrils of power coursed through the air, fuelled by the vanishing life of the slain fey and the murdered elves alike. Within a second it coalesced into a shining, greenish portal, behind which I could see fields of crimson grass, a green sky and a purple moon, almost entirely obscured by an armoured figure, reaching out to grasp the edges of the gateway. With an elegant, slithering movement it came through, clad in perfectly white, translucent metal. A cruel smile appeared on a painfully perfect face, the gem like eyes narrowed as they took in the scene of carnage and bloodshed and with a flourish a stream of mana, the likes of which I had never felt before, flowed from its form, anchoring the portal and freezing us all in place. Its gaze fell upon me and with utter disregard for anything else it took one graceful step after the other, slowly coming closer. ¡°What an exuberant welcome,¡± a cold, masculine voice reached my ears. ¡°You should feel honoured, elf, not many lower races have ever seen one of the rulers of the fey realms. Consider it my parting gift to you. You¡¯ve fought valiantly but in vain. This war has been over before it even began. Now rest in the knowledge that your kin will join you shorty. If there really is an afterlife for vermin like you, it¡¯s going to become crowded soon.¡± He extended his hand, a blinding pain tore through my chest and the last thing I saw before I collapsed was my still beating heart, hovering between us, sprinkling the powdered ground with steaming, crimson drops. 354. Of temples, godparents and a little bit of bad luck Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Wow.¡± My eloquence might have suffered a little but I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have fared any better, if you had been in my shoes. Every time someone had mentioned the fabled network of portals the vampires supposedly controlled I had imagined a dusty room with a few ancient symbols along the walls, maybe an appropriately dark and spooky corridor with cobwebs to complement the stereotype but, oh boy, had I been wrong. The corridor very much existed, but it was neither narrow nor dimly lit. It was a broad walkway, secured by a sliding slab of granite underneath the burned out ruins Captain Dawn had once called his home. The trip there hadn¡¯t been fun. As soon as Alassara had led me towards the basement my heart had begun beating quickly enough to dance to the rhythm, the memories of my fateful encounter with Aurelia still vivid enough to make me weary. Fortunately we had soon taken another turn as the fanged woman had led me past looted chambers and broken doors, reminders of the enthusiasm with which the people of Free Land had celebrated the Captain¡¯s demise. She had stopped in front of of a mouldy, crudely made wall, an utterly unremarkable patch of stone I wouldn¡¯t have spared a second glance, if I had been on my own. With nimble fingers she had traced the outline of an intricate glyph through the gaps and the wall had simply slid to the side, rumbling like a starved dragon. A few hundred steps later we had come to a closed door, carved from silver and etched with detailed pictograms of worship and sacrifice, human sacrifice I might add, that had looked more like the entrance to a grande temple than anything else. With a grunt my guide had pushed open the interwoven sheets of metal and ushered me through, revealing an honest to god underground pyramid, surrounded by an eerily glowing lake. The waters were calm, not even a single ripple marred the angular reflection of a four story building, reminiscent of a Mayan temple. It had been erected on an artificial island, at least I thought so, since not even a speck of dirt was visible around the foundation. The shimmering black ashlars seemingly floated on the dark waters and the tip of the building just about tickled the roof of the cavern. Pale light, flickering from huge crystals, positioned on the four corners of the pyramid, filled the room with dancing shadows, their quivering outlines similar enough to living nightmares to make my tails curl up. The faint echo of dripping water was an ever present music, its eerie rhythm an unheard melody that dictated the ebb and flow of darkness and light. To me it almost seemed like a monument to the unchanging evanescence of our ambitions, a fitting place for forgotten priests to sacrifice the life of their flock to an irrelevant deity, whose name had long since turned to dust. The suffocating stench of mould and decay, mixed with a very faint hint of spent magic, emphasised the oppressive, destitute feeling that had been creeping over me ever since Alassara had opened the last door. ¡°Wow, as in I¡¯m impressed, or as in I expected something more,¡± the vampire asked. ¡°The former, even though I¡¯m not so sure if that¡¯s a good thing. The place is imposing, I¡¯ll give you that, but I wouldn¡¯t bring my fianc¨¦e here. How old is that thing,¡± I asked while I jerked my head towards the foreboding stone edifice in the distance, ¡°and how do we get there? Fly?¡± ¡°If you want to. There¡¯s also a spell that allows footholds to rise to the surface. Whoever built this place knew a terrifying lot about magic. My brother and I needed decades to figure out the most basic uses of every enchantment engraved on the pyramid. Which should also answer your second question. I don¡¯t know. Old, really old, probably not as ancient as you but I¡¯d wager this thing has already stood here when my progenitor was nothing but a mortal child.¡± ¡°Terrific. And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°Nothing ever happened to us. Why should it be any different now?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m with you. As little as my race is known, chances are that whoever managed to build something like that might have known about us.¡± She shook her had, smirking. ¡°Sometimes you still surprise me. No mortal who knows of angels and demons would ever bother with crafting safeguards. Why go through all the trouble only to watch them break like rotten wood when it matters? If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯ll wait here, though. You can have a look around and call me, as soon as you¡¯re convinced that it¡¯s safe.¡± With a satisfied smile I replied: ¡°It would make me feel better. I¡¯m probably just overly cautious but with the way things have turned out in the past¡­¡± ¡°No need to explain. Truth be told I¡¯m quite flattered. Before you go, there¡¯s another thing, though. Since we¡¯re alone, probably for the last time in a while, I have a question to ask. Would you, that is Ahri and you, would you consider becoming Layla¡¯s godparents?¡± I froze, struggling to wrap my head around her words. Had she truly just asked me out of the blue to care for her child, in case something happened to her? What was wrong with her? Of all the people¡­ my meanderings cumulated in one of my most favourite words: ¡°Huh?¡± A quiet chuckled escaped her before she replied: ¡°Is it really that much of a surprise? Look, with Ahri and you gone and your brother well on his way to starting a war with Amon, I¡¯ll most likely become involved, one way or the other. To me, dancing with an ancient sorcerer isn¡¯t risk free, by any stretch of the imagination. Should I¡­ die or maybe even suffer a worse fate, I want my little girl to be safe. Whatever the circumstances. I know you wouldn¡¯t leave her high and dry anyways, but I thought¡­ you¡¯ll have much less trouble with my family, if it¡¯s official.¡± I still felt like a truck had had a field day with me, entirely unable to process that anyone would want either Ahri or me as guardians for their child. A failsafe in case everything turned to shit, sure, but as a first choice? No. Way. To buy myself a little more time I clumsily attempted to change the topic: ¡°Speaking of which, how did it go with the Madame and her girls?¡± She tilted her head and eyed me from the side, clearly conveying that she knew perfectly well what I was up to and that I wouldn¡¯t get around an answer, sooner or later. ¡°Neither good nor bad. Ever since the ones you changed woke up it¡¯s been the talk of the¡­ town? Tree? With the less than veiled hints you dropped here and there most of them already figured out that they¡¯ll become something similar over time. They don¡¯t much care to embrace my offer as long as they don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll turn into without my intervention. The Madame is a different matter. She¡¯s really is sick. Terminally. Even with her magic awakened it¡¯s unlikely that she¡¯ll see more than another summer or two. The pond doesn¡¯t help much, either. What ails her¡­I¡¯ve seen it before but I don¡¯t know what it is. A malicious growth that slowly eats away at her life.¡± Cancer, most likely, but knowing what it was didn¡¯t mean I could a thing about it. The problem was, that, if I was right, magic would only exacerbate the growth, not reverse it. ¡°Vampires are immune to sickness and disease. I¡¯ll probably turn her during the next full moon.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°And she doesn¡¯t mind the control you¡¯re going to have over her?¡± ¡°Of course she does, but it¡¯s much better than the alternative. I¡¯m wondering, though, could you, or one of your friends for that matter, heal her?¡± ¡°Me? No. The dragons? Probably not. Greta? Maybe. She knows a terrifying lot about life¡­ she might be able to burn away the¡­ infected tissue while keeping her alive. Still, chances are that she¡¯ll just as easily kill as cure her.¡± ¡°You sound like you know what she¡¯s going through. Do you?¡± ¡°Maybe. There are worlds out there which are much more advanced than our little piece of Eden. I¡¯ve spent centuries there. Bottom line, the body is a complex miracle that regenerates itself all the time. Think of it as filling a cup. Once it¡¯s topped off, you¡¯re healthy again. The problem starts when you keep on pouring water. In this example you¡¯d have a wet table, if it¡¯s your body growing out of control the result is a bit more serious. If I¡¯m right, whoever attempts to heal her will have to cut or burn away every part that¡¯s spilling water.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With a soft smile she added: ¡°and what about my question?¡± ¡°I¡­ we¡¯d be honoured to,¡± I replied with only a tiny bit of hesitation. ¡°But¡­ are you quite sure?¡± ¡°Cassy, are you really that blind? I¡¯ve told you before, you and Ahri were the first people Layla took a liking to and now she¡¯s practically inseparable from your sister. Also¡­ you did offer to take her to the Emerald Island so she could learn. Which means I¡¯m basically going to entrust my daughter to you anyways. Is it really that hard to believe that I¡¯d like you to promise to keep on doing so, even if I¡¯m not around?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not, but, like you said, I¡¯d do it anyways. I just can¡¯t wrap my head around why you would want someone, who can provide only the bare minimum of what a godmother is supposed to be, to become Layla¡¯s guardian. I¡¯ll keep her in one piece and protect her to the best of my abilities, but I¡¯ll hardly have the time to take her to the zoo or shopping, never mind advise her when it comes to vampires or, god forbid, boy trouble. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m no mortal, Alassara. So I ask again is this really what you want?¡± ¡°Absolutely. I don¡¯t expect you to hold her hand, even though I think you would, while she¡¯s growing up. I do expect you to tear through anyone who¡¯d harm her, though. On this, I think, we can agree. Like you said, you¡¯d do it anyways. Why hesitate?¡± ¡°Because people close to me have a tendency to get hurt,¡± I groaned exasperatedly. She flicked my forehead and for a moment I was stunned into silence, staring at her wide eyed. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°Being an idiot? She¡­ we already are close to you. Yes, you have more baggage than most but so do we. Could you stop acting like you¡¯re nothing more than your enemies? Honestly. It¡¯s getting pretty exhausting.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I replied while I rubbed the red spot. ¡°We¡¯d love to.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask Ahri first?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sneaking through the palace, trying to protect her ward. I did tell you the story, didn¡¯t I? Frankly, I¡¯m starting to lose track of who knows what. Anyways, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d appreciate the interruption and I already know what she¡¯s going to say. Honestly, we both adore your kid.¡± ¡°Only mine? It feels like you¡¯re fawning over everything that¡¯s still growing.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Guilty as charged, even though I don¡¯t think you really understand what we consider a child.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. It doesn¡¯t take much to figure out you¡¯re regarding even your own grandmother as a kid. Is there anyone, besides Ahri of course, you take even remotely serious?¡± ¡°Pretty much everyone. Being young doesn¡¯t discredit you in any way. Why is it that suddenly everybody seems to be interested in my worldview? Over the last days people have asked me left, right and centre who I am. I thought most of you would already know me well enough. I¡¯m not really complicated, at least I don¡¯t think so.¡± She chortled. ¡°Sure, keep telling yourself that. I¡¯m sure one day you¡¯ll find someone who believes you. As for why I¡¯m asking¡­ you¡¯re leaving. I¡¯m probably not the only one who wants to know more about you and time is running out.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be seeing me again, much sooner than you think. But speaking of time¡­,¡± I turned around, my gaze travelling over the murky waters to the foreboding pyramid. ¡°Anything you want to tell me before I have a look around?¡± ¡°There are no traps, if that¡¯s what you mean. It took my brother and me several years to unearth even the most obscure records of what those things could have been. Piecing together what little we¡¯ve found out and the few tidbits you¡¯ve shared of Amon¡¯s past, I think it, or rather every portal, is a remnant of the empire he so desperately fought against. Every gateway is located in a temple, similar to this one, and the reliefs you¡¯ll find inside depict scenes of conquest and worship. I think I¡¯ve even seen those magical constructs, you know, the ones you fought against when you met the spider. Even though your descriptions weren¡¯t overly detailed, they still fit. It also makes sense. To govern an area as large as you said, you¡¯d need a method to quickly get from one place to the other. Considering their innate strength was able to create godlike creatures through simple beliefs, I can just about imagine how they could craft such a network.¡± ¡°Except it wasn¡¯t them. It was the spider. Shassa created those creatures, not the people of that age. If you¡¯re right, there must be several destroyed junctions, pyramids Amon razed during his conquest. Are there?¡± She nodded. ¡°Most, I¡¯d say around ninety percent, aren¡¯t working. You¡¯ll see once you¡¯re inside. The actual portals are stone arches, the destination inscribed along the top. The functioning ones are brimming with power and the others are simply¡­ dull, lifeless. That¡¯s also why my brother claimed that he might be able to get you across the ocean. Several gates lead there but, and that¡¯s the strange part, they aren¡¯t¡­ dead, but rather deactivated, I¡¯d say. Couldn¡¯t Greta have told you as much? Isn¡¯t she already merging her roots with the magic?¡± ¡°She is, but apparently it¡¯s a bit more difficult than she expected. Chances are that she¡¯ll be able to incorporate at least one gateway, but, while she can tell where they¡¯re leading, she can¡¯t know which one connects to the path I want to take, not until she has full control. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here. I¡¯ve got to pick the right one and then tell her.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t I simply have done the same? I know which one leads the furthest north.¡± ¡°You probably could have, but I also wanted to see what I¡¯m getting myself into. Not that it has done me much good in the past, but at least now I know what I can expect. And I still want to have a look around. Now more than ever. If you¡¯re right, it probably was Amon who closed the portals, leading to his new home. Now, chances are he simply tore down the relicts of his past, since he hasn¡¯t used them to get here, but what if one or two survived? I¡¯d very much like to know if there¡¯s a chance that he suddenly appears on our doorstep with an army in tow.¡± ¡°If he had been able to, he would have done so long ago,¡± she stated with just a bit too much hesitation to make her sound convinced. ¡°I quite agree, but better safe than sorry. Also, if he knows about the network, he¡¯ll probably try to get his hands on one still functioning junction or the other. Are there many temples on the southern islands?¡± ¡°Three. This one, one so far to the south that there¡¯s nothing worth mentioning around and the third¡­,¡± she trailed off, her eyes going wide. ¡°What,¡± I asked impatiently. ¡°I haven¡¯t used it myself,¡± she explained, ¡°but my brother often brought fresh blood from one of the slave islands through here. Which means¡­¡± ¡°One of the islands Amon is taking control over is definitely connected to this place. Shit.¡± 355. Of traces, descents and a little surprise Cassandra Pendragon It wasn¡¯t as bad as I had first thought. The image of Amon emerging from the bowls of the earth with an army at his back had had me fretting for all I was worth, but after a minute or two I had realised that it wasn¡¯t exactly rocket science to put an end to that particular endeavour. Sure, asking Greta to quickly get control of and monitor the plethora of portals was an option, but simply pulling the plug, or rather demolishing the respective archway until nothing but dust remained was much more sustainable¡­ not to mention easy. Consequentially I hadn¡¯t dawdle for much longer, had asked Alassara which of the gateways her brother had used to reach one of the slave islands and had made my way across the mirror like lake without so much as causing a ripple on the surface. Which was just as well since I was prepared to bet that I had seen shadows move beneath the surface. Large shadows with, presumably, equally large teeth. Chances were it had been just my imagination running wild, the whole atmosphere didn¡¯t exactly promote calm and confidence, but I hadn¡¯t been too eager on finding out. Still wasn¡¯t, to be honest. I wasn¡¯t scared, not really, in comparison to Boseiju¡¯s fiery end most dangers seemed challenging at best, but I still wasn¡¯t overly keen on another reminder that pain actually hurt. A lot. If you¡¯ve ever watched one of those documentaries on the South- and Central American tribes, you have a pretty accurate image of what awaited me, once I set foot upon the lowest level of the pyramid. The edifice consisted of four distinct layers, each one a bit smaller than the previous floor, with a single entrance at the top, a gaping, dark hole that reminded me of a monster¡¯s maw, but again, in bright sunlight, with a picnic basket on my arm, it would probably have seemed entirely different. A narrow set of stone steps, carved in a straight line form the very bottom to the entrance, connected the different floors while archaic glyphs, proficiently chiselled into the dark rock, circled around each level. I couldn¡¯t read them but with the sheer amount of memories I had regained by now I had developed an instinct for runes. They were a mixture of warding spells and simple scripture, probably retelling the story of the civilisation that had erected the pyramid in times long forgotten. Now, before you ask why the vampires hadn¡¯t figured out what this place was, even though it¡¯s history was written on its very walls, reconstructing a dead language isn¡¯t a walk in the park and I could wholeheartedly sympathise with neither Alassara nor her brother putting in the time and effort when they could use the portals just as well without the knowledge. Once I landed, my wings vanishing with a quiet whisper, I felt cold. The whole cavern was chilly in comparison to the sweltering heat above, but the stones seemed to leech the warmth from the air and I almost felt like I had found my way into a glacier. My breath came out in fuzzy white clouds and the hair on my neck stood up, whether from anticipation or actual cold I couldn¡¯t say. I took the time to circle around the lowest floor once, glancing at the interwoven sigils carved into the base, but when nothing significant happened and I realised that I wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the foreign symbols I quickly climbed the stairs, only pausing for a few seconds to have a look at the runes on each consecutive level. With nothing much to show for my efforts I reached the top, where the temperature dropped even lower. The moisture in the air turned into a chilly cloak, enveloping me like the first touches of an avalanche in the mountains, and the stiff breeze, wafting through the entrance, smelled of dust, mould and ozone. Somewhere in the back of my mind I realised that the cold was a result of the powerful spells, still working tirelessly somewhere in the darkness. The conversion wasn¡¯t perfect and a bit of energy was sucked from the surroundings while the magic did its work. As a result the temperature plummeted and over the countless years the imposing place of worship had turned into a frozen tomb. For a split second I wondered if the late Captain might have used this place to store his¡­ let¡¯s say perishable resources, but I firmly believed that Alassara would have warned me if I had been on the verge of stumbling into a well kept storage, filed with conserved corpses. The entrance itself was void of anything resembling a door or even an arcane seal, it was a simple, plain arch, revealing smooth, worn out stone steps that led into the bowls of the temple. The flickering light from the glowing crystals couldn¡¯t penetrate deeper than a few measly metres and while the enchantments stood out like a sore thumb to my second sight, a scintillating amalgamation of power and magic somewhere in the darkness, I couldn¡¯t see much of the actual architecture. I closed my eyes and listened for a few moments, but just as I hadn¡¯t been able to see much, I only heard the soft movements of the lake, the almost silent creaks, when the stones breathed with the minuscule change in temperature my presence had caused and the distant, muffled footfalls of Alassara pacing back and forth. All in all it really seemed safe, almost boringly so. Which of course made me even more suspicious but the vampire¡¯s declaration that she had never seen a trace of a trap assuaged my nervousness. At least somewhat. As many wise men had said and I had reminded myself plenty of times, if you¡¯re reluctant to do something, better get it over with quickly and, by all means, I wasn¡¯t as thrilled to make my way down a tunnel, that could as well have led to the land of the dead, as I might have made it sound. I squared my shoulder and waved at Alassara before I reluctantly bade my goodbyes to the sparse light in the cavern and entered a world of darkness, magic and cold. Once the massive, almost oppressive walls closed in around me, though, I couldn¡¯t deny that I was actually curious. Not only interested but genuinely curious what I¡¯d find at the bottom of the stairs, considering the deepest dungeon was most likely the place I¡¯d have to visit. From a strategic point of view the whole construction was a marvel. Not only would an invading army have to battle its way up the steep, entirely open stairs, it would also have to accomplish the even more onerous feat of fighting its way down and judging from the feel of the winding, narrow tunnel, a group of toothless grannies, armed with broomsticks, could have held the passage indefinitely against well trained soldiers. If said grannies had a few pans and ladles at their disposal, they¡¯d be able to give even a unit of mages a run for their money. Circling stairs led me from the entrance at the very top to the next floor. It took me a few heartbeats to channel enough power towards my eyes to see anything in the pitch black darkness while also keeping my mundane vision intact. On first glance the chamber appeared like a throne room of sorts, a large, empty space with an imposing stone seat at the centre. Pictograms of entire peoples giving tribute and celestial bodies, smiling warmly at a stylised monarch, were carved into the base, while arcane runes, symbolising power, wealth, fertility and judgement circled the backrest. The chamber itself was empty, not even cobwebs or the accumulated dust of the passing years marred the smooth, glossy surface of the tiles. Stone statues, similar to the great Terracotta Army, were placed along the walls, their dead, empty eyes seemingly following my every movement. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. A cold shudder ran down my spine when I recalled the last instance where I had stumbled across ancient statues in an eerily similar situation, but those had been brimming with power from the get go and the ones here were simply expertly crafted pieces of stone. Admittedly, I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that they were simply dormant and might activate at any given minute, but for now I didn¡¯t see much of a point in fretting over inanimate objects while I might still encounter something much more¡­ alive and dangerous. Plus, Alassara had asseverated that nothing bad had happened in all the years she had come through here. Why had I insisted on going alone, again? Right, paranoia and chivalry. Goddamn, it was either about time to grow a spine or grow up. Not everything¡¯s a trap, Cassy. Plenty of things to fear in the real world. No need to add imaginary enemies to the list. I took a deep breath but the plethora of information I had come to expect simply wasn¡¯t there. In the freezing cold everything smelled the same and, for the life of me, I just couldn¡¯t get past the lingering scent of ozone. By now I was also covered I goosebumps and felt the energy in my veins targeting my fingertips and toes, healing the damaged tissue. A Siberian winter couldn¡¯t possibly hold a candle to the biting chill, slowly creeping through me and I had only made it one floor down. There was no telling how much worse it¡¯d get with the next set of stairs. Speaking of which, at the far side of the chamber, behind the throne, for want of a better word, another passage led deeper into the pyramid. Again there were no obstacles but once I reached the backside of the chamber I saw the crumpled remains of erstwhile massive stone hinges, the doors they must have supported, once upon a time, long since rotten to dust. A short corridor let into another room with plain, unadorned walls and a well like opening in the middle of the floor. I crept closer carefully, my rationalisations about the possible dangers about as useful as a fifth wheel on a wagon, and hesitantly pushed my head over the gaping hole. It wasn¡¯t as deep as I had first feared but I had to fiddle with my powers again to see the bottom. Steps were carved into the walls, leading downwards in gentle but treacherously narrow arches. After about 10 metres the walls vanished entirely and opened up into another, presumably large, chamber. I could only guess but chances were that I¡¯d have to jump the last few metres. I couldn¡¯t imagine an elderly priest, or whoever else might have used this place, regularly risking life and limb only to get from one floor to the next, but back in the day there had probably been quite a few handy add ons which hadn¡¯t survived the ravenous hunger of several centuries. With a gentle whisper my wings fanned out and I took the most direct route imaginable, straight down the middle. My boots produced a soft thud when they connected with the floor below and I immediately had to blink when dim lights flickered into existence all around me. An array of runes had activated as soon as I had landed and filled the chamber with a rosy, almost cozy light. The room wasn¡¯t as big as the previous ones and reminded me more of an antechamber, a circular construction with four distinct passages leading further into the darkness. The magical lights only illuminated the runes above each gateway and even my enhanced sight couldn¡¯t penetrate deeper than a few steps into the blackness beyond. Luckily the glyphs were detailed enough to interpret them easily. One passage was adorned with the stylised depiction of a man wrapped in chains, the second showed the sun, surrounded by bowing priests, and the last an intricate web, the junctions turned into depictions of several temples. The lowest floor was probably divided into three segments, from the looks of it a place of worship, a prison or something similar and the the network of portals I was after. Again I had to admire the forethought that had gone into building the whole structure. If my assumption was right, the three areas could only be accessed from the floor above and as such, even if someone came in through one of the portals, they¡¯d only be able to go one way with a whole bunch of nasty surprises lying in store for them. I was sorely tempted to investigate the entire bottom floor, but after aeons it was rather unlikely that anything of value had survived and even if it had, the vampires would have found it ages ago. Consequentially I carefully tiptoed my way over to the passage, marked with the web, and hurried along another rather narrow corridor. Slits in the ceiling and on the floor indicated where massive slabs of wood, if it had been stone they would still have been there, had been used to block the path in case of an emergency and I even thought I recognised a few indents and scratches along the walls that could have either been made with an axe or a heavy club. The flickering light my wings provided wasn¡¯t enough to be sure, though, and I didn¡¯t spare the time to run my fingers across every little detail that caught my fancy. A couple of steps later I came to another door, this one plain and heavy, fashioned form a single block of granite. Without tools or a veritable army it would have been impossible to move the gargantuan piece of rock even an inch but the strength of the undead, and mine as well for that matter, were enough to overcome the hurdle. I grabbed the slab along the edges with my wings and pulled it towards me, carefully anchoring my body to the walls and floor. I only heard a deep grinding noise before it moved without so much as producing a single cloud of dust, a testament to how often the late Captain had used the passage. The mechanism was crude but efficient. The block of granite was much deeper than I had thought with just enough space that it could rotated to the side, allowing me to squeeze through. On the one hand this meant that rushing past in a hurry with several men was impossible but it also restricted the usefulness when it came to transporting goods or people in greater numbers, not to mention that it¡¯d be one hell of a struggle to open and close the door. Behind was a wing staircase, leading to the lowest level in a gentle arch. Several holes had been drilled into the ceiling, opening up the stairs to an attack from above while the steps were level and broad but just a bit to high to take them smoothly. I was rather tall, even in comparison to human men, but I still couldn¡¯t take them in stride, having to jump the last few centimetre of each step. It didn¡¯t matter much now, but the thought of having to fight my way back up against the resistance of invisible defenders, pouring oil and other nasty, heated substances down the pipes was a nightmare come real. All in all the temple felt more like a fortress to me, which made some sense, considering it was a transportation hub and had possibly been used as a prison, too. Call me greedy but my first impulse was to ask Alassara what had happened to the treasury, surely located somewhere in the depths of the edifice. We didn¡¯t need more money, the chest Mephisto had enchanted and I was carrying around in my stamp ensured or liquidity, but if there was one thing you couldn¡¯t have enough of it was money. If you had something to spend it on, that is, and we surely had a plethora of choices at our disposal. Also, while I wasn¡¯t as much of a magpie as in my last life anymore, I could still very much see the appeal of accumulating a hoard. The thought made me smile when I pondered whether or not it was actually my fault that the local dragons fawned over every pretty bauble they came across. Maybe some of my vices had been transferred to Ancalagon, all those years ago. The stairs ended at the mouth of another short tunnel. It didn¡¯t take me more than a handful of steps until I finally emerged in a circular, huge chamber, the walls polished and smooth with a dozen carved arches arranged in regular intervals. Most of them were dull, broken, but four still retained their lustre, their runes crackling with sparks and power. The temperature had reached a new low, cold enough for my lashes and eyebrows to slowly freeze over, and the oppressive scent of ozone made me feel like I had just tumbled into a bath of the stuff. And just as luck would have it, I wasn¡¯t the only one there. I just wasn¡¯t sure if my newest friend was actually still alive. 356. Of domains, regrets and a little bit of misery Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Easy now,¡± I coaxed, ¡°slowly.¡± The coughing subsided as the battered fey took another, tiny gulp. ¡°There you go. Better?¡± She¡­ he, it was hard to tell, gave a funny little jerk and blinked at me with huge, slanted eyes. I was with Alassara again, below the cherry tree in the garden where we had had our first real conversation. The cold in the temple had probably posed as much of a danger to the wounded creature as the cuts and bruises it had sustained. I hadn¡¯t acted purely charitably when I had carried the quivering bundle from the darkness and across the lake. Greta would arrive any minute now and I meant to accompany her through the labyrinthian edifice. Waiting for her in the sunshine had seemed much more appealing than hunkering down on an eerie shore, shivering and twiddling my thumbs. During the short trip I had had plenty of time to study the almost frozen fey in my arms. It looked quite like a silver wolf, a normal sized one, with golden antlers. At first I had even thought it was some kind of enchanted or magical animal, but when I had carefully approached the lump of horn and fur it had raised its head and stared at me with dark, glowing eyes that had clearly shown more intelligence than any animal had the right to possess. The broken pleas, whispered in an almost barking voice and in a tongue I hadn¡¯t been able to understand had also been a dead giveaway. To cut a long story short, I had checked which portal had been active and after a moment of uselessly staring at the runes simply decided to shut them all down. Wise as I had become I hadn¡¯t simply torn apart or absorbed the spells but rather¡­ put a wedge between the moving parts. It hadn¡¯t been as complicated as it sounds, courtesy of my core I had had enough energy at my disposal to simply envelop the whole construct in a bubble of my own making and increase the pressure until the magic had ground to a halt. In a way the portals were still active but, unless someone managed to blow apart my barricade, no one would be moving through them any time soon. Which meant, unless another immortal deemed it necessary to meddle, we were quite safe. Back to the present Alassara and I were hovering over the wolf like creature like nurses, watching powerlessly as it squirmed and whined on the ground. The pain of its limbs warming up again, combined with the nasty cuts it had sustained on its flanks, must have been pure agony, but we couldn¡¯t do much to alleviate its discomfort. All we could do was wait until its body had regained most of its functions and pray that it hadn¡¯t been trapped in the cold long enough to cause any lasting damage. I was quite hopeful, though, the fey were pretty resilient and judging from the increasing noise it wasn¡¯t anywhere near death, at the very least. ¡°I wish I knew which portal it came through,¡± I mused while I offered our guest another sip from a water skip, which it accepted almost greedily. ¡°Probably the one you want to take as well,¡± the vampire replied and gently pressed the creature to the ground, preventing its sharp claws form either hurting us or ripping through the leather. ¡°The cuts look like battle wounds. Why would the fey be fighting on an remote island,¡± I asked doubtfully. ¡°They don¡¯t necessarily have to be. Magic is strange and sometimes unpredictable. If a transportation spell went awry, which isn¡¯t unlikely in the heat of battle, it could have tapped into the existing spells and transported the wielder to the preset destination instead of the actual target.¡± ¡°Tap into a spell that¡¯s anchored several islands away? I don¡¯t think so, unless it was a large ritual. But that doesn¡¯t make sense either. If they used a ritual why¡¯s there only one? A spell of that magnitude could have transported hundreds.¡± ¡°Maybe it did but the wolf was the only one who got lost? Maybe this one wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep the magic under control and was thrown off course?¡± ¡°Maybe. If you¡¯re right and there really was a ritual powerful enough to cause this, the war has already started and it¡¯s escalating quickly. Can you understand the language?¡± She shook her head, her gleaming red eyes never wavering from the strange creature. ¡°No, the fey don¡¯t teach their language to outsiders and I¡¯ve honestly never bothered too much with them. They¡¯re capricious at best and simply a pain in the butt at worst. My brother¡­ he tried to capture one a few years ago. They make for excellent sustenance and they¡¯re¡­ sturdy enough to survive a while, even in captivity, but we were already trying to kill each other back then, so I don¡¯t know any details.¡± ¡°But he could have pulled one through a portal,¡± I sighed. ¡°He could have, but he was careful. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s why we have one here, and I¡¯m certain that¡¯s not the creature he tried to capture. It would look much more¡­ emaciated, if it were.¡± ¡°Figures. So all we can do is wait until Greta arrives with Erya?¡± She smirked and shook her head. ¡°Sometimes I forget how young you are. There are plenty of fey tribes out there. Chances are that this one isn¡¯t even remotely connected to Erya and her family. If that¡¯s the case, she might not be able to understand it, either.¡± ¡°Right, what a coincidence,¡± I scoffed. ¡°We just so happen to stumble across another fey, entirely unrelated to the mess we¡¯re dealing with. Honestly, what are the odds?¡± ¡°Not as bad as you think,¡± a raspy, clipped voice sounded from somewhere around my thighs. I was on my knees, trying to persuade the wolf to drink slowly, but as soon as it spoke I jumped to my feet and my wings whispered into existence, forming a protective, scintillating cocoon around Alassara and me. A dry laugh, almost like a bark, was my only reward. ¡°Slightly on edge, are we?¡± Its jaws were grinding, as if it chewed every word before it spat it out. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m neither in the condition nor do I want to harm you. Thanks for saving my hide, I thought I was a goner. And to make it a little easier for you, I¡¯m male, my name is Carnen, I¡¯m definitely not from the Silent Glade and if the Erya you mentioned before is the previous queen of that realm, I¡¯d rather not make her acquaintance. You have my thanks and your both beautiful enough that I¡¯d try to fulfil most of your wishes, but I don¡¯t want to meet the woman whose children imprisoned and tortured me for the better part of a decade, gratitude and looks be damned. Give me a minute or two and I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡± As if to prove his statement he was staggeringly trying to climb to his paws but even though the sprit was willing, the flesh was not and he fell back down with a groan. ¡°Maybe a bit more than a minute,¡± he added grudgingly. ¡°I can¡¯t even remember the last time I was this cold.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. My mouth was opening in a silent exclamation and Alassara was staring at the fey with the same look of incredulity and amazement. The language barrier seemed to be the least of our problems. ¡°Since I¡¯m not going anywhere for now,¡± he continued jovially, ¡°and the two of you look like you might suffer a stroke if you don¡¯t get any answers, why don¡¯t I try to satiate your curiosity? What¡¯s got your knickers in a twist? Why I was down there in that freezing, good for nothing place? That¡¯s easily answered. I was a prisoner and when the Silent Glade prepared for war I saw my chance. I took it but I screwed up in the process, hence the rather dire circumstances you found me in. I leeched off some of the power they used for a marshalling spell but I think I botched up the structure, hardly surprising when a warden is trying to gut you while you¡¯re channeling your magic. The stupid thing sucked me into a vortex and when I finally managed to claw my way out I didn¡¯t have the juice left to cast a single spell. Still don¡¯t, come to think of it. The rest you know.¡± He was slowly getting to his haunches while the two of us still stared like we had never seen a talking wolf before. In all fairness, I hadn¡¯t. Only in my dreams. ¡°Do you have anything to eat,¡± Carnen asked. ¡°Meat preferably? Once I¡¯ve got some sustenance in me I won¡¯t mind putting on a show if you¡¯re still insistent on ogling me.¡± His grey eyes were wandering from the vampire to me as a wolfish smile spread his lips. ¡°On the other hand, stare all you want, but I think I¡¯m going to do the same. Damn girls, where have you been hiding all my life? You aren¡¯t some fey lords in your own rights, are you? That would just make my day.¡± With a deep moan he stretched his legs and nuzzled his injuries. ¡°That bastard got me good, didn¡¯t he? Another few seconds and he¡¯d have turned me into the world¡¯s tastiest skewer.¡± I was torn between confusion, curiosity and no small amount of amusement. The wolf-fey reminded me of John, Richard¡¯s brother who had met his fate at Amon¡¯s hands. He had possessed the same kind of impish charm and the devil may care attitude. Quite fitting that one had ended up as a rotting, stinking pile of bones and flesh on the sidewalk while the other had been imprisoned for years by his own people. Somehow I just couldn¡¯t imagine a similar fate befalling a boring, dusty librarian. But then again, thinking back on my first kill and the rather eternal end the Furglows had suffered, death didn¡¯t seem to differentiate that much, after all. I shook my head before I finally found my voice again: ¡°sorry, I don¡¯t have a sandwich with me, but I¡¯m sure we can find something for you to chew on. First, though, as detailed and forthcoming as your explanations were, I still have some questions. Why were you held prisoner, for example?¡± ¡°Right. Thought we¡¯d get there, sooner or later.¡± He studied me for a moment before he added: ¡°would you mind telling me your name first? Not that I wouldn¡¯t love to impress you with the thrilling tales of my exploits, but I¡¯d rather know who you are before I drop my pants. Call me old fashioned if you must, but mama always told me to ask a few questions before accepting candy.¡± ¡°What about giving you water and saving your life, did she also mention those?¡± With a pinched smile I added: ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra and I¡¯m no fey.¡± I fanned out my tails. ¡°I¡¯m a hybrid, a kitsune to be exact. This lovely lady is Alassara, a vampire and to answer your unspoken questions: we¡¯re in Free Land, a city on a little island to the far south, which is by no means a part of any fey realm. Now, is that enough or do you need more?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re offering,¡± he smirked, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind knowing your favourite food and music, just in case.¡± When I didn¡¯t react he immediately continued: ¡°in earnest, though, are you affiliated in any way with the Silent Glade? I wouldn¡¯t call myself a villain but such unbecoming words as traitor or scumbag have been thrown my way by those stuck up slugs.¡± I titled my head to the side and thought for a moment but ultimately decide to tell the truth: ¡°In a way. Erya is¡­ a friend hardly covers it and she was, long ago, the ruler of the Silent Glade. I¡¯m not so sure how I regard her children, though, and, truth be told, neither is she.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Ungrateful, cruel, little¡­¡± his voice tailed off and he paled, just as the scent of wildflowers and cherries tickled my nose. The dryad had arrived and she had apparently managed to convince Erya to tag along. Oh boy, this might become really interesting¡­really fast. ¡°Do go on,¡± the fey urged, her mouth twisted into a fake smile, ¡°please. Ungrateful, cruel, little¡­?¡± For a second I was tempted to stay out of it and simply watch the show but I didn¡¯t have the time and, in all honesty, the patience to watch them squabble. Tiredly I got up and into the fey¡¯s path. ¡°At least listen to him before you go for his throat,¡± I sighed. ¡°I know how much you hate to hear it but your kids didn¡¯t exactly come across as well behaved and timid, when last we saw them. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t expect them to have made some enemies.¡± She eyed me coldly and even though I was prepared to bet she didn¡¯t realise herself, I could almost hear the cogs and screws snap into place behind her forehead. She knew there were plenty of people out there who had presumably been hurt by her children but they were still her kids. Whatever she was going to do or say, there was no easy way out and she was simply looking for someone to vent. The wolfish fey had been her first target but now I had volunteered and with me, she didn¡¯t have to hold back, either. Unfortunately, she also knew I wouldn¡¯t take it lying down. ¡°And what¡¯s that supposed to mean,¡± she snarled and got into my face until our noses were about a hair¡¯s width apart. ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Greenish sparks travelled menacingly along her horns and her black eyes sparkled with an inner light I didn¡¯t like much. She was¡­ disappointed, hurt and afraid of what she might be forced to listen to, which of course meant she acted like an enraged bull. Oh bother, no wonder I treated most beings like children. Again I was on the verge of letting her blow a fuse. Simply adding something along the lines of ¡°it¡¯s not your fault they¡¯re rotten,¡± would have probably done the trick, but I didn¡¯t see the appeal. Instead I leaned forward and pecked her cheek, smiling wryly. On a side note she froze, blushed and raised her fingertips to the spot my lips had touched dreamily, which already constituted a massive win in my book, especially the blushing part felt like a taste of hard earned payback, but first and foremost she kept her mouth shut and Carnen didn¡¯t miss the opportunity: ¡°Look,¡± he explained, ¡°we¡¯ve never met but I¡¯d have to be dumb like a tree to not realise who you are. You missed my introduction earlier, so allow me to repeat it. I¡¯m Carnen of the Dark Wilds. Still rings a bell?¡± Close as we were I could feel her tense up, the name obviously more than enough to spark a few memories. Her eyes still lingering on me she nodded and replied: ¡°Indeed it does. A good thing we haven¡¯t met when I still sat on my throne. Otherwise your entrails would already fertilise the flowers.¡± He chuckled, which sounded like a dog choking on a bone. ¡°So you do remember. But honestly, what have I done that justifies your hatred? I¡¯m a mere thief.¡± Erya winked at me before she turned away, the magical nimbus around her horns flickering out. ¡°Except you don¡¯t steal gold or baubles but land. Have you been caught while fulfilling one of your mistress¡¯ demands?¡± I felt quite lost. I mean, I was able to add two and two together and conclude that Carnen had been working for one of Erya¡¯s rivals back in the day and presumably stolen a piece of the Silent Glade but the who, what and why of it all escaped me entirely. No wonder, considering I didn¡¯t know that much about Erya¡¯s past. As outspoken as the girl was, when it came down to it she was still a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, coated by a generous amount of deflection and superficial naughtiness. A bit like Lilith, really. If the two of them were ever going to meet they might scratch each other¡¯s eyes out, get along splendidly or, may the gods have mercy, start a family. Flocks of a feather¡­ ¡°The Purple Queen has long since lost her interest in me,¡± Carnen declared even though I didn¡¯t really know him, I was quite sure that the growl in his voice was born from bitterness and not his unusual anatomy. ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I last acted on her behalf. No, I was caught while tried to make a living for myself without her protection. Your children hold grudges, Lady Erya.¡± 357. Of options, mercy and a little bit of fate Cassandra Pendragon ¡°So do I. You stole parts of my kingdom, literally. Is there a reason why I shouldn¡¯t carve my dues from your quivering hide,¡± Erya asked menacingly. The wolf shrugged, a strange gesture for a four-footed creature. ¡°It wasn¡¯t personal and it wouldn¡¯t make a iota of a difference for you now, would it? Honestly, what do you want me to say? Back then I would have been killed by my own people, if I had refused, and my mistress seemed like the scarier one to anger. Did you know she branded us? Even if I had considered switching sides, I wouldn¡¯t even have lived long enough to meet you.¡± ¡°And now you¡¯re free? She simply gave up on you?¡± ¡°As if,¡± he snorted. ¡°I burned off my mark and made a run for it. Directly into the arms of one of your former subjects. My life didn¡¯t turn out for the better, after that, I can promise you as much. I¡¯ve paid my dues, more than once. Can¡¯t we simply let bygones be bygones? Pretend like this never happened? I won¡¯t get in your way again, I promise,¡± ¡°Do you actually enjoy watching this charade, even though you already know how it¡¯s going to end,¡± Greta whispered in my ear. I nodded emphatically. ¡°Very much so. And I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s going to turn out. She won¡¯t kill him, but other than that¡­ I¡¯m also pretty interested in his story and the few sentences they¡¯ve exchanged told me more than I would¡¯ve found out by my lonesome in ages. Did you know that parts of a fey realm could be stolen?¡± ¡°I did. The fey wilds are living magic and just like any spell they can be wrestled away from the caster, or rather holder, in this case. You either need the skill or the power, neither of which are easy to gain, but it¡¯s very much possible. Why do you think Erya¡¯s people are acting like a swarm of panicked bees, only because their realm was discovered? With enough time and some bad luck the elves might just take it from them. It¡¯s unlikely, but a very real concern.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean I won¡¯t be able to enter any fey realm without destroying it?¡± ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know enough about your peculiarities to say for sure. Chances are nothing at all would happen, since the magic wouldn¡¯t even recognise you, but it might also implode or simply become yours. I can¡¯t wait to find out¡­ even though I don¡¯t have to have a front row seat.¡± Smirking, I was just about to call her a coward when Erya suddenly erupted: ¡°Are you fucking insane? Why ever would I want that?¡± Unfortunately I had missed a few sentences in between and wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the wolf had said. He didn¡¯t seem fazed, though, and smiled at her toothily, his tail wagging. ¡°Power, safety, fun? One of those. It wouldn¡¯t even be difficult. Your blood still contains the key to the Silent Glade, does it not? I can show you how to use it from the outside.¡± Alright, that had helped. In case you aren¡¯t a mage yourself, allow me to explain. I¡¯ve mentioned before that a spell contains a minuscule part of the caster, or rather owner. Considering what Greta had told me, the ruler of a fey realm was probably the person who held the anchoring spell. I still wasn¡¯t quite clear on how Erya¡¯s children could have succeeded her, if she wasn¡¯t dead, but those particular enchantments had maybe been constructed to hold more than a singular identity. Whatever the reason, she probably still had the capabilities to tap into the structure and reclaim her lands. A fact Carnen wanted her to exploit. Which didn¡¯t go over quite as smoothly as he had imagined. Fingers twitching the former queen closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath through her nose. ¡°You¡¯re just like I remember. Greedy, shortsighted, reckless¡­¡± he yawned provocatively. ¡°I¡¯m fey, you dullard, and so are you. Don¡¯t tell me it actually matters to you that they¡¯ve crawled out of your womb. So what? They¡¯d devour your heart in an instant if it meant consolidating their power. Why would you care? You wouldn¡¯t even have to fight them yourself. If you opened the door, I¡¯m sure the elves and all the other enemies they¡¯ve made would line up to kick their asses for¡­¡± he didn¡¯t get much farther, seeing as his throat was slightly constricted. In the middle of his sentence Erya had grabbed him and hoisted him into the air, where he dangled like a helpless puppy, while her pitch black eyes seemed to dig a hole through his skull. ¡°If you value your life,¡± she hissed, ¡°you won¡¯t finish that sentence. This is your last warning. I might not act like it but I¡¯m still a Lady of the fey and you better remember it or I¡¯ll turn your hide into a coat and send it back to the Purple Queen. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d appreciate the present.¡± He raised his paws in a very human I surrender gesture and croaked: ¡°By all means, no need to throw a hissy fit. Could you put me back down? I won¡¯t mention it again.¡± Still seething she relaxed her grip and the wolf crumpled at her feet, craning his neck to open his choked windpipe. I gently touched Erya¡¯s shoulder and shot her a questioning look when she turned around. Sighing, she said: ¡°it¡¯s a long story. Most of it you¡¯ve already figured out, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I think so, but that¡¯s not actually what I meant. Do you need me? Otherwise I¡¯ll take Greta to the basement. We won¡¯t be gone for long and the two of you look like you¡¯ve still got a couple of unresolved issues.¡± She made a shooing gesture and forced a pinched smile onto her face. ¡°By all means. We¡¯ll still be here when you return. Don¡¯t you want to know who the Purple Queen is? After all, this is a conflict that might very well impact what you¡¯ll have to face on the Emerald Island. Trust me, I might have been gone for a while but she won¡¯t hesitate to exploit the brewing war. One way or the other we¡¯ll hear from her.¡± ¡°Definitely, but you can also tell me over a glass of wine. If I¡¯m not mistaken we¡¯ll still need at least a day to get to the elven capital from the portal. Plenty of time to listen to your confessions.¡± Her smile turned genuine when she replied: ¡°Careful, Cassy. First a kiss and now ambiguous word choices? Whatever will your fianc¨¦e think?¡± ¡°Seriously? I guess the better question would be what you might be thinking.¡± ¡°Apparently too much. Nothing has changed, has it? No matter. Go on, we¡¯ll still be here, once you return and no, I don¡¯t need you to babysit me. He¡¯s all out of magic and even if he was at his peak, he wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to me. I¡¯m a big girl, you know, I even reigned over a fey realm, once upon a time.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Never doubted it. Fine. Don¡¯t kill him, would you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best but he¡¯s just¡­ infuriating. How did you even put up with me in the beginning?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t have much of a choice and you¡¯re prettier than him. I¡¯m glad you can appreciate my struggles, though.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± Carnen rasped and finally manage to stager back to his paws. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I can also change into a humanoid shape, if that¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°Can you also show some restraint and empathy,¡± I shot back. ¡°Maybe, I never tried,¡± he mumbled through his still constricted windpipe. ¡°Why would I, though?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s supposed to be good for your health, your neck especially. Alright, I¡¯m off, then. Alassara, are you coming as well?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to stay. This is much more fun to watch than the two of you brooding over old runes. Also¡­ if you want the wolf to survive it might be a good idea to have someone around who¡¯s less¡­ easily incited.¡± Quite the claim, considering her bloodthirsty nature, but she wasn¡¯t wrong. The way Erya eyed the still wobbly wolf didn¡¯t forebode sunshine and rainbows. She wasn¡¯t yet gunning for his life, but their past must have been turbulent enough to leave a lasting impression. Also, while I had gotten used to it with her around, she herself obviously wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of his loose mouth and nonchalant attitude. Oh, how times had changed. Having someone to care for really had turned her into a different person. I hugged her and Alassara briefly, putting a little more force into it with the fey than would have been necessary. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take him to the Garden. He can have something to eat and you can also keep an eye on my mom to make sure she doesn¡¯t manage to embarrass me completely.¡± As an answer to their unspoken question I added: ¡°she¡¯s planning some kind of farewell. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s up to but I fear she might go a little overboard, especially with the new arrivals around. Have you already met Quenda and Narros?¡± ¡°Briefly, when they landed,¡± Alassara replied, ¡°but they¡¯ve mostly been fawning over Viyara or Sera. We didn¡¯t want to intrude.¡± ¡°How considerate. Well, they¡¯ll be around for a while, so there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± ¡°Anyways, what do you mean by her going overboard? Isn¡¯t it just a little get together?¡± ¡°You¡¯d think so, but knowing her she might turn it into to an affaire d¡¯Etat. And I¡­well, I¡¯d rather not. Do keep her in check, will you?¡± ¡°If we can,¡± Erya said. ¡°That girl is about as easy to control as you. The apple doesn¡¯t fall too far from the tree, does it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just not so sure anymore who¡¯s the apple and who the tree,¡± I joked and waved them goodbye, already reaching for Greta¡¯s hand to pull her along. I didn¡¯t know when I had started leading people around like infants but somehow I had gotten used to it and nobody had complained, up until now. ¡°I can walk by myself, thank you very much,¡± the dryad complained when we were out of earshot and pulled her hand from my grip. ¡°I¡¯m neither a child nor a crippled elder, not anymore.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I help raise you? You should¡¯ve gotten used to it by now.¡± ¡°First, emphasis on help, Aurora actually did most of the heavy lifting, and two, I¡¯m not six anymore. We had the very same discussion a few centuries ago. Want to go over it again? Spoilers, you¡¯re still going to lose. But if you want to, you can carry me piggyback.¡± ¡°Really? I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°No. Unless we¡¯re in a life or death situation I¡¯m going to carry my bones all by my lonesome. I didn¡¯t really mean it when I called you my noble steed, or did you actually take me we seriously?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d feel honoured. Almost everybody I can think of would pay an arm and a leg and then some for the opportunity.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all bozos who don¡¯t know you that well, yet. Ahri is an exception. Why don¡¯t you ask her? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have some choice words for you as well.¡± ¡°Probably. You know, I actually missed you, but now I¡¯m not so sure why, anymore.¡± ¡°My innate charm and grace, not to mention keeping your perky ass from charring. On a more serious note, though, I¡¯m glad it worked.¡± We entered the burned building and I had to pause for a heartbeat to allow my eyes to adjust to the dim light. ¡°It¡­,¡± I mused. ¡°Do you actually know who engineered the spells you used?¡± ¡°Ah, Auguros spilled the beans, didn¡¯t he? Of course I knew. I¡¯d have recognised an immortal¡¯s handiwork anyways, without being in the loop. Did you think I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure. Why did you trust Amazeroth?¡¯ ¡°How could I not? When it comes to your ilk trust is not really voluntarily given. Us mere mortals either do as we¡¯re told or we die, simple as that. Plus¡­ yes, I do believe he doesn¡¯t mean you any harm¡­ at least as far as his own definition of harm goes. Pain, blood and suffering, sure, but death? No¡­ he wants you alive, whatever that¡¯s worth. I think¡­ oh boy, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to like what I¡¯ve got to say, but I think he¡¯s¡­ grooming you. Not to fight a war, but to fight his war¡­ in his stead. Tell me Cassandra, do you remember ever meeting him in person?¡± ¡°Once,¡± I answered hesitantly, ¡°as you very well know. It was when we met for the first time.¡± ¡°And he stole my sight, the bastard. Except¡­ I don¡¯t think that was him.¡± I snorted derisively and she explained: ¡°oh, it wasn¡¯t someone else, but I believe it was an illusion or something similar. I only found out while I taught you on Boseiju but magic an immortal casts within their own body doesn¡¯t leave a trace. None at all. I have several theories as to why, but the important part is, that even after all those years I can still detected minuscule traces of the spells Amazeroth used during the cataclysm. Why? Most likely because he didn¡¯t use his own vessel to craft them.¡± I ducked through the opening in the cellar wall and waited for her to climb through. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for years now, what are you getting at? That¡¯s not just some interesting tidbit you stumbled across. Why do you think he used a facsimile?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine but there aren¡¯t many reason that make sense, are there? Either he doesn¡¯t want to or he can¡¯t meet you in person. With you being¡­ you the former is a very real possibility but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. Even for an immortal the energy expenditure to create a copy you wouldn¡¯t see through immediately would be daunting. Why go through all that trouble unless there¡¯s no other choice. Now, the real question is why can¡¯t he meet you¡­ especially since he¡¯s seemingly doing everything in his power to guide you towards a very real encounter, somewhere down the line.¡± I tried to wrap my head around what she had said and especially the parts she hadn¡¯t voiced out loud while we passed the final door and found ourselves on the shores of the underground lake. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll bite,¡± I mumbled, my eyes glued to the dark, towering temple, my tails quivering in the freezing cold air. ¡°I can¡¯t come up with an explanation from the top of my head¡­¡± ¡°Really,¡± she interrupted me, her voice slightly distorted by the sheer amount of mana she was beginning to gather. ¡°You can¡¯t or you don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°I swear, while I¡¯m growing up, you¡¯re starting to regress,¡± I hissed. ¡°If you have something to tell me, do so, but don¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± ¡°Antsy. Being separated from Ahri isn¡¯t good for you, you know that, right? Anyways, I¡¯m not insinuating that I know the truth but I¡¯m also not buying that you can¡¯t come up with an explanation. Let¡¯s just pretend it¡¯s a story someone told you. Two enigmatic beings are constantly dancing around each other, butting heads, meddling with each other¡¯s choices,¡± that was mostly him, but pointing it out wouldn¡¯t help much, ¡°but yet, they never come face to face¡­ or rather, they won¡¯t until¡­ the very end. What does your intuition tell you?¡± I swallowed dryly. ¡°That one or both of them believe they¡¯ll have to fight to the death, once they meet, or¡­ they might just be¡­¡± ¡°Connected more deeply than it seems, like two sides of a coin. Precisely. Now, Cassy, tell me, what do you think is more likely?¡± I hesitated, my head spinning. Could she be right? ¡°Honestly? Even amongst our own people we¡¯re¡­ feared. Should the Lord of Mirrors and I ever engage in a real battle¡­ I don¡¯t even dare imagine the outcome. Chances are that¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t want to meet me in person and, truth be told, I share the sentiment.¡± ¡°If you say so. I don¡¯t agree, however. There¡¯s a simply reason for it, too. You¡¯re still alive.¡± 358. Of introductions, wounds and a little connection Cassandra Pendragon My vision wavered, the splendour of a billion stars, a million worlds, a thousand galaxies swallowed my reality until the cavern, the arches, even Greta¡¯s voice vanished like a forgotten dream. The howling of the abyss, the song of the void filled my ears, the promise of creation tickled my nostrils as my chest expanded and the unbound power of my existence thundered through my veins. I was being challenged and I smiled. Nestled between the waning lights and dancing shadows of dying worlds a set of smouldering eyes, filled with the determination of lost eternity, blinked and darkness swallowed my vision as wings, the size of planets, fanned out in utter silence. Some lessons had to be taught to every generation. Being able to devour a world doesn¡¯t make you immortal was one dragons tended to forget. There¡¯s always someone stronger was another. No matter. I was in a good mood and happy to teach. Usually I wouldn¡¯t have been prepared to overlook several extinguished stars, but she hadn¡¯t snuffed them out completely, she had only taken their light and that much I could fix easily enough. After I had made sure that she had learned her lesson. ¡°What are you?¡± The voice was soft, rich and entirely unexpected, coming from the towering amalgamation of magic and grace, spanning my entire field of vision. ¡°One of the reasons why you could grow up in peace. Do you honestly believe you¡¯re the first dragon who¡¯s reached an age and size where they become a spacefaring civilisation in their own right? If so, let me be the first to disabuse you of the notion. There are more, many more. If you want, I can introduce you to some of the more lively ones. Most have a tendency to sleep through the ages, though.¡± Her form shimmered, sparks seemed to gnaw away at her aura until they collapsed into a humanoid form, made of star light and moonshine. An unworldly beautiful woman hovered before me in the infinite expanse of space, the rekindled light of the stars she had touched setting her hair ablaze. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡± Her full, silvery lips were drawn into a pinched smile. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve asked who you are.¡± I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s a much more interesting question and one I¡¯m not going to answer. If you want to know, you¡¯ll have to find out for yourself. For now, it should suffice that I¡¯m stronger than you and here to explain the rules. One rule, actually. We don¡¯t feed on creatures who can¡¯t even perceive us. If the growth you gain from basking in radiation isn¡¯t enough for you, go and look for someone who can fight back. I won¡¯t care if you devour another star dragon and I¡¯ll even applaud your courage if you¡¯re going to challenge a nova dragon, even though I do think it might be a tad suicidal, at least for the next few hundred millennia.¡± ¡°There are others like me?¡± ¡°How old are you? No, scratch that, how long has it been since your carbuncle became the equivalent of a star?¡± As an explanation, once a dragon surpassed the confines of its home world, we classified them by the strength of their carbuncles. The first stage, when it generated the output of a star, was, consequentially, called a star dragon, followed by a nova dragon, who could unsurprisingly produce the same amount of power as an exploding star. After that¡­ well, there hadn¡¯t been that many that it had become necessary to think about classifications and almost all of them had been crystallines to begin with. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell. Days, weeks¡­ they¡¯re measured in relation to a fixed point. I don¡¯t have one, not anymore. The world of my birth is far away,¡± a shadow of grief or maybe anger stirred behind her pitch black eyes, filled with scintillating sparks, but she pressed on quickly before I could decipher the emotion, ¡°but I think it¡¯s not been more than a few days.¡± I just about managed to suppress an incredulous snort. After her ascension she shouldn¡¯t have done anything for years, except stare at the newly revealed secrets of a much larger world that had now become her own. Unless¡­ ¡°It¡¯s gone, isn¡¯t it,¡± I asked, as the realisation, that her home must have been destroyed in a battle, scarring enough to facilitate her change, struck. A single, luminous tear ran down her alabaster cheeks as she inclined her head ever so slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know how lost you must feel¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not gone,¡± she snarled, with enough venom to make my wings bristle. ¡°But it could as well be. I¡­ I failed, I wasn¡¯t strong enough and I thought¡­¡± ¡°If you could just get enough power you might be able to wrestle it back from whoever took it, before it¡¯s too late. Well, on the one hand I can¡¯t very well let you devour the light that keeps uncounted beings like yourself alive, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t help. Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened? I might not look like it but, as you very well know, I¡¯m pretty capable.¡± She eyed me warily for a few heartbeats, her thoughts clearly written all over her pristine features. I could almost hear them as they thundered towards a simple conclusion. She really didn¡¯t have that much of a choice. This was her chance and even if I was lying, there wouldn¡¯t be much she¡¯d be able to do. ¡°Years ago, more than I care to admit, we were a clutch of five. In the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Power is never an excuse,¡± I thundered, ¡°it¡¯s a burden and you failed to carry it. Be grateful, for if I had found you on my own, your end wouldn¡¯t have been quick.¡± Even though they weren¡¯t close to the size of their sister, yet, the four of them still measured several miles in length each. Probably on the cusp of ascension but not quite there. If they hadn¡¯t hid behind everything she held dear, she would have annihilated them in the blink of an eye. ¡°If you kill us, the planet will burn,¡± the red monstrosity rumbled, hills and mountains cracking under the power of his voice. Dust and flickering discharges obscured my vision until it seemed like I was stuck at the centre of an arcane sandstorm. ¡°If you¡¯re here on her behalf, there¡¯s nothing you can do. This is our world, not hers, and we can do with it as we please.¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I echoed softly, my voice cutting through the chaos he had unleashed like a hot knife through butter. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± My wings fanned out, latching onto every stream of magic I could feel. ¡°Burn, you said? I¡¯ve always adored fireworks. What kind of kindling will you make?¡± The flash in the pan kind. Four explosions, that put his pathetic display to shame, shook the planet, the heavens burned silver and blue, the earth trembled under the onslaught of my transcendent wrath and silence returned. At the centre of a glassy desert, four unfathomable craters smoked and the sweltering sun vanished behind a pair of wings, large enough to embrace the planet. A heartbeat later the warm light ignited again and a graceful figure appeared next to me. Sadness and satisfaction pulled her lips into a mixture of a snarl and a smile as her gaze traveled over the last remains of her family. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You didn¡¯t exaggerate,¡± she finally said. ¡°Is this how all things end? Snuffed out like a dream when the morning sun beckons?¡± ¡°Only those nightmares that are stupid enough to cross me and mine. If you stay well away from us I don¡¯t see why you shouldn¡¯t protect this place for aeons to come. There isn¡¯t much left in the universe that can challenge you, Stella. In case you ever find yourself at odds with my family, especially the crowned variety¡­ call for me. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll take your side, but I¡¯ll listen¡­ I¡¯ll make them listen. But that¡¯s for another time. Now, you need to heal, this world needs to heal.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you and yours don¡¯t meddle? Why did you¡­ why do you help me?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a hypocrite and I wanted to? Because you contented yourself with light and didn¡¯t touch a single life? Honestly, I don¡¯t know. Why does it matter?¡± Her grimace turned into a playful smile when she replied: ¡°Because I¡¯d quite like to know what I¡¯ve got to do the next time I want to see you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not difficult,¡± I laughed. ¡°Call my name. I¡¯ll hear you. Do you want me to stay for a while?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be?¡± ¡°Sure, but a day, a week, even a decade doesn¡¯t make much of a difference. You¡¯ll know what I mean when you¡¯re older. Time¡­ loses much of its allure when you don¡¯t feel its passage.¡± ¡°Is that why your wound hasn¡¯t healed?¡± I frowned. ¡°What wound? They didn¡¯t even manage to singe a single hair on my head.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she almost smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ can¡¯t you feel it? It¡¯s almost like¡­ you seem whole but when your powers stir it feels like¡­ they¡¯re incomplete. As if they¡¯re forced through a hole where something else should be.¡± ¡°Right. None of my family ever realised but you did?¡± ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t look at you the same way? Finding faults in something you admire is much easier than finding them in something mundane¡­¡± ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯ve swallowed a bucket of manure,¡± Greta asked curiously, her violet eyes glowing in the dim light only a handspan away from my face. Oh boy, where to start? I craned my neck until the vertebrae popped and the last, hazy image of Stella smiling at me disappeared. ¡°Because I might have, figuratively,¡± I mumbled. Chucking it off to a galactic coincidence was entirely possible, but that particular memory resurfacing when Greta had just told me that I might be linked to Amazeroth much more¡­ intimately than I had believed was a bitter pill to swallow. ¡°I just remembered a friend who told me that I might be¡­ wounded, incomplete.¡± ¡°What a surprise,¡± she cackled. ¡°Looks like I still know you better than you know yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a reason to celebrate. Have you any idea what it might mean?¡± ¡°No, but I don¡¯t have to. I know you, Cassandra. You and Lucifer. Whatever your link to the Lord of Mirrors is, you¡¯re still you and I¡¯m not worried about your future. Only what it might bring.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°Not by a long shot. If anyone¡¯s going to ask I¡¯ll deny ever having said it, but I trust you, you and your judgement. Implicitly. Always have since you carried me from the ruins of a burning world. Whoever¡­ no, whatever you are, you¡¯ll always be an angel to me. Even if you should wear a crown. Quite the metaphor, isn¡¯t it? Everyone around you is so determined to see one on your brow and now you even have one. I¡¯m simply curious if it¡¯s going to grow. But, whether it¡¯s going to wither or flourish, you will always be the same, at least to me. You¡¯re¡­ how did you put it, you¡¯re the light that allows the shadows to thrive. Why do you care so much? It doesn¡¯t matter where the power in your veins stems from, only what you do with it. And that, my dear, will always be your choice. Have a little trust in yourself. You¡¯ve earned it. I¡¯ve seen you challenge your past, don¡¯t shrink away from your future.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re right? If I am really¡­ even more? No one should have that kind of power.¡± ¡°Cassy, I hate to break it to you, but every immortal shouldn¡¯t be. It¡¯s not fair and it¡¯s definitely not healthy, as we¡¯ve learned, as you¡¯ve learned at the point of a katana. But¡­ that¡¯s life. Maybe it¡¯s just creation¡¯s way to return balance. The immortals are led astray so it needs something to fight them. In this case you. If that¡¯s true¡­ I won¡¯t complain about its choice.¡± A strangled laugh escaped me. ¡°You put way too much stock in creation¡­ and me. I¡¯m so young, stupid even, and¡­¡± the soft, smooth hand on my cheek was a surprise but the spirit behind it hadn¡¯t changed one bit. ¡°Not alone. Cassandra, we don¡¯t know what you are. It¡¯s as simple as that. But we know who you are. Ahri does, I do, so does your mother, Reia, Viyara, even Mephisto¡­ you¡¯ve always been¡­ different. You know that. Live your life to the fullest, to the best of your abilities and whatever comes next¡­ well, all we can do is try, can¡¯t we. And, in all honesty, I can¡¯t wait for the moment when your family realises whom they have been messing with. You shouldn¡¯t be scared. Michael should be.¡± ¡°And if I lose my way,¡± I all but whispered. ¡°Then your mother and I will set you straight and if we can¡¯t, Ahri will. Trust us. Just as much as we trust you. You¡¯re not alone. You never were. Please, don¡¯t blind yourself again and think you have to shoulder the weight of the cosmos alone. As long as you don¡¯t cut us off, we¡¯ll be there.¡± I leaned into her almost reflexively and with a content hum she began stroking my hair. ¡°Now, enough self pity,¡± she demanded after a few moments. ¡°There¡¯s enough to do and idle speculation isn¡¯t worth the dirt under your boots. What will be will be and we¡¯ll face it when the time comes. Together. Until then, show me those arches. Now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m sure I can force some of them under my control, but I might need your help.¡± Pragmatic to a fault and something I would have told myself if I hadn¡¯t been reeling internally. Having your own convictions thrown back into your face every few days was one of the downside of being surrounded by people you had taught yourself. Still, she was right. Very much so. Wisdom was the conviction and strength to change the things we can influence, accept those we can¡¯t and differentiate one from the other. ¡°And I¡¯ll gladly give it. Alright, let¡¯s see how much we can accomplish. Would you do me a favour and keep your suspicions to yourself? I¡¯m going to tell Ahri¡­ no, I¡¯m not, she already knows, but I don¡¯t want the others to worry needlessly.¡± ¡°You mean fret like you did? I won¡¯t. As far as I¡¯m concerned it¡¯s an interesting piece of the puzzle but nothing more. One day, though, I fear they¡¯ll have to know.¡± ¡°And they will¡­ one day. Until then I¡¯ll do everything I can to keep them away from anything immortal, especially my sister.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your prerogative but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise. They¡¯re stronger than you give them credit for.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not their strength I¡¯m worried about but their innocence. The world we live in is cruel enough. It¡¯s enough for them to be forced to fight and kill or watch others do the same. I don¡¯t mean to undermine their courage and show them how insignificant our struggles are, compared to what¡¯s coming.¡± She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, which I don¡¯t mind, but you¡¯re also lying to yourself and that¡¯s something only a fool would do. Cassy, you¡¯re hiding behind your words. The only reason why you can go on, why you can kill and torture is because you believe it¡¯s only a shadow of the atrocities to come. It is not¡­ every life, every death is the same. To face your future you have to face your present. Allow yourself to grieve for the girl you were forced to hang, for the men you couldn¡¯t save. Yes, there will be many more but that doesn¡¯t make the pain any less real and if you deny yourself the chance to feel it, you¡¯ll only deny yourself the opportunity to accept it and grow.¡± ¡°Thanks for the lecture, but what has it got to do with my family?¡± ¡°You have to decide if you want to keep them by your side. If you do, you¡¯ll have to allow them to get hurt, you¡¯ll have to show them what kind of world awaits them on the other side.¡± 359. Of loneliness, stubbornness and a little bit of life Cassandra Pendragon When we returned to the warm light of a late morning and the cheerful song of exotic birds I was still deep in thought, my eyes puffy with unshed tears. Sometimes I felt like it had become too much to bear but I couldn¡¯t afford to cry, not now, not without Ahri to pull me back. I just didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to stop, strange as it was. Usually revelations, especially the uncertain kind, didn¡¯t faze me much, but right now I was losing my footing. Maybe because I hadn¡¯t seen it coming, maybe because I simply hated everything to do with Amazeroth and even the possibility of having played an active part in his decisions, voluntarily or not, was nauseating. Whatever the reason, I simply needed someone¡­ a very specific someone to hold me tight for a while. Either that or a much less specific individual to punch in the face. That would also do nicely. When we left the ruined mansion I closed my eyes for a few heartbeats and savoured the smells on the morning wind. There was still a hint of smoke underneath the putrid aroma of the city, only bearable because of the fresh breeze, carrying with it the tang of salt and seaweed, but the faint, sweet taste of cherries still put a smile on my face. In a few weeks time, when the tree would blossom, I would finally feel at home again. The hectic, discordant voice of Free Land had already become a soothing lullaby I mostly didn¡¯t hear anymore but it still helped to calm my mind, almost like the melodious springs and gurgling creeks of Boseiju once had. Knowing that I could get closer to Ahri with nothing but a single step now also helped. ¡°Are you going to miss us,¡± Greta suddenly blurted out as we were nearing the city proper. ¡°I think I¡¯ve already shed all the tears I can spare when I thought you dead,¡± I replied through a smirk. ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to miss you. You and all the rest of my family. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I was just wondering if it ever gets any easier. You know¡­ leaving people behind. Whether temporarily or¡­¡± ¡°Permanently. It can but I¡¯ve always tried my best to avoid that.¡± I paused, a hazy recollection stirring at the edge of my thoughts. ¡°Once upon a time I attended a concert. It was mostly by accident but there was this old man, he didn¡¯t put on much of a show, it was only him and his guitar, a kind of instrument. He sang about pain and love. Love hurts, but sometimes it¡¯s a good hurt. To me, that¡¯s a farewell. Yes, it pains me to go, but it also means I have something worth returning to.¡± I eyed her from the side, looking past her renewed face and the superficial, smooth coating of her skin. ¡°Do you feel lonely?¡± ¡°Not since I¡¯ve met you again. In between¡­ yes, I was lonely. I¡¯ve never been lucky enough to fall in love¡­ maybe because I¡¯ve been waiting most of my life for you to return. That¡¯s not an accusation,¡± she quickly added, when she saw my expression darken, ¡°it was my choice, but now that I have to watch you leave again¡­ it¡¯s not that bad, since I know you¡¯ll return just like you are now, but it still reminds me of the last time. Do you remember?¡± ¡°No,¡± I mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t. Was it before Aurora turned her back on me?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, but it can¡¯t have taken long, afterwards. Back then¡­ I don¡¯t think you knew what laid in store for you. I had just turned 300 and the both of you came to visit. We hadn¡¯t lived together for quite a while but I hadn¡¯t settled on Gaya, yet. That only happened after¡­ you know. It was a beautiful day and you bid me farewell. Until next time, you said. And I waited, I waited until a toddler I could have carried in one hand was brought down into my cave. I can¡¯t tell you how difficult it was to pretend. All I wanted to do was pick you up and never let go. I was¡­ scared, still am, to be honest. It took me a while to realise but when the one being who carried me from the fires, who protected me against everything the universe could throw at me, fell, I lost¡­ something. My youth, perhaps. Up until then I had always believed that, no matter the danger, you would always find a way to¡­ well, as selfish as it may sound, to protect me, to protect my world and come back to me, as you always had. Realising that even you can¡¯t¡­¡± I took her hand and squeezed it lightly to shut her up. With a cheeky smile I interrupted her: ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend like you¡¯re wrong, you¡¯ve experienced first hand that I often bite off more than I can chew, but¡­ we talked about Amazeroth before. I want to let you in on a little secret, do you know why the wards around Gaya react to my magic as they do? Because those wards have been fashioned from my own energy. I¡­ I haven¡¯t seen it, but the stories I¡¯ve heard were enough. Anyways, the reason why no immortal, except for Amazeroth himself, ever set foot on this world is me. I might have died at the hands of my brother, but I still managed to keep his grubby fingers well away from anything I hold dear. Which is basically a pretty longwinded way to tell you this: you can fear for me all you want but never, not even for a second, doubt that I¡¯ll try to keep you and everyone else on this world safe. I might fuck up, I might lose a few battles, but in the end, whether I¡¯m there to see it or not, you will have a world to call your own. So will my family. I don¡¯t care what it¡¯s going to cost me, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s impossible but the war that has Gaya trembling won¡¯t be fought here.¡± She tilted her head and smiled. ¡°What an elaborate speech, it¡¯s just unfortunate that you¡¯ve missed my point entirely. Cassy, I don¡¯t care about this world. There are a few people here I like but the rest can go to hell for all I care.¡± She stopped and pulled me around to face her. ¡°What I wanted to say is this: back on Boseiju you allowed me to stand by your side for the first time ever. It cost me my life but it turned out well enough in the end. If you want to put my mind at ease, promise me this: whatever happens, even when you reclaim your heritage, don¡¯t leave me behind again and don¡¯t ever say your goodbyes to me. Can you do that for me?¡± Believe it or not, I didn¡¯t have to think twice. ¡°Yes and no. I can promise that I won¡¯t ever again plan to sacrifice myself, but I¡¯m also never again going to watch while others pay the price for my actions. If it comes down to it, it¡¯ll be my head on the chopping block and I¡¯ll do everything in my power to ensure that neither Ahri, nor Reia, Viyara or you are anywhere near the scaffold. That¡¯s my prerogative, simply because I¡¯m older and more powerful. You told me the existence of immortals wasn¡¯t fair and you¡¯re right. But neither is life.¡± We stared at each, the air between us gradually becoming charged with unspent mana before a tremulous smile broke through her stern expression. ¡°Fair enough. A warning, though: should it ever come down to it, I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t be alone. I can¡¯t speak for anyone but Ahri and myself, even though I¡¯m pretty sure there are a few others who share our view, but we won¡¯t let you go silently into that sweet night. If you don¡¯t plan on sharing your¡­ chopping block with us, you¡¯ll have to make sure that the two of you never meet in the first place.¡± Grinning despite the bittersweet lump in my throat I said: Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, then. Have you always been this stubborn?¡± ¡°Being around you sure didn¡¯t help but growing up as an unwanted orphan has some upsides. A strong will, resilience, wisdom¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I get the picture. Greta¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t ever be a need to thank me, even though you could say I¡¯m sorry, once in a while.¡± ¡°What for?¡± The gleam in her eyes told me I shouldn¡¯t have asked before she even answered: ¡°Being a stubborn pain in my ass. You¡¯ve grown on me, though, like a fungus¡­ or a barnacle.¡± ¡°Gee, thanks again¡­ honestly. I¡¯m feeling much better. Did you do that on purpose?¡± ¡°The mushy declarations or the insult?¡± ¡°And there¡¯s my answer,¡± I smirked. Our feet were hitting cobbled stones again and when my gaze travelled over one of the less frequented alleys I added: ¡°are you old enough to find your way to the Garden alone or do you need me to hold your hand?¡± ¡°Hilarious.¡± She followed the direction I was staring in and added: ¡°if you plan on taking out your temper on the zookeeper you¡¯ve mentioned and reclaim your engagement present I wouldn¡¯t mind joining you, though. Should be fun.¡± ¡°Not for him. Even though¡­ he¡¯s been shitting his pants for a few days now, waiting for my visit. In a way it¡¯s even going to be a kindness.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t actually mean to hurt him, do you?¡± ¡°What for? Building something under duress? Of course not, but he doesn¡¯t know that. Besides, he¡¯s been spending every last coin he has for women and booze. The realisation that he¡¯s still going to have to pay for his food next week will be enough punishment.¡± ¡°Strange. I actually didn¡¯t expect the brothels to stay in business. Weren¡¯t the girls slaves?¡± ¡°Not all of them but from what I¡¯ve heard the prices have risen. A lot. One of the reasons why he¡¯s even managed to spend the wealth he¡¯s accumulated with his talents.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s really that good, good enough to solve a magical problem Amon couldn¡¯t, maybe¡­¡± ¡°We should offer him a job? Way ahead of you. Why do you think I waited until he burned through most of his savings?¡± ¡°Because you forgot or didn¡¯t have the time?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I grumbled, ¡°but we could pretend like it¡¯s been on purpose.¡± ¡°We surely could but I don¡¯t quite see why I should.¡± Miffed, I replied: ¡°If you want to come you will. Otherwise you can totter on and deal with my mom¡¯s insanity. I¡¯m sure she has a whole plethora of tasks she¡¯d like you to accomplish.¡± ¡°For a simple fare¡­¡± her eye widened when she actually thought about it. ¡°I see your point. Well done, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s willing to offer his services for a song by now.¡± I patted her back. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Come along, then. It¡¯s not too far and almost on the way.¡± Grudgingly she took my offered arm and hand in hand we strolled off the main road. The neighbourhood hadn¡¯t changed much since my last visit. It had become cleaner, though. Apparently people were much more inclined to care for their environment when they actually had a say in matters or at least a glimmer of hope to cling on to. Not exactly a Nobel prize worthy observation but I still felt validated. Then again, I had been wrong often enough that a small success was nothing to boast or write home about. Zuma¡¯s street was a few blocks away from the Garden and hadn¡¯t been touched by the Emperor¡¯s invasion but most shops were still closed and would probably only reopen once the usual traffic of ships and traders resumed. Which would, admittedly, still take a while, considering our airspace was, at the moment, populated by several dragons and no Captain in their right mind would voluntarily set course for Free Land with all the rumours that must have spread. Not right now, at least. Greed was a strong incentive to resume trade and I felt pretty confident that the first ships would anchor in the harbour within a week, but until then there really wasn¡¯t that much of a point in selling anything besides food or building materials. Not to mention that we had put quite a few businesses out of action when we had liberated the slaves. The blacksmith, my sister had taken a liking to, wasn¡¯t one of them. In the merciless heat a broad shoulder man was working a glowing piece of metal on his anvil with the sweat of his brow, the bell like sounds chiming up and down the street. Around him the finished products, tills, nails, coils, drills and whatever tool you can imagine had been pushed to the side, the marvellous, opulent display of gaudy, ceremonial weapons and armour replaced with the lacklustre but all the more useful products he was creating now. Two apprentices ran hither and two, keeping the coals white hot, refilling the oil and water tanks and generally accomplishing the myriad of necessary but tedious tasks that allowed their master to keep on smithing. Further down the road the little tavern we had breakfasted in was busy heating gargantuan pods of savoury gruel, handing out portions, at two coppers the cup, to a constantly changing crowd. The smell of bacon and fat was almost oppressively pungent but when the waitress, who had served us, saw me, I reciprocated her timid smile immediately. Further away the lanterns of the ¡°Gilded Dream¡±, just about visible in the distance, had been lit, despite the early hour, signalling that they were still in business. Whether or not the services offered had changed I couldn¡¯t tell, but just as I was about to turn towards Zuma¡¯s little shop a line of pretty girls, led by an astonishingly wrinkly hag, marched through the door and down the street. ¡°Looks like your mother even invited the whole whorehouse,¡± Greta commented dryly. ¡°Could you not call them that?¡± ¡°Whores? Why? It¡¯s their profession, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re a grouchy old bat but I still don¡¯t rub your nose in it every time I have the chance.¡± She shook her head exasperatedly. ¡°There is so much wrong with what you¡¯ve said¡­ for starters, it seems like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s actually got a problem with what they¡¯re doing for a living, or at least regards it as derogative. It¡¯s not, there are much worse ways to earn your keep.¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s why Liz still struggles to see herself as anything but tainted, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You have a tendency to pick the odd one out. I know you have this romanticised notion of sex and love, pretty understandable considering your history, but you should really get over yourself. I¡¯d bet you anything you¡¯d like that most, not all but most, of those girls had a chance to do something else instead. It just didn¡¯t pay as well or was much more¡­ demanding. Still, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re ashamed of what they are¡­ that¡¯s just you.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± I admitted hesitantly, while I watched the elegant troupe come closer. ¡°I don¡¯t feel ashamed or repulsed, though. It¡¯s mainly just pity mixed with a tinge of sadness. I don¡¯t want to be reminded of what I¡¯ve been forced to do throughout my life every other day and I thought¡­ still think it¡¯s the same for them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you. You compare apples and oranges. You¡¯ve been disgusted with some aspects of yourself ever since I¡¯ve known you. How can you presume that holds true for them? Only because you would feel that way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever find out. I won¡¯t ever sell myself for a handful of coin.¡± ¡°Really? Well, not for a handful of coin and probably not your body but you¡¯re prostituting your powers, your knowledge and your favour left, right and centre. On a more abstract level¡­ where¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Are you actually calling me a whore? The last gal who had the courage I beat black and blue.¡± She shrugged uncaringly and held my gaze. ¡°We all are. Some more some less. I just think it¡¯s funny that, after all the years you¡¯ve lived you still retain some of your more¡­ naive convictions. Still, I didn¡¯t plan on turning this into a lesson on societies and the quantifiability of every aspect of life and if it really bothers you, I¡¯ll stop calling them whores. Under one condition. They¡¯re going to attend whatever Helena has planned. Take a few minutes to talk to them about their life. It might do you some good. Them as well.¡± 360. Of alchemy, logistics and a little bit of pressure Cassandra Pendragon Spending time with Greta had always been exhausting and I wasn¡¯t quite sure if I preferred the physical kind I was already used to or the headache her last statement had inflicted on me. Was I really that stuck up? Maybe. Still, the whole topic had irked me to no end, especially since she had basically told me not to judge, a sentiment I shared but which also had a can of worms attached to it I wasn¡¯t particularly willing to open. Choice, education, responsibilities, societal structure, there was so much to include that my head started spinning every time I tried to actually figure out how I regarded prostitution in the literal sense. For now, it didn¡¯t matter much either way but I knew that I wouldn¡¯t manage to shove the topic aside, at least not until I had made up my mind. For the time being, I was going to do my best to ignore it, though. With an effort I rearranged my features into a more detached expression and quickly crossed the street, Greta at my side. Making our way across the clogged path of cobbled stones and mud was positively easy, since the passer-bys were stopping in their tracks to allow us through. It wasn¡¯t the unpleasant ¡°give them a wide berth¡± kind of thing either, the handful of smiles and raised hands proved that they were simply accommodating to an unusual degree, and the few gazes I caught while snaking past trolleys and sweating carriers were filled with respect rather than loathing or fear. We had to have done something right. The entrance looked pretty much the same as I remembered and with a quick knock I pushed open the creaky door, expecting to be assaulted by a miasma of spilled liquor, bat droppings and sweat but to my surprise I only smelled a faint hint of an herbal disinfectant and the sales room was squeaky clean. Even the cages had been cleared out and their occupants¡­ well, they had either been set free, transported to the basement or ended up in a stew. A newly attached bell rang as soon as we entered and Zuma¡¯s deep, creaky voice sounded a minute later from the top floor: ¡°coming, gimme a mo¡¯.¡± Heavy steps thudded down the wooden stairs and a few heartbeats later a surprisingly well dressed, clean, blind and sober bat-fanatic marched through the back door. ¡°Welcome. What can I do¡­¡± his face contorted as he sniffed the air and immediately blurted out: ¡°oh hells, no! I thought you¡¯d have forgotten all about me. Big surprise, the alchemist never came back, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care,¡± I cut him off while I sent a mental signal to my bracelet and watched it glide toward me. A genuine smile spread across my face when the cold metal settled around my arm. It was a rather poor substitute for a real touch but beggars can¡¯t be choosers, right? ¡°I¡¯m not here to listen to your yapping.¡± I approached the counter and when he backed away I rapped my knuckles against the wood. ¡°Ever since we met, you tried to drown your sorrow in sweet wine and even sweeter lips. Why did you stop?¡± ¡°Like I said, I thought you wouldn¡¯t come back. And I ran out of coin,¡± he added under his breath. ¡°So you¡¯re back to your old ways? Where are your bats?¡± ¡°Sold. I¡¯m done with large animals. Figured I¡¯d try my hand at something tastier. I¡¯ve been playing around with a few plants over the last day. Why? And why are you here? Whatever you think I might know it can¡¯t matter any more, can it? They¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°Not quite yet but we¡¯re getting there. Playing around with some plants?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Poppyseeds, grapes, angel trumpets, coca¡­ I¡¯ve never much cared for their effect but over the last days¡­ it¡¯s fascinating what some substances can do to you¡­ or for you, depending on the dosage. Trying to combine their properties plays to my strengths and might yield much more valuable and also useful results than what I¡¯m used to. One successful new breed and I might just be able to enjoy my retirement in peace and far away from here. Having your life flash before your eyes several times a week has a tendency to make you reconsider your choices. Again¡­ why?¡± ¡°Because she wants to pull the information from your feeble, human mind, devour your heart and take over the world with more refined narcotics,¡± Greta answered dryly. ¡°Seriously,¡± Zuma and I said at the same time, him staring blindly and desperately at the dryad, who had heralded his worst nightmares, and me rolling my eyes. ¡°No, you imbecile,¡± she added. ¡°We¡¯re here for what you can still do, not what you have done. If you really are able to extract specific¡­ properties,¡± she had probably hesitated to find a more adequate synonym for genes, ¡°from living things and introduce them to another species or even a different individual of the same species we might have some use for you.¡± His brows creased with suspicion and he surreptitiously turned his head from left to right. ¡°Do you, now? From what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve already planted yourselves firmly at the centre of the new order. What would you need a blind, crazy, old dabbler in alchemy for? I don¡¯t do perfumes¡± ¡°I usually don¡¯t wear them,¡± I chuckled and whirled around on the spot, arms spread wide, to face him fully, ¡°and I wouldn¡¯t trust you to not put in some poison ivy anyways. No, I wouldn¡¯t want your services for anything personal but when it comes to business¡­ tell me, do you think the last battle has been the end of it?¡± He snorted and I was forced to watch a rather disgusting spray of spit and even less tasteful liquids descend in slow motion, one of the downsides of my enhanced perception. ¡°If you believe that, I¡¯ll have a nice, solid boat to cross the ocean with for you. I¡¯m not a trained magician but we all heard him, in the end. You beat him off, but he¡¯s still out there and waiting. It¡¯s not a question of if but rather when he will return.¡± ¡°Precisely. One more question. Do you know the fiercest enemies anyone has to deal with, in battle as well as war?¡± He frowned and replied hesitantly: ¡°Hunger, poison and diseases?¡± ¡°As well as subversive ideas but that¡¯s pretty much it. Each of those can make you lose a fight before the first blow has even landed. Now, why do you think I¡¯ve been telling you this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help much with ideas, but the other three¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to the point. What do you want?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know enough about you and your trade to tell,¡± Greta interjected, ¡°but what do you think you can accomplish?¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Depends on the incentive. Less if it¡¯s about keeping my neck well away from a noose, more if there¡¯s a¡­ let¡¯s say upside.¡± I had to grin. ¡°So, despite your epiphany about your life¡¯s choices you haven¡¯t changed a bit. Figures. I do believe in balancing the scales, though. You owe us. Not that much but you already know yourself that you have a debt to pay off. After that¡­¡± I shrugged, which escaped him entirely, ¡°I¡¯m sure we can come to an understanding, provided your services are worth it.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be here, if you thought otherwise. Retirement. That¡¯s my price. I want to pick a place, any place really, and I want you to provide me with enough gold to buy a house and keep me smothered in wine and women for as long as I can still manage to enjoy either.¡± I whistled. ¡°Judging from the last few days that¡¯s quite a lot of gold. What makes you think you¡¯re worth it?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve got the disease and poison portion covered already. Gimme a few months and I¡¯ll have a solution to keep everyone around here well fed. Gimme a year and I¡¯ll have a bunch of poisons and drugs that can do at least as much damage as spells. Gimme two years and some resources and I¡¯ll have your soldiers fly on winged mounts or dig through the earth on moles. I am good at what I do, really good, and if you can provide the materials I can make almost anything happen. But again you already know this, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have come. What¡¯s this really about? Loyalty? Are you trying to decide if I¡¯m worth the risk? Sorry, but that¡¯s something you¡¯ve got to decide yourselves.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we know it,¡± Greta mumbled distractedly while she inspected one of the empty cages. ¡°How long have you bred bats for?¡± ¡°Couple of years. The really interesting things happened after I was handed the syringe, though. Incidentally, did it survive? You have no idea how useful that artefact has proven to be.¡± ¡°No, it burned out when they used it to harvest blood from my fianc¨¦e,¡± I answered icily, ¡°and it might be a good idea to never mention it again.¡± He nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Duly noted. So, what¡¯s going to happen now? Word on the street has it that you¡¯re going to leave quite soon. What do you expect me to do in the meantime? Sit on my ass and wait for instructions?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± I replied slowly. ¡°You¡¯ve already made it plenty clear what we can expect from you when it comes to optimising crops and drugs but there¡¯s something else. How much do you know about life and magic, or rather about the forces that govern both?¡± He shrugged again. ¡°Not too much. What I¡¯ve needed for my experiments. I do know that there are different¡­ layers that make up a living being and that magic pretty much boils down to manipulating them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already more than most mages know,¡± Greta commented. ¡°Where did you gain this knowledge?¡± ¡°I travelled in my youth. I¡¯ve seen different schools, different tribes and how they use magic. At first I didn¡¯t understand why some indigenous, primitive casters could heal or transform creatures much more efficiently than even the most sophisticated elven scholars I¡¯ve met. It took me a few years to figure out that they¡¯re manipulating different expressions of creation.¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± I grudgingly admitted. ¡°Can you¡­ do you feel them, or rather, can you use those different expressions, as you called them?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m pretty awful when it comes to mundane spells but I can use them rudimentarily, hence I chose alchemy. I can feel the rest but I can¡¯t¡­ touch or manipulate those energies.¡± ¡°How did you go about evolving your bats, then?¡± ¡°Patience and a few clever work arounds. Do you want me to show you?¡± ¡°Very much so,¡± Greta answered, ¡°but not now. That¡¯s going to take more time than we have.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m asking for a specific reason,¡± I added. ¡°The Emperor, Amon, the monster who attacked Free Land or whatever you want to call him, he¡¯s a darn genius when it comes to manipulating the innermost layer of a living being. To a degree where he can actually use his own essence to flit in and out of others. I¡¯m mostly interested in two things. One, can it be prevented, could you create something like a¡­ vaccine and two, is it possible to follow such a jump? Is it possible to create an elixir or something similar, that, when fed to one of his vessels, would stick with him, even in a new body?¡± The dryad blinked in surprise since I hadn¡¯t told her what I wanted him to do. It hadn¡¯t been on purpose, though, considering I had only just come up with the idea. ¡°Possible? Sure. Realistic? Not so much. Not without much time and even more corpses along the way. Playing around with the building blocks of life has a tendency to go wrong, the more so the more integral the part you mean to change is. Unless you¡¯ve got a long line of suicidal volunteers waiting I don¡¯t see a way and I can¡¯t use animals as a substitute either. On a superficial level they¡¯re similar to us, but as soon as it comes to magic¡­¡± he spread his hands helplessly. ¡°I see. So it can¡¯t be done?¡± ¡°Not without more sacrifice than you¡¯re prepared to suffer, I¡¯d imagine.¡± Oh boy, I was decently convinced that quite a few people had been treated to that particular line throughout history. ¡°What exactly would you need your¡­ guinea-pigs for?¡± His blind eyes quivers as he reflexively tried to focus on me. ¡°You¡¯re asking me about an aspect of magic I don¡¯t know much about. From the top of my head¡­ I¡¯d need to¡­ cut some open, figuratively, to get a better understanding of what I¡¯m dealing with and then I¡¯d have to simply¡­ well, experiment. Trial and error. That¡¯s how it goes.¡± ¡°So you basically don¡¯t need a sentient creature but a¡­ simulacrum to play with.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s sophisticated enough it might work but if you¡¯re capable of creating one I don¡¯t see why you would need me in the first place. If you can mimic a living creature artificially, you should be able to manipulate its energies however you like.¡± ¡°If only¡­,¡± I paused, trying to figure out if I might be able to create something suitable but in essence he was right. With a little help it might have been possible but to actually mirror the intricacies of the real thing I¡¯d need much more knowledge than I currently had. Damn it, I really needed a few months to get to know my own abilities. Unfortunately online courses for growing immortals were quite rare and even though the mountain of memory crystals Mephisto had left behind was more or less guaranteed to contain the information I needed, it was still similar to searching for a needle in a haystack. No way in hell would I be able to get a hold of the necessary tidbits within a reasonable timeframe. Goddamned useless demon. And Zuma pulling a Dr. Mengele (in case you¡¯re lucky enough to not know who he was, google it, preferably on an empty stomach) on my watch wasn¡¯t going to happen, considering I had been the one to drown the spineless, perverted fuck in Brazil. But that¡¯s a story for another time. ¡°Seems like it¡¯s not going to happen for now,¡± I finally said. ¡°Alright then, here¡¯s the deal. What we need is a way to sustainable feed the people without depending on trade. Once the first aerial battles are fought there might be prolonged periods of time without any ships on the horizon. The fields around here aren¡¯t enough. We need crops that grow faster and yield more. Since you¡¯ve already developed an interest in plants it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to apply your knowledge.¡± ¡°Are you expecting me to simply pull some wonder wheat from my ass? Because that¡¯s not going to happen. Things like that need time, generations of modified seeds¡­¡± I raised my hand to shut him up. ¡°I know. Realistically, how long is it going to take?¡± ¡°To feed the whole town on the few acres of workable land? Months, at the very least.¡± I heard him sniff the air again before he added: ¡°your companion smells like a plant herself. Is she¡­ are you by any chance one of the fey?¡± Greta snorted. ¡°Not even close. I¡¯m a dryad, a nature spirit.¡± ¡°Even better. With your help I think I can speed up the process. I¡¯m not even going to ask about compensation, I assume that¡¯s the part where I pay back my debt?¡± ¡°In a way,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re not going to go hungry but I won¡¯t pay for you to indulge. As for your retirement¡­ make it happen before the year runs out and we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even five months,¡± he groaned, ¡°and I need to sleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Greta interrupted him with a nasty smile I knew all too well, ¡°I don¡¯t and I¡¯ll do my best to keep you on your toes. Why don¡¯t we begin tomorrow? Come to the Garden at sunrise and we¡¯ll take it from there. No need to dawdle, is there?¡± 361. Of tasks, speeches and a little truth Cassandra Pendragon I shouldn¡¯t have come. I really shouldn¡¯t have come. But, by all the saints at the backside door of purgatory, I hadn¡¯t expected to be forced to give a speech in front of the entirety of Free Land, their extended family, friends and pets. Still, despite my refusal, here I was, standing forlornly on one of the lowest branches of Greta¡¯s tree, staring down at a wriggling mass of upturned faces. And I had thought the worst had already been dealt with¡­ The last hour hadn¡¯t been relaxing, by any stretch of the imagination. First I had had to help Greta deal with and incorporate an alien piece of magic into her own unique structure, then I had been forced to make good on the promise I had given to Rachmahn and last but not least I had released a spitting mad vixen from my room, whose first course of action had been to try and scratch my eyes out. Apparently I had forgotten to include a provision for potty breaks and my sister hadn¡¯t appreciated being locked inside a room without a toilet in sight. But first things first. As you might have figured, once the dryad had been close to the portals, establishing the initial link hadn¡¯t been that much of a problem. The fun had truly begun when she had tried probing the spells, an endeavour that had come crushing down around her pointy ears as soon as she had encounter my barrier. Consequentially I had been forced to remove it, something I hadn¡¯t been willing to do until she had been in complete control, at least where the gateway to the slave islands had been concerned. An angry mob, riled up by Amon, marching through our streets while I was away was still something I was very much eager to avoid. As you can imagine, me and her arguing about purely theoretical concepts had been about as peaceful as World War I. Suffice it to say that I was hoarse and sweaty at the end of it and Greta had developed a truly marvellous complexion, somewhere between plum and lobster red. We had still been in one piece, though, and two of the portals had been brimming with her energy, anchored around a solitary, silver spark, which would allow me to feel whenever someone was trying to cross over and, of course, turn their trip into a living nightmare with a rather¡­ compressive ending. I hadn¡¯t entered the chamber below her roots, yet, where the physical representations of her network were growing, but I had still been able to get a taste of what awaited me on the other side of the gate I was supposed to take. It had been the first time I had seen a snowflake in this life and the intricacies of the little thing had fascinated me to no end, until it had melted on my hand. Still, something to look forward to, even though I had to admit I wasn¡¯t very keen on experiencing weather pretty similar to the climate in the underground temple. Next up had been Rachmahn¡¯s payment. The unfortunate merchant had even offered to return another day when I had greeted him, still huffing and puffing like an enraged bull. Pale and frightened he had hid his son and wife behind his back, his eyes glued to my oscillating wings. Quick like a weasel he had shoved a box of incredibly pure crystals into my arms and turned around on the spot, mumbling something about bad timing. Despite myself I had felt a little guilty, the poor blighter had done nothing but toil away in good faith and he definitely wasn¡¯t the one I had wanted to strangle. In all honesty, it hadn¡¯t even been Greta I had meant to take to the shed, but rather my own lack of patience. I had know for a while now that I wasn¡¯t particularly suited to long and arduously intellectual tasks but my glaring ineptitude, especially in comparison to the dryad, had still rankled me¡­ like an itch I just couldn¡¯t scratch. Biting my tongue I had apologised and asked them inside, barely able to keep up with the small talk. The closer the moment of departure had come, the more antsy I had felt to finally be gone. Paired with my already sunny mood it had been something akin to adding insult to injury and the suppressed curses I had heard wafting down the stairs in the tree, courtesy of my still imprisoned sister, hadn¡¯t helped much either. To cut a long story short I had done pretty much the same thing I had subjected Faelan and Anna to. As soon as Rachmahn¡¯s and his son¡¯s minds had become connected to the stores of energy within them, they had synchronously passed out and begun snoring on the ground. His wife had looked after them with Greta keeping them company to ensure they wouldn¡¯t wander off, accidentally, of course, once they¡¯d come to. Which had left me trotting up the stairs like a convict on their way to scaffold. The increasingly sophisticated swear words had been a pretty good indicator of what I had been headed for and my sister hadn¡¯t disappointed, once I had opened the door. That she hadn¡¯t torn off my ears entirely had been about the only saving grace and I had felt like a scolded school girl while she had cursed me through the closed bathroom door. In all fairness, it hadn¡¯t been on purpose. I had simply forgotten the biological necessities I didn¡¯t have to deal with anymore. I mean, holding your water for a few hours couldn¡¯t be that hard, could it? Apparently it could. I had only managed to shut her up when I had asked her to finally pack her things. Even though she had already begged¡­ ordered Archy and Estrella to do it for her, it had still served to remind her of our trip and, true to her capricious nature, she had quickly gotten over the perceived grievances she had been forced to suffer through. Once her two, by now, black tails had rounded the corner in search of her trusted sidekicks I had meant to take a few minutes to calm down but, of course, my mom had come to inform me that our guest had been arriving. I had only just managed to place a few spells on the crystals, again thanks to Greta¡¯s help, before I had been rushed down the stairs by an overdressed and overeager vixen, I just hadn¡¯t been able to call mother anymore. Attention seeking slave driver, sure, but mom? Which brings us to where I was now. Nervous and fidgeting while pretty much everyone I had ever met, from dwarven seamen, over Free Land¡¯s remaining Captains and former slaves, to the king of the kitsune and his queen, stared at me expectantly. Even the goddamned god in the body of a raven was down there, his beak opening and closing mockingly. Still, despite our more than rocky history, I was still desperately clinging to the gazes of the few people I actually knew. Throngs, gaggles¡­ crowds of humans I had never seen before, not to mention exchanging a few words, were down there as well. Some could be easily associated with one group or the other, mainly by their exquisite robes and the colours or even insignia they were wearing, but most had a simply come for the entrainment or in hope of encountering some more free food. I didn¡¯t particularly believe that the overwhelming majority gave even a rat¡¯s ass about my impending departure, unless it came down to a few mumbled words, along the lines of ¡°good riddance¡±. Good fucking times. Should I start with a joke? Unfortunately I didn¡¯t know any suitable ones. An angel, a demon and a dragon walk into a bar¡­ oh boy, that was never going to work. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Hello,¡± I began timidly and immediately paused when I heard the insecurity in my own voice. God damn it, I had danced with dragons and monsters and now I was acting like a schoolgirl on her first day, only because I didn¡¯t like crowds. Get a grip Cassy! I cleared my throat and tried again: ¡°I¡¯m sure you know me, or at least of me, by now. Much has happened since last you heard my voice. Back then we were still reeling, struggling to cope with the aftermath of magics unknown and unwelcome in every part of the world. But despite the atrocious challenge, we¡­ you prevailed. You¡¯re still here and Free Land is already recuperating, its wounds closing, just like the heinous memories are slowly scarring over. I would love nothing more than to simply celebrate with all of you. You have earned it. You¡¯ve earned your peace, your freedom¡­ and surely a pint or two. Unfortunately I can¡¯t.¡± I lowered my eyes and waited but no interruption came and I was decently convinced that they were listening, from the youngest toddler to the wizened elders. ¡°I¡¯m not going to iterate our plans for the future, plans you have been a part of since the very beginning. You know what needs to be done, what we are determined to do to prevent another disastrous attack to bring us to our knees. The future is ours to take but it¡¯s going to be a long and arduous path. But I have faith. Faith in my family, my friends, faith in the place I have come to call home. You will manage, you will prevail, as you have already done before. Of this, I have no doubt. But I won¡¯t be here to see it.¡± Murmurs rose throughout the crowd but whenever I tried to pinpoint their source all I gained in return were blank stares and nervous shuffling. ¡°I have to travel north to the Emerald Island. With a little luck I¡¯ll be back before the week has run its course but I can¡¯t say for sure. My brother will act in my stead. Between him and our newest citizens,¡± I gesticulated towards Quenda, Narros and Sera, who immediately transformed and turned into glowing mountains of silver and gold, towering over the crowd, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be safe, even if our enemy should decide to return. That¡¯s the reason why you¡¯ve been called here. Before the sun has reached its zenith I¡¯m going to leave but until then¡­ sizzling meat and cold brews are begging for your attention. I urge you to let go of your fears and inhibitions and not waste this chance to get to know your neighbours over an early lunch. If there¡¯s anything, anything at all that¡¯s on your mind, approach us, talk to us and you¡¯ll find that we aren¡¯t any different from humans. We bleed, we cry, we laugh and we love, and if there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to ask of you for the battles we¡¯ve fought in your name, it¡¯s that you don¡¯t judge us based on what you might believe to know but on what we¡¯ve done, what we¡¯re still going to do. Well, since most of you are already eyeing the cooking pits with more than just a little longing I won¡¯t keep you any longer. I hope I¡¯ll see you all hearty and whole upon my return. Until then, may the ancestors protect you.¡± I nimbly jumped off my branch without waiting for a reply or unfurling my wings, the drop not nearly enough to over exert my strengthened muscles. Once the rushing wind had died down in my ears I flinched as a cacophonous avalanche of sound rolled over me. For a split second I crouched, ready to defend myself and my family, but when my overstimulated mind caught up with my senses I realised it was applause. The people of Free Land were clapping, for whatever reason, even going so far as to shout their thanks and farewells and not a single one abstained. Some might have succumbed to the pressure of everyone joining in but the majority was genuinely cheering. I hoped. ¡°Not bad,¡± my mom mumbled as she engulfed me in her frail arms. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done much better.¡± ¡°But a little?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Probably. You did well in reminding them of what they¡¯ve already lived through but I wouldn¡¯t have painted such a bleak picture of the future. For people to function properly they need the reassurance that it¡¯s going to get better. They don¡¯t need sunshine and rainbows but the knowledge that every single day the blood and sweat they¡¯ve shed matter and serve to build a brighter tomorrow. Also, I don¡¯t think it has been wise to remind them of how different we actually are. They¡¯re already starting to accept us, why point out and maybe exacerbate a problem that¡¯s already in the process of being solved?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I grumbled, ¡°but if you hadn¡¯t put me on the spot or at least had told me what I was in for I wouldn¡¯t have had to make something up on the fly. Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Honestly? I thought you¡¯d know. You can¡¯t be that blind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, despite my moaning I do know what I am to the people of Free Land, but I simply don¡¯t have the luxury to keep it in mind all the time and honestly, neither do I want to.¡± ¡°Want has very little to do with it, but I didn¡¯t nag either, did I? I know you have more than enough on your plate.¡± She surprised me with another hug before she added in a whisper: ¡°I do think, however, that you should prioritise how you¡¯re seen by others. Ignoring that particular aspect has cost you your life before, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s low,¡± I mumbled without any real heat while I breathed in her scent, ¡°but not wrong.¡± She squeezed me tightly before she let go and smirked. ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m never wrong and, lucky for you, always prepared to share my wisdom with my children.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯re going to keep an eye on Mordred while I¡¯m gone, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to let him run headfirst into every wall he can find. It¡¯s always fun to watch you or your brothers nurse your injuries. What do you take me for? Helping him is the only reason why I¡¯m not lining up behind Reia to join you. I¡¯d love to see the home of the elves for myself and I also think you could use my help in acquiring a few resources. You do know that they¡¯re the ones who can mine flying stones, don¡¯t you? Still, what we¡¯re doing here is more important.¡± ¡°If everything goes as planned you¡¯ll be able to go shopping there soon enough.¡± ¡°When does everything we do ever go according to plan? On a related note, are you going to take the enchanted chest with you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I thought about it but you¡¯re going to need the coin more dearly than me. I¡¯ll leave it with my brother or you.¡± ¡°Give it to your brother. If he has to make decisions, he¡¯ll need the money. Now, I know there are throngs of people you want to talk to before you go, but I¡¯d quite like for Mordred, Arthur, Sylvia, Reia, you and me to have a few moments before you depart. Think you can manage?¡± ¡°Hopefully. There aren¡¯t that many¡­ oh, whom am I kidding. I¡¯ll be lucky if I can keep my wits together after saying goodbye to Xorlosh and his lads.¡± ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t get drunk?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t want to. Today, though¡­¡± she smacked the back of my head lightly. Sort of. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean. The dwarfs might appreciate it but the rest¡­¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I interrupted her, while I massage the throbbing spot. ¡°No boozing. Are we done with the instructions now? I¡¯d like to start my rounds, otherwise I¡¯ll be stuck here until well past nightfall.¡± ¡°Mostly. One more thing. Could you do me a favour and offer Faelan and Anna, you know, Asra¡¯s former slaves, the opportunity to accompany you?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from?¡± ¡°A few conversations. They try to hide it but they¡¯re lost. I don¡¯t think they can find their way back without a change of scenery. Even Liz is holding up much better than those two.¡± ¡°Why is this the first time I¡¯m ever hearing any of this?¡± She eyed me almost pitifully. ¡°Cassy, you¡¯re more intimidating than Sera and you¡¯re¡­ well, despite my best efforts you¡¯re more of a warrior than a leader and it shows. Nobody would want to show their weakness in front of you.¡± ¡°Right. How come I¡¯m always the one holding them when they cry, then?¡± ¡°How come they never return afterwards? You¡¯re¡­ do you remember the Glen of Solitude?¡± I nodded. It had been a place back on Boseiju where kitsune had gone to confess their worries. ¡°That¡¯s who you are¡­ most people come to you to realise what ails them, but not to heal.¡± 362. Of farewells, games and a little bit of courage Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Don¡¯t slouch lass, it¡¯s bad for your spine. What¡¯s gotten into yah, anyways? Me ¡®n the lads thought you¡¯d be all cheers and smiles, you¡¯re going to meet your sweetheart again, aren¡¯t yah? That should be more important than saying yer goodbyes to a few craggy dwarfs.¡± True enough but that wasn¡¯t why I was feeling gloomy in the first place. My mother¡¯s words were still echoing in my ears. She had called me distant, a force of nature, more or less, and even though she was right, it still stung. I knew I wasn¡¯t the most social person but comparing me to a place of all things? How would you feel? I mean, sure, I didn¡¯t have the luxury to spent my hours sipping tea and cuddling up to my friends, but I never had turned anyone away as far as I could remember. Maybe that was the problem. Aside from Ahri, Reia and Viyara there was pretty much no distinction between how I treated those close to me¡­ maybe even those who weren¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t trying to become everybody¡¯s darling but being told that people only sought me out when they had nowhere else to go and were looking for something else as soon as they had the chance was still a slap in the face. Bottom line I was feeling lonely despite the overcrowded garden. Again. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourselves short,¡± I still managed to reply. ¡°You might not have her legs but you make up for it in different ways.¡± ¡°Does that mean I still have a chance of getting a goodbye kiss,¡± Xorlosh chuckled while I vanished almost entirely in his bear hug, despite the size difference. His wiry beard felt coarse when I pressed my lips against his cheek. Smirking at his dumbfounded expression I said: ¡°There. Think that will do until we see each other again?¡± He quickly regained his wits but I was quite sure he was blushing furiously underneath the jungle he called facial hair. ¡°Ah wouldn¡¯t say no to another one, but that¡¯s already plenty.¡± Turning serious he added: ¡°it¡¯s been good getting to know you, lass. A shame it took us years and a catastrophe to get closer, but better late than never, as me ma always said. By the stones, ah never expected to one day call anyone but a dwarf family but you and yours¡­ ah well, yah already know, don¡¯t you? Wherever we go, whatever happens, the clan of the McMines will always stand by your side. And when all of this is over¡­ we¡¯re still outlaws back home. Never told yah the story did I? Well, now¡¯s not the time, but this place has some good rock even though it¡¯s a tad bit hot for me liking. Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll be neighbours again before the year has run its course.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that. Very much. You know I¡¯m not that good with words outside of formal occasions but I want you to know¡­ thank you. For everything.¡± When his expression darkened I quickly continued: ¡°I know gratitude isn¡¯t necessary between us, but still. Thank you. Whether it¡¯s a homeless princess or an exiled immortal, should you ever need me, just say the word.¡± ¡°We know,¡± he mumbled hoarsely, his dark, beady eyes blinking rapidly. He leaned forward and pushed up on his toes to whisper in my ear: ¡°ah don¡¯t want the lads to hear me after everything ah¡¯ve said, but right back at yah. Thank you.¡± I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Quite a lot, actually. Not looking down on us because we aren¡¯t beautiful or graceful, treating us as equals, even though we don¡¯t even reach your navel, never mind your power. Havin¡¯ grow up with that family of yours ah guess that¡¯s nothing special for you, but¡­ me ¡®n the lads have been around the block. It is. Usually we¡¯re seen as weapons or machines, useful but¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d ever see the hardened bundle of muscles and spite choke, but there he was, tearing up and hardly able to finish his sentence. Gently I embraced him again, trying to convey what I felt without words. He cleared his throat and croaked: ¡°Could yah hold me a mo¡¯ longer? Don¡¯t want the boys to see me right now. By Angrosh¡¯s Axe, it feels like I¡¯m sayin¡¯ goodbye to me own kin. Ah just hope ah¡¯m not going to embarrass the both of us even more.¡± ¡°You could never embarrass me. I can manage just fine all by my lonesome in that regard,¡± I murmured with a pretty pale attempt at trying to lighten the mood. ¡°As for the hug¡­ don¡¯t tell your cousin but if you want me to, I won¡¯t move until the sun sets.¡± After a moment I felt him taking in a gulping breath before he gently pushed against my shoulders and stepped back: ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that. One day,¡± he replied, his voice again the gravelly bass I had come to know so well. ¡°But not now. The lads would skin me alive if I kept yah to meself for much longer. Cassandra¡­ Cassy, may the earth protect you and may the eternal flame always shine brightly for you and yours. Until we meet again. Hopefully to touch glasses above the corpse of the Emperor. Or at least go knocking on his door. With a mighty fine hammer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, even though¡­ we might not have to wait that long. At least when it comes to seeing one another again.¡± Clumsily I tried to fumble one of the crystals Rachmahn had given me from my much too tight pockets. ¡°Here. Please, take this. It¡¯s a communication device Greta helped me create. It won¡¯t fail, it won¡¯t break and it¡¯s tuned to my aura. If ever you need my help, use it. Or you could just call to chat. I know I will.¡± For a moment I thought I had said something offensive seeing as he froze on the spot, his eyes glued to the small, softly glowing gem. ¡°You enchanted it yourself,¡± he finally managed to ask. ¡°Of course. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be sure that you¡¯d be able to reach me, whatever the circumstances and I want you to. I meant what I said. Whatever happens, if you call, I¡¯ll be there.¡± He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath before he wrapped his massive arms around me again and nearly lifted me off the ground. Struggling to breathe I heard him mutter: ¡°Thank you, lass. I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Allow the brew to get warm,¡± his cousin, Etosh, interrupted as he lumbered closer, even though his warm smile put the lie to his stern inflection. ¡°Come along, you two. You¡¯ve been gossiping for long enough. The lads want to say their goodbyes, too, ¡®n we have enough mead left to turn this sad gathering into a proper farewell.¡± And that was pretty much the last coherent sentence I heard for quite a while. Despite my affirmation that I wouldn¡¯t indulge, I made the one mistake most people are very familiar with. Just one, I reasoned, it won¡¯t matter. One became two, two turned into three tankards and before I knew it I was wearing my armour and balancing on a precariously thin beam of wood, my arms linked to Atosh¡¯s heavy gauntlets, while we desperately tried to push the other off the windy contraption. Considering I was already having difficulties standing up straight I performed admirably well but still ended up with my face in the dirt while a veritable avalanche of cheers threatened to deafen me. I didn¡¯t mind, I had never thought of myself as a sore loser, but when I realised that my mom, Reia and Sera stood at the very front and applauded most heartily I did feel slightly miffed. Combined with my intoxication the perceived slight resulted in another noteworthy show, when a tiny kitsune began chasing a mountain like dragoness through the air, screaming bloody murder. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. To Sera¡¯s credit she didn¡¯t even flinch and played the part of the scared prey to perfection, but to this very day I can still clearly recall the rush of adrenaline when she suddenly whirled around and I found myself face to face with a maw, large enough to swallow my entire family whole. She didn¡¯t bite, obviously, but the lesson I had learned before became ingrained even deeper. Never ever approach a dragon from the side where it has its teeth. Those things were dangerous, probably even to me. I didn¡¯t know if my body could still be harmed, after all it was nothing more than another expression of my magic and with my life force firmly under my control I might have been able to simply wish my wounds to heal, but I sure as hell knew that I didn¡¯t want to put it to the test. Especially since regenerating while slowly sliding down an oversized throat towards a stomach that could turn metal into nutritious saps seemed only slightly better than dying on the spot. Maybe even slightly worse. It was hard to tell. To cut a long story short, my mom¡¯s vision of an elaborate get together with speeches and dignified behaviour soon evolved into a fully fledged celebration without any regard for manners or formalities and I enjoyed it immensely. I even managed to push away the gloomy mood that threatened to overcome me, every time I thought about how much I¡¯d have loved to share this moment with Ahri. In the end, we forgot our worries for a few hours and simply cherished the company of friends we wouldn¡¯t be seeing for quite a while. Most conversations I was a part of were lighthearted and, as much as they were important to us, without any real substance, except for four. Two of those aren¡¯t worth repeating word for word, since I sat down with Richard and my brother, handing over the chest Mephisto had enchanted and listened to the first ideas they had hatched on how to go on. Important for sure but nothing I could influence or even evaluate properly, seeing as I hadn¡¯t spent much time dealing with the budding structures in Free Land. Talking to Will and Vanya was pretty much more of the same and while I wanted to help them in any way I could my contributions boiled down to: talk to Mordred, he¡¯s going to have to deal with this whole mess. The promised conversation with the Madame¡¯s girls, on the other hand, was¡­ revealing, at least to me, but you¡¯re very welcome to form your own opinion. After I had managed to weasel my way out of a rather tiring explanation on how Vanya and Will meant to organise the freelancers I meandered aimlessly from one group to the next until the sparkling reflections on a waterfall of golden hair caught my attention. A handful of pretty girls, Liz among them despite her falling out with the Madame, were surrounded by a gaggle of former slaves who were trying to engage them in a conversation. Even from the distance I could almost taste their reluctance to indulge the men but they didn¡¯t quite manage to get rid of them with veiled innuendos alone. Greta¡¯s words still ringing in my ears I made my way over and manifested my wings, entirely aware of how unsettling the glaring display still was for most of the population. Sure enough, within minutes of my arrival the brazen bunch sounded the retreat and made themselves scarce, allowing me to lean back against a cherry tree and close my eyes for a few moments. My head stopped spinning and my senses came alive when the alcohol vanished from my blood. The unobtrusive smell of berries and vanilla tickled my nose and I relished the quiet while the girls settled in around me. One even came close enough to touch my legs when she slumped to the ground, a form of carefree acceptance I appreciated immensely. ¡°How are you holding up,¡± I finally mumbled without opening my eyes. They remained quiet until one of the older ones, relationally considering she wasn¡¯t much older than twenty, replied: ¡°Well enough. It¡¯s been¡­¡± ¡°Difficult?¡± ¡°Quiet, I meant to say quiet. With the Madame fretting over her future and most of the town still acting like an exploded anthill the Dream has been much more tame over the last days. It¡¯s been¡­ enjoyable, I¡¯d say, but our savings are running dry.¡± I cracked open an eyelid and scrutinised her through my lashes. She was the tall, blue eyed blonde who had caught my attention. I was decently convinced the Madame had introduced her before but, for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t recall her name. Amanda, maybe, or Lily. No, that was the petite one in the back. ¡°There are other ways to earn a few coins,¡± I stated haltingly. Greta wanted me to talk to them and I was decently convinced she hadn¡¯t meant the weather. Since I wasn¡¯t particularly looking forward to the conversation it¡¯d be for the best to get it over with as quickly as possible. ¡°If you wanted to, I¡¯m sure I could talk to my brother. He¡¯ll surely need every help he can get and considering the lot of you can read and write you won¡¯t face many difficulties convincing him to take you on.¡± She chuckled softly in response and when I fully focused on her she raised her hands placatingly. ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way,¡± Liz explained in her stead, before the other girl could marshal the proper words, ¡°but the Madame told them that they might be having this conversation with you.¡± I blinked in surprise but before I could voice my confusion she pressed on: ¡°you aren¡¯t overly comfortable with what we are, or rather were, in my case, are you?¡± I cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Me? Do I need to remind you of the last two conversations we had? You cried in my arms and then you slammed the door shut on your previous life. I¡¯m not so sure I¡¯m the one having a problem here.¡± Embarrassment and a hint of anger flickered across her face but before she managed a reply the blonde, let¡¯s stick with Amanda for convenience¡¯s sake, interrupted quietly: ¡°That¡¯s not the same. The Madame sold her off. For Liz it was devastating and for us¡­ revealing. But that¡¯s not what this is about, is it? Tell me Cassandra, why do you think we need to be saved?¡± I snorted. ¡°A million reasons, the most glaring one probably that you¡¯d all have died a few days ago without my intervention. But then again, that¡¯s not what you want to hear, is it? The Madame has obviously briefed you in depth and I have a gnawing suspicion that the old bat colluded with my dear teacher as well. Two peas in a pot,¡± I added, more for myself than for them. ¡°Fine. You know I¡¯m an angel but you can¡¯t know what it means. I¡¯m tied¡­ no, that¡¯s not right. Over the years, and there are many more than you can even imagine, I¡¯ve realised that the one thing that makes life worth living, that differentiates us from a rock or from an animal, is the freedom we have to walk our own path, to make our own mistakes¡­ to die our own deaths. That¡¯s what I value, what I fight for. In a way love is also an expression of freedom. The freedom to choose, the decision to commit. What you do¡­ sleeping with strangers for a handful of coin¡­¡± ¡°You think it corrupts something pure, don¡¯t you, for us as well as our customers,¡± Liz interjected. Damn it, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to phrase it as precisely but she had hit the nail on the head. Corruptive. That was the point. I only nodded. She sighed and we fell into an awkward silence, each girl wrestling with their own thoughts. ¡°So you actually do think we are tainted, despite your asseverations,¡± she finally mumbled. ¡°No. Not really. During my last life¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that, of course I¡¯ve worn other faces before, I was different. I wouldn¡¯t even have spared your profession a second thought. Now, though¡­ maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m engaged, maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m still young, but to me¡­ you¡¯re not only selling your bodies, you¡¯re selling a part of who you are. That doesn¡¯t sit right with me. Some decisions shouldn¡¯t be made¡­ look, to be perfectly honest, the thought of spreading my legs for a stranger is revolting to me, but that¡¯s not the point. We all do what we have to. To me, the crux is that you¡¯re selling something that¡­ hells, maybe I¡¯m naive, but you¡¯re selling your future for your present. I¡¯ve seen it before, on a different scale, and it never ends well.¡± 363. Of fear, forgiveness and a little choice Liz Cartwright I could barely glance away from her face, the allure of her pristine features almost too much to overcome even though she was fidgeting like a nervous child. It was fascinating, to say the least. A creature, who looked like divinity incarnate, who had faced gods and monsters, who had been able to call me back form the brink with a touch and a few words, was hardly able to meet our eyes, an uncomfortable tension palpable in her every movement while she absentmindedly played with one of her silvery tails and her huge ears twitched cutely. The more often I saw her, the less she seemed like the force of nature I had met during my darkest hour. No, deep down she was as insecure as us. Maybe even worse, considering she had somehow decided to shoulder the responsibility to keep us safe, from our enemies and apparently from ourselves as well. Hesitantly I extended my hand and touched her shoulder, ready to pull back at any moment but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. On the contrary, she even granted me a fleeting, melancholic smile, that, despite my best efforts to suppress it, made my heart flutter. By all the gods, I¡¯d really have to control that particular impulse more thoroughly. Nothing good would come of it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel bad for being honest,¡± I finally said when it seemed like Cassandra might just crack under the pressure of the lingering silence her words had evoked. ¡°And don¡¯t think you said anything we haven¡¯t told ourselves before. Still¡­ would you like to hear my story? It¡¯s not that special and can maybe help you understand where we¡¯re coming from.¡± Her eyes filled with a strange light, I might have called it pity, if I had had the time to study her expression, but it vanished again much too quickly to be certain. Did she know anything about my past I didn¡¯t? Possibly, but asking wouldn¡¯t help. She¡¯d either tell me on her own or not at all. As little as I knew about her, that much I was certain of. ¡°Sure, but you don¡¯t have to turn your life into an example for my sake,¡± she mumbled and pulled her slender legs to her chest. ¡°And I can¡¯t really see how it¡¯s going to change my perspective either.¡± ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t. I¡¯m not even sure you¡¯re wrong. But it might¡­ you said you¡¯re old and have worn different faces before. Have you also lived in different places?¡± She nodded. ¡°Worlds even, but there¡¯s only one other place I¡¯d call home. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Are they any different from ours?¡± She sighed and her melancholic smile returned. ¡°Superficially yes. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, not so much. Humans, beast kin, non carbon based life forms,¡± my expression must have revealed my confusion as she quickly added: ¡°aliens, peoples from other worlds if you so will¡­ as soon as creatures with the capacity for individual thought live together the dynamics are surprisingly similar, hive like life forms excluded. And they don¡¯t change. A society, a people, they might evolve technically in one way or the other, but when it comes down to it¡­ they¡­ we, we just don¡¯t learn. So¡­ no, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a difference, especially when it comes to abstract concepts like morals or values.¡± I had to take a moment to decipher her words, the faint anger I heard in her voice a clear sign of how utterly frustrated she was. ¡°I can¡¯t pretend like I¡¯ve understood everything you¡¯ve said but I still think I¡¯m on the right track. Right and wrong¡­ you just said it doesn¡¯t vary much, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right. There are always two sides to every story and if you were to know mine you might come to understand why¡­ look, I don¡¯t think anyone of us disagrees with you, not really. Except¡­ we¡¯re alive. We¡¯re not a¡­ a thing that¡¯s black or white or blue, a machine that functions or doesn¡¯t. One of my first memories¡­ do you know what hunger feels like? Real hunger? Ravenous enough to drown out everything else?¡± She shook her magnificent head and replied in a whisper: ¡°No. But I do know what that kind of pain feels like.¡± ¡°Then you know enough. Something like that¡­ you can¡¯t escape it, you can¡¯t forget it. It¡­ reduces you to nothing but a single, stubborn wish. Make it stop. Whatever it takes. There¡¯s no room for anything else. In the beginning you might yet cling to a few other thoughts but after a while even they become muted, eroded. Living through something like that changes you, scars you. You become afraid, you dread the possibility to somehow end up in the same situation and then you do everything you can to prevent that from happening. For me, it¡¯s hunger and sickness, for you it¡¯s pain,¡± I pointed at Amanda, a tall, angelic looking blonde, ¡°for her it¡¯s loneliness. I could go on but in the end, we all have a demon, lurking somewhere in our past. To run from it, we pay every price. There¡¯s nothing¡­ right or wrong, shame- or graceful about it, because things like that don¡¯t matter anymore when you¡¯re scared. Fear¡­ in a way it turns us into animals, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Her expression hardened and the soft, silvery glow in her eyes turned into icy steel. ¡°And facing our fears whenever we have to is what makes us human¡­ maybe humane.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s what turns you into a hero¡­ maybe an angel.¡± Her smile, which had crept across her face like a beast, was as cold as the light in her eyes and just a sharp. ¡°Self pity isn¡¯t an excuse, it¡¯s an addiction. You¡¯re not born strong. You decide to become strong the moment you find the courage to actually confront your demons. Literally or figuratively,¡± she added under her breath, almost as if she had just realised something important. ¡°Easy to say for someone like you,¡± a quiet voice interrupted her. Lily, the youngest, had spoken up. ¡°It¡¯s only courage when you know you have a chance to win. Otherwise it¡¯s plain stupid.¡± A low, dangerous hum suddenly filled the air and Cassandra closed her eyes, struggling to reel in her wings, which had started to slither like agitated snakes. A heartbeat later the sound vanished but her expression became even icier. I shared a worried glance with Amanda and felt the nervous tension building behind me but before we could do more than stare, the kitsune replied: ¡°Child,¡± even her voice had changed, as if the underlying melody had suddenly become something much¡­ older, ¡°I¡¯ve walked that path and I¡¯ve chosen death¡­¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re a bloody queen,¡± the petite girl suddenly erupted. The rest of us were stunned into silence, since we wouldn¡¯t even have managed to muster the strength to meet Cassandra¡¯s gaze. ¡°But you can¡¯t expect everyone to act like royalty. That¡¯s why some are born to lead and others are born to serve. I¡¯m¡­ content. And if that¡¯s enough for me, shouldn¡¯t it be enough for you?¡± Tears were shimmering in Lily¡¯s eyes, as if she was desperately trying to justify her actions in front of a being who could actually grant her absolution. But that was simply how Cassandra made us feel. Tiny¡­ yet protected. Like a child. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. We held our breath, waiting for an outburst but it never came. Instead the angel¡¯s cold expression thawed immediately. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Please, forgive me, it¡¯s not my place to judge. But¡­ what you¡¯ve said,¡± she inclined her head in my direction just as I was starting to breathe more freely, ¡°the both of you, hit a little close to home.¡± She deflated, her wings vanished and even the glow in her eyes faded away until they merely flickered with a hint of suppressed power. Timidly she tried to meet our eyes one by one before she explained: ¡°one of my¡­ demons is a conflict with my race. The one I owe my wings to. In a way my¡­ kin chose to surrender to their fears and that¡¯s why¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter but my anger isn¡¯t directed at you. But I finally understand why Greta wanted me to have this conversation. I truly am sorry. I made it all sound much more¡­ absolute than I have any right to or actually want to. It¡¯s your life, in the end, and my reservations are my problem. I do wonder, though, to me it still sounds like you do what you do for a lack of alternatives. In case I haven¡¯t spooked you too much right now¡­ my offer is valid. Would you like a chance to do something else for a living?¡± I felt my mouth open on its own accord and my expression must have been mirrored by the girls behind me since a sly smirked slowly spread across Cassandra¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m a little impulsive or rather fickle from time to time.¡± Not to mention intimidating or rather downright scary. I was still struggling with my thoughts, trying to decide if I wouldn¡¯t be better off far away from angels and demons when Lily spoke up again. The girl had more of a spine than I had given her credit for. ¡°Just like that? You don¡¯t even know us, not really.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I? Let¡¯s see¡­ Liz has mentioned her past a few times before. She hasn¡¯t told me a thing but maybe I can still narrate her story on my own.¡± Her flickering gaze scrutinised me with a newfound intensity until I could barely sit still anymore. In a way it felt like¡­ being stared at by the sun. Everything you are makes you want to stare right back but you already know that it can only darken your world, should you be stupid enough to give in. ¡°You were alone,¡± she finally began. ¡°Tossed aside and forgotten, worthless in the eyes of those who wallowed in their own despair. Another nameless sack of flesh on the side of the road. One of your earliest memories is crying yourself to sleep, hiding wherever you could find a shred of comfort, be it an old, discarded blanket or an overturned cart that provided a bit of protection from the chill of the night. You tried, time and again, for someone to extend a hand, to even look at you properly and see more than the disgusting rags you called your own. But they never did and soon, it didn¡¯t even matter. Hunger¡­ you suffered, alone in the dark until the most unlikely saviour extended a hand. An old hag, barely alive herself, took you in when you were already waiting for it all to end, for death to finally come. She didn¡¯t lo¡­ she didn¡¯t treat you like she loved you but for the first time you experienced some decency¡­ you felt like a human and less like a thing. The memory, the pain, the fear stayed with you, though. On one hand it gave you the strength to thrive where others would have faltered, to shrug off humiliations that would have broken most women, most people, on the other it makes you dread everything good that might happen to you because it can all be taken away again in the blink of an eye and you¡¯d be back to where you started, except this time it would be so much worse. You have an unyielding core, unbreakable, even, but every trial you faced buried it deeper underneath a web of scars that shackled you to your past and you began to fear your future. And then¡­ your world ended. You experienced fear like you never had since you were a little child and underneath the bleeding lattice of forgotten wounds a shimmer of something beautiful appeared. When Free Land burned you found yourself again, the miasma of your nightmares burned away in the flames of war.¡± She raised her eyes and her gaze flickered from one to the next before she added: ¡°it¡¯s the same for most of you, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ve truly faced death, you¡¯ve heard its voice, you¡¯ve felt its breath and now you can¡¯t¡­ you don¡¯t want to go back. Now, tell me, where am I wrong?¡± Silence was her only reply until Amanda whispered: ¡°I don¡¯t think I fear the future, but I had given up on it. Until that¡­ beast showed me how fragile our existence actually is. It might end tomorrow and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. I don¡¯t want¡­ I want to make the most of the time I have left and pleasuring drunken idiots¡­ it¡¯s nothing I want to tell my children, should I ever be lucky enough to have them.¡± ¡°There you have it,¡± the angel breathed. ¡°I¡­,¡± her smirk returned, as if she was telling a private joke, when she added: ¡°I can only show you the door. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. But you have to step through all by yourself.¡± ¡°Will it hurt,¡± Lily asked, her voice heavy with fear and just a hint of hope. ¡°Of course. Everything worthwhile does. You¡¯ll fail, you¡¯ll make mistakes that will have you wishing for an easier life, but¡­ that¡¯s the choice, isn¡¯t it. You can either be¡­ the hero of your own story, or¡­¡± her words trailed off and she closed her eyes again. With a tired sigh she leaned back against the trunk. ¡°One last thing. Should you decide to stay with the Madame, which I don¡¯t begrudge in anyway, despite what I¡¯ve said, I¡­ we will still try our best to make your life¡­ better. You just won¡¯t be along for the ride.¡± With a jerk she sat upright and scrambled to her feet. ¡°Think it over. I still have a few people to talk to. I¡¯ll find you before I leave. Give me your answer then.¡± She whirled around and walked away, her silhouette obscured by a living waterfall of flowing silver. For me, it wasn¡¯t much of a question. I had made my decision¡­ to be fair, it had been made for me, long before today, but I was still curious what my friends were going to say. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know she was engaged, I¡¯d call her a damned virgin. And a princess to boot,¡± Amanda huffed. It took a moment for her words to sink in but when they did I chuckled softly before I began to laugh freely and openly. Soon the others joined in. ¡°She might be,¡± Grace, another one of the girls, managed to press out between fits of mirth. ¡°Royals do have some strange customs and I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s only seven. In this body, I should probably add after everything she¡¯s told us.¡± ¡°Trust me, she¡¯s not,¡± I mumbled quietly. ¡°I have seen her with the other kitsune. The way they touch each other¡­ you know what I mean. Also¡­ didn¡¯t you listen? How old do you think she really is? I bet she¡¯s got more experience than the lot of us combined.¡± ¡°It does make you wonder how it¡¯d feel, doesn¡¯t it,¡± Amanda mused wistfully. ¡°Her looks, her magic and that amount of experience¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I immediately cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t follow that line of thought. It¡¯s only going to hurt, trust me.¡± ¡°Did you¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately. To be fair, you haven¡¯t seen her when she¡¯s¡­ not veiling herself. If you had¡­¡± A warm hand gently landed on my shoulder. ¡°Is it that bad?¡± ¡°You have no idea. Sometimes I think the few moments may have spoiled¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± With a grateful smile I shrugged off Amanda¡¯s hand and continued: ¡°ladies, we can gossip all we want later but now you have a decision to make. You knew this would be coming. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Have you already made up your mind?¡± ¡°On the first day I met her, but I also didn¡¯t have much of a choice, did I? You have that choice, don¡¯t squander it.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t think we should take her up on her offer,¡± Lily asked hesitantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But I do think you shouldn¡¯t accept it blindly. I¡¯m sure she meant what she said. It¡¯s going to hurt. Aside from a few hiccups your lives are actually pretty comfortable. That¡¯s nothing to scoff at and I¡¯m pretty convinced comfort isn¡¯t what she has in mind.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be worse than serving an unwashed sailor who¡¯s burning through his pay in a single night,¡± Grace harrumphed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet on it. Less degrading, for sure, but a day and a bath later the one becomes nothing but a memory, the other... I¡¯m not so sure that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to sign up for. What I¡¯ve signed up for.¡± The noise of the celebration grew louder around us as they began to think. 364. Of flights, ships and a little bit of strength Cassandra Pendragon I really missed the times when Greta had just been an old and wrinkly kitsune. Especially when I wanted to curse her six ways to Sunday. Young, beautiful dryad simply didn¡¯t have the same ring to it as old, slightly decomposing hag. Oh well, beggars can¡¯t be choosers and I wasn¡¯t actually mad at her. Not really. Had I enjoyed the conversation with the girls? Not one bit. Would I rather have skipped it all together? Not at all. It had been interesting, to say the least. Now, you might be wonder what I¡¯m blabbering on about, but I had meant it when I had said that I had finally understood Greta¡¯s intention. It tied back to our last conversation, when she had told me that a life was a life, no matter the circumstances and now I had seen it first hand. Compromises and corruption, joy and suffering, in the end the scale didn¡¯t matter all that much. Whether it was my immortal family selling off their principles or them selling their bodies¡­ I had called myself a guardian when Quenda had asked and if I wanted to live up to the title I had better stop being condescending and start taking people at face value. Those girls had had their reasons¡­ and so had my family. It didn¡¯t mean I had to forgive and forget, but if I didn¡¯t plan on ending up on the wrong side of a katana again, I¡¯d have to listen, to understand, and maybe accept that the way I viewed the world wasn¡¯t necessarily the only valid approach. A few exceptions aside. I wasn¡¯t so sure about Amazeroth anymore, but when I was going to meet Michael again I was still going to shove my spear up his ass, crosswise, no questions asked. Still puzzling over whether or not I had actually learned something new or simply been able to admit it to myself, I hadn¡¯t realised where my feet had been taking me. When I looked up again, my eyes squinted against the bright, scorching light, I had reached the end of the Garden where the throngs of sweating humans were slowly thinning out. By no stretch of the imagination was I alone, more than enough people had decided to seek shelter from the sweltering heat underneath the few already repaired roofs instead of the overcrowded space around the trees, but it still felt less like the line in front of a Starbucks during rush hour and more akin to a sophisticated Broadway play. In terms of attendance, that is, the rest¡­not so much. I quickly looked around but none of the faces sparked a memory, even though I might have seen them once in a while. Judging from the snippets of conversation I heard quite a few were boastfully showing off the fruits of their labour to their friends, which placed them neatly in the ¡°we are actually neighbours even though you can¡¯t remember me¡± category, while others were hurriedly shrinking away along the shaded alleys. Those definitely hadn¡¯t gotten used to me, yet. Absentmindedly I rubbed the soles of my boots over the freshly laid cobblestones, trying to figure out if I should head back directly. There wasn¡¯t much for me to do here and, honestly, I didn¡¯t feel overly welcome either, despite of the few friendly smiles I saw pop up here and there, mostly on the faces of the ones doing the showing off. Hardly surprising, I had helped them get a roof over their heads and shatter the shackles they had been bound with for most of their lives, after all. Apparently there still was a small chasm between gratitude and appreciation, though, since none of them dared to approach me. Ah well, might as well make the best of it and take a short break. A cloud of ozone was carried away by the wind, silvery light banished the shadows, lurking underneath windswept pediments, for the fraction of a heart beat and I was gone, the afterimage of my unfurling wings the only trace I left behind. I settled down, my back against the chimney of a three story building, the city sprawling away behind it, my tails a comforting, living blanket I could snuggle into. The coarse shingles were hot to touch but the heat relaxed my muscles and I took a deep breath, my gaze wandering over the colourful conglomeration of races and people, surging around the trunk of the giant tree like a living, breathing wave. Laughter and exclamations, snippets of foreign songs and strange languages assaulted my ears while I calmed down, the smell of roasted boar and potatoes, spilled wine and opened casks of mead enticed my nose while the flood of my incoherent thoughts slowly subsided. Usually all it would have taken was a single touch, a friendly word from Ahri and I¡¯d have been able to shove the whole conundrum away but, unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have that luxury and I also didn¡¯t want to disturb her every time I felt lost. The poor girl wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave her room if that had been the case. A self deprecating smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as I forcefully tore my eyes away from my own farewell party and allowed my gaze to travel to the horizon. Somewhere behind the sea she was waiting for me and the longer I dragged this out the longer I would have to wait until I could hold her in my arms again. Still, I didn¡¯t yet feel ready to descend into the bowels of society again. A few minutes wouldn¡¯t make¡­ A dark speck, almost invisible among the feathery clouds, caught my attention. I frowned and a pulse of energy reached my eyes, just as the outlines of a huge sky ship came into focus. Damn it, it even sailed under a flag. An emerald meadow with a white crown underneath a stylised castle, seamed in purple, fluttered in the heavy, dark smoke that blew from two chimneys. High nobles, for sure, if not royalty, but for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t place the heraldry. My eyes narrowed as I focused on the ship itself and what I saw made me clench my teeth. A huge, bloated, wormlike monster, that made Jabba the Hut look like beauty incarnate, sprawled on deck, its fat coils resting on soft velvet pillows. At least it didn¡¯t have a chained up princess close by but was instead surrounded by a formidable group of seasoned warriors. In one of my lives I had heard someone say that the better the army, the less flamboyant their appearance and these guys really looked like professionals. Dark, wooden shields, gleaming weapons and not a speck of gold or silver to break the matte lines of their steel grey armour made them seem like statues. With closed visors they weathered the merciless heat without so much as a single movement betraying their discomfort. Truly admirable, especially since I didn¡¯t see a single enchantment on them, but unfortunately the better they were, the more trouble they were bound to bring. The ship itself didn¡¯t assuage my worries either and I bit my lip while I scrutinised the flying behemoth of steel and just a hint of wood. The thing had been constructed with war and conquest in mind, its sides covered in huge slabs of polished steel, its bow fitted with the most massive ram I had ever seen and I had grown up close to a dwarven colony. Its three masts were massive, the ironwood enforced with chains, and the sails themselves would blot out the sun if it passed by overhead. The decisive lack of enchantments on the soldiers was a stark contrast to the blinding torrents of magic I saw flooding through every hawser, every beam, and the complicated array close to the steering wheel was testimony enough to the proficiency of whichever caster had set up the spells. I couldn¡¯t be sure from the distance but I¡¯d have wagered quite a sum that firing a few nasty surprises at whomever was stupid enough to challenge them wasn¡¯t all the flying fortress was capable of. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I already hovered a metre above the roof, ready to launch myself across the sky, before I paused. Usually I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to pay them a visit, long before they could even come close to my home, but now¡­ if I was going to stay my hand and let Mordred deal with all the shit that was going to crop up here and there, I could just as well start now. Which meant I¡¯d have to inform my dear brother but other than that¡­ The only reason for me to become involved would be the possibility that my friends weren¡¯t able to face that oversized worm and its toy on their own and, with my mom, Sera, Alassara and Greta around, the chances of that happening were about as good as me winning the next Nobel peace price, which is to say slightly less than me hushing it out with Michael or the Emperor. I squinted my eyes and tried to gauge their speed, but without a fixed point to compare their progress to it wasn¡¯t easy. Still, they¡¯d be here in about two hours, give or take, plenty of time to say my goodbyes to Layla, her mother and my family. Not to mention offer Faelan and Anna the chance to accompany me. Afterwards I¡¯d rally my mismatched band of misfits and be gone, long before Jabba would even have the chance to land. At least in theory. In practice I could already hear Mordred¡¯s complaints. I didn¡¯t mean to hang him out to dry but if he was going to take the reins, he better be able to deal with a self serving, wormlike prick all on his own. Provided the ugly worm was even a prick. He could be Mother Theresa for all I knew, even though I didn¡¯t think it very likely. There was just something about its appearance that made me wary. Or I had simply watched Star Wars once too often. ¡°Sera is going to swallow him in one bite, just after your mom has ripped out his heart,¡± Ahri sent consolingly, ¡°if he so much as looks at them the wrong way.¡± ¡°Now you decide to become involved,¡± I complained. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have talked to me ten minutes earlier? That would probably have spared me quite the headache.¡± ¡°I thought about it,¡± she admitted, ¡°I did listen, after all, but I just couldn¡¯t figure out what to say. What would you have done in my stead?¡± ¡°The same,¡± I sighed. ¡°Some things we have to come to terms with on our own. Still, since you obviously aren¡¯t as busy as I thought¡­ what do you think?¡± ¡°About what? Prostitution or that there actually might be a reason why our siblings have fallen?¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Fine, I do know what you mean.¡± She paused, images form times long gone swirling through her mind, much too fast for me to gather even a single glimpse. ¡°You once told me,¡± she continued, ¡°that knowledges inspires understanding and understanding engenders forgiveness. I¡¯m all for the former, but the latter¡­ I¡¯m never going to forget nor forgive the people who made me¡­¡± ¡°Stab me?¡± ¡°Turn away from the one being I actually love. If he had had us both killed¡­ but he didn¡¯t. There¡¯s no coming back. At least from where I¡¯m standing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Michael,¡± I replied, much more calmly than I had felt in hours, ¡°but what about the rest?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never lumped them all together anyways, that¡¯s always been you. I guess we¡¯ll have to see how it goes when we meet them.¡± ¡°Provided we are even in a position to make a decision.¡± ¡°Cassy¡­ I have lived through Lilith¡¯s visit with you. In all honesty¡­ if she was to appear in front of you right now, I wouldn¡¯t know whom I¡¯d put my money on. Sure, you¡¯re a far cry away from keeping anyone safe when it comes to other immortals but challenging one on your own¡­ I¡¯m not so sure anymore. They can¡¯t touch you and ever since you gained control over your life force I don¡¯t see them killing you indirectly either¡­¡± something in her thoughts felt off but I didn¡¯t even need to say it out loud. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she admitted, ¡°that¡¯s not it. Your¡­ transformation. I told you I didn¡¯t see¡­¡± ¡°Did you lie,¡± I interrupted her, more curious than actually angry. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. But I also didn¡¯t tell you the whole truth. Couldn¡¯t you feel it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bother prying. Should I have?¡± ¡°Probably not. Look, I didn¡¯t see, nor do I know, but¡­ I felt it. When you transform you feel¡­ just like you did in the past. Worse, to tell you the truth. It¡­ scared me and I know that you would never lay a single finger on me. You¡¯ve proven it time and again. If I feel threatened¡­ just imagine what it must be like for anyone else.¡± ¡°In darkness and silence the devil grows,¡± I mumbled, even though I wasn¡¯t entirely sure why I said it. She was, though. ¡°And in the light he spreads his wings. Do you still trust yourself so little?¡± She didn¡¯t need to explain. The one thing weighing most heavily on my mind was my own power. For a while now I had been unearthing hints and secrets that seemed to point at a fact I had already voiced out loud. Even in comparison to my siblings I was different. Before I had always brushed it off, being one amongst a few hundred in all of a creation wasn¡¯t that different from being alone¡­ but it was. I didn¡¯t want to have to shoulder the responsibility for my world, not to mention the cosmos. I wanted to do it of my own accord, as one of many who could have picked up the mantle, but, as it stood, I might have very well been the one creature who was even remotely able to stand against the oncoming storm and that¡­ scared me out of my mind for should I fail there¡¯d be no one else and with my track record failure was a very real option. ¡°I trust you more,¡± I finally whispered. ¡°Sometimes I just wish¡­¡± ¡°That our roles were reversed? You don¡¯t really mean that.¡± ¡°Have you met me? Of course I do. It would allow me¡­¡± ¡°To throw yourself in front of even more bullets without a guilty conscience? No thanks. If it takes the weight of reality to get it through that thick skull of yours that you shouldn¡¯t throw your life away for anyone then so be it, but don¡¯t expect me to feel bad for you. In fact, I¡¯m quite grateful that you¡¯re finally starting to see some sense. This isn¡¯t my story, it¡¯s yours, and you¡¯re the one who has to see it through, no matter the cost.¡± That¡­ hurt. ¡°Right back at you. You know as well as I that I¡¯m going to follow you, whatever happens. This isn¡¯t my story, it¡¯s ours, and if you¡¯re too blind to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ and we¡¯re going in circles.¡± I didn¡¯t know how she managed but somehow she disentangled herself from my thoughts, just far enough to make me feel like I was in my own body while she wrapped her tails around me. ¡°I guess until death do us part isn¡¯t enough for you,¡± she breathed. ¡°It never was, but I didn¡¯t expect to have so much hinging on our continued existence.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide how I felt and neither could she, the confusing mixture of warmth and ice cold fear a growing yet terribly familiar knot in my stomach. For a moment we simply enjoyed each other¡¯s company, took refuge in each other¡¯s presence, but time was running out and we knew it. It hadn¡¯t been the last time we were going to have this conversation but, for now, there was nothing more to say. ¡°What are you going to do about the ship,¡± she finally asked. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m done missing you. I¡¯m not going to stay for another hour.¡± ¡°Somehow I feel flattered, but yet¡­¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one telling me there¡¯s nothing to worry about?¡± ¡°I was. But I don¡¯t want you to leave unless you believe there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯m not the only one who needs you, you know. I can wait a few more hours.¡± ¡°Maybe, but I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± 365. Of pups, families and a little wisdom Cassandra Pendragon ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unexpected. Where is it coming from, if you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± the wolf hybrid, Faelan, asked, her red eyes narrowed suspiciously. We were huddled together under one of the smaller cherry trees, the curious onlookers kept at bay by a breathing wall of gold that had promised us a few, uninterrupted minutes. Her sister in arms, Anna, simply stared, her mouth working silently. Maybe I should have bothered with an explanation after all. No one would be able to spot the ship for at least another half hour and brushing them off simply because I didn¡¯t feel like talking wouldn¡¯t have been fair. The honest answer would have been because Greta had asked me to, but the¡­ truth was probably a bit more complicated than that. ¡°Several reasons. Summed up I guess it¡¯s something I¡¯m doing for you, without much of an agenda. A change of scenery might be what you need and I can probably use the help.¡± The last part wasn¡¯t strictly accurate, I¡¯d rather heave less people to worry about than more, but it wasn¡¯t a lie, either. Considering how everything I touched had a tendency to go to hell and back before breakfast I might yet find myself grateful for two extra sets of hands. ¡°Bullshit,¡± Faelan growled, her cadence much closer to her wild heritage than her graceful appearance. ¡°We¡¯ve watched you and we¡¯ve listened. You always seem like you blindly hand out favours but you never do. There¡¯s always something you might get out of it. What is¡­¡± I didn¡¯t mean to, but from one second to the next I found myself in her face, silvery flames reflected in her widening pupils. ¡°Think carefully before you finish that sentence,¡± I breathed, barely able to keep my powers from leaking into my voice. In a few minutes I¡¯d probably be regretting this and trying to figure out what had set me off, but for now I simply knew that I was done with being questioned by people I had tried to help, whether altruistically or not. ¡°I¡¯m not a decadent, obese sack of filth who needs to toy with you to feel strong but if you ever compare me to him again, and I know that¡¯s where this is coming from, I¡¯ll show you just how much of a difference there is between us. Have I made myself clear?¡± She didn¡¯t back down but her breathing became shallow and a musky scent, like frightened dog, wafted around my nose. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re not used to being threatened,¡± she asked. I took a step forward, expecting her to stagger but she held her ground. ¡°I¡¯m not threatening you,¡± I replied quietly, my voice sending shivers through her sleek fur. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? This is why I want you to come with me. How often do you think you can pull shit like this with others before you find yourself hurtling towards the ocean?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re patience and forgiveness incarnated,¡± she scoffed. It took quite a lot of self control to keep myself from slapping her and, truth be told, I wasn¡¯t even sure if it would have been such a bad idea. Still, despite myself I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath. They were hurting, probably more than I could even imagine. Hadn¡¯t I just learned a lesson about not judging people before I had walked a few miles in their shoes? ¡°I most decidedly am not and you don¡¯t need either from me, but why are you clawing at my eyes like I¡¯m trying to steal your firstborn? You know what don¡¯t answer that. I¡¯ll do it for you. You, both of you, have been hurt and there¡¯s no one in the world you feel you can open up to except for each other. There has to be a hidden agenda behind every word, isn¡¯t that right? That¡¯s the reason for my offer. I don¡¯t mind. I neither need your trust nor your friendship to keep you out of trouble because, if push comes to shove, I can make you do whatever the hell I want. If you remain here and act like this around the rest of my family or anybody else for that matter you¡¯re going to find yourselves all alone or dead within a few days. In case you haven¡¯t noticed, the world isn¡¯t much nicer to two lonely girls than Asra has been and that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. Make up your mind. If you come find me before we leave I¡¯ll have my answer, if not¡­ well, I still wish you the best of luck, even though I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get very far on your own.¡± I whirled around but before I could take more than a few, haughty steps another voice called me back. One I had only heard once before when she had thanked me. ¡°Wait,¡± Anna whispered. I stopped in my tracks but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°What?¡± I heard their robes rustle when they moved and I could almost picture them, standing side by side, communicating with a single touch. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she continued, her soft voice barely able to overcome the noise in the overcrowded Garden. ¡°We need help. Still¡­ can I ask one question?¡± I jerked noncommittally but I could feel my ears swivel towards her of their own accord. Damn it, at least I had gained enough self control to keep my tails from wagging when I didn¡¯t want them to. ¡°Are you sure you can give it to us? We don¡¯t need a warden, we need someone to show us¡­ the light.¡± Oh, sweet irony. I almost chuckled. She couldn¡¯t know but the way she had phrased her request¡­ sighing, I turned around. ¡°Honestly? Probably not. The world I live in isn¡¯t any better than the one you¡¯ve just escaped from. What I can show you wouldn¡¯t help, I think. But¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re not going to like what I¡¯ve got to say, still, here it goes. For your wounds to heal you have to see, to experience the¡­ light that¡¯s already everywhere around us. I don¡¯t think you can do it on your own, there¡¯s too much shit happening that¡¯ll make you recoil, that¡¯ll make you want to hide. I can¡¯t change that, no one can. I¡¯m simply offering you a place to return to, a place to feel safe and¡­ yes, protected. Somewhere you can take refuge when it becomes too much, until you¡¯ve found the strength to go out on your own again.¡± ¡°A home with our royal, divine godmother waiting for us with a bowl of hot soup when we scratch our knees,¡± Faelan asked with a brave attempt at sounding mocking but the watery gleam in her eyes put the lie to her words. I shrugged. ¡°If you want to phrase it like that, sure. As long as you don¡¯t expect me to put you into bed or read you stories.¡± ¡°What can we expect of you, then,¡± her human friend asked. ¡°That no one like Asra is ever going to get close enough to you to hurt you again. That¡­ and you can expect me to listen. I¡¯m not going to indulge your every whim but if you need my help, I¡¯ll be there. That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get.¡± They shared a look before the hybrid mumbled: ¡°Why do you think we don¡¯t have friends around here who would do the same for us?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Because I was the one who stood between you and your so called friends, ready to tear you apart for killing a monster. As far as I remember there wasn¡¯t any one lining up beside me to rush to your aid. But, by all means, stay here if you think that¡¯s what¡¯s best for you.¡± An uncomfortable silence spread between us, as far as silence could even spread under the circumstances. The occasional whoops and cheers, as well as the noisy consumption of scrumptious food and strong liquor, surely provided a rather incongruous backdrop to our conversation. I was already fidgeting, the situation about as comfortable as snuggling up to a hedgehog, when a shaky, insecure smile spread across Faelan¡¯s face. ¡°Why,¡± she wanted to know. ¡°Why do you¡­¡± ¡°Care? Because its my goddamned duty and because I want to. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the phrase noblesse oblige before¡­ it¡¯s mostly just an empty promise but when you¡¯re¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Look, you¡¯ve made it plenty clear that you think I¡¯m actually trying to get something out of everything I do and you¡¯re not entirely wrong. It¡¯s just not what you make it out to be.¡± With a crooked smile I explained: ¡°imagine you¡¯re stumbling across a small, malnourished wolf pup in the wild. It¡¯s been abandoned by its pack. You can either leave it there and allow nature to run its course, you can kill it outright, as an act of mercy or simply because you want to, or you can try to help. Is there anything in it for you? Probably not. You¡¯re going to curse it while it grows and even if you manage to keep it alive, it¡¯s going to leave you, sooner or later, because it doesn¡¯t belong in your world. Still, years later you might stumble through the darkening forest, hungry and tired, and there you meet it again. It doesn¡¯t express its gratitude, it doesn¡¯t hug you, it simply leads you to a cave where you can spend the night. Once the sun rises above the horizon it¡¯s gone again, returned to the forest as if it had never been there. I¡¯m not¡­ human and my world isn¡¯t yours. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to turn my back on you.¡± While I had been talking, Faelan¡¯s smile had widened and when I finished she simply asked: ¡°Are you calling us pups, animals, untamed or cute?¡± ¡°All of the above,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But if that¡¯s your question I think I¡¯ve made my point. The rest is up to you. I don¡¯t expect anything of you in return, I¡¯m simply offering to take you under my wing.¡± ¡°There really isn¡¯t that much of a choice, is there,¡± Anna breathed. ¡°There is. I¡¯m not the only one you can turn to.¡± I gesticulated vaguely towards my granny, who still kept the celebrating tides away from us. ¡°If you manage to get over yourselves and actually ask for help, I¡¯m sure none of the people I know would turn you away. Neither would a few dozen locals I can come up with from the top of my head. The difference is, you would have to ask and I¡¯m offering. Do with it as you will. Unfortunately I still have a few things to take care of.¡± I squinted my eyes at the sun and added: ¡°half an hour, maybe a bit more. We¡¯ll meet at the entrance to the Great Tree. Join us there or don¡¯t, the choice is yours.¡± Without another word I whirled around and breathed in deeply. There were so many scents in the air that I had to push a tiny bit of power towards my nose before I managed to locate whom I was looking for. Layla and her mom weren¡¯t far away and luckily Reia, Archy and Estrella were already with them. So was the Madame. With an effort I blanked out the whispered conversation behind me and dove into the surging tide of bodies that swallowed me up as soon as I passed Sera. ¡°Mom wants to have a family talk before I leave,¡± I said in passing. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s banking on your attendance but I¡¯d still like to have you there, if you want to.¡± A cloud of smoke escaped her when she gasped but before she could voice her surprise I was already gone, snaking my way past cooking pits and barrels, dodging drunken advances and ignoring fragmented cat calls, that withered away as soon as my tails slithered into view. I followed my nose and soon arrived at a small fire where Archy and Estrella were roasting dough on sticks. A few bowls containing different fruits were arrayed around them while Layla and Reia laid on their backs, counting clouds and munching through the first batch the kids had managed to prepare. For a moment I puzzled over how they had managed to keep their little piece of Eden as quiet as it was but when I saw Alassara and the Madame arguing close by, the latter gesticulating wildly while the former¡¯s eyes were glowing ominously and her fangs were on full display, the question didn¡¯t seem as enigmatic anymore. I had just gotten close enough to understand Alassara¡¯s rich voice, hissing with suppressed anger, when her daughter spoke up: ¡°Took you long enough. Are you here for me or my mom?¡± ¡°Both,¡± I replied, while I took the last steps and settled down at Reia¡¯s side. The vixen gave me a pinched smile, conveying perfectly that she wasn¡¯t mad anymore but that she hadn¡¯t forgotten the trials I had put her through in my room, either. ¡°More for you, if I¡¯m honest, though. Has your mom already told you?¡± ¡°That you¡¯re going to pick me up, once there¡¯s a functioning gateway to the Emerald Island? Or that I¡¯m going to have to go to school with a bunch of arrogant elves on the other side of the world?¡± ¡°Not to mention an arrogant vixen,¡± I added under my breath which promptly earned me a pinch to one of my tails. ¡°It¡¯s not arrogance if you¡¯re actually as good as you believe,¡± Reia stated proudly. I cleared my throat and wiggled my tails into a more comfortable position. By now the fluffy appendages were getting in the way more often than not, especially when I tried to sit down. ¡°Be that as it may¡­ why do you sound like we¡¯ve stolen your favourite cookie, Layla?¡± ¡°Because neither you nor my mom bothered with asking me what I actually want,¡± she replied. I knew she was trying to sound civil but she wasn¡¯t yet old enough to suppress the spite in her words, nor the intensifying glow in her eyes. To add insult to injury she was even starting to smell differently, but that might also have been her mom who, judging from the low hissing sound that reached my ears, was about as close to losing her temper as Layla. Oh well, Alassara wouldn¡¯t suck the Madame dry for no reason and if I had to keep an eye on Layla in the future I had to make sure she didn¡¯t start seeing me as some kind of nanny who tried to take her away from her mom. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have it. I imagine you don¡¯t want to go. Why?¡± ¡°Because our family has been reduced to dust and I can help my mother a hundred times better than some former whore with nothing to lose,¡± she spat. Ouch. Insecure and jealous. Not surprising, considering her age, but also something I couldn¡¯t do much about. I was just a valve, her mom was the one she had a bone to pick with. Either it was really clever or utterly stupid but I reached over and stole her half finished twist bread. Her mouth opened in silent protest while I began chewing. ¡°Not bad,¡± I commented. ¡°Some honey and butter and it¡¯d be great.¡± ¡°Why¡­ how¡­ that¡¯s mine,¡± she spluttered. ¡°Was. I think we can readily agree that it¡¯s not anymore. I¡¯ve eaten it.¡± I had to suppress a smile when her fingers turned into claws. She closed her eyes, her delicate nose quivering while she fought for control. Chuckling quietly I stretched, exposing the arch of my neck to her until another jolt of pain raced through my tails. ¡°What was that for,¡± I complained while I hastily removed the silvery limb from Reia¡¯s grip. ¡°Being a child,¡± she admonished. ¡°That¡¯s what my mother always did to me when I acted out.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one telling me that you¡¯re older,¡± I grumbled. ¡°And apparently I wasn¡¯t wrong. What¡¯s gotten into you? Do you think that¡¯s helpful?¡± ¡°Yes, yes I think it is. Turn around, she¡¯s smiling again, isn¡¯t she, and I don¡¯t see a hint of red in her eyes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t actually have a clue what you¡¯re doing, do you,¡± Layla suddenly asked, her voice back to the sweet, enticing cadence I was used to. ¡°More often than not I don¡¯t. Not this time, though. Wanna guess what I tried to say?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Toughen up. If there¡¯s something I want I should fight for it or try to take it.¡± ¡°More or less. At least you could complain to the person you have a problem with.¡± 366. Of acceptance, bargains and a little mercy Cassandra Pendragon ¡°But,¡± I continued, ¡°to make sure I won¡¯t properly earn your wrath there is one more thing we should talk about. Judging from your reaction your talk with your mom didn¡¯t go too well and I imagine both of you were quite content with cutting it short. Did she¡­ have you talked about the role Ahri and I might play in your life?¡± Both girls immediately focused on me and even the siblings at the fire paid more attention to what I had to say than their culinary experiments. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. I¡¯m not one to beat around the bush so I¡¯ll just say it,¡± and pray to all the gods that your mom won¡¯t take a bite out of me for spilling the beans. ¡°Alassara asked me if Ahri and I would consider becoming your godparents. Well, we would, that is, if you want us to.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Layla¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t yet as cold as it had been before but she didn¡¯t sound like a sweet girl either anymore. And I had somehow hoped for a bit more¡­ warmth. ¡°Course I am. Look, it doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯d suddenly be trying to tell you how to tie your shoes. In fact, I hope it¡¯s not going to matter at all, but¡­¡± ¡°In case it does, you want to know if I¡¯m on board.¡± The vampire turned to the side and even though I couldn¡¯t be sure, it was much too faint for that, I¡¯d have been prepared to bet that her ears were turning slightly pink when she asked Reia: ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°Me? What¡¯s that¡­¡± when Layla rolled her eyes at her I could just about imagine what the two of them had been talking about behind my back. ¡°You know what. Could you live with¡­ sharing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not some candy and neither is Ahri, you know,¡± I grumbled under my breath, quietly enough for them to ignore me if they so chose to. Which they did. Resoundingly. Big surprise. Reia sounded like a tired teacher, who was forced to explain for the hundredth time that two and two indeed equalled four, when she replied: ¡°Lay, you realise that would mean something had happened to your mom, right? Do you honestly think I¡¯d want you anywhere but with us?¡± ¡°Us,¡± I questioned. ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware¡­¡± again they ignored me and I couldn¡¯t even blame them. I¡¯d have done the same thing, considering how hollow my remark had actually been. ¡°It¡¯s more than that, you know,¡± the little vampire said and reached over me to grab Reia¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯d have a real claim¡­ I know we talked about how nice it¡¯d be if we were family. Well¡­ this is real and knowing our nature also pretty much set in stone. If we don¡¯t do something now she¡­ I¡­ we won¡¯t let go. Are you really sure that¡¯s what you want? I don¡¯t age¡­ neither do you. What if¡­¡± ¡°Save it,¡± Reia replied. ¡°I could throw Sylvia off the cliffs and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to change anytime soon,¡± right, that particular piece of work was still waiting for me. Along with the rest of our royals. Oh my, what a fun morning I still had to look forward to, ¡°but she¡¯s still family. I know my sister, it¡¯s the same with you and your mom already. If I can¡¯t get rid of you anyways I¡¯d rather have the opportunity to pull your hair without causing anymore trouble.¡± Except for me, but who cares, eh? ¡°Do you mean it?¡± Layla¡¯s inflection had changed again. She was sincere¡­ and vulnerable. ¡°Of course I do. Unless,¡± Reia narrowed her eyes and sought my gaze, ¡°this doesn¡¯t mean I have to share a room with her, does it? She snores.¡± ¡°So do you,¡± Archy interjected from the side and immediately clamped his mouth shut when we stared at him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled, blushing. ¡°At least you¡¯ll have some company the next time you¡¯re stuck in there,¡± I shot back. ¡°The next time¡­ oh hells, no! You¡¯re going to do that to me? Again?¡± ¡°Until you can find a way out. Told you, you¡¯re going to curse your stubbornness. I take it this means I don¡¯t have to worry about bats chasing me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t control bats,¡± Layla explained exasperatedly. ¡°Why would you even think that?¡± ¡°Bram Stoker. If we have some time I can tell you all about the funny little rumours surrounding your race. Most societies have some legends about vampires but they hardly even scratch the surface.¡± ¡°Are we better or worse in reality,¡± Layla asked thoughtfully. ¡°A little of both. That¡¯s it? No complaints, threats of pleas?¡± ¡°No¡­ thank you, though. You make it sound like a small thing but it really isn¡¯t. So¡­ thank you.¡± Before I could rack my brains for something sincere and maybe funny to say she had already slipped around my sister and hugged us both. ¡°It means a lot to me.¡± I sought Reia¡¯s gaze over the flood of golden locks between us before I wrapped my tails around them and said: ¡°And to us, Layla, and to us. Welcome to the family.¡± My ears twitched when I heard a hiss behind me. Suppressing another sigh I added: ¡°now, excuse me for a moment. I have to save that old hag from your mom, or maybe your mom from food poisoning. The Madame surely looks like she has passed her expiration date long before the Cataclysm.¡± They smiled dutifully, which I appreciated immensely, considering the pun wouldn¡¯t have been that good, even if they had known what an expiration date was, while I got to my feet. The two, for want of a better word, ladies were spitting mad, one wringing her hands, her old bones shaking from head to toe, while the other was slowly turning into a veritable tigress, eyes aglow, fangs and claws extended. Usually I¡¯d have banked on any human backing down, when confronted with a gimlet eyed wrath of nature, but the Madame had proven long ago that she was no ordinary human and about as afraid of death as I was of pain. Which is to say she didn¡¯t cordially invite it to her birthday tea but it held no sway over her actions. Layla¡¯s last words still ringing in my ears I focused on their exchange, its suppressed volume the only resemblance of self control they had left. ¡°In all my years I¡¯ve never,¡± Alassara hissed before the Madame interrupted her:If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Met anyone who wouldn¡¯t kiss your ass simply because you were born with a silver spoon up yours¡­¡± ¡°Born? I come from nothing! Even my life has been taken from me before I was even born! Don¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°What? Compare myself to you? That¡¯s just it, missy, do you think I¡¯ve shed a single ounce of blood less than you have? That I¡¯ve cried less tears, cursed less people? Who do you think¡­¡± ¡°I take it you haven¡¯t come to terms, yet,¡± I interjected. Both women whirled around and I couldn¡¯t suppress a small jolt of appreciation when they didn¡¯t react in any way to what they saw. The Madame even advance a step in my direction when she growled: ¡°This is just as much on you! Did you know she¡¯d asked for a year of servitude? What happened to your promises? An army? Immortality? And now I hear that I have to contend with a dragon, who hasn¡¯t been here longer than a few hours, for the one and bargain for the other? Is it¡­¡± I raised a hand placatingly but when I spoke my voice made the words wither in her throat. ¡°One, I never promised you anything. I gave you options. Two, after everything you¡¯ve lived through, do you really still believe in a free meal? If so, I¡¯m sorry but then you¡¯re even more naive than the daughter you¡¯re trying to protect so fiercely.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me,¡± she pressed out, a string of spittle clinging to the corner of her mouth. ¡°Why does everybody think that? Trust me, if I was threatening you, you would know. I¡¯m simply trying to figure out if I have to become involved. It¡¯s not much of a secret that I like Alassara and believe it or not, I like you, too, and I¡¯d hate to see this turn into a real fight.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a fight, it¡¯d be a slaughter,¡± the vampire commented. When the Madame swelled like a bullfrog she quickly added: ¡°and that¡¯s not the point. You want something from me. It¡¯s only fair¡­¡± ¡°Ha,¡± the wrinkly woman interrupted and raised a gnarled finger. ¡°But that¡¯s it.¡± She turned to me: ¡°I went out on a limb for you in exchange for this. Shouldn¡¯t you be the one paying the price?¡± ¡°I never said that. As far as I¡¯m concerned, I played my part, the only reason why you even have a chance to gripe about the price is me. Or do you think the last vampire lord on this island would have come to you because you¡¯re such a jewel and she just has to have you?¡± ¡°So I can either play along or rot in the streets for all you care, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± I sighed, again. Maybe I should start running a tally. Days with less than five sighs were good ones, the rest¡­ ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But neither of us is going to be coerced by you. If you want something¡­ ask.¡± For a moment I thought she¡¯d try to hit me, her jaws were grinding, her eyes twitching and a sickly, red-green colour was rising in her cheeks but the old bat had more self control than I had expected. She took a deep, calming breath and grunted: ¡°I need this, as you very well know. Please¡­¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t you pay,¡± Alassara asked snidely. The Madame huffed and puffed but finally admitted: ¡°Because I have a baby girl to look after and a handful of others who might as well be my daughters. I can¡¯t simply abandon them for a year.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d never make you,¡± the vampire reassured her. ¡°But neither will I share my blood with you without any form of¡­ it¡¯s not even compensation. Let¡¯s call it reassurance. You¡¯re clever, headstrong, already influential, and I want to make sure I¡¯m not nurturing my next opponent.¡± ¡°Have you lost your marbles? You have a gods damned angel in your pocket, right alongside a couple of dragons and a few sorcerers, powerful enough to challenge a fucking army! Why would you think I¡¯d ever¡­¡± ¡°Because people are stupid,¡± I mumbled quietly. ¡°We¡¯ve all seen it, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I¡¯m neither people, nor stupid,¡± the Madame erupted. ¡°Whom do you take me for? To get as old as I am as a mere human you have to know two things. One, the battles you¡¯ve got to take and two, even more importantly, the battles you can¡¯t afford to fight. I know a dead-end when I see one.¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯m asking for a year and not a hundred,¡± the vampire stated surprisingly softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve misjudged you, but neither am I going to underestimate you.¡± ¡°And what about my girls? Will they have to pay as well, should they choose this path?¡± I only listened halfheartedly to the ensuing reply, since I was wrestling with my own thoughts. Should I offer to pay the price? Despite her demeanour the Madame wouldn¡¯t forget it and Alassara wouldn¡¯t make me bleed, literally or figuratively. On the other hand, if this was going to mean anything at all, the Madame would have to pay her dues herself. ¡°They won¡¯t. You will,¡± I finally stated and cut their squabbling short. ¡°Come again,¡± Alassara said, her eyes narrowed at my audacity to make a decision for her. ¡°It¡¯s simple, isn¡¯t it? Once you turn her, she can do whatever she likes and if that includes turning her¡­ children, so be it.¡± The old woman and already opened her mouth to protest but closed it again, her eyes cast downwards thoughtfully. The vampire, on the other hand, replied: ¡°She won¡¯t. She¡¯ll only be able to turn others once I¡¯ve fed her my blood, in other words, once I¡¯ve set her free. Until then everybody she turns will be bound to me.¡± ¡°Same difference¡­ a year isn¡¯t much¡­¡± ¡°Really? From where I¡¯m standing a year might as well be an eternity with you around. Not that I care,¡± she immediately added, without convincing anyone. Alassara cared for the people here, she cared for her home. Always had. ¡°Are you kidding me,¡± I hissed, without much fire. ¡°What¡¯s it going to be? Ruthless ruler or magnanimous patron? You can¡¯t have it both ways.¡± ¡°Maybe she can,¡± the Madame interjected. ¡°This isn¡¯t as much about me as it is about you, isn¡¯t it, vamp? Tell me honestly, aside from your daughter, is there anyone left of your bloodline?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alassara admitted grudgingly. ¡°They all burned protecting this place.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be the first,¡± the Madame nodded. ¡°I think I get it now and I might have a solution we can both live with. The easiest way would be for you to turn a few others before me, but I think I know why you don¡¯t want to. The only ones you¡¯d offer it to wouldn¡¯t take you up on it. In a way, you need me to rebuild, just as much as I need you to survive. Which means we should be on equal footing, shouldn¡¯t we? Turn me, set me free immediately and I¡¯ll sign any gods damned contract, even a magical one, you want me to. But I¡¯m not going to taint what I am by bartering for my life with my freedom. Never did, never will.¡± ¡°And where¡¯s the difference to signing a binding contract?¡± ¡°Simple. If the incentive is right, every contract can be broken and I won¡¯t have sullied the one thing I¡¯ve risked everything for. Plus¡­ I said I¡¯d sign anything. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not going to haggle.¡± Before I could comment Alassara said with a hint of satisfaction: ¡°Agreed. Under one condition. We¡¯re doing the haggling before anything happens.¡± ¡°Fine by me. Should we send the youngsters packing? I wouldn¡¯t want my daughter to see me getting spanked.¡± ¡°Elisabeth,¡± so the old crone actually had a proper name and she had passed it on to her daughter as well, ¡°if you think you can get the better of me because you¡¯ve been dealing with scum for a few decades you¡¯ve got another thing coming. Plus, I don¡¯t think I need you as much as you need me.¡± A greedy spark ignited in the Madame¡¯s eye when she replied: ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. But don¡¯t go running to the authorities, even if we have them now, when I take you to the shed.¡± ¡°And my job here is done,¡± I mumbled more to myself than anybody else. ¡°Before I go, I¡¯ve got something for you.¡± With a thought I made one of the crystals materialise from my stamp, where I had stored them after the last pocket debacle, and offered it to the vampire. ¡°It¡¯s a communication crystal that¡¯s linked to my aura. The magic is mine. It¡¯ll work. Just¡­ did you listen when I talked to Layla?¡± She nodded. ¡°Of course, I might have been distracted but she¡¯s still my daughter. Thanks, by the way. I didn¡¯t expect you to try and persuade her.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Reia did. But that¡¯s not what I¡¯m getting at. I¡­ I think I¡¯d like her to have that thing, if that¡¯s alright with you.¡± My words made her smile beautifully. ¡°I probably would have given it to her anyways. After all, it¡¯s not only going to be me who¡¯ll come running when she falls from now on, is it? It¡¯s only right that she can call you whenever she needs to.¡± She took my hands in hers and added warmly: ¡°thank you Cassandra, you and Ahri both.¡± 367. Of revelations, tears and a little apple Cassandra Pendragon One more conversation. One more exhausting conversation and then I¡¯d be on my way. That and¡­ A light weight landed on my shoulder and the sharp, gleaming beak of a huge raven clicked ominously close to my ear. ¡°Do you have a moment,¡± the Broken Wheel inquired. ¡°A moment is about all I have. Why?¡± His silky feathers caressed my cheek when he rearranged his wings. ¡°Two things, actually. One, I¡¯ve been out and about and have stumbled across a few things that might be of interest. Whom do I tell them to? Your brother? The silvery snake you brought along? Your grandmother? Two¡­ I¡¯ve met your friend, Kana. What, in Gaya¡¯s name, have you done?¡± I stiffened immediately. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know? Figures. Fine then, I guess that¡¯s what we have to deal with first but you have to tell me what happened.¡± ¡°Why? Is she in any danger?¡± ¡°No, nothing of the sort, but she¡¯s¡­ broken, literally. I don¡¯t mean her psyche, her being has been split apart. I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how something like that can happen but¡­¡± he cawed indignantly when I jerked to a halt. He kept his balance with a few wingbeats, his claws tearing into my shoulder but I didn¡¯t feel it. Silvery light reflected off his pitch black feathers when I focused on him, my body stiff like a board. ¡°Tell me, tell me now. What have you seen?¡± The raven eyed me coyly, trying to gauge if I¡¯d take my anger out on him. We stared at each other for a few heartbeats before he gave in: ¡°It might be easier to show you. I¡¯m sure you can see what I mean. She¡¯s over there¡­ talking to Brianna. Pete¡¯s friend, the one you cured. I¡¯m sure you remember her, you stumbled across her statue in that cellar, didn¡¯t you? Well, I think I know why her statue has been there, I just can¡¯t come up with an explanation. Once you see them side by side, you¡¯ll know what I mean.¡± ¡°Marvellous,¡± I hissed while I was already walking in the direction the raven had indicated. ¡°Any more cryptic, ominous nonsense you want to share before we get there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense and I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t be more explicit, but¡­ you¡¯ll see. There they are. Would you mind if I stayed here?¡± ¡°On my shoulder? Can¡¯t remember you asking when you settled in.¡± ¡°I might have forgotten whom I¡¯m dealing with, for a tiny moment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind, as long as you don¡¯t pinch me¡­ more than you already have, that is.¡± He didn¡¯t reply but I felt his weight shift as he made himself and me more comfortable. We were nearing one of the smaller cherry trees, scattered around Greta¡¯s wooden body. Underneath the canopy sprinkled with pink, budding blossoms, sausages and bread, candy and apples were roasting over a merrily burning fire, the ensuing smells enough to make my mouth water. Pete and his ragtag band of adopted strays had somehow gotten their hands on a barrel of mead and decided to invite everybody they knew to share in the spoils of their endeavour. Even the young ones were sipping from horns or cups, depending on what had been available, even though I was convinced they had only received a watered down version of the amber liquid. At least I hoped so, but since none were staring at the blue sky, cross eyed, it couldn¡¯t have been too bad. Aside from Pete, Kana and the lively kids I had already met once before, I didn¡¯t recognise a single face, which didn¡¯t bode well for the future. Ever since my heart to heart with Liz and her friends I had been brooding. Ahri had managed to cheer me up a little, simply by being there for me, but the Broken Wheel had tossed me straight back into fruitless meanderings about right and wrong, duty and privilege. Not the most healthy disposition when I was about to be surrounded by people who would either stare at me, wide eyed and drooling, or outright recoil when they realised who I was. Up until now no one had seen me approach, enraptured as they were by the story Kana was telling them. She stood in front of the fire, gesticulating wildly to emphasise her words, her silhouette wreathed in dancing flames. She had her eyes closed, as if she was reliving every single scene she so passionately recounted, Brianna, Vi, Amos and Jimmy huddled together at her feet, unwilling to miss even a single word. Quietly I walked closer and channeled a trickle of energy towards my ears until I could understand her. A second later I was beginning to blush furiously, the story she told one of my own exploits. She had changed my name, even my race, but still¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not often that gods go to war, but when they do they don¡¯t fight for cities or islands, continents or even worlds¡­ no, power, the kind of power we know, matters very little to them. When they do battle, they do it for the most unbelievable, for the most minuscule things. For a single person, to repay a kind gesture or to avenge a slight. Moments all of us know but forget a second later are the tipping points when suddenly everything changes. Where I come from the elders still tell one such story. A story where the heavens burned and the earth bled because of a present, because a young, scrawny girl decided to share her last apple with a stranger in the streets. Because she saw his burdens, saw the weight of aeons in his gaze, and simply wanted to make him smile. Well, she succeeded and her life¡­ was never the same. On a hot summer day in a city, not unlike Free Land, far from here, the god of¡­ storms decided to take a break, to leave behind the woes of his existence and spend a few hours away from the stifling company of his siblings. He hadn¡¯t planned on meddling, he hadn¡¯t thought to stay for more than a day, at the most, but even his plans availed to naught when life had other ideas. He had changed his appearance to look like a regular human, garbed in the robes of one cloister or the other, and settled down near a fountain, the soft music of splashing water a calming song that reminded him of the voice of a lost friend.¡± Naeina. Naeina had been her name. She had been a nymph, a water nymph, who had died when her river had been poisoned. I had been too late¡­ the story of my life, and run to another planet to simply¡­ mourn her. Her and the innocents that had perished in the fires I had unleashed, when I had seen her body. Another part of my life. Wrath and regret had always been tied together but, at least in that regard, I was doing much better already, even though it had cost me a steep price in blood and tears to get there.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°He closed his eyes and listened, a single tear, glowing like molten silver, running down his cheek, when a small, fragile hand touched his knee. He opened his eyes and blinked in amazement as he stared down into a radiant smile, proudly revealing a tooth gap, the size of a small mountain. ¡°You look lonely,¡± the girl stated. ¡°Here, maybe that¡¯ll make it better.¡± She produced an apple from a threadbare bag and offered it to him. ¡°It¡¯s my last one, they always taste the sweetest.¡± Mechanically he reached for the bright red fruit but when the smooth skin touched his fingers he hesitated. ¡°Why,¡± was all he said. ¡°Don¡¯t you want it? My ma always said a shared meal can overcome everything.¡± A shadow of his power stirred behind his eyes and the little girl took a step back, the realisation that she might just have stumbled across someone dangerous slowly dawning on her. Before she could do more than blink though, he had snapped the fruit in two and offered half of it back to her. ¡°Then share we will. Why don¡¯t you sit down with me for a minute?¡± ¡°I¡­ do you really want me to, milord?¡± A pinched smile formed on his face. ¡°There¡¯s no need to call me milord. I¡¯m¡­ Samael. Of course I do, you remind me of someone I just thought about. She had your smile and was as prepared to share with a stranger as you are.¡± Hesitantly the girl settled down close by and began nibbling shyly on the fruit while the god watched her thoughtfully. ¡°Why are you even here,¡± he suddenly asked. ¡°It¡¯s not yet dark but shouldn¡¯t you be on your way home?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s waiting for me,¡± she replied timidly. ¡°I¡¯ve never met my father and ma¡­ she died last year. Rot fever, they called it.¡± ¡°I see. You shouldn¡¯t share that much. It¡¯s dangerous to trust someone you¡¯ve only just met.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I know. I¡¯m six, already. I don¡¯t think you mean me any harm, though, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have stopped.¡± ¡°And how would you know?¡± ¡°Bad people don¡¯t become sad like you are. I saw it in your eyes. You¡¯re like me. You¡¯re¡­ hurting.¡± He sighed and finally bit into the fruit, its sweet, fresh taste a welcome contrast to his grey emotions. ¡°Maybe I am. But I¡¯ll get better. So will you. We always do, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I hope¡­ it¡¯s just hard. How do you do it?¡± ¡°Pucker my butt cheeks and wait until I don¡¯t feel like screaming anymore?¡± She chuckled embarrassedly. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to talk like that around a young girl.¡± ¡°Ah well, if you¡¯ve got the balls to approach me, I¡¯m sure you can deal with some rough language and I don¡¯t feel like coating my words.¡± His eyes lit up with a hint of silver when an idea suddenly struck him. With a flourish he got to his feet, an echo of his true nature shimmering through the flimsy disguise he had donned. ¡°Or would you prefer to be treated like an esteemed lady, befitting of your noble character? If that¡¯s the case, milady, please forgive this poor fool for the seeming lack of respect. It¡¯d be my honour if you allowed me to take you out for the night and regain your favour.¡± He bowed from the waist, took her hand and breathed a kiss against her skin. ¡°Would you like to see the world through the eyes of a princess?¡± ¡°You can do that,¡± she stammered, his sudden change had left her breathless. ¡°That and more, if you want me to.¡± Now it was on her to ask: ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I think you deserve it? Because you offered to share what little you have and that shouldn¡¯t go unrewarded?¡± ¡°But¡­ tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Will come. Don¡¯t think about it.¡± He gently pulled her to her feet, his mask cracking even further as a gentle smile illumined his features. ¡°And should you come to enjoy what I have got to show you, we can still talk about it¡­ tomorrow.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you be gone by then?¡± ¡°Only if you want me to. So, what do you say? Shall we leave this place and forget our troubles for a single night? I can¡¯t promise that the meals will be as exquisite as your apple, but complaining to the waiters is half the fun, isn¡¯t it?¡± Still trying to come to terms with his offer she nodded shyly. ¡°Well then, first¡­¡± he snapped his fingers and a wave of light enveloped her. When it receded she was garbed in the most precious dress she had ever seen. Admiration and a tinge of fear tugged on her heart when she quickly spun around, afraid the glaring display had attracted the attention of the onlookers, but they seemed¡­ stuck, like ants in amber. ¡°They can¡¯t see us,¡± Samael explained. ¡°Tonight isn¡¯t about them, it¡¯s about you.¡± He swallowed the last bite of his apple and straightened, the final layers of his disguise evaporating. ¡°And maybe about me. Let¡¯s see if two old souls can still have a bit of fun, shall we?¡± When she took his hand again it felt different, colder, and she wasn¡¯t even scared when her world vanished into a whirlwind of colours. The next thing she knew she stood atop a tower, high enough to tickle the clouds, the fertile lands of her home sprawling away to the horizon all around her. ¡°You¡¯ve never been here, but it¡¯s your capital, a few weeks travel away.¡± His voice almost didn¡¯t reach her, enraptured as she was with the view. ¡°One of the royals is out of town, Princess Yasmine, and for tonight, you¡¯re her.¡± ¡°But¡­ but I¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°Leave it all to me. Being a mysterious stranger comes with its perks. One more thing before we head down and look for an appropriate carriage that can hold up to Your Highness¡¯ standards: whatever you do, don¡¯t leave my sight. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Crystal,¡± she replied, a widening smile on her face as the truth slowly sank in. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where we are.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s about time you found out. Come along. There¡¯s a whole city I want to show you and we only have a few hours.¡± A soft tug on his hand made him stop and raise an eyebrow questioningly. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to go back on the morrow,¡± she whispered. ¡°Then you won¡¯t. But we¡¯ll have to come up with another name since the real princess won¡¯t be gone forever. Might be a bit embarrassing if the both of you were to meet in the streets.¡± And just like that the first day of a new life had begun for a little girl who only wanted to share an apple with a stranger. It wasn¡¯t all peaceful, though. Luck inspires envy, envy engenders spite. Our little girl was forced to fight for what she wanted, many a time. She did it on her own, most of the time, for only the things we bleed for ourselves are worth a damn, but whenever her strength seemed to run out there was a storm brewing on the horizon and in its wake her dreams could flourish. An unlikely friendship grew, a friendship that spanned years, decades, centuries, a friendship that saw societies crumble and kings die, that endured wars and strife, a friendship that overcame betrayal and anger, envy and spite. He even marked her, granting her the ability to weather the storms of time, to challenge every foe the world could throw in her way.¡± Kana opened her eyes, a luminous tear running down her cheek as her gaze fell heavily on Brianna, who listened raptly at her feet. ¡°It was a small thing, hardly any different from a common birthmark, except¡­ it looked like a set of wings, surrounding a broken crown.¡± Brianna¡¯s eyes widened as she impulsively reached for her shoulder, her fingers twitching nervously. With a gentle smile Kana added for her: ¡°Yes, if the story is true, it might yet be there, for even if she died long ago, the power of the promises once made to her wouldn¡¯t crumble, even when faced with death. Would you like to meet him again? For I am sure¡­ he¡¯s still out there, looking for his friend, even if she¡¯s wearing a different face by now. Or should I say two?¡± ¡°Where is he? What did he look like?¡± Brianna whispered chokingly. Kana sighed, her bright eyes searching for my gaze. ¡°Turn around, turn around and you¡¯ll know. Even the tears are still there.¡± 368. Of options, responsibilities and a little rejection Cassandra Pendragon Blinking owlishly I suddenly found myself at the centre of attention once more. Kana couldn¡¯t have chosen a less inconspicuous way to include me in her story and we didn¡¯t have to wait long for the consequences. ¡°Is it true,¡± Brianna whispered. ¡°More or less,¡± I admitted. ¡°She skipped the gory the heavens burned and the earth bled parts entirely, which might have painted a slightly different, less romantic picture, but she didn¡¯t lie. What she said is true. Which makes me wonder¡­ do you bear my mark?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°No¡­ if it¡¯s there its magic will remain dormant until I acknowledge its existence and I didn¡¯t exactly look at your shoulder the last time we met, did I?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I suppose you didn¡¯t. Do you¡­ do you want to see it?¡± I sighed for the umpteenth time today. ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not so sure you want me to. Remember what I said? The magic is still dormant, it won¡¯t be once I¡¯ve seen it.¡± The weight on my shoulder shifted and a faint, almost inaudible thought reached me: ¡°coward,¡± the raven had said. I clenched my teeth but otherwise tried my best to ignore my feathered burden as well as the intensifying stares that made me feel like a particularly interesting exhibit at a zoo. Or a leper. Which, sadly, might have been the same thing. ¡°I¡­,¡± Brianna stammered, ¡°what do you expect me to say? I don¡¯t even know what you mean.¡± Pete, as the one who knew me best, was anxiously glancing in my direction, trying to catch my gaze, but, just like the gradually rising murmurs, I paid him no heed. Instead I slowly walked closer, trying to gauge her reaction. She did tense but she didn¡¯t flinch away and that was more than I had hoped for. Her friends, though, especially the fiery, young redhead, Vi, who had acted as her bodyguard before, weren¡¯t as accommodating. They didn¡¯t bar my way but neither did they move to the side, their expression stern and wary. The acidic scent of fear and rising anger clung to them like an overcoat and it took quite a bit of self control to stop myself from sending them packing with a single, thunderous command. ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated. Pete must have told you what I am by now. My magic, it¡¯s different from anything you¡¯ve encountered before. In a way¡­ it¡¯s not alive but it¡¯s still a part of me which makes the distinction academic, at best. Think of it like an animal in hibernation. Once I see it, once I feel it, it¡¯s going to wake up.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s going to happen then,¡± she asked, her voice as fragile as a newborn¡¯s. ¡°I¡­,¡± closed my eyes and tried to recall what I had done, all those years ago. There wasn¡¯t much there, a few hazy recollections but instead of any details as to what I had done, I mainly remembered why I had done it. Guilt. Guilt, pity and a healthy dose of hope. ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± I continued quietly. ¡°It could be nothing, but that¡¯s unlikely. All I know for sure is that there was a time when you trusted me enough to ask for it. I guess the question is whether or not you still think the same way.¡± Quiet enough that I had to rely on my fox ears to puzzle out her words as she mumbled: ¡°Have I ever regretted my decision?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kana interjected solemnly before I could muster a reply. ¡°On the contrary, there was a time when you would have given anything to tighten the bond even further.¡± ¡°And how would you know,¡± Brianna asked. ¡°Let her see the mark. I¡¯m sure she can tell you everything you want to know afterwards. Right now, all I have is speculation and you¡­ me and you, we both need the truth.¡± ¡°Who are you,¡± the girl whispered. With a sad smile Kana replied: ¡°A dream come true, torn from the depths of your despair. If you want something more tangible, I fear there¡¯s only way¡­ even though,¡± she turned to me but when she spoke she addressed the raven on my shoulder: ¡°tell her. With her vision she should be able to see.¡± A soft caw rumbled through my body before he replied: ¡°You haven¡¯t thought this through. If she looks this closely, she¡¯ll see the mark and all of this will have been for naught. The decision isn¡¯t yours, nor is it mine or hers. It¡¯s Brianna¡¯s. You know the life she¡¯s headed for. Ask yourself, does anybody but herself have the right to make that decision for her?¡± I was already struggling to keep up but his next words confused me entirely: ¡°she¡¯s not you. If I¡¯m right your past is nothing but an anchor that allowed something else to take hold. What I haven¡¯t told you, yet, is that I have a very personal interest in this whole affair, for I think one of my kin has taken the chance to live and breathe again¡­ through her.¡± ¡°Stop. Stop right there,¡± I interrupted, my voice barely recognisable. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Usually an outburst like that didn¡¯t serve any purpose, unless you were looking for a few pitiful glances, but when it came with the strength to even bend the will of a god the outcome was slightly different. My command rippled outward, like a wave in a pond, freezing everyone but the Broken Wheel and Kana in place. I hadn¡¯t meant to subdue them but I wasn¡¯t going to complain. This way I could at least figure out what I had done without anyone pushing my buttons. The raven tensed and turned his head towards me apathetically while the winged hybrid began to explain, her words dull, muted: ¡°when the Broken Wheel saw Brianna and me side by side he realised that we are more similar than two living beings should be. His domain isn¡¯t death but to safeguard souls so they can reach the river uninterruptedly. Mine never made it there, you saw to that, but what you did when you pulled my soul from the past still falls under his purview but even he couldn¡¯t glance past the glare of your spells.¡± ¡°I do have hundreds of lifetimes worth of experience, though,¡± the raven took over, ¡°and I know the rules. You didn¡¯t break them, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. Here¡¯s what I think happened. What Kana accomplished in her past has made her powerful. Her soul¡­ grew to accommodate the magics she was once confronted with, she herself took a part in. When you yanked it from the past her current vessel wasn¡¯t strong enough to contain it. The excess was expelled, a shining ball of power in the aether. With the laws of space and time crumbling under the onslaught of your power it could go everywhere and it went to the past, it clung to the first unborn life that could hope to contain it without combusting. Brianna. As to why¡­ I think the girl already harboured the last, dormant remnant of one of my siblings, waiting for another chance to come to life. Add an infusion of power to the mix and you have a¡­ half god in the making, someone whose essence could be powerful enough to entice a family of depraved necromancers to risk everything on the minuscule chance that they might use it.¡± My mind was spinning, trying to make heads or tails of his story.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. In less pompous words he had told me that I had fucked up, royally. A stupid mistake, really, but with far reaching consequences. I still remembered how much it had taken to rip Kana¡¯s soul from the past, enough energy that the basic laws of creation, like space and time, had¡­ not crumbled but become far less absolute. Hence the transformation I had been force to undergo. When I had taken ahold of her soul I had jammed the thing into a container that had lacked her centuries of experience, of rituals and growth, and it hadn¡¯t fit. To protect herself, she had expelled the part she couldn¡¯t cope with, which had then slithered through the cracks and latched onto Brianna, before her birth, apparently because the girl had already harboured a spark of Gaya¡¯s essence, one of the Broken Wheel¡¯s siblings, and thus had been able to endure the additional strain. Which in turn had promoted the Ironhands to go after her and set in motion the series of events that had led me to try and help Kana in the first place. A nice little loop. So far so¡­ well, not good, but at least acceptable. The real conundrum had only just begun, though. The goddamned mark I had left her with. The way I saw it, Kana had her original soul, the way it had been before we even had met at that fountain. Everything else she had dumped onto Brianna and there was no telling what would happen to the girl once my own powers awakened in her, especially if she already harboured several other energies. There was her own soul, the one she had been born with, supposedly a last living part of a goddess, the excess¡­ energy Kana had collected over her lifetime, bear in mind that it had been enough that I had been forced to end her life with my own hands, and lastly my mark. Judging from past experience awakening the damn thing would be akin to introducing a pariah to a pond of koi fish. Surely fun to watch but the result was pretty obvious and, if you had any sympathy for the koi fish, nothing you¡¯d ever try. And, to top it off, the whole narrative was pure speculation. It sort of fit, provided the Broken Wheel wasn¡¯t mistaken, but to make sure I¡¯d simply have to look at them both, truly look. Unfortunately, well, I think I¡¯ve already explained why that might just be a really stupid idea. No wonder the Broken Wheel had been so insistent on Brianna making the choice. She was the only one who had to fear for her¡­ maybe not life but identity, while the rest of us were mere onlookers. ¡°Enough,¡± I mumbled, absentmindedly recanting my command. A collective sigh of relief travelled along the rigid group as they struggled from their stupor. ¡°Pete, we need to talk. Now. As for you,¡± I made sure to catch everyone¡¯s eye, even though they could barely meet my gaze, ¡°you¡¯ll wait here. We won¡¯t be long.¡± Almost mechanically the gangly man scrambled to his feet and hurried after me, while the raven shook out his wings in discomfort. ¡°I truly hate immortals,¡± he complained quietly enough that I could choose to ignore him. ¡°Or that might just be you.¡± ¡°Trust me, should you ever meet one of my siblings, you¡¯ll be glad to have me,¡± I shot back. I didn¡¯t walk far, just out of earshot, and waited for Pete to catch up. He was clever enough to have figured out that something important was going on, even though I would have been prepared to bet that he hadn¡¯t understood a single word. To ensure our privacy I manifested my wings and allowed them to slither freely, effectively barring everyone from reaching us. Well, my mom and Reia would probably have been able to simply stroll past, but they weren¡¯t close by. Before I had even begun to formulate an explanation he grunted: ¡°what the fuck. Spill it.¡± And so I did. When I had finished he asked a single question: ¡°Do you think it¡¯s true?¡± I would have loved to laugh it off but I couldn¡¯t with a clean conscience. Admittedly, nearly everything hinged on an observation made by a damned splinter of a hive like consciousness but the raven knew very well what was going to happen should he have lied to me and the fact that he was still sitting on my shoulder convinced me that he wasn¡¯t trying to play any kind of game. ¡°The specifics? I¡¯m not sure, but in general I don¡¯t think they¡¯re far off. Truth be told, I think you should know better than anyone else. You¡¯ve watched Brianna grow up¡­ do you think she¡¯s just a normal girl?¡± ¡°No¡­ she probably isn¡¯t. You felt is as well, didn¡¯t you? She¡¯s¡­ as easily as you can make people obey she can lift their spirits by simply being there. But I¡¯d never have thought¡­¡± ¡°Will you keep an eye on her?¡± He remained quite for a long time, his eyes cast downwards. Despite a tightening knot of nervousness in the pit of my stomach I kept my silence and when he finally raised his gaze again, I knew I had been right to. With an almost sad expression he stated: ¡°Of course I will. But, Cassy, I have to ask you to stay away from us from now on. I know you didn¡¯t mean to but you put her at risk and I¡­ I have to keep them safe and that means, as much as I don¡¯t want it, away from you. Because shit like this¡­ it¡¯s going to happen again. You know it, I know it. I¡­ I¡¯d still like to see you, now and again, but please, stay away from the kids. If Bri decides she wants this insanity in her life, she¡¯ll seek you out but I have to look out for the others as well.¡± I felt a lump rise in my throat, even though I couldn¡¯t argue with him. He was right. I had brought enough upon my own people, I didn¡¯t have the right to involve another¡­ family, especially when they were still able to turn away. ¡°I understand,¡± I replied almost casually. It shouldn¡¯t have mattered, I barely knew them after all, but it did and it stung. ¡°I guess this means I¡¯m not going to verify their claims either, does it?¡± ¡°If Bri seeks you out¡­ but that¡¯s her decision. I¡¯ve seen what a spark of your power has done to Viyara, not to mention your mother. That¡¯s nothing I, or you for that matter, can decide for her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Still, if she really is a¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to call it, she might need help you can¡¯t provide, sooner or later. You know my door is always open to you, to you and them. Don¡¯t hesitate to come calling, I won¡¯t expect anything in return.¡± ¡°You never do¡­ that¡¯s what makes it all the more difficult. You¡¯re not a bad person, Cassandra, but I still can¡¯t allow a bunch of kids to toy with powers I myself can¡¯t understand. If Brianna wants to ignore it all, I have to make sure she actually can. She¡¯s still¡­ herself, isn¡¯t she,¡± he added insecurely. ¡°Of course she is. And for what it¡¯s worth¡­ I think you¡¯re doing the right thing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± to my surprise he gently touched my hand and managed a melancholic smile. ¡°I know. You¡¯re not at fault, you did what you could, but that¡¯s the problem. In what little time we¡¯ve known each other you¡¯ve grown by leaps and bounds and¡­ well, you¡¯re simply not mortal.¡± I reciprocated his smile bravely and asked: ¡°So, that¡¯s it? The end of the line?¡± ¡°You make it sound much worse than it is, we¡¯re still friends, aren¡¯t we? And,¡± his smile turned impish when he used my own words: ¡°for what it¡¯s worth, I think they¡­ well, at least Vi, Jimmy and Brianna, will come to you, sooner or later. But that¡¯s just it. They have to come to you, knowing what they¡¯re in for. Not the other way around.¡± ¡°You know, for a desperate, snivelling, good for nothing pirate you¡¯re not doing too bad as a¡­ father,¡± I whispered hoarsely. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, I have a reputation to uphold but¡­ yes, they¡¯re my family, ever since the day we¡¯ve met.¡± He eyed me coyly before he added: ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound insensitive, considering everything I know about your race, but I think you wouldn¡¯t be doing too bad either, as a¡­ you know, mother.¡± I chuckled chokingly. ¡°We¡¯ll never find out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure. Blood isn¡¯t what makes a family and your willingness to step away¡­ who knows, maybe Reia will have some competition in a few months¡­ or years, in Vi¡¯s case. The girl is still young enough to only trust things she¡¯s put in her mouth, at least once.¡± 369. Of misunderstandings, apologies and a little bit of power Cassandra Pendragon I remained rigid, rooted where I stood, watching from the shadows while Pete and the raven returned to the fire and its warmth. Another story of my life. Pathetic as it might have been I couldn¡¯t simply turn away but when a palpable wave of relief at my absence travelled through the tightly knit group I bit my lip until I could taste my silvery blood on my tongue. ¡°Why do you torture yourself,¡± Ahri asked. ¡°You know it isn¡¯t personal, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It bloody well feels that way. But that¡¯s not it¡­ it¡¯s the second time.¡± I felt her puzzle over my words for a second before she caught a faint glimpse of Sylvia laying into me. ¡°Right. She accused you of bringing harm to the kids. It triggered you, back then, but it didn¡¯t bother you. What¡¯s changed?¡± ¡°Reia. She was there with me and she didn¡¯t¡­ look through my eyes. They¡¯re glad I¡¯m gone.¡± A tickling sensation in the depths of my mind told me she was there but instead of a slight distortion of my vision I felt my energy expand and swirl until it reached my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t count your chickens before they¡¯ve hatched,¡± Ahri said, her thoughts laced with a tinge of happiness or maybe satisfaction I just couldn¡¯t explain. Until I actually bothered to listen. It hadn¡¯t been relief I had seen but I had been too absorbed in my own little pity party to understand. ¡°You blithering idiot,¡± Jimmy erupted. ¡°You¡¯re going to turn around right now and bring her back.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Pete hissed, ¡°you, none of you have any idea what¡­¡± ¡°Are you actually stupid,¡± Brianna shot him down. ¡°Of course we don¡¯t but neither do you. This, all of this, is so far beyond us that I don¡¯t even know which way to turn and you went right ahead andostracised the one creature who can actually dance with the devils we have to face and still cares enough to help us out? Have you finally managed to drown your wits in cheap booze all together?¡± ¡°Now, you listen here, young lady,¡± I smirked when I realised that he was actually trying to act like a father and even received the same reward as one: ¡°Young lady,¡± the gentle girl exploded with more fire than I had ever expected to burn in her, ¡°what are you trying to pull? Don¡¯t pretend like you have it all figured out. We know you don¡¯t and it¡¯s not your choice whom I¡­¡± ¡°It bloody well is,¡± the pirate turned makeshift dad hissed. ¡°You, none of you have even the slightest idea of what she is! She could kill you all by accident, without even realising what she¡¯s done! I¡¯m not going to let¡­¡± ¡°Let,¡± Jimmy cut in again scathingly while the rest of the group was slowly making themselves comfortable, settling in for the show. ¡°Since when do you let us do anything? Not to mention it¡¯s been you who¡¯s introduced her to our lives, hasn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t get to choose¡­¡± ¡°And neither do you.¡± Judging from her tone Brianna was close to tears, even though they were more of the spitting fire and bile kind than anything else. ¡°It¡¯s my call, isn¡¯t it, and I don¡¯t want to rely on a girl I¡¯ve never met or a crazy raven,¡± she jerked when she realised what she had said and apologetically inclined her head towards Kana and the Broken Wheel, who barley acknowledged her with a lazy nod, enraptured as they were by the unfolding drama, ¡°when I can have someone who¡¯s already saved my life. Twice! Not to mention your ungrateful ass. Tell me, how often would you have died without her and her people? From the looks of it I¡¯m in deep shit anyways and if I still have a chance I want her help. Now, can you live with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± he replied stubbornly, a sickly red, spotted blush rising to his cheeks. ¡°You don¡¯t have to like it,¡± the little redhead, Vi, interjected for the first time, ¡°you simply have to live with it. Can you do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve got much of a choice if you¡¯re all ganging up on me. Couldn¡¯t you have said something sooner before I went ahead and put my foot in my mouth?¡± ¡°We could have, if you had told us what you were planning. Do you think she¡¯ll even listen to us now?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t hold grudges, at least not over something like this. But I guess I¡¯ll have to apologise¡­ is there still some of the mead left over? That might be a good start.¡± I had heard enough. Grinning from ear to ear I turned away. ¡°Thanks,¡± I whispered into my thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡± ¡°Well, jumping to the wrong conclusions is obviously a given. Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re smiling again. Are they really that important to you?¡± I blew up my cheeks thoughtfully. ¡°In a way, but it¡¯s less about them and more about me. You know me, I¡¯ve never been the most forgiving when it comes to my own actions and what Pete said¡­ well, he isn¡¯t wrong, is he?¡± ¡°Oh boy, here we go again. It¡¯s always the same with you, isn¡¯t it? Yes, he isn¡¯t wrong. Getting involved with immortals is about as dangerous as walking into a lion¡¯s den with your back turned. We¡¯ve been over this when Boseiju burned. My opinion hasn¡¯t changed. You shouldn¡¯t force yourself onto others but you¡¯d be stupid to ignore their widespread, welcoming arms.¡± ¡°Are you prying? I¡¯ve just been thinking about leaving before they can drag me back.¡± ¡°Cassy, I don¡¯t need to pry. I know you and you said it yourself, you aren¡¯t that complicated. Stubborn and infuriating, maybe, but¡­¡± ¡°Just what every girl likes to hear¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re engaged, I¡¯m not trying to get into your pants. Do you want me to lie?¡± ¡°Of course not, but you could try sugarcoating your words, once in a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you fell for the wrong girl, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re after. I don¡¯t mind showing my affection, though. Here.¡± The very next second I was blushing like a beet root when a rather spicy picture of myself began to slowly form in mind. This much wouldn¡¯t have bothered me but the accompanying surge of love and longing was another matter. ¡°You know that¡¯s how I see you. Always. But aside from your looks you aren¡¯t perfect. Neither am I. It just so happens that I find your faults endearing and I hope it¡¯s the same for you, because I¡¯m at least as damaged as you.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°For a romantic gesture this was pretty close to an insult,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Still¡­ thanks. Ahri¡­ why don¡¯t you feel the need to be¡­ accepted? How can you¡­ I don¡¯t want to say not care, but simply push it away?¡± For the first time I felt her hesitation but with a little prodding she admitted: ¡°I think because I¡¯ve never been betrayed by you. I¡¯ve always been sure of the most important thing in my life, you. Even when I left¡­ I left. I don¡¯t want to make this about me, but I think that¡¯s one of the scars you haven¡¯t gotten rid of, yet. Back then¡­ Lucifer didn¡¯t give a shit about what anybody thought. To a dangerous degree, as you very well know. Your new life¡­ I think that¡¯s one of the things you wanted to change. Which means I¡¯m not so sure if you¡¯re ever going to be able to¡­¡± ¡°Just do as I damn well please? You¡¯re right. Probably not. You do know that your support is enough, though, despite my whining, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Never doubted it. I know you¡¯d burn the cosmos for me if I asked, the consequences be damned. And I¡¯d do the same for you. I¡¯m just not sure if that¡¯s actually a good thing.¡± ¡°For you? Probably not. I¡¯m infamous for being a little unstable from time to time. For me? If push came to shove I¡¯d trust your judgement over mine anyways.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been duped and played before. Not you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve told you before, what happened was more on me than it was on you. As I am now¡­ as we are now¡­ I don¡¯t think it would have come to that.¡± ¡°You can bet your ass it wouldn¡¯t have,¡± she growled. ¡°Never. Never again. That¡¯s the one thing I¡¯ve carried over from my last life. I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t complain or even scream at you all the way, but whichever path you¡¯re going to take I¡¯ll be right there with you.¡± A soft, loving smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as I replied: ¡°I know. You can¡¯t even stay away while you¡¯re in the middle of a royal conspiracy, consuming one of the most powerful nations on our continent. No, instead you try to console a stubborn girl with an addiction to pitying and second guessing herself. It¡¯s quite obvious that your priorities aren¡¯t quite as rational as I thought.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on here at the moment and even if it were¡­ you¡¯re right, I wouldn¡¯t care. You¡¯re my responsibility. Not some nation and definitely not some crown.¡± ¡°And what about Zara? She¡¯s your ward, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping right beside me. She had a long day yesterday. I can tell you all about it once you get here but nothing bad happened. Well, nothing surprising at least. The war is starting to take its toll¡­. by now there are reports of people dying every other day. Truth be told, I don¡¯t know how long I can stay out of it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The kids¡­ you know why Zara bound herself to me, don¡¯t you? Well, she¡¯s not the only one. Every noble family had to offer up a familiar,¡± I could almost see the snarl on her beautiful face as she thought the words, ¡°and most were the youngest ones who don¡¯t hold any real value, yet. Most of them are still in school for Christ¡¯s sake,¡± I didn¡¯t know when she had started using colloquialisms form earth but I had to admit, I enjoyed it, ¡°and I won¡¯t watch them being sacrificed. I¡¯m going to end this farce myself before it comes to that.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll at least have to wait until I can watch. But I wouldn¡¯t mind keeping out of it¡­¡± ¡°As if,¡± she snorted. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a day, two at the most, until you stumble across someone you like and all your demure intentions will go down the drain instantly.¡± ¡°Are the elves really that amicable?¡± ¡°Cassy, you¡¯ve made friends in Free Land. Do you honestly believe it¡¯s going to be any different around people who actually have some manners and whose culture is fairly similar to ours?¡± ¡°It is,¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°In a way. Even more rigid and it¡¯s less about actual prowess and more about your lineage but overall¡­ let¡¯s put it that way. Sylvia would fit right in.¡± ¡°Great. Now you made me remember I still have to face her. I don¡¯t know why, she even apologised, but, come to think of it, I don¡¯t really like her.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t only insult you, she insulted¡­ no, she ostracised Reia and her men attacked me. In all honesty, I¡¯m surprised she survived.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time to remedy that. I¡¯m quite sure I could even convince Sera to eat or squash her. If only to get into my good graces.¡± ¡°Tempting, but it¡¯s hardly worth it. No, I guess we¡¯ll have to deal with her for a few years to come. Who knows, once she doesn¡¯t feel cornered anymore she might even turn out to be quite tame. Then again, probably not. Otherwise Arthur wouldn¡¯t have married her.¡± ¡°Sometimes I do wonder how that happened. I just can¡¯t figure out what he sees in her. Considering I¡¯m obviously into girls myself I thought I¡¯d at least come to understand what attracts him, but I really don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, people are different. Very much so. Also¡­ are you sure? Despite my occasional bout of jealousy I¡¯ve never actually seen you look at anyone with any real¡­ heat, no matter how pretty. And between Aurelia, Erya and Alassara the choices haven¡¯t exactly been restricted. I¡¯m not even going to count Viyara, seeing as she¡¯s been more of a sister or even daughter to you from the start. Come to think of it¡­ neither have I. I¡¯m not so sure if you can actually draw a comparison there.¡± ¡°Honestly, you¡¯ve spoiled me. They can¡¯t hold a candle to you and that¡¯s not only my love for you talking. I love you for who you are, but you know yourself that¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between mortals and immortals. Believe me, I know. I¡¯ve been waking up at your side far too often. Makes one wonder, though, why our siblings always play around.¡± ¡°Boredom. Without love superficial admiration becomes stale really fast. A new toy is still more interesting, even if it¡¯s not as luxurious. Not to mention¡­ they¡¯re different. Without the hearts we¡¯ve been blessed with we¡¯d probably be the same.¡± ¡°So¡­ you no longer think we poisoned ourselves?¡± She was referring to Lucifer¡¯s breakdown after he and Aurora had escaped from the Silver City. ¡°You remember that,¡± I asked. ¡°No, but you do. That¡¯s enough.¡± One day I¡¯d really have to take the time to go through her memories with a fine tooth comb. Right after assimilating the memory crystals Mephisto had left behind and figuring out what to do with the goddamned cube I was still carrying around with me. ¡°You know that I never really regretted what we did, don¡¯t you? I was simply a drama queen.¡± ¡°Well, that hasn¡¯t changed, has it?¡± ¡°Excuse me? I think I¡¯ve matured¡­ at least a bit.¡± ¡°Right, by now you¡¯re less concerned with what you are and more with how others see you. Don¡¯t know if that¡¯s actually an improvement,¡± she scoffed. ¡°It is. Back then¡­ it really bothered me. Now my whining is mostly just an outlet. You have to admit, even for us the last couple of weeks have been one hell of a ride.¡± ¡°Fair enough. It¡¯s nearly over, though.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When was the last time you actually felt threatened?¡± I had to think for a moment, which should have been the first clue, but I didn¡¯t get it. Not yet, anyways. ¡°Lilith, I guess. When Aurelia woke up and Amon poisoned me I felt mistreated and shit out of luck, but not really threatened. And in my memories, you know, when I fought my way back, I was much too exhausted to even care.¡± ¡°So¡­ it takes an immortal to scare you now? What does that tell you?¡± And finally the penny dropped. ¡°I see where you¡¯re going with this but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right. For all the gibberish he spewed Mephisto was right about one thing: the greater the magic the greater the price. We might, might be able to face Amazeroth and Amon directly, but I¡¯m not willing to risk the fallout. Not yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. We don¡¯t have to run anymore, is all.¡± More softly she added: ¡°Since we¡¯re on topic, though¡­do you think you¡¯ll ever be?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not only that I fear what might happen to our friends¡­ our world in the process, no, something also tells me that Gaya won¡¯t be as protected when everything is said and done and I really don¡¯t want to deal with our siblings. Not yet, anyways.¡± 370. Of choices, camaraderie and a little panic Cassandra Pendragon Despite playing coy with Ahri I didn¡¯t slink away in the middle of the¡­ midday and waited dutifully until Pete had found his courage and approached me, head hanging. I was sorely tempted to let him stew for a while but when he stumbled clumsily through an apology I cut him off. Seeing him grovel wasn¡¯t nearly as gratifying as I had thought it¡¯d be and, in all fairness, my help had never really been on the line. Just if they even wanted it. Unfortunately the next small problem was whether or not I could actually provide any. Short answer, yes, but probably not in the way they expected me to. I couldn¡¯t snap my fingers and make it all go away. If the conjecture was right, Brianna harboured more than a single entity within her and while I was pretty sure that awakening my own spark, provided it was actually there, would burn away the traces of whatever entity had chosen her as its host, her actual self would most likely also fall victim to the flames. My powers were there to protect Kana, or rather whatever aspects of herself she had dumped on the girl, and that was what they¡¯d do. They wouldn¡¯t differentiate between the spark of a goddess and her original soul. They would rage and burn until nothing was left but the hollowed out husk of expelled power Kana had been forced to let go. Which left me with only two choices, really. Walk away and pray to whomever might listen that Brianna could find a way on her own to balance the maelstrom of different destinies, warring in her chest, or take back what I had given, ages ago. On one hand that would probably ease her suffocating burden, loosen her shackles considerably, but on the other¡­ if a sibling of the Broken Wheel had chosen her as a vessel, my powers might very well be what kept that spark at bay, prevented it from turning into a wildfire that¡¯d consume everything in its path until another deity could finally walk the earth again. Shit, I was so fed up with the intricacies and pitfalls I had to deal with that I was practically longing for a straight up fight by now, someone to rip to shreds to solve my problems, but alas, the world very seldomly cared for what we needed, never mind what we wanted, and I¡¯d have to find my own damned way, hard as it might be. ¡°It¡¯s neither the time nor the place. We don¡¯t know enough to make a decision and I won¡¯t play along with some half assed scheme we can cobble together right now,¡± I explained to a very eager audience. Unsurprising really, since it was their friend¡¯s behind on the line. ¡°Am I supposed to simply forget what I¡¯ve heard,¡± Brianna asked mulishly. ¡°Be a good girl and wait patiently until you return?¡± ¡°Honestly? It wouldn¡¯t be too much to ask, would it? But no, that¡¯s not what I had in mind. If you¡¯re in any way similar to how Kana was, and I think you are, you won¡¯t be able to simply let go. Neither would I. There are quite a few steps between giving up and breaking head first through a wall though. Believe me, I know. Get to know your own history, learn as much as you can about that divine spark you presumably carry. You don¡¯t need me for that, do you?¡± ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t,¡± Kana interjected, ¡°but she needs me. Do you expect me to remain behind?¡± Her question sounded innocent enough but there was an edge to her voice that didn¡¯t forebode sunshine and rainbows. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. I told you I¡¯d take you along and I¡¯m not going back on my word, but I think it might be better for her and you as well, if you remained here.¡± ¡°Doing what? Telling stories? Remembering what I once was, regretting what I¡¯ve become?¡± ¡°Figuring out who you are? You¡¯re just as divided, as fractured as Brianna. Coming with me would be nothing but another excuse to run, one I willingly handed to you on a silver platter. Now it¡¯s up to you to decided if you want to take it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an ass, you know that, right?¡± I smiled crookedly. ¡°Guilty as charged, but not without reason. So, what¡¯s it going to be?¡± ¡°As if you don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not¡­¡± She paused, frowning in surprise when the little girl, Vi, pulled on her trousers. Kana dropped to her knees and inclined her head, allowing the squirt to whisper in her ear. I felt my own ears twitch towards them but with a conscious effort I refrained from listening in. A second later she straightened again, still frowning. ¡°Fine. Under one condition. Talk to the Brightblaze sisters before you leave, they know as much about deities as any person I know and¡­¡± again she was interrupted when the large raven, settled on the lowest branch of a cherry tree nearby, cawed indignantly. ¡°I can tell you everything you need to know,¡± he complained. ¡°There¡¯s no need to involve¡­¡± ¡°There is,¡± Kana shot him down. ¡°With Cassy gone I¡¯m not sure how far we can trust you and I want someone around who can call you out on your bullshit. And trust me when I say, I will tattle.¡± The raven puffed himself up but before he could voice his perceived grievances I quickly said: ¡°I wanted to talk to them anyways. Well, Emilia at least. But under these circumstances you¡¯ll probably want Serena with you. And as for you,¡± I added while I narrowed my eyes at the bundle of feathers: ¡°you¡¯ll do everything you can to help, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t,¡± he mumbled, almost petulantly. A silvery spark traveled the distance between us lazily and singed his claws. He took to the air in a flurry of feathers and complaints. ¡°Fine,¡± was everything I was able to understand in between his spluttering, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± I squinted my eyes against the bright sunlight and scrutinised the sky. Damn it! There was no way in hell by now I¡¯d be able to make myself scarce before someone spotted the ship, it was close enough that the dragons, at least, would be able to see it, if they concentrated. ¡°I better run,¡± I added, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯m¡­.¡± Distractedly I produced another crystal from my stamp and rolled it between my fingers, my gaze travelling over the assembled group. Their expressions were ranging from confusion to anxiety, a bit of excitement sprinkled in here and there. With a sigh I extended my hand towards Kana and explained: ¡°Take this. You can use it to communicate with me. Simply hold it and concentrate. I meant to leave it with Pete, but¡­¡± a crooked smile formed on her face when her fingertips brushed over my palm as she took the glowing gem.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Is that a reward or a way to keep an eye on me,¡± she asked. ¡°A bit of both, I guess,¡± I chuckled. ¡°I thought I¡¯d have you with me. Since that¡¯s not going to happen¡­ I¡¯d like to keep in touch. Regularly. I¡¯d still like to hear your story and we don¡¯t want even more millennia to pass unnoticed, do we?¡± ¡°Guess not.¡± Instead of letting go her fingers wrapped around my wrist with surprising force and she pulled me into her. ¡°I was right,¡± she whispered, while her arms snaked around my shoulders. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed. You¡¯ve simply grown up.¡± Smiling I returned the hug. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure but I¡¯m trying. Believe it or not I¡¯m going to miss you.¡± ¡°Same here, Lightbringer. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll call, if only to complain. But more likely than not I¡¯m going to need a shoulder to cry on.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. Do you remember what I told you, when the sun rose after our first night out together?¡± ¡°Sure. You said you might not always be there when I wanted you to, but you¡¯d always be around when I needed you to.¡± ¡°And I was, wasn¡¯t I? That¡¯s not going to change.¡± ¡°Does that mean all I have to do is wish upon a star and the heavens will be torn asunder?¡± ¡°Nothing quite as dramatic. Like you said, I¡¯ve grown up. But¡­ why did you turn me into a storm god?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s what you are, isn¡¯t it? Capricious and dangerous, but yet, once the clouds have passed, the world is clean and invigorated. You just have to pray that the lightning doesn¡¯t get you before it¡¯s all over. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve only recently called myself the same thing. Look, what I¡¯m trying to say is this¡­ storms are needed to wipe the slate clean, but now you can actually build something lasting. I think you¡¯re doing the right thing, trying to help Brianna and I do believe that you won¡¯t need me anymore to even the score. You¡¯re not as¡­ hollow as you think you are.¡± The admission stung, since I was practically iterating my mother¡¯s words. Kana had needed me to put her past to rest but her path to the future was something she had to find without me. She pushed me to arm¡¯s length and scrutinised my face. ¡°Why do you look sad, then?¡± ¡°Not sad, melancholic, maybe. It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s not important.¡± In the depth of my mind I felt Ahri¡¯s presence stir as if she was on the verge of butting in, but she didn¡¯t. Kana held my gaze a moment longer before she let go. ¡°If you say so. Just¡­ you know, this,¡± she gesticulated vaguely, ¡°goes both ways. You don¡¯t have to deal with your problems all on your own. I¡¯m not conceited enough to think I¡¯d be able to help but I would love to listen. Who knows, maybe I can even come up with something you haven¡¯t thought of yourself, despite your experience.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Also¡­ you haven¡¯t changed that much either. Before I go¡­ would you like to share an apple?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to. Now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have the time later on and as soon as they have the chance Brianna and her friends are going to descend on you like vultures. You¡¯re the one with all the answers, at least that¡¯s what they must think. Something to look forward to, isn¡¯t it,¡± I added with a grin while she nervously glanced around, paling as soon as she realised that the assembled group was staring at her with curiosity and barely veiled expectations. ¡°Ah well, at least you can give me some pointers on how to appear wise and knowledgable without having a clue,¡± she stated bravely. ¡°I can try, but I¡¯ve always failed spectacularly, haven¡¯t I,¡± I smirked. ¡°How long did it take you back then to figure out that I was simply making things up on the fly? A week?¡± ¡°Honestly? Pretty much the first night. But I never regretted it. Not even once, not even when¡­¡± ¡°My family came calling. I appreciate that. Come on then. Let¡¯s have a few minutes to ourselves and reminisce like the old women we deserve to be.¡± Since we both had wings it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find a quiet place somewhere among the branches of the smaller trees. A few hasty explanations and we were off, the colourful complaints of a complete stranger, whom I had stolen a single apple from, still ringing in our ears. The next few minutes were¡­ as pompous as it might sound, they were balm for my soul. We didn¡¯t even talk about anything important but simply sharing a few treasured memories from a time that usually provided me with nothing but headaches and remorse felt indescribably precious and it also served to soothe my worries, to loosen the tightening knot I felt in the pit of my stomach every time I imagined leaving Kana alone with her baggage, mere days after I had finally met her again. Alas, it didn¡¯t last long. I still had to talk to the Brightblaze sisters and from where we were sitting I could already see my mom ushering the members of my family towards the entrance of the Great Tree. A handful of minutes and they¡¯d be waiting for me. Not to mention that the ship in the sky was by now large enough that someone was bound to notice any minute. Hence we hugged one last time and glided down from our perch, her towards a band of unruly street rats, who might yet turn out to become more of a family to her than she had ever experienced and me¡­ well, I¡¯d love to say towards another adventure but in reality it would probably turn out to be much less romantic and much more demanding, exhausting and probably bloody. Still, procrastinating wouldn¡¯t do me any good. It never does. I climbed higher into the sky, more out of a fleeting sense of longing than necessity, and following an impulse I focused on the raging rivers of energy, thundering through my limbs. With a shift of my awareness I forced them into patterns, mimicking the flow in the air and watched in silent amazement as my wings flickered out of existence, followed by my whole body. I wasn¡¯t entirely invisible, but the patterns were hardly distinguishable from my surroundings anymore. Damn it, that had been so easy that I could only curse myself for not trying it sooner. This particular trick would have come in handy so many times that I could barely count them. With a gentle thud and a broad grin I landed on the soft, verdant grass while I used most of my concentration to adjust to the changing environment. Relishing in my newfound anonymity, a much more thorough concealment than anything my cloak could provide, I wandered unseen among the crowd, trusting in my nose to lead me to Serena and Emilia. Unnoticed I passed by throngs of people, who would have jumped immediately, had they been able to see me, I snaked through groups of dancers, moving to the engaging rhythm of a few plain instruments and pushed past the maze of fires and succulent smells, without causing so much as a stir in my wake. On the way I became sorely tempted to listen in here and there, especially when I spotted someone I already knew, my curiosity to hear what they had to say when I wasn¡¯t around nearly overwhelming, but I didn¡¯t intend to turn into Gollum 2.0, hiding in the shadows and sneaking through the dark, as useful as it might have been. I just had a tad too much respect for my friends. The sisters, though, were another matter. Not that I disrespected them in any way, but since I had to seek them out I didn¡¯t see any harm in snooping, just a tiny bit. Chances were they wouldn¡¯t be talking about anything interesting anyways, so where was the harm? After a while their scent became stronger and when I had disentangled myself form a particularly boisterous group without stepping on anyone¡¯s toes I finally saw them, huddled together, whispering beneath the canopy of a cherry tree. Some of their soldiers were close by, still clad in their regular armour, but the pair had apparently ordered their men to give them some privacy. Which put me in a tough spot. On one hand it was clear as they that they didn¡¯t want to be overheard, on the other my curiosity was burning ever more brightly. If it was politics they were talking about it wouldn¡¯t matter too much, but if it was something personal¡­ I decided on the spot to have a quick peek. I could still reveal myself instantly if I was feeling uncomfortable. Carefully I walked closer, my agility more than enough to hide the traces of my approach, while a trickle of energy reached my ears. ¡°Are you sure,¡± Serena asked anxiously, her green eyes glowing uneasily. ¡°I told you I¡¯d accept your decisions and I¡¯ll abide by my word, but you have to realise how risky your plan is.¡± ¡°Risky,¡± Emilia scoffed. ¡°They don¡¯t care for alliances. If we can¡¯t tie them to us I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see the end of the year. Or did you forget how powerless we were? Because I haven¡¯t.¡± Fuck. 371. Of debts, grudges and a little bit of support Emilia Brightblaze Did she really think I couldn¡¯t feel her? I knew she was there, the faint taste of stardust on my tongue, the warm shivers her energy sent down my spine were more than enough to realise Cassandra was close by, even though I couldn¡¯t see her. Not that it mattered. She had to hear this anyways and I didn¡¯t mind one bit that I wouldn¡¯t have to face her while I rushed through my explanation. Not after everything she had done to protect me from Asra. I just couldn¡¯t understand why Serena didn¡¯t know. Or she might simply have been a better actress than I had given her credit for. ¡°Neither have I,¡± my sister replied, ¡°but if you make enemies out of them we won¡¯t have to worry about Amon. Corpses don¡¯t have much to fear and I don¡¯t think even your angel could keep us safe if we were to truly anger the Burning Court. I nearly made that mistake when we ran¡­ why risk it again?¡± ¡°Because the future doesn¡¯t wait for us to find our courage,¡± I whispered. More loudly I added: ¡°because they command the strongest army on this continent? Because they could actually withstand the power of an empire, at least for a little while?¡± Serena rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you honestly believe that they would listen to you, to us, of all people? In the Monarch¡¯s eyes you¡¯re already dead. You died, years ago, in the flames I protected you from. For him to listen you¡¯d need something to offer, for a¡­ what do you even have in mind? Marriage? Becoming one of his concubines? Even if you did, even if you could, he¡¯d never allow you to decide what he does with his troops. No, they simply want to rectify a slight. You¡¯ll burn unless you have something to offer, but¡­¡± I smiled sadly, my gaze wandering to where I knew Cassandra was listening. ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s nothing you or I could entice him with. But we¡¯re not alone, are we? We haven¡¯t been for quite a while.¡± The air became distorted, as if a veil was being pulled away, and a second later the tall kitsune shimmered into existence, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression stern, her tails a silvery, rigid curtain behind her. A singular spark was smouldering in the depths of her slanted eyes, ready to blaze to light or fade away at any moment. ¡°You haven¡¯t,¡± she said neutrally, her cool, silky voice charging the air between us, ¡°but you¡¯d be wise to ask before you assumed. Tell me, what is this about?¡± Instead of answering I reached into my dark blue robe and produced a thick parchment, sealed with molten gold. I meant to hand it over, but after a single step I hesitated. The coarse skin seemed to become heavier in my hand, the warm sun suddenly turned cold, the distant shouts of celebration mute, and I had to swallow the rising bile in my throat. I knew enough about Cassandra¡¯s stubbornness to realise that this was my last chance to simply ignore the entire matter. Serena had been right, at least in that regard. Once I handed the message over we¡¯d either die before the year had run its course or we¡¯d succeed. A crooked smile formed on the angel¡¯s perfect face as she studied my posture: ¡°et tu, Brutus,¡± she mumbled. ¡°And here I was, thinking you trusted me a little by now.¡± ¡°Trust isn¡¯t the problem,¡± I replied haltingly, ¡°fear is. The dragons of our youth don¡¯t diminish over time, even if they were just barking dogs.¡± Her smile turned gentle as she said: ¡°Emilia, you should know that I¡¯m neither scared of dragons nor of dogs. Remember the last time? You were scared out of your wits but it did work out, in the end.¡± ¡°Not for Asra,¡± I added with a smirk. ¡°No, not for him. But you¡¯re not planning to reintroduce the slave trade and take a couple of pretty boys home as your toys, are you?¡± ¡°Maybe not boys,¡± I replied wistfully but immediately turned serious when I saw her expression darken. I glanced at my sister helplessly but she only shook her head. She wouldn¡¯t become involved. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m nervous, I didn¡¯t think.¡± Steeling my nerves I reached out. ¡°Here. Read it. It should make everything clear.¡± A crease formed between her brows as she opened the envelope and studied the golden, ornate runes on white leather. ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯d take me hours to figure out the language.¡± Mere hours? ¡°What does it say?¡± Sighing I took back the parchment and after a moment¡¯s hesitation began to explain: ¡°it¡¯s an invitation. My sister and I have been granted the privilege to return to Gryffinhorst and formally petition the Burning Court for a pardon. If granted we¡¯ll be welcomed back into the fold¡­ with my title as a Lady of the Immortal Sun intact, even though I¡¯m still alive. If not¡­ well, you know our obsession with fire, don¡¯t you?¡± Her frown became more pronounced but her question I didn¡¯t see coming: ¡°Now? You just received that letter now? How? There¡¯s only one¡­ I haven¡¯t seen a single ship so it must have been magic, but Greta didn¡¯t say a thing¡­¡± the last part she had added absentmindedly, as if talking to herself. ¡°It was carried by one of Aurus¡¯ eagles,¡± I explained. ¡°They¡¯re deadly fast and only serve the ruler of the Burning Court, the one who sits on the Gryffinthrone.¡± ¡°So the message is genuine and has been sent today, most likely¡­ and why ever would you be tempted to take that nonsense at face value?¡± She didn¡¯t sound unsure, she was convinced it was a trap. Taken aback I stammered: ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°Today,¡± she explained, her wings materialising while she began strutting back and forth, entirely oblivious to our panicking guards, who had just now realised that we weren¡¯t alone anymore, ¡°it arrived today. Discussions in court, proper etiquette¡­ it has taken them a while to make a decision. They¡¯ve decided to act two or three days ago. How, why? Do the people of your home island know what has happened here? If so¡­ how¡¯s that even possible? If not¡­ why do they reach out now, of all times? Have they always known where you were? Unlikely or they¡¯d have brought you back in chains long ago¡­¡± Serena had been listening with rapt attention and interrupted anxiously: ¡°What are you getting at?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°What¡¯s the easiest explanation? They¡¯re fed information. By whom? It could be your god, the Immortal Sun, but that¡¯s unlikely. I felt him and he felt me when he manifested his wrath in Alassara¡¯s home. Trust me, no deity will ever willingly admit that it has been sent packing, with its tail between its legs, and he wouldn¡¯t be eager to relive the experience. So who?¡± ¡°Do you mean to say¡­¡± Cassandra stopped dead in her tracks and closed her eyes, her ears and tails quivering. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s entirely possible. Amon could have been influencing your court for months or years. I¡¯m decently sure he doesn¡¯t use dreams, your deity would have been able to prevent or at least feel it, but we don¡¯t even know how long he¡¯s been present on our continent. He might have puppets all around the world. It doesn¡¯t cost him much when he¡¯s simply pulling a few strings to¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ distract us? Divide us? Make our lives miserable? He¡¯s pretty good at that.¡± ¡°But,¡± Serena stammered: ¡°the magic of our priests¡­ the protection around¡­¡± ¡°Human error,¡± the kitsune sighed, ¡°the best plans usually collapse around a bored idiot or a traitor who doesn¡¯t fulfil his duty. Same holds true for defences¡­¡± She raised her head and opened her eyes again to stare at the deep blue sky. ¡°Or I¡¯m just paranoid¡­ in which case you¡¯d still better come up with a feasible explanation as to why a nation, that wanted to burn you at the stake, suddenly sends an invitation, that, judging from your wording, is a pretty damn rare exception.¡± ¡°What if they have their own people here,¡± I interjected. ¡°Spies? In Free Land? Why? And why haven¡¯t they either contacted you sooner or simply abducted you whenever they felt like it?¡± ¡°Prudence,¡± Serena tried to explain. ¡°We didn¡¯t commit as big of an affront that they¡¯d go to any real length to find us and when we were gaining influence they might have decided to wait for an opportune time to contact us. A time like today.¡± Cassandra didn¡¯t turn around but I could practically hear her think. ¡°No,¡± she finally said. ¡°That would mean that they¡¯d expect to have some kind of influence or debt they can wield over your heads to make you comply with whatever they want. They¡¯d expect you to have some form of either lingering loyalty or even obedience left within you¡­ or fear. Nobody is that oblivious, not after everything that has transpired. But either way, why? What¡¯s there to gain? Even if you followed the invitation, what would happen? Imprison and use the two of you as leverage to make your men act in whatever fashion? That¡¯d be one hell of a lot of trouble to gain shaky control over a measly 300.¡± ¡°Would you leave us to rot in a tower, waiting for the hangman,¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Of course not, but nobody can actually know¡­ oh.¡± She resumed her rounds, mumbling under her breath. ¡°Misguidance and illusions¡­ delay my arrival? What for? Unless¡­¡± she spun around, her wings singeing the air, and focused on us: ¡°do you know if there are any connections between your own home, Aurus, and the Emerald Island?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Serena immediately answered. ¡°Aurus has the largest population and the largest fleet on our continent, as far as I know. The trade agreements alone are nearly as old as the Cataclysm. Elves don¡¯t breed with other peoples so there aren¡¯t any joined families but the political ties are very much here. Why, I think there¡¯s even a permanent emissary of ours stationed with them.¡± ¡°It still doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± the angel admitted with a sigh and massaged her temples. ¡°Why¡­ unless they thought we¡¯d already be gone when you received the message. But who could have told them¡­¡± her eyes suddenly ignited again and I felt a chill permeating the hot, humid air. ¡°Do you still pray,¡± she asked deceptively calmly. I shook my head but Serena blushed and hesitated before she admitted: ¡°Every night. It calms me down. But I don¡¯t address the Immortal Sun anymore.¡± ¡°Whom do you pray,¡± Cassandra began, ¡°no matter, it¡¯s none of my business,¡± she quickly added when she realised that my sister was turning redder with every passing moment. Was she actually praying to angels instead of gods? Wouldn¡¯t they know? She didn¡¯t force an answer out of Serena but said: ¡°tell me, vengeance and retribution, are they important to your people, more importantly, your faith?¡± ¡°I¡­ yes,¡± Serena immediately replied, grateful for the change of topic. ¡°Loyalty, consequences, sacrifice, punishment¡­ the whole plethora is more or less an integral part of our culture.¡± ¡°Perfect, just perfect,¡± the kitsune groaned. ¡°Which means your so called god can¡¯t be moping, he¡¯s trying to get back at¡­¡± she paused again, looking worried for the first time. ¡°You,¡± I completed her sentence. ¡°If only¡­ your priest summoned him¡­ on your sister¡¯s orders. Hierarchy and loyalty. Their actions are yours and his defeat your fault, just as much as mine. No, for once I don¡¯t think this is about me or what we¡¯ve done. Which means you¡¯re definitely not going to go.¡± ¡°But,¡± I began, ¡°don¡¯t we need¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± she erupted. ¡°Do you still feel connected to Aurus?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Serena answered for the both of us. ¡°Emilia was too young to even remember and I wouldn¡¯t mind if they were devoured by the flames they worship so much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled, then. You¡¯re not going and, as far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re not ever going to. Is the eagle still around?¡± I nodded. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for a reply to carry back home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. These birds¡­. They¡¯re important, maybe even blessed, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes, very much so. At the very least they are the monarch¡¯s pets.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± the angel purred while a nasty grin spread across her pristine face and her gaze travelled over the roofs towards the faint outline of our mansion. ¡°What¡¯s going through your mind,¡± I asked, torn between relief and anxiety. I had dreaded returning to Aurus but Cassandra¡¯s demeanour didn¡¯t bode well for the future either. ¡°Whether it¡¯ll be tastier roasted or cooked,¡± she explained while I felt my mouth drop to the floor, my incredulous expression mirrored in my sister¡¯s blank stare. ¡°I still have to gather provisions and an overgrown chicken will do nicely.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right,¡± Serena stammered. ¡°No¡­ of course you aren¡¯t. Isn¡¯t there a saying about never eating the messenger,¡± she added exasperatedly. Suddenly the angel burst into laughter and wrapped her arms around our shoulders, the smell of stardust enveloping me like a light blanket. I tried to resist, to make her face us again, the desecration of a national symbol wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly in my humble opinion, but I could just as well have tried to stop the moon from rising. Falling into step with her I gathered my breath but before I could open my mouth Cassandra already explained through persisting fits of mirth: ¡°I know I can be a bit erratic but did you really believe I¡¯d go through all that trouble simply to prove a point?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± we replied immediately and synchronously. ¡°Fair enough. Maybe I would. Not this time, though. Anyways, if I roasted the cock, who¡¯d carry my message?¡± ¡°Your message,¡± Serena asked. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure you have a few choice words for the gentlemen who forced you into exile as well, but this as good a chance as any to remind your god whom he¡¯s toying with and to ensure that there won¡¯t be any further surprises down the line.¡± ¡°And how can you possible make sure of that,¡± Serena asked sceptically. ¡°Simple. I¡¯ll invite them. Most officially. Just need an official seal and someone who can actually stick to the necessary etiquette. I could do it myself but anyone who¡¯s seen my handwriting knows I¡¯m not a noble. Not a proper one, at least.¡± ¡°So¡­ where are we going,¡± I mumbled confusedly. ¡°To meet my family. Both of my brothers and my mom. Who¡¯d have guessed that I¡¯d one day be grateful for their pompous upbringing. Trust me, if we can get them to play along they¡¯ll have an emissary or maybe even someone with real power here within the month. Afterwards¡­ well, that¡¯s mostly up to you but I¡¯ll back you up, whatever you decide to do.¡± 372. Of prayers, names and a little admiration Cassandra Pendragon The psyche truly is a funny little thing. I had always been prone to mood swings but it had gotten so much worse ever since Ahri had vanished. I didn¡¯t mean to complain, in this particular instance I was even grateful, but the sheer elation I had experienced when it had dawned on me that Amon might not be the one pulling the strings, at least this once, was still worrying. Not to mention that a literal vengeful deity was out there to get me or, if he couldn¡¯t, the Brightblaze sisters, whom I admittedly considered friends. At least the younger one. Still, I was struggling to keep on a straight face while we leisurely strolled towards Greta¡¯s tree, dodging fire pits and celebrating locals, arm in arm like old friends out to hit the town, except for the less than inconspicuous guards on our tail. It seemed hardly imaginable that Serena and I had been on the verge of tearing each other¡¯s throats out merely days ago. How everything had changed in the blink of an eye. But that¡¯s the beauty of life, you never know where it leads you. ¡°Are you humming,¡± Emilia asked incredulously, her eyebrows arched. ¡°Oh, it sure seems that way. Does it bother you,¡± I asked through a smile. She shook her head, her golden tresses dancing mesmerisingly. ¡°No, I was just surprised. But why? Are you looking forward to a conflict with Aurus that much?¡± ¡°Not really, but I¡¯m quite glad there¡¯s an actual explanation for what¡¯s happened. I don¡¯t mean to belittle your former home but I¡¯d take my chances with them over Amon any day of the week. And as for the Immortal Sun¡­¡± I felt a grin spread across my face as I added: ¡°the raven is already pretty tame. Let¡¯s see how long it takes for the other one to fall in line.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t have any respect for our faith, do you,¡± Serena asked, even though her inflection wasn¡¯t nearly as grave as the question might have suggested. ¡°Faith? Even if I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s yours anymore? Tons. For a restricted splinter of manifested longing? Not so much. Day by day I¡¯m remembering more of my past¡­ let¡¯s just say once you¡¯ve met one so called god, you¡¯ve met them all. They really aren¡¯t all they¡¯re made out to be.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Emilia mumbled. ¡°When you¡¯re forced to run for your life because they¡¯re after you they surely don¡¯t appear insignificant anymore.¡± ¡°Neither does a thug when he¡¯s pressing a blade to your throat. Doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s anything but misguided, maybe even pitiful.¡± I closed my eyes, relishing in their warmth at my side and the soft touch of a gentle breeze, while I tried to remember a conversation with a particularly stubborn Buddhist monk. ¡°Power is a strange concept. It relies as much on being granted as being taken.¡± ¡°Are you actually suggesting that we invited all the trouble into our lives willingly,¡± Serena hissed and tried to pull away but I didn¡¯t let go. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°But how you deal with it¡­ that is on you. Which reminds me¡­ your magic. You once told me it¡¯s based on your beliefs. Does it still work?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it,¡± she asked guardedly. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t pray to your god anymore. Isn¡¯t worship an integral part for it to function properly?¡± She sighed and this time I was entirely sure she was blushing. ¡°It does work,¡± she finally admitted. ¡°Just¡­differently.¡± ¡°Care to show me?¡± I felt her fidget but her response was pretty calm. ¡°I¡¯d rather not. Not now when you¡¯re practically out of town already.¡± Oh my, I didn¡¯t mean to speculate but¡­ ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry, though. I¡¯m not weaker, by any means. Quite the contrary. I might not be able to face a splinter of the Immortal Sun directly, but there isn¡¯t a priest left I¡¯m scared of.¡± ¡°Is that so? Good for you. Does that mean you¡¯ve actually found someone else to place your trust in?¡± She stiffened immediately and turned her head away from me: ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You said you were praying to someone else. I just thought you might have received an answer.¡± ¡°In more ways then one,¡± she whispered and finally found the courage to meet my gaze. ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡± Oh boy, maybe I should start speculating, especially since what I had come up with didn¡¯t make a lick of sense. Immortals couldn¡¯t share their powers. Not like that, at least. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t. But let me guess, as coy a you¡¯re acting¡­ gold has turned into silver hasn¡¯t it?¡± Emilia took in a gulping breath, her eyes travelling from her sister to me and back again. ¡°Do you¡­,¡± she began but Serena cut her off resolutely. ¡°That¡¯s not all, though,¡± she stated. ¡°My spells¡­ they don¡¯t falter anymore. No matter the circumstances. Sounds familiar?¡± ¡°A little bit,¡± I admitted with a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s get this straight. When you said pray¡­ did you¡­ did you ask for my help?¡± She closed her eyes, her lips quivering. Holy. Shit. ¡°Not by name¡­ but yes, I did,¡± she breathed, mortified. To be perfectly honest, I felt flattered. Immensely. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. It shouldn¡¯t have worked. It couldn¡¯t have. I stopped, forcing the two girls to come to a stumbling halt. ¡°Show me, show me now,¡± I insisted. ¡°I¡­ fine, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever you¡¯ve done before.¡± Still bright red Serena closed her eyes and a frown appeared on her brow as she concentrated. A second later she extended her hand a shower of sparks manifested above her palm, glowing silver with just a touch of iridescent blue. The worst part, this close I could even feel it. Without so much as a conscious thought I reached out and marshalled the sparks into a glowing orb. They obeyed my will just as readily as my own magic would have¡­ goddamn it! Anxiously I allowed my world to turn silver and followed the path the magic had left behind. It hadn¡¯t come from me, that much I knew for certain, but it was still mine and it had to have come from somewhere. Or not. As soon as I picked up the trail it vanished again, ran through my fingers like a gentle breeze. Whatever I tried I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source until I realised there was none. The energy simply came from everywhere at once.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With a grunt I forced my perception to change yet again, to bore its way ever deeper into the fragile frame of reality until all I could see were patterns and connections, ethereal and fleeting but still the foundation on which we toiled away to carve out our existence. I had almost reached the Void, a last, flimsy barrier all that blocked the path to a forbidden realm where my siblings waited and there, on the cusp of what could be, I finally saw the answer. Letters, runes, wards drawn with my own power but an intent that far surpassed anything I was capable of sealed us in, kept the churning maelstrom on the other side away from our fragile world. But their purpose wasn¡¯t only to defended, it wasn¡¯t directed towards a single dimension, no, they also affected Gaya, they could lend their power to anyone who asked, provided they had the key. A name. My name. Not Cassandra, not even Lucifer or Lightbringer. The superficial descriptions we assigned to ourselves and to the world around us mattered very little in the realm beyond. This was something else, something primal, an understanding of who I was, what I fought for¡­ why I lived. The truth behind the glittering facade. The first defier. The one who wouldn¡¯t bow, the one who¡¯d rather fall than bend. And now I also knew why Serena had said ¡°not by name¡±. It had been something more and that was why she hadn¡¯t been able to meet my gaze. She knew. She knew who I was. Pale and clammy I opened my eyes, the veils of reality slowly asserting themselves around me once more. For a few moments I couldn¡¯t see, the energy of the other place still obscuring my vision, and a spike of ice cold fear shot through me until I felt warm fingers tighten around mine. They brought me back to the realm of the living, to the sun and the sky, but the echoes of the eternal twilight, coiling and churning below the surface, would stay with me for much longer. A soft touch on my cheek finally shook me from my stupor and I stared down into deep green eyes, filled with understanding that I hadn¡¯t seen before. Maybe I truly had been blind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Serena whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­,¡± I croaked but my voice broke and I had to try again. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t. I simply couldn¡¯t say what I knew I had to, I was still too shaken, the memories still too close, but she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°No, but it¡¯s not yours either. Who knew that breaking your shackles would prove to be a bond all on its own. I don¡¯t regret it, I was just surprised to find you waiting¡­ at the end.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing new under the sun,¡± I replied, much calmer than I had been a second ago. I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. As soon as she had felt my confusion Ahri had enveloped my spirit, just like the sisters had taken my hand. She didn¡¯t say a single word but I could almost feel her tails tighten around my waist. I shook my head and granted Emilia a pinched smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have clue what¡¯s going on, do you,¡± I mumbled, her anxious, entirely lost expression as good an answer as anything she could have said. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not for me to tell but,¡± my voice regained some of its strength as I focused on Serena: ¡°I implore you, don¡¯t share what you¡¯ve found lightly. This¡­ this isn¡¯t what you think it is and even though you know who I am, I¡¯m not what you think I am. Please, don¡¯t turn me into something I could never become¡­ I don¡¯t want to become.¡± She seemed confused but still inclined her head. ¡°I¡­ of course, but why did you say it wasn¡¯t what I thought it¡¯d be? Aren¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. What you gather, the power you borrow, it isn¡¯t mine¡­ but it was, a long time ago. I¡¯m not the answer to your prayers. We¡¯re simply more alike than I imagined and that allows you to tap into reservoirs that were never meant to be touched.¡± ¡°Liar,¡± Ahri whispered. ¡°You know as well as I that Amazeroth doesn¡¯t leave anything to chance. He¡¯s done it on purpose, he wants people to¡­ believe in you and be rewarded for it.¡± ¡°I know that and you do¡­ that¡¯s enough. I¡¯m not going to become a symbol. Been there, done that¡­ never again. Besides, the devil wouldn¡¯t make for a good deity.¡± I heard her laughter and felt her warm breath on my neck, even though we were leagues apart. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure. But it¡¯s your decision. I won¡¯t try to influence you. I have to admit, though, the image of you spreading your wings to protect your flock¡­ it does send shivers down my spine. Probably because I¡¯ve seen it before and it¡¯s always been breathtaking.¡± She didn¡¯t even allow me a chance to reply, her presence drifting away like a dream on the morrow, but I still felt her, deep within, a living¡­ loving barrier against my fears. Blinking owlishly I focused back on the sisters, the two girls entirely dumbfounded by my, admittedly, erratic behaviour. I took a deep breath, the memory of pine trees a sweet assurance I could almost taste. ¡°Serena, do you mean to keep any of this from your sister?¡± ¡°Even if I wanted to, I hardly could, now, could I? Besides,¡± she faced the younger woman with a smile: ¡°you¡¯ve already figured it out, haven¡¯t you?¡± Emilia shrugged as she replied: ¡°Maybe, but¡­ I can¡¯t really wrap my head around it.¡± She looked me straight in the eye and asked: ¡°are you¡­ can you answer prayers?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s what I meant. I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve visited this world before, wearing a different face. I was there, Emilia, I was there when the earth shook and crumbled under the power of one of my siblings. I was there during the Cataclysm. I watched the heavens bleed and the sea rise and I was there when the first dragon sent his roar towards the sky¡­ uncounted aeons ago. You wouldn¡¯t have recognised me¡­ or maybe you would have, I don¡¯t know anymore. I¡¯ve had friends here¡­ family even, long before your people¡­ your god even existed. And I¡¯ve fought to protect this world for longer than I can remember. I¡¯m not going to tell you why¡­ I¡¯m not the head of the Pendragons and it is as much the story of my family as it is mine, but my magic has saturated the very air we breathe ever since the first Pendragon came here to hide. I made sure he could. The spells I cast back then¡­ they¡¯ve changed, they¡¯ve been changed, but they¡¯re still there and apparently all too eager to follow your sister¡¯s command.¡± ¡°How,¡± Emilia asked, her eyes wide. ¡°How can she even hope to control¡­¡± ¡°She knows me,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°She¡­,¡± I paused, eyeing Serena hesitantly. I didn¡¯t know how much she wanted to share and it wasn¡¯t my place to tell but I shouldn¡¯t have worried. She winked at me and took over confidently: ¡°It hasn¡¯t been as hard on you,¡± she explained, ¡°you were still a child when we left, but for me¡­ I¡¯ve always lived by the same rules, I¡¯ve always stuck to my faith, to my beliefs. Not until the power of my patron faltered in front of a beast in human skin have I ever even asked a single question. There is strength in devotion, in faith, but it also blinds you. It has taken the power of a devil from another continent and the mercy of an angel to open my eyes, but that night, when a creature I would have called¡­ I called unworthy saved my life, I did. I couldn¡¯t blindly follow a path I didn¡¯t understand, I didn¡¯t trust in, anymore. I¡­ I think I lost myself, for a little while at least. I felt alone, forsaken, and it took almost more strength than I had to even wake up the next day, to get out of bed and live another day. But I did, I somehow managed to accept my mistakes, to admit that it was me who had failed, that it had been my cowardice to hide behind someone else, be it god, friend, angel or even my own fears.¡± She closed her eyes and tilted her head, as if listening to a distant melody. ¡°When I did¡­ something in me died, my magic withered but it didn¡¯t matter to me. That night, when I prepared for bed, I prayed again, not to the Immortal Sun, not even to anyone in particular. It was more¡­ it felt like meditation but to my surprise I still felt something answer. As I¡­ confessed is probably the right word, as I accepted my own responsibility for charging blindly after dreadful dreams, the warmth in my heart I had always come to associate with our god reignited but this time it didn¡¯t feel oppressive¡­ but rather free. Ever since¡­ whenever I call, her power answers.¡± ¡°But¡­ why,¡± her sister asked breathlessly. She turned to me and added: ¡°because you like her?¡± ¡°No¡­ because she is like me. The story she just told you¡­ exchange a few words and it could be mine. That¡¯s why I said there¡¯s nothing new under the sun.¡± ¡°Does that mean I can¡­¡± Emilia didn¡¯t finish her sentence but she didn¡¯t need to. ¡°No¡­ and you should be grateful for it. What you see in front of you now, what you¡¯ve already seen of me, that¡¯s nothing but a mask. I¡¯m not innocent or graceful¡­ but you are. Emilia, I¡¯m old and I have enough blood on my hands to fill the oceans of this world¡­ every world several times over. I¡¯m stubborn, unyielding and full of regrets. But I can¡¯t change who I am. Not really. I¡¯ll always fight to the bitter end for everything and everyone I believe in, I choose to believe in. I accept the pain that comes with it, truth be told, I relish in it, I need it to know I¡¯m still alive. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry but so does your sister. You don¡¯t, though. You¡¯re young and full of hope. Don¡¯t change.¡± 373. Of trust, challenges and a little bit of hubris Cassandra Pendragon There we stood on an island of quiet while the flood of people seemed to break around us like the tide against the shore. The two girls tried to avoid my gaze, one from a lingering sense of embarrassment, the other because she was still trying to process what she had heard. The longer we stood there, the worse I fared myself, the fact that Serena actually knew who I was underneath my veils slowly sinking in. In a way I felt much more exposed than I ever had before. Ahri knew, of course, and so did a scarce few others¡­ my mom and Viyara, maybe even Reia, but they were as close to me as anyone could be. The rest¡­ even Mordred was still blinded by my appearance, my stories, but they were just that: stories. Small windows that provided a mosaic picture, as much meant to reveal an aspect of the truth as to hide it in its entirety. Serena was another matter and I simply didn¡¯t know what to say. For once I wasn¡¯t afraid of rejection, though. I was afraid of what I might have done to her, to a person I actually admired despite our little problems. She was brave and diligent, a little stubborn from time to time, and she had never been meant to deal with my immortal family. If she continued down that path, her own desires would become hollow, crumbling under the pressure of a conflict I hadn¡¯t only brought to her world but now into her very life as well. Unfortunately, she wouldn¡¯t back down, this much I knew. Because I wouldn¡¯t have either. Unconsciously I manifested my wings and pulled them closer, the ethereal touch neither suffocating nor oppressive. A sad smile formed on my face as I saw their confused frowns, the curiosity and surprise in their gazes, but I only shook my head, concentrating on the bright, humbling purity of their energies. If Amazeroth was so determined to turn my whole world, my life into a weapon, I¡¯d better start drawing some lines and this¡­ this would be the first one. ¡°Do you trust me,¡± I asked, a question I was about as tired of as of apologies, but I had to know. It wasn¡¯t directed at Serena, though. Her answer I already knew. Emilia¡­ she hadn¡¯t answered before. She had simply pointed out that it didn¡¯t matter. I hadn¡¯t expected her to but she immediately knew I was talking to her. Surrounded by a cocoon of scintillating power that could have reduced her to ash from one heartbeat to the next she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°You? With every fibre of my being. How could I not? Apparently someone just like you has raised me. Your judgement? About as much as my sister¡¯s¡­ which isn¡¯t that much. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Make it right. The powers you¡¯ve stumbled across are meant for a war that¡¯s sure to come but I want you to have a choice. When the time is upon us I want you to be able to walk away.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­,¡± Serena began, her eyes glossing over as my energies began to seep through her skin. ¡°I know. You¡¯ll never want to run. But you might come to think differently. I changed when I met Ahri¡­ you already have someone you love and if it ever comes down to it, I want you to grab Emilia and vanish without ever looking back. Allow me to do this much. You don¡¯t have to, but you¡¯ll be able to.¡± ¡°And right now I wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°No¡­ the power you already used¡­ I can feel it in you. The purpose, the intent behind it, it¡¯s stronger, far more¡­ complex than you can imagine and it isn¡¯t mine. It¡¯s Amazeroth¡¯s and he doesn¡¯t care. To him, your just a tool to¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Trust me, it will change you, it will break you when push comes to shove. Please, let me put an end to it.¡± ¡°How,¡± they both whispered. ¡°It¡¯s still mine, which means I can set it free. I can make sure every spark you take in isn¡¯t tainted. It won¡¯t hurt but you¡¯ll fall asleep and when you wake up I¡¯ll be gone. Should you still wish to continue down this path upon my return¡­ come find me. If you don¡¯t I¡¯ll have my answer as well.¡± ¡°Why me,¡± Emilia breathed haltingly, she was already struggling to keep her eyes open. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Because I like you. I truly do and I know you¡¯re not going to turn your back on your sister. I won¡¯t allow anything to split you apart¡­ and this, this just might without my intervention.¡± I felt them tense in my embrace but a heartbeat later they relaxed, they slumped against my wings with a single nod. ¡°Sleep,¡± I mumbled quietly and while their eyes closed and I pulled them even closer, I cast my mind back to a time when spoken words had still held the power of creation, to a place where no mortal had ever ventured on its own. A second later I voiced the first syllable and reality within the little bubble I had created bend and broke as the heavenly language, overflowing with transcendent power, rolled over my tongue for the first time in my life. It was simple, really. All I had to do was ask and creation would obey, unless I couldn¡¯t overcome Amazeroth¡¯s intent, unless I wasn¡¯t strong enough to pitch my will against another immortal¡¯s. Ahri believed I could. We¡¯d see if she was right. What happened next was difficult to put into words. Like a living, breathing being reality began to weep, torn asunder between two warring forces. My own, unbendable will, my strength, my desires crashed against a pillar, older and more adamant than existence. I felt the raging tide fill me up and empty me out again, charring heat, almost like a lover¡¯s touch, and bone wrenching cold, inexorable and scarring, gnawed at the fragile form I was stuck in. First I lost my vision, the two peaceful smiles the last thing I knew before my world was swallowed by raging silver and iridescent blue, then the rest of my senses disappeared, devoured by the forces I had unleashed and couldn¡¯t tame, at least not like I was. ¡°Change,¡± I felt Ahri whisper since I couldn¡¯t hear her anymore. ¡°Spread your wings.¡± And I did. From one heartbeat to the next I felt my core pulse, an irresistible wave of power, but it wasn¡¯t directed outwards. My form shimmered and flowed, the curtains I had created to keep the insanity at bay, to protect the Garden, Free Land, maybe even Gaya from turning into stardust and memories, wavered but they didn¡¯t falter. For a single moment, drawn out into what felt like years, I hovered on the edge, almost lost in the storm of the past I had called forth. Memories became reality and reality turned into a dream, running through my fingers like the fog of aeons past. But I had grown. I had vanquished my past before and I wasn¡¯t afraid. Not anymore. A snarl formed on my face, a silvery tongue lolled out between fangs, sharp enough to tear through angels and demons alike, my wings became more substantial, less like a longing from ages long forgotten and more like a promise made real, and I opened my eyes, my senses restored. It wasn¡¯t the world I knew that awaited me, though. I still saw the bright light, engulfing us in a bubble of unyielding strength, the panicked expression as the people around us slowly realised that something was wrong, I heard the fearful exclamations, the thundering heartbeats, I tasted the acidic tide of despair and worry as the dragons, fey and kitsune slowly came to understand that their world was held by magics, unknown to the mortal world and I felt the roaring power of each word I uttered. It was nothing but a superficial coating, though, another veil and now I saw what waited on the other side.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Shadows and mirrors, each one reflecting my own power back at me, prevented me from going deeper, from annihilating the shackles that filled the sparks of my energy with a purpose that wasn¡¯t my own. Or maybe it was. I rose to my haunches, the sisters still held safely between my wings, and stared at my reflection, allowing the truth to sink in. Large, slanted, burning eyes, filled with silvery flames and blue sparks, stared back at me from a feline face, protected by soft, silvery scales, almost like fur and a glowing, hollow crown. A long, sleek, sinuous body, covered in a rippling, silver coat, supported huge, scintillating wings of power and slimmed down towards seven tails, exactly like my own, only larger. Slender but strong legs ended in gleaming talons, each one a scythe that cut through reality with every movement. In a way I looked like a fox but the draconic influences were very much there. It wasn¡¯t only the scales and wings, though. Right above my heart I saw the outline of my core pulse and burn, the tides of power made visible to the naked eye, like a carbuncle. I was beautiful beyond comprehension, I was deadly, I was powerful and I wouldn¡¯t be denied. My snarl turned into a smile, my fangs tearing through the illusion as I felt my powers take a hold of the mirrors. ¡°Shatter,¡± was all I said as a shower of broken purpose rained down all around me. My vision wavered, a long tunnel opened behind the tear I had created and at its end an infinite shadow, wearing a broken crown, waited for me. Between the void and reality we hovered, still apart from the world of our siblings but not quite tethered to the realm of the living anymore. What followed wasn¡¯t a fight, it wasn¡¯t even a conflict. As if it had been mine all along I broke Amazeroth¡¯s hold, I removed his will from every spark of power that wasn¡¯t used to fuel the wards against our siblings. As soon as Serena, or anyone else for that matter, would draw upon the infinite stores, woven deeply into Gay¨¢¡¯s structure, he would lose his dominion. I could have gone further, I could have followed the glowing pathways to their creator, I could have challenged him right then and there and, for the life of me, I was sure I wouldn¡¯t have failed, but I didn¡¯t. My own words still rang in my ears and as much as I hated his meddling, hated the sacrifices he had demanded, hated him, he was still what kept us safe from the churning abyss, from the predators lurking in the twilight beyond the veil. It wasn¡¯t time. Not yet. Once¡­ once I could really call this form my own, once I could marshal all I was without fear of losing control, without endangering everyone around me¡­ we would meet again and it¡¯d be more than a fleeting memory on the cusp of a dream. And as for his puppet who had made my life miserable since the moment I had opened my eyes¡­ the Emperor would be my very first meal, the first drop of blood that would run down my throat. Over the seas, across the distance, my voice reached the hollowed king, just before I allowed the raging tide of power in my veins to subside: ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming for you. This isn¡¯t your conquest, this is my hunt. Run, puppet king, run, but remember, there¡¯s no place you¡¯ll be safe. No matter where you hide, in the end you¡¯ll be mine.¡± I blinked, disorientated, as I fell to the ground shivering, the two warm bodies in my arms still safe and sound. Small but strong hands reached out for me and before I realised what had happened my head came to rest in my mother¡¯s lap, even though I hadn¡¯t let go of the two girls. Her large eyes hovered above me, filled with worry, while a golden tent obscured the sky and blocked out the confusing noise ringing in my ears, as Viyara and Sera moved closer. A gentle, warm darkness protected me from the searing sun and my tails stopped quivering. Damn, I¡¯m exhausted, I thought while the smell of molten gold and stardust filled my lungs comfortingly. ¡°What have you done now,¡± my mom asked exasperatedly. ¡°Cassy? Cassy? Can you hear me?¡± ¡°What I had to,¡± I slurred, trying to crane my neck to get a glimpse of my surroundings but all I saw were moving, golden scales and serpentine coils as they tightened around us. At least no one had tried to break my hold on the Brightblaze sisters and the two girls were snoring reassuringly, their deep breaths rumbling through me like thunder in a bottle. Or maybe I was just overly sensitive for the moment. ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°Not that bad, but you scared the living hell out of us. What happened?¡± ¡°Had to stand up for my fiends and sent the big, bad uncle packing.¡± Alright, that hadn¡¯t come out as planned. Groaning I tried again: ¡°I broke another immortal¡¯s magic. Shit like that comes at a price. A severe headache in this case and¡­¡± I eyed her shyly, urging her wordlessly to explain. ¡°A big hole in the ground but that¡¯s it. Nothing happened to us, to anyone. But a better explanation wouldn¡¯t go amiss. Quenda and Narros nearly lost consciousness and their soldiers,¡± she jerked her head towards he unconscious girls, ¡°would probably like to cut a pound of flesh out of you, if they had the guts to push past two dragonesses.¡± Absentmindedly I stroked the closest patch of scaly hide I could reach and said: ¡°Thanks. Which one are you?¡± ¡°The one who can talk to you directly,¡± Viyara complained in my thoughts. ¡°Seriously, couldn¡¯t you have warned me? I¡¯m not always focused on your thoughts, despite of what you might think.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to ask for forgiveness than permission,¡± I mumbled. I was already feeling better, restored, but I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to run a marathon just yet. ¡°Sorry for scaring you.¡± I gently wrapped my tails around my mom and added: ¡°all of you.¡± ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ve gotten used to it,¡± she grumbled and returned the gesture. ¡°You¡¯re not in any danger, are you?¡± ¡°Not more than usual. Maybe even less. Did you¡­ have you seen¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, but only because we¡¯re tied together,¡± I heard with my ears and mind, a hint of awe echoing through every word. ¡°Is that¡­ what you truly look like,¡± Viyara asked while my mom wanted to know: ¡°why can you suddenly transform?¡± The tension was gradually draining from my limbs and I even managed a quiet chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s not. If you haven¡¯t realised my appearance isn¡¯t set in stone and that creature you have seen is just another expression of what I am. Just like this face. They both belong to me¡­ maybe you¡¯re right, the fox and the girl are both what I truly look like. And since when¡­ not that long but only Ahri knew, up until now. This form is too fragile to channel any real amount of transcendent force. It might not be, once I fully develop, but for now it¡¯s just too much of a risk. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d hurt myself but I¡¯m not sure I could keep the chaos from spreading. Any further question?¡± My mom was already opening her mouth but Viyara was faster: ¡°Sera wants to know if your transformation is similar to hers. Is it tied to your bloodline?¡± ¡°Oh boy, she really is full of herself, isn¡¯t she? Has she seen it? No matter¡­ If anything it¡¯s the other way around. But no¡­ I think my transformation is¡­ oh hells, I don¡¯t even know where to begin. Look, you¡¯ve already been told that the Pendragons are of my own lineage, or at least were created in its likeness, but my transformation is linked to something that happened later.¡± I sighed and snuggled deeper into my mom, trying to at least pretend like it was a normal conversation. ¡°Ages ago I took in the¡­ essence of one of the first dragons. It changed me¡­ it gave me hope and so much more. I¡¯m not like other immortals. Neither is Ahri. We¡¯re much more¡­ human. We feel regret, hatred, love, joy, trust¡­ our siblings don¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so adamant about keeping you away from them. They don¡¯t¡­ they aren¡¯t like us. They are different¡­ older, cold¡­ deadly. They don¡¯t care, they can¡¯t. They have our strength, our magic, but none of our compassion. They don¡¯t weep, they don¡¯t laugh and if they do¡­ trust me, you wouldn¡¯t want to see it. In a way¡­ my transformations are an echo of a promise I gave to one of the first creatures belonging to our line. It¡¯s her strength that allows me to break a few barriers I shouldn¡¯t be able to just yet. Satisfied?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± my mom immediately said but I still felt her tails tighten around me. ¡°But it sure sounds like a conversation for another day. One where your fianc¨¦e is around as well.¡± 374. Of temptations, dangers and a little threat Cassandra Pendragon The next few minutes were quite hectic but since I was allowed to watch the chaos safely from in between two gigantic, golden paws, my back propped up against a rumbling, scaly wall, I didn¡¯t feel pressured. Connected as we were Viyara was very much aware that I hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet and until the dragoness became convinced that I had regained my strength I wouldn¡¯t move. My own judgement, of course, was about as impactful as a toddler¡¯s wailing and truth be told I didn¡¯t mind. I had always felt close to her, had enjoyed her company, but ever since she had started going out with Aurelia I had also begun feeling¡­ safe around her, secure. Strange as the comparison might seem it felt like she had grown up and I wasn¡¯t forced to see her as a child anymore but an equal. Almost like a parent with a daughter who had finally managed to stumble her way through puberty. Not that I knew particularly much about the subject. Luckily I had been able to go from a childhood to adulthood and skip the ugly, distressing parts in the middle. With my jealousy issues it wouldn¡¯t have been pretty, that much I knew. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t just me lying on my back without a care in the world. The dragoness had taken the chance to bring herself up to speed, while the sisters were being carried away by their people, and was rummaging through my memories right now, which, of course, resulted in: ¡°And when did you plan on telling us about the ship,¡± she asked while I was watching my mother and grandmother slowly calm down the neighbours, who had somehow taken offence at the fireworks I had created. Either that or they were worried about the perfectly round hole in the ground, the edges of which were incidentally still glowing. I took in a deep breath and ignored the smells of burning earth, spilled wine, sizzling fat and unwashed bodies to focus on Viyara¡¯s peculiar scent of molten gold and¡­ stardust. She really was growing up. ¡°Never, as you very well know,¡± I groaned mentally. ¡°But I guess that¡¯s not going to happen. As much time as I¡¯ve already lost¡­ they¡¯ll probably arrive at the harbour long before I can make myself scarce. Why? Are you afraid of the big bad slug? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re taller and you¡¯re still growing.¡± ¡°Hilarious. For someone who¡¯s been fretting over the size of her bust since I know her you sure are surprisingly prepared to joke about growth.¡± Ouch. I wasn¡¯t used to barbs like that from her and it took me a moment to puzzle out why she was upset. She was fuming because she thought I had shared my own magic, not just some magic, with the sisters and she was jealous. So much for acting like an adult. ¡°Oh boy, do I really have to spell it out for you,¡± I replied, quite casually, I might add, even though she had hit a nerve. Yay me. ¡°What happened to them has nothing, or at least very little, to do with me. I just made sure neither Serena nor Emilia will ever be poisoned by whatever idiotic conditions Amazeroth has included in his spells and they sure as hell don¡¯t carry a part of me around in their chests. If you want to be mad at me you could at least focus on something that makes sense. Why I even allowed that dried up skeleton to meddle with my energies in the first place, for example.¡± I felt her urge to argue but she swallowed the impulse and took the peace offering for what it was. ¡°And why did you?¡± ¡°No clue. Up until a few days ago I would have been willing to bet that no one, not even another immortal besides Ahri, could ever have tempered with my magic but apparently I was mistaken. I should at least have felt it¡­ if I did I can¡¯t remember though and it¡¯s futile to speculate. I¡­ look, I have an honest question but I¡¯m not going to ask if you¡¯re not done snarling at me. Are you?¡± ¡°For the moment,¡± she relinquished grudgingly but immediately added: ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll give me another reason, sooner rather than later¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said with a chuckle, ¡°but it still was below the belt¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t but you know what I mean. Anyways, when last you succumbed to your¡­ possessiveness you accused me of not doing everything in my power to stop Amon and Amazeroth. Do you know where I¡¯m going with this?¡± She did but that might have been more due to her unique insights into my thoughts and less to her inherent brilliance. ¡°Ever since Ahri told you that you don¡¯t have to really fear anyone anymore but another immortal you¡¯re wondering if you shouldn¡¯t at least try to hunt them down. Right now. Am I right?¡± I blew up my cheeks and allowed the air to escape slowly, weighing my words. ¡°More or less. I don¡¯t want to even meet Amazeroth, that might result in his wards failing, but I do wonder¡­ maybe I could simply sneak into some godforsaken place¡­ transform, swallow and be out of there before anyone¡¯s even the wiser. I know in my bones that it¡¯s an horrendous idea but I need someone to tell me why. Usually I¡¯d pester Ahri but I already have. She agrees, by the way,but I¡¯d like to hear if you think along the same lines.¡± Transcendent telepathy was truly a marvel. And useful. Not to mention that the dragoness was almost preening, filled with pride. Of course she still had to play coy: ¡°And you¡¯re asking me for a rational explanation? Have you met me? Should I start worrying about your health again?¡± She was mocking me subtly but two could play that game. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short. I know how difficult our relationship is for me to properly understand, I don¡¯t even want to know how I¡¯d fare if I didn¡¯t have several hundreds of lifetimes of experience, but that has nothing to do with us, in any way, shape or form. So¡­ yes, I do expect you to use that oversized head of yours properly. It surely is big enough to come up with a few ideas. Hells¡­ how much have you grown over the last days?¡± ¡°A few metres, but you could have phrased that much less¡­ insultingly.¡± ¡°Call it payback. For right now and¡­ you know, the bust comment. Besides, I¡¯m only seven, remember? I can be childish, too.¡± ¡°Very true.¡± I had walked right into that one, hadn¡¯t I? ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ what do you think would happen, if you did? I¡¯m not stalling, I honestly don¡¯t know enough about what you can do and I don¡¯t want to start digging through any memories that are older than¡­ let¡¯s say seven years?¡± ¡°Wise choice but unfortunately neither do I. You¡¯ve seen my second skin, though, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be enough.¡± ¡°For a bloodbath. How sure are you that Amazeroth wouldn¡¯t protect his puppet?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Not sure at all. Quite the contrary.¡± ¡°But¡­ he didn¡¯t intervene when Amon threatened Free Land.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t, but there are a few reasons, I think. One, Amon was long gone before I arrive and, more importantly¡­ it was Amon¡¯s plan, his scheme. It wasn¡¯t mine to control.¡± ¡°Then¡­ how important is it that you and the demon don¡¯t try to kill each other right now?¡± ¡°Immensely. If he died¡­ my siblings would find us. Maybe not today, but tomorrow. Literally. In a way that emaciated egomaniac is holding my whole world hostage. And if he won¡­¡± ¡°And there¡¯s your answer. If you can¡¯t be certain that you can either accomplish Amon¡¯s death undetected or that you can weather the fallout of a fight between yourself and Amazeroth, you shouldn¡¯t go. But you¡­ shouldn¡¯t we start fighting in different ways? He¡¯s suffered a defeat, he¡¯s weak. Isn¡¯t it about time that we started doing something¡­ anything, really?¡¯ ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ send someone to the slave islands¡­¡± ¡°Already have,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Gods are pretty god spies. He¡¯s even found something¡­ damn it, I have to find out what it is before I leave.¡± ¡°I can do that, or at least I can send someone. You¡¯re not getting up, just yet. You¡¯re still sweating. But shouldn¡¯t we start sending¡­ soldiers?¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t want to move, yet. Which soldiers and what for? Slaughtering people on the vague possibility that they might help him in the future? Like you said, he didn¡¯t have the time to do much, yet. Chances are he¡¯s trying to build some sort of pathway to tap into his resources, half a world away, and make our lives as miserable as possible in the meantime. That¡¯s what we have to prevent at all costs. If you know how, I¡¯m all ears. Ultimately¡­ I fear we have to stall for time until Ahri and I feel confident enough to challenge the demon directly or we have to somehow form an alliance on this continent that can face an empire¡­ I can¡¯t quite say which option I expect to happen sooner, or think of as more likely. If I did, I¡¯d know what to do.¡± ¡°Will you let us come, Aurelia and me?¡± ¡°At the end? Against Amazeroth? The two of you and my mom are the only ones I¡¯d even consider taking but, truth be told, no. Viyara¡­ he could end you, burn you, annihilate everything you are, you ever were. With a stray thought. Just between us¡­ I¡¯m not even sure I want Ahri to come but I don¡¯t have much of a choice there. She can ignore me if she wants to¡­ you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to teach your sister how to do just that?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m trying to teach her patience and resilience. She¡¯ll never succeed. She can¡¯t. But I don¡¯t want her to know. Otherwise she wouldn¡¯t really try and that¡¯s the whole point, isn¡¯t it?¡± She took a moment to digest my words and I could feel her steely tendons and powerful muscles twitch behind me when she adjusted her posture. ¡°Are you going to take the time to teach me as well, somewhere down the line?¡± ¡°Do you want me to? If so, all you gotta do is ask but I didn¡¯t plan on doing so. What I can show you¡­ it¡¯d revolve around your transcendent abilities and they aren¡¯t very pronounced, yet. Remember, our link goes both ways. I do know how you felt when my magic protected you from Amon¡¯s domination. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re quite there, yet. Do you?¡± A warm wind tussled my hair when she exhaled deeply and raised her head to the sky, her mind wandering. She was trying to recall how she had reacted back then, but the memories were hazy, distorted by the fear she had experienced. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she finally admitted, ¡°and I trust you. If you say it¡¯s too soon, I¡¯ll accept it. I do wonder, though¡­ how long do you think it¡¯s going to take?¡± ¡°Mephisto told you, didn¡¯t he? Usually centuries. But if you¡¯re anything like me, and chances are you are, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to wait that long. A few months? A year maybe? Your scales aren¡¯t crystallising, yet, are they?¡± ¡°A scarce few. Wanna see?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it. I don¡¯t feel like scampering across your body at the moment. Incidentally, where is your lovesick shadow? I thought Aurelia wouldn¡¯t leave your side.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t want to, but we both agreed that you¡¯re going to try to run off as soon as you can walk without stumbling again and she¡¯s trying to prepare everything we need. She really is precious. Who would have thought that someone like her would turn out to be so motherly?¡± Honestly, I wasn¡¯t that surprised. She had been abused for most of her life, which meant overcompensating, or at least trying to act entirely contrarily to how she had been treated, was pretty natural. ¡°That was uncalled for,¡± Viyara complained. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it out loud, did I, but you can hardly fault me for thinking. Get out of my head if it bothers you.¡± She was on the verge of a decidedly stern reply when something else caught her attention. She had been talking about Ahri and me with Aurelia the night before and one particularpart of the conversation was gradually sliding into her focus. Luckily I didn¡¯t have to rummage through their entire conversation, since she willingly explained what was bothering her. Her gaze didn¡¯t waver from a group of humans, who had been lucky enough to catch Sera¡¯s attention with their loud complaints and now had to suffer through a rather thorough explanation of how much their perceived grievances mattered to my grandmother at teeth-point, but she didn¡¯t really see them. She was¡­ worried? No, truth be told, she was scared. From one second to the next an expanding ball of ice cold fear had manifested in the pit of her stomach and even though she tried to sound casual, she couldn¡¯t fool me. I could feel it, just like I felt my own anxiety grow while she said: ¡°Cassy, I have to ask you something as well. You¡¯re called immortals¡­ are you? Immortal, I mean.¡± Where was this coming from? I knew it stemmed from memories of her childhood and the conversation with Aurelia but I couldn¡¯t quite discern why or what bothered her so much. ¡°In a sense. We can be killed, hells, I nearly was a few decades ago, but it¡¯s not easy. It takes another immortal to accomplish our final death. As for our incarnations¡­ we¡¯re not really flesh and blood and we¡¯re unbelievably tough but in theory it could be done. I still think it¡¯d take a transcendent component to kill us but there might be a way without it. A few weeks ago a strike to the head would have ended my life. An attack on my soul still could. Mind you, I¡¯d be reborn, but Cassandra Pendragon would be dead, reduced to a memory that wouldn¡¯t even make much of a difference in comparison to the endless aeons I¡¯ve already lived through. Right now, I think I would truly be gone. Does that answer your question?¡± ¡°Why do you even tell me? Isn¡¯t your best protection that nobody knows?¡± I frowned. ¡°Maybe, but if I can¡¯t trust you¡­ it won¡¯t really matter anyways, will it? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡­ Aurelia told me that Sarai might have used her as an assassin, once or twice. She thinks she was forced to go after young immortals and kill them before they could mature. For Sarai it was a game, for her it was hell¡­ and incidentally the first time she met you. You got in her way and she was lucky enough to escape before you found her but the dread of the Lightbringer breathing down her neck never left her. But that¡¯s not the point¡­ my father, when I was young I remember him meeting with¡­ someone. I¡¯ve never thought of that day before last night, but he told me back then that sometimes even dragons needed help. A few days later one of his rivals perished, poisoned in his hoard.¡± Still frowning I asked: ¡°Let¡¯s leave Aurelia being forced to act as my sister¡¯s butcher out of it for the moment¡­ you think that Amon might know those people and has tasked them with eliminating Ahri or me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d want to kill you, but abduct you? I¡­ maybe it¡¯s stupid, I just don¡¯t know, but what if someone was to¡­ I don¡¯t know, poison your drinks? If you weren¡¯t prepared, would it work?¡± Shit, as carelessly as I had been acting, maybe¡­ probably. A poison was a poison and I had allowed myself to become intoxicated more than once. ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied slowly. ¡°Look, magic, poison, weapons¡­ in the end, I don¡¯t think the tool matters. We have to be tricked or blackmailed into allowing it to work. But when we do¡­ yes, I think it could. Damn it, do you honestly mean to tell me that there are more societies like the Soulcatchers out there, powerful enough that even dragons ask for help? Figures¡­ damn it!¡± 375. Of desires, bait and a little bit of hope The First Weaver Boredom. The greatest foe of them all. I wasn¡¯t that old, yet, not even two centuries had passed since I had first opened my eyes on a fair, emerald island to the north but the number of years mattered very little. What we made of them was the truly important part and I had filled my days with almost everything I could think of until I had found my calling. Well, maybe it¡¯d be more accurate to say it had found me but the distinction was mainly one of vanity, not necessity. The hunt, the thrill of chasing after an elusive target, the rush of excitement when the final confrontation was looming just around the corner and the surge of happiness, heat and pride that always welled up, right alongside the blood of my prey. That was what I lived for, what I yearned for¡­ what I killed for. It was more invigorating than the sun, more intimate than sex and even though I knew where this road would lead me, I¡¯d never willingly stray from my path. Over the years I had found likeminded¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call them friends but acquaintances and together we had danced behind the scenes, offering our services to the highest bidder. The coins were a mere record, though, a way to keep score and remember what we had done, what we had accomplished. When it came down to it we did it for the rush, the longing, for the thrill of pitting our lives against another¡­ for the chance to truly live. A dangerous disposition, a spark we had willingly fanned until it had become a ravenous flame, almost like an addiction. And like every addict we hadn¡¯t even bothered to check when someone had come knocking, promising us the high of the century¡­ I reclined on my throne, an open coat made from the skin of my previous victims the only garment I wore. I wasn¡¯t sick, well, at least not as glaringly obviously as that, but the business we were in required a certain form of¡­ let¡¯s call it authenticity. People who came here had already taken the first hurdle, they had found us after all, but those who either stared at my body or flinched at the sight of distorted faces sewn together wouldn¡¯t leave again. They couldn¡¯t be trusted, they couldn¡¯t see the sincerity in our work and thus would only ever serve as fertiliser for our plants. Today someone had come¡­ a stranger I had never met but whispers of rumours had reached even the remote island we called home. A storm was brewing on the horizon and today I might finally be able to hear the thunder. With a sigh I scrutinised my reflection in the dark, polished marble floor, sparkling in the light of a hundred candles, and absentmindedly retraced a smoky line of powdered blood I had drawn around my scarlet eyes. As far as first impressions went I was decently convinced that I had done everything in my power to convey who we were¡­ and that we wouldn¡¯t be trifled with. My white, almost translucent skin provided a disturbing contrast to the black and golden hues of the room, my soft curves challenged the angular, massive slab of violet granite I was seated on and the parchment like, yellowed leather rustled ominously with every movement, as if the souls of those we had killed begged to finally be released from their eternal prison. Slender fingers with sharpened nails scraped along the hem of my cloak as I opened my cleavage even further until it barely covered my breasts. With a mute nod I leaned back, smiling confidently. Whoever would be walking through the gilded double doors would surely have a hard time remembering their name and if they couldn¡¯t¡­ just this morning I had renewed the poison on my nails. It was a new concoction, supposedly causing enough pain to kill anyone over the course of a few hours. I couldn¡¯t wait to find out. ¡°Let him in,¡± I purred, my voice causing velvety echoes to flutter through the room until the shadows around my throne quivered and moved, coalescing into a formless shape. In total silence it floated towards the door, a slight darkening of the reflective stone slabs the only trace of its passage. A moment later the heavy doors rumbled open to reveal a small man, garbed in a simple robe. He wasn¡¯t remarkable, not in the slightest, except for his eyes. Even across the room I felt madness, hunger and confidence burn within them, turning the warm, welcoming brown into a ravenous maelstrom I could barely withstand. He didn¡¯t even flinch, his powerful gaze never wavered from mine, apparently blind to the promises of the flesh I so willingly offered and to the cruel, decadent display of stolen years I wore around my shoulders. Oh, what a marvellous day this might yet become. This one had a spine, at least. ¡°Welcome stranger,¡± I breathed, an unspoken invitation woven into my words. ¡°Welcome to the land of dreams where your desires might flourish¡­ or wither. Tell me, why have you come?¡± Slowly, confidently, he walked deeper into the chamber, his eyes quickly darting from the golden chandelier to my throne and finally settling on me, a cruel smile playing around the corners of his mouth. I felt cold, the warmth of my flesh sucked into those dead, uncaring holes while he walked ever closer, his attention never wavering. Neither the opulent display of gold along the ceiling nor the more subtle distraction I had turned myself into mattered. He didn¡¯t care, he didn¡¯t even look. ¡°Greetings, Lady of the Weave. I must say, you¡¯re hard to find. It took me days and quite a few melted brains to even get close to your hideout.¡± I swallowed dryly. I couldn¡¯t remember anyone coming here and threatening me with the first sentence. Even dragons knew better. But this¡­ this creature wasn¡¯t just anyone. I didn¡¯t know who he was but he hadn¡¯t come to beg. He had come to bargain. Delicious. With a lazy, arrogant smirk he bowed to me and continued: ¡°a land of dreams you say? How fitting¡­ for I am here to offer you a chance to chase one of yours. If you have the courage to pursue it, that is. Unfortunately I don¡¯t have much time so, even though I¡¯d prefer nothing more than to trade a few witty remarks with an astonishing woman such as yourself, I¡¯ll get straight to the point, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Please, do,¡± I replied lasciviously, even though I was thoroughly intrigued. ¡°You and¡­ this little club of yours, from what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re looking for ways to entertain yourselves, to challenge ever stronger foes to turn them into ever more exquisite garments to complement your breathtaking allure. I¡¯m here with a proposition. I¡¯m not going to pay you, I¡¯m not even going to help you, but, if you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll point you in the direction of the most powerful being you¡¯ll ever meet. Two of them, to be precise. One for you. One for me. Bring them down and you¡¯ll be remembered throughout the ages. Taste their blood¡­ and you¡¯ll finally be free.¡± I chuckled coldly, the shimmering stonewalls turning the echoes into a choir of depravity. ¡°Free? What makes you think we¡­,¡± the words withered in my throat as a spark of anger ignited in his eyes, a harbinger of destruction on a scale I couldn¡¯t even fathom and I felt¡­ fascinated.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Please, don¡¯t insult my intelligence. Or yours for that matter. You¡¯re as free as a drunkard after closing hour, as a sailor without a ship. The shackles that bind you are of your own design which makes them all the sturdier. You¡¯re being consumed by the poison you willingly took. I can offer a remedy but it comes at a price. Death, most likely. But should you survive, trust me, you won¡¯t feel the need to fill the gnawing nothingness in your soul anymore. You¡¯ll have filed it with blood so precious, so powerful that it¡¯ll keep you sated until the end of time.¡± ¡°Enticing promises but hollow, nonetheless. I¡¯ve killed dragons and fey, children and elders, sorcerers and monarchs alike. What do you have to offer?¡± ¡°More,¡± he answered slyly. ¡°So much more. Tell me, beautiful maiden of death, what does a hunter desire?¡± ¡°A prey that¡¯s worth the trouble. You seem more and more like someone who could satisfy my needs.¡± He laughed and the sound almost made me shiver. Never before had I heard so much¡­ pain, so much desperation. Grandiose. ¡°Please. This old bag of bones? It would break apart before you could even wet your knifes. Besides, I¡¯m not really here. I simply took a¡­ carriage, as is appropriate when meeting someone of your standing. But by all means¡­ if it makes you feel better.¡± A frown appeared between his eyes and before I could do anything but stare, the skin on his left arm bubbled and tore away from the bone, leaving behind a mutilated, bleeding mass of twitching muscles and quivering tendons. The smell of blood drowned out the lingering taste of incense and molten wax as I licked my lips. ¡°Here,¡± he said and threw the dripping package at me. With a wet thud it landed in my lap and I felt its sticky warmth spread along my thighs. I could barely suppressed an excited moan as he added: ¡°turn it into a hood, if it pleases you, or throw it away, I don¡¯t mind either way. Now, has your thirst been quenched enough for you to listen? I won¡¯t repeat myself and this vessel doesn¡¯t have more than a few minutes left.¡± I nodded, mesmerised, while I pressed the squishy bundle deeper into my lap. ¡°A worthy prey¡­ something to challenge you so thoroughly that the hunt could sustain you throughout all the dark, silent years to come. A hunt so glorious that even the memory alone will be enough to satisfy your urges. Neither dragons, nor fey, neither sorcerers nor monarchs could grant you that kind of¡­ relief. But something else could. Something that¡¯s not meant to break, that¡¯s not supposed to die. If you can bring an immortal to their knees, you¡¯ll find¡­ fulfilment.¡± ¡°Gods,¡± I snorted, while I elegantly raised the bloody tip of a finger to my lips. A coppery taste filled my mouth as I added: ¡°they¡¯re more idea than flesh and blood. Trying to drown the ocean is as satisfying as chasing after them.¡± His sickening laughter filled the room again before he replied: ¡°You poor, ignorant child. Gods? I have imprisoned and hunted them, long before you were born, but I¡¯ll tell you this, the strength of the creatures I¡¯m after would make even a god seem like a toy. No, I¡¯m not talking about a sentient construct of energy. I¡¯m talking about living, breathing creatures with the power to change or end our world on a whim. I¡¯m talking about the pinnacle of all existence, I¡¯m talking about true immortals and it so happens that two of them are close by.¡± ¡°One for you, one for me,¡± I parroted his words. ¡°How?¡± He shrugged. ¡°If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be here. That¡¯s the appeal. I don¡¯t even know if it can be done. Enticing, isn¡¯t it? Or should I say arousing?¡± Lost in thought I tried to picture the scene, to see myself standing above a huge, shadow veiled body, silver ichor surrounding me like a warm, relaxing bath, but I couldn¡¯t. Every time I tried I only saw myself on the ground, pale and defeated, while a¡­ surprisingly lithe creature slowly drove the tip of a spear through my heart and a final, almost happy smile formed on my face. I swallowed excitedly. Yes, either way it¡¯d be exquisite. Unless I was being lied to. Usually I wouldn¡¯t even have considered the possibility but this¡­ human was about as ordinary as the prey he meant to send me after. ¡°It is, it seems almost too good to be true,¡± I breathed softly while my fingers compulsively pressed the sack of flesh closer against my skin. ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ do you really want me to? Wouldn¡¯t it spoil your fun? But I guess it can¡¯t be helped. First off¡­ I told you there are two. They¡¯re inseparable, as far as I know, their magic binds them, pulls them towards each other more thoroughly than you can imagine. As long as they¡¯re together¡­ you won¡¯t stand a prayer. What one doesn¡¯t see the other will, what one doesn¡¯t hear, the other is going to.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Light and fire incarnate. Living power that thunders through vessels that make even your pristine appearance seem dull, boring, mundane¡­ ugly. But, and I guess that¡¯s your only chance, they¡¯re truly alive. They cry and laugh, they fear and love¡­ in short, they aren¡¯t perfect. If you¡¯re as good as I¡¯ve heard¡­ it might be enough.¡± ¡°And if it¡¯s not?¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t even feel your death¡­unless they want you to. I know their names¡­ if you agree I¡¯ll tell you. But that¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get from me. I¡¯d never dare spoil the most important hunt of your life.¡± ¡°And what if I won¡¯t agree? What if I decide to make you my next target?¡± He cocked and eyebrow and started at my lap suggestively. ¡°You won¡¯t. The thought alone excites you, arouses you. I might give you a challenge but if you do as I ask and you deliver the black haired one to me¡­ if you still feel the urge, I¡¯ll give you another hunt to remember throughout the ages. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I don¡¯t expect you to succeed. Neither with them, nor with me, but proving old, arrogant wizards wrong is your specialty, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an interesting fellow,¡± I purred, provocatively opening my legs until his bloody skin was all that barred his view. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°I¡¯ve had many throughout the ages but my father named me Amon. Luckily that child has died long ago but the name still suits me just fine.¡± It was my turn to surprise him. ¡°Really now? I¡¯ve heard stories, or rather whispers of stories¡­ about an ancient land and a fallen king, about a cruel sorcerer and his bid for supremacy, ages ago. They always were my favourite nighttime read. Magnificent, what you did¡­ out of spite and hatred, truly magnificent.¡± He bowed again mockingly. ¡°I live to please. But you shouldn¡¯t presume to know my motives¡­ neither then, nor now. So, Lady of Shadows, do we have a deal?¡± ¡°Two names for a single body? Sounds like a bargain to me. But, should you have lied, should reality fall short of your tempting promises, I¡¯ll make it my life¡¯s mission to watch you suffer.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, if anything I understated what they are. You¡¯ll see. Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon and Ahri Arete. Those are their names and Cassandra is the one I want. Alive but not necessarily in one piece. As far as I know they¡¯re on their way to the Emerald Island, maybe they¡¯re already there. What an amazing coincidence, isn¡¯t it? You can return to the land of your birth to be¡­ reborn. Fate surely has a wicked sense of humour.¡± The way he said it made me pause but I couldn¡¯t figure out if it had been the veiled insinuation about my past or something else that had caught my attention. ¡°You know who I am?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m royalty myself, after all, and I always try to keep up with my peers. Just as much as my story inspired you¡­ yours made me laugh. Did you honestly think I¡¯d come here without making sure you¡¯d be the one I need?¡± ¡°Are you? Sure, I mean.¡± ¡°That you¡¯re the only one who has a chance? Yes. You¡¯re broken and hurting. We both know that¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be feared. They don¡¯t, though, despite all the years they¡¯ve lived. But¡­ I still think it unlikely that you¡¯ll succeed. You have a chance, that¡¯s all, and it is more than anyone else could ever dream of¡­ including me.¡± For the first time he seemed unsettled¡­ scared like a caged animal¡­ as if the jaws of an invisible trap were closing in around him. 376. Of farewells, attachments and a little plan Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I never thought you¡¯d turn out to be a sucker for children, considering how much you hated socialising with kids of your age when you were little,¡± Arthur chuckled while he gently shooed the last tailed rascals away. I looked after them and breathed in their familiar scent one last time while they waved at me before allowing themselves to be shepherded towards the harbour, a squad of fox soldiers keeping them safe in their midst. I didn¡¯t even know how many of the kids, if any, had chosen to stay here but Arthur had decided to leave this very day and Reia, Archy and Estrella were tagging along with their friends as well to say their goodbyes. Melancholically I stared after the departing wave of multicoloured fur but they¡¯d be back with my own personal troops shortly¡­ unless I had gravely miscalculated how long it¡¯d take the ugly worm to reach us. ¡°It¡¯s different when you¡¯re looking like an adult,¡± I explained patiently and fanned out my tails. They had almost become numb. ¡°Nobody expects me to actually act like them.¡± ¡°And still¡­ you do,¡± he replied with a smile in his voice, his warm, strong hand landing on my shoulder. ¡°I wish I could have seen that side of you more often. It¡¯s¡­ refreshing.¡± ¡°If you had been around more often, you would have,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I never did apologise, did I? It¡¯s difficult for me. Showing weakness¡­ it¡¯s not the best idea when you¡¯re expected to lead. I¡¯m sorry. Not for running away, I think you know by now that I didn¡¯t have that many options without making everything worse, but for never coming back. My¡­ disagreements with father shouldn¡¯t have mattered to us. That¡¯s on me. Still, do you think you¡¯ll be able to trust me again?¡± ¡°I already do. More or less.¡± I placed my hands on the small of my back and stretched without facing him. The satisfying pop of my vertebrae sent a languorous shiver down my spine. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ you¡¯re just like mom and I¡¯ve always been mommy¡¯s girl.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m like her and Mordred is turning out like dad¡­ what does that make you?¡± ¡°Malcolm in the middle? Arthur¡­ you do know that I¡¯m old, right? I could have been raised on the streets of Free Land and I¡¯d probably have turned out the same way.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Malcolm? Did you have a boyfriend I don¡¯t know about?¡± He sounded¡­ curious. ¡°Seriously? A boyfriend? When? How? No, he¡¯s a fictional character from another world. You know everything there is to know about my love life, don¡¯t worry I¡¯m not keeping anything a secret. Well, nothing that personal at least.¡± ¡°But something else?¡± ¡°Of course. If I wanted to tell you every enigmatic experience I¡¯ve ever lived through we¡¯d be stuck here until the end of days. The whole immortal thing hasn¡¯t really dawned on you, yet, has it?¡± ¡°Can you blame me? It¡¯s not that easy to wrap my head around. I mean, who¡¯d have thought that the clumsy, stubborn toddler I watched taking her first steps would turn out to be an¡­ enigmatic existence from across the stars? It¡¯s a bit much to take in, isn¡¯t it?¡± I finally turned around smiling. ¡°Clumsy? I¡¯ve never been clumsy. Overeager, maybe. You should try spending a few months in the body of a child. Frustrating doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it. Just ask mom.¡± ¡°I think I will¡­ as soon as she starts appreciating a glass of wine again. That¡¯s it, then? Time for our goodbyes?¡± A gust of wind rustled his silky hair and for a moment he seemed¡­ sad, lonely. ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. This time it won¡¯t be for years. Which reminds. Here. That¡¯s to make sure you won¡¯t forget us. Do call, once in a while, will you?¡± I unceremoniously shoved one of the crystals into his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to everyday but once a week wouldn¡¯t be so bad, would it?¡± Before I let go I squeezed his fingers and winked. ¡°Since when have you become an artificer,¡± he asked as he inspected the glowing gem curiously. ¡°Immortal, remember?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Try to keep up, will you? Anyways, you know how that little gizmo works, do you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a communication crystal, isn¡¯t it? I might not be a scholar but I can use a damned artefact. Thanks, Cassy. But¡­ it¡¯s not enough.¡± Before I could do more than raise an eyebrow questioningly he explained: ¡°look¡­ we haven¡¯t met each other in for ever and ever since, we¡¯ve mostly been¡­ arguing, to put it politely. Hardly surprising, with a family like ours, but still¡­ you¡¯re an immortal and my little sister and I¡¯m a king and your brother. We¡¯ve pretty much acted like the former all the time. At least for today I¡¯d like to simply be the latter. And as your brother, I¡¯d like to ask you to turn some of your considerable talents towards bridging the gap between us.¡± ¡°As in,¡± I asked suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m not going to iterate everything I¡¯ve said before but as long as you and your wife are determined to make this about power, there isn¡¯t much to be done.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he sighed, ¡°except we¡¯ve come to realise that you neither want nor need the kind of strength we¡¯re squabbling over. Mordred and mother are another matter. Could you¡­ I don¡¯t know, mediate?¡± ¡°Me? Chances are I¡¯d end up bashing your skulls in when my temper gets the better of me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never had a problem controlling yourself when there was something you had to accomplish. I¡­ now, don¡¯t get your tails in a twist but I know what happened with the two girls just now¡­¡± ¡°How? Aside from the quintet, you so considerately dumped on me, are there any more of your people keeping an eye on me?¡± I didn¡¯t sound half as aggressive as it might seem on a paper, which was probably the reason why he was still smiling. ¡°No¡­ but we¡¯ve both inherited mom¡¯s senses. I simply listened. And maybe helped with a spell or two. Does it really matter? What I¡¯m getting at is this¡­ Sera, mother and you, the three of you are more similar to forces of nature than you are to us. You know why Sylv, and me as well for that matter, think that¡¯s a problem. But it doesn¡¯t have to be. Do you remember father¡¯s plans to unite the families back on Boseiju?¡± I had to dig through my memories for a few moments before I did.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Didn¡¯t he plan to implement something like martial law? The families would rule undisturbed unless we¡¯d have to face a crisis. The most powerful members of each family would then take the reins as some kind of¡­ united government until the situation could be resolved. In exchange, they¡¯d renounce their entire claims in times of peace. Oh boy, it was a ludicrous idea back then and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any better now. Unless there¡¯s something I¡¯m missing?¡± ¡°Probably. We aren¡¯t different families but one. Look, am I wrong to assume that Mordred is going to become the leader of this enclave?¡± ¡°Probably not. Unless he fucks up and Greta beats him black and blue.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Which leaves mother, Sera and you¡­ doing what, exactly?¡± ¡°What we have to? I barely find the time to sleep once a week and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any different for them. Arthur¡­ just say it. What crazy idea have the two of you hatched?¡± ¡°In a single sentence¡­ an exchange. Your power, the power of all three of you, for autonomy and a seat at the table.¡± Aw, I appreciated the sentiment but until there was an actual idea there, aside from blowing smoke, it¡¯d still remain a pipe dream. ¡°How,¡± I asked. ¡°Education. The three of you know more about magic than anyone alive.¡± Not entirely true but for the sake of argument close enough. ¡°Make your knowledge accessible to us. Teach our youngsters. You¡¯re going to the Emerald Island¡­ pay attention how they¡¯ve structured their academy. I want something similar. Not just for kitsune¡­ but for anyone who¡¯d be willing to learn. I¡¯ll pay, the three of you will take care of the rest. And if it becomes necessary¡­ I won¡¯t interfere with how you lead your students, even the former ones.¡± ¡°Let me get this straight. You want me to found a school in your name, more or less, attracting students from all around the world and in exchange you¡¯ll use them as cannon fodder, if it becomes necessary, and ensure that mom, Sera and I will march at the forefront as well?¡± He deflated and lowered his gaze. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have phrased it quite like that, but¡­ look, isn¡¯t that the best way to ensure that fabled alliance you¡¯ve been clamouring on about will actually happen? It¡¯s much simpler to argue with someone whose child you¡¯ve trained.¡± He didn¡¯t sound like he expected me to agree and my first impulse had truly been to brush it off but the longer I thought about it, the more I saw the appeal. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it. But, even if I agree, you¡¯ll most likely not like my conditions.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. I won¡¯t even insist on a place. Do it here, for all I care, as long as you get those portals to work.¡± I nodded thoughtfully. ¡°And you and your wife would stay out of it, no matter what we decided to do?¡± ¡°Well, if you intended to organise a coup I imagine we wouldn¡¯t just sit by idly, but other than that¡­ sure, as soon as someone graduates and becomes a soldier, for example, I¡¯d expect them to be loyal to me, though, but you can always¡­ call them back.¡± ¡°And if your colony, or another place for that matter, comes under attack I could use the resources, people and tools alike, as I see fit?¡± ¡°No. As the three of you see fit. In exchange¡­ I never again want to hear another word about succession, influence or political power. That¡¯d be between our brother and me and you¡¯ll stay the hell out of it. Think of it as a¡­ division. Mordred and I will keep ourselves busy with the politics you detest anyways and you can build relations and an army in peace¡­ more or less.¡± ¡°I see. Believe it or not, I¡¯m tempted. But I can¡¯t make that decision on my own.¡± ¡°Of course not. But will you talk to mother and Sera? I don¡¯t think they¡¯d listen to me.¡± ¡°I was actually thinking about Mordred and Ahri, but sure. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Ahri got to do with it?¡± ¡°Seriously? She¡¯s my wife. If she says no, it won¡¯t happen. But¡­,¡± I tilted my head to the side and listened for a moment, ¡°she won¡¯t. You do realise that something like that takes time, more than we probably have?¡± ¡°Does it? Let¡¯s assume for a moment that you actually want to. How long will it take, if you¡¯re prepared to give it your all? Elves, fey, dragons¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have your first batch of teachers and students within half a year. That should be more than enough for your purposes. And as for mine¡­ I¡¯m not in rush. Whether it takes a decade or a century, I won¡¯t mind.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinning. ¡°So you actually expect me to poach the most promising casters from the Emerald Island?¡± ¡°Poach? No. Give them an alternative, if they want one. They¡¯re at war, or will be soon. I¡¯m sure more than one family is thinking about a way to escape, to keep their children safe. And which place could possibly be safer than a school run by an angel, an ancient, shape shifting dragoness and a creature made of pure magic? Not to mention that it¡¯ll be backed up by a people who are all magicians in their own right, down to the last cub.¡± ¡°Goddamn, you¡¯ve really turned into a politician. When did you come up with that idea?¡± ¡°In the raw? As soon as Sylv described what you did to her when you first met. The school thing was her idea, though. I was thinking more along the lines of an actual council, similar to what father had planned for Boseiju. She convinced me that you¡¯d never go for it, though.¡± ¡°She was right. Like I said, I¡¯ll think about it. One more question, though, was that my brother or the king talking?¡± ¡°A bit of both. That¡¯s your brother.¡± Before I could move he enveloped me in a bear hug. ¡°Whatever you decide, I still want you in my life. You and mother and Mordred. If that¡¯s not the way, will figure out something else. I promise. I¡¯m not going to run away again.¡± ¡°You know,¡± I chuckled into his shoulder, even though my voice sounded a bit hoarse, ¡°if that had been the first words out of your mouth I don¡¯t think we¡¯d have had even the slightest problem.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m just as impulsive as you. I can hide it better, most of the time, but family always gets under your skin, doesn¡¯t it? And if you¡¯re referring to how I treated Reia¡­ that¡¯s even worse. Case and point. Are you¡­ tearing up?¡± ¡°No,¡± I mumbled, blinking rapidly, ¡°the sun¡¯s too bright. Of course I am, you idiot. Don¡¯t you see, that¡¯s all I ever wanted? We don¡¯t have to see eye to eye, I just want you to act like we matter more to you than some silly notion of what you should be.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll make a great teacher,¡± he whispered in my ear. ¡°Sometimes I do wonder whether we raised you or if it was the other way around.¡± He pushed me to arm¡¯s length but didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Do you¡­ do you remember your other families?¡± ¡°You mean the ones I grew up with before?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No¡­ glimpses, from time to time. A bearded man laughing, a black haired woman singing me a lullaby. But I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s real. Either way, they¡¯re long gone,¡± I added sadly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Very much so. Arthur, my last life lasted for millions of years. Millions. Not to mention that I think I was able to time travel, even though I rarely did. Chances are even the planet I was born on has turned to dust in the meantime. As for them¡­ I¡¯d like to remember them, but that¡¯s all they are now. Stardust and memories.¡± ¡°Will we become the same,¡± he asked quietly. ¡°To me? No. But I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be able to stay like I am. This life¡­ it could end much faster than I want it to. And after that¡­ I fear you, mom, Mordred, even Ahri and me¡­ we¡¯ll all become just another tale, another story, another memory. But, trust me, I won¡¯t go down without a fight. Never have, never will.¡± ¡°Never expected you to. Cassy¡­ can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Always.¡± ¡°Do you think you have a chance? You haven¡¯t properly explained what¡¯s going on with you yet, but I¡¯d have to be a moron to not figure out how deep the shit you¡¯re stuck in actually is.¡± ¡°Why? Because a whole race of immortals is after me? Seriously, though¡­ Lucifer, my last incarnation, he didn¡¯t. I think that¡¯s why he failed. He was too old, too calloused¡­ too cold. Me? I honestly don¡¯t care. There was this saying on another world¡­ never tell me the odds. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll make it, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll even become powerful enough to think about fighting back but I¡¯ll try and that¡¯s all there is to it. The rest¡­ we¡¯ll just have to see, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ scared? Knowing where your life is headed?¡± ¡°All the time. But I¡¯m not alone¡­ and I think I¡¯m right. That matters. To tell you the truth, I¡¯m less scared of dying and more of embracing the war that awaits me. I don¡¯t want to become a butcher, a demon. I¡¯d rather vanish than lose myself and I fear that¡¯s what¡¯s at stake. Which is why I need my family. And as much as I could wring your neck from time to time that includes you, too.¡± 377. Of reflections, delays and a little arrival Cassandra Pendragon I had always loved trees. The coarse bark under my fingers, the branches I could wrap my tails around, the smell of life pouring into me, the soft, verdant hue of sunbeams filtering through a canopy of leaves and blossoms¡­ not to mention that it was a perfect hiding spot. Don¡¯t ask me why but somehow most races, the winged ones were an exception, never bothered to look up. They¡¯d stumble along on the ground, peeking behind bushes, scratching in the dirt, but they never raised their heads to the sky. Strange, really, since most cultures associate the sky with the heavens. Something to strive for, something to admire, but they never found the courage to gaze upon what they thought was sacrosanct. Which, of course, made it all the more appealing. As you might have guessed I had run away, once again, after Arthur had taken off. He wanted to ensure that everything was in order on his ships and that the cubs had been stowed away safely. Which had put me in a decidedly tough spot. With that additional delay there was no chance in hell I¡¯d be able to get my perky ass away from here before Jabba was going to make an appearance. And I couldn¡¯t even try with a clean conscience since either the dwarfs or the kitsune would run into him midair if I didn¡¯t speak up. Not that I actually expected mayhem and murder but if something was going to happen to them, I¡¯d regret it for the rest of a, possibly, very long life. So, instead of rushing through my goodbyes I had stretched my wings and soared back up Greta¡¯s tree, balancing on one of the highest branches, the entire island sprawling away in front of me. Up here it was peaceful, the noise, the smell¡­ the breath of the city muted. I could still hear the celebrants fooling around below me, I could still see the colourful, effervescent waves, surging in and out of the Garden, but it felt much farther away, almost like a dream I could choose to forget. Up here, I could take a few minutes to order my thoughts without anyone stepping on my tails. And I needed it, dearly. Even by my standards the last two hours had been¡­ overwhelming. Kana¡¯s and Brianna¡¯s connection, Serena¡¯s prayers, not to mention that I had actually faced Amazeroth and won, Arthur¡¯s plans¡­ in a single word I felt drained. I had never expected to leave behind some tidied up place, a pipe dream that had come crushing down around my fluffy ears when I had decided against visiting each and every troublemaker Rachmahn had written down and handed the list over to Mordred, but I hadn¡¯t thought I¡¯d be stumbling across even more secrets and conspiracies on my very last day. Not to mention there was a good chance that a handful of assassins, powerful enough to threaten dragons, were right about now plotting our downfall. At least if Viyara could be trusted and I did trust her. Explicitly. Which made my situation all the more difficult. The most rational decision would probably have been to stay. There was nothing more important than keeping your own house in order, especially when at war, but I simply couldn¡¯t. I missed Ahri. To a degree that was just as painful as pathetic. It felt like an open wound in my chest every time I thought about her and if I had to spent weeks without seeing, without touching her I¡¯d most likely end up making everything worse. Much worse. No¡­ I had to go and I had to trust my family to deal with the mess I was going to leave behind. I was convinced they could, in most regards they were even more suited to the task than I was. My mom was much better versed in anything political and my brother was¡­ well, first and foremost he was calloused. If he put his mind to something he¡¯d see it through. With Greta, Sera, the two newly arrived dragons and the rest of Free Land backing them up there was no way in hell they¡¯d need me, but still¡­ I was an immortal and they weren¡¯t. It was as simple as that. Fortunately I was very much able to travel between the Emerald Island and Free Land, if push came to shove within the blink of an eye, with or without portals, otherwise I probably wouldn¡¯t have found the courage to actually leave. As it stood¡­ I just had to convince myself that it wasn¡¯t a mistake, that I wasn¡¯t putting my own aching heart above the needs of the people I was responsible for. Hence the few minutes I had stolen, even though there was still so much to do. I had to know what the Broken Wheel had stumbled across while he had been out and about, I had to make the introductions I had promised, I had to properly say goodbye to my blood, I had to¡­ face the music, one way or the other. Sighing I got to my feet, gently caressing the warm, vibrant bark. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long, but I¡¯m still going to miss you,¡± I whispered. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d find a new home only to leave the very next day.¡± A soft breeze rustled through the canopy, as if the enormous plant was trying to reply. Maybe it did. A speck of colour glided through the air, red and white petals danced in the wind and a soft touch made me shiver as the first blossom that had ever bloomed here caressingly brushed against my cheek. With a nimble movement I snatched it before it could vanish among the green expanse. The little thing was delicate and beautiful, its sweet aroma an unspoken promise I couldn¡¯t quite understand. My fingers trembled slightly as they closed around the magnificent memory made real. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it safe until my return,¡± I promised and fanned out my wings, allowing the breeze to carry me away from my aerie. ¡°You do the same for my family,¡± I added, just as I passed by the last branches, their leaves dancing in a final, mute farewell. A trickle of energy reached my eyes and my vision expanded as I soared into the sky. The city unfolded below me like a chessboard, red, grey, brown and black tiles clustered together to form a maze of roofs, divided by deep, shadowy alleys and surrounded by an impenetrable forest. Plumes of smoke rose here and there, some from regular fires, others from the smouldering ruins that hadn¡¯t been put out properly, yet. The former mansion of the Ironhands looked like a festering wound from up here, a pitch black ulcer that had been burned away, leaving behind a dead and aching scar. The impressive residences the Captains had built for themselves were another matter. Kirena¡¯s home was a crumpled, pillaged ruin on one of the hills just outside the city proper but the others hadn¡¯t fared half as badly. Even Captain Dawn¡¯s villa still stood, despite the lifeless, abandoned air the erstwhile magnificent building gave off. Its broken windows felt like empty eyes to me, mirroring the ambitious yet futile attempts of his former owner to reach for the stars, leaving behind a crippled husk, an eerie memorial for misguided pride and deceptive dreams. The warm air guided me higher into the sky like a gentle embrace, carrying with it the myriad of smells I had already gotten used to. The miasma of too many humans living together on too little land, the scent of granite, breathing in the sun, the distant flavour of verdant trees and tropical plants, mixed with the musky aroma of wild, roaming animals, the salty, ever present strength of the sea and, of course, the calming, welcoming taste of cherry trees. There were other, fainter notes as well, the individual scent of my friends, which I would have recognised everywhere by now, the enticing odour of the celebration, prepared food and spilled liquor, and the almost drowned out nimbus of magic, like the tingling of ozone and stardust in the back of my throat.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. My eyes roamed from the skeletal walkways and bridges of the harbour, lonely and abandoned without the fleet of ships I had seen on my first day despite the few dwarven and kitsune vessels, along the broad, empty roads that connected the remaining markets and the Garden to the colourful, lively sea of faces, surging peacefully below me. The bright, intimidating display I had provided not even half an hour ago was already forgotten, the eccentricities and little faults of Free Land¡¯s magical population forgiven in exchange for a taste of peace and camaraderie¡­ fuelled by copious amounts of free booze. Even the moving, glittering mountains, Sera had never transformed back after having used her bulk to shield me from the onlookers and Quenda and Narros had taken the chance to roam around in their actual skin in stride, didn¡¯t stand out. True enough, they were more than eye catching from high above but the waves of people didn¡¯t break around them anymore like the tide on the shore, they surged and flowed peacefully like a calm river, dancing around a rocky outcrop at its centre. A few, fragmented lines of foreign songs, each preformed in a different language, reached me, the soft whispers of the wind a perfect canvas to highlight the intricate, interwoven melodies. A gentle smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as I looked down on a scene that could have been taken from a fairytale, the pain, the strive¡­ the inhumane fear of the last days nothing but a powerless shadow of the past, vanquished and banished by the blossoming ties of an actual community. I wasn¡¯t conceited enough to think it had been our doing alone, but we had helped, we had burned away a major part of the poisonous, infected scab and now something new could actually grow. My ears twitched and swivelled as deep, gravely voices rang out, accompanying the slow, resounding beat of a drum I knew all too well. I turned around, expecting to see the dwarven ships covered in smoke while the furnaces were fired up, maybe a few stragglers who said their goodbyes to the kitsune they had come to know but instead the ships, dwarven and kitsune alike, appeared like prodded anthills, teeming with unfettered movement while bearded and tailed soldiers reached for their weapons. Damn it! ¡°You can say that again,¡± Viyara quipped. ¡°What did you expect? That they¡¯d take the appearance of a ship, about twice as large as any one of ours, in stride? It¡¯s a miracle they haven¡¯t spotted it sooner, the kitsune especially. What do we do now?¡± ¡°What I didn¡¯t want to do in the first place. Is Mordred with you?¡± ¡°Yes. He and your mother are listening right now¡­ so is Reia. Should I exclude her?¡± ¡°No¡­ she¡¯s been through enough already, she knows the rules.¡± My sister¡¯s voice, slightly distorted through Viyara¡¯s mid, replied: ¡°Stay close to you and do as I¡¯m told?¡± ¡°Precisely. Viyara, would you mind carrying them? Arthur and Richard as well. We¡¯ll pay a visit to our new friends. Maybe I¡¯m wrong and they¡¯re only here to say hello.¡± ¡°Tell yourself whatever you want. Aurelia is going to come as well¡­ so is Sera. Any objections?¡± ¡°Would it make a lick of a difference if I had any?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯ll be up there with you in a moment. Anything else?¡± ¡°What about our fey and the elves?¡± ¡°Aspera, Astra and Lyra are still in the tree. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re up to, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out as soon as we¡¯re back. Erya and Morgan have their hands full with their new stray. That wolf keeps them on their toes, even without his magic. I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to leave him unsupervised or take him with you, do you?¡± ¡°No, I really don¡¯t. Thanks. I¡¯ll wait here.¡± She severed the connection just as I felt the warmth of her magic spread through every one of her tendons, every muscle in her body. A moment later a golden shimmer engulfed a large chunk of the Garden and when it faded away another towering dragoness had appeared on the lawn. Damn it, with four of them around I really had to start thinking about species-appropriate husbandry¡­ the island we were on wasn¡¯t that larger after all. Shoving the stray thought aside, which would probably have earned me quite a bit of grief if anybody had picked up on it, I focused on the small dot in the sky, the root of my most recent headache. The scene on board hadn¡¯t changed much, the same stalwart rows of guards sheltered the ugly worm in their midst, but he wasn¡¯t lazying around on his cushions anymore. Instead he was leaning against the railing, his fat, pale, squishy coils quivering excitedly. For a moment I thought he was marvelling at the dragons below him, taking in their awe inspiring appearance, but half a heartbeat later his slitted, yellow eyes turned to me and found my gaze. Surprised I stilled in midair, holding his inquisitive stare for a few seconds until a wide smile revealed his sharp, pointed teeth. Reflexively I searched for the traces of a spell, the distance was far to great for him to see my face without the help of magic, but there were none. Apparently his eyesight was much better than I had expected, much better than I had thought possible. He inclined his head in an almost demur gesture before his thin, bloodless lips formed words in the common tongue: ¡°greetings, Lady Pendragon. I come in peace bearing gifts. I will halt our passage. Please, do join me with how ever many allies you think appropriate. I¡¯ll save the introductions for when me meet. It¡¯s been a while since I have left my home but rest assured, my manners haven¡¯t suffered.¡± I held his gaze for a moment longer before I jerked my head, an admittedly barely acceptable response but his behaviour had taken me off guard. A shiver ran along his bloated body and with an unnatural movement he seemed to fold in on himself, turning around and slithering away toward the massive doors that led into the bowels of the ship. I shook my head, grinning self deprecatingly. I wasn¡¯t yet fully convinced that the new arrival wasn¡¯t out for blood or bounty but the first encounter had definitely gone differently from what I had expected. If anything I was the one who had made fool of herself, hovering confusedly on the spot, while the ugly creature had not only known my name, my title, but had also taken the initiative and turned us into guests he had cordially invited. Not that I particularly cared about the subtle dynamics but I knew my mom, at the very least, would have been impressed. As for me¡­ the refined understanding of human interactions made me hope that I wouldn¡¯t have to burn my way through yet another sky ship. This one in particular would have been a waste as a destroyed wreck. I didn¡¯t know enough about the trade but I¡¯d have put its value at the price of a large palace, or maybe even a small island¡­ including the inhabitants. Goodness gracious, maybe he actually did have something to offer, after all. My mind churning I whirled around and called out mentally: ¡°Viyara, before you leave, please look for Rachmahn. He should be conscious again. If he wants, he can bring his son as well. Ask Greta to lead them outside. Something tells me that we¡¯re going to need a merchant much more dearly than our magic.¡± The dragoness had just been about to spread her wings, Aurelia, Reia and my mom seated safely on her back while the rest had climbed up onto Sera¡¯s mountainous shoulders, when she paused. A ticking sensation in the depth of my mind told she was once again rummaging through my memories. A second later she replied: ¡°Good Lord,¡± apparently Ahri wasn¡¯t the only one whom I had infected with Earth¡¯s colloquialisms, ¡°who in the hell¡­,¡± a feathered shadow shot away from the group around Kana and Brianna and fluttered towards the dragoness. A moment later I heard the voice of the Broken Wheel: ¡°Take me along. Me and Nightshade. I already told you that I¡¯ve stumbled across something interesting, didn¡¯t I? Well, maybe you should have listened sooner. I don¡¯t know him but I know his race. They¡¯ve been subjugated and nearly eradicated by Free Land. They were a considerable force around these parts, almost two decades ago. He isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯s made an appearance ever since you and your nemesis have stirred up a storm. They¡¯re smelling blood and whatever he¡¯s here for, it won¡¯t be to offer his unconditional help. You¡¯ll need us.¡± Damn it! 378. Of pretences, realisations and a little hunt Cassandra Pendragon Goosebumps had erupted along my arms and down my spine. In the dim, reddish light of the crackling fires the bodies of the two contestants were almost hazy, the long, flowing, grey robes they wore served as much to confuse the eye as to provide a sharp contrast to the dark, oaken walls. A smouldering log cracked quietly in the smokeless brazier behind me but the sound still travelled across the room like a gunshot accompanied by a fountain of sparks. As if it had been a signal we held our breath and in the ensuing silence the tap tap of bare feet against cold hard wood was absurdly loud in my ears, loud enough to drown out the low groaning of the furnace beneath us and the creaking of the sails far above. Slowly, fluidly the two figures moved, bowing from the hip before they produced identical, curved swords from red tabards on their broad leather belts, red plumes dangling coquettishly from the hilts. A weightless, dancing step, the ringing, bell like clash of steel on steel, a shower of burning, blue sparks and the two men separated again, tiny notches on their blades the only trace of the violent strike they had exchanged. The afterimage of their descending swords was still vivid in my mind when¡­ ¡°They¡¯re better than me,¡± Arthur whispered into my ear, using our mother tongue. ¡°Do you think you could hold your own against them?¡± I nodded absentmindedly, my eyes glued to the two fighters as they prepared for another exchange. ¡°In a battle? One or a thousand it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. In a competition like this? Not with swords. With spears, though¡­ even without my powers I¡¯m faster and stronger yet I¡¯m the first to admit that my technique isn¡¯t perfect. It¡¯d be interesting for sure. Chances are I¡¯d have to overwhelm my opponent with sheer strength. Not the kind of display you¡¯d be looking for.¡± ¡°And what about Ahri? As far as I remember she always was the more¡­ physical one of the two of you.¡± I smiled proudly, even though I felt my ears twitch embarrassedly. The way he had phrased that had conjured up memories that had absolutely nothing to do with fighting. Or maybe they did, depending on the mood. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have a prayer. If you don¡¯t believe me ask our brother. I don¡¯t even think she¡¯d need a weapon to put them in the dirt.¡± I felt him nod before he leaned back to watch the rest of the show but I couldn¡¯t yet do the same since Reia leaned in from my other side and breathed: ¡°Please, tell me I¡¯ll be able to move like this, too.¡± ¡°That entirely depends on you. As far as I¡¯m concerned all you need to learn is control. Over your mind and your body. At least to the same degree as them. If you want to forge it into something more that¡¯ll be your choice but it¡¯s just a question of dedication. I don¡¯t think learning how to wield a weapon to perfection is the best use of your time but I won¡¯t argue if you¡¯re determined.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Ahri offer to teach me before?¡± ¡°She did, but I think you¡¯ve got the wrong idea. The fans I gave you will teach you control if you want to master them. It¡¯s not really about learning how to fight. Just take me as an example. The first few years of my training consisted of Greta throwing burning things at me. Pointy as well, most of the time. Come to think of it, it surely was effective but I wouldn¡¯t want to subject you to the same treatment. You aren¡¯t as sturdy as me and I can¡¯t very well sell you off for a decent dowry, let¡¯s say an empire or two, if your pretty face becomes marred by a scar now, can I?¡± She pinched my side¡­ not quite affectionately. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­,¡± she began to complain but was cut short by a hoarse scream. One of the fighters had lunged himself forward, his blade sparkling in an enchanting but deadly silhouette of serenity above his head before it descended in a wide, shimmering arch. The other lowered himself into a defensive stance, his face expressionless, his muscles taunt, ready to deflect the terrifying blow. ¡°It¡¯s a feint you imbecile,¡± I mumbled inaudibly, my gaze darting to the nimble feet of the attacker. Just as he pivoted on the spot to bring his weight to bear he switched his stance, the bone crushing force of his strike travelling through his body and into a veiled kick. The two blades collided beguilingly gently, with much less energy than his opponent had expected. His balance was already askew without the expected impact and he immediately staggered. At the very same moment his adversary¡¯s foot connected with his bend knee, the joint groaning and breaking on the spot. For the fraction of a second he remained rooted in place until he fell like a dead tree. ¡°Ouch,¡± I commented quietly while I felt a faint tingling in my own leg as my heightened perception provided me with a detailed and slowed down rendition of a knee bending in the wrong direction. A heartbeat later a strangled moan filled the room and the heavy thud of a broken body hitting the floor resounded throughout the chamber. ¡°Game over,¡± I stated quietly. And a pity it was, the two of them really had been the best of the bunch. Watching them fight was more akin to a sensual dance, each movement controlled, each strike a perfect mixture of serenity and power. Until one had made a mistake. That was all it took. A single mistake. The winner helped his sweating and pale partner to his feet and they both bowed, rather gracefully considering the poor state one of them was in. ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± our host, who incidentally wasn¡¯t named Jabba the Hut but rather Indigorath, exclaimed in the Common Tongue. ¡°Masterfully done. Please, would you accompany Drakar to the infirmary? Ioreth will have him patched up in no time.¡± The wood creaked underneath his massive coils as he slithered around to face us. ¡°What do you think? Was it worth the delay,¡± he asked magnanimously. As agreed upon I kept my mouth shut, allowing Richard to speak for us. Not that I minded in the slightest. It was a refreshing change of pace to not be involved directly even though I wouldn¡¯t have gone as far as claiming that I wasn¡¯t the centre of attention anymore. Admittedly, I hadn¡¯t spoken more than a few handful of words since we had arrived but the way the guards were ogling me constantly still ensured that I had to put my best foot forward. Which wouldn¡¯t have necessarily been a bad thing but the impressive and, more importantly, scrumptious buffet the slug had prepared in a corner of the chamber really put me to the test. I had never been a fan of the sophisticated, elegant and exceptionally tiny morsels nobles were supposed to nip on and the tender, succulent meats I could smell from a cross the room were a goddamn temptation. But, as I might have mentioned before, I wasn¡¯t a glutton so I managed to ignore the mouthwatering display. Barely and with a lot of effort. The stick bread I had taken off Layla helped, too. Speaking of temptations, our host hadn¡¯t so much as raised a nonexistent eyebrow upon our arrival, entirely oblivious to the struggles of his soldiers when Aurelia, Viyara, Sera and I had descended from the sky. It would have been impressive, or maybe slightly insulting, if he hadn¡¯t been from an entirely alien species. The aesthetics of a slug were hardly comparable to humanoid standards and I imagined it was the same the other way around. To him we probably seemed as ugly as his bloated body appeared to us. Or maybe he simply didn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t even sure if slugs, or larvae, as I had found out he was, had a concept of beauty. As far as I had come to understand it they mostly categorised others by a pretty basic distinction. Can it eat me or can I eat it. Truth be told, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I preferred our more intricate ways of interaction. Sure, it could be fun, from time to time, but mostly it was just boring and slightly exhausting.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As to why I even knew that much about the esteemed Purple Worm, yes, that¡¯s what he was, he hadn¡¯t held back when he had introduced himself. As soon as we had touched down he had greeted us most respectfully, his men arrayed in neat rows behind him. Aside from the stereotypical my pleasure-s and it¡¯s my honour-s he had also told us a bit about himself, including his race. Which, in hindsight, also explained the Broken Wheel¡¯s agitation. Purple Worms weren¡¯t worms per se and much more closely related to dragons than any other species. At least they had a carbuncle but in contrast to real dragons they didn¡¯t have a heart and they couldn¡¯t use their carbuncles to gather and manifest their powers. In a way it was a¡­ battery, keeping them alive while leeching off some of their energies over decades, centuries, sometimes even millennia, until the power it contained reached a threshold. Afterwards they¡­ pupated, turning into something else entirely. What would emerged form their chrysalis was anyone¡¯s guess but he hadn¡¯t told us and none of us knew. Hells, aside from Captain Nightshade and the Broken Wheel we hadn¡¯t even heard of Purple Worms before and that included me. At least I couldn¡¯t remember if I had ever stumbled across a similar species. Chances were I had, though. There was nothing new under the sun after all. One more explanation before we get back on track. As you might have guessed their peculiarities made Purple Worms ravenous. They had to take in as much energy as possible, a biological imperative to fulfil the demands of their carbuncles. Consequentially they weren¡¯t very good neighbours. Their intrinsic hunger made them greedy, intemperate and, as far as I had come to understand it, they didn¡¯t particularly differentiate between a human, a fey, an elf, a dragon or a piece of cured ham. The more energy the meat they consumed contained the better, the strength of their prey the only thing that kept them at bay. They were opportunistic to a fault and would never try to chomp down on something they deemed not worth the trouble. Now as to why the Broken Wheel had insisted on accompanying us: he knew them. He knew their race from the days Free Land had set out to eradicate them once and for all, driving the survivors into hiding, and he had seen them resurface again, capitalising on the rather dire circumstances the city had found itself in after Amon¡¯s attack. Not to mention that some of them were more than prepared to throw in with the Emperor. My enemy¡¯s enemy is my friend or some such nonsense. Not all of them were as blinded by the current situation though and Indigorath, second of his name, Ruler of the Deeps, Lord of Eidolons had tried to think with his head and not his stomach. His words, not mine. Which had brought him here, trying to gauge which side he should be on. As you might imagine his straightforwardness had been a bit of surprise but he had shrugged it off with a simple explanation. One, there weren¡¯t that many of them left, six to be precise, and two it wasn¡¯t much of a secret. Ever since they had reappeared it had only been a question of time until someone, who had been around back then, would have recognised them for what they were. Case and point the Broken Wheel¡¯s intervention. He, Nightshade and Alassara, at the very least, would have been able to tell us as much without breaking a sweat and hence the god¡¯s insistence to come with. He wanted to make sure we wouldn¡¯t be played for fools. A daunting endeavour, in my humble opinion, since we were about as organised or prepared as a gaggle of geese. ¡°A stunning display of skill and persistence,¡± Richard replied, every trace of his drawling accent gone. Ever since he had decided to step up and actively become involved in Free Land¡¯s future he had even exchanged his wardrobe. Gone were the stained, frayed trousers and shirts, replaced by a rather formal, entirely black attire. It even had a ducal insignia embroidered on the stiff collar. I was convinced there was another story there, the name ¡°Black Duke¡± reverberating in my mind, but for now I was mainly glad that he didn¡¯t look like a tramp anymore. Hypocritical for sure, coming from me, but even I had changed into a fresh set of clothes, even though my mom¡¯s insistence that I should wear a dress had fallen upon deaf ears. There was only so much I was prepared to sacrifice for appearance¡¯s sake. ¡°Graceful and intimidating,¡± he continued while his gaze roamed over the silent, unmoving soldiers still present in the room while their comrades were limping towards the infirmary. ¡°I do wonder if the latter has been your intention, though.¡± In an almost comical gesture the bloated worm open his mouth and eyes as widely as he possibly could, staring at Richard with a look of innocent surprise nobody bought. At least I didn¡¯t. ¡°My good man, I¡¯d never,¡± he replied and turned around, theatrically gesticulating towards Sera, my mom and me. ¡°There¡¯s no point in having rabbits dance to intimidate wolfs, is there? I merely wanted to lighten the mood before we get down to the nitty gritty. But, if you¡¯re so insistent, I¡¯m very much open to get to the bottom of my visit. I didn¡¯t wiggle my oversized body onto this ship for nothing, after all. Before we begin, though, I have to ask: whom am I supposed to flatter or bribe here to get my way? You? That seems hardly plausible considering there¡¯s a¡­ make that two disguised dragons among us and,¡± he inclined his head in my direction, ¡°whatever that divine creature is supposed to be. Are you honestly speaking for everyone present?¡± Most people, famous for their prowess in bar fights, would probably have flown off the rocker at the slug¡¯s insinuated insults but Richard took the provocation in stride and simply smiled. Before he could utter his response, though, Mordred spoke up: ¡°he¡¯s speaking for the city and that includes us, the dragons and my sister. By all means, though, if you¡¯d rather petition or bargain with her you¡¯re very welcome to do so but I have to warn you, bribes and flattery won¡¯t get you very far with her.¡± ¡°But they might work on the two of you,¡± Indigorath asked, perking up. ¡°Fabulous. Then let me make it simple. Why shouldn¡¯t I make an ally of someone who¡¯s dead set on creating chaos and mayhem, an environment where I and my brethren will inevitably strive? And if I don¡¯t¡­ can you keep me and mine safe and what¡¯s it going to cost me to buy said protection?¡± He snapped his fingers and his guards waddled out of the room silently, leaving him apparently undefended in our midst. ¡°As you can see I¡¯m not here to play games. I¡¯ve been forthcoming to the point of stupidity and I¡¯d very much appreciate it if you retuned the favour.¡± As determined as I was I couldn¡¯t quite keep my mouth shut: ¡°Really now? No games? Then why that first question? If you didn¡¯t have the answer you wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place.¡± For the first time his plastered grin fell off and he focused on me with an almost disturbing intensity, a soft purple glow igniting in the depth of his yellow eyes. ¡°Guessing isn¡¯t the same as knowing, my Lady. Do I believe that our friend from across the waves will ultimately lose? Yes. But I just can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°So you want proof,¡± I hissed. ¡°And that¡¯s also what that display has been for, right? Setting the tune so that we¡¯d feel more comfortable revealing what we can do? Well, let me save you the trouble.¡± Nimbly I got to my feet and sashayed across the room while I wholeheartedly ignored Arthur¡¯s whispered warnings and my mom¡¯s rolling eyes. Indigorath¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t waver from me until I was no more than a handspan away from him. ¡°You want to know what we can do, what I can do,¡± I breathed, my voice cutting through the lingering silence like a hot knife through butter. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± A bitter smile spread across my face when I added in even softer tones: ¡°tell the truth, why are you running?¡± His face went slack, even his quivering coils came to rest as he replied monotonously: ¡°Without help I won¡¯t survive the year. I¡¯m much closer to evolving than the others. My body could grant one, maybe even several, of them ascension. I need protection from my own kind and I need a place to hide until I can shed this burdening skin. I¡¯m desperate and I took a chance.¡± 379. Of explorations, growth and a little bit of loneliness Cassandra Pendragon ¡°The truth at last,¡± I whispered. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard, was it,¡± I added and turned away towards the buffet, silently recanting my command. ¡°Satisfied?¡± He blinked owlishly, maybe sluggishly, his mind not quite able to understand what had happened, yet. ¡°Are you,¡± my mom asked in that special undertone that every child knew and dreaded. And here I was thinking I had done well. Shutting him up without revealing too much was an accomplishment all on its own but apparently she didn¡¯t agree. Still, I wasn¡¯t a toddler anymore. I took a bite of a dark, crispy meat, probably duck, smothered in plum sauce, before I replied: ¡°very much so. It could do with a little less salt, though, and I don¡¯t quite like the fat under the crust.¡± Her eyes ignited menacingly but she knew as well as I that the time was long gone when I hadn¡¯t dared being mouthy with her. She couldn¡¯t very well punish me, after all, since I was much more likely to put her across my knees than the other way around. The perks of growing up¡­ that and we might or might not have rehearsed this little piece of play acting beforehand. Well, at least we had talked about it in case something would appear fishy. Keeping in line with our little charade she hissed menacingly: ¡°Cassandra¡­¡± I threw my hands up in the air and, feigning outrage, stomped my foot for good measure. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll stay out of it. But don¡¯t come crying to me when the big bad worm takes a bite out of you.¡± I whirled around and headed for the door. In passing I snarled at the still confused slug: ¡°hopefully you know what you¡¯re getting yourself into. For your own sake.¡± I hadn¡¯t expected a reply and I wasn¡¯t disappointed. A heartbeat later the door slammed shut behind me as I found myself, alone and grinning mischievously, in a broad, rose panelled corridor, the hum of the furnace sounding from my right while a breeze of fresh air from my left carried with it the smell of seawater and sweat. The guards were probably back on duty, suffering in the tropical heat. There truly was no rest for the wicked¡­ as well as me. With a twist of my awareness I took ahold of the dancing, minuscule distortions my presence caused in the weave around me and smoothened them out. My entire body flickered and became translucent, similar to a hazy, kitsune shaped mirage. I could still be spotted, mind you, but they¡¯d have to be looking for me and that was a much better camouflage than anything my cloak would have provided. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t mask my scent but I simply had to hope that the senses of the guards weren¡¯t quite as astute as ours. Come to think of it, they had seemed very human and I could already testify that those weren¡¯t exactly known for their sharp noses. Otherwise they¡¯d have put decidedly more consideration into waste management and personal hygiene. Now, you might be wondering why the, by our standards, rather elaborate plan. That¡¯s easily answered. We all wanted to know what was actually going on and looking for ourselves had seemed like the much more sensible approach, especially with how suspiciously forthcoming the worm had been. Sure, being hunted by his own kin might serve as an explanation but I was still willing to bet that there¡¯d be more to the story. Much more. As for why me when someone like Sera could have simply turned into a spider and explored the entire ship at her leisure: I had volunteered and nobody had been stupid enough to deny me to my face. Well, my mom would have, if she had been of another opinion but for once in our life we were actually on the same page. For different reasons, though. For me it was mainly a question of allowing Richard and Mordred to prove their mettle and test out their compatibility. Something that would never have happened for as long as I was in the room since everyone we had met recently had always assumed I was the one in charge. Plus I wasn¡¯t that interested in getting to know our visitor. Call me biased but I still thought he looked like Jabba the Hut and he gave me the creeps. For my mom¡­ truth be told she had probably just wanted me out of their hair. The incident with the merchant almost turned kebab back on Boseiju might have had something to do with it, but she had downright jumped at the opportunity to get me to leave as soon as possible. Also, I was probably the only one who would get away with that kind of erratic, moody behaviour and not raise any red flags. Me being caught wondering around aimlessly could always be chucked up the crazy princess having one of her episodes. Anyways, once the murmurs on the other side of the door told me that my brother had taken up the thread I channeled a bit of energy towards my eyes, ears, nose and toes. The blurry, slightly confusing impressions my senses provided me with immediately turned crystal clear and a virtual map slowly came together in my mind. The ship had three levels, similar to most other models I had come across. The lowest floor contained the furnace and the stone chamber, the one above was mostly empty and probably intended as storage, while the one we were on was filled with differently sized cabins, ranging from the opulent hall I had just fled to tiny berths I would have called broom cupboards. Spells and enchantments were woven into the entire structure, from the smallest topsails to the heaviest beams along the hull. Even the locks and windows contained tiny fragments of power, masterfully crafted into intricate glyphs or irrevocably bound to the very substance of every item. The patterns conjoined in a handful of artefacts, controlled from a large room close by, presumably the bridge or something comparable. The flickering of a few auras told me that I¡¯d have to pass two guarded segments to get there, not to mention the, at least, twenty people I saw romping around at my destination. Still, if I meant to return with something more than: the ship is really big, I¡¯d have to start somewhere and that place surely seemed important. Making slightly less noise than a panther I prowled down the hall, puzzling over whether or not I¡¯d be able to open a door unnoticed and why there was no one standing guard close by. The Purple Worm might have figured that his soldiers wouldn¡¯t do him much good if we decide to solve our differences violently, but I still was surprised that he hadn¡¯t even made a token effort and instead sent all his men actually packing. Judging from the glittering lattice of energies I constantly watched they had again returned to either the deck, their cabins or a rather large room further away, presumably a training hall or something similar. By now you should also have gotten a neat impression of how large the ship actually was. I mean, an audience hall, a training chamber and some kind of magical bridge, all on the same floor with cabins and cupboards sprinkled throughout? The thing was frigging massive, at least 150 metres in length, probably more. Which also made me wonder what kind of stone could lift that immense contraption off the ground and why it had even been sold in the first place. As far as I was aware the truly powerful ones were only used by the elven race for their own war ships but the chubby slug had obviously known whom to bribe. Something else to get to the bottom of. Or maybe my family could find out while I was doing my reconnaissance.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I turned to the right and a few steps later I neared a smooth, polished, wooden door. A cursory glance told me that it had been reinforced, a sheet of metal wedged in between two planks of oak, and that the first guards would appear directly in front of me as soon as I¡¯d stumble through. Which was quite the predicament. Sneaking past a few unsuspecting soldiers shouldn¡¯t have been a problem but if I had been to simply open the door and push through, they would have immediately spotted me. Teleporting wasn¡¯t a much better idea since my magic was always accompanied by bright flashes, a cloud of ozone and, more often than not, spells and enchantments disintegrating all around me. Which wouldn¡¯t have gone unnoticed. Probably. Once again I briefly lamented my decided lack of versatile skills but if I didn¡¯t want to return empty handed and listen to my mom and Reia mock me for the foreseeable future I simply had to figure something out. ¡°Ask and thou shall receive,¡± a velvety, facetious voice sounded in my ear and a heartbeat later I felt Ahri reach through our connection for my core. ¡°Would you mind telling me what you¡¯re up to,¡± I asked but didn¡¯t hinder her. ¡°And why are you supervising me again? Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡± ¡°No¡­ which is also why I¡¯m intervening. For the first time in weeks I actually have the time to read again and they have an astounding library just around the corner. Whenever Zara has to meet her ¡°father¡± I try to spend a few minutes there. I¡¯ve brushed up on some of the spells I¡¯ve learned in my youth in the meantime. A few I can cast again and I think¡­ yes, this should do nicely.¡± Aside from the stirring of my powers I didn¡¯t feel any different but my perspective shifted, dramatically. I was shrinking. Quickly and inexorably, while a constant thrum of energy leaked from my core. ¡°Please, tell me you know how to reverse this,¡± I pleaded while I was already more tiny than my mom and still rushing towards the floor. ¡°I do. Size change isn¡¯t that complicated. You¡¯ll retain your original mass, though. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to be able to move without using your core. I¡¯ll reduce you to the size of an ant. With your own camouflage active no one will spot you and you can crawl through every crack. Just be careful not to break anything. I know you aren¡¯t that heavy but your weight combined with a minuscule size might still result in enough pressure. Once you¡¯re done I¡¯ll get you back to normal.¡± ¡°Have you tried this before,¡± I asked sceptically, reduced to the size of a thumb by now. ¡°As in with a person? No¡­ but I¡¯ve experimented with a few plants.¡± I groaned, which sounded more like the almost inaudible chirping of a bug. ¡°Great¡­ I¡¯ve always dreamed of becoming my fianc¨¦e¡¯s guinea pig.¡± ¡°First off,¡± she pouted, ¡°you¡¯re about as sturdy as granite and your immunities ensure that it won¡¯t be forever. If you don¡¯t believe me just sever the flow of energy. You¡¯ll turn right back. So, even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t turn you into a Thumbelina permanently. And secondly¡­ do you really have that little faith in my abilities?¡± ¡°Your abilities? No¡­ your motives, though¡­ you do know that I can not only feel but practically see you grinning from ear to ear right now, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The curse of telepathy,¡± she complained. ¡°And the people on earth thought that digital communication would prove to be the end of privacy. Do you know what I¡¯m thinking about now?¡± As soon as I focused I blushed, profusely. ¡°I do but I¡¯m not going to comment.¡± ¡°Is that a no?¡± ¡°¡­not necessarily,¡± I admitted abashedly, ¡°but it¡¯s a little wild, even for my tastes. Besides, is this really the right moment?¡± ¡°Probably not. You¡¯re all set. Or do you need to become even smaller?¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m even tinier than an ant. This will do nicely. I only have to support the spell, right? As soon as I don¡¯t it¡¯ll break, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡­ think so?¡± Goddamn precocious vixen. Why did I have to become her test subject? ¡°Don¡¯t get your tails in a twist, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± she added exasperatedly, ¡°but you know as well as I that there is no telling how any spell is going to react to you. It has worked, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Up until now. It sort of reminds me of the guy who jumped out of a window on the 10th floor and kept yelling so far so good every time he passed another balcony.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be melodramatic. Besides, you can fly, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point, as you very well know. Still, thanks I guess. Just so you know, if I¡¯m going to be stuck like this I¡¯m going to move in with you¡­ or rather build a nest on you.¡± ¡°In the Shakespearean sense?¡± ¡°Get your mind out of the gutter. Once has been enough.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m a teen after all. Besides you aren¡¯t any better. You¡¯re just too shy to think it explicitly.¡± ¡°Speaking of age¡­ You know, let¡¯s not go there. Will you stay with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to run in half an hour or so, but until then sure, if you want me to.¡± ¡°Always. Well, here I go. While it try to wiggle my way past the door: what have you been up to?¡± ¡°Boring stuff, mostly. Trying to puzzle out whom I have to keep you away from at all cost to prevent a civil war, cajoling the ones who are getting suspicious that their prince has somewhat changed the very moment a strange vixen appeared in their midst and¡­ decorating.¡± ¡°Decorating,¡± I asked absentmindedly while I tried to push past an exceptionally stubborn piece of rotten food. Seriously, was no one ever cleaning underneath the doors? Only when I felt a tiny jolt of embarrassment rush through our connection did I focus fully on her. ¡°Ahri¡­ what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± she explained haltingly, ¡°but Zara has¡­ she has given me a house, alright? I thought I¡¯d be nice to have place to stay that¡¯s not a tavern or a palace so I¡¯ve been trying to make it feel like a home for¡­ you know, when you arrive.¡± I froze, still firmly lodged in between a splinter of wood and a seriously smelly junk of grey goo but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Cassy,¡± she asked, ¡°are you still there?¡± ¡°I¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a first. If you don¡¯t want¡­¡± ¡°No! Are you moonstruck? I¡­ I think I¡¯ve figured it out. Ahri, I love you and there¡¯s nothing that would make me happier¡­¡± ¡°Why does it sound like there¡¯s a but coming?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ll have to bring my sister, at the very least. Baggage, remember? It won¡¯t be just the two of us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know? This isn¡¯t some sort of romantic gesture. I¡¯ve already known before but the last days¡­ Cassy, I want to spend as much time as I can with you, with you and your family. They¡­ look, you haven¡¯t even met them, yet, but just imagine how you¡¯re going to feel towards my family. There really is no difference. What¡¯s mine is yours and what is yours is mine.¡± I blinked rapidly but I could just as well have saved me the trouble. She knew anyways. ¡°I want to kiss you so bad right now it actually hurts,¡± I whispered. ¡°All the more reason to hurry. And just so you known, I¡¯ve already bought a bed. A proper one.¡± The accompanying images would normally have had me stammering like a nun but right then and there they only made me smile. ¡°I hope the thing is sturdy. Tomorrow. Tomorrow night we¡¯ll put it to the test.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t count your chickens before they¡¯ve hatched. I can¡¯t even remember the last time you actually managed to get anywhere on time.¡± ¡°This time I will. I¡¯m done missing you and I¡¯m done feeling lonely. Carrying you with me all the time is nice and all but it just isn¡¯t the same. I still feel like a piece of my heart is missing.¡± 380. Of frights, guns and a little surprise Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I like it when you get all sentimental but don¡¯t you have a job to do,¡± she asked. Usually a response like that would have resulted in a fight or, at the very least, me pouting, but since I could feel her delight just as easily as my own I could take it for what it was and even smile genuinely. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. On my way, ma¡¯am. If I hurry and manage to get on deck within a few minutes nobody will even realise that I¡¯ve been snooping around.¡± ¡°Which is the only reason why they¡¯ve allowed you to go in the first place, isn¡¯t it? Godspeed then, my darling.¡± I could feel her focus waver as she began concentrating on my senses, trying to help me in any way she possibly could. If anything escaped my notice, she¡¯d be able to tell me. A minuscule, silvery flash of light shone from underneath the door, followed by an equally tiny plume of pungent smoke as I burned my way through the accumulated filth. Was it an unnecessary risk? Sure, but I didn¡¯t plan on wading through the equivalent of a sewer and I also had to keep my appearance somewhat tidy, otherwise the whole charade would have had about as good a chance of succeeding as Amon had of getting away from our continent unscathed. A moment later I pushed my translucent head past the last splinters, another bit of knowledge I had gained: the underside of a door wasn¡¯t nearly as smoothly polished as the rest of it, and immediately pulled back, stifling a shocked yelp. A gargantuan, bulky, black beast had been waiting for me on the other side, apparently ready to stomp me into the ground. I felt my heart race as I ducked behind another piece of broken wood, trembling from the vibrations of the attack, while a sheen of sweat was forming on my brow. ¡°That was a little too close for comfort,¡± I thought only to recoil a moment later when Ahri explained through fits of mirth: ¡°Oh yes, and it was only by a hair¡¯s width that the mighty Lightbringer escaped a fate dreaded by every immortal: being squashed underneath a very mortal boot while the owner wasn¡¯t even aware that he nearly accomplished a deed no human has ever dared to dream of before.¡± ¡°You gotta be kidding me,¡± I breathed while I quickly went through my recollections. Yep, humongous buckles, polished leather, a sole with a tread I could have hidden in and a towering leg above it which I had mistakenly identified as the body of the creature. ¡°Damn it,¡± I cursed while my heart rate was slowly settling down, ¡°this sucks. What would have happened if he had stepped on me?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± came the immediate reply. ¡°Same mass, remember? You¡¯re as sturdy as a cockroach. Probably even more so. You¡¯d probably even be able to punch your way upwards, if you had to.¡± ¡°Great. And why does everybody always compare me to a cockroach?¡± ¡°Do you really want me to answer¡­¡± ¡°No. Probably not. Alright, I¡¯ll try again.¡± More cautiously, this time around. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t rely on my sense of smell or my hearing to puzzle out what was going on. Both had somehow immediately become accustomed to my changed size, which meant that I was always listening to what seemed like thunder in a bottle. As for the smell¡­ that was nothing I wanted to put into words. Sewer, remember? Simply ignoring it seemed like the only sensible option. Slowly I approached the towering gap in between the floor and the door again, ready to jump or even teleport away at any moment but my caution wasn¡¯t warranted. The guard, I assumed he was a guard since he was now standing stock still somewhere on my right, had moved and I could take in the scene in front of me at my leisure. The room wasn¡¯t as big as I had first thought, mostly because the largest part of the space was occupied by humming and rattling machines, the very artefacts I¡¯ve mentioned before. Contrary to my expectations they weren¡¯t purely magical, though. Clear, vibrant gems were nowhere to be seen and if I had been forced to come up with a comparison I¡¯d have claimed they all looked somewhat steampunk-y. Dials and displays, some of which were directly linked to the streams of energy I felt running through the entire ship, others connected to invisible valves and pipes, the function of which I couldn¡¯t possibly begin to imagine, dominated the surfaces while the interior, laid bare before my changed perception, consisted of enchanted and intricately connected gears and wires. Even trying to follow the ebb and flow of power felt like staring at a Mandelbrot quantity for too long and even though I was pretty confident that I¡¯d have been able to figure it out, had I been pouring energy into my mind, I didn¡¯t plan on staying here for hours on end. The people in the room were the exact mixture of faceless, figuratively, guards and operators I had expected. Uniforms, standardised weapons¡­ I paused, my gaze fixed onto the belt of the one who had nearly stomped me into the ground. There was no sword, not even a crossbow or a shield, no, he had a metallic contraption strapped to his waist that was suspiciously similar to a pistol. A handle, a prolonged barrel and even something that looked quite like a hammer, even though it wasn¡¯t cocked, yet. ¡°Ahri,¡± I thought, ¡°do you think¡­¡± ¡°It sure seems like it. And there¡¯s no chance you¡¯d smell the black power, either. It can¡¯t be an artefact¡­ you¡¯d see the enchantments. Do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡± ¡°A modern one with a rifled barrel and some accuracy? Probably not. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to produce the steel necessary. But an ancient duelling pistol or something comparable? If the worm has found a way to keep the black powder from attracting elemental discharges¡­ why not?¡± ¡°Is it a problem?¡± ¡°For us? I¡¯ve been shot before. With bigger guns. It hurts but it¡¯s not nearly as bad as taking an axe to the chest. For the others, though¡­ depending on the penetrating power it might even be strong enough to shoot down Sera. But that¡¯s not the point. If they have advanced the technology far enough to produce handguns, what do you think the storage units contain? Canons are much easier to assemble. A ship of this size might carry up to two or three hundred, I reckon. With that kind of fire power¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. And since we know Jabba didn¡¯t lie when he told you he was running from his kind it does make you wonder what arsenal they¡¯re sitting on. Any ideas?¡± ¡°Tons, the same as you, but I¡¯d rather not speculate. Overestimating someone is nearly as dangerous as underestimating them. But I want to know. Do you think I should stay here or try to peek into the storage rooms below?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Both, I think. It was fun for as long as it lasted but I think we¡¯re past the point of playing fairly. We have to know what¡¯s going on here. If they realise something¡¯s up then so be it.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command. One more thing. Do you remember how to build a proper gun?¡± ¡°In a way. It¡¯d surely need some tinkering but with a bit of time I think I¡¯d manage. How about you?¡± ¡°Same. I even remember a bit about making proper steel but it¡¯s nothing I¡¯d be willing to put to the test unless absolutely necessary. A simple pistol, though, with a range of 15 to 30 metres and lead bullets? If there was a way to keep the powder from igniting I think I¡¯d manage.¡± The most peculiar sensation came over me while Ahri deepened our connection and actually moved my body. Again, I could have easily put an end to it, but I didn¡¯t. She only turned my head, focusing on the belt of the guard and sent a bit more power towards my eyes. ¡°What are you looking for,¡± I wanted to know while I steered us away from the opening and deeper into the shadows underneath the door. ¡°The powder pouch. But he doesn¡¯t even have one for bullets. Unbelievable. Doesn¡¯t that mean they have developed cartridges already?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. And it also explains how whoever invented those things could make it work. There¡¯s much less powder in a cartridge and a few rudimentary runes should be able to suppress the elemental attraction. But¡­ don¡¯t you need smokeless black powder to even make it work? There can¡¯t be that much inside of a cartridge and the force generated by normal powder shouldn¡¯t be enough to propel the bullet over any meaningful distance with the force to actually cause harm. Damn it, I think I have to take a closer look at one of those things. My mass is still the same, you said, which means I can¡¯t climb up a leg. And if I use my wings to fly they¡¯ll light up like a Christmas tree. How the hell am I supposed to get up there?¡± ¡°Teleport,¡± came the immediate reply. ¡°Use the body of the guard to hide your wings and hover behind him.¡± ¡°Easier said than done but I guess I¡¯ll have to try. If they spot the glowing bug I¡¯ll probably just transform back and ask directly.¡± She hesitated for a split second before she haltingly replied: ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the better idea, anyways. You¡¯ve pretty much found out everything important around here. The level of craftsmanship surpasses anything I¡¯ve seen on this world before. Same goes for the artefacts. Oh¡­ you don¡¯t think Amon bribed them with the technology, do you?¡± ¡°In a few days? No way. They must have been at it for years or even decades. It does make you wonder though what kind of nightmare the Emperor will be able to cobble together once he has access to his resources. Considering our luck we might have to face a magically powered tank or something similar in the future.¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± she groaned. ¡°But also probable. I mean the thaumaturgy on our continent is pretty basic, probably because Amazeroth destroyed every meaningful civilisation 300 years ago. If magic and science have developed normally on the other continent for thousands of years¡­¡± ¡°A gun would be the least of our problems. Damn it! Maybe we¡¯re lucky and he¡¯s always been afraid of someone rising up against him. In that case he¡¯d have suppressed most inventions.¡± ¡°When are we ever lucky? Besides¡­ he¡¯s a despot and cruel, doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s a bad leader.¡± ¡°No, not necessarily. But a girl can hope. Alright, change of plans, I think I¡¯ll go looking for the slug¡¯s personal quarters first. Chances are he has the most sophisticated gadgets in his possession. Depending on what I¡¯ll find, I won¡¯t bother with sneaking around and instead confront him directly. Agreed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what your brother wanted to do from the very start, isn¡¯t it? The consequences are still the same, though. There¡¯s no middle ground afterwards.¡± ¡°I am not that difficult¡­ am I?¡± ¡°You are, darling, but in this case that¡¯s not the problem. Let¡¯s assume for a minute you¡¯re not going to find anything else. Those are still guns. Are you, of all people, prepared to let him fly away with an arsenal of firearms? Knowing that he¡¯s desperately looking for someone to protect him from his family? Chances are he¡¯d walk directly into the Emperor¡¯s arms, who¡¯d willingly welcome him, considering the¡­ explosive gifts he¡¯s bearing.¡± ¡°But that ship has sailed anyways, hasn¡¯t it? There really aren¡¯t that many viable options left and each and every single one of them includes the worm playing nice with us¡­ whether voluntarily or not.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t disagree. I just think it might be best to snoop around as much as possible before you cross the Rubicon.¡± ¡°Caesar didn¡¯t bother, did he? Still, you¡¯re right. So¡­where to next?¡± It was a rhetorical question, as she very well knew, but that didn¡¯t stop her from answering: ¡°Indigorath¡¯s private quarters? They shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. They¡¯re probably guarded and I assume you¡¯re looking for a place filled to the brim with enchantments. Luxurious ones¡­¡± ¡°I know¡­ got you. What do you think?¡± One of the larger cabins was basically glowing with stored mana, even the king sized bed within had a few enchantments placed on it. If that wasn¡¯t enough the room was barely reachable, a single corridor guarded by four vigilant soldiers and a boatload of spells the only passage that connected it to the rest of the floor. ¡°Looks good. I¡­ oh, shit. Cassy, focus, those aren¡¯t spells or enchantments you¡¯re staring at. The energy is fluctuating which means¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re alive. Damn it, now I can even discern the beating of several hearts. But why can¡¯t I sense them like the soldiers?¡± ¡°Do you want me to take a guess or could you maybe move your perky ass and find out?¡± I was already a step ahead, wiggling said ass past the already mentioned unpleasantries under the door. Once on the other side I took to the air and¡­ well, took aim. Around 50 kilos, compressed into the size of an ant and combined with the speed I could reach? You¡¯re very welcome to do the math but short of an enchanted tungsten wall there wasn¡¯t much that¡¯d stop me and a flimsy, wooden barricade surely wasn¡¯t amongst those things. Speaking of firearms, I might just have turned myself into the most deadly caliber there was. Cassandra 0.9 didn¡¯t sound that bad. ¡°You¡¯re going to make a mess, aren¡¯t you,¡± Ahri complained. ¡°No,¡± I replied absentmindedly while I focused on the spot I wanted to hit and flew backwards as far as possible. I didn¡¯t actually need space to accelerate, at least if I was prepared to use my powers abundantly, but I still expected to get in there without causing a scene. Afterwards¡­ well, that¡¯d mainly hinge on what I was going to find. Chances were it wouldn¡¯t be pretty, though. A worm that needed exceedingly rare and powerful creatures as fuel for its metamorphosis had a bunch of strangely camouflaged, unmoving living beings stashed away in his quarters? Let¡¯s just say I didn¡¯t expect to find them sipping tea. ¡°You¡¯ll know when I¡¯m making a mess,¡± I added, just as a wave of power surged through me and towards my wings. ¡°And so will our host.¡± For a split second the entire corridor vanished behind a curtain of silvery light and even though I had taken care to confine my energies the muted curses I heard echoing through the control room told me that quite a few artefacts had picked up on my shenanigans. And apparently they didn¡¯t cope too well. At least there were no explosions. A week ago I would probably have ripped a hole through the entire ship with this kind of stunt but ever since my involuntary trip down memory lane my control had grown by leaps and bounds. A little more and I¡¯d be able to suppress the glaring light show and maybe accomplish something more refined than blowing things to smithereens . A fraction of a heartbeat later a darkened, ant sized, burned out patch had appeared close to the floor on one of the walls. A casual passerby would never have noticed it but on closer inspection it wasn¡¯t just a mark but rather a hole that went straight through the wall¡­ as well as the next one and the one after that. Only when it reached the innermost barrier that separated the worm¡¯s private quarters from the rest of the ship did it stop. The wood had been reinforced with mithril, of all things, and even though the metal had evaporated around me, the energy of my passage had been enough to melt a sizeable junk, which had dripped down and sealed the breach behind me. With a thought I came to a halt, my eyes going wide at the creepily artistic display in front of me. 381. Of necessities, familiarity and a little invitation Cassandra Pendragon Animals. Magnificent, breathtaking, magical animals had been¡­ I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea what the goddamned worm had actually done to them. All I could say for sure was that they didn¡¯t move and that I had never before seen anything comparable in its slightly eerie, frozen beauty. Every piece of furniture, every rug, every item in the room was a living being, although I wouldn¡¯t have been willing to bet that they were actually breathing. A huge, aquamarine thunderbird gently embraced the opulent fourposter bed, its wings a protective baldaquin to keep the nightmares at bay, its shimmering, arctic blue eyes a comforting light to guard against the encroaching darkness. A majestic, perfectly white unicorn, reeling on its golden hoofs, served as a hatstand, its silvery horn sparkling in the flames of a curled up salamander whose smouldering heat filled the fireplace with warmth. An unimaginable long but fragile double headed crimson serpent had been turned into a carpet, its soft coils covering the cold, hard, wooden floor while a young griffon, its plumage still flecked, served as a table, the proud neck craned to the side to support a writing board. Several butterflies, their wings covered in iridescent, arcane markings, filled the room with a soft, fluctuating glow, the shadows dancing to the mute tune of their frozen song, while a towering, emerald bear stood vigilant guard against the back wall, its paws and arms hung with Indigorath¡¯s garments. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to be disgusted or impressed,¡± I mumbled as I moved deeper into the chamber, my eyes darting from a grotesque, almost white ape with two sets of arms, turned into a gun cabinet, to a finned, pariah like, deep dwelling sea creature whose fluorescence had become the ceiling lamp. ¡°They are still alive,¡± I breathed while I returned to my original size and allowed my wings to gently slither over every creature in my vicinity. ¡°How¡­ why¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a larder,¡± Ahri spat. Apparently she had gone with feeling sickened to her core. ¡°And it¡¯s even worse. They¡¯re either pregnant or carrying eggs.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ is this a damned farm,¡± I breathed as I allowed my perception to deepen even further. Yes¡­ there were other, weaker creatures, hidden beneath the frozen flesh. ¡°Probably. Why bother with hunting when you can just as well grow your food? And it obviously has some other perks as well.¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Hesitantly I extended my hand and brushed across the soft, silky fur of the unicorn. This close I could even feel the faint, almost imperceptible traces of its consciousness, or rather hers. ¡°Is he depraved or simply practical,¡± I added without expecting an answer. ¡°Both, I¡¯d say. There are no sentient species here, though. That¡¯s something, at least, and more than Viyara¡¯s father ever managed.¡± ¡°He also killed them straight up and preserved their corpses. Those¡­ why does he keep them alive?¡± ¡°To protect the clutch and restock whenever it becomes necessary.¡± There was so much loathing in her voice that my fur bristled. Oh boy, if she had been here the worm¡¯s life expectancy would have taken a severe hit. As for me¡­ I was torn. On one hand I appreciated the ingenuity but this¡­ of course I knew that the creatures were animals and probably not even aware of the torturous existence they had been forced into, but still¡­ as hypocritical as it was, I wouldn¡¯t have minded if he had kept a few chickens around but seeing those magnificent beasts, who had been born to roam this world freely, reduced to nothing but breeding stock and furniture felt painful, wrong. Like a fiery, noble stallion left in the stable to rot. ¡°Look at the ape,¡± Ahri said, desperately fighting down her urge to lash out. ¡°Those aren¡¯t the same pistols we¡¯ve seen on the guards. Grab one. We should know what we¡¯re in for before we make a decision.¡± As in, before she was going to ask me to burn the whole ship to cinders. For a moment I puzzled over why she had to battle her more bloodthirsty impulses and I didn¡¯t but the answer was obvious enough. I had been born and raised in a palace, a society. She had spent her youth in nature. The hunt, the struggle for survival, the respect for other species was as deeply ingrained in her as my loathing for etiquette and formality was in me. She knew my thoughts, of course, but neither one of us wanted to comment, so I simply did as she had asked and approached the whitish ape. Up close she was quite tall, standing at my height with about thrice the girth, every finger, every nook and cranny used to display a firearm of surprising quality. ¡°Twisted barrels can¡¯t be produced with the kind of steel we have¡± my lily white ass. Pistols and guns in every size, form and shape glowed in the multicoloured light while a box of cartridges of varying calibres had been carelessly shoved between her legs. Carefully I bent down and fumbled one of the shells from the box. ¡°Impressive,¡± I stated as I held the small iron piece against the light. It really was. I wasn¡¯t as knowledgeable as I had once been but even I saw on first glance the immaculate, tiny seal, pressed into a perfectly round cylinder, narrowing towards a pointed, dully black coloured tip. And the thing was heavy. Surprisingly so. ¡°Ammunition made from arcane ores,¡± I mused as I weighted the cartridge in my hand. Following an impulse I pressed the very tip against my tongue. It tasted sweet and somewhat earthy, almost like herbal candy. ¡°Bon Appetite,¡± Ahri commented dryly, ¡°I hope it¡¯s to your liking.¡± ¡°No more moping? I thought you¡¯d be plotting your dark revenge against the defiler of nature. Persephone would be oh so proud.¡± Another sister of ours. A rather ghastly beast, come to think of it. ¡°This isn¡¯t the moment to tease¡­ Cassy, duck!¡± I didn¡¯t think twice. I had been so engrossed in the surreal ambience and the sophisticated technology that I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to my surroundings. My eyes flashed silver and I dropped to all fours, my tails fanned out, my wings crackling behind me. The fraction of a heartbeat later my ears rang and a shower of splinters rained down on me, torn from the fist size hole that had appeared in the panelling. ¡°Nice reflexes. I¡¯d still recommend not moving if you value your hide. Who¡®d have thought that the mighty Cassandra Pendragon was hiding in the shadows like a common thief?¡± My vision zeroed in on the smoking barrel of a gun, unwaveringly pointed at my forehead, but I quickly lost interest as I saw the flowing, shimmering wall of tails behind the newcomer. Four snowy white tails, a lithe, catlike body, barley concealed underneath a slinky, blood red dress, the face hidden behind a curtain of platinum hair and the distinct smell of ozone, clinging to her every limb like a cloak. Another kitsune and from the looks of it:This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Ahri, do you have a twin you forgot to mention?¡± ¡°No, only a younger sister, as you very well know. But¡­,¡± she didn¡¯t continue since my assailant nonchalantly lowered her aim and brushed her shimmering tresses behind her fluffy, white ears. A mocking smile tugged on the corners of her lush, pink lips while her vermillion eyes sparkled mischievously. ¡°Oh my,¡± she continued, her voice similar to a clear, cold brook in the mountains, ¡°did I just almost kill the greatest sorceress our race has ever produced?¡± With the adrenaline slowly subsiding I realised that she didn¡¯t look like Ahri¡¯s twin. She wasn¡¯t an immortal, this much I knew at first glance, but she was still beautiful, even by the standards of our race, and there was an uncanny similarity, just like between me and my mom. Who the hell was this girl? ¡°No clue,¡± Ahri replied, ¡°but you¡¯d better find out. As far as I¡¯m aware I don¡¯t have any long lost relatives. But then again, I also didn¡¯t expect to ever meet your grandmother.¡± ¡°No, but you almost killed yourself,¡± I retorted, my voice only slightly taunt and higher than usual. I didn¡¯t bother dismissing my wings, but I did stand up straight warily. ¡°If that bullet had hit you¡¯d have turned into a torch a moment later.¡± Unfazed she continued to smile and even walked closer, her hips swaying from side to side mesmerisingly. ¡°Bullet? So you know what these are,¡± she shook the gun lightly. ¡°I should have expected as much. But how? Boseiju wasn¡¯t renowned for its battle oriented artisans and craftsmen. Have you seen one during your travels?¡± ¡°You could say¡­,¡± I bit my tongue, quite literally. Why had I even responded? I didn¡¯t intend to be interrogated, quite the opposite, actually. Something must have shown on my face for she paused immediately and tilted her head to the side: ¡°Ah, have you gotten over your surprise? That was quite fast¡­ for a child. Well then, your Highness, allow me to welcome you to my humble abode.¡± She bowed elegantly, copying Boseiju¡¯s customs perfectly, while I only stared and even felt my mouth drop to the floor. Her abode? ¡°You must be quite overwhelmed by my words, Milady,¡± she purred, ¡°but there is no reason to panic. I do have a good explanation but to answer your most burning questions: Indigorath and I have fallen in love, decades before you were born. I¡¯m sure you can now puzzle together some of the pieces. As for the rest¡­ why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± She gesticulated towards a set of chairs, or rather immobilised silver wolfs. When she saw my hesitation she fluidly turned and pointed add the bed to add: ¡°if you¡¯re feeling uneasy we can also make ourselves more comfortable but I didn¡¯t want to appear presumptuous. I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how often someone must have tried to trick you into their bed.¡± My mind was reeling, the shock from the sudden scare already forgotten, and Ahri didn¡¯t fare even a smidgen better. Which meant she was utterly honest and simply spoke the first thing that crossed her mind: ¡°If she so much as touches your leg, you will break her fingers, won¡¯t you?¡± I was still too perplexed to voice any kind of reply and simply trotted after the kitsune like an obedient lapdog. ¡°Are we¡­ do I know you,¡± I finally stammered. ¡°I hope not, not yet at least¡± she chuckled while she rearranged a few heavy furs into something resembling a circle on the bed. With a coquettish smile she patted the place to her right and continued: ¡°but I do know you. Only because I haven¡¯t spoken to another kitsune in years there¡¯s no reason to assume that I¡¯m not trying to stay informed when it comes to my own people. And lucky I did, otherwise I¡¯d never have known that our race is finally venturing out to conquer the world. Even though the circumstance have been far less than ideal. Now, is this what you want to hear first or should I begin with explaining who I actually am? You must have realised that I¡¯m of Ahri¡¯s tribe.¡± My apparent confusion was only rewarded by another chuckle. ¡°Oh yes, I know of her, but even though we might share some blood ties there¡¯s not much to tell. I was too young to even remember when I became lost.¡± ¡°Lost,¡± I mumbled, while I carefully sat down, as far away from her as possible without making it too obvious. ¡°Of Ahri¡¯s tribe? Who are you?¡± ¡°Well, my name is Aglaia, or rather it¡¯s the name I¡¯ve chosen since I can¡¯t remember the one given to me. Where to begin? My first clear recollections stems from a time about 120 years ago. I was¡­ alone on an uninhabited island, safe for the broken up wreckage of a sky ship. It has taken me quite a few years to figure out what had happened. I hadn¡¯t been abandoned or cast out¡­ my parents had simply taken an opportunity to fly and show their newborn a bit of the world. It didn¡¯t go quite as planned and when they crashed I was the only one who made it out alive. The rest is history, as they say. I fended for myself until a trader vessel spotted me and took me in. Living as a kitsune amongst humans wasn¡¯t easy but it wasn¡¯t bad either and it definitely wasn¡¯t remarkable. That only changed once I met Indigorath. Now, does that answer some of your questions?¡± ¡°Is it possible,¡± I immediately asked Ahri. ¡°Do you know of a lost family in your tribe?¡± ¡°I¡­ maybe. Unless she¡¯s an extraordinary liar you would have caught her anyways. But¡­ Cassy, you know how old I was when I left, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m by no means well versed in our history. It¡¯s plausible enough¡­ I just can¡¯t wrap my head around why she should have fallen for¡­¡± ¡°An oversized slug? Love is blind, as they say. Do you believe her?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s because you do. You could make sure, though, if you wanted to, couldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Read her? Probably. I¡¯m just not overly comfortable with¡­¡± ¡°By all the gods! Is that really the moment to worry about her privacy?¡± ¡°Privacy? It¡¯s more than that. Your mind should be yours and yours alone. I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Grow up,¡± she hissed. ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, how could I not, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Just imagine for a moment that you¡¯re going to misjudge her and someone else will pay the price. Reia, for example.¡± I immediately stiffened and she added: ¡°there you go. Get over yourself and do it. You can always apologise afterwards.¡± Better to ask for forgiveness than permission¡­ wherever had I heard that before? Sighing I leaned back, the heavy brocade tickling my sides. ¡°Aglaia,¡± I began but before I had even managed to wrap my head around what I wanted to say she nimbly rose to her knees and extended her hands. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯d just ask you to stay away from my feelings for Indigorath. That¡¯s personal and has nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°I¡­ you know¡­ how?¡± ¡°For a creature blessed with more magic than I can imagine you can be surprisingly dull. First off I expected to have to pull down my pants the very moment I asked my husband to set sail for Free Land. Secondly, I¡¯d much rather get it over with in a minute than having to painstakingly explain everything that¡¯s happened and lastly¡­ we do need help. If that¡¯s all it¡¯s going to take, by all means, look around in my mind. Of course there are a few things I¡¯d rather not share, some shameful, some embarrassing, but we all have our little skeletons dancing in the closet and I don¡¯t think you¡¯re someone who¡¯ll hold my mistakes against me. Also¡­ a door opened once can be stepped through in either direction. I know I won¡¯t be able to see your past but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get at least as concise an impression of who you are as you¡¯ll get of who I am.¡± Flabbergasted I stammered: ¡°do you always invite strangers into your mind on the first date?¡± ¡°No,¡± she smiled, ¡°but I¡¯m also not in the habit of inviting them into my bed but yet here we are. So¡­ can we get started or do I have to make myself bare first?¡± Her eyes were sparkling teasingly but when her slender fingers wandered towards the straps of her dress I still reacted. Without a second thought I reached out and took her hands in mine. ¡°You know, if your partner is anything like mine you¡¯re balancing on a deadly thin edge.¡± ¡°Oh, I think he is,¡± she laughed, ¡°but he isn¡¯t listening. Which is going to make this so much more entertaining for me than it is going to be for you.¡± 382. Of misconceptions, memories and a little vanity Cassandra Pendragon ¡°How much do you actually know about me,¡± I breathed, the mosaic revelations she had shared were painting a much more detailed picture than I had expected. Apparently she not only knew who I was, no, she also knew about Ahri and our connection. Vaguely at least. ¡°Quite a bit but not nearly enough,¡± she replied wistfully. ¡°If you¡¯re done playing coy you¡¯ll see in a minute. Shall we?¡± She wiggled her fingers suggestively and scooted even closer until we were no more than a handspan apart. Velvet rustled and her fresh, almost sweet scent tickled my nose. ¡°As you wish.¡± My wings flared brightly, silvery light flowed through the room like water and my perception changed. For a split second I was lost, disoriented by the sudden abundance of memories and thoughts that weren¡¯t my own. With a gentle push the kaleidoscopic sensations shuddered and dispersed, creating order from chaos in an instant as I entered a brave new world filled with pain and joy in equal measure, a confusing labyrinth of dreams and deeds long gone but still alive. Cold and hunger, the harsh reality of a forgotten child, alone and abandoned on a piece of rock in the middle of nowhere. The pain of an exhausted body, moving well past what it was supposed to endure, the cramps of starvation that still forced it to put one foot in front of the other like the crack of a whip. The exuberant happiness clean, untainted water could evoked as it ran down a parched throat. The warmth and giddy satisfaction when small, fragile bones broke under a bleeding, shredded hand, the promise of nourishment hidden underneath coarse, scaly hides and the salty taste of blood as sharp canines tore through flesh. Like an animal she had lived and like an animal she had fought, clawing at the imaginary walls of her prison until she had eked out a meagre existence from the barren wastes. Time passed. A shadow darkened the sun, magnificent, colourful sails blocked out the sky and deep, hoarse voices filled the natural silence with the sound of humanity approaching. At night the fires warmed the deadly darkness and a small body snuck past the ring of guards, drawn in by the scent of sizzling meat like a moth was drawn to the flame. Shouts and laughter, calloused fingers closing around her frail limbs like a trap until a thunderous command made them heel. A strong but gentle presence, the memories of a coarse beard against a soft, youthful cheek and¡­ safety. Safety and hope. Time passed. The great, bustling markets of Anapur, suffocating under a fragrant blanket the merciless sun had teased from poppy seed and cardamom, vanilla and saffron. A pair slowly made their meandering way through the maze, hand in hand, while the people stopped in their tracks to stare after them. A young kitsune girl was a rare sight indeed but her willingly accompanying a large, armed man made their imagination run wild. Who was he? And why did he treat the beast like his own daughter? A small house on the outskirts of the market, the yellow sandstone a thick, ancient barrier against the sweltering heat. In a dimly lit room inside the man and the girl were sitting on large cushions while an elderly woman appraised a jewel under a magnifying glass. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get the owner,¡± she croaked after a moment. Time passed. Under a starry sky a large, worm like creature narrated the story of the Immortal Pearl, a present to a beautiful princess of ages past, delivered by the god of the night himself. When she had spurned his advances he had bound her soul to the Pearl and smashed it to pieces, fixing the fragments to the night sky so he¡¯d always be able to admire her beauty. Small, fluffy ears twitched in the warm breeze as the kitsune girl leaned in closer to listen raptly, her eyes wide, her mouth open as the sonorous voice evoked wondrous scenes of ages past for her to enjoy. All her guardian could do was grimace, but, despite his uncomely appearance, the worm had left a deep impression on him and he wasn¡¯t going to judge a book by its cover. Time passed. A deep vale, nestled between snowy peaks, too high for even a dragon to climb, resonated with the cheerful chatter of several dozen younglings. From humans to kitsune, from wolf kin to elves, none of them looked the same, except for their awestruck expressions, their eyes glued to a shimmering, taller than life obelisk. Far east and far north the worm had taken her and months had passed unnoticed. This place was as secluded as it was secret, the profound teachings of Dharma and Prajna protected by distance and the silence of the sect. A warm, reassuring hand landed on the kitsune¡¯s shoulder, banishing her fear, as the worm¡¯s deep voice sounded in her ears: ¡°I can¡¯t come with you but I¡¯ll be here, in this spot, each year, every year and I¡¯ll bring your pa. Stay as long as you like and listen, learn. We have all the time in the world. Don¡¯t take the words of the old coots as gospel, though. There is more to magic, more to life than even they know but when it comes to building a foundation there¡¯s nothing better than the guidance of an ascetic, ancient monk. Once you¡¯re done¡­ there are many more places I¡¯d like to show you, many more secrets I¡¯d like to share.¡± He paused, his thoughts apparently flitting between uncounted memories from uncountable ages. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I told you. You can share and cultivate your mana based magic but whatever you do, don¡¯t even hint at your esoteric capabilities. It¡¯s not often that a prospective disciple with access to her life force stumbles throughthis valley and I¡¯d rather not have to burn this place to the ground to get you out.¡± Distractedly the kitsune girl nodded, just as the obelisk flared with a soft, golden light and the ceremony began. As if in trance she raised her gaze to sky where a huge, scintillating sword had appeared, carrying a single person. Even from afar she could feel his aura like a slumbering beast, ready to pounce. Time passed. A young woman, her two tails quivering excitedly, stood at the helm of a sky ship, the very same, worm like creature contently leaning against the railing at her side. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. They might not even allow us to land,¡± he mumbled. Despite his words he still reached for a gem and with a whispered command the silhouette of the woman as well as his own began to flow like water. A heartbeat later two humans stood in their place, just as the crown of a nature-defyingly large tree appeared on the horizon, its branches hung in silver to celebrate the birth of the youngest princess of the third palace. Time passed. Even after she had surpassed her teachers, even after her magic had grown to unknown heights, her powers a tangible, burning sphere in her lower abdomen, she couldn¡¯t move. Under the suffocating gaze of a gargantuan, azure eye, surrounded by scintillating scales the size of her hand, she was as powerless as a newborn, as much prey as a startled deer under the full moon when the wolfs howled. Even Indigorath with his artefacts and tricks, his knowledge and magic, was nothing but an ant in front of a true dragon and the breathing, rumbling mountain of sapphires definitely wasn¡¯t a drake. With an elegant bow the worm, apparently unaware of the suppressive force, said warmly: ¡°Caerulea, it¡¯s been too long! You¡¯ve grown splendidly!¡± A boneshaking snort accompanied by a blue flame shook the cave.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Indigorath, as insincere as ever. What has brought you here?¡± ¡°Straight to the point. I¡¯m here to ask a favour.¡± His long tail wrapped around the kitsune and pulled her to his side. ¡°I¡¯m here for her. Teach her. The price doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever you want, if it¡¯s within my capabilities, I¡¯ll comply.¡± For the first time a gleam of curiosity entered the gem like eye. ¡°Really? Then tell me, child, what have you done to touch the rotten stump this creature calls a heart? Or has he finally become senile?¡± Time passed. Under the bright full moon a company of hunters, led by an imposing kitsune woman with four tails, stalked the night. Their prey, a rare variant of the Azure Snake, had eluded them the day before but they hadn¡¯t given up. They had been foiled too often, from the highest peaks of the Emerald Island to the lush forests of the Southern Cluster they had chased after elusive creatures and they wouldn¡¯t relent only because of a single mistake, a single failure. Time passed. ¡°Do we have enough,¡± the kitsune asked, her eyes fixed onto the spoils of their endeavours. In a large cavern a variety of magical beasts, from unicorns to Emerald Bears and Cathithian butterflies, were frozen, like ants in ember. ¡°Depends,¡± Indigorath replied, his coils quivering. ¡°If your spell works, we will. By the way, did I ever thank you? Without your magic and your ingenuity none of this would have been possible.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. You need them and I¡¯m not going to watch silently while you might hunt them into extinction. This way you can live and we can preserve our most precious treasures.¡± ¡°It almost sounds like you care more for them than for me,¡± the worm complained playfully. ¡°Maybe I do,¡± she chuckled. ¡°They, at least, don¡¯t have a family of murderous megalomaniacs chasing after us. That¡¯s more than you have to offer, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Afraid so. Speaking of families¡­ I promised to keep an eye on Boseiju, remember? Just in case¡­ Well, something happened to her kingdom. As we know it would. I¡¯m not sure what, exactly, but it¡¯s bad.¡± Time passed. ¡°Are you really fine sharing your weaponry,¡± Aglaia asked. ¡°Once they see what you¡¯ve accomplished, they¡¯ll make you divulge the blueprints.¡± ¡°My dear,¡± Indigorath answered, ¡°if only a tenth of what we¡¯ve heard and seen is true I won¡¯t begrudge them a few baubles, powerful as they might be and they¡¯re hers to begin with. Besides¡­ you want to reconnect with your race, don¡¯t you? If that¡¯s all it¡¯s going to cost us I¡¯ll pay the price gladly.¡± The kitsune¡¯s eyes narrowed: ¡°And what if they decide that I¡¯m no longer of their race? What if they decide that they¡¯d be better off without us¡­ without you?¡± ¡°Then, Aglaia,¡± the worm replied with a sly grin, ¡°we bargain. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll come to that.¡± ¡°Why? She¡¯s¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t finish: ¡°Because they¡¯re old. Both of them. With this kind of ages¡­ you become either cruel or gentle. Do they seem cruel to you?¡± ¡°Old? Haven¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Hush now. There¡¯s much you don¡¯t know and the world is many times larger than you can even imagine. Trust me, your¡­ distant cousin and her girl, they are even more than you can see. Don¡¯t be blinded by their divine facade. Underneath¡­ well, I¡¯m not going to lie and tell you I know what they are but I recognise power when I see it, and that kind of strength¡­ it¡¯s measured in aeons.¡± The kitsune frowned. ¡°Aeons? Aren¡¯t you exaggerating? I¡¯ve been taught by a dragon and¡­¡± ¡°Vixen, stop arguing and listen. Caerulea is my friend but she¡¯s neither of a strong line nor very old, yet she makes you tremble and me think twice before I¡¯d ever cross her. But in comparison¡­ see for yourself.¡± His eyes glazed over, emitting a purple sheen, and a small crystal ball flew over from a nearby stand. Following a silent command its murky depths flickered and came to life. A shadow rose from the mist, long and agile like a snake. Breathlessly the kitsune leaned in closer trying to glimpse the size or maybe the face of the creature. From one heartbeat to the next the clouds within the glass began to roil as if stirred by a giant¡¯s hand and an eerie, golden glow danced across the walls of the cabin. A breathtaking golden dragoness appeared, her swan like neck craned, her eyes aglow with power but Aglaia only had eyes for the small, seemingly insignificant creature on her back. Another kitsune looked at her directly, her gaze piercing through the boundaries of the spell. Silvery eyes flickered with a hint of amusement on a face that would haunt her nights for weeks to come and the image faded. The stream of memories subsided and I felt her gently push against my consciousness, a shy plea to be left alone. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated but this time¡­ there was too much at stake. My thoughts shifted, my power surged and from one moment to the next I bore down on her, immobilising her mind, her will, her body in an instant. She wouldn¡¯t remember and I¡¯d only need a second. Her innate magic stirred, trying to fend off the intruder but, as strong as she was, she could just as well have surrendered. Aside from a faint pressure, similar to a small change in altitude, I didn¡¯t even feel her subconscious efforts. As soon as I took control of her thoughts she couldn¡¯t decide what she wanted to show me anymore and her mind returned to what it considered the most important. I was on the verge of brushing the images away impatiently but then I hesitated. I imagine you¡¯d have done the same if your own face had suddenly winked at you from within a maelstrom of chaotic memories from a married woman. And a good thing I did. It wasn¡¯t the gratification of her admiration I was after, even though I¡¯d be lying if I claimed that I didn¡¯t feel flattered, but rather the implications. It didn¡¯t take me long to realise that Aglaia had been much more enchanted by my beauty than the people of Free Land. They, at least, could talk to me quite normally once they had overcome the first moment of shock but if I had met that kitsune girl by chance on the street without any prior warnings she wouldn¡¯t even have been able to form a coherent sentence. And for the first time I understood why. Or so I thought. The real reason for her fascination was something else entirely, something I¡¯d figure out a bit later. I was right, though, where the possible implications were concerned. Ever since I had grown up I had been surrounded by people who knew me intimately well or by¡­ I don¡¯t intend to sound conceited but by weaklings. Humans, especially the ones without any magic, their perception was simply different. They instinctively recoiled when they saw me, like a wolf pack recoiling from a dragon no matter how enticing the bounty might be. And the few instances where I had met someone powerful or shown a softer side¡­ Viyara, Erya, Layla, Alassara, Liz, even Lyra, the list went on¡­ you might have guessed where I¡¯m going with this. Every time the innate¡­ fear I instilled in others had vanished they had become infatuated, charmed¡­ mostly with a single glance. Now, as to why I¡¯m even bothering mentioning this instead of shrugging it off¡­ we were headed to the Emerald Island. A place where everyone was a mage, certainly of different calibres but still a¡­ stronger existence. Which meant fear would turn into longing, shyness into possessiveness. In short, if I hadn¡¯t come across this little tidbit of information I might have caused problems the very moment my feet would have touched the soil of the Emerald Island. As for confirmation whether I had actually stumbled across something important or was simply delusional: ¡°Ahri, darling, a quick question¡­ were you ever going to tell me that you¡¯re wearing a mask every time you leave your room?¡± She wasn¡¯t even surprised. She knew what I was thinking. ¡°Yes. I had one made for you yesterday. You¡¯re right. The more powerful a race is the more they feel our allure. I went out once without a veil. It was¡­ educational.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t bother telling me?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I feared you¡¯d overreact if I told you that I¡¯ve been proposed to over a dozen times.¡± 383. Of wishes, wrath and a little favour Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Proposals I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡± She huffed indignantly to cut me off. ¡°Cassy, do you really think I can¡¯t deal with someone who¡¯s overly affectionate or handsy?¡± ¡°Who¡­¡± ¡°Not telling. It¡¯s not worth it and I don¡¯t want you to start a fight as soon as you arrive. Still¡­ unless you¡¯re willing to alter your appearance I¡¯d suggest getting used to wide cloaks and a face mask pretty soon. You¡¯ll probably run into even more trouble than me.¡± When she felt my surprise she quickly added: ¡°I¡¯m spending almost all of my time with Zara who¡¯s believed to be a royal. Which sort of puts me out of bounds. Stammering I don¡¯t mind and everything else could be seen as an affront against the crown. You, on the other hand¡­¡± ¡°I get it. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ it¡¯ll be even worse with the fey and dragons.¡± ¡°Most likely. Like I said, better get used to concealing yourself.¡± ¡°Marvellous. Fine, I¡¯ll worry when it becomes necessary.¡± She hummed in disbelief but before I could even muster a defence she asked with a hint of coquettishness: ¡°Aside from stroking your vanity is there an actual reason why you¡¯ve subdued her?¡± ¡°Sure¡­I think. She hasn¡¯t shown me a thing when it comes to her husband or his race. She didn¡¯t even share her wedding, if there even was one. Also¡­ the sect she was taken to, those weren¡¯t mages. That¡¯s the same form of magic practiced on Kana¡¯s old world. What was it called again? Cultivation? I¡¯m curious. Usually the traditions on a single world are pretty similar. I can recount the number of times I¡¯ve visited a planet with no dominant magic school on one hand. Usually the strongest eradicates the rest. We need to know if there are enough of them to cause a headache later on. Even though¡­ if one had crossed the threshold and started developing actual power we would have found out by now. Mephisto would have known. Since he didn¡¯t say anything I don¡¯t expect much.¡± That being said I focused back on the sluggishly moving stream of consciousness in front of me. Unfortunately reading someone wasn¡¯t quite the same as googling a name and digesting the corresponding Wikipedia entry in half a minute. On the other hand the difference wasn¡¯t as pronounced as I had feared, at least to me. Gentle prodding was more than enough to tease her mind in the desired direction and after a few rather clumsy efforts, I was much too concerned I might accidentally hurt her to assert any form of strength, I managed to coax the desired imagines from the kaleidoscopic stream. Respecting her wish I didn¡¯t search for her wedding or even her interactions with the goddamned worm but rather focused on her very few encounters with Indigorath¡¯s family. Which were pretty similar to a horror survival game. Much running, much cursing, a lot of blood and quite a few severed limbs. I¡¯m well aware that this isn¡¯t much of a description but the memories themselves were coated in fear and desperation, the contents distorted by her emotions. In retrospect I probably should have spend a few more minutes to go through every scene with a fine tooth comb but being smart in hindsight isn¡¯t difficult. Anyways, back on track. This time around I had no one to guide me, which meant that I couldn¡¯t comfortably watch an unfolding scene but had to live through every moment, just like Aglaia had. The first time she had met one of Indigorath¡¯s brothers they both had nearly died but somehow she still seemed to have a strange attachment to the moment. From where I was standing that was quite unusual and I decided to take a closer look. The two of them had made camp on their way back from Caerulea, somewhere within the eternal glaciers, covering the towering mountain islands far to the north. With her mana strengthened body, her power smoothly flowing in and out of her core, she wasn¡¯t hurting and for chubby Jabba to catch a cold it would have taken much more than a measly forty degrees below freezing. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to their conversation but the intimate, almost tender tone I couldn¡¯t quite ignore. They really were a couple. Unsure when something interesting would happen I watched the northern lights dance beneath the stars, the crisp smell of falling snow tickling my nostrils in the velvety silence, broken only by the whispers of the couple and the song of a merrily burning fire. Even though my senses were muted, reduced to what Aglaia had been able to smell and hear, I could still appreciate the untamed beauty of the night and the heartfelt companionship the two of them had shared. The tranquil moment lasted for a while and I was already wondering if I had made a mistake and simply stumbled upon a memory that was broadly related to the Purple Worm¡¯s race but didn¡¯t show another member of his species, accidentally intruding on a romantic evening, when I felt a slight tremor running through the cave we were in. I leaned against the wall, my tails firmly pressed against the mixture of ice and basalt, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have felt the change. Expectantly I focused on my host but she hadn¡¯t yet realised that something was wrong. Neither had her husband. No wonder they had almost kicked the bucket. Even though I was in someone else¡¯s memory, effectively less alive than a ghost or a spectre, I still held my breath, counting the seconds while the tremors grew stronger, finally dislodging a shower of snow that carried a surprising amount of pebbles and rubble with it and directly crashed into Indigorath¡¯s impressively squishy coils. He hissed in discomfort, his eyes shining purple, while a myriad of hidden runes began to glow along his body. Unfortunately he didn¡¯t have the time to show me exactly what he was capable of since all hell broke loose the very next second. A crackling, purple bonfire roared to life in the cave¡¯s entrance, the flames quickly collapsing into a set of maliciously glowing eyes. Purple eyes. A heartbeat later a rasping, sickly voice that made my fur stand on edge hissed menacingly: ¡°brother, it has been too long. No need to get up. I¡¯ll just invite myself in.¡± I would have sent a trickle of power towards my eyes immediately but unfortunately that¡¯d have done jack shit for me in an imaginary world. I¡¯d just have seen Aglaia¡¯s stream of thoughts again. As to why¡­ if someone bothers chatting you up when the outcome is already clear they¡¯re either a moronic movie villain, stalling for time or trying to distract you. I¡¯d have put my money on the latter. Quite astutely, as it turned out. An eerie but enticing whisper, like the breath of death singing among gravestones, rustled through the night, drowning out the sighs of the dancing snowflakes. Aglaia froze on the spot, her body rigid, her spirit immediately subdued by the otherworldly assault. Indigorath fared much better and with a defiant hiss he changed. Purple streams of energy erupted from his eyes while the patterns on his body began to flow and merge, forming runes and sigils that were gone much too fast for me to recognise. From one second to the next his power, mana, life force and the surprisingly immaculate energies of his soul, surged, calling forth his avatar.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I gasped, my gaze shackled to the writhing mass of energy he had turned into. An avatar form was one of the highest achievements every mage strove for, provided they actually knew it existed. It was a representation of one¡¯s true self, brought to life by a complex amalgamation of knowledge, willpower and the prefect balancing of mana, life and soul forces. To put it into perspective: we immortals had one as well. Even though it was less magic for us and more similar to an actual transformation. Mine I had only found recently and it had allowed me to challenge Amazeroth successfully. I felt my heart speed up, the pressure, the sheer vastness of the forces at play enough to make me forget that I wasn¡¯t really here, that I couldn¡¯t become involved. Reflexively I lowered my centre of gravity, my tails fanned out and my wings whispered to life, their clear, ancient song a direct challenge to the rising threat. Even my spear appeared in my hand, the weapon thrumming with excitement to finally be free again. Ozone and something much darker, like the lingering stench of blood and death, drowned out every other smell while the formless heap of power and determination quivered and collapsed, revealing Indigorath¡¯s true nature. A purple snake, much too large to fit in the small cave, obscured my vision, its endless coils slithering around me like the waves of a stormy sea. Aglaia was kept safe in the eye of the storm but the massive walls of the cave, supported by a towering mounting as old as Gaya herself, groaned and crumbled, the cacophonous sound and the avalanches of tortured rock confusing my sense for a few heartbeats. With a thought I realigned my position, focusing on the thread that connected me to Aglaia and vanished into a shower of silvery sparks. The next moment I opened my eyes on an untouched field of ice, the mountain behind me trembling like a wounded animal. Dust and snow rained down in thick swaths while the death twitches of the peak thundered against my ears like the ocean tide. Unwittingly I rose into the air, battling the elements gone mad, my wings spread wide, my spear an angry tongue of silver and blue at my side. Below me, the end was approaching inexorably, the impressive, inhuman feat Indigorath had display nothing but a short delay and time was up. Sharp, deadly claws pinned the unfortunate snake to the ground, tearing bleeding gashes into its hide with every movement. The smell of blood welled up, a crimson surge that slowly turned the innocent white into tortured red. The mountainous eagle, its eyes and plumage displaying six different shades of purple, opened its beak, letting out a bone wrenching cry of victory while he slowly lowered its head towards the defeated snake, gently prying its coils apart to reveal the delectable, helpless girl. Indigorath struggled, the sight of his beloved defencelessly staring at the cruel monster gave him the strength to hold on a single moment longer but with a resounding crack, like a hawser snapping, the falling snowflakes and debris were blown away as his muscles tore. A despicable shout of jubilation erupted and the eagle spoke, its voice a dreadful amalgamation of six different beings: ¡°You¡¯re strong, Indigorath, but you can¡¯t stand against the six of us. The reckoning is nigh.¡± Without hesitation the beautiful but savage beak rose and fell again, ready to tear Aglaia apart in front of her lover¡¯s desperate eyes. Time slowed down as my mind was filled to the brim with power, the scene in front of me too paradox to understand. They couldn¡¯t perish here, I had met them in the future, but if nothing changed Aglaia would die in less than a second and the worm would follow, probably after another hour of torment and anguish. Also¡­ the six of us? Indigorath had told us that there were six Purple Worms left. If I hadn¡¯t forgotten how to add and subtract, there¡¯d be seven of them right now. Which meant that this one had to die, probably right here and now, otherwise the future would be different. But how? There was no one around. We were in the middle of nowhere, the snow and the cold the only witnesses to the one sided struggle. Except: ¡°Kill him,¡± Ahri whispered, her voice even colder than the ice field below me. And I knew why. I hadn¡¯t been able to push the thought away either. What would I have done if it had been us down there? ¡°And if I can¡¯t return,¡± I asked, the tip of my spear trembling, the leather bands creaking as I tightened my grip. I already knew the answer. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait. However long it takes. Don¡¯t hesitate. This¡­ nobody deserves this. Make it right.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± I had made my decision, maybe she had made it for me, and now it was time to act, the consequences be damned. The infinite roar of power from ages past within me changed and the frozen moment came back to life as my perception shifted. Helplessly Aglaia searched for Indigorath¡¯s gaze. Their eyes met. One pair filed with fear and desperation, the other calm and accepting, while the thunderous tumult around them seemed to fade away. A sad smiled tugged on the corners of her mouth as she exposed her slender neck, waiting composedly for the end to come. But it wouldn¡¯t, not if I had any say in the matter and, by all the gods, not even the rules of creation could stop a determined immortal, never mind myself. Even if this was a mere memory, it had happened, it was real, and there was a way to get there. I clenched my teeth, the maelstrom of strength within me reached a new height and when I extended my spear its tip was coated in crackling flames, silver and blue seemingly entwined in an endless battle but united by my desires. I struck, the membrane between what was and what could have been crumbled and a fissure opened, its edges held by the very same, scintillating flames I felt burning in my core. Without another thought I closed my eyes and stepped through, leaving the world of mists and memories to take my first breath in a time long gone. The cold filled my lungs as the darkness yielded, fleeting sparks of silver and blue illuminating the night. Silence fell, absolute and heavy, as a proud kitsune, a desperate Purple Worm and a corpse raised their heads to the sky. The moon appeared above the trembling mountain behind me, my silhouette turned into a shadow of power and will while I opened my eyes, their glow rivalling the distant, starry light. The fissure was still there, like an otherworldly corona surrounding my body, and with a small movement I fanned out my tails and dropped to the ground, directly in between the wide eyed girl and the murderous monster. My feet made a crunchy sound when they touched the hardened snow and the noise seemed to have lifted a spell. With a defiant screech the eagle bore down on me, its glittering beak descending in a graceful arch, promising death. But death and I¡­ we were already acquainted and she wouldn¡¯t come near me again. Not without a bunch of immortals holding her hand. Lazily I raised my weapon, its dancing flames alive and eager. ¡°There¡¯s always a bigger fish in the sea,¡± I thought as I focused and allowed the pent up tides within me to burst forth. It wasn¡¯t spectacular, at first that was. A streak of silvery blue fire, as thin as a hair, shot from the tip of my spear. Without a sound, without any reaction, it pierced through the eagle¡¯s head and continued into the sky, vanishing from view. A heartbeat later the explosions followed. First the monster became engulfed in eagerly dancing flames, its body crumbling to ash in the blink of an eye. Next the sky lit up as my power hit a distant, uninhabited star, passing through Amazeroth¡¯s wards without so much as causing a ripple. My vision was consumed by silver and blue, the night turned to day and in the glaring light the flakes of ash my foe had turned into fell to the ground silently, covering the immaculate snow with a blanket of grey, greasy, still smouldering soot. As quickly as it had appeared the light petered out, leaving behind a black spot in the sky where a sparkling star should have been. With a decisive twist of my wrist I put out the hissing flames, still running rampant along Aiglos¡¯ shaft. I changed my grip and allowed the weapon to come to rest against my shoulder, turning around curiously. There was no telling how the two of them would react but since the fissure was still open I could always run away. There wasn¡¯t much I needed from them anymore. I now knew why the worm had been so forthcoming and why Aglaia had acted like she already knew us, or me at least. It might have been the first time I had met her, but it wasn¡¯t the same the other way around. My questions had been answered and now I had to get back. But, as soon as I met their eyes, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape immediately. 384. Of defiance, loops and a little windfall Cassandra Pendragon In silence they stared, a white, velvety veil descending between us as the snow kept falling. Until a distant rumbling, like thunder in a bottle, shook the night and my ears twitched, turning towards the dying mountain behind us. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± I mumbled with a hint of trepidation in my voice as the first snow clouds rose from its collapsing flanks. We had to move. Now. ¡°Come here, questions can wait,¡± I hissed my voice easily drowning out the bone wrenching groans of the mountain as I extended my wings and pushed my lingering doubts aside. We were in deep shit. If I left with them chances were I wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the portal and without me¡­ the goddamn worm couldn¡¯t move since his useless avatar had been torn to shreds and he had reverted to his original form, his body mirroring the wounds he had sustained. I had to act. Caught between elation, fear and incredulity the couple only gaped, their eyes roaming over my wings and tails to my blazing eyes. The next second a deep, rattling tremor shook the even plane as bottomless fissures appeared in the immaculate, white expanse. My hair was blown back and snowflakes danced around us like a swarm, the starry sky vanishing behind an explosion of rock and ice. A roar, much more intimidating than even Sera¡¯s mighty call, cleaved through the night and I felt my ears droop as I slowly turned around. The mountain was breaking apart, the weakened base torn asunder by its own weight. Rocks and shards of ice, some larger than a village, were propelled into the night like bullets from a gun, turning its immediate surroundings into a tortured battlefield riddled with craters. The noise followed only a heartbeat later. Another groan, almost as if Ancalagon himself had awakened, shook the night and the ground began to move and flow like water, throwing the kitsune on her back while the worm coiled himself around her once again with a pained hiss, the ice field rising around them like a wave battering against the shore. In stunned silence I watched as the horizon was devoured by snow and flying rocks, a testament to the death of something meant to stand guard over our world for aeons. Silvery blood dripped into my eyes from a first gash as I fanned out my wings, effectively turning myself into a hovering shield for the desperate mortals. More wounds were sure to follow and so was the pain. So much for running away. The stars winked out, consumed by the oncoming tide, thunder roared in my ears and excruciating irons, cold enough to feel white hot, borrowed deep into me as my body was torn apart between the indescribable forces of nature and my own, unyielding strength. But I didn¡¯t move. With a single, defiant scream my power surged, billowing around me like a fluttering veil of stardust and memories, pushing back the ravenous maelstrom¡­ if only for a second. In the blink of an eye I saw the jagged spears of ice and stone embedded in my chest, I tasted the ethereal allure of my blood, framing me in silver and I felt the anger of a world thundering against me. But then darkness came, cold and cruel and powerful, ready to devour everything in its path unless I managed to resist. The tormented elements howled in my ears, each impact shook me to my core as rocks and icicles, large enough to turn a sky ship into dust, battered against my limbs. My tails were broken, my skin flayed, but as soon as the wounds appeared they closed again, the infinite stream within me more than enough to battle the unleashed madness. I didn¡¯t know what was happening to Aglaia and Indigorath, nor did I particularly care as white hot agony engulfed me and my body was ripped apart only to be healed over and over again. The gruesome cycle turned into a suffocating shackle that kept my mind racing around a single thought: Don¡¯t. Give. In. Seconds, minutes, years passed as the cold and the dark tried to break me, to freeze my flesh and grind my bones to dust but for every injury, every jolt of exquisite agony, I took something in return. Slowly but inexorably the chaos abated. Where once I had been whipped a thousand times in the blink of an eye, a single strike now shook me with every heartbeat. Where once I had been surrounded by an infinite chasm of white and grey I now saw stars and the moon blinking down at me uncaringly, their splendour still hazy and blurred but very much alive. Finally a last, defiant wave crashed into me, as if death herself was unable to believe that a tiny kitsune had stolen her prey right from within her salivating maw. Foundlings, the size of manors, threatened to push me down, to finally remove the one obstacle that had helped their elusive prey escape and then¡­ nothing. Gently and silently the snow kept falling, covering the destroyed valley in a blanket of soft, immaculate white. My ragged breath echoed loudly in my ears as it caught in my throat and my wounds closed for the last time. The biting cold breeze made me shiver, my clothes long destroyed under the onslaught, and when I finally turned my gaze away from the rubble the imposing mountain had turned into I saw a field of destruction, sprinkled with silvery blood and smouldering debris. Two pairs of eyes stared at me in wonder and gratitude, mirroring the vast expanse of the velvety, starry sky. At least they were still alive. I chuckled hoarsely as I pulled trousers and a fresh shirt from my stamp. ¡°That could have been worse,¡± I mumbled as I retracted my wings and fell to the ground. Even the fissure was still there, crackling ominously at the very same spot where I had first appeared. If it hadn¡¯t been for the towering embankments around us and the ravenously screaming avalanche, continuing on into the distance, the ordeal might as well never have happened. ¡°Still in one piece,¡± I asked as I finally took in their rather desolate appearance. I had managed to protect them from the worst but a few shards of ice and rock had still gone through, my wings could cover only so much space, and they were bleeding profusely from a myriad of cuts and holes. In some places the offending projectiles were even still embedded in their flesh but from the looks of it their heads hadn¡¯t been hit and everything else¡­ well, a few scars weren¡¯t too bad. I had one myself on my neck, after all. I just hoped they could heal their injuries themselves. My options were still very limited and I didn¡¯t plan on turning them into another part of my growing family, a result I wouldn¡¯t be able to circumvent if I had to use my own power to make them whole. God forbid, the worm still gave me the creeps. A wry grin spread across my face as I took a few, tentative steps, my bare feet not even leaving a dent on the white winter blanket. ¡°Look,¡± I began haltingly as I stowed my spear, unsure of what exactly I was going to say. Don¡¯t mind me, stopping an avalanche with my body and turning a star into light and memories just comes with the territory. I¡¯m an immortal, nice to meet, probably wouldn¡¯t cut it. But a timid, half whispered sentence immediately shook me from my reverie: ¡°Cassandra,¡± Aglaia breathed. ¡°You¡¯re Cassandra Pendragon, aren¡¯t you? But¡­ shouldn¡¯t you be a toddler?¡± I nervously licked my lips. Goddamn time travel. What was I even supposed to say? Nah, I¡¯m the other kitsune with starlike eyes, silvery tails and raven black hair? ¡°It is you,¡± she exclaimed and jumped to her feet with much more energy than anyone who had just escaped certain death, twice I might add, should possess. She even extended her hand, her fingers hovering half a centimetre away from my cheek. I eyed her curiously before I impulsively took another half step and allowed her cool, soft skin to brush against my face.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°In the flesh,¡± I mumbled, ¡°even though I can¡¯t possibly fathom how you could recognise me. Have we¡­ met?¡± Her laughter, clear and uninhibited like a mountain brook under the cold winter moon, took me by surprise but before I could utter a single word she willingly explained: ¡°In a way. You were screaming and wailing and obviously not in love with being presented to the public. Even though¡­ that was three years ago and I could have held you in my hand. But before we get into any of that¡­,¡± she unceremoniously kicked the bleeding worm at her side and dropped to her knees, the white, thick furs she wore fluttering in the breeze. Indigorath mirrored the movement to the best of his snakelike abilities even though he couldn¡¯t suppress a pained grunt. ¡°Thank you. For the both of us. I don¡¯t have the faintest idea how you can even be here, never mind protecting¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Just thank you. I won¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°Neither will I,¡± the purple worm added sincerely, his voice a hoarse cough, ¡°but I still have to ask the questions she doesn¡¯t dare pose. How? Why?¡± Embarrassed I grabbed the kitsune by her shoulders and pulled her back to her feet, gesticulating for the worm to get up as well. ¡°How? Time travel. Why? Because you¡¯re in love and I couldn¡¯t watch that creature kill her in front of you,¡± I replied slowly, my mind racing. I was in the past. I stood on a destroyed glacier, a good four years before I had ever arrived in Free Land. The options, the consequences were daunting and enticing in equal measure, but before I could allow myself to start dreaming there was one thing I had to know: ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to explain, in parts at least, but I¡¯ve got a question of my own. This might sound stupendously stupid but please humour me. Have you ever heard of a gun? A bullet? The elemental attraction of black powder?¡± Aglaia frowned thoughtfully but Indigorath immediately stated: ¡°Never of the former but I do know of the elemental attraction some alchemical substances possess, even though I don¡¯t know what black powder is.¡± I had been right. Four years. It had taken him four years to develop the sophisticated weapons I had seen but the spark, the idea had been born here¡­ or rather it had been handed to him on a silver platter. Courtesy of yours truly. I nodded while I felt a mischievous flame ignite in my eyes. ¡°Really? Well, then I guess I¡¯ll have to dig out a cave where you can rest until you¡¯ve recovered. In the meantime¡­ there¡¯s a lot we should talk about.¡± I frowned at the fissure but my energies hadn¡¯t diminished and the portal was still anchored safely. Chances were it¡¯d stay that way until I¡¯d return. Damn it, maybe I really should have teleported away with them. That¡¯d have saved me quite a bit of pain and a perfectly serviceable set of clothes. Which I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to replace since the dwarfs were already leaving and Krack, the quartermaster, didn¡¯t like sharing in the first place. ¡°We have some time,¡± I added. ¡°Can you tend to your wounds?¡± Aglaia nodded. ¡°I¡¯m no master but I can heal decently enough.¡± Interesting. She hadn¡¯t said cast healing magic. Maybe she had learned more at the hidden sect than I had given her credit for. ¡°That¡¯s the first bit of good news I¡¯ve heard today,¡± I said. ¡°Go ahead, then. From where I¡¯m standing his wounds are more severe than yours but you should still make sure that you don¡¯t collapse, considering you¡¯re the healer. I¡¯ll try to create a place where we can spend the night without turning blue. Everything else can wait. I assume your provisions are hidden somewhere under there,¡± I added and pointed at the erstwhile mountain turned rubble. A dejected shrug was my only response. ¡°Fabulous,¡± I groaned. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to hunt for you as well.¡± Without any real conviction I tried to listen but the comforting echo of Ahri¡¯s thoughts was muted. I¡¯d have had to push hard to reach her and I wasn¡¯t convinced of said idea¡¯s merit. Besides, as keen as my senses were, if there was anything to hunt at all, I¡¯d easily find my prey with or without Ahri¡¯s help. But first things first. Up until now I hadn¡¯t taken the time to truly look around but we were indeed on a glacier that filled a broad valley, nestled between seven insurmountable peaks. The one at the very end had been destroyed, sending an avalanche of unequaled proportions thundering along the only possible path. Rocks, foundlings, hills of snow and upturned earth surrounded us but the patch of ice I had protected still glistened with a cold, blue fire under the stars. With a thought I incinerated the silvery drops of blood splattered all around me and dug my wings deep into the face of the glacier, slowly cutting a tunnel and a small cave with an air shaft from the impenetrable ice. It didn¡¯t take me long, a handful of minutes at most, but I already used the time to bolster my senses and allow them to spread through the entire valley. There wasn¡¯t much left. Not many creatures lived in the eternal ice to begin with and the few who might have been close had turned into a bloody smear by now, buried hundreds of feet below the surface. No, a suitable meal could only be found on the slopes of the mountains where large, snow white birds had constructed their eyries. The majestic beasts reminded me of huge eagles except for their black beaks and their shimmering, artic blue talons which practically screamed elemental affinity. Not that it mattered. I clicked my tongue as I tore the last block of ice from the newly created tunnel and ordered: ¡°get in. I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes. Get a fire started and treat your injuries while I try to find something edible. You¡¯ll need it to replenish your energy.¡± Before they could do more than blink, their gazes travelling from the cut out, imposing blocks of ice to my tiny frame, I vanished into a shower of sparks only to appear several leagues away, just below one of the towering summits. The restrictions on my teleportation had weakened ever since I had faced the demons of my past. Up here the winds were howling like the guardians of hell in the thin, crystal clear air. Tasteless and frozen, almost like an ice cold liquid, it slithered down my throat when I breathed in, my scent as well as that of my prey long since carried away by the raging storm. But I neither needed my ears nor my nose to find the nest. I could feel it, only a handful of steps above me on a frozen ledge. Two parents and a clutch of five eggs. Ample for Aglaia and the worm would be able to cope without food for a few days. At least I hoped so. If not¡­ I¡¯d have to carry his heavy ass to a more hospitable island. A prospect that filled me with more dread than the avalanche ever had. A handful of heartbeats later I materialised at the entrance again, our supper sadly dangling from my arm. The eggs I had stored in my stamp. The pair hadn¡¯t even managed to cover the distance of the tunnel yet and I could still see as well as hear them slithering and limping along in the darkness, the echoes of their low groans amplified by the icy structure. With a few quick steps I caught up to them, the smell of the Purple Worm¡¯s blood rich and heavy in the dry air. I used my wings to lift the kitsune unceremoniously off the ground and push the worm along through the cold and dark, supporting his squishy coils wherever his muscles seemed to fail. ¡°Thank you,¡± he muttered again, leaning heavily against my wings. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Some kind of guardian angel I¡¯d be if I left halfway through. Still, I can¡¯t stay for long. The night at most.¡± ¡°That¡¯d turn out to be around three to four months,¡± he chuckled wheezingly. ¡°The sun won¡¯t rise until spring.¡± ¡°Oh. Right. So, it¡¯s the middle of winter right now? Why on earth would you choose to travel during winter?¡± ¡°Not much of a choice,¡± the kitsune chimed in, her eyes glued to the scintillating cocoon surrounding her. ¡°Caerulea, a friend of ours with whom I stayed for the last few months, she¡¯s gone to sleep. Her race¡­¡± ¡°I know what she is and also of some of the peculiarities dragons are prone to,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°No need to beat around the bush. In other words the wyrm went to sleep and tossed you out on your tails? Some kind of teacher she is. Just as well. Without her lapse of judgement we wouldn¡¯t have met and that would have been one hell of an opportunity gone to waste.¡± 385. Of meals, mazes and a little bit of exposition Cassandra Pendragon A merry fire was hungrily eating into an ancient log I had dug up by accident, its warm light dancing across the whitish blue walls. Thoughtfully I stared into the crimson flames and wrapped my tails around me, trying to puzzle out how far I could go while my fingers nimbly plucked feather after feather from the birds. Asking Indigorath to warn my family and prevent Boseiju¡¯s fall¡­ was an option but I wasn¡¯t convinced it¡¯d turn out to be a good one. The fissure, still connecting me to the future, was a problem. So was Ahri¡¯s presence and the bond we shared. As far as I had come to understand my power I might have been able to do it but there was no telling how it¡¯d turn out and fate, that fickle mistress, wouldn¡¯t be bribed. At least not by me. The thought had silenced me and I had chosen to ignore the hushed conversation and pained grunts as Aglaia tended to Indigorath¡¯s wounds. It was a damned conundrum. Risk everything we had protected on the chance to see my people again. To see my father again¡­ truth be told, I had known I wouldn¡¯t try from the very start. I¡¯d never risk Ahri¡¯s life and if I chose to change history, whether by telling or staying, she might come to harm. But I had needed a few moments to admit as much to myself. Whether it was my dad or my subjects, they¡¯d never compare to her. I really wasn¡¯t cut out to be a queen¡­ maybe not even a decent person, putting one above everyone else, but we all had our lines in the sand and mine just happened to have four fiery wings. Strange as it might seem the realisation finally brought me some peace of mind and with a decisive twist I opened up the carcasses I had been plucking and started cleaning them. I wasn¡¯t able to season properly but efficiently removing offals came as easily to me as breathing and once again I had to wonder what my skill set said about the lives I had led. Well, at least I was convinced I had never worked as a maid or a cook but somehow I thought I had spent quite a few years as a butler. It wasn¡¯t only the disguise I had chosen to enter the Vatican either but rather a blurry sense of recognition whenever I imagined the scene. Not that it mattered. With my current sense of etiquette and propriety no one in their right mind would let me anywhere near a similar position. Then again, being a princess probably trumped being a servant¡­ if I repeated it often enough I would even start believing it myself. But enough stalling, it was time to face the music. ¡°Do you have some salt on you,¡± I asked out of the blue as I shaved off two thin splinters from the log with my wings and shoved them up the eagles¡¯ backsides. The strange pair looked over in surprise apparently unaware that I had started¡­ let¡¯s stick with cooking even though butchering was all I had actually managed. Indigorath shook his head, the movement travelling down his body in strangely hypnotic waves while his wife replied: ¡°All of our things are buried except for what I had on me when¡­,¡± she paused, her gaze travelling to her partner uncertainly but before the worm could make a decision I completed her sentence: ¡°When his brothers came knocking to munch on his innards. I know the story¡­ damn it, I should have preserved the corpse, shouldn¡¯t I? Would it have been enough to trigger your metamorphosis?¡± The ensuing silence felt pretty awkward as the Purple Worm scrutinised me intensely and the kitsune¡¯s mouth dropped to the floor but I wasn¡¯t forced to explain. ¡°Time travel, right,¡± he finally said. ¡°I assume I¡¯ve told you in the future?¡± ¡°Pretty much. I guess that I¡¯ve now saved your life played a role as well. We¡¯ll have to make do with smoked meat,¡± I added as I placed the two improvised skewers across the flames. ¡°While the meat is cooking we have a bit of time. As you can imagine I have a few¡­ requests since I already know what¡¯s going to happen over the next four years. But before we get into any of that¡­ you¡¯re probably bristling with questions. Go ahead, I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll answer every single one but if I don¡¯t have a good reason to keep my silence I¡¯ll try to be as honest as possible.¡± As if he had been waiting for the chance the worm asked: ¡°What are you? I¡¯ve seen you as a toddler, three years ago, and even back then I knew that you were different. Now, though, I can hardly describe what I¡¯ve seen. Your power¡­ are you an incarnation of a deity?¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°No. I¡¯m something older than a deity, older than this world. Incarnation wasn¡¯t too far off but it¡¯s not some sort of mortal superstition or a powerful soul retaining its memories after being reborn. I¡¯m an immortal, an angel to be precise. I¡¯m sure that tells you nothing but the gist of it boils down to what you¡¯ve seen: I¡¯m the most powerful creature you¡¯re ever going to meet, even if you were to live for aeons and managed to leave this world.¡± Usually a proclamation like this would have been answered by an amused shrug or maybe a snarky comment but when you had just blown a star to smithereens it suddenly didn¡¯t sound so far fetched anymore. My audience didn¡¯t even question me, the kitsune smiling as if she had already known and the worm nodding sagely. ¡°Then¡­ you¡¯re not Cassandra Pendragon,¡± Aglaia wanted to know. ¡°Very much so but it¡¯s a bit complicated and we don¡¯t have the whole night. For the sake of argument let¡¯s just say I¡­ inherited my powers and they bloomed¡­ are going to bloom when I¡¯ll turn seven. On my birthday to be exact.¡± ¡°Then¡­ how did you know we were in danger,¡± she asked and rearranged her three tails to cushion her back. I pointed towards the dark ice tunnel I had created. ¡°The fissure I came through, it leads into your mind. I read your thoughts and when I stumbled across this memory¡­ I didn¡¯t even have much of a choice, did I, seeing as I had already saved you before.¡± For a few moments only the hissing flames broke the silence in our little cave. ¡°Does that mean we¡¯ll fight you,¡± the kitsune asked, alarmed. I raised my hands placatingly. ¡°Nothing of the sort. But I¡¯m going to provide you with enough knowledge tonight to pique my interest and my caution in the future.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯ve got me curious,¡± Indigorath interjected. ¡°Has it anything to do with those¡­ guns you mentioned before?¡± ¡°Very much so. I¡¯m going to tell you what they are, how to build one and¡­ probably ask you to prepare a literal sky ship full of them before four years have run their course. Now, as to why¡­ I¡¯m not so sure I should tell you and I don¡¯t think I will, unless you swear to me that you¡¯re going to stay out of it.¡± ¡°Which is already plenty,¡± the kitsune chuckled. ¡°That bad, huh? Our promises you can have anytime, as well as anything else you can think of. We aren¡¯t ungrateful. You¡¯ve risked much for us.¡± A wry grin tugged on the corners of my mouth.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Not yet. What has happened hasn¡¯t been that much of challenge. Navigating this conversation without endangering the future on the other hand¡­¡± I spread my hands helplessly. ¡°Despite my power I¡¯m not so sure what I can safely tell you. Time is probably the most dangerous dimension to play around with and this is only my second time. I¡¯d hate to make everything worse or maybe even destroy my path back to the future inadvertently. Which is also why I¡¯m not going to tell you everything you might want to know. I¡¯m not even going to tell you what you should do.¡± ¡°What are you going to share, then,¡± the worm inquired curiously. ¡°That¡¯s a damned good question and one I¡¯ve been wrestling with ever since I¡¯ve realised what¡¯s going on. Two things. One I¡¯ve already mentioned. I¡¯m talking about guns and black powder. The other¡­ I¡¯ll tell you where not to go and where you might want to go when the time comes. What you make of it will be your choice.¡± With a widening smile I added: ¡°but I¡¯ve got a hunch that you¡¯re going to listen.¡± The flames¡¯ crackling, my companions¡¯ wheezy breaths and the sizzling of roasting meat filled the cave as I slowly began: ¡°This world is old and has seen many wars, the remnants of which are still influencing our own battles. But it¡¯s not the past I want to talk about. It¡¯s the present and the future. Our world is large, it spans more miles than I can count, and somewhere you¡¯ll always find someone to take up arms and stir up another war. The future¡­ it¡¯s haunted by bloodthirsty spectres of times long gone. They¡¯re threatening not only a single island not even a people or an empire. They¡¯re here to take control and I¡­ well, I¡¯m not going to sit by idly for this is as much my world as it is yours but for all my¡­ our efforts we still haven¡¯t managed to secure a single victory. We¡¯ve always been one step behind, chasing phantoms and shadows. But this¡­ this might just be the chance, the chink in the armour I¡¯ve been looking for.¡± I paused and closed my eyes, recalling the atrocities, the pain the Emperor had made us suffer through. ¡°Like I said, our world, our way of living, is being threatened and it¡¯ll take more than spears and magic to defend it. It¡¯ll take unity, a shared conviction, a common desire to protect what we value. As you can imagine that¡¯s not easy to come by but with some time, some planted seeds that have the time to sprout on their own¡­ who knows what might happen. Enigmatic innuendoes aside, you can¡¯t get involved in the fights that will ignite in four years time on my home island. Stay away from Boseiju, allow history to take its course. What you can do, if you¡¯re willing, is prepare for the aftermath. Travel the world, as you already planned to do, make friends, the higher up the food chain the better, and wait until we meet again.¡± They shared a confused glance before Indigorath said: ¡°Even if we were willing, which we are, how do you expect us to succeed? I¡¯m not a favourite guest amongst the races and Aglaia is a refugee with no standing. We¡¯ll be laughed out the door.¡± ¡°If you come empty handed, begging for scraps, sure. But you won¡¯t. I might not be able to tell you exactly what to do but I can provide you with enough knowledge to tempt a king into selling his daughters. And I¡¯m not only talking about weapons. If you want me to I can share enough insights for the two of you to become mages that¡¯ll be remembered throughout the ages and you¡¯ll have four years to figure out what to do with that knowledge.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free meal,¡± the kitsune remarked. ¡°You¡¯ve already saved us yet you offer even more. Where¡¯s the downside?¡± ¡°When we meet again I¡¯ll come to collect. Let¡¯s call it a loan. Whatever you¡¯re going to create¡­ I want to use it freely. Be it alliances, weapons or men, I want a promise that you¡¯ll allow me to do as I see fit without questions. Can you live with that?¡± ¡°Considering we¡¯d have been dead if it hadn¡¯t been for you,¡± the worm replied, ¡°it doesn¡¯t seem like much but toiling away limitlessly to further someone else¡¯s designs ignorantly¡­¡± I raised my hand to stop him. ¡°First off, I¡¯m not asking you to put your life on hold and secondly I¡¯m also not trying to turn you into a servant. But I do want to reap the benefits of what I¡¯m going to share with you. If it makes you feel any better think it of it as a prolonged apprenticeship where you get all the goodies up front and pay them back gradually. Thirdly, this isn¡¯t about me saving your life, there¡¯s no debt, but if you want me to allow you to peek behind the curtain so to say I¡¯ll require payment and trust me, what you¡¯re going to receive in return is worth much more than what you can accomplish on your own in four years. What¡¯s the life expectancy of your race anyways? Hundreds or thousands of years? As for your¡­ companion, I know she won¡¯t die of old age. The secrets I can share will benefit you for your entire life and I¡¯m only interested in what you can do with them in the next four years. That¡¯s just a drop in the bucket.¡± ¡°If a deal sounds too good to be true it usually is,¡± Aglaia interrupted shyly. ¡°You¡¯re right, except¡­ I don¡¯t need reciprocity. To be blunt to me you¡¯re nothing but foxes who have stumbled into a dragon¡¯s lair. I don¡¯t need your strength but I can¡¯t be everywhere at once and I have to return soon. I don¡¯t want to squander this opportunity, which is the only reason why I¡¯ve stayed after I knew you¡¯d be safe.¡± ¡°What exactly do you expect,¡± Indigorath asked quietly. ¡°For you to become connected enough to facilitate a meeting with every major dynasty among the islands and I want you to infiltrate the Burning Court. I want to know the secrets of our strongest kingdom. Also, I want you to map the closed higher realms.¡± The worm frowned. ¡°Closed higher realms?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Not going to explain that one unless you agree,¡± I stated as I turned the spits. The pair shared another look I couldn¡¯t quite interpret before Aglaia said: ¡°There really isn¡¯t that much to think about, is there? You¡¯ve saved our lives, of course we¡¯ll do anything you want us to.¡± ¡°Anything,¡± I asked and cocked an eyebrow, a smouldering spark igniting in the depths of my eyes as my gaze traveled over her sensual curves lazily. A faint blush rose to her cheeks and she quickly looked away before I chuckled throatily. ¡°Sorry. That¡¯s been payback for something you haven¡¯t even done yet. Or maybe the reason why you toyed with me in the first place. No matter. What she said¡­ do you feel the same way, worm?¡± He grimaced. ¡°Whatever happened¡­ will happen, could you please refrain from flirting with her right in front of me?¡± I bit my tongue, otherwise I probably would have responded along the lines of: don¡¯t worry, next time you won¡¯t be around, but I had grown up, hadn¡¯t I, so I only nodded. ¡°Well, then, of course I do. I think you¡¯re the first stranger I¡¯ve ever met who hasn¡¯t tried to put some holes in me but instead protected my life. Of course I¡¯ll do as you ask.¡± I nodded again and slowly turned the skewers. The meat hadn¡¯t charred yet, which was a first. Maybe there was still some hope for Cassy¡¯s cuisine extraordinaire. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s time to actually give you something tangible. Let¡¯s start at the beginning. Our world, Gaya, is pretty flushed with energy. Mainly because of its proximity to a central chasm, the birthplace of a universe if you so will. Think of it as an infinite source of power and the closer a world is to it, the more it can absorb. Gaya isn¡¯t a true core planet, mind you, otherwise it¡¯d look vastly different, but I¡¯d still consider it a peripheral satellite. The consequences are manifold but right now two aspects matter. One how the very structure of our world has developed and two how it impacts the magic we wield on Gaya¡¯s surface.¡± I flipped the meat again and continued: ¡°Let¡¯s start with our world. The abundance of energy has saturated every stone, every single leaf on this planet but when the stores were filled, so to say, the excess had to go somewhere. Which constitutes the higher realms. In a way they¡¯re like¡­ layers, held together by Gaya¡¯s gravity. The world of the fey is one such realm but I don¡¯t know who inhabits the rest. That¡¯s what I want you to find out.¡± My eyes glazed over with silvery spark as I stared into the distance. ¡°There are seven in total and I think all but one can support life but don¡¯t take my word for it. We¡¯ll get to how you can travel between realms later but as an overview to understand what I want to tell you about magic it should suffice. Now onto the much more interesting part. What does it mean for us who live on Gaya? Two things. One we should be careful what we wish for and two, you shouldn¡¯t focus on strengthening your innate energies since you¡¯ll never be able to rival the power already present all around us. That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite glad you sent her to that sect.¡± 386. Of lessons, magic and a little chance Cassandra Pendragon While I had been talking I had realised something quite important: the concepts I wanted to explain bloomed in my mind as soon as I tried. Which meant teaching was actually the best way for me to learn. Who¡¯d have thought, maybe Arthur¡¯s academy idea was more profound than I had expected but puzzling out my prospective occupation was better left for another time. With a wry grin I continued my explanation. I¡¯m not going to bore you with the umpteenth iteration of how external and internal powers interacted, Sera had already provided a very succinct summary two days ago, but I¡¯ll include the parts I finally came to understand while I put them into words: ¡°¡­ which brings us to another aspect, the quality or purity, if you so will, of different energies. While it¡¯s true that power derived from life itself is much more potent than regular mana, the question remains why and it¡¯s more or less linked to why some mages are more powerful than others, even when they use the same techniques, spells and the same kind of energy. External energies carry a varying degree of intent. Consequentially the mana you take in from the explosion of a star is much more potent when it comes to blowing things up than¡­ let¡¯s say the mana you¡¯ve taken in from an ancient spiritual glade. When it comes to healing the opposite is probably true. Now, that intent can, if sufficiently pronounced, change the very structure, the essence of mana. In short, the forces of life aren¡¯t that different from mana but they¡¯ve incorporated a minuscule amount of the very being who¡¯s produced them. It sort of follows that the forces you can harvest from an ant are exponentially less potent than those from¡­ let¡¯s say a Purple Worm or a dragon. The same holds true for soul energies except that souls are nigh indestructible and most of them are old, really old. The intent they carry is hardly comparable to life forces which means that even a single mote, nourished by a soul, can usually crush a river of mana.¡± I looked up from the fire and flipped the skewers one last time as I ordered my thoughts to come around full circle. ¡°Which now brings us back to the structure of the world. The abundance of energies on our planet is channeled into different realms. First off that¡¯s a defensive mechanism to prevent Gaya from becoming oversaturated but it¡¯s also a consequence of the intent the energies carry. I imagine you don¡¯t know what a black hole is but a sun works just as well as an example. Energy can¡¯t be destroyed. When a star dies it usually¡­ well, it¡¯s not that simple, but for the sake of argument let¡¯s say it explodes. You¡¯d normally expect the power to diffuse, become a part of something new, and that¡¯s, metaphorically, not far from the truth. The problem is, those powers aren¡¯t nurturing and quite averse to life in general. If they were to saturate our world it¡¯d most likely turn into an elemental plane of fire and force, not the healthiest environment to raise your children. Those¡­ in a way purer forces, laden with more intent, are channeled into realms. The world of the fey is a great example. Its teeming with the mana of creation to a degree that a human would be poisoned or mutate if he spent too much time there. As for the other six realms¡­ I just don¡¯t know. Like I said, I¡¯m not even sure if they¡¯re inhabited but I want you to find out. Lastly I have to add that there is also an uncountable number of realms that were born through¡­ well, us. I hope you¡¯ve realised by now that our world is, in a way, truly alive, carrying with it the sins and wonders of the past but it can also be influenced by the present. The easiest example would be a powerful mage who¡¯s created his own sub realm. That¡¯s intentional but it can also happen by accident, for example when the beliefs of a people elevate someone or something, even an idea, to godhood. Deities and devils usually create their own realms, respectively called heavens and hells, but I don¡¯t have the foggiest idea how many there are and whether they¡¯re dormant or even accessible.¡± The meat was done and a succulent smell filled the air as I handed the two skewers over. They readily accepted the charred, wooden sticks with slight frowns on their faces. It had been quite a lot to take in but I wasn¡¯t finished yet: ¡°Eat up, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve given you enough to think about for now but while you digest your meal there¡¯s one more thing we should address. What does it actually matter to you and why can it be useful in promoting your own growth? Two things, first, and I guess you¡¯ve figured out as much yourselves by now, there¡¯s no black or white when it comes to magic. Neither the art of a spell caster or a sorcerer, nor the type of cultivation you¡¯ve studied in that sect, not even the soul based sorcery the Emp¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter, what I¡¯m getting at is that none of those are inherently stronger or better than the others and they aren¡¯t mutually exclusive. You¡¯ve got to understand what you¡¯re learning and put it into perspective, that¡¯s the only way to reach true mastery. Pretty basic, once you think about it, but still the most prominent reason why most mages can¡¯t progress past a certain point. They¡¯d have to incorporate different approaches into their magic and most are too arrogant to even consider it. Case and point dragons. They¡¯re powerful beyond belief with their carbuncles readily transforming any kind of energy for them to use. But that usually means they don¡¯t bother with developing their intent, their will, and a truly powerful¡­ cultivator, for example, could simply seal them off which would leave them stranded without a way to refuel.¡± I paused and pulled two eggs from my stamp to fry them on a thin, broad stone. Lost in thought I cracked the shells and watched the milky white liquid harden while the smell of fresh snow wafted through the cave. Definitely an ice bird. If the talons hadn¡¯t given it away I would have been sure by now. While they devoured the skewers I continued: ¡°Secondly, if you manage to broaden your perspective and hone your skills in different areas you¡¯ll hardly ever be backed into a corner. The creature from before for example, your brother, he was brimming with power but it was only his own. I simply overwhelmed him by brute force but a skilled mage, for example, could have converted the force of the dying mountain into a spell that would probably have killed that beast on the spot without ever tapping into their own reserves.¡± ¡°Can you do all that,¡± Aglaia asked breathlessly. I understood her well enough. She had thought she already knew quite a bit about magic but in reality she had only taken the first steps into a world that would become more extraordinary and frightening the deeper she was going to dive. ¡°Probably but I don¡¯t really have to,¡± I replied. ¡°When it comes to strength I don¡¯t need to borrow or bargain. The forces within me¡­ I¡¯m not sure if they really are infinite but it surely feels that way. Which also means that I can use them as a counterweight. My will, my intent is bolstered beyond your imagination simply because there¡¯s already an earth shattering strength attached to it.¡± To prove my point I extended my hand and breathed: ¡°ignite.¡± The very next second, even though I hadn¡¯t used any power of my own, an orange flame, tainted with silver and blue appeared in midair, lazily dancing across my palm. I closed my fingers and extinguished the spark.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Indigorath swallowed and cleared his throat, which sounded pretty similar to grinding rocks, and asked: ¡°I¡­ I think I understand parts of it but I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ why would you ever need us to help you? Can¡¯t you¡­ snap your fingers and put an need to whatever trouble you¡¯re going to encounter in the future?¡± ¡°If only¡­ I¡¯m not alone. More of my kind are walking across Gaya right now, watching me constantly, and I can¡¯t challenge them directly. Not yet at least, not without endangering my home. Which means my hands are tied, for now. But yours¡­ aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do¡­ you honestly expect us to go up against one of your own kind,¡± the worm gasped. ¡°Not unless you¡¯ve got a death wish,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t care what you do. In a very perverted way we¡¯re¡­ again I¡¯m sorry if it sounds degrading, but we¡¯re playing an elaborate, disgusting game. And the two of you are¡­ one of my moves.¡± ¡°Pawns to be sacrificed,¡± the worm immediately asked. ¡°No. You don¡¯t know yet but once the whole debacle starts you¡¯re very welcome to dig into what I¡¯ve done¡­ what I¡¯m going to do. Trust me, I don¡¯t sacrifice my own people for the greater good. Never have, never will.¡± ¡°Your people,¡± the kitsune parroted, half hopeful, half afraid, her eyes travelling from her tails to mine. I only shrugged. ¡°What did you expect? I¡¯m a guardian by nature and a royal by birth which makes me a tad possessive from time to time.¡± I caught her gaze before I added: ¡°and you also remind me of my wife. That¡¯s not underhanded way of coercing you into subservience. I¡¯m just trying to explain why you don¡¯t need to worry about me hanging you out to dry, whatever the future may hold.¡± Her eyes were aglow with the myriad of conflicting thoughts racing through her mind, but when the fire hissed quietly on the verge of petering out and I turned away to ignite another part of the log she suddenly blurted out: ¡°Your wife? Who is she? Why do I remind you of her?¡± My dear, you¡¯re dating an oversized slug but that¡¯s what¡¯s caught your attention? I didn¡¯t say it out loud but a small smile I couldn¡¯t quite suppress. ¡°Two reasons. One, she sent me to protect you, or rather to slay that beast. Of course you¡¯re going to remind me of her with every breath you take and two¡­ she¡¯s of your tribe. Up close you don¡¯t quite look like her sibling but the similarities are very much there. You might have even seen her from afar. Right now she¡¯s still my maid. Platinum hair, white tails¡­ does it ring a bell?¡± ¡°You married your maid,¡± Indigorath interrupted incredulously. ¡°What about your parents? Did the king and queen really agree to¡­¡± ¡°Do you honestly think I asked for permission? But even if I had, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d have minded. She¡¯s also my kin. Not only a kitsune but an angel. The power of a court matters very little to us. Truth be told I imagine my father would even have asked me to seduce her, if he had known.¡± ¡°Had known,¡± Aglaia asked quietly but I only shook my head and didn¡¯t reply. That wasn¡¯t a story I was willing to share. Not now and not here at least. In the future, maybe. Unexpectedly I felt a faint tug on my wings, the power I had to channel towards the fissure to keep it open increasing by the second. My time here was running short. With a sigh I said: ¡°I have to leave soon. But before I do there are still two more things we need to discuss. One revolves around pressure and velocity and the other concerns your possible destinations in the future as well as how you might get there. Now listen up, I don¡¯t think I have the time to repeat myself. Let¡¯s start with travelling between different realms. If you¡¯re strong enough you can forcefully create a portal, pierce the veil and simply step through, but you aren¡¯t there yet. It doesn¡¯t matter too much, though. The realms are powered by Gaya herself which means thy need an anchor, a bridge that allows energy to travel from one sphere to the next. Mostly it¡¯s a stereotypical, ancient stone circle, a magical grove or the heart of a volcano, depending on the nature of the realm in question. Those¡­ bridges, if you find them you¡¯ll be able to cross over.¡± ¡°Do you know where they are,¡± the worm asked but I could only shake my head. ¡°No. I only know that several crossings to the fey realm are most likely going to appear on the Emerald Island in four years. But that¡¯s too late. You¡¯ve got to find the hidden paths. That¡¯s what I meant. The fey realm is the most important for now but I¡¯ve got a hunch that the others shouldn¡¯t be ignored either¡­ as for how you can go about it¡­ legends, myths¡­ strange phenomena are bound to occur close to a portal and you have four years to figure it out. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able to locate every crossing, but a few¡­,¡± my words trailed off as I shifted my tails again. A silky sound, almost like running water, reached me when Aglaia rose to her feet, the thick, white furs she wore rustling softly. When her tails vanished into their warming embrace she almost looked like a human, except for her white, fluffy ears. Unfortunately the worm was padded enough to make do without any garments and was as naked as the moment I had first laid my eyes on him. Goddamn creepy slug. ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± she began while she paced our cozy ice cave restlessly. ¡°You want us to travel the world, accumulate the magical knowledge of different¡­ you called them schools and keep an eye out for any strange rumours surrounding magical hotspots?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be a task for the ages,¡± I chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to chase after every far fetched story. The ones where people tend to vanish should be more than enough. Think about it, a passage can be crossed in either direction.¡± ¡°But those areas have probably already attracted more than enough attention,¡± Indigorath interjected. ¡°Do you expect us to break in if push comes to shove?¡± ¡°Or bargain for the right to snoop around. Which brings us to the weapons I¡¯ve mentioned before. I could get into why they actually work and try to explain what heat extension means but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out all by yourselves sooner or later. For now all that matters is that there are much more efficient ways to kill than a bow and arrow, even though the basic principle remains the same. Instead of pulling a string the necessary force can also come from something else. An explosion for example. Unfortunately it¡¯s not that easy to harness that force but a quite clever man, Samuel Colt if memory serves, came up with a pretty neat contraption that actually can.¡± I shook out my shoulders and allowed one of my wings to slither to the front, effectively burning delicate lines into the ice underneath my feet. ¡°The basic idea is actually quite simply. Use a reagent, anything, really, but black powder works the best as far as I know, and light it up in a confined space. It will expand rapidly and the resulting force can be used to propel a projectile. If you only have one opening in said confined space you can even predetermine the direction and, of course, depending on the size of the explosion, the force.¡± I roughly sketched the diagram of a cartridge in the snow. ¡°As you can see there¡¯s only one opening. Unfortunately without additional restrictions the force would dissipate much too quickly to generate enough power to hurt anyone who¡¯s more than let¡¯s say half a metre away. Also, reagents with enough latent power to create a notable output have a tendency to attract elemental manifestations which could make the whole thing blow up in your face. Literally. To circumvent these problems you¡¯ll first have to add a set of suppressive runes to each cartridge, effectively preventing it from self igniting. You¡¯ll need a frame, too, to influence the direction and the speed the bullet can reach. That¡¯s where the actual weapon comes in.¡± With a few rough strokes I created a blueprint in the snow. ¡°As you can see the projectile will be propelled along the barrel. I¡¯m not sure how much you know about archery but an arrow without fletching won¡¯t hit. The fletching makes the arrow spin which adds stability and penetration force. To achieve the same goal with a bullet the barrel has to be rifled, otherwise it won¡¯t fly in a straight line. Now, how to build one¡­¡± they were listening with rapt attention, their imagination running wild. Hardly surprising, really, since the potential I was hinting at was practically limitless. 387. Of farewells, returns and a bit of friendship Cassandra Pendragon The fire was slowly burning low, the log charred and crumpling. I got to my feet and fanned out my tails, listening to the whispers on the glacier above as the wind sang quietly amongst Gaya¡¯s broken bones. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± I stated. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a few minutes but you¡¯ll have to take the long way round. If there¡¯s anything you want to ask, speak up now,¡± or forever hold your peace I added silently. ¡°I¡­,¡± the kitsune began only to end in a helpless shrug. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to regret it in a day at most but I just can¡¯t think of anything to say,¡± she finally admitted. ¡°Except¡­,¡± curiously I leaned closer but when I felt her slender arms circle around my neck and her tails quiver shyly at my side my curiosity turned into a warm, fuzzy feeling I hadn¡¯t experienced for quite a while. I had done well, hadn¡¯t I? I breathed in deeply, savouring her scent for the first time without the tang of smoke or cooking meat. She smelled like a meadow in spring, not quite as rich as the stronger aromas summer would bring but filled to the brim with vigour and a promise of growth. ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± I whispered as her head came to rest against my chest and her hair tickled my chin. I released my breath and more than just air left me, a shower of silvery blue sparks dancing around her for the fraction of a second before they sank through her skin. She tensed and asked quietly: ¡°what did you just do?¡± ¡°I made sure you¡¯re going to be just fine. Whatever or whomever you may encounter. Keep an eye on the slug for me, will you? I don¡¯t know what you see in him but I have a considerable interest in his continued existence now.¡± ¡°And otherwise you wouldn¡¯t care,¡± she chuckled as she pushed me away only to hold me at arm¡¯s length for a moment longer, her eyes sparkling. I touched my nose and winked. ¡°Of course not. The dealings of mortals are far beneath me. Haven¡¯t you realised?¡± I unfurled my wings and gently slipped through her grasp like the memory of a shooting star. As the energies of the fissure already latched onto me my gaze traveled to Indigorath who stood close by, his expression unreadable. ¡°The same goes for you,¡± I added. ¡°She¡¯s the most precious treasure you¡¯re ever going to find. Treat her accordingly. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Streaks of silver and blue enveloped me as I allowed the forces of creation to finally realign and propel me towards the future but a last, passing remark still reached me across the winds of time: ¡°I know. Thank you, Cassandra. Thank you, my friend.¡± A warm, genuine smile tugged on the corners of my mouth while the world was swallowed by silvery mist. It was time to go home. A heartbeat later I felt exquisite velvet underneath me, soft, warm tails around me and the slow, steady breath of a kitsune I had just held in my arms against my skin. ¡°Welcome back,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally see you again. We¡¯ve missed you.¡± When I opened my eyes the scene hadn¡¯t changed much except for the smugly grinning slug, leaning against a wall, and the decidedly lack of distance between the three of us. They had been strangers a second ago, but now¡­ ¡°It¡¯s good to be back,¡± I chuckled and gently pushed against Aglaia¡¯s shoulders. I wasn¡¯t sure how the two of them behaved as a couple but I knew for certain that I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed seeing Ahri hug someone else on our bed. Whether I liked them or not. ¡°How¡¯s life been treating you?¡± ¡°Better than you,¡± Indigorath replied and slithered closer. ¡°We¡¯ve followed your exploits as well as we could¡­I¡¯m sorry. I can hardly imagine how difficult it must have been. Knowing what would happen without stepping in¡­ you¡¯re even stronger than I gave you credit for.¡± I shrugged morosely. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m just a coward. Afraid to lose what I have even if it means sacrificing¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. Second guessing has never helped. What¡¯s done is done¡­ or at least it should be. Why are you here, anyways? Aren¡¯t you afraid my family is going to run rampant on your ship?¡± ¡°The ship, as well as anything it contains, is yours,¡± he replied smoothly. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a downpayment, if it makes you feel any better. What you shared with us that night¡­ let¡¯s just say we haven¡¯t been idle and there¡¯s much we have to tell you. But before we get into any of it, it might indeed be better if you could reassure your people. They¡¯ve been antsy ever since you disappeared without any explosions following in your wake. In all honesty, they think you¡¯re a walking menace¡± I chuckled quietly and jumped to my feet, feeling better than I had in a while. It wasn¡¯t because I had gained an asset, though. I was simply glad that I had been able to protect something worth the trouble. Ahri¡¯s thoughts, fluttering through my mind caressingly, might also have played an important part in it. I hadn¡¯t been gone for more than two hours but I still had missed her. Damn it, I really needed that girl to a pathetic degree. ¡°So do I,¡± she whispered as I felt her presence settle in, her warmth slowly spreading through me. ¡°Welcome back.¡± I didn¡¯t reply but she knew what I felt and there really was no need for words. Instead I focused back on reality and said out loud: ¡°I guess that should be the moment for me to feel embarrassed but I really don¡¯t. I trust everyone I¡¯ve brought along explicitly. Why the secrecy?¡± Indigorath and Aglaia exchanged a troubled look but before I could ask the kitsune explained: ¡°Your brother. Arthur. We don¡¯t trust him.¡± I was already moving across the room, looking for something edible since I hadn¡¯t had the chance to try my arctic bird au feu, when I froze mid step, my tails rigid, a knot of worry tightening in my chest. Without turning around I breathed: ¡°why?¡± I could practically hear them exchange a meaningful glance before Indigorath picked up the thread: ¡°a few things. Ever since you saved us we¡¯ve kept an eye on Aglaia¡¯s tribe, Boseiju and Arthur¡¯s colony. There are¡­ a few things that don¡¯t add up. Separately they wouldn¡¯t matter but as a whole¡­ do you want to hear the entire story?¡± I nodded stiffly. ¡°Well then, it might be best to start at the beginning. How much do you know about what he¡¯s done ever since he left?¡± I turned around slowly, my mind surprisingly empty except for a growing thorn of fear I felt burrowing into my thoughts. Please, no¡­ ¡°Not much¡­ nothing to be honest,¡± I answered hesitantly. ¡°We thought so,¡± he continued. ¡°Then I¡¯ll simply tell you what we know. You can draw your own conclusions. When he set sail he took a decent number of soldiers, friends and nobles with him. Of course they didn¡¯t always see eye to eye but in the beginning the shared vision of a new home was more than enough to keep them united. Only into their second year did something change. I¡­,¡± he helplessly caught Aglaia¡¯s gaze and she willingly stepped in:Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Quite a few of his subjects were unsatisfied with Arthur¡¯s stance on who they were, what they were trying to build. In their minds their new home should rival Boseiju, becoming the central kingdom of the kitsune. Your brother¡­ as far as we know he didn¡¯t disagree with them in council but one by one the dissidents¡­ vanished.¡± I frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I growled. ¡°You¡¯re accusing my family of¡­,¡± before I could even hear the anger thrumming in my voice, feel my rising temper, the kitsune raised her hand placatingly. ¡°I know. But we already told you. It¡¯s not a single occurrence but rather several. Can you put the reins on your ire for a few more moments?¡± Another clipped nod was all I managed. She granted me a pinched smile and continued: ¡°good. I¡¯m sure you know as well as us that those incidents most likely weren¡¯t accidents. One? Fine. But when every single one of your opponents vanishes it¡¯s just a bit too much to chuck it up to chance, isn¡¯t it? But you¡¯re right. We weren¡¯t there and there could have been a million and one reasons why they suddenly¡­ disappeared. We thought the same thing, but¡­,¡± she paused again and eyed me coyly. I only gesticulated impatiently. My mood wouldn¡¯t improve through her theatrics. ¡°Indigorath bribed several of his soldiers. Not to hinder him in any way but we thought that it might be prudent to watch him more closely. At first there wasn¡¯t much to gain. We didn¡¯t expect to uncover buried bodies or anything of that sort in the first place but there truly was nothing to find. Not even a rumour about those disappearances. Which struck us as odd, to say the least. Especially when we later found out that those weren¡¯t the only ones who had vanished without a trace. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard but they share, or rather shared, their island with a bunch of humans. Somewhen into their third year a few cubs disappeared. Your brother ordered his mages, specialised in clairvoyance, to investigate. They allegedly found traces of a human thief in every dwelling where a child had gone missing and Arthur didn¡¯t hesitate to retaliate. He marched on the largest human settlement and demanded an explanation. He went in with only his most trusted guards at his side. When they returned they brought the defiled corpse of one of the cubs with them. A single one. That very night they burned the whole village to the ground and put every adult to the sword. The kids he took in as servants. Only until he could find a safe place to send them to, he claimed. A few months later they were actually put on a ship, but¡­¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± I breathed, ¡°the entire ship vanished without a trace.¡± ¡°Very much so,¡± Indigorath rumbled. ¡°Those bits and pieces already paint a pretty suspicious picture, but it isn¡¯t the end of it. There¡¯s one more thing. The kitsune I payed¡­ about a year and a half ago they stopped answering my calls. With everything that had already transpired we chose to pay your brother a visit and try to puzzle out what might have happened¡­,¡± his words trailed off and a visible shudder ran along his coils. Aglaia took over: ¡°I still have nightmares from that day. Even though they hadn¡¯t divulged anything important, rumours that anyone living there could have told us, he executed them as traitors. Their communication crystals had been found and they were killed¡­ the old way, without a chance to even explain what they had done.¡± The old way. I knew what that meant and I didn¡¯t like it. The Mask had suffered through parts of it, except he hadn¡¯t been thrown off a cliff after his ears and tails had been removed publicly. I swallowed dryly, my ears drooped and my tails fell to the ground, anger, fear and uncertainty slowly suffocating my thoughts until Ahri intervened: ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t go down that rabbit hole. Not yet, it¡¯s too early. You don¡¯t know enough.¡± ¡°I know enough to take it seriously. And to understand why they don¡¯t trust him. Oh gods, what if¡­ what if he really¡­ the cubs¡­¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll act. But you don¡¯t know and you shouldn¡¯t condemn your own flesh and blood without proof or hearing their side of the story.¡± ¡°You¡­ do you think I should simply ask him,¡± I stammered. ¡°Ask? No¡­ Cassy, you¡¯re an immortal. If you need something, whether it¡¯s the truth or something else, you won¡¯t ask. You¡¯ll demand. Get to the bottom of it fast, there¡¯s too much hanging in the balance. We can¡¯t let him take the children if only a part of what they¡¯ve insinuated holds true.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ do you think it does?¡± She sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure but I know that he¡¯s willing to sacrifice much more than you or I would in the name of duty. The problem is¡­ I can¡¯t entirely refute the possibility with a clear conscience.¡± ¡°Neither can I,¡± the voice of a growing, crystalline dragoness joined in. In response to our surprise she simply said: ¡°don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten that I¡¯m privy to your thoughts as well? Figures. Well, I am and I did listen. If you don¡¯t want to I¡¯m sure Sera and I can ask him in your stead as well. Very nicely, of course.¡± For a moment I pushed my rising temper aside and even managed to ignore the pang of annoyance as I realised that I truly had no privacy left. Not even to wallow in self pity. ¡°No. My blood, my problem¡­,¡± I began but was shut down immediately by the both of them. ¡°Our family,¡± they hissed in unison and for the fraction of a heartbeat I wasn¡¯t quite sure if I wanted to kiss or strangle them. Probably the former since I wasn¡¯t on the verge of panicking anymore. I still rolled my eyes to put up a token effort, the sensation travelling across our link like a message. They didn¡¯t even bother with a reply, though, while Aglaia and Indigorath were apparently still trying to puzzle out why my expression was changing rapidly. ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re so adamant, pray tell, what are we going to do?¡± ¡°Ahri¡¯s right,¡± Viyara replied immediately. ¡°Bravado aside, no matter what he¡¯s up to, no matter what he might be hiding up his sleeve, he can¡¯t lie to you when you look him in the eyes, can he?¡± ¡°No¡­ unless he doesn¡¯t know himself what he¡¯s done but I wouldn¡¯t go that far, just yet. Fine,¡± I said again and massaged my temples, winking at the wide eyed couple conspiratorially. ¡°Which means I need a few minutes alone with my kingly brother. Can you make that happen, Viyara, without drawing anyone¡¯s suspicion? We¡­ I owe it to him. In case he hasn¡¯t done anything wrong I don¡¯t want to be responsible for tarnishing his reputation.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be,¡± the dragoness reassured me. ¡°Can¡¯t I simply tell him that his sister wants a word in private? There¡¯s nothing strange about that, is there, especially with everyone knowing that you¡¯ve been snooping around for the last half hour¡­ which reminds me. You¡¯re not going to get around an explanation, later. Since when can you time travel? And can I tell Aurelia?¡± ¡°You can, but only her, Reia, my mom or Mordred. I don¡¯t want anyone else to know.¡± ¡°Not even Erya?¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°Maybe, one day. But right now she has a family of her own to take care of.¡± ¡°She¡¯s sworn to you, you pig headed, winged troublemaker,¡± the dragoness complained. I couldn¡¯t help but purse my lips. Where had the sweet dragoness gone, too shy to even manage a proper conversation with me without blushing? Sometimes I really missed her. ¡°That¡¯s precisely the point,¡± I retorted sharply. ¡°She¡¯s older than you, Viyara, and I bet she¡¯s living with as much regret as Ahri or me. Do you have any idea how tempted I was to¡­ stay? I think I would have been able to. As soon as I¡¯d have touched my past self we would have merged. I could have tried reliving the last four years, preventing every single death, rooting out Amon long before he would even have known what was going on. You can see my thoughts. You know how much it hurt. Do you want her to feel the same way, to suffer as I did? Because she would. Knowing there¡¯s a chance without being able to take it¡­ it¡¯s torture and it gets worse the more you regret.¡± Ahri already knew, the laws of creation were as apparent to her as they were to me, but Viyara needed a moment to digest my words before she asked: ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you try?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯d have made everything a million times worse. Think about it like a¡­ like scales. I have the power to tip them but I can¡¯t return the balance. That has to happen all by itself and it won¡¯t be me who¡¯d have to pay the price. Chances are I would have saved Boseiju only to watch the rest of the world die and burn around me, you, Erya, Layla¡­ Aurelia included. I¡¯m not willing to risk that happening. Are you?¡± She remained silent for an uncomfortably long time. 388. Of debts, privileges and a little omen Arthur Pendragon As I leaned against the railing, the salty breeze ruffling my hair, the sun warming my ears, I breathed in deeply, savouring the myriad of scents on the wind, listening to the creaking planks and singing sails behind me. I was nervous but, by the Great Fox, I didn¡¯t know why. Sure, Cassandra was intimidating, even more so than the absurdly huge dragon I could apparently call grandmother, but she was still my sister. My baby sister. She felt the same, she acted the same, but yet¡­ Maybe that was the problem. She had grown up but she hadn¡¯t changed. She was still¡­ gods, innocent was probably the right word, except it felt utterly wrong when applied to a creature made of eternity. And I¡­ I just wasn¡¯t. But I wouldn¡¯t complain. My people lived and prospered. That was my burden, my duty. I¡¯d pay any price to ensure their safety, their well being. And my family, they just didn¡¯t see it the same way. None of them. Even Mordred had changed. To them some things were sacrosanct, too precious to barter with, no matter the possible gains. Were they right? I wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. The distant cry of a seagull reached me and when it had faded away I knew she had arrived. I hadn¡¯t heard her approach. Her footfalls were more silent than those of an actual fox but I had felt her, the very moment she had come on deck. Like the rising moon her presence sent warm shivers down my spine with my tails tingling and my fur standing on edge. If I hadn¡¯t known any better I¡¯d have thought I was starting to fall for her but luckily she was simply powerful enough to make me tremble. Otherwise I probably would have taken the dive in front of me willingly. Goddamn, my life sucked. I should have become a gardener or a cook. I really should have. But there was no point in crying over spilled milk¡­ or shedded blood. With a forced smile I turned around and spread my arms, waiting to hug her but she utterly ignored my invitation, coming to a halt a few steps away, her silver eyes shining icily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± I immediately asked, frowning. That didn¡¯t look good and if the sparks, igniting in her eyes and along her tails, were any indication she was pissed. Tremendously so. ¡°A lot,¡± she stated distantly, ¡°and I want to know how much of it is your doing. You get one warning. One. Lie to me once and I¡¯ll take the decision about telling the truth away from you. Have I made myself clear?¡± I swallowed dryly. Her voice had changed, matching her looks for the first time. It had always been beautiful, ethereal, but now¡­ there was just a hint of barely contained fury and power thrumming in my ears, rivalling her divine, immortal appearance. If they were to break free, the world would change. It might sound overly dramatic, but I was certain it was the truth. For the first time I saw a reflection of a shadow of what she truly was. Apparently it was time to pay the piper. I swallowed again and nodded: ¡°Perfectly. Ask. If I can, I¡¯ll answer.¡± Her stern expression softened, but only a smidgen. ¡°Did you ever kill a single one of your subjects without a trial?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Children?¡± ¡°Once.¡± And there went what little progress I had made. Even her wings whispered into existence. ¡°Why?¡± Her inflection made one thing very clear: my answer should better be really good. Was it? I wasn¡¯t convinced anymore but I¡¯d know soon enough. ¡°To protect the flock the sickly need to be culled sometimes. Our tribe was cursed or poisoned back then. I don¡¯t know which. I didn¡¯t have a choice since I didn¡¯t want to watch every single one of us wither and perish over time. I tried, but there was no cure¡­ there was no way.¡± I answered quietly. It didn¡¯t take her long to process my words and she immediately asked: ¡°Did you take the opportunity to get rid of a bunch of humans, parading around the corpse of one of your own? A child whose blood is still on your hands?¡± How the hells could she have known? ¡°Yes,¡± I practically whispered. ¡°In for a copper, in for a gold. The boy was dead and the humans had already raped two of our women and killed a soldier. They had to go, one way or the other.¡± ¡°And your solution was to slaughter them all? Men and women alike?¡± ¡°Slaughter them¡­ no! By the Great Fox, what do you take me for? I exiled them. Them and their kids.¡± She cocked an eyebrow. ¡°You exiled¡­ all of them? You didn¡¯t just banish the kids and kill the parents?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m ruthless if I have to be but I¡¯m not a savage.¡± ¡°Then¡­ you also never invoked the ancient laws? Punishing some of your soldiers for treason without a trial?¡± ¡°Never. That¡¯d go against every fibre of my being. To be perfectly clear, when I acted without a trial I didn¡¯t seek justice, nor punishment, I sought safety for my people.¡± That was it. The rest was up to her. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think I¡¯d be able to do anything at all, if she decided to act. ¡°I know they didn¡¯t lie to me,¡± she mumbled as if to an invisible bystander, taking me entirely by surprise, ¡°and neither did he. Which means the soldiers they bribed¡­ had been bought before? Were an illusion, a trick? Damn it, I should have asked how the slug could bribe a kitsune from a distance. Something is rotten in the state Denmark.¡± She raised her gaze to meet mine. Her mouth was still set in a harsh line but her eyes had lost their threatening fire. So had her voice. ¡°One last question. You did invoke the ancient laws after a trial, didn¡¯t you?¡± I nodded solemnly. ¡°Three of my people were found with a foreign communication crystal on them. That wasn¡¯t the problem, though, only the reason to investigate properly. They had been marked with a soul sigil¡­ willingly and long before we had ever left Boseiju. What could I have done? We didn¡¯t even know whom they were shackled to.¡± She shook her head, as if in denial, but then her ears perked up and she tilted her head like she was listening to a voice I couldn¡¯t hear. After a few moments she finally sighed tiredly: ¡°I¡¯m not enamoured with your choices and I want to hear the whole story as soon as possible but for now¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I underestimated your character and I shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯ve always trusted my family but, despite my words, I haven¡¯t given you the benefit of the doubt. For that I¡¯m sorry. Maybe it¡¯s time to tell you what has brought about this tribunal. In case you even want to know. I¡¯d understand if you felt like¡­ pouting,¡± she added as a wry smile finally broke through her harsh expression and her wings vanished. I chuckled exhaustedly.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve deserved it. For what I¡¯ve done, as well as for¡­ putting spiders in your closet when you were three. So¡­ no pouting.¡± ¡°That was you,¡± she exclaimed, her eyes going wide in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought¡­ oh, brother mine, we¡¯re far from even. Did you know that I found small ones in my clothes for weeks?¡± Her voice sounded a bit strange, a bit taunt, but I gladly took the invitation for what it was. ¡°No, no I didn¡¯t. A pity, really. Were they also crawling through your undergarments?¡± She puffed up her cheeks and playfully stepped closer, fists raised. ¡°Indeed they were,¡± she growled. Her hand landed on my shoulder gently when she added in a low whisper: ¡°you have a problem and you need to get your house in order. Immediately.¡± Taken aback I stammered: ¡°what do you mean?¡± Her ebony tresses dancing, she shook her head, the single, silver streak amongst them glistening in the sun. ¡°Not here. Come with me. I¡­ we have to get to the bottom of this mess. Now.¡± ¡°What about the others,¡± I breathed into her ear. When she shook her head I felt it rub against my cheek like the fleeting touch of spider silk. ¡°Only our family. Viyara can keep an eye on the rest. She¡¯ll listen in anyways.¡± ¡°What is it with you and that dragoness, anyways,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask as I stepped back, the planks creaking underneath my sturdy boots. She shrugged nonchalantly and turned around, leading the way back across the ship. As we passed through the massive doors the guards saluted us, or rather her, as it they had just seen their mistress. ¡°We love each other but not in the same way,¡± she explained as we made our way through the surprisingly empty, meandering maze below deck. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she knows my boundaries¡­ and Ahri¡¯s. You know I saved her life, right? She¡¯s a young dragoness. Is it really that much of a surprise that she chose to cling to the strongest being she¡¯s ever met?¡± ¡°And what if she meets someone even stronger?¡± Her laughter wasn¡¯t forced, it was genuine and full of mirth. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d love to see that. Pray tell, whom do you have in mind?¡± It was my turn to shrug. ¡°No one in particular, but there¡¯s always a bigger fish in the sea.¡± ¡°Very true,¡± she chuckled, ¡°but I am no fish. One of these days, or rather hours, we really have to sit down for the talk about the birds and the bees, or should I say angels and demons? Arthur¡­ none of you are ever going to meet anyone stronger than me. You literally can¡¯t, at least not when I¡¯m going to reach my full potential. Usually I¡¯d warn you about my other family now, but by now I¡¯m quite convinced that even amongst them there¡¯s only one who could truly challenge me. But I¡¯ve faced his magic before and I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I?¡± The heat of the furnace was getting stronger and a faint, acrid smell was tickling my nose, the smoke invisible but heavy. ¡°Cassy¡­ I have to ask, are you really¡­ unrivalled?¡± ¡°Unrivalled? Gods, no. Somehow every hedge wizard with a smidgen of strength seems to be determined to ruin my days around here, but I truly am capable of beating the whole bunch. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll always find a way to succeed, though. Potential and power aren¡¯t the same¡­ I¡¯m not like you. Believe it or not, I once was but I¡¯ve changed. It¡¯s actually pretty easy to bring me to my knees. You just shouldn¡¯t focus on me to do so.¡± Her tails trembled anxiously, sending a wave of dancing sparks across the walls, and I could practically smell her reluctance to go on but in the end she chose to trust me. ¡°Put a knife to Reia¡¯s throat and I¡¯d become as meek as milk.¡± ¡°Not Ahri¡¯s?¡± Her laughter this time reminded me of refined steel. ¡°Oh, you could certainly try, but that¡¯d have to a be a pretty special knife. When it comes to magic she¡¯s weaker than me but I still wouldn¡¯t want to face her in a fight. She¡¯s¡­ just better. Potential and actual strength, like I said there¡¯s a difference. Also, she¡¯s still an angel. Aside from our kin there¡¯s nothing and no one that could pose a threat to her and even amongst them she¡¯s always been one of the strongest, even though she doesn¡¯t know herself.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to mind my questions so I dared to pose another one: ¡°Then how come you know?¡± I instantly knew that I had hit a nerve. Her expression darkened and the fire in her eyes nearly petered out, turning them into a deep, fathomless abyss. I was already wondering if I had gone too far when she halted mid step and said: ¡°because I¡¯m the only one who can judge. I am the only one who¡¯s ever killed an immortal by my lonesome and that¡¯s the last I¡¯m going to say on the matter. Don¡¯t ask about my past. Some things should better stay buried if not forgotten.¡± Thoughtlessly I grabbed her arm but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°That bad, huh,¡± I mumbled before I let go. ¡°Sorry, I won¡¯t mention it again. Let¡¯s talk about the future, then. You know we¡¯ve barely scratched the surface back on deck, don¡¯t you?¡± She nodded haltingly, and motioned for me to go on. ¡°What if you dislike the rest of my story even more?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll find a way to deal with it,¡± I was pretty sure she actually meant to say ¡°with you¡±. ¡°Arthur¡­ do you think you¡¯re a bad person?¡± I had known this would be coming somewhere down the line and I had my answer ready. I had asked myself the very same question over and over again, night after night. ¡°Yes. But I think I¡¯m a darn good leader.¡± A pinched smile tugged on the corners of her mouth as she resumed her strut and I had to hurry to keep up with her. ¡°So do I, except I don¡¯t think you¡¯re rotten. Good people sometimes have to do bad things to prevent even worse. And they suffer for it, always. And you, brother mine, you¡¯re suffering. Wether anyone can see it or not, whether you can see it or not. Which is the reason why I apologised before. I, of all people, should sympathise.¡± She turned her magnificent head away, her delicate fingers brushing over her eyes. Had she shed a tear? ¡°You¡¯ve watched children die¡­ I¡¯ve devastated towns, countries¡­ worlds. In the name of rage and righteousness.¡± Her voice was stable but she still looked away firmly, avoiding my gaze. ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t have a baby sister who can threaten me to do better.¡± I felt my face split into a warm smile and when I hugged her from behind I surprised us both. ¡°You do, Cassandra, you do now. As well as a mother, two brothers and a wife half the world would kill for.¡± Unexpectedly I felt her lean back into me. ¡°Only half,¡± she chuckled hoarsely. ¡°I don¡¯t think you give her enough credit.¡± ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t. But I¡¯m married. What did you expect? The truth? Don¡¯t be naive.¡± I paused for a moment and my smile turned wry. ¡°She¡¯s listening, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Always.¡± She extracted herself from my embrace and waved at a couple of soldiers positioned a few steps further away. It was the first thing I saw that hinted even remotely at the stalwart guards and hermetic protection we had encountered when we had first arrived. Where had the humans gone? With a grunt the pair opened a heavy, oaken door for us and my sister slipped through nimbly, her tails vanishing around the corner. With a growing sense of confusion I followed after her, now actively searching for any trace of our host¡¯s people. I found myself in another long, windowless corridor illumined by flame less braziers, two more soldiers standing in silent vigil further away. The groans of the furnace were much louder in my ears down here, but with a little effort I pushed them aside. Movement, the rhythmic impact of heavy boots on hardened wood, the scurrying of bare feet, clumsy under the additional weight they were lugging around and the almost inaudible curses when something heavy hit the floor reverberated through the thick, carved walls. Wherever the Purple Worm¡¯s entourage had gone, they were very busy and most likely cursing their luck. I took another deep breath, trying to ignore the harsh, scraping feeling in the back of my throat, while I trotted after my sister. The smells were laced with the taste of burning wood and scorching hot metal but there was also something¡­ acidic. I couldn¡¯t quite place it as first but it was the very same choking smell that had greeted me when I had first arrived in Free Land. Black Powder. Probably pounds and barrels filled with the stuff. Enough to blow up the ship with us on board. I frowned and payed even closer attention to my surroundings, my ears twitching agitatedly. Soon we were going to reach the end of the corridor, the pair of guards stationed midway not even casting us a sidelong glance. Why were the very few we had met acting like we owned the place? ¡°Cassy¡­ your questions from before, all of this,¡± I gestured vaguely, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± She slowed down and came to a halt. We had arrived in front of a reinforced, massive door and with another sigh Cassandra pushed down the well oiled handle. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a second.¡± 389. Of misdeeds, sacrifices and a little mistake Cassandra Pendragon Retrospectively it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise that I had come to detest social gatherings. Even when it was just my family, and a very strange inter species couple, it felt more like a trial or the end of the world than anything else. Well, at least none of them had slobber running down their chins when they looked at me or were too cowed to even meet my eye. The little things¡­ Unbeknownst to Arthur I had immediately pulled an image of the soul sigil he had mentioned from his mind, courtesy of Ahri who had lent a bit of delicacy to my rather suffocating touch. Between the two of us we were almost able to wield our magic properly, at least when we had enough time. As to what we had found: there were good news and bad news. The good news: it wasn¡¯t a stylised crown which meant Amon hadn¡¯t yet sunk his hooks into Arthur¡¯s tribe. The bad news: it wasn¡¯t a stylised crown and I didn¡¯t have the foggiest whom it might belong to. One thing was for certain, though. Whoever it was had a frighteningly deep understanding of soul magic and was apparently interested in our family. Not that we had been battered by fate more than enough. We were back in Aglaia¡¯s private quarters, the spacious room nearly overcrowded by a magical menagerie the likes of which had seldomly been seen. Four kitsune, Mordred, Arthur, Reia and Aglaia, in case you were wondering, a shape shifting dragoness, a Purple Worm, an angel and whatever the hell my mom had turned into could probably have given anyone trying to spy on us a heart attack but with tempers slowly rising it became an actual problem, the air gradually filling with sparks and swaths of power that could ignite at a moment¡¯s notice. And of course it fell to me to keep them all from blowing a fuse. See the irony there? I surely did. Due to the lacking seating arrangements, at least when it came to actually dead furniture, and my family¡¯s resolute refusal to turn it into a pyjama party and recline on the opulent bed, we were standing around in loose groups, the realisation that something had gone terribly wrong slowly setting in. Only Reia didn¡¯t seem bothered as she leaned into me, distractedly wrapping her tails around my leg. As for the others¡­ Aglaia and Indigorath had known what was coming and were contently standing on the side, deflecting questions with noncommittal shrugs. Arthur and Mordred were antsy, especially Arthur, but it didn¡¯t matter that much. He was purely kitsune, after all, but my mom and Sera were another matter. They were bright enough to figure out that something was going on and not knowing what they had to deal with drove them up the walls. ¡°Enough,¡± I whispered, dispersing the nimbus of power gathering around them effortlessly as I pushed myself away from the wall I had been leaning against, Reia in tow. Silence ensued but it wasn¡¯t heavy or suffocating, but rather¡­ expectant, as every single pair of eyes landed on me. ¡°Guessing won¡¯t help,¡± I continued, ¡°and I¡¯m the only one who knows the whole story, so listen up. For you it¡¯s been mere minutes since last we spoke but for me it has been hours and for them,¡± I gesticulated towards the worm and Aglaia, ¡°years. About a quarter of an hour ago in this very room I took a little detours¡­ four years into the past to be exact.¡± And there went the expectancy, replaced by utter astonishment. With a wry smile I went on: ¡°which should explain most of what has happened since we¡¯ve arrived.¡± I jerked my head towards our hosts before I added: ¡°to be perfectly clear I saved their lives and I trust them to not have forgotten that little service. If the events of today are any indication they haven¡¯t. The more interesting aspect is something else, though: for four years we¡¯ve had friends acting on our behalf without ever knowing and they weren¡¯t idle. They kept an eye on us and what they found is disturbing at best and downright dangerous at worst. Indigorath, would you tell them what you¡¯ve told me?¡± With the air of a seasoned speaker the worm slithered towards the centre of the room, a supposedly benign smile tugging on the corners of his mouth, even though his anatomy turned it into an intimidating grimace. I still appreciated the effort, though. ¡°We¡¯ve watched Boseiju thrive and fall but you¡¯ve all lived through the horrors his end has evoked and I won¡¯t dare to speak of matters I understand very little of. But we¡¯ve also kept an eye on the Lord Pendragon¡¯s endeavours and what we¡¯ve seen¡­ doesn¡¯t match his own recollections. Here¡¯s what¡¯s happened, at least from our point of few¡­¡± Over the next few minutes he precisely recounted what had allegedly transpired around Arthur¡¯s enclave and even went as far as explaining what I had asked them to do all those years ago. The atmosphere changed again, from astonishment to worry and downright anger. Arthur immediately understood what had bothered me, the differences between Indigorath¡¯s account and his own answers glaringly obvious once you knew where to look. He didn¡¯t interrupt him, though, but instead decided to quietly move to my side which incidentally allowed him to escape from our mom¡¯s and Sera¡¯s vigilant gaze. The former was standing stock still close to the door while the latter was the only one who hadn¡¯t taken offence at the macabre furniture and was lazily lounging on a midnight blue furred polar bear turned sofa. When she felt my stares she winked at me coquettishly, indicating that she was more than satisfied to stay out of it and watch me suffer¡­ I mean handle it. Another ironic twist, considering I had been forced to disperse her cresting magic, which could have blown a decently sized hole into the sky if allowed to manifest. Of everyone present, aside from Reia, only Mordred appeared unperturbed, his expression an astonishing accurate, facial translation of: I¡¯ve seen bigger and I¡¯ve dealt with worse, while he stared. Wasn¡¯t that the truth. ¡°You¡¯re not going to provide the necessary context, are you,¡± Ahri chided me while Arthur reached us and deliberately intertwined his tails with Reia¡¯s around my legs. ¡°You mean that Amazeroth has either provided yet another pawn to block our path, or, even worse, has lost control and this is something new? No. I¡¯m not going to. What would be point? And shouldn¡¯t you be running after the new elven prince? Didn¡¯t you mention something about half an hour?¡± She didn¡¯t even bother with a reply, her presence settling deeper into my mind. ¡°Thanks,¡± I added. ¡°I think I need you now.¡± ¡°How sweet,¡± Viyara commented dryly, ¡°you¡¯re making my teeth ache and they¡¯re about as large as Estrella. Before you get entirely lost, what am I supposed to tell the ones you unceremoniously dumped on me? Rachmahn and Nightshade are curious and the overpowered bird is staring daggers at me. Only Richard seems relaxed, at least for now, but they¡¯re not going to sit still for much longer. That your new friends have decided to post a handful of guards outside the door isn¡¯t particularly helpful, either.¡± ¡°The truth,¡± I immediately replied. ¡°We¡¯re not in danger but for now this is family business.¡± I felt her urge to argue but when she realised I had included her without a second thought she only harrumphed, barely able to keep herself from grinning like a maniac. Which probably solicited the suspicion of her audience even more.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she mumbled embarrassedly when she realised that Ahri and I had been watching her meandering thoughts, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure how long I can hold them here. One of them is a god, Cassy. I can¡¯t make¡­¡± ¡°You can,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t try it but your breath, even you magic, contain enough of my spark to deep fry him on the spot. I¡¯d rather we wouldn¡¯t have to resort to threats, though. Use your charm. Somehow you managed to wrap a half transcendent vampire around your finger, who was already old when the idea of the Broken Wheel hadn¡¯t even been born, yet.¡± ¡°I fear it was the other way around,¡± she admitted. ¡°I haven¡¯t got a clue what to do¡­¡± ¡°For Christ¡¯s sake,¡± Ahri cursed. ¡°Start a conversation, keep them interested, stoke their curiosity, flirt if you have to. Just take their minds off of us for a few minutes, half an hour tops.¡± ¡°If I divulge anything I shouldn¡¯t have, it¡¯ll be on you¡± came the muted reply, the dragoness¡¯ attention already shifting. Sometimes I truly forgot how young she was. She might have matured twice as fast as a human, but she simply hadn¡¯t had the chance to experience much of the world yet, and the little bits and pieces she had seen had been adamant on turning her into minced meat. Great power, great responsibility and even greater problems and all of that. ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling,¡± Arthur¡¯s deep voice rumbled through me and brought me back to reality. ¡°And why would you think I¡¯d tell you if I chose too keep even mom in the dark,¡± I shot back irritably, watching the flickering reflections of the frozen butterflies dance across his voluminous, silver tails. Combined with Reia¡¯s raven black fur it almost looked like I was wearing an extravagant skirt, glowing in the warm, multicoloured light. ¡°Nothing, just thought I¡¯d give you the chance to, if you wanted to take it.¡± He wasn¡¯t even surprised at my scathing inflection and empathised his words with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Maybe later,¡± I said much more softly, ¡°but now you have to tell your side of the story. Indigorath is nearly done. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve figured out the crux, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hard to ignore when you almost have it spelled out for you. Same actions, different intentions. The question is: who¡¯s been duped, me or them. Since you asked me to get my house in order I assume you think it¡¯s been me?¡± I listened to the Purple Worm¡¯s alien, hissing voice and the distant breath of the ship, interrupted by the occasional crash when one of the crew mishandled the heavy canons they were pulling from storage. A few guard towers with the ability to shoot down most sky ships were going to make me feel much better about running off. I sighed deeply before I slipped out of the fluffy embrace and turned to face my brother: ¡°I don¡¯t know. Chances are it¡¯s been both.¡± Indigorath¡¯s hissing came to an end and I quickly added under my breath: ¡°please, don¡¯t leave anything out and don¡¯t try to gloss over what¡¯s been done. Lastly, if you can remember, tell us as much about the soldiers you had killed as possible. Especially when it comes to the sigil or mark they were branded with. We need to know.¡± He nodded and squeezed my shoulders reassuringly. With a few, silent steps he reached the centre of the room, his sonorous voice and formidable presence immediately commanding attention. My mom and Mordred were frowning, their eyes fixed onto Arthur without blinking, a hint of confusion smouldering in their depths. Sera¡­ as far as I could tell she was listening raptly but her stony expression didn¡¯t betray her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s up to me to explain what¡¯s actually happened,¡± my brother began, ¡°but I¡¯m going to start at the end so you, mother, can stop looking at me as if I had set the house on fire. Your spies¡­ they weren¡¯t yours to begin with and they weren¡¯t executed for the communication crystals they carried. They were traitors, undeniably, their very souls sworn to¡­ well, if I knew to whom I¡¯d have them in a cage by now. They were branded, marked, and I assume you all know what that means. No, it wasn¡¯t the crown, otherwise I¡¯d have told you the very moment I landed, besides, it¡¯s been years¡­¡± he paused, his eyes following the outline of the magnificent bird above the bed. ¡°That¡¯s the execution you witnessed. A kindness, in all fairness. The marks had activated when wehad caught them and their souls had long been consumed when we dragged them to the gallows. As for the rest... they have misled you the same way they misled us. I never killed those humans and there definitely wasn¡¯t a ship full of children that suddenly disappeared. It is true, though, that I plotted to have our neighbours exiled. For that I used the body of a child, which is the only crime I¡­ we¡¯ve committed. Our community was struck by¡­ I believed it to be a disease but chances are it was a curse, unleashed by the very traitors we were going to execute a few months later. It began with the cubs.¡± A clod, steely light ignited in his eyes. ¡°One of my soldiers didn¡¯t show up to muster and when I sent someone after him I found out that his clutch, two cubs, had fallen gravely ill. At first I didn¡¯t think much of it but around noon the same day he showed up again, deathly pale and sweating. He had come to plea, his children on the brink of death. He hadn¡¯t even realised that he didn¡¯t fare much better.¡± He clasped his hands behind his back and puffed out his chest in an inadvertent effort to distract us form his quivering tails. He was still hurting and living through the past once again had reopened an old wound. ¡°The following days were¡­ trying. We lost four families in the first week alone and one by one all our youngsters succumbed¡­ at least the ones who had been born in the the same year.¡± He lowered his head and eyed me cautiously from underneath his bangs. ¡°They were your age, Cassy. They would have turned seven this year.¡± Forcing down the visible lump in his throat he hurried through his next words: ¡°It was always the same. During the night the cubs would develop a fever. The next day they were lethargic and would pass out around sundown, never to wake again. And everyone of their bloodline contract the same disease as soon as they came into contact with the younglings. For the adults, it was worse. They didn¡¯t pass out and with their magic they usually lasted for about ten days. They shouldn¡¯t have. It was torture, for them, as well as for us and the sickness, the curse, once it had taken root in a grown kitsune, could infect anyone, not only those with close blood ties.¡± With a sigh he steeled himself and added: ¡°I had a choice to make. A difficult, disgusting choice. To save the body I cut off the cancerous limbs. After a month without any sign of an antidote or a functioning healing spell I decided to separate the remaining kids of the same age from their families and I¡­ I kept them in isolation until it was over. I told their families that I had them killed, otherwise they¡¯d never have allowed them to die alone¡­ even though they weren¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to abandon them entirely. Sylvia and I stayed with them throughout the night, every night, until they finally slept in silence. We weren¡¯t of their line and there was little risk to us. During the first night I vowed to make the best I possibly could out of their deaths and when the last one died in my arms I was dead set on claiming the whole island for ourselves, ensuring the safety and prosperity of my people. You know what happened, except¡­ we didn¡¯t slaughter our neighbours, even though some had earned it thoroughly. We gave them two of ours ships and sent them away with enough gold and wares to start a new life, far far away.¡± A low murmur interrupted him, but he raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯m nearly done. There¡¯s one more thing to address. The nobles, my subjects, who vanished during our first year¡­ they were killed. Not by me and not on my orders and I made sure that it would never happen again but there¡¯s a very mundane explanation for their deaths. Greed. It was one of my friends but he¡¯s been dealt with. Still¡­ they were murdered on my watch, to further my goals, and their deaths are on me. Lastly, there¡¯s one thing I have to make very clear.¡± He took a deep breath and looked directly at me. Oh boy, here it comes. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking hard whether to explain myself or not. I¡¯m not under anyone¡¯s jurisdiction, not even yours, sister, and my pain, my failures are mine and mine alone to deal with. I¡¯m not here to discuss the past with you. This is about the future. We¡¯re being besieged and apparently have been for longer than we thought. That¡¯s what we have to focus on and why I revealed the truth.¡± 390. Of lessons, stubbornness and a little gamble Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Move out of the way,¡± I ordered quietly, my anger surging through me like liquid fire. ¡°Cassy,¡± Viyara cautioned hesitantly when she felt my thundering emotions. To her it must have seemed like the gates of hell had suddenly opened on a warm summer day but I was done. Done with his attitude, done with the whole mine and yours idiocy, done with people who couldn¡¯t even comprehend my age thinking they had it all figured out. None of us did and we never would. ¡°Shut up,¡± I erupted, ¡°or, by the Great Fox, I¡¯m going to beat you black and blue as soon as I¡¯m done here.¡± Ahri¡­ she only watched with anticipation. The room became a flurry of movement, even the frozen animals had been forced to comply with my command. Lethargically they stumbled out of the way without ever waking up while my family and our hosts practically jumped to the side. The glowing butterflies were pressed against the ceiling like a sea of living stars, turning the floor below them into a brightly illuminated stage. I raised my hand and pointed at Arthur, silvery blue flames dripping from my fingers like blood. They hissed menacingly before they petered out without ever touching the wooden ground. The smell of ozone rose as my wings manifested, flooding the room with the crackling of eternity. ¡°Draw your sword, brother mine, and attack me with all you¡¯ve got. I¡¯ve got a lesson to teach.¡± I saw his confusion, I heard his surprise, I tasted his growing fear, but he couldn¡¯t resist. With a fluid motion his blade glided out of its golden tabard, silver runes along the ridge burst into flames and with a suppressed yell the uncrowned king of the kitsune channeled his power into a devastating strike. He crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye, his tails a shimmering wave in his wake, a spell on his lips and the tip of his sword pointed at my heart. My family¡¯s dammed up irritation erupted in the lingering silence as I silently recanted my command on them. My mom¡¯s silvery power immediately started to gather between Arthur and me, trying to keep us apart, but with a lazy wave of my tails I dispersed the spell, incidentally nullifying my brother¡¯s magic and whatever Sera had been trying to accomplish behind my back. This had to happen. He still thought I was his baby sister, despite the fright I had given him on deck, and I¡¯d have to literally punch the truth into him. Just like an older sibling establishing their dominance, I¡¯d wring his scrawny neck until he was going to get the message. As long as he was going to call me family his failures, his pain were mine, were ours as well, and if I had to break his bones to make him understand, so help me god, I would. My eyes flashed silver as I danced past him, faster than a thought, my fist connecting cruelly with his stomach. A low groan echoed behind me as I came to a halt, for all intent and purposes invisible. I had moved much too fast for anyone to see but the consequences were obvious. Dark blood dripped from Arthur¡¯s mouth, his sword clattered to the floor, and if it hadn¡¯t been for my power keeping him upright, he would already have collapsed into a quivering bundle of tails on the ground. ¡°Again,¡± I whispered, the thrumming anger in my voice becoming louder while my wings slithered through the air ominously, their power immediately drowning out the rising smell of blood with another surge of ozone and eternity. I wasn¡¯t losing it, but the pit of fiery wrath burning in my stomach needed to be quenched. I had swallowed my temper often enough but time was running out and I was done. He really should have heeded my first warning. Grunting he pressed his left hand against his stomach and a warm glow ignited between his fingers. A heartbeat later his posture eased but he didn¡¯t even take the time to wipe away the blood, instead he bent and gripped his sword with both hands to charge at me again like a lion. The fleeting tap, tap, tap of his graceful steps in the lingering silence ended in a sickening crunch when I sunk my knee into his stomach, targeting the exact same spot. This time he fell flat on his face, despite my order, his tails covering him like a shroud. While he laid there senseless I echoed sarcastically: ¡°not under my jurisdiction? Arthur¡­ you fucking imbecile. Get up. Again.¡± Blinking blearily he fought to get to his knees but as soon as his head left the ground I stepped closer and drove my heel down, directly in between his shoulder blades. When he crumbled and gasped for air I continued: ¡°it¡¯s time to grow up. Cast aside your juvenile convictions of what power is and what it should be or I¡¯ll be forced to show you, to teach you the truth. You always hold sway over the things you love and you, brother mine, aren¡¯t the king who¡¯ll tell me what I can and cannot love. Again.¡± Pale like a sheet he rolled onto his back, his eyes glazed over. Our audience was stunned into silence, their mouths open, their fingers curled into fists at their sides. When the fallen prince couldn¡¯t comply fast enough I grabbed him by the neck and heaved him into the air until our noses were no more than a finger¡¯s width apart, my wings reflected in his dilated pupils. ¡°Just like you I bow to no one and you better remember that there are forces between heaven and earth that could turn your paltry strength into a rope to strangle you with if it wasn¡¯t for one simple fact. I. Won¡¯t. Ever. Allow. It.¡± With a flick of my wrist I tossed him onto the bed, the heavy, oaken beams creaking under the impact. ¡°Look at me,¡± I rasped, my voice becoming colder, deeper. As if an irresistible force had taken hold of them everyone present turned, their eyes wide open. My silhouette flickered, the outline of a serpentine fox wreathed in silvery blue flames whispered into existence for the fraction of a second only to collapse into a broken, scintillating crown upon my brow. My spear appeared in my hand, my tails fanned out and divine flames consumed my shabby garments until I stood before them, clothed in magic and light like power incarnate. ¡°We will survive, we will get through this, but, by the gods, I¡¯m tired of having to fight the people I love. This will end today. Again.¡± Like a puppet on its strings he jerked into motion, his will on the brink of collapse as my sheer presence surged against his very being. He pushed himself up and I struck immediately, gliding onto the bed to reach him. He folded around my fist like a piece of paper and I leaned down, holding his entire weight, until the fur on his ears tickled my nose. ¡°You tried to challenge me every chance you had. This¡­ this is mercy. If I were to stoop down low enough to play with your precious power, you¡¯d soon find yourself in the same position you are in now. Except¡­ it¡¯d be public.¡± I whirled around nimbly and allowed him to crash onto the ripped and stained velvet. A few quick steps carried me back to the centre of the room. ¡°Again,¡± I thundered without turning around. I felt him struggle, I smelled his pain but¡­ he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to faint again and¡­ he didn¡¯t hate me for what I was doing. Broken and hurting he stubbornly pushed himself to the edge of the bed, his feet touching the smooth floor. ¡°Immolare,¡± he croaked chokingly and a suffocating blanket of ravenous flames roared to life around me. Like a vengeful spectre I rose a handspan into the air as the fires he had invoked ran and churned like water only to vanish into my crown.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I slammed the bottom of my spear into the floor, the resulting thunderclap travelling across the room in visible waves. They parted around our audience harmlessly but when they reached my brother they trembled and turned, crashing into him from all sides with the force of a dying mountain. He would have vanished, turned into blood mist and ground up bones, but I wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Shatter,¡± I thought and the cacophonous assault faded away, barely grazing him. He was still thrown back, rattled, disoriented and bleeding. With a thought I was at his side, catching him before he could hit the wall. ¡°Influence, privilege¡­ fear,¡± I whispered, my breath turning visible through swaths of suppressed power. ¡°If you insist on thinking along those lines I¡¯ll play your accursed game. You simply won¡¯t understand until you¡¯ve felt it, won¡¯t you? You are not my elder. Heavy is the crown, Arthur, but I can wear it just as well as you. Maybe even better because I don¡¯t desire it. I fear it.¡± I vanished into a shower of sparks and he crumpled, his legs unable to carry his weight. ¡°Again,¡± I purred as I manifested. ¡°Come at me again and again, until you¡¯ve learned your lesson.¡± Stubbornly he crawled, leaving bloody smears on the polished planks. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± I continued, his gruesome plight made visible by my second sight even though I had my back turned. But then I paused. Anger brought clarity and clarity engendered understanding. ¡°You still think you can win, you still think you¡¯re the only one capable of suffering, of sacrificing for our people. You think you¡¯re the only one capable of cruelty. Oh, brother mine, let me show you how wrong you are.¡± For the first time my wings surged towards him like enraged snakes, the very fabric of creation torn asunder in their wake. ¡°I¡­ I chose to let our father die. I deemed it necessary for our home to burn and our people to suffer. I sullied my hands with the blood of our race today and I¡¯m going to share it with you. You want to see the depths of depravity I¡¯m capable of? You want to ensure that I¡¯m strong enough to embrace the darkness without becoming its prey? Then let me show you, let me take you along on a journey written in blood and pain.¡± Silvery blue lightning flashed, eternity poured into reality for the tiniest fraction of a second and my wings latched onto his head like the tentacles of a squid. Before anyone could react it was already over, my brother¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of his head and a tired sigh escaped him as his consciousness fled. I felt a tug on my wings as I propelled him into my arms, the transcendent light show around me slowly abating until I stood there, stark naked, breathing heavily. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯d rather have spared you the drama,¡± I mumbled as I sashayed over to the bed and gently placed him on the destroyed covers, caressingly brushing a strand of singed hair from his forehead. ¡°I hope you know why this had to happen,¡± I whispered. ¡°You have to understand that you¡¯re not the only one capable of carrying the burdens of a throne.¡± Louder I added: ¡°He¡¯ll be fine in a few hours and I¡­ I am tired.¡± Sighing I straightened but I didn¡¯t turn around to face the, presumably, accusing stares. ¡°If you want to chastise me, do it now. I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll sit through it quietly in half an hour.¡± Goddamn, asleep he looked so¡­ innocent, as if the kid I had once known had finally emerged from behind its mask of duty and self sacrifice. Ironic, really, since his namesake had managed to keep his innocence alive, precisely because he had been denied his birthright until his later years, whereas my brother had grasped it with both hands, his righteous nature almost devoured by the compromises his position as a leader had asked of him. He hadn¡¯t been ready. Just like me¡­ he had been too arrogant. But maybe, just maybe, he had come to understand that he truly wasn¡¯t alone. That I could do ugly just as well as him. We all could and I had forced him to witness each and every single death, every broken dream ever since my birthday. No wonder he had been knocked out cold. The first to reach me was Reia. She didn¡¯t even speak, she simply renewed her hold on me, her tails snaking around my body to provided the barest illusion of decency. ¡°About time,¡± she finally whispered, ¡°but please, promise me this wasn¡¯t some tardy form of revenge for what he¡¯s done to¡­ you know, me, when first we met.¡± I chucked morosely. ¡°Can¡¯t. That surely played a role. But I think I understand now why he¡¯s done it. In his own, very stupid, very perverted way, he meant to protect you. To keep you away from¡­ this. He already knew, Reia, he knew who you are. And, despite his antics, he¡¯s a decent man, no matter how hard he tries to hide it. Who knows, given a bit of time I might even come to learn how to love him.¡± A dark, distant presence pushed into my awareness, like grey silk pressing against my skin, as Mordred¡¯s warm arm came to rest around my shoulders. ¡°You found it in you to love me,¡± he rumbled quietly. ¡°Getting used to our valiant brother should be a piece of cake. Especially now. What did you do to him?¡± ¡°Broke his ego. He thought¡­ he was convinced he was the strongest, the only one who could see, who could face the pain leadership brings. Ever since we met, all his actions¡­ he wasn¡¯t trying to sideline us. He was trying to stand in front of us. But we can¡¯t have that. There¡¯s too much happening and in the end¡­ he¡¯ll have to take a step back. You all will.¡± ¡°Not going to happen,¡± my mom harrumphed as she firmly pushed in between Mordred and me. ¡°I might not be able to beat it into you like you just did, but I have the patience of a three times mother. Cassandra, just as much as he needed to understand that we aren¡¯t as mallow, as naive as he expected us to be, you need to realise that Ahri isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯s brave enough to stand by your side. Don¡¯t worry, though, if there¡¯s a transcendent fireball coming I¡¯ll still duck.¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯d hit one of us, of course,¡± Mordred chuckled merrily. I cocked an eyebrow but before I could ask he explained: ¡°today went rather splendidly, did it not? Well, aside from the strange soul sigil and what it might entail, but that¡¯s only fine print. What¡¯s one more enigmatic enemy, eh?¡± ¡°He¡¯s really grown a pair,¡± Ahri commented dryly. ¡°And don¡¯t think we¡¯re not going to talk about what you just did. Frankly, I don¡¯t mind, but your mom is right. This wasn¡¯t only a lesson for him. It was one for you as well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know,¡± I hissed. ¡°Otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have hurt so much.¡± She hummed contently but chose to remain quiet. ¡°What now,¡± Mordred asked and curiously picked up one of Arthur¡¯s arms only to gleefully let it drop back down again. ¡°We can¡¯t very well make decisions for the future without him awake.¡± ¡°Like hell we can¡¯t,¡± I groused, my anger stirring again, but it was faint, muted¡­ burned up. With a gentle shrug I extracted myself from them and closed my eyes in concentration. The outline of my stamp shimmered silver before a dark wisp of smoke slowly rose from my outstretched arm. A second later it coalesced into the ghostly shape of a towering spider a translucent, almost invisible strand of mist still connecting her and me. ¡°That puts my questions on hold,¡± Sera breathed reverently from somewhere behind us. ¡°Mother Magic, that¡¯s a fully fletched Arachne¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± a distant, alien voice replied. ¡°I am the Arachne, the oldest one to ever have lived.¡± A strange clicking noise scraped across my eardrums when Shassa manifested entirely right in front of me. Her body was still a construct of will and power but she was very much here, connected to her prison by the barest thread. ¡°And a wee bit surprised,¡± she added, her voice returning to the low, hissing cadence I had already become used to. ¡°What in the nine hells am I doing here?¡± Like a wave her eight eyes turned and fixated on me. ¡°Cassandra¡­ what have you done?¡± This time my brother couldn¡¯t suppress his laughter, the genuine, bell like, ringing sound as adequate as¡­ well, laughter during a funeral. More or less. ¡°Gorgeous. First Arthur gets his ears clipped and now my sister gets scolded by the ruthless, soul stealing, mass murdering spider. I really needed that.¡± Still chuckling he forced a modicum of seriousness into his voice as he added: ¡°I do wonder, though. Why is she here?¡± ¡°To repay the debt she acquired when I let her out of her box,¡± I pressed out through clenched teeth. ¡°She might not be able to thwart Amon directly but I¡¯m willing to bet she can help us now.¡± 391. Of sigils, sacrifices and a little bit of laughter Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Soul Sigils. Talk¡± I had to give it to the spider, despite the gawking Purple Worm, despite the overwhelmed, ancient vixen, whose slender limbs transmuted into scaled bulwarks of draconic strength intermittently, she focused on me immediately and replied without a second¡¯s hesitation. Didn¡¯t mean I liked her answers. ¡°Pretty hard to get right.¡± She tilted her head as if listening to the distant scraping where the crew was still moving the canons around with the sweat on their brows. Unfortunately she didn¡¯t have ears. She ¡°heard¡± with her feet. Which probably meant one of her eyes had caught something of interest. ¡°Catastrophic to get wrong for the caster as well as the receiver. Is that a Purple Worm?¡± An acidic stench hit me as bubbles of a foaming, yellow-green liquid formed in the corners of her maw. ¡°I thought they had gone extinct. Never tasted one. Can I have him?¡± Seriously, had they all gotten up today with the mission of pulling my strings? Something must have given away my mood, maybe the aggressive hum of aeons torn asunder behind me, since she immediately continued: ¡°Or not.¡± With a wink that ran across her eyes like a wave she added in Indigorath¡¯s direction: ¡°no offence, escargot. Had to try.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± he replied lazily, his earlier apprehension all but gone. ¡°I know how scrumptious I am. I¡¯ll retain the right to bring it up again at an opportune moment of my choosing, though.¡± ¡°Fine by me,¡± the spider clicked, her pincers grinding. And then she jerked, her eight legs lifting off the floor for the fraction of a second as silvery sparks vanished into her claws with the sickening smell of burned ozone. She contorted her body in an almost artistic fashion, her eyes quivering. Hissing she whirled around, her legs scraping ominously across the planks, while Aglaia buried her face in Indigorath¡¯s side to hide her blossoming smile. ¡°No need to become rude,¡± Shassa complained while two of her legs were busy caressing the thread of magic that still connected her to the gem in my stamp. ¡°I¡¯d never try to drain one of you acquaintances.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I scoffed, ¡°that honour is reserved for me alone.¡± She moved her head in a very alien imitation of a shrug. ¡°Fine. I lied. If it weren¡¯t for you and that hardly disguised dragoness over there I¡¯d fill my belly to my heart¡¯s content. Satisfied?¡± Like a bloodhound picking up a scent she gradually turned to face Sera. ¡°Who are you, anyways? One of Viyara¡¯s ilk? Do excuse my seeming lack of manners but you can¡¯t expect an isolated prisoner of darkness to keep up with the most recent gossip.¡± To my surprise my grandmother caught my eye and only answered after I had inclined my head slightly. ¡°No, I¡¯m Cassandra¡¯s grandmother. Sera. And you must be Shassa. I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you from my descendants. If you want, we can take a few hours to discuss it in detail.¡± Her last words were accompanied by an ominous, golden glow deep in her throat. ¡°I think I¡¯d rather not. Dragon fire is supposedly very bad for the skin and you do seem a bit on edge.¡± She decidedly turned away and looked at Aglaia but the vixen couldn¡¯t hold her interest. Instead the spider chose to settled down, the wooden tiles creaking under her weight. ¡°Right. Soul Sigils.¡± Half of her eyes focused back on me. ¡°Am I right to assume that this little release is the carrot? I¡¯m not even going to bother asking what the stick might be. Let¡¯s see¡­ they create a one sided connection between two souls. That¡¯s why they¡¯re bloody dangerous for everyone involved. Even the caster won¡¯t escape a mistake unscathed since his own soul is touched by the magic. If done properly they establish a shackle, a direct connection that allows commands, emotions, even information to enter the subjugated soul freely without any interference or delay. They can also be activated to consume the host, delivering its energy to the caster. Considering the power a single soul holds even a handful of thralls can turn a sorcerer into a fully fletched calamity.¡± She paused before she quietly added: ¡°in theory I think they could even be used on immortals, provided you have the strength to challenge an eternal will. But that¡¯s something I should ask you. Has one of your kind ever tried binding another?¡± I frowned, seriously considering her question. I came up blank but Ahri didn¡¯t. I merely relayed her words, my extinguished anger surging again with every word I uttered: ¡°Once, at least. When I died my brother forced another¡­ angel,¡± I got stuck on the word for a moment since he hadn¡¯t been an angel to begin with but rather a transmuted demon, ¡°to burn his core to curse the knights of hell. They are¡­ were the enforces of the demon race.¡± Ozone and the crackling of infinity rolled off me in palpable waves and it took a while to reign my temper back in. At least no member of my family seemed to mind but the spider and my newest friends were quietly trying to put as much distance between us as they possible could, mouths and maws agape. A fruitless endeavour, considering I had redecorated the cluttered room and, aside from the bed where my brother was snoring obliviously, there really was no space to move out of the way. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I pressed out through clenched teeth, which retrospectively might not have been the best idea. My voice was still carrying the thrum of rage and it made Shassa, Aglaia and Indigorath flinch as if they had been whipped. With a Herculean effort I took a deep, calming breath and added deceptively calmly: ¡°bad memories. Don¡¯t mind it. Why did you ask?¡± ¡°Your tattoo,¡± the spider replied hesitantly, her eyes following the erratic movements of my wings. ¡°It¡¯s something very similar, I think. I can¡¯t say for sure, though.¡± I could, though, and she was right, most likely, in a very roundabout way. After all, when I had crafted the connection I hadn¡¯t started from scratch. Chances were I had based my work on something I had seen before. Without the subjugation component, of course. ¡°Are you sure,¡± Ahri asked with an alluring smile in her voice. ¡°When we¡¯re finally together again I wouldn¡¯t mind a little role play.¡± She was mainly trying to get my mind off the past and I felt immensely grateful, especially because that particular line of imagery held a certain appeal. ¡°Emphasis on play,¡± I chuckled internally. ¡°My life would be a whole lot easier if I could simply order you around.¡± ¡°So would mine be,¡± she pouted. ¡°Right now, for instance, my fianc¨¦e is parading around butt naked in front of people I haven¡¯t even met, yet. For future reference, I¡¯d rather you wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t even staring¡­¡± ¡°They are¡­ when you¡¯re not looking. Even your own shameless mother. Only Reia has some decency. The worm and vixen as well as your granny can be excused, they haven¡¯t gotten used to you, yet, but the rest¡­ You really shouldn¡¯t trust in your mundane sight anymore. Or wear something more durable. If memory serves one of our brothers had the ability to weave light. Now that would be fitting. Hm¡­ I think I know how. But without access to our transcendent powers we¡¯d need some ingredients.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re trying to distract me and you start rambling about¡­ clothes and how I¡¯m stared at by my own flesh and blood? Have you met me?¡± ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it,¡± she laughed. ¡°And most of it was true. I¡¯ll leave it up to your imagination to figure out what wasn¡¯t.¡± I really didn¡¯t need to puzzle, I could feel it. As jealous as she could be from time to time she was more than just a little proud to be the only creature in existence who could do more than ogle me. The more often someone exceptionally beautiful had their jaws drop to the ground when I walked by the happier she was, even though she¡¯d never admit it. Which meant she didn¡¯t mind my occasional exhibitionism too much. From time to time. ¡°As if you were any better,¡± she harrumphed. ¡°You meant it when you said to Arthur that most of the world would kill you for your wife and you enjoyed every second of it. Hypocrite.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t judge, darling. I¡­ attested. You¡¯re completely right, the thought that the love of my life is more beautiful than any goddess makes me giddy, lets me swoon¡­ turns me on, but it¡¯s just luck. I¡¯d love you all the same if you were born a regular kitsune.¡± ¡°But a kitsune it would have to be,¡± she joked¡­ more or less. I¡¯m sorry, but I had been raised amongst the fox tribe. My definition of pretty was ever so slightly skewed. ¡°A fey might also do,¡± I answered, feigning seriousness. ¡°Or a dragoness¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t keep it up, my reignited anger, stirred by the rising shadows of the past, long forgotten. Truthfully I added: ¡°it¡¯s idle speculation. You know as well as I that you¡¯d have found me, even if I had been stuck as a exceptionally hairy dwarf for centuries. And it wouldn¡¯t have mattered.¡± ¡°You had to go there, didn¡¯t you,¡± she sighed. ¡°Now I have to come up with something genuine or I¡¯ll feel shallow. Thanks, Cassy, much appreciated. I still love you, though, even if our tattoos don¡¯t put you on a leash and you drive me up the walls some times. There. I fear that¡¯s all the romance you¡¯re going to get until I can feel your embrace again. And you¡¯re making me wait, aren¡¯t you? Again. If you mean to use the spider, you¡¯ll have to stay close by.¡± Luckily she was wrong, otherwise I¡¯d have been in trouble. I shook my head, which earned me confused stares from Indigorath and Aglaia and annoyed ones from the rest, and said: ¡°The gem has to stay close by.¡± ¡°And who do you think could control¡­ oh, I see. She already respects or even fears Sera. She¡¯s said as much. But¡­ what do you expect the spider to do?¡± ¡°Read the sigil. You heard her. A complex construct like the one she described¡­ it has to have some form of personalised structure. Even if it¡¯s simply to designate the owner. As knowledgable as she is when it comes to the dark arts she should be able to narrow it down. If Arthur¡¯s spies had still been alive I¡¯m pretty sure I could have seen all I needed to know with a single glance. With them dead¡­ reconstructing and strengthening memories is possible but far beyond my grasp. If a nine tailed fox dragon and an ancient Spider can¡¯t figure it out, who can? If they can recreate the Sigil, the spider will be able to tell us what we¡¯re dealing with and how to continue.¡± ¡°I never thought I¡¯d say that,¡± she mumbled darkly, ¡°but I¡¯m really missing Mephisto and it hasn¡¯t even been half a month. He¡¯d have made so many things so much easier.¡± ¡°True, but we¡¯ve done alright, haven¡¯t we. And it¡¯s getting better.¡± ¡°I could have done without being tossed into an iron maiden that sucked the very life out of me, but I guess, and again I can hardly believe than I¡¯m saying this, it could have been worse. Much worse. Alright, the longer we talk the longer I¡¯ll have to wait. Hurry up. I¡¯ll have to move in a few minutes. I¡¯ll still keep an eye on you but I¡¯ll have to focus on the real world for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to stay out of trouble. And Ahri? Thanks. I do love you. To the moon and back.¡± Silky warmth, like her tails embracing me, surged through our connection as I felt her gently settle down in the depth of my mind. Oh boy, that space was staring to become crowded. Sometime soon I¡¯d really have to make sure not too many locked up monsters were waiting down there rattling their chains. For her sake and Viyara¡¯s. Probably more for the dragoness¡¯. The angel would be fine and I wouldn¡¯t mind losing a few old burdens. Unlike wine they didn¡¯t age well. I hadn¡¯t really gone cross eyed but unless we bolstered our minds with a considerable amount of energy our conversations weren¡¯t really instantaneous. Even thoughts needed time to form. And this time we hadn¡¯t which meant I had lost focus, even my wings had disappeared when Ahri had managed to calm me down. To Mordred¡¯s undying amusement. Behind our mom¡¯s back he mimicked a gesture that almost seemed like the cracking of a whip but that couldn¡¯t have been true. Could it? Considering he immediately feigned innocence, quite badly I might add, when our mother turned towards him, following my sharpening gaze, it definitely could have. Goddamn it! If he was going to keep it up he¡¯d soon pay Arthur a visit in dreamland. Or maybe I¡¯d just toss him overboard and be done with that tailed nuisance for good. ¡°I¡¯m fine and sorry,¡± I stated instead. ¡°When you¡¯re as old as me there tend to be a few memories best left buried to rot. It might not have looked that way but I¡¯m not in danger of losing control. Not anymore.¡± It only took me the fraction of a second to realise how utterly unhelpful that last sentence had been so I quickly added: ¡°haven¡¯t been for days. Still, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± I was mainly addressing Aglaia and Indigorath but I could as well have saved myself the trouble. The vixen pulled away from the slug, her gaze cheekily roaming across my body only to settle on my eyes. For a long moment she stared at me, the blood rushing to my cheeks under her uninhibited appreciation. ¡°You didn¡¯t. You scared me when you held back a mountain so we could live. Now, though, you might have hurt me.¡± ¡°May the severed souls have mercy,¡± Shassa hissed exasperatedly. ¡°Does every female humanoid think with her ovaries these days?¡± Before anyone could complain, though, especially yours truly, she surprised me: ¡°you seem pretty normal,¡± she added towards the Purple Worm, ¡°maybe you could get me up to speed without hearts dripping from your eyes every time you see a piece of exposed flesh.¡± The ensuing moment of deafening silence was broken by a faint, rumbling crash a floor above us and a veritable flood of muted curses. Sera literally jumped in fright, her head elongating into a scaled snout midair, her slender fingers twisting into talons. When she crashed back down the planks creaked ominously as a searing hot gust blew back my hair. ¡°Sorry,¡± she rumbled embarrassedly and jerked her head in my direction. ¡°What she said. I¡¯m a bit twitchy.¡± And suddenly my sister began to laugh, clear as a chime, her sparkling eyes darting from one to the other. It took me a moment to realise why but when I did, I couldn¡¯t help but join in. With a few steps I reached the bed and decisively tore away a generous part of the expensive velvet Arthur was snoring on. While I wrapped it around my body I looked up, the half frozen but entirely absurd scene still eliciting a merry chuckle¡­ even without my naked, winged and tailed ass dancing around at the centre. For a bystander it must have seemed like a bad, fantastical imitation of a poorly scripted sit com. Soon my mom succumbed as well, mirth rippling through the room like waves in a pond. Only the spider and the Purple Worm seemed slightly lost. They exchanged a confused glance which bordered on befuddlement when my whole family suddenly began to form a tight group, laughter and chatter carrying away the awkward, lingering tension. Somehow Aglaia was swept along as well, maybe because she was another vixen, maybe because she had been in the way, but she ended up in the thick of it, the language of our people an entirely foreign melody to her. Her ears twitched cutely while she was torn between watching me explain to Sera and my mom that I meant to extract Arthur¡¯s memories and have Shassa and Sera turn them into something real, something tangible, or Mordred pick up Reia and twirl her around, thanking her enthusiastically for helping him achieve a long time goal. Seeing his brother beaten black and blue that was. According to him I wouldn¡¯t have handled Arthur that roughly if I hadn¡¯t still been seething because of how he had treated her. Not that Aglaia understood a single word. She had never lived on Boseiju which meant we probably sounded like a bunch of chirping lunatics to her. 392. Of intimacy, prices and a little bit of modesty Cassandra Pendragon The flickers of familiarity instantly transformed the calm after the storm into something much more homely. Even my brother¡¯s snores fitted right in when we moved the¡­ I still had trouble calling those creatures furniture but for the sake of my sanity let¡¯s stick with it, back into place. We were mainly chatting amongst ourselves with Reia using Aglaia as a shield against Mordred¡¯s exuberant advances, while Indigorath and Shassa were trying to keep out of the way, whispering in hushed tones. Who¡¯d have thought, from a tasteful snack to a budding friend in the matter of minutes. Maybe the spider was more human¡­ more humane than I had given her credit for. A few minutes, filled with laughter, insubstantial gossip and the scraping of frozen claws and paws across hardened wood, later the cabin almost looked like it had before I had given my best rendition of a whirlwind and swept through the cluttered room. Except for the bed. Crumbled, bloody and ripped the dark velvet simply didn¡¯t hold the same appeal anymore and the snoring, bruised fox on top also seemed slightly out of place. Plus it smelled musty. The bed and the fox. ¡°Sorry for that,¡± I mumbled in the Common Tongue while I hovered clumsily around a golden deer turned chair, uncomfortable with sitting down but even more hesitant to remain the only one standing. The rest of my family apparently had no qualms with the bizarre arrangements anymore, already lounging away on furs, still attached to their original owners. Even Reia didn¡¯t mind. On the contrary, with the first shock overcome I could practically hear her biting back the words: ¡°can I have one,¡± while she ogled the bucking unicorn. We had had those back on Boseiju and I had to admit, it made me feel nostalgic. Maybe we could get one of the foals. Thawed, of course. ¡°No worries,¡± Aglaia replied as she looked up from an almost scientific discussion about black powder and guns my mom had pulled her into. ¡°But you didn¡¯t have to rip the bedding apart. I do have some garments you could wear, you know. We¡¯re not that different in size. Or you could have just skipped the dressing bit entirely. I¡¯m sure none of us would have minded.¡± ¡°I¡¯d have,¡± Reia whispered, quietly enough for only me to hear, ¡°but unfortunately I seem to be the only one. What is it about you and incinerating clothes anyways? Is that some weird fetish?¡± ¡°How would you even know what a fetish is,¡± I asked from the corner of my mouth, frowning. She blushed, which, considering the events of the last half hour, was hilarious in and of itself. ¡°I¡­,¡± she stammered but I had already smelled the rat. ¡°You¡¯ve been talking to Liz and her friends, haven¡¯t you? Gods, what has she taught you?¡± ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t smelled on Ahri and you often enough,¡± she pouted. ¡°You¡¯re fine with me seeing gutted or soulless corpses but you don¡¯t think I should know how cubs are made? Are you serious?¡± I couldn¡¯t quite come up with an appropriate response so I only shrugged and focused back on Aglaia. Which the miniaturised devil of course took as a concession, grinning cheekily. Soon she¡¯d pick up Mephisto¡¯s favourite game of keeping score. Woe to me, somehow I didn¡¯t expect to come out on top. ¡°Thanks for the offer¡­ and the flowers,¡± I told our host. For the fraction of a second I was tempted to tease the mouthy vixen, her bravado probably about as hollow as an empty bottle, but I managed to resist. ¡°I actually do have a few spare sets with me but I didn¡¯t feel like getting dressed properly in front of you¡­ again. This¡¯ll do until I can have a few moments of privacy.¡± I gesticulated for everyone to listen. Surprisingly they all did and the chatter died away. ¡°Now, luckily Indigorath and you should be up to speed so I¡¯ll skip the tedious explanations. We have a few things to do. First and foremost I want you, Sera, and you, Shassa, to dig the memory of the Soul Sigil he¡¯s encountered out of my brother¡¯s mind while he¡¯s still unconscious. Once you have it in a memory crystal, strengthen it until we figure out where it¡¯s come from. Can you do that?¡± The spider and veiled dragoness exchanged a glance filled with curiosity and weariness, the prospect intriguing and unwelcome at the same time, before my grandmother replied: ¡°Most likely, but not in a handful of hours. It might take a few days. Strengthening an ethereal thing like a memory is tricky. Apply too much force and it crumbles.¡± ¡°I expected as much,¡± I mused. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s been over a year. A few days won¡¯t change a thing. But none of our tribe sets sail until we have this figured out. Arthur probably won¡¯t wake up anytime soon. I¡¯ll tell Sylvia before I leave. If she wants to tear someone¡¯s ears off, she can as well have mine. You can try involving Quenda, the silver dragoness. According to her she¡¯s a genius. Might as well put it to the test.¡± I massaged the bridge of my nose, ordering my thoughts, before I continued: ¡°Mordred, it¡¯ll fall to you to tell Richard that we¡¯ll need a few watch towers. The canons to arm it we already have. I know I haven¡¯t explained what they are but you can ask our friends here. The two of you, do you plan on running away again immediately?¡± I asked Indigorath. ¡°We don¡¯t have any pressing matters to attend to,¡± the Purple Worm replied after he had shared a glance with his vixen, ¡°but my kin is living close by. Usually I spend as little time as possible in their proximity. The one you killed is still the only one I¡¯ve taken down. Luckily, after your appearance, they haven¡¯t bothered me much, preferring to wage war among themselves.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ would you like to stay a while? I¡¯m sure your experience and knowledge would be invaluable. The father and son couple I brought along, they¡¯re pretty accomplished traders and from what I¡¯ve seen they might even be able to surprise you. Which means you could get everything you need and your safety¡­ well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find a more protected place, especially if we have a few towers armed with canons. Think about it. If you want to stay, talk to Mordred. He¡¯ll introduce you to the humans who¡¯ve accompanied us. Even if you won¡¯t, I¡¯d like to ask you to wait a few days. At least until I¡¯ve returned. It shouldn¡¯t take me more than a week.¡± ¡°We meant to spend a few days anyways,¡± Aglaia replied. ¡°But where are you running off to?¡± ¡°The north, to the Emerald Island. It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds. I won¡¯t have to fly there and back again but, in case you haven¡¯t heard, there¡¯s a war brewing between¡­¡± ¡°The fey and the elves,¡± Aglaia completed my sentence. ¡°We¡¯ve got a few friends up north, I¡¯m sure you remember. When are you leaving?¡± ¡°I actuality wanted to be gone already but then you appeared and my plans went down the drain. Damn it, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a whole throng waiting for me down there already.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in luck,¡± Viyara interrupted grumpily. ¡°Aurelia left to play the messenger. Incidentally, would you mind returning to me or else inviting us over? The crow is starting to become unbearable. The family drama is snoring on the bed, isn¡¯t it?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°It¡¯s a raven,¡± I corrected her almost instinctually. Nobody likes being called a crow. Or a magpie for that matter. ¡°Sure, go ahead. Nobody is going to stop you. You¡¯ll find the way, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d find you in the depth of hell¡­ for good or ill. Why don¡¯t we meet up on deck, though? Your little cove will hardly fit four more.¡± Her concentration wavered, a faint pang of annoyance, tinged with an echo of the Broken Wheel¡¯s questions, dripping through our connection. The feathered god was bombarding her relentlessly, trying to figure out what had happened. With a sigh I replied: ¡°We¡¯re pretty much done here, anyways. The sooner we land the quicker we can get the canons from board. And I¡¯m running out of communication crystals. Would you mind asking Greta to prepare another one? I¡¯ll fuel it once I¡¯m back. I really want to give one to Aglaia. Especially if they intend to leave again, soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not urgent, they¡¯re going to stay until we can establish a gateway. You can hand them their panic button afterwards. On that note¡­ I¡¯ve felt your unease when you first saw what they¡¯re using for furniture. What happened? Did you suddenly start appreciating the subtle beauty?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most dragonic thing you¡¯ve said in a while. Still¡­ it was more Ahri¡¯s disgust than mine and I¡¯m a bit more relaxed now,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°I can hardly touch those things but it¡¯s not my place to judge. Honestly, killing them wouldn¡¯t be much better. Just¡­ I understand why they¡¯ve taken pregnant specimen but it¡¯s still barbaric. So are some breeding facilities. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to try to burn them to the ground. The animals in here at least don¡¯t realise that they¡¯ve been captured and¡­ sealed. Was that what you wanted to hear?¡± ¡°I was simply curious. I¡¯ve got some distaste for similar practices because of my father¡¯s repository but I must admit it¡¯s magnificent in its own way. You couldn¡¯t create that kind of beauty artificially. And they don¡¯t suffer, never have. But I guess when you¡¯re ultimately striving for freedom it would seem barbaric. Which makes me wonder why you¡¯re brushing it off, now.¡± Goodness gracious, maybe because I had been a little busy? That wasn¡¯t it, though. ¡°The kind of freedom I long for has much to do with the ability to choose,¡± I answered haltingly. ¡°Can an animal choose freely? It¡¯s a philosophical question but I don¡¯t think so since they aren¡¯t aware that they might die, that their actions define who they are. They simply exist. Does it really matter? To be blunt, I¡¯m also not going to pick a fight over a bunch of colourful chickens and strangely shaped pigs. Even if they do sparkle. Can we talk about animal cruelty some other time?¡± ¡°We could, but if you don¡¯t feel bothered¡­ would you mind if I got one?¡± I shouldn¡¯t have gotten out of the tree today, I really shouldn¡¯t have. My ears twitched in annoyance. At least I didn¡¯t have to mince my words, Viyara would know anyways. ¡°Honestly, you could. But truth be told, I¡¯d think less of you. Simple as that. Indigorath needs them to survive. You don¡¯t. You can have a pet, though, if you really want one.¡± ¡°A simple no would have sufficed. You do tend to forget that I¡¯m half dragon and I¡¯m still learning. Besides, the people I trust the most are you and an ancient vampire. You can¡¯t fault me for having trouble grasping the whole right and wrong thing.¡± I would have loved to deny it, but¡­ ¡°Wise ass,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Can I get back to my conversation now? Thank you.¡± ¡°Almost,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing you need to get to quickly, especially if you¡¯re going to detain Arthur. His colony. Considering they have been infiltrated by a marked spy before, they might already be in dire straits. With their king and most of their soldiers gone it¡¯d be the perfect time to¡­ your guess is as good as mine. You have to make sure they don¡¯t need help.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I thought warmly, maybe a bit proudly, my qualms with her behaviour all but forgotten. ¡°I mean it. Thanks for watching out for my¡­ our people. You¡¯ve already accepted them, haven¡¯t you?¡± I was more impressed by her behaviour than her worries. I mean, what were the odds? ¡°I¡¯m trying... they are mine by name, aren¡¯t they? Or at least will be. No need to thank me. Get back to your oh so important conversation and don¡¯t leave me alone with the raven for much longer. Or he might just end up as a broiler. I¡¯ll try to find out if Aurelia and Greta would be able to surveil your brother¡¯s home from a distance. If they aren¡¯t, you can ask Sera or the spider. Maybe even your mom.¡± Her focus drifted away and I¡­ I felt a comforting surge of warmth whenever I thought about how she had changed. Even though I admittedly missed her shyness. A few weeks ago she would have been entirely entranced by my own antics, by my magic and looks, and wouldn¡¯t even have spared a single thought for a settlement of kitsune she had never met. While I had been distracted Mordred had taken over, smoothly stepping in when I had suddenly drifted off. ¡°¡­ don¡¯t know the first thing about Purple Worms or canons but if you have my sister impressed, who am I to judge? Sounds reasonable to me. We¡¯ll pay for the materials and you can keep a third of the finished product¡­ ouch. What?¡± I had glided closer and stomped on his foot. ¡°Let the people who know a diamond from a quartz worry about the details. Or at least involve mom. I assume this is about producing guns and black powder in Free Land? You haven¡¯t got the foggiest what they need and even though I do, I don¡¯t know how expensive it¡¯s going to be. Don¡¯t make a fool of yourself.¡± ¡°You let the spider out of her cage,¡± he mumbled petulantly, ¡°and it was her idea.¡± True enough, Shassa and Indigorath were still standing side by side while Sera had been drawn into my mom¡¯s conversation with Aglaia. ¡°Really now? Pray tell, what¡¯s in it for you,¡± I asked and cocked an eyebrow. When she shrugged her eight legs twisted in unison, a slightly creepy albeit graceful gesture. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Harvesting the latent energy of the elements without magic is an intriguing idea. Plus, if you make the smaller versions available in Free Land the idiots down there are going to kill each other in droves. Combined with the magic you unleashed, a chunk of the city might turn into a surprising amount of harvestable energy. It¡¯d go to waste otherwise so I might as well use it to improve my home.¡± Holy¡­ There was so much wrong with her sentence that I momentarily didn¡¯t know how to react. Send her back? Break a couple of legs? Ignore her and focus on the actual message: I don¡¯t want a body, I¡¯m content to stay in my crystal, my home? My tails twitched mechanically and my befuddlement ultimately cumulated in a pretty familiar outburst: ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Which part has gotten you confused,¡± the spider inquired curiously and titled her massive head. ¡°That I think humans are stupid, that I¡¯d like to use the resources nobody else will or that I¡¯m actually not very keen on returning to the world? I honestly can¡¯t tell. Every part should be pretty self explanatory. Maybe not the latter. Ask Indigorath. He understands.¡± How¡­ friends? Soulmates? Did Aglaia have to worry? I had never expect a slug to be a¡­ monstrous ladies man. A full belly laugh that didn¡¯t quite fit the row of saw like teeth it escaped from made me jump. ¡°Oh, your face, you should have seen it,¡± the Purple Worm chuckled. ¡°Is it that hard to understand? We¡¯re both at odds with our nature. I need to consume more than I want to take to survive and so does she. Admittedly, my qualms are based loosely on my morals and Shassa simply doesn¡¯t like to be controlled, not even by her own hunger, but the result remains the same. I wouldn¡¯t willingly vacate a cozy gem either, without making sure my new vessel was¡­ more suited to who I am.¡± ¡°Are you trying to become a vegetarian,¡± I stammered, my brain still hung up on his explanation. ¡°Why not,¡± he shrugged, the movement making his jowls quiver. ¡°Having to spend a considerable amount of time worrying about your diet isn¡¯t fulfilling.¡± ¡°As for me,¡± the spider added hissingly, ¡°I¡¯m not as restricted as he is but I¡¯ve told you before, I have to eat. Living creatures. What I haven¡¯t told you is that I¡¯m rendering down more than their flesh and fat with my venom. While I can live on animals I need to partly absorb pieces of their essence to support my body. Have you never wondered why I was a nightmare made real, even in the past? It¡¯s because we, the Arachnea, are connected physically to the ethereal forces. We either die in our younger years, bloodied and broken, or we become masters of dark sorcery. But we need appropriate sustenance. I¡¯m not missing it. Without a body, as long as I don¡¯t squander my reserves, I can exist without the hunger. For now I¡¯m better off as is. Even if you plan to pawn me off. Who¡¯s the lucky winner? Since you mean for her to work with me I assume it¡¯s Sera.¡± 393. Of attacks, futility and some mermen Cassandra Pendragon ¡°But there¡¯s probably more to the story,¡± Shassa mused, two of her legs scratching her bulbous, shimmering abdomen. A reflex, most likely, since her current vessel wasn¡¯t corporeal but made of her will alone. I had merely provide a smidgen of strength. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have opened my cage for something rather simple. What¡¯s really on your mind? Do you expect me to teach her that detection magic I mentioned to you? I don¡¯t know if she can learn it. You need access to your soul to even glimpse the structure of the spell. I could however create an artefact, like I have offered before.¡± She was referring to our first proper conversation after she had nailed me to an altar and I had killed her downright. Back then she had offered to share her secret on how to figure out if a soul had been touched, marked, charmed or otherwise altered with me. I didn¡¯t need it anymore, I could see, and it hadn¡¯t been my intention, but it was still worth considering. Wait a second¡­ ¡°First off,¡± I barked, even though without much fire. She was about as serious with her implied threats as Erya was with her flirting. Which is to say I didn¡¯t expect her to really act on it unless she was served an opportunity on a silver platter. Nevertheless, I had to play my part, didn¡¯t I? ¡°My home is not an oyster for you to crack. I won¡¯t allow a bloody street war to break out. And if you should even toy with the idea of inciting one¡­¡± She raised her forelegs. ¡°I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t. I¡­,¡± she paused, her pincers clicking and then she pressed the tiny hairs along her legs against the floor in one fluid motion. ¡°Something,¡± she began, but I had heard it, too. A crash and a low grinding sound, as if a canon had been dropped and the barrel was rolling over the planks. And then the smell hit me. Faint and muted but yet sweet and powerful. Blood and not the superficial I¡¯ve scratched my knees kind of wound I had inflicted on Arthur. This was much richer, deeper¡­ the scent of someone spilling his very life, a crimson, precious torrent, above our heads. God almighty¡­ who, why? Why now? But that could wait. Where there¡¯s blood there¡¯s always someone running. My anger flared back up and my wings ignited again, like a dormant beast that had only hidden in the shadows. My tails slashed through the air. He wouldn¡¯t get far. ¡°Shassa,¡± my disembodied, ice cold voice lingered after my body had collapsed into a shower of sparks, ¡°lead them to the wounded. Save whomever you can. I¡¯ll join you shortly.¡± And then I was gone, leaving behind a stunned silence. Not even a heartbeat later I manifested above the sails, my silhouette blurred against the bright, searing sun, my tails fanned out like a peacock¡¯s and my wings a static, hissing maze behind me. With the scent of sea salt in my nose and the breeze singing in my ears I couldn¡¯t smell or hear what was going on below deck, but my gaze never wavered from the entrance, a cold, calming clarity taking hold of my frothing thoughts. Now questions didn¡¯t matter and I enjoyed that simplicity. I licked my lips, any second now¡­ With a thunderous explosion the massive oaken beams were blown apart, cruel, orange flames gnawing at the sad, broken splinters as they showered the entire deck in a cloud of fire and ash. My ebony tresses danced in the raging, sulphuric winds but while I couldn¡¯t be touched by the angered elements the few crew members still on deck toppled like paper men, some of them unlucky enough to be hurtling directly towards the waiting, deep blue abyss, their panicked voices filling the air with frenzied screams and desperate pleas. Shit. So much for lying in wait. I bit my tongue but when the first, hazy outline appeared in the gaping, charred maw the doors had turned into I didn¡¯t act. Instead I chose to vanish once again. Seven, seven were sliding into the airy void. Six, I thought as two of my wings wrapped around a flailing man, our bodies already becoming insubstantial again. Too many. A crashing wave of power surged through my mind, time slowed down to a limp, a crawl and finally stuttered to a screeching halt. The pressure crested, the laws of creation unwilling to yield but if they wouldn¡¯t bend they¡¯d break. With a final shove I tore the shackles around me asunder and my surroundings froze entirely. The sounds, the smells, even the light died away and the greying world lit up in silver. Better, I mumbled to myself and looked around, letting go of my breathing burden. He could hover above the planks for a while. I had manifested close to the annihilated doors but I didn¡¯t plan on greeting our guests just yet. First I¡¯d make sure the crew wouldn¡¯t have to sprout wings of their own and then I¡¯d take a quick peek at the stone chamber and the powder room. I didn¡¯t know what was going on but black powder, murder and possibly sabotage could make for a devastating recipe when far above the ground. Probably also close to it, come to think of it. Luckily I had all the time in the world to make sure we wouldn¡¯t be blown to smithereens. I glided through the frozen, mute scene, casually reaching for the hapless souls tumbling past the railing. Moving them was arduous, the force of the time stream an eternal vice I had to overcome but I didn¡¯t even have to transform. As unorthodox as it was, time was something I had felt more often, had come in contact with more intimately than the more mundane concepts like fire or water. I had developed a knack, a grasp for it and I didn¡¯t need my second skin anymore to protect me from my own mistakes while I clumsily stumbled my way forward. I still worked up a sweat, metaphorically at least since my body didn¡¯t really function normally anymore, while I pushed Sisyphus¡¯ boulder up hill, six times over. The monotonous, exhausting task in a lifeless, dull void proved to be enough for my frozen anger so slowly melt, the urge to fight abating with every inch I forced the frozen limbs to move. What was wrong with this world? A day only had about twenty four hours, give or take a few minutes, but yet each and every time the entire span between sun up and sun down was filled with more coincidences than a dice game. We had just discovered another enigmatic entity that had either developed an interest in my brother or the Purple Worm and now, of all times, a bunch of lunatics acted out? Maybe I had been too harsh on Arthur. As it stood, chances were that Indigorath was the one with the problem. Well, I¡¯d know soon enough. One way or the other. With a silent grunt I propped the last seaman up against the mast. He¡¯d probably bruise his ribs and maybe break an arm but I had made sure his inertia wouldn¡¯t pulverise his spine when time was going to resume. That had to do. Now, for the possibly more explosive problem¡­ A sharp crack like a pane of glass splintering made me flinch and my ears droop. I felt a tug on my awareness and when I moved my wings I saw spiderweb like fissures appear in the veils of reality. The time stream was still thundering on and even though I could withstand the pressure reality couldn¡¯t. I had to hurry or I had to transform to shelter the whole bubble around me against the onslaught but a stunt like that was better saved for more dire times¡­ no pun intended. With the ones in immediate danger of plummeting to their deaths taken care of I focused on the bowels of the ship, searching for the tell tale shimmer of the convoluted, maze like magical pathways the flying stones needed to convert heat into upwards force. They were easy to spot and for once in my life I was even lucky. I hadn¡¯t been sure how to find the black powder storage but the latent fire energy in the volatile substance appeared like a sea of angry but frozen flames in my altered vision. With a bit of effort I might even have been able to spot singular bullets, but the hell like glow from the powder room was unmistakeable. So was the already ignited line someone had drawn to the opened, reinforced steel door and the faint, almost extinguished life candles, still smouldering in the chests of two heavily injured guards, lying in their own blood.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A thought brought me to their sides, my wings already reaching through the frozen, narrow corridor. I simply divided the trail of black powder and made sure that not a single spark could cross the distance. Then I spared the two soldiers a cursory glance. Clobbered over the head and a dagger to the heart for good measure. Without assistance they die within the minute, judging from the unmoving, crimson streams that gushed from the wounds. It also meant that their assailants had been exceptionally well trained. I could still vividly recall the gracefully display Indigorath¡¯s men had greeted us with and to silence them this efficiently had taken skill. Or a spell. Mages were a menace to ordinary soldiers. But why the bashed in skull and the dagger wound, then? One mage and a handful of knights, maybe? I prepared a message for Viyara so she¡¯d immediately know where to direct our involuntary medics but unfortunately I couldn¡¯t do more for the two fallen guards. Their life wasn¡¯t in my hands. Either our healers made it here in time or they wouldn¡¯t. I had something else to take care of. I frowned, my eyes stinging painfully as I bolstered my vision and checked my surroundings for another hidden present but when I came up empty I didn¡¯t hesitate and spread my wings again. Time resumed just as the first aspiring arsonist sprinted through the blown up door onto the deck, his eyes going wide when a fully grown, armoured man slammed into him with the force of the explosion he had just used to clear the exit. I grinned wolfishly. The ones I had saved who had been padded sturdily enough I had positioned in front of the entrance, effectively turning them into human wrecking balls, thundering down the broad stairs like stones off a sling. Dull thuds followed by choked curses, the sharp snap of broken bones and muffled, hoarse grunts wafted up, only to be carried away by the eastern breeze, unleashed from its temporal prison. Like a star incarnate I stood at the top of the stairs leading below deck, the harsh light of eternity chasing off the lingering shadows with every slithering twitch of my wings. Down at the bottom they laid, a chaotic heap of limbs and metal against the dark wood. My breathing projectiles weren¡¯t that much worse for wear, their iron plates and the involuntary cushion the fleeing assailants had become more than enough to break their fall. Behind me the rest of the unlucky crew were skittering across the planks with a sickening, scraping sound. They were either leaving behind a gruesome trail of skin and blood or were quickly being folded around various protruding beams after only a short moment. Ouch. In hindsight I might have done a slightly better job but at least they were still cursing, crying and complaining, which meant they were alive. Hurting but alive. As for our saboteurs¡­ at least one was still moving, trying to free himself from the suffocating embrace he was stuck in. His companions on the other hand¡­ The rising smell of blood and sweat filled my lungs as I took a first, graceful step. The stairs remained silent, my featherlight touch not enough to elicit even a single creak. Ozone, heavy and overwhelming, flooded the corridor and the hum of restraint doom crackled in the air, broken only by the sharp, chiming sound of a bell, deep in the bowels of the ship. Even the agonised moans faded away into ragged, fearful breaths and the ominous song of the wind as it whistled through the rigging. Time had resumed but for them it was already up. And they knew it. My feet lifted off the smouldering, oaken planks and I soared closer inexorably, my approach accompanied by a rising cadence, a distorted choir the wounded on deck were gradually turning into. As adrenaline gave way to pain curses turned into sobs, screams into whimpers and the surging, creepy whispers wafted down the stairs as if heralding my arrival. A plank broke, the seasoned wood finally succumbing to the damage it had sustained and a shower of burning splinters wreathed me in crimson flames. Silver vanished behind a curtain of dark ash but then I moved, my wings parting the obscuring tide of sparks and soot like the sun breaking through the clouds. My tails and wings filled the entire width of the staircase as I came to a halt a single step away from the quivering heap, agitated plumes of smoke shyly coiling around my limbs like an ethereal gown. And then I spoke, my voice quite but irresistible like the rising moon. ¡°Reveal yourselves. I want to see what lies underneath your masks.¡± I moved my wings, gently disentangling the stunned crew members from their assailants to protect them behind me. Four¡­ creature remained, prostrated on the ground. Three of them were unconscious while the fourth looked at me with wonder and woe, astonishment and fear sparkling in round, yellow eyes. As the force of my command took hold, drowning out their own will, their orders, their pride like a spring tide the intricate curtain of magic they had hid behind was pulled away. I had seen a shadow of their true appearance the very moment I had laid my eyes upon them, but now¡­ Bruised, rosy flesh transformed into filigree, bluish scales. Horns and miniaturised fins sprouted from their heads, the warm brown of their eyes transformed into scintillating yellow, their hands and feet elongated, webbing sprouting between their fingers and toes. As if a blanket was slowly being pulled away, the human soldiers disappeared and four¡­ mermen took their spot. They were tall, far taller than me, slender and strong like a humanoid eel with the tang of the sea still rising from them, a salty, alien taste that made me think of the deep, infinite ocean under a starless night. The gills at the side of their necks remained still, unmoving but I heard the slow flow of air as they breathed regularly through their flat, fish like noses. Only one still had his wits about him but under the pressure I exuded he became limp, the surging emotions in his gaze gradually giving way to a content daze as his will crumbled. Holy hell. Apparently there was a whole other world just beyond our grasp. Only because we had chosen to ignore the ocean it didn¡¯t necessarily follow that the ocean would return the favour. For the first time since this debacle had begun I felt antsy, worried, there was no telling what was hidden underneath the eternal waves and while I didn¡¯t particularly fear the inhabitants of the deep anymore I still vividly remembered the size of the veiled shadows I had occasionally spotted dancing below the mirrored, emerald surface. Neither did I know if they were a threat, nor could I be sure how strong they were, size wasn¡¯t necessarily an indicator for power, but since most of Gaya¡¯s visage was covered in water it stood to reason that there were more secrets buried in the ocean than I cared to imagine. Plus¡­ they hadn¡¯t been disturbed for aeons. Even Amazeroth¡¯s cataclysmic punishment hadn¡¯t reached the silent depths. What if they had suddenly developed a taste for the sunlit mountain tops, the verdant forests and the fair meadows of our world? And why had they hidden for years? Assuming they were actually connected to¡­ The image of the Soul Sigil I had lifted form my brother¡¯s mind swirled to the forefront of my thoughts. It had been blurry, eroded by months and months passing by, but now¡­ its outline surely resembled a trident. Which in and of itself wouldn¡¯t have been a clue, we weren¡¯t on Earth and the symbolism wasn¡¯t necessarily the same, but a trident was still the most suitable weapon to fight underwater. Call me paranoid, but if it looked like a fish, smelled like a fish and breathed like a fish it most probably was a fish. Great. Just peachy. And I didn¡¯t even know how to swim. ¡°Up here,¡± I whispered, my voice sailing on currents of power deeper into the ship while I invited Viyara wordlessly to share in my recollections. She could tell the others. ¡°I have them. Stabilise the wounded and get up here. We might have a problem.¡± ¡°Might,¡± the dragoness echoed in my thoughts scathingly. ¡°There is no might. Even if the marked pawns back then weren¡¯t connected to this lot, we¡¯d still be faced with an alien race who just so happens to have infiltrated Indigorath¡¯s crew. Either way, we need to know why. Now.¡± 394. Of secrets, resistance and a little bit of futility Cassandra Pendragon ¡°I¡¯m not very partial to torture but if you keep this up, I won¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± I lamented, my curled up fists on my hips. ¡°I can¡¯t read your mind and I can¡¯t just let you go.¡± It was a damned conundrum. ¡°And you probably don¡¯t even understand a word I say.¡± I sighed. Somehow those creatures were part of a hive mind but yet retained quite a bit of self awareness, almost like an evolved swarm. A marvellous trait for sure but it made my life all the more difficult. The information I was after couldn¡¯t be pulled from their minds since it was stored elsewhere, I couldn¡¯t order them to spill the beans because that would overwrite their own will, which they needed to access the living archives, presumably stored miles underneath the sea, and I couldn¡¯t even trick them, considering they had never learned our language, relying on ancient memories to make up for their shortcomings. As it stood I could only try to force them to tell me what I wanted to know of their own, more or less, free will and the only thing I could come up with was making their existence unpleasant enough that they¡¯d rather deal with the possible fallout. An option I wasn¡¯t really enamoured with. Necessity was one thing but cruelly cutting into a living, breathing creature wasn¡¯t very high up on my to do list. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I probably wouldn¡¯t suffer any sleepless nights over it, but I really didn¡¯t want to stoop that low. Watching Alassara do it had been bad enough. Killing was one thing but hurting, humiliating¡­ maiming another creature for my own gains wasn¡¯t in my nature. It never had been. Sure, when his anger had gotten the better of him Lucifer had sometimes prolonged the suffering of his victims out of sheer spite and I had done the same, once or twice, but it had always been a punishment, not a means to an end. I narrowed my eyes and took a step closer to the darkened wall where our four prisoners were dangling from short ropes like cured hams smelling of fish and rancid seaweeds, nicely bundled up and ready to be processed. They hadn¡¯t held up too well, their scaly skin had begun to crack, they were bruised all over in magnificent purple hues, and the one we had kept conscious was staring at me blearily, his yellow eyes dulled and dry. If we couldn¡¯t find out what was wrong with them this whole endeavour would come to an end pretty soon. That was why I had sent Mordred and Reia to fetch a barrel of saltwater. Dunking them a few times might at least solve that particular problem. On the other hand, if they didn¡¯t care whether they dried out or downright suffocated there probably wouldn¡¯t be much of a point in sticking sharpened instruments into their various orifices. How the hell had they been able to infiltrate Indigorath¡¯s crew? Had they simply spent half their days in the baths? ¡°I can break him easily enough,¡± Shassa rasped behind me, venomous saliva dripping from her pincers. ¡°Just say the word. If he has a nervous system, I¡¯ll have him sing like a bird in no time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± I mumbled with a shudder as the shadow of a dark altar and the spider¡¯s black statue appeared before my inner eye. ¡°But no. We have,¡± I turned around, my gaze roaming over the flamboyant group, ¡°an Arachne, a kitsune turned dragon, a golden dragoness, a half transcendent vixen and an immortal in one room and we have to resort to beating the truth out of him? That¡¯s just pathetic.¡± As if to emphasise my words the captured fish struggled limply. ¡°Pathetic or not, we have to do something,¡± my mom replied. ¡°And asking nicely hasn¡¯t worked very well. If the two guards they attacked hadn¡¯t survived, the Purple Worm would have turned them into sushi already. Lucky for them Aglaia actually knows how to heal properly.¡± I cocked an eyebrow but didn¡¯t comment. Sushi? Where had she picked that one up? ¡°I¡¯ve never had seafood before,¡± Indigorath rumbled from the corner. ¡°But we could give it a try¡­¡± ¡°You can save the intimidation for someone who actually understands you,¡± I shot back. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t. Not unless he plays along. Which he won¡¯t. Goddamn it.¡± There were always options. For instance I could simply reach out and touch his soul, threatening to pull it from his living body. That¡¯d most likely ensure his cooperation and make me sick to my stomach. Had I done it before? Sure, as recently as when I had burned the Ironhands¡¯ home to the ground, not to mention the Mask or the Furglows back on Boseiju, but it had always been a consequence of what they had done and this miserable, hapless sack of scales and bones was just a solider. He didn¡¯t deserve putting his eternal life up as collateral for aspirations that weren¡¯t his own. No, I might have to hurt him somewhere down the line but I wasn¡¯t going to touch his soul. And neither was the spider. ¡°Honestly,¡± I continued, ¡°I¡¯m at a loss. Look at them. They¡¯re hurting, they¡¯re dying, and yet they don¡¯t even bother listening to us. Goddamn swarm conscience. Ants, the lot of them. The good of the many always outweighs the good of the few. Horseshit.¡± As you might have been able to tell, I was frustrated, even though I meant no disrespect to the late Leonard Nimoy. ¡°Fine, any suggestions aside from slow roasting them over an open fire?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that,¡± Sera interjected. ¡°We could at least try. Dragon fire has a tendency to loosen tongues. Or turn them into ash, depending on the answers.¡± Sometimes I almost forgot that kitsune weren¡¯t that different from dragons. We were more¡­ refined, socialised, with a fondness for art and beauty but we were still predators. When it came down to it a fox would gnaw off its own leg to escape a trap. Never mind the limbs of a stranger. No wonder none of them could understand my hesitancy. Maybe they would in a few hundred years. Halting, insecure steps, accompanied by the smell of winter ivy, approached the massive door and my ears perked up just before Arthur, heavily leaning on Aglaia, entered the brig. I tensed but when our eyes met he only shrugged shrewdly without a hint of grievance in his gaze. We were good and neither one of us wished to relive our dispute. ¡°I might have an idea,¡± he began as he hugged our mother, his voice still weak. ¡°Aglaia has brought me up to speed. If the stick doesn¡¯t yield the desired results why not try the carrot? If the goal is making him want to talk, potions will work much better than magic.¡± He eyed me from the side, clearly wrestling with a thought, before he added with a smirk: ¡°unless you could be persuaded to use your womanly wiles. They might not be of a related species but they look similar enough¡­¡± I deflated. Yeah, contrite he definitely wasn¡¯t but I still managed a smile, quite glad that I had found the time to exchange my borrowed and torn bedsheet for actual clothing. ¡°A pity I can¡¯t beat your humour into shape.¡± I walked closer slowly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Instead of a reply he let go of our mother and hugged me. ¡°A minor headache but I¡¯ll live. I¡¯d rather not revisit that particular topic, though, but I can hardly complain, can I? Did you really die in that tomb?¡± Silence descended, heavy enough to literally weigh on my shoulders. Right. He had seen it all from my perspective and I had never bothered sharing that little tidbit with anyone but Viyara and Ahri. Not that I had had much of a choice in the matter.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°You¡­ what,¡± my mom spluttered from somewhere behind him but I could only shrug. ¡°I didn¡¯t die, it was only uncomfortably close. And it never happened in the first place. It¡¯s just a memory I wouldn¡¯t even have if I was anyone else. Thanks, brother. I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re still a bit out of it and didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± He grinned. ¡°Assume all you want but I did do it on purpose. Call it payback. If I have to know, so does she. Also, next time you¡¯re acting out I can still threaten you with telling Reia. She¡¯d never again let you out of her sight again.¡± Oh boy, couldn¡¯t he have slept for a few weeks longer? Before my mom could process what she had heard I quickly said: ¡°you know as well as I that I won¡¯t turn myself into an enticing bribe. Even if there¡¯d be a chance for it to work. Potions? Care to elaborate?¡± He gently disentangled himself from me and explained: ¡°You¡¯ve felt Shassa¡¯s poison, haven¡¯t you? Before you lost consciousness you couldn¡¯t even muster the willpower to cleanse your body. That¡¯s suppression but some drugs can also alter your state of mind entirely. You¡¯ve been drunk before, haven¡¯t you? Not to mention what¡¯s possible when you introduce a few magical components to the mix.¡± ¡°And how would you know,¡± I asked sceptically. ¡°I¡¯m not a bad alchemist myself, but I¡¯ve mostly been forced to study the effects and tastes of potions and how to identify the correct antidote. I can¡¯t very well have someone else govern my people through me, can I? Our magic allows us to feel when we¡¯re being enchanted but there¡¯s nothing easier than slipping a few drops of a solution into a glass of wine. I wanted to make sure I wouldn¡¯t become enthralled by anyone with a heavy purse and the possibilities of what tinctures can accomplish are practically endless. I¡¯ve always thought it would most likely turn out to be a colossal waste of time but now it comes in handy.¡± He massaged the bridge of his nose in a gesture that was awfully familiar. I did the exact same thing when I had to organise my thoughts. ¡°What you need is something similar to a strong aphrodisiac. It doesn¡¯t nullify the will of a person but makes them more susceptible to suggestions, dampens their inhibitions. So far so good, unfortunately I¡¯m not entirely sure if your captives will react the same way as¡­ land dwellers. It wouldn¡¯t matter much with a magical concoction but the mundane ones have varying effects on different species. A minor stimulant to us could be deadly to humans and vice versa.¡± ¡°So you actually have nothing and simply wanted to show off,¡± Mordred griped from the door, his foul mood easily explained by the heavy barrel his was arduously logging along the corridor while Reia followed close behind, her mouth drawn into a sly grin, her tails wagging. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Arthur hissed. He didn¡¯t even bother with turning around as he flipped his brother off. ¡°But there¡¯s a risk and if I get it wrong they might snuff it on the spot.¡± His gaze travelled over each of us before he added: ¡°can I count on any of you to help out?¡± I shook my head, the gesture immediately spreading through our group. It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. As talented as they all were when it came to magic there had never been a reason to study the arts of an alchemist. The same held true for me. Why learn how to brew a potion when you can simply wish for the effect to happen? I had a few general ideas on how chemistry and alchemy worked and where they differed, but that was about it. There was Zuma, though¡­ ¡°Great,¡± Arthur commented. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like a challenge? I think I can brew something up that¡¯ll make them want to respond to questions but it could also¡­ explode their hearts or turn their brains into mush. Maybe.¡± ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you confident,¡± I teased sarcastically. No need to mention the alchemist turned herbalist, just yet. Or Erya who had offered to teach Estrella, or¡­ I just wanted to see if my dear brother had come off his high horse and would actually think about our non kitsune friends. ¡°Whatever could go wrong? Honestly, I don¡¯t see much of a difference between force feeding a potentially lethal drug and poking with sharpened sticks. The latter even seems safer.¡± ¡°But most likely won¡¯t accomplish anything,¡± Sera mused. ¡°They are in severe pain. Look at them. But yet, they don¡¯t care. Do we even know if they feel pain like we do?¡± ¡°Every living thing does,¡± I stated. ¡°Otherwise it couldn¡¯t survive.¡± With a grunt Mordred pushed past Arthur and deposited his burden close to our prisoners. Sighing he rubbed his shoulder: ¡°You should threaten them with becoming your errant boys. They¡¯ll cave immediately. Are we seriously considering this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me, brother mine,¡± Arthur mocked. ¡°Honestly? No, even though we might get there. I never liked your attitude but that your first steps after waking up carried you here instead of to your wife goes a long way. Who knows, once I¡¯ve seen you bleed for our people instead of lamenting their fate and the cruelty of the world I might take you seriously. And that little bonk on the head you got while sailing here doesn¡¯t count. Until then,¡± he pointed at the floor, ¡°down there are all the alchemists you could ever need. Some of them probably much more capable than you, milord.¡± I opened my mouth in a silent exclamation, the astonishment on my mom¡¯s face a perfect mirror image of my own thoughts. Who the hell was this guy and what had he done to my brother? Since when did he care about¡­ well, honour? He had never been too big on leading or even bleeding by example but apparently what once had been wasn¡¯t set in stone anymore. ¡°You can close your mouth again, Cassy,¡± he continued. ¡°I¡¯m not suddenly going to sprout wings¡­ or a crown. Or do you have an issue with something I¡¯ve said?¡± ¡°Me? Goodness gracious, not at all. If anything I can only applaud your candour.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Arthur snarked, ¡°now I¡¯m the odd one out.¡± Which, of course, promoted my mom to hiss: ¡°That¡¯s on you, son. If you hadn¡¯t¡­¡± To my own surprise I was the one to come to his aid: ¡°The score¡¯s been settled. Let it rest. For now we know what to do, don¡¯t we? Mother and Mordred will help Indigorath and Aglaia settle in, if only for a while, Arthur can ask Greta to find someone who can assist him, maybe she can even provide the answers on the spot, and Sera and Shassa are going to work on that memory. Do you need me for anything else? Otherwise I¡¯ll leave. The sooner I go the sooner I can try to establish a gateway between the Emerald Island and our home and the sooner I can return.¡± ¡°Arthur¡¯s colony,¡± Viyara reminded me. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t. I still need to talk to my mom privately. I haven¡¯t forgotten the invitation I owe the Burning Court, either. She¡¯ll have to take care of it. I¡¯ll ask her to figure something out. I don¡¯t want my brothers to know, just yet. We can¡¯t allow Arthur to run off. It¡¯d tear him apart if he even considered the possibility. I¡¯m not that cruel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re honestly going to leave,¡± Sera blurted out. ¡°I thought¡­ isn¡¯t what¡¯s happening here more important? Cassandra¡­¡± she paused, clearly hesitating to put her thoughts into words but when I cocked an eyebrow she continued in a rush: ¡°have you truly thought about, I mean thoroughly gnawed on what those fish men might mean? They¡¯re¡­ their race seems surprisingly well suited to foil your powers, doesn¡¯t it? And then¡­ have you forgotten the little fact that all the cubs Arthur was forced to bury were your age? Considering everything you have hinted at concerning your other family, is there even the slightest possibility that this is the work of another immortal? There is already one on this world, determined to¡­ manipulate you. Couldn¡¯t there be more?¡± It had been Ahri¡¯s first suspicion. Either another obstacle set up by Amazeroth himself or he had lost control. Hardly imaginable, unless there was another transcendent force at play. ¡°Even if there are, it wouldn¡¯t matter,¡± I explained quietly. ¡°If one of my kin is hiding beneath the waves we can only pray that they won¡¯t deem it necessary to ascend to the surface. I¡­ even with Ahri by my side we couldn¡¯t hope to overcome an immortal. Run and hide, maybe, but Gaya would be at their mercy. We can only pretend that it¡¯s something else. Otherwise all we can do is wait and pray. I¡¯d rather not hide like a child on a sandcastle when the tide rises.¡± 395. Of secrets, alignments and a little bit of trouble Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Mom, Aglaia, would you see me out,¡± I asked over the tumult of Mordred enthusiastically dipping the heads of our guests underwater, time and time again. If I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d have suspected he was enjoying himself. Thoroughly. Oh well, they did look all the better for it. I didn¡¯t wait for a reply and wrapped my tails around Reia, steering her towards the door. ¡°And just like that you¡¯re gone,¡± Sera asked incredulously. ¡°For a few days,¡± I replied over my shoulder. ¡°Do you want a hug before I go? I didn¡¯t think we were this close, yet, but if you do insist¡­¡± She only stared, but honestly what was I supposed to do? I couldn¡¯t snap my fingers and make our problems disappear, I couldn¡¯t even help in any meaningful way and if I started putting my life on hold every time something came up I wouldn¡¯t have a life left to speak of. I had done my part, I thought, the rest they could deal with on their bloody own and I¡¯d be back soon¡­ probably. Maybe. ¡°What haven¡¯t you told us,¡± my mom immediately flared up and pulled me to a stop as soon as the door slammed shut behind us, cutting off the splashing noise and growing whispers. ¡°Much,¡± I retorted sharply, ¡°but it¡¯s only speculation for now. You¡¯ll hear it in a second. Can we stop pretending like we don¡¯t all have our little secrets? Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t realised what you¡¯re trying to do with the ¡°Silver Swan¡±, even though I¡¯ve never mentioned it.¡± At least she had the decency to blush. Admittedly, I was guessing but I knew the woman. ¡°That¡¯s different. It¡¯s not a danger to us and I¡¯d have told if you had asked.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Influence and information are dangerous and you, mother, are well on your way to fill in the spot Captain Kirena has been forced to vacate¡­ violently. You do remember how she found her end, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not human,¡± she snarled ¡°nobody is going to drag me to the scaffold. I¡¯d like to see them try.¡± ¡°And you think I¡¯m the hothead?¡± She puffed up her cheeks, ready to fling herself into another argument but I only raised my hand placatingly¡­ tiredly. ¡°I¡¯m not accusing you. I¡¯m merely trying to get it through that brain of yours that I¡¯m not intentionally keeping you in the dark. There¡¯s just so much going on that I have to choose carefully what to deal with. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Viyara. If you wanted to know every little thing that seems strange or worth investigating to me, you¡¯d have to move into my mind as well.¡± Her answer I really hadn¡¯t seen coming. ¡°Is that an option?¡± I tensed. ¡°I¡­ would you really want to?¡± She hesitate, not able to make much sense of my words so I willingly explained: ¡°it¡¯d be similar to what Viyara and I share. She¡­ in the beginning she needed the reassurance and now I think we¡¯ve both grown used to it, we both cherish the connection. But she¡¯s still¡­ in a way I hold her like¡­ like a child. I imagine it¡¯d make our lives a hell of a lot more complicated, especially if you insist on dragging me over the coals every once in a while.¡± ¡°I can still do the same, you know,¡± the dragoness piped up mentally. ¡°Come to think of it, me and Ahri are probably the ones who argue with you the most.¡± ¡°True¡­ but do you really want me to put it into words? She¡¯s my spouse and you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m as good as your daughter,¡± she huffed irritably. ¡°I know¡­ and since you won¡¯t ever have another partner you¡¯d sooner or later start seeing your mother as your child if she was to share that close a connection with you. Good luck explaining that to her.¡± Luckily I didn¡¯t have to. My mom shook her head, her silver tresses dancing and sparkling in the light of the flameless braziers, the scent of stardust rising from her flying locks. ¡°Pass, I think. Unless¡­¡± she shot Aglaia an embarrassed look and the vixen automatically took a few graceful steps back to give us some privacy. ¡°Cassy, do you still think of me as¡­ your mother?¡± My eyes widened but then I chuckled, gently pulling her into me. ¡°Of course I do. Maybe not as a protector anymore, Ahri has already asked you to allow her to take over that particular duty, hasn¡¯t she? I¡¯m grown up, mostly, and I don¡¯t need you to hold my hand, doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t long for it. You¡¯ll always be my mom and from where I¡¯m standing always might be a tremendously long time for us. Why would you even ask?¡± ¡°Parents are supposed to protect their children,¡± she mumbled against my chest. She wasn¡¯t snivelling, but she didn¡¯t sound like a sophisticated, refined queen either. ¡°With us it¡¯s the other way around.¡± She didn¡¯t add: what am I even here for, but I could hear it nonetheless. It was the same kind of rubbish that had gotten to her when Free Land had burned but I just didn¡¯t know what had brought it on this time, unless¡­ ¡°Mom, are you scared,¡± I whispered and pulled her even closer. ¡°Constantly,¡± she replied softly, her warm breath tickling my skin. ¡°But it¡¯s different this time. What if there really is¡­ if even you and Ahri can¡¯t¡­ what are we supposed to do?¡± I kissed the top of her head and whispered: ¡°Valid questions¡­ but not the truth. I know you. The last time you broke down it was because you had been forced to watch your son lose his very soul. None of us were harmed. Well, I didn¡¯t touch Arthur with velvet gloves but he¡¯s already running around again. Please¡­ tell me.¡± She chuckled hoarsely. ¡°Sometimes it feels like we¡¯re locked in this weird dance where we¡¯re constantly swapping our positions. Either I¡¯m trying to weasel the truth out of you or it¡¯s the other way around. You want to hear the whole pathetic reason? You¡¯re leaving. For seven years I¡¯ve never spent a day away from you, honey. You should have seen me when Mordred left on his ill fated voyage. Your father walked on eggshells around me for weeks. I¡¯m¡­ sad and scared and¡­ after everything I can hardly bear to see you go, now that it¡¯s time. Even if it¡¯s just for a a week. I feel¡­ Cassy, you¡¯re seven. I know you¡¯re all grown up and older than our family, but still¡­ I didn¡¯t have enough time to get used to it. I managed to accept that you¡¯re strong enough to stand on your own¡­ by the Great Fox, strong enough to challenge the world, but I¡¯m not ready to see you leave. That¡¯s it.¡± Our tails intertwined, the slightly different shades of silver in our furs hardly discernible, as I felt a lump form in my throat. No wonder I had always loved the woman. Ever since I had first laid my eyes on her about five years ago. I wanted to tell her but before I could she added:Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°And I¡¯ve grown fond of Reia and Viyara. In a way¡­ one is my daughter and the other my first grandchild, isn¡¯t she? Truth be told, I¡¯m aching to go with you but I know it¡¯d be unwise. But right now¡­ knowing I have to say goodbye,¡± she extended her arm and pulled Reia into our embrace as well, ¡°it bloody hurts. Still, I meant to keep it together until you were actually gone. Apparently I couldn¡¯t even manage as much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t¡­ mom,¡± Reia whispered, her small arms tightening around us. ¡°We spend much too much time worrying about each other in this family than we do actually living as one. Maybe we can change that.¡± How did that saying go? While we teach our kids all about life, they teach us what life is all about? Damn it, if they kept it up I¡¯d be tearing up any second now as well. ¡°We will,¡± I¡­ promised quietly, the familiar jolt of heat in my chest a welcome reminder that I meant every word. ¡°I love you. I love you both, I hope you know that. Reia and I might be leaving but, trust me, we will return. There isn¡¯t a force between heaven and earth that can stop us, especially once the little troublemaker has achieved her goal.¡± ¡°Her goal,¡± my mom echoed, her face slowly emerging from my embrace with a frown. I stuck out my tongue at my sister and explained: ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to become like you, oh no, that¡¯s not enough for the young miss, she wants to go the entire way and become an immortal herself. Once that happens you¡¯ll never get rid of either of us. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this but I fear she actually stands a pretty decent chance.¡± ¡°How? Didn¡¯t you say¡­ I thought¡­¡± with a smile I raised my hand, the black ring a smooth band of darkness around my finger. ¡°Rules are meant to be broken. Don¡¯t ask, I don¡¯t know myself, yet, but I¡¯m pretty sure it already contains the essence of a corrupted demoness. Maybe she¡¯s even cleansed already. Sooner or later her core will have to go somewhere and your daughter intends to volunteer.¡± In utter confusion the young vixen¡¯s gaze travelled from me to Reia and back again before she blurted out: ¡°Demoness¡­ didn¡¯t you say angel? Wouldn¡¯t that make her an enemy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± I chuckled. ¡°There are honourable demons, think of Mephisto, maybe even Lilith¡­ or Chaleb,¡± I added to myself, ¡°and there are truly shitty angels.¡± ¡°I still want wings, not a stupid crown,¡± Reia interjected, half petulantly, half jokingly. Whether she meant it or not it was finally enough to elicit a tremulous smile from our mother. ¡°I bet you do. Let me guess, something you¡¯ve forgotten to mention after you accidentally made Greta¡¯s seed bloom?¡± She nodded. ¡°Cassy was meant to do it and I gained some fragments, some memories that were meant for her. It hurt¡­ but it also helped. Aren¡¯t you¡­ angry?¡± Our mom¡¯s smile widened somewhat mechanically before she shot me a sideways glance. ¡°Angry? I¡¯m not even sure yet if I¡¯m not going to beg to be the next in line after you.¡± She didn¡¯t mean it, I had seen a spark of fear ignite in the depths of her silvery eyes, but she wasn¡¯t going to mention anything in front of Reia. I, on the other hand, was probably in for a pretty interesting conversation once I got back. Maybe I¡¯d be spending a bit more time on the Emerald Island after all, considering it wouldn¡¯t be a very fruitful conversation... unless you had the unique ability to enjoy being yelled at. I had already made up my mind. I knew why Reia needed this, I had seen, had felt it, and, by the gods, I would never allow her to feel lonely again. No matter the cost. Plus, if there was anyone I¡¯d willingly entrust with the power of an immortal it would be her¡­ and ironically my mother. She was halfway there already anyways. I wouldn¡¯t voice it out loud but the idea had been born and Ahri and Viyara had seen it. Which, of course, prompted the dragoness to explore another one of my meandering thoughts and take me along for the ride. Apparently I had no qualms with imagining her as an immortal, either. Oh boy¡­ she wasn¡¯t ever going to forget that. I didn¡¯t indulge her and simply cut off the myriad of questions, churning in her mind. Sooner or later I¡¯d have to open that particular can of worms but for now I was more than happy to ignore the whole conundrum. I didn¡¯t even know how, why or when I¡¯d be able to use the ring, even with the sigil Ahri had been branded with, and there¡¯d be no talk about unleashing a possibly corrupted immortal¡¯s core upon creation until that changed. The dragoness, and my sister as well for that matter, would just have to lump it until then. ¡°That¡¯s a bridge for us to cross once we get there,¡± I said instead, my inflection more than enough to convey the end of that particular line of thought, ¡°and not the reason why I¡¯ve asked you to accompany me.¡± I waved at Aglaia, asking the kitsune wordlessly to join us again. ¡°There are a couple of things I¡¯d like you, mom, to keep an eye on while I¡¯m away. Explicitly our neighbours, in the broadest sense of the word. You¡¯ve heard it before, I¡¯ve asked Aglaia and her¡­ partner,¡± I just couldn¡¯t get myself to call Indigorath her husband or lover, ¡°to establish connections, if possible make friends, amongst the various courts on our islands and to figure out how many realms, similar to the fey¡¯s, we have to deal with. It¡¯s nothing pressing for now, except for the Burning Court. With all the excitement we¡¯ve been able to enjoy yet again I couldn¡¯t bring it up until now, but Serena and Emilia have a history with the largest human nation and it seems like their peers are coming to collect. And then there¡¯s this whole Soul Sigil catastrophe. Maybe I¡¯m paranoid, considering we¡¯ve dealt with Amon for the most part, but I just can¡¯t shake a gnawing suspicion that something might have happened to Arthur¡¯s colony, now that most of his soldiers are actually here. We need to make sure and keep it from him and Sylvia. He¡¯d fly back as fast as he could if he came to know. And for now¡­ we can¡¯t let him leave. Not until we know what the hells is going on.¡± My mother was already opening her mouth, either to complain or to ask a bunch of questions I didn¡¯t have the answers to, but fortunately Aglaia beat her to the punch: ¡°I was already wondering why you emphasised the Burning Court back then. Now I know. I guess you want a rundown of what we¡¯ve been up to?¡± When I nodded and used my tails to gently gag my mom she immediately jumped into her explanation, glancing curiously at the dishevelled, young vixen, whose eyes were glowing ominously behind the curtain of my silvery fur: ¡°you were right. There are seven major realms connected to Gaya, aside from the smaller heavens or personal creations. Two of them are elemental in essence and as far as we know no one has ever dared venture there. The other five¡­ well, of the fey you already know. Then there are the Immortal Lands, a smaller mirror image of Gaya but flooded with life energy. They¡¯re inhabited and a few daring souls even travel there regularly. The sect I was first taught at was founded by a martial artist who crossed over and returned, bringing with him the wisdom of the Immortal Lands.¡± She paused and began strutting back and forth, a hint of worry entering her voice: ¡°The land of dreams and the world of nightmares are¡­ different. As far as I know there¡¯s no path leading there but when we¡¯re asleep the gates can open. What we fear, what we long for, our dreams, aspirations and our failures have long filled those realms to the brim, brought to life by the excess soul energy Gaya can¡¯t contain. Similar to the heavens and hells of varying religions but¡­ more powerful, more real. While the one is fuelled by the desires of a few the other contains the undiluted power Gaya herself couldn¡¯t hold. It¡¯s from there that summoners call forth their beasts, that foul sorcerers conjure their dem¡­ fiends¡­ or that saints ask for assistance. Lastly there¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t really say. There¡¯s one more realm but it¡¯s sealed off hermetically. There once was a path, a gateway, but even before the Cataclysm it¡¯s been chained shut. We only know of it because some older species still remember and Indigorath payed a steep price for the information. We tried knocking on the door, so to say, but¡­ only once. The chains I mentioned, they¡¯re forged from powers I¡¯ve only ever encountered once before. The night you saved us. They aren¡¯t yours, though, I know as much.¡± She sighed and pulled aside the collar of her crimson dress. A scar, almost like an open wound, marred her alabaster skin like a streak of blood. ¡°That¡¯s what I got for looking. I imagine if it had been you who sealed the realm, I wouldn¡¯t have woken up again. We never tried for a second time. I don¡¯t know why but chances are someone like you slammed the door shut. Now I have a question of my own, though. I remember what you did that night. If you wanted to you could annihilate the world, never mind a connected realm. Why is it still there? Do you know what happened or who did it? Are there¡­ more like you?¡± 396. Of friendships, weapons and a little bit of remorse Cassandra Pendragon And the plot thickened. If there was an underwater gateway to the sealed realm as well I¡¯d know for sure that one of my siblings was lurking beneath the waves. I hadn¡¯t taken Sera¡¯s worries overly serious, aside from the meagre clues, why would an immortal spend their time here pointlessly, but with this little tidbit of information¡­ ¡°There are.¡± I quickly looked up and down the corridor, making sure that we were truly alone. Luckily nobody had thought it necessary to post guards near the brig with all of us in there and the crew was more than busy dealing with the heavy cannons. ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a second but could you show me the entire scar?¡± Aglaia nodded nonchalantly and dropped the straps of her dress with a graceful shrug. When she stepped towards me my gaze lingered on her skin and I extended my hand. ¡°May I?¡± When she nodded again I gently ran a finger from her neck down to her navel, following the angry, red line. I tried to ignore the goosebumps erupting in the wake of my touch and listened, felt, remembered¡­ By the Abyss, I knew that taste, that sting of transcendent powers brimming with darkness and cold. Gabriel. She was here. That seal had been her doing and now I was actually willing to bet that she was sitting somewhere in the depths, waiting, watching... she had been for years. Oh god, we were so screwed. A knot of fear tightened in my stomach and I had to swallow dryly. It must have shown on my face since the next thing I knew were Reia¡¯s tails wrapping around me: ¡°What is it,¡± she whispered. What was it, indeed, or rather who? If I had been the arbiter of our people, she would have been the warden. The cells in the Silver City were her doing, as were the walls. She was¡­ a creator without any qualms about what her genius might bring. The trident¡­ something was tickling the back of my mind but I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. Luckily I didn¡¯t have to. When she had sensed my distress Ahri had immediately abandoned everything else and focused back on me. ¡°Her weapons,¡± she hissed, ¡°her great creations. The trident and¡­ your spear. Don¡¯t you remember? She only kept one for herself.¡± And my memories surged¡­ It was dark and cold, the drag of my gown rustling over frozen gems and ice crystals as I made my way deeper into the cave. My sister had called and I had answered. It had been millennia since last I had seen her. Come to think of it it was most likely also going to be the last time. I had grown tired. It was time to change. With a silky whisper my wings manifested and I crossed the remaining distance in the blink of an eye. A massive cavern opened up in front of me, strange, glowing mushrooms and arcanely sparkling gems provided enough light to illuminate the white blue anvil and the hunched over figure leaning against it. The tang of sweat, blood and power diluted the crispy air and I came to a halt a few steps away from the raised platform where my sister rested. ¡°Lucyfera,¡± she rasped. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come.¡± ¡°When my family calls I answer. It has always been that way.¡± My voice was warm but brittle, the weight of this life had crushed the hopeful spark I had been born with. I was tired. ¡°Has always been that way,¡± she echoed hoarsely, her wings, curtains of sparkling snowflakes and ice, scraped against dark stone as she heaved herself up. ¡°It won¡¯t be in the future? Has your time come?¡± ¡°Soon. I¡¯ve lived for longer than I could ever have feared, even in my nightmares. It¡¯s time to rest but there are still a few things I have to take care of. You included. Why did you call me, Gabriel?¡± She chuckled dryly, the sound reminiscent of splintering rocks. ¡°To show off? But there¡¯s not much satisfaction to be had in impressing a walking corpse. When?¡± ¡°In the next century. I don¡¯t know yet, but it¡¯s approaching fast. Does it matter?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I like you. Don¡¯t know how your next incarnation will turn out. It¡¯s always a gamble, isn¡¯t it? Where¡¯s your fiery shadow? Has she allowed you out of her sight?¡± ¡°She¡¯s paving the way,¡± I replied sadly. I wouldn¡¯t see Aurora again with these eyes¡­ we had said our goodbyes a few years ago and she had already been reborn. Before my change I¡¯d find her, ensure that I¡¯d be close by when the memories were going to resurface. She was going to do the same for me once the time would come. ¡°A pity,¡± the frozen angel replied quietly. ¡°I actually liked her, too.¡± Sighing she glided closer, her arms spread wide. We hugged and I felt a freezing cold tear touch my cheek. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time, Gabriel,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you¡¯ll even have the chance to miss me. Besides, haven¡¯t you been asked to create a dungeon for our home? That will keep you busy for far longer than I¡¯ll ever need to regrow my wings.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± she chuckled forcedly. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll get lost¡­ or be reborn as a dimwit.¡± ¡°With my powers,¡± I breathed through a comforting smile, ¡°even an idiot would reach the end of the road. What¡¯s happened to you? Why are you¡­ sad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sad. I¡¯m tired. Maybe I¡¯ll join you. I don¡¯t think I have it in me to create something new. Not like this, at least. I¡¯ve spent too much, the fire has petered out. But it has been worth it.¡± With a gentle push she stepped back and gesticulated towards the anvil. ¡°Have a look. You¡¯re the first who¡¯ll see them. Maybe even the last. If I die in this place you¡¯ll be the only one who knows their location and if you¡¯re gone, too¡­ it¡¯ll take decades for us to remember.¡± Three objects leaned against the anvil. A silvery spear, a blue trident and a white, crackling sword. As soon as my gaze fell upon the weapons I could feel them, could taste their power. Those weren¡¯t just transcendent artefacts. She had poured her very life into them and they were¡­ awakening. I felt a faint desire, a wish to become whole, to acknowledge a master to serve, but it wasn¡¯t pronounced, yet. More like the yearnings of a dreaming child. Once they¡¯d come into their own they¡¯d have to find an immortal to bind to or we would live to regret it. Even by the standards of our race those¡­ creature were dangerous. Unconsciously I stepped closer, the whisper of my wings turning into the thrum of eternity torn asunder. ¡°What have you done,¡± I muttered, the impulse to destroy them growing like a wildfire with every heartbeat I stared. She could create and I¡­ I could destroy, clean up after her. Maybe I had to. She truly was my sister. The little sibling I had to protect from her own bad choices.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°No,¡± she hollered, her voice sending rivers of transcendent ice through the cavern until it was swallowed by a hackling cough. Without thinking I soared to my sister¡¯s side and caught her before she could collapse. ¡°Sissy,¡± she croaked into my flowing, ebony locks, he breath crystallising on my silver skin. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt them. Take them, if you have to, but don¡¯t hurt them. They¡¯re¡­ the best of me.¡± I kissed her cold cheek. ¡°No. You¡¯re the best of you. But I¡¯ll honour your wish. I wouldn¡¯t even have been here if you hadn¡¯tcalled me. What do you want? For me to hide them?¡± I shivered when she shook her head, her silky hair tickling my neck like the touch of a winter moon. ¡°Take two with you and¡­ seal this place when you leave. Properly. I don¡¯t want my core to escape to the river. I want to be reborn as I am. I want my soul to stay in charge. I¡¯ve put too much effort into this life and I know I¡¯m not done. But I can¡¯t continue. Not like this.¡± ¡°Gabriel,¡± I warned as I allowed her to slide down my side and come to rest in my arms. She blinked in surprise and even pouted when she realised how I held her. ¡°Don¡¯t Gabriel me. I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m not yet that old. I¡¯ve just spent too much. It left a scar. I need to heal, not to be reborn. Or are you afraid that I might come to hate you for it? Don¡¯t worry, even if this ends in pain, I won¡¯t hold you responsible. I promise.¡± A promise she shouldn¡¯t have given and a request I shouldn¡¯t have fulfilled. Time passed. ¡°Kill me, Lucifer, do it!¡± Her screams echoed through the void like the breath of a dying star¡­ but I couldn¡¯t. Not now. Not anymore. I¡­ damn it all to the beginning and back, I had come to love her like a true sister. She was¡­ she meant so much to me I couldn¡¯t even put it into words. I had failed, all those aeons ago, and now she had to pay the price. We had to pay the price and I couldn¡¯t own up to the bill. What the hell was wrong with me? My fingers tightened around my spear¡­ her spear, my wings filled the emptiness with the crackling of eternity, harsh, infinite light burst from my eyes and¡­ I faltered. A silvery tear filled with bluish flames ran down my cheek. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± In front of me she hovered, twisted, contorted¡­ in agony. Eternal, inexorable, inescapable, unbearable agony. Her core¡­ oh god. Flames, ravenous, tormenting flames were gnawing at her, eating away, ravaging her from the inside out, but to extinguish them I¡¯d have to devour what she was. Blood, rich and cold and beautiful, surged form her nose, her eyes and her wings chimed like a frozen bell before they shattered. She cried and I¡­ I couldn¡¯t do it, even though her soul was crumbing and poisoning her core. ¡°Lucifer,¡± she pressed out between her bloodcurdling screams, ¡°I need you, please¡­¡± ¡°It would kill you,¡± I pleaded, ¡°destroy what you are. Don¡¯t¡­¡± Another convulsion silenced her. ¡°Lucifer,¡± she finally choked out, ¡°Lucifer, I can¡¯t. Death is a mercy. I can¡¯t do it, nobody can¡­ but you. Please¡­¡± ¡°Stop wasting time,¡± Aurora ordered through our tattoos. ¡°You can¡¯t do it and you can¡¯t let her be. She¡¯d destroy everything in her path. Seal her. Seal her off and once we find a way to repair the damage we¡¯ll come for her.¡± ¡°She¡¯d suffer, Aurora. She¡¯d suffer. Alone¡­ in the dark¡­¡± ¡°What else is there? If there¡¯s no other way¡­¡± my magic was already taking shape and she felt it. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Gabriel¡¯s desperate plea reached me when she realised what I was doing. ¡°Please, don¡¯t. No¡­ Lucifer, I won¡¯t forget this, I¡¯ll¡­¡± she was gone and I¡­ I cried. I was on the floor, heavy, silver tears streaming from my eyes like a river. They were born from fear and remorse. Remorse for what I had done and fear of what she¡¯d do, now that she was free again. I remembered¡­ I had sealed her in the very cave she had used to forge her weapons. A cave¡­ now a few hundred metres below the surface of the ocean, a couple of hundred leagues to the north from where we were. By the Great Fox, why hadn¡¯t she killed me yet? She must have lost her mind in the dark, agony her only silent companion for aeons. And I had condemned her to her fate. Condemned and forgotten her. Oh gods, what had I done? Were all my debts coming due? Heat, hungry, searing heat burned my skin as silvery blue flames charred my arm around my stamp. The rich taste of my blood filled my mouth when I bit down on my tongue, trying to swallow my startled scream. A flash of light, the flames petered out and a perfect, silver cube hovered above my bleeding hand. Another rune raged furiously on one of its sides, its energy a palpable nimbus of frozen, angry light. Trembling I watched, torn between fear of what reckoning my sister might have prepared and the overwhelming panic when I imagined what my magic might do to the ship and my family. A fraction of a second later the rune flared brightly and the suffocating worries became insubstantial as the mists of times long gone swallowed me whole. ¡°Promise me,¡± I grunted, my wings an inescapable prison around his restrained limbs. ¡°You owe me that much, Chaleb. Promise me. Before we enter hell you will set her free.¡± ¡°Get your head out of your arse,¡± he spat. ¡°You hold me like a kitten and still you are afraid. What do you expect me to do? I won¡¯t even be able to scratch your seals, never mind contending with a broken angel that has you cowed like a child in a thunderstorm. She¡¯ll brush me aside and then she¡¯ll go looking for you. We can¡¯t risk it, not now, not with¡­¡± ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Care. I owe her and you owe me. Set her free or I¡¯ll turn around right now.¡± ¡°A hollow threat. You¡¯d never¡­¡± ¡°Try me,¡± I snarled. ¡°I¡¯ve lost everything I care about. Just try me. See if I won¡¯t turn my back on all of you, all of creation. I¡¯ve never done it before but so help me, I might just¡­¡± I felt a tug on my awareness as he tried to raise his hands but I wouldn¡¯t budge. He¡¯d only get out once I had his promise. It wouldn¡¯t bind him, but I trusted him. He¡¯d stick to his word. We stared at each other, the darkness of the void slowly being torn asunder by silver and red. ¡°Fine,¡± he suddenly erupted. ¡°You want to risk everything to salve your conscience? Be my guest. But after this, Lucifer, I expect you to do what¡¯s necessary. No matter the cost. Do you understand me? No matter the cost.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me. I know very well what¡¯s at stake. Maybe even better than you.¡± Quietly I added: ¡°it won¡¯t be the first time I challenge heaven and hell, even if I¡¯m the only one who remembers.¡± Time passed. A beaten, bloodied demon swayed in front of me, his body riddled with cuts and holes that just wouldn¡¯t heal. ¡°She¡¯s a bitch,¡± Chaleb stated through a suppressed groan, ¡°but she isn¡¯t gone. Here.¡± With a grimace he reached into space and reality distorted. A second later three items dropped to the ground and my eyes went wide. ¡°She¡­ surrendered her weapons? Why? And what¡¯s that,¡± I added as my gaze fell onto a silver diadem made of moonstones. ¡°A prison and a lifeline,¡± he coughed, his axe materialising for him to have something to lean on. ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ I didn¡¯t understand half of her lunatic gibberish but I think it¡¯s a¡­ world, a prison. A place where¡­ where my essence can go once¡­¡± ¡°Once I kill you. Clever, they¡¯ll think I¡¯ve devoured you. But how could she know?¡± ¡°Beats me. She¡¯s crazy. You know what they say about crazy. If it allows me to survive I¡¯ll even forgive her for the punches below the waistline.¡± Judging from his hunched over posture he wasn¡¯t speaking metaphorically. ¡°And the weapons,¡± I asked. ¡°I left the trident and the sword with her. Something to cling onto in the darkness. Why is she giving them up?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t. She expects you to return the trident, as soon as you remember. As for the sword¡­ it makes me want to puke to even relay her words but she said the sword has never been for her. The sword and the spear need something only two angels possess at the moment. Don¡¯t make me say it. You know whom it¡¯s for. Apparently it always has been.¡± I sighed. ¡°Fabulous. Unfortunately chances are Aurora will attack me on sight and I¡¯m not going to deliver a weapon to her when I might have to fight her.¡± ¡°Can you even?¡± ¡°Who knows? I bloody well don¡¯t. If it were just about me I know I couldn¡¯t bring myself to harm her. As it stands¡­ that¡¯s the gamble. If I get caught I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to fight my way out and I won¡¯t run. Incidentally¡­ if I snuff it completely you realise you¡¯ll be gone, too, don¡¯t you?¡± 397. Of fear, courage and a little keepsake Cassandra Pendragon The winds pulled at the loose sleeves of my shirt and played with the wayward strands of my hair as I blearily blinked against the white hot sun. Huge, flapping sails obscured my view from time to time as the world seemingly rolled by on its own accord¡­ muted, far away. Salt, molten gold and the taste of damp ropes tickled my nose as I breathed in. I tensed, what the¡­ but the warm arms I was resting in rendered my questions superfluous. Viyara had carried me on deck ¡°Guess I passed out,¡± I mumbled as I snuggled deeper into her caressing embrace. She was warm, hot even, and I felt cold, chilled to the bone. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± I added softly. A beautiful face with flowing, golden, dancing locks blocked out the aquamarine sky, a deep frown of worry marring her brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t miss it,¡± she complained. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Not good enough to stand on my own. I¡¯m scared. Did you see¡­?¡± I felt her voice resonate through her body, a soothing, welcoming cadence that almost made me smile. ¡°Hmm¡­ how could I not? You have to go, don¡¯t you? Return what has been entrusted to you.¡± I immediately craned my neck, trying to get a good look at my surroundings but I fell back into her when she gently pushed against my waist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Reia and your mom are just behind us and the latter has the items you are looking for. They dropped from your cube before it vanished into your stamp again. Nothing happened when she touched them. We¡¯re all fine. Well, Mordred might be a bit overburdened. He¡¯s trying to come up with a feasible explanation as to why you suddenly fell like a puppet with its strings cut and started bleeding like pig. He¡¯s managing, though. I even incinerated your blood on the floor. It¡¯s going to be alright.¡± I relaxed a little. ¡°That¡¯s something at least¡­ you know you can¡¯t come, right?¡± The muscles along her jaws worked but she sounded surprisingly calm when she asked: ¡°Why? I¡¯m your steed, am I not? And you¡¯re not going alone. You can bury that idea right now.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Ahri piped up. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a day, the part of the ocean where her cave is, I mean. And before you even start¡­ no. I don¡¯t care whom you bring along but I¡¯ll be there, no matter what you say. If Gabriel wants a pound of your flesh she¡¯ll have to go through me first.¡± Which was incredibly sweet but also not much of a problem for a fully grown immortal. A crazy one at that. With them there it¡¯d be so much easier for her to break me. Then again, distance wasn¡¯t much of a problem for a fully grown immortal, either. A crazy one at that. I buried my face in the silky nape of Viyara¡¯s neck, the scent of molten gold and the fluttering of her heart against my cheek much more soothing than I had imagined. I felt her shiver and quickly turned my head away. I had a tendency to forget that what I considered normal affection might seem cruel to her. Privy to my thoughts Ahri added softly: ¡°if Gabriel means to hurt you through us it won¡¯t make a difference where we are. But she won¡¯t go after us. Ever since she handed Chaleb her weapons she¡¯s waited for you to search her out. If she wanted to harm you she¡¯d have burned Boseiju to the ground the very moment you opened your eyes.¡± ¡°Only because she doesn¡¯t want me dead doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t try to extract a pound of flesh. And the easiest way to make me suffer goes through you both and Reia. I¡­ it¡¯s your decision, I won¡¯t argue, but Viyara, you should keep in mind that you¡¯re nothing but a means to an end to her. Aurelia has shared bits and pieces of her past, hasn¡¯t she? Sarai isn¡¯t¡­ wasn¡¯t that different from Gabriel. To them, Ahri and I are¡­ we¡¯re still siblings, two of the very few creatures who can understand them, sympathise with them. You¡¯re¡­ not. Despite your transformation you are no immortal and to her¡­ there really are only two types of creatures. Those who are related to her and those who simply don¡¯t matter. If she thinks she¡¯ll gain anything, anything at all from hurting you, she will. She might have some scruples when it comes to Ahri but she won¡¯t have any where you¡¯re concerned.¡± A small flame escaped the dragoness as she raised her face towards the sky. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve seen it before.¡± I blinked. She had? When? A quiet chuckle followed the silver golden tongue of fire. ¡°You, silly. You aren¡¯t that different. True, you don¡¯t care about race or power but the difference in how you treat people you consider family or friends and those you do not is still the same. While you¡¯d move heaven and earth for the one you don¡¯t particularly care about the other. In that sense¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a trait exclusive to immortals. We all choose where to stand and whom we allow to watch our backs. Just means I have to show her that I¡¯m trustworthy, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That, or she might simply turn you into a popsicle and be done with it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a popsicle?¡± Goodness gracious, was that really the most important bit? Despite myself I felt a smile tug on the corners of my mouth. Seeing how she had glossed over the rest she truly was becoming more like me with every passing day. I just didn¡¯t know if that warranted a eulogy or an epitaph. Damn it, it probably was my responsibility to make sure it would be the former. And since my siblings had come knocking on our door over the last two weeks it was about time for me to find the courage to actually open the damned thing and face them. ¡°Frozen fruit juice, a desert. If I¡¯m seeing this right I might as well have skipped the warning. Just¡­ I know it¡¯s below the belt but have you thought about Aurelia? What would become of her if something happened to you?¡± She pinched my waist and grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t really think she¡¯ll stay behind, do you? We¡¯ve been talking a lot lately. We knew this would come, sooner or later. Where you go I go and where I go she goes. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± Simple? It was many things, from convoluted over frustrating to downright unfair, considering the ageless vampire had never planned on being tied to another immortal and now she was back in the thick of it, but simple definitely wasn¡¯t a description I¡¯d have used. ¡°If you¡¯re that certain,¡± I said, ¡°pray tell, what have you done while I was dreaming?¡± ¡°Organising. To my surprise everybody even listened. You snoring in my arms might have played a role there, too, but I¡¯ll pretend it was my unfettered genius and uncanny eye for details. Do you know the map of the northern reaches by heart?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You really should take a few hours to memorise it, you know? Anyways, there¡¯s a small island, hardly any population to speak of, right between the Emerald Island and the cave you¡¯ve remembered. We¡¯ll pass through the portal together. Aurelia, you and I will turn west, everybody else will turn north. We can meet up again on the Wolf¡¯s Head.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Wolf¡¯s Head,¡± I parroted. ¡°Its form. The island looks like the head of a howling wolf. There¡¯s even a small tribe of wolf kin living there. Faelan will love it.¡± Faelan¡­ right, Asra¡¯s wolf slave. My mind was still a bit foggy. ¡°As for everyone else¡­ well, you¡¯ve already told them what to do, haven¡¯t you. I might have made a small adjustment on your behalf. As we speak the Broken Wheel is on his way to Arthur¡¯s colony. He¡¯ll snoop around but, with everything you¡¯ve seen, chances are Gabriel simply kept an eye on everybody closely linked to you. Even her¡­ manipulation of Aglaia and Indigorath could be explained if we were to assume that she simply wanted to make herself known to you right now.¡± True, but again I wasn¡¯t convinced if it constituted a reason to celebrate or prepare a funeral. ¡°The former,¡± Ahri stated confidently. ¡°If she wanted you¡­ if she wanted us dead we¡¯d be corpses floating in the ocean. And she wouldn¡¯t have waited until you could at least try to resist. She isn¡¯t after your head, Cassy, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s after your pain, either. I hope she only wants to talk but that¡¯s probably a fool¡¯s hope as well considering she probably sent a curse that killed all pubs of your age. It¡¯s idle speculation anyways, we have to meet her to know for sure.¡± ¡°And what if we simply ignore her? Pretend like nothing¡¯s happened,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Would you really want her to come knocking on your door again instead of the other way around?¡± No, I decidedly didn¡¯t want that. She might just freeze Free Land for the fun of it or to vent her anger. ¡°That¡¯s it, then,¡± I asked instead of answering. ¡°Time to go?¡± ¡°You need to be able to stand on your own, first, never mind flying,¡± Viyara chided. ¡°But once you¡¯re back to normal¡­ what else is there?¡± A good question. Unfortunately I had pushed off my departure for so long now that I simply felt like I had forgotten something very important. Almost how it felt when you packed your suitcase. No matter how often you checked, you were always convinced you had forgotten something essential on the way to the airport. To make sure I quickly went through the excessive list of people I had¡­ collected. The kitsune would stay here, so would the dragons. The dwarfs would leave as soon as they were sure that there¡¯d be no danger, if they hadn¡¯t set sail already. Liz and her friends were probably waiting for Mordred to return. The elves and fey would be coming with us. So would my sister and her friends, whether I wanted them to or not. Will and Vanya would stay, helping Richard, while the two barmaids I had saved and Asra¡¯s former slaves still had to make up their minds. Kana would keep an eye on Brianna and her development. With Alassara around there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem there and the Brightblaze sisters¡­ well, they¡¯d stay but I still had to take care of them. ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Viyara interrupted me. ¡°I told your mother. She¡¯ll contact the Burning Court. If anything happens you still have the communication crystals, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be out of reach.¡± ¡°Provided we¡¯re not headed for a cozy, frozen cell for a few centuries.¡± ¡°Maybe you should pocket a deck of cards before running off, then,¡± Ahri chimed in. What the hell was wrong with them? Was I the only one taking a crazy angel with a grudge seriously? ¡°No, but what do you expect us to do,¡± my fiancee replied. ¡°Sit there quivering, like¡­ children on their sand castles when the flood rises?¡± ¡°Fair point. Anything else I should know?¡± Somehow the dragoness had managed to organise more in the scarce few minutes I had been unconscious than I had in almost half a day. ¡°Hmm¡­,¡± Viyara mused, ¡°Aurelia has been down at the tree for a while now. In case you¡¯re interested the two barmaids you brought along have moved in and decided to stay. They are currently driving Greta and Alassara up the walls with their pleas. You do remember that you invited the vampire over, right? Well, it doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s leaving anytime soon. Unless the two can scare her away¡­ Can we get a carpet here, a silk screen there would be truly marvellous, would you mind if we brought in some booze and a counter for old time¡¯s sake? They¡¯re quite lively. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have turned the entire tree into a tavern look alike by the time we get back.¡± At least I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them. That was something Greta and Alassara could worry their pretty little heads over. I blinked at the sky again, focusing on the cool, silky caress of the wind and Viyara¡¯s warmth behind me. The low murmurs amongst the sails and the whiplike cracks of loose hawsers turned into a cacophonous but familiar melody and my senses came alive. My mom¡¯s breath and Reia¡¯s worried heartbeats reached me as the acidic smell of Black Powder, the confusing taste of a fully crewed sky ship and the scent of my family again became a reassuring tapestry I couldn¡¯t see but feel. The fog was lifting. In a few minutes I¡¯d be fine. ¡°Where¡¯s Aglaia,¡± I asked quietly, unwilling to vacate my cozy resting spot just yet. ¡°Going through her ledger,¡± my mom piped up as her sparkling tresses and oversized ears traipsed into view. A heartbeat later her cool fingers ran along my cheeks. ¡°Could you not¡­ do that in the future? Seeing you vulnerable just doesn¡¯t feel right. Especially with¡­¡± her voice trailed off but I knew what she meant. The last time I had collapsed under the weight of my past Free Land had burned. ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± I tired to reassure her as I clasped her hand and breathed a kiss against her palm. ¡°I¡¯m not in danger, simply overwhelmed. I thought you¡¯d be thrilled, considering that I¡¯m always rubbing in my age and it¡¯s been proven once again that I can¡¯t really cope myself.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve always known you to be a hypocrite,¡± Reia chuckled as she stumbled closer, almost faltering under the weight of a iridescent blue trident, a white, shimmering sword and a diadem of moonstones. My mom had apparently decided that she needed her hands to make sure I wouldn¡¯t suddenly vanish and the little troublemaker had had the good fortune of standing next to her at that moment. Hence the arcane arsenal she was trying not to drop. Oh boy, if they knew what they were actually holding¡­ I wasn¡¯t so sure about the diadem but the two weapons were as powerful as my spear. As if she had suddenly developed a knack for reading my mind as well she added: ¡°what are those things, anyways? They¡¯re much too heavy for normal weapons but yet they are too small for dragons or other strong species.¡± She paused, her eyes darting from the pristine tools of destruction to me and back again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°Right now you¡¯re the second mortal, after mom, who¡¯s holding a transcendent artefact. Three to be precise. Don¡¯t let go. They¡¯re not just¡­ things and if they decided to feel slighted by how you handle them it would be a tad more serious than you can imagine.¡± With a crooked smile I added: ¡°the end of the world serious.¡± Her eyes went wide as she pulled the sparkling gems and alloys closer to her chest. ¡°Are you pulling my tails,¡± she stammered. ¡°Afraid not. Don¡¯t worry, they seem to like you. You¡¯d know otherwise.¡± A suspicious, rapturous gleam entered her eye and I immediately continued: ¡°you still can¡¯t have one. Not now, at least. They already have an owner.¡± Mentally I added: ¡°don¡¯t they, darling?¡± ¡°Is that some underhanded way of asking whether or not I¡¯m angry you haven¡¯t handed me that blade a few hundred years ago,¡± Ahri retorted without any real heat. ¡°If it is, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t¡­¡± the acrid taste of guilt and the bitter tang of rage welled up but she quenched the smouldering flames before they could bloom. ¡°You were right,¡± she finally admitted. ¡°A sword without a path is just a deadly edge, no matter what it is made of.¡± I pondered for a heartbeat before I replied: ¡°Do you want it now?¡± She had known the question would be coming but she still took a moment to formulate a response. ¡°Yes and no. I won¡¯t be able to bind it until I¡¯ve reached my maturity. Would you mind keeping it safe for me until then?¡± ¡°What is mine is yours. Of course I will. But¡­ are you sure? Even as a pointy stick with an edge it¡¯s much better than anything you can ever hope to find. And you¡¯re already well past the point where its weight would make a difference. Also¡­ I think it¡¯s yearning for a name. Of the three only the blade is still shackled by obscurity. I can¡¯t set it free. You can.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength, yet, and I don¡¯t need a transcendent weapon for now. Once I grow my ninth tail or we have to face one of our siblings in earnest I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll change my tune but until then I think it¡¯ll be for the best if you simply keep it safe and hidden.¡± 398. Of favours, talents and a little threat Cassandra Pendragon Helplessly I stared at the neat, shimmering, translucent columns in front of me. They could as well have been written in Ancient Chinese. Scratch that, Chinese was easier to read. A ledger¡­ so to speak. In reality it was a crystal they had used to store the information. Who¡¯d have thought that Aglaia and Indigorath had amassed an abundance of¡­ well, dirt on our esteemed rulers over the last years that could rival anything Marlon Brando¡¯s Godfather had ever dreamed of? By the Great Fox, infidelity, murder, treason¡­ the list was practically endless. ¡°How,¡± I stammered. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what a pretty face and a few glasses of wine can accomplish,¡± the vixen laughed. We were still on deck, off to the side, while the crew was finally heaving the long, smooth canon barrels through the large trapdoors. With more enthusiasm than skill, I might add, which resulted in quite the ruckus and a veritable barrage of curses. Distractedly I took the bait and presented her with an ardent smile: ¡°Are you quite sure I don¡¯t already know?¡± She swallowed visibly, a faint blush rising to her pristine, alabaster cheeks. ¡°I¡­ never mind.¡± She deflated and asked quite seriously: ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°If used properly this is more than enough to topple a few ruling families, never mind making a single one stay the hell away from my friends. But honestly, how? Unless you¡¯ve slept with every official on the islands I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how you¡¯ve managed to cobble it all together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m quite faithful,¡± she pouted before she shot me a sideway glance and added: ¡°with one exception.¡± I chose to ignore the unspoken invitation. What could I even have said? ¡°Anyways,¡± she continued hurriedly when she saw my reaction or rather the glaring lack thereof, ¡°Indigorath is clever. More so than you apparently give him credit for. I brought a few seemingly unconnected tidbits home and he managed to turn them into a coherent picture. I don¡¯t think anybody realised that they had told me more than they should have. In truth they hadn¡¯t. Only when put together did the stories become more than idle gossip. I wouldn¡¯t have managed without Indi. It¡¯s probably him you should be impressed with.¡± This time I couldn¡¯t stop myself and cocked an eyebrow: ¡°And yet you¡¯ve invited me into your bed¡­ for the second time now. How come?¡± She shrugged with a brave attempt at nonchalance but her burning cheeks gave her away. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about it quite a few times ever since you¡¯ve stood in the way of a dying mountain for us, ever since you¡¯ve burned a star to keep us safe. Anyone who¡¯s willing and able to do as much doesn¡¯t count.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle: ¡°Does that mean I can look forward to an invitation from him as well?¡± Her smile was only slightly taut. ¡°You¡¯re not quite as good at concealing your distaste, dare I say revulsion, as you seem to believe. If you could look at him without sneering, though¡­¡± Good Lord, apparently I had dodged a bullet there without ever knowing. I had to admit, though, it was a testament to the slug¡¯s character that I hadn¡¯t even noticed. The more I came to know of him, if not necessarily from him, the more I understood why Aglaia valued him that much. Enough to overlook his godawful, creepy appearance. Just thinking about the worm and her in the dark made me shiver. Her silky, glistening skin against his rubbery hide, slender limbs squashed under¡­ nope, not going there. I shook my head to dislodge the intrusive image and muttered: ¡°sorry. I hope he doesn¡¯t take it personal.¡± It had never been my intention to insult him. It wasn¡¯t his fault that he looked like Jabba the friggin Hut. Come to think of it, it wasn¡¯t my fault either that he made my skin crawl. But I should have done a better job of hiding it. Millions of years of experience and all that. ¡°How can he not? He doesn¡¯t hold it against you, though. He knows what he is. And for that matter so do I. But we can¡¯t choose the skin we¡¯re born into, can we?¡± ¡°No¡­ unfortunately we can¡¯t. Should I¡­¡± ¡°Talk to him? Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d enjoy it. Apologise? There¡¯s no need. You¡¯re not the first and you won¡¯t be the last who can¡¯t look past his monstrous heritage.¡± ¡°You make me sound like a spoiled brat,¡± I complained softly. ¡°Then again, maybe I am. You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t need to apologise but I should. Before I leave, even. Where is he, anyways?¡± ¡°In his own way charming the dark skinned, scarred fighter you¡¯ve brought. Nightshade, right? They¡¯re getting along pretty well. They have more in common than meets the eye.¡± Of course they had. Damn it, I had all but forgotten the former Captain. With the Broken Wheel gone he must have felt like a third¡­ well, wheel. No wonder the slug¡­ Indigorath had cozied up to him. Luckily he wasn¡¯t privy to anything I wouldn¡¯t want the Purple Worm to know. Probably. Holy hells, I couldn¡¯t even keep track anymore of whom I had told what. Worse, I was struggling to keep up with everyone I owed, had met or wanted to have a heart to heart with, once I¡¯d have the chance. ¡°I need a break,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°A day would be lovely, a century deserved.¡± And here I was, spreading my wings to rush head first towards the next walking calamity. How often could you even smash your head against a wall without either breaking? With a frustrated sigh I told the vixen: ¡°just as well.¡± I returned the whitish crystal to her, the sparkling lights dissipating as soon as it vanished into her dress. I breathed in deeply, the rising stench of the city more than enough to tell me were getting close without turning around. A quarter of an hour, tops, before the ship would touch down amongst the skeletal remains of the harbour. ¡°You never really meant to leave after a week, did you,¡± I asked out of the blue. Aglaia frowned in confusion: ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from?¡± ¡°The only sentence Indigorath uttered where I know he was telling the truth. I¡¯m hunted and we need help. I guess his family is closer than you want us to believe. How bad is it?¡± She eyed me shyly before she explained in a single breath: ¡°Bad. They haven¡¯t bothered us for a while¡­ for years but one of the advantages of your little quest is that it¡¯s very hard to do anything major amongst the islands without us knowing. Have you¡­ have you heard about the brewing war to the north?¡± ¡°I¡­ you probably don¡¯t mean the fey and elves, do you? Right, the central atoll. I¡¯ve heard they are clashing over one unimportant island or the other. Supposedly they¡¯ve found a new metal there and everyone with a claim is getting ready to forcefully take a slice of the pie. Is that about right?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Pretty accurate, except it isn¡¯t some kind of metal. Who¡¯s told you that? Anyways, it¡¯s more like a crystal that can be worked like metal. From what I know it¡¯s capacity for mana is practically limitless and¡­ whatever is stored inside doesn¡¯t dissipate, not in the slightest.¡± It was my turn to frown. A perfect magical battery? No wonder they were bashing their skulls in to get their hands on it. If what she said was true a tiny morsel of the stuff could make or break a kingdom. Think about it. Have your mages pour their energies into it whenever they¡¯ve capped their stores. After a single rotation you¡¯d have doubled the mana available in your empire and it¡¯s only going to grow from there. Holy fuck¡­ materials like that did indeed exist. My own spear and the weapons Reia was still cradling like newborns close by were made of something similar. But usually they could only be found in the void, a crystallisation of transcendent forces turned solid over time. I would have loved to laugh it off, chuck it up to a mortal¡¯s exaggeration, but¡­ Ancalagon, the Arete family, the cataclysm¡­ goddamn Gabriel. There had been so much transcendent intervention on our world over time that it had probably become as saturated as Earth. More so¡­ Amon! No wonder we hadn¡¯t heard of him in days. He wasn¡¯t licking his wounds, chances were he was out and about, desperately trying to get his hands on the stuff. It wouldn¡¯t save him if we were ever going to come face to face but I didn¡¯t even dare imagine what he could cook up with a resource like that. Establishing a bridge across the ocean would turn into a trifle¡­ unless Gabriel intervened. Damn it, I really had to find my sister and beg. Beg her to swallow her grudges, at least for a while, and help us. If she wasn¡¯t prepared to fight with us, something I thought about as likely as Michael suddenly discovering his conscience, she might be persuaded to prevent anything from crossing the waves. I shivered when I imagined what she would ask for that little favour. A pound of flesh? An eye? My youth? There really was no telling. ¡°Cassy,¡± the vixen asked worriedly and gently took my hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re pale like a sheet.¡± ¡°I¡­ are you quite sure you aren¡¯t mistaken,¡± I rasped. ¡°How did you find out?¡± With a satisfied twinkle in her eye, that could have driven me up the walls considering my stomach felt like I had just swallowed something really cold and really wiggly, she said: ¡°We were handed a piece when it was discovered. We were lucky. Indi has it embedded in his forehead. So¡­ yes, I¡¯m quite sure. He¡¯s been pouring his strength in for months now and the pea sized thing isn¡¯t even remotely full. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a limit¡­ you¡¯re the only person I can think of who might be able to find out. But I¡¯d rather not have you blow off my husband¡¯s head.¡± The ghost of a smile tugged on the corners of her mouth but when she saw my rigid expression she immediately continued: ¡°That¡¯s also the reason why we want to leave again¡­ if you¡¯d have us, we¡¯d like to return, though, but we can¡¯t allow his siblings to get their hands on that island. They¡¯re backing different lines of the royal family, hoping to claim the prize for themselves.¡± Never mind the damned slugs, they could have the island for all I cared, but I couldn¡¯t allow Amon to get his hands on it. I¡¯d rather raze the entire atoll to the ocean flower, burn it into oblivion and ash and live with the heartache. ¡°Gods,¡± I cursed softly, my trepidation slowly turning into anger. Good, considering the days ahead I preferred wrathful to weepy any day of the week. I closed my eyes and turned away, waiting for the flashing sparks of silver and blue to fade away. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here,¡± I finally pressed out, my voice thrumming with just a hint of power. ¡°But you won¡¯t go alone, either. If Sera wants to become a part of this family she¡¯ll have to work for it and risk her scaly hide,¡± I added more calmly as I went through our options. Viyara and Aurelia would have been my preferred choice but there was no way in hell the dragoness¡­ ¡°Assuming makes an ass out of you and me,¡± her voice interrupted me scathingly and my eyes flew open. The delicate hybrid had walked up without me realising and was apparently more than happy to scold me publicly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you without a reason but that¡¯s different. There¡¯s a chance Quenda and Narros will insist on accompanying me, though. They¡¯ve come here because of me in the first place and while they can¡¯t complain while I¡¯m with you I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let me run off on my own.¡± That wasn¡¯t going to happen either way. ¡°Neither will I. Take them with you. That¡¯s what? Two true dragons, a Purple Worm, a kitsune, Aurelia and you? Even if I¡¯m right and the Emperor is already there you¡¯ll always have a chance to call for help.¡± ¡°Call you and Ahri, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I mean. And you will. Promise me, young lady¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­,¡± Aglaia tapped my shoulder and interrupted timidly. ¡°I think I¡¯m lost¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to decide who¡¯ll keep your tails from being clipped,¡± Viyara explained curtly and rolled her eyes. ¡°I thought you were oh so well informed? You did figure out who has had our angels on the run ever since I¡¯ve met them, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s hardly imaginable that he won¡¯t come knocking, if he isn¡¯t already close by. A potentially limitless reservoir of power has a tendency to attract unsavoury characters. And Amon surely is close to the top of the list. Come to think of it¡­ why isn¡¯t everybody and their kin already lining up for a fight? A discovery like that should draw in dragons, fey and whomever else you can think of like moths are drawn to the light.¡± The vixen¡¯s head swayed from left to right pensively and the colour gradually drained from her cheeks. ¡°Most likely because they don¡¯t know? The discovery was an accident four weeks ago. An old goldmine caved and the miners were buried. When they desperately searched for a way out they went deeper and accidentally stumbled across a sparkling vein, deep within the mountain. It was fluorescent so they brought a few pieces to light their way. Two made it out in the end. Their story can¡¯t have spread much further than to the neighbouring islands. We only know of it because we have enough dirt on the local duke to ensure he shares every interesting tidbit with us immediately. That¡¯s also how Indi got his sample. It¡¯s one of the two the miners had with them.¡± ¡°What happened to the other one,¡± I asked but she only shrugged. ¡°No clue. The duke claimed the second miner had sold it but he didn¡¯t investigate. Even from a preliminary analysis he knew that this would produce ripples far beyond his pay grade. He¡¯s determined to keep his head down and sway with the wind.¡± ¡°Then¡­ how can you be sure that Indigorath¡¯s siblings are getting involved?¡± She flinched. ¡°Three of them have chased us off. That¡¯s hard to forget or misinterpret.¡± ¡°And you still plan to return,¡± I asked incredulously. ¡°To be honest, we thought we could convince you to come along.¡± With a dazzling smile in Viyara¡¯s direction she added: ¡°but I¡¯m sure your precious ward will keep us safe just as easily.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who might have gotten wind of a substance that could potentially change the world, but you had the time immaculately dissect who I am,¡± the dragoness retorted suspiciously. ¡°I can¡¯t remember Cassy or me telling you¡­¡± Aglaia raised her small hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t need you to tell me and we haven¡¯t payed off someone close to you, either, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re anxious about. It¡¯s just written all over her when she talks to you. As for you¡­¡± her words trailed off but the mischievous albeit slightly forced wink she added made sure Viyara was aware that she had seen through the dragoness¡¯ own tumultuous emotions quickly enough. ¡°Great,¡± the slender hybrid huffed, a small tongue of golden fire with an unyielding core of silver escaping her luscious lips. Turning to me she asked curiously: ¡°not all kitsune can sprout wings, can they?¡± I grinned. ¡°No, they can¡¯t. Which is why you won¡¯t throw her overboard.¡± ¡°A pity,¡± she hissed, the flames much more pronounced this time around as they slithered uncomfortably close to Aglaia before they petered out. ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand my relatives, though. Being mocked by your breakfast isn¡¯t a desirable experience.¡± With sparkling eyes the vixen pretended to quiver and took a step back, inclining her head submissively. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been my intention to mock you, mighty dragoness. Pray tell. How can I ever repent for my mistake?¡± Even though her inflection had only been half serious Viyara¡¯s face splint into a predatory smile. Apparently she was going to take her by her word, no matter what. 399. Of weapons, trust and a little bit of payback Cassandra Pendragon ¡°You really don¡¯t have to lead me around like a mother hen, you know,¡± Reia complained and playfully pushed against my tails around her waist. ¡°I can walk perfectly well on my own.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leading you around,¡± I corrected and ushered her through the burned out double doors and into the ship. The flames had petered out but we still had to jump over a few entirely charred steps and push through the bitter taste of smouldering wood. ¡°As long as you¡¯re treating those weapons like your own blood I can hardly let you out of my sight. What happened to the fans I gave you, anyways? New toy more shiny?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you we can swap,¡± she retorted, pulling the sword and trident closer to her chest. Admittedly, she didn¡¯t look as comical as I had expected, considering she was at least a head short for the implements of destruction she was lugging along. With a small smile I called my spear and leaned it against the closest wall. ¡°Tell you what, if you can lift it you can keep it.¡± She blinked owlishly her gaze travelling from the shimmering weapons in her arms to the pointy stick. ¡°Where¡¯s the catch,¡± she asked. I shook my head. ¡°No catch. It¡¯s simply¡­ awake. The ones you carry aren¡¯t. Go on, try. I promise it won¡¯t bite.¡± She stared suspiciously for a few heartbeats longer, but ultimately her curiosity won out. Grumbling under her breath she handed over her burdens and wrapped her hands around Aiglos shaft. The only evidence of her ensuing struggle were her reddening face, her whitening knuckles and her trembling arms. A few seconds later she even started panting but the silver spear wouldn¡¯t budge an inch. My smile widened as I asked: ¡°Already giving up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± she huffed as she finally let go. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even tilt to the side.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± With a thought I recalled it into my hand and made it disappear. ¡°Maybe you just didn¡¯t try hard enough?¡± ¡°Bite me. Did you just mean to mock me or was there a point I¡¯ve missed?¡± ¡°What do you think? Admittedly watching you struggle is somewhat satisfying¡­ in a very childish way but as you so often insist I am still younger than you. And the point¡­ I was curious. If you had managed to move it even a hair¡¯s width I still wouldn¡¯t have handed you a weapon but I would have considered giving you this.¡± The diadem of moonstone and silver materialised in my hand. ¡°Funny how it goes sometimes,¡± I added wistfully. ¡°As soon as there¡¯s a tool of death and carnage available everybody thinks it¡¯s got to be the most powerful, the most coveted thing in the room. Mostly they aren¡¯t. Same thing here. Mom and you, you were so focused on the gleaming blades that you didn¡¯t even spend a second to look at this. Be honest, if I hadn¡¯t brought it up again, would you even have remembered this little piece of jewellery?¡± ¡°Probably not,¡± she huffed as she scrutinised the faintly glowing gems, their lustre almost reminiscent of my own magic. ¡°Go on then. What is it and why is so important?¡± ¡°A prison, a refuge¡­ an entire world. I don¡¯t know. But I do know something else. Watch.¡± A single silver spark travelled lazily along my arm and vanished into largest moonstone. For the fraction of a second its smooth, iridescent surface rippled like water and the shadow of a blood red crown appeared. In the blink of an eye it was gone again, leaving behind nothing but a fragile memory. Reia¡¯s eyes went wide and she whispered: ¡°A prison¡­ like your ring? Is there¡­ is one of your siblings¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°In a way. But while the ring brings change, erases what has once been, this little thing¡­ I think it protects and the demon in there isn¡¯t an enemy. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s going to take but one day you¡¯ll meet him. His name is Chaleb. He¡¯s¡­ he has done more for me than I can ever repay. He even entrusted me with his life, quite literally as you can see.¡± Slowly, hesitantly she extended her hand but she didn¡¯t find the courage to touch the sparkling diadem. ¡°And you considered giving it to me,¡± she breathed. ¡°Why? What for?¡± ¡°Have you already forgotten your great plan, your immortal aspirations,¡± I chuckled. ¡°If you want to become one of us, you¡¯ll not only need the strength to see it through, but you¡¯ll also need the resilience to survive. I can¡¯t teach you that. I¡­ I do love you, Reia, and I could never bring myself to¡­¡± ¡°Hurt me,¡± she completed the sentence, understanding dawning on her pretty face. ¡°Quite so,¡± I admitted. ¡°There will come a day¡­ you¡¯ve seen it happen before. Ahri and I, what we are, it changes the people around us, quite literally. Even if you weren¡¯t determined to force the issue you¡¯d sooner or later find your magic, your essence to be changing. As close as we are it¡¯s not going to take too long. When that happens¡­ you¡¯ll have to prove that you can shoulder the burdens your choice entails. The power, the heartache, the responsibility and the pain. For that is one thing I have to make very clear. The life of an immortal¡­ it doesn¡¯t end in death but it always brings pain. I¡¯m not going to watch you suffer until I know it won¡¯t ever silence your laughter.¡± ¡°And you think he can teach me,¡± she asked with far less trepidation that I would have liked. ¡°No¡­ no one can teach you. But if you can¡¯t¡­ you won¡¯t last long in Chaleb¡¯s presence. He¡¯s not only a demon. He is a knight of hell and while he is honourable, he¡¯s also ruthless, cruel, uncaring, hateful. One day you¡¯ll stand before him and tell him that you intend to become an immortal. He¡¯ll laugh at first but once he realises there¡¯s actually a way he¡¯ll make sure you are the right choice. Something I can¡¯t do. I don¡¯t trust myself with you. If you had been able to move my spear it would have been time to put it to the test.¡± Her ears drooped dejectedly. ¡°And now,¡± she asked, her voice trembling. ¡°Have I failed?¡± I stored the three items in my stamp and used my tails to pull her closer. When my arms circled around her neck I replied: ¡°Of course not. It just means we have a little more time. It¡¯s your second attempt. My spear, my commands¡­ my magic. In a way they¡¯re all the same. I¡¯m not going back on my word, Reia. If there¡¯s the slightest chance you can become one of us without losing yourself I will let you try.¡± Her small hands played with the fur on my ears absentmindedly as I felt her tension gradually drain away. Finally she muttered: ¡°Do you think there is?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Of course. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to take a single step down this path. But¡­ yes, it¡¯s going to hurt. Pain can change people. I won¡¯t allow anything to change you. If you weren¡¯t that stubborn you¡¯d already be pretty perfect. As long as I¡¯m alive nothing and no one will turn you into something you are not, you don¡¯t want to be.¡± Her warm breath tickled my cheek when she exhaled deeply. A moment later she asked with the smallest hint of a grin in her voice: ¡°Does that mean I can try lifting your spear instead of fighting a command? Sounds like a bit more fun. At least I could do it outside.¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t expect me to massage your cramping back afterwards. Which reminds me. Not a word to anyone about the diadem. Are we clear?¡± I could practically feel her roll her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you or Ahri. Not even with Archy or Estrella. I¡¯ve figured as much out on my own.¡± I felt her squirm as she tried to escape my embrace but I didn¡¯t let go just yet. ¡°I think you can make an exception for them. They¡¯ve earned it.¡± I kissed the top of her head and finally allowed the young vixen to take a step back. I still kept my tails in place, though. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. When were you going to tell me that you plan on following me to see Gabriel with your own eyes? And when did you even learn about her?¡± ¡°Did you read my mind,¡± she flared up. One second she was questioning her existence and the next she was spitting sparks. That girl, too, was becoming more like me with every passing day. ¡°Superficially but I could also have guessed if I had known you had heard. But that¡¯s hardly the point. How? Spill.¡± ¡°Viyara,¡± she admitted after a token moment of resistance. ¡°First when she lectured you on how she wouldn¡¯t allow you to go without her and then when she grudgingly realised that she¡¯d have to nonetheless. She¡¯s growing more powerful with every day and her telepathy spills out when she¡¯s¡­ troubled. If I listen closely I can hear her.¡± I frowned. ¡°And you never bothered mentioning this?¡± ¡°I did, only not to you. I told her. She reckons she¡¯s starting to associate me with you which means some of her thoughts are¡­ getting lost. They can reach me from time to time but there¡¯s no way for an outsider to listen in. She asked me not to tell you. She¡¯s afraid you might try to put and end to it. She doesn¡¯t want that and for the record, neither do I. It feels¡­ like we¡¯re growing closer. Like a family. I¡­ we both like that.¡± I blinked. ¡°Why ever would I want to put an end to it?¡± I was genuinely puzzled and when the little trouble maker averted her eyes I even became suspicious. I tightened my tails a bit. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re a bloody control freak. You¡¯re getting better, but still¡­ she thought you might throw a hissy fit if something happened to us that wasn¡¯t related to you. And I¡¯m not so sure she¡¯s wrong. Honestly, if the glow in your eyes is any indication you¡¯re already pretty angry. Or is the fact that we kept it from you,¡± she added cheekily. ¡°Would you rather I¡¯d not?¡± My question was quiet, genuine, but the tension held for about a single heartbeat until Reia chuckled and leaned in closer to kiss my cheek. ¡°Of course not. I¡­ I think we both love it. It¡¯s¡­ indescribable how it feels to know someone¡¯s always watching over you whether you want them to or not. Like family. Can you just let this go? It¡¯s not that hard, is it?¡± ¡°No, no it isn¡¯t,¡± I admitted and reached for her hand. ¡°See? I can let go. But I¡¯d still rather you told me whenever you start hearing strange, draconic voices in your head.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not that strange,¡± Reia laughed and took my hand. ¡°Where to now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for Indigorath. Come on, it¡¯s not far.¡± As if I was accompanying my little sister on her first day of school we strolled deeper into the ship, hand in hand. Once in a blue moon the weight of the future felt surprisingly light, almost comforting. At least I thought so until I realised that there was an actual, warming weight pressing against my aura. I froze mid step and Reia stumbled when she was suddenly pulled to a halt. ¡°What now,¡± she muttered exasperatedly, a rather accurate summary of my own thoughts, even though I¡¯d have gone with what the hells or something similar. I shook my head and closed my eyes, my wings whispering into existence like a translucent curtain for her to hide behind. Whether she wanted to or not. And then I listened, my senses turned inward, searching, touching¡­ something was trying to get out of my goddamned stamp. For Christ¡¯s sake, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to puzzle out what it could be. To even influence the structure of a pocket dimension from within the sheer power behind the sluggishly moving intent had to be transcendent or close to it and there weren¡¯t that many creations on our world that could boast such a legacy. Four I know of to be exact and they were all in my possession. Damn it, had the weapons been a trap? Possible but unlikely, considering my own abilities. Gabriel knew what I was capable of and turning one of her priced inventions into molten slag wouldn¡¯t challenge me. All I needed was a single touch. ¡°Stay there,¡± I commanded my sister and opened the seal, allowing the diadem, the trident and the sword to manifest. Two seemed just like they had a minute ago but the trident was¡­ fucking disintegrating, its edges flowing like water before they turned into turquoise sparks, a ghostly, blurry image of what it had once been. Before I could even do more than gasp the whole thing was gone, transformed into flickering motes of stardust. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Instead of fading away and petering out the motes of frozen light began to¡­ dance, like a swarm of fireflies under the full moon, rotating, pulsing ever more quickly with the longing of an unfulfilled desire I felt but couldn¡¯t comprehend. ¡°Reia,¡± I began hesitantly, the fur on my tails rising up as I felt a distant thrum, like a memory come to life, build within the sparkling maelstrom, ¡°get¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish. A jolt of fear tore through me as the magnificent lights collapsed into a formless wisp and surged unerringly towards the staring vixen. Not. On. My. Watch. ¡°No,¡± I hissed, the mere echoes of my power slicing through the cramped corridor while my wings swelled with the might of eternity. Ozone, thick and bitter and heavy, drowned out the lingering scent of coal and salt, the wooden walls creaked once and shattered like hot glass in the snow and realty itself groaned as I moved, faster than I had before, and the prowling tentacles on my back finally reached for their first real prey in a century. Not a single spark would touch Reia, not a single one. Or so I thought. Unfortunately I had reckoned without my host and my sister apparently had her own ideas. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she hollered, her voice almost lost in the transcendent storm around her but I could still hear her clearly. And even though I didn¡¯t mean to I listened and paused, if only for the fraction of a second. Maybe it was her intensity, maybe it was the absurdity of her demand or I had simply started truly treating her like one of my siblings, whatever the reason the cresting tide of eternity made real quivered on the spot, the intricate movement of my wings halted. Gaps appeared in the finely woven mesh and the scintillating stream of blue and green passed through unimpeded. ¡°No,¡± I cried, immediately redoubling my hold, my energy surging while the world around me already flickered towards the grey shadows of infinite stillness. But I was still too late. Before my eyes a single spark entered Reia¡¯s forehead while the rest vanished through her dark garments. The very next moment the dwarven fabric went up in flames and smoke, her attire reduced to nothingness in less than the blink of an eye. She stood there naked, her mouth still open in her faded scream, her eyes shimmering with a hint of turquoise while the two fans I had given her hovered at her side. Fear turned into amazement as I saw the stream of power harmlessly dissipate into the metal and the folded sheets of silver unfurled with a metallic whisper. The runes, the engravings were gone on either, replaced by a single, stylised trident, one made of emeralds, the other of sapphires. My mind stuttered to a halt, unable to process the paradoxical scene, when the fans closed again, shimmered and vanished, exactly like my spear would whenever I dismissed it. And then¡­ there was only me left, rushing forward like an idiot in an ravaged corridor, the sun blinking down mercilessly as I just about managed to wrap my tails around Reia before she collapsed. The child was cold to the touch as I felt her reassuring weight in my arms, but her breathing was regular and deep and her heartbeat steady. There was even a faint smile playing around the corners of her mouth as she exhaled in her sleep, her breath sparkling like the first kiss of winter. 400. Of kidnappings, choices and a little bit of desperation Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Gabriel,¡± I hissed. My voice made the air ripple like water in a pond despite my best efforts to keep my powers in check. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far.¡± Return the trident to me she had said. Unfortunately a part of the weapon was now stuck in my sister. An accident? A coincident? Unlikely. ¡°If you¡¯ve turned her into a pawn your life will end today,¡± I whispered, the words soaring into the sky and towards the distance on invisible wings. Caressingly I brushed a stray strand of her ebony tresses from Reia¡¯s cheek, her head following my movement as if she was trying to hold on to the comforting warmth for as long as possible. My heart ached as I focused on her closed eyes, her pale complexion and the lingering cold of her skin. ¡°She¡¯s mine,¡± I added. ¡°That entirely depends on how much you¡¯ve grown and what you¡¯ve learned, my dear,¡± a languid, cold voice flowed through the swaths of ozone around me, freezing the very air with every syllable. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to threaten one¡¯s elders. Who¡¯d have thought that the mighty Cassandra Pendragon, the dreaded devourer of immortals could be tamed with a few simple words? Ex abysso lux, appare.¡± Oh, fuck. I reeled, my wings fanned out, desperately latching onto anything I could touch, my thoughts sped up and a tinge of grey clouded my vision, but ultimately it was still in vain. Darkness gripped me, the mouth of an endless, black tunnel opened underneath my feet and shackles of an eternal will propelled me forward, the edges of reality blurring like a dream on the morrow. In that fractured moment, somewhere between the past and the future, I stilled, the weight, the unfettered strength of who I was reared its head and my outline flickered, the form of a towering fox pulsing through the flimsy confines of my body. Right then and there I could have let go of the reins, I could have answered the call with the inexorable power I felt surging in my veins. I could have tried to resist, to break the transcendent binds that reached for me and, as much as it shamed me to admit it, I would have. The fear of damaging Amazeroth¡¯s wards, of turning myself into a beacon my siblings could follow, wasn¡¯t there, or maybe it was but I simply didn¡¯t care. If the soft touch of Reia¡¯s tails against my skin, her reassuring weight in my arms, had wavered even for a moment, I would have torn through every obstacle in my way until I¡¯d have held her again, until I¡¯d have been sure that she was safe. But I didn¡¯t. While the contours of the ship, the sun and the deep blue sky waned away her presence remained real, tangible, an anchor to cling on to, and together we fell through the darkness and the cold towards my waiting sister. I gasped when the summoning spewed us back out, the sound swallowed by the icy, bone chilling, pitch black water around us. The last bit of air left me in a glowing bubble and I felt the pressure of an entire ocean thunder against me, filled with a ravenous intent to grind me into stardust and memories. But the sea wasn¡¯t what I was afraid of. Without a thought I marshalled my wings into a protective bubble around us, my energy surged and with a lightning strike that illumined the desolate depths I blew away the suffocating force. A first, timid breath slipped through my throat, accompanied by the frozen, almost liquid stench of rot and decay. ¡°Please,¡± I whispered as I pulled Reia closer, my ears quivering. The girl was soaked to the bone but she was still alive. Rigid and pale and cold but alive. Reflexively my mind reached out to Ahri, longing, pining for her warmth to help me battle the darkness, but as soon as my magic stirred the ocean floor lit up with silvery blue flames as the outlines of a hidden, intricately cast, silver pentagram flared to life. Fire and sparks, silvery blue swaths of unshackled power and an echo of eternity danced around me like an infinite swarm of magnificent fireflies before my power was repelled by my own strength, thundering against my mind like a battering ram. With a suppressed curse I fell to my knees, silvery blood pouring from my eyes, my ears, my nose, enfolding Reia like a scintillating blanket of silver. Damn it, the time to fight had passed. I had allowed the trap to close around me and now I was stuck, imprisoned by my own strength. I couldn¡¯t even call for help, nobody knew where we were and my connection to Viyara wouldn¡¯t fare any better than my transcendent link to Ahri. Had I just killed us both? Had I just allowed my fear of what might happen to destroy our lives? Oh gods¡­ ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± the same, bone wrenchingly cold voice resounded from the darkness, just beyond the flaming lines that kept me prisoner. A gust of warmth, almost like the first touch of spring, swirled through the endless night and my surroundings became clear as the oppressive, impenetrable walls of water on the other side were swept away like mist under a burning sun. ¡°But it¡¯s not over,¡± Gabriel continued as I struggled to my feet and wiped away the silvery streaks that obscured my vision. ¡°You owe me a life and a death, Cassandra, and I¡¯m here to collect.¡± The vast, almost grey expanse of nothingness around us was only broken by a looming mountain, its flanks reflecting the dancing flames in silver and blue. From the dead seabed, devoid of light and life, it rose like a towering giant from ages past but I still recognised the crack that¡¯d lead ever deeper into its bowels, ever closer to the half forgotten cave where I had lost my courage and Gabriel her innocence. Like a gaping maw the passage beckoned, a pitch black hole amongst the crevices of frozen magic and burning ice. I swallowed dryly, my stomach felt like a smouldering lump of lead and my eyes wandered across the grey, silent fields of sand towards the deceptively small figure on the other side of the formation. There she stood, the only spark of life in this wretched domain. Without a doubt I knew that we weren¡¯t on Gaya anymore, the absence of even seaweeds or faded bones more than enough to convince me that we didn¡¯t abide in the fields of the living anymore. ¡°Where are we,¡± I asked, my voice taunt and shaky. I was scared. For the first time in weeks I was truly scared. Not for me, I had known for a while now that my life would end like this. If not here then in some other godforsaken place far away from the light. But Reia¡­ she couldn¡¯t die here, she wouldn¡¯t die here. And it was up to me to make sure. I simply didn¡¯t know if I had it in me. ¡°My prison, the sealed, seventh realm,¡± she answered, her pale, luscious lips drawn into a cruel smile. ¡°The very place where I suffered for years, for millennia, for aeons. Miserable, isn¡¯t it? I thought you should see¡­ and your seals might yet come in handy.¡± An icy cold fire ignited in her mesmerisingly blue eyes while the rest of her youthful, agonisingly beautiful face froze into a dead, unmoving mask. She exhaled an azure shower of frozen sparks which wreathed itself around her bare, breathtaking figure like a chiton. Her power surged and her arctic blue hair rose and flowed around her as if we were still under water. If it weren¡¯t for the smouldering flames of eternity in her eyes she¡¯d have looked like a young princess of the seas, a perfect, merciful angel of the ocean, there to rescue the wayward souls from the depths.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! She raised her arms, a small frown marred her perfect, bluish skin and with the sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh her wings appeared. Skeletal, broken, ugly things bursted from her back, decaying strips of skin sadly dangling from the claw like limbs. The scent of rot became almost unbearable and I inadvertently took a step back, my tails pressing Reia against my middle as if she was my newborn. ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± she purred, her words like shards of glass in my ears, ¡°fear? Do you actually fear your little sister?¡± I shook my head hesitantly and whispered: ¡°I fear for her. For both of them. Gabriel, what have you done?¡± She closed her eyes and tilted her head, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. ¡°Is that really the first thing you want to say to me?¡± No, there was so much more but it didn¡¯t matter. I couldn¡¯t change what I had done¡­ I wouldn¡¯t change what I had done, but: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m truly sorry. I let you down. Whatever my reasons I failed you.¡± She jerked. ¡°You just bought yourself a few minutes. And an explanation. As for your apology¡­ I¡¯ll accept it once this is all over. If I still can,¡± she sighed and opened her eyes again, the flames within were still there but much less¡­ hungry, ¡°and if you still want me to. I meant what I said. You owe me a life and a death. Her,¡± she pointed her faintly glowing hand at Reia, ¡°life and my death. It¡¯ll be up to you to decide how much of either, if you have the strength to free yourself. Save your breath. This isn¡¯t revenge, it¡¯s a debt you owe and I won¡¯t change my mind.¡± She fell silent, answering the rising hum from my wings and the cresting glow in my eyes with indifference. I wasn¡¯t rallying my powers to strike at her, the circle would keep her safe and make me suffer if I tried, but the heat, the song of eternity always brought anger, anger and clarity. The crackling behind me was the only noise in the oppressive emptiness and when I spoke my voice was steady. Steady and cold. As cold as ice. As cold as hers. ¡°Neither will I. If you make me choose you will die. Is that what you want? Force me to honour my word?¡± A low chuckle, tainted with the shadow of insanity escaped her. ¡°No, Cassandra. I don¡¯t want to be erased. I want to live and I want you to raise and protect me. That¡¯s the life you owe. And the death¡­ well, if you do nothing it will be your sister¡¯s. Or do you believe she¡¯ll keep a spark of who she is alive, when the entire life of an immortal is going to drown her? How old is she? Twelve? Fourteen? It took me that many centuries to find the strength to open my eyes after what you did to¡­ after what we did. She¡¯ll vanish like a candle in the ocean.¡± The flaming walls around me roared defiantly, the surge of power in my heart strong enough to trigger a reaction as my tails suddenly grew, the soft fur turning into even softer scales. From one second to the next Reia was entirely covered, protected from my sister¡¯s crazy glare. ¡°Your weapon,¡± I murmured, ¡°you marked her. You want her to carry your core?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ll make her my vessel unless you manage to burn me into oblivion before the change. If you can¡­ her wish will be granted. But you¡¯ll have to escape first. I don¡¯t think you have it in you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always underestimated me, even though you could never beat me. How long will you give me?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Ive already said you¡¯ve earned yourself an explanation. Once we¡¯re done this body will die. You know the rules. Seven seconds for my core to form, seven seconds for the voyage, seven seconds to merge. You¡¯ll have 15 seconds at the most before your little sister will turn into¡­ well, your other little sister.¡± ¡°Why do you even give me a chance to succeed,¡± I asked and the fires of insanity in her eyes returned with full force. ¡°Because I¡¯m still hurting,¡± she hissed. ¡°Have you any idea what we have done? This soul has crumbled, it has seeped through the cracks and poisoned me. If I have to go on like this I¡¯ll burn the whole cosmos. What little sense I¡¯ve left is screaming at me to end it, but on the other hand¡­¡± she chuckled. Coldly. Cruelly. ¡°It¡¯s not that loud of a voice. Poor little thing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to break the circle.¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t get to her,¡± I replied evenly and tightened my hold on Reia. ¡°Do you really believe that? You¡¯re mine, Cassandra, mine. I can borrow your magic and there¡¯s nothing you can do to stop me.¡± Her slender fingers moved in a beckoning gesture, the circle came to life again with a furious howl and Reia¡¯s weight vanished from my embrace. ¡°No,¡± I hollered, as I dropped to all fours, soft, silvery paws scraping across the sandy ground. Without sparing a single thought for the futility of my actions I charged forward, shrouded in a screaming cloak of silver blue flames. Faster than light I moved, the sand instantly turned into glass before it was blown to pieces. The very atoms in the air shuddered and split, hot, white explosions erupted along my feline body, the world vanished behind a curtain of ravaged elements and then I crashed into the circle. When I came to I felt a distant ache in my back, the translucent walls of the formation singeing my skin. I laid naked at the bottom of a perfect sphere, thrumming with my own power. Everything within the circle had simply been annihilated. There was nothing left. Not even dust. ¡°Ouch,¡± I rasped, more out of reflex than anything else. My voice sounded strange in my own ears, deeper, fuller¡­ older. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡± A soft, genuinely amused chuckle reached me and I blearily looked up towards the edge of the crater where a stunningly beautiful girl held a sleeping vixen by the scruff of her neck while a speck of violent, silver light danced around her other hand. ¡°You actually created an anomaly that would have devoured this entire galaxy out of spite? Oh boy, and I thought I was the crazy one.¡± With a lazy flick of her hand she sent the ravenous mote towards my prison where it immediately dispersed. With a suppressed yelp I rose a few metres into the air as a surge of energy thundered through the spell structure. ¡°You can¡¯t break my circle,¡± Gabriel continued. ¡°Why do you think your brother¡¯s people were cursed? I used the essence of your tribe, your people, your blood, of the very children you love to forge your chains. Unless you¡¯ve learned how to escape a summoning spell you¡¯re mine.¡± She shook Reia gently. ¡°And soon she will be, too.¡± Her last words had been soft, filled with longing, but I didn¡¯t hear her anymore. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. In the burned out bubble of mutilated nothingness I had reached for the one thing that hadn¡¯t shattered, yet. Time. With a bloodcurdling wail like an entire planet dying the passage of time ground to a halt, the pressure of creation slowly mounting against my wings. Cracks immediately tore through the small realm we were in, the fragile construct much more flimsy than Gaya¡¯s adamant walls. Time¡­ as ludicrous, as paradoxical as it was I didn¡¯t have much of it. I could only pray that it¡¯d turn out to be enough. Enough to change, enough to evolve and escape my chains. Enough to strangle my sister with her own insanity and protect the little bundle of flesh that I couldn¡¯t live without anymore. ¡°Mine,¡± I echoed in the frozen moment and closed my eyes, my senses directed inwards. There wasn¡¯t much for me to find, the connection to the outside had been locked by magic and the blocked up time stream, but I still had my memories. My memories, Amazeroth¡¯s book, my cube, the diadem Gabriel had sent me and the damned ring on my finger. Don¡¯t ask me why, maybe I had remembered something without realising, maybe it was just my intuition, but somehow I had become convinced that I¡¯d only have to remember, that I¡¯d only have to grasp what the gods damned ring was for and my eighth tail would sprout. That would change me, that would allow me to escape. And then¡­ Ahri thought I might have been able to challenge one of our siblings. I¡¯d know soon enough. Three beings had entered this realm, but only two would leave again. With a thought I reached for my stamp before three shimmering objects materialised in front of me, the only specks of colour in a greyed out world. ¡°Brothers,¡± I mumbled, ¡°let¡¯s hope you¡¯re as clever as you¡¯ve made yourselves out to be. This is it. I¡¯ve seen your miracles before and now, please, grant me another one. Allow me to grow when it isn¡¯t already too late. Just this once.¡± The end of an era… maybe Alright, I''ve decided to simply add a chapter so all of you won''t be skipping the oh so popular author? thoughts :) First of all, thank you for staying with the story for 400 chapters. That''s quite a lot. As you might have guessed we''ve come to a turning point within the story. There are quite a lot of choices to be made and I''m going to take a few days to figure out which way to go. Which brings me to the reason for this little rant, if you want to weigh in in a meaningful way, now''s the chance. What would you like to see, what would be a turn off? Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.For me, there''s mainly one question to answer: do I want this book to end at all. Usually webnovels just go on and on and on and I wouldn''t mind writing in that direction. On the other hand I could start concluding all the little sidestories slowly and actually work towards the immortal war and the angel? time on earth. if you have any preferences just type up a comment. anyways, that''s it from me. Thanks again for staying with Cassandra and her family for months and all the best to you and your loved ones! 401. Of sacrifices, wings and a little bit of hope Reia Pendragon ¡°Just a few more minutes,¡± I slurred drowsily and tried to wiggle out of the fluffy embrace I was stuck in without opening my eyes. When the tails around me stopped moving I grinned with satisfaction and snuggled deeper into the soft body behind me. For half a heartbeat I felt entirely content¡­ protected, safe, until a chill crept up my spine. I knew Cassy¡¯s smell inside and out and there was no mistaking her for anyone else, but even though she had always been cold, quite literally, her skin simply didn¡¯t radiate as much heat as others¡¯, I had always felt warm close to her. Not right now. Wherever her velvety fur or her silky skin brushed against me it felt like the touch of a starless winter night sucking the warmth right out of me. I opened my eyes and blinked in confusion, the whitish green, speckled light that danced across a silent forest floor about as familiar to me as the intricacies of sewing. Pine needles and wilted leaves, snowdrops and woodruff, gnarled, ancient roots and the trunks of mighty trees easily as broad as our home rose all around me, covered in a thin, delicate blanket of white. Snow. I had never seen snow before but somehow I instinctively knew what it was. Which also explained why I was feeling cold. It had to be freezing to¡­ With a jolt I jumped to my feet and promptly became entangled in the silvery ocean of tails around me. With a suppressed curse I lost my balance and tumbled over, crashing down on top of Cassandra with my full weight. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to wake her up,¡± I thought wryly as I already imagined her arms catching me but to my surprise she didn¡¯t react, not even when I buried my elbow in her ribs. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled as I rolled off of her. She must have been truly asleep. ¡°Where are we,¡± I continued and flopped around on the ground like a fish on dry land to face her. Something¡¯s not right, I thought when she didn¡¯t react. Motionless she laid on her side, her tails still tangled up between us, her raven black hair covering her face like a veil. Frowning I scrambled to my knees, the hardened snow cracking loudly with my every movement. Gently I reached out and brushed the silky, black curtain from her cheeks. The very next moment I froze, my gaze glued to her hollowed out cheeks, her closed eyes. Traces of silver were still glistening on her skin, especially around her eyes and mouth as if she had started bleeding profusely and had never bothered to wipe away the blood. Her face was sunken, emaciated almost, and she didn¡¯t breathe. My stomach clenched and a surge of panic singed my insides. What had happened to us? How did we get here? And what, by all the gods, could hurt my sister? Frantically I pushed her tails out of the way, my eyes stinging, my vision bleary. The soft, nimble limbs felt like¡­ things in my hands, dead and lifeless. If I hadn¡¯t been woken by their movement just a few seconds ago I wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to ignore the rising dread but I knew she was still there. She had twitched. She had to be alive. But why¡­ When I finally managed to unbury her from the fluffy tomb I gasped and my tears started falling freely. She was entirely naked, her lithe, pristine body covered in¡­ wounds. Deep, bluish gaps marred her silver skin, torn muscles and even silver bones peeked through the tears but there was no blood, not even coagulated clumps around the cuts. I tried to breathe in, but it ended in a sniffle. I just couldn¡¯t smell anything around the painful lump in my throat. ¡°Gods,¡± I whispered, ¡°what have I done?¡± I didn¡¯t even realise why I had uttered the words at first but then the memories came back in a rush. The ship, the Purple Worm, Cassy¡¯s cube¡­ the Trident. No, no, no! It was my life I had been prepared to bargain with, not hers. Never hers! What had I done? And then I remembered¡­ I had fought her with fangs and magic and claws, I had tried to kill her, to finally silence her, to extinguish the fire in those eyes that had reminded me of what I had lost, of what I had run from for uncounted years¡­ but I hadn¡¯t won. I had burned. I hadn¡¯t been able to overcome her ironclad determination, her unbound willingness to keep me safe¡­ my vision splintered. I was me, kneeling, crying at my sister¡¯s side but I also wasn¡¯t. A faint shadow of what I had once been reared its ugly head, a final, defiant parting gift before it would forever vanish. Burning silver, the assurance of eternity, the knowledge that I had finally held her in my grasp, that I would finally be the only one deciding my fate. A scream, thundering through the sealed realm like the wrath of heaven, the flames of the circle surged only to be devoured the very next instant as a towering figure, wreathed in silver and blue, rose from the ashes, a burning crown upon its brow. Splendour and might, a suffocating presence, not yet fully formed but brimming with the promise of what it one day would become, the torment of a world torn asunder¡­ the taste of blood on my tongue, the exquisite agony as something more than magic poured into me, slowly erasing, slowly devouring the shackles I had crafted for myself. Soft flesh parting underneath my fans, the pain of lost limbs as a frothing maw filled with glowing teeth tore through my flimsy form. For hours, days, years we had fought but while I had become weaker, my power devoured with every clash, she had grown and in the end¡­ I fell. Not into darkness but into the light and she had payed the price for me, she had payed her dues. For me¡­ for the little girl I¡¯d become¡­ for us. She had kept her promise and I¡­ I would honour it. And that meant letting go. Gabriel no more. I was Reia Pendragon, first of my name, the first incarnation of a newly born immortal. I was alive. I felt my tears solidify on my skin as a nimbus of palpable cold, like a frozen mist, shrouded us in numb silence. Even the rustling leaves, the scurrying beetles in the overgrowth and the creaking trees quietened down, ossified in the fraction of a heartbeat. A silky whisper, like gowns caressing over skin, reached me and I felt a tug on my back. Blue, harsh light flooded over Cassandra¡¯s rigid form and ice crystals began to bloom on her skin, adorning her with gems she¡¯d never have the chance to see. A sharp jolt of pain made me flinch as I felt new tails sprout but I didn¡¯t care. Like a fawn desperately clinging to its dead mother I tried to snuggle into her, to make her see me, feel me, recognise me, but she didn¡¯t move. She didn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°Please,¡± I cried, my voice choked, ¡°please, just come back! You can¡¯t leave me, not you!¡± I pressed my cheek against hers, intertwined my tails with hers, longing, pining for a hint of warmth, for any sign that she was still there but as the world around us froze, so did she, her beauty slowly disappearing underneath a blanket of crystallised tears. My tears¡­ my fault. I hadn¡¯t wanted this. The only reason why I had even wanted to become what I now was had been her. I hadn¡¯t been able to bear the thought of leaving her again and now¡­ what had I done? My strength left me and I could only cower at her side, desperately wrapping her tails around me in the absurd hope that she¡¯d react, that I could call her back but I didn¡¯t even know where she had gone, what she had endured to get me here. ¡°Wake up,¡± I whispered hoarsely, ¡°please, wake up.¡± But she didn¡¯t. I knew she couldn¡¯t even hear me but still I begged. I begged and I pleaded while ice slowly claimed the forest. The world froze over and so did I. I was alone and this time she wouldn¡¯t chase after me, she wouldn¡¯t suddenly appear and save me. I had seen to that¡­ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°You¡¯re a powerful one, aren¡¯t you? I wasn¡¯t sure¡­ enough of the pity party already, you know better. If you keep on pumping your ice through the forest someone¡¯s bound to notice and we don¡¯t want that.¡± Hope. A few words uttered with surprise and respect in equal measure ignited a bonfire of hope in my heart that almost made me feel like I was burning. As an afterthought the velvety, enticing and decidedly feminine voice added: ¡°and she doesn¡¯t have to save you. She already did. The rest is up to you. And me, maybe. Get up. It¡¯s time to move and you don¡¯t have your strength, yet. Lugging your sister around is going to drain you much more quickly than you can imagine. Get up.¡± My blood thundered in my ears and I felt giddy. My fingers trembled as I brushed away the frost on my lashes and looked up to peek at a forest of immaculate ice. Everything around me was frozen, covered in a blanket of sparkling white and blue. From Cassy¡¯s tails to the towering oak we laid under everything had been smothered in a wave of snow and cold. Silence reigned, except for a tiny ball of red and black, hovering above us like a miniaturised star. ¡°What are you,¡± I had breathed before I could even realised what I had said. ¡°What? Shouldn¡¯t it have been who?¡± She didn¡¯t sound upset, rather¡­ intrigued. ¡°The name¡¯s Lilith. I¡¯m sure Cassandra has mentioned me once or twice. I¡¯m an¡­ aunt, of sorts, or rather I would be if I was actually here. But the explanations can wait. In about ten minutes you¡¯re going to realise that even an immortal has a hard time against powerful beasts if they can¡¯t use their magic. And since I can¡¯t help we should get going. Doesn¡¯t matter where, as long as it is far away from here. How fast can you learn how to fly?¡± I blinked and then I grinned. There was a chance. There was a chance for me to see my sister again, otherwise Lilith wouldn¡¯t have asked me to bring her along. That was all that mattered. No matter how minuscule that chance, no matter what I had to do, I¡¯d try gladly until the very end. ¡°Fast,¡± I stated resolutely as I stretched my creaking joints and squatted down to pick Cassandra up. She wasn¡¯t heavy once I had freed her from her frozen coffin but she was still taller than me. It wouldn¡¯t be fun. ¡°As fast as I have to. Can you keep up once I move?¡± The glowing orb produced a sound that reminded me of someone blowing raspberries. ¡°I¡¯m the thought of a demoness. Don¡¯t worry about me. Worry about clearing the boughs without breaking your neck. If you smash your head into a tree hard enough you¡¯ll die and your darling sister will have one hell of a time regenerating while she¡¯s being digested by a bear. 8 minutes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be too hard,¡± I muttered and spread my wings, ¡°Cassy learned how to fly in a blink.¡± For the first time I craned my head and looked at the two scintillating limbs I had risked my sister¡¯s life for. My grinned widened. Two swanlike wings, each about twice my size, sparkled in the dim, whitish light. The feathers consisted of a myriad of tiny, intricately linked, bluish snowflakes and the perfect pattern was aglow with an echo of eternal power. A faint mist rose from them as if winter itself was breathing through the beautiful, glasslike structure while a shower of immaculate ice crystals gently soared towards the ground. That¡¯d do. Oh hells, that would do. Reflexively I moved my tails to keep my balance but when the cold light hit the shimmering appendages I gasped. I hadn¡¯t grown out one tail but two. With four of them I¡¯d have been considered an elder on Boseiju despite my not even thirteen years of age. Not to mention they weren¡¯t black anymore but blue. Not the dark blue of a night sky or the deepest parts of the ocean either, but a light, almost aquamarine colour like an iceberg or a frozen, crystal clear pond. ¡°She really did it,¡± I breathed. I wasn¡¯t conceited enough to believe it had been my doing. Not even for a second. ¡°Yes, yes, fabulous,¡± the self proclaimed demoness scoffed, her light flickering nervously. ¡°Could we postpone the celebration? If you listen closely you¡¯ll hear the forest groan. There¡¯s a storm of fangs and claws coming and I¡¯d rather not be here when it arrives.¡± Right. Wounded sister. Stuck in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it was a tad too soon to count my blessings. Without another wasted breath I tightened my hold on Cassandra and wrapped two of my tails around her for good measure. I wouldn¡¯t let her fall. Never. As I spread my wings my heart was already beating at the top of my throat, the far fetched pipe dream of soaring through the sky with my family was finally within my reach. I crouched, my muscles quivered with suppressed tension and I launched myself into the sky, my wings beating furiously. About half a heartbeat later I staggered, lost control and crashed towards the oak we had been sleeping under. A new jolt of fear tore through me and I flipped my body around, turning myself into a cushion between my sister and the unyielding bark of the tree. A second later we became a disheveled heap on the frozen ground and a shower of ice rained down on us from the shaking branches, accompanied by the bitter smell of blood and crushed acorns. ¡°Ouch,¡± I groaned as crimson flowers bloomed around me from the warm river I felt trickling down my back. ¡°On second thought I might need a while,¡± I slurred defeatedly. Even the short moment had been enough to convince me throughly that even though I was able to fly I didn¡¯t have the foggiest idea of how to go about it. ¡°Fuck,¡± Lilith cursed, ¡°she¡¯s really burned you to the bone this time, hasn¡¯t she? There¡¯s nothing left, not even a single memory. Alright¡­ run. Now. I¡¯ll do what I can to buy you a bit of time but if you don¡¯t start moving now your immortal life will be one hell of a lot shorter than the few years you¡¯ve spent as a kitsune.¡± Terrific. At least I hadn¡¯t broken any bones. I hoped. I scrambled to my feet dizzily and redoubled my hold on Cassandra. ¡°Can¡¯t I fight,¡± I mumbled and tried to blink away the dark spots obscuring my vision. ¡°With your help¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help,¡± she erupted anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m just a thought. It¡¯s already friggin impressive that I managed to keep a strand of consciousness functioning without a connection to my core. I can¡¯t do jack shit. As for you¡­ no. Truth be told, right now you¡¯re even weaker than you were before. You can¡¯t use your magic, even your transformations will be sealed until your core connects to the stores within you. Your next evolution.¡± ¡°So all I have to do is remember something important from my past,¡± I asked breathlessly as I took the first few staggering steps. ¡°Didn¡¯t you listen? There¡¯s nothing to remember! Gabriel is gone. There¡¯s only you left and you¡¯ll have to make your own way. No shortcuts this time, honey.¡± She paused her wisp like figure flickering. ¡°Cats,¡± she cursed a moment later. ¡°It had to be cats. Listen, you have to speed up. Now. There are huge, black cats on your trail. A lot of them. If they catch up¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fox. I know what they¡¯ll do,¡± I hissed through gritted teeth but I still couldn¡¯t convince my aching bones to move any faster. I had barely managed a handful of tottering steps. The ice cold fear I had buried under a fragile layer of excitement returned in full force and I felt my ears quiver and swivel. The forest was still silent. For now. ¡°What if I hide Cassy and lure the cats away,¡± I suddenly blurted out while I finally picked up my stride and limped around the oak. By the Great Fox, my shoulders were already aching and I hadn¡¯t even started running, yet. ¡°They aren¡¯t after you. They¡¯re after her. I don¡¯t think they can even smell you. Where¡¯s the firecracker? Ahri¡­ that was her name. If you can¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know where we are,¡± I cursed. ¡°How should I know? She¡¯s probably going mad right now. How long were we gone?¡± ¡°Considering what happened to you, as in to your core, I¡¯d say a while. Cassandra hasn¡¯t grown up, yet. It must have taken her ages to overcome Gabriel. It shouldn¡¯t even have been possible, but she¡¯s always been a freak. On the other hand, two immortals nuking it out? If they smashed the time stream to bits it would be over in a thrice. Come to think of it I don¡¯t have a clue.¡± 402. Of death, rebirth and a little but of fate Cassandra Pendragon Cold. I was so cold. Cold and lost. There was nothing around me but a grey void and nothing within me but a faint, waning memory of warmth. When I closed my eyes I thought I could see the crumbling echos of fire and wings but every time I tried to cling to the nourishing heat I recoiled. The most fleeting touch burned me and while I slowly froze, my heart began to blister. ¡°Why,¡± I tried to cry but I didn¡¯t have a mouth, I didn¡¯t even have a body to hide within. I had been whipped raw, everything had turned to ash and only the last, most precious part of me was still there. Until it would ossify, until it would become numb and vanish, turn into another frozen memory in a sea of nothingness. I knew I was dying, I knew I was bleeding but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. When life is cold, death becomes warm. I couldn¡¯t resist anymore, there was nothing left. No hope. No warmth. The end was grey and cold but still I longed for it. I longed for a chance to escape, to forget and flee the fimbulwinter at the end of time. But I knew I couldn¡¯t. I had promised, hadn¡¯t I? If only I was able to remember¡­ ¡°Shirking your duty,¡± a frigid voice flowed through the void like frozen determination, ¡°that¡¯s a bad idea. We¡¯ve done it once and now you have to pay. Don¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± I tired to hiss but the lack of vocal cords turned it into a weak spasm of my formless outline. I couldn¡¯t even curse properly. A chuckle like breaking glass tore into me as if nails of ice were piercing my ears. ¡°Not quite gone, yet, are we? If you still have the strength to curse me you¡¯ll have the strength to escape. But you have to really want it. It¡¯s not enough to fear the end, you need something¡­ or someone to return to. You¡¯re not alone, Cassandra. You just can¡¯t remember, but you¡¯ll have to if you want to wake up. Unfortunately I can¡¯t blame you for hiding. It¡¯s a miracle you pulled through. The memories might kill you, but without them you¡¯re as good as dead anyways. Do you know who you are?¡± It wasn¡¯t a conscious thought, but my mind immediately came up with an explanation: ¡°I am you and you are me.¡± Again I was assaulted by his mirthless laughter. ¡°Almost but not quite. I¡¯m the part of you that keeps you shackled to your past, that prevents you from living your own life. I¡¯m the shadow behind your throne. I am what makes it impossible for you to open your eyes. Can you imagine why?¡± Again I didn¡¯t know, but the answer came to me: ¡°I¡¯m on the cusp of ascending. I have to forge myself anew. But¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve already faced me. Several times if we¡¯re being honest. This is different¡­ you went through a crucible you weren¡¯t ready for. You¡¯ve lost yourself. Not to me but as a sacrifice to protect¡­ well, that I can¡¯t tell you. You¡¯ll have to remember. But that also means remembering what you¡¯ve done¡­ what made you grow and scared you enough to come here willingly.¡± The grey nothingness didn¡¯t change but two more voices suddenly resounded. One low and raspy, the other deep and full of vigour. ¡°I am sorry, I should¡¯ve told you sooner, but in here I can¡¯t,¡± the former whispered while the latter grunted: ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see you cower. Are you that disgusted with your own people that you¡¯d rather vanish than shoulder the burdens of what you are? Cassandra¡­ it¡¯s you choice, but you should know that you¡¯re not only throwing away your own life. I wouldn¡¯t even mind if it were just you and me, but it¡¯s not. If you give up¡­ the torment of the last century will have been in vain. We¡¯ll have suffered for nothing and the one you can¡¯t remember¡­ she¡¯ll pay the steepest price.¡± Anger and fear ignited in the dull, frozen landscape of my mind but the fire was extinguished before it could even bloom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t. I¡­ there¡¯s nothing left¡­¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± the raspy voice retorted, its inflection marred with a tinge of barely restrained fury. ¡°You can¡¯t even fathom how deep your powers actually run. It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t, you simply don¡¯t want to,¡± he added with contempt. ¡°You¡¯re hiding because you think you don¡¯t deserve to live. You¡¯ll fail either way. Better to get it over with, eh?¡± Something about his words made me pause: ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s not who I am,¡± I thought. ¡°Damn right it isn¡¯t,¡± the one who had spoken to me first replied. ¡°Which means you have to figure out what could frighten you enough to want to change¡­ to want to run away.¡± ¡°You, it¡¯s been you,¡± I slurred, addressing the three of them. ¡°What have you done to me?¡± ¡°What you asked for. You needed a truth to evolve and only one was powerful enough to touch your soul,¡± the quiet, hoarse voice answered, its anger gone. ¡°By the thirteen eyes of the abyss this is more difficult than setting it up,¡± he continued exasperatedly. ¡°We could tell you, but then¡­ if you can¡¯t find the strength on your own you¡¯ll truly die here. Cassandra, it only takes one name, one thought for you to wake up. It¡¯ll bring you pain, but also hope. I¡­ I promise.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m empty! There¡¯s nothing within me, no memories, no will¡­¡± ¡°How are you even thinking, then,¡± the deep, martial voice scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re wounded, not dead. All you have to do is find the way back. Stop the pointless blabbering and answer me this: what do you need?¡± ¡°Warmth,¡± I immediately thought, ¡°fire and flames.¡± ¡°Goddamn, you¡¯re a blind fool,¡± he replied with enough venom to convince me that he¡¯d have beaten me black and blue if he had been able to. ¡°Look behind the curtain. The flames will burn you and no amount of warmth can expel the creeping cold you¡¯ve been subjected to. Try again. What do you need?¡± I wanted to flare up, I really meant to, but again I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care overly much. Still, his words had struck a chord. What did I need? ¡°Whom,¡± I whispered, barley able to comprehend my own thoughts. ¡°It should be whom do I need. I¡­ I can¡¯t remember. Have I¡­ did I sacrifice¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± the cold voice from the beginning immediately denied. ¡°As much as I like the kid, if that had been our choice she would have perished. Your desires, your needs are sealed behind an iron curtain of fear. You have to push past and what lies beyond will return to you.¡± ¡°But how,¡± I stammered, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t even feel scared, how can I remember? There¡¯s no way¡­¡± ¡°This,¡± the low, raspy voice explained, ¡°all of it, it is your fear. If you¡­ manage to move you¡¯ll see. Get up Cassandra, show me that my labours haven¡¯t been in vain. I believe in you. We all do.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. With a cruel chuckle the invisible knight added: ¡°I¡¯ll even do you one better and smack you straight. But you must find your will to live. You must remember¡­¡± ¡°Her name,¡± the cold voice concluded. ¡°She¡¯ll pull you out. If you can¡¯t¡­ we¡¯ll stay with you until the end.¡± He paused and his inflection changed: ¡°you¡¯re not alone, Cassandra. You haven¡¯t been for the longest time¡­ Shadows fall. And hope has fled. Steel your heart¡­¡± ¡°The dawn will come,¡± I breathed and for the first time I actually heard my voice. ¡°The light will rise, darkness¡¯ demise. A promise kept, a thundering drum, without regret, the dawn will come.¡± I screamed as my power suddenly surged in my chest as if it had grown wings of its own. Maybe it had. Wings of fire and flame wreathed around a creature I¡¯d face heaven and hell for, time and again. Aurora she had been but Ahri was her name. I remembered. I remembered it all. Gabriel. I had challenged her or rather she had challenged me. Somehow she had known that I could be summoned and she had used it to even the score. A life and a death. My sister¡¯s death to bring her a new life. To escape my chains I had been forced to evolve, I had had to understand my very soul and what I had seen, what I had felt had scared me, scarred me¡­ forever. The ring. The ring and the seal on Ahri¡­ they weren¡¯t meant to refine or command immortals. That was just a byproduct. They were a wedge, a wedge between two parts of myself, destined to be kept apart for all eternity. Destiny¡­ or fate. Sweet irony. Who had originally carried Ahri¡¯s seal? Who had turned her into an integral part of myself, willingly surrendering his own purpose? For all my years, ever since I had been wounded, maimed, in times before time, so far back, so alien that even my memory couldn¡¯t reach them, I had fought against myself. Without destiny there is no freedom, without purpose there¡¯s no decision, without fate there¡¯s no law to rebel against. I wasn¡¯t just Cassandra Pendragon. To some I was known as Amazeroth. No wonder he had been an angel, once upon a time. No wonder it had taken his blood to transform the ring, all those aeons ago. I just didn¡¯t know why he had allowed it. The ring listened to him, it always had. It was a part of us and if he had wanted to change the course of history, he could have resisted when the demons had burned his core, he could have¡­ devoured them. Heat spread through me, nourishing and warm, as every part of myself, parts that had been torn asunder, unable to bear the truth, came together. My body, my will, my core¡­ my soul. I finally knew who I was and why I could wear a crown. I was still split, the seals as profound, as eternal as on the day they had been created, but I was aware. Aware and ashamed and hurt. It had been me. It had been my will, my desire to rise against the threat my siblings posed to creation and it had been my doing that had buried my family, my people¡­ my home under a layer of shit so deep I still hadn¡¯t managed to scramble out from under it. My father¡¯s blood, the blood of the kitsune, the blood Amon¡¯s atrocities would still demand¡­ Aurora¡¯s death¡­ it was all on me. On me and my inability to lower my head. I had known the price when I had acted against Michael. That was on Lucifer. But I had also set the scene so I¡¯d have a chance to win. That was on Amazeroth and the combined weight¡­ had almost crushed me, had almost buried me in oblivion. Crimson flames ignited in the cold, pulsing with every beat of my heart. Despite my guilt how could I ever have even toyed with the idea of leaving her? Bloody, silver tears streamed down my face. For now it was nothing more than a glowing lattice but with every passing second it became something more until unblemished skin closed over regrown muscles. I knew I wasn¡¯t here, the three phantoms and my own existence a mixture of memories and dreams made real through immortal magic, but it was still comforting to feel my tails slash through the air behind me, all eight of them, just before my wings erupted and flooded the grey void with light. Enough. What had I been thinking? Hiding, running away from my past. Once, just once I had stumbled and it had almost cost me more than I could bear. I had almost forgotten Ahri, I had almost lost her. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice steady but full of shame. I wasn¡¯t ashamed of what I had done. I was ashamed of hiding from the consequences, of risking my life¡­ my love out of cowardice. I was no coward. Once, but never again. Whoever I was, whatever I had done, I¡¯d do better¡­ I¡¯d live my own life until the very end. I wasn¡¯t alone and that was all that mattered. It was enough for me and it had to be enough for my people. Angels and demons¡­ we had been divided for too long and I finally knew why I had always been fighting. I hadn¡¯t fought against my brother, not even against the lingering, inherent darkness in all of creation. That had been Lucifer. I¡­ I would be fighting for my people, for Reia, my family and the mortals I loved. I¡¯d fight for them, for their future. For them and for Ahri. Like I always had. The only constant in my life. By the Great Fox¡­ how in hell was I going to explain all of it to her? Darling, I killed one of our siblings and helped fuse her core to Reia. Also, I¡¯m part demon and responsible for our plight. That¡¯s why I nearly abandoned you. I couldn¡¯t live with my guilt. No hard feelings, right? Oh boy¡­ she was going to skin me alive and make my fur into shoes. I couldn¡¯t even blame her. ¡°I have to return to her side,¡± I added, my chest ablaze with flames of longing that kept me warm... and just a jolt of fear. A tiny one. ¡°Chaleb, Amazeroth, I¡¯ll meet you again. Soon. Lucifer¡­ I imagine this is the last time?¡± Three men appeared before me. One could have been my twin. ¡°I¡¯ll always be waiting in your memories, but no¡­ you won¡¯t see me again unless you unlock the last side of the cube. From now on you are me but I¡¯m no longer all of you. And Cassy, as vain as it is, I¡¯m goddamned proud of you. Go to her. Without regret. You¡¯ve earned it. You both have.¡± When the grey void was already trembling and their outlines were waning he added with a smile: ¡°or should I say you three? Gabriel is dead but Reia is alive. Who¡¯d have thought. A good omen, an omen of dawn, if you ask me. Farewell, Cassandra Pendragon. Farewell, Lightbringer.¡± The light came, the darkness fled and I opened my eyes. Sensations poured into me. The wet, tantalising smell of cold earth, already teeming with spring¡¯s promise of verdant life tickled my nose, my bare skin moved over soft, comforting moss and my tails were warmed by a small fire, crackling merrily in a cozy, natural cave, nestled in between the ancient, gnarly roots of a towering ash. I was coiled up around a debarked stick, carved with a few simple kitsune characters: if you wake up: I hung some meat in the tree. It¡¯s not as bad as it looks. Will be back shortly. Love you. Reia. A small smile tugged on the corners of my mouth but before I could do more than wiggled my numb tails out from under me my tattoo flared to life. A roaring flame ignited on my chest, a cloud of steam billowed through the entrance Reia had carefully hidden under a few torn out brushes as the heat spread through the cave and an ethereal, miniaturised goddess manifested before me. Despite her smouldering eyes and her twitching wings my smile widened until she spoke, her voice thrumming with a hint of eternity: ¡°Where have you been? What have you done? Do you have any idea how¡­¡± Nimbly I rolled onto my knees. Before she could finish I had already wrapped my wings around her and pulled her to my cheek, the best substitute for a kiss I could come up with. ¡°I do,¡± I whispered chokingly. ¡°I do and I¡¯m so very sorry.¡± As her warmth surged through me, her thoughts settling into the deepest parts of my mind like a loving embrace, tears ran down my face freely. Any second now¡­ ¡°You blithering idiot,¡± she erupted, the tiny version of her burning with the strength of a sun. If it hadn¡¯t been for my wings the whole cave¡­ the whole island we were on, if indeed we still were on an island of my world, would have turned into molten slag. Her hands roamed over my face but she didn¡¯t try to hurt me. She was making sure I was still¡­ well, me. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should scream at you, kiss you, beat you up or tell you to go to hell¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just returned from a place worse than hell,¡± I mumbled, ¡°and you have every right to take your anger out on me, but before that¡­ I really wouldn¡¯t mind a kiss.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you¡¯re in a position to choose,¡± she huffed against my cheek, but still leaned forward, her hot, ethereal lips brushing against mine like a promise made real. ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get for now. Spill. What happened? The memories of your fight are sealed behind a transcendent wall. Why? And why, in god¡¯s name, would you think it¡¯s your fault? Goddamn, Cassy, have you learned nothing over the last months?¡± I puffed up my cheeks, my trepidation vanishing on the spot like a shadow under the sun. She wasn¡¯t judging me, she was simply angry that I had almost left her. In her mind I should have called her as soon as the circle had closed around me. And I would have¡­ if I had been able to and if it hadn¡¯t meant her death. 403. Of remorse, relief and a little bit of change Cassandra Pendragon There was a reason why those memories were sealed. The mere recollection of the powers Gabriel and I had unleashed was dangerous beyond comprehension. What we had done¡­ ¡°I did learn and I did listen,¡± I breathed in her ear, ¡°that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t call out to you. You¡¯ve got a decision to make, darling. Would you rather continue to chew me out or do you want an explanation?¡± I leaned back on my mossy bed and pulled her with me. ¡°For someone who¡¯s been willing to die a few minutes ago you¡¯re awfully audacious,¡± she grumbled, her tiny wings always whispering caressingly over my skin. ¡°I¡¯ll listen first then chew you out.¡± ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯d show you, but I can¡¯t. If you were to relive what happened it might come to life again. You¡¯d be fine, but this world¡­ do you know where I am?¡± ¡°Stop stalling,¡± she chastised. ¡°You¡¯re still on Gaya. Can¡¯t you smell the energy? You¡¯re either on the planet or in one of the subrealms. Now, tell me. How did you survive¡­ how did you win? And why on earth did you give up? Goddamn it, Cassy, you¡¯re only responsible for your own choices.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a slow learner,¡± I chuckled, the existential dread that had kept me prisoner before had evaporated as soon as I had seen her. By the Great Fox, it was almost pathetic, but I didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Did you¡­ did you see what allowed me to wake up?¡± ¡°I did. It¡¯s the only reason why I haven¡¯t set your hair on fire. Yet. What is it with you, anyways? Why did you have to lose yourself in the first place? What Lucifer has told you¡­ Cassy, you¡¯ve hurt me. When you went¡­ there, you abandoned me! And then you turn right around and prove that you really love me. I want to be furious, I want to strangle you, but you¡¯ve even managed to ruin that. What¡¯s been going through that head of yours?¡± She was trembling and I¡­ I was feeling loved. But I really owed her an explanation. ¡°In that case I should better start at the beginning,¡± I chuckled, which of course made her pinch my cheek. Gently. More or less. ¡°Our connection was severed when the circle closed, wasn¡¯t it? I guess that was on Gabriel. She had crafted the runes with the essence of my brother¡¯s people, my own blood in a way. Remember the curse Arthur and Aglaia mentioned? It wasn¡¯t a curse, it was a damned harvest. The resulting seal was strong, strong enough to block our link. To escape¡­ you know the rules, you¡¯ve told me yourself when I was summoned for the first time. I had to change, I had to evolve. Or I had to die, which really wasn¡¯t an option. I¡­ you know me. I didn¡¯t have a plan. I only knew that a spark of Lucifer must be contained in the cube he left for me. Then there was Amazeroth¡¯s book and the diadem¡­¡± ¡°Which diadem,¡± she interrupted but before I could contemplate an answer she added: ¡°right. I see. Chaleb. Gabriel gave him one of her treasures so that you could seal his core instead of annihilating it when you stole the ring. Is he still in there?¡± ¡°Very much. But don¡¯t ask me how to get him out. The power I used was enough to loosen his shackles but I¡¯d never dare to try anything comparable on Gaya. Never mind Amazeroth¡¯s wards, even the planet wouldn¡¯t survive the fallout. I was lucky. Gabriel¡¯s struggle to create something that can contain me was a blessing in disguise. She took us, Reia and me, to the prison I had made for her. My own seals and her magic allowed me to fight without restraint. I¡­ to be honest, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done. Somehow I channeled enough raw power into the artefacts to¡­ break them? No¡­ maybe change them? Like I said, I¡¯m not sure. All I know is that they suddenly responded to my call. My crown¡­ it came alive and it¡­ took something from the cube, the diadem and the tome. A memory. No, that¡¯s not right. It wasn¡¯t a memory. It was more. You know what I learned, what I felt. You know who I am. That was the price I had to pay¡­ not the knowledge, as daunting as it might be. When it was all over I had to¡­ feel, to live through what I¡¯ve done. Again.¡± My voice broke but I pressed on regardless. I had to tell her. ¡°Boseiju, Viyara¡¯s plight, the messed up fiasco with Shassa¡­ the sacrifices it had taken to make it happen. And this time I wasn¡¯t trying to make it out alive. I¡­ the magic made me suffer alongside everyone who had bled, who had died¡­ because of me. I¡¯m not trying to make up an excuse, but after I had just subdued my sister, after I had extinguished a life far older than this planet I simply couldn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it and I¡­ I broke.¡± I closed my eyes. Tears were glistening on my cheeks again but they were of a different kind. They weren¡¯t born from despair or pain. They were a sign that I was staring to heal, that I was finally able to accept who I was and that I¡¯d be able to move on. One day. With Ahri at my side we¡¯d forge a new destiny for us. The dawn was going to come. Despite her proclamations I felt her warm lips move against my skin when she kissed away my tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she breathed against my skin as her raging flames finally calmed down. ¡°Whatever are you sorry for,¡± I asked chokingly. ¡°For not being there. Every time¡­¡± when I heard the pain in her voice I opened my eyes again. She was on the verge of tears as well. ¡°Whenever it matters I can¡¯t¡­ I still can¡¯t help you.¡± Now it was my turn to get angry. And then I grinned crookedly. We really were two stubborn peas in a cracked pot. ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± she snivelled and rubbed her mesmerising eyes with her palms. ¡°No, it really isn¡¯t. You¡¯re sorry, I¡¯m sorry and we¡¯re both crying. Again.¡± ¡°The beauty of marriage. At least we have a reason,¡± she whispered through a few hiccups. ¡°You scared me. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d have done if you hadn¡¯t returned.¡± Which was kind of a sore spot. One I had never dared to addressed before, but we were already in tears. ¡°Ahri¡­ I¡¯m going to tell you everything you want to know, but beforehand there¡¯s¡­ look, chances are that you¡¯re going to outlive me¡­¡± of course she wouldn¡¯t let me finish. ¡°Like hell I will,¡± she snarled. Her temperature spiked again and I had to increase the pressure of my wings to keep our cozy cave from lighting up like a Christmas tree. ¡°Forever doesn¡¯t mean until death do us part.¡± I could only sigh, exasperate and happy in equal measure. ¡°Just listen for a moment, will you? I¡¯ve never asked, I don¡¯t even know if you remember, but¡­ before Lucifer and Aurora¡­ did you know that we accompanied each other¡¯s incarnations? Without dying? We¡­ you can see my memories. The first time Gabriel asked me to help her keep her soul I was old and tired. I meant to change¡­ I became Lucifer but before that I helped you through the first years of your new life. Afterwards you did the same for me. Why can¡¯t we¡­¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s not how this is going to turn out.¡± Her anger was gone. Now she sounded¡­ sad. ¡°If you fall our siblings won¡¯t allow you to rise. Not again. It took Amazeroth and Chaleb and Lucifer and Mephisto and who knows how many more to make it happen once. It won¡¯t happen a second time. And you can¡¯t ask me to remain behind when you¡¯re actually¡­ gone. I won¡¯t.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Damn it, Ahri, if that¡¯s the case I¡¯m done. I¡¯m going to run and hide with you until the goddamned mess blows over, one way or the other. Is that what you want?¡± Her answer came as a surprise: ¡°If I believed, even for a second, that you could live with yourself afterwards, I¡¯d ask you to do exactly that. As often as it¡¯d take. But you can¡¯t. It¡¯d destroy you. Maybe not today but as soon as you¡¯d stumble across something you can¡¯t watch in silence we¡¯d be back at square one. How long do you think that¡¯d take? A year? A century? Sacrificing our one chance to actually live for a few years of peace¡­ no. We¡¯ve been over this. Several times. What¡¯s changed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m growing up,¡± I admitted. ¡°When you¡¯re young you¡¯re feeling invincible and what I am has only made it worse. Every time I¡¯ve actually been in danger something¡¯s happened. You, our friends, my own powers¡­ something or someone has always kept me safe. I fear I¡¯m running out of aces in the hole. With Gabriel I¡¯ve used up my last joker. And it almost wasn¡¯t enough. Look, for me it¡¯s going to be one more evolution. One I can already feel burning inside of me. All I have to do is let go and I¡¯ll become an immortal. After that¡­ there won¡¯t be any safeguards or carefully laid out plans. It¡¯ll be us against hundreds of immortals and only god knows how many of them are corrupted. Honestly¡­ I¡¯m not giving up but aside from trying to comfort you I don¡¯t think much of our chances. What it took to overcome Gabriel¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure I can face a few, once I¡¯ve taken the last step, but a few corrupted ones? Or maybe ten? A hundred? There¡¯s simply no way. The next time I¡¯ll be cornered it¡¯s probably going to go the other way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re selling yourself short, which I don¡¯t mind,¡± a new voice commented. A voice I had only heard once before. ¡°You¡¯ve faced the armies of heaven and hell and you¡¯ve held on for quite a while. That was back then. I think you¡¯ll become stronger than Lucifer ever was. But your own power aside, you¡¯re also underestimating your dark side¡­ and us. Amazeroth¡¯s plans don¡¯t end with Gaya and the two of you aren¡¯t as alone as you make yourselves out to be. Aren¡¯t you the least bit curious what your sister turned into?¡± A wave of fire and silver light flooded the cave and in its wake a glowing sphere appeared, pulsing with an angry red, about the same size as Ahri¡¯s tiny form. ¡°My, oh my, we¡¯re a bit on edge, aren¡¯t we,¡± Lilith asked sarcastically as she hovered closer. ¡°No welcome kiss? Not even a hug? Are you still mad that I left you in that circle? Apparently it did you some good, after all. Hello Ahri. Wow, your current size does stimulate the imagination. Can you shrink at will? Could be fun.¡± Without a care in the world she settled down between my breasts and leaned against the soft skin. Her body¡­ her construct felt like the touch of a scorching wind, hot, but not unbearably so. ¡°Pretty comfortable,¡± she added innocently while I froze, taken completely off guard, ¡°but I guess that¡¯s not the place you were aiming¡­ ouch!¡± They had never met, at least not in their current incarnation, but when the small, burning angel chased the mote of light off me and around the cave, one pleading the other cursing, I couldn¡¯t suppress a smile. Home. It felt like home. Aside from the slightly perverted implication Lilith had used to rile Ahri up. Not that I blamed her. Ahri, that is. If our roles had been reversed I¡¯d probably have tried to deep fry the demoness as well. In a very non lethal way, of course. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the red mote exclaimed frantically as crimson flames were starting to char her outline. ¡°I really am!¡± ¡°Sorry? No, not yet, but you soon will be,¡± the kitsune hissed. Judging from her tone of voice she was indeed trying to burn the demoness to cinders but I felt her power surge against my wings and she wasn¡¯t exerting all that much to begin with. She meant to scare her and make a point. Maybe singe her a little bit. ¡°Girls,¡± I said after a few moments when the flickering lights and the aggressive hum of their movements were starting to give me a headache, ¡°can we call it a day? Let¡¯s consider it a lesson learned. No more touching. Where¡¯s Reia,¡± I added quietly. The miniaturised kitsune poked the floating orb with her wings one last time for good measure, eliciting a squeal and a tiny cloud of smoke that smelled like burned rubber, before she settled down on my shoulder, her eyes never leaving the demoness. A living, breathing danger sign. ¡°Trading,¡± Lilith huffed while she floated as far away from Ahri as she could. ¡°The girl has killed a Shadowprowler on her own and she¡¯s trying to sell the hide.¡± ¡°Shadowprowler,¡± Ahri asked, even though she resolutely refused to look at her. ¡°A magical creature,¡± Lilith immediately explained, eager to get back into her good graces, ¡°take a dark, shadowy place with a high concentration of energy, add a few wild cats to the mix and wait a couple of millennia et voila¡­ the ones around here aren¡¯t that large, maybe the size of a tiger, but they¡¯re dangerous hunters, especially in groups, and the older they become the more nasty they get.¡± ¡°Never heard of them,¡± I admitted. ¡°An indigenous species?¡± The hovering ball snorted. ¡°Oh boy, you¡¯ve no idea what¡¯s happened, do you? Do us a favour and use your second sight. Both of you. Provided your overzealous guard dog can use her senses in that strange state she¡¯s in.¡± I frowned but did as she had asked. A silver curtain descended around me and the lattice of reality became much less substantial. Behind the colourful veil the frothing fringes of the void waited but in between a¡­ wound had opened, a tear that ran through the very fabric of our world, constantly bleeding into our realm. ¡°What the¡­,¡± I began confusedly, but Lilith cut me off. ¡°I¡¯m going to spare you the guessing game. I¡¯ve only managed to escape Gabriel¡¯s clutches partly when she died so I haven¡¯t seen everything but I¡¯m decently sure the two of you have annihilated the realm you fought in. When it crumbled the pressure spread. The other subrealms can¡¯t cope. They¡¯re breaking apart, bit by bit. So¡­ in a way those creatures are indigenous, they belong to Gaya. But they¡¯ve escaped from another realm. Which, I can¡¯t say but they aren¡¯t the first and they sure as heavens won¡¯t be the last. You can see the tears yourselves. I¡¯d guesstimate it¡¯s going to take about a month until the realms are bled dry. Every thing in there will either have escape by then or will be crushed by a crumbling reality. Not a very nice way to go.¡± She paused before she quickly added: ¡°and before you get any funny ideas, that¡¯s in no way shape, way or form your problem. Don¡¯t even think about saving them all. There are too many¡­¡± ¡°Can the realms themselves be stabilised,¡± I interrupted her and the glowing orb literally deflated. ¡°Possibly. Both of you have the strength but unless you¡¯ve already remembered everything related to dimensional physics and astral distortions I don¡¯t think you can achieve anything besides making it worse. This time it¡¯s not about throwing energy at the problem until it¡¯s resolved. You need actual skill to anchor a realm without destroying it. Something you two don¡¯t have and I can¡¯t help. If I had my core, maybe, but that thing is still sealed miles below the ocean. Right alongside Odin. You can thank your guardian demon for that. Amazeroth saved us against Hekate¡­ you did receive our present, didn¡¯t you? The egg? Hecate¡¯s core? I can feel her inside your ring, so that part actually worked out. Unfortunately he also sent us here without mentioning Gabriel. As soon as Odin and I had made our way back to this godforsaken no man¡¯s land of a forgotten rock that bitch trapped us. Out of pure spite. Who does that?¡± ¡°You would,¡± Ahri scoffed surprisingly softly. She was apparently still miffed but there was no real heat behind her words. Just like me she was struggling to wrap her head around what the demoness had said. Oh boy, things were going to change. Fast. And I still hadn¡¯t been able to touch Ahri for days. Goddamn, maybe I should have slept for a while longer. ¡°All hells,¡± I mumbled, ¡°we¡¯re going to need a bit more than just a few words. What happened to you? And where are we even? Reia is safe, right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a newly born immortal. Of course she¡¯s not safe but she¡¯s also not in any real danger for now. We¡¯re on one of the islands on this shit hole of a planet. Don¡¯t ask me which one, but it¡¯s quite large. The Shadowprowlers weren¡¯t the only thing that¡¯s come through. Your sister is making new friends, I hope. I left as soon as I felt your powers stir. Dunno if she¡¯s found them.¡± ¡°Are you moonstruck,¡± I erupted. ¡°How far away is she? Whom is she dealing with?¡± 404. Of urgency, first encounters and a little bit of regret Cassandra Pendragon ¡°Pinch me,¡± I whispered, my eyes glued to the scene in front of us. ¡°With pleasure,¡± Lilith replied but an invisible heat wave pushed her back before she could move. Ahri was still in her Thumbelina form but her power wasn¡¯t diminished. I could have pulled her through entirely but as long as we didn¡¯t know where we were that seemed like a bit of a risk. I needed her there to follow the link between our tattoos back home in the future. ¡°You¡¯re not seeing things,¡± the angel breathed. ¡°Reia is gradually turning into you. I bet she doesn¡¯t even know the girl¡¯s name. As for the others¡­ they¡¯re¡­ they look different. I¡¯ve never seen that phenotype on Gaya.¡± ¡°Of course not, they¡¯re from a subrealm,¡± the demoness grumbled indignantly while she bobbed up and down, a faint wisp of smoke trailing behind her. My fianc¨¦e was dead serious about the no touching policy she had implemented before. ¡°They look a bit Asian, don¡¯t they,¡± Lilith added. ¡°I don¡¯t care what they look like,¡± I hissed, ¡°if the old soul in the body of a boy takes another step I¡¯m going to break his legs.¡± The reason for my little temper tantrum was of course the juvenile delinquent, who was by now more closely related to me than any other creature in existence. What did you even call someone who shared your blood twice over? Sister-sister? As for her predicament: for reasons known only to god and herself Reia had positioned herself between a group of dishevelled humans and a bleeding girl. The humans were somewhere in their twenties, at least they looked like it, but judging from the stream of mana I felt surging in their veins they could as well have been much older. There were five of them, four women and a man, all dressed in elaborate, blue, silken robes, frantically yapping away in a language that sounded pretty similar to Chinese. Not that it mattered. The reason for their agitation was plenty obvious. They had chased their prey through the forest and once they had managed to corner the girl a moronic, winged vixen had traipsed through the clearing and placed herself neatly between them. I imagined they¡¯d usually have struck first and asked questions later, if at all, but the magnificent, ice cold wings on Reia¡¯s back and her rather martial appearance, she was only wearing a humongous black pelt, flesh and blood still clinging to the poorly cleaned hide, had made them hesitate. For now. Goddamn it, normally I¡¯d have been the one in Reia¡¯s shoes and from that perspective it always seemed entirely justified. But now, watching from a distance, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Did she really have to stick her nose in? We had more than enough problems already. A harsh wind howled through the forest and shook the freshly fallen snow from the trees. A translucent, white veil descended upon the world and I shivered when I felt its biting touch on my bare back. We were hidden behind a towering elm, a few handful of steps away from a half frozen brook that divided the clearing into two parts. The narrow stream could have been crossed with a halfhearted hop but it still separated my little sister from the brewing storm on the other side. The man yelling at her was dangerous. Since my last infamous endeavour my sight had changed. I could choose to look behind the curtain, not only when it came to reality, but also in regards to people. I could see their souls. I¡¯ve told you before that reincarnation was very real. Souls seldomly perished and the older they grew, the more often they passed the cycle, the stronger they became. Some were powerful enough to retain a shadow of their former lives and whoever the boy was, the soul he carried was ancient. Not by my standards but he had definitely been around to see a few galaxies burn out. And this¡­ elder and his posse were staring daggers at my sister, eager to get their hands on the girl Reia had decided to protect. From where I was cowering I couldn¡¯t see much of her. A curtain of silver hair marred with filth and dried blood, a fragile, lithe body, barley hidden underneath a few straps of cloth that hardly deserved the term rags and a slender, snow white leg with a grizzly cut and a shoeless, bloody, foot, adorned with an ugly tattoo. She had an abundance of magic in her and she was¡­ well, innocent. Fortunately I could tell by now with a single glance, otherwise I might have been a bit more reserved, considering the girl wasn¡¯t human. Not even in the slightest. I couldn¡¯t say for sure which race she belonged to, but most of her power as well as her true form had been sealed. Forcibly. It could have been a punishment, but I didn¡¯t think so. Most likely she had been crippled to make her submit. Which would also explain the ugly mark of domination on her sole. Damn it, Ahri had been right. I¡¯d be standing exactly where the newly born angel had positioned herself, the consequences be damned. It didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d intervene, though. For now I was quite content with watching Reia handle it. Provided none of them crossed the brook. If they did and dared to raise a hand against her I wouldn¡¯t stop at a broken leg. ¡°Can you understand them,¡± Ahri asked quietly. ¡°Not every word but enough to guess what they¡¯re saying. Some nonsense about respect and proper punishment. Apparently the poor child has been brazen enough to try and steal. They want her back and intend to punish her appropriately. Her right hand. They mean to take her right hand.¡± I focused and gradually peeled back the layers of matter around the girl. ¡°Fruits,¡± I added contemptuously, ¡°she¡¯s stolen a few fruits for Christ¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bad,¡± Lilith mumbled pensively, which elicited an incredulous look from Ahri and me. Not that I disagreed, it sucked, but I¡¯d never have imagined for her to care. In response the glowing orb stilled as if embarrassed and explained: ¡°that sounds like a punishment set by law. If they uphold the laws they know it probably means that they haven¡¯t realised, yet, what¡¯s happened to them. They¡¯re from another realm and they don¡¯t know. That¡¯s bad. It means the realms aren¡¯t crumbling, they¡¯re merging. That¡¯s going to take much less time than I hoped. Days at best.¡± My frown deepened but before I could utter a single word I suddenly flinched as a clear, powerful voice thundered through the forest: ¡°I know you¡¯ll understand this,¡± Reia yelled angrily, her blue white, swanlike wings crackling with the breath of winter, ¡°I promise, you won¡¯t touch a single hair on her body.¡± A freezing gust danced through the clearing and silence fell. ¡°Here we go,¡± I groaned quietly and stood up just as the scathing response flowed across the brook. My comprehension wasn¡¯t developed enough to understand every word but the gist of it was pretty damn clear. If Reia was intent on fighting for a stranger, she¡¯d have the chance to join the punishment alongside her new friend. The sharp sound of swords being drawn made my skin crawl and from one second to the next the weak winter sun sparkled on five gleaming blades. Oh boy, what a horrendous idea. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. My wings whispered into existence and a surge of heat and fire blew my hair back as Ahri¡¯s flames roared to life. The world vanished behind a silver glare, my perception expanded and I felt the caressing touch of eternity as I vanished, only to reappear at Reia¡¯s side. Five pairs of eyes widened in astonishment, their gazes glued to my shimmering silhouette. Without a conscious thought I wrapped my tails around Reia and pulled her closer. Just as her jaw dropped and her wings mingled with mine I chuckled quietly: ¡° I thought you¡¯d miss me, but here you are socialising. Who are your friends? Care to introduce us?¡± The next second she buried her head against my shoulder, her cool breath and hot tears tickling my skin. She trembled but before either of us could utter a word of comfort an arrogant voice reached my ears: ¡°Ni shi nake cong?¡± The pronunciation was way different but the idiom was the very same I had heard on Earth. Since it literally meant what kind of onion are you and translated to who the hell are you I instantly formed some vague ideas about their culinary preferences. In Chinese cuisine onions weren¡¯t as integral as other ingredients, which¡­ but that wasn¡¯t important. With a cold smile I replied: ¡°Your new best friend or your worst nightmare. Your choice.¡± I used actual Chinese, but just like I had been able to cobble together their meaning even though the language was slightly different they got my message. Unfortunately I had never spared the time to get dressed again and my theatrical answer fell mostly on deaf ears. They were much too busy staring to pay attention. Usually I¡¯d have rolled my eyes, but in our current situation I even appreciated their reaction. I¡¯ve been yapping about beauty and danger quite a few times and as enamoured, as enchanted as they seemed it stood to reason that they wouldn¡¯t dare act. Either that or I had just jumped to the top of the most desired slaves list. One of the two. ¡°If they move, you¡¯ll stay behind me. Ahri will make sure nothing happens to you,¡± I whispered in our mother tongue before I kissed the top of Reia¡¯s head and said firmly: ¡°Seen enough? Or would you like me to pirouette for you?¡± I had bolstered my voice with a tiny spark of my power, just enough to pull them from their daze. The leader of the group immediately grimaced and forcefully tore his gaze away from my face. ¡°You¡¯re overly confident for a woman,¡± he spat. ¡°Where¡¯s your master?¡± I might have felt insulted if he hadn¡¯t been blushing profusely and hadn¡¯t been looking anywhere but me. The hardened snow cracked softly under my bare feet when I took a step closer, my nostrils flaring as I breathed in deeply. Their rich scent of expensive oils and alien magics contrasted the ever present smell of frozen wood and cold earth like a wrong note in a song. They didn¡¯t belong here and it showed. ¡°You¡¯re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,¡± I replied. ¡°I have no master and if you keep glaring at my sister, you¡¯re going to find out why. Last chance.¡± I craned my neck until the vertebrae popped. ¡°Leave, sheath your weapons or fight me. The choice is yours.¡± His angular face twisted into a snarl but he didn¡¯t act. Not until the girl closest to him gave him an reassuring nod, her eyes filled with determination and envy as they found my gaze. Oh boy, pretty girls truly were the death of a man. Or in this case a one way ticket to a nonexistent hospital. If he was lucky. Before he could move I hissed: ¡°much obliged for cutting this short.¡± Then I vanished from the spot and reappeared at the centre of their group. ¡°I never liked slavers, anyways.¡± They were fast and resolute, I had to give them that, but it really didn¡¯t matter. The times when a mortal could have posed a threat to me were long gone. My fight against Gabriel was still burning in my veins and I didn¡¯t mind the chance to expel the tension. A breathing punching bag was a godsend. Consequentially I retracted my wings and called my spear. It had a blunt side after all. There was no hesitation, no mercy. As soon as I appeared the girl who had incited the fight struck, quickly followed by her comrades. I could have dodged easily but in all honesty, I didn¡¯t want to. Cold, unforgiving steel pierced my body from five directions, turning me into the world¡¯s prettiest hedgehog. For the fraction of a second I could feel their relief, taste their rising courage, until I tilted my head to the side nonchalantly and said: ¡°seems like your blades are stuck. Here, let me help.¡± A spark of fear ignited in their eyes and streams of mana came alive, rushing towards their weapons, but it was already too late. I spun on the spot and pulled their swords right out of their twitching fingers. Silvery flames ignited along my body and streams of molten metal flowed down my legs while the wounds closed without leaving so much as a tiny scar. Steam erupted from the frozen ground and concealed me behind a soft, white curtain. ¡°My turn,¡± I purred. Slowly, gracefully I approached the troublemaker who had deemed it a good idea to challenge me. She paled, her eyes darting left and right frantically, before she called for help. True to his nature their fearless leader stepped in front of her, his fingers desperately forming complex symbols while sweat dripped from his brow. ¡°Get lost,¡± I snarled. Aiglos¡¯ weight increased and with a fluid motion I clobbered him over the head, long before his magic could take shape. I hadn¡¯t smashed his skull in, yet, but a concussion was guaranteed. Grunting he tumbled to the side, his arms flailing in an hopeless attempt to keep his balance. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead from his jet black hair when I considerately used my tails to pull his feet out from under him. Now he could rest comfortably for a while. Exertion after a knock on the head was truly dangerous. Unfortunately he fell backwards and the frozen ground wasn¡¯t much softer than the shaft of my spear. Oh well. He¡¯d be up and kicking in no time unless I had severely underestimated his power, but for now he was mostly busy trying to remember his name and counting the amount of arms and legs he had to coordinate. With a languid smile I met the panicked expression of his overly zealous girlfriend: ¡°Where were we?¡± As I was contemplating whether or not to teach her an actual lesson I heard a soft, sweet voice behind me, almost cracking under the pressure of rushing through an intricate, alien incantation in the blink of an eye. I didn¡¯t even bother with turning around. A heartbeat later the delicate, cutting song of a sword reached me and bluish light, interwoven with tiny stars surged around me. I didn¡¯t even feel its touch but it sure looked impressive and judging from the deep gashes that suddenly appeared on the frozen ground there was some actual strength behind it. The spell was even powerful enough to spread across the tiny brook but there it encountered a wall of crimson flames that turned it into ash and memories. Now I did turn around. The three girls had spread out, forming a broken semicircle. Up close I had to admit they were quite pretty in a cold, distant, fairy sort of way. With their long, ebony tresses dancing over soft, jade like skin, their blue robes billowing around their long legs and their dark eyes smouldering with defiance and determination they even looked eerily similar, like a group of geishas from the past. Somehow they had managed to produce new swords, even though I couldn¡¯t quite imagine where they had hidden the weapons before since I couldn¡¯t see the formations necessary for a spatial artefact. With their blades raised high, the willingness to suffer and die written plainly across their faces, they immediately struck a chord with me. Damn it. There went my enthusiasm. ¡°Sleep,¡± I sighed and one by one they fell, their bright eyes already closing before they even hit the hardened snow. Unfortunately I had overdone it, as the quiet thuds, caused by my initial victims slumping to the ground, proved beyond the shadow of a doubt. They were gone and now I was standing at the centre of an unconscious group, weighing my spear in my hand like a goddamned idiot. By the Great Fox, waking them up only to punch them into unconsciousness again did seem rather petty. Shit. I had meant to drag this out for quite some time. While I was still lamenting my lapse of control a warm, squirming bundle crashed into my back with much more force than any of my so called opponents had managed to exert. I stumbled and when Reia¡¯s white wings closed over my chest and her tails snaked around my legs I fell, the newly born angel still on top of me. Small arms tightened around my neck and as I spat out a mouthful of snow I felt her cheek press against mine, hot tears wetting my skin. Whether they were mine or hers I couldn¡¯t say. I had been just as scared for her as she had been for me and I had missed her just as much. An exquisite, burning ache formed in the pit of my stomach when I heard her whisper: ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯d never have¡­ thank you. Thank you for coming back.¡± 405. Of chains, fates and a little bit of generosity Lamia ¡°I don¡¯t want to wake up,¡± I pleaded silently, but the warmth of my dream dissipated mercilessly. It had been a nice dream. I hadn¡¯t been alone, it hadn¡¯t hurt. If only I could have slept forever. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t show you but I can tell you if you have to know.¡± The voice was soft, silky, with just a hint of something more echoing beyond its velvety cadence¡­ and entirely foreign. What made me tense though wasn¡¯t its hidden strength or the fact that I had never heard it before. No, it was its welcoming tone. I wasn¡¯t being screamed at and I¡­ my body didn¡¯t ache. I hadn¡¯t been hit and nobody was yelling for me to get up and start on my chores. I was warm and comfortable. Was I still dreaming? Tentatively I opened one eye to squint through the gap. A cave, I thought when my gaze travelled over bare, earthen walls and gnarly roots breaking through the ceiling. I definitely was in a cave and I wasn¡¯t alone. Two female, humanoid creatures, both with raven black hair, one about my age, maybe a bit younger, and the other fully grown, were whispering nearby, their voices hushed as if unwilling to disturb my slumber. The older one had sat down in the entrance, her silver tails spread out like a wall, blocking off the cold from the outside. A glowing orb hovered above her, smouldering with red and black sparks. I couldn¡¯t see her face though, she had buried her head in her hands, but there was a tiny, burning spirit reclining on her shoulder, its crimson flames dancing across her silvery skin like fireflies. The woman and the girl even looked a bit similar. Judging from their tails and fluffy ears, one had silver fur the other a light blue, they were some kind of beast kin even though I had never seen or heard of a race with more than two tails. What really confused me though was that the younger one was sitting at my feet, her tails spread over me like a blanket. I was even resting on a dark, fragrant hide that somehow smelled like the night, fleeting and secretive. What had happened to my master? Where had he gone? Was he dead? I could only hope so. But the seal on me was still active. He was still alive. I felt my heart speed up as the familiar knot of fear in my stomach tightened but there was also something else. Something I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. Hope maybe. As I was trying to make some sort of sense of the bizarre scene the woman continued. She didn¡¯t raise her head but her voice had become much more distant, much colder: ¡°it¡¯s difficult to explain, but I was stuck. I couldn¡¯t let go, Gabriel would have taken you immediately and I couldn¡¯t stay. As strong as her magic was, as adamant as the seals I had cast still were, the realm was crumbling. Usually I¡¯d skip the explanation but seeing what you¡¯ve become it might do you some good in the future. Time is universal. If you try to stop it, you¡¯ll have to bear the weight of¡­ well, everything. I am able to and so will you be, but outside of the Void there¡¯s no place that can withstand the pressure. Reality breaks apart and unless you can heal the damage as fast as it appears you¡¯re on a clock.¡± She sighed and raised her head to massaged her temples, while the light from the little spirit and the glowing orb illuminated her face for the first time. In a daze I froze and to prevent myself from gasping I bit down on my tongue hard enough to draw blood. Her large, bright silver eyes flickered to mine for the fraction of a second and my heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t react, though, aside from the ghost of a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth, and focused back on the girl in front of her. Entirely lost in the memory of her haunting beauty I missed the next couple of words: ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll spare you the ins and outs but the amount of energy I unleashed was enough to manifest a tiny fraction of what lies within the artefacts. Magic of a certain calibre and transcendent spells without fail leave an impression of their caster behind, a fraction of their intent. Chaleb, Amazeroth and Lucifer. Three immortals to teach me enough to break my chains before my magic was going to break the world. It was laughably easy, but it came at a price. All it took was a name and the reason why,¡± a strange sensation, as if the world was hiccoughing, came over me and a broken, flickering, silver blue crown manifested on her brow, ¡°this belongs to me. You already know, don¡¯t you?¡± Silence fell and I¡­ I didn¡¯t even know what to feel. My heart was hammering in my throat by now. Immortals? Time? Reality? Were they mad? Was I? The arctic blue tails around me twitched and a low, almost inaudible whisper barely reached me: ¡°Amazeroth is much more to you than just another sibling, isn¡¯t he? Was he¡­ your lover?¡± The flame spirit immediately flared up: ¡°Excuse me?¡± But her complaints were drowned out by a beautiful, genuine laugh. ¡°Oh, you are precious, but I¡¯m not that narcissistic,¡± the woman chuckled and blew a kiss at the spirit. ¡°It would be easier to accept, though. At least it wouldn¡¯t weigh as heavily. No, he isn¡¯t my lover, but he¡¯s still a part of me. Quite literally. He is¡­ my crown, my demonic side, the secret I¡¯ve even hidden from myself for longer than I can remember. Why I do not know, but I know it¡¯s true. As payment for the knowledge I had to relive his¡­ my schemes. I saw it all again, Reia. From the fires that consumed Boseiju to the blood that drowned the streets of Free Land. I watched and I grieved and I suffered. Because it was¡­ it still is my fault. At least I thought so for a while.¡± A shimmering tear trailed down her cheek like a drop of mercury as the fluffy, aquamarine limbs around me tightened. ¡°There¡¯s light and darkness within us all. What we choose to act on defines who we are,¡± the spirit breathed and kissed away the tear. The eight tailed creature granted her a sad, but grateful smile: ¡°Don¡¯t I know it. I¡­,¡± she didn¡¯t get any further, my living blanket moved and in the blink of an eye the two of them turned into a quivering heap of fur and limbs, the fire spirit caught somewhere in the middle. A family. Somehow I had been plucked from my miserable life by a family. ¡°Spooky, isn¡¯t it,¡± another voice resounded close by. A jolt of fear surged through me and I reflexively raised my head only to see the glowing orb from before hovering above me. ¡°Watching immortals act like that always gives me the creeps. How long have you been awake?¡± ¡°I¡­,¡± I only managed a whispered stammer, the alien language much too intricate for me to replicate even though I could understand it. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re one of the blighted, right? A phoenix, if I¡¯m not mistaken. Well, let¡¯s leave the introductions for later. Why don¡¯t you keep on pretending to be asleep? I really want to hear what Cassandra has to say and as soon as they realise you¡¯re up they¡¯ll be fawning over you for ages.¡± I froze and then I trembled, memories surging like a flood. Desperately I tried to crawl away but I only managed to entangled myself in the silky black hide I laid on. Fawning over me¡­ I knew all too well what that meant¡­ The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Pain and humiliation became my only companions after my village had been burned. For longer than even the elders had remembered, our people had lived under the rule of the Qin family, tilling the fields, watering the orchards¡­ fighting when the call to arms had resounded. For generations it had been like that. For their protection and goodwill we had become servants. Valued, treasured servants but servants none the less without a future. The lot of the poor. My mother¡­ she hadn¡¯t been human. No one knew where she had come from, why she had suddenly appeared in the fields behind my father¡¯s home, she hadn¡¯t even known herself, her memory blank up until the moment she had opened her eyes, but once my dad had seen her it hadn¡¯t mattered. She had been his and he had been hers until the very end. Whoever she had been, whatever secrets she had run from, she had been strong, burning with an inner fire that had threatened to char the earth whenever it had been unleashed. Her power had been vast enough to attract the attention of our lords and in exchange for her freedom, as a price for their happiness, my parents had agreed to become the Qin family¡¯s most loyal vassals. Their protectors and¡­ battle slaves. Until I had been born. Ever since I had opened my eyes I had been different. My mother¡¯s flames had changed me but even she hadn¡¯t understood my abilities. My fire¡­ once ignited the flames wouldn¡¯t cease, devouring everything in their path, reducing it to ash and sparks. Sparks I could collect. Sparks that brought life just like my fire meant death. And my parents¡­ they had run in a brave, defiant attempt to keep me safe, to keep me away from the greedy hands of our masters. They had failed, of course, we had been caught and I had become bound to the heir of the Qin family. A punishment, a perverted gratification and an insurance. A living, breathing symbol that had ensured my parents would honour their pledge. For all eternity. I had only been a year old at the time, but my recollections were as clear as day, even from back then. In the beginning it hadn¡¯t been that bad, I had even been allowed to see my mother from time to time, but the older I had become, the more achievements my parents had earned, the crueller we had been treated. And then the war had come. In a bid for supremacy the Qin family had challenged their neighbours and their victory had cost my parents¡¯ life. Theirs and that of uncounted others. Without the need to keep them docile my master had turned into a demon. In his eyes, my parents¡¯ failure to protect his brother had to be avenged and as the last survivor of their line it had fallen to me to pay their dues. After that¡­ I had wanted to die. Every single day. But without his blessing I had been denied even that last resort, even that little mercy. For years he had fawned over me, mockingly calling torture a caress, a beating an embrace. Piece by little piece he had killed my soul until the world had shaken. From one moment to the next I had been somewhere else, alone and confused in utter darkness. For hours I had wandered until I had collapsed from thirst, but I had been content. Finally some peace. Finally I¡¯d see my parents again. But the end hadn¡¯t come. Instead I had woken shivering, cold to the bone, with a satchel in front of me. The smell had been irresistible and without another thought I had taken what hadn¡¯t been mine. Then I had run, fleeing the enraged cries I had always heard hot on my trail. I had run until my legs had given out in the middle of a strange, new world. I had run until my abused, weak limbs had felt like lead and the warm embrace of oblivion had begged me with its warmth. Warmth¡­ why was I warm? I blinked through my tears only to recoil. Everything around me was black. Had I fallen into darkness again? Had I¡­ with a silky whisper the raven black tresses slid off my face and a young, bright voice whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t be sacred. You¡¯re safe now. As safe as one can be. I¡­ by the Great Fox, what am I supposed to do? She¡¯s so thin and she¡¯s still crying. Cassy¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing all you can,¡± another, richer, fuller, voice replied. Hadn¡¯t I just heard it? ¡°Let her cry and hold her. There¡¯s nothing else. By god, if they¡¯re responsible for her state the ones we caught will soon wish they had died in the clearing. Stay with her. I can¡¯t wait any longer. Viyara might set an island on fire if she doesn¡¯t hear from me soon. We¡¯ll be outside. Call for us when the two of you are ready. No rush. The world we know is ending either way.¡± Footsteps¡­ and then silence, broken only by my ragged breath and a sound that went straight to my heart like a dagger. The girl was holding me and singing softly. The tremors returned. Any second now her caressing touch would turn into agonising strikes, her warm voice raised as it was going to spew insults and humiliations. It had always been that way. Any moment¡­ I closed my eyes, waiting, dreading, despairing, but¡­ ¡°Cassy said that you¡¯ll understand me if I promise. She doesn¡¯t want me to, but she hasn¡¯t forbidden it either¡­ listen, we¡¯re not going to hurt you, I swear.¡± It was the same torturous line he had used, over and over again. I had thought I¡¯d never again be able to trust in those words, but this time I didn¡¯t have a choice. It¡­ something touched me, like a breath from ages past brought to life by the girl in front of me. The¡­ world believed her and so did I. Pain. Another kind of pain roared to live in my veins. Burning, cleansing¡­ and with the pain came the tears. Not the hidden, suppressed sobs that had shaken me. No, I was crying openly, freely, like I had never cried since my mother had held me and told me that it¡¯d be alright one day. Fear turned into grief and grief became pain, pain that slowly burned to ashes and all the while she held me, she held me and she sang a foreign lullaby. Slowly the flames died down, a warm, velvety darkness spread through me and I whispered: ¡°I miss you. I miss you so much.¡± It was the first time I had mentioned my parents ever since they had died. It was the first time I had thought of them without fear. Even if I showed weakness I¡¯d be safe. She had promised¡­ and I didn¡¯t even know her name. As if in response the warm, fluffy embrace twitched and she whispered: ¡°welcome back.¡± With the gentlest of touches she pushed me back until she could look into my wet, red rimmed eyes. I returned the stare and my breath caught in my throat again. I immediately lost myself in a gaze of mesmerising blue, so deep that I didn¡¯t even think about finding a way back. A tiny, minuscule spark of silver burned at the bottom of a pond so vast it made the ocean seem like a puddle. Eternity¡­ the echo of eternity haunted those eyes and I succumbed to their alluring promise. Oblivion. My pain, my fear, my sorrow didn¡¯t matter as long as I was entranced. And then she blinked and her eyes creased when she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Reia. Lilith thinks you can understand us. A part of you power that can¡¯t be suppressed. Is she right?¡± I took a deep, tremulous breath and replied haltingly: ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ but I¡­ understand you. Thank¡­ you¡­ Reia. I¡¯m Lamia.¡± Her smile brightened even further: ¡°Lamia¡­ a beautiful name. It¡¯s nice to meet you. You must be starving.¡± I didn¡¯t even realise that I nodded like a chicken. With a faint laugh in her voice she added: ¡°I¡¯m going to let go of you. Thanks to your friends we have plenty to eat. I¡¯ll fetch something for you and maybe afterwards you can tell me why I found you in the middle of a forest with a bunch of dogs barking at your heels.¡± I immediately stiffened. ¡°I¡­ stole. My fault. Please, he must be powerful. Don¡¯t anger him because of me.¡± She stilled and her smile froze into a frown. But a heartbeat later she began to chuckle genuinely. ¡°The oh so powerful master is hanging upside down in a tree right now. I think we¡¯re well past the angering part and have gone straight to insulting. You needn¡¯t worry, though. I imagine he¡¯s going to share your sentiment when he wakes up. Depending on my sister¡¯s mood that might turn out rather painfully. She¡¯s a bit antsy right now. Is he the one who¡­¡± I shook my head vigorously. ¡°I only met them today. Where am I? Is this still a part of the Bronze Empire?¡± Her frown returned. ¡°Damn it, the demoness was right,¡± she mumbled to herself before her stunning gaze returned to mine. ¡°This might come as a bit of a shock but you¡¯re not even on the same world anymore. In a way, at least. I¡­ I didn¡¯t understand half of it, but I think you¡¯re from a different realm.¡± Could it be true? Had I run far enough in the blink of an eye? But of course I wasn¡¯t that lucky: ¡°don¡¯t worry, though. If my aunt is right, the rest of your people will appear as well. We can help you find them.¡± 406. Of anger, limits and a little resurrection Cassandra Pendragon I knew that the boy had woken up, only feigning unconsciousness. I heard his hammering heart beat and smelled his sweat after all, but I didn¡¯t care. Listening in might yet do him some good and it¡¯d save me a whole plethora of boring explanations further down the line. My eyes roamed over the towering tree and the tiny cave, hidden underneath its roots, towards the milky white, cloudy sky, winking at me through bare, skeletal branches. When I breathed in the scent of snow and electricity tickled my nose. Another storm was brewing, but we wouldn¡¯t stick around long enough to witness its glory. Time was precious, even more so than I had thought. The world was changing and it¡¯d do so for about a year. Afterwards¡­ I could already feel my last transformation burning in my core, its eagerness to finally become whole almost overwhelming. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it in check for longer than twelve months and even that was a generous estimate. Once I couldn¡¯t hold back the tide any longer¡­ I¡¯d change and my siblings were going to know. They were going to come for us, for Gaya, and the immortal war would resume. A year¡­ I had thought I¡¯d have to try and unite our peoples to have a chance to fight against Amon. As it turned out what I had done was only the first step needed to protect Gaya¡¯s hope. I had been handed the tools, Greta¡¯s tree was growing and once fully matured it would turn into a bastion against my siblings, but it was going to fall on me and mine to ensure that this safe haven wouldn¡¯t be empty when the time came. That something would be able to escape the eternal flames that would devour our future. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to visit every realm to spread the message. Oh no, our distant relatives were coming all on their lonesome. Without an invitation. Goddamn it, was there no respite? Sighing I leaned against the coarse bark of an old weeping willow, the cold, rough touch an anchor that kept me grounded, prevented my imagination from running wild. I crossed my arms and listened to the breath of the forest, to the slow rhythm of hibernation and the trickling snow, but Ahri and Lilith didn¡¯t speak, they waited patiently for me to resume my story. What I had experienced in the sealed realm was difficult to put into words and I didn¡¯t even know where to begin. I had already told them how I had managed to break the circle. Afterwards¡­ ¡°Light. Light and fury and pain. For me and for Gabriel. Immeasurable knowledge and skill clashed with unbridled power and stubbornness. From afar, if there had been any bystander capable of watching our battle, it would have looked like creation going to war with itself. Matter, reality, the very bounds of the realm shook and trembled whenever we moved. She meant to freeze me, to hold me down long enough for her to take over Reia¡¯s soul and I¡­ I intended to burn her, to reduce her to something my sister would be able to deal with. For both of us the stakes were much higher than our lives. For her it was an escape either way, a path out of the darkness she had chosen and I had pushed her into, and for me it was a baptism of spilled blood and ice cold flames. I had weighed my life against Reia¡¯s and I had found it wanting. I wouldn¡¯t retreat, Gabriel would have to kill me to get to her prize. Death had come calling with an immortal at her side, but I wouldn¡¯t run. The bone wrenching dread Amazeroth¡¯s revelations had left behind had come with a gift. Whatever I¡¯d have to do, whatever depravity I would have to wallow in, I knew I had already lived through worse, I knew I had already committed graver atrocities. If I couldn¡¯t use my nature to protect what I loved I wouldn¡¯t have the right to exist. I wasn¡¯t afraid, I wasn¡¯t even angry. I was empty except for the burning tide of power within me that crested higher with every passing, frozen moment. The last embers of the circle vanished into my wings, stoking the flames. The ocean boiled and evaporated. The ground, the mountain that had been her prison vanished. My tails twitched with bloodlust and burning slobber dripped from my silver maw. A howl, eerie and lasting, tore from my throat and I moved, or maybe the realm around me did. Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened when I appeared before her, a towering shadow, a living reminder of who had shaken the walls of the Silver City, of who had made her creations falter and break before. A young immortal I might have been but the legacy in my blood spanned the realms of angels and demons and I wouldn¡¯t be denied. Not today. Not again. For the first time in my life an immortal was threatening my family, was threatening you and Reia. For the first time in my life the power within me was truly challenged and it¡­ and I rejoiced. I uttered a single word, the last discernible syllables this realm would ever hear: ¡°begone.¡± Reia¡¯s body vanished in a shower of sparks and my feline face morphed into a cruel, wolfish grin. Gabriel¡¯s wings immediately grew to the size of worlds. Gargantuan, skeletal, rotting, ugly things that promised death and decay enveloped me like the mockery of an embrace but they couldn¡¯t touch me. Silver flames wreathed themselves around me like a gown and thick, black, deadly smoke veiled us in the ashes of her magic. My body twitched, my mind expanded and a flash of Mephisto¡¯s magic blew away the poisonous, sky like cloud. I was still caged by her perverted wings, but my coat immediately rippled and massive, glowing sheets of mithril appeared along my limbs, sparkling with dwarven runes. Aiglos¡¯ light pierced the darkness, its thin, elegant form twisting until it resembled beautiful, silver talons. They shimmered and vanished, my paws shining with its strength. Then I struck. I had thought I knew the limits of magic and power. I had been wrong. Sparks erupted along her wings, each one carrying with it the will and the strength to devour a galaxy. My senses collapsed, I tasted the path of destruction my energy cleaved through the darkness, I heard her blood spill from the cut, I smelled her widening eyes and I felt her fear¡­ her fear and her happiness. I saw white and silver and blue, waves of power that tore creation asunder. The realm shook, the first of my seals evaporated and we were both flung backwards, her severed wing turning into pristine, beautiful ice crystals before it vanished into memories, racing after Reia on an invisible path. Then she changed. She became an endless, formless maelstrom, dripping transcendent ice like slobber, and everything froze. Liquid cold flooded the dark void and drowned me in an ocean of infinite might. I snarled and spread my wings. A tiny bubble of raging silver and blue danced around me, at first almost invisible among the frothing tide, but then it grew. It grew and its fury knew no bounds. Like an explosion underwater the suffocating pressure was blown away, her magic turned into shimmering motes of crystallised light and I inhaled deeply. A torrent of power surged through my veins as faint, complex sigils began to appear on my armour. Blue and white they glowed, a living reminder of what had once been, and when I released my breath a torrent of immaculate snow danced around me, slowly transforming into another layer of unyielding protection. I raised my head, my eyes aglow, my wolfish smile unwavering. Hiding, she was hiding amongst the darkness she had called, fervently erecting flimsy walls to keep my jaws away from her. I tensed, my wings collapsed into a pointed formation, resembling Aiglos¡¯ tip, and with a thought I flung myself forward like a living, breathing spear. Another seal shattered, another tremor claimed the empty space we were stuck in and reality fractured. Our battle was beginning and ending at the same time, the nicely ordered rules of creation blown to smithereens. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. My flames claimed the bleeding, battered, flayed body of a fallen angel, the remains of her essence chasing after the only fulcrum they had left: the tiny piece within Reia. Death¡¯s touch became real as sharp, ice cold bone splitters dug through my flesh, Gabriel¡¯s remaining wing buried deep in my stomach. Liquid ice and fire dripped from the wound, her magic scraping over my core. Our surroundings changed as a million stars roared to life around me, made real by her transcendent will. They collapsed and the pressure of a galaxy bore down on me, threatening to grind me into dust, but with a defiant bark I filled the ravenous hole they had become and light erupted. My wings tore through her form and I threw her off, the pain nothing but fuel for the flames. Then I reached her. The arcane bastions she had forged parted around my wings like water as the laws of creation reasserted themselves, only to be entirely devoured the very next instant when we touched. The third seal I had cast all those aeons ago broke and magic ran rampant, unshackled and free as it had been before the beginning. We changed. Our ambitions, our determination became as inconsequential as a grain of rice, because there was nothing left to define them. There was only her and me and we could only be what the other saw in us. Reia, my family, even you, Ahri, none of you mattered anymore. There was only an obstacle in front of me, one I¡¯d devour and spit back out again as I had done so often before. It was time to remind my sister how I had earned my name and with that thought our fight began in earnest. There was no goal, no paltry distractions like pain or purpose. There was only us, locked in an eternal dance, for even the time stream had withered. The seventh realm truly had ceased to exist, the power unleashed within too much for even my seals to handle. In a way we were fighting on the cusp of a memory made real through our magic. Otherwise there would have been nothing left to return to. For either of us. What came next¡­ concepts only gain meaning in contrast to something else. What was and what was not were the same but yet divided. Everything was in flux, similar to a pretty famous cat named after one of her two inventors: Schr?dinger. You might remember, Ahri. Consequentially every description I can come up with is nothing but a measly metaphor, trying to put something into words that defies all but the heavenly language. I¡¯ll still try, though, if you¡¯re willing to listen. Gabriel was immeasurably older than me, her will bolstered by uncounted aeons she had actually lived through. Lived through and suffered. And I¡­ I am powerful. I couldn¡¯t compete with her understanding nor her intent but there was¡­ there is a weight to my existence that she didn¡¯t possess. Just like light slowly melts ice her magic¡­ her being, her will vanished under my touch, even though she was an iceberg and I but small candle. But when we clashed she couldn¡¯t extinguish my flame. Gradually something changed as my power claimed hers and the concepts I understand began to matter again. Blood and pain and battle I¡¯m familiar with so that¡¯s what I saw. For her¡­ I do not know and since she¡¯s gone we¡¯ll never find out, but it couldn¡¯t have been pretty. To me she was a terrifying monster of ice and snow and water. Colder than the Void, larger than life. Like a hydra she towered over me, ancient memories turned into salivating heads dripping deadly intent like venomous blood. It would have been quite fitting, if it had been real, since we went to war a wyrm and a dragon, mirroring the battle for supremacies among mortal races.¡± For the first time I paused and added with a pinched smile: ¡°believe it or not, kitsune aren¡¯t the apex predators of creation, even though we can look the part. What followed was torture, plain and simple. For me and for her. I¡­ physical pain and I are old friends and even though she tore into me with everything she had the agony of a crushed limb couldn¡¯t make me flinch. The memories, though¡­ she didn¡¯t only ravage my body, her thoughts poisoned me as well with a concoction of my own making. Loneliness and heights. It makes no sense but apparently I¡¯m friggin terrified of heights. Mostly I don¡¯t allow my fears to take hold, but when they do¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡­ fell and she fell with me. Through times long gone. We bit, we scratched¡­ there was no thought of spells or technique. It was raw and bloody. Her ice enveloped me, suffocated me and in return I took her eyes, plunged my claws deep into her skull until I felt cold blood flow and sharp crystals break and shatter. The wounds we sustained¡­ when it comes down to it, our bodies are constructs of will and magic. Hurting us means destroying¡­ corrupting what we are. It means devouring whatever makes us unique. Our past, our future¡­ maybe our destiny. I¡¯m not sure. But it always comes at a price. Every instant, every moment I took from her, I tore from her mind like an enraged animal, I had to pay for. I¡­ became her and I was alone and hurting in the dark and cold, imprisoned behind eternal magic I just couldn¡¯t break. I wept and cursed with her as the universe changed and I remained bound, bound to an empty, desolate wasteland at the end of existence. I¡­ she had lost her mind in her prison and I felt my own thoughts wavering. The onslaught was¡­ just not enough. Every second I suffered with her I made my own. Piece by little piece light flooded the darkness and finally our fall came to an end. Her¡­ hatred of me had vanished, had turned into starlight, and with it the largest part of her will had withered. What remained¡­ was closer to an animal than an angel. She was frightened. She heard death¡¯s beckoning calls as her very essence bled through the gashes I had torn and her fear gave her strength. In her last moments she fought for survival, even though she detested her life, and I barely found the strength to continue. I¡¯d have let her go if it hadn¡¯t been for Reia. She was already bound to the girl. Energy can¡¯t be destroyed. Everything I had taken I had already returned to my little sister. I¡­ I turned Reia into an immortal without a past. A blank slate¡­ well, mostly. Judging from her magic more of Gabriel might have survived than I had thought. But it was enough. I wasn¡¯t able to sever the connection Gabriel had created but I managed to ensure that it was my little sister who opened her eyes, not someone I could barely call kin anymore. To that end¡­ I waded through a sea of blood and regret. She was already beaten but I couldn¡¯t let her go and I couldn¡¯t even grant her a swift end. If I had devoured her completely, Reia wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to survive her rebirth. I had to¡­ flay her alive, to take every last ounce of what she was and burn it into oblivion to feed the slob to my sister. It made me feel dirty, but Gabriel had chosen her own path. There was no other way, it was her or Reia.¡± A silver tear ran down my cheek, but I immediately brushed it away. With a cynical chuckle I added: ¡°the stupid angel could have picked anyone but her or you Ahri and chances are she would have walked out of there with a new body, a new soul¡­ a new life. Slightly singed, but alive. Or maybe not. Again¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but it doesn¡¯t matter either way. What¡¯s done is done. Gabriel is gone and with her are her secrets and her treasures. It doesn¡¯t bode well for the future, that she has apparently used the merfolk to further her own agenda. With her death there¡¯s no telling what they might do and right now the last thing we need is an invasion from the deep, blue sea. That¡¯s my story and now, pray tell, what have I missed? How long was I even gone? And where in hell did you come from Lilith, and where¡¯s your actual body?¡± Ahri¡¯s hot flames comfortingly caressed my cheek, her fires tempered with compassion. Ever since I had started talking she had never broken our physical contact. Not even for a moment. ¡°I imagine what I¡¯ve got to say is much less troublesome than your story, Lilith,¡± she finally mumbled. ¡°A day, Cassy. You were gone for a day. I¡­ Viyara your mom and I were devastated. Your brothers and Erya made sure we didn¡¯t try something stupid. They kept us busy, in a way.¡± 407. Of futility, anger and an old acquaintance Cassandra Pendragon ¡°They persuaded me to wait,¡± Ahri continued, ¡°at least for a few days. Arthur didn¡¯t even think about leaving. If it hadn¡¯t been for him¡­ our link wasn¡¯t severed, but suppressed. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to find you, he reckoned, and since your disappearances mostly herald chaos and mayhem we¡¯d be better served if we tried to deal with the problems we could actually tackle. Which meant continuing like nothing had happened. With two changes. There was hardly a point in trying to figure out the meaning of the soul sigil anymore and Viyara and Aurelia weren¡¯t willing to accompany Aglaia and Indigorath. Your mother went in their stead. The dragoness and vampire should arrive on the Emerald Island any hour, now. Without you we couldn¡¯t even open the passage to Greta¡¯s roots and the dragoness volunteered to carry everyone who wanted to come. Greta even entrusted one of her seedlings to Estrella. To be honest, Viyara has been listening in ever since our tattoos activated again. The poor girl is waiting on tenterhooks for you to contact her. For a flying, almost transcendent snake she¡¯s still surprisingly shy from time to time.¡± I released a breath I hadn¡¯t realised I had been holding. Nothing had happened, they were all perfectly fine. Except for the mess I had made once again, crumbling realms and the like. For now the question remained if our plans needed to be altered, but without knowing why Lilith had been reduced to a cognisant spark it was hard to judge. Never mind that I didn¡¯t have the foggiest what might have happened to the merfolk with Gabriel gone. I didn¡¯t even know what she had done to them. Gods, we¡¯d have to guess again and that, more often than not, had been very detrimental to our health. Unless I found a way to figure out what the hell was going on our our islands. Were our realm neighbours already manifesting left right and centre? Maybe our new, bundled up friends would provide some answers if we asked, very nicely of course. Now, as a quick explanation, you might be wondering why I didn¡¯t fret over or immediately try to leverage the soul crushing revelation Amazeroth had shared with me. The answer was pretty simple: whatever was I going to do? When it came down to it nothing much had changed. I¡¯d still have to face the Emperor sooner or later and I wasn¡¯t afraid of his pet demon anymore, but I was also entirely convinced that my last transformation would undoubtedly trigger as soon as I¡¯d come face to face with Amazeroth. Which meant I had to postpone our meeting for as long as possible, which in turn meant that there wasn¡¯t much to be done. My motives might have been different, but I still had to do everything in my power to unite Gaya¡¯s people. Otherwise they¡¯d turn to dust within a year and I had already shed way too much blood and tears to protect my home. I wasn¡¯t going to stop now. Also, as soon as I had found my way back¡­ or rather Ahri had pulled me back from the land of the dead I had felt my cube and the tome unlock entirely. Something else to deal with before I¡¯d even consider facing the¡­ my demon. I pushed myself away from the weeping willow when a cold breeze, that smelled of frozen earth and matted fur, blew through the clearing and shook a shower of snow from its branches. The forest groaned behind me as the wind travelled further, eliciting an eerie, almost human sound from the trees, bent under their white burden. Unconsciously I reached up and draped my tresses around Ahri, trying to keep her warm even though I knew there was no natural force that could extinguish her flames. She was just so tiny that I wanted to protect her without even realising. Surprisingly she didn¡¯t mind and even snuggled up against my neck. ¡°Do you know where we are,¡± I whispered. In response she hummed contently and explained: ¡°More or less. I can tell you that my body is a few hundred miles that way. Should be south, right? Considering how large the Emerald Island is, we¡¯re probably still on it. In the northern reaches. Not many elves live here, it¡¯s too cold, even though we aren¡¯t far enough north for the days to change meaningfully. It¡¯s autumn and the sun is still rising and setting. There¡¯ll be only a few hours of light, though, and the temperatures at night might become deadly for our mortal prisoners.¡± ¡°When the sun sets they¡¯ll be either free or dead,¡± I replied and pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m dying to hear your story, Lilith, but that¡¯s better kept for another time. Two of our guests are listening in and I don¡¯t know how much they can understand. Let¡¯s leave it for a time when we know who they are.¡± I tilted my head to the side and listened for a moment. ¡°Reia and the girl should be out any second now. She¡¯s stopped crying. Let¡¯s hear what she¡¯s got to say.¡± I jerked my head in the direction of a naked tree close by where five people hung like fruits. ¡°If they¡¯re responsible for her state I don¡¯t quite care what¡¯s going to happen to them but I¡¯d rather know for sure before breaking their minds. Maybe they didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°We never touched the girl,¡± a deep, sonorous voice rumbled. With a cocked eyebrow I turned on the spot, meeting the defiant gaze of the oh so mighty master. Apparently he was done pretending to be asleep. His face was scrounged up in concentration as he worked some kind of magic to communicate with us and the rather ridiculous impersonation of a curing ham he had turned into didn¡¯t exactly add gravitas to his appearance. All in all he looked like a dishevelled crow, a far cry away from the imposing leader I had met. ¡°Is that so,¡± I asked mockingly. ¡°Then pray tell, why should I believe you? Your impeccable manners surely didn¡¯t ingratiate yourself with us. Do you always try to chop off an arm when someone steals your provisions?¡± ¡°Provisions,¡± he echoed incredulously, his face turning a marvellous shade of pink. ¡°Those fruits aren¡¯t provisions, they¡¯re more precious than you can even imagine, witch. If she had been caught by anyone else, she¡¯d have been put to the sword by law¡­¡± ¡°Law,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Which law? You¡¯re not at home here, boy, and your laws aren¡¯t worth the dirt on your face. You have one chance. One. Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°I like it when you act all high and mighty,¡± Ahri purred quietly against my cheek. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d almost believe you.¡± ¡°Not helping,¡± I grumbled telepathically. ¡°Not at all.¡± Luckily the trussed up decal of a Chinaman took my frown for what it was: a sign of my displeasure. The description of what I had done was still ringing in his ears and for now he seemed to prefer cooperation over defiance. Especially when my wings manifested and I cut him down, his bound limbs hitting he hardened earth with a dull but very much audible thud. A second later he even started to cough and his smell hit me. Unfortunately he hadn¡¯t come into close contact with water, never mind soap, over the last days. His hands were still tied, curtesy of the second hide Reia had plundered and we had cut into straps, and he was fervently blowing on his red fingers. Another quarter of an hour and frost bite would have set in. I¡¯d have to take care of his humble harem quite soon but for now I thought the backdrop of his concubines dangling from branches might do more good than harm. At least it stood to reason that he¡¯d think twice about pissing me off or lying to me. Not that I¡¯d have taken out my grievances on the girls, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Hoarsely he replied, his hands travelling to his throat to clutch it tightly, even though we hadn¡¯t strangled him. Biting cold can do that to you. ¡°Nothing,¡± he croaked. ¡°One second we were wandering through the golden plains on our way to Jin City and the next we were stuck¡­ somewhere. When we finally managed to escape the darkness we came to this frozen hell of a place and the first thing we saw was a slave girl who stole a decade¡¯s worth of my families labours. Oh, right, when we meant to take back our property we were abducted by a witch, who thought it prudent to treat us like mistletoes. By all the ancestors, what have we done to deserve your anger?¡± With a few quick steps I reached him and pulled him up by the hem of his tattered robe. ¡°Let¡¯s think,¡± I mused, our noses barely a handspan apart. ¡°You threatened me and then you skewered me like a roast. Honestly, judging from what you¡¯ve mentioned about your laws, I¡¯m decently convinced that I could have skinned you alive and tailored myself a new coat out of your hide without anyone complaining. Wanna guess why I haven¡¯t, yet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to guess,¡± he spat. ¡°I heard you before. You want to know where we¡¯re coming from because you¡¯re afraid that my family will soon be breathing down your neck.¡± I blinked. ¡°Afraid? Boy, you can bring all the coolies you want. I couldn¡¯t care less.¡± Coolies? He really was getting under my skin admirably fast. ¡°Here, let me show you.¡± Ahri knew what I wanted and she darted away and into the cave, only to return a second later, carrying a satchel thrice her size. With the utmost contempt I produced one of the four fruits inside, my eyes widening imperceptibly when I saw its mother of pearl sheen. A silver glow burned in my eyes and I had to avert my gaze, since the glare was almost blinding to my second sight. No wonder he had acted like a headless chicken when they had been stolen. A small smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as I took a huge bite, savouring the sweet, almost ethereal taste. His face contorted and while I was trying to puzzle out what the fruit could possibly be he erupted: ¡°Fuck your ancestors for 18 generations!¡± Really? It couldn¡¯t get much worse than that. Apparently I was still underestimating the value of my lunch. While his spit was flying I provocatively nibbled on the fragrant pulp. The thing tasted a bit like cherries. No wonder I enjoyed it. A few seconds later he breathlessly ended his tirade: ¡°have you any idea what you¡¯ve done? You just condemned an innocent girl to a cruel death. May the heavens strike you with thunder, the Jiang family only has the one heiress.¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± I mumbled around another bite, ¡°she needs all four to recover from whatever¡¯s ailing her. Well, you said it yourself, it took a decade to grow these things. Another week or two won¡¯t kill her now, will it? And could you stop cursing my relatives? I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not going to matter but if my ancestors or my family should, by any stoke of luck, hear you, we¡¯ll all suffer. Now, can we skip the charade? Who are you? Do you remember enough to realise what I am? As old as you are you must have stumbled across one rumour or the other.¡± His bravado evaporated on the spot and he slumped against my grip: ¡°you know?¡± ¡°That you¡¯re an old soul wearing a young face? Of course, I can see it. Answer my question. Do you know what I am or have you never met a true immortal in all your years?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t recognise me, do you?¡± He had paled considerably and it wasn¡¯t too difficult to figure out why. We had met before. The questions were when and where. I looked more closely at the frothing, ever changing construct of his soul but the intricate maze was damned hard to follow. ¡°Enlighten me, if you would,¡± I demanded instead. He tilted his head to the side and replied: ¡°With free minds all are to worship their gods,¡± he said. In perfect Latin. Sparks ignited in my eyes. Constantine. Constantine the Great had said that. Shortly before he had turned me into the boogeyman of an entire religion. The devil. A moniker I still carried with me. God damn it! Flickering images blurred my vision. The echoes of desperation whispered faintly in my ear and drowned out the sounds of the forest as two men pleaded in vain, their strangled cries turning into bloodcurdling screams amongst the elation of the crowd. The hum of a bear, the frenzied bark of a wolf, the sound of flesh parting under ivory teeth and then silence. His first steps towards the throne had already been painted in blood. A magnificent palace, illuminated against the cold, starless night shimmered just beyond the grey, murky sky above us, its opulent halls silent but fearful. Boots marched, swords were drawn, a child wept quietly. The innocent died, sacrificed to Constantine¡¯s ambition. With the blood of his family he cleansed himself of the past, ushering in a new age¡­ a better age in all honesty. But the price had to be payed. His wife, his children had payed and so had I. They had watered the seeds of Rome¡¯s survival with their lives and I had become an enemy of humankind, an enemy to unite against¡­ an enemy that legitimised further cruelty under the pretence of keeping the people safe. My fur bristled when I remembered the Inquisition, the torture chambers, the starving masses¡­ the stakes. Roaring to live in the darkness, filling the night with blood red sparks and the song of agony as flesh turned to ash. I had always had a particular distaste for the stake, maybe because they had been erected to purge my presence from poor souls I had never even met, maybe because flames had been important, beautiful¡­ nourishing to me for far longer than the church had existed, whatever the reason, as the bright, damning fires crackled before my inner eye, my blood ignite and a long suppressed, indignant anger thundered through me. Constantine¡¯s fear of me and my intervention back then had turned me into an excuse to hunt down the innocent for years to come and I had detested every moment of it. I still did. Unconsciously I had reached out, my fingers tightening around his neck like a vice as another biting gust tore through the clearing, but he didn¡¯t resist. He just dangled form my grip, his eyes flickering when they met my gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he croaked chokingly, ¡°and thank you. You were right. Power isn¡¯t a means to an end. It¡¯s a responsibility.¡± Damn it all to hell. Goddamn, flee ridden, hypocritical, cowardly, ugly human. I could only pray that the heavens would strike him with thunder. Him and 18 generations of his fucked up ancestors. But I wouldn¡¯t do it myself. Not yet. Not for the past. With a flick of my wrist I tossed him to the ground. ¡°Petty arsehole,¡± I commented and turned away, my chest heaving. By now I was seriously hoping that the injured girl would limp out of the cave, point at him and yell: ¡°kill him, please.¡± ¡°Is he¡­ who is he,¡± Ahri whispered, her growing flames a mirror image of my anger. ¡°Constantine,¡± I spat. ¡°Constantine the Great. First catholic ruler of Rome.¡± She stilled. ¡°I see. Do you want me to¡­¡± she was cut off when the glowing orb Lilith had turned into dropped down right between us. The demoness had been silent for much longer than I¡¯d have thought possible but now she had reached her limit: ¡°That Constantine,¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°The one you¡¯ve been yapping on about for ages?¡± ¡°Very much so. He wasn¡¯t a retainer back then, though. He must have lived through aeons in the interim. Which means he spent most of his time in the far reaches. How many lives did it take, Constantine? And why, by god, would you tell me who you are?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t use that name anymore,¡± he coughed. ¡°As for telling you¡­ you¡¯d have found out either way and unless you¡¯ve changed drastically the truth still matters to you. I¡¯m tired of being afraid. Fragmented memories only started to surface a couple of deaths ago. Ever since I¡¯ve been looking over my shoulder. Knowing that you¡¯ve made an enemy of the devil herself suddenly makes the paranoia of an emperor seem childish. Now then, are you going to end me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t back then,¡± I hissed. ¡°If I¡¯m going to now it¡¯ll be because of what you¡¯ve done in this life, not because of what you did to me. Have you softened? From feeding people to wild beasts and murdering your family in the dark to chopping off body parts. Oh my, what an improvement. Should I return the favour? The right hand is generally being overestimated. Let me show you.¡± 408. Of grudges, mercy and a little bit of magic Cassandra Pendragon He was climbing to his feet staggeringly, but when he met my eye his gaze didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Save your threats. You¡¯re not going to touch me until that slave girl points at me and says he hurt me. Which she¡¯ll never do. I haven¡¯t laid a finger on her and I didn¡¯t plan to. I wanted to scare her and send her off with a warning. I might have considered beating her but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t sound like it to me,¡± I scoffed. Unfortunately I knew he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Would have been some poor acting if it hadn¡¯t convinced someone who hates me¡­ incidentally, do you? Hate me, I mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not important enough for me to hate you. You¡¯ve been annoying and the seeds you planted bloomed into flowers I hate. But that¡¯s not on you. Not entirely. So much for what you did. I still think you¡¯re a despicable ass. But if I wanted to rid the world of those there wouldn¡¯t be much left afterwards.¡± He blinked and lowered his head, his next words barely audible: ¡°Then¡­ my son, Crispus. How did he live? How did he die?¡± ¡°Better than you. He found a wife and he was happy if that¡¯s what you want to know. He died in Greece at the age of 82, surrounded by his children. Envious?¡± ¡°Yes. But also glad. I¡¯ve never managed as much.¡± I chuckled dryly. ¡°Really? That¡¯s why you¡¯re travelling with four pretty girls, whose age, even if added up, probably wouldn¡¯t amount to a hundredth of the years you can remember.¡± He grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from you. Every mortal you touch must be a toddler to you, even if they are several thousand years old. Pot and kettle¡­¡± I was already taking a deep breath in preparation for a tirade, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. Not at all. A crimson flash of light, a pained grunt and the scent of burned skin made the words transform into a chortle. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch that,¡± Ahri said innocently. Constantine grumbled but chose not to respond. A wise decision, considering the angel was more or less itching for a reason to beat him up. While he was muttering under his breath and poking his still smoking behind with tender fingers I focused on his travel companions, especially the one girl who was awake but still pretended to be out cold. They looked eerily similar, but that was probably because I had never seen anyone Asian in this life and memories weren¡¯t enough to get used to the subtle differences. Broadly speaking, describing someone usually boiled down to hair and eye colour, maybe the height, but since they were all black haired with dark, smouldering eyes, fair, unblemished skin and rather on the petite side, there wasn¡¯t much to go on. At least the embroideries on their robes had different colours, thus I silently dubbed them red, white, green and yellow. Keeping four foreign names straight in my head wouldn¡¯t work anyways. I had already forgotten the name of the family Constantine had wanted to hand the fruits over to. Speaking of which, the thing had really been delicious and I had left the seeds. Usually a magical plant had a whole plethora of conditions attached to it to grow properly, but with a little help from our friendly neighbourhood dryad I was decently sure that I could have a small garden filled with them in no time. Maybe I¡¯d even return the one I had eaten, if Constantine wasn¡¯t going to further pull my strings. For someone supposedly afraid of being erased he was decidedly cheeky. Goddamn Romans. Only the Vikings had been worse. Threaten one with your strength and they¡¯d take it as a challenge to the whole tribe. No wonder they had vanished after a couple of centuries.But they had known how to party. Come to think of it, so had the Romans. Excessively. I shook my head and silenced the intrusive thoughts, my gaze slowly roaming over Mrs. White. The girl kept up the pretence for a few heartbeats but when I narrowed my eyes and their light danced across her face like a swarm of fireflies she finally flinched and looked at me. ¡°Good morning,¡± I said and cut her from the tree, right alongside her companions. They turned into a surprisingly elegant heap on the frozen ground, with only a few snow white calves poking through the maze of entangled silk. Unfortunately she had been the first to fall and with each subsequent thud a muffled groan had slipped from the growing, fragrant pile. That way they¡¯d at least stay warm for quite a while. ¡°Usually I¡¯m a much better host, but I¡¯m still contemplating if I should hang you up again, by the neck this time.¡± I had switched back from Latin to Chinese and even though she probably didn¡¯t understand every word I got my message across and one set of legs tensed immediately. Until: ¡°Don¡¯t fret,¡± Constantine said as he straightened and huffed, eyeing Ahri, who had returned to my side, nervously, ¡°you¡¯re not in danger. The devil only comes for those who¡¯ve called her. Which would be me. Don¡¯t you, Luci¡­ you don¡¯t go by Lucifer anymore, do you? What is it now? Lady Morningstar? Lucyfera? I think I¡¯ve read that name before.¡± ¡°Are we friends now,¡± I snarled. ¡°Only because you¡¯re still breathing it doesn¡¯t necessarily follow that it¡¯ll stay that way.¡± Which made the brat chuckle. Chuckle, for Pete¡¯s sake. Goddamn it, did I really have to wear my crown and communicate in clipped, innuendo laden sentences to be taken seriously? Or maybe my tails and ears were the problem. I always thought they made me look cute, which wasn¡¯t necessarily an advantage. Not that I¡¯d have hidden them. I liked who I was. Anyways, I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do, now that I was as close to being myself as I¡¯d get without endangering our world. Maybe if I put on a bit of a show he¡¯d think twice about poking the fox in the future and I had already pushed off talking to my dragoness for long enough. ¡°Stay with me or watch from the outside,¡± I asked Ahri, which prompted her to wrap my tresses tightly around herself. ¡°Guess that¡¯s enough of an answer.¡± With Constantine still chuckling and stroking his nonexistent beard, his¡­ wives, maybe, sleeping or otherwise preoccupied trying to escape the soft prison they were stuck in and Lilith hovering above the entire mess like a hawk, I allowed a trickle of power to flood through my veins and towards my wings. The sounds of winter, the smells of the forest were drowned out by the hum of eternity and the heavy stench of ozone. A corona of light rippled through my wings and shrouded me in glaring silver as I rose several handspans into air. My senses expanded, chasing after the thin but adamant thread that always connected me with Viyara, and my magic followed on wings made of something much more ethereal than mana. The energy of the soul¡­ it was always passing through Amazeroth¡¯s wards with every death, with every birth, and now I could use it to work my own arts. If you could even call it that. Art implied proficiency, which I lacked. But I had the strength and more than enough enthusiasm. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Viyara¡¯s presence surged into my mind like a rejuvenating spring breeze, her thoughts, her trust a welcome, precious gift I was only slowly starting to appreciate fully. I had missed her. She was one of the few people I truly couldn¡¯t let go of¡­ I wouldn¡¯t. Never. Questions and warmth spread through me, but for now I simply allowed her to dive deeper and watch. ¡°Grow,¡± I breathed and my core stirred. Viyara became the fulcrum through which my magic thundered, her own soul safe behind a seal I had inadvertently made stronger than the ones that had kept Gabriel prisoner. I couldn¡¯t see her, but I knew she was shining brightly, her golden form veiled behind a silver glow as if the moon had suddenly risen. The earth didn¡¯t shake, the air didn¡¯t even stir, but gradually, inexorably my will spread until it reached Greta. ¡°About damn time,¡± the dryad sighed, her ancient, gnarly mind turning into an intricate map of her slowly spreading body. It began in Free Land. The huge cherry tree suddenly trembled, some of its roots breaking through the soft soil, stretching towards the light, while others dug ever deeper, through rock and metal, until they reached the ocean. A minuscule wave erupted but in the blink of an eye it crossed the sea and touched the distant shores of Amon¡¯s empire. Meanwhile Greta¡¯s trunk expanded, her boughs thickened and elongated until they became a sparkling, silver green roof, covering the entirety of the city. White and red petals fell, the sweet smell of cherries spread through Free Land and the sound of merrily burbling waters followed. The pond underneath Greta¡¯s roots swelled and churned, even though its shimmering surface never rippled. With a mighty groan the gargantuan roots of the tree moved, creating four arch like openings that led towards the Garden outside. Trenches appeared, the precious liquid surged and four brooks, glowing with their own light, made their meandering way towards the forest or the cliffs. Along their benches plants grew and the miasma of blood and death, still suffocating parts of the city, finally vanished. Like a singular organism the town took its first, clean, invigorating breath as the last traces of Amon¡¯s atrocities were swept away towards the sea. The falling petals shimmered and vanished before they could touch the ground. A warm, gentle breeze collected the motes of starlight they had turned into and carried them along towards distant shores. Wherever they¡¯d land they¡¯d allow a seedling to grow, but they wouldn¡¯t just appear anywhere. Can you imagine what the single thing is an innocent always does, but someone with a heavy conscience never dares to? Ask for help. Genuinely ask. They don¡¯t bargain or trade, they simply ask. Usually it¡¯s a futile plead¡­ a last, desperate cry when the end looms, but I had always hated the image of a cold, uncaring universe because it isn¡¯t true. Only in hindsight will it usually become apparent that someone listened and I meant to change that. Whether or not I succeeded time would tell, but wherever a pure soul cried out in fear my magic would answer. There would be a way, a path towards a safe heaven opening up right in front of them. But that wasn¡¯t all. I knew the realms were merging, I knew that our world was changing and within a few days our neighbours would walk on Gaya. Humans, monsters, elementals, dreams and nightmares. They were coming and in their wake the structure of our world would crumble. I couldn¡¯t stop it, I didn¡¯t know how without erasing the smaller realms and anyone within them, but I could surely prepare for their arrival. Verdant trees were a universal symbol of life. Greeting our exiled kin with a fresh breath of hope might just mellow their fear enough to prevent a massacre. And if it didn¡¯t work¡­ at least we¡¯d know. We¡¯d know where to go and what to expect. The petals would fall, attracted by the convoluted energies that heralded the destruction of a subrealm. The trees would grow and maybe, just maybe, it¡¯d be enough to turn chaos and strive into something beautiful. A gentle but unstoppable stream continuously flowed from my core and through Viyara towards Greta, allowing the seeds I had planted to bloom, but I didn¡¯t stop there. My awareness flickered, my intent spread. Like a wave of light with Viyara at its centre and her telepathy as its medium it surged, the intricate web of energies around Gaya undisturbed in its wake. My touch was ethereal and fleeting, grounded in the very fabric of creation and far beyond the mundane workings of wards and spells. For the fraction of a second I was tempted. Tempted to reach out and finally take revenge on the ancient monster that had started it all, but I could feel, I could practically see a gate barring my way. Passing through wouldn¡¯t be difficult, but it would entail embracing what I was and that meant ascension. I had guessed already but now I knew without the shadow of a doubt: as soon as Amazeroth and I were going to meet, this chapter of my life would come to an end. And I wasn¡¯t ready. Not yet. In front of the heavenly host I was still nothing but a nuisance, a mistake to be corrected. I had a year to change that and make sure my world would survive. Now I was laying the foundation. Boseiju. On Boseiju it had all begun and that was where I turned my thoughts next. It was a burned, dark hole, devoid of light. Not even the echos of the souls that had perished there lingered, devoured by magics much too vile for me to comprehend. But the perfect blackness was exactly how I found my former home, the one place on this world where not even the shadow of a soul remained. ¡°Become,¡± I whispered and the strength of my command made the Emerald Island tremble. My wings swelled even further, seemingly touching the heavens, and silvery blue light fell from the sky like rain, only to disappear and chase through the ether. Another wave of power hit the golden dragoness, her crystallising scales aglow with pure, undiluted light. The magic split, the smaller part reaching for Aurelia and through her for Sarai, while the larger part condensed around Boseiju like a transcendent thunderstorm. Amongst the charred wastes lightning struck and where it touched the ravaged rocks it remained, like crackling stairways to heaven that multiplied by the second. Gradually they fused, combing into a structure of immortal strength. A memorial for what had happened, a cenotaph for what the future would bring. It became sturdier with every moment but at the same time the entire dreamlike edifice seemed to fade, to become raptured, transported to another place. It was another haven, a refuge for those who had been taken. On Gaya the souls of the fallen would be safe, held in trust until the world would change. On Gaya the fuel for Amon¡¯s and Shassa¡¯s magic would run dry this very day. ¡°To me,¡± I said, my voice firm and commanding for the first time, and far away, in a galaxy I had never been, between two star systems I had never heard of, Sarai bowed her head. A silvery blue stream tore through time and space only to envelope her in a cocoon of eternity and she vanished into sparks that danced amongst the suns for a heartbeat longer before they, too, retuned to me. Deep down in the bottomless ocean someone else heard my call. Lilith had not told me much, but it had been enough to figure out that she was stuck, stuck but not alone. Odin. A named I hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. They were here, they were on Gaya and I intended to bring them to my side, but for the first time I was thwarted. Walls, gleaming, pristine, transcendent walls barred my way. To get to my family I¡¯d have to tear them down and that would shatter the wards around our world for good. I¡¯d have to go there myself, I¡¯d have to dive deep into the blue unknown to literally open their cells and get them back, but for now they were beyond my reach. As to why I was even capable of using my magic freely¡­ not only were the wards I had dreaded to destroy mine to begin with, but my latest evolution had laid bare the very fabric of life. There¡¯s a reason why most idioms describing an intimate connection recur on metaphors including the soul. The soul is what makes mortals unique, what allows them to exist as an individual. I saw them for what they were and that meant I could nourish without destroying, engender growth without devouring the very fabric it stemmed from. My changed wing was truly a key. In the beginning I had believed that I needed someone or something to let me in, to form a lock I could open, but in truth the lock was already there. I simply hadn¡¯t been able to see it. Not anymore. I could not only accelerate or bolster the energy within someone. I could alter it without ever allowing my magic to subdue what made them special. Only the restraints of their souls, what they could envision, what they could dream of, mattered. Apparently dreams knew no bounds and within the confines of their imagination I could make them real. I could¡­ finally start shaping the future. 409. Of powers, reunions and a little bit of forgiveness Cassandra Pendragon When my senses returned to our murky parts of the woods the scene had changed. Dramatically. For one the four girls had, at one point, managed to disentangle themselves only to drop back down to their knees. At the moment they were prostrated on the muddy ground, Constantine standing close by with his mouth wide open. Even Reia and her new friend had found their way out of the cave and the vixen was quietly whispering into the thief¡¯s ear, her tails quivering. Judging from the wide eyed, almost haunted stare on her companion¡¯s face she wasn¡¯t doing a bang up job when it came to assuaging her fears. Not to mention the acidic smell of terror that was slowly permeating the clearing. The humans were scared. Scared out of their wits. ¡°That¡¯s not much of a surprise,¡± Viyara chuckled absentmindedly. The larger part of her concentration was used to figure out what the hell I had just done, where I had been and why her scaly coat had suddenly become streaked with glowing gems. ¡°Look around. If I didn¡¯t know you, I¡¯d be well on my way across the ocean, too.¡± I blinked and rubbed my eyes to disperse the lingering sparks in my vision. Muddy¡­ the ground was muddy, not frozen. All around me the ice had melted, drenched the soil and turned it into a veritable mud bath. Small rivulets of dirty water were quickly seeping away between gnarly roots and verdant seedlings, the erstwhile barren branches laden with green sprouts. I have mentioned that my proficiency was severely lacking, haven¡¯t I? A small part of my magic had decided to take a different path and apparently spread through the clearing, coaxing hibernating plants and buried seeds into premature growth. Even the temperature had changed, but it wouldn¡¯t last for long. The biting cold breeze was already rustling through the trees and on the edges of the muddy streams ice crystals were beginning to bloom again. I frowned because I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the humans¡¯ reactions. Sure, for magic to inadvertently thaw a chunk of the forest it had to be quite strong, but each and every single one present, except for Reia who couldn¡¯t access her power, yet, was capable of something similar. I felt a warm breath tickle the fur on my ear when Ahri breathed: ¡°look up.¡± I did and my confusion vanished. Streaks of silver and blue marred the cloudy white sky like huge jet trails. A crisscrossing maze spanned the heavens for as far I could see, an echo of my power still pulsing through the crystallised light. ¡°How far does it go,¡± I whispered, my gaze following one of the broader streams south. ¡°Can you¡­¡± ¡°I can see it,¡± Ahri replied reverently. ¡°It¡¯s not as¡­ just take a look yourself.¡± My vision fractured again and another scene superimposed itself upon my surroundings. I was still there but at the same time I leaned against a balustrade made of dark granite, my head turned towards the sky. Faintly I heard and smelled people behind me but my focus was on the shimmering rivers that had torn the vast expanse of blue above asunder. This far away it looked less like an actual maze and more like starlight come to life in the middle of the day, shrouding the elegant, alien city underneath in stardust and the echos of eternity. From the corner of my eye I saw movement behind me and when I focused I smelled the floral scent of several elves. One I already knew. ¡°Please, tell me that wasn¡¯t her,¡± Zara, the elven prince(ss) mumbled behind my fianc¨¦e. ¡°Please tell me I didn¡¯t try to bind someone who¡¯s capable of that.¡± Using Ahri¡¯s mouth I replied merrily: ¡°Afraid so. But you can apologise in person soon enough and I don¡¯t usually hold grudges. Well, not often at least.¡± With the sound of ripping silk Ahri¡¯s wings unfurled, simply because I enjoyed the feeling of her warm energies surging through me. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± I added without turning around, my eyes still glued to the scintillating celestial phenomenon. ¡°But it won¡¯t be much longer. Before the day has run its course you¡¯ll have two angels watching over you shoulder. Don¡¯t screw it up. I¡¯ve had one hell of a few months and I¡¯d really love a chance to catch my breath. Then again¡­ we can¡¯t always get what we want, can we, and with the realms merging it¡¯s bound to become even more interesting. Can you convince the old codger on the throne to pull his head out of his arse for a single night and receive me?¡± The sharp intake of breath at my back was hard to misinterpret and so was Ahri¡¯s laughter. ¡°Said codger is standing right behind me, isn¡¯t he,¡± I asked and massaged my temples, which didn¡¯t have the desired effect. Hardly surprising since I was standing rigidly in the middle of a forest, apparently talking to myself. The next words I heard, though, intrigued me: ¡°Royal codger, at the very least,¡± an old but strong and vigorous voice grated. As to why I was intrigued¡­ apparently he hadn¡¯t found out, yet, that his son was pushing daisies, but he had accepted Ahri and from the looks of it she had quite a bit of pull, otherwise my loose mouth would have surely earned me more than an admittedly graceful attempt at humour. Damn it, I could thank my lucky star that I hadn¡¯t blabbed Zara¡¯s name. That would have been an oopsie. ¡°Tell that to the crystalline dragoness who¡¯ll soar through your skies any minute now,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But if it makes you feel any better, your royal highness, I¡¯ll try my best to remember. I¡¯ll pay my proper respects in a bit.¡± I blinked and the world shifted until I was again somewhere else, far away from any resemblance of civilisation. Our distant corner of nowhere had changed again, or maybe it¡¯d be more accurate to say it was close to breaking apart all together, the very structure of reality trembling under the weight of yet another immortal. The winds were picking up and the scent of stars and fire was pressing down like a suffocating mass. Despite the shaking trees silence reigned, as everybody, from Ahri to the smallest insect, raised their heads to the heavens. High in the sky the clouds had vanished. A glaringly bright sun was slowly descending and all around it a fine vapour was rising in spirals towards the stars, carried on streams of superheated air. My eyes stung when I allowed my senses to expand and the splendour of my sister filled my vision. The Lady of Dawn truly lived up to her name. In a way she looked like us, like Ahri and me. She wasn¡¯t a kitsune but her features resembled ours much more closely than we resembled our own kin, except for the decided lack of cute ears and fluffy tails. Her wings were huge and birdlike, not quite as voluptuous as Reia¡¯s and not as elegant or nimble as Ahri¡¯s, but rather somewhere in the middle. They were also far less ethereal. Each burning white feather was a touchable, enduring piece of crystallised eternity, immaculately arranged along strong, somewhat slender limbs that surrounded her like a coat. She couldn¡¯t even fold them away properly. Ever since she had bound herself to Fenya, the elder phoenix she had saved from the bowels of the Silver City, her wings had been locked in place, a visible reminder of the precious friend she¡¯d always carry with her. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Flames dripped from them like blood, but they weren¡¯t of the powerful, warming crimson I knew so well, but rather of an aggressive, almost blinding yellow, pulsing with deadly white sparks. The heat those flames exuded was indescribable, the parching currents of white hot air around her a visible reminder of the forces under her command. Her fires were a memento of the pain and price of creation, of life and death. She brought the smouldering end, the glowing ash that would allow something new to grow. Ahri¡­ to me she was the warmth of life and Sarai was the heat of new beginnings. Her eyes, unfathomably deep gems as clear as the most precious ruby, were filled with hope and exhaustion, roaming curiously over the colourful court we had assembled in our clearing. Her long, golden dress danced in the wind when she raised her arms and tilted her wings, their dangerous flames burning lower with every passing moment. The currents that had kept her aloft disappeared and she fell, landing in front of me with barley a sound. A cloud of stardust wafted up and then she stilled entirely, her enigmatic gaze searching for mine. The quiet, scurrying noises behind me told me exactly how comfortable everyone else was with her presence but I didn¡¯t care. I only had eyes for my sister, a creature that was connected to me through more blood and sorrow, more hope and happiness than even I could understand. ¡°You brought me over,¡± she whispered, her voice as rich, as wondrous as the life she had led. It wasn¡¯t a question, but I still replied: ¡°I did.¡± Without sparing a thought for the wisdom of my actions I spread my arms and hugged her tightly, the sparks of eternity I felt igniting between us a welcome reminder that she was real, that she was here. In the flesh and alive. I hadn¡¯t been sure. I breathed in deeply and the rising scent of suns and stars tickled my nose. Memories stirred. Some good, some bad, some disturbing and some reassuring. When her arms tightened around me and her wings whispered across my skin I added in a hoarse whisper: ¡°hello, sister. It¡¯s good to finally see you.¡± Her cheek rustled silkily over mine when she brought her head close to Ahri¡¯s small form and replied quietly: ¡°I¡¯ve missed you. I¡¯ve missed you both. How long has it been?¡± ¡°Barely more than a century,¡± Ahri said, her voice a far cry from steady. Sarai had always meant more to her than she had to me. ¡°But it was still too long. I would have waited another year, but I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t have to. Welcome, welcome, Sarai. How¡­ how was your journey?¡± ¡°Really,¡± the angel chuckled throatily. ¡°Turbulent. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have made it without Cassandra¡¯s intervention. Michael¡¯s dogs were much closer than I¡¯d have liked. I could already feel them breathing down my neck, when¡­ what did you even do? And how could you do it without inviting every immortal between the Void and the Fringes for supper?¡± It was my turn to smile, albeit forlornly. It didn¡¯t hurt as much anymore, but every time I remembered who I was I felt¡­ dirty, spent. I was going to need a while to get over it. ¡°I¡¯ll be blessed,¡± Lilith interrupted, which made me jerk. I had almost forgotten her¡­ maybe I had tried to. ¡°What in heaven happened to you? You look like an amalgamation of different forces, sprinkled with a generous helping of transcendence. Did Michael and his cronies screw you so thoroughly that your insides became all jumbled up?¡± It was a testimony to the change Fenya had wrought that Sarai didn¡¯t explode. Normally she would have taught the diminished demoness what she had been forced to go through in great detail. Probably with a few hands on examples. But she didn¡¯t, instead she chose to ignore the spluttering lightbulb and wrapped her wings more tightly around me, her hot, slender finger travelling up my back. A second later warmth spread from my shoulder and I had to turn my head away as two different flames merged. More than just energies flowed gently between Ahri and her long lost friend, but, despite myself, I didn¡¯t feel jealous. I¡­ I was happy for them, even though I did feel like a third wheel. With a sigh I disentangled myself and gently pushed my fianc¨¦e towards my sister. That was a first, but I really didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Go,¡± I mumbled and even restricted the connection between Ahri and me so that the two of them could have some privacy. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have much to catch up on and I¡­ I need to tidy up. I¡¯ll call once I¡¯ve sorted out this mess. Just¡­ don¡¯t go to far, will you?¡± ¡°Are you sure,¡± Ahri breathed. ¡°We can wait. What¡¯s happening on Gaya is more important¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I immediately denied and shook my head. ¡°This¡­ this is important. Besides¡­ the first proper conversation between Sarai and me might be a bit more strained than either of us would like.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t finish, the newly arrived immortal answered her question immediately: ¡°Aurelia, isn¡¯t it? Do you expect me to make amends?¡± I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see. But I won¡¯t ignore the past. I¡¯ve tried and I¡¯ve always payed for it. Look¡­ Viyara is one of my own and her sweetheart is your former slave. Your scarred, discarded puppet. I don¡¯t want to let that particular wound fester and I already have an idea what can be done. I¡­¡± lost track entirely when Viyara¡¯s presence moved in the depths of my mind. Not to mention Lilith¡¯s distracting acrobatics as she tried to regain Sarai¡¯s attention, or the doom and gloom vibe our human guests were exuding like a particularly nasty smell. At least Reia had managed to calm the slave girl down, even though the subtle glances she shot at the vixen from time to time looked like my next headache in the making. Reia was twelve. No buts, ifs and whens. Considering how a pretty slave had most likely been treated I could just about imagine what would happen if they got even closer. Goddamn it, that was another conversation I wasn¡¯t looking forward to. I could already hear her complaints: ¡°you¡¯re even younger¡­¡± At least I didn¡¯t have to deal with it now. ¡°That would be an amazing trick,¡± the dragoness commented scathingly. ¡°Did you know that Aurelia still wakes up sometimes in the middle of the night, quivering like a kitten? However would your sister be able to make up for what she¡¯s done?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t. We can never really make up for what we¡¯ve done to others. Trust me, I know. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be forgiven, does it?¡± ¡°And you expect her to simply let bygones be bygones? Are you crazy?¡± I sighed¡­ again. ¡°Fine, you want an honest answer? Yes, I expect her to let go. Without forgiveness none of us will make it through the next year alive. If we keep gnawing on old grudges like dogs on their bones we can just as well call it a day. We don¡¯t have that luxury. In other words¡­ grow up.¡± I knew how it must have sounded and the reaction came promptly: ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from you¡­ are you going to forgive Amon if that means saving our world?¡± Damn it all to hell and back again. ¡°No. But I would play nice until I¡¯d no longer need him, then throw him off the next cliff. If you think it¡¯s wise for your girlfriend to try and assassinate an angel, then, by all means, go for it. Don¡¯t come running to me though, when she¡¯s dead and gone.¡± ¡°So you do choose your immortal family over us?¡± She sounded¡­ hurt and I was starting to get angry. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend you¡¯ve never said that. Damn it, Viyara, you¡¯re in my head! There are five people, five, I truly love and only one¡­ make that two of them are immortals. Do you know why your comparison sucks? Because I¡¯ve seen, because I¡¯ve felt what Sarai has gone through to even get here. She¡¯s not the same angel she was all those years ago. If Amon should ever sacrifice himself to keep someone safe and in doing so becomes a different person, I promise you, I won¡¯t judge him for what he was, only for what he is. Forgiveness is a two way street. You have to give it to receive it, but you also have to work for it. You have to work to be forgiven and also to forgive. It doesn¡¯t come easy. Nothing of value ever does.¡± ¡°Do you always have an answer,¡± she grumbled, but the dark inflection was gone. ¡°Most of the time,¡± I chuckled. ¡°When you¡¯ve seen people make the same mistakes over and over again you become quite adept at spotting them. Unfortunately it doesn¡¯t work in a mirror.¡± 410. Of scars, choices and a little flame Cassandra Pendragon I clapped my hands when Sarai and Ahri, tired of me staring into nothingness, soared into the sky. The humans, of course, jumped in fright. The scent of fear wafted up, almost as if someone had squashed a lemon, and to make matters worse the four girls immediately prostrated themselves on the ground again. Even Constantine looked like someone had just walked over his grave. In hindsight it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. Even though we had known each other in the past he had never seen me use my magic. A few punches had always been more than enough to deal with a few overzealous Roman soldiers and I hadn¡¯t delivered my threats to him in person. He had only found a bloody message in his throne room. ¡°You owe an apology and then you have a choice to make,¡± I began in Chinese, my gaze roaming over the quivering heaps of blue, mud stained silk to Constantine¡¯s frozen expression. With a sideways glance at Reia and her friend I continued: ¡°I know you aren¡¯t responsible for her fate, she has told my sister as much,¡± and I had listened in, but I wasn¡¯t going to explicate that point, ¡°but you still treated her like a dog. Go on, mighty emperor, let¡¯s see you grovel.¡± A tiny spark of defiance ignited in his eyes and he inadvertently looked at the girl who had incited him to attack. His thoughts were practically written all over his face: I have to bow, even though she was as much at fault? Yes, my dear, the beauty of leadership. There was only a single person to gain the glory, but there was also only a single neck to wring when things went south. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± a timid, sweet voice interrupted from the side. When I turned I saw a gangly, underfed girl walking towards me with insecure steps, Reia in tow. With a bit of time and especially food she¡¯d become a real head turner but right now she looked like a drowning bird, disheveled and frightened. She also smelled like one. ¡°They didn¡¯t hurt me. I don¡¯t need an apology. Please, there¡¯s no need to fight.¡± Oh boy. A veritable saint. ¡°Maybe not, but you deserve one,¡± I replied pensively while Lilith landed on my shoulder in a huff. Being ignored didn¡¯t sit well with her, especially since she had been dying to tell her story ever since I had woken up. ¡°And he needs to learn that people aren¡¯t things to do with as he pleases. As for his heroic harem¡­ get up and face me. I¡¯ve never understood why you would voluntarily kiss the dirt when the milk has already been spilled. Do you think I won¡¯t dare to touch you, only because you¡¯re kowtowing before me?¡± They raised their heads and slowly got their feet, their eyes darting from one to the other looking desperately for any sort of hint as to how they should behave. Unfortunately Constantine was still busy lamenting his most recent decisions and wasn¡¯t of much help, muttering silently under his breath. After a rather uncomfortable moment of silence, Ms. White, the very same who had arrogantly thought that sticking a few swords in me would make a lick of a difference, finally found her courage, her smouldering, almost black eyes quivering as they roamed over my body. A faint blush rose to her alabaster¡­ in the name of cultural propriety let¡¯s stick with jade like cheeks. Whether she was embarrassed facing me in all my naked glory or agitated because she was actually afraid I couldn¡¯t tell. The girls were much to disciplined to betray what was going through their minds and I didn¡¯t intend to pry. ¡°No,¡± she replied, her voice soft but chilly like the first snow in the forest, ¡°but we¡¯ve been taught to show respect to our elders and whatever you are, your prowess is beyond questioning.¡± As a quick explanation: age was used mostly to indicate seniority or skill, not the actual years someone had lived. Not that it mattered. In either regard they were barely cubs in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d give quite a lot to have had that particular epiphany before you¡¯ve decided to turn me into a skewer. Ironically that¡¯s the least of your problems. If I hadn¡¯t been prepared to get hurt I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to get near me. No¡­ to be frank you¡¯re in deep shit, but it has nothing to do with me. I might even be persuaded to help you out, depending on how your fearless leader decides to comport himself right about now.¡± ¡°Duly noted. Amor fati.¡± Sorry to interrupt again, but since Latin isn¡¯t part of most curricula anymore amor fati means love your fate. A modern translation would be what will be will be and there¡¯s no point nagging. I didn¡¯t agree, but I knew where Constantine was coming from. With the rustling of silk he hobbled across the clearing, fell to his knees in front of the little slave girl and lowered his head, his arms crossed in front of his chest in a perfect imitation of a puppet ruler¡¯s greeting for the most illustrious Roman Emperor Constantinus. Oh my, how times had changed. If she had been similar to how he had been on Earth in any way, shape or form her next words would have been: throw him to the beasts. Luckily she wasn¡¯t. She was an honest to god sweetheart, who was about as self assured as a mouse in front of a lion. It was a goddamn miracle that she wasn¡¯t running away, considering how nervous she seemed. ¡°I¡¯ve wronged you,¡± he continued solemnly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have judged without listening. That is my mistake and mine alone and I¡¯m sorry. Can you forgive me?¡± Maybe I should introduce him to Arthur one of these days. The two would get along splendidly, like two crowned peas on a throne. ¡°I¡­,¡± she began tremblingly, her hand inadvertently reaching for Reia¡¯s, which I chose to ignore. For now. ¡°Of course. Please, get up. I¡­ it¡¯s also my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have taken your belongings, but I thought¡­ I was scared. My master would never have willingly shared his provisions with me and even asking would have earned me a day with the dogs. I didn¡¯t touch the contents of the satchel. You can have it back.¡± No, he really couldn¡¯t. Let¡¯s call it¡­ an advocate¡¯s fee. Still kneeling Constantine raised his head and found her gaze: ¡°your words show your grace. I¡¯m honoured that you¡¯d be willing to let it go.¡± With a fluid motion he got to his feet and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m from the Hu family and my given name is Yichen, but I guess you can call me Constantine. It¡¯s a name I¡¯ve carried in the past.¡± With a sidelong glance at me he added: ¡°but since the past has come back to life it seems appropriate to dust it off. Satisfied?¡± I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s hungry and garbed in rags. Feed her and dress her. Then I¡¯ll be willing to call it even.¡± He bit his lower lip and switched back to Latin: ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but our artefacts are gone. Our storage rings as well.¡± Really now? ¡°Pray tell, where did your girls take their second swords from, then,¡± I blabbered, my curiosity getting the better of me. To my surprise he blushed. ¡°Those were plain steel weapons, cleverly crafted to be worn as belts when not in use, but they hardly deserved the name sword. With our real weapons you wouldn¡¯t have been able to close your wounds so effortlessly.¡± I laughed at that. Unless they had been forged by an immortal I highly doubted it. Even then¡­ well, Gabriel had driven Reia¡¯s fans, which contained her trident, through my heart more than once and I hadn¡¯t flinched. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°If you say so. Fine, in that case the first few coins you¡¯re going to earn will go to her. What was it, back then? 100 Denari for a life, 20 for a limb? You owe her twenty gold coins, until then you¡¯re her debtor. By your own laws. We can skip the branding part. I don¡¯t want to dirty my hands further than I have to.¡± ¡°How¡­ magnanimous,¡± he pressed out through gritted teeth. In Chinese he continued, much more amicably: ¡°even without the devil playing advocate I should have offered compensation.¡± With a jerk of the head in my direction he explained: ¡°she wants me to offer you gold but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s wise. Tell me child, which path do you follow?¡± She¡­ Lamia. Lamia was her name. Sorry for snooping, Reia. Lamia blinked and averted her eyes in shame. ¡°My master didn¡¯t allow me to follow the trail of my magic after my parents died and his seal has closed my meridians. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± She choked and the salty smell of tears hit me. I reached for her, but before I could move Reia had wrapped her tails around her and pulled her to her side. While her arms snaked around Lamia¡¯s thin shoulders, her eyes found mine. She didn¡¯t have to ask, the question was clear enough: Can you help? I smiled genuinely. Of course I could. I swiftly took a handful of steps and lowered my body until I was on eye level with the young¡­ phoenix. Lilith had called her a phoenix. The very moment I recalled the conversation I had eavesdropped on I even smelled the faint echo of an eternal flame, hiding behind her acquired odour. Perfect. Whatever ailed her, if I wouldn¡¯t be able to help, Sarai would. With the gentlest of touches I made her face me, a warm, silver flame dancing in my gaze. A magical seal was suppressing the flow of energy within her, cutting her mind off from her arcane reservoirs. A seal cast by a mere human with moderate aptitude and no safeguards. I grinned. ¡°Shatter,¡± I breathed almost languidly, the barest hint of power thrumming in my voice, but it was more than enough. The shadow of blood red chains was pressed against the inside of her skin around her neck for the tiniest fraction of a moment before it crumbled into silver sparks. I inhaled and the faint taste of stardust tickled my throat. Then it was over, long before anyone had even realised what I had done. I leaned back on my haunches and studied Lamia¡¯s expression as her body started working like it was supposed to for the first time in years. At first she had been mesmerised, lost in my burning gaze. When the magic abated she blinked and blushed¡­ and then she froze as a myriad of sensations she had almost forgotten assaulted her. Her nostrils flared, her legs trembled, but with Reia support she remained steady. A single flame, as dark as I had ever seen, burned a hole through her worn out mockery of a shirt just above her heart. A terrified hiss sounded from my right, followed by a Chinese exclamation: ¡°May the Ancestors protect us! The shadow flame of Lung Tian!¡± Which could have been a name or an actual description, meaning heavenly dragon. Not that it mattered either way. With a frown I extended my hand and allowed the flame to touch my skin. Nothing happened of course, but I gained a vague idea of what I was dealing with. ¡°That can¡¯t be good,¡± I murmured, unfortunately still in Chinese, which elicited a strange squawk from the girl in front of and a nervous cough from the erstwhile emperor beside me. ¡°Common tongue, please,¡± Reia immediately huffed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your sister is watching a blighted flame for the first time in this life of hers,¡± Lilith answered mockingly in my stead, ¡°and apparently she isn¡¯t enamoured.¡± Blighted flame¡­ a distant memory stirred in the back of my mind. The blighted¡­ the offspring of a divine beast and a far less powerful creature. Sex between different species wasn¡¯t an issue, usually. If a dragon was to fall for a penguin it would still pose some logistic challenges but the deed itself wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Getting pregnant on the other hand¡­ for conception to happen the parents had to be somewhat compatible. Remember the hoops Viyara¡¯s father had been forced to jump through? Unfortunately, judging from what I had seen and heard Lamia¡¯s father had been a mere human. Impregnating a phoenix would have taken a heavy toll on him and if his magic had been too weak it wouldn¡¯t have happened at all, unless he had taken the strength from somewhere else. The potential of the forming embryo. When that happened the child would change, it¡¯d become blighted. Think of it as a wound, but since the creature in question was still forming it didn¡¯t scar over or heal, it became a part of the unborn cub. As a result its magic, its power would change, turned into something ravenous that wouldn¡¯t stop until it filled the gaping hole, which was an integral part of its existence. An unending, viscous circle without a chance of breaking free. Normally. Luckily the¡­ rules didn¡¯t matter as much to an immortal, never mind several. Come to think of luck and happy endings, Lamia¡¯s mother was a phoenix. In some shape or form she had to still be around, even if she was only an egg waiting to hatch again. ¡°Shit,¡± Lilith added while she was gradually gliding away from me, her voice filled with curiosity and exasperation in equal measure. ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this once.¡± Her next words were uttered in the demonic language, a tongue none of the people present but me could understand. It didn¡¯t matter, though, the power of the syllables was more than enough to convey her meaning: ¡°if you value your life, you¡¯ll get away from them. Right now. Not you, Reia. You¡¯re an immortal, you¡¯ll be fine. And you should watch. If I¡¯m not mistaken the girl will sooner or later become your responsibility, if she hasn¡¯t already.¡± A flurry of hobbling steps reverberated in my ears, but I didn¡¯t care much, my concentration was focused on the wide eyed face in front of me and my sister¡¯s tails, which were gradually snaking up my legs. ¡°You heard her,¡± I said in Chinese, while I allowed Reia to share in our conversation through my senses, ¡°she¡¯s making it sound like I¡¯m about to turn you into a light show, but I¡¯m really not. Not unless you want me to. Look, I¡¯m sure nobody has to tell you that your magic is strange¡­ different, dangerous. That¡¯s because you¡¯ve been injured long before you were even born. Long story short I can do something about it¡­ if you want me to.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the catch,¡± Reia asked in her stead, while Lamia was still deciding whether or not to call it a day and simply bolt. Poor girl, going from a lonely slave to the¡­ for the sake of my peace of mind let¡¯s stick with friend of a newly born immortal and being thrust into the insanity it entailed was terrifying on the best of days. Judging from the barely dried up tears on her cheeks she hadn¡¯t exactly experienced the time of her life, though, before her world had been turned upside down. ¡°The same as usual. It¡¯s going to hurt and once I begin there¡¯s no turning back. If you want a way out we¡¯ll have to wait for Sarai. My magic doesn¡¯t work in increments.¡± Despite herself Lamia¡¯s pride stirred: ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of pain,¡± she insisted in a low, trembling voice that might have made a mosquito take her seriously. If I was being generous. I still smiled indulgently. ¡°I know. Leading the life of a slave whilst keeping your kindness alive¡­ I know you¡¯re strong. But on the other hand¡­¡± I shrugged and gently moved my wings to empathise my point: ¡°you¡¯ve never been exposed to the kind of power it¡¯s going to take to make you whole.¡± Her next words made me frown, because they were directed at Reia. Oh boy, me and the newly minted angel would have to sit down for the talk about the birds and the bees soon. Really soon. ¡°What would you do,¡± she whispered, while she inadvertently reached out for one of Reia¡¯s silky tails and started combing through the arctic blue fur frantically. ¡°I¡¯m the wrong person to ask,¡± the vixen replied quietly but with genuine warmth. ¡°I¡¯ve pretty much spent the last months of my life trying to get her to do something similar to me.¡± Liar, liar, pants on fire¡­ what she had wanted me to do¡­ what she had forced me to do had been a million times more dangerous¡­ and stupid. ¡°I¡¯d jump at the chance, but she¡¯s my sister. I trust her. Unequivocally. And you¡¯ve barely met her. She¡¯s not going anywhere, though. Why not wait a while until you¡¯ve had a chance to make up your mind.¡± I could only sigh before I explained: ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t have the time. Her magic was sealed. Now it is free and it¡¯s¡­ hungry.¡± 411. Of choices, gratitude and a little bit of history Cassandra Pendragon I imagine you¡¯ve already figured out what she replied. An ugly shadow, made of fear and guilt rose behind her eyes and the black flame above her heart grew. In a scared whisper she said: ¡°Then there isn¡¯t that much of a choice, is there?¡± I shook my head sadly. ¡°Not really. We could wait for my sister up there to return, if you wanted us to. She¡¯s¡­ probably better suited to treat you, but¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Reia growled, ¡°you¡¯ll do it. I know you. You¡¯ll suffer just as much as her if you make a mistake. Your¡­ our relatives aren¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± I mumbled, ¡°but I agree¡­ for different reasons. The choice is hers, though.¡± ¡°Hypocrite,¡± Constantine breathed beside me. He hadn¡¯t taken Lilith¡¯s warning to heart and was still hovering close by. ¡°What do you even expect her to say,¡± he continued in Latin. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what her choice entails. Nobody here, but you and your kin does. Are you trying to assuage your conscience in case something goes wrong?¡± A stuck up asshole he was, but he was also clever and pretty good at reading people. Which meant his comment stung way more than it should have, because he wasn¡¯t wrong. Not entirely at least. ¡°I don¡¯t hide behind the letter of the law or a contract,¡± I snarled, ¡°and I don¡¯t presume to know what¡¯s best for someone else. If I did, you¡¯d be the first to realise.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t need a stranger to stand up for me,¡± Lamia interjected timidly, but with conviction. Of course she didn¡¯t, she already had an angel lining up for the job. She leaned to the side and whispered in Reia¡¯s ear: ¡°I¡¯m not asking what you¡¯d do in my stead, but if you think I should take the chance. I¡­ it¡¯s been so long¡­ I just don¡¯t know...¡± A small smile tugged on the corners of the vixen¡¯s mouth and her eyes found mind when she replied softly: ¡°Yes. I think you should. More might happen to you than you¡¯ve bargained for, but I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t regret it. Remember that huge wolfhound you told me about? The one who protected you when your master made you sleep with the dogs? That¡¯s her. Everything she does looks quite intimidating but in the end she¡¯s just a fluffy fur ball who can¡¯t sit by idly. It might hurt, but I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t hurt you, if that makes any sense.¡± If only¡­ I didn¡¯t plan on contradicting her, but that was my little sister speaking. To her it had always seemed like everything had turned out just fine in the end and she didn¡¯t have the foggiest how much darn luck it had actually taken to get there. ¡°From your lips to god¡¯s ear,¡± I commented and fanned out my tails. Hunching down for a prolonged period of time wasn¡¯t for me and my muscles were starting to protest. ¡°Look, Lamia, I know you¡¯ve understood the dishevelled dictator over there. So¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s going to make a difference, but I can try and explain what¡¯s going on with you. I didn¡¯t actually plan on doing so, you¡¯ll know why soon enough, but despite his underhanded way of saying it he isn¡¯t wrong. Your parents¡­ you already know that your mom wasn¡¯t human, don¡¯t you?¡± She nodded, the corners of her eyes already brimming with unshed tears. ¡°She was¡­¡± I bit my lip and corrected myself: ¡°she is a phoenix, a divine beasts. You probably don¡¯t have a clue what that even means, but she basically was close to the top of the food chain amongst known races. Her magic, her power is much stronger than anything a human could have handled. For you to be born your father had to¡­ borrow the strength from somewhere. From you, in this case. What I intend to do is close the hole his actions have torn. Or rather¡­¡± my gaze darted to Reia before I finished: ¡°she will. With my help.¡± ¡°Why,¡± My sister asked in surprise even though I heard a faint echo of joy behind her words. ¡°Because magic is much more convoluted and complex than most practitioners would make you believe. Spells and power are just one tiny little aspect of a much larger whole. Never underestimate the strength of deeds. You¡­ you held her when she cried, yours was the first friendly face she¡¯s seen in years and it will be your heart, your warmth¡­,¡± oh, to hell with it, ¡°your blossoming desire that¡¯ll make her whole.¡± Switching back to our mother tongue I added: ¡°and if you keep on interrupting I¡¯ll become much more straightforward with my answers. Am I clear?¡± She gaped, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, while her eyes darted from me to Lamia. Finally she stammered in a mortified whisper: ¡°She can understand our language¡­ every language.¡± Oops. Oh well, despite what every teenager believed their feelings weren¡¯t much of a secret anyways. They were written plainly all over her¡­ over the both of them. It¡¯d just take a bit of time for them to realise. It really ran in the family, didn¡¯t it? Next thing you¡¯d know Mordred was going to bring home a pretty boy. That¡¯d make Arthur the odd one out. Which he already was. In a way. I tried my best to suppress a smile at the intrusive thought, but judging from my sister¡¯s deadly glare I didn¡¯t succeed. Before she could complain further I said: ¡°just as well. Now the two of you at least know why you can barely look at each other. Oh, to be young again,¡± I sputtered to an undignified silence when Reia used her tails to gag me, a magnificent, fiery red rising to her cheeks as she clumsily searched for Lamia¡¯s gaze. Which wasn¡¯t easy, considering the girl in question was stalwartly looking everywhere but her. With a satisfied groan I stretched my legs and rose. ¡°I can give you a few minutes. With Sarai, Ahri and me here her flames aren¡¯t much of a problem, but you know yourself how pressed for time we are. I¡­ sorry kiddo, but you have to take a leap of faith here. Be honest with her.¡± I glared at Constantine and added: ¡°meanwhile we should talk as¡­¡± I paused and cocked an eyebrow when I felt Lilith¡¯s heat on my shoulder again. ¡°No fireworks,¡± the demoness inquired disappointedly and pouted. ¡°Not yet. What is it with you, anyways? Considering the state you¡¯re in I¡¯d have thought you were all fed up with excitement for a few millennia, at the very least.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same,¡± she huffed. ¡°It¡¯s not my perky ass on the line here.¡± ¡°No, but if it goes south you¡¯ll have to wait all the longer until you¡¯re reunited with your perky ass.¡± ¡°To be honest I¡¯m missing my breasts far more often,¡± she replied wistfully with a genuinely longing glow in her eyes. Before I could figure out what the little devil was getting at she had already squeezed mine and was quickly floating away. Only a few, distorted words reached me through her chime like laughter: ¡°but yours will do until then. You better be careful, Cassy. Every time Ahri isn¡¯t near you, you¡¯re fair game. And you¡¯re not yet old enough to scare me on your own.¡± Cheeky little demon. But two could play that game. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. My wings hummed in annoyance, followed by a sound like rolling thunder and a small, silvery explosion. The fraction of a second later Lilith tore right through the bark of an elm close by, shrouded in a cloud of ash and ozone. ¡°Have fun digging yourself out,¡± I harrumphed, my cheeks burning. It wasn¡¯t her antics but rather the very peculiar look on Constantine¡¯s face that had me embarrassed. No wonder no one, who knew me for more than a minute, took me seriously. ¡°If I had only known¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°Known what exactly,¡± I asked as I pulled him away. The little burlesque act had at least melted the petrified silence between Reia and Lamia and the two were again grinning. Grinning and whispering like two¡­ use your own damn imagination. I was already miffed as it was, without acknowledging that my little, twelve and a half year old sister was well on her way to court a sixteen year old slave girl, whose sexual experiences had, as much as it pained me to even think about it, probably been more colourful than my own. Considering how kitsune aged I wasn¡¯t even sure if Reia had already hit puberty. For Pete¡¯s sake! Simply going near the topic mentally already gave me a headache. One a child who acted like an adult with much too much curiosity and chock full of hormones, mixed with an abundance of transcendent energies, while the other hadn¡¯t been allowed to say no for most of her life. Fantastic, marvellous, peachy¡­ unfortunately my family¡¯s old, ugly chastity belts hadn¡¯t survived the fall of Boseiju. ¡°That all I¡¯d have had to do was ask for help,¡± the former emperor continued, entirely oblivious to my torment. ¡°You¡¯d have helped me quell the revolution without the need for religion or bloodbaths, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Maybe. But I¡¯d also have put your son on the throne as soon as we¡¯d have been done. Bloody hands are too slippery to hold the reigns. I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯d have stood by silently and in the end that clash might have been far more brutal. It¡¯s idle speculation, anyways.¡± ¡°Is it,¡± he replied pensively. ¡°Funny you should say that. I was just about to try.¡± Again my aeons of experience, the multitude of languages I knew, the cultures of a myriad worlds I had lived on culminated in the pinnacle of rhetoric supremacy: ¡°Huh?¡± I was genuinely flabbergasted. Technically he was still a prisoner. How could he¡­ right. Lilith. I wouldn¡¯t have feared for my life either, if my naked warden had just been groped by a lightbulb. Right then and there I promised myself that I¡¯d get Ahri to help me make one of those dresses made of light she had mentioned. I was done playing the naked princess for everyone. And before you ask, I had one set of clothes left. One. And I wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice it now. ¡°Ask for your help,¡± he explained patiently. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out a bit on my own and I guess we¡¯re just the first arrivals, aren¡¯t we? When the rest of my people cross over I want your help to reign them in. And before you play hard to get: know that you¡¯ll help either way. Let me just tell you this: my family is the only one in our empire that doesn¡¯t keep slaves. Do you know why? Because of me. But that¡¯s not even the point.¡± He gesticulated over his shoulder towards Lamia. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her mark. I know whom she belongs to and they¡¯re influential. Very much so. But, as I know, you don¡¯t give a shit. As soon as you¡¯re going to extract a pound of flesh in her name and become involved I¡¯ll be right there anyways, so why bother with the pretence? We could save ourselves a lot of grief if we simply cooperated from the very beginning. And¡­ well, tell me honestly, was I a bad ruler? Not even in comparison to others. By your standards¡­ how did I do?¡± I would have loved to ridicule him, to tell him that he had been a mockery of what a ruler should be, but that would have been a lie. A pretty big one. ¡°You were a shitty father, husband and human,¡± I ground out through gritted teeth, ¡°but you carried your crown well. I¡¯m just not so sure if that¡¯s a reason to brag.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Some are born to be smiths, others painters. Some carry weapons, others quills. The world needs them all to evolve.¡± ¡°Most blacksmiths I know don¡¯t harden their swords in the blood of their family,¡± I retorted sharply. ¡°Save your breath. If you¡¯re looking for absolution pester someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯ve forgiven myself a long time ago. Have you?¡± ¡°What for,¡± I flared up. ¡°You don¡¯t know me. You don¡¯t know what¡­¡± ¡°I know that look in your eyes. My memories started returning three deaths ago. It took me two lives to accept who I was and to realise that I¡¯m not anymore. You¡­ you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re there, yet. That¡¯s all.¡± Damn it, most fortune cookies were less irritating than this reborn Roman. ¡°I don¡¯t need the advice of an unruly child,¡± I snarled. He only shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself. I was only observing. What about it, then? Do you feel inclined to lend a hand? They say it¡¯s better to dance with the devil you know, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting ahead of yourself, Constantine. Again. Do you really expect me to make a promise in the middle of the woods while I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s actually going to happen? I¡¯m not that stupid anymore.¡± He chuckled quietly. ¡°Fine, allow me to paint you picture. Around here it might be a secret, but we¡¯ve always known that our world is a subrealm of a larger whole. One with a mana density that wouldn¡¯t be sustainable on a larger scale. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done, but judging from your reactions you somehow managed to destroy the balance between the realms and now, piece by little piece, they¡¯re colliding. Which means my compatriots will soon flood your little garden Eden.¡± He buried his head and his hands, muffling his next words: ¡°You¡¯ve seen much. Tell me, who do you think we are? What do you think my people have become over years, centuries, millennia spent in a world filled with an abundance of power? A world that allows you to climb ever higher in case you¡¯re prepared to pay the necessary price. A world where an individual can actually rise up to challenge an empire. If they have the strength.¡± ¡°Blood and games,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Back then even the ruler of the greatest nation on Earth had to fear the masses, that¡¯s why the whole Roman Empire spent more on public games than it did on its navy. How many of your predecessors have been dragged from their palaces and crucified or decapitated on the steps of the Forum, because they couldn¡¯t assuage the wrath of the people? Hundreds? Without that fear, without anyone holding you accountable, provided you have the strength, might truly makes right. Which explains the slave mark on Lamia and¡­ your fellowship. Tell me, Constantine, how many of your loyal flowers¡­ followers were bought or brought into your fold under duress? Two of the four? Three?¡± ¡°None. Like I said, my memories have been returning for a while, but I¡¯m the first to admit that I would have embraced their¡­ our way of living with open arms if it hadn¡¯t been for my past¡­ and the knowledge that beyond the stars someone might just be watching. I¡¯ve never forgotten you, Lucifer, and for that I¡¯m grateful. But you haven¡¯t answered my question. Who do you think we are?¡± ¡°A people that regards compassion and forgiveness as weakness, a people that keeps score not by the good deeds of a person but the unsettled grudges in their past. They are what you¡¯ve tried to suppress with religion, they¡¯re a representation of the old ways. The Ten Commandments were your solution to escape a vicious circle of death, revenge and the apotheosis of those who were prepared to eradicate their own blood in their misguided quest to attain power. Unfortunately you weren¡¯t much different back then. Simply more civilised.¡± He hummed in agreement. ¡°And now this¡­ culture is going to descend on your world. I don¡¯t mean to sound condescending, but aside from the entirely magical people of your world, like the dragons or maybe the elves, you¡¯ll be swept away in a storm of blood and iron. This world¡¯s mana is much less condensed than I am used to. My compatriots will fight tooth and nail for what they need and the simple fact that they¡¯ve been exposed to much more energy already will turn them into a menace, unleashed upon this world. Sooner or later blood will flow, towns will burn and just kings will become prisoners or carcasses swinging in the wind. And that¡¯s without considering what nightmares might crawl out of the other realms. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need me to put an end to the atrocities you¡¯ll encounter, but you¡¯ll need me to prevent a war that would scar your world for ever. Unless you¡¯re an immortal, you have to play by the rules of the world you live in¡­ or you die.¡± 412. Of threats, acceptance and a little bit of flight Cassandra Pendragon I turned away and allowed the cold breeze to ruffle my hair. Lilith, spluttering and pulsing like a lightbulb during a thunderstorm, had just managed to extricate herself from the charred trunk of the elm, Lamia and Reia were huddled up close together under a spruce, hiding from the biting wind, and Constantine¡¯s harem had formed a loose circle around us, their heads lowered. That alone would have been enough to convince me he had told the truth, but I hadn¡¯t really doubted him to begin with. What kind of environment would teach four proud, beautiful, magically gifted women to lower their heads in the presence of someone whom they probably shared a bed with? A traditional, outdated, violent culture, where personal prowess was the only indicator of worth. The strong would rule and the weak would cower. Damn it all to hell and back, not only was it inefficient, it also went against every fibre of my being. I had walked many worlds where it had been similar and I had never stayed for long. Either because I had become disgusted or because I had lost my patience. But this time I couldn¡¯t hide and I couldn¡¯t lash out. This was my home. Groaning I raised my head to the sky and watched the two immortals, far above the clouds, frolic like two young birds, the joy of their reunion palpable in every one of their movements. Seeing a small piece of heaven come to life calmed me down, but it still couldn¡¯t loosen the knot of worry I felt hardening in my stomach. ¡°How many of you are there,¡± I finally asked. ¡°Millions,¡± Constantine replied, ¡°but they¡¯re mostly slaves or commoners. It¡¯s the cultivators you have to be wary of. As to how many there are¡­ powerful ones maybe a few hundred. Of those only about ten can pose a real threat.¡± ¡°Are you amongst them?¡± He chuckled morosely. ¡°Not even close. Despite my knowledge I¡¯ve only had about twenty years to cultivate my strength and my family isn¡¯t associated with any of the more formidable powers. If you want an indicator¡­ each one of them can travel between realms at will. Maybe destroy them. They know what¡¯s happening and they¡¯ll be prepared. They might even see it as a chance to rise above their peers.¡± ¡°Then what exactly do I need you for?¡± ¡°We might not be allies but I know them and I¡¯ve met several in person. Let¡¯s get to the chase. I can lead you to them and once you¡¯ve put them in the dirt I can make sure they comport themselves appropriately, maybe even peacefully.¡± ¡°As the newly minted emperor of the next great dynasty, I take it?¡± ¡°Why not? You know as well as I that structure is important. Without it chaos and strife will follow. I don¡¯t have the strength, but I have the skill to prevent that. Why not use it?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t trust you,¡± I shot back. More to myself than for his benefit I added: ¡°maybe I should just seal magic on Gaya altogether and be done with it.¡± Unfortunately that would kill the dragons, the fey, the kitsune¡­ the list went on. Otherwise I might have truly considered it as a solution. Without magic most of the shit I had been forced to deal with wouldn¡¯t have happened. My gaze returned to him and I asked: ¡°how do you even intend to find them? I suppose they¡¯re very adapted at suppressing their aura.¡± ¡°That they are, but they¡¯re also spoiled, indulging crybabies. I¡¯m not going to divulge everything I know, that¡¯d be stupid, but one has a taste for exceptionally pretty boys.¡± With an exaggeratedly lecherous smile he winked. ¡°Now, in which waters do you think she¡¯ll start fishing?¡± I didn¡¯t quite take away the message he had meant to convey: ¡°Are there kitsune in your realm?¡± Judging from his suddenly hesitant demeanour he wasn¡¯t expecting me to take his answer overly well. ¡°No¡­ but a few got lost and ended up there. Their fate wasn¡¯t kind. She¡­ collected them all, regardless of age or gender, and kept them until they withered away. Your¡­ bodies, your innate magic, its like a fruit waiting to be plucked for us.¡± I whistled through my teeth. ¡°And you thought I¡¯d hold you responsible? What do you take me for?¡± Stupid question, really, considering he had turned me into the devil. ¡°Never mind.¡± I inhaled deeply and savoured the tangy, but muted scent of the forest. Electricity was building in the air, mixed with a subtle note of something else. Ozone, the smell of reality torn asunder. What was brewing in the sky wasn¡¯t a normal storm. ¡°Thanks, but no. I¡¯m not going to spend my time running after people you point out. Your kin are going to be in for quite a surprise. This world as we know it¡­ with or without you it¡¯s going to end within a year. I neither have the time nor the desire to play kingmaker while a real war is already looming on the horizon.¡± ¡°And you expect me to believe that? You expect me to believe that you¡¯re going to turn a blind eye? Wherever my people will arrive blood will follow, unless they¡¯re met with more strength than they possess. Unless you¡¯re someone else entirely you won¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to, but I don¡¯t need you to act as my guide.¡± With a wicked grin I added: ¡°chances are over half of them will appear on the other side of the ocean. Maybe I¡¯ll even root for them, but most likely your oh so powerful cultivators will end up as arcane batteries themselves in no time.¡± At least death was an escape now. Their souls would be safe once they had passed on. ¡°Aren¡¯t you overestimating your compatriots? From whatever little information I have the magic of this world is far inferior to ours.¡± ¡°Magic is always the same and the tiny morsels of power you¡¯ve stored away within you won¡¯t last for long. Soon you¡¯ll have to play by the same rules as everybody else. And if one of you should come up with the brilliant idea of using cognisant fuels to strengthen themselves¡­ I¡¯ll know and I¡¯ll be there. Have you forgotten what I¡¯ve done, barely a quarter of an hour ago? It wasn¡¯t all for show, either. No¡­ amor fati. What will be, will be. Which means you should stop worrying about the future and maybe start thinking about how you¡¯re going to earn twenty gold coins.¡± He cocked an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t insist further. I was pretty sure, though, that he¡¯d bring it up again at the next opportune, or even inopportune for that matter, moment. ¡°One part is easy, the other isn¡¯t,¡± he replied, ¡°I can help her lay the foundation of her own path. That¡¯s worth quite a bit more than twenty gold, don¡¯t you think?¡± True, but¡­ unnecessary. If I wasn¡¯t entirely mistaken the former slave would soon have access to more information on magic than Constantine, in all his lives, had ever accumulated. The beauty of getting close to an immortal, albeit a newly born. ¡°But,¡± he continued, ¡°the world will end within a year? Why?¡± ¡°Because not one entity from beyond the stars is watching this little world of ours. All of them are and in a year they¡¯ll come knocking on the door. It falls to me to make sure that more than dust and ashes survive the dawn of an immortal war. That¡¯s also why I¡¯m not going to bother with your compatriots for now, unless they give me a reason to.¡± He was taking the revelation quite well, without the usual fuss, puffy cheeks or wringing hands. No, he seemed quite calm and even managed a pinched smile. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then? You can¡¯t hide an entire planet¡­ can you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I¡­,¡± wasn¡¯t sure whether or not to reveal my hand, but that stemmed mainly from my past experiences with him, which I wouldn¡¯t have described as delightful. In all honesty, trying to screw me over now was tantamount to suicide and Constantine was many things, but an idiot he was not. ¡°The planet can¡¯t be hidden, especially not by me. It¡¯s my own magic that will serve as a beacon to draw my siblings closer. But a chunk of rock orbiting a star isn¡¯t what I¡¯d call home and the peoples of this world¡­ they don¡¯t have to stay here, do they?¡± ¡°Are you trying to tell me that you want to leave this world beforehand? How? Technology isn¡¯t an option and space travel by magic is a darn balancing act. It takes almost as much time to get right as it takes to develop a spaceship.¡± ¡°And how would you know? The last few chapters of your life clearly didn¡¯t take place on a medieval world, did they? It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m not really interested in your past. And no, trying to turn a world, on which most people struggle to add two and two together, into a spacefaring civilisation isn¡¯t an option. It wouldn¡¯t even be one if I had a decade, or several for that matter. But¡­ you¡¯ve spent your entire life in a subrealm yourself. Let me tell you a little secret. A subrealm doesn¡¯t have to be anchored to a world. It only needs a counterweight heavy enough to withstand the pull. I could probably do it myself, but I don¡¯t even need to. As we speak a friend of mine, a dryad, is growing. Her roots are spreading and when they¡¯ve reached every last part of this world, she¡¯ll become the sanctuary we dearly need. At least I hope so.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong?¡± I answered his questioning, anxious gaze calmly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to fight¡­ and probably die, but what else is there? Besides, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong. Creatures who are much wiser, much more cunning and much more ruthless than me have sacrificed more than you can imagine to make it possible. I don¡¯t expect them to fail. In that regard, at least, I trust them.¡± Something changed within his eyes, a spark of comprehension that vanished just as quickly as it had formed. Gradually the little bits and pieces he had picked up were coming together to form a picture he wasn¡¯t overly comfortable with. ¡°Who are you,¡± he breathed. ¡°The devil,¡± I chuckled dryly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re surprised that your colourful descriptions didn¡¯t even come close to the truth. I¡¯m not arrogant enough to think of myself as the root of all mortal aspirations, but the strength you unwittingly attributed to me isn¡¯t too far from what I actually am. And it will be even more accurate once the year has run its course,¡± I added under my breath. ¡°But¡­ why¡­ what¡­,¡± he stammered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s nothing for us to do? What does it even matter? Aren¡¯t we just waiting for the end to come?¡± Another sigh escaped me. Luckily we were still talking in Latin, which meant the four girls around us couldn¡¯t follow the conversation. Otherwise the ensuing explanations would have taken me a week. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, sure. But I¡¯m not yet ready to stick my head in the sand and wait. And if you are neither, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something for you to do that doesn¡¯t involve tearing your hair out until the sky falls onto your head. For instance¡­,¡± I breathed in deeply and tasted the rising pressure in the air. ¡°Within a few hours even more of your kin are going to stumble into our world right around here. They¡¯ll be confused and angry and generally in a bad mood. I¡¯m sure they could use a familiar face to calm them down. Incidentally, the same thing is going to happen all over¡­¡± I felt my ears twitch and swivel and then I caught a faint almost inaudible sound on the wind. Screams that carried with them an echo of the magic that was being unleashed not too far from here. Blasted, godforsaken war! We were on the Emerald Island after all and more or less bound to stumble over a few skirmishes on our way to the capital, but I hadn¡¯t expected the flames of carnage to have already ignited this far north. Damn it all to hell and back. ¡°Or not,¡± I continued, while I was already reaching out mentally for the two immortals in the sky. Then I switched to Chinese and beckoned for Reia and Lamia to join us. ¡°Time¡¯s up. Excuse my candour, but you¡¯re planning on sticking to us like a burdock, aren¡¯t you, Constantine?¡± I had actually meant to say like mould, but antagonising the former emperor, as enticing as it was, would have to wait. He exchanged a quick glance with his better halves and nodded. ¡°Just as well. That leaves the two of you¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll suffer any repercussions, Reia, but chance are Lamia is going to be out of it for a while once we¡¯re done and I can¡¯t stick around to watch her regain consciousness. There¡¯s a fight happening close by and I want to know what¡¯s going on. Which means the two of you have basically two options. You can either stay like you are and we postpone the whole make the phoenix better affair until we arrive somewhere with an actual bed, or we can rush through it right now. In that case Reia will have to stay here and watch over you. We¡¯ll pick you up in a few hours and I¡¯ll leave Lilith with you.¡± Which was less generosity and more irritation with the demoness on my part, but they didn¡¯t need to know. ¡°What¡¯s it going to be?¡± The two girls exchanged a glance that was a tad too familiar for my liking, before my sister replied: ¡°We¡¯ll wait. Unless¡­ is there a risk to her?¡± I moved my wings, one of the scintillating torrents pierced the dark, ominous flame, still dancing above Lamia¡¯s heart, and it dispersed into silvery motes of light instantly. A peculiar look entered the phoenix¡¯ eyes but before she could ask a stammering question I explained: ¡°I just fed your magic a tiny piece of my own power. To cut a long story short your energy will try to¡­ digest, for want of a better word, what I¡¯ve given you, but it won¡¯t work. Until I take the spark back out your magic is locked in an unbreakable cycle. You can still actively use it, but it won¡¯t flare up without your say so. It¡¯s a temporary fix, mind you. If we don¡¯t get that spark out of you again it¡¯ll slowly corrode your innate ability.¡± To stop Reia from inflating even further I quickly added: ¡°which will take weeks. You¡¯re fine for now.¡± A soft thud sounded behind me and a warm gust, carrying with it the scent of fire and stars, tickled my bare back. Sarai and Ahri had returned. ¡°Once we¡¯re in the sky Reia can carry Lamia. We¡¯ll have to split the others between us. Or¡­ can you fly?¡± Slightly miffed at my pretentious question Constantine replied: ¡°Maybe not as good as you, but it¡¯ll be enough.¡± I nodded curtly, my wings slithered through the air and two tentacles wound themselves tightly around Reia and her¡­ friend. A second later we were already above the trees, the muddied clearing slowly shrinking away. A flurry of activity erupted below us, but I couldn¡¯t watch. ¡°You¡¯re going to drop me any second now, aren¡¯t you,¡± my sister complained. ¡°Hmm, if you want to teach someone to swim, throw them in a river, if you want someone to learn how to fly¡­¡± then I let go. Just of her, mind you. Unfortunately Lamia screamed even louder than the vixen when the latter plummeted towards the earth. With a gentle squeeze I reassured her: ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, I think. If she doesn¡¯t manage to righten herself before she passes the canopy I¡¯ll catch her.¡± Inadvertently I held my breath, my eyes glued to the flailing bundle of shimmering wings and artic blue tails. Once she¡¯d figure out how to use them her tails would become quite the asset when manoeuvring in the air, but for now they were simply in the way. ¡°Just spread your wings and tails and soar,¡± I shouted, but the muffled, slightly panicked response still consisted of an impressive stream of curses. Luckily the girl was able to multitask and managed to adjust her trajectory. It was a far cry removed from elegant, but at least she wasn¡¯t falling anymore. That was until Sarai brushed past her, laughing merrily, and messed up her balance entirely. For the fraction of a second the vixen almost stood in the air and then she plummeted again, head over tails, towards the frozen baldaquin of unforgiving boughs. ¡°That could have gone better,¡± I murmured as I prepared to teleport below her, but Sarai had already gripped one of Reia¡¯s tails and was pulling her back up, smiling brightly. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll catch you by your neck,¡± the fully grown angel chuckled sinisterly.